(Thanks to lu Tiezhu, shandong888, Yezi3742167, Banban Hanbo, Emperor Burial Soul, Idle People, Speak to Me Gently, mangmangliu for the monthly ticket encouragement)

The next day, at five o'clock in the morning, Liu Banxia woke up on time.

Because he had been busy late into the evening yesterday, even a brief nap didn't give him much energy.

This is the difference between deep sleep and light sleep; if the quality of sleep is good, a single hour might be as refreshing as several.

He quickly freshened up, greeted Qi Wentai, skipped breakfast, and headed straight to the crematorium.

Since he left quite early, there weren't many cars on the road. Even so, it was already 6:20 when he arrived at the crematorium.

"Just got off shift? Why did you come here again? There's breakfast over there, help yourself," Wang Ying said when she saw him.

"Sister Wang, I couldn't just not come, in case I overslept," Liu Banxia replied.

"I'll have a quick bite first. If there's anything that needs doing, just tell me. I drove the big car from home; I can handle transporting people."

"You don't need to do anything, just have a good rest and go eat," Wang Ying said.

It's that saying again; sometimes it's really about showing up.

Even though Wang Ying said Liu Banxia didn't need to come, his presence warmed her heart.

Liu Banxia truly was a bit hungry and devoured the fritters and tofu pudding without hesitation.

Many people around looked at him with surprise; his attire and demeanor didn't suggest he was someone who couldn't afford breakfast. Did he come just for a free meal?

"Eat slowly, why are you in such a rush? I've got a few tea eggs for you," Wang Ying came over.

"I'm used to it. Whether at the hospital or at home, I always eat quickly," Liu Banxia said.

"Sister Wang, is there really nothing else to do? Just let me know if you need anything. I came to work, it would be a waste to come and do nothing."

"There's nothing left. We've already prepared what was needed before dawn," Wang Ying responded.

"The farewell for the deceased is at 8:30. After the cremation, we head straight to the hometown. Then you can go home and rest. We've arranged the buses; two should be enough for all the relatives."

"I was just thinking I should help out a bit," Liu Banxia said.

"At the emergency center, you didn't seem this worn out. Was it busy last night?" Wang Ying asked.

Liu Banxia nodded, "A patient had rhabdomyolysis. I administered electrolyte adjustment and dialysis. Initially, it was okay, but it worsened during the night and he was transferred to the ICU."

"Then I went back and puzzled over it for a while. Might have fallen asleep around three? Didn't really check. Oh, the chief director and the director are already here."

As he was talking, he saw Chen Zhenxing leading the hospital's top officials into the room.

This tier is naturally different. When he came, no one paid much attention. When Chen Zhenxing and his group arrived, many people stood up to greet them.

Liu Banxia observed slightly; not all the leaders came. The main leaders were there, along with some hospital veterans.

These were people familiar with Sister Wang for years; even if today was a workday for some, they had to come and show their respects.

Chen Zhenxing also noticed Liu Banxia, who was holding a fritter in one hand and a spoon in the other, creating quite a unique look.

Liu Banxia grinned, quickly put down the fritters and tofu pudding, and vacated his seat. With more people, the leaders needed to sit.

"You're early today," Jiang Tao came up to him.

"I just got here too; haven't had breakfast yet. Want a fritter?" Liu Banxia offered warmly.

"We've already eaten," Jiang Tao said.

"Sister Wang said we shouldn't come, but how could we not? We had to come to pay our respects. It's good of you to be here, considering how much Sister Wang helped you."

"Are all these esteemed directors close to Sister Wang?" Liu Banxia asked.

"What do you think? Even I was helped a lot by Sister Wang back then. Otherwise, do you think with the director's temperament, he would organize something this grand? Not everyone has that kind of pull," Jiang Tao replied.

"Liu Banxia, come over here,"

At this moment, Chen Zhenxing called out.

Without hesitation, Liu Banxia handed the fritters and tofu pudding to Jiang Tao and ran over.

"He's off today, so I had him stay here. If you need anything done, let him handle it," Chen Zhenxing said.

"Chief Director, let Banxia rest well. He was on the night shift yesterday. We've got everything covered here," Wang Ying said.

"Sister Wang, I just said I wanted to work," Liu Banxia quickly added.

"Put him to work, it's a rare kindness," Zhou Shuwen chimed in.

"Alright then, just stick by me; help out if needed," Wang Ying said.

That's just lip service; there really wasn't much to do now. Just wait until the time came for the farewell of the deceased.

Liu Banxia looked around and decided to play the role of a server, helping to serve tea and water.

When he made a small round and came back, he noticed something was off about Wang Ying's expression. She was huddled with her family, talking.

