The Surgeon's Studio

by Stayrr

“Primum non nocere.” First, do no harm. – Hippocrates Zheng Ren—an ordinary general surgeon in a cruel medical world whose efforts went unnoticed. His struggles are real…until he is blessed with a system and gifted with skills that exceeded even the best surgeons in the world. Alone in the world with no one to depend on, Zheng Ren uses his exceptional gift to challenge the skeptici

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The Surgeon's Studio

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"Primum non nocere." First, do no harm. – Hippocrates Zheng Ren—an ordinary general surgeon in a cruel medical world whose efforts went unnoticed. His struggles are real…until he is blessed with a system and gifted with skills that exceeded even the best surgeons in the world. Alone in the world with no one to depend on, Zheng Ren uses his exceptional gift to challenge the skepticism of his colleagues and save lives.

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The Surgeon's Studio #Chapter 1: A Heavyweight Surgery - Read The Surgeon's Studio Chapter 1: A Heavyweight Surgery Online - All Page - Novel Next

Chapter 1: A Heavyweight Surgery

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The light in the operating theatre was incredibly bright, the scalpel was ridiculously thin, and Zheng Ren was in a fright.

His worked hard to land on this opportunity to be able attend today's surgery. Little did he know, Director Fu's volunteered himself as surgical assistant to honor the professor's involvement in this operation.

He stood in one corner of the operating theater—a location with no clear view of the operating field—in a sterile surgical gown.

With surgeries, come risks. Zheng Ren just did not expect one to happen before the operation had even begun.

This operation, which was starting very soon, was of utmost importance.

The patient on the operating table was the richest man in Sea City and had unfortunately been diagnosed with malignant pancreatic head cancer.

He could have gone to Imperial Capital or Sorcery Capital to consult the best surgeon in the world to conduct the most difficult and highest-grade surgery in the country.

Coincidentally, Professor Ichiro Moriyu from Japan had come to China for lectures during this period.

Professor Moriyu was a world-class specialist in hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery. There were also rumors claiming he was the surgeon who operated on the Emperor of Japan a few years ago.

A surgery demonstration required a live broadcast that incorporated direct visualization of the operating table from all angles throughout the procedure.

This patient had refused to participate in the surgery for demonstration even if it was free. Instead, for a king's ransom, he had sent someone to request Professor Moriyu to perform the surgery personally in Sea City before returning to Japan.

Zheng Ren was aware of the difficulty in inviting such a world-class specialist to perform the surgery, but the patient was reluctant to receive surgical treatment under observation in Imperial Capital1.

Besides...

More importantly...

The patient had actually managed to invite Professor Moriyu to Sea City!

The professor had strict rules in his surgery, one of them being, observers were not allowed during the operation. Thus, Zheng Ren's persistent efforts ended up in vain as he was forced to stay away from the operating table during the surgery.

As instructed by Director Fu and Chief Surgeon Liu, Zheng Ren was expected to wear a surgical gown, stand in one corner during the ongoing operation, and assist in the surgery by suturing the incision post-operation.

This was the best Zheng Ren could get out of this surgery.

...

The operation officially began at a quarter past nine.

Professor Ichiro Moriyu, who was stern in his work without the expected arrogance of a reputable doctor, started making an incision himself.

Each layer—skin, subcutaneous tissue, fascial layers, peritoneum—was cut skillfully like a butcher dismembering an ox. The total amount of blood loss was very minimal with a visual estimation of five to ten milliliters. There were mild blood spots visible on the surgical gauze like blooming crimson flowers in a thick blanket of white snow.

However, accident happened at this instant.

Director Fu and Chief Surgeon Liu were shocked as the peritoneal cavity was exposed.

The pancreatic cancer had developed rapidly and its tumor cells had already metastasized to the surrounding tissue, forming strong adhesions with nearby organs as if they were a single entity.

Numerous experts had gone through this patient's imaging films before they were delivered to Professor Moriyu, who agreed that surgery was a viable treatment option in this case.

Every expert and professor concluded that this patient suffered from stage three pancreatic head cancer. This was a serious condition but there had been no notable adhesion between the tumor and surrounding tissue in all films, which would have been suitable for surgical treatment.

Unfortunately, everyone had misjudged the condition.

Beads of sweat started trickling down Director Fu's head and dampened his sterile surgical cap after observing the situation.

What the hell was going on?

A nuclear magnetic resonance imaging had been ordered two days before surgery to prevent any mistakes and there was no obvious change noted when compared to previous films.

Was it possible that the tumor had grown so rapidly in a mere two days?

Director Fu held the aspirator with a trembling hand.

The annoyed Professor Ichiro Moriyu tapped the aspirator with the curved forceps in his hand and mumbled something softly in Japanese.

Even though Director Fu did not understand Japanese, he could hear the irritation in the tapping of the aspirator. Professor Moriyu was dissatisfied with him. Dread crept over him like a glacial chill and numbed his entire body.

The expression of a young translator behind them darkened immediately as he gave Director Fu an angry stare. "Fu-san1, Professor Moriyu isn't satisfied with your performance. Even though your skills are as inferior as the equipment here, please pay attention to the surgery."

Director Fu was embarrassed. It had been a long time since anyone dared to speak to him in such a derogatory tone. No wonder the Japanese and Chinese traitors incurred the most hatred and enmity during the war.

However, Director Fu buried the anger in his heart and forced a smile on his face, which appeared as if he intended to fawn over the Japanese in any case.

The patient's condition was worse than expected. It was merely a very complicated operation posed to the world-class surgeon, not all hope was lost.

The surgery continued. The adhesions between the tumor and its surrounding tissues were cut with extreme patience and vigilance. Larger capillaries would be ligated or cauterized in advance without exception, and the total blood loss remained minimal so far.

Professor Ichiro Moriyu was undoubtedly the main character of the day. Under the bright surgical lighthead, he showed his outstanding skills on stage like a dazzling star in the night sky.

On the other hand, Zheng Ren was merely a speck of dust at a dark corner—insignificant and negligible.

Despite the lack of a clear view of the operating table, Zheng Ren imagined the whole process based on the instruments used by Professor Ichiro Moriyu in his mind.

How Zheng Ren wished he could take a closer look at the operation at that moment.

He tried to observe the surgery from different angles but to no avail.

Approximately ten minutes later, Professor Moriyu placed the forceps and blunt surgical scissors down, said something in Japanese, and moved away from the operating table.

The patient had lost his last chance of surgical treatment as a thick adhesion had formed between the tumor and abdominal aorta. Even Professor Moriyu was helpless in this situation. Not every disease could be treated with surgery, and not all surgeries would end up successful.

This surgery was declared a failure.

Professor Moriyu did not insist on continuing the surgery because there would be a massive hemorrhage if the adhesion between the tumor and abdominal aorta was forcefully cut. The patient would not have left the operating table alive if that happened.

It was a wise decision.

"Zheng Ren, suture the incision with Cen Meng," Chief Surgeon Liu instructed Zheng Ren.

Zheng Ren was merely an ordinary attending surgeon. Despite his diligence and perseverance, he was too young to participate in advanced surgeries because the current medical system was strictly stratified. The most he could perform at his standard was surgical treatment for appendicitis, hernias, and other tier three or four surgeries.

He intended to stand closer and learn a little something from the surgery performed by the world-class professor, but was unfortunately sent to a corner without a clear view of the whole operation instead.

However, Zheng Ren had no complaints at all.

'How long has it been? Is the operation finished?

'No, the operation must have failed.'

Director Fu and Chief Surgeon Liu accompanied Professor Moriyu out of the operating theater. The only people left beside the operating table were Zheng Ren and Cen Meng—a chief resident in the first general surgical department—who were in charge of suturing the incision.

Zheng Ren managed to calm down and started observing the surgical operation's progress.

The large tumor adhered to the abdominal aorta firmly as if it were actually a normal anatomical structure of the human body.

'No wonder they gave up,' Zheng Ren thought.

All of a sudden, a bright light exploded in Zheng Ren's eyes. The surgical lighthead started shaking and various instruments—scalpels, surgical scissors, and forceps—were dancing on the stainless steel surgical table in front of the scrub nurse.

He was so confused. Did he just hallucinate? He had an epiphany immediately after. It was not a hallucination, it was an earthquake!

Suddenly, the whole building was shaking. There was a terrible rumble from the roof as if the ceiling and cemented frames were threatening to crumble and trap everyone under tonnes of rubble.

However, Zheng Ren was the only one experiencing this disaster. The surgery on the operating table was still ongoing.

That feeling ended as soon as it appeared, as if everything did not happen.

A vicious shiver struck him momentarily and the surgical lighthead swung, shining white light directly into Zheng Ren's pupils.

The beams, which were stronger than the afternoon sunlight in intensity, blinded his vision before he felt an icy cold breeze creeping from his head into his body.

Did the building collapse and crush him to a grisly death?

Was this how dying was like?

Zheng Ren suddenly heard an intense coughing within his body and detected a bloody scent amidst the confusion.

What the hell happened? Was he hallucinating again?

Numerous memories since childhood—a few which had been long-forgotten—started pouring into his mind clearly and with overwhelming force.

"Is this a memory surge before death, or my life flashing1 before my eyes, like in folktales?" Zheng Ren thought through the terrible headache.

How long had it been? Had only a second passed or a few years? Regardless, the raging storm of memories finally calmed and a voice erupted in his ears.

[System binding initiating...

[System binding completed...

[Host, please accept the novice mission.]

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Chapter 2: The True Pinnacle

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

What? System binding? Numerous questions emerged in Zheng Ren's mind.

Zheng Ren had never drunk alcohol or visited a nightclub despite being a bachelor. A surgeon's life was hectic and he could only spare some free time reading online fiction for his daily entertainment.

However, he had not expected a plot lifted straight from those novels to fall upon him today.

The absent-minded Zheng Ren heard the emotionless, robotic voice again.

"The host has obtained a novice benefit—prime experience for thirty minutes."

Zheng Ren was a senior novel hobbyist, so he accepted the existence of such a System fairly easily.

A white light exploded in his eyes again for a split second before he could communicate with the System.

Zheng Ren was shocked to find his hands moving on their own after regaining his eyesight.

Holding the curved-bladed scissors in one hand, he started separating the adhesive tissue on the pancreatic tumor with the blunt end of the scissors. The movement of his fingers was dexterous and vigilant, and he would use the sharp end of the scissors only when particularly tough and fibrous adhesive tissue hindered his advance.

Was this a dream?

He summoned all his strength to try and regain control of his hands but surprisingly, they took no orders from him despite being a part of his body.

Zheng Ren was experiencing the feeling of a high-level paraplegic patient who had lost control of all their limbs.

Besides, his limbs were performing an advanced and precise surgery as if they were machines!

Had the System assumed control of his body? Was this fantasy-novel possession where his body had actually been possessed by the System?

Would his consciousness fade away slowly but surely and vanish into thin air after a while?

A series of questions sent cold sweat dripping down his back as he was embroiled in a cruel mire of despair with no chance of escape.

"Host, please be advised that bodily control is impossible during the thirty minutes of prime experience. Agitation detected. Hormone imbalance noted. Minimal sedation administered," The robotic voice emerged in his mind once more.

Zheng Ren calmed down momentarily under the System's assistance.

"Host, please value this opportunity for prime experience. Please take note that the free prime experience is given only once. Repeat, free chance given only once."

Disregarding the fact that his physical self was performing the surgery, he realized his current view was the best and precisely what he had yearned for from the corner of the operating theater just now!

Mere observers would have never gotten the chance to view the whole surgical process from the operating surgeon's point of view, which was undeniably the best possible view for learning.

This opportunity had finally been presented to Zheng Ren in that moment. On the other hand, Cen Meng—the chief resident—widened his eyes in disbelief when he noticed that Zheng Ren was continuing the surgery despite being a surgical assistant.

"Zheng Ren, what are you doing!" yelled Cen Meng in an attempt to stop Zheng Ren from carrying on.

However, he received only silence in return.

Zheng Ren continued the surgery with his hands as nimble as two dancing elves.

Cen Meng noticed something peculiar as he was about to interrupt the procedure.

Wait, surgical scissors could be used that way?

Zheng Ren actually separated the adhesion on the pancreatic head via blunt force with his finger. Was he not worried about a pancreatic tear?

Surprisingly, there was an abnormal blood vessel supplying the tumor. How had he noticed it?

Cen Meng had a lot of questions on his mind.

That was impossible! Cen Meng was well aware of Zheng Ren's standard. Both of them came to Sea City General Hospital two years apart and they knew each other's skill level very well despite the lack of intimacy between them.

Cen Meng was better than Zheng Ren in terms of flattery and being a bootlicker. Moreover, he became Chief Surgeon Liu's confidant a long time ago thanks to his uncle's friendship with the chief surgeon.

Otherwise, Chief Surgeon Liu would have brought his deputy chief to this heavyweight surgery instead of Cen Meng.

The insiders knew the ropes, but outsiders just came along for the ride.

Even so, Cen Meng started to get confused despite being an insider.

Cen Meng had been amazed by Professor Moriyu's skill level but even his superb expertise failed to reach the altitude of the ability Zheng Ren currently possessed.

No. Not only was Professor Ichiro Moriyu's skill level lower than Zheng Ren, the difference between their expertise was actually humongous!

The situation changed again when Cen Meng's mind wandered for a brief moment.

A few minutes later, the adhesive tissues had been separated from the tumor and only the abdominal aorta required adhesiolysis at the moment.

This was the most crucial part of this surgery. The abdominal aorta was around three centimeters in diameter and less elastic than normal arteries. Thus, any injury to the abdominal aorta during adhesiolysis was potentially irreversible.

This would result in a massive hemorrhage and the patient would inevitably pass away on the operating table.

Surgeons would normally give up after encountering this intraoperative finding and inform the patient's family that, regrettably, they had done their very best.

This was the reason why Professor Ichiro Moriyu chose to end the surgery after foreseeing this outcome.

However, there was not a single mote of hesitation in Zheng Ren's hands as he started separating the outer layer of the abdominal aorta with the surgical scissors.

Impossible! The separation of inferior vena cava's outer layer required special instruments. How could a blunt end of the surgical scissor do that?

Cen Meng started to get confused once again.

Professor Moriyu had given up on this surgery just now due to a lack of suitable instruments in the Sea City General Hospital and turned a pancreaticoduodenectomy into an "open and close surgery".

Every procedure—separation, cut, anastomosis, lymphadenectomy—was brief and precise.

The surgery was completed at the twenty-sixth minute. Warm, normal saline was used to irrigate the peritoneal cavity before suturing.

That pair of hands did not even check if he missed any active bleeding spots, as if Zheng Ren had infinite confidence in himself that there were no mistakes at all.

At the twenty-ninth minute, the peritoneal cavity and abdominal incision were sutured. The surgery was officially finished.

Other than the initial failed attempt at stopping Zheng Ren, Cen Meng had merely stood there and watched the whole operative process for thirty minutes in a confused state.

His sterile surgical cap and gloves were drenched in sweat at the moment.

Merely half an hour of observation had exhausted him greatly.

Zheng Ren, who knew only about appendectomy, had just performed a pancreaticoduodenectomy! Not just an ordinary surgery, but a surgery in which a world-class specialist failed to continue and gave up on in the end!

Cen Meng could not believe it, but he had seen the perfect surgery with his own eyes.

That was unbelievable!

This thirty-minutes prime experience had definitely been an eye-opener for Zheng Ren.

When the time was up, an overwhelming fatigue erupted from his soul and surged through his entire body, persuading his muscles to give in to gravity and float into dreamland.

However, Zheng Ren knew that it was not a good time for sleep. He needed to go home as soon as possible and study this System in his head.

Apart from Cen Meng, there had been a scrub nurse and an anesthesiologist inside the operating theater. Zheng Ren bid goodbye to all of them before heading out eagerly.

He changed his clothes immediately instead of wasting time in a shower.

Upon exiting the operating theater, he saw Chief Surgeon Liu talking to a group of people.

The group was headed by an elderly man and a young, beautiful girl in her twenties.

Chief Surgeon Liu was keeping a low profile by leaning slightly forward and smiling apologetically.

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Chapter 3: Skill Tree

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Zheng Ren presumed Chief Surgeon Liu was explaining the 'open and close surgery' to the patient's family members.

Chief Surgeon Liu's expression darkened immediately upon noticing Zheng Ren. He then excused himself from the group and yelled at Zheng Ren, "Why did you come out first? Why didn't you help them with the patient transfer?"

"Chief Surgeon Liu, the surgery is finished," said Zheng Ren.

Chief Surgeon Liu was exasperated at Zheng Ren adding fuel to the fire by reminding them all about the failed surgery. Did this brat not see that he was explaining the situation to the patient's family members?

Before Chief Surgeon Liu could reprimand the junior doctor for his insubordination, Zheng Ren added, "The tumor was resected and I assumed that the outcome was good. I'll take the specimen if the family members are interested in looking at it."

The elderly man and young lady stared at each other in shock.

Professor Moriyu had come out of the operating theater and delivered the bad news about the failed surgery to them just now. He also explained that the adhesions between the tumor and abdominal aorta were too severe for proper resection and thus, it had become an open and close surgery.

The patient's postoperative life expectancy was approximately... three months.

The family members could not argue with Professor Moriyu but, unfortunately, Chief Surgeon Liu would have to feel their wrath in the man's place.

The patient and his family members had inquired repeatedly if this condition was treatable with surgery prior to the surgery, and they were given a promise after numerous investigations.

Thus, Chief Surgeon Liu had to take the fall in the end.

However... the surgery ended up in failure, right? Why did the junior doctor say that the surgery was completed?

The exasperated Chief Surgeon Liu roared, "Who did it? You must be daydreaming!"

"Me..." Zheng Ren hesitated for a while, but after recalling that there were witnesses in the operating theater, he answered firmly, "Chief Surgeon Liu, I did it. The tumor tissue is inside the operating theater. Shall I take it out for the family members?"

The stunned chief surgeon—Liu Tianxing—stared at Zheng Ren in disbelief.

After that, he gritted his teeth and rushed into the operating theater.

"May I have your last name please?" asked the beautiful lady.

"My surname is Zheng," replied Zheng Ren with a yawn. Performing a surgery under the prime experience consumed too much energy and he could not bear the exhaustion any longer.

"Doctor Zheng, thank you for the trouble," the patient's family members expressed their gratitude to the young doctor in a less sincere way.

Who would believe him anyway?

Zheng Ren was too tired to explain himself, so he merely smiled in response.

The elderly man stepped forward and smiled. "Doctor Zheng, I'm Mr. Bu's butler. His family members aren't in the right state of mind due to troublesome family issues today, so we'll pay you a visit next time. This is my name card. You can call me anywhere, anytime if and when you encounter any difficulty in Sea City."

That sounded like a boast, but perhaps that family actually possessed that sort of power.

Zheng Ren would normally stay for a chat but he was exhausted today, so he accepted the name card perfunctorily and put it into his pocket before taking a cab back to his home for a deep sleep.

...

Even though property prices in Sea City were not as high as in Imperial Capital or Sorcery Capital, Sea City was still a provincial capital with the houses completely beyond Zheng Ren's means. He would be unable to purchase a house with his current salary even if he saved up his entire life.

He was an orphan who grew up in an orphanage since childhood. After passing his university's entrance examination, he managed to survive five years of university life by working part time and carefully securing annual first-class scholarships. Five years of effort paid off as he finally obtained a bachelor's degree certificate and a graduation certificate.

However, his life in an ivory tower ended immediately. Financial constraints compelled him to give up on postgraduate studies despite examination exemptions and start working in Sea City General Hospital.

There was a limit to his salary bonus no matter how much effort he put in his work. Left with no choice, he rented a house together with random tenants at a nearby location.

The last of Zheng Ren's energy was depleted when he finally returned to his room, which was just a few square meters wide.

However, he had no desire to fall asleep as curiosity gnawed constantly at him. His eyes closed in unflinching concentration as his mind started wandering into an unknown space.

The scenery changed to a whole new world with green hills, turquoise water, and refreshing air.

Zheng Ren started investigating his surroundings. He was standing in a valley with a thatched cottage before him and a crouching white fox statue in front of the main entrance.

The fox statue was so realistic, especially with its fur carved in such fine detail, that he would not have been surprised if the statue came alive in the next second.

There was a small pond—with water so crystal clear that he could appreciate how smooth the rocks beneath it were—between Zheng Ren and the thatched cottage.

Was this a dream? Zheng Ren was dazed and confused.

"Welcome to the System. Please receive the novice mission reward," said the female robotic voice in a flat tone.

Zheng Ren tried to listen more attentively, but it was impossible to locate the source of the voice, which seemed to be coming from the surrounding.

There was a quantum fluctuation in the space in front of Zheng Ren as soon as the sentence ended. Then, a quaint wooden box miraculously appeared before his eyes.

This was the mission reward? Zheng Ren picked up the box and weighed it in his hands.

The box was light and seemed to be made out of ordinary wood. Zheng Ren waited for some time but the robotic voice gave no further instruction.

Perhaps the System wanted him to receive the mission reward first. Thus, Zheng Ren inhaled deeply and solemnly opened the wooden box.

There was a flash in his eyes before the robotic sound was heard again.

"Talent network unlocked. Five skill points and an energy elixir obtained from novice mission reward."

A flash of bright light flew out of his hands like a meteor and landed on a nearby meadow.

There, a translucent screen was hovering before him with words written on it.

[General Surgery: 325 skill points.]

Was this a skill tree? Zheng Ren took a closer look and noticed an explanation of ranking systems on the side.

[Novice: 0-100 skill points.

[Trainee: 101-300 skill points.

[Graduate: 301-1000 skill points.

[Expert: 1001-5000 skill points.]

There were more ranks—Master, Grandmaster, Legend, and Prime—down the list but were highlighted in grey, presumably due to the lack of skill points to unlock those achievements.

Zheng Ren started analyzing in his mind. Novice rank was equivalent to a resident doctor who had just started his work, and the Trainee rank was analogous to an attending doctor. His skill points in general surgery had surpassed the Trainee rank's prerequisite and placed him at the Graduate rank, which should be corresponding to the level of a deputy chief doctor.

Zheng Ren was well aware that his skill was not up to the standard yet, but he figured that this may have something to do with the surgery he performed just now.

The higher ranks such as Master, Grandmaster and Legend piqued Zheng Ren's curiosity. If the prime experience was representative of the Prime rank, perhaps Professor Ichiro Moriyu's skill was somewhere in between Grandmaster or Legend rank, or possibly the beginning of the Legend rank.

Zheng Ren was thunderstruck by this realization.

The world-class professor had not even reached the Prime rank yet, which meant that the System was rather strict in its ranking system requirement.

If he could reach that level... A fire ignited within Zheng Ren's heart.

However, even after five years of hellish studies, he had merely accumulated 325 skill points which were still far from the Expert rank, let alone the Grandmaster or even the Prime ranks.

He had the highest rank—Graduate—in General Surgery among all the other subjects in the System, but only a Novice rank in Radiology, Internal Medicine, Physical Examination and so on, and worse, barely any skill points in Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

Zheng Ren figured it was better to focus all of his attention on General Surgery. Thus, using his mind, he sent all five skill points from the novice mission reward into the General Surgery skill.

The sparkling numbers confirmed that there were currently 330 skill points in General Surgery.

Zheng Ren investigated his surroundings once more and tried to move further into this mysterious world. Soon, he discovered that the range of activity permitted for a Graduate rank was merely a hundred square meters, with an invisible forcefield separating this area from the rest of the environment.

Moreover, he had not heard the emotionless, robotic female voice again.

"System, is there any mission for me?" asked Zheng Ren.

No response followed. There was an eerie silence in this mysterious world and Zheng Ren seemed to hear his own words echo and bounce back at him.

That was peculiar. This sort of System would normally distribute missions so that the host could become more powerful, right? Every web fiction of the same genre offered similar plot contrivances, but why did his System differ from them?

Well, at least there was fresh air in this world. Zheng Ren started calming his own emotions and took a deep breath, which nearly gave him oxygen intoxication.

Zheng Ren joked that perhaps he was so used to breathing polluted air and his respiratory system required time to acclimatize to fresh air with normal oxygen saturation.

Exhaustion soon overwhelmed him as he realized there was no exciting plot waiting for him.

The prime experience may be the cause of his energy and attention depletion. Should he test the effect of the energy elixir in that case?

The thought vanished as soon as it emerged in Zheng Ren's mind.

It would be too extravagant and a complete waste of resources. It was better to recover his energy and mind by hibernating.

He willed his mind to summon his spiritual self back to reality, and with his brain constantly thinking about his peculiar situation, he fell into a deep sleep in no time.

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Chapter 4: Superb System Features

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Zheng Ren was roused from his heavy slumber by the loud, piercing ringtone of his cell phone. He jumped out of the bed as if by reflex and accepted the call immediately.

It was a young surgeon's essential skill to accept an emergency phone call anytime and anywhere.

Zheng Ren had already maxed out the skill tree on this ability.

"Zheng Ren, what the hell did you do yesterday?"

Chief Surgeon Liu's deafening roar traveled from the other end of the phone into Zheng Ren's ear. He could almost feel the man's saliva spraying in every direction and splashing on his face through the phone.

"Chief Surgeon Liu, what happened?" asked Zheng Ren calmly.

"You know what you did yesterday!" Chief Surgeon Liu shouted without answering Zheng Ren's question, adding, "Performing a surgery which wasn't even at your level without authorization and disobeying direct orders from your superiors. Did you think you were allowed to perform a pancreaticoduodenectomy? We'll hold you accountable if the patient suffers from any complications!"

Chief Surgeon Liu howled in exasperation.

Zheng Ren wanted to explain himself but he had no idea what to say in that moment. The reason was plain and simple—Chief Surgeon Liu was actually right.

"You'll report to the emergency department tomorrow. This is the will of Director Fu," instructed Chief Surgeon Liu, who then hung up without giving Zheng Ren a chance to defend himself.

Uh... Zheng Ren was slightly disheartened rather than annoyed at Chief Surgeon Liu's awful attitude.

The unreliable System seemed to have disappeared into thin air. He had entered the mysterious world once more, but nothing had changed so far.

Was his career as a surgeon coming to an end?

That was depressing.

Well, he had to move on despite the depression.

Zheng Ren lifted his gaze and glanced at the time on his phone, which told him it was six o'clock in the morning. This gave him quite a shock as he had been asleep for more than ten hours.

Chief Surgeon Liu had called him quite early in the day. Did he not sleep at all?

The phone rang again while his mind was wandering elsewhere.

The caller was Zheng Ren's best friend in the department—Yang Lei—and his voice sounded anxious and restless.

"Zheng Ren, something major happened yesterday."

"Huh? What happened?"

"The patient was transferred back to the ward after surgery without any issue. Professor Ichiro Moriyu went to check on the pathological specimen and realized that someone had actually completed the surgery after him.

"That made his blood boil and he rebuked Director Fu like he was scolding his grandson.

"I heard this on the grapevine anyway, but someone in our department finished the surgery when Ichiro Moriyu figured that it was an impossible task. Haha, that must be embarrassing for him."

The voice from the other end of the phone sounded as if it was gloating. "Anyway, someone had to take the fall and they chose you. Director Fu's initial intention was to fire you but luckily, Chief Physician Old Pan from the emergency department argued with him and protected you."

What did this have to do with the emergency department? Zheng Ren recognized Chief Physician Old Pan—an elderly chief physician from a military hospital who was transferred to Sea City General Hospital after retirement.

Perhaps Chief Physician Old Pan was the only person willing to defend him as he was a hot-tempered and frank elderly man due to his military background.

Had he realized something?

"Well, as a result, you've been transferred to the emergency department. By the way, you were in the operating theater yesterday, yes? Who finished the surgery in the end?"

"..." Zheng Ren finally understood what had happened during his deep slumber after exhausting himself from the prime experience.

He presumed Ichiro Moriyu had taken his leave after embarrassing himself in the hospital.

There was a serious omission in this case and someone had to take the fall for it. Moreover, the management had even gone as far as to impose a news blackout and thus, none of them realized that he was actually the surgeon behind that surgery.

Well, not all... Perhaps Chief Physician Old Pan had discovered the truth, or he would not have argued with Director Fu for someone who was not even in his own department.

"I don't know," answered Zheng Ren after giving it some thought.

There was no way he would admit the truth because the prime experience was merely a one-time episode. His original skill level would be revealed if he was asked to perform the same surgery again.

That would be extremely embarrassing.

He needed to take things slowly since he had the System to assist him. Well, if the System could come alive quickly enough, anyway.

Zheng Ren hung up and washed up hastily before heading to work.

...

...

The first thing Zheng Ren saw after entering the general surgery department was Chief Surgeon Liu's dark expression.

Should he initiate an argument with Chief Surgeon Liu? No, that was not Zheng Ren's personality.

Chief Surgeon Liu could shout and curse publicly without any difficulty but it was an impossible task for Zheng Ren, who was actually a gentleman as his name implied1.

There was no way on Earth Zheng Ren would confess the truth to Chief Surgeon Li, either. Even his best friend did not know, let alone the public.

He had broken the rules even though the patient had benefited from the surgery with a perfect outcome. He could do nothing, especially when hospital management was particularly strict about its regulations.

Zheng Ren chose to ignore Chief Surgeon Liu and greeted his colleagues before entering the duty room. After that, he started transferring his belongings—white coat, stethoscope, reflex hammer, and a few medical books—from the locker to a plastic bag and left the first general surgery department.

"What happened to Zheng Ren?"

None of the staff dared to ask any questions in such a gloomy environment. It was not until Zheng Ren left the department and a vexed Chief Surgeon Liu returned to his office when a junior nurse broke the silence by quietly throwing a question to her colleagues.

"Professor Ichiro Moriyu was angry about the rule violation in yesterday's surgery and thus..." replied a senior nurse.

"How could that be? He is a good man."

"Don't judge so quickly. I think Doctor Zheng is out of luck this time. Did you know that Director Fu was scolding Chief Surgeon Liu with very harsh words for the whole night yesterday?"

Zheng Ren, who had no clue about the discussion between his colleagues, took an elevator to the ground floor and headed straight towards the emergency department, which was situated opposite the hospital's main entrance.

This was a five-story building that, according to its original design plan, was designated specifically as an independent emergency hospital where every emergency case would receive immediate treatment.

However, most doctors were unwilling to stay in the department due to the intense stress and difficulty of the cases. If administrative measures were imposed to force the doctors' stays, most of them would resign by any means necessary, such as applying for long term leave or pretending to be sick at home.

This was a common phenomenon across the globe.

No matter how good the infrastructure was, it was impossible to build an emergency hospital when they were lacking in physicians. Thus, only the first floor was used to treat emergency cases through internal medicine, surgery, or obstetrics and gynecology specialties with the remaining floors unoccupied.

A transfer to the emergency department was equivalent to banishing criminals from the former Soviet Union to Siberia. That was the consensus every doctor had reached so far.

However, Zheng Ren did not feel upset at all. He was a man with a System within him anyway, so there was absolutely no need for him to start a dispute with Chief Surgeon Liu.

He reported himself to the emergency department but Chief Physician Pan was nowhere to be seen.

The matron informed him that Chief Physician Pan had assigned a post—chief resident—for him and he was in charge of the clinical aspect of every surgical case in the department.

This confirmed Zheng Ren's initial postulation. Other people knew he was the surgeon behind that surgery, and one of them was Chief Physician Pan.

"Hey, Senior Chief Zheng. Are you even an attending surgeon?" An eccentric voice traveled to his ears before he received the key to his locker.

Zheng Ren turned around and saw Doctor Yuan Li from the emergency department.

Despite his infrequent visits to the emergency department, Zheng Ren recognized him eventually after so many years. They would usually greet each other with just a nod and that was their relationship in a nutshell.

"Brother Yuan, I was promoted to an attending surgeon last year," replied Zheng Ren with a smile born of his politeness.

"Well, well, well... Please guide me in the future as an attending surgeon," mocked Yuan Li as he leaned on the door to the emergency surgery department.

