At this time, Chen Guangming from the Infectious Disease Department next door came over. He had previously spent some time in the Medical Affairs Office, and Xu Chunliang went there to fill his vacancy.

The two had never officially worked together, but since leaving, Chen Guangming had always kept an eye on the Medical Affairs Office and was well aware of Xu Chunliang's actions. It was precisely because of this understanding that he knew how challenging the work in the Medical Affairs Office was and admired Xu Chunliang's abilities.

Chen Guangming once thought that Xu Chunliang was going to be exceptionally promoted to Director of the Medical Affairs Office. He even felt a bit unbalanced at the time, thinking he had left too early. Now it became clear that the hospital had other plans for the position; Xu Chunliang had also left the Medical Affairs Office, appearing to have served as a temporary firefighter.

Chen Guangming and Pan Hongwei were on good personal terms, with adjacent departments, and would chat often when they had no work.

Pan Hongwei said, "No need for me to introduce you two, right?"

Chen Guangming said, "Xu and I are old colleagues."

Although Xu Chunliang is currently the Deputy Dean of the Weishan Lake Branch, everyone knows he's still just a small clerk at heart.

Chen Guangming is a deputy section chief, and Pan Hongwei is a section chief, both outranking Xu Chunliang in both position and age.

Xu Chunliang joked, "We worked together for tens of minutes at least."

Chen Guangming laughed too. He came to invite Pan Hongwei to dinner in the evening, a purely personal gathering. Having run into Xu Chunliang, he took the initiative to forge a connection and invited him along.

Pan Hongwei offered to treat, since Xu Chunliang had just joined the External Liaison Department today. He wanted to express his welcome and give Xu Chunliang a warm reception.

Xu Chunliang wasn't particularly interested in such dinners with little meaning but found it hard to decline their goodwill, so he agreed.

Pan Hongwei loved mutton the most and often went to an old mutton restaurant on Fourth Street in the High-Tech Zone, booking a table immediately.

Chen Guangming called Cheng Xiaohong to invite her, figuring that having a female colleague present could liven up the atmosphere. Plus, since Cheng Xiaohong didn't drink, she could be their designated driver. He was playing a clever game.

After work, the three of them got into Cheng Xiaohong's car.

As soon as they got in, Cheng Xiaohong started complaining, "Chen Guangming, you never choose high-end places when you treat. It's always the mutton shop or BBQ. I want seafood."

Chen Guangming laughed and said, "It's Director Pan treating."

Cheng Xiaohong replied, "Then it should be even better. Everyone knows the External Liaison Department is well-funded."

Pan Hongwei began pretending to be poor, "We have no money in the External Liaison Department. The hospital's situation is tight; even business expenses are strictly allocated. I haven't been reimbursed for this quarter's meal expenses."

Cheng Xiaohong said, "Stop pretending to be poor; you can sign for meals anyway."

Pan Hongwei said, "Let me make it clear, this dinner is on me personally. I never take advantage of the hospital."

Everyone knew deep down that he would claim reimbursement. The External Liaison Department head signing for meals was no problem.

Cheng Xiaohong was ready to leave, but Pan Hongwei asked her to wait. He had also invited Director Wu Ruiying from the Health Checkup Center.

Cheng Xiaohong was aware of his habit of inviting a crowd when he hosted, inviting anyone he had good relations with.

Xu Chunliang didn't mind; such occasions allowed him to meet many mid-level cadres from the hospital.

Pan Hongwei made a call, and Wu Ruiying asked them to go ahead; she would be late due to some matters but would drive herself there later.

Pan Hongwei was not pleased, telling Wu Ruiying not to drive as she might need to drink later. Wu Ruiying said she could call for a designated driver since she lived in the High-Tech Zone.

Cheng Xiaohong's driving skills had improved significantly since the last time Xu Chunliang rode with her, but her habit of honking hadn't changed.

On the way, Chen Guangming brought up Zhou Wenbin. He used to think Zhou was timid, never expecting him to be straightforward in his actions. He had gone to a conference in the provincial city and ended up sleeping with an old classmate.

Pan Hongwei lamented Zhou's misfortune. Many at the hospital had affairs, but Zhou was the one caught in the act, leading to the Medical Affairs Office head being dismissed. His wife was also divorcing him, and Zhou Wenbin's future looked bleak.

Xu Chunliang actually had a good impression of this former boss. Although Zhou Wenbin wasn't particularly capable, he had the eye to recognize talent and brought Xu into the Medical Affairs Office. It's best not to gossip about others behind their backs, which revealed Chen Guangming's character as somewhat schadenfreude-driven.

It took Cheng Xiaohong over forty minutes to reach the place and an extra five minutes to park, struggling with reversing while Pan Hongwei coached her for a while.

A large vacant lot behind the parking area had been fenced off. Pan Hongwei told them this would be the future site of Changxing's new hospital.

Xu Chunliang peeked through a gap, noting the overgrown weeds, though the site was genuinely huge.

Chen Guangming remarked, "I wonder if such a big plot can really be developed."

Cheng Xiaohong said, "You don't need to worry about it. Didn't they say they wanted to bring in private capital? The Huayuan Group has come to inspect. They're a listed company with plenty of money."

Chen Guangming scoffed, "Just because a company is listed doesn't mean they're rich. This Huayuan Group isn't that great. They started with computers and then jumped into commercial real estate. They did ride a wave of success a few years ago, but not anymore. Now they're eyeing the big health industry."

