Chapter 169: Won’t lose social status just from a few drinks
Translator: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu
The three drunk men snored so much that they prevented the couple in the hotel room next door from having a good weekend. It was already noon by the time that they woke up. Ma Wentao felt slightly embarrassed, but the two sports coaches weren’t embarrassed at all. They chatted with Ma Wentao to ease his awkwardness.
When Ma Wentao learned that Wang Yongyong wanted to have Zhang Fan perform knee surgery on him, Ma Wentao worked hard at trying to convince Wang Yongyong to have the surgery performed at his hospital. Ma Wentao planned things out already. He would charge Wang Yongyong nothing at all for the surgery fee, but Wang Yongyong would have to participate in advertisements for his hospital. Although Wang Yongyong wasn’t someone famous, he had still been a professional basketball player, and the border province’s basketball team was far too famous here in the border province.
Although Wang Yongyong enjoyed saving money on meals, he didn’t dare to save too much money on the surgery fee. He felt that larger hospitals would have better medical equipment and checkups than a private hospital would. But actually, for normal checkups, there would be very little difference in getting checkups done at a large hospital or small hospital.
“What are you afraid of! You don’t understand these things anyways. Let’s go talk to Doctor Zhang and have him decide,” Wu Yanchao told Wang Yongyong. Men from northwestern China weren’t good at giving direct refusals. Not to mention, they had all just drunk together last night, so that made a refusal even harder.
Although Zhang Fan didn’t get back home to sleep until past three a.m. last night, he still woke up at six am. This was a habit of his by now—he’d always get up early. He then went for his daily morning jog. Right now, he didn’t need to manage any patients in the oncological department or even participate in their morning patient checkups.
This morning, Shao Hua’s mother cooked eight-treasure porridge for breakfast. It was quite warm and delicious. Zhang Fan felt that nothing could compare to it in terms of nutrition.
Ma Wentao dragged the two coaches over to his hospital. He needed to change his clothes here after vomiting all over himself last night. The three then had some milk tea together at the hospital’s cafeteria. None of them had any appetite for breakfast due to drinking too much last night.
“Doctor Zhang, where are you right now?” Ma Wentao called Zhang Fan.
“Oh, I’m home right now. Are all of you awake now?”
“Sigh! Don’t mention it again. That was so embarrassing! I actually threw up all over myself! Come over to my hospital. We’re currently having tea in my office. We can have a chat here.”
“Okay!” Zhang Fan immediately knew that Ma Wentao intended on having Wang Yongyong get the surgery done at his hospital. Ma Wentao worked incredibly hard at trying to convince Wang Yongyong because he saw hope for his hospital to become even more successful. He didn’t want to let go of this opportunity for Wang Yongyong’s surgery.
Zhang Fan would be the critical deciding factor in letting Wang Yongyong feel reassured about having the surgery performed here. Ma Wentao’s words would only be minorly effective without help.
After drinking milk tea, Ma Wentao showed the two sports coaches around his hospital. Ma Wentao then started showing off the expert doctors at his hospital at the area with the doctors’ self-introduction posters.
“Brother Wang, take a look at these expert doctors. I invited them all from Raptor City. They’re all top-level expert doctors of internal medicine. As for my surgical department, I didn’t invite a doctor from Raptor City, because Doctor Zhang is so skilled. He equals the best surgical directors in Raptor City.” Ma Wentao had become familiar with the two sports coaches due to the drinking last night.
Wang Yongyong looked over the doctors’ self-introduction posters. When he was looking at the respiratory department director’s poster, he asked, “President Ma, are these expert doctors actually working here at this hospital full-time, or are they only here occasionally for consultations?” Wang Yongyong was acquainted with the respiratory director from Raptor City because his mother-in-law had chronic bronchitis and often had to visit this respiratory director.
“Since their families aren’t in Chasu City, they only work here full-time for 15 days per month, and rest at their homes in Raptor City for the remainder of the time as they’re all getting older.”
“Oh!” Wang Yongyong felt more reassured now. He knew that it would take at least some actual ability in order to successfully invite the Raptor City respiratory director over. He didn’t feel that this would be a scam just to fool him out of some money now.
The three of them chatted while drinking tea together in Ma Wentao’s office. This time, Ma Wentao really started showing off his wealth. Sometimes, showing off wealth would be one of the most direct and useful methods for displaying your power.
