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 257: Recruitment Starts from His Assistant (Part 1 of 5) - Read The Surgeon's Studio Chapter 257: Recruitment Starts from His Assistant (Part 1 of 5) Online - All Page - Novel Next

Chapter 257: Recruitment Starts from His Assistant (Part 1 of 5)

"Brother Yun, you've arrived." Chief Resident Wang from the general surgery department stood to give his greetings.

"Eh? How did you get out here?" Su Yun picked out Zhao Yunlong sitting beside Li Xiaochen, the executive deputy director that he and Zheng Ren were just talking about. Next to Zhao Yunlong was an empty seat, which seemed to be reserved for him.

There were also a few doctors of middling seniority from the hospital.

"Despite being a chief resident, I still have the basic human right of one day off per month." Chief Wang took Su Yun's coat and hung it in the closet with a smile, seemingly unperturbed by his own subservience.

Su Yun skipped the formalities and occupied the seat beside Zhao Yunlong with a smile.

"Director Li, this is Su Yun—Brother Yun—in the flesh," Chief Wang said, making the standard introductions.

"Mr. Su, this is our second meeting. It is a pleasure to see you again." Li Xiaochen stood and extended his hand with a light bow.

Su Yun did not bother standing, opting instead to casually extend his own hand to take Li Xiaochen's for a short shake, his fringe swaying in the air as usual.

Li Xiaochen did not display any offense and continued to exchange a few pleasantries, brushing off Su Yun's coldness. They did not dive right into business; instead, they started toasting and drinking, a warm atmosphere permeating the room.

After talking for a while, Su Yun understood what was going on.

Chief Wang had a simple name: Wang Lu. He would be completing his PhD next year and would most likely not continue working in the same hospital. Coincidentally, Li Xiaochen had been recruiting and clicked with Wang Lu instantly. The latter had even signed a letter of intent to work as an attending physician in the general surgery department in Straits Hospital after his graduation.

Acquiring a job was a joyful event, which was why Wang Lu had brought a few of his friends along to dinner at Li Xiaochen's invitation.

They talked about recent gossip at the hospital over the table. Since Zheng Ren and Su Yun had both been involved, Li Xiaochen brought them both up repeatedly, possibly even deliberately. Zhao Yunlong called Su Yun over.

Zheng Ren was not a sociable person but had a good enough personality that did not gain slander.

After three rounds of drinks, they had emptied several bottles of Feitian Maotai. Li Xiaochen stood, raised his glass to Su Yun and said, "Mr. Su, I may be older than you, but you're a legendary figure. May I call you Brother Yun?"

Su Yun knew the climax of the evening was about to start and nodded with a smile.

"Cheers, Brother Yun."

Li Xiaochen had a huge glass that could hold half a pint of alcohol. The rich aroma of clear Maotai wafted from it.

After studying abroad, Li Xiaochen did not enjoy Maotai, preferring wine or whiskey. However, he went with his targets' preferences in his homeland.

"Cheers." Su Yun remained seated. He picked up a glass similar to Li Xiaochen's, filling it to the brim. He waved his hand briefly and downed it in one shot without waiting for Li Xiaochen to speak.

"You can certainly hold your liquor!" Li Xiaochen exclaimed before finishing his own as well. "Brother Yun, it's probably not my place to do so, but may I say something?"

"If you don't think it's your place to do so, don't do it. Let's eat." Su Yun was not sarcastic and acerbic to only Zheng Ren. It was said that gifted people were usually arrogant, but... most people disliked his attitude.

With the exception of the fairer sex, of course.

"Director Li, don't mind him. That's just how he is." Zhao Yunlong took a sip from his glass and tried to ease the tension. "Go ahead and say what you want."

Li Xiaochen's smile remained unchanged and he accepted Zhao Yunlong's invitation: "Brother Yun, have you thought of leaving Sea City General Hospital? Give me a figure. If it's within my authority and I can't match it, I'll drink all of the alcohol on this table."

"Don't bother wasting your energy." Su Yun huffed, fringe swaying gently in front of his forehead. "I just asked Mr. Zheng about this and he said that he has yet to make up his mind."

"You can come over first," Li Xiaochen prodded, refusing to give up.

After leaving Zheng Ren's room, Li Xiaochen had done a lot of work to try and understand the partnership between Zheng Ren and Su Yun.

The more he learned, the more amazed he was.

Zheng Ren had a fairly simple resume. There was nothing outstanding before this; it was as if he had appeared from the bottom of a rock.

On the other hand, his assistant Su Yun had a shiny list of credentials that almost blinded Li Xiaochen.

Between their accomplishments, Li Xiaochen deeply regretted his rashness. Had he planned beforehand, he would not have offered Zheng Ren a mere 1.5 million yuan a year after tax.

Even his assistant was also a savant, deserving of at least two million yuan annually; what manner of joke was he trying to pull with such a measly offer to the one who actually performed the surgery?

Over the meal, he had also learned about Zheng Ren's general surgery skill from Wang Lu, including the rescue from a few days ago.

They would likely have been able to manage without him, but it had certainly turned out better by leaps and bounds with his help.

Zheng Ren's value skyrocketed in Li Xiaochen's eyes. After some consideration, Li Xiaochen decided to start by recruiting Zheng Ren's assistant since the main man would be a tougher nut to crack.

It was all part of the plan.

"You're poaching me." Su Yun laughed gleefully. As his smile grew, the colors in the hotel's private banquet room seemed to turn monochromatic, while their two beautiful waitresses faded into the background like two lifeless puppets.

Li Xiaochen was stunned by the sight. This man could really make a living out of his face. If he was a celebrity, he would surely be one of the most popular ones.

"Director Li, are you aware of the recent projects I'm in?" Su Yun asked, his smile dissolving.

"I've heard about it. Differential diagnosis and targeted interventional treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma nodules." Li Xiaochen was prepared. "We should be seeing it in The Lancet within a few months' time, right?"

Zhao Yunlong patted Su Yun on the back with his hand open like a palm-leaf fan. "Good for you. You're writing another paper for The Lancet?"

Su Yun shook his head and said, "That's old news. The only reason I'm choosing to publish in The Lancet is that I'm friends with one of the reviewers, so it'll save me a lot of trouble."

"..."

"..."

The table fell silent in shock.

Why was Su Yun acting like publishing in The Lancet was no big deal, even implying that he was doing the journal a favor?

This man... was unbelievably narcissistic.

Su Yun lowered his head, ignoring the looks he was getting before continuing slowly, "Director Li, I believe Straits Hospital has their own recruitment procedure that adds value if one has published an article in The Lancet or is experienced in the Whipple procedure."

"Brother Yun, you're well-informed," Li Xiaochen said.

"I'll be sending out the paper on prostate interventional surgery after I return to Sea City."

"Also to The Lancet?" Whether Zhao Yunlong's eyes were red due to alcohol or envy was difficult to tell.

"The Lancet? What about it?" Su Yun said disdainfully. "I don't even think The Lancet had the highest impact factor among all medical journals last year."

"It was the New England Journal of Medicine. They have an impact factor of 72.4." Li Xiaochen had all the numbers on hand.

"Director Li, I'm starting to like you." Su Yun chuckled. "I've already contacted the New England Journal of Medicine. Theoretically, it shouldn't have any problems with the paper."

"..." Li Xiaochen wanted to cry.

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Chapter 258: I Have A Suggestion (Part 2 of 5)

The recruitment process of Straits Hospital was much more detailed than Su Yun's description.

Publishing papers was just one of many other criteria. Even though Straits Hospital was entirely owned and funded by Americans, it was still run by the top medical manager in China.

Journals that were popular among local PhD graduates such as PLOS ONE and Scientific Reports were excluded from the list. No amount of papers published on them would earn any extra credit.

Why?

The reviewing criteria of these journals had relaxed, which made them lose their prestige. Pay-to-publish journals no longer had value.

The impact factor of PLOS ONE had fallen below 3, according to the year's latest figures.

The New England Journal of Medicine that Su Yun had mentioned... it was first on the list with an impact factor of 72.4, outdoing The Lancet which had an impact factor of 47.83.

If these were to be taken into account when calculating an annual salary, the figure that Li Xiaochen came up with was so vast that he was left dumbfounded.

It was the same as that of an American professor... No, it exceeded that by leagues...

The balance of the ecosystem in Straits Hospital would be demolished.

Su Yun's words put an end to Li Xiaochen's recruitment plans.

"Congratulations, Brother Yun. I'll be the first to read your article once it's published," Li Xiaochen said, laughing.

There was not an ounce of humility in Su Yun's words. "It'll be very soon."

He lifted his head and looked directly at Li Xiaochen. "You're trying to recruit Mr. Zheng, right? I'm pretty sure it's beyond your authority to grant him the amount he deserves. Let me give you a piece of advice: if you really want him, get him as soon as possible. His net worth will only grow over time, until one day no amount of capital you have behind you will be able to afford him."

Zhao Yunlong and Wang Lu sighed gently. Wang Lu, especially, was dealing with a storm of emotions roiling within him.

From Brother Yun's words, recruiting Zheng Ren would need them to pull out all the stops and drop all pretenses of negotiation, or else even their American hospital would lose the opportunity forever.

Tsk tsk, if there ever was a living embodiment of confidence, it would be him.

Li Xiaochen nodded with a smile. As he made to refill his glass, his phone rang.

As he was in the middle of dinner, Li Xiaochen had his phone put on silent mode, sparing it a glance at most and rejecting the call if it was unimportant.

It was basic business etiquette and Li Xiaochen followed it to the letter.

However, after seeing the caller ID, his face turned serious and he excused himself. "It's from an old friend. I have to take this, sorry."

It was the upper management of a prominent international headhunting firm.

"Sure, go ahead." Zhao Yunlong was not bothered by the interruption. He filled Su Yun's glass before his own and they both continued drinking.

Li Xiaochen left the private room and answered the call in a remote, quiet corner.

"Li, I've got leads on the information you want," the caller said..

"Oh?"

"Dr. Mehar is very interested in the surgery performed by the young man you're following. As you know, Dr. Mehar couldn't attend the Nobel Prize award ceremony because of that damned prostate."

"..." In that moment, countless possibilities assailed Li Xiaochen's mind.

"Professor Rudolf Wagner has booked a flight to Imperial Capital three days from now," the caller continued. "This information costs a hundred thousand US dollars."

"Okay, I'll transfer it to your account as soon as possible." There was a rare solemn expression on Li Xiaochen's face.

Dr. Mehar was a godlike figure.

He was the most influential judge on the panel of Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, and his opinion held the greatest weight.

Why had Professor Rudolf Wagner returned to Imperial Capital in such a hurry? Could it be that Dr. Mehar had also taken an interest in this whelp from Sea City?

Li Xiaochen shuddered at the thought of a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

That was impossible. He instantly dismissed the ridiculous thought.

Still, what amount could possibly tempt Zheng Ren before Professor Rudolf Wagner arrived in Imperial Capital?

.5 million yuan after tax reduction seemed meager after conversion to US dollars.

Nevertheless, all the American doctors in Straits Hospital had an annual salary below a million yuan. Would it trigger a negative chain reaction if they discovered that a young doctor, not even in his thirties, was being paid so astronomically?

Li Xiaochen suddenly recalled Su Yun's words. The pretty boy was right; this matter was beyond his authority and he had to leave it to the board to make the call.

After pondering for a few minutes, he dialed the chairman's number.

"Su Yun, were you being serious?" Zhao Yunlong asked after half a glass of alcohol.

At this point, only Zhao Yunlong could keep up with Su Yun's drinking. Wang Lu and the other chief residents had already reached their limit.

Any more alcohol would end up in a hangover the next day. The physical suffering was one thing, but no one was willing to bear the consequences if it affected their performance.

"What do you think?" Su Yun answered scornfully, in a tone that Zheng Ren would find familiar were he around to hear it.

"You're doing really well. All your bosses are so talented."

"Were it not for me, he would need at least ten more years in order to publish a paper in the New England Journal of Medicine," Su Yun said.

"I'm so envious. Do you think Mr. Zheng still needs an assistant?" Zhao Yunlong asked half-jokingly.

Su Yun scoffed. "A general surgeon working as the chief resident of the emergency department, about to publish a paper on interventional surgery, now with two leading cardiothoracic surgeons as his assistants? Are you kidding me? Besides, who's going to pick up from the cardiothoracic department?"

Zhao Yunlong burst into laughter. This Mr. Zheng was truly fascinating! None of the departments that Su Yun mentioned overlapped. Zheng Ren was not bound by the mortal rules of specialization.

What an incredible man!

Unbelievable!

They continued to chat for a while before Li Xiaochen returned with a smile on his face.