Cheng Xiaohong said, "I remember they acquired many hotels and old department stores in Europe."

"That's old news. Since last year, their cash flow has been tight. The government is cracking down on using overseas investments to transfer assets, and bank loans are hard to come by. Most of their overseas acquisitions have been sold off, and many projects lost money. These listed companies have some unscrupulous businesses, and their money is all borrowed from banks. The CEOs of these companies might be poorer than us."

Pan Hongwei laughed, "They're poorer than you? Living in big mansions, flying private jets, sailing private yachts, mingling with celebrities. How can you compare?"

As they talked, they arrived at the lamb restaurant. Pan Hongwei had booked Room 201. The restaurant air was filled with the strong smell of lamb fat. Cheng Xiaohong noticed they even had barbecue here.

Pan Hongwei handed the menu to Xu Chunliang to order. Xu Chunliang told him to arrange it since he didn't even know how many people Pan Hongwei had invited. The room could seat ten people, so there were probably quite a few.

Pan Hongwei had just finished ordering when people started arriving, mostly familiar faces from their own institution: Security Section Chief Yu Xiangdong, Nursing Department Director Tang Mingmei, Procurement Office Director Huang Liancheng, and still missing was Physical Examination Center Director Wu Ruiying.

Pan Hongwei invited Huang Liancheng to the head seat. Huang Liancheng was the new rising star, handling both equipment and drug procurement, a real power player in Changxing.

Huang Liancheng, thirty-two, came from the equipment department and was suddenly elevated to this position, clearly a bit full of himself. He didn't even bother with modesty before sitting down contentedly. In fact, the person with the most seniority present was Yu Xiangdong, so even if Yu Xiangdong sat at the head, it would be understandable.

Huang Liancheng invited everyone to sit down, saying there was no hierarchy at a round table. Yu Xiangdong and Tang Mingmei sat beside him, and Xu Chunliang sat next to Tang Mingmei.

Tang Mingmei felt a bit uncomfortable, as rumors had circulated about her and Xu Chunliang not long ago. Didn't Xu Chunliang know to avoid suspicion?

Xu Chunliang thought he was upright and had no issues with Tang Mingmei, so why avoid suspicion? Avoiding it would suggest he had something to hide. He greeted proactively, "Sister Tang, you're here too."

Tang Mingmei smiled, "When Director Pan invites, I dare not refuse."

Pan Hongwei said, "Today we're hosting a welcome dinner for Xiaoxu. I've specifically invited people you're familiar with." In reality, hosting the dinner for Xu Chunliang was just an excuse; they were going to have the meal anyway.

Huang Liancheng laughed, "Xiaoxu, we're all benefiting from your presence." As soon as he spoke, he couldn't help but adopt an official tone.

Yu Xiangdong said, "It's rare for Director Pan to be so generous. We must honor this, let's order the food!"

Pan Hongwei said, "Don't worry, Section Chief Yu. I've ordered all your favorite three nourishing dishes."

Everyone burst into laughter. Cheng Xiaohong pretended not to hear. Whenever this group got together, they liked telling risqué jokes and making a fuss about the dishes.

As soon as the cold dishes were served, Physical Examination Center Director Wu Ruiying arrived, apologizing, "Sorry, sorry for being late. I was at a bidding meeting that just ended."

She also came from the nursing department and entered Changxing at the same time as Tang Mingmei. Their relationship wasn't great, as Tang Mingmei overshadowed her.

Wu Ruiying came from a rural background and couldn't compare to Tang Mingmei in looks or skills, but she married well. Her husband is the deputy director of the Bell Tower District Education Bureau, and many staff at their institution sought her help for their children's schooling.

Wu Ruiying didn't have a great reputation in this regard. Most who secured admission to prestigious elementary schools through her had to pay a considerable fee, but both parties were willing, and others had nothing to say about it.

Pan Hongwei said, "Don't be sorry, the usual penalty is three glasses of wine."

Wu Ruiying sat down, laughing, "You haven't even had your first drink yet, so why should I be penalized? A big man doesn't know how to treat a lady with care."

Tang Mingmei chimed in, "That's right, Ruiying, don't listen to him."

This was Xu Chunliang's first time meeting Wu Ruiying. After she drank three glasses, Pan Hongwei introduced everyone, mainly Xu Chunliang. Wu Ruiying said, "No need for introductions. Director Xu's name is well-known." She took out her phone to add him on WeChat.

From her actions, Xu Chunliang could tell she was a woman keen on social connections. Wu Ruiying had a good tolerance for alcohol and drank two glasses with Xu Chunliang, saying, "Director Xu, feel free to contact me for any business. Our Physical Examination Center guarantees top-notch service."

Chen Guangming said, "Director Wu, you have a strong team. The nurses at your center are all very attractive."

Wu Ruiying said, "Section Chief Chen, those words seem to have ulterior motives."

Huang Liancheng laughed, "He gets all excited every time he goes to your center for a check-up." His mother was from the northeastern region, so he spoke Mandarin with that regional accent.

Pan Hongwei said, "He's more than just excited; it seems he's all riled up."

Yu Xiangdong, easily amused, laughed heartily.

Aside from Cheng Xiaohong and Xu Chunliang, everyone present was married and could take a joke. Cheng Xiaohong was used to such gatherings, and Xu Chunliang didn't mind either, considering it a way to pass the time.

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