22: Chapter 22 Provincial First Prize?

The medical dispute was merely an interlude.

After order was restored in the Department of Neurology, the clamor on the entire floor gradually subsided. Patients continued their check-ups, and nurses resumed changing dressings. The earlier conflict, which had almost turned bloody, seemed like a brief splash in the hospital's vast ocean.

When Su Ye returned to the Urology Department's consultation room, Zhang Yuanping was looking down at outpatient medical records. Hearing the movement, he looked up at him.

"Finished dealing with it?"

"Mhm. The patient's family member lost control and pulled a knife, but the security guards have already taken him away."

Hearing the words "pulled a knife," Zhang Yuanping's brow furrowed, and the pen in his hand paused.

"You stepped in?"

"I did."

Zhang Yuanping stared at Su Ye for two seconds before finally nodding slowly.

"Well done. You were very brave."

He paused, then added another sentence with a more serious tone.

"But next time in such a situation, you must protect yourself first. It's a doctor's duty to save people, yes, but that's on the operating table. You have to ensure nothing happens to you first. Knives have no eyes; once blood is actually shed, it'll be too late for regrets."

Su Ye nodded.

He couldn't exactly say that right now, let alone one burly man with a knife, even if ten—no, dozens—came at him, they likely wouldn't be able to get near him.

If he said something like that, Zhang Yuanping would probably send him for a psychiatric consultation on the spot.

So Su Ye just scratched his head, trying to make himself look a bit more harmless.

"I got caught up in the moment."

Zhang Yuanping was amused by his appearance and couldn't help but scold, "You little rascal."

Despite the scolding, the admiration in his eyes was unmistakable.

In a place like a hospital, there aren't many people who dare to step forward when trouble arises.

Su Ye's actions today had indeed caused him to think more highly of the young man.

Zhang Yuanping picked up his teacup, took a sip, and as if suddenly remembering something, said casually, "By the way, the results for the Medical Practitioner License exam are being released this afternoon. Remember to check them."

"Okay."

"If you pass, I'll definitely give you a perfect score for your skills assessment on my end," Zhang Yuanping looked at him, his tone casual but his words weighty. "You have talent and ideas, kid. Work hard, and you'll have a bright future."

Hearing this, Su Ye felt a slight warmth in his heart.

Zhang Yuanping wasn't a man of many words, nor was he good at polite pleasantries, but coming from someone like him, recognition was all the more valuable.

"Thank you, Teacher Zhang."

"Enough of that," Zhang Yuanping waved his hand, a slight smile touching the corners of his mouth. "Go organize the test results for those patients from this afternoon."

"Alright."

...

The afternoon passed quickly.

The outpatient clinic proceeded as usual, with the same patients. Everyone in the hospital operated in their positions like precision gears; the medical dispute really seemed to have become just a minor interlude.

Until it was time to clock out.

Just as Su Ye took off his white coat, his phone vibrated.

In the small group chat, Sister Su Bei sent a message.

Sister Su Bei: "Dinner is on me tonight. No one is allowed to refuse."

Wang Dandan: "???"

Wang Luo: "Holy crap, Sister Bei is being generous!"

Su Ye looked at the screen, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.

He naturally knew what this meal was for.

Today's event had been quite a shock for Sister Su Bei. She had a gentle personality and wasn't the type who was good at conflict, yet she had been inexplicably pushed to the front to take the heat. Anyone would have felt their heart sink.

That little girl Wang Dandan was the same; she usually seemed flighty and talkative, but when things actually happened, she didn't hesitate at all. Standing at 155cm, looking like a little potato in front of that muscular man, she actually dared to stand in front of Sister Su Bei.

This friendship was significant.

Wang Dandan quickly sent another message.

Wang Dandan: "I want to eat something expensive! I'm going to fleece you!"

Sister Su Bei: "Sure."

Wang Luo: "So what are we eating? Hotpot? Seafood? Japanese?"

The group began to discuss lively.

Su Ye: "Let's have BBQ."

The group went silent for a second.

Then it instantly exploded.

Wang Dandan: "Deal!"

Wang Luo: "Whatever Brother Ye says goes!"

Sister Su Bei: "BBQ it is then."

...

7:00 PM, at the BBQ restaurant.

The charcoal fire rose, fat sizzled on the iron mesh, and beef slices were grilled until their edges curled, releasing a mouth-watering aroma. The shop was crowded and lively, filled with the sounds of clinking glasses and laughter.

The four of them sat around a small table.

To be honest, looking back, it felt quite surreal.

