A Conversation Above the Abyss

As night deepened, the city's dazzling neon lights failed to illuminate certain hidden corners. On the top floor of Ankang Hospital's administrative building, the dean's office, boasting the best view and lavish decor, was filled with a sense of oppression that clashed with the bustling cityscape outside.

The real dean, the highly respected figure in the provincial medical community whose name frequently appears at various academic conferences and public service advertisements, is perhaps speaking eloquently at a high-level forum or engrossed in research in his study at home. This place is merely one of his many nominal positions; he never participates in its actual operation.

Sitting behind that large, expensive mahogany desk was the actual controller of the hospital, a man known as "Mr. Wei." He was around fifty years old, wearing a well-tailored dark Zhongshan suit, his hair neatly combed, and his face showed little expression. Only his eyes, which occasionally flashed with a sharp glint, carried a cold indifference and control that came from long-standing power and insight into human nature.

Standing in front of the desk, slightly bowed, with a fine layer of cold sweat on his forehead, was the vice president in charge of daily operations, surnamed Qian.

"Mr. Wei, I just... I just received news." Deputy Director Qian's voice trembled almost imperceptibly as he respectfully placed a tablet computer on the table. The screen displayed a newly received text message about Qin Ming's formal criminal detention for assaulting a police officer. "Qin Ming... at the police station, he couldn't control his emotions and hit a policeman..."

The office was deathly silent, save for the low rumble of the central air conditioning.

Mr. Wei did not look at the tablet immediately. His gaze lingered on Deputy Director Qian's slightly trembling fingers for a full three seconds. Those three seconds made Deputy Director Qian feel as if he had been stripped naked and thrown into the freezing snow, a chill running from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

Finally, Mr. Wei slowly reached out, his fingertips lightly swiping across the tablet screen as he browsed the few words that had shocked the world. His face remained expressionless, but the atmosphere in the office seemed to have become even more oppressive.

"Idiot."

Two words, uttered softly by Mr. Wei without raising his voice, yet they struck Deputy Director Qian's heart like two icicles. It wasn't an angry roar, but an extreme, cold evaluation tinged with contempt.

"I'm supporting him, giving him a platform, and providing him with an income far exceeding that of public hospitals, not so he can go and act recklessly against the police." Mr. Wei's voice was eerily calm. "Is his head filled with medical knowledge or rubbish? At this critical juncture, is he giving others a handle against him? Does he want to die even faster, or does he think our ship is too stable and wants to dig a hole so we can all sink together?"

Deputy Director Qian bowed even lower, cold sweat almost soaking his shirt collar, and hurriedly said, "Yes, yes, Qin Ming was too impulsive this time and has betrayed your trust. But Mr. Wei, please rest assured, Qin Ming... he would never dare to say anything reckless! He understands the consequences!"

He tried to be more persuasive by speaking faster:

"We know all about what he did. You and I both know why he was kicked out of the Provincial First Hospital. It wasn't just a medical accident; it also involved falsifying data and reselling experimental drugs!"

After he came to us, he meticulously recorded which Patient ' treatment plans he 'optimized' and which 'special medications' he handled—the accounts were crystal clear! If he dared to betray us, he'd be the first to be disgraced and spend his life in jail! He's not that stupid!

Mr. Wei listened quietly, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the smooth tabletop, making a rhythmic "tap-tap" sound, as if he were weighing something.

Observing his expression, Deputy Director Qian cautiously offered another suggestion:

"Mr. Wei, we can still control Qin Ming's situation. It's just... it's Hou Xiaoya's family that's causing a huge scene, and they've called the police again. Do you think... we should try to 'appease' them first? Spend some money to shut them up?"

After all, the child has suffered a bit while we're here. As long as they stop causing trouble and the police don't have a victim to keep pursuing them, the matter might gradually calm down."

This is his usual way of thinking; when faced with trouble, his first thought is to settle things with money and keep the peace.

However, as soon as he finished speaking, Mr. Wei's fingers, which were tapping the table, suddenly stopped.

He raised his head, and for the first time, his cold eyes focused entirely on Deputy Director Qian's face, his gaze so sharp that the latter instantly held his breath.

"Gag me? Compensation?" Mr. Wei's lips curled into an extremely cold smile, devoid of any warmth, only chilling and almost cruelly rational. "Deputy Director Qian, you've been with me for so many years, how can you still be so naive?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority:

"This door must absolutely not be opened."

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze piercing, as if trying to etch these words into the other person's mind. "Do you know what it means if we set a precedent for compensation against this Hou family today?"

Before Deputy Director Qian could answer, he began to answer his own question in a chilling tone:

"This means that those Patient and their families who were previously 'misdiagnosed' and 'overtreated' will swarm in like sharks smelling blood! They'll come with all sorts of 'evidence' and demand money from us with a clear conscience! How many people will we have to shut up? How much money will we have to spend? It's a bottomless pit!"

He slammed his hand on the table. Although the force wasn't great, the sudden sound still made Deputy Director Qian tremble.

"Let me tell you, money can be spent on bribing officials, on pacifying the media, or even just thrown into the water to make a splash!" Mr. Wei's eyes hardened. "But it absolutely cannot be spent on compensating Patient! That's the bottom line! If you pay a penny today, someone will dare to demand ten thousand tomorrow, and a million the day after! Human greed is insatiable! We must let them know that making a scene is useless! It will only leave them battered and bruised!"

He stared at Deputy Director Qian, whose face was deathly pale, and commanded, word by word:

"Tell your subordinates that to everyone who comes to 'demand an explanation,' their attitude must be 'sincere,' their explanations 'professional,' but their principles must be firm—everything must be based on medical assessments and legal judgments! Beyond that, not a single penny! Anyone who dares to make private promises or offer money will regret it!"

"Yes... yes! Mr. Wei, I understand! I'll make arrangements immediately, and I absolutely won't allow this to happen!" Deputy Director Qian was overjoyed, yet still trembling with fear, and repeatedly assured him.

Mr. Wei waved his hand as if shooing away a fly, leaned back in his wide chair, and turned his gaze back to the dark night sky outside the window, leaving only a cold and resolute Back View.

"Mind your own business, including Qin Ming. Don't let me hear such foolish advice again."

Deputy Director Qian dared not say another word. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and almost tiptoed out of the suffocating office.

The door closed gently, locking away the conspiracy above the abyss and the endless darkness within.