Despite the man's cheerfulness, Su Yun could see the anxiety under his facade.

Getting an idea, Su Yun grinned and said, "Director Li, I know you want to recruit Mr. Zheng. Is it above your pay grade?"

Li Xiaochen did not shy away from his question and nodded.

Honesty was sometimes the best way forward.

"I can give you a suggestion.. Whether or not it works depends on how you play it out," Su Yun teased.

Li Xiaochen straightened his back seriously. "Please share, Brother Yun."

"Wang Lu also knows about this. Boss Zheng has his own personal scrub nurse."

Wang Lu nodded in agreement, still not over the shock from Su Yun mentioning at the operating table that the scrub nurse had yet to arrive. At first, he had thought Su Yun was just bragging, but now it seemed strange for Zheng Ren not to have a personal scrub nurse.

"You mean if I want to recruit Mr. Zheng, I'll have to hire his entire team?" Li Xiaochen's eyes lit up instantly.

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Chapter 259: Gifts (Part 3 of 5)

Tang Xiu had been extremely busy lately.

She had flown from Sea City to Imperial Capital after obtaining approval from the chief editor for her interview proposal, then dedicated all her time and effort into collecting the necessary information.

However, before she could finish gathering intel, the news broke that Zheng Ren had successfully completed the surgery; livestreamed, no less.

Tang Xiu was not sure how major his achievement was, but knew that she would only get busier.

Her work continued non-stop twenty-four hours a day.

She did interviews and recordings in the mornings, organizing her findings and editing videos at night.

After three hectic days, Tang Xiu's round face had become sunken.

Her thoughts were getting clearer after every interview and video.

Her own breakthroughs astounded her.

Nevertheless, she was grateful.

"Editor Tang, we've finally finished our work in Imperial Capital." Her photojournalist yawned and stretched.

"We're almost done. All that's left is one more day of interviews after our return to Sea City," Tang Xiu announced.

"Arghhh..." the photojournalist whined.

"Could you pump yourself up a little? This could be the peak of your career," she said.

"I'm not being fussy, I just need to sleep. I haven't slept in three days. Hell, I might doze off the moment I close my eyes."

"At least your sleep is sound. I slept for 32 seconds while you guys were talking and it felt great," the other journalist said drowsily, his eyes half-open.

"Just keep it up! We can catch a break on the flight back to Sea City. After that, just watch me! I promise you guys a surprise within the last two days!" Tang Xiu clapped loudly in an attempt to lift the spirits of her team.

No amount of motivation could fend off the spectre of the Sandman, however. Her subordinates were so tired that they did not have the energy to acknowledge her.

...

...

Two days later, Zheng Ren was extremely bored.

Cui Heming was recovering slowly. He had been transferred to a normal ward and was able to walk. However, his gratitude towards Zheng Ren was so strong that his blood pressure fluctuated whenever the young doctor dropped by. Zheng Ren decided his second visit would be his last until they had all returned to Sea City, whereupon they would have dinner together.

Lin Jiaojiao brought her daughter to visit Zheng Ren to express her thanks. As Zheng Ren had completely forgotten about her, things became a little awkward, but she had heard about his facial recognition disorder from Department Chief Kong and was thus unsurprised.

Fang Lin was also doing much better, having been transferred to a regular ward as well and becoming the subject of an interview. He became emotional upon meeting Zheng Ren once more; everything had happened so quickly on that fateful day and he was extremely blessed to even be alive.

Perhaps, in a past life, he had saved the entire galaxy.

Zheng Ren did not spend all his time visiting and being visited by patients. When he could, he went out to buy a souvenir with Su Yun.

Su Yun snickered. Had the man not claimed to have prepared a gift for Xie Yiren? What a pretentious loser.

Zheng Ren rejected every one of Su Yun's suggestions as they were all... well and truly beyond his price range.

Finally, Zheng Ren settled on four plushies, a bottle of Maotai and an e-cigarette lighter. Thus ended his gift-shopping journey.

Su Yun bought nothing.

At Zheng Ren's questioning, his proclaimed that his return was the best gift anyone could hope for.

...

The wait was mind-numbingly boring.

Zheng Ren felt his fingers starting to rust.

Still, this step was unavoidable. He had to monitor the postoperative recovery of the patient.

Despite the System's 100% surgery completion rate and Zheng Ren's confidence in his abilities, he could not let the matter go without confirming the final outcome with his own eyes.

After all, this was a novel surgical procedure and nobody knew what could happen with the patient after surgery.

However, he ultimately had nothing to worry about. After 24 hours, the patient's ureter was removed and he was able to urinate normally. His test results were also very promising; post-void bladder residual urine volume was almost similar to the average 60-65 year old man.

Even though it was only two days post-surgery, the patient had almost fully recovered.

The surgery could be considered a success at this point.

Zheng Ren could not wait to return to Sea City and booked an early morning flight.

He had been away from home for a long time and missed being chief resident, especially one able to perform surgery every day.

Of course, no one truly knew if he longed for surgery or Xie Yiren.

They were seen off at the airport by Department Chief Kong and several doctoral students who had gotten to know them.

Zheng Ren had gained a lot from his trip to Imperial Capital.

Despite his encouragement, Old Chief Physician Pan had likely never expected someone as unsocial and sincere as Zheng Ren to expand his social network to such a degree.

Zheng Ren and Su Yun checked in their luggage before going through security, promising to stay in touch with their companions as they bade their farewells.

As they were waiting to board the plane, Su Yun approached Zheng Ren with a strange expression.

"Are you having a stomachache?" Zheng Ren asked, looking up from the group chat.

"On the way here, you encountered a patient with Type I aortic dissection on board," Su Yun said earnestly, a serious look on his face. Zheng Ren knew that something nasty was about to leave the man's mouth. "What kind of patient do you think you'd meet on the way back?"

"An insane patient like you whose cerebral cortex was overstimulated by microcurrents," Zheng Ren snapped back at him.

"In our half-month trip, you achieved a level of brilliance that took me three years as a postgraduate researcher. Are you going to tell me that nothing's going to happen on our way back? I don't believe it." Su Yun's use of the word "brilliance" to describe Zheng Ren and himself was unabashed.

To him, it was an objective description.

"What makes you think so?" Zheng Ren put down his phone. "I don't want to see emergency cases everywhere I go. I enjoyed my time in Imperial Capital. There's no lack of emergency cases in our own ward."

"I knew you would say that." Su Yun pulled out his phone and captured a selfie with Zheng Ren before saying, "I've already finished writing both papers and sent them out."

"So fast?" Zheng Ren was shocked.

There was a fixed structure when it came to writing a paper. Zheng Ren knew that Su Yun was familiar with the style, but was the man taking a shortcut to finish two whole papers, fit for the world's top medical journal, within two days?

More importantly, it was one of the most prestigious journals in existence. They would not accept any ordinary paper.

Its reviewers were usually very busy. Email submissions from unknown figures would receive a glance at best and most submissions did not even elicit a response.

From Su Yun's confidence, Zheng Ren suspected that the man had pulled some strings abroad.

Su Yun maintained his enigmatic expression and did not respond to Zheng Ren's question.

Their short conversation over, Zheng Ren started reading his novels while Su Yun scrolled through his phone.

They started queuing to board the plane not long after.

Feng Xuhui had reserved a first-class seat for Zheng Ren and Su Yun, which allowed them to board first through the VIP lane.

When a beautiful flight attendant laid eyes on them, the smile on her face turned to astonishment.

"Oh, it's you guys!"

Chapter 260: Unlimited Charm (Part 4 of 5)

Zheng Ren was at a loss. Although he knew that boarding the same plane he had taken here was a possibility, he had no recollection of the person in front of him. Her identity, whether she had spoken to him previously, or even the things she had done were lost to him.

Still, he pretended to recognize her and offered a polite, elegant smile.

"Dr. Zheng, right? I remember you!" the flight attendant said cheerfully.

Since first-class passengers were allowed to board in advance, and they were both the only one of those on this flight to Sea City, the flight attendant did not hold back her excitement and squealed like a young girl meeting her favourite celebrity.

"Dr. Zheng? The one who called for the helicopter ambulance?"

"Let me have a look."

"It's definitely him, I'll inform the captain."

Within moments, there were six to seven flight attendants circling them. Su Yun was befuddled by Zheng Ren's sudden stardom.

"Dr. Zheng, have you finished your research in Imperial Capital? Please follow me." Another graceful flight attendant led them into first class.

Since their luggage was checked in, they only had their phones with them and did not need much assistance from the attendant.

A few minutes later, the upright and honest-looking[1] Captain Lin appeared before Zheng Ren and offered his hand. "Hello, Dr. Zheng."

Finally, someone Zheng Ren recognized.

When Zheng Ren had entered the cockpit to radio the airport traffic control tower, the captain had treated him like a criminal, fearing that something dangerous was about to be done.

However, the captain was responsible enough that he agreed to it upon finding out a passenger needed emergency treatment.

At that moment in time, Zheng Ren had not thought through the weight of his request, but with the benefit of hindsight, he was truly grateful to the captain.

He hurriedly stood and shook Captain Lin's hand.

"Captain Lin, right? I must thank you for what you did last time," Zheng Ren said sincerely.

"Why are you thanking me?" Captain Lin pretended to be surprised before bursting into laughter. "You're a doctor. It's your duty to treat and save people in danger. That man was also my passenger, and I always strive to ensure all my passengers reach their destination safely."

Zheng Ren nodded in agreement.

"Dr. Zheng, let's exchange contact information." With the rest of the passengers about to board as well, Captain Lin skipped the formalities. It would not be presentable for the flight crew to all be crowding in one spot.

After they both exchanged numbers and WeChat IDs, Captain Lin waved and took his leave.

The flight attendants whispered to each other for a while before returning to their own posts to welcome the other passengers.

"Didn't expect you to leave an impression," Su Yun said softly from beside Zheng Ren.

Zheng Ren laughed. Could the passive ability mission reward be more than ornamental?

If that was the case, could he make a living out of his appearance from now onwards? At the very least, he would not need to envy Chang Yue for her skill at communicating with patients.

As he remembered Chang Yue, he also thought of Chu Yanran, Chu Yanzhi, Old Chief Physician Pan, and his favourite beautiful lady. It made him want to be home right this instant.

As for Yang Lei... he had a mysterious presence which made him easily forgettable. Although he was a good friend of Zheng Ren's, he did not come to mind during the nostalgia trip.

It began to get rowdy when more passengers came aboard. Su Yun requested a sleep mask from the flight attendant and prepared to doze off. Zheng Ren stared out of the window into the blue sky and started daydreaming.

Upon returning, they would be busy with unexpected emergencies every single day.

Even though Zheng Ren had not even left Sea City for half a month, it felt like a century had passed. He was finally getting back on track to his usual adrenaline-filled life, where one's heart rate could shoot above 120 beats per minute with one phone call.

Straits Hospital seemed like a good choice.

However, as Zheng Ren had told Su Yun, he was mainly choosing to stay in Sea City for Old Chief Physician Pan.

Even though Zheng Ren had the System and did not require Old Chief Physician Pan's guidance, he would never forget how the man had entrusted him with hope and confidence.

Being an orphan, he remembered every bit of warmth and care ever afforded to him.

As it were, he was still young. He could still leave in a few years' time.

When he thought of Old Chief Physician Pan, Zheng Ren was reminded of Little Yiren's parents who spent most of the year traveling.

He then remembered Xie Yiren rejecting his hug before he had boarded his flight. This transformed Zheng Ren from a decisive professional surgeon into a simple, nervous little boy with no dating experience.

The plane started accelerating on the runway before taking off smoothly.

"Hi, Dr. Zheng," a sweet voice called out to Zheng Ren.

Zheng Ren turned around, seeing the flight attendant who led the way earlier; he smiled in return.

"I'm Sun Jia and I'll be serving you throughout this flight. Would you like something to drink?" Her tone was mellifluous and pleasant.

This was Zheng Ren's first time flying first class. Did it always come with personalized service? He had heard someone talk about similar things, but it seemed to only be a thing on international airlines.

Nevertheless, there ought not be any potential problems, even for someone as low-EQ as him.

"Coffee, thanks." The smile on Zheng Ren's face was as warm as a summer breeze.

Sun Jia nodded before leaving to make his drink.

"This is weird." Su Yun was still awake despite having his sleep mask on. After the attendant left, he took it off and asked, "Are there flowers blooming on your face?"

"Flowers?" Zheng Ren was confused.

"When I'm around, the female gaze would usually never land on anybody else but me. but something strange is going on now." Su Yun examined Zheng Ren's features carefully. There was not much of a difference; his normal eyebrows, eyes, nose... everything looked normal, a far cry from himself, and exuded no charm in the slightest.

