Super Doctor - Chapter 149

Xu Ze had no intention of considering the feelings of the senior physicians from Internal Medicine. His only concern was protecting the Guillain-Barré syndrome research project in the Emergency Department—ensuring that the hard work he and his colleagues had poured into it wouldn’t be snatched away so easily.

So, Xu Ze continued calmly, “Regarding the symptoms and signs of Guillain-Barré syndrome, aside from what Director Li Qijiang mentioned earlier, I’d like to add a key point about sensory disturbances. These are usually mild and typically start from the extremities. There’s one particularly distinctive feature in superficial sensory impairment—what we call a ‘stocking-glove’ pattern of hypoesthesia, anesthesia, or hyperesthesia. Additionally, spontaneous pain and tenderness may occasionally occur.”

At this, Director Zhang Lide—who had been wearing a dark expression—suddenly brightened, as if he had grabbed onto a life-saving tree in the middle of a flood. His heart surged with excitement.

Because he remembered something.

Last night, he had secretly dispatched one of his most capable doctors—disguised as a consulting physician—to conduct a thorough physical examination of the patient in the Emergency Department. That doctor had reported back in detail on the patient’s medical history and examination findings.

And yet, that report had made no mention whatsoever of the symptoms Xu Ze was now describing.

Zhang Lide had complete confidence in his subordinate. If the report didn’t include these details, then this kid must be bluffing. If he could expose Xu Ze’s fabrication, then all of his previous arguments would immediately become suspect.

Medical research cannot tolerate any falsification—it concerns countless lives. This was the gravest taboo in the medical field. And now, this greenhorn, in his desperation to intimidate them, had likely committed an unforgivable mistake without even realizing it.

If Zhang Lide could prove this, then no matter what excuses the Emergency Department came up with, they wouldn’t be able to keep this research project.

This is our chance.

Suppressing his excitement, Zhang Lide sneered coldly and said, “Dr. Xu, isn’t your claim a bit too bold?”

“How could you possibly know all this? Even Director Qu isn’t this detailed, and you’re just a rotating intern! You’re clearly relying on your sharp tongue to bluff your way through. Do you really think we’re all fools?”

Xu Ze frowned slightly but remained composed under Zhang Lide’s aggressive questioning.

Still pretending? Zhang Lide scoffed inwardly. Let’s see how long you can keep this up. Once I expose you, not only will you lose this project, but you won’t even be able to stay in this hospital. You brought this on yourself.

Adopting the stern tone of a senior physician, Zhang Lide lectured coldly, “You think everything is as simple as you imagine? Dr. Xu, you’re still too young. You need to learn to be more grounded and less arrogant. Understand?”

Watching Zhang Lide humiliate Xu Ze so mercilessly, Director Qu couldn’t hold back his anger. “Zhang Lide! What’s the meaning of this? Xu Ze is a doctor in my Emergency Department, and he’s just doing his job. Who gave you the right to reprimand him?”

“Hmph. Old Qu, it’s not that I’m disrespecting you,” Zhang Lide retorted with a cold smile. “But this kid is outright fabricating medical history and examination findings to deceive us. Shouldn’t he be called out for that?” Then, with a sudden, mocking glance at Qu, he added, “Or… is this something you instructed him to do?”

He left the implication hanging, but everyone understood—Zhang Lide was accusing Xu Ze (and possibly even Qu) of falsifying data to keep the research project.

Director Qu’s face flushed with fury. In his decades as a physician, he had never been so blatantly slandered.

The four doctors behind him also seethed with rage. How dare Zhang Lide insult our director like this? Does he think the Emergency Department has no backbone?

In a hospital, a department was a united front. If they allowed their director to be insulted without retaliation, the Emergency Department would lose all respect. Worse, if their director was accused of fraud, every doctor in the department would be tainted by association.

No longer caring about hierarchy, the doctors stood and gathered behind Director Qu, glaring at Zhang Lide and the other senior physicians.

“Zhang Lide!” Qu’s fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. “Explain yourself. What exactly are you implying?”

Zhang Lide suddenly realized he had gone too far. Damn it, I got carried away.