"You're a senior, so let's not stand on ceremony here," replied Zheng Ren, who was currently having a headache due to his inexperience with conflict.

"Oh, please don't! Chief Physician Pan announced that you're Chief Resident Zheng from now on," Yuan Li sneered before coughing. "Pooh!"

"Yuan Li, mind your attitude!" yelled the matron who had reached the end of her patience. She had to make sure both Yuan Li and Zheng Ren did not end up in a fistfight in Chief Physician Pan's absence.

"Matron, I'm unconvinced. I've been working here for so many years, but why did he, who was transferred here very recently, earn the position as chief resident when it was supposed to be mine?" complained an agitated Yuan Li.

"Lodge a complaint to Chief Physician Pan yourself, but Little Zheng..."

"Don't worry, we won't get into a fight," Yuan Li stared at Zheng Ren with contempt and asked sarcastically, "Hey, kid. Do you understand diseases?"

"..."

"Silence, eh? You must be very confident, right?" mocked Yuan Li.

The matron remained silent after ensuring both of them would not end up wrestling each other.

In fact, she was also curious as to why Chief Physician Pan assigned Zheng Ren as chief resident when that job position had remained vacant for so many years.

Moreover, Chief Physician Pan had an intense argument with Director Fu yesterday and told the director that he would have definitely ordered two squadrons of cavalry to gun him down if he was still in the military a few years back.

Chief Physician Pan was actually a reasonable man despite being irascible.

He must have done it for a good reason.

The emergency department enjoyed its most leisurely time in the morning. Thus, physicians and pediatricians came out and joined the crowd as onlookers.

Zheng Ren appeared helpless, which gave Yuan Li a sense of triumph. He then thought to himself. "Don't even think about doing anything as you please under Chief Physician Pan's protection. We're doctors. Our skills earn us paychecks and determine our success in life!"

A young man in his late adolescence walked into the emergency department with a registration number in his hands.

"Which specialty are you going to?" asked Yuan Li.

"Headache," answered the young man quickly, since he had never seen such an enthusiastic doctor in his life.

"Any trauma?"

"No."

"To internal medicine then," replied the disappointed Yuan Li.

However, Zheng Ren was frozen on the spot, obviously absent-minded.

His vision had become three-dimensional as soon as he saw the patient.

The translucent screen was hovering before his eyes again with Chinese characters constantly appearing in the upper right corner.

The emergence of this screen relieved Zheng Ren completely. Thank God, the System was still alive. It was just being quiet all these while.

The total number of words on the screen was increasing, which prompted Zheng Ren to read it quickly and carefully.

Seventeen-year-old male patient. Headache and nausea. Last emesis ten hours ago.

The following details were the patient's vital signs, various investigation results, and the final diagnosis...

Zheng Ren could even hear the keyboard typing sound when the words appeared on the screen. Was this still his own System? It could as well be his biological father who had maxed out the skill tree on how to diagnose a patient!

Had he transformed into the Terminator in the end?

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Chapter 5: Intracranial Hemorrhage?

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Has he gone mad? We as doctors rely mainly on our medical skill and knowledge. Licking Chief Physician Pan's boots will do him no good," a doctor mumbled after noticing the stunned Zheng Ren.

"That's right. He didn't even attempt a response just now. Is this not silently admitting his defeat? He can't do it. He was no good in general surgery and he is no good here in the emergency department too."

"What a coward. He should at least try to defend himself since Old Yuan's skill was also mediocre. It's better than getting humiliated for absolutely no reason, but Old Yuan was too harsh with his words just now. Does he not worry about repercussions from Chief Physician Pan when he comes back later?"

"I think he was forced to do so. His effort wasn't valued in the genitourinary surgery department and he was thrown to the emergency department afterward. He was a senior attending surgeon but couldn't get any chance of promotion to be the deputy chief surgeon due to lack of experience as a chief resident."

"You mentioned it as if he was experienced in the scientific research field. Please, not every chief resident can be promoted to a deputy chief physician, but I do agree that Zheng Ren is too cowardly judging by this situation."

Initially, some doctors were annoyed at Yuan Li for his insolence toward Zheng Ren, but they started despising Zheng Ren after noticing that he made no attempt in taking history at all.

However, they could not be blamed since it was normal to judge a doctor's competence by one's skill.

Those who excelled in flattery may as well just stay in the office for good since it was practically impossible for them to achieve success in the clinical aspect. Worse, they could end up bankrupt when a medicolegal issue showed up on their doorstep.

Zheng Ren was slightly embarrassed with everyone staring at him in a peculiar way. Even so, he read through the patient's details again to get a better understanding of the patient's overall condition.

Then, he put his plastic bag down on a chair at the nurses' station and said to the matron, "I suspect the patient just now is suffering from an intracranial hemorrhage. The blood loss isn't much, but he is at risk of collapse. Send someone with a first-aid kit to follow the patient closely when he is going for a cranial CT scan. Transfer him to the neurosurgery department immediately if there's any sign of an intracranial hemorrhage."

"..." The matron and every medical staff in the corridor were instantly dumbfounded.

What the hell? He suspected that the patient, who entered the emergency department without assistance, was suffering an intracranial hemorrhage without any history-taking or physical examination? More importantly, he was a fully conscious patient who had walked into this department all by himself. It seemed as if the patient was fine after all.

He must be joking.

"That's all he has? No wonder he was transferred here from the general surgery department." A gynecologist returned to the consultation room after glancing at Zheng Ren contemptuously.

"Haha, we've never seen such an idiotic doctor in a long time."

"That's right. To transfer the patient to the neurosurgery department? Is he picking a fight? Well, it looks like we can enjoy ourselves with a scene later." The rest of the crowd gloated at Zheng Ren's impending doom.

The matron was kind enough to give Zheng Ren a piece of heartfelt advice. "Little Zheng, that's not how we consult patients."

"Matron, I'm not familiar with the system in this department. Can you please send someone to escort him for investigations?" replied Zheng Ren with a warm smile. "By the way, do you have the key to my locker?"

This doctor... made the matron feel speechless.

Well, it was impossible to save someone with a death wish.

Even if one was a relative of Chief Physician Pan, no! Even if one was the biological son of Chief Physician Pan's, no one would obey your command when you were just playing the fool.

The matron threw a key at Zheng Ren out of annoyance at his unflinching determination.

"Thanks!" Zheng Ren picked up his plastic bag and started arranging his belongings.

The physician completed history-taking and a physical examination of the patient shortly. Then, he gave him a checklist form for a cranial CT scan to the patient and directed him to the radiology department.

Meanwhile, Yuan Li was lingering outside the room contentedly while mocking the teenager's cowardice and reluctance to enter a consultation room.

A junior nurse entered the consultation room at this instant. "Let's go. I'll escort you to the payment counter and radiology department."

Yuan Li, who was wandering outside the consultation room, was stunned when he noticed the first-aid kit in the junior nurse's hands.

"What is this for?"

"Chief Zheng said the patient was in danger and requested for someone to escort him," mumbled the annoyed junior nurse.

A first-aid kit weighed around three kilograms, so it was quite exhausting to run around the compound with such a load in her hands.

'The new chief resident lacked the courage to argue with Doctor Yuan and had decided to vent his rage by torturing the nurses,' the vexed junior nurse cursed Zheng Ren internally.

"What kind of nonsense is this?" complained Yuan Li.

"Is my condition serious?" asked the patient with an ashen-grey face.

"It's nothing serious. You're just suffering from a tension headache due to inadequate rest and fatigue. The CT scan is just for assurance, so don't worry. You'll be fine," explained the physician immediately.

After comforting the patient, Yuan Li waited for the junior nurse and the patient to disappear around the corner before walking toward Zheng Ren angrily and rebuked him. "Are you really a doctor? Do you still possess the ethical conduct of the medical profession?"

Yuan Li was prepared to deal a fatal blow to this chief resident from a moral high ground.

"Huh? What happened?"

"That patient had a headache and came to consult us. After taking a detailed history, we found out that he would suffer from a headache after every masturbation. He masturbated quite a few times yesterday which resulted in a terrible headache for the whole night, and that was the reason he came to us," explained Yuan Li irritably before adding. "To put it simply, he suffered from a tension headache due to inadequate rest..."

"Judging by the patient's symptoms, an intracranial hemorrhage is a possible differential diagnosis. Use a wheelchair to escort him to the radiology department and transfer him to the neurosurgery department immediately after the CT scan is completed," instructed Zheng Ren calmly.

Yuan Li sneered. "Wheelchair? Should I send you to the neurosurgery department with a stretcher trolley and check if you have an intracranial hemorrhage as well?"

"It's fine if you don't believe me." Zheng Ren did not mind him at all since it was extremely difficult to convince others on this matter too. He would not even believe it himself, were it not for the fact that he completed a pancreaticoduodenectomy alone under the guidance of the prime experience yesterday.

In all honesty, Zheng Ren had no choice despite his reluctance. It was normal for doctors to have suspicious minds, but Yuan Li's persistence in finding fault with everything he did was truly irritating. If he actually proceeded to perform a physical examination on the patient, there would be a high chance that both of them would get competitive.

Would it turn out to be a martial arts championship? Ridiculous.

Well, let him put the System to the test. At least he knew he could rely on the System if the patient's details and diagnosis were accurate. Otherwise, he might resort to resignation. That way, he could save Chief Physician Pan from getting extremely disappointed after placing too much hope in him.

The patient's medical history was so bizarre that the nurses could not help but cover their mouths and snigger. A few doctors were even chatting about similar cases that they had encountered after listening to the patient's history.

None of them paid any attention to Zheng Ren anymore. Was it necessary to pay attention to a doctor who was destined to fail?

Yuan Li smiled contemptuously and said, "You're hopeless."

Then, he returned to his general surgery consultation room with his hands behind his back.

In Yuan Li's opinion, the new chief resident did not even know how to consult patients and was probably thrown to the emergency department due to medical malpractice.

Old Chief Physician Pan must be blind to treasure such an idiotic doctor.

Thankfully, Yuan Li could use this case to his advantage. Even if Old Chief Physician Pan were there, he could no longer protect Zheng Ren if they start bickering in the future.

This medical case was a perfect weapon to drag Zheng Ren through the mud!

Twenty minutes later, a tall and plump doctor barged into the emergency department hastily.

"Who sent that patient to the neurosurgery department?!" The tall and plump doctor's thunderous roar rebounded off the walls and echoed down the corridor.

Fortunately, the emergency department had the fewest patients in the morning. Otherwise, his ear-shattering voice would surely have triggered myocardial infarctions in some of them.

"Haha, I told you, Chief Zheng isn't reliable at all. Look, the doctor from the neurosurgery department came here to demand an explanation," the physician mocked while savoring the fun before him.

"He sent a physically healthy patient to the ward. How embarrassing."

"Hey, when can we get an outstanding doctor in the emergency department? Don't just dump pieces of trash to this department."

The launching of that weapon of mass destruction darkened every spectating doctor's expression immediately. Was he an idiot to humiliate himself at the same time too?

That imbecile... who the hell did he criticize as a piece of trash?

Zheng Ren heard the question and said, "Brother Zhang, I sent him."

"Zheng Ren? You really came to the emergency department?" Doctor Zhang was obviously acquainted with Zheng Ren but his expression became stony flat after greeting him and he said, "We have three aneurysm cases due for surgery today, so can you please stop giving us trouble?"

"Trouble?"

"Why did you send a physically healthy patient to the ward when the emergency department can take care of him easily? The nurse told me that you diagnosed an intracranial hemorrhage without any corresponding signs and symptoms, and there wasn't any CT film to support your diagnosis. How did you come to that conclusion? Are you really that good?" complained Doctor Zhang, annoyed.

"Three aneurysm cases? Damn, you must be very busy today. That patient had a leaking cerebral microaneurysm. I hope he'll be fine," replied Zheng Ren.

"..." Doctor Zhang was exasperated listening to Zheng Ren. A leaking cerebral microaneurysm? Did a general surgeon know what was the probability of getting a microaneurysm? The risk of a leakage? The triggering factors of a microaneurysm? Did he know the manifestations of that disease?

Doctor Zhang's cell phone rang before he could throw these questions at Zheng Ren.

"Hello?" said Doctor Zhang after accepting the phone call.

"Where are you? That patient collapsed with bilateral dilated pupils and pupillary light reflex is absent. The CT results were uploaded just now, and he was suffering from an intracranial hemorrhage due to an aneurysm rupture. Come back and help resuscitate the patient quickly!" An anxious voice traveled from the other end of the phone.

Everyone on the scene froze to the spot immediately after hearing the emergency call.

The corners of Doctor Zhang's eyes twitched uncontrollably as he sprinted back to his department with loud thumps like an elephant charging toward its target.

Yuan Li poked his head out of the consultation room the moment he heard the neurosurgeon's thunderous voice.

The beginning of the story went as he expected, but his speculation for the ending was nowhere close.

"He really had an intracranial hemorrhage?" the surprised Yuan Li spoke to himself.

Zheng Ren passed by Yuan Li coincidentally and smiled upon hearing his question.

"What else could it have been?"

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Chapter 6: Why Am I So Attractive

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"What the f*ck..."

"How did he guess it?"

"Guess? Do you diagnose an intracranial hemorrhage with guesswork?"

The doctors immediately started exchanging views on this medical case.

Many experienced doctors were unable to accept this sudden plot twist.

A diagnosis of intracranial hemorrhage had been made without history-taking, physical examination or diagnostic investigations. A chaperone had even been instructed to escort the patient to the neurosurgery department after his CT scan.

That was an impressive judgment, even though it was completely beyond the comprehension of all on-duty doctors in the emergency department.

"That patient didn't look like he was having an intracranial hemorrhage, but the end result was really unexpected."

"Damn, he is good. No wonder Chief Physician Old Pan promoted Little Zheng to chief resident directly. That chief physician really has a pair of keen eyes."

"That's true. He was once a chief physician in charge of a ward specifically for senior officials in the military hospital. Do you think he could get that position if he hadn't been good at his job? Chief Zheng is good too. Disregarding other issues, that diagnosis alone truly convinced me."

Even though Zheng Ren was born with a gentle heart, he could not help but smile happily as he heard the discussion around him.

Not because of his colleagues' compliments, but due to the power of the System.

However, trepidation started consuming Zheng Ren after savoring his triumph.

He judged a patient's condition using only the information provided by the System. What would happen if there was an error in the System? That was wrong and he decided to perform a physical examination on every patient from now on as a failsafe.

That was how a clinician usually worked. No clinician would trust any given diagnosis even if it was given by a senior chief physician or professor from Imperial Capital and Sorcery Capital.

It was better to be safe than sorry in the future.

Yuan Li, who appeared a decade older instantly, returned to the consultation room, obviously dispirited and bewildered.

How did Zheng Ren diagnose an intracranial hemorrhage without history-taking and physical examination? He could not figure it out despite racking his brain.

That was utterly unbelievable!

Doctor Yuan Li, who remained doubtful regardless of the truth, opened the radiology film software in his computer and searched for the teenager's cranial CT films as there was no other patient seeking consultation at the moment.

Sure enough, the cranial CT films showed a tiny hyperdense lesion at the anterior communicating artery, which was suggestive of a hemorrhage, and visual estimation put the blood loss at approximately one milliliter. Such a small lesion could be easily misidentified as image artifacts if the patient had not lost consciousness.

Even though Zheng Ren's diagnosis proved to be correct, Yuan Li still did not understand how he diagnosed an intracranial hemorrhage without doing anything.

Guesswork. That kid must have guessed the diagnosis!

...

...

Zheng Ren patiently waited for any patient who required wound closure to visit the emergency department.

Strangely enough, the emergency department should have been overflowing with patients with various trauma of different severities, but none of them required him to suture a wound today.

Major resuscitation or severe trauma cases were not common even in the emergency department, so Zheng Ren needed luck in order to perform surgery in this place.

When the clock reached half-past eleven, Zheng Ren pretended as if nothing had happened and asked Yuan Li to have his lunch at the cafeteria while he looked after the department in the meantime.

The emotionless Yuan Li—who had been immersed in his own train of thought for the whole morning—ignored Zheng Ren's kindness and went for lunch without expressing any gratitude.

It was approximately half-past twelve when Zheng Ren arrived at the cafeteria after Yuan Li's return.

The cafeteria was not crowded since it was past lunch hour at the moment. After taking some food from a stall, Zheng Ren went to a corner of the cafeteria and started munching while savoring the new features bestowed on him by the System.

The System was basically an unparalleled and peerless tool for a doctor, especially with the amazing features it had to offer.

"Isn't that Zheng Ren? He was the first to discover that the patient was suffering from an intracranial hemorrhage this morning."

"It was just an intracranial hemorrhage. Not much of a big deal at all. Judging by his magnetic constitution for bad luck, he must have reached the level of a senior Onmyōji1"

"Haha, that's right! Instead of gaining knowledge in the operation with Professor Ichiro Moriyu, he became a scapegoat in the end. That was really unfortunate."

Zheng Ren recognized the doctors—from the ICU department—who were having lunch not far away from him.

They made no attempt at lowering their voices even when the very person they discussed was close by them.

"Guesswork," said a random doctor after shifting his gaze to Zheng Ren's back.

"Brother Yun, you're absolutely right," his follower went along with it.

Zheng Ren recognized that doctor by his voice.

He was Su Yun, Director Fu's nephew and a postgraduate student from some well-reputed medical institution in Imperial Capital. Zheng Ren had heard on the grapevine that he was a successful doctoral student but eventually ended up in Sea City for some inexplicable reason.

Zheng Ren could never understand such a ridiculous reaction.

Well, whatever Su Yun did was reasonable anyway, since he was born in a family of physicians. Zheng Ren... The former Zheng Ren could not possibly compete with him in every aspect.

However, Zheng Ren figured that they were incomparable even in his current state—he was far superior to Su Yun.

Su Yun's jet black hair flowed down his back and shone like the sea at night with some strands hanging on his forehead like a fringe. His big, black eyes embedded in his fair-skinned face were like jewels from the pit of hell itself.

Everyone would assume Su Yun was indeed a gorgeous lady with a beauty level of over ninety percent on a first impression.

However, on closer inspection, they would begin to doubt it. Wait... a young man?

Almost everyone—in the hospital or on the street—would definitely stare at Su Yun again after their first glance.

That was the summary of Su Yun's physical appearance—a young man who was more beautiful than most women in the world.

"Brother Yun, what else can the others do if you work in the general surgery department? That surgery wouldn't have ended up in a mess if you were the one cooperating with Professor Moriyu at that time," said a doctor who looked more than a decade older than Su Yun.

That doctor seemed to be very close with Su Yun to be able to address him as "Brother Yun" without feeling awkward.

Su Yun expelled a gust of air through his pursed lips, causing the black hair before his eyes to dance along with it.

"What sort of fun can you get in general surgery? Do you know why I chose not to become a general surgeon?" asked Su Yun.

"Now that you mentioned it, you were a doctoral student who had the chance of learning cardiothoracic surgery with Lecturer Han last time, but why didn't you take it?"

Zheng Ren had the same question in mind too, so he kept his ears open and listened to the gossip about Su Yun's past.

The reason for Su Yun's return to Sea City General Hospital was not as simple as the second generation of the medical family merely wanting to enjoy life without working.

"I didn't want to trouble the anesthesiologists."

What? What did this have to do with anesthesiologists? Zheng Ren and the ICU doctors around Su Yun were taken by surprise.

Su Yun brushed his hair aside with solitude written all over his face.

"Life gave me the smartest brain and the nimblest fingers, so I was born to be the best surgeon in the world, but fate isn't fair to me," Su Yun's tone sounded as if his soul was barren and he was an elderly man who understood the true meaning of life. "It gave me an unrivaled beauty."

"..." Everyone was dumbfounded.

"My unsurpassable beauty was so striking that even two layers of surgical masks failed to conceal it. That was why, every single time, the anesthesiologists had to increase the anesthetic dosage to sedate the patient preoperatively. Some patients remained conscious even at maximum dosage. Tell me, how can I work in the general surgery department when that issue troubles me every time?"

There was pin-drop silence and every air molecule seemed to be frozen in that moment.

Zheng Ren fought the urge to laugh and tried his very best to swallow his food so that he would not accidentally projectile vomit right into Su Yun's face.

"Ahem..." Su Yun's follower did not possess the same shameless attitude as his master, so he cleared his throat after a while and said, "Brother Yun, I think you're absolutely right."

Zheng Ren continued resisting the urge to laugh as it would be unwise to provoke Su Yun.

Not because of the fact that Su Yun was Director Fu's nephew...

However, he was every nurses' Prince Charming and no nurse would assist him in future surgeries if he dared to provoke Su Yun.

Zheng Ren shuddered at the thought of him—the surgeon—performing a surgery alone in the operating theater without a scrub nurse at the scene.

What hospital arrangements? Nursing department assignments?

Junior nurses nowadays belonged to Generation Z and they had the courage to resign at the first sign of job dissatisfaction, since they usually earned low paychecks despite strenuous work. If their beauty was above average, they could just record videos or start live broadcasts and have better income than working in a hospital.

If not... Well, those online streaming platforms usually offered various special effects such as smooth skin, beauty mode, filters, long legs, and extra-long legs ... Right?

Even the nursing department dared not provoke the younger generations of nurses, let alone their Prince Charming...

Zheng Ren gulped down his food hastily and left the cafeteria immediately.

Even though he was already far away from the cafeteria, Su Yun's words reached his ears nonetheless. "Why am I so attractive?"

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Chapter 7: Seven Blocks of Building

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Zheng Ren agreed that Su Yun was indeed attractive, but they were doctors, not models who danced down catwalks. Was beauty a prerequisite for consulting patients?

He returned to the emergency department in a flash, worrying that Yuan Li could have treated every trauma case that had arrived during his lunchtime. Since he had lost any chance of taking part in major surgeries, to be able to practice wound closure at the very least was better than nothing at all.

In the end, his worries were for nothing. The emergency surgery department was surprisingly quiet today and there was only a girl in a red shirt sitting on a plastic chair in a corridor, weeping.

It was normal to see a patient or their family members sob in a hospital. Zheng Ren had no intention of comforting the young lady, though, as he prioritized his wait for traumatic injury patients more.

He shifted his gaze to her in passing and recognized her instantly.

Upon closer inspection, he found that she was Xie Yiren, the scrub nurse present in the operating theater during his surgery yesterday.

"Yiren, what happened to you?" asked Zheng Ren.

Xie Yiren, who appeared pitiful with tear-sodden eyes, raised her head upon hearing his question.

Upon realizing that the person standing before her was Zheng Ren, Xie Yiren's crying intensified as she brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs.

Zheng Ren was helpless and had no idea what to say at that moment.

He would never be able to forgive himself if he did not find out why Xie Yiren was wailing in the emergency department. Keeping his mouth shut, he started racking his brain on how to comfort the dejected woman.

"I... I applied for a transfer to the... the emergency department, but was worried... worried about the lack of surgeries," the sobbing Xie Yiren informed Zheng Ren after a while.

Zheng Ren tried to comfort her. "Working in the emergency department has its own benefits. At least you don't need to work overtime for surgery, right?"

"But... But I want to attend surgeries," replied Xie Yiren.

"What're the benefits of surgery, anyway?" asked Zheng Ren, who had completely forgotten about the fact that he yearned for surgeries too, before adding, "you don't have to work overtime in the emergency department, and you can flirt with young men, watch movies and enjoy life during your free time. Look how busy it gets in the operating theater. The working schedule isn't fixed and you often need to work overtime."

"I don't have the courage to flirt with young men," said Xie Yiren with a serious expression.

Zheng Ren was delighted to see some improvement in her mood, so he figured that it was better to keep this pure-hearted lady talking to prevent her from crying her heart out again.

"Why? It's a perfect time for you to enjoy a love life at your current age."

"I'm still young, so I'm not looking for a boyfriend just yet. I just want to work overtime in the general surgery department," replied Xie Yiren firmly.

Desire to work overtime... That responsibility seemed a little too awe-inspiring, right?

An attempt to contribute to the great renaissance of the Chinese nation? The young lady's ambition was a little too great as well.

Xie Yiren's response basically ended the whole conversation and Zheng Ren was at a loss on how to re-initiate it.

Suddenly, a thought ran through his mind and he asked, "Do you want to work overtime because you need the money?"

Zheng Ren figured that he was almost touching the core of her issue.

'She must be a poor kid too,' Zheng Ren thought and started to imagine the miserable life this young lady must have had in her youth.

"Not really, I'm actually quite well-to-do," answered Xie Yiren. The twitching in her little nose and the flaring of her alae nasi made her look cute, especially with her dorky expression.

"How much overtime pay do you get in a month?"

"I don't know. I've never checked my payroll card," replied Xia Yiren.

"Don't you spend money at all?"

"Of course I do. I don't check the balance on my payroll card because I can't buy anything with it anyway."

"..." There seemed to be a major misunderstanding. Zheng Ren contemplated the current conversation and carefully asked, "How much pocket money do your parents usually give each month?"

"They usually travel around the globe each year and should be in Turkey right now. A supplementary credit card was given to me before their departure and I can spend as much as I possibly want with it, but they didn't specify how much pocket money they give me each month."

A critical hit! Xie Yiren dealt ten thousand damage points to Zheng Ren's health bar instantly.

"Your family runs a business?"

"Previously yes, but not anymore. My family owns seven blocks of building in Linyin Street, so the monthly rental collections are more than enough for a living."

Linyin Street was located in a central business district and there were many white-collar workers with high salaries working in the area.

Zheng Ren sighed in response. Rent collection from seven properties in Linyin Street alone would definitely be enough for anyone to live a comfortable and enjoyable life.

"Why are you even working when you already have seven houses?" asked Zheng Ren curiously since his imagination was limited from being poor at a very young age.

"Not seven houses... Seven blocks of building. Just like the Wumao Tower." Xie Yiren corrected him.

A one hundred percent critical hit! One-hit and Zheng Ren was instantly knocked out.

An eerie silence followed in the emergency department's corridor. Zheng Ren's vision became blurry and he tried to recover from the psychological shock.

"Why are you even working, then? Wouldn't it be better to travel around the world with your parents?" asked Zheng Ren after a while.

"I want to attend surgeries." This appeared to be Xie Yiren's only concern in her stubborn mind. "There won't be any surgery in the emergency department, so I guess I'll have to spend some time checking if any other hospital is hiring a scrub nurse..."

"..." What an idealistic, ambitious, and noble young lady who strove valiantly for the great renaissance of the Chinese nation.

Every glorious word that Zheng Ren could think of was bestowed upon Xie Yiren in that instant.

"Not crying anymore? I'm currently working in the emergency department and will occasionally perform some surgeries," Zheng Ren paused for a brief moment to regain his cool and continued. "Work with me until you resign for a new job."

"Most cases tend to be wound closures in the emergency department..." Xie Yiren hesitated for a while before summoning up her courage and said, with glistening eyes, "Doctor Zheng, I actually came here for you."

"For me?"

"Yes. Chief Surgeon Liu and his team need at least six to seven hours to complete a pancreaticoduodenectomy, but you did it within half an hour. My instinct told me that I will get to attend countless surgeries if I follow you."

This young lady's ambition was too great, glorious, and righteous.

Her family owned seven blocks of building and yet she wanted merely to be a scrub nurse... Was she the same as those rich folk who drove around in their Maserati?

Even though the scrub nurse did not give him an impressive impression in the operating theater yesterday, he recalled that she was able to pass him every instrument that he required throughout the operation.

She must be quite proficient in her profession.

Let her assist him in emergency surgery, then.

"Report yourself to duty first, after that..." Zheng Ren suddenly realized that a scrub nurse was absolutely unnecessary and would be a complete waste of manpower in the emergency department since there was no major surgery in this place after all.

"Are you thinking about the matron?" asked Xie Yiren kindly.

"Yes, she will be a little troublesome."

"Don't worry about her. Her brother established a company in one of my family's properties, so I made a phone call this morning and waived three years of his rental fees. The matron basically permitted our collaboration and my only responsibility is to be your scrub nurse from now on."

"..." Zheng Ren noticed that he was speechless more frequently in this one conversation with Xie Yiren than he had ever been in his lifetime.

Would this be considered a gift exchange?

Who cared, anyway? At least he could save some time by having someone assist him in surgery, even if it was just plain and simple wound closure.

The decision was made.

"Why were you crying just now?"

"I was worried about the lack of surgery in the emergency department."

Suddenly, a high-pitched squealing of car brakes from outside the building pierced their ears.

The metallic scent of blood assailed their nostrils a few seconds later as two men appeared in the hallway.

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Chapter 8: A Minor Surgery In The Emergency Department

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Report yourself to the matron and prepare for the surgery," Finally, the long-awaited emergency trauma case. Zheng Ren could almost feel the breaking of numerous high-energy phosphate bonds in the ATPs within his cells, releasing energy under the stimulation of blood.

The patient's condition started to emerge on the upper-right corner of his vision when Zheng Ren shifted his gaze to him.

An incised wound on the back without injury to the internal organs. Vital signs were stable.

The patient would be placed under observation after the wound was sutured with a prescription of anti-inflammatory drugs for a few days. A simple case.

The sight of mangled flesh and the bloody mess would not petrify an experienced clinician.

Especially one like Zheng Ren, who was blessed with the System.

Zheng Ren returned to the duty room and put on his white coat.

White coats were prohibited in the cafeteria to prevent any potential outbreak of unknown microorganisms—for example, Acinetobacter baumannii, which was highly resistant to most clinically available antibiotics—from random departments. The entire hospital system would undoubtedly collapse if an outbreak started in the cafeteria.

The patient and his family members had arrived at the emergency surgery department's doorstep when Zheng Ren left his room in proper attire.

"Doctor, my brother was slashed. Please save him," The patient was supported by a young man with horror all over his face, presumably terrified by the gruesome sight before him.

"Brother Yuan, please prepare an anesthetic and the treatment fee. I'll suture this patient's wound in the meantime," instructed Zheng Ren.

Multiple trauma cases that required wound closure would arrive at the emergency department every day and Yuan Li had been mentally exhausted by repeating the same procedure. Thus, the fact that Zheng Ren volunteered to personally suture the wound greatly satisfied Yuan Li.

The simultaneous arrival of two or three trauma cases when there was only one doctor on duty was the most annoying thing that could happen in the emergency department. The question of which case to deal with first was almost as hard as completing an S-rank mission in games, which was extremely terrible indeed.

The patient was brought to the procedure room while his family members were asked to pay the treatment fee first. After that, Zheng Ren and a nurse carried the patient to the operating table.

The operating table in the emergency department was relatively simple and covered by a brown, slightly soft antimicrobial fabric.

Trauma cases in the emergency department usually consisted of minor traumatic injuries or wound contamination. Thus, the antimicrobial fabric was used for its bloodstain resistance and ease of cleaning without the risk of contaminating the patients' wounds.

The patient's shirt was cut open and the wound, approximately twenty centimeters long, appeared before Zheng Ren's eyes.

Blood continued to gush out of a few small blood vessels in his exposed wound, which soaked his shirt completely before gravity pulled it down onto the operating table.

Zheng Ren took a piece of sterile cotton to cover the wound and started his preoperative preparations.

Xie Yiren, wearing a blue-colored disposable sterile cap and a surgical mask, entered the procedure room soon after. She then started assisting Zheng Ren by preparing the instruments without a word.

Surgical tray, surgical suturing pack—scalpels, surgical scissors, needle holders, suture materials—opened, Lidocaine, normal saline...

...

...

Meanwhile, mist started accumulating above the crystal clear pond in the mysterious world buried deep within Zheng Ren's mind. The mist became thick with seven different colors flickering in it, as if there was a rainbow concealed at the heart of that odd cloud. Countless vague shadows emerged and passed out of sight almost instantaneously, resembling a mirage.

There was a shift in energy and the blurry image in the mirage started to clear.

Zheng Ren would be extremely shocked if he witnessed this scene, because whatever he was doing in the procedure room was projected within the mirage.

...

...

