Inside the office, the director, deputy director, and a host of senior administrators filled the room, their voices clamoring in a heated, overlapping chorus.
Leader 1 snapped, "We must issue a statement immediately—the so-called murderer isn't a killer, he's a doctor. He was trying to save a life!"
Leader 2 retorted, "He's merely an intern! Performing an open-chest procedure inside a McDonald's, in a non-sterile environment—this wasn't saving a life, it was endangering one!"
Leader 3 declared coldly, "Fire him at once. The Provincial Hospital needs to cut ties and protect its name."
As he listened to the cacophony of panic and blame, a storm churned within Xia Tian's heart.
The patient was still in surgery.
And yet none of these people—these supposed leaders—had even asked about the patient's condition, whether he had survived. All they cared about was absolving themselves of responsibility.
Director Jia, age 55, was a once-renowned urologist, his slicked-back hair a stark contrast to the belly that seemed nine months pregnant. Though once an expert in his field, he hadn't practiced medicine in years.
Now, with a face void of emotion, he looked up at Xia Tian.
"You caused this mess. What do you plan to do about it?"
Silence descended on the room. All eyes turned to Xia Tian. He had been nervous when he first entered, but seeing these so-called leaders in action had strangely calmed him.
"I caused it, so I'll take responsibility," he said steadily. "But there's one thing I must make absolutely clear."
"I do not regret what I did today."
"If I could go back in time, even knowing everything I know now—I would still do it again."
Leader 2, his bloated face twitching with rage, glared at Xia Tian like a wolf scenting blood.
"You think you understand?" he spat. "Do you have any idea the damage you've done? The Provincial Hospital's reputation, built over decades by thousands of employees, could be destroyed in a single day because of you!"
"You're just an intern—not a licensed physician, not a department head, not some internationally acclaimed surgeon."
"You're nothing more than someone with a bit of medical knowledge and a certificate to show for it."
"You have no right to challenge us!"
Xia Tian furrowed his brow. Under normal circumstances, such a rebuke would have terrified him—he'd always dreamed of becoming a doctor at the Provincial Hospital. But not today. Today, he had nothing to hide, and nothing to fear.
"Director," Xia Tian replied, his voice neither servile nor defiant, "with all due respect, I'm not challenging you. I'm simply stating the facts."
"This afternoon, I was eating lunch at McDonald's when I witnessed an elderly man collapse. He was approximately 70 years old, with visible chest swelling, labored breathing, and vomiting—classic signs of internal bleeding. I also noticed bruising around his chest. I suspected pulmonary hemorrhage."
"I administered CPR for twenty minutes. No response. His heart never restarted."
"Medically speaking, he was already dead."
"At that point, the only way to give him a fighting chance was to perform an emergency thoracotomy and stop the bleeding at the source."
"I understand the public is outraged. I've seen the accusations—people calling me a psychopath, a murderer. As a medical intern from the Provincial Hospital, my actions have undeniably caused a stir and affected the institution's image."
"If the patient's family sues, the hospital could face heavy financial consequences."
"I thought about all of that."
"But should that fear—of lawsuits, of online vitriol—stop us from trying to save a life?"
"Tell me, leaders—do you still remember the oath you swore?"
"I am a doctor."
"I made a solemn, voluntary, and honorable promise: that as long as there is even the slightest hope, I will never give up."
The room fell still.
A dozen officials stared blankly, motionless, as if Xia Tian's words had struck a chord buried long ago. The Hippocratic Oath—though recited only once at graduation—had never truly left them.
"I solemnly pledge myself to consecrate my life to the service of humanity..."
"The health and well-being of my patient will be my first consideration..."
"I will respect the autonomy and dignity of my patient..."
"I make these promises solemnly, freely, and upon my honor."
Like the toll of a great bell, the sacred words echoed through their minds, rattling long-forgotten convictions. One by one, their expressions darkened with shame. Not one of them could meet Xia Tian's gaze.
It had been too many years since they'd last stood in a white coat for the right reasons.
They had become administrators. Politicians in lab coats.
They had forgotten what it meant to be doctors.
Director Jia's face turned crimson. He lowered his head.
Years of chasing profit and power had dulled his memory of holding a scalpel. Now, in this moment of reckoning, guilt surged through him—guilt for betraying the sacred trust of the white coat he still wore.
Knock knock knock!
A sharp knock broke the silence.
"Come in," someone muttered.
The door opened, and Dr. Zhang Ming strode in, his surgical gown still clinging to him, damp with sweat. He looked at Xia Tian and gave him a brief smile.
"You're here too? Good. Let's report together."
He turned to the assembled leaders.
"I came to update everyone on the patient's condition."
"There was a tumor in the patient's lung. It ruptured during the incident, causing massive hemorrhaging into the chest cavity. Fortunately, Xia Tian performed an emergency thoracotomy and managed to seal the bleeding."
"The surgery is complete. The patient is now in the ICU. All vital signs are stable. He's out of danger."
"We were lucky Xia Tian was there."
"Without him, that man would be dead."
"He saved a life."