Chapter 112: Chapter 110: I Rely on My Own Strength

“Oh, right, I’ve already found the purchase records for that drug. I bet Su Xinyao never expected someone to look into this after so many years.”

“I had someone deliver some of the materials and evidence to your old hospital, to Vice President Jiang Kang.”

Su Tang nodded.

“Vice President Jiang Kang is the most fair-minded person I know. Su Xinyao absolutely won’t be able to keep her job at the hospital after this.”

If it weren’t for the hospital’s recent light surgical schedule, she would’ve been exposed long ago.

And not just her. The people who vouched for her back then will be brought down as well.

But that was a problem for later. Su Tang couldn’t be bothered to think about Su Xinyao’s fate.

“By the way, Tangtang, your father has pretty much recovered. Your dad and I were talking, and we’d like to move out.”

Once Su Tang and Lu Xiao had finished speaking, Mrs. Su chimed in.

“Mom? Dad? Why do you want to move out?”

Lu Xiao was the first to ask. Mrs. Su replied with a smile, “We don’t feel quite at ease here. This house is your family quarters, after all.”

Any little noise the young couple made at night could be heard right through the wall.

Mr. and Mrs. Su were afraid of making things awkward for the two of them.

“Mom, Dad, if you want to live somewhere else, Lu Xiao and I can go look for a place for you.”

This time, Su Tang didn’t object. She figured a change of scenery might be good for her father’s health, even though she really wanted to live close to them.

“Alright, then.”

Since Su Tang agreed, Lu Xiao didn’t press the matter.

After the four of them finished their meal, Su Tang rested for a bit before heading to work.

During the department meeting that afternoon, Director Zhang made a point of mentioning the surgery, but he didn’t praise Su Tang by name.

He was worried that saying too much would cause unnecessary trouble for her.

Especially from Doctor Meng, who seemed to have it out for her.

Doctor Meng, who was sitting across from her, kept her head down for the entire meeting, only occasionally glancing up at Su Tang.

After the meeting was dismissed, Li Min sidled up to Doctor Meng and whispered, “Doctor Meng, Su Tang is clearly after your position. You’d better watch out.”

Doctor Meng sneered. “She thinks one successful surgery is enough to secure her position here? How naive.”

Su Tang saw the two of them whispering to each other, but she paid them no mind.

’It’s so strange… why is Li Min so set against me?’

When Su Tang returned to her office, a thick stack of case files was waiting on her desk.

It was a backlog of the department’s most difficult cases from the last two weeks. Normally, Doctor Meng would lead the senior doctors in discussing them, but today, a nurse had placed the pile on the corner of her desk.

“Director Zhang said you should take a look at them first. He’s organizing a department-wide discussion for tomorrow morning.”

After she spoke, the young nurse shot a quick glance at Su Tang, as if afraid Doctor Meng might see them.

Su Tang opened the files. The top case was a rare instance of multiple gallbladder polyps; the patient had already been to three different hospitals, but none had dared to operate.

But this particular case made Su Tang’s eyes light up.

’This is right up my alley.’

She loved a good challenge.

Su Tang took out a red pen and began writing her analysis in the margins.

The RUSTLE of the pen tip across the paper was exceptionally clear in the quiet office.

Just then, footsteps approached the doorway.

Doctor Meng stood in the doorway, clutching a thermos. She said in a snide, passive-aggressive tone, “Doctor Su, so diligent. But these cases are quite complex. Don’t stay up all night and strain your eyes. Deputy Commander Lu would be heartbroken.”

Su Tang looked up, her expression perfectly calm.

“Doctor Meng, if you have time to worry about me, perhaps you should take a look at this case of intrahepatic cholangiolithiasis. The patient is scheduled for surgery next week, and I’m afraid the plan you drew up will need some adjustments.”

She slid one of the files across the desk to her. The area she had circled in red was the point of highest surgical risk.

Doctor Meng’s expression flickered. She picked up the file and flipped through a few pages. The vascular structure in that area was indeed more complex than anticipated; the slightest misstep could trigger a massive hemorrhage.

“I’ll take it into consideration.”

“By the way, Doctor Meng, I got this position on my own merits. I scored nearly perfect on both the written exam and the practical assessment.”

Su Tang stood up, a small smile on her face as she looked at Doctor Meng. “As for Lu Xiao, he didn’t help me at all. The most he did was remind me when the exam was.”

“My work has nothing to do with him, so there’s no need to bring up Deputy Commander Lu every other sentence.”

Su Tang spoke with absolute confidence, and her poised demeanor made Doctor Meng feel as though she were dealing with a seasoned veteran.

Hearing Su Tang’s words, Doctor Meng let out a cold huff. As she turned to leave, her steps were slightly panicked.

Su Tang watched her leave, then gently closed the file.

She knew this was just the beginning.

Doctor Meng wouldn’t give up so easily, and the political undercurrents in the department never ceased, but Su Tang wasn’t afraid.

As a way of looking out for Su Tang, Director Zhang had intentionally put her on duty that day.

Late that night in the on-call room, Su Tang had just finished the last case analysis when her phone rang. It was Lu Xiao.

His deep voice rumbled through the receiver. “I hear you handled things beautifully today.”

Su Tang blinked in surprise. “How did you know?”

“Director Zhang’s son is an old army buddy of mine.”

“He said you had Doctor Meng shaking with anger.”

Lu Xiao chuckled, and Su Tang couldn’t help but want to laugh too. “No wonder Doctor Meng is always bringing you up. It seems you really do have connections everywhere.”

“I just asked around. I didn’t do anything else. I know you don’t like it when I make decisions for you.”

Su Tang couldn’t help but smile, a warmth spreading through her chest. “Thank you, Lu Xiao.”

“If you want to thank me, I’d prefer a more… tangible form of appreciation.”

Lu Xiao’s voice suddenly softened, growing husky and tender.

“But I’m so happy to see you shine.”

“Tangtang, you’re truly exceptional.”

After she hung up, moonlight streamed through the window, falling on her tired eyes.

’He had called because he was worried I’d been treated unfairly, just to comfort me.’

She was so glad he understood her completely.

At the case conference the next day, Su Tang’s proposed plan for a minimally invasive procedure impressed everyone.

Even an old professor who had been silent until then nodded in praise. “This is an excellent approach. It minimizes trauma while allowing for a precise resection of the lesion.”

Sitting across the table, Doctor Meng’s face went pale.

When Director Zhang asked for her opinion, she stammered for a moment before finally just saying it was “worth a try.”

’As much as I hate to admit it, this Su Tang really knows her stuff.’

As the conference concluded, the younger doctors crowded around Su Tang, their excited chatter filled with admiration as they asked her questions.

Su Tang answered their questions patiently, catching a glimpse of Doctor Meng’s dejected figure disappearing down the end of the hall.

’I didn’t come here to pick fights. I came for a bigger stage.’

’And as for anyone who gets in my way, I’ll eventually leave them in the dust with my own abilities.’

During her afternoon rounds, the patient with the ruptured spleen from the day before was already able to sit up, albeit with some difficulty.

When he saw Su Tang enter the room, the elderly man got so excited he almost tried to pull out the IV drip in the back of his hand. “Doctor Su, it’s all thanks to you!”

Su Tang quickly steadied his hand, smiling. “Please, just focus on resting. I was only doing my job.”

“Doctor Su, you’re so young! Are you married yet? My son is stationed nearby, and he’s single too. Let me tell you about him, Doctor Su, my son…”

“I’m sorry, she’s married. Thank you.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep