Chapter 843: Accident

Chapter 843: Chapter 843: Accident

After seeing Tian Wen off, the clinic fell quiet.

Wu Mengmeng stared at the business card with Tian Wen’s private number in Li Xu’s hand, her eyes practically overflowing with stars.

"Dr. Li, your skills... I’m in absolute awe of you." Wu Mengmeng sighed with emotion while packing up her things. "Do you know what this means? It means Director Tian will be your die-hard fan from now on! From preparing for pregnancy to pregnancy maintenance, it’ll take at least half a year or more. You’re basically her chief healthcare physician now! With Director Tian on your side, who in the hospital would dare trip you up? For future awards and evaluations, it’ll just take a single word from you!"

Li Xu turned around and looked at the overly excited Wu Mengmeng, not showing a hint of smugness.

"Mengmeng, do you remember why you wanted to take me as your mentor?" Li Xu asked.

Wu Mengmeng froze for a moment, quickly standing up straight. "I... I want to master traditional Chinese medicine. I want to relieve patients’ suffering, just like you do."

"If you want to master Chinese medicine, you need to focus on your prescriptions, not your connections." Li Xu turned back to look at her. "Whether it’s Director Tian or a taxi driver, in a doctor’s eyes, they are patients first and foremost. If I put in extra effort just because of Director Tian’s status, or treat her as my backer because she’s a leader in the Health Commission, then the prescriptions I write will be tainted with ulterior motives. The medicine in traditional Chinese healing has a spirit to it. If there are too many distractions in a prescription, its efficacy will be compromised."

Wu Mengmeng’s face flushed red, and she lowered her head in shame. "Dean Li, I was wrong. I was just... thinking improperly for a moment."

"I understand your perspective. In today’s society, everyone is looking for a ladder to climb." Li Xu patted her shoulder, his tone softening. "But let me tell you, the real ladder is your own skill. As long as your medical expertise improves and you can cure illnesses that others cannot, then status, position, and connections will naturally gravitate toward you. You don’t need to beg for a backer, because you will be the backer for others. Understand?"

"I understand. I will definitely study hard and not embarrass you." Wu Mengmeng nodded heavily.

Jinkou District in Feng City had been developing quite well in recent years. Not far from the hospital, there was a bustling commercial street and a shopping mall.

At eight o’clock in the morning, office workers were commuting to their jobs. Today was the twenty-sixth day of the twelfth lunar month, leaving only two days until the Spring Festival holiday. The commuters seemed a bit impatient, wishing the holidays would arrive sooner.

With the Spring Festival approaching, the weather was quite pleasant. The morning sun carried a trace of warmth, signaling a bright and sunny day ahead.

Suddenly, a chorus of exclamations echoed from the mall’s central plaza.

People immediately turned toward the noise, only to see a crowded bus lose control and crash into a roadside utility pole.

In an instant, thick smoke billowed from the bus, and flames erupted from the windows and doors.

This sudden accident shattered the morning’s tranquility. Many nearby pedestrians shouted in alarm. Cyclists and passersby stopped at a safe distance to watch, while quite a few pulled out their phones to take photos and record videos, ready to post a wave of updates on their Moments.

"Hello, is this the fire department?"

"Hello, is this emergency services?"

Some kindhearted people began calling the authorities, while other enthusiastic citizens rushed into the nearby mall, found fire extinguishers, and ran over to help put out the blaze.

In the Internal Medicine Department, Lin Guorui was holding a pre-shift meeting for the doctors.

The department didn’t hold these meetings every day. Lin Guorui only gathered the doctors to say a few words or give instructions when there were specific matters or special circumstances to address.

"There are only a few days left until the Spring Festival. Have the holiday shift schedules been arranged?" Lin Guorui asked Head Nurse Lu Jinling.

In most hospitals, department scheduling was usually handled by the chief resident, the department secretary, or handed over directly to the nursing department, where a scheduling nurse or the head nurse would take charge. The chief resident and department secretary were not permanent positions, so not every department had them. In most cases, the head nurse was responsible for scheduling and would designate a specific nurse for the task.

"It’s already arranged," Lu Jinling replied.

"Mm." Lin Guorui nodded. "Our tasks won’t be easy during the Spring Festival. The weather has been changing rapidly lately, there are various flu viruses going around, and the number of sick patients is high. Don’t let your guard down just because the new year is approaching. Don’t think you can just relax. As doctors, the closer we get to the holidays, the more vigilant we need to be.

"Everyone performed well this year. Our department not only maintained its previous honors but also earned the title of Outstanding Nursing Department. I want to specifically praise our nursing staff for this."

"Thank you, Director Lin," Lu Jinling said with a smile.

In a hospital, nurses belonged to the nursing department while doctors belonged to the medical department; the two were considered equals. Within each clinical department, doctors and nurses collaborated closely without a strict superior-subordinate hierarchy.

As the department director, Lin Guorui had no direct supervisory authority over Lu Jinling. However, in actual clinical work, because nurses assisted doctors and doctors took the lead in specific treatments due to their specialized technical expertise, nurses often adopted a more deferential stance. This sometimes led laypeople to mistakenly believe that nurses were the subordinates of doctors.

"Alright, that’s all. Everyone stay alert. Let’s begin the shift handover."

Lin Guorui dismissed the meeting, and everyone dispersed to prepare for the handover.

Just then, Lin Guorui received a phone call. His expression changed, and he urgently shouted, "Everyone, gather around!"

Since no one had gone far, they all quickly reconvened at his call.

"There’s been a car accident over at Impression Mall. A bus lost control, and many passengers are trapped..." Lin Guorui’s gaze swept over the crowd as he spoke. "Xiaochen, Xiaoxu, lead a team over to help. The Emergency Department has already dispatched people."

He then turned to Lu Jinling. "Head Nurse, please make the arrangements on your end."

"Understood, Director Lin."

Lu Jinling promptly assigned two nurses. Xu Guorui took along a resident doctor, and they all hurried outside.

Since Li Xu was running a specialist clinic, he hadn’t attended the Internal Medicine Department’s meeting, so Lin Guorui specifically went over to ask him for help. Upon hearing the news, Li Xu took Wu Mengmeng and rushed to the scene.

Impression Mall was not far from the hospital, only a few hundred meters away. Before setting out, Li Xu made a point to grab his medical kit. Carrying it on his back, the group quickly arrived at the scene.

By the time Li Xu and Xu Guorui arrived, the firefighters and emergency doctors were already there. The fire had been put out, and the rescue crews, along with enthusiastic civilians, were helping to save the victims.

Because it was early morning, there were many passengers on board. Not only were all the seats taken, but the aisles had also been packed with people. Roughly fifty or sixty passengers had been trapped.