However, he had felt completely ignored after boarding the plane!

This was unacceptable!

"You're already charming, is that not good enough for you?" Zheng Ren brushed him off. "Do you want anything to drink?"

"I'm going to sleep. You haven't had much to do recently, but I haven't slept in days. Also, keep an eye on your inbox. There'll be a response from the editorial team within one or two months." With that, Su Yun put his mask back on and continued "sleeping".

Zheng Ren was delighted. The fact that he had transcended Su Yun in surgery meant nothing to him in comparison to being able to steal the attention of the flight attendants. The psychological scarring achieved was incalculable.

The System could be quite reliable when it wanted to be. Zheng Ren took a sip of his coffee, smiling.

Occasionally, flight attendants approached Zheng Ren to ask for his WeChat ID.

He was slowly getting used to being accosted by girls now.

The flight to Sea City was smooth, and soon after, the plane circled the city before landing.

"I'm really looking forward to Xie Yiren's reaction when she sees you." Su Yun had already woken from his nap. "If I were her and you had bought me a few soft toys, you'd be dead meat!"

[1] Here, the author directly compared the captain's face to the Chinese character for honest, truthful or genuine, 实 (shí), which is a monogram of the character for 'head' (头) and a cap, implying the man had an appearance that inspired trust.

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Chapter 261: Homecoming Fears (Part 5 of 5)

After the plane came to a halt, Zheng Ren switched his phone back on and sent a private message to Xie Yiren to notify her that he had landed safely. Then, he checked the group chat and saw a hefty discussion by the girls about the location of Zheng Ren and Su Yun's welcome party.

There was a long list of restaurants included that he did not even know existed in Sea City.

However, the discussion had ended an hour ago. It was likely the girls had already met up and were awaiting their arrival at the airport.

Zheng Ren bid farewell to Sun Jia and the other flight attendants. Finally, he was back in Sea City.

As he inhaled the familiar air, Zheng Ren felt a tinge of anxiety when he reached the exit.

What a ridiculous feeling. Perhaps it was the homecoming fears[1] that people talked about.

Zheng Ren calmed his nerves while waiting for their luggage. Su Yun seemed fine as he chewed the fat with Chu Yanzhi and the others in the group chat.

Would Little Yiren give him a hug this time? Zheng Ren wrestled with the question as he walked out of the hall with his luggage.

The arrival gate of Sea City's airport was much smaller and shabbier compared to the ones in Imperial and Sorcery Capital.

The moment he stepped out of it, Zheng Ren saw Old Chief Physician Pan standing upright at the nearest blue line from the exit, waiting for him.

He smiled at the man habitually, but before he could search for Xie Yiren, a black shadow lunged at him.

Old Chief Physician Pan gave Zheng Ren a bear hug, his belly laugh echoing throughout the entire hall.

"I knew that you could do it!" Old Pan draped his hand around Zheng Ren's shoulder and waved at Su Yun briefly before dragging Zheng Ren away.

"Little Zheng, I watched your interventional surgery and you've improved tremendously," Old Pan said as they walked. "What did I tell you? You needed that trip to Imperial Capital to broaden your horizons."

Zheng Ren just went along with him and vaguely spotted Xie Yiren through the narrow slit across Old Pan's shoulders. The girls were happily chatting with Su Yun behind them, leaving Zheng Ren frustrated and disappointed.

He was dragged into Old Chief Physician Pan's car, a small Jetta that sank when Old Pan entered it. Zheng Ren could feel the bottom of the vehicle scrape against the ground.

Giving up on his original plans, he told Old Chief Physician Pan about his entire trip to Imperial Capital.

Everything from the Type I aortic dissection patient on the flight to Imperial Capital to the assault on Dr. Fang the very next day; the surgery competition and research into new surgical methods—he explained it all, including the surgery he had successfully performed even when everyone else had given up.

When Zheng Ren had been going through all these things, he had felt nothing amiss.

However,

Now,

As he laid it all bare to Old Chief Physician Pan,

Zheng Ren had a feeling he couldn't quite describe.

Was this growth? He had no idea.

Throughout their journey, Old Chief Physician Pan kept talking to Zheng Ren, who could feel the man's palpable excitement.

Instead of heading straight to Sea City General Hospital, Old Pan drove to a restaurant.

"Even though it's not fancy, their dishes are quite tasty." Old Pan gleefully led Zheng Ren in and greeted the owner of the restaurant before entering a private room.

Su Yun, the Chu sisters, Chang Yue, and Xie Yiren arrived shortly after.

As expected, Yang Lei was holding the fort down at the emergency ward.

Zheng Ren had finally gotten to meet Xie Yiren, but the private room was not large. It would be awkward to make a move.

He had no other choice but to stay put.

Old Chief Physician Pan ordered their food heartily as the others chatted away happily.

Su Yun was fully engrossed in his storytelling. The things that Zheng Ren had just told Old Pan were transformed into a dramatic turn of events, filled with exciting plots and bizarre encounters.

Although Old Pan had already heard it from Zheng Ren, he was still captivated by Su Yun's retelling of their encounters. Even Zheng Ren gaped at him in amazement.

He could not believe that Su Yun was describing real-life events that had happened to them both within the past few weeks.

Su Yun was not being his usual self. Was he overcompensating for the flight attendants' disregard for him with his sudden charm?

This was truly something he excelled at...

They continued talking over their meal; when Su Yun reached the part where Zheng Ren dragged him to buy gifts for everyone after finishing the prostate interventional surgery, there was a shock at the table.

Someone like Zheng Ren remembering to buy everyone souvenirs? That was truly rare.

Chu Yanzhi could not hold in her curiosity and blurted out, "Chief Zheng, what did you buy?"

"Uh... It's not much." Zheng Ren was slightly embarrassed, but still made to open his bags.

Chu Yanzhi nearly threw herself into his luggage.

She was not truly interested in what he had bought. How much could someone with his salary afford?

However, they were all curious as to how much effort Zheng Ren had put in.

First to come out was the alcohol he had bought for Old Chief Physician Pan, who received it with gratitude. Since Yang Lei was not present, Zheng Ren stuffed the man's gift back into the bag before revealing the four soft toys that he bought for the girls.

Everyone was stunned.

They were a thousand times more astonished than when they had watched Zheng Ren crush the German professor's surgery.

The atmosphere in the private room froze over entirely.

This?

This was what he bought?

Was he trying to fool them?

Even if he was patronizing them, why would he also give Xie Yiren something similar?

Chu Yanran and Chu Yanzhi burst out laughing at Zheng Ren as they received their gifts. Chu Yanran managed to compose herself and did not say a word as she fiddled with her toy. Chu Yanzhi tossed hers into the air as she tried to speak, but her sister stopped her.

Chang Yue remained stoic. "Childish," she said softly as she took her plushie.

Xie Yiren's eyes brightened and she said, "Wow, it's so pretty!"

Su Yun was so frustrated that he could feel steam rising from his dome.

Would Xie Yiren be pleased if Zheng Ren gifted her a branch from the roadside?

People in love were truly devoid of all sense, logic and rationality.

Su Yun sighed inwardly as he watched Xie Yiren admiring the soft toy with shimmering eyes. Zheng Ren was so damn lucky.

After distributing his gifts, Zheng Ren hesitated for a moment.

"Why are you acting all mysterious? It's done, hurry up and continue eating." Having shopped with him, Su Yun knew that Zheng Ren had nothing else, but the man was still stuck in place.

Was he about to make something else magically appear out of thin air?

If he had bought something on his own, he would not have asked Su Yun to tag along and bully him repeatedly on the streets of Imperial Capital.

Zheng Ren suddenly stood and turned around, looking serious as if facing a major emergency rescue.

The rowdy room fell silent instantly.

It was how he looked in the emergency ward and operating theater...

"Xie Yiren, this is for you," Zheng Ren said with a determined face.

[1] 近乡情怯, is an idiom, lit. "the fear felt when approaching (one's) hometown". It refers to a specific anxiety or uneasiness that becomes stronger upon returning home out of fear that something had happened to it after a long absence. It is used to describe the complex feelings of a returning wanderer and has its origins in the poem, "Crossing the Han River", by Tang Dynasty poet Song Zhiwen.

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Chapter 262: Great Courtship Skill (Part 1 of 5)

Zheng Ren held a small, heart-shaped object that he passed to Xie Yiren with both hands.

Under the gaze of a room full of people, Xie Yiren blushed and kept her head low.

"Tsk, tacky," Su Yun scoffed.

From Xie Yire's reaction, she was very much into such things. Su Yun lamented Zheng Ren's luck. What lady could be so easily satisfied these days?

The man could probably win the lottery with a single random ticket at this rate.

When he looked closer at the gift, his eyes focused on the object.

The heart-shaped... the heart...

It looked too strange to be something from a shop and its material was very unique.

Su Yun was taken aback and he asked blankly, "This... is this the micro guide wire you were fiddling with a few days ago?"

Zheng Ren nodded. Realizing Xie Yiren was so embarrassed that she had forgotten to take the gift, he approached her with the determination of a frontline soldier and said quietly, "Yiren, I made this myself."

Xie Yiren sniffled, softer than a hidden mosquito in winter.

Had Zheng Ren's five senses not been well-trained by the System, he would have missed it.

He held the wire heart out to her with his expression deadset, as if he would not back off until Xie Yiren had received his gift.

"Take it, Little Yiren," Chu Yanzhi said anxiously, not taking her eyes off the sculpture.

At Chu Yanzhi's urging, Xie Yiren subconsciously reached out but ended up touching Zheng Ren's hands.

It felt warm, reliable, and indestructible.

"Ah!" Xie Yiren exclaimed and bounced back like a nervous rabbit.

"Wonderful." Chang Yue took the heart from Zheng Ren. "I'll hold it for Xie Yiren."

Old Chief Physician Pan smiled as he watched the youth flirt and play mind games with each other.

It was good to be young.

Chu Yanran grabbed Xie Yiren's shoulders and whispered something into her ears while her sister ran to Chang Yue to take a closer look at Zheng Ren's personalized gift—a heart hand-sculpted from a micro guide wire.

"Wow, Chief Zheng, it looks very well-made. You really put your heart and soul into this."

Su Yun was still in a daze. Was this really happening?

Was this really Boss Zheng's first courtship attempt?

It was a great move, topped with sincere expression and effort.

Su Yun was sure that even his best could only outdo Zheng Ren by a little.

After they joked around for a while, Xie Yiren slowly calmed down and they continued with their meal.

The restaurant owner was familiar with Old Chief Physician Pan but had not yet appeared, even after two complementary dishes.

At some point through their meal, the man knocked on their door before entering.

"Little Sun, what's up?" Old Chief Physician Pan was sitting at the head of the table and drinking heartily with Su Yun and Chang Yue.

"Old Chief, have you looked at the TV?" Mr. Sun asked out of nowhere.

Old Pan was puzzled. "No, why would I?"

"Your hospital was on, and I think you're in it, too; it's like a documentary," Mr. Sun answered.

"Let's see what it's all about." Old Chief Physician Pan motioned with his hand.

Mr. Sun immediately switched on the television in the room and turned to the Sea City News Network channel.

The very first thing that appeared as the TV lit up was the emergency building of Sea City General Hospital.

The camera panned in from afar and slowly focused on the signature red cross on the emergency building.

A woman's gentle voice narrated the history of the hospital's emergency department.

This was... Old Chief Physician Pan was shocked. No one had approached him to promote the emergency department. What was this documentary trying to convey?

Zheng Ren and Su Yun were also dumbfounded. That voice...

It was familiar. Zheng Ren tried hard to recall who it belonged to.

Su Yun also dug deep into his own memory. He had managed to deter Lead Editor Tang that day; how had she come up with a documentary? Also, why was a television network airing a documentary made by a lead newspaper editor?

Was she trying to take revenge on Zheng Ren for neglecting her or treating her dismissively? Had she made this documentary to turn the public against them?

The emotions in the private room were mixed.

The girls were either immersed in the gift, unaware of what was going on, or thrilled by seeing their workplace on television.

The restaurant owner kept watching the show from beside the TV.

"Near the end of autumn, there was a mass nitrite poisoning incident in Sea City," the female voice said calmly.

As the red cross filled the screen, it cut to a live, never-before-aired interview conducted by Sea City News Network during the incident.

The screeching alarm of the ambulance began in the background when the scene switched, changing its atmosphere instantly.

It was stifling and grim.

The camera followed a family from behind, bouncing up and down as they ran.

Victims of poisoning were carried on the backs of their family members, their whole bodies covered in an eerie shade of blue, resembling a scene from a shakycam horror film.