Accusations like this—without solid evidence—were career-ending in the medical world. Unless there was deep personal enmity, no one would dare make such claims so recklessly.

I’ve really stirred up a hornet’s nest.

Sweating nervously under the furious glares of the Emergency Department and the icy stares of the hospital leadership, Zhang Lide quickly backtracked. “Old Qu, don’t take it to heart. I spoke out of turn—I didn’t mean anything by it.”

Seeing Zhang Lide’s hasty apology, Qu and the others reluctantly sat back down. But Qu wasn’t done. “Director Zhang, some words should never be spoken carelessly.”

“I won’t pursue this today, but you owe our department—and Dr. Xu—an apology. Even if Xu Ze is only rotating here, he’s still one of ours. You’ve accused him of falsifying data, and as his director, I demand you clear his name.”

“You may be the head of Internal Medicine, but that doesn’t give you the right to slander our doctors.”

Zhang Lide chuckled dryly. He couldn’t afford to openly feud with Qu, but this rotating intern was fair game.

“Old Qu,” he said with a smirk, “he claimed there’s some so-called ‘stocking-glove’ sensory disturbance—hypoesthesia, anesthesia, or hyperesthesia, plus occasional spontaneous pain and tenderness.”

“Stocking-glove hypoesthesia? Has anyone here ever heard of that?” Zhang Lide scanned the room mockingly. “Does such a term even exist in medical literature?”

“And even if it did—does your patient actually exhibit this so-called ‘stocking-glove’ pattern?” He turned to Qu. “Director Qu, did you observe this in your patient?”

Qu frowned. He could roughly guess what the term meant, but had he specifically checked for it in the patient? Not in such detail…

Seeing Qu’s hesitation, Zhang Lide grinned triumphantly and turned back to Xu Ze. “Dr. Xu—if I may still call you that—if you’re going to bluff, at least make it convincing. Our hospital’s reputation is at stake.”

The room fell silent as everyone turned to Xu Ze, waiting for his response.

But Xu Ze remained perfectly calm. Only the faintest flicker of anger—and something like disdain—showed in his usually clear, composed eyes.

“Director Zhang,” he finally said, his voice cool but edged with quiet intensity, “just because you’ve never heard of something… doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.”

A collective gasp rippled through the room.

No junior doctor had ever dared speak to a senior physician like that. Wu Yue and the others watched in alarm. If Xu Ze openly mocks the head of Internal Medicine, how will he survive here after his rotation ends?

But Director Qu’s eyebrows lifted slightly. He said nothing. Xu Ze was only here for two months—he had nothing to lose by standing up to Zhang Lide. And if he could humiliate the man in the process?

Qu was all for it.

“What did you just say?” Zhang Lide’s face twisted with rage. In all his years as department head, no one—not even the most renowned experts—had ever dared disrespect him like this.

Feeling utterly insulted, Zhang Lide pointed a shaking finger at Xu Ze. “Do you know who you’re talking to? What gives you the right?!”

Xu Ze met his fury with unshaken composure. “Director Zhang, those who insult others… should expect to be insulted in return. Haven’t you heard that saying?”

“I may only be a rotating intern, but when it comes to facts, I speak the truth.” His gaze never wavered. “I mean no disrespect, but if someone states the truth and is mocked for it, they have every right to defend themselves.”

“The truth? What truth?!” Zhang Lide was so angry he started laughing. “I’ve been practicing medicine for decades. Do you really think you know more than I do?”

Xu Ze smiled faintly. “I don’t deny that your knowledge and experience far surpass mine. But in this specific case… yes, I do know more than you.”

“I’ve been monitoring this patient for two days—examining him repeatedly, researching, analyzing. Shouldn’t that give me a better understanding than someone who’s never even seen him?”

“You—!” Zhang Lide’s finger trembled violently, but he couldn’t refute the logic.

The other Internal Medicine directors, seeing their leader so thoroughly outmaneuvered, were about to intervene when a calm voice cut through the tension.

“Director Zhang, please sit down. There’s no need for anger.” It was one of the hospital’s senior administrators. “Young people can be impulsive. Let’s hear what else Dr. Xu has to say before jumping to conclusions.”