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 #Chapter 193: A Coincidental Encounter In Imperial Capital - Read The Surgeon's Studio Chapter 193: A Coincidental Encounter In Imperial Capital Online - All Page - Novel Next

Chapter 193: A Coincidental Encounter In Imperial Capital

"Good luck! The company is in trouble this time, and we've to work together to overcome this crisis!" Hua Yingying accepted the car key and tossed it in the air.

Her words of motivation felt malicious somehow, making Feng Xuhui feel uncomfortable.

That was the end of their conversation. Feng Xuhui stood in a corner and continued smoking near the ashtray-topped trash can as Hua Yingying busily settled her issues inside the car.

'There is nothing wrong with her being arrogant,' he thought, staring at Hua Yingying. He also wanted to be as busy as her, but the truth was always depressing.

Even so, this matter... was indeed frustrating!

A few hours later, Feng Xuhui spied Zheng Ren from afar and quickly approached him.

However, he did not expect Hua Yingying to outrun him after seeing that the conference had ended. With a coquettish, flirty gait, she walked toward the crowd.

'Is she trying to poach my men?' Feng Xuhui quickened his pace.

Then, an accident happened...

Hua Yingying was doing something else while walking speedily, and her posture suddenly became strange as if she had been frozen. Then, with a twist of her six-centimeter high heels, she instantly fell to the ground.

Her assistant quickly caught her, but she seemed enchanted as she kept staring unblinkingly at the approaching duo, unaware of her assistant's help.

Zheng Ren was on his phone when he saw someone falling to the floor. Subconsciously, he glanced at the System panel at the upper right corner of his vision.

There were no fractures, sprains or even the simplest bruises noted.

Thus, Zheng Ren ignored the woman, paying no attention to her beauty as well.

Su Yun merely lowered his head as if he had not seen anyone falling.

"Ouch, it hurts." Hua Yingying exclaimed softly and restrainedly as Su Yun passed by.

However...

One blockhead...

Two blockheads...

They walked past Hua Yingying as if she was invisible.

Well,

That was awkward.

"Chief Zheng, I'm so sorry. The car has been temporarily requisitioned by the company." Feng Xuhui was exhilarated to see Hua Yingying's humiliation, but still had to face his trials no matter what punishment awaited him.

"Don't worry, I'm busy today. You carry on with your work," replied Zheng Ren, who was not bothered in the slightest.

Hua Yingying wanted to strike up a conversation, but the thought of fetching Old Wu from Shenzhen City immediately extinguished that unrealistic idea.

That man was really handsome.

'Damn it, I got distracted and made a fool of myself in front of him.' A chaotic mixture of emotions gnawed at Hua Yingying's heart. With the help of her assistant, she stood and rotated her ankle to make sure that she was alright.

The assistant supported Hua Yingying back to the Mercedes-Benz S600 to rest. Su Yun noticed that it was the same car that Feng Xuhui had driven them home in last night and immediately understood the situation.

He smiled, which made Hua Yingying's heart rate accelerate like that of a doctor receiving an emergency phone call.

Even so, her logical thinking still prevailed as she sat in the car and massaged her ankle, chagrined.

Her gaze remained fixed on Su Yun throughout it all.

Then, a shadow blocked her view.

Hua Yingying froze for a moment before becoming infuriated. Whose car dared to get in her way?!

Upon a closer look, she was dumbfounded.

It was a black Rolls Royce Phantom...

As soon as the Phantom stopped, the door opened and a woman more beautiful than Hua Yingying got out. Her black office outfit accentuated her curvy body and made her exposed, fair neck resemble beautifully-carved jade.

She had a faint tinge of youthful vitality, but her movements radiated the aura of one who was rich and powerful.

Hua Yingying's heart sank immediately. In the realm of luxury cars, she could bear being outdone.

However, how could there be such a beautiful woman in the world?

She looked smart and competent as well.

She also seemed younger than Hua Yingying...

The pride and confidence Hua Yingying had accumulated over the past few years instantly vanished into thin air.

"Chief Zheng, what a coincidence," said Bu Li with a polite smile.

"How is your father?" asked Zheng Ren.

"Let us speak in the car. My father wants to thank you in person." The chauffeur was not Little Six but was equally professional, opening the car door the moment Bu Li finished her sentence.

"Su Yun, do you want to join us?" asked Zheng Ren.

"No, I haven't met my brothers in a long time, so I'll have dinner with them later." Su Yun rejected his offer, obviously uninterested in having dinner together with Bu Li.

Zheng Ren did not insist either. He removed his white coat and tossed it to Su Yun before entering the car.

The black Rolls Royce Phantom left as silently as its namesake.

Bu Li's appearance once again refreshed Feng Xuhui's evaluation of Zheng Ren. He stood rooted to the spot, staring at the vanishing Phantom and groaning internally.

Chief Zheng seemed to have a wide social network in Imperial Capital as well. What should he do? Buying breakfast and ordering food delivery was definitely inadequate.

Oh yeah! Since Chief Zheng's coat was damaged, buying new clothes for him seemed like a good option as well. Perhaps he should also complete every task he had recorded in his memo in the meantime..

...

...

"My father is recovering well, and follow-up results look optimistic, too," Bu Li slowly said in the car, "The professor said that all possibilities of recurrence have been eliminated by the beautifully performed surgery."

"That's good." Zheng Ren was relieved.

No matter the richest man in Sea City or a helpless person like Zheng Yunxia, they were all merely patients in Zheng Ren's mind, and it always felt good to know that his patients had recovered well.

"Has he undergone targeted drug therapy?" he asked.

"According to the tumor DNA sequencing results, he is currently taking Sunitinib," replied Bu Li.

The price of such expensive targeted drug therapy did not pose any problem to the Bu family

Zheng Ren was inexperienced in communication. The sun was more likely to rise from the west than a blockhead like him was to become a good speaker.

However, Bu Li was an extremely good talker as she could always change the topic and keep the conversation going even when Zheng Ren ended it multiple times.

They had a good "talk" along the way. Soon, the car stopped out of a junction on the second ring road.

Bu Li politely invited Zheng Ren out of the car and led the way into the siheyuan[1, an oasis separate from the rest of the world.

Zheng Ren merely followed Bu Li as he did not understand anything.

A thin, middle-aged man welcomed him. "Doctor Zheng, we meet at last."

He looked to be in his fifties and of average height. Despite his thin build, he was in good spirits.

"This is my father, Bu Ruotian." Bu Li made an introduction.

"Hello." Zheng Ren shook Bu Ruotian's hand before being invited into the house.

After the hosts and their guest were seated, Bu Ruotian said, "Doctor Zheng, thank you for what you did that day."

"That's too courteous of you. It's just my job."

"Chief Zheng is truly a polite man. I had also failed to anticipate such a huge flaw in my city." Bu Ruotian's expression instantly turned serious as soon as the topic went to his surgery that day, causing the temperature in the room to drop by a few degrees.

He immediately realized his misbehavior and put on a gentle smile, saying. "Doctor Zheng belongs to the same social circle as well, so there's no need for us to put on airs."

Zheng Ren nodded.

"I hadn't expected to find a hidden talent, an adept in surgery like you in Sea City. I will propose a toast later." Bu Ruotian laughed.

"That's kind of you." Zheng Ren's expression remained unchanged.

"I was truly in danger at the time." Bu Ruotian recalled the fear he had had then. "You know, I'm known as the richest man in Sea City, but I'm nothing in Imperial or Sorcery Capital. The fortune in my possession now isn't worth mentioning at all in comparison to the really powerful men in the country."

Zheng Ren smiled, and his impression of the man improved significantly.

One could not invite experts or professors to perform surgery through wealth alone.

Bu Ruotian could have used his social connections to find the best professor for surgery in Imperial Capital, but would the professor perform it personally? One had to understand that professors trained their master's and doctoral students not to become salespeople for some random manufacturer, but to practice surgery.

Furthermore, Bu Ruotian would have had to stay in a two- or three-person room postoperatively. There was no way he would tolerate such a noisy environment during his recovery.

Inviting a professor to perform surgery in Sea City was undoubtedly the best option.

However, only second-rate professors who wanted a side income would be willing to become a fly-in, fly-out surgeon.

Surgical demons would welcome anyone seeking treatment in Imperial Capital, but they would sure as hell never leave their own turf.

What a joke. The sole purpose of becoming a fly-in, fly-out surgeon was to earn extra money, but which expert in their fifties would care about side income?

As for a single deluxe room... Only patients working at vice-ministerial level and above would request such a room in a Class Three Grade A hospital in Imperial Capital. The richest man in Sea City? He would be nothing but a joke if he dared demand anything in this capital.

Coincidentally, there had been an academic conference in Sea City General Hospital, so Bu Ruotian had seized the opportunity and contacted Professor Ichiro Moriyu; it had been a determining factor in his successful attempt to invite the old professor to perform the surgery in Sea City.

The only cost was that he had to agree to be part of a surgical demonstration.

The audience would be medical practitioners, and Bu Ruotian had nothing to lose when faced with life and death.

However,

He could not have foreseen that,

During surgery,

Professor Ichiro Moriyu would run away...

[1] A siheyuan is a historical type of residence that was commonly found throughout China, most famously in Beijing and rural Shanxi. Throughout Chinese history, the siheyuan composition was the basic pattern used for residences, palaces, temples, monasteries, family businesses, and government offices.

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Chapter 194: The Entertainment Scene of Imperial Capital

When Bu Ruotian had said that Zheng Ren belonged to the same social circle, it was a clear summary of what he had in mind.

Some words needed not be spoken directly.

"That's too kind of you, Mr. Bu." Zheng Ren smiled. "I'm very grateful for your care in the emergency department as well."

"Those were just small issues." Bu Ruotian laughed heartily. "I was very happy when I received my follow-up test results yesterday. My original plan was to return to Sea City and thank you in person, but my daughter informed me that you're currently in Imperial Capital, which is why you're here. No time like the present, right? But I do apologize for the unexpected invitation."

At the upper right corner of Zheng Ren's vision floated the System panel with Bu Ruotian's condition highlighted in light green, which was indicative of suboptimal health. He had not recovered completely yet, but the System, at least, did not provide any indication of tumor cells in his body.

That was to be expected. After all, his surgery had been completed under the prime experience, an ability almost reaching human limits. Although it was impossible to achieve a one-hundred-percent cure, the tumor tissue was still completely removed without difficulty.

As for the risk of recurrence... Bu Ruotian was undergoing targeted drug therapy, right?

One's life could be prolonged or even saved with advanced surgical techniques and deep pockets.

Bu Li was busy with her role as the waitress.

After all the dishes were served, she finally sat down and joined the conversation, returning the dinner atmosphere to the right track.

In all honesty, Zheng Ren found the dinner boring as he was uninterested in food.

If he had to choose, he would rather eat food prepared by Xie Yiren in the on-call room than dinner in this mysterious clubhouse in Imperial Capital.

Xie Yiren... He was already missing her after leaving home for two days.

Dinner felt dull and boring, especially when Zheng Ren could not drink. Fortunately, both Bu Ruotian and Bu Li were business elites capable of making the atmosphere less awkward.

After dinner, the cups and bowls were replaced with a tea table. Bu Li then began to brew tea.

Jin Jun Mei tea gave Zheng Ren a sense of familiarity as its faint fragrance reminded him of sweet potatoes that he had tasted in his childhood.

"Doctor Zheng, I have a friend in the provincial capital who has fallen sick recently. If you don't mind, I would like you to take a look at him," said Bu Ruotian calmly as if they had been friends for years.

Zheng Ren smiled and nodded. "Sure."

Bu Li then took out a laptop and inserted a disc.

Zheng Ren panicked as the fickle-minded System could not diagnose the patient's condition in their absence. However, since the disc contained contrast-enhanced MRI films of the liver, which he had seen more than a thousand times throughout his career, he did not have any difficulty reading them.

The patient's diagnosis was clear. It was likely hepatic carcinoma.

However, he also had underlying hepatitis B, judging from the presence of cirrhotic nodules in the hepatic tissue, which looked similar to cancerous tissue and made it tricky.

"My provisional diagnosis is liver cancer, but I need to see the patient myself," said Zheng Ren.

"He is currently in the provincial capital, and the diagnosis given by the doctor in the affiliated hospital of the medical university was also liver cancer, but the cancerous tissue can't be surgically removed, and the best treatment modality is interventional radiology." Bu Ruotian asked, "Does Doctor Zheng think so too?"

"Yes." Zheng Ren nodded.

Both Bu Ruotian and Bu Li were businesspeople, not medical practitioners, so it was pointless to waste a more detailed explanation on them.

From the MRI films alone, hepatic carcinoma was not indisputable, as the nodules in the advanced stage of liver cirrhosis could mimic cancerous cells in imaging films.

"Interventional radiology is required to confirm the diagnosis," said Zheng Ren confidently.

"Thank you, Doctor Zheng. I'll convey your message to my friend," Bu Ruotian said, "He'll decide on the next course of action himself. I may have to trouble you again if the need arises."

"It's alright."

"By the way, Little Six mentioned that Doctor Zheng saved a patient with hepatic cancer before. You are really a kind-hearted man." Bu Ruotian seemed to inadvertently change the topic to Zheng Yunxia's case.

Zheng Ren was perplexed. Why had Bu Ruotian taken an interest in Zheng Yunxia, a woman at the bottom of the social hierarchy?

Still, he nodded and said, "She was really lucky that Changfeng Microinvasive Surgery had provided the equipment for free, and the surgery was successful as well."

"Doctor Zheng is here in Imperial Capital for scientific research in interventional radiology, right?"

"Yes."

"Impressive." Bu Ruotian put his palms together and smiled. "I'll contact you again if my old friend requires your assistance."

"Okay, but I worry that your friend might think a small hospital in Sea City beneath him," replied Zheng Ren seriously.

Naturally, Bu Ruotian was aware of such a possibility as well, but gave no comment on it and continued drinking tea with Zheng Ren.

After a while, Zheng Ren received a call from Su Yun stating that someone wanted to see him.

Seeing that Zheng Ren had matters to attend to, Bu Ruotian and Bu Li chatted with him for a few more moments before Bu Li sent him to a Japanese restaurant called Xue Wai near the Workers' Sports Complex.

After bidding goodbye to Bu Li, Zheng Ren entered the restaurant and asked a waiter for the private dining room that Su Yun had informed him of earlier.

There were more than a dozen whiskey bottles on the table alongside a few men that were already mellow with drink.

Eating Japanese cuisine without drinking sake? Zheng Ren may not be well-informed on such matters, but he was at least aware of basic food knowledge.

Birds of a feather indeed flocked together. How he wished Chang Yue was here right now.

Zheng Ren missed her in particular now.

"Boss Zheng, come and have a seat." For some inexplicable reason, Su Yun started addressing Zheng Ren as such.

He had begun using the term ever since he had met his friends at the guest house.

"Oh, this is Boss Zheng Ren?" A burly man stood up. He was 1.85m tall with wide shoulders and long arms. Those, coupled with his beard, made him look fierce and intimidating.

"Hello." Zheng Ren smiled.

"This is Zhao Yunlong, a cardiothoracic surgeon and soon-to-be associate professor." Sitting cross-legged without any intention to stand up, Su Yun introduced the man while pouring whiskey. "He is the one who performed surgery on the patient with an aortic dissection who you found on the plane. Fang Lin is his junior."

"Thank you for your effort." Zheng Ren was sincere this time.

Type I aortic dissection required surgical treatment, and as for its difficulty... Zheng Ren honestly had no idea how hard it was since he had never done it before, but the operation itself was called ascending aorta aortic arch replacement elephant trunk surgery with an improved stent.

The name itself was awe-inspiring.

Even though Zhao Yunlong appeared less than forty years old, Zheng Ren was truly impressed by the fact that he could independently perform such an advanced surgery.

Perhaps his cardiothoracic surgery skill had reached the Master rank.

"Have a seat." Zhao Yunlong said enthusiastically. "I thought this b*stard Su Yun was just joking, but I hadn't expected Boss Zheng to be so young. I have you to thank for helping Fang Lin and Boss Gu today."

"It was just a coincidence," replied Zheng Ren humbly. He had just had his fill, and had no special love for tempura and sashimi, either.

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Chapter 195: Postoperative Patient Who Made A Heart

"How is Fang Lin?" asked Zheng Ren.

Zhao Yunlong had been keeping an eye on the ICU in the hours since the accident. After ensuring that Fang Lin's condition had stabilized, he invited Su Yun to dinner to thank them both for their help.

"Thanks to his timely resuscitation, he should be fine. You've saved him, Doctor Zheng, and I must thank you for that," said Zhao Yunlong, raising his glass. However, he soon realized that Zheng Ren did not drink, and so chugged the whiskey down in one go.

"How was the surgery on the patient with aortic dissection?" Zheng Ren's focus remained on the patient.

"Good. It took me six and a half hours to complete the surgery." Zhao Yunlong looked exhausted just recalling the elephant trunk surgery.

It usually entailed a six-and-a-half-hour operation including any potential intraoperative accidents under immense stress, which would wear anyone to a frazzle.

"That's good to hear. Thank you for your hard work." Zheng Ren nodded slightly in respect.

"Let me tell you something interesting," Zhao Yunlong said with a smile, "The patient woke up this morning. Guess what he did next."

Zhao Yunlong was using this opportunity to change the topic, obviously unwilling to talk about Fang Lin any further.

Zheng Ren perfectly understood how he felt.

No one at the table would feel comfortable and be able to enjoy dinner if they continued discussing Fang Lin.

"Discomfort, excessive phlegm or shortness of breath. What else could it have been?" a man answered.

"Just spit it out already," replied Su Yun without thinking.

"When I went for a ward round, the patient opened his eyes and made a heart with his hands." Zhao Yunlong laughed. "It didn't look like a heart, and even his gentle movements triggered restlessness, but I managed to calm him down."

Since it was a major surgery, sedatives had to be continuously infused and a ventilator attached postoperatively. Perhaps Zhao Yunlong was particularly confident in his skill, and the patient in good physical shape due to his young age, for him to let the patient regain consciousness the very next day.

"When can he be taken off mechanical ventilation?" asked Zheng Ren.

"He is currently stable. If that continues, he should be able to regain consciousness tomorrow, and we'll try to disconnect the ventilator in two days. However, he still has to remain under observation in the ICU for a few more days. We have to take it slowly," replied Zhao Yunlong.

Zheng Ren was very satisfied with this result, and Cui Heming was also incredibly lucky that his aorta had not ruptured between takeoff and surgery.

Another man cracked a joke. "Making a heart? This patient likes watching variety shows too."

"His case isn't that serious. After general anesthesia and sedatives wear off, the respiratory tubes can make many patients feel uncomfortable and lead to violent agitation."

"Haha, I think he'll leave the ICU soon, seeing how his first reaction was to make a heart postoperatively. He must be a big-hearted man."

After briefly discussing Cui Heming's condition and knowing that he was currently stable, Zheng Ren did not pursue the details any further.

The hospital facilities in Imperial Capital were far better than that of Sea City. At the very least, Su Yun did not have to keep an eye on patients in the ICU alone.

"By the way, I heard Su Yun say that it was Professor Pei who invited you to perform surgery this time?" asked Zhao Yunlong.

"I think I'll just be an observer instead of the chief surgeon in the actual surgery," said Zheng Ren.

"You must be very skillful as well. I had not expected Sea City to actually have talent. There aren't many people whom Su Yun admires. You know, I tried to make Su Yun my surgical assistant two years ago, but he rejected me no matter how hard I pushed him." Zhao Yunlong punched Su Yun's shoulder. "I really didn't expect you to find a boss eventually."

"I could have been my own boss when I was with you." Su Yun glanced at Zhao Yunlong before downing his whiskey.

His words instantly placed Zheng Ren in the middle of a warzone.

Zhao Yunlong merely smiled without questioning the man and emptied his glass as well.

He began to gossip. "Come to think of it, it'll be difficult this time."

"How so?"

"I heard this through the grapevine, so don't take everything I say seriously and keep it to yourselves," Zhao Yunlong said grimly, "Medical devices are mainly manufactured by four international companies, namely Abbott Laboratories, Boston Scientific, Medtronics and Biosensors International, and domestic manufacturers have always been suppressed by them. You guys are aware of this, right?"

"Tell us something new," Su Yun complained.

"It is said that there was an information leakage regarding the new stent-graft researched by Biosensors International, and the company has suffered great losses as Boston Scientific is making imitations of their product. Bankruptcy will be inevitable if the company doesn't focus its market on mainland China, which offers huge profits, to get through its crisis."

"And?"

"The mainland Chinese market is the key, but for historical reasons, Biosensors International had never invested much in China before, so it'll be difficult for them to slap something together at the last minute."

"They've taken an interest in this research?"

"It could be a stepping stone to success," Zhao Yunlong said, "Perhaps they could use stent-graft technology to create opportunities when the time comes."

"What do the bosses have in mind?"

"Of course they'll fight this head-on. If they lose in this field, a few of them will probably end up hospitalized straight away from rage." Zhao Yunlong laughed.

"That's okay. They came up with this idea at the last minute, so their technical preparations are probably inadequate."

"Not necessarily. I heard that Biosensors International has invited interventional radiology experts from Germany and established a separate production line to produce suitable guidewires and catheters regardless of cost," said Zhao Yunlong.

Everyone remained silent. The Germans were... or rather foreign scientific researchers were indeed extravagant when they had enough funds.

For example, German experts had researched hemorrhoid treatment with interventional radiology and even established a production line specifically for appropriate micro-coils.

A specific production line for a handful of hemorrhoid cases sounded completely illogical, but that was exactly how the rigorous Germans did it.

Science was advanced step by step through constant wastage.

How could one possibly engage in scientific research without huge financial and physical resources, as well as unimaginable manpower? Anything less was pie in the sky!

However, researchers in China lacked such means at the moment.

Several expressions sank immediately upon hearing Zhao Yunlong's words.

Everyone knew the shortcomings of the domestic medical industry, and it was to be expected that foreigners would strong-arm their way in eventually.

Su Yun shook his head and sneaked a look at Zheng Ren, who seemed unaware of the discussion, absent-minded, even.

Was this guy confident or inattentive?

Just as Su Yun was about to explode with rage, a thought ran through his mind. Could it be that Zheng Ren was actually confident?

"Boss Zheng, what do you think?" Su Yun and Zhao Yunlong asked at the same time.

"What?" Zheng Ren raised his head and aske, nonplussed.

"..."

This guy was so annoying!

"About the research in interventional radiology." Su Yun suppressed the rage deep within him.

"It's unrelated to my ability to perform the surgery, yet you ask me what I think? What's there to say? Just perform it as usual. It's slightly difficult, but not a big deal at all."

Was Su Yun's boss simply overconfident? Not a big deal at all? Biosensors International was about to invest thirty million dollars in it, and he was saying it was not a big deal at all?

Before Zhao Yunlong could argue the matter, he recalled the elephant trunk surgery that he had performed yesterday, diagnosed by this "boss" from a single glance at the patient aboard the plane.

Could he have done it if he was in Zheng Ren's shoes?

Zhao Yunlong highly doubted it. He had only his experience and no tests to diagnose a patient with, so there was no way he would have had the courage to contact the control tower for an air ambulance.

A misdiagnosis would have a disastrous impact on his reputation.

Besides, Su Yun was willing to address him as "boss", and Zhao Yunlong had known the man long enough to understand that Boss Zheng had to have something unusual about his ability.

"What do you need from me?" asked Zhao Yunlong after thinking for a few seconds.

"Are you familiar with the CT room?"

...

...

When Zheng Ren had bid goodbye, Bu Ruotian stared at his departing figure and ruminated for a long time.

He was deep in thought for ten minutes before finally making up his mind and taking out his phone.

"I'm Ruotian.

"I met the doctor who had performed the surgery on me in my follow-up consultation in Imperial Capital. Coincidentally, he is here to attend a new project in the research institute.

"Yes, that's right. The recording of my surgery has been reviewed by several professors in Imperial Capital and Sorcery Capital, and they claimed that the surgeon's skill was unbelievable, and perhaps far superior to that of Professor Ichiro Moriyu's.

"Yes, you're right. I don't think it's possible, either.

"Alright, I'll contact you again if something happens."

Bu Ruotian hung up and smiled bitterly.

The other party simply could not believe that an unknown doctor in Sea City was actually that proficient in surgery, and he would not book an urgent flight to Imperial Capital based on it.

Bu Ruotian had almost died, and so was now more open-minded than before. In all honesty, recommending a doctor to someone was not necessarily beneficial. If something went south along the way, disaster would await him as well.

This was especially the case with Zheng Ren, a young doctor. If he had not been anesthetized and left unconscious, he would never have let the young man perform surgery on him.

He had started to become unbothered by many issues once he became open-minded. The other party had been good to him, so after realizing Doctor Zheng's proficiency, he had had to do something—including asking Doctor Zheng for his opinion—to repay the man's kindness.

Even when there was a high chance that his suggestion would be rejected.

And as expected, it was.

The other party sounded annoyed as well, under the assumption that he was simply fooling around.

Bu Ruotian shook his head.

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Chapter 196: Core Technologies

A few hours before...

Mu Tao trailed behind Wu Haishi as they exited the research building.

The old man walked in silence. Once they were past the doors, he suddenly asked, "Are you confident?"

"Yes," Mu Tao replied without hesitation.

A few months ago, he would not have had the confidence to say that he could beat Jin Yaowu. Their abilities were roughly equal and there would be no clear winner. However, at this very moment, Mu Tao was sure he could trounce Jin Yaowu.

After analyzing the livestream on Xinglin Garden, Old Wu had deduced the surgeon had used a custom configuration for the 64-slice CT scan reconstruction.

As a result, Mu Tao had invested a good amount of time into researching 3D reconstruction of CT scans.

In terms of his surgical skill, he was already above average. It was impossible to make any significant improvements on that front with what little time they had.

Hence, he had decided to branch out and master a subspecialty. He believed it would give him the edge he needed to beat Jin Yaowu.

"Old Wu, it must have been a tiring day for you." As they stepped out into the cold, Hua Yingying stood and approached them. She took one of OId Wu's arms with care. Mu Tao suddenly realized that Hua Yingying could be his teacher's most important disciple.

"You've been waiting out here, in the cold. You should be worried about yourself." Old Wu shook off her assistance but gave her a verbal pet on the head.

Hua Yingying put on a respectful smile as she ensured the professor was warm. She walked a few steps ahead of Old Wu and opened the car door.

"Mu Tao, arrange for a 64-slice CT scan reconstruction before the surgery," Old Wu said.

Mu Tao nodded and watched as the Mercedes-Benz drove away, then got his phone out to make the necessary arrangements.

Personal requests were best done after working hours.

As it was the weekend, the timing was more flexible.

Once the arrangements were made, Mu Tao headed for the interventional radiology department as scenes from the Xinglin Garden's livestream replayed in his head.

It had been perfect.

Mu Tao believed that he could achieve the level of perfection of the livestream's surgeon one day, and that day was not too far away.