Their skin was not bright blue but had greyish undertones, as if foreshadowing the dust of the graves that awaited them all.

Sounds of frenzied footsteps and hopeless cries echoed from the television.

In the midst of the chao, a sedan broke down.

An attractive woman appeared in front of the camera, microphone in hand, and waved over the victim's family to her TV news van to get to the hospital more quickly.

"On that day, hundreds of citizens came down with nitrite poisoning. Ambulances were all over downtown. What you're seeing now was happening everywhere."

Then, the scene switched again.

The camera crew was arriving at the emergency building of the Sea City General Hospital. As soon as the car door opened, they were welcomed by an emergency stretcher trolley.

The victim was immediately transferred onto it.

As the paramedics worked in silence, the camera operator seemed to be searching for a better angle to capture the scene.

However, they were somewhat in the way of the patient, and one of the doctors roughly shouldered them out of the way.

The camera jerked strongly before finally settling between the doctor's shoulders and neck.

His white coat was drenched in sweat and his hoarse voice icier than the north winds. However, it only accentuated the impact of the scene with the greyish-blue patient in the background.

The camera operator said nothing and stabilized the camera before chasing the stretcher trolley all the way to the emergency resuscitation room.

Outside the room, the director of Sea City General Hospital and Old Chief Physician Pan could be seen busily directing the emergency rescue.

Out of habit, the camera focused on the director to prepare for a close-up, but was yanked away after only a few seconds.

The scene skipped through all of the higher-ranking personnel and immediately cut to the emergency resuscitation room.

In it, there was already an established and smooth flow of operations, in the center of which was Zheng Ren standing before the rescue table.

...

...

I'm sure you guys guessed it correctly before reading this chapter. The typical straight guy suited his character better.

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Chapter 263: The Documentary (Part 2 of 5)

Zheng Ren watched it with his eyes and mouth wide open.

It felt strange seeing himself in the third person.

Onscreen, he stood before the bed in the emergency resuscitation room surrounded by helpers. As they lifted the patient onto the bed, its headrest tilted at a 30-degree angle, Xie Yiren prepared the needles and equipment required for vascular catheterization beside him.

Each patient took them less than ten seconds to process.

Central venous catheterization was immediately followed by an IV of methylene blue and Zheng Ren rushed to the next bed to repeat the whole procedure on another patient.

"That day, the staff of Sea City General Hospital followed their superior's orders and provided emergency rescue just in time. Their united reaction and outstanding skill led them to save one patient after another from death.

"The doctor in this scene was key to the entire rescue operation: chief resident of the emergency department of Sea City General Hospital, Dr. Zheng Ren."

This was the first name mentioned in the documentary. Both Zheng Ren and Su Yun were stunned.

It was completely different from what they had expected!

Had the vultures who thrived on schadenfreude and sensationalism turned over a new leaf? How strange!

A snicker appeared at the corner of Su Yun's mouth.

Old Chief Physician Pan straightened his back instinctually as he watched the screen, both hands on his knees like a political commissar at his final mobilization before a battle.

Mr. Sun smiled but remained quiet, giving Old Chief Physician Pan a thumbs-up.

The documentary continued to be chaotic and shaky. Soon, someone approached and politely asked the reporters to leave.

On their way out, the camera zoomed in on a patient who had been treated with methylene blue.

The greyish-blue color had faded, creating a momentary but stark visual contrast between life and death.

"The emergency department of Sea City General Hospital handled the emergency rescue of the nitrite poisoning excellently. Their service will set a strong standard for Sea City's future achievements."

Then, the emergency rescue was replaced by a timelapse of moving clouds to signify the ruthless passage of time.

All the otherwise-perfect documentary lacked at this point was an interview with a survivor.

After that, the scene cut to a park full of people line dancing, doing tai chi, jogging and walking their dogs.

It was quiet and peaceful.

"It is with their protection that citizens can live their lives so peacefully," the female voice went on, "No one knows if misfortune will accompany the morrow. They are our last line of defense and protection, and they will never back down."

An old man with silver hair appeared before the camera and pointed at the tree beside him, "I remember very clearly; on the 6th of November, I had been taking an afternoon stroll in the park when I saw a few old men hitting trees[1]. Under normal circumstances, I would've never believed that hitting a tree can improve one's health, but that day..." The old man scratched his head in embarrassment and continued, "I was told that my body was not in good enough shape for such a practice, but I had to prove myself. I had not expected to feel a sharp pain in my stomach after a single bump. At first, I thought it was simply a stomachache, but after a few more attempts, I lost my vision and consciousness. When I woke up, I was already in the ICU with a tube in my mouth. It was horrible."

At that, Tang Xiu revealed herself as the narrator.

Her delicate features shimmered under the camera. As it turned towards her, she seemed to be lost in thought but was shaken from her stupor. "Are we rolling?"

The outtake had not been edited out of the documentary, making it seem more natural.

"Good day, all. I'm Tang Xiu from Sea City Metropolis Daily and the old man you saw just now is my father. I was working in my office on the 6th of November when I received a phone call telling me that he was in critical condition and being resuscitated in Sea City General Hospital."

She smiled and paused to adjust her fringe.

"There are so many scam calls these days, so I didn't believe it at first, expecting them to ask me for money. However, the caller hung up without saying anything further, so I immediately knew something was wrong. I called 114 to check the source of the call and confirmed that it was from the emergency department of Sea City General Hospital.

"I panicked and even lost my heels while running. Later, I found multiple cuts on my feet that I still have no idea the source of."

As she was willing to share such an embarrassing experience, her euphemism and openness made her seem cute.

"I reached the emergency department and met Chief Pan, who briefed me on what happened and asked me to sign the surgical consent form. When we reached the operating theater, they had already performed the emergency procedure and managed to rescue my father. At the time, I thought that..."

Halfway through her speech, Tang Xiu's memory was dragged back to that fateful night.

Her voice began to tremble.

However, she quickly regained her composure and continued, "My father received treatment just in time and was able to recover very well. Here and now, I would like to represent our family and express our sincere gratitude to all the doctors and nurses working in the emergency department of Sea City General Hospital."

After her interview, pictures of the staff of the emergency department began to roll.

Zheng Ren's simple, honest face appeared right after Old Chief Physician Pan's.

After going through the entire department, the scene returned to Zheng Ren.

"Not long ago, Dr. Zheng Ren was invited to Imperial Capital to participate in the research of a new surgical method. However, shortly after his arrival, he was involved in an unfortunate incident."

Tang Xiu's voice became sharper and the picture of Zheng Ren smiling slowly faded away.

A phone camera video began playing.

It was one of the leads Tang Xiu had found after reaching Imperial Capital. She knew that an official account had uploaded the video, but that had been taken down after only two hours for unknown reasons.

After some digging, she found the source and paid a tidy sum to purchase the video clip.

The camera was shaking frantically, a nightmare for anyone with motion sickness. However, the irregular trembling came with a sense of authenticity, as if the fear experienced by the person behind the camera was spreading to its audience.

A man lay in the middle of a pool of blood, while Zheng Ren performed his emergency rescue, head lowered in the direction of the camera.

Suddenly, he lifted his head and yelled something gutturally; his visage was terrifying and the veins on his neck bulged out as he screamed.

The crack in his voice was heart-wrenching, but his words were lost in the commotion.

Soon after, a doctor brought him an incision set and other equipment. After organizing them briefly, Zheng Ren tore open the man's shirt and made a cut in one swift motion.

He then inserted his hand into it before any blood could pour out.

At the same time, blood dripped from his left shoulder.

The video was too real and gory, the atmosphere so heavy that it choked even the viewer.

General public notwithstanding, even the women in the room cried out.

"Argh!"

[1] 撞树 refers to the practice of rubbing one's back or "bumping" against trees, a practice among some elderly people said to improve circulation, stimulate acupoints and lead to better health. It is not an uncommon sight to see older people do this in Beijing parks.

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Chapter 264: Our Hero (Part 3 of 5)

The stretcher trolley, the injured victim, Zheng Ren's awkward position, a stream of medical personnel rushing alongside—the scene read like a wordless, harrowing poem.

Their only source of news from Imperial Capital had been Su Yun. Now, the actual incident was playing out onscreen; even Su Yun had fallen silent.

Actions always spoke louder than words.

Leaving a trail of blood as it went, the stretcher trolley moved at breakneck speed. Zheng Ren kicked a doctor aside. Shocked bystanders flashed past as the camera raced to catch up.

Xie Yiren had a hand over her mouth, the other clutching Zheng Ren's heart-shaped guide wire tightly. Her shoulders trembled with anxiety as she watched the recording.

Old Chief Physician Pan's hands remained on his knees. His fist was clenched so tightly that its bones were audibly grinding against each other.

Su Yun watched, rapt with attention, adrenaline rushing through his veins. Although he had been present that day, he had been busy tending to Professor Gu's heart attack and was not witness to the dramatic scenes currently being played back.

Mr. Sun sat unmoving, head craned awkwardly as the video went on. As the stretcher entered the elevator, the person filming was not allowed access and playback ended.

The scene cut to black as the elevator doors closed.

They shut like the gates of the afterlife, separating the living and the dead.

"Dr. Zheng's accurate assessment of the situation and timely emergency rescue gave the patient a fighting chance. After hours of surgery, the bleeding was put under control and the patient sent to the ICU to recover."

Tang Xiu's narration was quiet and cold, balanced to deliver the perfect level of suspense.

Mr. Sun's hand went to his neck as he hissed. "Chief Pan, I think I've sprained my neck."

"Outstanding." Old Chief Physician Pan remained seated. A sore neck was not worth his attention.

Mr. Sun frowned as he massaged his neck, his eyes still fixated on the television screen.

The documentary was more entertaining than long-winded, boring news programs. It had been a while since Mr. Sun felt such a rush from watching TV. He angled his body slightly to get a better view of the screen without blocking anyone.

The next scene took place in a restaurant.

It was obvious from the setup and lighting that the recording was not professionally done.

Tang Xiu had conducted a formal interview after that night, but finally decided to use the material from the restaurant.

The complicated turn of events was simplified and explained in layman's terms, its ups and downs conveyed in dramatic fashion.

The video was an eye-opener for many a curious soul.

After the short interview, the screen went dark and Tang Xiu's voice rang out. "Romain Rolland once said, 'There is only one heroism in the world: to see the world as it is, and to love it.'"

It was a simple line, but her delivery was aimed at touching her audience's hearts.

"He is our hero.

"Always in search of better treatment methods.

"Dr. Zheng had been invited to contribute in developing new interventional surgical techniques. While there, his clinical and surgical skills were appraised by the country's top experts and professors and he successfully completed a demonstrative surgery three days ago. According to experts in the field, the surgery was the first of its kind, filling a long-existing gap in medical history!"

At Tang Xiu's proclamation, Zheng Ren's live surgery recording was presented onscreen.

On it, he was focused on the imaging machine before him as he maneuvered the micro-guide wire with his thumb and index finger.

His intense expression was clearly visible through his surgical cap and mask.

That expression was familiar...

Su Yun squinted at the television. Odd.

He rifled through his memories and a light bulb flickered in his head.

It was the same expression Zheng Ren had had when figuring out what to get Xie Yiren.

Zheng Ren, you little sh*t!

Su Yun did not know whether to laugh and cry.

Picking out a gift for Xie Yiren was as hard as a world-class surgery for Zheng Ren.

Su Yun looked at the micro guide wire bent into a heart and gently sighed.

"Chief Resident, you look pretty cool when you're operating." Chu Yanzhi bounced on the balls of her feet, pointing at the man onscreen.

"Heh." Zheng Ren could not think of any other response.

"Tsk tsk. Is it true that the procedure will fill a gap in medical history?" Chu Yanzhi's excitement was not put out by Zheng Ren's monosyllabic response.

"I don't think anyone has done it before, but it was just a prostate surgery. It's not a widely prevalent disorder," Zheng Ren replied with a wave of his hand.

"It's still impressive," she said with a smile.

"It's more than impressive," Old Chief Physician Pan cut in. "Before Zheng Ren performed the surgery, a professor from Germany had attempted a similar procedure. His patient experienced severe complications post-surgery and that procedure was considered unsuccessful."

"What about Chief Zheng's surgery? Which professor? Is he famous?" Chu Yanzhi's questions came one after another.

"He is an interventional lead surgeon from Heidelberg University and a participant of the German Excellence Initiative," Old Chief Physician Pan explained. He had been keeping track of the ongoings in the field of interventional surgery.

"Incredible." Chu Yanzhi was still a research graduate and knew little of the academic world. Old Chief Physician Pan had not even mentioned the specialized micro guide wire provided to Rudolph Wagner for the surgery.