"0.5% Lidocaine prepared." Xie Yiren was nimble in her movement.

That was the difference between a normal nurse and a scrub nurse, who was more proficient in preoperative preparations.

Zheng Ren removed the sterile cotton on the patient's wound and said, "This is going to hurt a little, so try to endure the pain."

The patient nodded in response, but his movement was barely noticeable as he lay prone on the operating table.

The wound was irrigated with normal saline before Zheng Ren used a pair of forceps to pick up a cotton swab, soaked in iodophor solution, and wiped directly on the wound, moving outward.

Every muscle fiber on the patient's back contracted as soon as the iodophor solution touched his exposed nerve fibers.

The constant muscle trembling appeared symmetrical, as well.

"Bear with me, please. I'm disinfecting the wound," said Zheng Ren with a flat tone.

"Doctor, can you anesthetize me first?" asked the patient.

"Of course, but only a local anesthetic will be given." Zheng Ren threw the used swab after the first disinfection, picked up a new one soaked in iodophor and applied it on the patient's wound without the slightest hesitation.

The patient howled in pain instantly. "Ouch..."

"Disinfection is required before I inject the local anesthetic. Don't worry, it'll be over soon," Zheng Ren tried to comfort him.

Fortunately, iodophor solution was used in wound disinfection nowadays. If they time-traveled back to twenty years ago when iodine solution and alcohol were the main disinfectants, the pain would be much worse.

"Put on gloves," Zheng Ren instructed Xie Yiren when he noticed that the patient was able to endure the pain.

Zheng Ren put his on as well before injecting the patient with the local anesthetic.

"Needle holder with suture, size four1," Zheng Ren located the damaged small blood vessel skillfully and held out his hand toward Xia Yiren.

The needle holder was placed on Zheng Ren's hand gently with its size-four suture thread resting on his little finger perfectly when he proceeded to suture the wound.

Xie Yiren had achieved a Master rank in her coordination with the surgeon in an operation.

"Surgical scissors..."

"Needle holder with suture..."

"Size one..."

The only sounds lingering in the procedure room were Zheng Ren's droning instructions and the patient's heavy breathing. However, Zheng Ren soon realized that there was absolutely no need for him to ask for anything at all as Xie Yiren would pass him every instrument he required before he could even finish his sentence.

The wound was long and deep, and Zheng Ren had to suture each layer carefully and patiently. Otherwise, any remaining cavity could end up with complications such as infections, abscess formation and many more.

This sort of wound closure was a piece of cake for Zheng Ren, who had 330 skill points in his general surgery skill. He started wondering if the System would give him any missions while his hands danced elegantly through the procedure. Perhaps a mission where a chest would be given upon completion of a surgical wound closure.

Sadly, whatever he wished for did not come true, which meant that the System's robotic, female voice had basically disappeared into thin air.

Zheng Ren was slightly dispirited but remained meticulous in suturing every damaged layer in the wound.

"Reverse cutting needle, size seven." The corresponding needle holder was then placed gently on Zheng Ren's outstretched hand.

There was a sudden loud noise outside the procedure room.

A few young men with the strong smell of alcohol barged into the procedure room, having kicked the door open.

Zheng Ren let out a silent curse.

Why did the emergency department have a shortage of doctors? This was the answer: no doctor would prefer to perform surgery or consult any patient under such stressful situations.

"Where is my brother?"

"F*ck! Treat my brother properly. If he suffers any problems, I'll kill you myself!"

"Brother, brother, are you okay?"

The patient's followers expressed their loyalties while threatening Zheng Ren at the same time.

Zheng Ren had no idea how to react. What they should be doing was to treat the surgeon well so that he could concentrate on the operation and finish it sooner, right?

Well, perhaps these alcoholics—especially drunkards who binge-drank even in the afternoon—did not possess such reasoning after all.

"All of you, get out!" roared the patient in exasperation. He seemed rather rational and knew exactly what the most appropriate action in this situation was. He then apologized to Zheng Ren with a mix of sycophancy and anxiety. "Doctor, my brothers are immature, so please don't mind them. I'll compensate for all damages later, so please treat my wound properly..."

The drunk ruffians straightened their backs immediately after the patient reprimanded them. After scolding Zheng Ren again briefly, they finally left the procedure room and closed the door under the patient's command.

Zheng Ren sighed in response. His needle pierced the skin, came out the other side of the wound, and an instrument tie was finally and proficiently made.

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Chapter 9: A Doctor's Responsibility and Dignity

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The surgical scissors, which had been hanging on Zheng Ren's little finger, was magically flipped into his hand as he cut the size-seven thread.

"Doctor Zheng, your hand movement is so smooth." Xie Yiren, who had nothing to do at the moment, praised Zheng Ren as she witnessed his skill.

"I'm used to not having an assistant when I'm closing an abdominal incision. It's faster that way," Zheng Ren explained himself.

"Are you afraid? That's how it is in the emergency department."

Zheng Ren tried to comfort Xie Yiren but as soon as he finished his sentence, they heard an uproar and the sound of a heavy, blunt weapon hitting a body in the hallway.

'Well, the emergency department isn't the right place for a sound mind,' thought Zheng Ren.

Someone kicked the door open again after a few seconds and this time, a few brawny brutes appeared at the doorstep with baseball bats in their hands.

"Not bad. You escaped and even came to the hospital." A brute sneered with a hideous grin while patting his left palm repeatedly with the baseball bat in his right hand.

He was clearly threatening everyone on the scene that his bat would end up on someone's head, potentially causing bloodshed.

Ignoring the wound on his back, the patient jumped off the operating table like a scared rabbit and curled up at a corner of the room like a frightened little girl.

Well, at least his posture—covering his head with two arms and protecting every vital point on his body—was on point as if he was fully prepared to take a huge beating.

"Both of you, get out," instructed the brute coldly after seeing Zheng Ren and Xia Yiren.

Normally, these self-righteous Jianghu martial artists would not harm healthcare workers in their skirmishes.

Injuries were almost inevitable in their chaotic world.

If karma truly existed, they could not blame God for unfairness had they got injured but left with no one to treat them—because they had harmed medical staff in the past.

Zheng Ren had never encountered such a vicious manhunt where the hunters even pursued their prey to the hospital.

However, he had heard it once on the grapevine about a patient, who arm fractured by blunt force trauma, receiving treatment in the emergency orthopedic department. Unfortunately, his enemies tracked him down to the hospital's operating theater which frightened him into breaking the window and jumped down from the sixth floor in an escape attempt.

In the end, that patient suffered from extensively comminuted fractures of his bilateral lower limbs, and he was transferred from the orthopedic department directly to the intensive care unit.

Zheng Ren heard of this incident, which happened more than a decade ago, through a few senior doctors gossiping in a bar.

He had not expected to meet such an annoying and problematic issue on his first day of work in the emergency department.

What should he do?

Should he leave? What about the unfinished procedure?

Those brutes would beat him alongside the patient terribly if he stayed...

It was a difficult choice.

Zheng Ren was not a saint, but every doctor had their own moral standard.

He made up his mind instantly and nudged Xie Yiren. "You, leave."

Startled and nervous, Xie Yiren obeyed Zheng Ren subconsciously and left the procedure room by squeezing through the wall of muscles.

The brutes gave way without attempting to stop her.

"I'm a doctor with an unfinished surgery. Please leave this room immediately," said Zheng Ren.

As Zheng Ren was unable to express his determination through a surgical mask, he shifted his gaze to the patient instead and said, "Come here. Just a few sutures left and you're done."

"Yo, you're dauntlessly brave, aren't you?" mocked the lead brute with the ugly grin. The knife scar on his face added intensity to his ferocity like a budding chrysanthemum. "I've shown you respect, right?"

Zheng Ren stood firm in his faith even though his legs had turned to jelly.

How would he face others in the future if he fled in fear right now? He valued his dignity and reputation, so he had no choice but to hang in there.

Self-defense with a scalpel? Despite the fact that the scalpel was basically a toy to these brutes with their Herculean builds, his actions would be punishable by law even if he succeeded in the end.

Zheng Ren had heard of so many similar cases throughout his career, so much so that it formed callus in his ear canals.

It was absurd, but it was the truth.

There was no way Zheng Ren would abandon a patient with an unfinished surgery. Thus, he tried his best to remain calm and put all his hope in the almighty System.

"Please leave the procedure room," Zheng Ren managed to keep his voice from shaking as he tried to maintain the dignity of a doctor. "I'm in the middle of an operation."

"Haha." The brute stretched his neck, radiating a bloodthirsty aura especially with his bulging muscles, and produced some audible cracks from his cervical spine. The scar on his face resembled a serpent with its mouth wide open in the form of a silent taunt.

"I've shown you respect but you've ignored my kind gesture. It's too late for you to leave now."

The brute's words sent a chill down Zheng Ren's spine. Where was the System when he needed it desperately? Perhaps a prime experience of a martial artist was beyond the System's programming after all.

Well, Zheng Ren would not choose that experience anyway even if it existed.

Future indemnification would cost him a fortune and the hospital management would definitely fire him if these brutes were harmed in any way.

Self-defense? Not an option.

F*ck.

Hopefully his heroism would not be rewarded with death... Zheng Ren glanced at the patient huddling up in the corner and quickly learned how to protect his vital points with whatever time he had left.

Was it worth the pain at all... Well, he would do it again if he was given a second chance, anyway.

"Little Six, why the intense barbarity?" An elderly man in a button-down sweater appeared at the doorstep as the brute closed in on Zheng Ren.

Even without turning around, that voice alone was enough to change the brute's expression instantly.

The ferocious brute tried to force a smile onto his face, but his rigid facial muscles contracting made him uglier than if he had been crying—in Zheng Ren's opinion.

After turning around quickly to get a visual confirmation, the brute bowed immediately and greeted the elderly man with the utmost respect. "Elder San, what brings you here today?"

"I came here to visit a friend and saw your harassment along the way," said the elderly man as he walked into the procedure room.

The man appeared to be in his sixties, spirited and energetic despite his thin build. His twinkling eyes were framed by long eyebrows, and a long goatee hung on his chin.

"Not really, I don't have the courage to cause trouble. I encountered a small issue and here I am to sort things out..." Even though Elder San's tone sounded gentle and kind, cold sweat glistened on the brute's temples and his upper back drooped lower as if there was a huge mountain on his shoulders.

"Your microcreditmicro-credit company has nothing to do with me, but let me tell you, Little Six, it's best to obey the rules of the older generations. You don't fight or murder anyone in a sacred place designated for resurrections and remedies unless you want to attract bad luck," said the kind, elderly man in his polite tone, which seemed like it could easily bring joy to others.

"Yes, of course. Thank you for the lesson." The brute nodded vigorously in response.

The leading brute's followers stood as close to the wall as possible with their heads lowered in order to minimize their presence, as though Elder San was a ferocious monstrosity who would devour anyone when provoked.

Elder San chatted with the brute for a short while before walking toward Zheng Ren with a smile on his face and greeted with a fist-and-palm salute1. "Hello, Chief Zheng."

"You flatter me. My name is Zheng Ren, and you are?" Zheng Ren felt relieved instantly as the situation came under control. However, he was wearing a pair of bloodied sterile gloves, which made a handshake seem inappropriate at the moment.

He felt slightly awkward to stand still and do nothing, though.

The elderly man was taken by surprise, as he had not expected Zheng Ren to fail to recognize him.

Decades of social experience made him regain his composure almost instantly.

"I'm Mr. Bu's butler. Mr. Bu regained consciousness after your successful surgery on him yesterday, and he instructed Ms. Bu and I to express our heartfelt gratitude to you. I was waiting for Ms. Bu's arrival, but I was worried about your safety when I saw these brats causing trouble nearby, so here I am. Please accept my sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused," explained Elder San.

"That's very kind of you," replied Zheng Ren, who was drenched in sweat. Ms. Bu? He merely thought the patient in the operating theater yesterday was either a fat cat or a nouveau riche, not someone with such a powerful background.

A nouveau riche being a nouveau riche, they would not have manners.

They were on a different level from Mr. Bu, whose butler could transform a savage brute into a tame sheep instantly with a single sentence.

Zheng Ren made a simple judgment on the current situation.

Moreover, he finally recalled that this old man had given him a name card yesterday alongside a promise to settle any future issue he encountered in Sea City.

It was obvious that this elderly man was truly powerful rather than simply ostentatious.

"Please continue your surgery. We'll have a chat afterward," said Elder San courteously with a fist-and-palm salute and a slight bow.

The dumbfounded Zheng Ren merely stood still like a statue, only sighing in relief after Elder San and the brutes left the procedure room.

"You, come here and lie down," instructed Zheng Ren, pointing at the patient with his gloves almost completely caked in dried blood, which, at the very least, was intimidating.

The patient, who had been stunned for some time, snapped out of his confusion and asked softly, "Are you... Are you the Japanese professor? You're fluent in Mandarin."

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Chapter 10: Intensive Training for Appendectomy

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"I'm not a professor. I'm just a doctor in Sea City General Hospital. Lie facedown, please, there are just a few more sutures left. By the way, your wound is contaminated again, so I'll need to disinfect it later," said Zheng Ren bluntly.

When the iodophor-soaked cotton was applied to the wound this time, the patient merely hissed in pain without shrieking as if he was about to die in agony.

"Doctor Zheng, right? I thought you were a Japanese professor."

"Why is that?"

"I heard through the grapevine that the professor that Mr. Bu invited was one of the best in the world, but I didn't expect you to be so young."

Zheng Ren continued his task without responding. The reverse cutting needle poked out of the patient's skin with a gentle flick of his wrist, and the suture thread was then tied into a surgical knot.

The knot looked awful due to his trembling hands as he filled with consternation. Sighing heavily, he cut the thread and resutured the last layer.

"Even if I misidentified you, Elder San wouldn't make the same mistake," said the patient, who was either a talkative man or merely trying to alleviate his anxiety through conversation. "Although I'm just a nobody, I actually do recognize the big names of Sea City, but I honestly didn't expect Elder San to be acquainted with you. It seems I've made the right choice by coming to Sea City General Hospital after all."

Zheng Ren had no intention of continuing the conversation. In any case, he had no idea what to say in the first place as he was inexperienced in such small talk.

The needle reached the end of the wound at last. Once he confirmed the wound edges were aligned and everted, he said, "I'm done. You can leave now."

Meanwhile, Zheng Ren brought the surgical tray to the basin, turned the tap on with his elbow and started rinsing the surgical instruments.

Once the blood had dried, it would be extremely difficult to clean it off completely.

Thus, the central sterile services department declared that every surgical instrument had to be rinsed thoroughly before it was autoclaved.

"Doctor... Doctor Zheng, can I leave together with you?" asked the patient who stood behind Zheng Ren with an ashen-grey face.

Zheng Ren had no clue what sort of danger the patient might face upon leaving the hospital, so after giving it some thought, he asked, "Do you want to call the police?"

"Of course not. It doesn't really matter, anyway, since I've to endure this sooner or later," replied the patient with a grin.

"Alright, then." Zheng Ren, who had no desire to understand the rules of this society, made the promise directly without interrogating the patient further.

Something changed in the mysterious world within Zheng Ren's mind while he was in the middle of cleaning. The frame started editing itself, changing the images constantly in a flash and creating numerous after-images along the way.

Subsequently, the mirage transformed into a computer monitor, which connected to the internet automatically and entered a website called Xinglin Garden without hesitation.

There were no tedious steps to go through—account registration or member login—which made the System far more powerful than the site administrator.

This website was specifically created for doctors to communicate with each other, with its members composed mainly of specialists or experienced senior doctors.

Rumors claimed that many of the finest specialists from each department within the country were frequent viewers of Xinglin Garden. However, they had a habit of browsing this website without commenting or posting anything, just like alligators lurking in deep water.

The video of Zheng Ren's wound closure procedure was uploaded to this website.

The new video received dozens of views instantly, as there were many doctors browsing the website during lunch hour.

"Who uploaded a normal wound closure procedure?"

"Simple condition and ordinary technique. I suggest using a running subcuticular suture technique with an absorbable catgut suture. You can get more viewers that way."

"The video quality is superb but the surgery itself doesn't have any highlights. Bad review."

The video, which received only a few comments, was dropped from the homepage after a few minutes like a stone falling into the abyss.

The comments on it transformed into a few dimly glowing specks and flew into the fox statue in front of the thatched cottage.

There was a sudden quantum fluctuation in the mysterious world within Zheng Ren's mind. All the energies within that space twisted and whirled violently like a raging, furious storm, as if some majestic presence in that world had been enraged.

"Huh?" Zheng Ren suddenly experienced a glacial feeling erupting from within his soul as he rinsed the surgical instruments.

He threw his work aside and dived into the mysterious world immediately out of worry that there could be something wrong with the System.

Before he could take a good look at his surroundings, a translucent screen emerged before him with words popping up rapidly. His anxiety was justified. Something was definitely wrong with the System.

[Mission: Complete at least ten surgeries in three days. The degree of completion for each surgery must reach perfection.]

Below the mission lay a whole list of surgery choices.

The last sentence was highlighted in red.

[Mission Reward: Unknown. Failure to complete this mission will cause inadequate power supply. Consequence...]

"..." Zheng Ren was completely taken by surprise. Why did the peaceful System end up this enraged? Performing surgery perfectly was not something a junior attending surgeon could do easily at his level.

Could the experts in Imperial Capital and Sorcery Capital perform any surgery to perfection? Zheng Ren doubted it.

The mission reward was unspecified. Punishment for failure was an unknown threat.

Was it possible that the System figured out his talent was limited and decided to induce sudden cardiac death so that it could locate a new host?

If that was the case... What the f*ck!

Cold sweat started trickling down his forehead, temples, and back. Zheng Ren then took a few deep breaths quickly and forced himself to calm down.

He had absolutely zero doubt in the System's amazing ability. Its diagnosis on every patient was extremely accurate, like a universal cheat code in a game.

That was exactly why he believed that the System could wipe him from existence silently with the illusion that he passed away due to sudden cardiac death.

He tried his best to stay calm and scanned through the mission again. After making sure he understood what the System actually wanted, he started scrolling through the surgical choices.

He had to perform at least ten perfect surgeries within three days, so without the slightest hesitation, he chose appendectomy among hundreds of surgical choices in the list.

He was most experienced in the general surgery department and the most he could perform personally, at his level, was an appendectomy.

Perfection... Zheng Ren dared not think about it and could only try his best to achieve it.

What was the point of this System? What was the point of an ideal life? Both the majestic presence in the System and life would obliterate him at some point anyway.

The mirage shattered immediately after Zheng Ren's finger selected his choice—an appendectomy—on the list, sending innumerable fragments in all directions before they were finally rebuilt.

The world which Zheng Ren was currently standing on was reconstructed completely. The snow-white clouds scattering across the clear blue sky disappeared entirely and the scenery was replaced with an operating theater with him standing in front of an operating table. What surprised Zheng Ren most was the lifelike mannequin—which was far better than any mannequin used in ordinary medical institutes—on top of the operating table.

[Mission Reward: Practice a surgical procedure in the System. This reward was gifted in advance. Please appreciate this opportunity.]

The cold, robotic female voice seemed to have become slightly high-pitched as if it was constantly reminding Zheng Ren about the imminent danger he faced.

"How long can I practice here?" Zheng Ren tried to initiate communication with the System as the female voice had finally appeared.

"The host is currently in static spacetime. The velocity of spacetime in the realistic world equals zero. The System can maintain this state for... Calculating..." The robotic female voice sounded chaotic as if the power supply was insufficient.

The robotic, female voice cut off. Instead, a row of numbers appeared in front of Zheng Ren: [15:6:23:15.]

Did this mean that he had to practice an appendectomy surgery continuously in the System for fifteen days? However, Zheng Ren realized that his death sentence was basically reprieved as he had been given slightly more than fifteen days to save himself.

There was no surgical assistant or scrub nurse in this world. Zheng Ren was alone.

He finally accepted his reality after a few minutes of pondering, and decided to give it his all.

His scalpel was thin and shiny. The practice appendectomy officially began.

The surgical case given by the System was rather simple. After the peritoneum was incised, the inflamed appendix popped out on its own. The appendiceal artery was then ligated and the inflamed appendix removed... Everything was done according to standard.

One appendectomy finished fairly quickly.

Zheng Ren glanced at the System's evaluation on the upper right corner of his vision. "Surgery time used: 15 minutes. Rating: Good."

Er... It was just an appendectomy. Was the System expecting a flower from it?

Well, the System was his master anyway. He had no choice but to complete every mission the System threw at him by any means necessary.

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Chapter 11: Accusations

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Thus, his intensive training for appendectomy officially began.

Zheng Ren used everything he knew—whatever it was what he had learned, seen or heard previously—and even made some creative modifications to the treatment techniques of various surgical case scenarios to confront the different inflamed appendixes and countless tricks thrown at him by the System.

He had subscribed to many sources of medical literature due to his insatiable hunger for knowledge.

He was also creative and had countless thoughts and ideas.

As he entered this land of bliss in his mysterious world, he completely forgot about the imminent danger threatening his life like a knife on his throat.

He devoted himself entirely to improving his skill in appendectomy and even put various creative and unorthodox theories into practice.

In the end, Zheng Ren made a flower out of a plain and simple appendectomy.

From fifteen minutes for a simple appendectomy at the start, he was able to treat a complicated case of phlegmonous appendicitis within five minutes. Everything else in his mind was cast aside as he immersed himself in an inextricable, addictive mire.

The System's rating was updated from Good to Excellent.

With only two days left on the training program, it finally concluded that Zheng Ren could perform an appendectomy perfectly.

Even so, he did not dare to slack off and tried his best to improve every surgical step as much as possible, since his life was at stake.

When the timer finally reached zero, the operating theater started dissipating and, without warning, Zheng Ren was immediately flung out of the mysterious world.

The world was etched in shadow as if the sky was a blanket of gray and a storm was about to hit. Even the air was no longer fresh, as the faint, metallic scent of blood lingered in the atmosphere.

Splash... The sound of running tap water snapped Zheng Ren's mind back to reality.

Time in the real world had remained stationary but Zheng Ren had a strange feeling that he was at least twenty years older at present.

He had performed almost 2300 appendectomy surgeries within that split second, which were basically all the appendectomies he would do in his entire life.

After rinsing the surgical instruments thoroughly and quickly, he placed them into a sterilization box and opened the procedure room door.

"Hello, Doctor Zheng."

The voices were thunderous and simultaneous.

Those brutes were nowhere to be seen; instead, Elder San was standing there leisurely along with two rows of ten men in the corridor, who bowed and greeted in unison as soon as the door opened.

"Cool!" Surrounding bystanders were excited to see such a spectacular scene.

"I'm sorry, Doctor Zheng. Ms. Bu has some issues to attend to and can't visit you personally. May I ask if you are free tonight?" asked Elder San courteously.

Time? That was exactly what Zheng Ren lacked at the moment.

Thus, he answered instinctively without the slightest hesitation, "No."

"..."

There was a moment of awkward silence.

Elder San, who was briefly stunned, smiled and replied without losing his manners, "We shall visit you again next time, Doctor Zheng."

"That's... That's very kind of you." Zheng Ren realized his mistake immediately, but how could he waste time for leisure when his life was being threatened by the System? If he missed an appendectomy because of this... Well, he would be one step closer to hell.

He had no choice but to go with the flow, so he explained apologetically, "I'm really busy these few days. I'll be free after this."

Instead of continuing the conversation, Elder San summoned Little Six to apologize to Zheng Ren and departed.

Once Elder San and his people had left the hospital, the doctors and nurses of the emergency department surrounded Zheng Ren immediately to ask about the incident just now.

"Zheng Ren, come to my office." A voice reached Zheng Ren's ears, which saved him from getting overwhelmed by the situation.

He recognized it as the voice of Old Chief Physician Pan and squeezed through the crowd quickly. "Chief Physician Pan, you've returned."

"Yes, we'll have a chat in my office."

After they entered the room, Chief Physician Pan immediately sat on his swivel chair and said, "Do you know what I did today?"

Zheng Ren was at a loss for words as he was still unaccustomed to Chief Physician Pan's speaking style.

"I demanded hospital management transfer some staff for my plan to establish an emergency operating theater," said Chief Physician Pan, who was staring at Zheng Ren intently with a piercing gaze, as if he was a general in an expeditionary warfare. "Do you feel confident?"

He cut straight to the point without any greeting or prior warning.

Zheng Ren fell in love with Chief Physician Pan's disposition instantly.

Chief Physician Pan's words nearly made him weep and he was willing to dedicate himself entirely to this elderly man for saving his life.

What troubled Zheng Ren the most? Before this, it had been performing ten appendectomies perfectly within three days. After that fifteen days in hell, this mission was not a problem any more.

Zheng Ren figured that his surgical technique for appendectomy had reached a Master rank or higher after performing thousands of appendectomies of different variations within the System. He could still potentially fall short of perfection, but the chances of that were very minimal.

The real problem was... Where the hell was he supposed to find patients with acute appendicitis? The operating theater? A surgical team—nurses for both the operating theater and patients' postoperative care, anesthesiologists, clinicians—would be required as well.

In other words, an appendectomy was one of the simplest minor surgeries in the general surgery department, but at least twenty more staff would be required if this simple surgery was to be performed in the emergency department.

Where else would he perform an appendectomy apart from the emergency department? It would be unwise to return to the general surgery department, and there was not enough time for him to change his workplace, either.

If he were honest with himself, his initial plan was to perform the surgeries in some random, illegal clinic.

Chief Physician Pan furrowed his eyebrows, which radiated the austerity of two intimidating black dragons, when he noticed Zheng Ren's peculiar expression.

Zheng Ren snapped out of his thoughts and answered immediately, "Chief Physician Pan, I can start performing surgeries as soon as the team is assembled."

Zheng Ren's words softened Chief Physician Pan's stony expression slightly.

"Any thoughts?"

"In order to train the team and speed up the adaptation process, I'm going to perform all available appendectomy cases first," said Zheng Ren confidently.

Smack! Chief Physician Pan slammed his palm onto the table suddenly which made Zheng Ren jump up in shock.

"Exactly what I had in mind. Do you know what I've been doing this whole day?" asked Chief Physician Pan.

"I visited the director, the nursing department, and the anesthesiology department to request for some staff transfers," answered Chief Physician Pan, who was in high spirits, "Doctor Zheng Ren, I'm going to need you to develop a hardworking spirit and build a successful surgical team as soon as possible!"

Normally, these words would have definitely and greatly exhaust Zheng Ren.

However, today, they were like music to his ears.

What a lifesaver! Zheng Ren fought the urge to rush forward, hug Chief Physician Pan, and cry.

He had to complete ten surgeries perfectly with a knife to his neck. The stress was overwhelming but Zheng Ren needed to vent his anxiety elsewhere.

"Chief Physician Pan, please tell them to hurry up. I'd like to perform surgery immediately if conditions permit it," said Zheng Ren.

Chief Physician Pan was visibly startled as he heard this.

After running around the hospital and repeatedly asking for favors for a whole day, Chief Physician Pan's plan was finally starting to take shape.

He was even thinking about how to persuade Zheng Ren—who was the only surgeon in the emergency department—on the way back to the hospital. He could assist Zheng Ren in surgery temporarily, but he would definitely be exhausted—especially in his advancing age—if there were more than five surgeries in a day.

To his surprise, his plan was going so smoothly that it was almost beyond his control.

Chief Physician Pan pointed at the chair opposite him. "Sit down and talk."

Zheng Ren finally noticed that he had been standing in front of Chief Physician Pan like a soldier ever since they had entered the office.

"Little Zheng, I can see that you're talented but unrecognized. You may suffer for a while in the emergency department but trust me, you'll benefit in the long run," Chief Physician Pan said sincerely without his usual sternness.

"Chief Physician Pan, don't worry. I'm not afraid of trouble," replied Zheng Ren confidently.

Chief Physician Pan had been prepared to negotiate with Zheng Ren initially but the young doctor's enthusiasm was beyond his expectations.

Motivated and impulsive. Oh... It must be nice to be young.

"Well, we can't rush everything, since it takes time to allocate related personnel too. Besides, we have to start small and figure out how to improve flaws later."

...

Everything had its own destiny. It was unalterable.

Dejected and dispirited, Zheng Ren left Chief Physician Pan's office with his mind full of thoughts about the mission—ten surgeries within three days.

If all else failed, he could visit the villages around Sea City to treat any appendicitis case.

However, it was difficult to perform appendectomies perfectly there due to unsatisfactory sterilization and disinfection conditions.

The System's unknown threat left Zheng Ren in distress and sadness.

...

Chief Physician Pan shook the calm and peaceful atmosphere of the hospital like a catfish stirring up mud in a crystal-clear pond.

It had been a long time since Sea City General Hospital planned a major project. Soon, everyone in the hospital knew that the emergency department was planning to expand its territory with the establishment of a new emergency operating theater.

The general surgery department and orthopedic surgery department bore the brunt of this project as the minor surgeries in these two departments happened to be the most common cases seen in the emergency department.

The chief surgeons in the first and second general surgery department were instantly restless and troubled when they caught wind of the emergency department's plan on using acute appendicitis cases to initiate the project.

After a brief discussion, they brought several subordinate doctors to the emergency department to confront those behind the new development.

A dozen doctors in white coats appeared on one end of the corridor. The group was arranged in a triangle resembling a sharp arrowhead, with two chief surgeons leading the group at its tip followed by the deputy chief surgeons, attending surgeons, chief residents, and clinicians.

Most people would be struck with awe witnessing this shocking and magnificent scene.

However, both Zheng Ren and Chief Physician Pan were immune to such foibles.

"Old Pan, I heard that you're going to establish an emergency operating theater?" hissed Chief Surgeon Liu of the first general surgery department, who had reached the limit of his patience. His intense hatred of the whistleblower—Zheng Ren—compelled him to launch an attack immediately upon arrival without even an attempt a chit-chat.

"Did the hospital management transfer you guys to the emergency department?" asked Chief Physician Pan, who was looking askew at Chief Surgeon Liu despite knowing the answer.

"Would there be anyone else willing to come here? If so, why have I never heard of it?" Chief Surgeon Liu retaliated immediately.

"Why are you guys so free, anyway? Is there no surgery happening at all in the general surgery department? You're all doctors, so start behaving like one! I may be senile, but you're not supposed to act with such immaturity, either! Who the hell gave you the courage to cause trouble in the emergency department?!" Chief Physician Pan, sometimes called 'Cannon Pan', was known for his caustic level of sarcasm during arguments.

Everyone lowered their head and avoided direct eye contact with him as he pointed at them, radiating a tyrant's aura.

Chief Surgeons Liu and Chief Surgeon Sun from the second general surgery department immediately felt that things were going wrong. Both departments had the best and most advanced technical skills in general surgery in the province, and they were here on the offensive against the emergency department, not to get reprimanded by Chief Physician Pan.

"Old Pan, I respect your contribution to the military hospital before, but is there anyone capable of performing surgery in the emergency department? Who is going to take responsibility for delays in treatment for emergency cases?" asked Chief Surgeon Liu sullenly after regaining his cool.

"Yo!" Chief Physician Pan was completely disinterested in humoring Chief Surgeon Liu. "Do you still remember who taught you surgery? You dare ask me who'll take responsibility? I, Old Pan, am standing here right now; of course the responsibility is mine!"

Chief Surgeon Liu was Chief Physician Pan's student? Hardly anyone in the hospital knew of this mentor-apprentice relationship since the connection between the two was not obvious at all.

Chief Surgeon Liu's expression darkened instantly as Chief Physician Pan flaunted his seniority, which forced him to concede their argument. Even if he was justified, none of it would matter when the hospital CEO condemned him for disrespecting an elderly colleague.

Thus, he directed his vitriol at Zheng Ren.

"Zheng Ren, I taught you everything you know, and now you want to become the lead surgeon of the emergency department? Let me tell you something, you're not qualified!"

Zheng Ren was well-mannered and meek. He never fought back, quarreled or grumbled no matter what happened.

