The next day, Liu Banxia got up early. After preparing breakfast for Qiaoqiao, he left in a Didi Taxi. Naturally, no inappropriate events happened last night since Tang Dou was still there.

"Brother Wei, nothing happened last night, right?" Liu Banxia asked.

"Nothing happened, we're stable. Completed some signatures we owed," Wei Yuan said with a smile.

This reassured Liu Banxia. Despite being off-duty, he was still concerned. After all, it was a critical period of starting the business; no mistakes could be made.

Completing the pending signatures, Liu Banxia put on his white coat and headed out.

"The surgery for the patient with spinal arteriovenous malformation was successful. Are you going to check on them?" Zhang Xiao walked over and asked.

"No need. I just checked the records, and it looked like the surgery happened yesterday afternoon. Why so late? Weren't their vitals pretty good?" Liu Banxia asked.

"Ah, don't even mention it. It's good enough that the surgery took place at all," Zhang Xiao sighed.

"This child is their long-desired son. They had always hoped to have a son. After having him, all their attention was directed towards him.

"That night when the boy was brought in, his parents scolded and complained about their daughter non-stop, without giving us a chance to speak. If the medical staff hadn't been present, I reckon they might have even hit her.

"The daughter was upset because of this, and the surgery would also cost quite a bit of money. She was so disheartened that she steadfastly refused the surgery. In the end, it was Sister Wang who spoke with each family member separately, ensuring the surgery could take place.

"Knowing you're busy, I didn't bother you with this matter. It's all settled now, right? It's a good thing they went through with the surgery. Given their daughter's temper, who knows when she might have exploded."

"Wow, it seems the conflicts between the daughter and her parents run really deep," Liu Banxia commented.

"President Liu, can we have a chat?" Zhang Xiao suddenly asked.

Liu Banxia nodded and followed Zhang Xiao to the side.

"Was it yesterday that a patient reported you for performing freelance surgery in Jinshui District?" Zhang Xiao asked.

Liu Banxia was taken aback. "How did you get this news so quickly? It wasn't a report. The patient just had regrets, and Chief Director Xu returned the extra money they were charged.

"Why did the news spread so quickly in just one night? And how did it get inflated into me being reported? Who told you this?"

"I figured if you had been reported, you wouldn't have been so cheerful when you returned last night. Last night, I heard from friends at other hospitals that the authorities in Binhai City or our province might be making some decisions about freelance surgeries. Are you aware of this?"

"Brother Zhang, I'm really wondering, how could such a trivial matter be inflated into me being reported?" Liu Banxia said with a bitter smile.

"It probably got distorted as the news spread. Anyway, as long as you know what's going on. Plus, your relationship with Chief Director Xu is so good; even if someone were to pursue this matter, they would be able to handle it."

"Are you familiar with Chief Director Xu?" Liu Banxia asked curiously.

"I've met him three times. Chief Director Xu is genuinely a great person. The freelance surgeons he contacts are mostly from our Second Hospital, Director Xie from the City Hospital's Burns Department, and the Third Hospital's pediatrics department," Zhang Xiao said.

"However, for whatever reason, now that this rumor has spread, we must be prepared. There are many people in our hospital who support you, but there are also plenty who don't."

Liu Banxia nodded bitterly. "Thanks. Otherwise, I really wouldn't know what's going on."

He had a premonition yesterday that this matter might have something to do with Qin Hai. Now that his name had been leaked, he was even more convinced.

But there was one thing he still didn't understand. If Qin Hai really did this, he would be antagonizing all the surgeons and many other local hospitals. Wasn't he betting too much?

"President Liu, President Liu, come over here." He had just finished talking with Zhang Xiao when Wang Chao waved at him, his face full of mystery.

"Is it about me being reported by a patient for performing freelance surgery?" Liu Banxia asked as he walked over.

"Er... is it really?" Wang Chao asked in surprise.

"Nonsense. It's just a misunderstanding between the patient and the hospital; Chief Director Xu even returned the money. Where did you hear it from? How did this even spread to the city?" Liu Banxia asked.

"I don't know what other people heard; I overheard it at home during dinner. When I heard appendectomy and Jinshui District Hospital mentioned, I knew it had to involve you," Wang Chao said.

"But why did you say it was about being reported for freelance surgery? Do you have other sources of information? I've been trying so hard to find out, so how come I don't know anything about that part?"

Liu Banxia frowned. "I may have misunderstood Qin Hai." I thought he helped spread the news, which then led to it becoming a story about me being reported.

"I didn't expect to be so famous now. Appendectomy plus freelance surgery, and they immediately connect it to me. This fame is somewhat distressing."

He really didn't know what to say. Although he had been a trending topic before, it died down after the incident. He always thought of himself as a nobody, but now, it seemed his fame was quite significant.