He arrived at the interventional radiology department and displayed his identification. He was met with the on-call doctor's warm welcome.

"These patients are so lucky." The doctor brought Mu Tao to the office and switched on the computer.

At this moment, the nation's most esteemed surgeons were congregated in the city for the elective surgery on Monday.

The doctor's comment was not a compliment for him per se, but Mu Tao regarded himself a bit better than the lead professor.

"How many patients?" Mu Tao asked.

"22."

"What happens if we can't complete them?"

"The lead professor will step in. The caseload was spread out between two to three days but when the patients caught news that a bigshot professor was performing surgery, they all rescheduled to Monday. After all, the cost was the same," the doctor explained to Mu Tao.

Mu Tao flipped through the patients' case files, skipping the mild cases, to find a suitable subject for demonstrative surgery.

He avoided cases that were too challenging as well. He was not a fool to make such a mistake.

A moderately difficult case was what he wanted.

This hospital was well-equipped and well-staffed. Mu Tao finished looking at the scans of 22 patients and picked out three. "Give me these three patients."

"You want to perform surgery on all three?" the doctor said curiously.

"Yes. It'll be done in one morning." Mu Tao wrote down the patients' case numbers and visited them to ask some health-related questions before heading to the CT room.

Old Wu had already contacted the department and the deputy chief was personally waiting for Mu Tao at the CT room. When Mu Tao mentioned he wanted to attempt 3D reconstruction of CT scans, the deputy chief exclaimed, "How far has technology come; even surgeons can perform reconstruction now. In a few years, we'll be out of jobs."

They both knew it was a joke.

This was a special occasion that required a personal touch.

It depended on the surgeon's dedication.

Mu Tao was glad to see the same machine as the one they had in Shenzhen Economic Development Zone People's Hospital. As he was familiar with the machine, he would finish faster.

As he observed Mu Tao's skillful operation of the machine, a bitter smile appeared on the face of the deputy chief.

The joke he made minutes ago was not as funny now.

If clinical doctors could operate these machines... What a scary thought.

The deputy chief knew Mu Tao was a high achiever and only a handful of surgeons in the country possessed similar skills. However, watching Mu Tao's effortless manipulation of the system made his heart twinge.

"Chief, I'm gonna take some time so you may have to wait a bit," Mu Tao said as he fiddled with the system.

"A few hours is fine. Old Wu personally asked me for this favor."

Time passed and as evening came, the CT room remained quiet.

The deputy chief refreshed the news feed on his phone. The same news kept recycling on the screen.

Hours had gone by and he was bored out of his mind. Footsteps echoed from the corridor outside.

"Who's here at this hour?" Deputy Chief Zhang wondered.

From their conversation, it sounded like one of the research graduates.

"What's this?" Deputy Chief Zhang was surprised to find people in this corner of the building.

"This associate wanted to have a look at our machines, so I brought him over." The research graduate was startled by the deputy chief's question. Like a deer caught in headlights, the young man put on an awkward smile.

The congregation of medical professionals from all parts of the country had led to an increase in department tours. Deputy Chief Zhang paid them no mind and continued scrolling his phone.

They went into another control room. The research student let out a breath of relief.

"Mr. Zheng, this is the model we have. It's a 320-slice Siemens," he said with pride. "Are you familiar with it?"

The question was a formality. He assumed Zheng Ren would not have a clue.

This model was rare in the country as it was top-tier equipment with only one real competitor, a 640-slice CT machine from Toshiba.

In the early development of 3D reconstruction technology, 64-slice scans were the upper limit. Hence, the technology was commonly referred to as 64-slice 3D image reconstruction.

Continuous advancement in the imaging field led to multiple equipment updates. The difference between a 640-slice and 320-slice scan was insignificant.

Zheng Ren smiled and said, "More or less. The switch is here, right?"

He turned on the machine.

It came to life with a low hum. The research student quickly stepped forward to help Zheng Ren with the controls. He would not be able to answer to his superiors if Zheng Ren accidentally damaged the machine.

Zheng Ren stood aside and let the young man busy himself with the controls. They followed the appropriate operating procedures and keyed in the patient's case number to bring up the corresponding scans.

At first, the research student could track Zheng Ren's every stroke, but he was soon bewildered.

'This man is a surgeon, but he can perform a 3D image reconstruction manually? This... This is retrograde reconstruction.'

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Chapter 197: The Master From Montreal

Zheng Ren had had to attend two meetings today, so he had returned late. Seven cases were selected after a round of evaluation.

The cases he chose were a mix of difficulties. Some patients had early-stage primary tumors that called for a direct injection of iodized oil into the hepatic artery, while some showed signs of metastatic carcinomatosis cirrhosis.

In Zheng Ren's eyes, the patients were his number one priority. He ignored the System's mission and the complications of each case.

He stayed true to the doctor's code of ethics.

Saving lives outweighed everything else.

One of the patients that showed symptoms of hepatic cirrhosis seemed similar to the patient referred by Bu Ruotian. These cases interested Zheng Ren as it was tricky to determine malignancy.

One...

Two...

Three...

Zheng Ren had performed these reconstructions back in Sea City. With his Master-level skill, he manipulated the system with an uncanny ease and familiarity.

The research graduate stared at him wide-eyed.

He thought the others had been joking when they called Zheng Ren a 'boss'.

Now, his view of Zheng Ren had changed. He was ready to kneel before this master.

With his limited knowledge, he could only understand bits and pieces of what Zheng Ren was doing.

Zheng Ren appeared to be manually reconstructing the 64-slice CT scans to locate the tumor-feeding artery.

This was no ordinary feat.

Radiology research graduates focused on interpretation and diagnosis.

A research graduate who completed a radiology attachment would be able to interpret imaging, be they CT, MRI or X-ray scans.

System manipulation, on the other hand... Equipment these days came with sophisticated software that required minimal user input. Manual configuration was compulsory back in the old days when software development was lagging behind.

Now, manual configuration was unnecessary.

He would have deemed such a practice ludicrous were he not witnessing it first-hand.

His head throbbed as he tried to make sense of the operation. In the end, he turned away to avoid popping a vessel.

Despite his curiosity, the research graduate walked out of the room.

He was afraid that he would faint from the information overload.

Instead, he went to check out the room next door.

He gently knocked on the door and went in, greeting Deputy Chief Zhang.

The 64-slice CT scan of a liver cancer patient was on display.

'What is going on tonight?'

Both doctors were performing rare manual reconstructions of similar cases.

He was baffled.

"Little Liang, can you understand what he is doing?" Deputy Chief Zhang asked, bored.

"Yes..."

"Oh? You do?"

"A bit," the research graduate replied curtly as his headache threatened to return.

"Not bad. A bit of understanding goes a long way," Deputy Chief Zhang chuckled in a low voice. "Very few people do this these days. You have a good eye if you can catch what he's doing at first glance."

"It's not my first time seeing this," the young man said.

"Oh? You've seen others do this?" the deputy chief asked.

The research graduate gulped and stared at the control room door. "Next door."

A look of surprise came across Deputy Chief Zhang's face and he recalled the recent rumors surrounding the research and development department.

Still, he suppressed his inner curiosity. Years of work experience had cultivated a strong sense of professionalism in him.

Things that were beyond his scope should be ignored. Some questions were better left unasked.

Mu Tao was almost done with the rendering. The hepatic tumors were artistically dissected and displayed on the screen.

Deputy Chief Zhang was shocked.

The reconstruction was totally different from what he had imagined.

On the visualized image, the arteries that branched out from the hepatic artery fed into the tumor. In addition, two more tumor-feeding arteries had been identified, one originating from the phrenic artery while the other from the renal artery.

What an amazing feat!

Mu Tao was searching for the print function; Deputy Chief Zhang approached to help him process the image and said, "You have a rare skill there. Is it from Old Wu's new research?"

Mu Tao's pearly whites shone. "I picked it up from a surgery livestream hosted by Montreal General Hospital."

"Impeccable technique," Deputy Chief Zhang commented.

"I was doubtful at first. But the professor's encouragement and reminders made me decide to spend one month in a CT room to learn the skills required," Mu Tao explained. "I've run two clinical tests and the outcome was obvious."

"Ah, the young learn so fast." Deputy Chief Zhang patted Mu Tao's shoulder and said, "I have high expectations for you. Good luck!"

"Thank you, sir."

"I'll be leaving now. Little Liang, once your side is done, remember to switch off the machines and lock the door," Deputy Chief Zhang said to the research graduate.

"Yes, sir," the research graduate responded. He was glad that it was Deputy Chief Zhang he had run into. Had it been his own boss, there would have been a lot of shouting.

"Hard at work at this hour?" Mu Tao saw the lights of the other control room flicker.

"Mr. Zheng from the northeast district is inside. He's also performing 3D reconstruction of a 64-slice CT scan."

"Oh?" Mu Tao's curiosity was piqued.

Since the discovery of the Xinglin Garden livestream, Mu Tao had spent many days and nights learning the ropes under the guidance of Old Wu. The technique was in his grasp but his execution was still imperfect.

However, with this advantage, Mu Tao was confident he would come out victorious.

It was the ace up his sleeve—this unique technique born from Montreal General Hospital.

He wondered what the man was doing in the control room. It must be standard reconstruction using the system's default settings.

Mu Tao smirked confidently but decided to have a peek into the room before he clocked out.

The northeast region? Were there any surgeons worth mentioning? Most of those would have fled south to seek greener pastures.

Mu Tao remembered Professor Pei's glowing review of this young doctor. It had provoked the ire of Professor's Pei's most senior disciple, Jin Yaowu.

He could understand Jin Yaowu's displeasure at being compared to a young upstart. People even called him the 'boss'.

Boss Zheng; it had a funny ring to it.

Mu Tao grinned. "Boss Zheng, huh? I want to meet him."

Dr. Liang figured it was common courtesy. He led Mu Tao into the control room.

Zheng Ren was no longer performing the reconstruction. Instead, his attention was fixed on the 64-slice CT scan of a patient.

Mu Tao's grin widened.

'Just as I thought: there was no way this guy would know advanced techniques such as retrograde reconstruction. He's just using the machine to get a clearer view."

No matter how detailed existing scans were, they would not have an impact on the surgery's progression; not without some form of retrograde reconstruction.

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Chapter 198: Bootlicking Gets You Nowhere

Mu Tao knocked on the door. "Boss Zheng, are you busy?"

Zheng Ren turned to face the man. He seemed familiar, but Zheng Ren could not pinpoint his identity.

An awkwardness hung in the room.

A few seconds of pin-drop silence ticked by. Finally, Mu Tao decided to crack a smile and say, "You must have met a lot of people in the past few days. I am Mu Tao, Professor Wu's disciple."

Realization dawned on Zheng Ren. They had met before in the research building.

The quiet spell now broken, Zheng Ren stood up and extended a hand to Mu Tao. With an apologetic look on his face, he said, "My apologies, Dr. Mu. I have a bad memory. Please, have a seat."

The words sounded sincere, so Mu Tao let the blunder pass.

"Are you looking at scans?"

"Yes. I was studying the images—it seems like there are many cases of malignancy, but it's hard to decipher hepatic nodules from tumors based on the scans," Zheng Ren said truthfully.

This particular patient's scans were similar to the ones from Bu Ruotian's patient in Provincial Capital. After completing the reconstruction, Zheng Ren had revisited them to get some insight.

He had yet to identify a way to differentiate the markings.

"It is indeed difficult to be sure. We can only perform the embolization surgery and confirm it a month later with a CT scan," Mu Tao said emphatically.

Zheng Ren nodded in agreement, but there was a glint of rebelliousness in his eyes.

In Mu Tao's opinion, the man must have chosen the easiest case to parse with his limited skill but was unsatisfied, finally ending up here in the CT room looking through the scans.

The man's dedication to his work was commendable despite his inferior skill.

The silence in the control room quickly turned awkward again. Mu Tao sighed in disappointment at the prideful Sea City doctor who lacked social skills.

'They call this guy a boss?'

This doctor seemed pretty average. Being invited to this event was likely the peak of his career.

"Boss Zheng, you seem busy. I'll leave you to it," Mu Tao said, offering polite words that he did not mean.

He had nothing against this doctor from Sea City, so there was no point in offending him.

Zheng Ren was engrossed in the CT scans when Mu Tao announced his departure, but quickly stood up and sent the man on his way.

The control room fell back into an amicable silence.

The research graduate sat in the back of the room, scrolling through his phone while waiting for Zheng Ren. With an unwavering focus, Zheng Ren studied the scans from multiple angles, trying to identify any notable differences between hepatic nodules and carcinoma on them.

Each round of analysis, research and examination earned him experience.

A long time passed before Zheng Ren stood from the controls and rubbed his tired eyes.

"Mr. Zheng, you're done?" the research graduate asked.

"Sorry it took so long."

"It's no big issue. The pleasure was mine." The research graduate waved it off.

Zheng Ren simply shrugged. He was not interested in finding out how popular Su Yun was among the young professionals of Imperial Capital, so after a short exchange with the research graduate, he left alone.

The wind outside chilled him to the bone.

His jacket was ruined from the incident in the clinic and he was still wearing one of Su Yun's sweaters. He shivered as he jogged back to his accommodation.

Feng Xuhui was standing by the lobby entrance, one hand on a package—he had bought some new clothes for Zheng Ren. He raised a hand in greeting but the man jogged past him and entered the building.

Feng Xuhui was speechless. He carried the package and followed the doctor in.

Once inside the room, he boiled some water for Zheng Ren.

Su Yun was already back despite his back-to-back gatherings with Zhao Yunlong and other people. The jiggle of the doorknob caught his attention and Zheng Ren's lateness piqued his curiosity.

Still, he had to start their conversation with a jibe. "Look at you. You brought a number of shirts but forgot about outerwear?"

A series of responses ran through Zheng Ren's mind but he stayed mum.

Feng Xuhui was taken aback by the sudden noise but quickly thought of something reasonable to say.

He decided to steer the conversation. "Chief Zheng, I bought two outfits for you. You should try them out—"

Zheng Ren's phone rang.

With a sheepish smile, Zheng Ren motioned with his hand, indicating there was no need before answering the call.

"I'm in my room.

"Yes, in the north wing of the hospital.

"Sure. Thanks for the trouble."

Zheng Ren hung up and smiled. "My friend sent me some clothes."

Feng Xuhui was at a loss.

He always thought he had a good read of things. Throughout his career, he had learned much about social interaction and engagements with senior officers.

However, all his experience fell short when it came to Zheng Ren.

Truly, his bootlicking gestures were getting him nowhere.

What a pain.

However, the timing was suspicious. Was Zheng Ren lying to him?

"Chief Zheng, do you have a friend in Imperial Capital?"

Su Yun snorted and answered snidely, "Are you dumb? If the item was bought in Imperial Capital, shipping would take only three to five hours. I honestly thought the package would arrive when you were still in the CT room. That woman is usually quite efficient."

Internally, Feng Xuhui wanted to cry.

He was definitely not as skilled in shopping as the average lady.

He regretted waiting at the building entrance. He should have called Chief Zheng and delivered the clothes straight to him.

If only he knew...

If only...

This line of thought had plagued Feng Xuhui multiple times today.

It was eating at his soul: Was he that bad of a salesman? He could not even complete this simple task.

Zheng Ren ignored Su Yun and Feng Xuhui. When his phone rang a second time, he went downstairs to collect his parcel.

He brought the package in and unwrapped it. There were three jackets that were identical to the one Zheng Ren brought to Imperial Capital, matching even in color.

"Xie Yiren's worried you'll get stabbed that many times?" Su Yun snarked even in the woman's absence.

Feng Xuhui went to have a look. His eyes surreptitiously went to the clothing tags.

The numbers on the tags told him that each article was worth a pretty penny.

All three jackets were identical.

It must be fun being rich.

This was a losing battle he was fighting. He kicked the package he bought aside dejectedly, keeping it out of Zheng Ren's vision.

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Chapter 199: Role Reversal (Part 1 of 5)

"Put it on and give me back my clothes," Su Yun said as he glanced at the offerings from Xie Yiren. Their brand did not escape his attention. "I'll have to wash it. Oh, Manger Feng, could you help me send it to the dry cleaners?"

"Ah... Sure..." Feng Xuhui muttered in reply.

Helping Chief Zheng's assistant should gain him some brownie points.

However, from observation, the two seemed quite distant. The assistant did not show much respect for Chief Zheng and often made sarcastic remarks.

Feng Xuhui wondered if he had made the right choice.

Zheng Ren's mind wandered as he held onto his new clothes.

"What are you thinking?" Su Yun asked. "Hey! You don't have to stare at them for so long. Hey! Are you serious? Stop daydreaming about her. Wake up!"

Zheng Ren said quietly, "I was thinking about the patient's scans."

"Go take a shower and sleep. What's there to think about? It's not like the patient is a beautiful lady. You should think more about Little Yiren instead," Su Yun joked, grinning.

Zheng Ren clutched the material in his hands. The shroud in his mind was dissipating. He felt like he was on the cusp of discovering something important.

What was his focus?

The truth still seemed elusive to Zheng Ren. It was as if the strength to push open the door was within him, but not the door's location.

Seeing Zheng Ren's blank look, Su Yun patted him on the shoulder. "You—"

"Ah!" Zheng Ren shouted suddenly.

"What the hell?" Su Yun jumped at the sudden outburst. He checked if he had accidentally touched Zheng Ren's injured side. He had not, and with an angry scowl, he glared at Zheng Ren.

"I know what to do. I need to go to the CT room. Su Yun, help me get the research graduate, Dr. Liang. Then, head to the wards and get the contrast-enhanced MRI scans of patient 7-22," Zheng Ren ordered.

"It's really late, y'know," Su Yun commented, irritated. He was never one to obey immediately but when push came to shove, he did as he was told.

Once he got the snark out of his system, he took his phone out and went to make the call. "You go and change, I'll speak to Little Liang."

Zheng Ren went to change his clothes. Feng Xuhui stood and waited for him.

He decided that unless Zheng Ren ordered him away, he would follow the man every step of the way. He was already trying his best keeping up with the duo.

With quick feet, Zheng Ren arrived at the CT room. A ray of light had burst through the shroud in his mind.

He had to verify his theory, and to do that, he needed the patient's 64-slice CT and contrast-enhanced MRI scans.

Su Yun went to the wards to retrieve the patient's MRI scans.

Dr. Liang was already there when Zheng Ren arrived. He had a look of admiration as he took two steps forward to meet Zheng Ren.

"Dr. Zheng, thank you for today," the research graduate said sincerely.

"Huh?" Zheng Ren was confused.

He turned to look behind him but there was no one except Feng Xuhui in the corridor.

"Fang Lin and I were from the same batch. We get along pretty well. I heard he was injured today but didn't know the details. Brother Yun told me that you were the one who saved Fang Lin... Please forgive me if there have been any shortcomings on my part," Dr. Liang said. Zheng Ren found the man's attitude satisfactory—he was recommended by Su Yun, after all—but found himself unable to respond to the good faith presented.

Zheng Ren waved his hand. "It's my job. No need to thank me."

"The machine is up and running. I'll let you get to it and if you need anything, just call me up," Dr. Liang said before letting Zheng Ren into the control room. Then, he joined Feng Xuhui at the back of the room.

Zheng Ren got down to business.

His fingers danced expertly across the control panel. The 64-slice contrast-enhanced CT scan came up.

Feng Xuhui could not understand what Zheng Ren was doing but could see that Zheng Ren's expertise belied his years.

A moment later, Su Yun entered the room with a stack of scans. He let them fall onto the table with an audible smack. "The scans you requested."

Zheng Ren ignored Su Yun's insolence. Only the scans stuck in his mind.

He placed one of the MRI scans onto the viewer.

All his attention was fixed on the MRI and the 64-slice CT scans.

Su Yun quietly took a photo and sent it to the group chat.

Feng Xuhui had no idea what was going on. Boredom gnawed at him but he was determined to fulfill his duty.

He was not leaving no matter what. This was his priority mission.

With both scans on display, Zheng Ren's Master-level skills complemented each other. The shroud in his mind gradually lifted.

Clarity cut through his thoughts like a knife.

After 30 minutes of deep thought, Zheng Ren found the answer.

He woke the machine from its sleep and began 3D reconstruction.

There were many nodules in the scan but Zheng Ren focused on only a few to save time.

He spent approximately two hours picking out nine nodules through reconstruction. One was eliminated and he confirmed that the remaining eight were malignant tumors.

Zheng Ren printed the data once he was satisfied. Fatigue was catching up with his body.

"Dr. Zheng, you're done?" Dr. Liang asked behind him.

"Yes, I am."

"How did you isolate the few nodules? From the CT scan, they all look the same." Dr. Liang had paid attention.

As Zheng Ren was studying the scans, Dr. Liang had been texting several of his friends to ask about the incident in the morning.

Apparently, without Zheng Ren's intervention, Fang Lin would be lying in his grave.

After knowing the full story, Dr. Liang wanted to do something for Zheng Ren.

Yet...

He had too little knowledge of what Zheng Ren was doing to actually help.

Some of the basics, he understood. From observation, there was an underlying reason Zheng Ren chose the areas he did to perform 3D reconstruction.

"Can you understand what I'm doing?" Zheng Ren asked.

Su Yun pursed his lips. Only Zheng Ren would have the gall to ask such questions directly. It was a miracle that he had survived this long.

"Only a little. Why did you need the MRI scans to identify the spots for 3D reconstruction?" Unlike Su Yun, Dr. Liang did not mind Zheng Ren's direct question. He was brimming with curiosity but held back as he was worried about disturbing Zheng Ren's thought process.

"Oh, it's actually so..." Zheng Ren went to the viewer and pointed a finger at the spot of interest. The explanation started.

Each contrast-enhanced MRI scan was compared with the corresponding 64-slice CT scan by date stamp. Zheng Ren explained their minor differences as time progressed. He highlighted the key points to pay attention to, whether they were on the CT or the MRI scan.

Dr. Liang nodded as he processed the information.

Zheng Ren's explanation was clear and concise. Any confusion was quickly addressed with some emphasis and details.

When he finally understood the concept, Dr. Liang bobbed his head gleefully.

Su Yun had his ears perked throughout Zheng Ren's lecture.

Feng Xuhui was still in a shroud.

This was Imperial Capital—not Sea City—yet here Zheng Ren was. A chief resident giving a lecture to a research graduate like a professor would.

One would expect the Imperial Capital research graduate to deliver the lecture while the Sea City chief resident nodded along.

The opposite was happening now.

Feng Xuhui wondered if his anxiety was making him hallucinate.

When Dr. Liang bid them all farewell, Feng Xuhui's mind was still trying to make sense of the situation.

The veneration Dr. Liang had for Zheng Ren was on full display as they left. Without much fanfare, Su Yun ushered the group back to their accommodation.

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Chapter 200: The Teen With Moles by Her Lips (Part 2 of 5)

Life went on as usual.

After the shocking incident, the medical staff at the hospital had little time to weep. The sun still rose the next day on its fixed path through the sky.

Zheng Ren roused from a good rest. His body was feeling much better.

There was mild discomfort and he suspected it was due to the cold wind yesterday. Su Yun's sweater had been insufficient for the weather.

Zheng Ren ignored it and instead pondered on what souvenirs to buy for Xie Yiren.

Su Yun's words from yesterday echoed in his mind.

The man was right. Zheng Ren should be thinking about Xie Yiren. What should he get for her?

To Zheng Ren, this was more difficult than performing a surgery.

In the end, he gave up trying to think of something, deciding to drag Su Yun to some stores after the surgery was complete.

The man was popular among ladies, so Zheng Ren assumed he would have some experience in buying gifts.

On the other hand, Zheng Ren had no experience; getting Su Yun's help was the logical choice.

Once that was settled, Zheng Ren's mind calmed down and he scrolled through his phone. He made some small talk with the girls in the group chat and read some light novels.

It was rare for him to have time to read.

Su Yun was on his bed, tapping away on his phone as usual.

Half an hour passed and Su Yun suddenly said, "There were some general surgery guys who came by asking to see you. I sent them away."

"Huh? What did they want?" Zheng Ren asked absentmindedly as he read his novel.

"It was about Fang Lin, of course. You really put yourself out there, you know? Boss Zheng?" Su Yun said with a mocking smile.

The derision was clear in Su Yun's exaggerated emphasis on 'boss'.

Unfazed by the man's antics, Zheng Ren coolly replied, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I told them you were getting the drip and that they shouldn't disturb you. Let's make a detour to the general surgery department later," Su Yun said, unaffected by Zheng Ren's rebuff. He continued talking, "What do you want for lunch? I'll take you for a bite. Those Imperial Capital folk are so boring."

"You? Bored? Is it because you haven't stepped into the OR for some time?" Zheng Ren chuckled.

"Hey! I'm not the one with the disorder, alright?"

Su Yun went back to his phone and the conversation died down.

Once both men were rested and ready to leave, Su Yun led them through the fire escape to the general surgery department.

They reached it as a high-pitched wail cut through the air.

A stretcher trolley passed them with a teenager onboard. She was thrashing about, both hands clutching her abdomen. It was an emergency case and they were heading for a check-up.

Something about the patient caught Zheng Ren's eye and he stopped.

Su Yun almost bumped into Zheng Ren. "Hey, move. You're blocking my way."

"Oh."

"What? Was something wrong with the patient?" Su Yun asked jokingly.

"Tell them to prepare for an emergency surgery."

"Dude, just because people call you a boss, you think you're the boss of every hospital department? Do you even know what the patient has? You're gradually becoming a witch doctor. Let me know when you get blacklisted, but please don't let it happen when you're operating," Su Yun instinctively mocked.

"Did you see the patient's mole? By her lips?" Zheng Ren asked.

What did a mole have to do with surgery?

The non-sequitur broke Su Yun's train of thought.

"Did you know that there is a genetic disorder called Peutz–Jeghers syndrome?" Zheng Ren said as he walked.

It was a rare occasion when Su Yun had nothing to say.

"The patient looks to be 14 or 15. Moles by her lips, even her fingers have them."

"Are you gonna perform cosmetic surgery now?" Su Yun knew Zheng Ren was building up a case but could not resist injecting some sarcasm into their conversation.

"PJS is a genetic disorder characterized by polyps in the gastrointestinal tract. The small intestine is the main target. Some have polyps developing in the stomach, colon and rectum," Zheng Ren explained.

"Wait..." Su Yun caught up to Zheng Ren's pace and asked, "What does it have to do with her abdominal pain?"

"Most PJS patients have mole-like features on the hands, feet, and face. Those are actually polyps."

"Okay, so what does it have to do with the abdominal pain?" Su Yu repeated.

He had an angry scowl on his face.

"The size of the polyps varies but most are pedunculated. This increases the risk of intussusception," Zheng Ren explained, then asked, "Have you ever received a case of ovarian torsion due to pedunculated polyps?"

At that moment, Zheng Ren's seniority was indisputable.

All doctors had a competitive streak. Knowing more than one's peers was very much an ego boost.

Su Yun was at a loss.