However, there was a cold, sharp feeling at his throat. Three days left.

Rather than being a coward, he simply felt that arguing was pointless. However, inevitably, even a worm will turn.

Sparks flew as Zheng Ren met Chief Surgeon Liu's gaze unflinchingly.

"Chief Surgeon Liu, Chief Physician Pan, how about this... I'll perform ten appendectomies and both of you can observe them together. If there is a single mistake or flaw in any of them, I will resign immediately," announced Zheng Ren.

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Chapter 12: A Live Broadcast of A Misdiagnosed Case

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Er... Chief Surgeon Liu was taken by surprise.

He had the impression that Zheng Ren was an honest conformist, quiet as a lamb.

It was easier to oppress a mild-tempered man of straw and Chief Surgeon Liu was aware of it.

That was exactly why he stopped arguing with Chief Physician Pan. If anyone found out that he had actually supplanted his mentor, who was also the former chief surgeon in the general surgery department, his reputation would be damaged.

However, Zheng Ren's huge attitude change upon transferring to the emergency department, even making such an arrogant announcement, was completely beyond expectation.

Not everyone was capable of performing a surgery. Fault-finding, though? That was easy.

What a small-minded imbecile! Chief Surgeon Liu gave Zheng Ren a contemptuous gaze. Then, he smiled and replied immediately before Chief Physician Pan could disagree: "Okay! You'll handle all appendicitis cases for the next few days. If you do well, the general surgery... The first general surgery department will never perform an appendectomy again. Otherwise, haha!"

Smiling wickedly, Chief Surgeon Liu turned around and walked away without giving Chief Physician Pan a chance to refuse.

Chief Surgeon Sun from the second general surgery department could not understand Zheng Ren's motives for such an overconfident decision and was immersed in his own train of thought as he followed Chief Surgeon Liu out of the emergency department.

Finally, some peace and quiet, but Chief Physician Old Pan could not but feel helpless.

"Little Zheng, that was a little too big for your boots," said the perturbed Chief Physician Pan.

"Chief Physician Pan, if my skills aren't up to par, we won't be able to carry out our plans for emergency surgery anyway. However, they won't find any mistakes at all if my standard is good enough. Rest assured, I'll complete the task that you assigned to me," Zheng Ren promised, happy that he found a way to live.

Rest assured? How? Chief Physician Old Pan had used a scalpel for more than forty years. Surgeries without any mistakes... they existed, but were very rare.

"Let's go to the general surgery department. When it's time for me to perform surgery, I'd like to request the honor of your presence to prevent them from bending the truth."

The source of Zheng Ren's confidence remained a mystery to Chief Physician Old Pan, but what could he possibly do when the deal was on? Sighing heavily, he instructed all doctors on duty in the emergency department to transfer every acute appendicitis case or similar they had to the ward for consultation.

After that, the duo headed straight toward the first general surgery department in silence.

...

...

Zheng Ren recalled multiple patients with abdominal pain in the first general surgery department, waiting to be examined for educational purposes in live surgical demonstrations.

He went straight to the wards first instead of entering the office upon arrival at the general surgery department.

Whenever Zheng Ren stared at a patient, their relevant diagnostic information would appear at the upper right corner of his vision, which signified that the System was still operational.

However, the words were slightly blurry and seemed faded.

A countdown timer was hovering at the highest point of his vision. Two days and twenty-two hours left.

"Yo? A chief resident from the emergency department is here for a ward round in the general surgery department?" scoffed Cen Meng—a chief resident in the first general surgery department—after witnessing Zheng Ren's patrol around the wards.

Apart from a few experienced senior consultants, no one dared to do ward rounds in other unrelated departments.

This assault of mockery was fired at full power, and Cen Meng had a lot more ammunition waiting to be launched at Zheng Ren.

Pretending as if he heard nothing at all, Zheng Ren continued to walk around and check every patient with abdominal pain to be examined before saying to Cen Meng, "Chief Cen, the patient in bed number three-seven is suffering from an acute appendicitis in the ectopic position and requires immediate surgical intervention."

Cen Meng was stunned momentarily. The ward round he mentioned just now was meant to be a taunt and he had not expected Zheng Ren to take it seriously at all.

Was Zheng Ren looking for a fight?

Cen Meng recalled that the patient in bed three-seven was a forty-year-old male admitted on the first day of the month due to upper right abdominal pain. B-scan ultrasonography findings included an inflammatory mass at the right hypochondrium region with gallbladder wall thickening, which was suggestive of acute cholecystitis.

He diagnosed an acute cholecystitis patient with acute appendicitis? What an idiot...

"Where did you learn surgery from? An appendix lies in the right iliac fossa region, not the right hypochondrium region," sneered Cen Meng.

"I told you, an ectopic appendix." Zheng Ren walked past Cen Meng towards the workstation in front of Chief Physician Old Pan and brought out the patient record of bed three-seven.

"Chief Physician Pan, please take a look at that patient. I think this is a misdiagnosis in the first general surgery department," said Zheng Ren.

Chief Physician Old Pan was at a loss for words.

Misdiagnosis? Damn, that was humiliating. Reconciliation would be impossible from now on.

Whose humiliation it was would be a mystery until later.

How much resentment had he built up to accuse the general surgery department of a misdiagnosis?

An ominous feeling came over Chief Physician Old Pan as he read through the patient record.

Was it possible that he misjudged Zheng Ren when the man was actually a brainless bastard? He took a lifetime to build up a good reputation; was he going to lose it due to this foolish imbecile? There was an inflammatory mass at the anatomical position of the gallbladder. An ectopic appendix was a possibility but honestly, it was at the bottom of the list.

Well, it was alright to proceed for surgical intervention since an incision would be made on the right upper quadrant of the abdomen anyway. Cholecystectomy and appendectomy were just names. The true operation for this patient was an exploratory laparotomy.

However... even Chief Physician Old Pan assumed that this would be a case of acute cholecystitis as well.

Clinically, no one would pay much attention to rare diseases as their chances of occurrence were so small that it would be unwise to hinder a normal medical procedure because of it.

Various investigative reports suggested the patient was most probably suffering from acute cholecystitis.

The patient was currently in the operating theater's elective surgery waiting list after his family members had consented to surgical treatment.

A diagnosis of acute appendicitis in a patient with suspected acute cholecystitis felt unreliable in every aspect.

"Zheng Ren, are you done? Don't forget, you were transferred away..." reprimanded Cen Meng before he was interrupted by Chief Surgeon Liu.

"Isn't the patient prepared for operation? Send him to the operating theater and let Zheng Ren perform the surgery. An acute appendicitis of ectopic position is possible but low on the list. What's the worst that could happen? A misdiagnosis, that's all. We can proceed for an exploratory laparotomy to locate the source when that happens. Cen Meng, tag along and pay attention to the patient's safety."

Then, Chief Surgeon Liu glared at Cen Meng and added. "The patient's surgery is of utmost importance. Negligence is intolerable."

Cen Meng nodded in response.

Cen Meng understood Chief Surgeon Liu's plan instantly as he was involved in the retaliation against the emergency department earlier. Grinning peculiarly and devilishly, he leaned closer to Chief Surgeon Liu and whispered, "Perhaps I can inform the operating theater to arrange a live broadcast in the surgical demonstration classroom. You can inform the upper management of the medical administrative division in the meantime, just in case..."

What a kind and thoughtful lad! The delighted Chief Surgeon Liu patted Cen Meng's shoulder gently. His effort in promoting this chief resident was not in vain after all.

This time, Chief Surgeon Liu will slap Zheng Ren to death and remind Chief Physician Pan that it was foolish to overstep his workplace boundaries!

He winked at Cen Meng, who understood immediately and started making the necessary arrangements.

Chief Surgeon Liu glanced at Zheng Ren coldly and snorted. "Zheng Ren, normally I wouldn't allow you to make nonsense out of this patient's final diagnosis, but I'll give you a chance to prove yourself since whatever you confidently said just now sounded logical too. However, I've to warn you that the operating table isn't someplace where you can fool around as you please. If your diagnosis is wrong, I'll ask Cen Meng to take over and when that happens... Humph!"

...

...

The same anonymous account started a live stream and uploaded the patient's disease condition and various investigation reports to Xinglin Garden.

"Which hospital starts a live broadcast on Xinglin Garden?"

"Perhaps someone who is trying to make a name for himself. Well, it's normal for these people to disappear in the end anyway."

"Hahaha, did you guys read it? A case of acute cholecystitis but treated as an acute appendicitis. How is the surgeon going to broadcast a surgery when he can't even diagnose a patient correctly? Does he want to show us the battle between surgeons postoperatively?"

The video livestream attracted the attention of more than a dozen doctors in a very short amount of time.

Those who had the courage to live stream surgery were usually experienced senior consultants.

However, a live broadcast of an appendectomy, sorry... a "misdiagnosed" appendectomy... Was this supposed to be a joke?

The first batch of viewers started inviting their friends or fellow colleagues, and the viewership climbed even further.

The hospital's and patient's name in every medical record and investigative report were pixelated in order to anonymize the location of the live broadcast.

Regardless, none of the viewers cared about those details in the first place. There was only one thing that really caught their eyes—this was a misdiagnosis!

...

...

The surgical demonstration classroom was spacious and bright. A dozen doctors were surrounding Chief Physician Pan just like stars twinkling around a dazzling moon.

This arrangement was Chief Surgeon Liu's idea.

The higher Chief Physician Pan climbed, the harder he would fall ten minutes later.

Yes, only ten minutes were required to expose Zheng Ren as an incompetent and idiotic surgeon. Decades of clinical experience gave Chief Surgeon Liu confidence.

Chief Surgeon Liu could foresee the bright future ahead of him; a future where no one dared to offend him after witnessing the unfortunate outcome of the emergency department.

"Chief Physician Pan, everything was arranged according to your request. The scrub nurse came from the emergency department and Zheng Ren mentioned that he didn't need a surgical assistant. Are you satisfied with this arrangement?" Cen Meng walked into the surgical demonstration classroom and stood in front of Chief Physician Pan courteously, tone and expression flawless.

The deputy division chief from the medical administrative division was sitting beside Chief Physician Pan with a peculiar look on his face.

Chief Physician Pan was really showing his age to allow a mere junior attending surgeon to mess around with such a simple case.

Alas... it was better to go through some trouble this time so that he would not need to handle their disputes in the future.

An eerie silence engulfed the surgical demonstration classroom as everyone became immersed in their own trains of thought.

The anesthesiologist then made a gesture on the screen. The operation had officially begun.

The scalpel was thin and shiny. Without hesitation, the first incision was made.

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Chapter 13: Acute Phlegmonous Appendicitis with An Ectopic Appendix

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Zheng Ren used the scalpel to make a five-centimeter incision—the standard incision size in an appendectomy. Xie Yiren—the scrub nurse—watched his hand movements attentively so that she could predict the next procedure and hand over the necessary instrument in advance.

Very professional coordination, it was standard for a surgeon.

Electrocauterization for hemostasis, the small curved forceps for blunt dissection... Slowly but surely, the surgery for the 'misdiagnosed' case began.

In the surgical demonstration classroom, Cen Meng was grinning delightfully while staring at the screen. "That's a small incision. He must be very confident of himself."

"That's true. It's rare to make such a small incision in a standard appendectomy."

"Well, we learned something this time."

The deliberately ambiguous comments were like numerous palms slapping Chief Physician Pan's cheeks with all their might.

Lowering his head shamefully, he prepared himself mentally to lose every bit of dignity he had left.

The only thing supporting Chief Physician Pan's belief in Zheng Ren was the impressive performance of the latter had given with the pancreaticoduodenectomy last time.

Xinglin Garden was livelier than the surgical demonstration classroom at the moment.

None of them knew each other since it was just a live broadcast. There was no conflict of interest, only pure academic discussion.

Thus, their comments were more straightforward and harsh.

[Exploratory laparotomy on the right hypochondrium region with just a five-centimeter incision? What is the surgeon thinking?]

[He figured that the inflammatory stripe in the gallbladder area was actually an abscess in the appendix, hence the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Just keep quiet and watch the surgery.]

[This is the most ridiculous surgery that I've seen in my entire life. It's a miracle that this surgeon is able to survive until now without getting killed.]

Regardless, no comments—in Xinglin Garden or the surgical demonstration classroom—reached Zheng Ren's ears.

It was quiet inside the operating theater. Zheng Ren used a small gauze to cover the incision and upturned his palm. A medium-sized curved forceps was immediately placed on it.

"Aspirator with suction tube," said Zheng Ren coldly as he put the forceps on the surgical drape while staring attentively at the operative field.

This was the first time Xie Yiren had made a mistake in her judgment. She quickly connected the suction tube to the aspirator and put it on Zheng Ren's outstretched hand.

The hissing sound produced by the aspirator broke the silence in the operating theater.

Zheng Ren held the aspirator in one hand and separated the peritoneum with the blunt end of the curved forceps with the other hand. The aspirator was inserted as soon as the peritoneum was opened.

"Cen Meng, prepare to perform a surgical scrub," instructed Chief Surgeon Liu when he heard Zheng Ren's request for an aspirator before opening the peritoneum.

His voice was soft but loud enough for Chief Physician Pan to hear him very clearly.

Derision. This was undisguised contempt.

Zheng Ren's surgical technique—from making the first incision until now—had been flawless. If anyone attempted to find fault on purpose, their authority would have been questioned.

However, Chief Surgeon Liu was convinced Zheng Ren had made a mistake in his diagnosis. Thus, he had instructed Cen Meng to scrub up and prepare to take over the operation before the peritoneum had even been opened. That was exactly what he had in mind all along to humiliate both Chief Physician Pan and Zheng Ren.

Watching the scene progressed as his script made Chief Surgeon Liu smile in delight.

His presence in the operating theater was not required at all. Even if this was a complicated case of acute cholecystitis, Cen Meng—a chief resident—alone was more than enough to handle it personally.

He just needed to sit there and give Chief Physician Pan a contemptuous gaze.

On the other hand, numerous comments started flooding the live broadcast in Xinglin Garden.

[F*ck! He was really performing the surgery as if it was an appendicitis case. It's rare to find such an awesome doctor nowadays.]

[How confident was he to perform a surgery without an assistant?]

[An aspirator? Is this live broadcast a joke? If he can aspirate any pus out of that incision, I'll start a live stream and drink all the pus myself.]

...

The aspirator was quickly inserted into the small opening in the peritoneum, which fit perfectly without any visible leakage of pus.

Thick yellowish-green pus was drawn into the suction tube as soon as it entered the peritoneal cavity.

There was a huge amount of pus and it took almost thirty-two seconds to complete the drainage.

In the surgical demonstration classroom, Cen Meng, who had been instructed to perform a surgical scrub, merely stood rooted to the spot while the wide smile on Chief Surgeon Liu's face stiffened into a rictus instantly.

Pus? Suppuration was normally absent in acute cholecystitis and the most common clinical case with pus collection was actually acute appendicitis.

This patient was really suffering from acute appendicitis? This was actually a misdiagnosis?

Impossible! Both Cen Meng and Chief Surgeon Liu desperately tried to recall B-scan ultrasonographic findings for acute phlegmonous appendicitis. There had to be a clue hidden in the B-scan that they missed even if the appendix was in an ectopic position.

Cen Meng stood still at the doorway, caught up in a dilemma between staying or leaving.

His faith was shaken. If he appeared in the operating theater after scrubbing up and the diagnosis of acute appendicitis was proven correct, it would be extremely humiliating, right? How embarrassing it would be if that really happened under the live stream.

In Xinglin Garden, the chat room was completely overwhelmed by comments.

[What the f*ck! He really aspirated pus out of that. That wasn't a gallbladder perforation, right?]

[Is the brother who wanted to start a live broadcast still okay? Was the pus delicious? I'm still waiting for your livestream.]

[Damn... It really was a case of acute appendicitis? Why haven't I encountered such cases before?]

[The surgeon must be very confident to make a five-centimeter incision on a patient with phlegmonous appendicitis. Who is this demon in the live stream?]

Thirty-two seconds later, there was no pus in the suction tube any more.

Zheng Ren placed the aspirator on the sterile gauze Xie Yiren had positioned in advance to prevent contamination to the operating field.

He then continued separating the peritoneum.

Then, a thick, huge, blackish-purple wormlike thing emerged from the three-centimeter opening in the peritoneum.

The peritoneum separation continued to approximately five centimeters when the blackish-purple thing popped out of the opening.

It was engorged, edematous, and had pus collections on it.

No matter what that wormlike thing looked like in the end, every surgeon would recognize it at first glance. That was an appendix.

It could only be an appendix.

It must be an appendix.

Dead silence reigned in the surgical demonstration classroom in that instant.

The smile froze on Chief Surgeon Liu's face and there was an uncontrollable quiver in his orbicularis oculi muscles, as if he was undergoing electrical nerve stimulation.

Chief Physician Old Pan straightened his back and tightly clenched his fists as he fixed his full, attentive gaze on the screen.

There was a temporary halt in comments on the live stream as every viewer finally realized that this was indeed an appendectomy with an incision made on the right hypochondrium region.

The comments started flowing again forty-seven seconds later.

[What the f*ck... What an awesome surgeon.]

[How did he come to that diagnosis when none of the preoperative investigations showed evidence of an ectopic appendix? I'm convinced that the surgeon must have hidden some investigative results.]

[You say it like you'd have the courage to diagnose such after performing a lower abdominal MRI scan. Mortals, tremble before your God.]

Zheng Ren's hands were stable, with slow but precise movements.

Since the appendiceal artery was engorged and edematous, Zheng Ren chose to perform stitch ties instead of a conventional ligation technique. His hands started dancing again, weaving the needle within the five square centimeters with ease.

The purulent appendix was resected and thrown into a specimen container along with the forceps.

Zheng Ren held his hand out again but this time, Xie Yiren's movement was sluggish, as if she was hesitating.

Zheng Ren, who was staring at the operative field attentively, seemed to understand the cause of her hesitation. Thus, he said without looking at her, "Small curved forceps and surgical scissors."

"The peritoneal cavity should be irrigated with normal saline after the resection of the appendix. What does he want to do with those instruments?" asked a random observer in the surgical demonstration classroom.

It was a question thrown without the blatant contempt that hung in the air before the surgery had even begun.

The surgery aside, that an ectopic appendix was accurately diagnosed was enough for any surgeon to gloat for a lifetime.

Moreover, the operation was done very beautifully. The whole process from the incision to the current procedure took only three minutes, and that included half a minute of pus aspiration.

Anyone with a doubt in their mind in that instant fought the urge to ask questions to prevent themselves from being humiliated. Even if an inquiry was made, its voice would be so soft that it would almost sound like unspoken criticism.

[Small-sized curved forceps? Surgical scissors? What for?]

[The appendix was resected, so what is he going to do now? Demon, that's a marvelous performance. Please give us a classic memory and don't screw it up.]

[What do you even know? He's much better than you.]

Xinglin Garden was indeed a website for adepts. Once they witnessed the mind-blowing skills of the surgeon, more than half of the viewers started expressing their admiration.

Birds of a feather flock together, and those willing to spend time on this website were experts who valued skills and professionalism.

It was their nature to worship anyone who could execute such a high-performing surgery.

[He is debriding the abscesses on the wall of the gallbladder!]

[Oh my God, is he not worried about damaging the edematous gallbladder?]

[Worship! Which hospital is this daemon working? I'm going to go further my studies!]

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Chapter 14: Postoperative Evaluation, Perfect!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The operative site had a very limited field of vision. Back in the day, Zheng Ren definitely would not have completed a surgery under such circumstances.

A restrictive line of sight increased the degree of difficulty of surgery tremendously.

However, after continuously performing more than two thousand appendectomies in the intensive training provided by the System, he had acclimatized the operative view of a tiny surgical opening.

It was impossible to attain the perfect standard required by the System with a large incision anyway, as it was simply too messy and amateurish.

If this was an ordinary surgery, the operation would have been declared successful once the inflamed appendix was resected. The following steps would be peritoneal cavity irrigation with normal saline, topical administration of antibiotics and finally, surgical wound closure.

However, that was nowhere close to perfection. At the upper right corner of Zheng Ren's vision laid a surgical progress bar which stated [86 percent].

Excellent rating only. Not enough yet.

What Zheng Ren needed to do right now was to debride the abscesses on the surface of the gallbladder wall so that antibiotics could take effect as soon as possible.

The gallbladder was edematous due to bacterial infection and caused its surrounding walls to be fragile, like a delicate porcelain vase.

It was beyond question that the 86 percent shown in the progress bar would reduce to negative instantly if there was an iatrogenic perforation of the gallbladder wall.

This procedure put not only the patient's life at risk, but also Zheng Ren's. Thus, extreme vigilance was compulsory and negligence was not an option in this situation.

Both the medium-sized curved forceps and the surgical scissors were in his right hand, with the finger holder of the scissors hanging on his right thumb. Depending on what was required, the positions of these two instruments could be swapped easily with a gentle flick of his fingers.

His hand movements were gentle and proficient as he dissected the abscesses from the surface of the gallbladder wall using the blunt end of the surgical scissors, which hung on his thumb most of the time.

Sea City General Hospital was well-equipped with advanced demonstration hardware for learning purposes. There were two monitors in the surgical demonstration classroom—one for the panoramic view of the surgical field, and the other connected to the camera in the surgical lighthead. The camera was able to capture everything the light touched, and so blindspots were essentially nonexistent as the surgery was projected onto the classroom screens.

Zheng Ren's hand movements were displayed very clearly when the second screen was set as the main view of the surgical field.

"That is skillful, but why does it look so familiar?"

"The way he uses the surgical scissors and medium-sized forceps..."

Chief Surgeon Liu's expression darkened instantly upon hearing the discussion behind him.

On the other hand, Chief Physician Old Pan was not in a good mood, either. He believed Zheng Ren was simply gilding the lily in debriding the abscesses from the surface of the gallbladder wall, since the patient's immune system could deal with them postoperatively with no issue.

At least the risk of surgical failure would be minimal even if the patient had to be discharged a few days late. The game was not worth the candle if surgical complications arose because of this unnecessary procedure.

The chat room in Xinglin Garden was overwhelmed with comments.

The view of the surgical field in the live broadcast was much clearer and direct than the projector screen used in Sea City General Hospital's surgical demonstration classroom.

[The surgery and live broadcast are amazing and professional. Is it possible that some live broadcast platform is going to start livestreaming surgeries and came here to test the waters?]

[Don't be ridiculous. There are less than a hundred surgeons in this country who can perform such an outstanding surgery. No matter who he is, it's impossible that he would visit any live broadcast platform to livestream his surgery.]

[The blunt dissections were done beautifully. My fifty-meter surgical sword is craving blood. Fortunately, I have surgery this evening. I'm going to try it out later.]

After worshipping a god, it was time for reassessment, amelioration, and experiments.

Every doctor... Well, most doctors possessed this insatiable hunger for knowledge.

Each and every comment transformed into specks of light, invisible to the naked eye, which passed through the dimensional barrier and flew right into the fox statue in the System.

Slowly but surely, the spacial distortion in the System stabilized.

"Warm normal saline and gentamicin irrigation." Zheng Ren sighed in relief as the last abscess was dissected. Staring at the transparent screen on the upper right corner of his vision which showed 97 percent, his initial anxiety was slowly replaced with calm.

Based on Zheng Ren's experience, that number would reach 100 percent as long as he followed basic surgical steps—irrigation and abdominal surgical wound closure, which meant that he had performed this appendectomy surgery perfectly.

Success!

After the warm normal saline was handed over, Zheng Ren started pouring it along the tiny surgical incision into the peritoneal cavity and waited for twenty seconds before aspiration was initiated.

Meanwhile, Xie Yiren filled the syringe with gentamicin and removed the needle before passing it to Zheng Ren.

He injected gentamicin into the peritoneal cavity slowly before starting abdominal wound closure.

Some liked to use powdered antibiotics from the cephalosporin family while others preferred to use old-fashioned gentamicin for intraperitoneal administration of antimicrobials.

Zheng Ren belonged to the latter group.

There was a subtle difference between these two options. Based on Zheng Ren's experience after thousands of surgical practices in the System, he concluded that gentamicin was more suitable for this patient's current condition.

The abdominal incision was small so its closure could be done in a short amount of time.

However, Zheng Ren dared not loosen up or let his guard down because he was unsure whether he was given only ten surgeries to perform perfectly or if ten perfect surgeries were required from a hundred. God only knew what the System actually wanted with him...

He had no choice but to put pressure on himself. He needed to perform ten operations and all of them had to achieve perfection.

Each layer of the abdominal cavity was sutured accordingly. Once Zheng Ren reached the skin layer, he hesitated for a while before asking for a 3-0 absorbable suture for a running subcuticular suture technique.

This surgery was officially complete, according to Xie Yiren.

She relaxed and smiled. "Doctor Zheng, the patient is a forty-year-old man. I don't think an abdominal scar is a concern to him at all."

"I just want to do everything perfectly," replied Zheng Ren while continuing closure of the surgical wound.

"Young female patients will feel blessed under your care in the future," Xie Yiren smiled in response.

"Yes. I can make it woundless if it's just a simple appendicitis case," replied Zheng Ren.

Xie Yiren was stunned momentarily. Woundless? Doctor Zheng must be joking with her.

Yes... it must be a joke.

Even though Xie Yiren did not assist Zheng Ren in the operating theater frequently, it was perfectly normal for a surgical team to tell funny stories or make dirty jokes in order to maintain a joyful and tension-free atmosphere in the operating theater.

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Chapter 15: Dental Prosthesis and Primary Cell

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Zheng Ren's words were captured by the microphone, processed by the audio transmission system, and broadcast through the speakers of the surgical demonstration classroom.

"Outrageous!" shouted Chief Surgeon Liu when he finally found a flaw in this surgery.

"Chief Surgeon Liu, why convert your shame into rage? Zheng Ren was just making a joke. Besides, he wasn't cracking jokes with you, so why are you even mad at him?" replied Chief Physician Pan with a wide grin.

"As a rigorous and strict surgeon, what will they think of us when such irresponsible jokes are spread publicly?" criticized Chief Surgeon Liu, who was trying to add fuel to the fire.

Since Chief Physician Pan had won this competition, he was able to cross swords with Chief Surgeon Liu with ease and instantly changed the argument from the woundless appendectomy to the misdiagnosis by the first general surgery department.

The continuous fire forced Chief Surgeon Liu to flee the battlefield.

[Finishing an appendectomy with a continuous suture technique with an absorbable suture to achieve minimal scarring effect. Is he demonstrating a perfect surgery—without any flaws at all?]

For doctors who watched live streams, the initiation of peritoneal cavity irrigation basically signified the end of a surgery.

[Of course. It's extremely difficult to conclude that an appendix is in an ectopic position, but he diagnosed it without hesitation and even turned on a live broadcast of the surgery with confidence. I'm guessing that the surgeon is Lecturer Zhang from Union Medical College Hospital.]

[Impossible. Lecturer Zhang wouldn't broadcast his surgery.]

Most of the viewers typing '6661' in their comments were trying to guess the surgeon's identity as well.

No matter who they guessed, one thing was for sure—this surgeon had earned their respect. This was a flawless surgery that could become learning material in medical textbooks.

There was no audio in the livestream, so none of the viewers heard the woundless appendectomy Zheng Ren mentioned.

The surgery progress bar reached 100 percent as soon as Zheng Ren cut the suture thread. A perfect surgery!

After Zheng Ren changed into a normal attire and returned to the first general surgery department, Old Chief Physician Pan gave him a huge thumbs-up.

It was an old-fashioned style of expressing his joy, but that was how Old Chief Physician Pan complimented and approved Zheng Ren from the depths of his heart.

On the other hand, Zheng Ren's colleagues in the first general surgery department appeared dispirited and their gazes on him were foreign and adrift.

"Let's take a break and eat," said Old Chief Physician Pan as he tapped Zheng Ren gently on the shoulder and pushed him toward the exit.

However, food and rest were not Zheng Ren's main concern at the moment. His sharp eyes noticed that the transparent screen on the upper right corner of his vision seemed to have become clearer after the surgery was completed.

He needed to confirm something urgently. It was a life-and-death situation.

Old Chief Physician Pan's eyelids flickered momentarily as Zheng Ren rejected his kind offer. Left with no choice, he invited Xie Yiren to grab a casual meal.

Zheng Ren returned to the emergency department, turned on his cell phone, and ordered a set of dumplings with chives and egg fillings.

Since the food delivery rider would arrive with his food twenty minutes later, Zheng Ren made use of this time to lie on the bed in the male on-duty room, closed his eyes, and entered the mysterious world in the System.

The scenery remained the same as where he left last time. The only notable difference was the constant alteration in the color of everything in the world.

When he entered the System and was assigned a mission to complete ten perfect surgeries last time, the mysterious world was etched in gray as if a dust storm had rampaged through it.

Now, it seemed that all the color had been restored and this place was starting to brim with life and vitality again.

There was a huge change in his skill tree as well, from a Graduate rank with 330 skill points to the Expert rank with 1005 skill points.

Was this the result of the intensive training? Wow, was he that amazing already? It was unbelievable. At the same time, Zheng Ren felt exhilarated.

"Hello, anyone here?" yelled Zheng Ren.

No response, as usual...

What a strange System. Was it programmed not to communicate with the host at all? Well, Zheng Ren came here last time and was told that failure to complete the mission would end up in peril. That suggested the System lacked emotional intelligence entirely.

After making some silent complaints and failing to find any clues, he summoned his consciousness back to reality.

At least he learned something from this visit. He presumed the System had run out of power and required some sort of method to 'recharge' its energy.

Perhaps the completion of a perfect surgery was its method, after all.

That was a wild stretch of his imagination for a surgeon, but Zheng Ren had no other explanation.

Fortunately, he was off to a good start today. His first surgery was a complicated case of acute phlegmonous appendicitis with an ectopic appendix.

Most importantly, Zheng Ren's general surgery skill had reached the Expert rank, which boosted the junior attending surgeon's confidence tremendously.

Hopefully, the next few surgical cases were some simple, uncomplicated appendicitis cases. It was better not to take any risks and survival was of utmost importance in this situation.

His colleagues in the emergency department felt a little conflicted when they saw his arrival.

Those who were transferred to the emergency department were usually ordinary, unmotivated doctors, who had either been cast aside by their original department or merely wanted to rest for three to five days after being on call for twenty-four hours.

If an emergency operating theater was successfully established in the emergency department, did it mean that everyone would have an increased workload with greater responsibility?

Most doctors in the emergency department were in their forties. If they were willing to live their life as useless and indolent sloths, nobody could persuade them otherwise, not even the aggressive senior military doctor, Chief Physician Pan.

Well, none of them were Zheng Ren's business. All he needed to do right now was to wait patiently for the arrival of the next appendicitis case.

The emergency department increased in activity as the sun sank lower in the sky.

Various emergency cases—motor vehicle accidents, drunken brawls, acute gastroenteritis due to binge-eating, alcoholic intracerebral hemorrhaging, and myocardial infarctions—arrived at the emergency department, but not a single appendicitis case appeared.

Zheng Ren felt slightly helpless and dispirited, but it seemed inappropriate to pray for more appendicitis cases in Sea City solely for his own survival.

Before Xie Yiren returned home, she gave her phone number and WeChat ID to Zheng Ren so that he could call her if there was any emergency surgery.

Meanwhile, Zheng Ren assisted Yuan Li with wound closure of a few minor trauma cases and rinsed the surgical tray after treatment. After exiting the procedure room, a physician on duty pulled Zheng Ren aside and said, "Chief Zheng, please take a look at this patient."

COMMENT

"Speak slowly. What happened?"

"A sixty-two-year-old female came in with intermittent tinnitus and headache for twenty-two years. I ordered a cranial CT scan for her but the results came back normal. I suspected she was having a tension headache and wanted to refer her to the neurology department, but she started crying in my room afterward."

From the history given by the female physician who was in her forties, Zheng Ren realized that she diagnosed the patient with hysteria, where symptoms were felt as a result of imagination.

