System Came When the Doctor was Thirty

In the emergency ward corridor, Dong Liumeng touched his pointed chin, walking steadily and speaking contemplatively: "Director Lu, your business is even broader than our hospital's trauma center expansion."

"I didn't expect you to take on joint repositioning as well."

During his break, Lu Cheng received a call; the emergency clinic had sent over a patient with a dislocated joint, and Dai Linfang only dared to make a diagnosis.

Coming from a general surgery background, he had only watched Lu Cheng operate a few times and didn't yet dare to try it himself.

Lu Cheng's expression was slightly bitter: "There's no choice, Teacher Dong, such a large group of people need to earn their living with us, and since we can't perform any high-end surgeries, we can only handle a large volume of cases."

"Fortunately, Director Zhu and Director Wu from the trauma surgery department are easy to talk to and willing to share some of their workload with us."

Dong Liumeng thought for a moment, placing his hands behind his back: "How much does a manual repositioning cost again?"

"Around a thousand, some of it gets reimbursed, so the patient has to pay three to four hundred out of pocket."

"If there's a responsible party, it's usually covered by third-party payers or insurance."

One thousand yuan, compared to the cost of a proper surgery, indeed, only wins through volume.

"That's not much; you'll have to put in more effort. Just as well, I'll see for myself." The trauma center where Dong Liumeng worked didn't handle joint dislocations; they directly referred them to the trauma surgery department.

Upon arriving at the trauma center, Dai Linfang had already completed the conversation and signed the paperwork, explaining the cost to the patient.

The accompanying person furrowed their brow: "Does a manual repositioning really cost that much?"

"Didn't online sources say they do it for free at the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital?"

Dai Linfang replied: "We're not informed about the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, but if you're interested, you can inquire there."

"If you choose to receive treatment at our hospital, these charges are unavoidable."

Dai Linfang didn't explain that what the other found online about repositioning was entry-level 'radial head subluxation' realignment.

Lu Cheng merely stood by and listened, not speaking up.

The companion thought for a moment and said: "How about we go and ask at the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital? It's really extortionate here to charge so much for a manual repositioning."

The patient said: "The doctor just said, if it can't be repositioned, surgery would be needed, and the surgery skills at the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital surely aren't as good as those at the State Hospital."

"The hospital's fees are all clearly marked; don't you have insurance? I'll get treated here."

The companion whispered: "Brother, actually, I only have compulsory insurance, and it's already been used up."

"Look around, the doctors here are quite young, likely not that skilled, just thinking of getting you to have surgery; it's just a joint that's dislocated, no need to go under the knife, it doesn't make sense..."

The two of them discussed among themselves and then walked away with the medical record book.

As such, Lu Cheng's trip was in vain, but there was no choice; patients have the right to refuse treatment at any point before it begins.

After the two middle-aged men left, in the corridor outside the trauma center, a man in his forties was dragging a little girl, his movements rather rough.

"Dad, you're hurting me."

"It won't kill you, will it? You don't value your life, yet you're afraid of pain?"

"You don't value your organs, and you're afraid of pain?" the man's voice was cold.

"Now there's no way? Your mom doesn't dare come, your self-righteous grandparents are no use either, huh?"

"Walk faster! If something really happens, I'll pay for your treatment, and if you die, I'll bury you."

"Dad, I'm wrong... it hurts, it really hurts." The girl clutched at her abdominal wound, crying, her eyes swollen.

"Good that you know it hurts; pain helps you remember! What's money good for?"

Lu Cheng recognized the person; it was Liu Wanting, on whom he had performed laparoscopic spleen repair a few days ago, and her father Liu Su'an.

Liu Su'an had a name that sounded rather poetic, and the name Wanting for his daughter was quite unusual too.

Lu Cheng quickly approached: "Uncle, what are you doing, she's only just in the recovery phase after surgery, this is too rough."

A flash of pain flickered in Liu Su'an's eyes: "This time she must remember for a lifetime!"

"Kneel!" He kicked Liu Wanting.

"Dad, it hurts." The girl's face mixed with fear and the anguish of pain.

"Aren't you stubborn? Aren't you not afraid of dying? Didn't you say you won't use my money?"

"Now you've used it, haven't you? You must listen to me now, right? Words must be honored!"

Though Liu Su'an stopped kicking, his tone was exceptionally harsh.

Lu Cheng quickly said: "Uncle, no, no, you can't do this, it's the twenty-first century, kneeling isn't encouraged."

"She needs more rest now, you can't do this for the sake of..."

Liu Su'an shook the dust from his clothes, his demeanor icy: "When she stopped considering me a person, she stopped being my daughter."

"Right now, she's just a third party in debt to me."

"Before the age of sixteen, did I ever beat or scold you? Did I owe you anything?"

"I don't want you to pay me back, nor do I want you to take care of me."

"But from that day on, we've been in a state of broken relations, and this time, the medical expenses were paid by me. That's your debt!"

"Do you have any objections?"

Liu Wanting clutched her belly, seemingly in real pain and fear: "Dad, I truly realize my mistake, I'll go back to school, I'll study hard, I really know I was wrong."

"It hurts so much... it really hurts."

At this moment, her father, no longer the "refined and gentle" figure, appeared terrifyingly scary, as cold as a stranger.

He had not only beaten her mom in front of her but also slapped both her grandparents away.

It was the first time she had witnessed the domineering side of Liu Su'an, something rebellious that she couldn't comprehend at her age!