He had never heard of this P-J syndrome. He was not familiar with rare disorders that almost never appeared in the hospital.

His innate talent could not make up for experience.

Su Yun had previously been a researcher in cardiothoracic surgery. General surgery was not his field of expertise.

"Brother Yun's here," one of the doctors announced when they heard Su Yun's voice.

Zheng Ren's arrival was also greeted warmly. "Boss Zheng, you finally have the free time to visit us."

"Him being free means you're gonna be busy soon," Su Yun muttered.

The line caught the Imperial Capital chief resident by surprise, his outstretched hand faltering midway.

Zheng Ren shook his hand regardless and asked, "And you are?"

"Chief Resident Wang."

Su Yun went straight to the point. "Old Wang, can you get your people to check if that patient has an abnormal number of moles on her soles and palms?"

"Eh..." The chief resident hesitated, then asked, "You suspect it's Peutz–Jeghers syndrome?"

"It's Boss Zheng's hypothesis. What do your people think?" Su Yun said.

"I was suspecting strangulated intestinal obstruction and wanted to do a CT scan to check before operating," Chief Resident Wang said. "If it's PJS, we'll need to operate fast."

Peutz–Jeghers syndrome was a rare occurrence even in an Imperial Capital Class Three Grade A Hospital.

Chief Resident Wang's only exposure to this disorder was through a professor's lecture. As the patient was rushed into the emergency department, he had not noticed the unusual pigments on the patient's face and hands.

"Hello. Can you help check if there are mole-like appearances on the patient's palms and soles?"

It was a simple request that Chief Resident Wang could fulfill.

"Alright. Once the preliminary check is complete, prepare for surgery."

He put down the phone and turned to Zheng Ren, a peculiar expression on his face. "There's hyperpigmentation on her soles."

"Okay. You should get ready for surgery, then."

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Chapter 201: Disobeying The Powerful Is A Crime (Part 3 of 5)

Chief Resident Wang looked somewhat embarrassed.

The corners of Su Yun's lips curled into a smile, a familiar sight that gave Zheng Ren the urge to slap him, and he asked, "You're not confident because you've never done it before, right?"

Chief Wang rubbed his hands and agreed to Su Yun's statement by smiling awkwardly.

"Boss, have you done it before?" asked Su Yun.

Zheng Ren gave it some thought. It was true that he had never performed such a surgery before. However, he had also completed the one-day mission Together We Stand in only two hours.

He could learn the technique in the System's operating theater, which would not consume too much of his time.

How should he respond to the question: yes or no?

Zheng Ren, who had always been honest, was caught in a dilemma.

Chief Wang also knew that it was one thing to diagnose a rare, intractable disease, as anyone could do so by reading and remembering it.

However, treating the condition was a completely separate issue.

Having the ability to diagnose a disease did not come with the ability to treat it as well.

"It's alright. I'm going to give it a try, and if I fail, I'll look for my boss," said Chief Wang.

Su Yun, who also had no idea what was going through Zheng Ren's mind, gently tapped the man's injured shoulder, inflicting slight pain without actually affecting the wound.

Zheng Ren was puzzled.

"I asked you a question, boss." Su Yun was annoyed.

Chief Wang's eyes widened in disbelief. What the hell was this? He would never have had the courage to speak to his boss in such a derogatory tone; it would certainly get him kicked out of the hospital and mean the end of his career.

Brother Yun was gutsy.

Boss Zheng was also good-mannered.

'Perhaps the title "boss" is just for fun,' Chief Wang thought.

"I knew just a little," Zheng Ren said, "I'll attend the surgery as an observer. If there is any problem, we'll discuss it together."

Chief Wang's impression of Zheng Ren improved significantly.

This boss was young but not imperious. He was worried that both Boss Zheng and Su Yun would have the same attitude and simply take over the surgery.

How shameful would that be?

"I'm sorry for the trouble, Doctor Zheng." Upon noticing Su Yun attempting to speak, he quickly added, "I'm going to call the operating theater and ask them to prepare for surgery."

Chief Wang led Zheng Ren and Su Yun into the office before proceeding with the necessary arrangements.

If Zheng Ren's diagnosis was correct, the patient's intestine would have necrotized. In a sense, the diagnosis was almost the same as his own—strangulated intestinal obstruction and intussusception—because a segment of the patient's intestine had to be removed no matter what.

Performing surgery earlier could minimize the extent of necrosis and lead to better postoperative recovery.

Time and tide waited for no man. All of them belonged to the same circle, and no one would kick up a fuss at this critical moment.

Su Yun tapped away on his phone while Zheng Ren enjoyed the view outside the window.

The tall building gave him a clear bird's-eye view.

The classical arcs of the China Zun could be visualized very clearly, a sight which Zheng Ren adored.

"I searched through the internet and found out that the disease actually exists," said Su Yun abruptly.

Zheng Ren nodded.

"You're just a young doctor from Sea City, where did you learn it?" Su Yun's questions were always direct and sharp.

Zheng Ren retaliated without the slightest hesitation. "You and I share the ability to learn something by eye immediately, but I'm just slightly better than you. If you decide to establish a pet medical center in the future, you won't be able to surpass me in your lifetime."

Although Su Yun was aware that Zheng Ren was simply provoking him, the flames of war lit up in his eyes.

Zheng Ren stole a glance at Su Yun, who looked like a bull aggravated by a red cloth, and grinned.

'He is indeed a young man with a hot temper.'

As he thought that, Zheng Ren forgot that he was actually a few months younger than Su Yun.

A few minutes later, Chief Wang had printed the preoperative consent documents and called the patient's family to his office for preoperative counseling.

Su Yun noticed that the patient's father also had a black mole near his mouth, but none on his hands.

However, when Chief Wang inquired about the family's history of intussusception, the father denied it.

Was the disease not genetically inherited? What the hell?

Su Yun peeked at Zheng Ren, who was observing the patient's father, and could even feel the heat emitting from the man's body as his mind ran at an incredible speed.

"Boss Zheng, what's going on?" asked Su Yun softly.

"Counsel the family after surgery to undergo colonoscopies in their free time."

Su Yun nodded subconsciously. Perhaps the patient's father had only mild symptoms, which was why he had not suffered intussusception until now.

Even so, there could still be intestinal polyps that risked becoming malignant in the future, so removal at their earliest was recommended to prevent future complications.

After counseling was complete, Chief Wang made a call and was informed that the patient had undergone an abdominal CT scan.

Chief Wang launched the patient management software on his computer and keyed in the patient's ID number to locate his imaging films. At the same time, he instructed medical personnel on the other end of the call to quickly send the patient back for nasogastric tube and urinary catheter insertion for surgery.

The CT films were typical of intussusception, and he could vaguely outline a few polyps scattering along the intestine.

Of course, he had made this deduction after Zheng Ren explained it in advance.

There was no way he could have made such a judgment if he had not known about P-J syndrome in advance.

"Damn, Boss Zheng, you're f*cking awesome!" Chief Wang stared at the films and complimented him. "When I heard that you had performed a needle thoracostomy and emergency laparotomy for hemostasis yesterday, I already thought that you were amazing, but I hadn't expected your ability to diagnose rare diseases to be more f*cking incredible!"

His words sounded rude, but he felt unable to truly express his reverence without vulgarities.

Of course, he would never be so vulgar toward more elderly professors, but Zheng Ren was a few years younger than he was.

Younger, but more knowledgeable; there was nothing he could criticize in the man.

What else could he possibly say other than admit Boss Zheng was awesome? Challenge the man out of jealousy? Chief Wang was not stupid enough to have a death wish yet.

Chief Wang firmly believed that disobeying the powerful was a crime.

"That's kind of you," said Zheng Ren indifferently.

The patient was transferred back in less than ten minutes. The nurse proficiently inserted a nasogastric tube and urinary catheter, then established a venous channel for the patient before quickly wheeling him into the operating theater.

"Boss Zheng, Brother Yun, let's go," said Chief Wang politely.

The woman in charge of the operating theater locker room was dissatisfied with Chief Wang for bringing "outsiders" in for surgery.

However, when she heard that Zheng Ren was the doctor who had saved Fang Lin, she immediately welcomed their arrival with enthusiasm.

"Fang Lin lives a tough life. How did an honest man like him earn such a misfortune?"

The woman in her fifties started talking and threw keys to both Zheng Ren and Su Yun. There were two keys on each keychain, one for the shoe cabinet and another for the locker.

She then opened a small drawer by her side and got another bunch of keys for Zheng Ren.

Chief Wang saw this and laughed. "Boss Zheng, you've earned her respect."

"Huh? How so?" Zheng Ren was puzzled.

Su Yun also glanced at the keys and shook his head. "It's notoriously difficult to persuade her, and they have to put in a good word just to bring housemen into the operating theater, but now she has given you the keys to the chief consultant-ranked locker."

The so-called chief consultant-ranked locker referred to that at moderate height where one needed not bend down or stand at the tip of one's toes to reach.

As for the professors... They had their own independent lockers.

This was the class division of the operating theater.

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Chapter 202: I Know Just A Little (Part 4 of 5)

After changing into surgical attire, Zheng Ren and Su Yun stood aside as observers while Chief Wang performed the surgery with a resident doctor as his assistant.

From Chief Wang's proficiency and professionalism, Zheng Ren figured that the man had reached the Master rank in surgery.

Once the peritoneal cavity was exposed, the strangulated intestine was clearly visible within the operative field.

There was a lack of blood supply to a segment of the intestine, causing it to become greyish, a sign of necrosis.

The bowels were released and covered with warm normal saline-soaked gauze first before Chief Wang attentively observed them for over ten minutes. After confirming that the intestine had undergone necrosis due to the absence of blood flow, he began to remove the affected bowel.

Fortunately, the necrotic intestine was merely thirty to forty centimeters long.

Of course, total bowel resection was also an option, but the patient would face physical and economic problems postoperatively.

Many years ago, when lipid emulsion was first introduced to the country, a case that required total bowel resection had been admitted to a hospital. In order to publicize its product, a foreign lipid emulsion manufacturer had allowed lifetime cost exemption for the patient.

The patient had even conceived and gave birth to a child afterward.

However, a few hundred yuan daily for years was beyond an ordinary family's affordability.

It was better to surgically remove the minimum length of the diseased bowel for the patient's sake.

This was precisely why they had to perform the surgery as soon as possible. If the surgeon had performed the laparotomy one minute earlier, one centimeter of the intestine could have been saved.

Chief Wang was obviously a skillful and experienced surgeon.

Once the necrotic bowel was removed, he cut it open out of curiosity.

There were indeed seven to eight polyps residing in the intestine.

Unlike ordinary polyps, these ones had long, twisted pedicles, which had caused the patient's intussusception.

Seeing them, Chief Wang was amazed.

Boss Zheng was indeed an expert. No wonder even the unruly Brother Yun addressed him as his boss.

Once the pathology was confirmed, he began to anastomose the bowel. Everything was done neatly and cleanly, a prerequisite in every surgery, and even Zheng Ren was unable to find flaws in his manipulation.

After anastomosis was complete and the peritoneal cavity irrigated, Chief Wang was prepared to end the surgery.

Suddenly, Zheng Ren said, "Chief Wang, can you check the intestine again? If you find any large polyps with long pedicles, you can surgically remove them now."

"Huh?" Chief Wang was startled.

"This patient has a large number of intestinal polyps. A similar situation might occur after surgery due to its effects and that of postoperative fasting."

Zheng Ren's hypothesis... was too dangerous. Chief Wang's surgical cap was instantly drenched in sweat.

If intussusception recurred after surgery, would it be due to the surgeon's inexperience or relapse of the disease? Chief Wang was immediately aware of this. If the condition recurred, even if it was not the surgeon's fault, a reoperation would take a toll on the patient's health.

Forty centimeters of the intestine had been resected. If he had to remove more intestine and cause postoperative complications such as short bowel syndrome...

"Okay," replied Chief Wang without hesitation.

However, therein laid the next problem. Chief Wang had never performed such an operation, and he lacked the experience to detect the size and number of the polyps, as well as the length of pedicles along the intestine, bare-handed.

The surgery was proceeding at a snail's pace. After spending almost the same amount of time that he had taken to anastomose the intestine, he finally located and removed a polyp with a ten-centimeter long pedicle.

"Wipe my sweat." Chief Wang turned his head and let a circulating nurse use sterile gauze to dry off the sweat that had soaked his surgical cap.

He took this opportunity to peek at Zheng Ren.

They immediately understood each other when their gazes connected.

"Chief Wang, shall I give it a try?" asked Zheng Ren.

Chief Wang almost burst into tears.

He had been waiting for Zheng Ren to say this for the past ten minutes. As he had run his fingers along the intestine, that time had inched by.

"Sure. I'm sorry to trouble you again, Boss Zheng." Chief Wang immediately agreed.

Zheng Ren smiled and went to perform a surgical scrub.

Su Yun lowered his head and followed Zheng Ren to scrub up together.

Zheng Ren dived into the System and purchased surgery intensive training time during his scrubbing.

As the System's operating theater rose from the ground, the mannequins appeared before him.

Intestinal resection for polyps removal was an old technique that had been used before the spread of colonoscopy many years ago, and barely any surgeons practiced it nowadays.

Due to its rarity and obsolescence, Chief Wang was inexperienced in the field.

Zheng Ren merely converted some of his points to ten hours of intensive training time.

In general, this operation was merely child's play when he had already achieved the Master rank in general surgery. The only thing he lacked right now was experience.

Zheng Ren removed hundreds of polyps and finally mastered the technique in ten hours. Even though he was not proficient enough to perform the surgery with his eyes closed, his current ability was more than enough to handle the case at hand.

As soon as the surgery intensive training time was up, Zheng Ren heard the familiar bell. "Ding-dong!"

[General Mission: Help A Man In Need.

[Task: Complete a case of polypectomy for P-J syndrome.

[Reward: 300 skill points and 3000 experience points. Since this is a rare disease, an additional 1000 experience points will be awarded.

[Time: 5 hours.]

A mission, huh? Zheng Ren happily accepted it. Since he had decided to take over the operation anyway, he may as well receive the rewards to make up for the surgery intensive training time he had consumed.

After putting on his surgical gown, Zheng Ren made for the second surgical assistant's position, but was stopped by Chief Wang, who wanted him to take over the operation as the chief surgeon.

Meanwhile, Su Yun brazenly squeezed past the first assistant.

The resident doctor was dumbfounded. Who the hell were these guys, and why was the handsome man beside him acting so rudely?

"I suggest you step away from the operating table. This surgery doesn't require four men."

He had failed to anticipate the even harsher words that followed almost instantaneously.

Chief Wang knew Su Yun very well and was reluctant to let the resident doctor be shamed like this, so he said, "Step down and show the resected polyp to the patient's family."

The resident doctor sighed and walked out of the operating theater, holding a specimen container containing the resected polyp and its pedicle.

He was also curious and wanted to observe the surgery...

Zheng Ren occupied the chief surgeon's position calmly.

He was unable to smoothly work around the field with his left hand due to pain flashing at every movement. Thus, he had no choice but to search for polyps along the intestine with his right hand.

Experience was king.

After ten seconds, Zheng Ren found a polyp.

He extended his hand, but the familiar weight of a scalpel being placed on his palm did not present itself.

The atmosphere became awkward immediately.

"Scalpel, and prepare an atraumatic suture needle with triple zero thread." Zheng Ren did not mind it, but he suddenly missed Xie Yiren.

"Okay." The scrub nurse was stunned as she had no idea what Zheng Ren's surgery habits were. At his instructions, she immediately placed a scalpel on his palm.

He made a one-centimeter cut and separated the mucous and serous layer from the base of the polyp. Then, he carefully extricated a polyp with a fifteen-centimeter pedicle as if the tissue was a muskmelon.

The nurse was flabbergasted. Such proficiency... No wonder Chief Wang was willing to surrender his position to this stranger.

Chief Wang was dumbfounded as well. Was a mere human capable of performing such a delicate task?

His skill at surgery allowed him to grasp a few important points.

Zheng Ren's left hand was stiff and merely played an auxiliary role in the operation. He had basically removed the polyp only with one hand. Secondly, he had run his fingers along more than ten centimeters of the intestine and skipped a few possible spots along the way. The accuracy of his selection was simply incomprehensible.

How could he have known that this polyp had a long pedicle through the intestinal walls?

Since this patient had many polyps, being completely cured through surgery alone was impossible. Well, it would be possible with total bowel resection, but the patient would not be able to physically withstand it and... Chief Wang did not have a death wish.

The purpose of this surgery now was to eliminate all potential danger, and as for the smaller polyps, he could undergo colonoscopy for polypectomy when the time came.

However... Zheng Ren's words swirled through his mind again—'I know just a little'.

What the f*ck! Was this "knowing just a little"?!

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Chapter 203: An Unalterable Character (Part 5 of 5)

Zheng Ren kept searching for polyps along the intestine with both hands despite the slight discomfort in his left arm. Once they were located, he made incisions on the intestine and separated the layers before finally removing the polyps.

Chief Wang noticed that every polyp Zheng Ren removed had a pedicle more than ten centimeters long.

Perhaps, in Zheng Ren's opinion, a longer pedicle meant a higher risk of recurrence of intussusception, strangulation and necrosis after surgery.

Zheng Ren ignored the polyps with fewer risks of complications rather than show off his surgery skill.

Chief Wang's impression of Zheng Ren improved further as he now understood that the man's offer to assist came from sincere concern for the patient's well being, not braggadocio.

'Boss Zheng is truly a meticulous man,' Chief Wang thought.

He then realized why Zheng Ren's left arm movements were somewhat restricted.

Chief Wang had just asked a wounded man to take over the surgery! He started to castigate himself for his carelessness.

However, he did not have the courage to perform the surgery himself.

As Zheng Ren was still able to perform every step smoothly— the location, resection and removal of the polyps—despite the restricted mobility in his left arm, Chief Wang knew that the man was far superior to him in surgery.

'It's better to trouble Boss Zheng for the sake of the patient,' he concluded.

Forty minutes later, the kidney dish had been changed out twice, and each of them was completely filled with polyps with long pedicles, resembling... a mountain of flesh.

"I'm done." Zheng Ren put the needle holder and scissors down, and extended his palm again.

The scrub nurse did not react after a few seconds, so Su Yun lowered his head and whispered, "Boss, this is Imperial Capital. You didn't bring your scrub nurse along."

"..." Chief Wang overheard Su Yun and almost burst into tears.

No wonder Zheng Ren was addressed as the boss. He even had his own scrub nurse...

"Irrigation with warm normal saline, and prepare an aspirator with a suction tube," said Zheng Ren gently.

"Boss Zheng, I'll take over from here, you can rest now," said Chief Wang immediately.

Zheng Ren gave it some thought and replied, "Okay, thank you."

Su Yun glanced at the surgical field and left the operating table.

"Uh..." Chief Wang started to actually cry this time. 'Brother Yun, I asked Boss Zheng to take a rest, but you have to help me too.'

Even though all he had to do was abdominal surgical wound closure, he still could not complete the surgery alone.

"You want me to be your assistant?" Su Yun stared at Chief Wang in disbelief.

"You, scrub up and assist me in closing the abdomen," said Chief Wang to the resident doctor.

He was aware of the truth. 'Brother Yun is a legend and there is no way I can ask him to help me in surgery.'

Everything else aside, the legend and his boss had extraordinary skills despite their young age.

Besides, Boss Zheng was more skillful at surgery with one hand than he could ever be with both hands...

Not only could he correctly diagnose P-J syndrome, an uncommon disease, but he also knew how to surgically treat it with a laparotomy polypectomy, an obsolete technique rarely used nowadays.

One always had to know their limitations.

Chief Wang did.

"You've hit the nail on the head again," said Su Yun as he caught up with Zheng Ren in the locker room.

"You can put it that way," replied Zheng Ren, who had developed an immunity to Su Yun's sarcasm.

"They've scheduled lunch later, do you want to attend it?" asked Su Yun after glancing at his phone.

Zheng Ren was just thinking about asking Su Yun to go shopping with him for souvenirs for Xie Yiren... and the rest, but after hearing that, he hesitated and said, "No, I'll go through the films in the CT room again. Off you go with your tasks."

"You're such a boring man," Su Yun said, "Is this your first time visiting Imperial Capital?"

"I had previously transferred at Imperial Capital on the train to my university," Zheng Ren said, "There was no direct train to Sichuan at that time."

"It's really difficult to imagine how studying and going through an internship in Chengdu has managed to develop your current personality." Su Yun activated Mockery Mode. "Even the almighty Chengdu couldn't change your blockheadedness, eh?"

"Me?" Zheng Ren carefully changed his attire and answered, "I'm not really considered a blockhead."

"Blockheads never admit their true self, anyway."

Their exchange was more like an argument. After that, Su Yun left immediately, stating that he had to attend a few rounds of entertainment and informing Zheng Ren to have dinner on his own.

Zheng Ren thought about it and decided it was better to wait for Chief Wang to finish his surgery first.

Since he had taken over the surgery just now, it was better to bid goodbye before taking his leave.

Half an hour later, Chief Wang walked out of the operating theater. Upon reaching the locker room, he was surprised to see Zheng Ren reading a novel on a chair in the empty room.

"Hello, Chief Wang." Zheng Ren greeted him with a smile.

"You..."

"Su Yun has gone for dinner, so I'm waiting here to see if there is anything else to do after the surgery." Zheng Ren smiled and said, "I'm unfamiliar with the rules here."

"Everything is complete," Chief Wang quickly replied with his own smile, "What are you planning to have for lunch?"

"That's good to hear. I have to study imaging films in the CT room at noon, as I have surgery tomorrow," said Zheng Ren.

"For scientific research? I had no idea about it earlier, but after knowing that you're the one who saved Fang Lin, I found out that you were here to attend the research project," replied Chief Wang.

"I'm not here to attend the research. Professor Pei has given me an opportunity to gain knowledge," said Zheng Ren.

"You're so humble." Chief Wang laughed. "Your surgery skill..."

He suddenly realized that the research project was related to interventional radiology of the urology surgery department.

After witnessing Zheng Ren's proficiency at an obsolete surgical technique, he was convinced that the man's expertise in gastrointestinal surgery was greater than his. However, he was unsure if Zheng Ren was better than his boss.

That thought was merely self-consolation. Chief Wang was fully aware that his boss was inferior to Boss Zheng in terms of laparotomy polypectomy, at least.

Even so... What did that scientific research have to do with general surgery? There seemed to be no relation between them at all.

He was bewildered.

"If there is nothing else, I'll take my leave." Zheng Ren put on a polite smile. "I hope to see you again someday."

"Boss Zheng, let's exchange contact information." Dazed, Chief Wang had nearly forgotten to request Zheng Ren's WeChat ID and phone number.

Zheng Ren leisurely left the operating theater after exchanging phone numbers and added Chief Wang as a friend in WeChat.

"Chief Zheng, you're finally out." Feng Xuhui approached Zheng Ren as if he was Zheng Ren's shadow under the sun.

"Yes. Manager Feng, there is no need to be so polite. You can attend to your own matters instead of worrying about me. I'll certainly give you a call if I'm in trouble," said Zheng Ren.

"It's my responsibility to take care of you." Feng Xuhui humbled himself and said sincerely, "I worry that Chief Zheng may find me annoying."

Zheng Ren had never met such an enthusiastic sales manager before and had no idea how to deal with him. Upon noticing Feng Xuhui's sincerity, though, he nodded in response.

"What are you going to have for lunch?" asked Feng Xuhui.

"There is a lunchroom in front of the hospital. Let's have noodles there," Zheng Ren said, "Lunch is on me, so don't even think about arguing with me about it."

Feng Xuhui thought, 'This lunch won't cost me as much as the meal in Da Dong, anyway.'

Even so, lunch together with Zheng Ren was undoubtedly beneficial. After rejecting his offer twice to no avail, he gladly accepted it and went straight to the lunchroom outside the hospital.

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Chapter 204: Fever... (Part 1 of 5)

After a quick bite of noodles, Zheng Ren contacted Research Graduate Liang and went to the CT room to review his patients' films.

There had been a breakthrough last night, after all. Although there was no way to measure it, he had a feeling that it would earn him at least 100 skill points. Thus, it was best to review his patients' imaging films again in order to perfectly execute the surgeries tomorrow. There also remained a few lingering doubts that he wanted to resolve.

He finally finished reviewing all seven patients' films that night. Exhausted, he invited both Research Graduate Liang and Feng Xuhui to dinner.

This time, Feng Xuhui insisted on picking up the tab.

Around the same time, Zheng Ren received a call from Su Yun to attend dinner, which he refused immediately.

After all, he was wounded. How would he perform surgery tomorrow if he fooled around the whole night? Besides, eating was a waste of time to him, and he preferred to spend every possible second of his life being productive.

Zheng Ren understood Su Yun better now. It was no surprise that the man could familiarize himself with his peers upon arriving in Imperial Capital as the socialisation alone was enough to drive Zheng Ren crazy.

He had a hard time believing that Su Yun, cynical as can be, would possess such an attitude.

His world finally returned to peace and quiet after Research Graduate Liang and Feng Xuhui left for home.

The shocking experience yesterday and sudden enlightenment today made Zheng Ren feel as if he had been cut off from the outside world for ages.

He only hoped that,

The fewer the thrills, the better.

The more knowledge he got, the better.

Without cushioning his injured shoulder, Zheng Ren casually washed up and lay comfortably on the bed to read his novel.

When he accidentally dropped his phone onto his face from drowsiness, he turned off the lights and went to sleep.

His slumber remained undisturbed until the next morning.

His muscles ached, and his body burned with a fever. It was an indescribable, uncomfortable sensation.

The discomfort woke Zheng Ren up, and when he realized that he had a fever, his heart sank immediately.

It was six o'clock in the morning. After a few moments of hesitation, he called Feng Xuhui instead of Su Yun.

"Hello, Manager Feng." Zheng Ren could practically hear the fatigue in his own tone.

"Yes, I'm having a slight fever now. Please bring me a thermometer and some antipyretics.

"Alright, thank you."

Zheng Ren figured that his fever was due to the overstimulation during the emergency resuscitation on Fang Lin the day before yesterday, and his wearing only a thin coat in the freezing weather afterward. That was more likely than it being an inflammatory reaction secondary to local infection of the wound on his shoulder.

'It's just a cold,' Zheng Ren thought.

However, every muscle and joint on his body was sore, and his head felt heavy, which made him feel uncomfortable.

Very uncomfortable...

Feng Xuhui was quick with his tasks. He was at the doorstep within twenty minutes.

Zheng Ren struggled to get up and open the door for him.

Feng Xuhui was taken aback upon seeing Zheng Ren's mentally exhausted, sallow expression. The concentration and finesse of the man who had practically devoured his imaging films yesterday were absent.

Zheng Ren's body temperature was at 38.6 degrees Celsius. Feng Xuhui boiled water for him to take his antipyretics and asked the front desk for fresh, dry bed sheets so that he could rest up.

"Chief Zheng, it's best that you don't perform surgery today." Feng Xuhui's heart ached as he said the words.

