Chapter 60: Chapter 60: An Industry Insider’s Critical Commentary: "Only a Good Doctor Elected by the People Is a True Star!

Wu Ting’s viral fame also caused the official social media accounts to gain a ton of followers.

The social media accounts of City First Hospital and Fan City TV saw many viewers flock to the comments section of the related videos.

The short video on City First Hospital’s official account, which featured close-ups of Wu Ting, was reposted over a hundred thousand times.

Some claimed to be mothers-in-law trying to set him up with their daughters, others called themselves his "wife" and professed their love, but even more pretended to be patients asking for Dr. Wu to treat them.

The top comment, with over 50,000 likes, read:

"Dr. Wu, my kneecap got all scraped up, can you please take a look?"

Within City First Hospital, the video was shared in numerous group chats. Some felt it brought honor to the hospital, while others felt a sense of glory.

"I never knew we had such a hottie in our ER. I’m gonna go ’run into’ him!"

"I’m only 0.5 km away from Dr. Wu. Anybody got any messages for me to pass on?" 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Of course, with fame comes controversy. For everyone who admired and praised him, there were just as many detractors.

This time, the filming of City First Hospital’s rescue operation also sparked some dissent within the TV station.

Some felt the video portrayed Wu Ting as too perfect and unrealistic, which could easily provoke backlash from netizens and even lead them to question the TV station’s impartiality and authority.

After all, for such a major public event, instead of showing an ensemble of all the medical personnel involved, it focused on a single junior doctor like Wu Ting. Wasn’t it just because Wu Ting was young, handsome, buzzworthy, and a traffic magnet—because he was eye-catching?

This kind of promotion would encourage an impetuous and superficial culture. Doctors aren’t internet celebrities; they shouldn’t rely on their looks. They should be diligently honing their medical skills.

At the same time, another narrative emerged: that Wu Ting didn’t actually possess such incredible medical skills at all and that it was all just clever editing and cinematic packaging.

After all, how could a young man who was still just a resident trainee possibly know so much? Performing tracheotomies, burn escharotomies, and continuous blood purification?

This approach of concentrating the credit for the entire medical staff’s work onto Wu Ting to create a "star doctor" was ideologically wrong.

Soon, Wu Ting’s academic background was dug up and exposed.

He was just an unremarkable undergraduate with no experience in advanced studies and very little clinical experience.

A resume like that was completely at odds with the image of the new-generation elite physician who had single-handedly turned the tide in the documentary.

Controversy was the natural result.

At the same time, Zhu Zhu, the one who filmed the documentary, was also exposed.

And the smear campaign against Zhu Zhu took the vilest form of attack against a woman: spreading lewd rumors.

The person behind the scenes was clearly well-versed in the ways of the media and wanted to use this opportunity to destroy Zhu Zhu.

"This Zhu Zhu and Wu Ting must have some kind of sordid relationship. That’s why she promoted him so extravagantly in a documentary like this."

"And the leadership at the TV station just let it slide, all for the sake of views and grabbing eyeballs! Obviously, they succeeded—the traffic exploded—but the people know what’s right!"

"Zhu Zhu is already twenty-nine this year and still single... you know what I mean. Who wouldn’t want a young stud like Wu Ting!"

...

"To the posters above, you people are disgusting! Dr. Wu is an honorable man! He’s not the despicable person you’re making him out to be."

"Exactly! Our reporter Zhu Zhu is beautiful and has integrity. You’re all just jealous!"

For a time, controversies surrounding the documentary flared up everywhere. Wu Ting, at the center of the vortex, Zhu Zhu, who filmed and produced the video, and even the top leader, Director Cai, who had given the final approval, all found themselves in the hot seat.

...

...

Yao Shi was a senior surgeon in the General Surgery Department at Fan City Second Hospital.

At forty-three, he was one of the department’s mainstays, responsible for a large number of surgeries.

Unfortunately, there had always been a department director above him.

Unlike government agencies with their multiple career paths, hospitals have a rigid hierarchy, and the channels for promotion are extremely narrow.

Unless the department director was transferred, poached by another hospital, or promoted to vice president, there was no way the position would open up.

However, the director of general surgery at City Second Hospital was only eight years older than him and still in his prime.

