Chapter 15: Rising to Fame

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At Concord Hospital, Director Zhang Yuyang was chatting with Qin Zhong when Zhang De burst in, accompanied by Li Chunhua.
“Second brother, take an X-ray for me,” Zhang De said with a beaming smile.
“You’re getting more and more reckless. Don’t you know how to knock?” Zhang Yuyang feigned annoyance.
“Come on, no time for nonsense,” Zhang De said, making a move to pull him along.
“All right, all right. Where does it hurt?” Zhang Yuyang smiled.
“I don’t know either,” Zhang De said, somewhat puzzled. “My daughter-in-law and I went for a massage at the steel mill, and the doctor there told me to come to the hospital for an X-ray, specifically a lung X-ray.”
Unexpectedly, as soon as they left the medical office, Li Chunhua betrayed him. Not out of malice, but because she felt her modest skills couldn’t hide the truth from her father-in-law, so she decided to be upfront.
“The steel mill? What’s the doctor’s surname?” Qin Zhong, who had been silent, finally spoke.
“Lin. A very young doctor,” Zhang De replied with a smile.
“Is it him?”
Zhang Yuyang and Qin Zhong said in unison.
“You know each other?” Zhang De asked curiously.
“He’s my student,” Qin Zhong said with a smile.
“He almost became my student,” Zhang Yuyang sighed. “Alright, put your hand out. I’ll take your pulse.”
Zhang De obediently extended his hand.
After a moment,
“There’s a slight problem with your lungs, but it’s not enough to require an X-ray, is it?” Zhang Yuyang frowned.
Qin Zhong shrugged indifferently.
He admired Lin Shaowen’s choice but also felt regretful.
After hearing that Lin Shaowen was the only doctor at the steel mill, he was even more moved.
“Since you’re here, let’s take the X-ray,” Zhang Yuyang decided.
Half an hour later.
“This...”
Zhang Yuyang looked at Zhang De’s X-ray and turned to Qin Zhong. “Old Qin, is there any way to get him transferred to Concord? I could arrange four doctors to take shifts at the steel mill.”
“What’s going on?”
Curious, Qin Zhong took the X-ray and gasped.
“Tell me what’s going on!” Zhang De anxiously said.
“Lung cancer,” Zhang Yuyang said bluntly.
Zhang De and Li Chunhua faltered and collapsed to the ground.
Before long, they began to weep.
“Why are you crying? It’s not that bad yet,” Zhang Yuyang said sternly. “Luckily, it was caught early, and there’s still hope for treatment.”
“Really?” Zhang De’s eyes were brimming with tears.

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“If you don’t believe me, fine,” Zhang Yuyang said, unwilling to argue.
They were brothers, and he knew Zhang De’s character well.
If he didn’t scare him, he wouldn’t cooperate with the treatment.
“Second brother, you have to save me,” Zhang De wiped his tears.
“Before you get admitted, bring a gift to Dr. Lin. If it weren’t for him, you’d be dead already,” Zhang Yuyang sighed. “Even if you came next month, it would be too late.”
Steel Mill.
Lin Shaowen was disinfecting a worker’s finger cut from the machinery—a minor injury.
“Eat less spicy food and get plenty of rest. It’s nothing serious.”
“Thank you, Dr. Lin,” the worker said gratefully.
“Go ahead.”
As Lin Shaowen was about to dismiss him, a commotion erupted outside the clinic.
Soon, it seemed many people were heading toward the medical office.
“Dr. Lin, my father-in-law brought you a banner of appreciation!”
Li Chunhua was the first to enter the office.
“What’s this?”
Lin Shaowen looked flustered.
A banner? What a joke.
“Dr. Lin, well done! You’ve brought honor to our steel mill,” Director Yang said, his face glowing.
Zhang De was no ordinary man—not a top-tier big shot, but certainly a mid-level heavyweight.
Many gathered, eager for the spectacle.
“Thank you, Dr. Lin,” Zhang De said, holding the banner with a look of relief.
“No need for thanks...”
Lin Shaowen hurried forward to stop him, but Zhang De unfolded the banner.
“Medical Ethics of the Highest Order—Presented by Zhang De.”
The gilded characters shone before everyone.
“No, Mr. Zhang, you’re too kind,” Lin Shaowen said, genuinely embarrassed.
“It’s deserved, it’s deserved,” Zhang De insisted. “If it weren’t for Dr. Lin, I’d be dead.”
Having already learned the situation, Director Yang immediately told his secretary, “Dr. Lin’s medical skills are excellent. Raise his benefits...”
“He just joined the mill,” someone objected.
“So what if he just started?” Zhang De said coldly. “If you don’t treat Dr. Lin well, Concord Hospital will snatch him away. I know Director Zhang at Concord is willing to assign four doctors to the steel mill in exchange for Lin...”
“Dad!”
Lin Chunhua called out immediately.

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No wonder my second uncle always made fun of him. With remarks like that, the steel mill would be on high alert—no chance for a transfer.
“Is that so?” Director Yang grew nervous. “Raise him to level five benefits... No, level six, with no change to his subsidy.”
The leaders who had grumbled before fell silent upon hearing that Concord Hospital wanted to recruit him. They didn’t mind losing him, given their top medical resources, but if the workers found out they let the doctor go, there would be an uproar.
Before long, the factory’s loudspeaker blared.
“Dr. Lin from the medical office is upright, morally sound, and ethically exemplary...” After a series of praises, the announcement continued, “The factory has decided to grant Dr. Lin level six benefits. We hope he will continue his hard work and create a better future for the steel mill.”
Workshop One.
“Level six benefits? He’s just in his early twenties,” Yi Zhonghai muttered.
“On what basis?” Jia Dongxu was nearly insane with jealousy.
He had worked there for four years and was still a level one worker.
This kid had only been at the mill for a few days and already had level six benefits.
Level six benefits meant seventy-seven yuan and eighty-five cents, nearly three times Jia’s salary.
Liu Haizhong almost crushed his hand in disbelief upon hearing the news.
Among the courtyard workers, Yi Zhonghai had the highest pay at level eight: ninety-nine yuan. Next was Liu Haizhong, a level seven fitter earning eighty yuan and fifty cents. As for Old Yan... barely over thirty yuan a month, barely enough to support a family.
In the kitchen, the simple-minded Shu Zhu was stunned. He hadn’t paid much attention to Lin Shaowen and thought he was just an intern doctor. To think he started at level four and jumped two levels to six benefits so quickly.
Suddenly, his thirty-seven yuan and fifty cents salary seemed far less appealing.
Medical Office.
After the commotion, everyone had left except Director Yang.
“Director, do you need something else?” Lin Shaowen asked, surprised.
“I heard your massage skills are good. My shoulder’s been hurting lately. Can you give it a try?” Director Yang smiled.
“I’m about to get off work,” Lin Shaowen pretended to hesitate.
“Don’t worry, I won’t let you work for nothing.”
Director Yang pulled a ticket from his pocket and handed it to him.
“A sewing machine ticket? But, Director, I don’t know how to use that,” Lin Shaowen said, playing coy.
“Don’t pay me back...”
“Fine, I’ll accept it reluctantly.”
“Whatever.”
They joked.
But once Lin Shaowen started, he immediately became serious.
“Ah!”
Director Yang gasped and resolved:
This kid doesn’t trade favors. No matter who else comes, it won’t work as well as him.