Return to the City: The Strongest King
Chapter 904 - 905: Tacit Understanding

Chapter 904: Chapter 905: Tacit Understanding

Song Xiaodong had been through so much, yet he could still sense the panic and shame in Zhong Chuling’s heart. He gently held her hand and then gave it a light squeeze.

Zhong Chuling froze for a moment, and her heart suddenly calmed down. As it turned out, the older man didn’t think poorly of her; he didn’t see her as a bad kid.

But she could still feel Song Xiaodong’s physical reaction, and she really didn’t know what to do about it.

Song Xiaodong leaned in close to her ear and whispered, "Don’t overthink it—perfectly natural response. Don’t let it weigh on you."

Zhong Chuling’s face grew even redder, but she nodded, feeling even more at ease.

Fortunately, the car had already reached the hospital by then, and Lin Shu exhaled deeply and said, "Finally arrived safely."

Song Xiaodong immediately chuckled. "Not bad, not bad. A few more times like this, and you’ll be able to drive on your own."

"I drove this time, didn’t I? You hardly gave me any instructions later on," Lin Shu said proudly, raising her chin and pushing open the car door.

"You guys go ahead. I’ll park the car properly. You’re taking up two parking spaces; it’ll be hard for others to park."

Lin Shu stuck out her tongue and said, "I haven’t practiced parking much."

After the two got out of the car, Song Xiaodong quickly closed the car door, shifted into the driver’s seat, and adjusted the parking position. What should have taken only a few seconds dragged on for almost a minute before he finally parked and got out of the car.

Lin Shu teased him, "Hey, Uncle! Your skills aren’t that great either, huh?"

Song Xiaodong shrugged and said, "Yeah, my skills are nothing special." Then he gave Zhong Chuling a slight nod.

Zhong Chuling instinctively glanced at a certain spot and felt relieved. She had been worried that Song Xiaodong might feel awkward getting out of the car earlier. She also realized he had deliberately dawdled with parking as a way of calming down.

The three of them walked toward the hospital, and Zhong Chuling suddenly grabbed Song Xiaodong’s hand. That’s when she noticed the obvious bite mark on his hand; her feelings were a mix of embarrassment and heartache.

"It’s fine," Song Xiaodong reassured her by lightly squeezing her hand.

"I’m sorry, Uncle," Zhong Chuling whispered.

"Silly girl, I told you not to overthink. You’re a good kid," Song Xiaodong said with a gentle smile.

Lin Shu walked a few steps ahead but turned back when she realized the two hadn’t kept up. "Hey, what are you two whispering about? Huh, Xiao Ling, what’s going on with you?"

Song Xiaodong smiled faintly. "Xiao Shu finally snapped out of it. Earlier, she was scared stiff from your driving."

Zhong Chuling immediately chimed in, "Exactly! My legs are still shaky—you were terrifying behind the wheel."

Lin Shu laughed awkwardly. "I’ll get it right on the way back."

Song Xiaodong and Zhong Chuling exchanged a glance, and surprisingly, they felt a moment of unspoken connection.

Lin Shu accompanied Zhong Chuling to the ward, while Song Xiaodong headed toward the meeting room.

Lin Su’er and He Wenbai were already there, waiting for Song Xiaodong.

"Got held up by something—sorry for keeping everyone waiting." Song Xiaodong took his seat.

This meeting was particularly important. The hospital had been growing rapidly, and more and more people had heard about its low fees and high medical skill. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, it was backed by experts like He Wenbai and Lin Yi; in Western Medicine, not only did they have Liu Yajun but also foreign specialists Xiang Te and Ellington. With such a capable medical team, the hospital had far surpassed the average standard.

However, such fast growth brought significant challenges. The influx of patients seeking renowned care led to overcrowded wards, and doctors were dealing with a heavy workload, sometimes seeing a staggering number of patients each day.

Furthermore, the hospital’s strict policies completely eliminating kickbacks for doctors—even with substantially improved salaries—had led many who relied on "gray income" to leave.

Lin Su’er said, "Our biggest issue now is how to expand our pool of doctors."

He Wenbai added, "Poaching doctors directly won’t be easy. It’s better if we cultivate talents ourselves—for instance, strengthening ties with the Medical University and recruiting capable professionals who, after graduation, can start working here directly."

Lin Yi remarked, "That’s feasible for long-term planning, but it won’t address the current situation. For now, we’ll need to bring in some more doctors quickly."

Xiang Te interjected, "We might be able to convince some people to join the hospital, but words alone won’t cut it. When the time comes, Mr. Song will have to work his magic to reassure them and keep them here."

Song Xiaodong nodded and said, "That won’t be a problem. You guys go ahead and find candidates. As long as they’re willing to work here, our pay will match or exceed what they had at their previous job."

Xiang Te nodded in agreement.

Song Xiaodong looked around at everyone and said, "Here’s what I think—short-term, each of you reach out to your contacts and see if you can bring people into our hospital. Make sure they understand in advance that we absolutely don’t tolerate bribery, unnecessary prescriptions, or kickbacks. We aim to earn honestly through hospital fees. If they can’t agree to this, no matter how skilled they are, we won’t hire them."

After pausing briefly, Song Xiaodong added, "Additionally, let’s contact the Medical University to establish more opportunities for internships and set up a long-term talent development program."

Lin Yi chimed in, "Long-term mechanisms are ideal. We should even consider taking up academic positions at the Medical University. That would make collaboration much easier."

Song Xiaodong nodded. "That’s a good idea. Vice Director Lin, you’ll oversee this task."

"By the way..." He Wenbai hesitated for a moment before saying, "Mr. Song, if you could also take up a position at the Medical University, it would make a huge difference. But you’re just too busy."

Song Xiaodong thought for a moment and said, "Training medical talent is a vital matter for the country and its people. I could carve out some time for it. When it comes to prescriptions, you all can manage just as well as I can, but for acupuncture, there’s a lot of specialization involved. It might be hard to find the right fit."

He Wenbai’s face lit up with excitement. "The Traditional Chinese Medicine College surely has acupuncture courses. You might even find a few suitable protégés there!"

Song Xiaodong nodded and said, "Since there’s an acupuncture program, I can go. But my teaching schedule will have to be light—just one class per week is enough."

He Wenbai responded eagerly, "Absolutely, one class a week would be a tremendous opportunity for the students."

At that moment, Lin Su’er’s phone rang. After answering the call, her expression changed drastically. She abruptly stood up and exclaimed, "A major car accident has occurred, and the injured are being transported to our hospital. Everyone, hurry to the emergency room!"