The director was a power-hungry man to begin with; he would probably cling to the general surgery director position even if he were promoted to vice president. Yao Shi saw no hope for promotion whatsoever.

The thought of being suppressed by the director for another twenty years, his own hard work only adding to the man’s list of accomplishments, was suffocating for Yao Shi.

’Who ever heard of a crown prince who’s still a prince at forty?’

So, Yao Shi had a new idea. As the saying goes, a tree dies when moved, but a person thrives.

He decided to go all-out to develop a significant research project, then take that project with him to another institution and become the head of his own department.

Yao Shi’s field of research was laparoscopic technology. He planned to establish a key specialty department for laparoscopic diagnosis and treatment, which would require the hospital’s support and a sufficient number of patients for his research.

Yao Shi set his sights on the show *Path to Health*. His research proposal had already passed the hospital’s preliminary selection. If he could make it onto the show’s final list and become a guest, he would be able to accumulate enough popularity and prestige to get priority support for funding, research, and team-building.

Yao Shi was very ambitious and opportunistic. He had long been laying the groundwork on social media, carefully crafting his public image.

He had been intentionally managing a video account for some time and was an officially verified medical expert.

He had posted quite a few short videos educating the public about various general surgery diseases, especially focusing on laparoscopic technology.

However, his looks were average, and his on-camera presence was mediocre. He had some followers, but his influence was minimal.

Seeing Wu Ting’s traffic explode because of the rescue documentary, Yao Shi was filled with both envy and jealousy.

’If I had that young doctor’s looks,’ he thought, ’with all the short videos I’ve made, I should have been famous long ago.’

Suddenly, an idea struck Yao Shi. Why not critique Wu Ting from a professional standpoint and share his views on the "star doctor" phenomenon?

Soon, Yao Shi edited Wu Ting’s original video, adding his own incisive professional commentary:

"A Good Doctor Chosen by the People Is the Only True Star!"

"As a senior chief physician, my thoughts on the recent trending topic of City First Hospital’s Dr. Wu Ting, and a commentary on the phenomenon of ’star doctors’ in the medical field..."

"In recent years, some industry associations, academic institutions, and hospital media outlets have been creating so-called ’star doctors’ behind closed doors for their own amusement. These ’experts,’ ’authorities,’ and ’prodigies’ are often doctors who are simply packaged to be eye-catching, with good on-camera presence and a certain charisma."

"These doctors engage in grandstanding, desperately chasing fame and fortune. They use their celebrity to gain industry recognition and renown, which in turn gets them better resources, more opportunities, and more connections. They snowball their way to collecting all sorts of authoritative titles and accolades. They even go as far as stealing the achievements of ordinary, diligent doctors to build up their own image..."

"It’s true that their traffic brings fame and more patients to the hospital... But these doctors only know how to brand themselves. They don’t actually work on the front lines in the operating rooms. They disregard patient feedback and public sentiment. When patients and ordinary people have no say, the public will not recognize or accept such doctors!"

"The public’s eyes are sharp. We must strengthen the evaluation system for medical ethics and professional conduct. Let the patients experience it firsthand—they have the greatest right to speak. A good doctor chosen by the people is one who is loyal to their patients and the public, who values both skill and integrity, and who is truly dedicated to working on the front lines. Those are the real star doctors!"

In the background of Yao Shi’s video, the camera seemed to unintentionally pan across the silk banners he had received from patients over the years.

"Regarding the video, we all believe in the overall capabilities of the doctors at City First Hospital. Their medical staff are the standard-bearers for our Fan City, and I personally admire and look up to them. However, based on my decades of experience, it is impossible for a junior doctor like Wu Ting to possess such a comprehensive range of skills."

"Let alone mastering so many Surgical Techniques, proposing a combined traditional and modern medical Tracheotomy, being able to perform City First Hospital’s first-ever continuous blood purification therapy, and promoting the Haijin Gang Burn Fluid Replacement Formula? A junior doctor like that? I’ve never seen one, and I’ve never heard of one."

As an insider in Fan City’s medical system, an officially recognized chief physician, and a medical expert, he had personally entered the fray to comment.

In an instant, Yao Shi’s video was also widely reposted by the public.

The ordinary-looking, balding Yao Shi certainly had the air of a seasoned physician. His status as an expert and senior doctor won him the approval and support of many members of the uninformed public.