"Very much so." Old Chief Physician Pan was silent for a few seconds. "This clearly started as an interview by the Sea City Metropolis Daily lead editor. It must have piqued someone's interest for them to make it into a documentary and air it on Sea City News Network. The recording would have required multiple permissions before making it on air."

"Who could it be?" Chu Yanzhi asked.

"I don't know." Old Chief Physician smiled.

Could it be important?

Maybe, in the future.

But not now.

The documentary ended at the 15-minute mark. The production was somewhat choppy and there were aspects that could have been fine-tuned, suggesting a rushed job.

However, such a simple and honest program on the news network would easily garner the attention of the citizens of Sea City.

There was only one heroism in the world: to see the world as it was, and to love it. The quote echoed in the hearts of many.

The documentary was shocking.

A tearjerker, even.

Old Chief Physician Pan was so caught up with the video that he had to pinch himself awake. As he took out his phone to call up either Sea City Metropolis Daily or Sea City News Network, it rang in his hand.

His eyebrows rose as he saw the caller ID.

"Zheng Ren, work just follows you everywhere. You've just returned and there are already people looking for you," Old Chief Physician Pan said before answering the call.

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Chapter 265: Leave This To Me, Boss (Part 4 of 5)

"Yes, that's me." Old Chief Physician Pan's voice was authoritative.

"Right, right. And what do you think it is?

"Let me ask him."

Old Chief Physician Pan covered the phone receiver and turned to Zheng Ren.

"Zheng Ren, there's a 72-year-old male patient who has been transferred from the gastroenterology department to the ICU. He came in two weeks ago with bloody stools.

"The bleeding was controlled on the sixth day of admission but his condition warranted a continued stay in the ICU. At 1400 hours today, the bleeding started again. There was more blood this time and antihemorrhagic agents were ineffective. The consensus from the general surgery department was to not opt for surgery," Old Chief Physician Pan explained.

Zheng Ren knew Old Chief Physician Pan was asking for his medical opinion.

The department had decided to forgo surgery as the patient was elderly and they could not identify the bleed.

The patient's intestines were a mix of fresh and old blood. An endoscope would not be able to pinpoint the site.

It was not an uncommon case in hospitals.

Such situations often depended on the patient's luck.

The best-case scenario was for the bleed to stop without external interference. Once the patient was stable, they could proceed with thorough examination and treatment.

However, the worst outcome would be acute uncontrolled bleeding leading to death.

With a standard laparotomy, locating the bleed required some luck.

Although luck was the last thing one wanted to hear in the field of medicine, it was inevitable.

Zheng Ren pondered for a moment then said, "It's doable."

His answer was curt. A life was at stake and there was no time for long-winded explanations.

Old Chief Physician Pan had total faith in Zheng Ren. "We'll be there in 20."

The call ended.

"Let's go. How much is the total?" Old Chief Physician Pan stood up swiftly.

The restaurant owner laughed and said, "Chief Pan, we are honored by your patronage here. If we were to take your money, you..."

There was an emergency back in the hospital to attend to; Old Chief Physician Pan could not be bothered with ceremony and threw down a 500 yuan note before turning to leave.

The group, earlier in good humor, immediately snapped to attention like well-trained soldiers.

Unwilling to accept the money, Mr. Sun tried to return it to Old Chief Physician Pan.

However, his approach earned him a glare from the old doctor. He slinked away in fear.

The group got into their car and drove off toward the hospital without another word.

As a surgeon, one had to always be prepared for any emergency surgery. Even though it was a welcome party, Chu Yanran, Zheng Ren and Xie Yiren had not consumed any alcohol.

It was better to err on the side of caution and be prepared for emergencies.

Upon reaching the hospital, each went to attend to their own duties. Old Chief Physician Pan brought Zheng Ren and Su Yun to the ICU.

"Zheng Ren, what's your plan?" Old Chief Physician Pan asked as they walked.

"We have to perform a radiology imaging: if it's a standard bleed, we'll open up the abdomen. If the bleeding site is difficult to find, we'll perform interventional embolization then cut off the necrotized parts of the intestines," Zheng Ren answered confidently.

Old Chief Physician Pan had no words.

Zheng Ren was suggesting destructive surgery!

Superselection of the superior mesenteric artery and embolization of the subsequent arterial branch would stop the bleed, but it also meant cutting blood flow to parts of the intestines.

This was a surgical taboo!

Su Yun's footsteps faltered for a moment before picking up to catch Zheng Ren, whispering, "I think it's possible."

"Yeap." Zheng Ren nodded.

"Zheng Ren, are you confident?" Old Chief Physician Pan asked.

"Yes, as long as the patient's condition is stable for surgery," Zheng Ren said reassuringly.

"Alright." Old Chief Physician Pan said nothing more. The three men walked in silence toward the ICU.

They changed their outfits before entering the ward; its chief, Dr. Qian, was by the patient's bedside with crossed arms, watching the vital signs monitor and speaking to Chief Sun from the second general surgery department.

Both monitor and ventilator worked with an urgency to keep the patient alive.

How familiar... Zheng Ren studied the scene before him, his comfortable stint in Imperial Capital a distant memory.

"Little Su, you're back." Department Chief Qian neglected Old Chief Physician Pan and Zheng Ren in favor of Su Yun.

Su Yun smiled in response.

Old Chief Physician Pan went by the patient's side and analyzed the man's vitals: blood pressure at 70/50 mmHg, breathing at 24 breaths per minute, pulse at 121 beats per minute, oxygen saturation 89%.

The patient was going into hypovolemic shock.

"Chief Pan, you've arrived. Oh, Zheng Ren, you're back too," the second general surgery department chief said.

"What is general surgery's view on this?" Old Chief Physician Pan asked.

"There's not much we can do but issue a critical illness notice. Chief Pan, you know that surgery is near impossible." Department Chief Sun shook his head but his eyes flicked surreptitiously to Zheng Ren.

Chief Qian let out a sigh. "Indeed."

Old Chief Physician Pan had come to fulfill his responsibility as a doctor, but his presence was of no help to the patient.

At the top right corner of Zheng Ren's vision, the System display flashed red as it diagnosed the patient: hemorrhagic shock, electrolyte imbalance, lower gastrointestinal tract bleed.

The patient's condition was deteriorating by the minute. Zheng Ren let out a heavy sigh.

He understood their reluctance to operate as he, too, was once a general surgeon. What could a general surgeon do with a GI tract filled with blood? Cut open the intestine to find the bleed?

In such cases, there was a high chance that opening up the abdominal cavity would lead to the patient dying of blood loss before the bleed could even be identified.

It was either death on the operating table or death in the ICU ward.

From the second phase of the System mission, The First Stage of The Great Beginning, Zheng Ren had been rewarded with the memory of 3,000 gastrointestinal anatomical dissections.

However, his surgical skill was limited to appendicitis and hernias.

This case would require him to spend some time in the System's intensive training modules.

Recalling the amount of training time he had, he said unhesitatingly, "Let's give it a try."

"Oh? Little Zheng, you have a different opinion?" Department Chief Sun responded, evidently waiting for Zheng Ren to speak up.

"We can try an interventional method to search for the bleed."

Department Chief Qian's brows furrowed. Interventional radiology was a foreign topic to him, but he was willing to give any proposal a shot.

Department Chief Sun was all smiles. "I knew we could count on you."

"We have to give it a try at least," Zheng Ren replied.

"Little Zheng, we're not familiar with the process, so could you communicate it to the family?" Department Chief Qian asked.

"Sure." Zheng Ren looked at the patient and asked, "I need at least 10U of RBC [1] and 1L of plasma. Are there signs of coagulation failure?"

"Boss, you head on and talk to the family, I'll handle the arrangements," Su Yun interjected, "I've just had some drinks so it's best I don't meet them."

Department Chief Qian and Department Chief Sun stared at Su Yun in surprise.

Boss? Was that what he called Zheng Ren?

[1] Red blood cells.

Chapter 266: Rescue Mission! (Part 5 of 5)

Zheng Ren nodded; along with Old Chief Physician Pan, he went to the ICU workstation to carefully study the patient's recent test results and history.

The patient's results were chilling, his condition staggeringly critical.

As Zheng Ren went further into the old man's files, his frown deepened.

Old Chief Physician Pan was on another computer, viewing the patient's details. A few minutes later, he said, "Zheng Ren, this man is not fit for surgery. It's clear he won't survive the procedure."

"If we don't operate, he won't last the night," Zheng Ren retorted.

Equipped with the patient's medical records, he did some mental calculations.

With surgery, the patient had a 20% chance of survival.

Without it, the patient had nil.

Were this a game, everyone would choose the surgical route as a last ditch effort.

However, in the real world, a doctor's ability to treat a patient was heavily dependent on other factors.

Even if the doctor was willing to risk his career to perform a procedure with a low chance of success, the patient's family likely could not afford it.

Old Chief Physician Pan saw the determination in Zheng Ren's eyes. He scanned through the patient's test reports one last time before saying, "I'll go talk to the family."

"Chief, allow me to do it," Zheng Ren said, although he appreciated the gesture.

This was tricky for any doctor. No matter how it ended, there would be a stain on their reputation.

Success would not gain them any commendation as it was expected of their vocation.

Failure... would spell the end for the surgeon.

Old Chief Physician Pan's unstated offer was to shoulder half of that burden.

"Prepare your words. If the family agrees, we'll proceed immediately," Old Chief Physician Pan instructed before leaving the ICU.

Department Chief Qian approached. "Chief Pan really likes you, huh?"

"Yes, I'm aware." Zheng Ren was hashing out the particulars of the consent form on the computer. "It's not an easy procedure."

"Then..."

Department Chief Qian did not continue. His silence said more than he could.

"We can't just watch the patient die," Zheng Ren said.

"Little Zheng, what's your plan? Summarize it for me," Department Chief Qian requested.

"I'll try to find the bleed through radiological imaging. Once we have a clearer picture, we can decide how to proceed."

Department Chief Qian recalled Zheng Ren's words from earlier, but in his opinion, it would be extremely difficult to locate the gastrointestinal bleed.

However, he was not an expert in interventional radiology. He had witnessed Zheng Ren perform a few interventional embolization surgeries but never interacted with any of the patients; internally, he considered contacting colleagues in Provincial Capital.

The document was complete. Zheng Ren printed a copy to bring to Old Chief Physician Pan.

The man was talking to the patient's family. The patient's partner was in her seventies, wiping tears from her eyes as she listened to his briefing.

Behind the old lady stood a few middle-aged adults with serious expressions.

Old Chief Physician Pan heard Zheng Ren's footsteps approaching and turned around. "Let's have you sign the documents."

The old lady was clearly shaken by Old Chief Physician Pan's words, her hands visibly trembling in the face of cold, hard facts.

Few in this world had the courage to stare death in the face.

Seeing her shaky hands, a middle-aged man walked up, took the pen and signed the documents.

The patient's fate was sealed.

Once the formalities were done, Zheng Ren called Su Yun to transfer the patient as he and Old Chief Physician Pan hurried to the emergency department's operating room.

"The patient's family was cooperative and understood the risks. There shouldn't be any issues," Old Chief Physician Pan said once they were out of earshot.

"Okay."

"Do what you can; if it's impossible, we'll just identify the bleed location. Actually, we can even consult the department chief in Provincial Capital," Old Chief Physician Pan advised.

Zheng Ren knew Old Chief Physician Pan worried that he had just come back from Imperial Capital on a surgery high and would thus not back down from a challenge.

He tried to offer some reassurance. "Don't worry, Chief. I'm aware of my limits."

No more words were exchanged as their hurried footsteps echoed down the hallway.

When they arrived outside the operating room, Chu Yanzhi popped out and asked loudly, "What type of surgery are we doing?"

"Hybrid surgery," Zheng Ren answered.

"Okay. I'll let Little Yiren know," Chu Yanzhi replied.

She slipped back into the room. Lively chatter came from inside but soon died down; the figures in the room sped about efficiently as they prepared for the surgery.

Zheng Ren made a call to Yang Lei to ask for his assistance during the operation.

Ten minutes later, Su Yun, Department Chief Qian and Department Chief Sun arrived with the patient.

Department Chief Sun had foregone going home, opting to stay and watch the surgery.

He had seen many similar patients who had not made it, and thus had doubts in Zheng Ren's confidence in treating this one.

However, he knew better than to openly challenge Zheng Ren, especially with Old Chief Physician Pan present. He did not want to end up humiliated like Chief Surgeon Liu.

Zheng Ren was just a junior doctor, albeit a skilled one, with little clout. Old Chief Physician Pan, on the other hand, was a man of importance.

It was why Department Chief Sun had allowed the emergency department to siphon patients from the general surgery department.