The physician was merely being indirect in her explanation.

The messy and confusing cases in the emergency department made Zheng Ren feel helpless, too. Left with no choice, he followed the physician to the internal medicine division.

A pale-faced woman with an expensive-looking outfit was sitting on the floor when they entered the consultation room.

The person beside her was behaving decently, which indicated that they were not here to deliberately cause trouble. Perhaps the woman had lost confidence in life and was having a mental breakdown in the consultation room.

Staring at the female patient on the floor, Zheng Ren was dumbfounded when he noticed the hovering words on the upper right corner of his vision.

"Auntie, can you please stand up?" asked Zheng Ren kindly and politely.

Absent-minded and dejected, the weeping patient ignored him and continued to lean against the wall.

Her family member, who was a man in his forties, apologized sincerely, "I'm sorry, doctor. I've no idea what happened to my mother. I brought her to various hospitals in Imperial Capital and Sorcery Capital previously but they couldn't provide a definitive diagnosis nor treatment."

"Oh... To be honest, the diagnosis is obvious and the treatment plan is easy. Let us discuss this outside," replied Zheng Ren, wearing a warm and gentle smile to establish trust more easily.

After softly persuading the patient for a while, the middle-aged man managed to pull her up and brought her to a plastic bench outside the consultation room.

The emergency department was a madhouse right now with many patients waiting in line for consultation.

The patient's despairing sobs saddened a few people. When Zheng Ren mentioned that he knew what was going on with the patient, a few busybodies in the crowd quickly took out their cell phones and started video recording.

"Doctor, I'm really sorry. We'll leave after resting for a while," apologized the middle-aged man while hugging and comforting the patient, who was presumably his mother.

Despite feeling anguish, he still plucked up his courage and attempted to console his mother.

"Did auntie undergo a dental implant recently?" asked Zheng Ren seriously.

"Yes, half a year ago." The middle-aged man failed to understand the purpose behind Zheng Ren's question. More importantly, how did Zheng Ren know about his mother's dental implant when they did not know each other at all?

COMMENT

Zheng Ren smiled in response. "That's it. The dizziness and buzzing in the ears happened after the dental implant, right?"

The middle-aged man gave it some thought, but was uncertain about the answer.

That dental implant was a success and no one had related it with the vertigo and tinnitus experienced by his mother.

"Perhaps an after-effect of the dental implant?"

"Impossible. She would have consulted the oral medicine department a long time ago if there was an issue with the implant. Honestly, I think that doctor is talking nonsense."

"A complicated disease which the Imperial Capital and Sorcery Capital failed to treat but expecting a cure in Sea City? That must be a joke."

Onlookers started quietly exchanging views on this matter.

"Let's put it this way. There should be some dental prosthesis or dentures polished with metallic substance in your mother's mouth, yes?" asked Zheng Ren confidently.

"..." Was this doctor a fortune-teller, too? The middle-aged man was confused as to why Zheng Ren insisted on relating his mother's tinnitus and headache to the dental issue.

Was it possible that he was actually some private medical sales representative who wore a white coat and pretended to be a doctor in the Sea City General Hospital?

Upon realizing the possibility, he became frustrated.

"A primary cell can be formed by putting two metals with different reactivities into a solution. A lesson learned in high school, I believe," explained Zheng Ren without shame. In fact, he had absolutely no idea what a primary cell was.

Metal reactivity? That was all Greek to him.

However, he was forced to explain it after noticing the change in the middle-aged man's expression.

"So?"

Chapter 16: The Length of The Entire Operation Depends On The Anesthesiologist

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"There are two dentures of different materials in auntie's mouth and they use the secretion in the mouth as an electrical conductor to form a primary cell. The signs and symptoms will manifest whenever saliva is secreted during activities, so it's actually normal to experience some buzzings in the ears and numbness because of this," explained Zheng Ren.

The onlookers were amazed and confused at the same time.

Most of them had no clue what a primary cell was, but they could still judge the accuracy of Zheng Ren's theory in his diagnosis.

"I'll refer you to the oral surgery department for a tooth extraction. Any tooth will do. You'll feel better afterward," said Zheng Ren.

The middle-aged man was startled and confused. Zheng Ren's words sounded logical, but... was that true? It seemed like a made-up story or some wild imagination.

Well, at least he was convinced that Zheng Ren was not a conman from some private pharmaceutical company.

A young man, who had failed to squeeze through the crowd with a cell phone in hand, stood on a plastic bench and yelled at his phone, "Brothers, the doctor said that two dentures of different materials will form a primary cell in the mouth. Look at that theory, it's amazing! This is the current medical standard in Sea City. Fantastic! Absolutely outstanding! Everybody shout with me, 666! Send me airplanes and rockets too!"

Zheng Ren was stupefied. What the hell was this? Why did that young man, who appeared well and healthy, come to the emergency department in the middle of the night? Just for a live broadcast?

After informing the doctor on duty in the oral surgery department, the wait for an appendicitis case continued...

Fortunately, the worst-case scenario did not happen. Soon, a young patient, presumably a high school student, appeared before Zheng Ren.

After the diagnosis was confirmed, Zheng Ren brought the patient and his family members to the first general surgery department and called Xia Yiren along the way to inform her about the emergency surgery.

It was late in the night and extremely unsafe for a young lady to travel in this city, so Zheng Ren offered to fetch Xie Yiren personally but was rejected in return. According to her, she would arrive at the hospital very soon.

Sure enough, Xie Yiren reached the general surgery department right after Zheng Ren finished writing the preoperative assessment form, which took less than ten minutes.

"How did you arrive so quickly?" asked Zheng Ren as he prepared the patient's records for submission to the operating theater.

"I didn't return to my usual house since I could need to attend a surgery at any moment, so I'm currently staying in the house nearest to the hospital," replied Xie Yiren.

Zheng Ren failed to notice that Xie Yiren mentioned a house instead of home.

"There was no need to rush. You ran just now?" asked Zheng Ren out of concern.

"No, I'm staying in a detached house which has a garage. I drove my car from the garage to the underground parking lot in the hospital. There isn't any traffic congestion at this hour anyway. That was fast, right?"

Prolonged poverty had restricted Zheng Ren's imagination and he could not understand the point Xia Yiren was trying to make. A house and home... The concept was the same, right?

This was a city center after all. The detached house she mentioned... should be a villa.

Xie Yiren once informed Zheng Ren that her family-owned seven buildings in the central business district. That was completely beyond Zheng Ren's imagination.

Both of them lived in a completely different world.

However, Xie Yiren's superb coordination with the surgeon in the operating theater was more than enough for Zheng Ren's needs.

"The patient had fasted long enough. Scrub up and go to the operating theater," Zheng Ren changed the subject back to something he was actually familiar with.

"Alright." Xie Yiren nodded in response and added, "Chief Zheng, the surgery you performed this afternoon was amazing!"

"Well, it was alright."

"I was shocked when you made an incision on the upper right quadrant of the abdomen," replied Xie Yiren with a beautiful smile.

"I won't perform a surgery casually if the preoperative diagnosis isn't clear."

"Anyway, that was a marvelous surgery. What's the next case about?"

"Just an ordinary acute appendicitis. I'll finish it within five minutes," answered Zheng Ren with a convincing hand gesture.

"Okay. By the way, I'm hungry. Let's have crayfish for supper after the surgery. The meal is on me," replied Xie Yiren with a grin. Then, she hummed a song Zheng Ren was unfamiliar with and entered the female changing room without waiting for an answer.

...

...

The anesthesiologist had just anesthetized the patient when Zheng Ren finished changing into scrubs.

The circulating nurse helped Zheng Ren tie the surgical gown after he had performed his surgical scrub. On the other hand, Xie Yiren had finished preparing on her own and was currently standing in front of the instrument table.

Her eyes narrowed upon noticing Zheng Ren, seemingly smiling at him.

After putting on a pair of sterile gloves and placing the surgical drapes around the surgical site, Zheng Ren, cool as a cucumber, started preparing himself mentally for the second appendectomy surgery.

The biggest uncertainty of the operation—the patient's diagnosis—was eliminated with the presence of the System, so the rest of the surgery depended solely on Zheng Ren's skill level.

His Expert rank in general surgery boosted Zheng Ren's confidence.

Most importantly, Zheng Ren realized that there was a huge improvement in his surgery skill after performing the complicated appendectomy surgery this afternoon.

The case that he was going to perform was merely a simple appendicitis case.

He just needed to achieve perfection in this surgery, and so he started revising the required surgical steps in his mind.

A pair of forceps holding an iodophor-soaked cotton swab was placed on Zheng Ren's hand.

Once the surgical site was disinfected, the forceps and contaminated swab were exchanged with dry sterile gauze.

After that, the handle of a scalpel tapped on Zheng Ren's palm with the perfect amount of pressure.

He felt good working with an experienced scrub nurse, not to mention that the scrub nurse was a beautiful lady too... A young beauty... Young, wealthy, beautiful, and adorkable lady.

That thought alone invigorated him. The scalpel then slashed through skin, making a precise, three-centimeter incision as if it had been marked with a ruler in advance.

Zheng Ren's surgery was again broadcast live in Xinglin Garden.

The anonymous account had attracted attention and numerous subscribers after the live broadcast of the successful appendectomy with an ectopic appendix that very afternoon.

Hundreds of viewers entered the broadcast channel as soon as it went live.

[An emergency surgery in the middle of the night? Did we guess wrongly just now and he is merely a junior general surgeon after all?]

[Hey, the guy who presumed that he is just a junior surgeon, I really doubt your qualifications and intelligence. The preoperative diagnosis and intraoperative manipulation in this afternoon's surgery were exceptional and high-skilled. He is an experienced and honest surgeon who is trying to save a patient now. Puny rat, tremble before your god.]

[Wow, a three-centimeter incision? How is he going to operate if the inflamed appendix is larger than the incision?]

Each and every comment transformed into specks of light and entered the System.

Zheng Ren had no intention of doing a laparoscopic appendectomy, not even a single-port laparoscopic surgery, in an appendicitis case.

With this simple appendicitis case, a single-port laparoscopic appendectomy was justified, but its incision size would be almost the same—two to three centimeters—as the incision Zheng Ren made in an open appendectomy. Moreover, a laparoscopic surgery cost a fortune and Zheng Ren would be unable to achieve perfection with it. Thus, that option had been discarded without the slightest hesitation.

The patient was just a teenager with a thin subcutaneous layer, which was exactly why Zheng Ren dared to make a three-centimeter incision. Nothing would be visible at all had the incision been made on an obese patient.

Incisions and blunt dissections of the subcutaneous layer, fascial layers, and peritoneum were made.

After that, a medium-sized curved forceps was placed on Zheng Ren's palm.

The forceps was then inserted into the peritoneal cavity and the inflamed appendix was pulled out like an obedient earthworm.

The appendix was removed and the abdominal surgical wound was sutured. Everything went well as planned.

Zheng Ren was as calm as a millpond throughout the surgery. After the surgical wound was sutured, he took off his gloves and applied the sterile dressing handed by Xie Yiren on the patient's wound.

The anesthesiologist was flabbergasted.

The anesthetic had just taken full effect, but the surgery was complete? The length of the entire operation depended solely on the time of injection of the anesthetic?

The anesthesiologist tonight was a senior anesthesiologist in Sea City General Hospital and had seen various doctors or surgeries throughout his career. However, the appendectomy Zheng Ren performed today made him stare in open-mouthed astonishment.

"The... The surgery is complete?" asked the absent-minded anesthesiologist.

"Yes, it was just a simple appendicitis case," replied Zheng Ren as he removed his surgical drapes as he prepared to transfer the patient out of the operating theater.

"Wait, hold on..." the anesthesiologist jotted down the surgery time. Four minutes and thirty-two seconds...

"I must have calculated it wrongly," he thought from within a deep mire of self-blame as he took out his cell phone to use its calculator.

Sure enough, he had made a mistake in his calculations, but the result on his cell phone made him sink in contemplation—four minutes and twenty-three seconds.

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Chapter 17: Scum

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

[I'm here. Which step is the surgeon doing now?]

Some latecomers finally joined the live stream in Xinglin Garden.

There was nothing fascinating about an appendectomy, but the viewers were particularly interested in watching the subtleties and fine details such as blunt dissections of adhesive tissue with fingers or the removal of abscesses on an edematous tissue in the surgery.

Even though it was simply an appendectomy for acute phlegmonous appendicitis, professionals could understand the extreme difficulty behind it through the surgeon's many savvy techniques.

This resulted in the anonymous account receiving a significant amount of attention and subscribers after this one appendectomy live broadcast.

[I regret to inform you that you're too late.]

[The surgery was completed. My two-hour wait was not in vain.]

[How long was the surgery? I went online as soon as WeChat sent me a notification, and the surgery is done?]

[Around four minutes, if I'm not mistaken. It was just a normal appendicitis case anyway, but the incision was only three centimeters. You can watch the replay later.]

Even though the surgery was over, many studious doctors continued to exchange views in the chat room.

In their opinion, a surgeon with the courage to broadcast their surgery on a professional website was essentially a powerful person.

They were definitely not normal surgeons, as even ordinary but high-skilled surgeons dared not broadcast their surgeries like Zheng Ren did. This was the Internet, any mistake would end up facing the consequences for a very long time.

Thus, the doctors held high regards for the surgeon who live streamed his surgery. Apart from expressing their admiration and respect for Zheng Ren in Xinglin Garden, many doctors had put in a request for advanced surgical studies in the hospital he worked in as well.

However, they received no response. The host surgeon seemed to care only for the surgery and nothing else, judging by his quick disappearance as soon as the operation was over.

...

Zheng Ren delivered the patient back to the first general surgery department.

None of the patient's family members approached him upon his exit of the operating theater. The patient's parents, who were perturbed and sat on a hard plastic bench outside the operating theater, were comforting each other without even looking his way.

"Zhao Jia's family members," yelled a curious Zheng Ren, who wore his surgical attire beneath a white coat, after realizing that no one was approaching him as he pushed the hospital bed out of the operating theater.

"..." Zhao Jia's parents were momentarily stunned. They must have misheard the surgeon. It must have been a mistake.

Zheng Ren had met with Zhao Jia's parents earlier when they signed the preoperative informed consent documents. After scanning around for a while, he finally located the duo on their bench and he raised his voice again. "Zhao Jia's family members, please come and lend me a hand."

"Doctor Zheng, the surgery..." Zhao Jia's father spoke with a chalk-white complexion and shaking legs.

How long had it been? Ten minutes? Why did they come out?

Every possibility started pouring into his mind and overwhelming his senses.

For example, a tumor had been found in the middle of an operation. It was a misdiagnosis and another signature was required in the informed consent documents.

That, or modifications in the surgical plan were required due to iatrogenic damage to some major artery intraoperatively. An explanation was compulsory and informed consent would have to be taken again in that situation.

No matter which scenario it was, one thing was for sure. His son was in danger.

"The surgery is complete. Please help me pull the bed from the front and I'll push it from behind. Zhao Jia's mother, please press the button for the elevator," said Zheng Ren.

"..." Finished? The operation had been successfully finished with no obstacles?

"The surgery was a success. If you want to take a look at the appendix, the nurse responsible for sending the specimen to the pathology lab will show it to you later."

"Doctor Zheng, thank you so much!"

Not only were the anesthesiologist and the patient's family members were not used to such a fast surgery, even the nurses in the first general surgery department had not even finished preparing a bed slot for the patient.

The nurses, who were taking their time with dinner, jumped like scared rabbits when the patient returned from the operating theater. One of them rushed to prepare a bed while the other searched for the necessary equipment, such as the electrocardiogram.

"No hurry, take your time," Zheng Ren advised rather than scold the nurses, who had not had dinner at ten o'clock at night. Only those who had endured the agony of on-call duty would understand and empathize with their exhaustion.

After assisting with the patient's transfer to his bed, Zheng Ren explained the patient's condition to his family members and wrote the surgery records before changing in the operating theater locker room.

There was an unread message from Xie Yiren on WeChat, stating that she had already changed her attire and was currently waiting for him in the underground parking lot.

Zheng Ren was not used to having supperl. When he was still working in the general surgery department, the clinical work would be so overwhelming that he regularly got off work in the middle of the night, when he was too tired for supper and all food delivery services were closed.

Most importantly, he had to monitor every patient after their surgery, so he did not even have the chance to sneak out of the hospital for supper.

This was the biggest difference between a clinical surgery department and an operating theater.

Zheng Ren, who was constantly on edge from the twenty percent progression rate in his appendectomy mission, called the emergency department to inform them about his temporary absence for supper and instructed them to notify him immediately upon encountering an appendicitis case.

Finally, he reached the underground parking lot after finishing his work.

A red Volvo XC60 was parked near the elevator with Xie Yiren in the driver's seat.

Zheng Ren was actually trying to guess Xie Yiren's car—he was stuck between a Ferrari or Porsche—on his way to the parking lot.

However, he did not expect Xie Yiren to drive a sports utility vehicle that was completely at odds with her size.

"You came."

"I did."

Xie Yiren put her phone down, fastened her seatbelt, and started the engine.

"Are you okay with having crayfish for supper?" asked Xie Yiren.

"It's fine as long as it's fast. A surgical case may arrive at the emergency department any time," answered Zheng Ren.

"You're really dedicated to your work. When I was in the operating theater, I heard from the other sisters that you remained single after all these years because of poverty and unattractive facial features. Well, I don't think that's true," replied Xie Yiren.

"..." Zheng Ren's colleagues gossiping about him was completely unexpected, and that they thought he was lacking both financially and aesthetically... Well, he had to admit that they were speaking the truth, but it was still heartbreaking.

"You can easily earn a fortune, especially with your surgery skill. I believe even a fly-in, fly-out surgeons would earn more than the chief surgeons of our hospital." Without realizing what she was about to say would deal ten thousand damage to Zheng Ren's health bar, Xie Yiren added, "What do you have to fear even if you're slightly ugly? Besides, you look handsome when you perform a surgery. To be honest, you aren't exactly ugly, just a little plain-looking, that's all."

Critical hit x2!

'Xie Yiren is a cute young lady.' Zheng Ren was repeating the same sentence in his mind at that moment.

The duo arrived at the restaurant in no time as it was not far away from the hospital.

Xie Yiren waved her hand and yelled, "One spicy and one original flavor."

The busy waiter acknowledged her order and responded with a smile. It seemed like she was a frequent customer and had familiarized herself with the staff.

She only remembered she was not alone after making the order. Turning to Zheng Ren, she stuck her tongue out and asked apologetically, "Doctor Zheng, which flavor do you prefer?"

"Anything will do," replied Zheng Ren with a smile as he shifted his gaze toward the table next to theirs.

COMMENT

Xie Yiren followed his gaze out of curiosity.

Three women were happily enjoying crayfish at that table. Two of them were actually beautiful twin sisters in their early twenties, whereas the eldest among the trio was presumably their mother, who was in her late forties or early fifties.

The munching of the crayfish gave their cheeks a rosy hue, but there was something strange about the mother's behavior. Every time when she finished a crayfish, she would press her cheek onto her shoulder for a couple of seconds before resuming her eating.

"Relax, our crayfish will be served soon," said Xie Yiren who assumed Zheng Ren was getting famished.

"Little Xie, can you please ask one of the young ladies to come over? I've something to say to her," asked Zheng Ren.

What the hell? Xie Yiren was dumbfounded.

Was Doctor Zheng trying to solve his bachelor issue at that moment? Was it possible that whatever she mentioned just now had triggered him?

Well, it seemed to be a good thing, after all. Doctor Zheng was almost thirty years old, and if he failed to get into a relationship soon, it would be extremely difficult for him to find a girlfriend in the future.

Xie Yiren nodded in response as the crayfish was not served yet. Then, she stood up, walked toward one of the twin sisters, and started whispering into her ear.

The chosen young lady was taken by surprise and gave Zheng Ren a contemptuous gaze.

Soon, Xie Yiren and the young lady returned to Zheng Ren's table.

The young lady sat down and mocked, "Attempting to court a girl when there is a lady beside you. This is the first time I encountered such despicable scum."

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Chapter 18: Beautiful Twin Sisters in Intensive Care Medicine

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"..." Zheng Ren had not expected the young lady to misunderstand so completely. However, he was simply a doctor who frequented only two places—his rented house and the hospital—so it was not unexpected that he knew nothing of courtship and romance.

Survival was difficult and punishing enough for Zheng Ren, and so it was impossible for him to spare time for trivialities.

He had absolutely no idea how much harassment beautiful young women encountered in public.

Whatever Zheng Ren had in his mind failed to leave his mouth.

"Sister, Doctor Zheng may lack in the looks department, but he is actually a good and skillful man." Xie Yiren tried to lend Zheng Ren a helping hand.

Critical hit x10.

The young lady made no attempt to continue the conversation. Instead, she stared at Zheng Ren coldly with an icy smirk on her face, waiting patiently for him to continue his charade.

"Lady, your mother is sick." Zheng Ren cut straight to the point after soothing his broken heart.

"Bang!" The young lady slammed the table in exasperation and yelled, "Your mother is the one who's sick!"

Xie Yiren helplessly stole a glance at Zheng Ren. His courtship skills were atrocious... Why did he initiate a conversation with a verbal assault?

She was mortified; it was as if invasive tumor cells of shame were rampaging through her body. How she wished the earth would open up and swallow her whole so that she could escape this awkward situation.

Zheng Ren apologized quickly after realizing his mistake. "Sorry, I'm terribly sorry. What I'm trying to say is your mother is having a heart attack, so stop eating crayfish and please go to the hospital as quickly as you can."

"Your mother has a heart attack!" shouted the vexed young lady, who seemed to have lost all sense of rationality.

The attention of every diner in the restaurant was drawn by her thunderous voice.

Zheng Ren waved his hands quickly and gestured for her to lower her voice. "No, please listen to me. Your mother recently suffered symptoms such as lower jaw pain, right?"

"Huh?" replied the young lady doubtfully. This hideous man was really a doctor?

"That is an atypical symptom of a heart attack, not just a toothache or random pain due to facial nerve damage. Spicy crayfish will stimulate and aggravate her condition quite a bit so it's better if she stops taking it now," Zheng Ren explained seriously.

His words convinced her to some extent. Her mother had recently visited the hospital for a consultation and, after ruling out periodontal diseases, the doctor suspected she might have neuralgia.

Still, she remained suspicious. Had a god of medicine descended to the mortal world to give her a definitive diagnosis of her mother's condition while they were eating crayfish? What were the odds?

The mother wiped her mouth with tissue after hearing her daughter's irritation and asked, "Yanran, what happened?"

"Auntie... No, older sister, can you please come over?" asked Zheng Ren.

"Yes?"

Zheng Ren explained himself once again and gave the mother a shock.

"That's one symptom of a heart attack. The symptoms aren't obvious yet due to your age and the severity of the disease, but you must go to the hospital and get yourself checked. If you experience a sudden major heart attack at home, your life will be in danger," Zheng Ren concluded.

The mother was left in a difficult position. She was merely experiencing slight discomfort rather than intense pain, so the diagnosis of a heart attack seemed difficult to believe at best and unconvincing at worst. "Where can I get myself checked at this hour?"

"An electrocardiogram, serum myoglobin, troponins, and myocardial enzymes are some of the basic tests we can do to diagnose a heart attack. I'm a doctor in the emergency department at Sea City General Hospital. Please trust me," replied Zheng Ren.

The mother was deeply perturbed after listening to his explanation.

However, the twin sisters were not entirely convinced. They both stared at Zheng Ren and said in unison:

"My name is Chu Yanran."

"My name is Chu Yanzhi."

"Oh... I'm Zheng Ren, a doctor in the emergency department at Sea City General Hospital."

After the brief introduction, Chu Yanran said calmly, "We're both postgraduate students in intensive care medicine at West China University. I have some questions that need clarification."

Zheng Ren immediately got a headache. Those who went to well-reputed universities and were completely assured their opinions were absolutely correct, despite a complete lack of clinical experience, were the most annoying people in the world. Working in the clinical field for more than five years would make them realize that the knowledge they acquired from medical institutions was just the tip of the iceberg.

"The diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction should—"

Zheng Ren interrupted Chu Yanran with a wave of his hand and said, "Fine, you're a student from West China. Now that I've given you a diagnosis and an explanation, it's up to you to proceed with the consultation and investigation for your mother."

Zheng Ren was not a saint; he was merely fulfilling a doctor's responsibility by diagnosing and advising a stranger with a life-threatening disease. Whether the patient went to the hospital or not... Well, that was none of his concern.

"How could you say that?" The twin sisters pouted in response.

"I only had a few cold dumplings for dinner and performed a surgery afterward. I'm very hungry right now. Since you're both medical students, you should have some preliminary judgment about your mother's condition. The decision is yours, that's all I have to say," replied Zheng Ren, completely disregarding their coquettishness.

"What was your name again?" asked Chu Yanzhi.

"Zheng Ren."

"A doctor in Sea City General Hospital?"

"Yes."

"Alright, we'll go to Sea City General Hospital and see if you're a liar." The twins dared not overlook the issue, though, since acute myocardial infarction was a life-threatening disease. It was better to be safe than sorry.

They were naturally aware as postgraduate students in intensive care medicine.

After the twin sisters and their mother paid their bill and left the restaurant, Zheng Ren checked the time. They had been out for forty-six minutes.

"Doctor Zheng, you were trying to consult the patient instead of courting that young lady?" asked Xie Yiren curiously after staring at Zheng Ren for a while.

"Yes, of course."

"Oh my God!" Xie Yiren expresed herself with an exaggerated gesture. "They are beautiful twin sisters! As a man, were you not interested in them at all?"

"The patient with myocardial infarction caught my attention the most," answered Zheng Ren.

"No wonder you've been single for so long. You know, I think you're actually paranoid. Poverty and ugliness aren't why you have an unattached life. You can't find a girlfriend because you don't want one. Well, poverty and ugliness are still your main obstacles, of course. Otherwise, there would be many girls surrounding you at all times," replied Xie Yiren, not giving up the chance to stab Zheng Ren's heart.

Zheng Ren figured he should start acclimatizing himself to Xie Yiren's manner of speech, or else his sanity would fall to pieces under these daily critical hits.

"Perhaps I shouldn't let her assist me in surgery anymore," he thought.

However, he discarded the idea almost instantaneously.

What a joke. Apart from Xie Yiren, who else possessed such extraordinary skill as a young scrub nurse?

Being young meant that she had enough physical strength and energy for unlimited overtime; in addition, her incredible skill increased his odds of performing a perfect surgery.

How could he possibly give up such a great asset?

For that, he would forgive Xie Yiren and her plain-spoken attitude. Besides, she spoke the truth.

Once the crayfish was served, Xie Yiren immediately switched to silent mode and focused all her attention on the food before her.

On the other hand, Zheng Ren nibbled the crayfish absentmindedly. In all honesty, he disliked shellfish as it was extremely troublesome and time-consuming to remove the shell before he could consume it. If someone could help him with that... Whatever... Suddenly, Zheng Ren's cell phone rang.

Zheng Ren quickly wiped his hands and accepted the call after realizing it was from the emergency department.

"Chief Zheng, there are two patients with acute appendicitis on the way via ambulance right now. They should be arriving soon," informed the nurse on duty.

Zheng Ren scratched his head, hung up and said, "Two patients. We'll return immediately."

Were it not for the fact that the mission had a countdown timer, who would perform a surgery in the middle of the night?

Xie Yiren nodded vigorously as she swallowed the sweet, juicy crayfish in her hands.

He could eat crayfish any time, but it was impossible to get an appendicitis case in the middle of the night.

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Chapter 19: They are All Complicated Cases of Acute Appendicitis

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

In the surgical demonstration classroom, both Chief Surgeon Liu and Chief Physician Pan occupied one side of the room without acknowledging each other.

Just like tigers who had marked their territories, they eyed each other with covetous gazes.

Chief Surgeon Liu appeared dispirited, however, especially with his messy hair and bloodshot eyes that stared blankly into emptiness. On the other hand, Chief Physician Pan, wearing spectacles with presbyopia lenses, sat next to the window leisurely with his legs crossed while reading an old book called Limited Views.

Someone popped his head into the room furtively through the half-closed door.

"Chief Surgeon Liu, please come here for a while," whispered Cen Meng.

The anxious Chief Surgeon Liu, who was on a couch, was momentarily stunned upon hearing Cen Meng's voice. Pretending as if nothing had happened, he stood up and ensured that his outfit was neat before leaving the room and closing the door.

Chief Physician Pan stared at Chief Surgeon Liu's back and sneered. "What scheme are you cooking up for us now?"

"Two patients with acute appendicitis are coming in right now."

"Yeah, and?"

"A twenty-eight-week pregnant woman is suspected to have acute appendicitis as well as symptoms that threaten miscarriage. Her family made it very clear that the baby must survive, and other hospitals didn't dare to accept this case," replied Cen Meng with a grin.

"Oh." Chief Surgeon Liu nodded in response.

Acute appendicitis in pregnancy was one of the trickiest and most troublesome diseases in the world. Moreover, this patient was twenty-eight weeks pregnant with signs pointing to potential miscarriage, which greatly increased the difficulty of an appendectomy.

They would not have accepted this risk into the hospital were it not for the fact that they wanted to make things difficult for Zheng Ren.

Cen Meng smirked. "Let's give him some fun!"

Chief Surgeon Liu nodded in satisfaction and asked, "What about the other one?"

"Thirty-two-year-old male, 168 centimeters, 112.5 kilograms."

It was a simple introduction, but every surgeon understood the meaning behind it.

A subcutaneous adipose layer approximately ten centimeters thick was enough to be one of the biggest obstacles of an appendectomy. The general surgery department usually called this sort of case 'well drilling'.

Apart from its intense difficulty, the patient would have an increased risk of complications such as fat liquefaction of the post-surgical incision. Thus, no one would willingly accept such a case, and anyone who did would treat the patient as conservatively as possible.

Chief Surgeon Liu was content with the appendicitis cases today and a smile finally appear on his face. "Very good."

The compliment exhilarated Cen Meng, who figured all his hard work had been worth it if he got Chief Surgeon Liu's approval.

"Protect the patients at all costs and prepare to take over the operations at any time. Also, ask Chief Surgeon Su from the obstetrics department to come and consult them. We need to ensure their safety and prevent any intraoperative accidents."

Conspiracies and schemes between doctors were usually simple and ethical. Hardly any doctor would have the heart to exchange a patient's life for their own success.

Even though a medical dispute involving iatrogenic death would send a doctor straight to the pits of hell, few doctors would resort to setting up such an unethical scheme. Perhaps this was why no one had clawed their way to the peak of the medical world after all these years.

"Don't worry, I've made the necessary arrangements. I've sent someone for Chief Surgeon Su and they should both arrive very soon."

Chief Surgeon Liu was grateful to have such a competent chief resident to save him so much trouble.

He tapped Cen Meng's shoulder gently and returned to the surgical demonstration classroom confidently with his hands on the man's back.

...

Zheng Ren and Xie Yiren returned to the hospital as fast as they could. Neither of them cared about their unfinished supper, it was the 'night of the appendix' they were having that had them bouncing off the walls.

The restaurant was not far from the hospital, so as soon as they arrived, the nurse on duty informed Zheng Ren that the patient had been transferred from elsewhere to Sea City General Hospital via ambulance and was currently in the first general surgery department.

Zheng Ren and Xie Yiren rushed to the inpatient building without a second thought.

Incidentally, at the main entrance of the inpatient department, Zheng Ren passed the elderly lady from earlier who had tinnitus and dizziness.

The elderly lady's son's expression darkened instantly upon noticing Zheng Ren.

As he passed by, the man snarked, unintentionally or not. "What a lousy doctor."

"Huh?" Zheng Ren noticed them both, whom he had referred to the oral surgery department for the removal of a denture, only after hearing the man's hostile voice.

"You didn't get a tooth extraction?" asked Zheng Ren.

The middle-aged man lost his composure and started complaining aggressively. "The doctor from the oral surgery department said that wasn't the case at all. Do you even know how to diagnose a patient? Did you think it was fun to mess around with us in the middle of the night?"

