Wang Dalei received two slaps in public. Although he knew Xu Chunliang was trying to help him out of the situation, the slaps landed squarely on his face, and he had said himself he wouldn't blame anyone.
Wang Dalei was known as a bit of a troublemaker in the North District. He had to maintain his dignity in front of others, so he awkwardly hung his big head down and pushed past the security guards without saying a word as he left.
At this moment, Jia Xuegong had finished replacing the light tube, and Xu Chunliang turned on the switch, bringing light into the office.
Zhou Wenbin explained what had happened to the security section chief, Yu Xiangdong. He was quite dissatisfied with the efficiency of the security department. Usually, security guards were everywhere when there was nothing going on, but when something happened, they were nowhere to be found.
Actually, the security guards all knew about Wang Dalei's bad reputation. Earning so little each month, none of them saw the point in risking their safety. While they had to come because it was their duty, they intentionally slowed down their pace.
After the commotion had died down, Zhou Wenbin remembered he probably should have thanked that young man.
Xu Chunliang and Xiaofeng packed up their tools and left first, while Jia Xuegong stayed behind to wait for Zhou Wenbin to sign the job order and confirm it.
Zhou Wenbin asked Jia Xuegong and learned that Xu Chunliang was a newcomer who had just joined the hospital this year. He was indeed young and impulsive; with a little more social experience, he wouldn't try to stand out so much.
Xu Chunliang casually threw the two squashed spiders onto the ground.
Zhou Wenbin specifically used Baidu to identify them and found they were just ordinary spiders, not poisonous at all. It turned out he had hoodwinked Wang Dalei. Looking at it this way, the young man really was both courageous and resourceful, fooling Wang Dalei completely and even giving him two big public slaps.
In the afternoon, after the hospital's weekly meeting ended, the Human Resources Section Chief Ma Hongmei specifically found Zhou Wenbin to inform him that, due to work needs, Chen Guangming would be transferred to the Infectious Diseases Department.
Zhou Wenbin felt a bit depressed upon hearing this news. With Xiaochen gone, only two people were left in the Medical Affairs Office. Cheng Xiaohong was a girl, and he couldn't let her take the lead and rush to the front. It meant there wasn't even anyone to share the burden at the forefront, and he would have to face the "enemy's fire" alone, confronting the harsh realities of life.
Zhou Wenbin couldn't help but complain: "Before I came to the Medical Affairs Office, there were five people in the department. Two retired, one got transferred, and now another one is leaving. Are we supposed to do all this work with just two people?"
Ma Hongmei smiled and said, "We all know you work hard, but young people want to move up, and we can't hold them back."
Zhou Wenbin didn't think the status of the Infectious Diseases Department ranked above the Medical Affairs Office. He clearly understood that Chen Guangming had been frightened and, as a young person, didn't want to live in fear.
Thinking back on his half-year in the Medical Affairs Office, Chen Guangming had endured many hardships. Last time, he couldn't control his temper and got into a scuffle with a patient's family, which resulted in criticism from the hospital. That incident solidified Chen Guangming's determination to transfer.
Zhou Wenbin said, "Section Chief Ma, you're aware of the situation in the Medical Affairs Office: lots of conflicts, heavy workload, and high pressure. It's impossible for just the two of us to keep it running. We're fine with transferring someone out, but you must provide us with a newcomer, or I won't agree."
"Director Zhou, transferring your person isn't my decision. You need to report this to the leadership." She didn't mention which leader because, even though she was the Human Resources Section Chief, her role in the hospital was just an executor of specific tasks. Personnel authority wasn't in her hands.
"Why should I report it to the leadership? It's not the leadership that transferred my person out," Zhou Wenbin knew clearly that he couldn't prevent it. His words were just a way to vent.
At that moment, her phone rang. She smiled at Zhou Wenbin and asked him to wait a moment.
The call was from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Department Director Zhu Mingyuan. As soon as the call connected, Zhu Mingyuan began to roar, "Section Chief Ma, what do you mean? Why are you forcing a high school graduate into our department?"