If Zheng Ren was successful, he would applaud the man and flatter Old Chief Physician Pan. The emergency department could have the patient.

If the surgery was a failure, well, anything could happen.

The patient was lifted onto the operating table. Zheng Ren turned to Su Yun and tapped his shoulder. "You had some drinks just now. I think you should step back."

Su Yun was taken aback but quickly nodded in agreement.

Yang Lei was a married man and was recently planning for a child, so Zheng Ren did not want him exposed to radiation.

It was strange to stand before the operating table alone.

Going from luxury to modesty was much harder than the reverse.

Just then, the System chimed loudly, signifying a mission notification.

[Emergency Mission: Rescue

[Mission Details: A good doctor has to make many decisions in his life. To rescue or to give up, to hold firm or to back down. Everything is a choice. Please complete one emergency hemostasis surgery to address the lower gastrointestinal bleeding.

[Mission Reward: 200 skill points and 2000 experience points.

[Mission Duration: 5 hours.]

Huh...

Surprise, followed by a bitter smile, colored his face.

When he was in Imperial Capital, the System's mission rewards had been lavish. Now that he was back in Sea City, they paled in comparison.

Did the System take into account the hospital's prestige when handing out rewards? He took a deep breath to center his focus before executing disinfection, femoral artery cannulation and introducer sheath placement.

As the surgery began, a long-dormant livestream began transmitting on Xinglin Garden.

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Chapter 267: Destructive Surgery (Part 1 of 5)

[I'm so happy. I thought the surgeon had stopped livestreaming...]

[Youngster, you will only appreciate the things that you've lost.]

[You guys talk, I'll have a look at the case details. The surgeon no longer allows downloads and honestly, without the patient's details, I'm at a loss.]

Hundreds of people entered the livestream but the numbers were significantly lower than before.

Remembering their previous mistakes, the audience quickly read through the case details before they disappeared.

The surgery began with imaging. With his Grandmaster-level skill, the procedure was easy. By the time the audience had finished reading the case, imaging was already complete.

[Imaging is done? I'd just left to read the patient details. That's some incredible speed.]

[It seems like a tough surgery. I wonder what the surgeon plans to do. An emergency wire-guided hemostasis surgery for a lower GI tract bleed? Is the surgeon trying to do the impossible?]

[Don't spout nonsense when you don't actually know what you're talking about. Using imaging to identify the bleed is common these days, but not a lot of people perform the surgery itself because the risk is high. Even with the imaging data, only about 20% of patients go to surgery.]

Medical opinions flew by in streams and for a moment, the livestream resembled its former glory.

Its audience knew the surgery was difficult.

Among its spectators were experienced doctors from Imperial Capital, Sorcery Capital and Provincial Capital. They had seen patients with similar conditions before and knew the likely outcome.

The surgery, while doable, was high-risk.

Most doctors would refuse to perform such a surgery.

Knowing the challenge posed, viewer curiosity was at an all-time high.

[The location of the bleed is not obvious from the imaging. There are too many things going on in the abdomen. Any movement will alter the image.]

[The one who called this a common procedure, come out and explain how you would do it.]

[Don't listen to that fellow's nonsense. Didn't you see the patient's test report? In his condition, there's a 90% chance he won't survive a laparotomy.]

Zheng Ren grimly studied the angiographic image.

It was impossible to locate the source of the blood with the intestines spasming everywhere.

His hopes of using interventional radiology to identify the bleed were dashed. He simply could not make sense of the visual data.

There was only one thing left to do.

Zheng Ren entered the System and traded his experience points for training time. The operating theater rose from the ground.

He had faith in his plan, but it was a rare procedure. He needed some practice in the System before attempting it in the outside world.

[Why isn't the surgeon moving? Are they frozen? I can't believe the surgeon dared livestream a case like this, they must be out of their mind.]

[Hold your tongue. Someone once said something similar and had to eat their words minutes later. I can foresee history repeating itself!]

[It's a difficult call to make. I suspect a bleed from one of the mesenteric artery branches. Would embolization be viable? Any experts on interventional or general surgery here?]

[Not an expert, but I can shed some light on the issue. Unlike the uterine artery, the mesenteric artery cannot be embolized without harming the organs. The intestine will necrotize if its blood supply is cut off.]

[The hell, this is a life on the line. What's the surgeon thinking? There's still time to turn back.]

As the comments went wild, Zheng Ren suddenly moved.

From the image, the embolic agent was visibly being administered!

Zheng Ren had decided to perform an embolization!

[I'm speechless. I think this might be a different surgeon.]

[Agreed. The previous surgeon was calm and careful. The embolization of such an important artery will harm the patient. The affected parts of the intestines will necrotize and lead to problems such as peritonitis and gangrene. In three to five hours, the patient will enter septic shock.]

[I'm starting to think this might be a Canadian surgeon. I doubt anyone in this country would perform such a surgery.]

[Are they panicking? This surgeon does not seem calm.]

The viewers on Xinglin Garden were shocked by the unfolding events.

No one had outright accused Zheng Ren of gross negligence out of some semblance of respect for the livestream surgeon.

Those who doubted the surgeon's capability had ultimately been proven wrong and thus the audience withheld their judgment. Even anonymous, humiliation was still humiliation.

Once embolization was done, the imaging system was turned off. The livestream was still ongoing but only the final angiographic image was shown.

[Is the surgeon done? I know rules and regulations overseas are more lax but this is a whole new level. And to have it recorded live, too. I'm almost impressed.]

[Doesn't seem like it. If it's complete, the livestream should be blank.]

[I just thought of something: do you think the surgeon is going to perform a hybrid surgery?]

The viewers chatted away across the frozen background, mostly surgeons with dexterous fingers and incredible typing speed.

Once the chatroom got going, the conversations nearly eclipsed the actual livestream.

In the operating room, Zheng Ren was changing his garments. He repositioned the patient and disinfected the surgical site.

Old Chief Physician Pan asked, "I noticed you embolized one of the branches from the mesenteric artery. Are you sure it won't be a problem?"

"Yes," Zheng Ren replied. "Yang Lei, scrub in."

Su Yun had been paying attention throughout the surgery.

It was a strange operation. He had some qualms about Zheng Ren's decisions but knew they had their reasons. The more he thought about it, the more concerned he became.

"Little Zheng, what are you doing?" Department Chief Sun seemed anxious, but his sincerity was debatable. His tone was gentle, akin to that of a guiding senior hand. "You should know the after-effects of embolizing the mesenteric artery. Why would you do it on purpose?"

Old Chief Physician Pan scowled and shot Department Chief Sun a glare.

The control room was suddenly filled with a murderous intent.

Department Chief Sun desperately wanted to take back his previous words.

Meanwhile, Department Chief Qian was communicating the progression of the surgery to his friend from another hospital. The evaluation from the other side was equally pessimistic.

In Provincial Capital, similar patients were often not recommended for surgery. They would only go ahead at the family's insistence, and from past records, the survival rate was low.

Department Chief Qian shared the same worries as Department Chief Sun.

He wanted to express his views on the matter, but before doing so, he turned to Su Yun and asked, "Su Yun, what's your opinion on this?"

"Hm?" Su Yun had one arm crossed under the other as he observed the ongoing surgery in the operating room. He thought for a moment then said, "Boss Zheng's skills are unquestionable. I'm thinking about the post-surgery arrangements."

Department Chief Qian was speechless. This had to be a fake Su Yun. Where was that high and mighty doctor? He could not believe those words had just come out of Su Yun's mouth.

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Chapter 268: Last Resort (Part 2 of 5)

Zheng Ren disinfected the skin and covered the area with surgical drapes, then washed his hands again and placed a second layer of drapes.

He did not have to say a word; whenever he extended his hand, the correct tool would be placed in it by Xie Yiren.

Their synchronicity was astounding!

Zheng Ren decided to start with a 15 cm incision on the left side of the rectus abdominis.

Yang Lei and Zheng Ren had experience working together in the general surgery department, although they were dealing with simple appendectomies and hernias back then.

A scalpel was handed to Zheng Ren.

Incision, followed by a blunt dissection. The peritoneum was gently parted to gain access to the peritoneal cavity.

Yang Lei increased retraction to provide a better view for Zheng Ren to begin his work.

As the patient had not been eating or drinking much for the past two weeks, his gut was mainly filled with coagulated blood.

Zheng Ren recalled the imaging post-embolization and identified the part of the intestine that likely contained the bleed, pulling the segment free so that it rested above the body.

"Warm saline gauze." It was his first spoken instruction.

It was an unusual surgery, requiring unusual procedures.

Xie Yiren nodded and got the circulating nurse to obtain gauze soaked in saline solution.

Zheng Ren was not rushing the surgery. He simply covered the segment of the intestine with the gauze and the surgery came to a pause.

The three department chiefs in the control room had their jaws on the floor.

What was this procedure?

Normally, warm saline gauze was used to cover the incision when there was an abnormality observed partway through the surgery, requiring the surgeon to step out to inform the patient's family. It was also used in intraoperative frozen section procedures to stall the surgery as they waited for the test results before proceeding with the next step.

Lastly, saline-soaked gauze was also used in situations where the surgeon had lost control of the procedure and had to wait for someone else to take over.

Zheng Ren's application of the warm saline gauze did not fall into any of those categories.

The chatroom in Xinglin Garden exploded.

[What is the surgeon doing? Why did the surgery pause again?]

[Maybe there's a switch and they're waiting for another surgeon to assist?]

[Come on, I put down my beer and snuck into the nightclub toilet to watch this. And I'm using mobile data. What's this pause for?]

Dissatisfaction festered in the livestream.

The general consensus was that the current surgeon was not the same one from the previous videos and the surgery was on hold, waiting for assistance.

The intestines were filled with blood and it was impossible to find the source of it all!

How ridiculous!

The audience expressed their anger through their comments, something they could not possibly do were they present in person.

If they judged the situation wrongly online, they could just log off the platform with a stung sense of pride, but that was not possible in real life. They would not offend a surgeon whose methods they could not even understand.

Zheng Ren waited for 30 minutes. This was a slow surgery, a contrast from his usual pace.

The warm saline gauze was replaced three times. Whenever Xie Yiren delivered the new gauze, Zheng Ren's eyes crinkled above the mask and they exchanged a glance of good cheer.

"It's great to have your own scrub nurse back, huh, boss?" Su Yun suddenly muttered from behind him.

Zheng Ren felt his body tense.

"Relax. I think the necrosis is almost done. Resection can start soon, but try to minimise it; I'll look over the patient in the ICU." With that, Su Yun walked out of the operating room without a backwards glance.

Once he had understood what Zheng Ren was doing, he did not bother watching the rest of the surgery.

He knew where the man stood in terms of surgical skill.

A few minutes later, Zheng Ren removed the saline gauze.

There were two distinct colors visible on the segment of intestine.

The pink, fleshy part indicated that the tissues there were still alive and well.

Pale grey denoted the dead segment.

After the embolization of the mesenteric artery branch, a part of the intestine had necrotized due to lack of blood. Zheng Ren was identifying the affected parts.

Necrosis required some time, so Zheng Ren was not in a rush.

The slow surgery was approaching its climax.

Zheng Ren reached out and a scalpel was handed to him.

Based on the difference in color, Zheng Ren made a decisive cut in the intestine 0.5 cm away from the pink segment.

The cut was clean and neat. Within 10 minutes, Zheng Ren managed to remove 40 cm of necrotized intestine and reattached the live sections.

Chatter on the Xinglin Garden livestream had died down. The occasional comment popped up but there was 90% less activity on the stream.

No one spoke in the control room. The three department chiefs with their varying stances on the ongoing procedure were absolutely shocked by what they were seeing.

Even Old Chief Physician Pan could not believe his eyes.

It was a last resort[1: to embolize the artery and cut off all the necrotized parts of the intestine.

Although collateral damage was significant, there was no better alternative.

Better this than letting the patient waste away in the ICU.

They watched as Zheng Ren expertly performed the general surgery. Department Chief Sun was almost blinded by all that potential...

Zheng Ren's method was simple and straight to the point. Department Chief Sun would do the same if he was the surgeon.

However, Department Chief Sun could never match Zheng Ren's speed and accuracy.

The old department chief felt a pang of grief in his heart as he lamented his old age.

Even if he had the speed, he lacked the synchrony Zheng Ren had with the scrub nurse. Zheng Ren only had to reach out and the right tools would appear almost instantly in his hand.

Even a weathered department chief such as himself had never met someone who could work this well with him.

It was... exceptional!

With the resection complete, the cavity was rinsed and suctioned. A final check was done to ensure there was no active bleeding before the abdomen was closed up.

