CHAPTER 439: CHAPTER 438: FOUND IT

The apprenticeship ceremony was set for half a month later, at the Tian Family residence, which was Beisitian’s request. She was doing this to give the Tian Family face.

Other than General Zhou’s matters, Tian Heming hadn’t been active for a long time. This time, he personally took charge, planning to make this apprenticeship ceremony grander at his own home.

There weren’t many things for Beisitian to worry about, but she needed to prepare a gift for her apprentice, which required some thought.

Combining both her past and present lives, this was her first time taking on an apprentice. Even though her motive for taking Wei Zhongxun wasn’t entirely pure, and their intentions weren’t very simple, since she accepted him as her apprentice, she had to take full responsibility.

After half a year of interaction, Beisitian felt that Wei Zhongxun was quite decent, at least he took a big risk and played a significant role in the kidnapping incident of Tian Zhi.

Beisitian kept pondering over the gift for their first meeting, but couldn’t decide what to give.

The next day, Beisitian got up early; today was the day for her to report to her new job.

Beisitian dressed in a crisp military uniform and went out with Luo Xudong.

The 232 Military District Hospital was outside of the under-construction Third Ring and occupied a large area. Beisitian glanced at the large words "Outpatient Department" and entered through a small side iron gate.

The outpatient lobby was large, with five windows at the registration area alone, and three or four each at the payment and pharmacy sections. Although it was just past six o’clock, many people were already waiting by the windows, ready for them to open and register for their consultations.

Beisitian took the stairs on one side to the seventh floor personnel department; she arrived early, and no one in the personnel department had started work yet. Thinking that waiting is just waiting, she decided to take a look around instead.

The personnel department worked regular hours and would begin at eight o’clock. Beisitian noticed she had more than an hour, so she went downstairs to familiarize herself with the environment, at least to locate the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) department.

Beisitian roamed floor by floor. Since consultations hadn’t started, there were hardly any people, as it was an outpatient building, not an inpatient department.

Due to the building’s large width, each floor covered a considerable area. Beisitian walked through each one but couldn’t find where the TCM department was.

Standing in the third-floor lobby, Beisitian looked up at the department indicators overhead—no TCM department on the third floor either.

Could it be in the Internal Medicine building?

The second floor was for blood tests and outpatient infusions, so the TCM department surely couldn’t be there.

Beisitian knew that TCM’s status within the country was somewhat awkward, so she thought it impossible to have an entire building dedicated to TCM. Thus, she exited the back door of the Surgery building and headed towards the Internal Medicine building.

At the entrance, Beisitian was stopped, as two floors of the Internal Medicine building were inpatient, and there was no outpatient service. Entering and exiting had specified times, and employees needed an ID badge.

It was Beisitian’s first day reporting, so she had no ID badge. Standing outside the Internal Medicine building, unable to enter, she had to ask the security guard at the entrance where the TCM department was.

"Follow this path eastwards; it’s located between the Inpatient and Outpatient buildings, but it’s not easy to find," the security guard said.

Beisitian nodded in thanks, mentally mapping out the route the security guard pointed out, becoming puzzled—she had done some research before coming here and knew the general layout of 232 Division’s buildings, including the public toilets. But she didn’t remember any building at the location the guard mentioned.

Filled with doubt, Beisitian walked over and, at the corner of the Outpatient building, indeed found a building—it was a red brick house with three doors, each labeled TCM Department 1 to TCM Department 3.

Looking at the TCM department like this, Beisitian felt as if a chilling wind had swept past her...

Amidst towering buildings, such a unique department seemed like a forgotten presence by the world, silently holding its ground in this corner.

Beisitian’s mouth twitched a little. She had mentally prepared herself before coming, knowing TCM’s current societal standing, but she never thought the reality would be worse than she imagined!

Beisitian stepped onto the porch and peered inside through the glass window. Each room wasn’t large, about ten square meters, with a white curtain in the middle, behind which she could see a bed. Against the side wall was another bed; in the middle stood a large wooden table and a chair, with some scattered papers and folders on top—apart from these, only a sink near the door.

All three consultation rooms were the same structure. Beisitian couldn’t help but turn to look at the seven-story-high Surgery and Internal Medicine buildings, then turned back to the low, cramped house in front of her. She had an unspeakable complex feeling in her heart.

Even if there is differential treatment, isn’t it a bit too obvious?

To outsiders, such things might seem incredible, but internally, it’s normal. Previously, the place for dispensing medicine was in a house outside the building. As demand grew, a renovation had to be done to meet the needs of the masses.

The TCM department had always been in this house as demand never increased. So even if the department leaders made requests, those above wouldn’t consider renovating, to not waste manpower, material, and financial resources. The most crucial point is that although many places expanded, as more patients came, more examination rooms and inpatient space were needed. There simply wasn’t enough space to spare for a TCM department where hardly anyone visited in a day.

Beisitian was not part of the hospital’s internal staff and could only shake her head and sigh with what her senses revealed to her.

"Are you here to see a doctor?"

Beisitian was immersed in her reflections when a male voice came from behind her. She turned around to see a middle-aged man in his forties, holding several brown folders and looking at her with curiosity.

This man wore glasses, his skin slightly tanned, with deep lines around his mouth, causing his mouth’s corners to droop, giving an impression of displeasure.

He asked because he didn’t think Beisitian looked like a patient. Yet, based on her attire and demeanor, she didn’t seem like someone here early in the morning to clean.

Beisitian politely shook her head, saying, "I’m a new doctor." As she spoke, she glanced back at the three houses behind her. "In the TCM department."

The man, hearing this, immediately showed a surprised expression, then became happy, his mouth moving from a downward pull to an upward curve.

"I heard the director mention a new doctor was coming, but I didn’t expect you to be this young. Whatever’s troubling you, why did you choose to study TCM?"

Beisitian: "..." No wonder the TCM department is in such a corner; with someone in your role putting down the field, how could it possibly thrive!

This man’s name was Shi Hongxing, already forty-three this year. At forty-five, one could apply for an internal retirement, but in TCM, the older, the more valuable, and generally, they wouldn’t apply for internal retirement at forty-five.