He had really hoped for Zheng Ren to perform surgery today, and even to win the competition, if possible.

That way, his efforts would not have been in vain.

Last night, he had even been contemplating his bright future in the company if Chief Zheng did win the surgery contest.

However, as he looked at Zheng Ren's sickly visage, Feng Xuhui knew that it would be impossible for the man to complete a surgery even if he participated.

This was not an appendectomy that a surgeon could complete in mere minutes, confidently setting down their scalpel on the sterile surgical drape next to the patient's thigh and letting their surgical assistant handle subsequent procedures with ease.

One had to wear a lead apron weighing a few kilograms to even perform interventional radiology.

Ordinary surgeons could barely perform an operation for one to two hours in a heavy lead apron, let alone a man with a fever at 38.6 degrees Celsius. If Zheng Ren had to perform a surgery with such a load on him, would he die in the middle of the operation?

Moreover, Zheng Ren had gone through seven patients' imaging films yesterday.

As far as Feng Xuhui was concerned, Zheng Ren would not be able to make it to the surgery, which saddened him greatly.

However, when Su Yun woke up later and noticed Zheng Ren's condition, he reacted with joy instead of dejection.

Sometimes, he wished to see Zheng Ren taking the lead and showing Jin Yaowu and others their place, but during others, he wanted the man to quit surgery and return to Sea City together.

His changes of mind were drastic, his thoughts inexplicable.

"You can't perform surgery in your current state. I'm going to call Professor Pei, you just rest up now. Once you recover, I'll bring you to a few tourist attractions before we return to Sea City."

"..." Zheng Ren had no clue why Su Yun did not want him to perform the surgery.

It was certainly not due to jealousy as Zheng Ren could vaguely detect the pride in Su Yun's heart. This was a man who firmly believed that he could surpass anyone given time.

This brat must have been upset again when Fang Lin had been stabbed the day before yesterday. The urge to compete and prevail over others during the meeting was simply a knee-jerk reaction that managed to come under control later.

Perhaps he would just resign and establish a pet medical center upon his return to Sea City.

The thought of Su Yun's resignation sent a chill down Zheng Ren's spine.

When he imagined the nancy boy no longer being there to watch over postoperative patients, pen and paper in hand while his black bangs danced in the air... Zheng Ren felt a sense of loss. He had overlooked the nancy boy's importance.

Moreover, he had gotten used to having an assistant in surgery.

Every man had his habits.

"I can still rescue those patients," Zheng Ren joked, which was rare in itself, but was even colder than the icy wind outside the building.

The stale joke made Su Yun's expression stony flat.

"Why are you torturing yourself when you're having a fever? Just lie down and rest," said Su Yun angrily.

Any woman who heard Su Yun's tone would have gotten a gleam in her eyes.

However, Zhang Ren, who had an unalterable sexual orientation, remained unaffected and smiled. "It's just a minor issue. Why so serious?"

"You're crazy. I'm going to call Professor Pei now." Su Yun was exasperated.

"Don't," Zheng Ren said, "I'll feel better after I sweat it out, and I think I'll recover completely after finishing those surgeries."

"..."

"Resting on the bed will slow down my recovery, so I should be exercising instead." Zheng Ren started waffling while maintaining a stern expression. "Don't bother me. I'll make myself sweat and have breakfast later before attending the surgery.

"By the way, what time does the surgery begin?"

"Half-past seven at the research institute." Su Yun remained expressionless. Even if he did inform Professor Pei, he was fully aware that he could not stop the idiotic Zheng Ren from going to the research institute.

What a twat!

"Okay, I'll wake up at seven." Zheng Ren's decision was final.

The antipyretic had caused him to begin sweating profusely, and he woke up at seven o'clock in the morning feeling much better.

However, various kinds of breakfast Feng Xuhui bought failed to whet Zheng Ren's appetite.

He forced himself to swallow a bit of each dish as if he was taking medicine.

Zheng Ren had learned his lesson from the nitrite poisoning event, and had no desire to embarrass himself in front of the renowned experts from Imperial and Sorcery Capital.

If he did faint while performing surgery... That would not be fun.

Thus, he reluctantly shoved the food down his throat.

'Chief Zheng looks disgusted with the food, is it that awful?' Feng Xuhui panicked, unable to discern the truth from his limited social experience.

After breakfast, Zheng Ren changed into dry innerwear and put on the coat that Xie Yiren had delivered before heading to the institute with a black-faced Su Yun and cautious Feng Xuhui.

Even though it was not yet half-past seven, most doctors, including a few elderly professors, had already arrived.

Professor Pei noticed Zheng Ren and waved his hand. "Zheng Ren."

Zheng Ren forced a smile, attempting to make himself look more presentable, before he approached Professor Pei and bowed.

"I heard that you encountered a terrible incident two days ago?" Professor Pei looked indignant as he recalled it.

Empathy was a natural feeling, and doctors always put themselves in victims' shoes whenever such incidents occurred.

"Yes." Zheng Ren nodded.

"I heard the story. You performed very well, and you were even injured because of it." Professor Pei consoled Zheng Ren, "You should rest up and not perform surgery today."

Zheng Ren immediately replied, "I'm fine, Professor Pei."

"Young man, don't be too hard on yourself."

"I'm really fine." Before Zheng Ren could continue explaining himself, Su Yun, who was answering a call, approached him with a peculiar expression and said, "Old Zhao wants to speak to you..."

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Chapter 205: Don't Worry, I'm Here (Part 2 of 5)

"What's wrong?" Zheng Ren was surprised. Zhao Yunlong was looking for him? Were they familiar with each other?

He took over the phone and heard Zhao Yunlong's thick and gravelly voice on the other end.

"Boss Zheng, the patient you diagnosed on the plane is somewhat unstable. Can you please come and take a look at him in your free time?"

Zheng Ren was stunned. Cui Heming? Today was post-op day three, and any postoperative complications would have appeared much earlier. What had happened?

"Brother Zhao, can you be more specific?" asked Zheng Ren.

"Every single time the sedatives wore off, the patient would make a heart sign and trigger agitation, causing fresh blood to flow into the drainage chamber. 100mL of blood was drained yesterday, and he is agitated again today. Repeated sedation isn't good for his cardiopulmonary recovery, either," said Zhao Yunlong, audibly distressed.

After a brief moment of hesitation, he added doubtfully. "A nurse suggested that maybe the patient wasn't signing a heart, but rather, a square..."

"Okay." Despite the ridiculousness of the situation, Zheng Ren agreed without hesitation.

Previously in Sea City, the patient with avascular necrosis of the femoral head had addressed him as "Doctor Fang[1]", so this bizarre situation was not a surprise.

Professor Pei was also dumbfounded. How had Zheng Ren familiarized himself with various mid-level cadres in the hospital when he had only been in Imperial Capital for a few days?

'Young men are indeed energetic,' Professor Pei thought with a smile.

Zheng Ren apologized to Professor Pei before taking his leave.

Su Yun frowned. What was so important that Zheng Ren had to deal with it now rather than after the surgery, which was about to begin soon? Was he still planning to participate in that?

This idiot... Su Yun truly had no idea what to think of Zheng Ren as he rarely encountered such a person in his lifetime.

Was he pure? Probably.

An attitude unbroken by the almighty Chengdu could indeed be considered pure.

Su Yun lowered his head and trailed Zheng Ren. He had vaguely overheard Zhao Yunlong's suggestion and disapproved of it, assuming that the nurse was simply making conjectures.

There were many possible reasons behind the patient's agitation, and he was going to take a look as well.

In his opinion, the thoracic surgery department care unit was incompetent, and the patient's agitation was most likely caused by increased pressure from an accumulation of distilled water in the patient's ventilation tube or simply due to the presence of sputum in his respiratory tract.

Soon, they reached the care unit in the thoracic surgery department.

Apart from the ICU, most departments in the largest, top tier Class Three Grade A hospitals in the country had their own care units to monitor their patients' postoperative recoveries.

Surgeons' thorough understandings of their patients' conditions would hasten recovery to a certain extent as well.

Zheng Ren wiped away his sweat upon entering the care unit.

A sheen of sweat had gathered on his forehead after the brisk walk.

Illness could weaken and incapacitate even the strongest person for days.

Zheng Ren changed his attire and put on a cap and a mask before entering the care unit.

Even for a department care unit, there were more than twenty patients in it at a scale much larger than the ICU of Sea City General Hospital, the place responsible for cleaning up every mess in the building.

Upon seeing their entry, Zhao Yunlong greeted them and shook Zheng Ren's hand. "I'm sorry to trouble you, Boss Zheng. Eh? You have a fever?"

Zhao Yunlong had immediately detected the anomalous temperature of Zheng Ren's palm.

"It's nothing. Let's take a look at the patient." Zheng Ren waved his hand and approached Cui Heming under Zhao Yunlong's guidance.

Despite the mechanical ventilator beeping repeatedly, Cui Heming's blood oxygen saturation was only at 92 percent. There was also nothing wrong with the closed chest drainage system with bright blood clearly visible within the drainage tube.

Zheng Ren noticed that approximately 60mL of blood had been drained from the cavity.

Theoretically speaking, extubation was possible when there was less than 50mL of fluid in the drainage chamber. However, there was already this much in the early morning; how much blood would be drained at the end of the day? A few hundred milliliters?

"Fluid drained under sedation wasn't much," Zhao Yunlong said, "Boss Zheng, please examine him. Otherwise, we'll have to perform a tracheostomy and have him recover more slowly."

Zheng Ren first scanned the equipment and got closer to Cui Heming's bed.

Cui Heming was wide awake but unable to speak due to the ventilation tube in his mouth and the nasogastric tube in one of his nostrils.

Zheng Ren's arrival aggravated Cui Heming's agitation, causing the alarm to blare through the ventilator and monitors.

Zhao Yunlong furrowed his brow.

Meanwhile, Su Yun examined the subtle details often skimmed over, such as the accumulation of vapor in the tubes behind the ventilator, or...

"Don't worry, I'm here." Zheng Ren stared into Cui Heming's eyes and said seriously, "Everything is fine now. If all goes well, you can be extubated tomorrow and transferred out of the care unit in a few days."

Cui Heming's agitation dropped significantly. He repeatedly blinked his eyes as if trying to convey a message to Zheng Ren.

Zheng Ren grabbed his hand and smiled. "Relax. We survived the danger on the plane, and now that the surgery is over, nothing will happen to you. I can't stay here to look after you, but when something happens, I'll come to you immediately. I promise."

After the brief conversation, Cui Heming tried his best to nod and calm down.

"That's right, maintain this state of mind. I know prolonged bed rest isn't comfortable, but it's necessary. Rest up, and you will get better soon." Zheng Ren firmly squeezed Cui Heming's hand before releasing his grip.

Cui Heming slowly closed his eyes, no longer signing hearts or feeling agitated.

The alarms of the ventilator and monitors immediately weakened, and within a minute, all readings normalized and the blood oxygen saturation went up to 98 percent.

Upon seeing this abnormal change,

Both Su Yun and Zhao Yunlong were flabbergasted.

What the heck?

The nurse's speculation had been right all along?

The patient merely wanted to see Zheng Ren?

Zhao Yunlong could not believe it. He was the surgeon in charge, but Zheng Ren's words carried more weight than his endless diatribes.

This... This was outrageous!

Zheng Ren gave a few more words of comfort to Cui Heming. Seeing that his condition had stabilized, he informed Cui Heming that he would visit tomorrow before making a gesture and slowly leaving the room.

Upon exiting the care unit, Su Yun stared at Zheng Ren as if he was looking at a monster.

"What's wrong?"

"How did you bewitch that man?" It was the best descriptor Su Yun could come up with after thinking for a long time.

Zhao Yunlong, who was standing beside them, nodded in agreement.

Despite having worked in the medical field for years, he rarely encountered patients who had an intense urge to meet someone after postoperatively regaining consciousness.

An intimacy stronger than blood relations... was truly uncommon.

He could not have foreseen the nurse's speculation being correct.

The patient had actually been trying to sign a square to indicate that he wanted to see Zheng Ren.

It was utterly incomprehensible.

"I've no idea, either." Zheng Ren shook his head, exhausted, and changed his shoes. "Perhaps he trusts me after what we've been through on the plane? Maybe it's due to the fact that I diagnosed his mother's condition correctly as well."

Zheng Ren's excuse sounded far-fetched, but that was his only explanation at the moment.

"By the way, Boss Zheng, you're having a fever," Zhao Yunlong said, "Is it due to your wound getting infected?"

"I suspect it's just a cold as my clothes were damaged two days ago. I'll recover in a few days. Don't worry," replied Zheng Ren.

For the past two days, with an exception being the welcoming dinner for Su Yun, Zhao Yunlong had been keeping an eye on Fang Lin. Not only was he grateful to Zheng Ren, he was also reluctant to let the man go after witnessing the "miraculous" incident today.

He forced Zheng Ren to the dressing room and personally changed the man's wound dressing.

The wound appeared inflamed and swollen, but there were no signs of infection, which relieved Zhao Yunlong significantly.

After that, Zheng Ren bid goodbye to him and quickly made a phone call to inquire about the situation in the research institute.

[1] 方 can be translated as "square". The patient who called Zheng Ren "Dr. Fang", and now Cui Heming, could have been using "square" to address / denote Zheng Ren as both sounds are close to each other.

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Chapter 206: Master Mu, You're Good (Part 3 of 5)

"Let's go to the interventional radiology suite," Su Yun said just as Zheng Ren was about to make the call.

"Okay." How did Su Yun know? Zheng Ren had no clue and could not be bothered to ask the nancy boy, who would surely respond with sarcasm.

"Just try your best, and remember, giving up doesn't mean failure," Su Yun advised along the way.

"Is it legal for us to perform surgery here?" asked Zheng Ren upon realizing the potentially major issues that could arise.

Su Yun smirked. "It's too late for you to think of that now."

"..."

"The patients have signed informed consent documents long ago. None disagreed after knowing that the top experts in the country will be performing surgery on them. Our medical certificates, licenses to practice, and both photocopies of and original identity cards have been submitted to the medical administration division for the record as well. There won't be any problems," Su Yun added.

Zheng Ren was finally relieved. He had been so immersed in thought about the patients' conditions and diagnoses that he had forgotten about this particularly complicated issue. However, it was hardly his fault as such affairs were usually handled by hospital management.

Fortunately, he had Su Yun, who was clearly the perfect assistant.

Whether Su Yun also thought the same remained a mystery.

Perhaps he was more interested in establishing that pet medical center.

"The professors are standing by, so don't push yourself too hard if you can't complete the surgery." Su Yun repeated tirelessly. "Your illness has weakened you; you're profusely sweating after that short walk. Did you do something unspeakable behind my back last night?"

"..." Zheng Ren was speechless.

...

...

All patients were transferred to the operating table at eight o'clock sharp.

After the doctors repeatedly confirmed the patients' medical records and imaging films, six surgeries began at the same time.

Mu Tao was in a good mood. He had performed retrograde 3D image reconstruction of the 64-slice CT scans and compiled the data of three patients in the past two days.

The image reconstruction of the CT films made him feel that he had fully grasped the patients' conditions, which felt exhilarating!

There was absolutely no need to worry about intraoperative accidents in the slightest.

Mu Tao glanced at Old Wu, who was chatting with a few elderly professors, and left with a smile.

A doctor working in the hospital was instructed to assist Mu Tao in surgery. They then proceeded to change their attire.

When he began to scrub up, he noticed that Jin Yaowu and the rest had come to perform the surgical scrub at almost the same time. All of them were now at the same starting line.

However, Mu Tao firmly believed that the competition, which was merely a transition, was now completely unnecessary.

After all, he had mastered a core technology, one that could significantly minimize the risk of intraoperative accidents, while others had not. Was there still a need to compete? Absolutely not!

The doctor from Sea City had been smart enough to find an excuse to leave before the surgery began. As for Jin Yaowu and the rest... Hehe, the truth would utterly humiliate them!

Without letting pride consume his mind, he began to recall the imaging films of the patient who was about to undergo surgery.

One of the tumor-feeding arteries originated from the renal artery, which could have easily been overlooked by another surgeon.

Even if the surgeon was serious, responsible and finally managed to locate the artery, both patient and surgeon would have been exposed to significantly more radiation over time.

This patient was really lucky to have been chosen by Mu Tao.

It was incredibly important to learn and promote new technologies. Had it not been for the livestream broadcast by Montreal General Hospital in Canada, there was no way he would have suspected the origin of this tumor-feeding vessel.

He put on his lead apron and finished scrubbing up.

When Mu Tao returned to the interventional radiology suite with a steady gait, the doctor had already applied surgical drape on the operating site and was waiting for him to perform an arterial cannulation.

Mu Tao knew that all surgeries would be broadcast to the surgical demonstration classroom. Every operation would occupy a small section of the screen, and if anyone wished to watch a particular surgery in detail, each could be zoomed in on for the professors to study and evaluate.

He would definitely be the focus of discussion today. That was beyond question.

Mu Tao stood in front of the operating table, unhurried.

Pursuing speed would make him fall behind dramatically.

After calming his thoughts, he checked the patient's name and read the imaging films on the radiographic film viewer while recalling the 3D image reconstruction of the 64-slice CT films.

This patient's condition was considerably tricky as the tumor-feeding blood vessel branched from the renal artery. Without the 3D image reconstruction of the 64-slice CT scan, the surgery would have taken at least three hours for him to complete.

Now, he only needed a little over half an hour to finish it.

Mu Tao quickly recalled and extrapolated the patient's blood vessel network for surgery before confidently picking up an arterial cannulation needle.

A flashback of blood came at the first prick.

The introducer sheath was then inserted. Following the insertion of the guidewire, Mu Tao estimated its location and turned on the imaging system at the perfect moment.

Instead of blindly superselecting every artery to locate the tumor feeding vessel, he specifically superselected, embolized and created an angiographic image of the hepatic artery before moving on to the renal artery.

Sure enough, a branch of the renal artery was directly connected to the liver. Although the vessel had many twists and turns, he could successfully superselect it as long as he was careful and attentive.

'The professors in the surgical demonstration classroom must be flabbergasted by now.' The thought greatly exhilarated Mu Tao.

He was delighted and proud to be able to perform the surgery so smoothly.

It was all because he had already figured out the origin of the tumor-feeding vessel. Perhaps the professors were complimenting him now that the surgery was over.

However, this was just the beginning. The surgery had taken Mu Tao only a little over half an hour.

He went to take a break while the other doctor compressed the puncture site for hemostasis.

The others had not come down yet, so perhaps he was already in the lead in terms of time.

A faster surgery despite the greater difficulty. Mu Tao believed he was the best among all other participants.

He sat on a chair in the operator's console room and closed his eyes to rest.

This was just the beginning! He had to impress all the professors.

The second surgery...

The third surgery...

Everything was smooth sailing. Mu Tao used only two hours and fifteen minutes to complete the interventional radiological treatment of three patients whom he had chosen in advance.

Mu Tao gave himself a thumbs up for a job well done. It was not arrogance but the self-confidence of an excellent doctor.

The confidence of a surgeon who had mastered a core technology!

"Master Mu, get some rest. I've gained knowledge from the beautiful surgeries you've performed," said the doctor assigned to be Mu Tao's assistant.

"Oh, please don't address me as 'master'. Just Brother Mu is fine," replied Mu Tao with a smile.

"Your proficiency in surgery is much superior to most professors, so you're indeed worthy of the title 'master'," insisted the doctor.

Mu Tao could feel the sincere admiration in the doctor's compliments.

However, he merely continued to smile faintly with a tinge of pride.

The doctor's limited knowledge merely allowed him to recognize that Mu Tao was skillful without realizing the true highlight of the surgeries.

"You'll reach my level one day if you study hard," Mu Tao encouraged him.

"Okay, I will." The doctor nodded seriously.

Mu Tao removed his lead apron, revealing his own surgical attire completely drenched in sweat.

It was difficult to perform such a delicate task while wearing an armor-like lead apron that weighed a few kilograms, even for Mu Tao, who was in his late thirties.

Unlike in Shenzhen Economic Development Zone People's Hospital where Mu Tao would shower after surgery,

He went directly to the surgical demonstration classroom in his sweat-soaked surgical attire.

'The professors must be all over my surgical technique now.' The thought put a smile on Mu Tao's face.

Unlike a fifteen-minute operation in some hospital where the catheter was not properly inserted into the hepatic artery and the surgery rashly ended with an irresponsible infusion of chemotherapy drugs, Mu Tao had actually taken a long time to complete his surgeries.

However, the embolization had been done perfectly, and he was even confident enough to assume that he had performed every procedure almost flawlessly.

Close to perfection!

Mu Tao was convinced that even Old Wu would be unable to perform the operation as smoothly as he did.

Not that Old Wu's skill was inferior to his, but a geriatric in his sixties would certainly have trouble performing such a surgery in a heavy lead apron.

Many elderly people would experience backache and muscle soreness after carrying a bag of rice weighing between fifteen to twenty kilograms, let alone a lead apron in interventional radiology.

The golden age of general surgeons was between thirty to sixty years old, but interventional radiologists were only able to perform surgery in their peak physical state between the age of thirty-five to forty-five.

This was possible only if one was accepted as a disciple and personally taught by a well-reputed master at the age of thirty-five.

Most specialized interventional radiologists in the country had trouble achieving greater heights past their golden age.

Just like Mu Tao had imagined, the professors were staring unblinkingly at the screen with a surgery being played out on it.

However...

It was somewhat different from what he had initially anticipated...

It was not a replay of his surgery, but an ongoing operation!

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Chapter 207: That Day, That Night, That Man (Part 4 of 5)

Mu Tao was momentarily stunned. Then, he realized that since he had finished earlier, they had to have directed their attention to other ongoing surgeries.

The surgery projected on the screen demonstrated proficient superselection of a micro-guidewire into the artery.

The maneuver... looked familiar.

Mu Tao absent-mindedly approached Old Wu and accidentally knocked into a chair with his knee, causing him to grimace with pain.

Old Wu looked at him and reprimanded him quietly, "Why are you so careless? You're not a child anymore. "

Mu Tao ignored Old Wu and stared at the screen in surprise. Could it be that the professors were actually watching a surgery livestream in Xinglin Garden together?

"Sit down and watch," Old Wu whispered, his eyes fixed on the livestream.

Mu Tao, who was very familiar with Old Wu, knew that the old man was on the verge of an explosion from his tone of speech.

Old Wu had been a grumpy man in his youth, but with his advancing age, he had been controlling his temper and significantly reducing his outbursts.

Mu Tao quickly sat down without objection, unwilling to face punishment later.

"Master, are you watching a live broadcast in Xinglin Garden?" asked Mu Tao softly.

"What live broadcast? We're watching an ongoing surgery now," replied Old Wu.

"..." Startled, Mu Tao paid closer attention to the screen.

He tried to recall the familiar-looking imaging film on the screen. A few seconds later, he slapped his thigh. Was this not the film that the young doctor, the "self-proclaimed" boss, studied in the CT room that night?!

"What are you doing?!" Old Wu snapped, obviously taken by surprise.

"Master, I know this man," replied Mu Tao quickly to calm his master's rage.

"Of course, Professor Pei has introduced him to you before."

"No, I saw him in the CT room when I went to perform 3D reconstruction of the CT scan that night," said Mu Tao.

"Huh?" Old Wu perked up.

"He was looking at the angiographic footage without performing image reconstruction at the time." Mu Tao added.

"He must have done it afterward. Every blood vessel he accurately superselected had a purpose," Old Wu said softly, "But the main point is that he is somehow able to distinguish between a cirrhotic liver nodule and cancerous tissue."

Mu Tao remained silent.

That day, that night, that imaging film.

Impossible!

That could not be true!

Mu Tao was caught in a trance.

It was possible to use a 3D image reconstruction of a CT scan on large, solid tumors.

However, the film he had seen that night showed numerous nodules, which could have been either cirrhotic nodules or cancerous tissue.

It was difficult enough to use 3D reconstruction of a 64-slice CT scan to retrogradely locate an abnormal blood vessel, let alone distinguish benign and malignant nodules.

Was this a joke? It was possible to perform image reconstruction on every suspected nodule, but the workload would be humongous. What if one narrowed it down to highly suspicious nodules for testing? In Mu Tao's view, there were at least eighty of them, and checking each and every one of them would be troublesome as well.

If he had been the one to check the patient, even two whole days would probably be insufficient.

Then, Mu Tao noticed the areas that had been successfully embolized.

The embolization had been done flawlessly, which reflected the surgeon's proficiency in this domain.

He remained quiet.

His previous complacency and pride were now clear indications of his ignorance.

Since when did Sea City, a small town, have such an experienced interventional radiologist?

Old Wu was one of the first batch who had been involved in interventional radiology and a senior professor with peerless skill. Even so, Mu Tao's master—Wu Haishi—did not have such prowess. Who the hell was performing the surgery now?

The young doctor with a ridiculously low emotional quotient, who could not even remember his face and even proclaimed himself a "boss"?

Impossible!

The sudden change in mood greatly depressed Mu Tao.

Eight abnormalities captured post-angiography were embolized one after another, delicately and beautifully, like a masterpiece being finished by an artist.

Following the complete embolization of the last small tumor nodule, the host surgeon again created an angiographic image, which revealed the complete absence of abnormalities in the liver.

In the surgical demonstration classroom, all the elderly professors applauded, offering reverence and compliments to the host surgeon in the live broadcast.

'Amazing!' Mu Tao snapped out of his thoughts and clapped.

Old Wu was the first to speak up. "Let him perform the surgery."

The others agreed.

Mu Tao was somewhat depressed, but he understood perfectly.

Despite his measured steps, the young doctor had performed a technique beyond his capabilities, something that could not be offset by speed alone.

'It looks like my near-limit speed still isn't enough. Perhaps slowing down would offer more benefits in the future,' Mu Tao thought.

Jin Yaowu's voice came from behind. "Based on one surgery alone? Don't you think it's sloppy?"

He had just finished his surgeries on his pre-selected patients and had caught only the last imaging session.

When everyone agreed to nominate the host surgeon as the chief surgeon of the scientific research, Jin Yaowu was the first to object.

"Yaowu, sit down," said Professor Pei, tapping the chair beside him.

The other professors gave Jin Yaowu a peculiar stare as he approached Professor Pei, draining him of his initial courage and indignation. He lowered his head, averting his gaze from Professor Pei's. His confidence slowly faded away.

"Yaowu, this is the host surgeon's seventh surgery." Professor Pei added calmly.

"..." Jin Yaowu was dumbfounded.

Mu Tao was flabbergasted as well.

What? The host surgeon was on his seventh surgery when he had only completed three?

This had to be a fantasy.

Mu Tao's self-image crumbled once again.

Slow? The host surgeon was just fast and precise in his manipulation...

How had he not heard of such a surgeon before this?

Had he hatched from a stone egg[1]?

"Treat subsequent operations with the utmost care. I don't want any problems to come our way," an older professor said grimly, "Give me a copy of the angiographic footage. I'll go back and study it again."