A large part of the surgery had been spent waiting for the segments to necrotize.

[I think I just went blind for a second there.]

[I salute the surgeon for being able to perform such a surgery.]

[I can conclude that every decision the surgeon makes is the right one. He has never gotten anything wrong since the first appendectomy livestream.]

[Where are the skeptics and naysayers now? Come out and explain this!]

[Amazing. Such an innovative procedure; perhaps I can try this if I encounter a similar case.]

[Don't be naive. The surgeon has guts and skill. If you make a mistake in a surgery like this, it'll turn into a huge lawsuit.]

Once the abdomen was sealed, the livestream ended and comments flooded the screen.

The procedure was not Zheng Ren's own. He had read about it in various medical journals discussing similar case studies.

However, his advantage over his peers lay in his expertise in both interventional and general surgery.

Others had to rely on an interventional radiology specialist to perform the imaging before passing the baton to the general surgeon. Having the same person perform both procedures was a completely different matter.

Under Zheng Ren's knife, the patient was treated swiftly and thus the risk of post-surgery complications was greatly reduced.

"Ding dong~" The System rang, signaling a completed mission.

[1] The original text for "last resort" is 死中求活 (lit. "dying to live"), used in reference to a move in the Chinese board game Go equivalent to sacrificing one's own pieces to achieve a larger victory.

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Chapter 269: Something Intimate, Something Sweet (Part 3 of 5)

[Emergency Mission: Resuscitation completed.

[Mission: Completed one of the emergency surgery on gastrointestinal bleeding.

[Mission Reward: 200 skill points, 2,000 experience points.

[Mission Time: 2 hours 15 minutes, remaining 2 hours 45 minutes.]

Zheng Ren sighed. He had been pampered by the System's lavish rewards, and the ones he was now getting seemed inadequate in comparison.

There was no choice but to be more frugal.

That feeling... was something he was used to.

He took off his sterile surgical gown and walked into the operating console room wearing the isolation suit.

"Monitor postoperative coagulation," he said.

"Sure, anything else to keep an eye on?" Chief Qian asked.

"With Su Yun here, there won't be."

Chief Qian was stunned.

Had he just replied with a follow-up question? It felt like he had gone back twenty years to being a clinical doctor, noting down everything his superior said and obeying orders unconditionally.

However, this person was just a chief resident while he was the department chief of the ICU in Sea City General Hospital. What kind of arrogant... As he was on the verge of getting indignant, he compared their respective surgical prowess and steadied himself.

Chief Qian offered an awkward smile, patted Zheng Ren's shoulders and glanced at him meaningfully. Then, without saying a word, he turned around to order one of his subordinates to transport the patient back to ICU.

"Little Zheng, you're amazing!" Chief Liu praised.

"It's just a basic procedure," Zheng Ren said calmly.

"If Old Chief Physician Pan is willing to let you go, come to me. I'll make you a deputy chief right away." Chief Liu dared not poach Zheng Ren right in front of Old Pan and left it there.

As expected, Old Chief Physician Pan glared at him. Chief Liu smirked and left the emergency operating theater some more small talk.

Mild-mannered Chief Sun, on the other hand, did not make any moves of his own.

Before this, he would not have hesitated to steal patients from the emergency department no matter how vicious they were. Now, especially when even Chief Liu backed down, he did not dare face off against Old Chief Physician Pan and his terrifying chief resident.

In this case, preoperative procedures were the key, but he had no clue what Zheng Ren had been doing. He had wanted to give it a try but was fortunate that his habitual cowardice made him turn around; otherwise, he would have just made a fool of himself.

Chief Sun left the emergency operating theater and the building. Chilly winds grazed his face, making him feel more energized. He recalled the surgery earlier and let out a long sigh.

The duo, Zheng Ren and Old Chief Physician Pan, could dominate the entire hospital.

Regardless if he understood the procedure, the interventional surgery would not have been successful were there no one to perform it.

Even if someone else could perform the radiography, Chief Sun would never take the risk inherent to such a surgery.

After Chief Sun's departure, Old Chief Physician Pan silently stared at Zheng Ren for a long time.

Zheng Ren was puzzled. He touched his face, fearing that there were residual rice grains that could have contaminated the operating table.

"With your skill, you're more than capable of performing a surgery like this. However, without me here, you'd have had to wait for a decade before you could do this," Old Chief Physician Pan said quietly.

Zheng Ren understood the underlying meaning of the old chief's words.

There was a gush of warmth in his heart. Was this the taste of home?

Even though the System's rewards were not as generous, with Old Chief Physician Pan and Little Yiren beside him, Sea City General Hospital was much better than Imperial Capital.

His heart overflowing with gratitude, Zheng Ren stepped forward and sat down in front of Old Pan, his voice overcome with emotion and sincerity. "Thank you for everything."

"It's my pleasure," Old Chief Physician Pan said with a smile.

"I'll start my shift tonight so that Yang Lei can get some rest. He should take a few days off since he's been working very hard recently," Zheng Ren said.

"Sure, just call me if there's anything." Old Chief Physician Pan was already tired; as his adrenaline rush receded post-surgery, fatigue caught up with him and made him sluggish.

Zheng Ren informed the Chu sisters to send the old chief home as they had nothing much to do after the operation.

After sending off Old Chief Physician Pan, Zheng Ren thought for a while and returned to the operating theater instead of the emergency ward.

Since the emergency ward was still very early in development, its staff was not yet assigned. There were no anesthesiologists and nurses on assigned shifts; they had to be called in when required.

Xie Yiren and the circulating nurse had finished packing up and were about to leave.

When they saw Zheng Ren, the nurse murmured something into Xie Yiren's ears that made the latter's face flush bright red. With glee, the nurse passed Zheng Ren as she left and whispered, "All the best, Chief Zheng!"

Zheng Ren was well and truly embarrassed.

The operating theater was so quiet that they could nearly hear each other's heartbeats.

Xue Yiren was nervous, her head lowered and her hands trembling a little, but she gripped her sleeve tightly and tried her best to seem as natural as possible.

Zheng Ren was like a log. In such ambiguous situations, he had no idea what to say.

Ages later, Zheng Ren finally broke the silence. "I'll walk you to your car."

His voice echoed in the empty corridor,

in Zheng Ren's heart,

and in Xie Yiren's heart.

"Sure."

They both left the operating theater side by side.

Despite having gotten used to exchanging greetings every morning and night via WeChat, when it came to facing each other in real life, they did not know what to say.

Zheng Ren felt at peace as he walked with Little Yiren. His survival instinct, ingrained into him since childhood, seemed to have never existed at all.

How nice it would be if they could continue walking forever.

Xie Yiren was also quiet. She kept her head lowered, her thoughts opaque.

Although they did not interact or speak with each other, there was no discomfort. They simply continued walking, the smell of hospital disinfectant more intoxicating than the fragrance of spring flowers.

After reaching the basement parking lot, Xie Yiren stood by her car door and said softly, "Goodbye, Zheng... Chief Zheng."

Zheng Ren gathered the courage to raise his arms, wanting to hug her like he did the other day.

However, Xie Yiren ran into her car without giving him a chance to.

This was awkward.

He stood in front of the car with his arms opened, looking like a puppet whose eyes were filled with disappointment and panic.

Xie Yiren waved to him to signal that she was leaving.

The engine of the Volvo XC60 roared deeply as she started the car.

She hesitated upon seeing Zheng Ren standing there, dazed. Instead of shifting into gear and driving off, she stared at him in silence.

Two young people lost and trapped in the forest of love, with no escape in sight.

After a minute had passed, Zheng Ren finally regained his senses. He put his arms down and smiled, signalling Xie Yiren to leave.

She suddenly began to fiddle with a red string at her fair-skinned neck

Zheng Ren was confused.

A heart-shaped pendant made from a micro guide wire appeared at the end of the red string. Xie Yiren placed the simple pendant between her nose and lips and smiled before putting it back into her clothes, close to her chest.

It was a simple gesture, but it seemed to have taken a chunk out of her, and a sheen of sweat covered her forehead.

She wiped her sweat away and put her hand at her heart, as if telling Zheng Ren that his gift was there.

Then, the Volvo drove off.

Zheng Ren stared at its departing shadow, overjoyed.

It was good to be home.

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Chapter 270: The Clock is Ticking (Part 4 of 5)

The corners of Zheng Ren's mouth curved upwards when he recalled the gesture Xie Yiren had made before she left.

He returned to the emergency ward and saw Yang Lei writing up the operative report.

"Go home, Yang Lei. I'll be taking over tonight's shift," Zheng Ren said.

Yang Lei smirked when he saw Zheng Ren, a hint of mockery and curiosity in his expression.

"How was it?"

"What do you mean by how?"

"There's no one else in the operating theater. It's dark, with two single adults who clearly have feelings for each other." Yang Lei's smile grew wider.

"Stop talking nonsense. The operating theater has a surveillance camera." Zheng Ren tried to pretend as if nothing had happened and detracted the man with random excuses.

"That's true." Yang Lei did not try to embarrass Zheng Ren further. Grinning, he added, "A few years back, the cardiothoracic department chief and the matron of the operating theater from The First Affiliated Hospital of Provincial Capital Medical University were caught on tape. If it weren't for his connections, he wouldn't have been able to remove the video from the internet within hours and his scandal would have blown up to an unimaginable scale."

"..." Despite bloviating, Zheng Ren had not expected Yang Lei to persist with the topic and bring it to such a direction.

"I'll take my leave, then." Yang Lei saw Zheng Ren become more uncomfortable, laughed and said, "Also, a chief resident's job is inhuman. I have the urge to quit whenever I think about having to become one for a whole year in order to get a promotion."

"You just need to pull through. You'll be able to perform any surgery after that year," Zheng Ren said, repeating a common aphorism.

Yang Lei shook his head, his expression strange.

"Since you went to Imperial Capital, your skill has surpassed mine by leaps and bounds," Yang Lei said, "Even though I'm an average nobody, my judgment is fairly sound."

"It's no big deal." Zheng Ren laughed.

"Can you guide me through some surgeries? Sea City is my hometown and I'm not going to go anywhere in my lifetime," Yang Lei said seriously. "These days, northeast China is lacking young blood as all the youth have left. The economy is also deteriorating. I'm sure you won't stay for long, either. Can you teach me some skills so that I can still survive after you leave?"

Zheng Ren stared at Yang Lei's earnest gaze and nodded in return.

"I'll leave now," Yang Lei said with a smile, "I really admire those who are naturally gifted, like you and Su Yun; it makes me jealous sometimes."

Naturally gifted? Zheng Ren thought of the System. He was certain that he was definitely not as talented as Su Yun. That guy was the real deal.

But... that was just the way things were.

After seeing Yang Lei off, Zheng Ren talked to the nurse for a moment before heading to the ICU to check on the patient.

Su Yun was chatting with the nurses in the ICU while recording the patient's vitals.

The patient was stable, with a slight increase in blood pressure. Zheng Ren left after a quick once-over.

There were few patients in the emergency ward as he had been absent for a while.

Old Chief Physician Pan still preferred conventional surgery since he was getting old and his ability to learn new things was limited. Also, with his presbyopia, he could never catch up with younger doctors in laparoscopy.

Patients in need of a laparoscopy were usually sent to the inpatient ward behind the building.

Zheng Ren finished his ward rounds and made sure all the patients were stable before blissfully returning to the on-call room, the image of Xie Yiren and the heart-shaped pendant close to her chest turning over in his mind.

On his phone, he saw Xie Yiren's message reassuring him that she had safely arrived at home.

Zheng Ren hesitated for a moment before typing out a simple reply.

Both of them had been a little awkward today. Previously, separated by sheer distance, they had plenty of things to say to each other, but now Xie Yiren bade him goodnight after a few words.

Zheng Ren turned off his phone and laid on his bed after washing up.

Groggily, he fell into a slumber and only woke up when the day was in full swing.

It would be wonderful were every shift similar to that of the previous night; impossible as it was, Zheng Ren still held on to hope.

He did his ward rounds and carried out the usual daily morning routines.

Zheng Ren took the opportunity to get to know his patients. Chang Yue was very familiar with each one, smiling and chatting away with them enthusiastically.

At 9.16 a.m., the emergency department paged him for an acute appendicitis patient.

As usual, Zheng Ren gathered his energy and accepted.

There was nothing special about the patient; everything was standard except for their lack of fasting, which resulted in the surgery being scheduled at 12 p.m.

It was no big deal, though. He could just wait for it.

Zheng Ren was already at the operating table at 12 and noticed Xie Yiren's absence. The matron arranged for another scrub nurse to assist him.

"Where's Xie Yiren?" he asked.

"Having lunch with a classmate of hers from the South, apparently," the matron answered.