"What you said isn't impossible. Perhaps Old Qin did fan the flames. Otherwise, the news couldn't have spread so quickly, right?" Wang Chao said after thinking for a moment.

"Ah... Anyway, let's put aside this mess. Next time we have a break, I'll take everyone out for a meal," Liu Banxia said.

"What's up? Something good happened?" Wang Chao asked.

"Definitely, but I won't tell you yet. Liang Xiaolin, Qing Kewa, come here," Liu Banxia called out, waving to them as they walked by.

The two girls bounded over, leaving Wang Chao a bit baffled.

"Chao, you can go take a rest now," Liu Banxia said, keeping a straight face.

Wang Chao wanted to protest but didn't dare say anything and slipped off to the side.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Liu Banxia asked the girls.

"Hehe, Qiaoqiao sent us a bunch of messages yesterday. Tsk, tsk. The kind you can't just ignore," Liang Xiaolin said with a smug smile.

Liu Banxia blushed. "You have no respect for your teacher, after all the good food I've brought you. What was she asking?"

"She was asking what you like to eat, what you like to wear, and what kind of people you like," Qing Kewa blurted out.

"Oh, that silly girl," Liu Banxia said helplessly.

Now it all made sense. This was Qiaoqiao's indirect strategy. The only people she was familiar with at the Second Hospital were Liang Xiaolin and Qing Kewa, so she had to ask them.

But why didn't she stop to think how long these two girls have actually known me? If she wanted to gather intel, she should have asked Zhou Li! What a silly girl.

"Tsk, tsk, looks like it's official?" Liang Xiaolin asked curiously.

Liu Banxia nodded. "We're dating. But I'm warning you two, don't go making a big deal out of it with her. When you're free, go take a long bath or something."

Liang Xiaolin pouted. "You sure are bossy, but you can't control us after work."

Liu Banxia opened his mouth but was at a loss for words. This girl was stubborn; he really couldn't fool her. Unlike Xu Yino and the others, who were easy to dupe.

Just then, an ambulance pulled up outside. Qi Wentai and the emergency personnel wheeled in a stretcher.

"Acute myocardial infarction, blood pressure 80/120. Prepare for preoperative blood tests and an ECG. Call for a cardiologist," Qi Wentai said.

Liu Banxia nodded. Qi Wentai was really competent; he just hadn't been focusing on the right things before. His current arrangements were spot on, providing the patient with the maximum possible help.

With the emergency center now fully staffed, an ER surgeon didn't have to be the first to respond. Whether the patient needed a stent, a bypass, or even both, would now be determined by the cardiologist. This was the proper procedure, with everyone responsible for their own part.

Then Liu Banxia's phone buzzed with a message. It was from Feifei, an intern at Binhai TV station.

"Dr. Liu, someone has leaked information online."

The message was short, with a link attached.

Liu Banxia frowned. His account probably hadn't been hacked; this was likely related to yesterday's incident at Jinshui District Hospital.

After clicking the link, Liu Banxia felt a bitter taste in his mouth and a heavy feeling in his heart.

The video simply showed the patient's family indignantly discussing yesterday's surgery. The reason they were still publicizing the issue, even after their money had been refunded, was because they felt the hospital staff's attitude towards them had been poor.

Through this report, Liu Banxia learned that Jinshui District Hospital had charged an extra two thousand yuan on top of their usual fees. This meant that out of his five-thousand-yuan surgery fee, three thousand had gone to the hospital as a "guidance fee."

He really didn't know what to say. His small-incision technique was comparable to a laparoscopic appendectomy, and even involved two fewer incisions. The cost was about the same as a laparoscopic surgery overall, so why were they still not satisfied?

The reason he was dragged into this was because of the family's "fair" assessment: while they acknowledged the quality of his surgery, they felt his fees were too high. And they knew who he was because he had been on the TV news.

This whole affair was devolving into unreasonable complaints. He had initially thought Jinshui District Hospital would add at least three thousand yuan, perhaps even more, to the fee.

He texted back a "Thank you" to Feifei, then dialed Xu Chengjun's number. It rang several times, but no one answered.

"Now I'm about to be infamous again, probably as a greedy doctor or something," Liu Banxia muttered self-deprecatingly after hanging up.

"This family is really something. So, what happens now?" Liang Xiaolin asked.

"There's nothing I can do but roll with it. After this, I don't think I'll dare to perform surgeries elsewhere anymore," Liu Banxia shrugged.

This was his honest take. In the future, if he were to perform surgery at Jinshui District Hospital again, it definitely wouldn't be for the money. With this exposure, and considering the already tense doctor-patient relationships, who knew what kind of trouble this incident might stir up.