Even though the professors had decided on their chief surgeon, they continued to exchange views on the surgery instead of leaving the room.

It was humiliating for the surgeons whom the professors had dropped from the competition, but their focus had obviously been drawn to a more important issue—the host surgeon had been able to accurately distinguish between a benign and a malignant hepatic nodule.

"We've to study this later," said Old Wu lightly as he glanced at the last angiographic image, feeling somewhat nostalgic.

"Master, do you think his technique is similar to that of the host surgeon from Xinglin Garden?" asked Mu Tao softly.

"Their techniques look similar, but I don't think he is the surgeon," Old Wu replied, "Doctor Zheng's maneuver appeared slightly amateurish, and some parts weren't handled well. However, he has mastered the usage of 3D image reconstruction of a 64-slice CT scan just like you, although he is far more experienced than you in that field."

Mu Tao immediately understood after hearing Old Wu's explanation.

It was a new technology, and those who mastered it first would have an upper hand. However, he had a better platform and a highly-skilled master, so would he not have a brighter future than Boss Zheng?

Just as Mu Tao was about to leave, an elderly voice came from the door. "Is Zheng Ren here?"

[1] In Chinese creation mythology, Pangu, the primordial creator, was hatched from a stone egg. Mu Tao does not seem to be comparing himself favorably to a creator god but rather seems to be using a poetic version of "born yesterday".

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Chapter 208: A Round of Applause (Part 5 of 5)

"Prof. Gu, Mr. Zheng had just finished his last surgery and is probably doing manual compression right now. He'll be here soon," said the secretary, Li Haitao, upon recognizing and approaching Professor Gu. "Please have a seat, he'll be here in a few minutes."

...

In the operating theater, Su Yun was administering manual compression while Zheng Ren sat calmly in the operating console room. His radiation-proof lead apron was absorbed back into the System.

The light blue surgical isolation gown he had on was whole shades darker from being soaked in sweat.

The surgery had gone smoothly, which was in line with Zheng Ren's predictions. The heat from the wound in his left shoulder was bothering him greatly, though.

He had already felt burnt out after wrapping up his first surgery two hours ago.

Even though he was well-protected by the lead apron, he had no energy left to continue.

Zheng Ren felt dejected; he had initially planned to try his best to complete the [The First Stage of The Great Beginning] mission. He decided to enter the System to restore his strength in the brief window where Su Yun was still applying manual compression to the patient.

If this failed, Zheng Ren would rather give up on the mission despite his anticipation. He would not operate in the condition he was in.

As a medical professional, integrity was fundamental. Zheng Ren still had that in him.

After entering the System, Zheng Ren realized that his recovery in it was extremely slow. It would be impossible for him to get back on his feet within such a short period of time.

Alas, the surgery would have to go on without him.

In his disappointment, the bottle of energy elixir that had been left forgotten in the corner caught his eye.

The elixir had been given to Zheng Ren as a reward for one of the System's earliest missions, but who was he but part of the new generation of surgeons, born and raised under the red flag?

How could he carelessly drink a strange liquid without knowing its contents?

'What if I transformed into a mutant?' Zheng Ren wondered.

Nevertheless, Zheng Ren continued to stare at the energy elixir, thinking.

He remembered seeing the energy elixir being sold in the System's store. Time was running out, and Zheng Ren had already established a basic trust with the System.

Should he give it a try?

Once the thought popped in his mind, he could not resist the temptation.

The reward for the first stage of [Emerging Talent] was a Master-level skill book, which included loads of experience points and extended completion times. It also came with a golden chest, but Zheng Ren had forgotten about that.

He was willing to take the risk for that many chips on the table.

Of course, one reason he could accept such a risk was that the System's track record being fairly reliable from the start.

Zheng Ren picked up the energy elixir and uncorked it.

It smelled minty. Zheng Ren was not particularly fond of it, but did not hate it either.

He took a sip and found the taste acceptable. After almost a minute, Zheng Ren did not feel any discomfort but felt slightly more clear-headed.

'Forget it,' thought Zheng Ren. He prayed that the System would not let him down... the energy elixir could have been designed for an alien being, and he had a weak body...

Fear crept into him the more he dithered. In the end, he stopped thinking, tipped his head, and downed the bottle of energy elixir.

Instantly, a refreshing sensation trickled down his spine and rose back up to the rear of his skull before he felt an explosion inside, as if fireworks were going off in every corner of his body.

The discomfort on his left shoulder was still there. The energy elixir had no effect on external wounds.

However, all the symptoms of his fever and the soreness of his inflamed shoulder seemed to have gone away. He felt invigorated, so much so that he could perform ten surgeries back-to-back.

As Su Yun turned to stop Zheng Ren from risking his life, he saw a whole new person appear in front of him, fully energized.

He was perplexed, unable to fathom how the man had managed to recuperate within a mere 10-minute window.

Zheng Ren was in overdrive in his subsequent surgeries.

As soon as he finished with one patient, they were immediately put onto a stretcher trolley for Su Yun to stop their bleeding via manual compression. Zheng Ren wasted no time shifting into the next surgery, one after another.

After Su Yun wrapped things up and handed the patient over to the interventional radiology department doctor to be warded, Zheng Ren was already halfway through the next surgery.

He operated in full swing for the next three hours. Su Yun's fringe was soaked in sweat, his energy reserve almost empty.

Even though Zheng Ren had consumed a bottle of energy elixir, he was in a similar situation. His energy was being rapidly depleted.

Fortunately, he managed to flawlessly execute the last surgery despite it being the toughest procedure of the day.

"Mr. Zheng, have a sip of water." The operator passed Zheng Ren a bottle of mineral water, which he saw through bleary eyes.

"Thank you," Zheng Ren accepted it and attempted a smile, then tried to twist it open with his right hand.

His hand slipped from both sweat and exhaustion. The cap remained sealed.

Zheng Ren chuckled; it was all he could do. Being sick... was truly unpleasant.

"My bad, Mr. Zheng." The operator retrieved the bottle and opened it for him.

Zheng Ren felt much better after a few mouthfuls of water.

"You're incredible, Mr. Zheng!" The operator gave him a thumbs up.

Zheng Ren laughed.

"I may not have any experience performing surgery, but I've seen enough to recognize a good one," the operator said seriously.

There were many aspects to consider when it came to evaluating a surgery. The interventional surgery operator, anesthesiologist, and scrub nurse had the most objective views.

Mutual flattery between surgeons had no real value.

An anesthesiologist saying that a surgeon had done a great job implied an above-average performance.

If the scrub nurse also had the same opinion, that surgeon was a true professional.

Scrub nurses' paychecks were the lowest of all. Their salary only reached double digits after being on their feet for several hours.

That was why they wished that surgeries end as soon as possible.

When an average surgeon entered their operating theater, nurses' expressions would immediately sour. Experienced scrub nurses would never pair up with subpar surgeons as it would simply be a waste of time.

This applied to the interventional radiology department as well.

There was no operator in the Sea City General Hospital. Zheng Ren had always dealt with his own machines during surgery.

Normally, operators would observe a great deal of surgeries, even more so than any one surgeon by far.

After seeing so many of them, they naturally understood the basic principles of the procedure.

Even though Mr. Zheng came from Sea City on the far side of the border, his performance was outstanding.

Among other qualities of a surgery, efficiency was a basic requirement. More importantly, he had a steady stance. Zheng Ren executed techniques that most operators would find challenging so elegantly that he made them look easy.

"With your skill, you don't have to stay put in Sea City," the operator said, chuckling, "You would definitely be able to secure an annual salary of a million yuan if you chose to go to any big city in the south, or even Tier 2 cities such as Zhongshan and Zhuhai."

A million yuan.

Money was the most direct measure of his skillset.

Zheng Ren laughed. "We just established the emergency ward back in my hometown. I can't leave now."

The operator would never know what Zheng Ren truly thought. It was not a good idea to share everything with a person he barely knew.

Both of them continued to chat until Su Yun finished moving the patient onto the stretcher trolley, allowing the interventional radiology department doctor to take over from there. Zheng Ren then stood and stretched lightly before saying with a smile, "Thank you for your assistance, I hope to see you again."

After the usual formalities, Zheng Ren left the operating console room and headed straight to the demonstration room.

Su Yun kept his head lowered, either from exhaustion or in speculation as to what had gotten into Zheng Ren that allowed him to complete seven surgeries in a row, especially with the wound in his shoulder.

Zheng Ren knocked on the door out of habit when he reached the demonstration room before pushing it open.

"Clap..." There was thunderous applause as he entered.

...

Chapter 209: Unattainable Peak (Part 1 of 5)

Zheng Ren was stunned for a moment before turning around.

His first thought at hearing the applause was that one of the bosses had entered the room at the same time as he. The fatigue was impeding his thought process.

However, all he saw was Su Yun, who looked haggard, his sweat-drenched black hair sticking to his forehead.

What was happening?

Zheng Ren was still in a daze when he heard a voice say, "Dr. Zheng, great job."

'Huh? Am I talking to myself? What's going on?' he thought.

Zheng Ren was still unaware that the applause was meant for him.

The demonstration room was full of pioneers in interventional therapy from all over the country; why would they applaud him for no reason?

He had to have misread the situation.

Even though he was known as Zheng-smarty-pants-Ren, he was not that narcissistic like Su Yun.

"Say something," Su Yun said softly from behind him as he swam in his thoughts.

"..." Even if he was doing another surgery, it would not be as draining as this situation.

An entire room of silver-haired professors was on its feet and greeting him with wide smiles. Why did this feel so alien?

"Come in and have a seat; you must be exhausted, Dr. Zheng." Li Haitao reacted quickly upon seeing Zheng Ren's expression, figuring out that it was this startled young doctor's first time seeing such a grand occasion.

He stepped forward and enthusiastically shook hands with Zheng Ren.

As he touched Zheng Ren's hand, his expression shifted.

"Dr. Zheng, are you having a fever?" Li Haitao could feel something wrong with Zheng Ren. The man's temperature was above normal and his palms felt clammy.

Zheng Ren said weakly, "It's nothing. I just have a cold."

"His temperature was 38.6C this morning. He's probably at 39C now," Su Yun interjected behind Zheng Ren.

"..." Li Haitao was shocked. 'Did Zheng Ren just conduct multiple surgeries with a high fever?'

Professor Gu approached Zheng Ren and asked, concerned, "Little Zheng, are you not feeling well?"

"I'm fine." Zheng Ren managed to force a smile. "It's just a common cold, nothing to worry about."

"You got hurt yesterday. Could it be due to infection of the wound?" Professor Gu asked.

"No, Brother Zhao has just cleaned my wound and applied fresh medication. He also mentioned that it was fine," Zheng Ren answered.

Jin Yaowu, Mu Tao, and the others all stood around in awe.

While they had been waiting for Zheng Ren to arrive, Professor Gu had entered the room and spoken to the other professors, telling them about the incident from two days ago.

There had been a vicious assault in the outpatient department. A thoracic surgeon had been badly hurt. The news had spread like wildfire across Weibo and WeChat groups.

Since Fang Lin was neither one of the in-house doctors nor anyone's personal acquaintance, most of the professors and doctors had not paid him a visit. They simply expressed their anger by sharing the post on Weibo.

It was shocking to know that Dr. Zheng had been involved in that incident. Professor Gu also mentioned the wounded shoulder.

Even Professor Pei, who knew that Zheng Ren had participated in the emergency rescue that followed, did not know the details.

As they processed the news, their indignation faded, turning into a barrage of arrows piercing Jin Yaowu, Mu Tao, and every other doctor's self-esteem.

How had he performed surgery with a wounded shoulder?

It had been no ordinary procedure; highly technical, performed in a lead apron that weighed up to 17 pounds and requiring absolute precision and meticulousness.

Was it even possible?

However, they knew that there was no reason for Professor Gu to lie.

Mu Tao slowly realized why the host's movements had been slightly sluggish, despite ultimately being able to navigate the hills and valleys of the surgery.

It was because...

He had been f*cking slashed by that scoundrel!

Mu Tao's pride, accumulated over decades, crumbled instantly. There was not even any disappointment; so stunned was he that he simply blanked out.

Jin Yaowu was still in disbelief. Nonetheless, the bulge of the bandage on Zheng Ren's left shoulder was physical proof of the wound.

He was not foolish enough to question Professor Gu's words.

Inside, he was tormented by his own competitiveness. Clenching his fist, he decided to work harder, finally finding the motivation to work towards his goal.

Old Wu and Professor Gu were quite close, so the former was aware of the incident and very interested to meet this young doctor.

He neared Zheng Ren, tapped on his unhurt shoulder and said with a voice laden with praise, "Dr. Zheng, I hadn't expected you to have such a good emergency rescue response."

"I... I'm a general surgeon. Currently, I'm the chief resident of the emergency department, so it's part of my job," Zheng Ren answered humbly with a small smile.

This time, Wu Haishi was taken completely aback.

Pei Yingjie had worked with Zheng Ren before and thus knew what was coming. However, everyone else was astounded.

This doctor, dominating interventional surgery with his superb skill, was not a specialist but a mere general surgeon... and now an emergency department chief resident.

What in the world was this nonsense?

What had happened to specialization?

Had the Wooden Barrel Theory[1] become obsolete?

Jin Yaowu turned grim after hearing Zheng Ren's words.

How could a general surgeon outshine him? It would not have bothered him as much if the demonstration had been a normal surgery. Was his interventional surgery skill no better than a general surgeon's?

Mu Tao was also stupefied, fixated on the image of Zheng Ren's back when the surgeon had been processing the scans in the CT room.

Had he had to examine those films as if he was a medical imaging technologist? After all, he was a general surgeon and the chief resident of an emergency department.

Wasn't the entire hospital supposed to support the emergency department?

Why did he...

Mu Tao had just experienced an emotional roller coaster. After observing Xinglin Garden's live broadcast of the interventional surgery, he had thought that studying 64-slice CT scans with 3D-image reconstruction under Old Wu would lead to an easy victory.

Never in a million years would he have guessed that instead of losing to Jin Yaowu, he would lose to a general surgeon... a young chief resident of an emergency department from a city he couldn't have pointed out on a map before.

"I'll let you guys handle the remaining work. Just notify Zheng Ren of the results," Professor Gu said, putting a halt to further interrogation. "I'll take Zheng Ren to go change his wound dressings. It'll be too late if the wound was infected."

The other professors of similar rank obliged out of respect, especially as Professor Gu was being reasonable. More importantly, they could not hinder his kind offer of help.

'This "small fry" is rather interesting,' he mused. The professors who had been initially displeased by their students had forgotten about the competition and were beginning to take an interest in Zheng Ren.

As Zheng Ren remained in his stupor, Professor Gu extracted him from the demonstration room and pushed him to the inpatient department.

"What were you thinking? Did you not know that you were having a fever? Why did you still go ahead with the surgery?" Professor Gu complained as they walked.

"I'm okay, don't worry. I've sweated it all out after a few surgeries and am feeling much better now," Zheng Ren explained, laughing earnestly.

Su Yun followed behind them, expressionless. He could not fathom why the man front of him was like a tall mountain, its slopes untouchable, its peak unattainable.

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Chapter 210: Private Ward (Part 2 of 5)

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Professor Gu, shouldn't you be still in a hospital ward?" Su Yun suddenly asked just as they exited the research building.

His words made Professor Gu stagger on his feet.

"Is your heart better now? You're not supposed to sneak out like that." Su Yun was merciless in his snark, not sparing even a respected senior like Professor Gu.

The worst part was that his words were not baseless. Professor Gu could not argue the matter.

"I know that," Professor Gu said a few moments later, waving his hands, "Cardiologists are no better than us cardiothoracic surgeons in this, you know."

Su Yun just smiled wordlessly.

This was an ongoing internal dispute. The surgeons found that cardiologists dawdled too much, and the latter considered the former's methods too crass.

They always fought for surgeries with related or overlapping procedures, with the spoils going to whoever called their shots the earliest.

Professors who could perform the surgery but were denied the opportunity were naturally disappointed.

For instance, spinal surgery belonged to the department of neurosurgery in European hospitals, but since spine treatment was first established by orthopedic departments in this country, most of its pioneers were orthopedic surgeons. Neurosurgeons... treated only the head region and nothing else.

Other hospitals in Imperial Capital such as Tiantan and Sanbo's neurosurgeons were not able to handle spinal neurosurgeries. Even if they did, their skills were nowhere near that of orthopedics from Jishuitan or Xiehe Hospital.

The feud between cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons went back ages.

With current advancements in technology, there were more cardiologists capable of performing coronary bypass surgery. Furthermore, patients usually preferred minimally invasive surgery over thoracotomy.

That was why, many years ago, most hospitals' cardiology divisions were reabsorbed by their cardiothoracic surgery departments due to their lower demand for surgery.

Zheng Ren and Su Yun understood this all too well and thus did not take Professor Gu's jibes to heart.

The gradual transition from internal medicine to surgery, followed by the advent of minimally invasive procedures, was the inevitable outcome of advancements in medical treatment. It would never have been altered by a single professor's objections.

"Let's head back. I'll change the wound dressing for you. Were it not for the both of you, Fang Lin would've..." Professor Gu choked when he mentioned the name.

"You went to see Fang Lin, right? How is he doing?" Zheng Ren asked.

"He's okay, but he had trauma-induced coagulopathy due to excessive bleeding. They gave him several units of platelets and fibrinogen today," Professor Gu said, "There was 400 mL of fluid in the chest tube drainage system. If bleeding stops after two days, they can remove the tube. As long as there's less than 100 mL of blood, he will be stable."

"Oh, I'm glad to hear that," Zheng Ren said, relieved.

"Thank goodness your rescue was in time," Professor Gu continued, still perturbed by the incident. "When I saw what had happened yesterday, I thought it was too late and my nerves triggered my heart issues."

Zheng Ren chuckled.

After reaching the cardiothoracic department, Professor Gu brought Zheng Ren to the pharmacy.

Placing a wound care dressing set on a sterile plate, he removed the old, sweat-drenched bandage from Zheng Ren's shoulder.

"You'll need to take some antibiotics for a few days." Professor Gu observed that the skin at the edge of the wound was healing neatly. There was slight redness but no swelling, which ruled out infection. However, to be safe, he prescribed Zheng Ren the antibiotics.

"Uhm, I took them yesterday," Zheng Ren replied.

"Three days," Professor Gu ordered, leaving no room for discussion.

After changing the wound dressing on Zheng Ren's shoulder, Professor Gu called for Zhao Yunlong and instructed him sternly that Zheng Ren was not allowed to leave the ward, in case the man snuck out to perform more surgeries and hurt himself.

Zheng Ren did not know whether to laugh or cry.

How bad could the common cold be? With his body being perfectly healthy, the possibility of contracting pneumonia was close to nil.

Nevertheless, he did not have the heart to refuse Professor Gu's kind gesture.

Professor Gu then prepared a private ward for Zheng Ren to rest.

In the end... he was to be confined to a single room in Imperial Capital Hospital. It was dumbfounding.

When Zheng Ren tried to turn down the offer, Professor Gu glared at him and shoved him into the private ward a little forcefully.

"You should be grateful. Only those with deputy-level positions are allowed to stay in a private ward." Su Yun sat on a sofa leisurely while looking at Zheng Ren.

"But I'm perfectly fine," Zheng Ren said in a voice so weak that it was unconvincing.

Su Yun took out his phone and began tapping away at it, looking bored. "Stop showing off and lie down, young man."

Zheng Ren finally gave in and laid down onto the bed. A wave of fatigue took over him.

The private ward of a large-scale Class Three Grade A Hospital in Imperial Capital was extraordinary. It was not necessarily available even if one could afford it.

When Zheng Ren had still been a resident in the general surgery department, they received a patient who was a deputy mayor. Of course, back then, Zheng Ren could only stand aside to watch Chief Liu entertain and accompany the patient throughout his stay.

The patient had been diagnosed with stomach cancer and did not stay for surgery in Sea City General Hospital, leaving for one of the hospitals in the Imperial Capital.

Under normal circumstances, it would have been fortunate enough if he had gotten one of the professors in Imperial Capital to operate on him. However, he was used to all the pampering he had received in Sea City and demanded a private ward.

Those in charge of admission differed between hospitals; they varied from the chief resident to the matron, or even individual professors. However, they had the same policies for the private ward.

Only people in positions above the deputy level, such as department chiefs or senior professors, had the privilege of a private ward.

Usually, people gave in and accepted their arrangements. However, no one foresaw the patient getting offended and going all the way back to Sea City, contacting a professor from Sorcery Capital to perform the surgery.

It took him almost half a month to travel back and forth.

Unfortunately, his malignant tumor was uncontrollably aggressive. By the time he went under surgery, his cancer had metastasized to three lymph nodes.

It truly was an unfortunate case, which was why Zheng Ren felt that Bu Ruotian had made the right choice.

Zheng Ren fell into a deep slumber as soon as his head hit the pillow. It could have been the exhaustion from performing multiple surgeries while unwell, or the side effects of the energy elixir he had consumed. The sky had turned dark when he opened his eyes again.

Upon waking up, he saw Su Yun still on both sofa and phone in the exact same spot, unchanged but for a slight adjustment in seating position.

Only after noticing the tiny hole in his hand from the insertion of an intravenous catheter did he realize that he had slept through an entire intravenous infusion by a nurse.

Zheng Ren also felt much better after sweating.

He sat up and asked, "What do you feel like eating for dinner?"

"I thought you planned to sleep through the night," Su Yun answered without raising his head, "Didn't you say eating disinterests you?"

'...Such harsh words,' Zheng Ren thought.

He was not particularly interested in food, but he had performed seven interventional surgeries in a lead apron while sick. His body's energy reserves were completely depleted.

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Chapter 211: That Damned Prostate (Part 3 of 5)

At Hongqiao International Airport in the Sorcery Capital, a huge banner dominated the arrival hall.

There was a sentence written in semi-cursive script on it: "Welcome to the exchange visit, Professor Rudolf Wagner from Heidelberg University"

Heidelberg University was the oldest university and one of the top institutions in Germany.

Professor Rudolf Wagner had spearheaded interventional technology in the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University. His work was primarily focused on researching new methods in clinical surgery. He was one of the members of the German Universities Excellence Initiative.

It had taken Biosensors International great effort to invite Professor Rudolf Wagner over to participate in prostatic artery embolization research.

Money was not the only factor involved.

Had Professor Rudolf Wagner not also participated in the cardiovascular stent grafting project, they would never have been able to make this exchange visit happen, not even with a few million US dollars.

One of the directors of a Class Three Grade A hospital from Sorcery Capital and the regional CEO for East Asia of Biosensors International were waiting at the airport alongside their subordinates.

In the crowd, they spotted a tall German man walking out of the arrival hall within a group of Chinese people. He was around fifty years old and sported shoulder-length blonde hair, bearing an artistic mien which gave off no impression of being a medical professor.

"Nice to meet you, Professor Rudolf Wagner." The hospital director and regional CEO approached him right away and offered handshakes.

After exchanging simple greetings, they all left the arrival hall together.

Professor Wagner was straightforward. He asked while they were walking, "Are the surgical instruments ready?"

"We've put the new production line into commission. No matter what diameter of guide wire you need, we can provide them," the regional CEO of Biosensors International answered with a smile.

"That's great news. I'll only be here for three days before I have to return to Berlin to attend the Haringnar Award Ceremony." The professor was not a jovial person. He said everything that came to mind, the bluntness of his personality at odds with his elegant appearance.

"I know you have a packed schedule, but don't you think this surgery will take your name to a whole new level in the medical field? This is the damned prostate we're talking about! It's been an ongoing battle for years, the ultimate nightmare of older men, but one we have had to solve it with crude surgical methods," the regional CEO of Biosensors International said to Professor Wagner in fluent German.

On the other hand, the Class Three Grade A hospital director stared at them both blankly while his interpreter translated the entire exchange.

There was no room for him to speak.

"This is an existing issue," Professor Wagner agreed.

"I think you'll need this extra credit for the Haringnar Award Ceremony. I remember one of the judges, Mr. Mehar, being already eighty-three years old. He'll definitely be interested in your latest research."

The regional CEO was professionally ruthless. With a few words, he had successfully convinced Professor Rudolf Wagner to willingly put in more effort into this research.

"I've researched the surgical method before. The right tools and equipment will make it easier by an order of magnitude. Damn it! Even if everything is in order, it still remains the most grueling procedure in all of interventional surgery without equal!" Although the fame and recognition that would come with success was tempting, Professor Rudolf Wagner knew just how challenging prostate artery embolization was.

Were it any easier, the surgical technique would have been established by now.

"Exactly. Because of that, it'll add more value to your research. The old Swedish men who judge Nobel Prize winners would show great interest in your research. My god, I hope they don't die of heart attacks when they hear about the success of your research."

Professor Wagner did not pay much attention to the man's joke. He knew that a prostate surgery would not win him a Nobel Prize in Medicine. Nevertheless, all the influential judges were very old and would no doubt be facing some problems with that accursed organ.

This was a very promising surgery. It would be perfect were it any less difficult.

A black MPV was already waiting for them when they stepped out of the airport.

Professor Rudolf Wagner entered the car. Only then was the hospital director able to speak to him.

They had finished laying down all the groundwork, and its executor, Professor Rudolf Wagner, had finally arrived. All that was left to do was perform the surgery.

It would be slightly challenging, but not something that Professor Wagner could not overcome.

...

Zheng Ren was still oblivious to the upcoming event. He sat in his private ward and chatted with Xie Yiren by phone.

He had never done that in Sea City.

Throughout his entire life, Chief Zheng had rarely spoken to other people. After all, he had had to fight for survival, unlike Su Yun, who had his cell phone rooted to his hand.

Sea City General Hospital was rather uneventful. The emergency department had not been incapacitated after Zheng Ren's departure.

The only issue was that Old Chief Physician Pan was not equipped to perform laparoscopies. Most of the patients requiring laparoscopy were transferred to the inpatient department.

The operating theater was so empty that Xie Yiren had nothing to do. She was tempted to visit Imperial Capital to see if Zheng Ren had any surgeries to perform.

Zheng Ren remained unaware of how much time flew by as they chatted until Feng Xuhui entered the private ward with food.

He bade farewell to Xie Yiren before greeting the man, "Thanks for your trouble, Manager Feng."

"It's no trouble at all," Feng Xuhui replied with a huge grin.

This was his first time entering a private ward of a Class Three Grade A Hospital in Imperial Capital. Even though the interior was not very luxurious—one might even say it looked a little old-fashioned—it was a status symbol to be able to get a private ward.

Feng Xuhui pulled the mobile overbed table carefully towards them. Zheng Ren was stunned for a moment before laughing. "There's no need for that."

"He's not handicapped, there's no need to dine from the bed," Su Yun added.

Feng Xuhui began to visibly panic. It had not been Zheng Ren's intention to embarrass Feng Xuhui on purpose. After all, he owed Feng Xuhui a favor for Zheng Yunxia's surgery.