Helplessly, Zheng Ren could only smile bitterly and spread his hands in response.

The keening wail of an ambulance siren approached the hospital.

Zheng Ren was not an oral surgeon, nor could he force the patient to extract a tooth. Unable to do anything else, he explained, "Truth be told, this is a rare condition. You can go to Peking University Third Hospital if you've the chance. They've better knowledge of oral medicine and surgery."

Zheng Ren and Xie Yiren then darted to the first general surgery department.

Cen Meng, who was standing by at its corridor, started mocking as soon as he saw them.

"Chief Zheng, you've become more impressive after working in the emergency department."

"Chief Cen, don't make fun of me," replied Zheng Ren; he had no desire to start an argument with the chief resident. The only thing on his mind at the moment was to finish ten perfect appendectomies as soon as possible.

Cen Meng sneered upon seeing Zheng Ren's usual 'cowardice'. He then approached Zheng Ren and patted his shoulder gently, just like Chief Surgeon Liu normally did. "Chief Zheng, I'll give you my full support even when you're in the emergency department. Let me know if you can't perform the surgery later. I'll do it for you."

"Thank you, Chief Cen." Zheng Ren smiled in response, but failed to detect the murderous aura radiating from Cen Meng's soul.

Cen Meng snickered and thought, 'Enjoy your triumph and pride while you still can. The acute appendicitis and pregnancy case will bring you straight to hell later.'

However, he made no attempt to inform Zheng Ren in advance, and looked forward to seeing Zheng Ren's face when the upstart surgeon finally realized the patient was twenty-eight weeks pregnant.

Both men's expressions turned serious as the transport stretcher trolley's wheels rolled across the marble floor.

Spotting them, a rural medical escort running ahead of the stretcher trolley said, "The patient is here."

He let out a sigh of relief.

"What's the situation?" Despite being slow and woozy at the moment, Zheng Ren detected something fishy about this one.

"Acute appendicitis in pregnancy. Twenty-eight weeks of gestation with symptoms of potential miscarriage due to abdominal ache," explained the escort.

Soon, Zheng Ren saw the patient with her distended abdomen being wheeled into the department.

Hiss...

What a tricky case!

Acute appendicitis in pregnancy was uncommon and its current appearance in Sea City General Hospital had taken him aback.

Well, to operate or not to operate... That was the question.

It was a question that would stump even a chief surgeon of any department.

"Doctor, please save my child," pleaded an anxious young man in his twenties, who had followed the stretcher trolley into the first general surgery department.

"Are you the patient's family?" asked Zheng Ren.

"I'm her husband. Doctor, please save my child," replied the young man as he held onto Zheng Ren's arm.

Xie Yiren frowned in disgust at the young man, who clearly cared only for the safety of his unborn child without a word about his pregnant wife; she hid in the office to stop herself from berating the irresponsible husband.

This sort of situation happened in hospitals nearly every day.

Since nothing could be done, it was better to simply escape.

Cen Meng approached Zheng Ren, who did not have that luxury to escape, and said with a wide grin, "Chief Zheng, the case is yours. Don't forget to ask for my help if you need anything."

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Chapter 20: You'll Pay for the Baby's Life If You Can't Save The Him

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Zheng Ren ignored the hostility in Cen Meng's words and pushed the transport stretcher trolley into a treatment room.

After reading through the patient's details and various investigative reports in the upper right corner of his vision, Zheng Ren came to a conclusion—it was troublesome!

Even so, he performed a simple physical examination on the patient not to confirm the diagnosis, but to locate the most ideal location for an incision.

The patient was a nineteen-year-old female at twenty-eight weeks of gestation with mild vaginal bleeding and tenderness at the right umbilical region of the abdomen. No rebound tenderness or muscle guarding were noted.

Her acute appendicitis was relatively mild, but she had other, more serious issues that complicated surgical treatment.

He sent someone to invite the chief resident of the obstetrics department to consult this patient while venous catheterization was being done. This was a complicated case and he desperately needed some luck in order to complete the surgery perfectly.

The obstetrics department chief resident was soon at the first general surgery department. This was an emergency that involved two precious lives, so the sense of urgency was felt by all.

Zheng Ren invited the patient's family members to the office for preoperative informed consent as the chief resident examined the patient.

"Clear evidence of the risk of miscarriage. The precipitating factor, an inflamed appendix, needs to be dealt with as soon as possible to save the fetus," said the obstetrics chief resident.

"Will the surgery affect the baby?" asked a middle-aged man anxiously.

Zheng Ren felt helpless. In the family's opinion, the child was of utmost importance, but what about the pregnant woman? Perhaps medical personnel were the only people empathizing with her.

Clearly, none of these people gave a damn if the pregnant woman died during the surgery, as if she was merely a disposable childbearing machine for them.

Zheng Ren tried to comfort the man. "Usually, no."

However, a middle-aged woman slumped against the wall and began to wail after hearing Zheng Ren's answer.

It was a dry wail.

She was also mumbling something incomprehensible.

Zheng Ren, who had no intention of humoring her insincere theatrics, hardened his expression and asked every family member, except for the decision-makers, to leave the office immediately. Those who wanted to cry could do so outside and those who were needed to deal with procedure would proceed as planned.

Irresolution would be unacceptable as it would delay the patient's treatment.

The patient was his primary concern. Her family members had no direct relation to him in any aspect and were ultimately irrelevant.

After the office regained its peace and quiet, Zheng Ren earnestly began explaining everything regarding the surgery to the patient's husband, parents and in-laws.

Whenever Zheng Ren clarified a procedure, the patient's husband and in-laws would inquire about the baby's safety without giving the slightest concern for her. Meanwhile, the patient's parents merely stood in one corner of the room with dark expressions and sealed lips.

Sea City General Hospital had the best medical facilities in the area and the patient required surgery to save the fetus. This was the best chance they had to save the baby.

However, the family members were unwilling to sign the informed consent documents and wanted to shirk their responsibility.

Vexed, Zheng Ren rebuked them, "Do you still want to save the baby?!"

Finally, one of the family members reluctantly signed the informed consent documents under the threat of the fetus' demise and Zheng Ren's smoldering gaze.

The hospitalization procedure had completed at the same time. Zheng Ren then provided them some medical advice and contacted the operating theater before changing into surgical attire.

Normal people encountering such apathetic family members would feel cold and hopeless, even scrub nurses like Xie Yiren and medical personnel who did not have much contact with the patients' family.

However, Zheng Ren had seen too many cases like this in his career and had adapted to the harshness of reality.

He could not guarantee the safety of the fetus. In fact, the adult's well-being was the main priority on his list.

The fetus or the adult... Was it a tough choice?

Their future... Well, that was none of his concern, right?

He pondered the patient's surgical site and the best location for an incision as he walked toward the operating theater.

Every case of acute appendicitis during pregnancy had an inflamed appendix in an ectopic position due to compression by the gravid uterus. It was much more complicated than the misdiagnosed acute appendicitis with an ectopic appendix this afternoon.

Right after Zheng Ren had changed into surgical attire, the anesthesiologist on duty angrily pushed open the door, causing a loud bang as it hit the wall.

He roared at Zheng Ren, "How did you inform the patient's family members just now? They didn't even agree to general anesthesia. Talk to them again."

"..." Zheng Ren was dumbfounded.

They did not even want general anesthesia? What the hell was going on? Were they expecting the patient to go through agonizing pain throughout the entire surgery?

Were they here to cause trouble or seek treatment?

Zheng Ren, wearing his surgical gown, put on a white coat and stormed out of the operating theater.

The patient's husband noticed Zheng Ren's stiff expression and instantly begged, "Doctor, the anesthetic will make my child an idiot even if you save him, so please don't use any anesthetic."

"What the f*ck! I'll cut you up without anesthesia and see how you like it!" reprimanded the exasperated Zheng Ren.

"Who the hell do you think you're raising your voice against?!" howled one of the family members in frustration.

"Do you still want the surgery to proceed? If not, the baby will not survive!" Zheng Ren knew that he had no choice but to firmly reason with the unreasonable.

Besides, the unborn child was clearly at the top of their priorities.

"You'll pay for his life if you can't save him!" roared the patient's father, who had remained quiet all this time at the back of the crowd.

He looked like an honest man with a weather-beaten face, but his current ferocity numbed Zheng Ren's heart, as if he had been electrocuted and his heart had gone into asystole.

Zheng Ren had seen countless people with this attitude in the emergency department, but as a doctor, he had to protect the patient's well-being no matter what.

However, he was powerless against accusations and threats like these. What was he supposed to do when even the patient's biological parents no longer cared for her safety?

Some things would never change even when he had the power of the System.

"Doctor..." Someone grabbed his arm.

Zheng Ren turned around and noticed that the trembling hand and sweaty palm belonged to the quiet, nineteen-year-old pregnant woman, who was powering through her agony on the stretcher trolley.

"Doctor, you don't need to anesthetize me. I can endure the pain."

Her bangs were drenched in sweat and glued to her forehead. There was an unhealthy redness to her features from the pain, but her eyes were bright and alert, which made Zheng Ren wonder if this was terminal lucidity.

"Why don't we just leave and visit another hospital?" asked one of the family members.

"Good idea. The rural hospital can perform the surgery with local anesthesia but the doctors here can't. What a low standard."

"Let's go to another hospital."

A few family members, the closeness of their relation unclear, were causing an uproar.

Zheng Ren was stunned. The patient risked a potential miscarriage and an intrauterine fetal death would be inevitable if there was any further delay in surgical treatment.

Moral coercion was indeed useful at times.

Zheng Ren gritted his teeth, frowned, and finally let out a sigh.

After repeatedly using the System to check the patient's status and confirming that she did not suffer any form of mental disorder, Zheng Ren frowned and said, "Your body will respond to the intense pain with uterine contraction, which will increase the risk of miscarriage."

"I can and will endure it." Tears started rolling down her cheeks. "Please, doctor..."

Local anesthesia. That was the only choice.

"Fine, we'll proceed with local anesthesia."

Zheng Ren wanted to glare at her family members but it seemed pointless.

He also wanted to comfort the patient, but had no idea what to say.

Sighing heavily, he pushed the patient's family members aside and wheeled her into the operating theater.

"Chief Zheng, is everything settled?" asked the anesthesiologist after noticing Zheng Ren and the patient enter the operating theater.

"Local anesthesia will be used," said Zheng Ren.

"You're crazy!" The anesthesiologist was shocked. "Who'll bear the responsibility if anything happens to her?"

"The surgery will be hindered without anesthesia. Who'll bear the responsibility if she ends up with a miscarriage?" Zheng Ren threw the question back at him.

It was a debate that offered no definitive answers.

The anesthesiologist silently admired Zheng Ren's determination in bearing full responsibility and assisted with the patient transfer to the operating table.

"Why isn't there an assistant with you?" asked the anesthesiologist casually.

"There's a lack of staff in the emergency department. Nothing I can do about that."

"You... Alas..." Everything the anesthesiologist had in mind could only leave him as a sigh.

Cen Meng, who had been with the crowd the entire time, immediately left them after finding out Zheng Ren had decided to perform an appendectomy under local anesthesia, running downstairs and ignoring the elevator.

He pretended as if nothing had happened as he greeted Chief Surgeon Liu upon reaching the surgical demonstration classroom. Before the duo fully entered the room, Cen Meng whispered, "Chief, Zheng Ren wants to do it under local anesthesia."

Chief Surgeon Liu's expression darkened immediately, but as soon as he recalled that Zheng Ren was a chief resident in the emergency department, a hideous smile formed on his face. "He is asking for death."

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Chapter 21: Outrageous Practice

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The pregnant woman was lifted onto the operating table, which was then angled downward 15 degrees to the left.

It provided better access to the appendix as the gravid uterus shifted to the left. At the same time, this position was better for reducing agitation to the uterus during the operation and minimizing the risk of miscarriage or complications.

Preoperative preparations were swift and Xie Yiren was already in position.

Zheng Ren scrubbed and gowned up. The sterile surgical drapes were in place as he stood before the operating table.

"0.5% lidocaine and half a syringe of milk," Zheng Ren said.

Milk was the nickname for propofol—an intravenous anesthetic commonly used in the induction of general and continuous epidural anesthesia. It was not as useful as a local anesthetic agent.

Shocked, the anesthesiologist considered protesting, but the determined look on Zheng Ren's face made him think twice.

This surgeon was going to operate on a case of appendicitis in pregnancy without general anesthesia. Nothing else in the world could faze him.

"Five-milliliter syringe, but use a one-milliliter syringe needle tip." Zheng Ren's profile loomed under the shadowless surgical light. His every order was firm and left no room for doubt.

A smaller needle tip meant less pain for the patient but made it more difficult to deliver the anesthetic.

Local infiltration anesthesia began and the anesthesiologist watched with rapt attention as the needle rhythmically and expertly pierced the patient's skin.

After each injection, there was a pause to allow the mixture of lidocaine and propofol to take effect before moving on to the next site. Zheng Ren's technique was attentive but accurate. Judging from the patient's vitals, there was no sign of any pain response from each injection.

Amazing! No wonder he chose local anesthesia for this appendectomy.

The anesthesiologist recognized talent when he saw it. His eyes remained fixated on the scene.

In the surgical demonstration classroom, Old Chief Physician Pan and Chief Surgeon Liu exchanged a look.

Old Chief Physician Pan put down his copy of Limited Views when he realized the ongoing appendectomy was on a pregnant woman.

At the sight of Zheng Ren prepping for local anesthesia, anxiety rose in Old Pan.

"Old Chief Physician Pan, you have sharp eyes." Chief Surgeon Liu felt victory in his hands already. This time, Zheng Ren's suicidal attempt had nothing to do with him. Chief Surgeon Liu felt more relaxed as he began to denigrate his competitor, who had bitten off more than he could chew.

"Appendectomy on local anesthesia; it's been many years since my last one. Old Chief Physician Pan, you must be familiar with the procedure, especially after your time at county-level hospitals. Today, I shall watch and learn."

Satisfied, Chief Surgeon Liu shifted into a more comfortable position and continued watching the projection with a small smile on his lips. Zheng Ren had started local anesthesia.

Old Chief Physician Pan wanted to fire back, but now was not the time.

It was already midnight when over a hundred Xinglin Garden accounts came online and rushed to watch the livestream.

[My my, what am I seeing, a case of appendicitis in pregnancy? And operating on local anesthesia! Is the god livestreaming a shortcut to death?]

[What do you know? Just sit down, you're blocking my view.]

[I've never done locally anesthetized appendectomy before. This is a good opportunity to learn. Hopefully our god operates slowly, I'm gonna tell others to come and watch.]

[Have any of you done a local anesthesia appendectomy before? Not me. Sit down and learn from the god.]

[Nope 1]

[Never 2]

[...]

[Never 10086]

Behind each Xinglin Garden account was a physician. It was a website for professionals and came with strict requirements—one's real identification and legitimate, verified physician's certificate—for user registration.

A routine appendectomy called for continuous epidural anesthesia.

Those staying up for this livestream were young physicians around thirty years of age. None of them had ever performed an appendectomy on local anesthesia before, despite being professionals.

[Why is the syringe so turbid?]

[I think I heard something about propofol just now. Is there an anesthesiologist in this room? Can you shed some light on this outrageous practice?]

[I'm the deputy chief anesthesiologist from one of the Class Three Grade A Hospitals. I am dumbfounded, no idea what's going on.]

As the surgery commenced, the professionals entered a collective state of confusion.

Local anesthesia appendectomy was an uncommon surgery to begin with, but the surgeon was pushing his luck if even an anesthesiologist could not make sense of the anesthetic being used.

The comment section started to overflow.

[Why does he pause after each injection? What's the reasoning behind this?]

[My guess is that it allows the local anesthetic to take effect and avoid agitating the patient. Infiltrative 0.5% lidocaine will take effect around 12 seconds post-administration, though, so why is he spacing out the injections at three-second intervals?]

[Don't tell me that's the use of propofol?]

[I'm kneeling. Please accept my reverence.]

[Oh please, stop commenting. Watch the surgery! Watch!]

The last call for silence was futile and was quickly lost in a sea of incoming comments.

[I remember the textbook incision for an appendectomy in pregnancy starts at the McBurney's point1 on the right side of the rectus abdominis. Isn't the god's incision point a bit high? Or am I remembering it wrong?]

[It's possible that the position has been confirmed through palpation.]

[A five-centimeter incision on a pregnant woman for an appendectomy. How gutsy he must be!]

Although it was just an appendectomy, everyone watched hungrily. The live comments dwindled as the first layer of skin was peeled open.

...

...

Zheng Ren drew the scalpel across the skin and proceeded to perform a blunt dissection on the tissue and muscles underneath. The peritoneum was the last layer.

Every move required the administration of local anesthesia. The surgery was not a quick one but his movements were steady.

The anesthesiologist looked at the surgery, then at the patient's vital signs, and then back at the surgery. They were at the peritoneum now, and the patient's blood pressure, heart rate and breathing remained stable.

This indicated that Zheng Ren's local anesthesia technique was effective and the patient did not feel any pain.

'This man is a daredevil,' the anesthesiologist thought.

Zheng Ren's performance was of the highest caliber. Even a professional anesthesiologist would not have done as well. Was this the effect of the propofol? Could it perhaps be tested in the next surgery?

The anesthesiologist shook his head to clear the outrageous thoughts from his mind. He should keep to standard protocols for anesthesia. If something were to go wrong, he would not be able to shoulder the responsibility.

After cutting through the peritoneum, Zheng Ren looked inside and promptly located the appendix with the curved surgical forceps.

The swollen appendix was gently clamped between the forceps. There was not an ounce of unnecessary force in Zheng Ren's grip.

With one hand on the scissors, Zheng Ren motioned for Xie Yiren.

A smaller pair of curved forceps was placed in his hands.

"Not this." Zheng Ren rejected the instrument. "The syringe."

With a start, Xie Yiren realized her mistake. This was not the standard appendectomy she was used to, but a local anesthesia appendectomy. The clamping of the ligaments and arteries surrounding the appendix had to be prefaced with administration of anesthetic.

Xie Yiren's eyes twinkled as if a new toy was before her—Zheng Ren's procedure had her full attention. All the routine appendectomies she assisted in had bored her to tears.

A quick round of local anesthesia later, Zheng Ren continued separating the ligaments.

Zheng Ren considered himself unlucky to be saddled with a case of appendicitis in pregnancy at such a precarious moment, and to operate with only local anesthesia.

Although he had practiced local anesthesia appendectomy in the System, he still prefered to avoid such outrageous practices as the risk of accidents was high.

However, there was some luck on his side as this case was not as complicated.

Due to the pregnancy, the patient's uterus was enlarged and the greater omentum which usually covered the appendix had been pushed away. If the appendix ruptured without the greater omentum's protection, the patient would suffer severe complications and the surgery would have been even more troublesome.

It was unclear to him how the swollen appendix was still intact. He chalked it up to a quick and timely diagnosis. The patient's youth and general good health also likely contributed to the cause.

The inflammation around the appendix was also mild.

Zheng Ren thanked his lucky stars.

He removed the appendix and tied up the appendicular artery, then closed up the residual stump with a purse string suture, adding an extra stitch at the end.

The whole process was clean and beautiful.

It was a success that stunned everyone into silence—from the surgical demonstration classroom to Xinglin Garden.

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Chapter 22: Complicated Surgery, Round Two

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

[Kneel before your god.]

The silence lasted a moment before comments once again poured into the Xinglin Garden livestream.

Most standard appendectomies took longer than what they had just witnessed, what more in an expecting mother. Although no one in the chatroom had performed such surgery before, they understood its sheer difficulty.

Despite its complexity, the surgery had been completed within ten minutes.

Viewers entering the livestream at this point were only greeted with the finale.

[Was I late again? Some consolation please.]

[You missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. This live surgery was one-in-a-billion.]

[Isn't it an appendectomy during pregnancy? How did it end so soon? I just made a cup of coffee in expectation of a three-hour operation.]

Some users grumbled while others teased them. Meanwhile, those who caught the livestream from start to end were still up to their eyes in disbelief.

A minute passed and incoming messages all sang praises, posting '6661' in the chatroom.

[Accurate incision point, effective local anesthesia, a clean and successful surgery. Amazing!]

[I think I'm gonna stay up. I'm suddenly inspired to write an article on elective incisions. Any recommended papers?]

[In my opinion, the administration of the anesthesthetic was the key step. I personally have never seen a patient not feel any sort of pain under local anesthesia, but maybe that's just me.]

The operation had ended earlier than anticipated, but the livestream chatroom was still buzzing with users analyzing and discussing what they had just witnessed.

Some doctors wanted to use the video as an educational material while some planned to use this appendectomy during pregnancy for a case study discussion.

In the surgical demonstration classroom of Sea City General Hospital, Old Chief Physician Pan sat on his couch calmly. He looked down at the empty operating theater and smiled.

In the same room, Chief Surgeon Liu still had a look of bewilderment on his face. He was at a loss.

Since Zheng Ren's transfer to Sea City General Hospital, he had been in the general surgery department, where Chief Surgeon Liu could not figure out the man's surgical caliber.

There was nothing impressive about performing a routine appendectomy without another surgeon's assistance.

However, this surgery was an appendectomy during pregnancy. It was a blow to Chief Surgeon Liu's pride.

If he were the one at the operating table, would the surgery have been as clean?

No.

Most definitely not.

Even if the patient was on continuous epidural anesthesia, he would have followed the textbook-recommended incision at McBurney's point, right next to the rectus abdominis.

Following that, some time would have been spent on searching for the swollen appendix. Moving the intestines around might have caused the patient discomfort and increased the risk of miscarriage, but it would have been necessary.

How did Zheng Ren manage to pinpoint the exact spot? Who taught him such skill?

This would have been a jackpot for Chief Surgeon Liu were it not Zheng Ren who was performing the surgery. He would have brought the video recording home for research.

Any discovery related to surgical entry technique was worth a lot.

Curses!

Chief Surgeon Liu clenched his fists tightly as anger leaked out from within his heart.

"What do you think, Chief Surgeon Liu?" Old Chief Physician Pan was now on the offensive. "Zheng Ren is still young. If you have any opinions on his methods in this case, I'll guide him to improve."

'Opinions? F*cking opinions!' Chief Surgeon Liu fumed internally.

'What f*cking opinions can I have? Even I want to bring that videotape back, and you dare ask me if I have f*cking opinions!' Chief Surgeon Liu thought.

He gritted his teeth. There was nothing he could say to Old Chief Physician Pan in the face of such utter defeat.

Patience. He had to wait for Zheng Ren to make a mistake.

All he needed was one mistake. Just one!

...

...

There were people still chatting in the Xinglin Garden livestream.

Around ten minutes had passed when there was sudden movement in the livestream. Preparations were being made for another patient.

[I'm game for a second round!]

[Luckily I haven't left. I'll get to watch from start to end.]

[My, my, there's still another live surgery? My coffee-making was clearly not a wasted effort, haha. Thank you, my lucky Nestle instant coffee. Love you.]

The livestream chatroom started to become lively again.

An opportunity to observe a live surgery was few and far between.

While preoperative preparations carried on in the background, doctors shared the livestream through WeChat to lure in colleagues, friends and classmates who were still awake at this hour.

[What am I seeing? Why are my eyes straining?]

[Is that a stent? Such an overweight patient will have a high risk of myocardial infarction.]

[The case is out. This is a quality livestream that even provides live case studies. Man, it's another appendectomy. Is he doing an appendectomy challenge with different difficulty levels?]

When a mountain of flesh was lifted onto the operating table, the live chatroom went crazy.

Appendectomy on a bariatric patient was not as uncommon as an appendectomy during pregnancy. Even if the doctor was not a general surgeon, they would have encountered such a case during their internship rotations.

This type of surgery was not as difficult as the previous one. However, every doctor knew the pain of dealing with the postoperative care of an overweight patient. The fat liquefaction and multiple dressing changes required daily was enough to make one crave death.

At least it was not their case, though, and they were just enjoying the show. Comments came in in torrents—everyone was rooting for Zheng Ren.

Xinglin Garden did not have a 'like' feature, so there were no rocket or racecar emojis floating onscreen.

More and more people entered the stream, breaking Xinglin Garden's viewer record.

Everyone's attention was on the case details: 168 centimeters and 112.5 kilograms. The mountain-like abdomen, no doubt covered with layers of adipose tissue, was like a pretty lady tugging at the heartstrings of the doctors staying up for the surgery livestream.

Old Chief Physician Pan read through the patient's file on the computer and said, "Chief Surgeon Liu, aren't you crafty."

The patient had arrived not long ago. After his preliminary medical history assessment, he was immediately pushed into the operating room. Old Chief Physician Pan noted that this patient, like the pregnant one before him, was from a district bordering Sea City.

Old Chief Physician Pan was a 'do no harm' kind of man, but after years in medical practice, he had witnessed countless underhanded tactics.

From this small detail, he could tell that something was afoot.

They were both from bordering districts and the surgeries they required were complex and taxing.

No way this was a coincidence.

"This is Zheng Ren's lucky day. It's none of my business." Having crawled out of his pit of despair and regained his composure, Chief Surgeon Liu shut down Old Chief Physician Pan's accusation.

Such things had to be denied unless one was caught red-handed.

"Huh." Old Chief Physician Pan dropped the subject and focused on the live screen, his right hand tapping on the old and tattered copy of Limited Views.

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Chapter 23: Operation: Blind Appendectomy

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Standing behind Chief Surgeon Liu, Cen Meng's face was pale.

As the chief resident in the general surgery department, he had not considered Zheng Ren a rival. He figured some quiet guy who did not curry favor would not be likable to anyone.

Hence, Zheng Ren had never gotten the chance to operate solo and was not a threat to him.

However, after three non-standard appendectomies in a row, Cen Meng had to face the fact that Zheng Ren was definitely miles ahead of him. Zheng Ren's skills might even surpass that of the Sea City Supreme Scalpel, Chief Surgeon Liu.

"Has the laparoscope been fixed?" Chief Surgeon Liu asked knowingly. He did not bother to lower his voice, wanting Old Chief Physician Pan to know.

"Chief, did you forget? The laparoscope broke down three days ago and was sent out for repair. The vendor said they need a week before it can be sent back," Cen Meng replied.

The best practice for an appendectomy on a bariatric patient was to use a laparoscope. After the previous success, Chief Surgeon Liu was glad he checked the laparoscope's availability. What was Zheng Ren going to do now?

Old Chief Physician Pan frowned. The tapping on the old copy of Limited Views picked up.

When the full details of the case were revealed, the chatroom of Xinglin Garden turned to chaos.

More than ten users went on long rants.

[A fatty, oh, the horror.]

[Three years ago, I did an appendectomy on a patient who had adipose tissue that was ten centimeters thick. There was fat liquefaction post-surgery and I did the dressing change for a month straight. I still have nightmares about it.]

[I feel you.]

[Same 1]

...

[Agreed 10086]

Fat liquefaction was a problematic issue. At certain levels, it could be even more troublesome than the appendectomy during pregnancy.

If an attending surgeon received a case of acute appendicitis in pregnancy, they could request for the chief surgeon to perform the surgery. No one would blame them.

However, if the patient was obese and the chief surgeon was requested to take on the case... Well, the attending surgeon had better be directly descended from the chief surgeon, or pray the chief surgeon was in an ecstatic mood from winning the lottery grand prize, or else they were in for a good lecture.

During the appendectomy on the pregnant lady, everyone was shouting praise as it was a rare and difficult procedure.

An appendectomy on a bariatric patient was something almost every doctor has witnessed and experienced. The barrage of live comments obscured the view of the operative field.

The continuous epidural anesthesia was set up efficiently. Zheng Ren began disinfecting the skin while Xie Yiren stood by the surgical tray, waiting for the start of a new battle.

The disinfection was complete. Zheng Ren held his hand out and a scalpel appeared.

A five-centimeter incision.

Just as the users were quieting down to watch the surgery, this decision gave rise to an explosion of live comments.

[Such a small incision. What is the god thinking?]

[Damn, such a small incision wouldn't even grant you a peek of the peritoneum.]

[Which hospital is this? I want to intern there.]

Every doctor watching the livestream had the same thought—a five-centimeter incision was adequate for a normal appendectomy. Some might even call it a smaller than average incision. On a patient with an adipose layer of ten to twelve centimeters thick, the incision granted no access to the appendix.

[Should be a laparoscopic procedure.]

[Agreed. Must be a laparoscopy.]

[Don't be stupid. Do you see any laparoscope set up? This god is challenging the human limit. Bow before him, trembling peasants!]

Zheng Ren was not aware that the laparoscope was not functioning, but had never planned to perform a laparoscopic appendectomy from the get-go. His appendectomy training in the System taught him that laparoscopy could not achieve the perfection he was aiming for.

This was because a laparoscopy relied on electrocutting and electrocoagulation to manipulate the adipose layer, resulting in a higher risk of fat liquefaction.

Hence, he decided to use a small incision to complete the appendectomy—something no doctor believed was possible.

To reduce fat liquefaction, the first step was to avoid electrocauterization. The second was to minimize contamination and the third was to apply negative pressure wound therapy for two to three days as part of post-surgery wound care.

That last step had been proven crucial to minimize fat liquefaction, but Zheng Ren could not go ahead with it. Once a negative pressure drainage tube was used, the case would be disqualified from being a perfect surgery.

Fortunately, he had other ways to ensure a near-perfect surgery.

After all, Zheng Ren was a man who had foregone food, water, and sleep to perform a thousand appendectomies!

Once the skin was peeled back, Zheng Ren plunged the scalpel deep into the adipose layer. His movement was confident and firm even as the scalpel handle disappeared beyond the layer of fat.

This maneuver shocked the audience as if the scalpel was aimed at their own hearts.

Old Chief Physician Pan's frown deepened. At the same time, the livestream exploded with comments.

[Are we witnessing a murder?]

[Is he that confident? Logically speaking, no matter how much presurgical prep was done, there would be changes when the patient is supine. This maneuver is too risky. A minor miscalculation and there will be damage to the intestines.]

[I've been shocked into respiratory arrest. If I don't turn up tomorrow, please inform my colleagues to pick up my corpse.]

Zheng Ren was oblivious to the whole discourse surrounding his method.

He pulled out the scalpel and asked for an iodoform gauze from Xie Yiren. Wiping his left middle finger with it, he then plunged the digit into the small incision. At the same time, a pair of large curved forceps held in his right hand followed suit.

The operative view became blank.

No matter how impressive the System was, it would not livestream the happenings in the patient's cavity. If it did, Zheng Ren would probably be called up for a chat by some department.

Old Chief Physician Pan, Chief Surgeon Liu, and the audience were silent as they watched Zheng Ren's imperceptible maneuvering of his finger and the forceps.

No one had expected this to happen.

As quick as it happened, Zheng Ren took out his finger and the forceps. He motioned for a sterile gauze and covered the incision to prevent contamination from pus.

It turned out he had been slowly separating the adipose layer, muscle, and fascia to reach the peritoneum.

Everyone was speechless as they watched Zheng Ren push two pieces of sterile gauze into the incision. No one could tell what was happening inside the patient, no matter audience or the surgeon.

Zheng Ren's next move stunned everyone.

He disinfected the same finger and reached in again, this time with a pair of extra-long curved forceps.

[I... am speechless. If the first surgery was anything like this, I would have called the cops and told them that someone was livestreaming a murder.]

[Is this the legendary blind operation? Can someone enlighten me?]

COMMENT

[What is the surgeon doing? Such outrageous stunts have blinded my fragile eyes.]

Countless messages flashed across the stream as Zheng Ren asked for another pair of extra-long curved forceps. The two pairs of instruments occupied the open incision—it was difficult for even a finger to enter.

What was the significance of the two forceps placed inside the abdomen? That was the question on everyone's mind.

In the short period when the operative view turned blank, the surgeon had managed to make an educated guess based on his clinical experience and proceeded to ligate the ligaments and arteries.

