Chapter 36: I Do Not Accept Your Apology

*Slap!*

Without a word, the head nurse slapped her as well.

"The person who deserves to be fired most is someone like you—a gossip who lacks any real skill and does nothing but stir up trouble. How can your heart be so filthy? You throw mud at others whenever it suits you! You aren't just slandering Song Wenran; you are slandering me, the dean, and dragging the hospital's reputation through the mud. This hospital has no room for someone like you. I am going to report you to the dean right now!"

Li Hongxing cried and tried to argue, "I didn't slander the dean, I didn't slander the head nurse, and I never wanted to smear the hospital. I just wanted..."

"You just wanted to slander me, Song Wenran, is that it?" Wenran interrupted. "If you have an issue with me, bring it up directly. Don't engage in such underhanded, heartless schemes. What good does ruining me do you? You’re just hurting others without benefiting yourself."

Ruan Ling chimed in, "People like you should be sent to the countryside to be re-educated by the poor and lower-middle peasants. Working in a hospital is the greatest insult to the patients. Medicine requires a benevolent heart, and nurses especially need compassion. I think you should get out of this hospital before you cause any more harm."

Li Hongxing, knowing she was in the wrong, still refused to back down. "You are all bullying me! I’m going to find the dean and make him decide!"

"You’re the classic example of the villain filing a complaint first. You even dare to drag the dean into your lies, and yet you expect him to stand up for you? Are you out of your mind?" Ruan Ling laughed in disbelief. "Look at your own pathetic character; what right do you have to ask the dean for help!"

"Let her go report it. It’s best if she brings the dean over!" Wenran did not want to escalate things, but since it had reached this point, involving the dean was inevitable.

Jin Baoli, eager to vent her own frustrations, responded enthusiastically, "I'll go get the dean."

"Go quickly and come back just as fast," the head nurse nodded.

As if she had been handed an imperial decree, Jin Baoli raced off to fetch the dean.

Li Hongxing began to regret her actions. If the dean really came, she knew she wouldn't come out of this unscathed. Her mind raced with ways to avoid being fired; she even wished the dean weren't at the hospital at all.

But Dean He Changshan was indeed on-site. Having heard that someone was spreading rumors about him and Wenran, he hurried over without delay. He learned the gist of the situation on the way, his anger visible even behind his spectacles.

He had been at this hospital a long time and had weathered many storms. He had always been strict with himself and maintained high personal standards, especially regarding his conduct. He had never imagined someone would use his personal character as a target for such schemes. This was a matter he took most seriously, and yet someone had dared to provoke him openly. Although the rumors had minimized the damage to him, there was no telling how far they might spin out of control.

As he walked in, his gaze locked onto Li Hongxing, who began to tremble under his stare. It was no wonder he noticed her first; even by process of elimination, it was obviously her. She was the only one acting guilty, her head bowed so low it was nearly touching her feet.

The head nurse reported the full details of the rumors to He Changshan. Li Hongxing shook her head frantically as she listened. She immediately tried to save her skin. "Dean, I was just muddle-headed for a moment. I didn't mean to target you, and I wouldn't dare. I am willing to apologize to Comrade Song Wenran on the hospital's bulletin board. You can punish me however you like, but please, don't fire me."

The head nurse reminded her, "Li Hongxing, don't forget you are still currently under a disciplinary period."

The dean's face was dark. "You refuse to learn from your mistakes."

Terrified, Li Hongxing insisted, "I will change, I really am willing to change! Please, Dean, give me one more chance. Don't cast me out completely. I am willing to apologize to Song Wenran."

"I do not accept your apology," Wenran said, her eyes cold. "An apology cannot compensate for the mental anguish you have caused me. I request that Li Hongxing be dismissed." Keeping such a menace in the hospital was like having a ticking time bomb. Firing her early would cut the losses and prevent her from framing others in the future.

Ruan Ling remained firmly on her side. "If apologies were enough, what would be the point of all these rules and regulations? You’re too naive, Li Hongxing. Didn't you think about the consequences before you started spreading lies?"

Jin Baoli rolled her eyes. "People like her have no brains; how could she think about consequences? I also suggest firing her. She is the black sheep of the flock."

Li Hongxing bit her lower lip. "Dean, you can't fire me. My uncle is in the Revolutionary Committee."

"Even a lackey in the Revolutionary Committee is still in the Revolutionary Committee. My father is the Director of the Revolutionary Committee!" Jin Baoli had never liked that her father held that title, but now, she found the status quite useful.

Li Hongxing: "..."

Li Hongxing was speechless. She truly couldn't compete with Jin Baoli's background. Wenran and Ruan Ling were also surprised; neither had expected Jin Baoli to have such a background, which explained her personality.

Jin Baoli added, "I hate people who use their status to oppress others. It’s not as if you have any real talent—what is there to brag about?"

He Changshan had long known of her background and wasn't surprised. To set the record straight, he made his final decision. "Head Nurse Liu, have her hand over her work. She doesn't need to come to the hospital tomorrow, or ever again. Post the reason for her dismissal on the bulletin board as a warning to others and to clear Comrade Song Wenran's name."

Li Hongxing: "..."

Li Hongxing collapsed to the floor, covering her face and sobbing bitterly. She couldn't understand how a few casual remarks could lead to her being fired. It was so humiliating to be dismissed! How would she explain this to her parents?

She clenched her fists, wishing she could tear Song Wenran to pieces. Everything was because of Song Wenran. In her rage, she didn't even bother to hand over her duties and stormed out of the hospital.

After the notice was posted on the bulletin board, it silenced the gossips among the staff; no one dared to say a word against Wenran. Those baseless rumors, once exposed to the light of day, simply evaporated.

Wenran was satisfied with the outcome, though she still felt uneasy thinking about the rumors that had circulated. The assessments proceeded as scheduled, and the incident didn't affect their performance. However, it did disrupt the plans of the head nurse and the dean. Before the rumors, they had intended to use this assessment to help Wenran get a permanent position early.

But that was no longer possible. A promotion so soon would only push Wenran back into the spotlight. Wenran was unaware of their thoughts; she was simply happy to move on to the next stage of her training. Learning more was a good thing; she couldn't rely solely on the experiences from her memory to take shortcuts. Otherwise, it would be no different from exhausting a resource without replenishing it.

Ruan Ling also passed the assessment smoothly and was delighted. The one who didn't pass was Jin Baoli.

Jin Baoli felt a bit dejected. Before the head nurse could speak, she volunteered, "I'll go clean the toilets."

"If you had put this much effort in earlier, you wouldn't have failed the assessment." The head nurse knew she was an upright girl who stood up for Wenran, and she spoke with a mix of frustration and care. "Cleaning the toilets is one thing, but you cannot let your studies slide. The three of you were learning the same things, and I could teach you all at once. But now I don't have the energy. From now on, you'll learn from Wenran. Be humble."

Jin Baoli: "..."