"Director, what's wrong?" Liu Banxia asked.

"I just got the news that their chartered bus was rear-ended, and the travel company doesn't have any replacement vehicles. Do you have any connections?" Zhou Shuwen said.

Liu Banxia nodded, "I'll ask Sister Wang first."

"Go ahead, just do what you think is best." Zhou Shuwen confirmed.

Liu Banxia quickly ran over to Sister Wang, "Sister Wang, is there a problem with the bus? I can arrange for a couple to come over."

"Banxia, is there still time? It's the peak tourist season, and we had to pay extra for our buses." Wang Ying said.

"No worries, I'll make a call first." Liu Banxia nodded.

Who could he ask? It was either his father-in-law or Old Qiu. And in this case, his first choice was Qiu Huaili.

He made a call, and Qiu Mingyuan, who had just finished walking the dog with his father-in-law, said not to worry, it wasn't a big deal.

"Sister Wang, it's settled. Just give each driver a pack of cigarettes later." After the call, Liu Banxia said.

"That's not right. Even if we get help from someone, we still need to pay. It's a long way." Wang Ying quickly said.

"It's a favor, how can we pay for it? Otherwise, they'd just be idle. Don't worry, we've weathered this far, no need to stress yourself out." Liu Banxia reassured.

"Okay, when the buses arrive, please take care of the arrangements." Wang Ying nodded.

She knew this was how it had to be, as time was tight, and getting a last-minute bus hire would cost more.

Whether it's a joyful event or a sorrowful one, things need to go smoothly. Here, a problem arose, and Liu Banxia solved it with just a phone call, making everything go smoothly.

Regardless of superstitions, at least it put everyone's mind at ease.

Now Liu Banxia also found something to keep himself busy with, so he stood properly behind Zhou Shuwen.

The group from the Second Hospital were mostly leaders or directors; he was the only foot soldier. No other skills, just serving them.

After a while, Liu Banxia's phone rang.

"Ming Yuan, are you coming over too?" Liu Banxia asked upon answering the phone.

"Yeah, I'm coming to get familiarized. I do count as half a person in the medical system." Qiu Mingyuan said.

"That puts me at ease. Help take care of things, okay?" Liu Banxia said.

"No problem, it's a piece of cake. I'm getting on the bus now; it'll take about an hour." Qiu Mingyuan said.

After hanging up, Liu Banxia went back to Wang Ying, "Sister Wang, they'll arrive in about an hour and a half; there's enough time."

"Great, plenty of time," Wang Ying said, feeling truly relieved.

It wasn't a big deal, but it gained him a lot of goodwill. The thing is, anyone can hire a bus if they're willing to pay, but not everyone can arrange one last minute.

After wrapping it up, Liu Banxia stood humbly behind Zhou Shuwen again. There was no place for him to show off, even if he got promoted to vice director, he would still be just a vice director.

Then a group of people came in, and among them was none other than Wang Chao's mother. Old Ma, Sister Wang's husband, went out to greet them directly.

Many people were seated, while Liu Banxia, being tall, stood out even more prominently.

Seeing Wang Chao's mother looking his way, Liu Banxia could only nod in acknowledgment; it wasn't the right time for a greeting.

People came to pay their respects one after another, and since the hall couldn't accommodate everyone, many stood outside.

This showed how extensive Sister Wang and her husband's connections were. Otherwise, such a crowd wouldn't be gathered at this time.

"Brother Liu, Brother Liu, I'm here." At this moment, Qiu Mingyuan also arrived.

"Keep it steady, just stand properly behind me." Liu Banxia gestured to him.

He wanted to keep a low profile, but with Qiu Mingyuan's arrival, it wasn't easy to keep a low profile. Among the attendees were many who weren't in the medical field, unfamiliar with Liu Banxia, but Qiu Mingyuan was known.

This was all because Qiu Huaili was involved in many sectors in Binhai City and frequently brought Qiu Mingyuan to public events.

This left many curious folks puzzled, recognizing the people seated as medical system personnel, yet wondering why the young man had such rapport with a member of the Qiu family.

"Banxia, come here."

While people were still pondering, Wang Chao's mother waved him over.

Liu Banxia quickly went over, "Auntie, what's up?"

"Look out for Wang Chao more often, keep an eye on him for me." Wang Chao's mother said.

"Auntie, don't worry. Even though he's now the chief resident, it's tough, but he's gaining valuable experience." Liu Banxia said.

Wang Chao's mother nodded; this counted as the greeting done.

It was also to show others that this young man had a good relationship with their family.

This made Liu Banxia a bit troubled, feeling the looks from the crowd focusing more on him, which he didn't need.