Captain Tao didn't accept the Political Commissar's invitation and insisted on a direct meeting.

Procedures must not be disrupted.

The procedures for Wu Shengnan's progression were not disrupted, but Du Heng's side was a mess.

Which procedures?

The treatment procedures.

"Dean, for the patient with uterine fibroids, the Gynecology and Pediatrics Department wasn't involved in her treatment at all. The Chinese Medicine Department handled everything. But now she's been placed in the Gynecology and Pediatrics Department, even though it has nothing to do with the Chinese Medicine Department's treatment. This violates the rules for both daily management and medication management."

Qiu Pingzhen confronted Du Heng directly, not mincing his words. Du Heng accepted the criticism humbly, "So, what should we do now?"

"The patient's department needs to be changed. Whoever is treating her must be designated as her attending doctor and assume full responsibility. It's not right for the patient to be in the Gynecology and Pediatrics Department while all the medicine is prescribed by the Chinese Medicine Department. If any problems arise, who will take responsibility?"

Du Heng nodded. "Alright, I'll talk to Doctor Ma about this immediately."

Q Qiu Pingzhen nodded. "The patient's information must be transferred before this afternoon."

After saying that, he took out a form. "Dean, you violated the safety treatment guidelines, so you will be fined 200 yuan. As the Dean and the top leader, you failed to set an example. You even took the lead in breaking the rules. Therefore, you will be fined an additional 300 yuan, totaling 500 yuan. Take a look. If you have no objections, sign at the bottom to confirm. Also, sign in the space for the leader's approval below."

Du Heng sighed. It was certainly a novel experience to fine oneself and then have to sign off on it.

After signing, Du Heng asked, "Do Director Gao and Doctor Ma need to be fined too?"

"Yes, they both have to pay 300 yuan each. They've already signed."

"Let's not fine them," Du Heng said awkwardly. "This whole incident is my fault; it has nothing to do with them."

Qiu Pingzhen was unyielding and shook his head. "No. Both of them are the actual heads of their departments. They failed to prevent this issue in time, so they must be penalized."

"I'll pay their fines."

"That's not my concern. The money will be deducted directly from finance."

"Deducted from finance?"

Qiu Pingzhen looked at Du Heng in surprise. "Of course, it's deducted directly from finance. Otherwise, I'd have to collect the money and then hand it over to the finance department, which would be too troublesome."

Du Heng gave up and said, "Then pretend I never said anything."

Qiu Pingzhen walked out with Du Heng's signed document. "Dean, the penalty notice will be circulated to the entire hospital this afternoon."

Du Heng gritted his teeth and asked Qiu Pingzhen, "Is it absolutely necessary to circulate it?"

"Absolutely. Our hospital is now on a fast track to development, and incidents like today's are bound to happen again. This penalty notice will serve as a crucial warning. Everyone must be vigilant. Rules are established for standardization and to protect everyone. They cannot simply be disregarded."

Du Heng took a couple of deep breaths, then fixed his gaze on Qiu Pingzhen. "Alright, circulate it."

Qiu Pingzhen wasn't intimidated by Du Heng's gaze and walked out with the signed document.

After four months of working together, he had thoroughly figured out Du Heng's temperament. As long as it was for the good of the work, the hospital, and the patients, Du Heng would accept anything, even being scolded. However, if someone violated principles for the sake of Du Heng's ego, they would likely be the one getting scolded.

And so, Du Heng just watched Qiu Pingzhen leave, sighed, and then walked out of the office himself.

He strolled leisurely to the outpatient service and sat down across from Doctor Ma. "What's going on with the patient you mentioned earlier?"

Doctor Ma sighed. "The patient is forty-one years old and has been complaining of frequent headaches for five years. For the past six months, the headaches have become more frequent, occurring almost anytime and anywhere. He came to see me last week. Seeing his fatigue, I prescribed medicine for relieving uneasiness of mind and nourishing brain, as well as a qi and blood supplement. He returned today saying it was effective for the first two days, but on the third day, his headache recurred. He couldn't bear it any longer, so he came to see me again."

