Chapter 219 — However You Got In, That's How You'll Get Out

The head of the inpatient department had been trying to gauge just how close Wei Zhao and Guan Xuewen really were, because a great deal hinged on the answer. If they were merely acquaintances, nothing more, then the whole affair could quietly be allowed to blow over... But if they were close, then he had just left Guan Xuewen and Director Qin with a very poor impression of himself...

And now, of all things, he saw that Guan Xuewen's granddaughter knew Wei Zhao too — surely that meant Wei Zhao was close to the whole Guan family?

Guan Xin had finished her work, and somehow or other she had drifted, half in a daze, over to the inpatient wing. She simply wanted to see whether she might run into Wei Zhao again; she had no particular aim in mind, since she had never asked him which ward he was in.

Hearing Wei Zhao call her name, she brightened at once, a sweet smile curving the corners of her mouth. "Wei Zhao, I just came by to see if there was anything I could help with."

"Oh, nothing at the moment — it's all been sorted out," Wei Zhao said, with a glance at the head of the inpatient department.

At his words, the conversation flagged; Guan Xin did not know what to say next. Then she noticed the woman beside Wei Zhao — Tang Zhi, no less lovely than herself — and felt a sudden sinking in her heart. "This is... your girlfriend?"

"No... I have nothing to do with him..." Before Wei Zhao could speak, Tang Zhi sprang forward as though her tail had been stepped on, waving her hands again and again.

"Oh," Guan Xin breathed a quiet sigh of relief, then said to Wei Zhao, "Give me your phone number. I never thanked you for last time — let me buy you dinner on one of my days off."

Wei Zhao thought nothing of it and recited a number. Guan Xin saved it, then rang him back so that her own number would appear on his phone. Beside them, though, Tang Zhi's brow furrowed. He had helped her? A pang of regret rose in her heart — why had she been in such a hurry to explain away her relationship with Wei Zhao?

This young man really did have a way with women — one turn of the head and he was already thick as thieves with a pretty young nurse. Downcast, Tang Zhi quickened her pace.

Guan Xin, a little older and more poised than Tang Zhi, took in her reaction and could not help smiling faintly. "Your friend seems to be jealous," she said to Wei Zhao. "I'll be off, then — call me when you have time."

"Ha..." Wei Zhao laughed. "All right, we'll talk by phone."

Guan Xin had only wanted to come and see Wei Zhao; now that she had actually walked over and found him, she no longer knew what to say or do.

Watching Wei Zhao and Tang Zhi's retreating backs, Guan Xin sighed softly to herself — though she could not have said what, exactly, she was sighing for...

In a superior ward, Zhao Guangdong was fawningly peeling an orange for his boss. "President Zou, this room's not bad, eh? No different from a five-star hotel, is it?"

"Hm, not bad, Guangdong. I never knew you had connections here at the hospital — seems I've been underestimating you all this time!" President Zou said. "Looks like I'll have to see about promoting you."

"Heh heh, not at all. I'm just a man who gets along well with people — friends wherever I go, and everyone does me the courtesy!" Zhao Guangdong said with a laugh.

"That's right, President Zou — our Guangdong has friends everywhere!" the heavily made-up woman chimed in from the side. "Just now some little idiot came asking for a superior ward, and the head of the inpatient department wouldn't even give him the time of day. But the moment our Guangdong brought a friend along, the room was his!"

"Who are you calling a little idiot?" The ward door was thrown open and Kang Xiaofeng stormed in, furious, jabbing a finger at the heavily made-up woman.

"Huh? So what if I called you a little idiot? You've even followed us here? What's the matter, can't take it? Shall I call security to throw you out? I'll give you three seconds — get lost, now!" The heavily made-up woman reached for the call button by the bed to summon someone.

"Ha, that's right — the one who gets lost is the little idiot. So you can get lost now." Wei Zhao followed Kang Xiaofeng into the ward. "Idiots, shall we call security to throw you out?"

"What's going on here? Guangdong, who are these people?" President Zou frowned, looking with displeasure at the handful of people who had entered the ward.

"President Zou, I'll go call security right now!" Zhao Guangdong was plainly the sort who had more bluster than backbone — he did not dare lay a hand on anyone, yet would not stand to lose face.

"No need to look! This ward is theirs now!" The head of the inpatient department sighed. These people were no pushovers either — the moment they walked in, they had offended everyone in the room beyond all mending, leaving not the slightest room for negotiation.

The head of the inpatient department had originally meant to explain his difficulties to Zhao Guangdong in a calm, reasonable way and persuade them to move out. But now there was no need for explanation — any explanation on his part would be superfluous. One way or another, he had to stand firmly on Wei Zhao's side.

"You hear that?" Kang Xiaofeng was instantly puffed up with swagger, jabbing a finger at Zhao Guangdong. "However you moved in, you move out the same way, you hear me?"

Those words had just come out of Wei Zhao's mouth, but Kang Xiaofeng did not care; when the man at the head of things said something, a lackey like him could naturally borrow it. And besides, he thought it sounded damn impressive — the sort of line that carried real weight when you said it aloud.

The moment Zhao Guangdong heard the head of the inpatient department, his expression changed on the spot. He did not care what Kang Xiaofeng said, but the words of the head of the inpatient department he could not afford to ignore.

This was a hospital, someone else's territory; he was not yet so high and mighty that he could lock horns with the head of the inpatient department. He promptly plastered on a smile and asked, rather bewildered, "Director Ma, hadn't we already agreed on this?"

"They got here first, and first come, first served must be honored!" At this point Director Ma was growing impatient; afraid of keeping Wei Zhao waiting and annoying him, he waved a hand at Zhao Guangdong. "All right, all right, get your things together and move to a regular double room. It's only an IV drip — I've already made the arrangements."

"But... Director Ma, for the sake of Dr. Liao... and besides, President Zou is here with us too..." Zhao Guangdong was in a fix. He had no idea why Director Ma had suddenly changed his mind, but he had just boasted about it to his boss, and if the room were switched, President Zou would surely be displeased.

Sure enough, before Zhao Guangdong could say another word, President Zou spoke up first: "Director Ma, is it? I'm Zou Tiandi of Tiandi Group. Director Sun of the district health bureau and I are as close as brothers."

But Director Ma could not spare such concerns now — better to offend the district health bureau chief than to offend Guan Xuewen!