Chapter 2 — On my first day as Director, I was kicked out of the cafeteria by the resident doctor

Her tone when mentioning the words "Headmaster Phuong" carried a very strange softness. It's not like subordinates refer to superiors. It's like a woman mentioning a man who means something special to her. My finger lightly tapped the table top.

“Does Director Phuong really care about you?”

Her expression changed for a moment, as if she had been stabbed in the heart. But he quickly regained his arrogance.

“Dean Phuong treats everyone in the department well.”

“But you are the most special?”

The atmosphere in the restaurant fell silent for a few seconds. To Nha Lam's eyes became sharp.

“What do you mean?”

“No offense.”

I picked up a piece of food, slowly chewed it and swallowed it.

"It's just that a resident doctor can make no one in the entire surgical ward dare to sit at this table. It's really powerful."

Her face turned red. Not ashamed. It's anger at being exposed right in front of you.

“Who do you think you are?” She stepped up, her finger almost pointing straight at my face, "Do you know what rank Director Phuong is? Do you know that half of this hospital's surgeries are performed by him? You, an errand boy, have what right to be here talking?"

The surrounding whispers became even louder. But still no one came forward to intervene. Han Man in the distance put down his glass of water and walked quickly towards this place. Her face was very unsightly. I knew she recognized me. But before she could get there, the restaurant door was pushed open again. A person walked in. Man, over forty, wearing a white blouse, with a badge from the Department of Trauma and Orthopedics on his chest: Vice Dean of the Department, Phuong Tri Vien. As soon as he entered the door, his eyes scanned this side. First see me. Then I saw To Nha Lam. Then I saw To Nha Lam's finger pointing straight at my face. His steps stopped. His face turned from normal to pale in just two seconds. Chapter 3 Phuong Tri Vien walked forward with long steps. When To Nha Lam saw him, her expression immediately changed, the corner of her mouth curled up, her tone coddled.

"Director Phuong, this person insists on taking your place. I've told her several times but she refuses to leave."

Phuong Tri Vien didn't look at her, just stared at me. I could see his throat moving, as if he had just swallowed.

“Why did you come here?”

To Nha Lam was stunned.

“Director Phuong, do you know her?”

Phuong Tri Vien did not answer. He turned to Han Man, who had already walked to the edge of the table. Han Man said softly: "Director Phuong, this person is..."

“I know.” Phuong Tri Vien interrupted.

The dining room was so quiet that you could clearly hear the whirring sound of the ventilation fan. Phuong Tri Vien tugged on To Nha Lam's hand.

“Come out with me.”

To Nha Lam looked puzzled.

“If you tell her to leave, she will leave.” Phuong Tri Vien forced his voice down, but the surrounding tables could hear clearly.

To Nha Lam's face changed. She wasn't used to being treated like that, and she wasn't used to being treated like that by Phuong Tri Vien.

“I reserved a seat for you, she came to rob me, am I the one at fault?”

Phuong Tri Vien took a deep breath. Incorrect. Phuong Tri Vien's hand tightened, then let go, then tightened again. He looked around at the eyes that were secretly observing, and looked at Han Man's increasingly unsightly face. Finally, you I lowered my voice and said a word to To Nha Lam. The voice was not loud, but the reverberation effect in the large space of the restaurant carried each word to more than half of the hall.

“She is my wife.”

To Nha Lam stood stiffly like a statue. She gasped, looked at Phuong Tri Vien, then looked at me.

“Wife…my wife?”

“Didn't you tell your wife to work at the Provincial Health Committee, working away from home in the province…”

Her voice became weaker and her eyes began to avoid. The chopsticks of the people around stopped completely. Han Man stood to the side, with an expression on his face as if he wanted to say three sentences at once but couldn't utter a single word. I pushed the rice tray forward, wiping the corner of my mouth.

“Phuong Tri Vien.”

His shoulders visibly trembled.

“Please explain to the resident doctor of your department that I don't have to 'work' at the Provincial Health Committee.”

“I was dispatched here from the Provincial Health Committee.”

“Coming here is to become a Director.”

The whole dining room felt like someone had turned off the sound. To Nha Lam's face turned white little by little. His lips moved, as if he wanted to refute something, but no words could come out. Phuong Tri Vien closed his eyes. Chapter 4 Five seconds of silence. To Nha Lam was the first to speak up.

“No way.”

Her voice was shaking, but she was still trying to salvage it.

"The notice to appoint a new Director has not yet come out. You say you are the Director, who believes it?"

This statement is not without reason. I just arrived in Hai Thanh this morning, went to meet the Secretary of the Party Committee at the administrative building, and this afternoon the appointment notice was posted publicly throughout the hospital. So at this point, the number of people in the entire hospital who know my identity can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Phuong Tri Vien is one of them. Last month he already knew.

“You ask him.”

I looked at Phuong Tri Vien. Phuong Tri Vien's lips pursed tightly. He didn't immediately speak up for me, but looked at To Nha Lam's expression first. That action was very fast, so fast that if I wasn't watching him I wouldn't have noticed. But I realized. Han Man pulled out his phone from his pocket, opened an email, and brought it in front of To Nha Lam.

“The appointment letter of the Provincial Health Committee was sent three days ago.”

“Director of Hai Thanh No. 1 People's Hospital, Co Thanh Ninh.”

To Nha Lam stared at the screen for ten seconds. Her breathing became heavier. Then, she turned sharply to look at Phuong Tri Vien.

“Have you known for a long time?”

Phuong Tri Vien did not speak.

“You knew she was coming to be the Director, but you didn't tell me?”

Her voice carried a strange sense of self-pity. It is not the fear of subordinates towards superiors. It's a woman's questioning of a man. In the cafeteria, there was the sound of someone breathing cold air. I stood up. The chair's legs scraped across the floor, making a screeching sound.

“Phuong Tri Vien, in the relationship between you and the resident doctors in the department, do I - as the Director - need to intervene?”

“Or do you think the Director has no control over this matter?”

Phuong Tri Vien's face was completely wiped out without a drop of blood. He opened his mouth, as if he was about to explain something.

“Thanh Ninh, I heard you say…”

“At the hospital, please call me Director Co.”

I picked up the rice tray.

“I won't eat this meal anymore.”

When I passed To Nha Lam, I stopped for a second. She smelled of perfume, not the usual antiseptic smell in hospitals. Rope The other necklace slipped a little from the collar, the pendant was a tiny moonstone. That rope was a gift for my birthday last year. Phuong Tri Vien said he personally chose it for me. Later, he said he lost it on a business trip, and especially apologized to me once. Turns out it wasn't lost. It's to give away to others. I didn't look at her any more. As he walked out of the restaurant door, Han Man's low voice rang out from behind.

“Doctor To, do you know who you were arguing with just now?”

To Nha Lam did not answer. But the whole restaurant was already exploding.