He got off the bed and helped Feng Xuhui plate the dishes onto the coffee table. Su Yun remained seated on the sofa without offering a hand, like a head honcho waiting to be served.

There was a knock on the door as they were about to start eating.

"Come in," Zheng Ren said.

The door was unlocked. Their visitor twisted the handle and walked in.

It was Chief Bao from the cardiothoracic department, with Zhao Yunlong following closely behind him. There was also another person with them... he looked rather familiar, but Zheng Ren could not recall who he was.

Su Yun had a curious expression and stood immediately. Instead of approaching them, he retreated half a step behind Zheng Ren and whispered, "That is Chief Kong from the interventional radiology department."

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Chapter 212: Amazing Assistant (Part 4 of 5)

Zheng Ren greeted them respectfully. "Chief Bao, Chief Kong, it's a pleasure to meet you all."

"Please have a seat," Chief Bao said jovially, "You're one of us; there's no need to be so formal."

After the customary refusals, both chiefs were seated on the sofa while Zheng Ren sat on a small stool beside the bed. Su Yun stood behind Zheng Ren with his head lowered.

Feng Xuhui was stuck in an awkward position, not knowing whether it was appropriate to leave the room.

"Let me introduce you both," Chief Bao said, filling the role of host. "This is Dr. Zheng Ren, as I'm sure you know. This is Dr. Zheng's assistant, Su Yun, also known as the rising star of cardiothoracic surgery."

"Hmm?" Chief Kong was taken aback at the mention of Su Yun's name. It felt familiar.

"You left Imperial Capital for almost two years. Do you remember at all?" Chief Bao looked at Chief Kong sardonically, as if quizzing him.

Feng Xuhui, already an anxious wreck from the beginning, was standing in the corner contemplating whether or not to leave.

He was startled by Chief Bao's words.

Chief Zheng had made a great impression on this visit to Imperial Capital. Could it be that the handsome, quick-witted assistant beside him was also somebody?

He had to be, or Chief Bao would not have brought it up.

"I'm losing my memory due to old age." Chief Kong thought for a few seconds before asking, "Who is this talented fellow?"

"His research was not related to interventional surgery, so it's understandable if you don't remember him. However, Su Yun represents the latest generation of cardiothoracic surgeons," Chief Bao said, "Do you recall an article published on The Lancet two years ago?"

Chief Kong stopped smiling, his expression turning serious.

The Lancet was the most renowned journal in the field of general surgery, with an impact factor of over 30. In the world of medicine, it surpassed other prestigious journals such as Nature and Science.

Nowadays, it was harder to graduate with a master's degree or PhD as they required a publication in a journal with the Science Citation Index (SCI).

Chief Kong had stopped taking in Master's students and was thus unfamiliar with any of these.

Only half the PhD students under him managed to graduate on time. The rest took at least five years to complete their studies.

Why?

Aside from writing their graduate thesis, a PhD student also had to publish at least two short articles indexed by the three main international scholarly literature databases, namely SCI, Ei Compendex (EI), and Index to Scientific Technical Proceedings (ISTP).

In addition, the journal had to have an impact factor of 4 to 5.

The Lancet? Most postgraduate students would never dare publish in that journal. Even Chief Kong himself would have to think twice.

It would be nearly impossible to have their article published.

Su Yun was not even thirty years old, and yet at such a young age, he had already published an article in The Lancet...

"You're Su Yun?!" Chief Kong asked in astonishment.

"You finally remember," Chief Bao said, amused, "Su Yun went to Sea City because of that. Who knew he would return after less than two years."

"It's all a coincidence. I'm only here to observe," Su Yun said, keeping his head bowed.

His explanation sounded far-fetched, but the two chiefs were unbothered.

Feng Xuhui started to see stars in his vision.

Who knew that the assistant beside Chief Zheng had had such a remarkable past?

He had no idea how much gravity publishing in The Lancet had, but it did not stop him from comprehending Su Yun's reputation.

A young doctor under thirty had been able to leave an impression on a professor from Imperial Capital, recognizable by name alone.

As Feng Xuhui thought it over, his heart started to accelerate uncontrollably.

Had Dr. Su been playing dumb to take advantage of Chief Zheng when...

No!

Had it not been for the presence of others, Feng Xuhui would have slapped his own mouth.

Su Yun was only Chief Zheng's assistant. With such an amazing assistant, one could only imagine how incredible Chief Zheng had to be!

He retreated further into the corner and dared not speak a word, trying his very best not to attract the attention of either chief.

Manager Feng's inexperience was apparent.

He had missed the opportunity to make his presence known in front of two department chiefs by serving them tea. Especially with Department Chief Kong around, the only thing going through his mind was how not to get chased out of the room.

"Haha, you can't stop the passion of a talented young man." Chief Kong laughed and said, "I remember you writing an article about a heart transplant?"

"It was a collaboration with West China University," Su Yun answered frankly, raising his head. "It was a transplant of a 3D bioprinted heart with autologous stem cells."

"Little Su was amazing." There was a hint of regret in Chief Bao's praise. "He managed to reach the animal testing stage back then. Little Su successfully transplanted the heart into a mouse and it survived 107 days post-surgery."

"..." This caught the attention of Chief Kong, who was not all that interested in heart transplant surgery.

After all, he was a medical pioneer on the national scene. The significance of a successful heart transplant with an animal model surviving over 100 days post-transplant was crystal clear, needing no further elaboration.

The mouse living 107 days post-transplant meant that they had passed pre-clinical trials. They would have been able to move on to the next phase of clinical trials after wrapping up the animal study!

Zheng Ren was also stunned by the news. This had all been accomplished by the sissy behind him?

'It seems unlikely from the way he carries himself,' he thought.

A heart transplant in a mouse was much more intricate than that of a human's as it required skill in microsurgery, post-transplant monitoring notwithstanding.

No wonder he was so good with postoperative care. It had to be all the training with mice.

Had the lab mice played a role in his dream for a veterinary hospital?

Nonetheless, this was the first time Zheng Ren had heard of Su Yun's outstanding achievements.

"It was such a pity that you left Imperial Capital. But you're back now, and that's all that matters," Chief Kong lamented. After hearing of Su Yun's achievements, Chief Kong was tempted to poach the man even if they were from completely different departments.

"This is my superior, Zheng Ren. I'm here as Mr. Zheng's assistant." Su Yun lowered his head and stared at his toes, his black fringe swaying. "We'll return to Sea City after completing the interventional surgery," he continued.

"..." Both chiefs looked at each other with sadness and surprise. They had digressed after meeting Su Yun and forgotten their original topic of conversation.

At that moment, Chief Kong's gaze shifted towards Zheng Ren.

Su Yun was a rising star of cardiothoracic surgery. Even if he decided to throw that away, he ought not to have stayed in the middle of nowhere and chosen a random guy as his superior.

A young man like him was definitely prideful. Were Chief Kong in those shoes, he would never have settled for a random doctor.

He watched Su Yun standing behind Zheng Ren with his head lowered. The blank expression on Zheng Ren's face made it clear that he was just a newcomer and completely lost.

It seemed that he had come to the right place.

Chief Kong straightened his back and said seriously, "Dr. Zheng, I have something to discuss with you."

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Chapter 213: The Zheng Procedure (Part 5 of 5)

"You're too kind," Zheng Ren said with a smile on his face.

"The interventional surgery that you performed today will have a great impact on your future career path." Department Chief Kong finally revealed the true intention of his visit. "Is it convenient for you to conduct a few more surgeries these next couple of days?"

Chief Kong was not overly polite, but from a department chief of a Class Three Grade A Hospital in Imperial City, the respect Zheng Ren had received already exceeded that of anyone else in his position. If the chief had to bow down any further... it would seem too good to be true.

"The next few days? How many patients in total?" Zheng Ren's eyes brightened once he heard about surgery.

Su Yun, who was silently standing behind Zheng Ren, suddenly said, "Chief Kong, there's something we need to inform you of beforehand."

"Uhm?" Chief Kong was startled. Zheng Ren looked rather interested in his suggestion, but there was a slight hesitation in Su Yun's tone.

"I'm in the middle of analyzing the research data and writing up a paper on this novel treatment created by my boss." Su Yun's glance was sharp, as if unbothered by the fact that he was facing a department chief.

Chief Kong was not upset by Su Yun's words. Instead, he was intrigued and inquired further. "Do you think it'll work?"

His question referred to the possibility of naming the procedure after its inventor. The entire process required successful publication of the treatment in established journals, followed by mass adaptation of his method by other doctors over time.

All of them understood the meaning behind his words... except for Manager Feng in the corner. He had no idea what Su Yun and Chief Kong were saying and just stared at them blankly.

"Yes, and I'm very sure it'll work," Su Yun answered firmly. "I've been looking into interventional surgery for the past month, focusing on the differential diagnosis between hepatocellular carcinoma and hepatic cirrhosis nodule formation. I'm sure you're aware that this has been an unsolved problem in the industry. Only yesterday did I realize that Mr. Zheng had found a solution to that. Regardless of differential diagnosis or treatment method, his technique will play a key role as the major breakthrough of my research. That's why I hope that the method will be named after him: the Zheng Procedure."

Su Yun emphasized spelling out "Zheng" in Latin script over the Chinese character, displaying his confidence in the procedure gaining international recognition and being written into textbooks in the future.

This...

Chief Kong had not given him enough credit. Su Yun was already a star in the cardiothoracic circle, but even as he had left for Sea City, he still had great aspirations for the world stage and the degree of his ambition exceeded even Chief Kong's expectations.

Chief Bao was also astonished and immediately asked, "Little Su, you're certain about this?"

"Of course," Su Yun flipped his fringe out of habit and continued, "As an assistant, I need to make sure that everything's perfect. It'll be my fault if we can't name the procedure after my boss."

Zheng Ren had not thought that far. In his opinion, the procedure was but a simple surgery. The only thing he had to do was to compare the 3D-reconstructed reverse 64-slice CT scan to the correct NMRI image.

A novel procedure? The thought had never crossed his mind.

"No problem." Chief Kong understood where Su Yun was coming from and did not weaponise his seniority to talk down to the two young men. Instead, he chortled and said, "There are so many people in this country suffering from hepatitis B. Our duty is to serve and treat them. Zheng Ren will definitely receive the credit and fame he deserves. Just go ahead and do it if you have the confidence in this procedure. Please let me know if you need any help."

"You probably couldn't care less about the fame, but that doesn't mean that the other physicians under you think the same," Su Yun said coldly. "Of course, with their current abilities, they won't be able to surpass my current work even if they had three years. I'm not too worried about them."

He spoke with such confidence, yet no one could rebut his claim.

"I'll send the article to The Lancet after finishing this batch of surgeries. If the editor isn't blind, they will definitely publish it."

Chief Bao and Chief Kong were uncomfortable with Su Yun's self-confidence. One might even argue that he was borderline narcissistic.

Had someone else been saying those exact words, both chiefs would have walked away by now.

However, this was Su Yun, the one who had published in The Lancet before even completing his Master's, the one who performed a heart transplant on a mouse and watched over it for 107 days post-surgery.

Even though Chief Kong was displeased with the way Su Yun spoke, he had to admit that Su Yun was telling the truth.

Less than half of his PhD students could graduate, and Su Yun was here publishing papers in The Lancet for breakfast.

What a vast gulf in ability!

"What do you think, Mr. ... Dr. Zheng?" Chief Kong nearly addressed Zheng Ren as his superior, compelled by Su Yun's magnetic personality.

"You're too kind, Chief Kong. It's just a few surgeries; I'm fine with that," Zheng Ren replied with a polite smile, oblivious to Su Yun's aura. "The surgery is secondary; more importantly, we have to compare the NMRI to the 64-slice CT scan with 3D-image reconstruction. I have had some experience with them both, but I'm still working on it. Let's discuss them together some other time."

"Comparing the NMRI and the 64-slice CT scans?" Chief Kong's mind was instantly filled with a series of images.

"Old Kong, let's talk about it tomorrow... no, the day after tomorrow," Chief Bao said after seeing Chief Kong's thoughts wander to scans and imaging.

"Why two days later?" Chief Kong wanted to get Zheng Ren into the CT room right now.

"Old Gu said that Zheng Ren had to stay here and rest for two days. If he leaves the room within this period of time, I'll be to blame." Chief Bao laughed.

Only then did Chief Kong recall that Zheng Ren was still having a fever.

It was not appropriate to ask that much of him.

However, Chief Kong was reluctant to leave just like that.

Initially, he had been excited to hear of Zheng Ren's previous surgery, which had been elegant and clean in addition to solving a major issue. After hearing Su Yun out, it dawned on him that it involved a novel method to diagnose and treat hepatocellular carcinoma and hepatic cirrhosis nodules.

This was a major breakthrough!

Chief Kong regretted giving his word to Su Yun so early. He could have been a corresponding author on a published article on The Lancet.

After chatting for a little longer, Chief Bao dragged Chief Kong out of the private ward.

Zheng Ren saw them both out before asking, "Su Yun, did you mean what you said?"

"Of course, don't you realize what you're doing?" Su Yun responded.

"Saving someone."

"..." Su Yun resisted the urge to kick Zheng Ren. Even if he did, it would probably not have any effect. "Boss, let me tell you this: if I write the report, it'll guarantee a publication in The Lancet."

"Why?"

"Because I'm Su Yun."

...

...

Chapter 214: Loneliness Is Worse Than Cancer (Part 1 of 5)

"Rest well. I'm going back now," Su Yun said once the two department chiefs were gone.

Zheng Ren wanted to follow Su Yun but was stuck here in the hospital. Although he had a single room to himself, it was not as comfortable as their own accommodation.

Professor Gu had insisted he stay and Zheng Ren had no heart to refuse the old man.

The ward was where he would remain.

The two men parted ways and Zheng Ren returned to his single room. Feng Xuhui was still standing in a corner, in a stupor.

"Manager Feng, what are you thinking?" Zheng Ren asked.

Shaken from his daze, Manager Feng said softly, "No—Nothing much. Chief Zheng, what were you guys talking about just now?"

He wondered if his ears had failed him. Chief Zheng's assistant had published in The Lancet? Department Chief Kong's surgery, performed with Chief Zheng's help, was also going into The Lancet?

Impossible. He must have heard wrong.

"I think they were talking about publishing in the Lancet, specifically how I differentiated cirrhosis and carcinoma from the scans," Zheng Ren said with a shrug. "Is there anything else? If not, I would like to rest."

"No, nothing at all," Feng Xuhui quickly replied, smiling. He bade Zheng Ren goodbye and left the room.

Feng Xuhui trudged down the hospital corridor, his steps heavy, his mind a whirlwind.

There were too many things that he did not understand and he needed time to digest the information.

Meanwhile, Zheng Ren opened one of the windows in his room and breathed in a few gulps of refreshing, cold air.

He had racked his brain to make this differentiation method work. Would it make it into The Lancet? After a moment of thought, he decided he had no interest in the whole ordeal.

The benefits of publishing meant little to him.

What was more important was how his method would benefit his patients.

The Lancet was distant in Zheng Ren's thoughts. There were many opinions and studies out there, cluttering the mind, but he wanted to focus on the things at hand. He wanted to stay true to his path.

His mission, The First Stage of The Great Beginning, gave him an abundance of surgical training time. If required, he would be willing to use those experience points.

For now, Zheng Ren was unsure if he ought to do so.

At this stage, he had the skill to handle most patients that came through his hospital's doors.

His thoughts cleared as he gazed into the glowing light of the full moon. Then, he shut the window and blinds. After washing up, he tucked himself into bed and started chatting with Xie Yiren.

It was the most relaxing part of his day.

...

...

Qin Liren stood in the front of the hospital room and sighed.

He was once a man of stature with many subordinates who looked up to him. Those people were all gone now.

His retirement had been a huge dent in his ego. The diagnosis of liver cancer in the second year of his retirement rubbed even more salt into his wounds.

There were occasional greetings from a few of his subordinates, devoid of warmth and sincerity. They used to treat him like he was their father.

Needless to say, Qin Liren was disappointed.

Yesterday, he had received a call from Mr. Bu from Sea City.

He knew that Bu Ruotian had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and that a Japanese professor had performed the surgery for it.

They had bonded over their similar conditions.

Then, Bu Ruotian had given him a recommendation—a young doctor who hailed from Sea City. Qin Liren was doubtful.

Qin Liren said nothing on the phone, but once the call ended, he had violently smashed up his study.

'That fool thinks he can trick me? Recommending an inexperienced doctor? B*stard!'

Back in the day, when Bu Ruotian was but the owner of a small restaurant, the two had been as thick as thieves.

Qin Liren's friendship for Bu Ruotian over the years had only earned him a rotten suggestion in return. The man's words were a blow to him when he was already at his lowest.

The b*stard!

Anger and despair coiled within him. He blamed his retirement. No one would have dared to try to fool him back when he was still a powerful figure.

Qin Liren called up a few friends in Imperial Capital and booked a flight ticket.

Cancer was scary but the loneliness he experienced after his retirement was what truly plagued him.

Luckily, his friends in Imperial Capital were welcoming and even promised him the best doctor they could find.

Qin Liren had landed in Imperial Capital the next day.

With the assistance of his friends, he was immediately admitted into a famed Class Three Grade A Hospital in Imperial Capital, bypassing all waiting lists.

This was the ward?

Qin Liren stood in front of the hospital room with a sour expression.

There were four patients and a dozen visitors in the room. The air was stuffy and unbreathable to Qin Liren.

One of the patients was an end-stage cancer patient. Their yellowish skin and gaunt face made Qin Liren shudder—a subtle reminder of what could become of him.

It was unbearable. He quickly grabbed his phone and dialed his friend.

"Old Xu, thank you for helping me out with the hospital.

"Can I request a single room? Money is no issue. I can't tolerate staying in such a crowded room.

"I see. I understand."

Qin Liren hung up in disappointment. He remained by the hospital room door, unmoving.

There were many Class Three Grade A Hospitals in the country, but service varied by city. Occupancy rates differed among Sea City, Provincial Capital and Imperial Capital.

Getting warded already required significant connections. A single room...

Qin Liren's request had immediately been denied by his friend as single rooms were reserved for people of a certain status. It had nothing to do with money. He would not have earned a single room pre-retirement, let alone now.

"Come on, let's go in," Qin Liren's lover whispered.

Qin Liren let out a disgruntled huff. Being looked down upon irritated him.

He weighed his options.

Qin Liren's mind was still sound and he came up with several alternatives.

He could go back to Provincial Capital, admit himself into a better-quality ward and invite this professor to operate on him there.

Or he could stay here and endure these living conditions...

He thought for a moment and decided to remain in Imperial Capital. He entered the room with his suitcase in tow.

"Hi mister, are you checking in? How long did you wait to get in?" a voice piped up as Qin Liren walked in. It was a young man, honest-looking and likely bored by his circumstances.

Qin Liren frowned but said nothing.

His negative response went unnoticed by the man. "I waited for almost a month. Luckily, I ran into Dr. Sun, who helped get me in."

That lightened Qin Liren's mood a little.

He had known from the beginning that getting a spot in Imperial Capital Hospital was incredibly difficult. Hearing the patient's story made him feel much better about his own situation.

The air seemed more bearable now.

'I can live with this,' Qin Liren thought to himself.

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Chapter 215: Let's Hope This Data Is Not Fabricated (Part 2 of 5)

"Old Bao, what do you think?" Department Chief Kong asked when the two men left the wards.

"Hm?" There was nothing beyond a muted response from Department Chief Bao.

"Su Yun. The Lancet." Simple words that had heavy implications.

"Su Yun was from the cardiothoracic department, so you might not know him that well." Department Chief Bao sifted through his memories and said, "Two years ago, he attempted 3D bioprinting for heart transplant. When I first heard of it, I thought it a joke. Since when had technology progressed this far?"

"And?"

"I hadn't realized 3D printing had been incorporated into the medical field, so I admitted my mistake," Department Chief Bao said with a smile.

Although he had been upstaged by Su Yun, he held no grudges. He had high expectations for the young man.

Doctors were always happy to see technological advancements being translated from bench to bedside as the ultimate beneficiaries were always patients. Department Chief Bao had sworn to pay more attention to current research to avoid a similar incident from happening again.

"3D bioprinting? I've only heard of it being used in orthopedics to develop artificial joints. What did Su Yun do?" Department Chief Kong asked.

"Su Yun reached out to West China University for a collaboration. They used 3D printing to seed and culture cells to develop a heart for transplant."

Department Chief Bao's tone filled with reverence as he spoke.

He shook his head. "Even now, I still find it unbelievable."

"He managed to make it work?" Department Chief Kong was equally skeptical.

"In a way. They cloned and cultured mice cells, then 3D-printed a model heart. The artificial heart was then used for transplant by Su Yun. You know how small a mouse is. We don't have a microscope for surgery here in our department so the boy went to the trauma department for three months. At the end of his tenure, the trauma chief wanted to keep him there. They even sent someone to his house to beg him to stay."

"Huh." Department Chief Kong could empathize.

"Su Yun performed the transplant and watched over the mouse for 107 days."

"And?"

"Well... According to stories, the mouse made a full recovery. One night, the cage was open and the mouse escaped. They had to terminate the study."

It was the opposite of what Department Chief Kong had guessed. He expected to hear that the mouse had died on the ventilator after 107 days of care.

Who would have expected the mouse to escape!

Clearly, the surgery was a huge success.

No wonder Su Yun could have published in The Lancet.

"Amazing!"

Department Chief Bao continued his story. "It's what I heard. Yunlong's group made their own attempts on it as well but their postsurgical case was inadequate. They only managed to keep their mice alive for 3 days at best."

"Hm." Department Chief Kong felt his heart tremble.

"I knew this boy wouldn't lay low for long. I already predicted it when he left Imperial Capital. But who knew..."

"Who knew what? That he would come back with a young boss?"

"Truthfully, back then... No, even now, if Su Yun wanted to do research under my group, I would definitely have made the institute waive all fees and give him a scholarship. I'd be willing to let him manage my research funds. But Old Kong, how did he even find that young boss of his?" Department Chief Bao said regretfully.

On the topic of Zheng Ren, Department Chief Kong's expression became serious. "The boss? A lifetime of surgeries, and in the end, you're still just a surgeon. Liver cancer often starts from Hepatitis B, worsens into liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, then finally ends in carcinoma. Patient compliance for Hepatitis B drugs remains low, so deterioration occurs quickly. As the nodules become cancerous, it is difficult to differentiate them using radiological methods, making early detection improbable. The traditional method is to flood the liver with Lipiodol and allow any remnants of the contrast agent to point to carcinoma. But this method..."

"No need to lecture me about liver cancer. Was the surgery he performed that important?" Department Chief Bao frowned. His old friend seemed a bit perturbed at the mention of Dr. Zheng and the surgery. Perhaps it was a passion rekindled?

"In my opinion, Dr. Zheng's surgery was more important than Su Yun's heart transplant. Do you know how prevalent cirrhosis is? If we can detect the early signs of malignancy, we can extend the lifespan of the patient by at least a year, even without stopping the disease's progression."

His words rendered the cardiothoracic surgeon speechless.

Those numbers were a big deal.

The two men became silent and the conversation was over.

They could not get the image of the seated Zheng Ren with Su Yun behind him out of their minds.

Heroes often arose from within the younger generation, but the speed of their progress was unbelievable.

'Let's hope this doesn't end up like the genetic engineering scandal,' both department chiefs thought.

They parted ways in silence.

Department Chief Kong waved goodbye and headed for the interventional radiology department.

"Chief, you're back," Chief Resident Shen said at the sight of his superior.

"Em," Department Chief Kong mumbled absentmindedly, heading straight to his office.

In the office, he pondered the genetic engineering scandal.

That article had been published in Nature Biotechnology by leading scientists in the field of bioengineering. The study had garnered strong reactions from the public and the group had been touted as the next Nobel Prize winner.

Sadly, the experiment had not been replicable by other groups, which suggested possible data fabrication.

The authors then requested that Nature Biotechnology take down the article.

Although quick action had been taken, experts in the field agreed that the results were not repeatable. Hence, the experiment was trashed.

Cases like this had also happened in other countries.

Every year, there were two to three major scandals in the global scientific community.

Department Chief Kong wondered if the doctor from Sea City had lied about his method. The likelihood of such a scenario gradually increased as he continued thinking.

Zheng Ren was just a chief resident from Sea City. How could this leap in diagnostic methodology have fallen into his lap? The possibility of such a thing happening was just too small for Department Chief Kong to accept without question.

Su Yun's adamance at Zheng Ren being the lead surgeon in the trial surgery also raised his suspicion.

This was clearly a coverup!

Perhaps Su Yun's previous 3D-printed heart transplant had also been based on fabricated data? After all, it had not been replicable by other surgeons.

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Chapter 216: Out of Sync (Part 3 of 5)

As restless as he was, Zheng Ren obediently stayed in his single room for the next two days.

He spent most of his time sleeping and replenishing his energy.

Su Yun did not show up for those two days, citing multiple meetups as an excuse. Zheng Ren let the fellow be. Aside from sleeping, he read novels and talked to Xie Yiren. He was living the life of a true nerd.

On the second day, they gave him another antibiotic drip. His fever had subsided and he felt much better.

He was still young, so a swift recovery was expected.

Cui Heming had been transferred out of the cardiology observation ward and Zheng Ren made the effort to visit and talk to him whenever he had the chance. Cui Heming's recovery filled Zheng Ren's heart with ease.

On the third day of Zheng Ren's hospital stay, Department Chief Kong brought Professor Gu and Department Chief Bao to pay him a visit. Worried that Professor Gu might disagree with his judgment, Department Chief Kong dragged the chief of sports medicine along.

The congregation of department chiefs livened the atmosphere in the thoracic wing of the hospital.

A bewildered Zheng Ren was bombarded with questions from the old professors and department chiefs. What was going on?

Despite his frustration, Zheng Ren played the perfect patient and answered their questions.

He endured a few rounds of questioning, then decided to provide a comprehensive commentary on his own symptoms, recent developments and findings from several physical examinations. His answers matched standard ward round questions to a tee.

The sight of the fully-healed Zheng Ren relieved Professor Gu.

"How I wish every patient was as cooperative," the chief of the sports science department said before leaving the room.

With Professor Gu's approval, Zheng Ren was allowed to be discharged.

He turned to look around the hospital room—it felt like he had spent years in it.

"Little Zheng, I'm assigning you five patients. Are you confident enough to take them all on?" Interventional Surgery Department Chief Kong asked stiffly.

"Confident?" Zheng Ren was confused.

To him, it was just a surgery. Confidence was not required. Perhaps Department Chief Kong felt paranoid and worried about mistakes during the embolization procedure.

"Yes. Are you confident you can repeat the procedure you did two days ago?" the department chief barked as he scowled at Zheng Ren.

"Every surgery is different." How could he repeat the exact procedure? Every case had its own characteristics; why else would he need to perform retrograde reconstruction of 64-slice CT scans?

As the interventional surgery department chief in one of the most renowned Class Three Grade A hospitals nationwide, he had to know this basic principle—every patient was unique.