From the temporary team formed on the day of the Marathon until now, in just a few short days, they had gradually become a small clique within The First Peoples Hospital.

Wang Luo held the tongs, responsible for grilling the meat. The smoke made him break out in a sweat, but he was enjoying himself.

Wang Dandan was in charge of eating. With her mouth stuffed full, she didn't forget to comment: "This beef belly is great, much better than the place Sister Sister Su Bei and I went to last time."

Sister Su Bei sat opposite them, finally relaxing. She wasn't wearing her white coat, just a light-colored shirt, and under the lights, her whole demeanor softened. She picked up her juice and said softly, "Thank you guys for today."

"What's there to thank?" Wang Dandan waved her hand. "We're our own people."

Wang Luo also nodded: "Exactly, we have the revolutionary friendship of having run a Marathon together."

Hearing the words "our own people," Sister Su Bei's eyes flickered, and her heart warmed.

Everyone clinked glasses and started talking nonsense.

As they ate, their gazes gradually drifted.

Wang Luo suddenly showed a look of longing, and the tongs in his hand stopped.

"Seriously, my dream is to stay at our hospital."

Wang Dandan asked while picking up meat, "And then?"

"And then work hard, of course," Wang Luo's eyes shone. "If I do well and become famous, maybe I can even get transferred to the provincial level. The provincial level! That's the Provincial Hospital—the platform is completely different."

Wang Dandan curled her lip: "You're thinking pretty far ahead."

"One must have dreams," Wang Luo said with a grin. "What about you?"

Wang Dandan swallowed the meat in her mouth and thought seriously for two seconds: "I also want to stay at the hospital first, settle down, have a decent job, and not be a burden to my family. If I can make it to Attending Physician in the future, my mom will probably brag to everyone she meets."

Sister Su Bei looked down and smiled: "Let's focus on staying here first."

The three of them simultaneously looked toward Su Ye.

Su Ye picked up a piece of grilled meat, paused, and then said calmly, "Staying would definitely be better."

Wang Luo immediately raised his glass: "Come on, let's all four of us stay at the hospital together!"

"Stay at the hospital!" Wang Dandan also raised her glass.

Sister Su Bei smiled and raised her juice.

The four glasses clinked together with a crisp sound.

Right then.

Wang Dandan looked down at her phone and suddenly cried out, "The results are out!"

They naturally wouldn't forget the Medical Practitioner License exam; it was simply too important.

The several people at the table were all stunned.

"So fast?" Wang Luo hurriedly pulled out his phone.

"Let me see, let me see." Wang Dandan had already opened the query page, her fingers flying as she entered her admission ticket number. In the few seconds it took to load, her expression became uncharacteristically serious.

Sister Su Bei also took out her phone, looking somewhat nervous.

Wang Luo muttered as he typed: "God bless, God bless. If I pass, I'll never say anything bad about you again."

"Sister Sister Su Bei, you were so well-prepared this time, you should pass, right?" Wang Dandan asked, looking up while waiting for the page to refresh.

Sister Su Bei pursed her lips: "I'm not very confident; the questions this time were quite difficult."

Just as she finished speaking.

Wang Dandan's page popped up first.

She froze for two seconds, then her eyes lit up, and she almost jumped out of her chair: "I passed! I passed!"

"I passed too!" Wang Luo followed closely, so excited he almost threw his tongs.

Sister Su Bei's page also refreshed quickly. She stared at the screen for a few seconds and finally breathed a sigh of relief, her eyes almost turning red: "I passed too."

"That's great!"

Excitement, elation.

But in truth, being selected for the Marathon meant they were already elites valued by the hospital; they were just usually overshadowed by Su Ye's brilliance. Passing an exam was quite normal.

After a burst of excitement, the three of them suddenly went quiet.

Their gazes gradually became strange.

Su Ye was unhurriedly sipping his drink. Seeing their reaction, he raised an eyebrow.

"What's wrong?"

Wang Dandan opened her mouth, her expression as if she'd seen a ghost.

"The top of the list... is you?"

Wang Luo had already leaned his head over, his voice changing pitch: "Holy crap, it really is first place!"

Sister Su Bei was also stunned, her gaze falling on her phone screen. They were all looking at the ranking list and didn't speak for a long time.

On the screen, at the very top of the score report, it was clearly written—

[Name: Su Ye]

[Rank: 1st]

Su Ye looked down and felt a secret surge of satisfaction.

"Oh."

The table went instantly silent.

All three of them looked at him as if he were a monster.

This was the provincial ranking!