8: Chapter 8: The Red Line Drawn by Li Sen?

Lu Chen's eyes lit up.

Free.

The weight of these two words in his heart at this moment was probably equivalent to an SSS-grade skill.

"Thank you, Director Li. I don't mind at all."

"That's fine then. Go find the Head Nurse to get the key. There's still an empty bed in On-duty Room No. 3."

"Alright."

Lu Chen stood up, preparing to leave.

As he reached the door, Director Li Sen called out to him again.

"Xiao Lu."

"Yes?"

"Don't let Attending Physician Liu Wenqiang's recommendation letter go to waste."

Lu Chen looked back at him and nodded.

"I won't."

After walking out of the Director's office, Lu Chen let out a long breath.

This man, Director Li Sen, was exactly as Attending Physician Liu Wenqiang had described.

Strict, but not difficult.

He followed the rules, but also showed a human touch.

Knowing what happened in the Operating Room, he didn't fly into a rage or demand disciplinary action; instead, he drew a clear red line for him.

The meaning of this red line was very clear: you can showcase your abilities, but it must be done within the rules.

Lu Chen accepted this red line.

Not because he was afraid of Director Li Sen.

But because he knew that if he wanted to reach the top of this system, he first had to learn how to survive within it.

Having skill alone wasn't enough.

He also needed status, qualifications, certificates, and an official position.

He had none of those things yet.

But he would obtain them, one by one.

...

Lu Chen went to the Nurse Station to get the key to the Duty Room from the Head Nurse, then went to On-duty Room No. 3 to check out his new living quarters.

It was a small room of less than twenty square meters with two sets of iron bunk beds.

There was a sheet-metal wardrobe and a dilapidated desk.

The conditions were indeed not great.

But it was free.

Free was paradise.

Lu Chen moved his few belongings over from his rental.

By canceling his lease, he immediately saved one thousand two hundred yuan a month.

All of that saved twelve hundred could be sent to Director Mother.

He finished tidying his things, sat on the lower bunk, and opened the system panel.

[Host: Lu Chen]

[Status: Intern Physician (Jiangcheng City Central Hospital · Emergency Department)]

[Today's Experience Gain:]

[Received 23 patients in the Green Zone: +230 Experience Points (Basic diagnosis experience, +10 per patient)]

[Basic Theory of Emergency Medicine Mastery Progress: 12% → 15%]

[Skill Panel Changes: No significant changes]

Basic diagnosis in the Green Zone only gave 10 experience points per patient.

Twenty-three patients only yielded 230 points.

At this rate, he would have to see over two thousand Green Zone patients to save enough experience for the next skill breakthrough.

Too slow.

He needed more difficult cases.

He needed observation patients in the Yellow Zone and emergency rescue patients in the Red Zone.

But Director Li Sen had just drawn a red line; he couldn't take the initiative to cross it.

What should he do then?

Wait.

Wait for the opportunity to find him.

Lu Chen closed the panel and lay down on the bed.

The Emergency Department was full of opportunities.

There were emergencies every day, and critically ill patients every day.

He didn't need to look for opportunities; opportunities would come to him.

He just needed to be prepared and wait for that moment to arrive.

...

Lu Chen's first week in the Emergency Department passed without any waves.

Every morning at exactly 7:45, he appeared in the Green Zone consultation room and sat there for the entire day.

Headaches, diarrhea, sprained ankles, allergic reactions to mosquito bites—all sorts of patients passed before him.

He received them, took histories, performed physical exams, wrote lab orders, and filled out medical records.

The process was fast and steady, every step strictly followed the rules, without any hint of crossing the line.

Sometimes Zhao Yaqin would pass by the Green Zone and glance at his patient records.

Every patient's record was written clearly: chief complaint, history of present illness, past medical history, physical exam results, preliminary diagnosis, and treatment plan—not a single word was vague.

They were more standard than those written by some formal Resident Physicians.

Zhao Yaqin said nothing, but she made a mental note.

This kid really did have some skill.

But that was all.

Basic diagnosis in the Green Zone was simply too easy for the current Lu Chen.

With over twenty patients a day, a single sweep of the Eye of Truth provided the answers directly.

Then he would follow the normal procedure to confirm, write the orders, and finish the job.

The daily experience points settled by the system were pitifully low.

[Today's Green Zone Admissions: 27 patients, Experience Points obtained: +270]

[Basic Theory of Emergency Medicine Mastery Progress: 15% → 17%]

Two hundred and seventy points.

At this rate, if he wanted to upgrade Internal Medicine Diagnostics from Entry-level to Proficient, he would probably have to sit in the Green Zone until next year's Spring Festival.

Lu Chen looked at the pitiful numbers on the panel and sighed in his heart.

He needed more difficult cases.

But Director Li Sen's red line was there; he couldn't actively cross it.

So he could only wait.

Wait for an opportunity to knock on his door.

Fortunately, the Emergency Department never lacked sudden situations.

...

Wednesday morning.

Lu Chen sat in the Green Zone consultation room as usual.

In front of him was a middle-aged woman in her forties, saying her back had been hurting for three days.

[Eye of Truth automatically activated]

[Patient Information: Female, 42 years old, Chief Complaint: Back pain for 3 days]

[Diagnosis: Thoracic Facet Joint Dysfunction, recommendation: visit the Physical Therapy Department]

As Lu Chen was writing the lab order for her, Zhao Yaqin suddenly pushed open the door.

"Xiao Lu, come out for a moment."

Lu Chen told the patient, "One moment," and walked out.

Zhao Yaqin stood in the hallway, holding a medical record.

"The Yellow Zone is short-handed today. Two residents took leave, one with diarrhea and one with a fever. Come over and lend a hand."

Lu Chen's eyes lit up slightly.

Yellow Zone.

Observation Room.

The severity of the patients was a step higher than the Green Zone, meaning more experience points.

"Okay, Teacher Zhao."

"Don't get excited too early. You're only going there to help with basic work—taking vitals, changing IV fluids, and writing records. Any abnormal situation must be reported to a superior doctor first. You cannot act on your own."

"Understood."

"Let's go."

Lu Chen followed Zhao Yaqin into the Yellow Zone.

The atmosphere in the Yellow Zone was completely different from the Green Zone.

Most Green Zone patients could walk and move around, and their spirits were decent; some could even chat and joke with you.

The patients in the Yellow Zone were different.

Over a dozen hospital beds were arranged in two rows, each with a patient lying on it. IV bags hung by the beds, and monitors were beeping constantly.

Some had their eyes closed in sleep, some stared blankly at the ceiling with sallow complexions, and an elderly man was groaning softly.

Lu Chen did a quick sweep.

The Eye of Truth activated automatically, and the physical condition of every patient manifested in his mind.

Most were routine issues.

Acute gastroenteritis needing fluid replacement, pulmonary infections on antibiotics, and hypoglycemia for observation.

There were no particularly dangerous situations.

Following Zhao Yaqin's arrangement, Lu Chen began doing basic work in the Yellow Zone.

Measuring vital signs, recording data, and helping Nurses change IV bags.

The work wasn't strenuous, but it was very tedious.

While he worked, he silently calculated the experience points in his head.

Experience for basic operations in the Yellow Zone should be higher than the Green Zone; one patient should give about twenty to thirty points.

That was more than double the Green Zone.

Although it still wasn't fast enough, it was at least better than sitting in the Green Zone.