How odd.

Zheng Ren and Department Chief Kong were on different ends of a path, each walking in the opposite direction.

Zheng Ren's reply made Department Chief Kong's heart stop.

If every surgery was different, did it mean that he would not be able to replicate the procedure?

If it was not replicable...

This had better not garner any bad press.

"Little Zheng, you're still young. There will be many opportunities to come. Sometimes the quickest route to success may not be the most sustainable one," Department Chief Kong advised earnestly.

"Em, okay," Zheng Ren answered to placate the department chief, although he was not sure what the man meant.

Seeing Zheng Ren's serene expression, Department Chief Kong sighed. Although he did not want Zheng Ren to perform the surgery, a part of him was curious as to how the young man would fare.

Department Chief Kong decided that all he could do was to maintain proper surveillance to ensure that there was nothing fishy about the procedure. He would interfere and stop the surgery if anything looked off.

"What preparations will you need?"

"Standard admission check-ups, along with contrast-enhanced MRI. The 64-slice CT scan must be done in this hospital and I want to personally handle the retrograde reconstruction."

"Retrograde?"

"Yes. Using the tumor as the focus, we'll search for potential arteries that could act as its nutrient source," Zheng Ren replied honestly. He had no intention to keep his technique a secret.

Was this his explanation? Department Chief Kong's distrust in Zheng Ren was intensifying. The interventional surgeon had never heard of this technique.

"It would provide the best outcome if it's done by the surgeon," Zheng Ren said.

"Surgeon..." That was a warning sign. Zheng Ren wanted to do everything himself.

There were no assessments that specifically required a surgeon's expertise. All presurgical checkups were done by ancillary staff while surgeons only receive reports and scans.

Was he joking when he said the scan had to be performed by the surgeon?

"Dr. Zheng, are you sure?" Department Chief Kong had abandoned his pursuit of this new method of diagnosis, instead suspecting that Zheng Ren and Su Yun were pulling a fast one on them all.

He looked at Zheng Ren with pity in his eyes.

This was a promising surgeon with impeccable skill in interventional surgery. If only he had not fabricated his results... there was really no need for him to. Given a few years, Department Chief Kong was sure Zheng Ren could rise through the ranks.

The youth were too impatient and skipping steps was not the way to go.

Department Chief Kong let out a small sigh.

"Are you feeling unwell?" Zheng Ren asked. It was possible, given the chief's strange questions and behavior.

The department chief only shook his head.

"Chief Kong, are the five patients in the ward now?"

"Yes."

"Can I go have a look?" Two days of rest was enough to make Zheng Ren feel antsy for a surgery.

"Are you really confident?" The same question was fielded again.

However, the point of reference for the question kept changing.

'Is the chief feeling alright?' Zheng Ren thought. 'Why is he constantly asking me if I'm confident? Is he suffering from analysis paralysis?'

"I'm ready whenever your side is ready," Zheng Ren said after some thought. He wanted to send the correct message.

"Then let's go."

The two men headed to the interventional radiology and surgery department. Along the way, Zheng Ren contacted Su Yun, telling him to meet them there.

Department Chief Kong brought him to the office.

Zheng Ren had been there before, so the walkways were familiar. He greeted the doctors who passed them by.

He could not remember which doctor had been on call that day, so he greeted them all.

One of them retrieved the files from a computer. "Here are the details of the five patients."

At that moment, Su Yun appeared behind them and glossed over the details on the computer screen. He turned away, as if unimpressed by what he saw.

As Zheng Ren started on the case files, Department Chief Kong could not help but bring up the issue one last time: "Little Zheng, I want to ask you something."

The interruption surprised Zheng Ren. "Ah? Go on."

"Are you positively sure about this?"

After a moment's thought, Zheng Ren politely responded with a question of his own. "Is there a difficulty on your end? If there is, we can cancel the procedure."

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Chapter 217: Familiarity in a Foreign Land (Part 4 of 5)

Department Chief Kong was speechless.

A pair of innocent and confused eyes gazed at him. Zheng Ren truly could not comprehend Department Chief Kong's hesitation.

Similarly, Department Chief Kong was at a loss. Despite his obvious hints, Zheng Ren was still in denial.

In the end, the old chief gave up. 'Let us try his method. If anything goes wrong, I'll be there to handle things.'

He had already agreed to the surgery prior. Going back on his word would paint him as the bad guy.

Throughout his long medical career, Department Chief Kong had met countless liver cancer patients. General surgery was rarely a viable option. Interventional surgery was a better choice but there were limitations to targeting. The whole liver was typically pumped with lipiodol and chemotherapy drugs during interventional treatment.

If there was a slim chance that this new procedure would work, Department Chief Kong was willing to try it.

Even at the cost of his reputation.

"Just keep going through the case details." The department chief forced a smile that ended up looking more like a grimace. "I'll talk to the patients. If there's anything you need, let me know."

"Thank you, Chief Kong." Zheng Ren gave the man a brilliant smile. His sunny disposition was easily misinterpreted as condescension.

Su Yun saw the discomfort on Department Chief Kong's face and connected the dots.

Su Yun was a different breed from Zheng Ren. He had spent a few years mingling with the scientific community in Imperial Capital and was thus accustomed to their ways of thinking.

He cleared his throat audibly, displeasure evident from his mannerisms despite his not saying a word.

Wholly focused on the task at hand, Zheng Ren was oblivious to the choppy undercurrents of the room.

He first went over the patients' histories, then their scans. Once those were done, he brought Su Yun along to visit the patients in person.

The first one was a short-tempered man of sixty-odd years. From his heavy accent, it was clear that he was from another province.

Communication was hindered by their language barrier. Zheng Ren spent 30 minutes extracting the information he needed through a mixture of verbal and improvised sign language.

They learned the patient had been suffering from Hepatitis B for the past 30 years, showing signs of an enlarged spleen, hepatic cirrhosis, portal hypertension and gastric varices.

He had been admitted to a local hospital after vomiting blood a month ago. The doctors suspected malignancy from CT scans of the liver and performed a contrast-enhanced MRI scan, which found that a large portion of his liver had turned cancerous. There was little hope for treatment.

Local doctors had then advised the patient to go to Imperial Capital as a last resort.

After he got his answers, Zheng Ren returned to the office to type up the details before proceeding to the next patient.

Su Yun followed him silently. Unlike Chang Yue, he did not carry a pen and paper to make notes as Zheng Ren questioned the patients. He only stood there with folded arms as if the whole situation had nothing to do with him.

Zheng Ren ignored the man.

On his third patient, Zheng Ren recognized a familiar lilt that reminded him of his hometown.

He looked at the charts: the patient was from Provincial Capital, which was fairly close to Zheng Ren's hometown.

Qin Liren was happy to meet someone from the same province.

"Little doctor, why aren't you wearing your name tag?" Qin Liren wanted to learn who this successful young man was.

He was not having a good time in the hospital.

The noise in the room made sleep elusive. With his emotions as turbulent as they were, it added insult to injury.

Yet, there was nothing he could do. He simply had to grin and bear it.

Zheng Ren's appearance was the highlight of his day.

"Oh, I'm not with the hospital. My name is Zheng Ren. You can call me Dr. Zheng or Little Zheng." Zheng Ren smiled, then looked down at his notepad, writing down the patient's details.

The smile on Qin Liren's face froze.

Was this guy a trainee doctor?

Although he was not familiar with the hospital's hierarchy, Qin Liren knew the difference between trainee and in-house doctors.

The young man from his province was honing his skills in this hospital.

Qin Liren was somewhat disappointed. He had hoped to ingratiate himself with the doctor to milk favor but he knew that a trainee doctor had little clout.

His plan had been to stuff a few thousand yuan into Zheng Ren's pocket and ask for a single room; not that that would work now.

"Little Zheng, how long have you been training here?" Qin Liren asked with a warm smile. The thoughts in his mind did not affect his genteel demeanor.

"I'm not training. I came here to observe and will be leaving in a few days," Zheng Ren replied and followed up with a question, "Have you experienced any discomfort lately?"

Qin Liren was baffled. Was this man not even a practicing doctor?

He was only here to observe and Qin Liren was still supposed to entertain his questions?

Qin Liren felt the doctor was wasting his time.

"Li—Little Zheng, how about you do some of the chores?" He ignored Zheng Ren's questions.

"I'm here to get your medical history. Once Chief Kong is ready with the CT scan, we'll do it first thing in the morning. I'll perform the scan reconstruction and if everything goes according to plan, I'll operate the day after tomorrow," Zheng Ren clarified.

The muscles on Su Yun's face twitched.

Zheng Ren was likely the only person who could be this oblivious in such a situation.

All he could think of was the surgery.

'This man...' Su Yun was speechless.

After hearing Zheng Ren's explanation, Qin Liren's face darkened. He refused to answer Zheng Ren's questions and laid back down on his bed. He covered his face with the hospital blanket that he had previously complained about.

The reaction shocked Zheng Ren. He shook his head and left the hospital room.

"Did you really not know what that man was thinking?" Su Yun asked from behind him.

"I did."

"And yet you told him the truth."

"That was his choice. I have no right to refuse if he wants Chief Kong to perform the surgery." Zheng Ren returned to the office and reported the incident to Department Chief Kong.

Department Chief Kong remembered the phone call from two days ago. Qin Liren was a patient whom he had personally handled.

He went to speak with the patient but did not manage to persuade him. Qin Liren was adamant and refused to let Zheng Ren operate on him.

Department Chief Kong was frustrated but respected the patient's wishes.

Patients with liver cancer had mean tempers, so Department Chief Kong did not bother prolonging the argument. A brief conversation later, he placed Qin Liren under his research graduate, Shen Liang's care.

He would let Shen Liang—also the department's chief resident—handle the surgery. Perhaps he would go in and observe if someone asked him to. It was sufficient for him to inform Chief Resident Shen of the diagnosis and course of action based on pre-surgical tests and examinations.

Department Chief Kong was confident in the quality of the research graduates here. They were on par with the department chiefs of prefecture-level Grade A hospitals.

Just like that, Zheng Ren's number of patients went from five to four.

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Chapter 218: Illegitimate Child? (Part 5 of 5)

Department Chief Kong was in a rush. He had not agreed to Zheng Ren's plan to perform the CT scan the next morning.

Instead, he immediately arranged for the patients to start fasting, then called up the CT room and arranged for a slot in the afternoon.

That was fine with Zheng Ren. He did not bother to decipher what Department Chief Kong was thinking.

As long as the CT scan was performed, the surgery could begin any time. He would not even mind a midnight slot.

Zheng Ren had a series of those back in Sea City General Hospital. There were rarely days without surgery and sleep was for the weak.

All four patients were sent to the CT room for their scans.

Department Chief Kong followed Zheng Ren closely. Meanwhile, Su Yun did not seem like his usual nonchalant self.

Su Yun had his phone in his hand, making notes at 400 actions per minute[1].

It was truly a shame that he had not become a professional competitive gamer.

Su Yun recorded every step Zheng Ren took the moment physical examinations began. He made a note for further commentary and went on to record the CT and MRI scan settings.

Department Chief Kong was well-known in the radiology department, so they had gotten in without much fuss.

Once the scans were obtained, Zheng Ren started working on the reconstruction. He was given a control room where he could perform the reconstruction alone.

It was a big deal as today was a working day. The last time Zheng Ren had had the room to himself, it was a weekend.

Of course, the significance of that was lost on the man.

His mind was too preoccupied with the CT and MRI scans, trying to piece the puzzle together.

He was recollecting the first trial surgery. Were there areas that needed improvement?

There were many, but he would need more clinical experience to address those issues.

Zheng Ren began reconstruction.

Su Yun had witnessed the process multiple times, the first being in Sea City General Hospital for Zheng Yunxia's case.

It was Department Chief Kong's first time, though.

Zheng Ren had instructed Su Yun to bring the portable radiographic film viewer so that he could refer back to the MRI scan more easily.

D reconstruction for four patients would take at least eight hours. Zheng Ren did not want to waste time walking back and forth rooms.

Unfamiliar with the procedure, Department Chief Kong watched Zheng Ren like a hawk. He only lasted 30 minutes before beginning to blank out.

Su Yun occasionally glanced at the department chief. The old man looked as if he was going senile.

Manual operation of the 64-slice CT scan had been a thing of the past. When the technology had first entered the country, the software was very buggy. While waiting for vendor tech support from overseas, staff learned how to operate the machine manually.

As software caught up with the hardware, manual operation faded from existence.

No one had operated the system manually until today.

'Could Zheng Ren be more precise and accurate than the software?'

He was definitely going against the grain.

"Old Kong, you're giving me a headache today," a loud voice boomed. It was the chief of the CT room, Research Graduate Liang, who was a step behind the man. At the sight of Zheng Ren and Su Yun, his eyes sparkled.

"Ah..." Department Chief Kong's eyes had been fixed on Zheng Ren's unhesitating manipulation of the system.

The loud voice startled Department Chief Kong from his daze.

"This is what Dr. Zheng needs for tomorrow's surgeries. I know it's on short notice but I hope you don't mind."

"Dr. Zheng? Who is that?" the CT room chief asked in a curious tone.

"A doctor recommended by Sorcery Capital's Professor Pei to contribute to the research program. This is him." Department Chief Kong gestured to the man at the controls.

The two new occupants did not stir Zheng Ren from his work.

Su Yun quickly stood and greeted the man. "Chief, nice to meet you. I'm Boss Zheng's assistant, Su Yun." He held out his hand.

"Su... Yun..." The CT room chief shook Su Yun's proffered hand; this assistant was young but exuded a confidence that eradicated any sense of seniority the chief had.

The confidence had to be backed by some solid talent. 'Who is this man?' the CT room chief wondered.

"Dr. Su was the one who successfully performed the 3D-printed heart transplant. The animal study was published in The Lancet," Research Graduate Liang helpfully supplied.

A research graduate performing a heart transplant was something unheard of to begin with, but a publication in The Lancet was beyond impressive.

"Oh. Nice to meet you. I heard you pulled out of research?" The CT room chief's tone warmed.

"No, I completed my graduate research. Now I'm working for Boss Zheng in Sea City," Su Yun stated matter-of-factly. "Under Chief Kong's request, my boss will be performing four surgical demonstrations."

The CT room chief was speechless. 'Chief Kong's request? Boss Zheng? The young man at the controls? What is going on?

'Old Kong, isn't your team well-staffed to handle any surgery? Why have you gotten a youngster for the demonstration?'

Department Chief Kong had a low 3% failure rate in the most difficult procedure in the field of interventional surgery: transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt placement. Did he really need this young man for a surgical demonstration?

It had to be a joke.

Or... could this man be Department Chief Kong's long-lost illegitimate child?

Conspiracy theories continued to bubble in the CT room chief's head.

It was inconceivable that a respected interventional surgeon from the top hospital in the nation needed a junior doctor to perform a demonstration.

Nonsense!

The CT room chief shot Department Chief Kong a perplexed look. 'Old Kong, what is this?'

Department Chief Kong shifted uneasily under the gaze. Su Yun was throwing him under the bus.

He thought for a moment and replied, "Dr. Zheng has some unique insights on liver cancer treatment, so I requested he perform a few surgeries."

Department Chief Kong's answer implied that he was being intellectually curious, a characteristic he could not be faulted for having.

"Oh? Youth these days are flying so fast," the CT room chief said with a laugh before recalling something important.

"Right, Su Yun, I heard a bunch of cardiothoracic professors wanted to keep you in Union Medical College Hospital, but you turned them all down?"

It was a small detail that would have slipped his mind otherwise.

However, Su Yun's time with them had been nothing if not impressive. A young fellow had successfully conducted a transplant using a 3D-printed, lab-grown heart.

The bright young doctor had then decided to leave Imperial Capital.

It was truly a loss for the hospital.

Although the CT room chief had not known Su Yun personally, he had heard the stories surrounding him.

"Yes, that's correct." Su Yun nodded.

The CT room chief could not understand his logic. "Then why have you found a mentor in Sea City? Does Sea City even have someone better than you?"

A heart transplant was easy, but being able to keep the subject alive post-surgery was a whole other ballgame. The CT room chief did not believe an economic backwater like L Province[2] could house someone of such caliber.

Even Provincial Capital would find themselves lacking in this regard, let alone Sea City.

It was all truly befuddling to him.

"Yes. Boss Zheng is proficient in both interventional procedures and general surgery. He helped out the general surgery department the day before yesterday," Su Yun said.

At that, the CT room chief and Department Chief Kong were silent.

The general surgery department? The leading Class Three Grade A hospital in Imperial Capital needed a Sea City chief resident's help?

Bullsh*t!

[1] A term used in video games which refers to the total number of actions that a player can perform in a minute.

[2] I think the author typo'd and meant Sea City. It could also mean Sea City is in L Province.

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Chapter 219: Greener Pastures (Part 1 of 5)

The lips of the CT room chief twitched. "Oh? What surgery?"

"PJS." Su Yun smirked—an expression that invited a slap to the face.

He name-dropped the rare genetic disorder with no further explanation.

Although Dr. Kong was a department chief in one of the top Class Three Grade A hospitals, he had never heard of Peutz–Jeghers syndrome, and the CT room chief could only vaguely remember seeing a scan of a patient with the disorder.

Seeing both of their stunned expressions, Su Yun turned around and continued observing Zheng Ren's work, occasionally taking down notes.

Research Graduate Liang's eyes twinkled.

Brother Yun and Boss Zheng were impressive. They had both managed to leave his own boss speechless multiple times.

What an impressive feat!

Ten minutes later, the CT room chief finally hit the nail on the head and asked, "Su Yun, are you referring to Peutz-Jeghers syndrome?"

"Yes." Su Yun's fingers were a flurry as he recorded the key points of Zheng Ren's operation. His attention was split between tasks as he continued, "Old Chief Wang performed the bowel resection and passed the baton on to Dr. Zheng to remove the polyps."

"How many were there?" the CT room chief asked curiously.

"78." Su Yun remembered the exact number.

"That many?" the CT room chief exclaimed.

"They were more than 10 cm long. Dr. Zheng will remove the others after the patient recovers from the first surgery. Those can be done laparoscopically to minimize damage."

"Amazing! Youth these days really do make me feel like I'm past my prime," the CT room chief lamented.

"It's just this one guy," Su Yun muttered softly.

The chief shook his head, thought for a moment and nodded.

Their arrival had not even garnered a reaction from Zheng Ren. It could have been interpreted as a sign of disrespect, but the CT room chief was not so petty.

Moreover, Su Yun had mentioned that the man was going to assist the general surgeon. This piqued the CT room chief's interest.

"What is Dr. Zheng doing?"

Department Chief Kong shook his head and maintained a stoic expression.

"Comparing the periodic 64-slice CT and MRI scans of hepatic cirrhosis-cancer patients to identify suspected cancer tissues, followed by a retrograde reconstruction for tomorrow's surgery."

The CT room chief's response to the technical jargon was a muted sound of acknowledgment. He said nothing else as he stared at Zheng Ren's manipulation of the system.

This differential diagnostic technique had never been taught in any radiology course.

This man had managed to discover a new method.

No wonder he had tamed the wild horse known as Su Yun.

Greener pastures were essential.

A few minutes later, Dr. Liang brought several stools over for the two chiefs out of consideration.

Su Yun refused the offer, remaining behind Zheng Ren and recording each step as if it was an experiment to him.

Professional and focused, meticulous to a fault.

From his seating position, the CT room chief found his view partially obscured. He dragged his stool forward to the controls.

The movement caught Zheng Ren's attention.

He glanced to his side and saw an unfamiliar man.

The CT room chief did not start with an introduction but a question. "Dr. Zheng, how will you differentiate this area?" He pointed at the area highlighted on the screen.

"For that, I'll need to compare it with the contrast-enhanced MRI arterial imaging." Zheng Ren shifted the viewer's position so the other man could have a better look.

The conversation between the two men dragged on for another 30 minutes.

Zheng Ren explained the technique he was using.

Research Graduate Liang could not grasp the concept, but the CT room chief did and even provided his input for alternatives.

It was a melding of intellectual thoughts and ideas. In the end, even Department Chief Kong joined in on the discussion.

Zheng Ren had the basic principles down, but his technique was not mature.

The two chiefs had decades of experience. Although Department Chief Kong's surgical skill was impaired by his age and dexterity, he was still a fountain of knowledge and real-life experience.

The same went for the CT room chief. His experience in scan interpretation and clinical diagnoses gave Zheng Ren insight into the field.

Research Graduate Liang was baffled. He had already been amazed by Boss Zheng's CT scan reconstruction a few days ago.

The man could perform emergency rescues, interpret scans much better than he could and even manually operate the machine to perform retrograde reconstruction.

Of course, he was only a research graduate, so the comparison was lopsided.

He was no Su Yun to begin with.

However, the scene right now stunned him. Boss Zheng was seated between Department Chief Kong and his own boss. The three men were deep in thought. Occasionally, there were sudden bursts of discussion about obstacles they were facing.

'Is Boss Zheng on the level of a department chief?' Research Graduate Liang wondered.

Boss Zheng's knowledge, expertise and experience seemed to rival that of one. With additional external input, he was like a refueled Bugatti Veyron speeding toward the finish line, leaving everyone in the dust.

Research Graduate Liang had no hope of even catching a glimpse of its silhouette, let alone catching up.

Off to the side, he noticed Su Yun typing on his phone, a furrow appearing on his forehead as he did.

Brother Yun was also a talented genius who willingly chose Dr. Zheng as his mentor. Research Graduate Liang decided that comparisons would only bring him harm.

To lead a comfortable life, one had to curb their competitiveness.

30 minutes...

An hour...

Three hours...

Clock-out time for CT room personnel...

The evening lights flickered on...

The silence of night...

The discussion had gone on for almost ten hours and all parties had gained invaluable insight.

Reconstruction of the CT scans was complete. Everything was perfect.

The two department chiefs felt intellectually satiated—a feeling that had long eluded them.

One by one, problems had been met with solutions, and at the end of the day, they could only hope for success in practice tomorrow.

Department Chief Kong let out a joyous laugh.

The sound echoed down the empty corridor.

Discussion with the young doctor had rejuvenated the old man's spirits.

"Chief Kong, do you want to be the third author?" Su Yun asked.

Third author...

A department chief from the nation's top Class Three Grade A hospital, asked to be the third author?

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Chapter 220: A Prodigy in the Making (Part 2 of 5)

"So stingy." Department Chief Kong faked a glare at Su Yun then said with a smile, "Publishing in The Lancet often requires names with good reputations and credentials, up to a maximum of 20, I believe. Do you need me to take up one?"

"16 names, and all of them must have a research background. There can only be two first authors. But I don't need to be one," Su Yun retorted confidently.

"Then why are you being so stingy? I want five spots."

"Not possible," Su Yun said dispassionately, his stance suggesting that it was a non-negotiable deal.

Indifferent to the whole matter, Zheng Ren stretched his arms. His eyes were still on the display as if there was something beautiful... as if Xie Yiren was standing there.

"Let's not fight. Join me for dinner, my treat," Department Chief Kong said jovially.

Their hunger had been kept at bay by work. Once that was over, it returned with a vengeance alongside fatigue.

During the first half of their discussion, the three men had improved the differential diagnosis method by leaps and bounds.

Although the research was far from complete, its most important part—setting a direction—was done.

Their discussion had proven that Zheng Ren's theory was on track. Now, they just had to get the whole country—no, the whole world—to replicate the procedure and prove its effectiveness.

They would be able to fine-tune the procedure as more patients were included into the study. After a series of improvements, Zheng's Method would be widely used in future clinical diagnoses.

Of course, this would be a decade into the future.

By then, Zheng Ren... would not even be 40!

"What shall we eat?"

"Boss Zheng is a Northeasterner, so we'll have some other cuisine. I personally don't like Japanese..." the CT room chief said.

He had unwittingly addressed Zheng Ren as 'Boss Zheng'. His subconscious had accepted Zheng Ren as his peer after witnessing the man's skills and knowledge firsthand.

"Is it because the salmon is from Qinghai's aquaculture?" Department Chief Kong chuckled.

"Let's not get into it. Cantonese? Or something else?"

"I'm good with anything. I just need to fill my stomach for tomorrow's surgery," Zheng Ren said casually.

"It might be hard to get a table without a reservation at this hour," Research Graduate Liang said.

"I'll get us a table. So Cantonese, yeah." The CT room chief clearly had a preference. When no one objected, he proceeded to make the call.

"Old Chu, don't bring us to some second-tier restaurant in an attempt to trick Boss Zheng," Department Chief Kong called out to the retreating CT room chief.

"Worry not, I'm taking you guys to the best," the CT room chief replied just as his call connected.

"It's me.

"Yes, treating a Boss Zheng who's here for some research work.

"It's fine, we'll head over there ourselves."

The CT room chief hung up and said, "Little Liang, bring my car over. We can all squeeze in. Tonight, we drink!"

Su Yun glanced at Zheng Ren, whose lips twitched as if wanting to speak. When Zheng Ren stayed silent, Su Yun spoke up, "Boss Zheng is still on antibiotics, so he won't be having alcohol."

"If he's on cefixime, he won't have a reaction like he would with disulfiram [1]."

"No, it's best if he doesn't drink with the antibiotics he's on," Su Yun stated firmly.

The rejection was direct and unquestionable. The CT room chief wondered if this manner was common among the youth of today.

Still, the two chiefs took it kindly. Their discussion today had been fruitful and enjoyable.

Junior doctors often gave in to their superiors' orders to drink, but Zheng Ren was not a junior doctor. In their minds, Zheng Ren stood shoulder to shoulder with them.

They filed out of the CT room and got ready to leave in the CT room chief's car.

Feng Xuhui had been waiting in the lobby the whole time.

He watched as Zheng Ren interacted with the two department chiefs as if they were old friends. 'Is there anything this man can't do?' he thought.

These 50-year-old department chiefs in Imperial Capital were not ideal conversation partners, and yet Chief Zheng had managed to befriend them in just a few days. He even seemed to be the center of attention.

Feng Xuhui wanted to approach them but feared the two chiefs. Noticing the man, Zheng Ren called out, "Manager Feng, we're going out for dinner. See you tomorrow."

All Feng Xuhui got after waiting here for more than ten hours was a farewell. It was demotivating.

"Boss Zheng, where's this manager from?" Department Chief Kong was used to seeing sales managers milling around the hospital, but this one was young and awkward.

"Changfeng Microinvasive Surgery," Zheng Ren replied.

"Local company, eh?"

"Yes. Previously, we had a patient who could not afford embolization surgery for liver cancer, so we approached Changfeng Microinvasive for a deal. That was how I met Professor Pei," Zheng Ren explained.

"Medical insurers these days have too much control over the price of healthcare. I've also had similar patients and opted for cheaper, locally-made materials," Department Chief Kong mused. "Boss Zheng, if it's in your interest, I would like to arrange for a meeting with this company as well."

This was a favor the chief was extending. He did not care if the source of his materials was Boston Technologies or otherwise; as a department chief in Imperial General, he had his pick and no one would dare question his choice.