"I'm not aware of that!"
"What do you mean you're not aware? Is his position in our Traditional Chinese Medicine Department? Not to mention occupying our department's position, will future expenses come from us as well?"
Ma Hongmei sighed inwardly. Zhu Mingyuan was notoriously stubborn and irritable, and since he was furious, she could only placate him first: "Director Zhu, don't worry. I'm not clear about this, it might be a mistake on their part. I'll help you check it out right away, and I'll get back to you as soon as I figure it out."
Zhu Mingyuan was relentless: "How do you even work? Find out immediately. This freeloader relationship holder, you can give them to whoever you want. We don't want them in our Traditional Chinese Medicine Department."
After hanging up, Ma Hongmei silently cursed the old man, who was leveraging his seniority. Was he not a freeloader himself? How much revenue did their Traditional Chinese Medicine Department bring to the hospital? Keeping a Traditional Chinese Medicine clinic open was just symbolic. She knew well that the reason Zhu Mingyuan was so upset was because Xu Chunliang's position affected his interests.
The Traditional Chinese Medicine Department had been understaffed, allowing them to comfortably take advantage of the situation each month. Xu Chunliang's position touched his livelihood, so it was normal for Zhu Mingyuan to be upset.
Ma Hongmei could easily pass the responsibility to Vice President Gao Xinhua. As fierce as Zhu Mingyuan's shouting was, if the hospital issued a strict order, he would have to comply in the end.
However, Ma Hongmei had a good personal relationship with Gao Xinhua, so she didn't want to trouble him unless necessary. After hanging up the phone and seeing the equally indignant look on Zhou Wenbin's face, she suddenly had an idea. One didn't want to accept, one didn't want to let go—if Xu Chunliang was assigned to the Medical Affairs Office, wouldn't that be a perfect solution to both problems?
With a plan in mind, Ma Hongmei said to Zhou Wenbin, "I actually have a suitable candidate here. This year's new employee just joined our hospital."
As soon as Zhou Wenbin heard it was a newcomer, he immediately shook his head like a rattle: "No way, the work in the Medical Affairs Office requires relevant job experience, at least some clinical experience. A newcomer can't handle it."
"This young man is outstanding, tall, and well-built." Xu Chunliang didn't have many standout qualities, but his appearance was something praiseworthy.
"What good is being tall and handsome? I'm not hiring a security guard." Zhou Wenbin actually wished for a few security guards to be stationed at the Medical Affairs Office continuously, at least to deter any troublemaking patient's family members.
"Experience is gained through practice. This young man is called Xu Chunliang, and he's quite clever."
"What?"
Ma Hongmei repeated Xu Chunliang's name again, and Zhou Wenbin immediately connected it to the young man from the electrical class. There weren't that many people with the same name in the hospital, and besides, the name was unusual.
He said he needed to think it over and would give her an answer by the next day at the latest.
Returning to the Medical Affairs Office, he smelled a strong odor of insecticide even before he entered. Cheng Xiaohong was inside wearing a mask and doing pest control. Because of the smell, Chen Guangming had avoided it by staying outside. Seeing Zhou Wenbin, he smiled and said, "Director Zhou, Xiaocheng is afraid of spiders, so she's spraying some insecticide."
Zhou Wenbin nodded, feeling a bit puzzled. He had been in this office for quite some time and had never seen a spider before. Remembering Xu Chunliang's scene of killing spiders, he increasingly felt that it was an excuse to slap Wang Dalei. This young man had a quick mind and remarkable courage; others wouldn't dare to touch Wang Dalei.
Chen Guangming took out a pack of cigarettes and offered one to Zhou Wenbin, feeling a bit guilty for secretly finalizing his transfer behind Zhou Wenbin's back.
Zhou Wenbin waved his hand, indicating he didn't need one, his mind still calculating about Xu Chunliang's situation. A "calf" novice not afraid of the "tiger"—the department might be missing someone like that. Looking at Chen Guangming in front of him, he silently compared him with Xu Chunliang in his mind. Comparisons can be deadly, but this one made him promptly make a decision.