Chapter 2

"Just because Williams's dad is the deputy director?"

I asked one more time.

The administrative director looked embarrassed at being exposed, awkwardly rubbing his nose.

Still spouting official nonsense.

"Don't misunderstand the hospital's position. You've worked here for ten years. You know very well how good the hospital has been to you. The hospital personally cultivated you into what you are today. How could we possibly want to let you go?"

"How about this—I'll discuss it with the hospital leadership. We'll forget about the firing and keep your position. Just a disciplinary action. Take some time off at home to rest."

Listening to his tone, as if he'd shown me extraordinary mercy and I should be grateful.

I wanted to laugh.

"So you do know I've worked here for ten years."

"In those ten years, I've performed nearly two thousand surgeries as lead surgeon. I've trained over thirty new doctors for the hospital. Even now, almost everyone in neurosurgery was brought up by me personally."

"Every busy holiday season, I practically lived in the operating room. Last New Year's, I covered night shifts alone for an entire month."

"Ten whole years. Except for when my grandfather died two years ago, I never took time off."

"During those ten years, the hospital had promotion quotas every year. Colleagues around me came and went. Some were people I trained myself. They all got promoted. I stayed in the same place."

"I asked the hospital about it. What did you tell me? You said I was still young. I could wait."

"But what about now? I'm nearly forty."

"Just because there's only one promotion slot this year, and Williams's dad is the deputy director, I deserve to be kicked out?"

I slowly stood up, trying to keep my voice steady.

"I waited ten years. How much longer do you want me to wait?"

The administrative director's expression soured.

"Dr. Thiago, you're a veteran of this hospital. You should know the hospital faces difficulties too. As a doctor, isn't saving lives the most important thing? Why obsess over a little empty title?"

"You should be understanding toward the hospital."

"I understand the hospital. Who understands me?"

I laughed bitterly.

"If doctors should save lives and everything else is just empty titles, then why is Williams so obsessed with this promotion? Why don't you hospital administrators voluntarily resign and go back to frontline work?"

I'd completely torn off the facade. The administrative director's face darkened too.

"Thiago, if you insist on putting it that way, there's nothing more to discuss."

"I'll tell you straight—you were born without advantages. You don't have a good father. Who else can you blame?"

"You can only blame yourself."

"If you still want to stay at this hospital, go home quietly and rest."

"Otherwise, wait to be fired."

Born without advantages. No good father.

My heart felt like it had been stabbed.

I took a deep breath and placed my ID badge on the desk.

"You don't need to fire me. I quit."

The administrative director frowned deeply.

The hospital's neurosurgery department was entirely supported by me right now.

They didn't actually want to fire me. They just wanted to use this as an excuse to cancel my promotion opportunity.

Seeing that I really intended to resign, he panicked.

"Thiago, the hospital has invested so many years in training you. Over a little empty title you're going to resign? Do you think that's appropriate? You're not young anymore. How can you still be so impulsive? Do you really think that leaving the hospital this way, with your character and medical ethics, any other hospital will want you?"

"When the time comes, the hospital can issue an industry-wide notice. You'll simply disappear from this profession. Is it worth it just to prove a point?"

"I'd say, wait a little longer. Next year—at the latest next year—your promotion will come through."