The livestream was silent now—not a single comment came on the screen.

The unimaginable and the impossible just happened. This man must be possessed by the devil.

Even the anesthesiologist beside Zheng Ren was wide-eyed. His jaw hung open as he watched Zheng Ren operate.

Only the lionhearted Xie Yiren disregarded what Zheng Ren was doing. She just followed her instincts, predicted what Zheng Ren would do next, and handed him the appropriate instruments.

She had faith in him.

There were no dazzling magic tricks in this operation. The doctors were familiar with every step Zheng Ren took. What step he would take next was also very clear, and yet, it was all completely unbelievable.

This was because he was performing the surgery blind.

The next step would be to cut the appendicular artery...

They then saw Zheng Ren hold the smallest scalpel with the tip of the extra-long curved forceps and plunge it into the abdomen.

Then...

Then...

If that was successful, the operation should be over.

As the audience wondered about the outcome, Zheng Ren retracted the forceps.

A blind operation without any visual assistance. Was the appendix removed? Was the appendicular artery ligation secure? Would there be bleeding?

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Chapter 24: The Appendix Has No Soul

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

A fresh and mildly swollen appendix was pulled out by the curved forceps.

[Success!]

[My god, it's a miracle!]

[A blind appendectomy. My inferior intellect and experience limit my imagination. How did he achieve this?]

In a blink, the livestream burst into life once more.

Previously suppressed emotions erupted like a volcano. The livestream had broken the site record by having more than five hundred online viewers.

It was currently 12:25 am.

Who knew how many doctors had been woken by their friends, colleagues or classmates.

The unstoppable onslaught of comments marched on and dominated the screen. No one cared about the remaining procedure and, even if anyone was interested, the comments effectively blocked their view. Since the appendix had been removed, there was nothing much that could go wrong now.

Unbelievable: the word filled the collective minds of the observing doctors. This was a surgical method that could not be learned. What the surgeon did within the small incision hole, no one knew.

How skilled was the surgeon to be able to locate the appendix with a single digit and complete the surgery with curved forceps?

In the surgical demonstration classroom, Chief Surgeon Liu and Cen Meng were stupefied.

As it happened, even the battle-weary Old Chief Physician Pan, who had experience with appendectomies in non-hospital settings, was shocked.

It was clear to everyone that this had been a blind operation.

This surgical method was not in any textbook, periodical, or scientific journal.

In general surgery, precision and accuracy were of utmost importance. An operative view was the first requirement.

How could a surgeon operate if they could not see what they were operating?

And yet, Zheng Ren had performed the unbelievable—a perfect blind operation—right before their eyes.

"This..." Cen Meng's words stumbled as they tried to leave his mouth.

A warning resounded in his head. Stay silent if you can; anything you say can be used as sworn testimony.

Words should not be thrown out carelessly in the presence of Old Chief Physician Pan.

Comment and criticize in a professional manner.

However, Zheng Ren's outrageous blind appendectomy made Cen Meng want to cry.

How did the bastard become so skilled in surgical anatomy? Cen Meng would not dare attempt a blind appendectomy even if he had a year of experience performing autopsies on all the cadavers in the affiliated medical schools.

If he did not try...

Cen Meng mumbled something but a scrutinizing gaze from Chief Surgeon Liu made him think twice.

He held his tongue as his brain reached out for ideas to dismiss Zheng Ren's performance.

However... he could not even see the operative view, so what comments could he make?

That said, Chief Surgeon Liu's attention on him made staying silent a non-option.

Cen Meng's brain short-circuited and he spoke in a low voice, "To operate like this, the appendix will have no soul."

Chief Surgeon Liu wanted to puke blood.

Soul? Did an excised appendix have a soul? Had the quick-witted Cen Meng gone mad?

...

...

In the livestream, the screen was suddenly spammed with a repeating comment.

[Stop talking, watch the surgeon's next step.]

At the sight of the spammed message, the doctors were confused. This was just an appendectomy, not a complicated case of tetralogy of Fallot.

If the appendix had been removed, what other audacious techniques were there to showcase?

Following that message, the number of live comments dwindled.

Everyone refocused their attention on what Zheng Ren was doing.

With the appendix excised, the abdominal cavity was flushed and the peritoneum sewed back. Now, Zheng Ren had to deal with the twelve-centimeter thick adipose layer.

Under normal circumstances, as long as the blood vessels within the adipose layer were not electrocauterized and there was no contamination with minimal stitches, the risk of fat liquefaction was minor.

Yes, minimal stitches, not zero stitches.

Zheng Ren had decided to forgo stitching the fat layer in this case. He took a bottle of protein-based surgical glue and applied an even layer of it across the adipose tissue. Then, he started suturing the subcutaneous tissue.

What was this technique?

The previous blind excision was an undocumented procedure, and now, this application of protein-based surgical glue on the adipose layer was unknown to every doctor watching.

Protein-based surgical glue was typically used to stop bleeding; its effect was mild and its use narrow, and smaller hospitals with tight budgets did not even provide it.

What was he doing?

The surgeon Immediately stitched up the subcutaneous tissue after applying the surgical glue. What was this black magic?

Behind their phone screens, everyone was thunderstruck.

Based on this devil surgeon's way of operating, there were no hasty decisions. That meant beyond stopping bleeds, protein-based surgical glue was effective in preventing fat liquefaction!

This was a huge discovery!

As all doctors knew, sildenafil citrate had initially been developed as a cardiac drug. It had then been repurposed to bring joy and happiness to middle-aged men, becoming one of Pfizer's best-selling products.

Did the insignificant protein-based surgical glue have other, more important functions?

A few hundred doctors were going mad at this point.

If surgical glue could really solve the fat liquefaction problem... Clutching their phones, hundreds of hands trembled at the significance of this revelation.

It would be a revolutionary discovery.

Tomorrow... No, today, it had to be tested!

The notion sprung up in the minds of the doctors watching the livestream.

...

...

Finally, it was done. Zheng Ren let out a breath.

He did not have to wait for another few days. With the final stitch, the System's evaluation turned 100% at the upper right corner of his vision. Zheng Ren knew the patient would definitely not suffer fat liquefaction.

The more surgeries he did, the more he appreciated the System's intensive training.

Cadavers? They were unnecessary when the System could provide unlimited, realistic, and fresh simulated mannequins. The smell of blood from the simulated mannequins was much better than formalin which came with all cadavers.

From the blind operation to the use of protein-based surgical glue, all the never-seen-before techniques he just used had to be established with the simulation mannequins.

The key factor to his success was that his experiments had had no waiting time. The System would instantly report success or failure.

In a real hospital setting... Zheng Ren would never have had the chance to practice his ideas and theories.

"Chief Zheng, were you operating blindly just now?" Xie Yiren asked as she sorted the surgical instruments.

"Yes."

"Very cool!" Xie Yiren complimented without hesitation.

Off to the side, the anesthesiologist finally woke from his stupor. His brain registered what he had just seen.

"Chief Zheng, that was amazing." He gave Zheng Ren a thumbs-up.

"Heh." Zheng Ren gave them both a dry smile. He cleared the operating table hurriedly and began transporting the patient.

He was ready to get some rest.

Surgeries that carried on past midnight were not unusual.

That was when he was at the level of an attending surgeon, when the required surgery rating was 'good'. Now, Zheng Ren's expectations of himself... No, the System's expectations of him were too high. Every surgery had to be perfect.

The surgery had been effortless from an onlooker's perspective, but Zheng Ren was exhausted.

He severely needed a nap to relieve his fatigue.

As he wheeled the patient out of the operating room, he raised his head and saw the patient's family. There was also a slender figure.

Huh? Why was she here?

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Chapter 25: This Chief Resident Was Undoubtedly Blind!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Why are you here?" Zheng Ren asked.

Standing by the door was one of the twin sisters he had met while eating crayfish. Zheng Ren vaguely remembered their names were Chu Yanran and Chu Yanzhi.

As someone terrible at recognizing faces, Zheng Ren could not identify which sister this was.

Her shoulder-length black hair was tied up into a ponytail that swayed as she moved. It was all very adorable. A pair of animated eyes stared at him, making him uncomfortable.

Hehe, this was a straight-faced man who could not get a girlfriend.

"Chief Zheng, was it?" She walked gracefully over to Zheng Ren's side as he wheeled the patient back to his room. "I'm Chu Yanzhi."

"Oh. Hi."

"My mother's results are out. As you said, she has acute anterior wall myocardial infarction," Chu Yanzhi said.

"I see. That's good." As Zheng Ren felt some joy in being vindicated, the tiredness he felt leached from his body.

Based on his observation, if the condition had not been diagnosed early, the patient might have suffered a heart attack. The worst scenario was a heart attack in her sleep. By the time her family members discovered what had happened, it would be likely that she was dead.

Diseases that had nonclassic symptoms were hard to diagnose, but once they were ascertained, treatment was not difficult.

A whole family getting to eat crayfish together was a nice picture.

"The blood test is only a reference. It's best you do a 256-slice CT scan of the coronary arteries to confirm it after work today," Zheng Ren said.

"Yeah, we did the 256-slice just now. The left anterior descending artery had 90% blockage. The right coronary artery and circumflex artery are fine."

The arteries Chu Yanzhi listed were the three main branches that supplied oxygenated blood to the heart. If the blockage had only been in the left anterior descending artery, the patient simply had to avoid vigorous exercise and take some medication.

However... The 256-slice CT scan would not be operational at this hour. How had she performed the scan?

This was not Zheng Ren's business, though, and he abandoned the train of thought.

Zheng Ren nodded and walked away with long strides, showing no consideration for Chu Yanzhi who was walking beside him. In his eyes, Chu Yanzhi was a patient's family member, and since her case had been solved, there was no longer a relationship between them.

His single status for many years was not without reason.

He did not know how to pick up women. Even when the lady in question showed some initiative and came to thank him, he did not know how to shoot his shot.

Chu Yanzhi followed Zheng Ren, her long legs helping her keep up. Her ponytail bounced left and right, giving her an appearance of youth and spirit.

The walk was awkwardly silent and Chu Yanzhi caved in the end.

"Thank you very much, Chief Zheng." Chu Yanzhi gave him a dazzling smile as she twirled her hair—her beauty could ruin cities and nations.

Unfortunately, Zheng Ren did not even look her way and was totally oblivious.

"You're welcome. It was a doctor's responsibility," he muttered and continued walking.

"My sister and I had a discussion. Our mother needs someone to take care of her, so we're planning on moving back to Sea City for our standardized residency training," Chu Yanzhi continued. "Initially, we wanted to finish our PhD in West China University, and considered going overseas or staying in West China, but now there's nothing more to discuss."

"Getting into the workforce early is good," Zheng Ren followed up. "Coming back and spending time with one's parents is a good thing."

It was incredibly awkward to talk to this man. Shouldn't he be a little bit more enthusiastic to talk to a pretty lady like her? Chu Yanzhi was at a loss. She had said her piece quite clearly but this wooden chief resident was oblivious.

The unpleasant silence dragged on. The sound of the stretcher wheels on the marble floor reverberated in the quiet hospital corridor.

They arrived at the general surgery department and Zheng Ren passed the patient over to the on-duty doctor. He checked on the pregnant patient whom he had operated on and found that everything was well, graciously waving off the thank-yous from the patient's family. Then, he headed off to the emergency department, hoping to get a short rest.

Only God knew if there were more acute appendicitis cases coming in tonight, so he had to recharge.

Wait. Why was this lady still following him? What was her name again? Chu Yanzhi or Chu Yanran?

Outside the general surgery department, Zheng Ren took out his phone, intending to text Xie Yiren and urge her to rest. That was when he realized Chu Yanzhi was still following him around.

"You... Why aren't you going home?"

"Chief Zheng, my sister and I have decided to take up our residency training in Sea City General Hospital. We hope to learn under your tutelage." Chu Yanzhi was frustrated. She had gone along with him and after a few words, this absentminded chief resident had forgotten her... Forgotten her... Her...

As if she did not exist!

Chu Yanzhi and her sister hated the catcalling and flirtatious men of the streets, but facing someone like Zheng Ren, she was furious at the dismissal.

She bottled up her anger and showed her hand.

At this point, she was beginning to regret their decision to come here.

This chief resident was undoubtedly blind!

"Oh, sure. But I have no power over residency training. Most importantly, I'm currently working in the emergency department; the EICU1 has yet to be established." Zheng Ren remembered that the beautiful sisters were studying intensive care. He was usually the first to receive news about medical treatments, so he was aware. "Sorry about that."

Chu Yanzhi did not hear a hint of apology in Zheng Ren's words.

"Those who specialized in intensive care can also take up anesthesiology." Chu Yanzhi smiled stiffly. "And we will take care of any issues regarding the residency training, so that isn't a problem."

There was a trick in bargaining for something you want and being desperate was not it. When was the last time she was this frustrated? The twin sisters were not used to constantly being ignored.

Chu Yanzhi felt wronged, and her tone soured.

However, her illusive tone and emotions were akin to the breeze, unnoticed by the straight-faced man before her.

"Okay then. The emergency department is short on manpower anyway, so you two are welcome to join us." As Zheng Ren walked, he sent a WeChat message to Xie Yiren and learned she was already resting in the operating room. He pocketed his phone and strode over the emergency department.

Chu Yanzhi's halted her footsteps in exasperation. Zheng Ren's professionalism was top-notch, but he had an extremely low EQ. If she had met this sort of person at school, she would have immediately disregarded them.

However, who was the desperate one now?

She was aggrieved, annoyed, and agitated.

Chu Yanzhi's existence was forgotten once again as Zheng Ren returned to the emergency department. Seeing that there were not many patients that night, he headed into the on-call duty room, found an empty rest bed and laid down.

Zheng Ren closed his eyes and entered the System's void.

Previously, when he had been ejected from the System after completing his appendectomy training, he felt that the System had a tendency to be unstable.

This time, though, the System appeared to have passed its most critical phase and the space felt relaxed.

The thatched cottage was still there. The fox carving in front of the cottage seemed more realistic than usual and the pond was bigger than he remembered, but he could be wrong.

He shouted twice but the System did not respond.

As long as the System did not appear to inform him that its energy was depleted and they had to work hard together, he counted himself lucky. Zheng Ren relaxed.

He checked his skill trees. To his pleasant surprise, after performing four different types of appendectomies, his general surgery skill points went from 1005 to 1012. Zheng Ren figured there was no need to dwell on which surgery gave more points.

This was not like a mission in an online game where one could pick and choose.

When an emergency case came in, he could not reject the case just because it rewarded less skill points.

He would have to forgo his principles, morals, and ethics to do that. He would be a devil even without the System.

The rewards were not limited to the general surgery skill tree, and other skill trees also showed improvement.

The cardiosurgery, brain surgery, genitourinary surgery, orthopedic surgery, oral surgery, and ENT1 surgery skills exceeded 300 points, reaching a Graduate level.

Zheng Ren was relieved that the intensive appendectomy training had improved all his basic skills.

As he happily looked through the skill trees, the cold, robotic female voice blared out.

[Warning! Warning! This is not a drill. This is not a drill.]

Oh? What dumb suggestion was this now?

[Unusual situation detected, please accept the new mission.]

A few bright lights appeared in front of Zheng Ren. They danced in patterns and formed Chinese characters.

[Emergency Mission: The Enemy of Fate

Mission Details: Complete all surgeries.

Mission Reward: Unknown.

Mission Duration: One day.]

[After a full day of surgeries, you must be tired, but please gather yourself; use an energy elixir if required and accept fate's challenge.]

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Chapter 26: A Battle of Attrition

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Old Chief Physician Pan was too tired. He left the surgical demonstration classroom once the last appendectomy ended.

Only Chief Surgeon Liu and Cen Meng remained in the room. The cold and stifling atmosphere permeated every breath of air.

That line about the appendix having no soul had earned Cen Meng a tirade from Chief Surgeon Liu that was still going strong after 30 minutes. The chief surgeon's anger was not diminishing and neither was his energy.

Cen Meng was getting a headache from the scolding and his brain felt liquid. He stared out blankly into the night sky.

An uneasy silence stretched ahead.

...

At 2:11 am, Zheng Ren's phone woke him up.

It was the general surgery department—there was a patient prepped for an appendectomy.

Zheng Ren was already informed by the System about this challenge from fate. He did not mind another surgery.

He could handle a night without sleep.

The energy elixir which he got from his first mission was still stored within the System. Zheng Ren had no clue as to its function, but if it was handed out by the System, it should be reliable.

Brimming with confidence, Zheng Ren got up from the bed.

The on-call doctor in the next bed grumbled at the disruption and flipped over to face the other side.

Zheng Ren threw on his white lab coat and headed to the general surgery department.

Preparations were already complete when he arrived. He studied the patient before him and the System clued him in: a simple case of appendicitis.

Manageable. He expected the surgery to be done in ten minutes.

Ten minutes inclusive of the placement of surgical drapes and the patient transport post-surgery. The bulk of that time would be spent on setting up continuous epidural anesthesia, which was dependent on the anesthesiologist, Zheng Ren had no say in it.

At this thought, Zheng Ren remembered the Chu sisters and wondered about their anesthesiology skills. He had already forgotten their physical appearances, but he recalled Chu Yanzhi mentioning them doing research on intensive care in West China University. They had the skill to be anesthesiologists.

Anesthesia was vital in the operating room of any intensive care unit. Hence, intensive care and anesthesiology were intricately linked.

Zheng Ren would not be surprised if the Chu twins were certified anesthesiologists.

Sadly, he could not expect much from them as that was far in the future. It was up to him now. He pushed the twin sisters to the back of his mind and focused on the mission ahead.

After confirming the patient's details, Zheng Ren explained the informed consent documents. Once the paperwork was done, he brought the patient to the operating room.

After waking Xie Yiren, he scrubbed in and began draping the patient.

Another surgery was due.

...

The anonymous account on Xinglin Garden started another surgery livestream.

Doctors on the site were familiar with the account. Now, all of them were being woken by an alarm on their phone.

There was no alarm set, so why was there a noise? The doctors were annoyed at the wake-up call.

When they saw that it was a notification from Xinglin Garden, they were confused. When did Xinglin Garden have a notification alarm feature?

However, when some of the doctors saw that it was a livestream from the anonymous account, they gladly logged on and watched from the comfort of their bed.

[The god is just performing appendectomies the whole night?]

[It's just appendicitis. Was there a need for such urgency?]

[I'm excited. Who knows what new methods will be shown?]

As the audience, they laid in bed while the surgeon stood; they were half-asleep while the surgeon had to be wide awake.

The doctors felt blessed.

This poor surgeon had to perform an emergency appendectomy in the middle of the night. They had it so much better, lying in their warm beds, watching a surgery livestream.

However, their enjoyment did not last long. Once the surgical drapes were placed, the scalpel flicked and opened skin. Roughly ten seconds later, a bloody appendix was excised without much fanfare.

The only highlight was the tiny incision and the surgeon's incredibly experienced and skilled performance.

A routine appendectomy was four minutes and twelve seconds long. Some doctors had only glanced away to read the patient's case details and in that time, the surgery was over.

[That was quick!]

[Although I said there's not much exciting content, it bears repeating that that was way too quick. If it was our chief surgeon, a standard appendectomy would take around ten minutes. Side note, I'm from one of the known Class Three Grade A Hospitals.]

[Has the surgeon been doing appendectomies his whole life? That was a whole other level of proficiency!]

There were not many comments on the Xinglin Garden livestream. After a few high-difficulty appendectomies, this normal surgery did not satiate their curiosity.

The patient was lifted from the operating table. Many viewers were ready to switch off the livestream and the notification alarm, planning to get a good night's sleep.

At this point, another patient's case details appeared on screen.

[Another appendectomy?]

[Where did he find so many cases?]

[Is this the appendectomy marathon night that people talk about? I was about to go to bed, but now I'm energized. My god, have pity on me. I have five surgeries scheduled tomorrow.]

The surgical prep did not take long. Another patient was sent in.

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Chapter 27: One After Another, One After Another

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Zheng Ren had no time to check on the patient. When the patient was transported in, he made a cursory glance to gauge the severity of the disease.

The enemy's attack was fierce. Zheng Ren smiled. It did not bother him.

To a man who had performed a few thousand appendectomies in the System without food, water or rest, this was nothing.

This patient was diagnosed with periappendicular abscess. It was more complex than the previous patient but it would not cause many complications.

Open up the skin. Separate the tissues, fat layer, muscles and peritoneum. Find the appendix. Cut the appendicular artery and ligaments. Excise the appendix. Drain the abscess. Flush the surgical site. Suture.

Eight minutes and twelve seconds. The surgery was complete.

There was no commotion. In the wee hours of the morning, the half-asleep doctors watched the surgery silently from the comfort of their beds.

Periappendicular abscess was a more severe and complicated symptom of appendicitis. Nevertheless, each step taken by the surgeon was clear and purposeful. The surgery was effortless and his skill suggested that he had tens of years of experience.

However, the viewers were tired and there were minimal interactions. No one commented '6661'.

Everyone just watched wordlessly.

The interesting but smooth operation was akin to a lullaby, lulling the doctors into a state of sleep.

One surgery...

Two surgeries...

Three surgeries...

Five surgeries...

It was a strange night but not unusual. On certain nights, they would have a particular disease breaking out without warning in the population. The medical personnel would nickname such nights, for example, The Night of Appendices or The Night of Gall Bladders.

Zheng Ren was not so lucky to get The Night of Appendices.

Usually, ten incoming patients with appendicitis would have qualified it as The Night of Appendices, but ten cases was just the start of Zheng Ren's night. His luck was really bad as it stood.

The first general surgery department of Sea City General Hospital was buzzing with activity. Doctors and nurses were rushing about, attending to families, preparing patients for surgery, briefing them about postoperative care.

Surgical skills were one thing but a patient's hospitalization from admission to discharge required many other details.

Ding dong. A clear sound echoed in Zheng Ren's ears once he completed a surgery.

[Class S mission, life or death challenge completed.]

The cold, robotic female voice of the System announced that the knife at Zheng Ren's throat had been lifted.

[System rewards have been accredited earlier. The host should keep up the good work.]

Zheng Ren was not disappointed to hear that there were no additional rewards. After all, he had received the best one in the form of the System's training. Wanting anything more would just be his greed talking.

There was still another mission to be accomplished, the one from the enemy of fate. Its reward was unknown but Zheng Ren believed in the System's generosity when it came to rewards.

The System did not adhere to step-by-step upskilling restrictions and seemed to be rushing him.

He was eager to see this mission through.

He resumed his work. He would perform all the appendectomies as they came.

Ten surgeries...

Fifteen surgeries...

Before he realized it, the sun had risen from the horizon.

Xie Yiren was numb and felt no weariness or excitement. She looked on impassively as Zheng Ren operated, occasionally handing him the requested instruments.

The first general surgery department had fallen into utter chaos.

He completed the fifteenth appendectomy. His nineteenth, if one included the four appendectomies he did yesterday.

Nineteen patients in nineteen hospital beds.

The general hospital's ward occupancy was always at full capacity throughout the year. The sudden spike in patient numbers placed enormous pressure on its medical personnel.

The matron from the first general surgery department and other matrons in the hospital were putting in extra time to coordinate the frontline. Five general nurses were also sent to the department to assist.

The pressing matters were addressed but resources were still insufficient.

There were not enough staff and the first wing ward was on the brink of collapse.

The first general surgery department had 55 standard hospital beds and all were occupied at this very moment. Additional beds were lined along the corridor all the way to the entrance.

One patient came with at least two accompanying nurses, some with more. There were more than ten people crowding the corridor—the scene was not unlike a morning market.

Patients who had undergone surgery rested on the additional beds with intravenous drips. The situation led to some dissatisfied families.

As this was happening, new patients were turning up at the general hospital's first general surgery department. The medical staff were desperate and losing hope.

The hospital chief on duty1 was woken from his slumber. He got down to managing the lack of hospital beds and manpower to cope with the influx of patients.

Zheng Ren's crazy night of appendectomies was like the domino that triggered the chain of events in the general hospital.

Under the instructions of the hospital chief on duty, the second general surgery department began accepting spillover patients. More matrons, doctors, and nurses were called back for extra duty.

The general surgery department of the hospital ran like intricate machinery with Zheng Ren as the motor that powered it.

One appendectomy patient after another was sent to the lower level. Any idle patient monitor was dragged to the general surgery departments. The electronic beeps of ten or more heart monitors formed a hectic tune.

In the end, the hospital chief on duty rang up the chief of the department of hospital administration and called some shots. Low-risk patients could forgo vital sign monitoring.

At 5:34 am, the second general surgery department corridor was also filed with hospital beds.

New patients were still coming into Sea City General Hospital.

One after another.

One after another.

Zheng Ren had lost count of the number of surgeries. A thought was stuck in his head: 'Must get an assistant.'

The assistant would only help move the patients onto the operating table.

It was extremely exhausting. Zheng Ren's back felt like breaking.

In the surgical demonstration classroom, Old Chief Physician Pan slept with his palm supporting his head.

Chief Surgeon Liu wore a stony expression as he watched the screen.

Was Zheng Ren a robot? Over twenty appendectomies and Chief Surgeon Liu had spotted no error. Every surgery was top-notch and Zheng Ren showed no signs of weariness.

Disappointment caught up with Chief Surgeon Liu. He had highly suspected that if ten more appendectomies came in, Zheng Ren would complete them perfectly as well.

Damn it all!

The doctors who had fallen asleep watching the surgery livestream on Xinglin Garden woke up.

Their eyes were greeted with an ongoing surgery. It was as if time had stopped and they had woken at the exact moment they fell asleep.

Had he performed a whole night of appendectomies?

The livestream video counter had reached 32. The doctors could not believe their eyes.

Had he completed over twenty appendectomies overnight?

It was a frightening thought!

This level of efficiency and proficiency was unparalleled in the medical field. Their views on life had been smashed into pieces, the shattering sounds echoing in their hearts.

[He did 28 appendectomies in the later half of the night? Question to others: what was your highest record for a Night of Appendices? Mine is nine.]

[Eleven. I was exhausted at the end and slept for a whole day.]

[Eight. I was only done by 3pm the next day. Didn't even take a break.]

The doctors talked among themselves and the final conclusion was just worship—worship of this highly-skilled, highly-experienced surgeon that had limitless stamina.

As time passed, some people picked up on a problem. Based on simple calculations, over thirty patients with acute appendicitis in a single hospital meant that this hospital covered a population of over a million.

In a big city with its population in the millions, there would be at least five to ten Class Three Grade A Hospitals. How was it that so many acute appendicitis cases ended up in one hospital?

Their suspicions did not extend further but made the livestream less credible. The techniques had been outrageous to the point where they questioned their lives.

This was fate; the eccentric could not be explained with logic.

At 7:48 am, the anesthesiologist came into the operating room to take over for the tired night shift doctor. He balked at the stack of anesthesia records.

How many surgeries did this f*cker do?

"What the hell were you guys up to last night? Why is there not a single disposable sterile gown left?" The operating room matron's furious shouts could be heard.

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Chapter 28: Unprecedented

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Sea City General Hospital would allocate around thirty sterile surgical instrument kits for the night shifts to handle emergency surgical cases, as they were in short supply.

Zheng Ren's crazy night of surgeries not only depleted that stockpile, but also some of the kits prepared for elective surgeries.

No one had expected the general surgery department to perform almost forty emergency surgeries in just one night.

"Matron, Zheng Ren has performed thirty-seven surgeries since last night."

"Thirty-eight. One case went in just now."

The matron was dumbfounded. "Zheng Ren? That Zheng Ren?"

"Yes, that Zheng Ren."

An enigmatic riddle, but the matron understood the conversation perfectly.

Everyone who knew that Zheng Ren had completed Professor Ichiro Moriyu's unfinished surgery last time tried to avoid any form of discussion regarding this topic as hospital management had imposed a gag order on it.

"Thirty-eight surgeries in one night?" asked the matron in disbelief.

"Yes, and there are more than ten patients in the general surgery department waiting in line for surgery right now."

"Impossible!" The matron refused to believe such an illogical claim. "I'm going to take a look."

The matron had a higher authority than most ordinary senior consultants from any department in an operating theater. In other words, the matron was an aggressive tigress, the king of the operating theater!

After changing into a surgical attire, the matron entered the operating theater with a smile on her face and said, "Yiren, you must be tired."

Xie Yiren raised her head in response. Her gaze was blank and confused after a restless night in the operating theater even as Zheng Ren remained energetic as usual.

Success would have been within Chief Surgeon Liu's grasp if his opponent was merely an ordinary person like Xie Yiren.

"Matron, you're here." Some vitality returned to Xie Yiren.

"Oh my God, why didn't you take a break in between?" the matron complained. "Little Zheng, couldn't you have given some consideration to your colleagues?"

Zheng Ren resected the inflamed appendix and threw it into the specimen container along with the medium-sized curved forceps, which caused a loud clang when it landed.

"Haha." He giggled in response.

"Yiren will rest after this surgery is over and I'll find a substitute for your subsequent surgeries." The matron waved her hand and made a decision directly without waiting for his consent.

"Okay," answered Zheng Ren.

"I don't think it's a good idea..." replied Xie Yiren hesitantly.

"What's wrong? Do you think all surgeries can be finished in one day? Who will take care of the patients if every doctor and nurse is exhausted?"

Before the matron could direct her snide remarks at Zheng Ren, she saw him hold out his hand, and Xie Yiren efficiently passed him a suture for running a subcuticular suture.

Huh? Was that it? The matron was astonished and confused. How long had it been, three minutes? The surgery was complete?

"Next." Zheng Ren went outside and asked a doctor from the first general surgery department to assist with the patient transfer. Then he said to Xie Yiren, "Go and get some rest."

"The surgery..."

"Don't worry. I'm still here, right?"

The matron assigned a highly skilled scrub nurse who had vast experience in assisting surgeons to Zheng Ren after his latest surgery was finished. After that, she dragged Xie Yiren out of the operating theater straight to her office.

"Any drinks for you?" asked the matron.

"Sister, I just want to sleep right now," replied Xie Yiren weakly as she slumped down with fatigue.

"Kid, why were you even risking your health? Zheng Ren is a heartless b*stard who has no sense of humanity and compassion. You're the apple of my eye in the nursing department. What should we do if you fall sick due to exhaustion? My initial plan was for you to lie low in the emergency department and consider it paid leave, but I didn't expect Zheng Ren to take full advantage of you like this," complained the matron.

"It's okay. Chief Zheng is very good at his job and I've learned a lot from him," replied Xie Yiren with a big yawn.

"Oh? What did he perform throughout the night?" The matron was getting closer to the truth, just like an old wolf sneaking up on its prey. There was no way she would believe that Zheng Ren had performed almost forty surgeries in just one night.

In fact, no one would believe such an absurd story at all.

"One acute appendicitis in the second trimester of pregnancy, four acute appendicitis in obese patients, eight perforated appendicitis, eleven acute phlegmonous appendicitis, fourteen... No, fifteen simple acute appendicitis cases." Even though Xie Yiren was sitting bleary-eyed and her limbs hung limp as if her muscles had given in to gravity, she remembered every surgery perfectly and even counted them off her fingers.

"Huh?" The matron was astonished. The rumor was true? How was it even possible?

"What's wrong?" Xie Yiren's mind was on the brink of shutting down.

"Get up and go to bed." The matron threw Xie Yiren onto the bed and hurried to the scene to make some arrangements.

There were lots of troublesome issues that required the matron's attention at the moment.

Since so many sterile surgical instrument kits had been used in just one night, what about the elective surgeries during the day? Such an issue was unprecedented in her thirty years of being a matron.

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Chapter 29: How Can A Man Say

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Ding dong...

A clear and melodious sound emerged in Zheng Ren's mind as he was in the middle of an operation.

Huh? Mission accomplished?

Then, the System's cold, emotionless, robotic female voice resurfaced.

[Mission Hostility From Peers accomplished. Time remaining: 16 hours 23 minutes and 43 seconds. Outstanding performance. 2332 experience points acquired. Mission reward... Calculating...]