Du Heng logged into the system, found the patient's disease record Doctor Ma had mentioned, and carefully reviewed it. "Where's the patient? Call him in for me to take a look."

Doctor Ma acknowledged and walked out of the consultation room, calling loudly for the patient.

"This is our Dean. I've asked him to take a look at your case for you." As soon as the patient entered the room, Doctor Ma introduced Du Heng.

After the patient sat down, Du Heng said, "Extend your hand, please. I'll perform a pulse diagnosis."

Pulse diagnosis is a standard procedure in traditional Chinese medicine, so the patient naturally complied, obediently placing his hand on the pulse pillow.

Halfway through the pulse diagnosis, Du Heng suddenly said, "Let me see your tongue coating."

"Ah..." The patient cooperated fully, opening his mouth and sticking out his tongue.

Du Heng pursed his lips thoughtfully and asked softly, "Do you get a headache whenever you do strenuous work?"

"Yes, I get a headache from even a little heavy lifting, like carrying a bag of rice home," the man said, his expression pained.

"You can't tolerate the cold either, can you? Does the cold also give you a headache?"

"Yes, that's right! I hardly dare to go out in winter. When that cold wind hits my head, it feels like it's about to explode, and my temples throb violently."

Du Heng glanced at the man's somewhat flushed face. "It also hurts when it's too hot, doesn't it?"

The man's eyes widened. "You're absolutely right! I can't handle the wind in winter or the sun in summer. Especially starting this year, I can barely even step outside."

He almost started crying. "I've been seeking treatment for years. The doctors said it's neurological headaches. I've taken handfuls and handfuls of pills. Not only did they have no effect, but they've also started to affect my kidneys. Recently, I've been having trouble urinating completely."

Du Heng expressed sympathy for the man's plight but continued, "Let me ask you one more question, and please answer honestly. Is the headache particularly severe after sexual intercourse?" 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"Yes, that does happen." The man hesitated for a moment. "Afterward, I always break out in a heavy sweat, so I figured it was because of the heat. I always turn on the air conditioner and fan."

Du Heng smiled. "And does that help?"

The man hesitated again, then shook his head. "It doesn't seem to have any effect."

Du Heng withdrew his hand and sat up straight, looking directly at the man. "Do you still drink alcohol?"

"No, I don't dare even smell it anymore."

Du Heng smiled faintly. "You used to drink quite a bit when you were younger, didn't you?"

The man gave a bitter smile. "When I was in my twenties, it wasn't a question of *if* I drank, but rather which day I *didn't*. I used to drink all night, and in the morning, I'd even have a beer as a 'hair of the dog'."

"And you probably didn't lack female company back then either, did you?"

The man looked at Du Heng, astonished. "Doctor, how do you know all this?"

Hearing the man's surprised tone, Du Heng just smiled and shook his head. "Do you also experience dizziness, tinnitus, weakness in your lower back and knees, insomnia, and frequent vivid dreams?"

"Yes." The man stared at Du Heng, not blinking.

He had come to see a doctor for his headaches. Yet Doctor Ma, who was right beside him, had never mentioned any of these other symptoms. Doctor Ma had only asked if he had a cold, performed a pulse diagnosis, and then sent him off with medicine. If it weren't for a recommendation from an elderly family member, he would never have come to the Maternal and Child Hospital for his condition.

"All your problems are manifestations of kidney yin deficiency," Du Heng said slowly. "And it's the kind caused by overexerting your kidneys, which has led to these persistent headaches."

The man didn't fully understand all the medical terms Du Heng used, but he grasped one crucial point: his kidneys were indeed in bad shape. For a man, problems in other areas might be acceptable, but kidney trouble was the hardest to face.

Doctor Ma, standing beside him, wore a similar expression. Du Heng's diagnosis was completely different from the one he had given the patient. They were worlds apart. His face burned with embarrassment, and he desperately wanted to ask Du Heng about his diagnostic reasoning, but with the patient present, he found it difficult to speak up.

Fortunately, the patient himself took the initiative to ask, "Doctor, how can bad kidneys cause headaches?"