Above all else, he wanted to be in Zheng Ren's good graces.

The suspicions he had previously made him shudder. He was glad that he had not outwardly accused Zheng Ren of fraudulent behavior.

It would have spelled doom for his reputation.

He decided life ought to be led with kind intentions at heart.

His doubts were unknown to Zheng Ren, but Su Yun was well aware of what the department chief had been implying yesterday. The man trying to make up for his poor judgment.

Department Chief Kong would do his best to build a strong relationship with the young rising star. Naturally, he would want to bring him into the fold.

Of course, the chief said nothing of the sort to Zheng Ren. The young man probably did not even comprehend the significance of this gesture.

The young required some time to grow and learn, but they understood sooner or later. The later they realized it, the greater the significance of the matter.

By then, he would be an old man and his favor would then be called in for his disciples.

A prodigy in the field of medical research was rare and Department Chief Kong believed he had found one in the making.

Academic results were not the be-all end-all of a prodigy. Brutal efficiency and social management skills were equally important. At first glance, Zheng Ren seemed to be an honest man, but impressions could be wrong. He also had a quick-witted assistant.

A prodigy... like Newton?

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz invented infinitesimal calculus, but so had the prodigy Isaac Newton, which led to controversy and the eventual naming of the Newton-Leibniz formula.

The order of their names spoke volumes.

It was the sign of a true prodigy.

In the future, Zheng Ren would walk the same path. His kindness would be complemented with his assistant's ruthlessness.

One would not wish to offend someone like Zheng Ren. Unknowingly, Department Chief Kong had developed a growing respect for the young man.

...

Dr. Liang drove them to Tang Song Restaurant at Dongsi Shitiao[2].

Unaware of the momentous change that had happened, Feng Xuhui's shoulders slumped.

He debated for a moment before calling Zheng Ren to get the restaurant's address. Then, he hailed a cab and went to the restaurant to wait for Zheng Ren.

The owner of Tang Song Restaurant was rumored to be someone from outside the city. Within 20 years, the talented businessman had managed to make Tang Song Restaurant one of the top destinations for Cantonese cuisine.

The dishes they served were authentic and the chefs in the kitchen were well-known across the culinary world.

When the five men exited the car, the restaurant's manager was already waiting for them at reception.

"Dr. Chu, it's wonderful to see you again. Today, we have a dish from our new head chef that you must try. Mr. Song will be here in an hour and sends his apologies," the manager announced with a warm smile.

"No matter. There's a new head chef?"

"Yes, we have a new head chef and his creations... You'll taste some of them later. I'm sure you'll find them to your liking," the manager said as he led them to their private room.

The group chatted merrily in their room. Today's discussion had left CT Room Chief Chu and Interventional Surgery Department Chief Kong in good moods. The discovery and development of a brand new differential diagnosis technique would see their names immortalized in the scientific world.

Bluntly put, they would be able to live off the nationwide seminars they could give surrounding this technique alone.

With this enticing vision in their minds, it was hard for the men to be anything but ecstatic. Moreover, Boss Zheng had an expert assistant who had published in The Lancet.

This combination had the two Imperial General department chiefs smiling.

[1] A drug for chronic alcoholism that produces an acute sensitivity to ethanol.

[2] 东四十条: I wanted to translate it as '40th East Street' but I see the databank has the term appearing in 1.0179 so I'm following the previous translation.

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Chapter 221: Waddling Gait (Part 3 of 5)

The dishes were served swiftly. There was limited variety but each dish was uniquely crafted.

The delicacy was lost on Zheng Ren as he only wanted to fill his stomach. No food could rival Xie Yiren's homemade egg omelette, anyway.

Zheng Ren's abstinence made Su Yun the target of the department chiefs' cajoling when it came to drinking.

Su Yun was up for the challenge, although he seemed more sullen than usual, taking small bites of his food and sipping his alcohol.

"What are you thinking?" Zheng Ren asked after observing Su Yun's odd behavior for half an hour.

"The paper, what else?" Su Yun answered. "To publish in The Lancet, the paper needs to be ironclad. Otherwise, critics near and far would tear a first author like you apart."

Zheng Ren was stunned. He had dabbled in research in the past but never published in an international journal before, unlike Su Yun.

Why would they pick on him and not Su Yun, who would also be the first author?

A part of Zheng Ren knew the reason but refused to entertain it.

Since the topic had been broached, Su Yun brought up questions regarding the more complex steps of the procedure. Zheng Ren answered him steadily.

They ate and chatted the time away. Soon after, the owner of Tang Song Restaurant arrived with a few beautiful waitresses.

This boss, Song Ying, joined them for drinks. He was a man in his forties.

He was an average-looking man with a common first and last name.

Dressed in a suit, Song Ying had the look of a man with good mannerisms. There was simply something odd about his gait.

Chief Chu acquainted them. "This is Boss Zheng. He's here in Imperial Capital to conduct some research. Don't be fooled by his youth—this man is extremely capable."

Zheng Ren extended his hand to shake Song Ying's.

Song Ying apologized for his late arrival and stayed for two drinks before leaving.

Zheng Ren watched the retreating figure and frowned.

"What are you thinking?" Su Yun echoed his earlier question.

"Don't you think his gait is a bit off?" Zheng Ren said.

"The classic myopathic gait[1]; what's there to it? The guy must have had some illness when he was a child. It's bad manners to keep staring."

"How'd you know about his childhood?" Zheng Ren retorted.

"Oh? Since when did you talk back?" Su Yun commented in surprise.

Chief Chu, who was listening in on their conversation, interjected, "It wasn't during his childhood. It's a recent development, so you can rule out congenital disorders like varus deformity. I suspect it's the weakening of the gluteus maximus or arthritis of the hip."

"I find it off. Did you guys notice that there was something akin to a lipoma at his wrist?" Zheng Ren said.

The mood at the table had been set, and it was that of medical curiosity.

"What's your opinion?" Department Chief Kong asked, interested.

"I think he doesn't have a proper diet. His gait and the mass on his wrist might be due to trace element imbalances," Zheng Ren answered casually.

He had held back from telling the man in person as it was not a fatal disorder and confirmation would require personal information such as diet.

In fact, he would have kept it to himself had Su Yun not pointed out his staring.

Sooner or later, Song Ying would go to the hospital for a checkup and the disorder would be addressed.

However, since the issue had been brought up, Zheng Ren did not mind sharing his views.

"Hm. Now, how did you come to that diagnosis, Boss Zheng?" The old chiefs were intrigued.

"Please, just call me Little Zheng. It is uncomfortable to have the both of you calling me boss," Zheng Ren said. Back in the CT room, he had been too preoccupied with his work to correct their honorifics, but he had to put a stop to it now.

"Sure, sure. But do tell us how you came up with that diagnosis," Chief Chu insisted.

"Parathyroid dysfunction is the main cause of myopathic gait in adults. The mass on his wrist showed signs of reddening and swelling. I suspect it's calcification in the blood vessels and soft tissues due to hyperphosphatemia.

"This is an involuntary, dynamic process. The smooth muscle cells of the vessel are stimulated by the high concentration of phosphate into undergoing a phenotype change that leads to vessel calcification," Zheng Ren said.

The System had not provided him the details but reverse analysis from an extant diagnosis was much easier.

Zheng Ren's memory had improved greatly since his encounter with the System. He could clearly remember articles that he had read and pick them out from his mind.

Research Graduate Liang was astounded by Zheng Ren's abilities. 'This man can diagnose a parathyroid disorder from a waddling gait and a bulge on the man's wrist?'

A stranger would have thought that Zheng Ren was spewing hot air.

However, the past few days had proven that Zheng Ren was in a league of his own. Be it emergency rescue, rare disease surgical treatment, theoretical concepts or methodology research, Zheng Ren excelled in them all.

Could his diagnosis be correct?

The question swirled around in the minds of the other four doctors but only Su Yun spoke up.

"Trace element imbalances in adults often lead to decreased kidney function. If you had made this diagnosis on a patient in a hemodialysis unit, I'd accept it. But that man was normal, so I have my doubts," Su Yun said.

"Which is why I suspect that he has dietary problems," Zheng Ren said with a nod. He understood Su Yun's skepticism.

Su Yun turned to Chief Chu and asked, "Chief Chu, why don't you ask Mr. Song about this?"

After a moment of hesitation, Chief Chu dialed the man.

"Hi. No, the dishes are great. We're very satisfied."

"Right, there's something I wanted to ask. What's your favorite food? Anything special?"

"Oh, sure. Yes, let's speak face-to-face."

The call ended and Chief Chu's gaze fell on Zheng Ren.

Was this another win for the young doctor? Su Yun could read the old man's expression and shook his head softly. His tousled locks swayed languidly. It was tiring to see Zheng Ren always being right.

Soon, Song Ying returned to their private room.

His waddling was more evident when his pace quickened.

Song Ying bowed in respect before asking, "Chief Chu, the question you asked just now: was it related to my legs?"

"Little Zheng, why don't you share your thoughts," Chief Chu said to Zheng Ren.

"Mr. Song, please have a seat." Zheng Ren gave the man a smile. "When did you start noticing the inconvenience in your steps?"

"Three or four months ago."

"Do you have any food habits?"

Song Ying hesitated for a moment. Then, he stared into Zheng Ren's eyes and found only the concern of a physician.

"I like to eat grilled sausage."

[1] Also known as a waddling gait.

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Chapter 222: A Grilled Sausage Totem (Part 4 of 5)

Even a man as simple as Zheng Ren could not believe Song Ying's answer. "Grilled sausage?"

A restaurant owner liking grilled sausage?

Was it a joke?

The room simmered down.

The air cooled.

Faces filled with disbelief.

Song Ying let out a bitter smile. He propped his hands on the table and took a moment to steady himself before speaking, "So here's the story:

"I come from a poor family, like the proverbial frog at the bottom of the well. I spent many years working and trying to start up a business but luck was just not on my side. It felt like I was always half a step behind."

At this moment, Zheng Ren could empathize with the man.

"One year, I did enough networking to get myself a small booth at the International Horticultural Exhibition.

"So, I opened up a stall selling grilled sausages and beverages.

"I spent 12 hours a day at that stall but never felt tired. That time, the food I ate most was grilled sausage. I remember the exhibition coinciding with the Mid-Autumn Festival that year. When the doors closed, I carried the remaining dozen or so sausages to the viewing grounds for the fireworks. I sat there and ate the sausages as fireworks painted the night sky and the musical fountain came to life."

Song Ying's voice was soft as his forced politeness gave way to genuine nostalgia.

He was reliving his painful past.

"The moon that night was round and so bright." There was a glimmer in Song Ying's eyes, as if that same moon was before him now. "I know it's superstition, but ever since that night, my luck turned for the better. My dear doctors, you should know that luck plays a big role in a business. I've grown afraid of the bitter years, so every night, I head to the streets and get myself some grilled sausages."

The story was an odd one, but the doctors had seen people from all walks of life. A businessman's superstition was understandable.

"When I'm in a good mood, I'll get a few sticks. On bad days, I buy a few sticks more. When I need to make a big decision, I'll eat even more."

Zheng Ren concluded that this had to be the root of his dietary problems.

"The taste gets old sometimes, but when I think back to the difficult years, grilled sausages become all the more delicious. I know it's weird to find a restaurant owner who chooses to stuff himself with grilled sausages from the streets instead of food from his own establishment," Song Ying said as he shook his head.

Chief Chu consoled the man.

"Is this related to my problem?" Song Ying asked. "A few months back, when I was eating sausages at Gui Street, the weather turned gloomy and the moon was obscured by clouds. I thought the cold winds had gotten to me and made my legs like this."

"What happened next?" Zheng Ren asked, the wheels in his mind spinning.

"I tried acupuncture, cupping and moxibustion. I even got a feng shui guru to help with the problem but nothing worked. The limp is not severe and things have been busy in the shop, so I've been putting off dealing with the problem. I did think to reach out to you, Chief Chu."

"Well, it's just your luck that you have Boss Zheng here today," Chief Chu said with a laugh.

"Quite true. If I could trouble Boss Zheng to take a look at my case," Song Ying said. His demeanor was back to that of a polite and hospitable host.

Song Ying had noted Zheng Ren's youth but the two department chiefs seemed to hold the young doctor in high regard. He was not about to question Zheng Ren's legitimacy directly.

It was important to be amiable to others.

A good nature brought in opportunities.

"I believe your gait is caused by overconsumption of grilled sausages. Phosphorus is a key element in food preservatives and additives. They exist in salt form, such as calcium phosphate, disodium phosphate, monosodium phosphate, trisodium phosphate and more.

"These inorganic phosphates are easily absorbed by the gut when not bound to proteins. Based on your recount, you've been eating a lot of grilled sausages throughout the years. The symptoms you're experiencing are likely caused by the accumulation of phosphate."

"Are you sure?" Song Ying asked before realizing that he was questioning a doctor about medical issues. He flashed an embarrassed smile and said, "Sorry, I shouldn't be doubting your diagnosis. What should I do, then?"

"Go to the general surgery department and get your parathyroid glands removed. The bump on your wrist should be gone after three weeks. Your gait should also gradually improve." Zheng Ren continued with a playful smile. "But you should absolutely reduce your consumption of grilled sausages. You can have some occasionally, but definitely not at the rate you've described."

Grilled sausage had become Song Ying's good luck charm... If Zheng Ren forbade Song Ying from eating it, he worried that it would affect the man's mental state and business.

Reduced consumption was the best option.

Song Ying nodded in surprise.

He did not know the functions of the parathyroid glands, only their anatomical position.

Could removal of the glands could make the bump on his wrist disappear? It sounded unbelievable.

He kept his doubts to himself but decided to make an appointment at the hospital regardless.

The diagnosis sounded a little far-fetched for Chief Chu, but the medical theory behind it was solid. It was a rare disorder so a checkup was required to determine its treatment plan.

"Little Song, I'll arrange for a hospital visit," Chief Chu said.

Song Ying stood from his seat and bowed slightly. He was not about to turn down the offer. "Thank you."

Chief Chu took a look at the time and said, "It's a bit late now. Remind me of it tomorrow, alright?"

As he said that, Department Chief Kong's phone started ringing.

"Hello.

"What?

"Get to the point! What's going on with the ophthalmology department?

"I'm out now. If traffic is good, I'll be back in an hour. Okay, go make the arrangements."

With that, he hung up.

The mention of ophthalmology piqued Zheng Ren's interest.

"Excuse me, there's an emergency in the hospital," Department Chief Kong said as he got up from the table.

Quiet, uninterrupted meals were few and far between for doctors—or so it was for junior doctors. The case must have befuddled even the chief resident to require Department Chief Kong's input.

"Oh? What's the matter?" Chief Chu asked.

"Lin Jiaojiao lost her vision. The ophthalmologist says there's an interrupted blood supply in her eye and they can't operate. They want a second opinion," Department Chief Kong said.

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Chapter 223: A Benefactor's Guidance (Part 5 of 5)

"The ophthalmic artery? What's that got to do with your department?" Chief Chu asked, perplexed.

"This is Lin Jiaojiao. I have to go take a look regardless." Frustration was evident in Chief Kong's tone.

"Lin Jiaojiao, the one who was attacked years ago?" Su Yun piped up.

"Yes. She was once a nurse in my department but was poached by pediatrics. Just two days in her new post, she was stitching a wound on a kid and was punched in the face. There was bleeding in her brain.

"She resigned after that and went into cosmetic surgery. Now, she's the owner of the nation's largest cosmetic surgery hospital, Yimei Cosmetic Surgery."

"See what I mean, Boss Zheng? I could start up a veterinary hospital and turn it into the country's best animal hospital within five years, guaranteed. We could open multiple branches across the nation and then you can just sit home and count the money," Su Yun said Zheng Ren seriously.

Zheng Ren ignored the man's gibberish. Department Chief Kong put on his coat and was ready to leave when Zheng Ren asked, "Chief Kong, you drank a bit just now. Will you be able to operate?"

The question caught Department Chief Kong off guard. It was unlikely that he would need to step into the operating room as his role was supervisory. He would normally advise on the trickier parts of the surgery.

It would be a waste to leave the smart, capable surgeon here.

"Little Zheng, why don't you come with me then?" Department Chief Kong offered.

It was late in the night.

Zheng Ren was a doctor from another hospital and had no obligation to join in on this emergency case.

"Sure." The reply came with a smile.

Zheng Ren would rather help out a case in hopes of a surgery than stay here in the restaurant.

Dining was such a boring affair.

"Then let's call it a night," Chief Chu said. "I'll drop you guys off at the hospital before heading home."

Song Ying escorted them out of the restaurant. Along the way, he exchanged some words with Chief Chu about his hospital appointment the following day.

At the bottom floor, Feng Xuhui had his eyes fixed on the staircase.

Since Zheng Ren's arrival in Imperial Capital, Feng Xuhui had gotten to know the many sides of the chief resident.

Zheng Ren was like a goldmine of surprises.

Feng Xuhui could tell Zheng Ren was a man who could change his career.

He stood at the restaurant's reception and waited for the group, preparing himself mentally to stay throughout the night.

Unexpectedly, the group had come downstairs early.

Feng Xuhui quickly greeted them and made a beeline to the counter to pay the bill.

Song Ying walked to the counter and said with a smile, "It's on the house."

The manager nodded. "Understood, sir."

"Thank you, thank you, Little Song," Chief Chu said to Song Ying. Feng Xuhui's existence was utterly ignored.

The man was crestfallen.

He had waited the whole night and could not even get the bill.

Why was life so difficult?

Feng Xuhui's grief consumed his heart, flowing like a river.

Zheng Ren walked over to the man and said, "Manager Feng, sorry for troubling you. There's an emergency case in the hospital and I'm going with Chief Kong to have a look. You should go on back first."

Trapped in a daze, Feng Xuhui did not respond. 'Isn't Chief Zheng here for a research procedure? Had he applied for a transfer to Imperial General?'

Why would he need to assist in the emergency surgery otherwise?

Feng Xuhui was confused and helpless.

The world he knew was slowly being taken apart by Zheng Ren.

Zheng Ren and the others had already left when his mind got around what was happening.

The winds picked up as Feng Xuhui stood at the door of the restaurant.

Song Ying was also there, a perfect smile on his face. The smile only faltered when Chief Chu's car left the premises.

The restaurant owner signaled for a cigarette and the manager moved to get him one.

He noticed Feng Xuhui by the door, thoughts in turmoil on this cold, windy night.

Song Ying smiled.

He was not usually one to give unsolicited advice.

The path to success was filled with struggles and hardship...

He owed his success to no one.

However, there was a subtle difference in Song Ying's demeanor today.

From his exchange with the group, he could tell that Zheng Ren was someone of importance. The young doctor exuded a confidence that cut through the traditional seniority-based hierarchy.

'The youth today are an impressive bunch. He has a bright future, that kid.'

The strong impression Zheng Ren had left made him less guarded when he saw the lost Feng Xuhui. He waved his cigarette at the man.

"Huh?" Caught unaware, Feng Xuhui's mind could not process the meaning behind the gesture.

"Do you want a smoke?"

"Yes, thank you."

The restaurant manager passed Feng Xuhui another cigarette.

"Young man, you made the right choice," Song Ying said. This innocent-looking novice reminded him of himself many years ago.

"Ah? What choice?" Feng Xuhui's thoughts were still a blur.

"Mr. Zheng has a bright future ahead." Song Ying stared at where the car had vanished into the distance. "You don't have to do much: just hold on tight to the man and enjoy the simple pleasures in life. One day, he's going to strike big and you'll reap the rewards."

The words surprised Feng Xuhui.

Was it true? Life could not be that simple.

"May I know who you are?"

"I'm the owner of this restaurant," Song Ying said with a roguish smile. It was indeed this man's lucky day as he rarely bothered giving out advice to the younger generation.

"Nice to meet you, sir." Feng Xuhui bowed his head in respect and retrieved a name card from his coat pocket.

Song Ying turned to leave before the card was even halfway out, his half-smoked cigarette extinguished.

Feng Xuhui watched the businessman walk away, feeling awkward with his name card in hand.

Many people had told him that one needed a benefactor to climb the ranks of society.

Was today his turn to receive one?

The benefactor had said that Chief Zheng was his key to success.

He stood there for a long time until his cigarette burned all the way to his fingers. The sudden jolt of pain brought him back to the real world.

Hold on tight to Chief Zheng?

Feng Xuhui wanted to weep.

Chief Zheng traveled in a Rolls Royce Phantom, dressed in clothes that cost tens of thousands and dined at high-end restaurants in Imperial Capital...

What did he have to offer?

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Chapter 224: Time Is Running Out (Part 1 of 3)

Research Graduate Liang drove the group back to the hospital.

Once they arrived, Zheng Ren, Su Yun and Department Chief Kong headed straight for the ophthalmology department.

Zheng Ren felt confident with a Master-rank skill book still in his reserves.

However, as a general surgeon with no expertise in ophthalmology, he knew that a Master-rank skill book would not set him apart from the doctors in Imperial Capital.

After some thought, he decided it was unlikely that he could solve such a rare case.

They arrived at the ophthalmology department and Department Chief Kong immediately went to visit Lin Jiaojiao.

Outwardly, Lin Jiaojiao looked to be in her thirties, but Zheng Ren presumed that she was most likely in her mid-forties, as was expected of the founder of the nation's largest cosmetic surgery hospital.

There was a young adult standing by her bed, eyes clouded over with tears; she was most likely Lin Jiaojiao's daughter.

When they entered the room, Lin Jiaojiao's good eye flickered open. With a sob catching in her throat, she croaked, "Chief..."

Department Chief Kong got down to business. "Calm down. What happened?"

"Chief... I had an injection scheduled. So once all my clients were gone, I took a dose of hyaluronic acid. An hour later, my vision started to blur and the next thing I knew, I couldn't see through my right eye. I had my daughter quickly send me to the hospital to see Chief Ma," Lin Jiaojiao explained clearly, her experience in the medical field evident.

"Hyaluronic acid?" Department Chief Kong repeated.

Hyaluronic acid was a type of mucopolysaccharide. In 1934, an ophthalmology professor in Columbia University extracted the substance from the eye of a cow. The chemical composition of the colorless substance was analyzed and further studies revealed its involvement in joint lubrication, blood vessel permeability control, protein-binding, electrolyte balance, wound healing and more.

In the world of cosmetic surgery, hyaluronic acid was mainly used for hydration and the removal of wrinkles.

It had been touted as the best natural substance for water retention under the skin.

How had this substance caused blindness?

Department Chief Kong had a hand on his temple as he pondered the situation.

"Old Kong, you're finally here." A woman in her fifties, clad in a doctor's coat, walked over. "My ophthalmoscopy found a lack of blood in her retina. I suspect an obstruction in the ophthalmic artery."

It was the ophthalmology department chief, Dr. Ma. As she concluded her statement, the scent of alcohol reached her nose and she frowned. "Were you drinking?"

"Yes, I was having dinner with Chief Chu."

"What was the point of calling you here, then? I'll get Old Pan from Union Medical to assist with the surgery," Department Chief Ma said.

"No, Chief Pan's not around. We have Little Zheng here who's willing to assist," Department Chief Kong objected.

Dr. Pan was the interventional surgery department chief in Union Medical College Hospital and a member of the National Central Health Agency. He was out of the city, being recently involved in the Tibetan Aid Project.

Department Chief Ma was unaware of the circumstances, hence Department Chief Kong's explanation.

"Little Zheng? Is he your new research graduate?" Department Chief Ma eyed them suspiciously.

Department Chief Kong started introductions. "This here is Boss Zheng from Sea City, L Province. He's skilled in interventional surgery and is here for the new research project we're working on."

Department Chief Ma was surprised but retained the aloofness of a department chief from a top Class Three Grade A hospital. She did not try to shake Zheng Ren's hand.

"I've contacted Chief Meng and he agreed with my assessment. Imaging is needed to make a full diagnosis. We didn't know you would be out drinking, though."

The department chiefs often spoke freely among themselves, hence Department Chief Ma's clear displeasure.

"Sure. Let's get started, then. Boss Zheng will handle it." Department Chief Kong dialed for his chief resident.

During the whole exchange, Zheng Ren had said nothing. He only stared at the System display in the right corner of his vision.

Lin Jiaojiao's diagnosis was simple. There was an obstruction in the vascular system due to the aforementioned biomacromolecule injection. The plug had led to decreased blood supply to the eye and resulted in temporary blindness.

There were a few peripheral arteries but the majority of the eye's blood supply was delivered by the main branch.

They had to clear the obstruction within four hours to salvage the retina. Otherwise, it would suffer permanent damage and result in permanent blindness in Lin Jiaojiao's right eye.

The surgery... The arterial network in the eye was delicate and Zheng Ren could not guarantee success in removing the biomacromolecule obstruction in the artery.

He was an expert in embolization surgery. This was the complete opposite of that.

However, he was willing to try. After all, it was just another procedure.

Su Yun noticed Zheng Ren's silence and shuffled over. "What are you thinking?"

"A buildup of biomacromolecules in the ophthalmic artery is causing temporary blindness," Zheng Ren whispered. "Department Chief Ma's preliminary diagnosis is correct. We'll have to confirm with imaging but I'm hesitant about the subsequent thrombolysis."

"Thrombolysis? Based on your diagnosis, it's a biomacromolecular obstruction in either the capillaries or arterioles, not a blood clot," Su Yun retorted.

Zheng Ren laid his cards on the table. "Two hours have passed since the obstruction. I suspect a blood clot would have formed by now. The surgery should start with lysis, followed by suction removal. It'll be up to fate whether or not her vision can be restored."

Su Yun shook his head; he had low expectations that the surgery would restore Lin Jiaojiao's vision.

"Biomacromolecules?" Department Chief Ma had overheard Zheng Ren's words.

"Yes. I'm guessing there was an error in judgment when she injected hyaluronic acid. The substance must have entered the blood capillaries or arterioles, restricting blood supply to her eye," Zheng Ren said.

His explanation turned Lin Jiaojiao's face green.

A blood clot detected early could be easily resolved. Obstruction by foreign material was much more complicated.

Was she going to be permanently blind in one eye?

Darkness filled her vision as if her sight was disappearing completely.

"Is the diagnosis solid?" Department Chief Kong asked.

"We'll need to confirm it with an angiogram." Zheng Ren asked, "Does the operating room have urokinase?"

"Yes."

"We should start now. It's been two hours since the obstruction. Time is running out," Zheng Ren said firmly.

Department Chief Ma was taken aback by the resolution in his voice, especially from a Sea City junior doctor here on a research visit.

Despite her reservations, she allowed the junior doctor to go about pre-surgery preparations. The patient was transferred to the interventional radiology suite.

The chief resident on call tonight was Dr. Shen. After digesting the patient's condition, Dr. Shen laid down the sterile drapes and prepared for the procedure.

Zheng Ren held back from accessing the System to pick up the related training modules. He wanted to have a look at the angiogram first.

The procedure started ten minutes later.

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