Zheng Ren's speculation was correct, which brightened up his mood.

However, what the hell were these experience points? There were only skill points for skill trees in the System's setting, right? Where did these experience points come from?

Suppressing the joy and excitement deep in his heart, Zheng Ren concentrated on the appendectomy at hand.

It was just a simple case of acute appendicitis, so the surgery would be completed in no time.

Two minutes and fifteen seconds later, the wound was closed with a running subcuticular suture and a dressing was applied to the wound. After that, he transferred the patient to the hospital bed with the help of the anesthesiologist and a doctor from the first general surgery department.

"I'm going to take a break. You'll anesthetize the next patient first," said Zheng Ren.

The anesthesiologist, who had just rotated his shift and was currently in an energetic state, nodded in response as he figured Zheng Ren would be worn out after performing almost forty surgeries without rest.

Zheng Ren went to a corner of the operating theater, took off his dark green sterile surgical gown, threw it directly onto the floor instead of the red biohazard bin, and slumped to the floor without tidying himself up.

This was a common phenomenon for medical personnel working night shifts, especially when dealing with emergency cases. The doctors and nurses of the operating theater were used to it and none of them considered it tragic or distressing.

It was a necessary means for survival. A fussy attitude would do no one any good.

Zheng Ren closed his eyes and dived into the System.

The mysterious world had regained its normal appearance after the completion of almost forty surgeries. In fact, the fox statue in front of the thatched cottage appeared more realistic, the pond seemed to have expanded, and the air... had the same purity as usual. Zheng Ren, whose respiratory system had acclimatized to polluted air in the city, coughed involuntarily upon inhaling such fresh and clean air.

[Calculation completed. Mission reward: System Shop unlocked. Rational purchases are advised. Mission Ten Perfect Surgeries accomplished. Mission reward: 150 skill points, free intensive training in the System's operating theater for twenty days.]

The robotic female voice disappeared immediately afterward, leaving its sound echoing throughout the mysterious world.

These rewards... were awesome.

Zheng Ren knew that he had been presented another golden opportunity, especially after the benefits of his intensive training in the System's operating theater last time.

It was better to learn surgery by practicing on the mannequins in the System than on the precious cadavers in medical institutions.

Moreover, the mission reward this time offered a longer timeframe for intensive training than what he had in the appendectomy training last time. What a generous System, indeed.

Instead of searching the source of the disappeared voice, Zheng Ren went to check on his skill trees first.

Almost forty surgeries in one night had accelerated the growth of the skill trees as if they had been fertilized by high-quality farmyard manure.

There was a gratifying increase in the general surgery skill tree from an initial 1005 to 1067 skill points, but what could he possibly do with 150 skill points from the mission reward when he still had a long way to go to reach the peak of the Expert rank at 5000 skill points?

His skill trees in other domains had developed as well but they were not as obvious as the general surgery skill tree.

A Shop? What the hell was that? After observing his skill trees and getting a rough idea of his current standard, he started searching for the Shop in the System.

A command was sent telepathically and the so-called "Shop"—which was basically a screen—emerged before his eyes.

"..." What kind of nonsense was this?

There were no decorations or fabulous designs to adorn the facade as if there was nothing else the System cared about other than surgery.

This was a practical and utilitarian System.

Zheng Ren started admiring the goods in the Shop. The first item that caught his eyes was a set of equipment for general surgery with a price tag of 15000 experience points under it.

Oh... The experience points were currency to buy items in the System. Well, could he not just use gold ingots for item purchases? Zheng Ren started sweating after misinterpreting the function of experience points in the System.

Below the price tag lay a brief introduction of the item.

There was a vast collection of general surgical instruments, many of which were unknown to Zheng Ren, and they had various functions such as automatic disinfection, mild repair of damaged structures after separation of the connective tissues, and so on.

Those were some good stuff, but they were currently beyond Zheng Ren's affordability.

The Shop not only offered instruments and equipment for general surgery, but also other specialties as well.

Their functions were almost similar, but there were subtle differences which Zheng Ren would learn and require only after his skills had improved further.

With the extra-long large curved forceps as an example, Zheng Ren had profound knowledge in its manipulation after his arduous training in the System, but the forceps available in Sea City General Hospital were atrocious and nearly cost him two perfect surgeries last time.

Well, all of these had to wait until he had saved up enough experience points. Besides, even if he did purchase instruments from the System, how was he going to bypass the rules and bring his own instruments into the operating theater?

However, this trouble was none of his concern at the moment.

The last mission's reward—intensive training in the System's operating theater for twenty days—was exactly what Zheng Ren yearned for the most.

He had no idea how to activate this reward, which seemed to have no real form; perhaps it was not a physical entity at all, despite searching in the System for a long time.

"System, how do I activate the reward for intensive training?" asked Zheng Ren, who had failed to locate the operating theater after exploring the tiny area in the mysterious world.

The System was cold and apathetic as usual as it responded to Zheng Ren's question with glacial silence.

Well, there was nothing he could do about it. After contemplating for some time, Zheng Ren decided not to add his 150 skill points into the general surgery skill tree.

What would he do if the System had a crazy energy spike again and assigned him another mission which would result in death upon failure? It was better to save up some skill points as they could prove useful later on.

After admiring the surgical instruments in the Shop again, Zheng Ren left the cold and deserted mysterious world, drooling.

"Hey, don't play dead. It's time for surgery." The anesthesiologist woke Zheng Ren up by kicking his thigh gently.

Zheng Ren woke up from a ten-minute rest and realized that time normally passed at the same rate in both reality and the System. If the System was trying to freeze and maintain static spacetime just like how it did in his previous intensive training, its energy reserve would be depleted as if it was some sort of emergency response.

Every cell in Zheng Ren's body was brimming with energy as he got up off the floor, presumably due to faster energy restoration in the System. He might need to experiment on that theory some other time.

"Alright, I'm getting up now," said Zheng Ren.

"Are you sure you can do it?" asked the anesthesiologist.

After all, Zheng Ren had performed almost forty surgeries in one night, which was something unheard of in the anesthesiologist's entire life. Logically speaking, Zheng Ren should be worn to bits by now.

"I can do it even if you can't. How can a man say that he can't do it in any situation?" replied Zheng Ren with a grin.

COMMENT

Making dirty jokes was one of the special cultures of the operating theater. There was no study or theory supporting this statement, but every operating theater around the globe seemed to share the same culture as well.

A surgical scrub was performed, the operative site disinfected, the surgical drapes placed, the surgical gowns worn, and another appendectomy surgery commenced.

The inflamed appendix, becoming obedient under Zheng Ren's sharp scalpel, was resected and thrown into a specimen container. Everything was done within minutes, short and sweet as usual.

A new day had begun, and more viewers started entering the livestream in Xinglin Garden.

A live broadcast of forty appendectomies without break was considered a first-time magnificent achievement in Xinglin Garden.

Xinglin Garden aside, even the doctors who watched the live broadcast at this instant had never experienced this sort of situation in their lives.

Approximately ten appendectomies within twenty-four hours? Most surgeons had achieved this.

Anyone who had gone through this situation would be able to boast about their experience—during such-and-such time, I had performed ten appendectomies in just one night—while they drank beer and ate at a roadside barbeque stall.

Ten appendectomies were more than enough to be anyone's bragging rights.

However, it was not worth mentioning at all compared to this livestream in Xinglin Garden.

The number of surgeries had reached forty-one but the surgeon continued to make that number bigger and more terrifying.

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Chapter 30: Finally Become A Trophy Child

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

[I just arrived. Can anyone explain to me why the surgeon is performing a low-class surgery like an appendectomy in a live broadcast?]

[Low-class? It's an art if you can finish an appendectomy within three minutes. Do you even know what's art?]

[Agreed. I've watched this broadcast the whole night and I'm going to apply for leave today just to see how many appendectomies this surgeon can do consecutively.]

Zheng Ren was currently performing a simple appendectomy. No matter how skillful or superb his surgical technique was, it was quite tiresome and dull especially when the viewers had been observing the same procedure over and over again.

The main reason why the doctors continued to watch the livestream was to know exactly how many appendectomies this surgeon could perform consecutively before he burned out. Apart from that, some newcomers who complimented the surgeon for his proficiency and were ridiculed in return caught some of the viewers' interest as well.

This was definitely a world record and no competitor would come close to that result.

[Was this surgery performed by a human? How could he finish it so quickly?]

[The incisions weren't made on the standard McBurney's point, but every surgical wound was made closest to the inflamed appendix. Is there any new investigation method that allows the surgeon to pinpoint the exact location of an appendix?]

[Young man, don't be naive. The surgeon has been performing surgery continuously and every patient was examined preoperatively in the operating theater. I'm certain that there isn't any new appendix detection method and it was his profound clinical experience that gave him such a precise judgment in every appendectomy.]

After an appendectomy was completed, another case would be wheeled in.

Every doctor watching the livestream had the inkling that the surgeon was going to perform surgeries until the end of time.

When the mountains became plains, and when the heavens and earth came together as one united piece, only then would the surgery cease.

After a patient was transferred out of the operating theater upon completion of their surgery at a quarter past nine, the operating table remained empty for some time.

Was he done?

Every doctor in the livestream was lost in thought.

Ten minutes later, they finally confirmed that the demon who had performed appendectomies ceaselessly had treated all available acute appendicitis cases in the city and the surrounding counties.

[Finally... I've been watching for fifteen hours straight.]

[How many did he perform?]

[Forty-nine in total. 666!]

Forty-nine appendectomies within twenty-four hours. Anyone who saw this figure would definitely be agape. If they had been the ones performing the surgeries in their own hospitals, that timeframe would probably not have been enough to anesthetize all the patients to begin with.

Every doctor who watched the livestream felt dispirited and disheartened after analyzing the situation from a different perspective. The surgeon's standard, his technical skills, his scrub nurses, his anesthesiologists...

Zheng Ren had finally become a trophy child and received tons of admiration from others.

...

...

Zheng Ren finally left the operating theater after the last appendectomy was complete.

After a brief moment of hesitation, he had decided not to call Xie Yiren, who must be in a deep sleep. Despite his insensitive and heartless attitude, there was actually some emotional intelligence left in his heart.

He searched through the contacts in his cell phone and called Old Chief Physician Pan.

"Chief Physician Pan, it's me.

"Okay, I'll come down immediately."

After the brief conversation, Zheng Ren changed into normal attire quickly without taking a shower and rushed toward the surgical demonstration classroom in the general surgery department.

The elevator reached the floor of the general surgery department, and as soon as the gates slid open, Zheng Ren was shocked.

A strong miasma assailed his nostrils.

It was a familiar cacophony of smells—bromodosis, disinfectants, flatulence under the blanket for the whole night, food, and the stench from the toilets—which was also known as the smell of life.

Nowadays, the National Health and Family Planning Commission disallowed the addition of extra hospital beds in Class Three Grade A Hospitals, so it had been almost two years since Zheng Ren last experienced this familiar scent.

He then realized that the hospital was congested with patients due to the dozens of appendectomies he had performed in one night.

Instead of feeling disgust at this malodor, which smelled just like home to Zheng Ren's, his heart was at ease as if he had returned to when he first arrived at Sea City General Hospital.

Zheng Ren knocked on the door upon reaching the surgical demonstration classroom.

There was deafening arguing coming from inside it and no one answered the door.

Thus, Zheng Ren simply opened the door and went inside. The chief of the medical administration division was sitting in front of the projector screen, and opposite him sat Chief Surgeon Liu from the first general surgery department, Chief Surgeon Sun from the second general surgery department, deputy chief surgeons, and chief residents.

On the other hand, Chief Physician Old Pan was leisurely sitting next to the window and tapping the worn cover of Limited Views with his finger lightly, obviously in jubilation.

"Chief Surgeon Liu, you're one of the backbones of our hospital management. How could you do this? Couldn't you see the big picture in this matter?" the chief of the medical administration division berated harsly.

Chief Surgeon Liu's lips parted, but a comeback failed to leave his mouth, nor did he shamelessly stand up and apologize for his mistake.

The chief of the medical administration division said, "Matron Li barged in while the hospital's upper management was having a meeting this morning. You're aware of Matron Li's attitude as well, and most importantly, whatever she said was reasonable. What you did..."

"After the emergency board meeting, we've decided to let the emergency department handle every acute appendicitis case from now on. This matter ends here," the chief of the medical administration division concluded.

"I would like that too, but where is my manpower?" asked Old Chief Physician Pan calmly.

The chief surgeons of the general surgery department were no longer his concern as they had failed miserably, especially when there were forty-nine videos to slap the taste out of their mouths if either of them exploded with rage.

Who could endure a forty-nine hit combo?

"Old Chief Physician Pan, don't worry." The issue gave the chief of the medical administration division a headache. Increasing medical disputes had caused numerous healthcare disturbances to become a norm in the modern medical world. Nowadays, every hospital in the country suffered from a lack of medical personnel, especially the emergency and pediatrics departments.

In fact, every other department had staff shortages to a certain degree as well.

Old Chief Physician Pan was an experienced senior doctor, and if he decided to cause trouble when provoked... The chief of the medical administration division preferred not to experience that sort of calamity.

Elderly men needed to be respected and coaxed, which was exactly why the chief of the medical administration division ignored the culprit behind this chaotic mess when he entered the room just now. If the target had been someone else, the chief would have definitely come down on him like a ton of bricks no matter if they were in the right or wrong.

"Chief, I've a complaint." Chief Surgeon Liu stood up and gestured to Cen Meng, who acknowledged it and walked toward the computer brazenly to search for something.

"Keep the complaint to yourself. This is the will of the hospital's upper management team." The chief of the medical administration division was stern in his answer and disallowed any room for discussion.

Chief Surgeon Liu, who had expected this sort of response, ignored the chief of the medical administration division and spoke to Old Chief Physician Pan, "Zheng Ren once mentioned that he could make the surgery woundless if he was treating a simple case of acute appendicitis."

Cen Meng found the conversation between Zheng Ren and Xie Yiren during the surgery and played it on the projector screen.

"Yes. I can make it woundless if it's just a simple appendicitis case." Zheng Ren's words reached everyone's ears.

"I'll resign if he can do it." Chief Surgeon Liu grasped at the only mistake Zheng Ren had made like a dog stubbornly biting onto a feces-stained wooden stick.

He even used his resignation as a bargaining chip in order to retain whatever dignity he had left.

"Are you taking a joke made in the operating theater seriously?" Old Chief Physician Pan smiled and added, "How did you perform surgeries all these years? I'm doubting you."

"Chief Surgeon Liu, I think Zheng Ren was merely joking too, so can you please stop acting unreasonably?"

"Unreasonably?" Chief Surgeon Liu remained recalcitrant despite his overwhelming defeat and said, "I admit that he did a very good job in his surgeries, but not better... better than me."

Chief Surgeon Liu was unwilling to admit his appendectomy skill was comparable to Zheng Ren's even in his final struggle. He was not alone here and everyone was aware of his standards. They would definitely slander him if he boasted confidently without knowing his limitations.

"Well, I took whatever he said very seriously. If he can perform a woundless appendectomy, I'll resign immediately and won't care which department will take over all appendicitis cases in the future."

"Despicable man," Old Chief Physician Pan mocked.

"Chief Surgeon Liu, it's unwise to act on your impulses without any considerations," the chief of the medical administration division said earnestly, trying to persuade Chief Surgeon Liu not to make matters worse. If Old Chief Physician Pan, who had proved his mettle in those surgeries, coerced him into allocating essential medical personnel to the emergency department within two days... many staff in the medical administration division might commit suicide.

"Chief Surgeon Liu, a resignation isn't necessary, but you've got to promise that the general surgery department won't handle any acute appendicitis case in the future. Listen very carefully: not just the first general surgery department, but the whole general surgery department," Zheng Ren retaliated, looking askew at Chief Surgeon Liu.

F*ck! They were crazy! All of them were out of their god damned minds!

A woundless appendectomy? Who had heard of it previously?! Was Zheng Ren getting dazed after performing so many surgeries? How could he accept the challenge just like that?

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Chapter 31: Know His Limitations

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The chief of the medical administration division glared at Zheng Ren fiercely.

It did not matter to the chief which department—general surgery or emergency —would take over all appendicitis cases in the future, because the patients would be under Sea City General Hospital's care anyway.

What surprised him the most was Zheng Ren's boast about performing an appendectomy without the need to make an incision.

A surgery without incisions... The chief of the medical administration division fought the urge to grab Zheng Ren's collar and interrogate him. How was he going to resect the inflamed appendix without making an incision? Even if the appendix was resected, how was he going to take it out? Magic?

Did he think he could generate electricity with love and resect an appendix with a sharp gaze?

Zheng Ren ignored the peculiar gazes of everyone on the scene and continued after pausing for a few moments. "That's number one. Number two, everyone in the general surgery department cannot criticise or order around the emergency department no matter what kind of surgery is performed in the future."

F*ck... He was trying to plunder resources from the general surgery department without restraint. Did that mean all acute intestinal obstructions, acute cholecystitis and so on belonged to the emergency department in the future?

Who the hell did he think he was?!

Not only were Chief Surgeon Liu from the first general surgery department and Chief Surgeon Sun from the second general surgery department angered, even the chief of the medical administration division, who remained unbiased thus far, was getting riled up as well.

Outrageous! He dared to stand there and boast that he could perform an appendectomy without using a scalpel, and even listed out terms number one, two, and three! Who the hell did he think he was?!

"Little Zheng..." Old Chief Physician Pan felt awkward in this situation.

It was indeed his wish to expand the emergency department's territory and make it better, but who could have expected that the new chief resident would be so assertive and impulsive?

If Zheng Ren had said that he wanted to perform a pancreaticoduodenectomy or an organ—liver or kidney—transplant, Old Chief Physician Pan would definitely give him his unconditional support.

Instead, he mentioned performing an appendectomy without making an incision. That was absolute nonsense!

Therefore, Old Chief Physician Pan felt awkward because Zheng Ren had basically ruined his good hand entirely.

Old Chief Physician Pan started to smooth things over. "Relax. I know you're exhausted after performing surgeries throughout the day and night. Why don't you get some rest and I'll deal with them in the meantime? Don't worry, I won't allow the emergency department to suffer any losses. I, Old Pan, will not sign the treaty of treachery while my soldiers are fighting on the frontline."

Old Chief Physician Pan beat his chest reassuringly while making the promise.

Unfortunately, everyone in the room was a sly fox who had been working in the clinical field for years, especially Chief Surgeon Liu, who was a master of schemes with a calculating mind.

How could he give up on such a good opportunity for a counter-attack?

"Little Zheng is right," Chief Surgeon Liu interrupted Old Chief Physician Pan and concluded, "We agree to your terms. If you can complete an appendectomy successfully without making any incision, the general surgery department won't handle any acute appendicitis case thereafter, and the emergency department can take over any general surgical cases they wish."

Then, he turned around and gave a surly stare to Chief Surgeon Sun from the second general surgery department. "Chief Surgeon Sun, you've got the same thing in mind too, right?"

Chief Surgeon Sun felt helpless in this situation. He preferred not to stand up for the general surgery department but it was better not to offend Chief Surgeon Liu when their victory in this gamble was almost guaranteed.

Thus, he nodded his head and replied, "Okay."

A smile finally formed on Chief Surgeon Liu's face after receiving Chief Surgeon Sun's support.

The negative emotions—disheartenment, fatigue, and so on—he had accumulated after a day and night disappeared into thin air at that instant. "Little Zheng, I've got a patient with me, so come and take a look. Be sure to widen our horizons too."

Old Chief Physician Pan let out an agonizing scream deep in his heart. It was an obvious conspiracy and Chief Surgeon Liu had dug a pit to bury Zheng Ren alive.

The idiotic Zheng Ren had jumped into the pit without knowing its depth.

Old Chief Physician Pan had experienced the era of achieving surgical effects without the use of a scalpel in treating diseases decades ago. Qigong, common and favored among society at the time, traditional Chinese medicine, and acupuncture were all used to treat illnesses, but they remained popular only for a short period due to limited outcome.

What would happen in the end?

A cold feeling consumed Old Chief Physician Pan's heart. Zheng Ren was the one who brought success to the emergency department, but he was also the one who would bring it down.

Why did this b*stard not know his limitations?

Chief Surgeon Liu made a gesture without waiting for Zheng Ren's reply. Then, like a trained hound, Cen Meng took out a USB flash drive from his white coat, plugged it into the computer, clicked through numerous clinical cases at 300 actions per minute, and started explaining the surgical case.

"The patient is a young female model who is participating in the New Idea Model Contest in our city." Cen Meng's voice sounded deep and coherent as if he had rehearsed this case previously. "Since our city values the contest very much, Secretary-General Chen gave Chief Surgeon Liu a phone call and requested that she receive treatment in Sea City General Hospital.

"The patient had undergone three days of conservative treatment but the effect wasn't obvious. Secretary-General Chen mentioned that she is the seeded player in this year's contest. If surgery is required, the wound has to be very small and she needs to recover as soon as possible so that she can enter the final three days later."

The patient's brief summary of her condition and various investigative reports were projected on the screen at the same time.

Chief Surgeon Liu continued, "Provisional diagnosis is uncomplicated acute appendicitis. There shouldn't be any mistakes about it. Everything is in line with Little Zheng's terms—simple acute appendicitis but a woundless appendectomy. That's the instruction from the city's management team and I've been racking my brain thinking about how to handle it as well."

Chief Surgeon Liu's emotions had stabilized and his initial despair had disappeared into thin air after making that speech. Then, he redirected the focus on Zheng Ren's joke.

"My initial plan was to let Little Zheng handle this case since he is highly skilled in this field, and judging by the patient's condition, the conservative treatment has had a limited effect because there are signs of perforation." A smile formed on Chief Surgeon Liu's face. "It's fortunate that Little Zheng knows how to perform the surgery without leaving any scars because that's exactly what Secretary-General Chen wants."

An eerie silence reigned in the surgical demonstration classroom.

The New Idea Model Contest was considered one of the distinguishing features of Sea City, and the city was very supportive of every event related to the contest.

Moreover, the patient was actually a seeded player who was going to wear a bikini for on-stage performances. If the surgical wound was big or even noticeable, it would be unsightly and may even cost her the contest which was precisely the reason behind Secretary-General Chen's instructions.

A mere compliment may be given for a job well done, but failure to complete the designated task... Well, one had better be prepared to feel Secretary-General Chen's wrath.

It was not just a simple dispute based on personal grudges. Instead, Chief Surgeon Liu wanted Zheng Ren to get caught in a dilemma and let him burn in a furnace.

"Chief Surgeon Liu, I don't think it's a good idea." The chief of the medical administration division's expression was cold and emotionless. "I don't agree with your proposal."

The chief of the medical administration division had contacted the patient previously and knew exactly how high Secretary-General Chen's expectations were for her. It was better not to hope for great accomplishments but for no mistakes with this patient.

'This Chief Surgeon Liu dared to include such an important patient in his dispute. It seems like I've to teach him a lesson some other time. Otherwise, he won't know his place at all,' the chief of the medical administration division thought.

"Well, he said he can perform it without making an incision, so what do you say, Little Zheng?" asked Chief Surgeon Liu with a smile.

He was not expecting Zheng Ren to be extremely stupid and accept this special acute appendicitis case, anyway.

It was nonsense and Zheng Ren had clearly been making a joke last time. He just happened to seize that opportunity and used it to make matters worse so that he could retaliate and earn himself a fighting chance.

This tactic was called fishing in troubled waters.

It would be easier to settle subsequent issues once Zheng Ren flinched and backed off.

Chief Surgeon Liu tried to pressure Zheng Ren further by staring intensely at him.

"A woundless appendectomy seems justified since the patient's condition looks straightforward and uncomplicated, but I can make my decision only after I've seen the patient myself," replied Zheng Ren confidently.

COMMENT

"..."

Everyone in the surgical demonstration classroom was flabbergasted.

Was he wishing for death?!

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Chapter 32: Sudden Mission: The Soldier Dies For His Comrade

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Little Zheng!" Old Chief Physician Pan roared at the top of his lungs to stop Zheng Ren from continuing such a bold move. Otherwise, people would die.

That was embarrassing! Zheng Ren had no sense of priorities at all!

Even Chief Surgeon Liu was dumbstruck as well. He stared at Zheng Ren with wide eyes and had absolutely no idea what he had up his sleeve. Zheng Ren was not an idiot, that was beyond question. He performed forty-nine appendectomies within twenty-four hours and each of them had been done perfectly. Not even Chief Surgeon Liu, who was a senior general surgeon, code-named Sea City Supreme Scalpel, could find a single flaw in them.

Could he have performed such a magnificent feat if he was an idiot?

However, Zheng Ren's confidence shook Chief Surgeon Liu's beliefs instantly.

Honestly, that was impossible, right? There was no such surgery as a woundless appendectomy.

Zheng Ren walked toward the projector screen and started explaining the surgical technique to the crowd while Chief Surgeon Liu was still immersed in his own train of thought.

"Everyone should have some understanding about an ESD procedure, right?"

ESD, also known as endoscopic submucosal dissection, was a recent advancement in endoscopic surgery. The endoscopy unit in Sea City General Hospital was prepared to develop this technology but necessary arrangements had to be made before it was successful.

The chief of the medical administration division had heard about this new technology, but the senior consultants—Old Chief Physician Pan and Chief Surgeon Liu—were unfamiliar with it due to infrequent exposure to technological advancements.

"Let me make a brief introduction. An ESD procedure is a new surgical technique that uses an endoscope to dissect the pathological submucosal layer for treatment purposes. In the year 2010, an endoscopic transrectal appendectomy was performed in the endoscopy unit at Harbin Medical University Affiliated Second Hospital. Even though this surgical technique hasn't been carried out nationwide, cases are often reported. In fact, hundreds of successful operations using this technique have been recorded and we're not actually touching this domain for the first time," explained Zheng Ren confidently.

The chief of the medical administration division gave this some thought and continued listening to Zheng Ren calmly.

"Since the patient has special demands and her conditions seem uncomplicated, I think an endoscopic transrectal appendectomy is justified." Zheng Ren's words were firm and confident, but Old Chief Physician Pan shook his head repeatedly because he preferred not to take such a great risk.

"Can I take a look at the patient first? I won't know if she is fit for this operation if I don't see the patient myself. Also, hospital management will decide whether I should be the surgeon in this case," said Zheng Ren.

The chief of the medical administration division pondered for a while and nodded. "The patient is in special demands ward 3-2. Old Chief Physician Pan, go and have a look at the patient with Zheng Ren. I'll ask for Secretary-General Chen's opinion in the meantime."

...

...

After Zheng Ren and Old Chief Physician Pan left the surgical demonstration classroom, Old Chief Physician Pan complained, "Little Zheng, you were too impulsive. Are you emotionally unstable due to exhaustion?"

"No," replied Zheng Ren with a grin. Even though he was trying to express his optimism, he was haggard, especially with his hair deformed by compression from the sterile surgical cap after a whole night of surgeries.

"It's my fault." Instead of accusing Zheng Ren, Old Chief Physician Pan started introspecting. "I didn't expect Liu Tianxing to be so shameless. Don't worry, I'll make him pay for what he did to you within a month. We'll admit defeat this time, alright?"

"Chief Physician Pan, that isn't necessary," answered Zheng Ren.

"Huh?"

"I'm highly skilled in performing endoscopic transrectal appendectomy, and it isn't riskier than performing an open appendectomy, so the chances of success are actually very high," Zheng Ren continued bragging about his expertise without an ounce of embarrassment.

"You must be joking. Where did you learn it when Sea City General Hospital hasn't even developed this technology yet?" Old Chief Physician Pan remained doubtful.

"Innate talent plays an important role in surgery too. I've never performed a pancreaticoduodenectomy in my life, but I did it after Professor Moriyu ran away, right?" replied Zheng Ren.

This example was convincing. Old Chief Physician Pan turned quiet immediately and did not pursue the matter.

However, he did not support Zheng Ren's decision either. He merely lowered his head and quietly contemplated the situation that lay before them.

They walked toward the special demands ward in silence and reached sick room number two, located on the third floor.

After knocking on the door, Zheng Ren entered the room and saw a woman, at least 180 centimeters tall, lying on the sickbed. It was a safe assumption as her feet were hanging off the sickbed, which had a standard length of 180 centimeters...

That height... Tut-tut... Zheng Ren savored the thought for a while before carefully reading the patient's condition on the upper right corner of his vision.

It was a simple acute appendicitis case. Three days of conservative treatment were ineffective and the inflamed appendix was on the brink of perforation. According to the timeframe provided by the System, the appendix would perforate within three hours.

The patient's assistant stood up and received Zheng Ren and Old Chief Physician Pan immediately. Despite her condition, the patient was courteous enough to greet them as well.

Even though her eyebrows were furrowed in pain, she looked exceptionally gorgeous and obviously had had a good upbringing too.

In order not to make their visit appear abrupt, Zheng Ren performed a physical examination on the patient first before leaving the sick room with Old Chief Physician Pan.

"How is she?" asked Old Chief Physician Pan.

"The appendix will perforate in three hours. If she is going for surgery, we've to do it now," said Zheng Ren confidently.

In Old Chief Physician Pan's opinion, his explanation seemed exaggerated.

An expert among experts could diagnose an impending perforation in an inflamed appendix, but Zheng Ren could provide a countdown? That was absurd.

However, Old Chief Physician Pan made no attempt to challenge Zheng Ren's judgment. No matter what he said, Zheng Ren would shut him up by saying, "Look, Professor Moriyu ran away from the pancreaticoduodenectomy last time, but I did it."

That example made his judgment irrefutable.

"Are you sure?" asked Old Chief Physician Pan.

"Yes."

"How sure are you?"

"Very."

Old Chief Physician Pan came to a halt and stared at Zheng Ren seriously. His gaze was bright and piercing as if he was going to drink a farewell shot before going to the battlefield.

Zheng Ren stopped at the same time but felt uneasy and had no idea where to place his limbs under Old Chief Physician Pan's intense stare.

This elderly man was a war veteran. Rumors claimed that during the war in Southern Xinjiang, Old Chief Physician Pan had avenged his fallen comrades by going on a killing spree with a submachine gun.

There was no way Zheng Ren could resist the murderous aura emitted from Old Chief Physician Pan's soul.

"I trust you. Let's prepare for the surgery," said Old Chief Physician Pan heavily before he took out his cell phone and started making phone calls.

The statement "I trust you" weighed a ton and set his heart on fire.

Suddenly, the robotic female voice appeared in his ears like a ghost and a translucent screen with a new mission on it emerged before him.

[Sudden Mission: The Soldier Dies For His Comrade.

[Task: Live up to the senior chief physician's expectations by completing an endoscopic transrectal appendectomy.

[Reward: 30 skill points and 300 experience points.

[Time: 5 hours.]

Er... Zheng Ren was taken by surprise.

In all honesty, Zheng Ren had seen through Chief Surgeon Liu's little trick but knew that it was unlikely for him to perform the surgery himself too.

However, he had not expected Old Chief Physician Pan's trust to actually trigger the System into assigning a new mission to him. Now he had no choice but to handle it personally.

COMMENT

Zheng Ren knew that he had to perform this surgery himself.

Everything else aside, the mission being called "The Soldier Dies For His Comrade" alone was more than enough for him to do it.

Otherwise, he would feel sorry for the fire burning inside his heart.

Old Chief Physician Pan returned momentarily. "Little Zheng, I gave the city management a phone call just now and a warrant for this surgery has been issued. Success is compulsory. Failure is not an option."

"Chief Physician Pan, don't worry. I'll succeed in performing this surgery." Zheng Ren tightened his fists and made a promise.

Zheng Ren had experimented on various creative ideas—including an endoscopic transrectal appendectomy—during the intensive training last time.

Even though he had never used this technology in reality, he had performed at least one hundred endoscopic transrectal appendectomies in the System.

Thus, he was essentially the country's most qualified surgeon in performing an appendectomy with an endoscope.

That was the reason for his confidence.

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