Ordinary people wouldn’t be able to tell even if they were drinking a cup of tea that cost 50,000 yuan, so for ordinary people, it was more than enough to show off wine, smokes, and his Mercedes Benz car. Ma Wentao brought out some top-quality Moutai wine and cigars as he said, “I had too much to drink last night. I have such a hangover today. It feels as if someone took an axe to my head. I can’t even touch my own hair. I’m really impressed with both of you for your alcohol tolerance. Let’s have some hangover wine together, otherwise, my headache will be too much.”
He maintained his cigars in quite a sophisticated fashion. They were kept in an anti-moisture box, along with a small knife and custom matches just to match the cigars. The two sports coaches were awed by the sight. Wu Yanchao and Wang Yongyong were now feeling rather awkward. Economic status was a crucial factor in determining social status in China, after all. Both sports coaches were just ordinary people making ordinary salaries. Now that they realized Ma Wentao was the owner of a hospital, they no longer acted so familiarly with him. This was because of the difference in social and economic status!
When Zhang Fan arrived, Ma Wentao’s office was filled with smoke as everyone was smoking. He smelled it the moment that he opened the door. “You guys are too much. You’re not even afraid of asphyxiation in here!”
“Doctor Zhang, ah, sorry, I got drunk last night. Originally, I should have been the one to treat you, but...” Wang Yongyong hurriedly stood up and greeted Zhang Fan. The other two also stood up and greeted him.
“It’s no big deal. It’s all the same. It seems like you’re all awake now, so why are you all drinking again!”
“You don’t even feel embarrassed saying that after abandoning us last night in that hotel? I felt like I stunk so much when I woke up this morning. I have to use these smokes to help cover the smell. This is hangover wine, and we’re only having two drinks. Otherwise, I’ll feel so bad!” Ma Wentao told him.
Zhang Fan opened up the office window and waited for the smell of smoke to dissipate before sitting down, and asked, “What’s up today?”
“Brother Wang wants to have a knee surgery. I told him to have it done at my hospital, but he’s a bit worried, so you talk to him about it,” Ma Wentao mentioned.
“It’s not that I’m worried, it’s that I don’t understand how things work!” Wang Yongyong’s face reddened as he wanted to save face.
“Oh, sure, although I’m not very clear on how medical insurance works myself. The medical equipment here is really good. The surgical mirrors are all imported from Japan, and are of even better quality than Chasu City Hospital’s. Coach Wang, you’re certain now that you would like to have surgery?”
“Yeah. I was thinking that I could go work as a personal coach or something for others as a side job once my knee is better. Right now, my knee is giving me major problems. It’s always so painful if I move it even slightly too much.”
“Personal coach! You should have told me earlier. I can set you up with several business owners right now. You’re a former professional basketball player, so you’re definitely better for this than any random guy,” Ma Wentao exclaimed.
“There’s no rush! No rush! We can wait until after I recover from my surgery!” Wang Yongyong hurriedly stopped Ma Wentao.
“Rest assured, there’s no trouble at all. Don’t worry about medical insurance or anything like that. You can have the surgery here for free.”
“That won’t do!” Wang Yongyong was incredibly astonished!
“Haha! However, after Brother Wang’s surgery is finished, you’ll have to participate in some advertisements for me for free!” Ma Wentao told him right after.
“Me? Advertisements? I’d definitely be willing to help out in any way I can, but I can’t do advertisements. It’s not like I’m famous. I don’t want to negatively affect your business!” Wang Yongyong said, embarrassed.
“It’s not a problem at all, Brother Wang. Just rest assured and have the surgery here!”
“Doctor Zhang, what do you think?”
“It’s fine to do it here. Your surgery will count as a type of minimally invasive surgery that’s only a small surgery. It can be done here at President Ma’s hospital. If you’ve decided on having surgery performed, let’s have all the checkups done properly first. Although it’s only a minimally invasive surgery, it’s still a surgery. All the necessary checkups should be done. Also, your family’s signature will be required. That’s absolutely necessary,” Zhang Fan told him.
The more someone was acquainted with him, the more he needed to pay attention to such matters. Otherwise, he would be losing a friend if anything happened!
“Okay! I’ll be troubling you and President Ma, then!” Wang Yongyong agreed after some slight consideration.