With the level of staffing in the emergency department, it was considered a huge request for one to take some time off, even for a few hours.

The matron had to take over an incredible workload due to Xie Yiren's absence.

However, that was not Zheng Ren's main concern. He had feared that he had so badly embarrassed Xie Yiren yesterday night with his unreturned gesture that she had resigned, but a visiting classmate was much more relieving.

Love did make people blind.

Even though they had made their feelings clear, he still overthought every tiny detail.

...

...

In one of the top restaurants in Sea City, Xie Yiren was happily chatting with her female classmate beside her.

Sitting opposite them was a gentle, polite and refined middle-aged man—Li Xiaochen.

He had used all of his connections and resources to finally get a hold of Zheng Ren's "team".

Initially, he had been skeptical of Su Yun's words. A young doctor at Zheng Ren's age, even with exemplary skill, could not possibly overcome the rigid hierarchy of older department chiefs.

Skill came from natural aptitude and hard work.

Actually climbing the ladder required years of networking and string-pulling.

Trying to defy his higher-ups at his level would end in him having to leave Sea City to start over.

Team? What department chief would allow their chief resident to operate with an entire team? It needed a clout that rivalled that of a chief's own.

However, after investigating, he had been surprised to find out that Mr. Zheng indeed had a whole team. He already met and shared a meal with his assistant, Su Yun, earlier in Imperial Capital and his first impression was that the man's looks were gorgeous, akin to a beautiful woman, plus... Su Yun could really hold his liquor, effortlessly finishing a pint of Maotai.

Besides Su Yun, there was also a scrub nurse and two anesthesiologists.

With such a combination... Li Xiaochen was left speechless.

The American professors working in Straits Hospital did not even have personal scrub nurses. How had a chief resident in Sea City managed to get one?

After some further digging, all he learned was that the scrub nurse was from a rather wealthy family. The two anesthesiologists were still house officers; despite being postgraduates, they had yet to complete their residency training to become fully trained physicians.

In the end, Li Xiaochen decided to target Xie Yiren.

He found a classmate of hers from the south to visit and persuade her to join him.

Were he trying to recruit a normal chief resident, he would have needed to pay such a hefty price.

However, Li Xiaochen had heard about Professor Rudolf Wagner rushing back to Imperial Capital after the award ceremony and being unable to find Zheng Ren. The German was negotiating with Department Chief Kong right now and Zheng Ren was most likely returning to the city. It was just a matter of time.

The clock was ticking, and he had to strike while the iron was hot.

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Chapter 271: Money is No Object (Part 5 of 5)

At noon, the sun was at its zenith.

There were few people on the street, least of all younger folk.

It was a common sight recently due to migration to the south. Sea City could eventually end up resembling the abandoned towns in the remote Siberian tundras of the former Soviet Union.

Li Xiaochen sighed internally as he looked at Xie Yiren sitting opposite him, youthful and radiant.

Mr. Zheng was indeed lucky to find a scrub nurse like her in this desolate place. Her actual skill notwithstanding, she could definitely make a living off her looks alone.

She was also rich, which made her more difficult to poach.

However, he knew Sea City was a third- or even fourth-tier city in a remote area. How rich could one be? To him, there was no one in this world that he could not recruit. All that mattered was how much money he was willing to spend.

He had to get his hands on Zheng Ren before the man was called to Imperial Capital by Professor Rudolf Wagner. If that happened, Zheng Ren's price would become astronomical.

The figure alone would stump the richest of the rich from third- and fourth-tier cities.

"Ahem, Ms. Xie, did you enjoy the lunch?" Li Xiaochen looked at the clock. He had to get down to business as it was almost time for Xie Yiren to leave.

"I'm full," Xie Yiren said with a smile as pretty as a blossom. Every simple gesture or phrase from her was cute and full of vigor.

"Beautiful Ms. Xie, can you allow me five minutes to express my admiration for you?" Li Xiaochen said, his pronunciation shoddy.

He was fluent in American English, but had had to pick up Mandarin after returning to the country. Ultimately, he had combined them and evolved his own style.

When talking to a department chief, he would try his best at proper Mandarin. However, Li Xiaochen let his guard down as Xie Yiren was just a young lady.

"Admiration?" Xie Yiren was flustered.

"He's trying to convince you to join his hospital," Xie Yiren's classmate explained with a chuckle.

"Oh, thanks, but I'm not planning to leave," Xie Yiren said with an innocent expression, looking as pure as plain water.

"Sea City is just a small part of this great nation, just cold, deserted, and lifeless," Li Xiaochen persisted, "A beautiful girl like you should spend your youth in a first-tier city."

"Oh, you mean tourism? I really enjoyed it when I was younger. Back when I was ten and my dad was still working, I'd already toured the entire country with my mum," Xie Yiren continued obliviously, "I think it's still a bit too soon to travel around the world; I could get sick of it if I do it too often. Maybe in a few years, I'll take your advice."

"No, no." Li Xiaochen was baffled but kept trying with an unwavering smile on his face, "A flourishing city means tons of opportunities. I'm sure you're still in need of a career enhancement for your future."

"My future? There's no need for that." Xie Yiren laughed. "My dad has told me that he simply wants me to be happy and healthy when I grow up. Nothing else is of importance."

Li Xiaochen was stunned...

The Chinese parents' adage was to raise sons in frugality and daughters in abundance.

He felt helpless.

"You still chose to be an OR scrub nurse. It is a tough job that requires late shifts and pays little. I'm sure you've thought about it." Refusing to give up, Li Xiaochen desperately tried to find Xie Yiren's bottom line.

"It's my passion," Xie Yiren answered happily, "I'm not a fan of blood and organs, with the exception being when it's in hot pot, of course. I like being a scrub nurse because I enjoy the satisfaction that comes with every successful surgery."

In the face of Xie Yiren's enthusiasm, Li Xiaochen felt dejected.

This girl probably was a spoiled brat and had no idea about the hardships of life.

"When working with regular doctors, I had been frustrated and also thought of moving to Imperial Capital or Sorcery Capital then."

Xie Yiren's words gave him a glimmer of hope.

"However, after seeing Zheng... after Zheng Ren's surgery, I gave up on that thought." Xie Yiren hesitated as she addressed Chief Zheng informally, her smile bright as blossoming flowers.

"No wonder you became Mr. Zheng's scrub nurse." Li Xiaochen smiled. "I came to Sea City as the authorized representative of Straits Hospital to extend an employment opportunity to both you and Mr. Zheng."

"Oh, I don't really care for it as long as Zheng Ren's happy," Xie Yiren said.

Her nonchalance was unassailable, leaving Li Xiaochen in the dust.

However, he still refused to surrender. After a few seconds of silence, he said, "We can offer you a great medical environment and a salary worthy of your skill."

"Money is no object to me." Xie Yiren unconcerned with material wealth. "My family owns a lot of properties. For example, we own the building we're currently having lunch in."

Li Xiaochen's jaw almost dropped in shock.

Even in a small third- or fourth-tier city, a central business district (CBD) building still cost a fortune. Were they to sell it, Xie Yiren's fortune and prosperity would be all but guaranteed.

This woman was really rich, Li Xiaochen mused, but he remained adamant.

"That won't always be the case." Li Xiaochen kept smiling. "There'll be an international financial crisis soon and our country's economy will also be affected. The property market in first-tier cities might survive it, but I'm sure prices in third- or fourth-tier cities would plunge. How far they fall would depend on the population decline."

"Oh, it still doesn't matter." Xie Yiren and Li Xiaochen were on completely different wavelengths.

"In my opinion, whether or not you're doing this out of passion or as a preparation for the financial crisis, you should find a..."

"There's no need for that, my family also owns properties in Imperial Capital." Xie Yiren thought for a while before continuing, "Since property value in Imperial Capital does not depreciate, it should be fine."

"Imperial Capital..." Li Xiaochen was dumbfounded. Her family even owned property in Imperial Capital, where prices rivaled that of New York?

"Let me think." Xie Yiren rested her chin on her hand, her head tilted, and fell into deep thought, "Right, I believe the Sunshine 100 International Apartment on the Third Ring Road belongs to my family."

Upon hearing that, Li Xiaochen nearly coughed up blood.

His own workplace in Imperial Capital was in f*cking Sunshine 100 International Apartment.

Third Ring Road was just around the corner of Chaoyang Park.

The annual rent of a house of even a few dozen square meters cost a bomb.

Also, did she just mention that her family owned the entire CBD building?

"I think it was around the time I was born. My dad was in the property market in Imperial Capital, and it was not as expensive back in the 90s. My mum gave birth to me on the same day of the CBD ribbon-cutting ceremony, which was why my dad named it Sunshine 100. He hoped that I would always be 100% happy," Xie Yiren recalled.

After that, she chuckled and said, "My dad is great, isn't he?"

Not only did Li Xiaochen's jaw fall open—his eyes became as round as saucers.

To own a CBD building in Imperial Capital, even far from the third ring road like in the Daxing and Tongzhou districts... even the scummiest human being could be called a great father.

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Chapter 272: The Floating Gallbladder (Part 1 of 5)

The surgery was successful. With Yang Lei beside him, Zheng Ren finished it within 20 minutes.

At the operating table, he patiently explained the key steps of the procedure to Yang Lei. Even though it was simply a laparoscopic appendectomy, the techniques he shared were useful and very much applicable to other surgeries, to Yang Lei's benefit.

After leaving the table, Zheng Ren felt bored.

He seemed to have lost his direction in life after returning from Imperial Capital.

No, that was not it. It was Xie Yiren's absence.

Zheng Ren remained oblivious to the truth, however.

His skill points in general surgery were accumulating at a painfully slow rate, still a long way away from Grandmaster.

Zheng Ren thought of practicing the Whipple procedure in the System's operating theater, estimating a gain of over a hundred skill points per surgery.

However, he dismissed the idea when he saw his remaining experience points and surgical training time.

If he spent them all, the possibility of him achieving Grandmaster rank would be next to zero. He would be in trouble in any emergency situation.

It was better to play it safe and slowly build up to the main long-term mission—all top general surgeons would have had countless years under their belt. Even though his rewards were meager, it was better than nothing.

Su Yun's familiar voice came from behind him. "Where did your mind wander off to?"

"I'm just daydreaming."

"Are you thinking about Little Yiren? You're just too timid. Have you seen 'Overbearing CEO Falls in Love With Me'? You need to be more forward," Su Yun teased.

"Chief Liu was very forward when he went to America[1, but he lost so much money, it's embarrassing," Zheng Ren refuted without hesitation.

"I'm talking about you, just get the gist of it." Su Yun smiled, unbothered by Zheng Ren's retort, which if anything proved his claim.

"How's the patient?" Zheng Ren asked.

"He's stable, I just removed the tube. From his current condition, he'll survive." Su Yun was concise when speaking about patients and gave simple, brief answers.

Zheng Ren had expected this result somewhat. The completion status of the surgery had been at 100%. If everything went well in the ICU, the patient's survival was all but assured.

"Also, the paper on the hepatocellular carcinoma nodules has been received. I've just received a phone call from them asking if there were any more similar cases."

"Not at the moment," Zheng Ren said, "Can't we just publish it as a case study?"

"Yes, but it'll be slower to gain traction," Su Yun said, "That stuff doesn't concern you, anyway. You're just a wimp, forever doomed to be a chief resident in Sea City."

"It's the same everywhere. Didn't you also leave Imperial Capital?"

"Boss, are you interested in a veterinary hospital? I'm not asking you to work there, I'll just occasionally need you to save the day in case there are surgeries that require your expertise."

Saving the day in a veterinary hospital... such a thing was unfamiliar to Zheng Ren.

"They'd mostly be Goldens or Alaskan Malamutes that accidentally swallowed socks which resulted in intestinal obstruction. With your skill, I can safely say you'd finish one surgery every 20 minutes," Su Yun said, "We can negotiate your pay."

"I..."

"Don't say you don't need the money. I asked Xie Yiren yesterday; her parents will be back in one or two months for Chinese New Year," Su Yun drawled.

Zheng Ren hesitated for a moment. "Okay, but I don't have a veterinary license. Is that allowed?"

"It won't be an issue; what vet can actually perform surgery? They all just do it blindly. Simple sterilization is alright, but if you ask them to perform open or thoracic surgery, they would not be able to handle it," Su Yun said.

"We'll do it someday then." Zheng Ren had no choice but to bow down to reality.

He got butterflies in his stomach at the thought of Xie Yiren's parents returning, but did not know why or how to deal with it.

As he pondered it, his phone rang.

It was Chu Yanran. "Chief Zheng, there's a woman with me suffering pain in the upper right region of her abdomen. Come and take a look."

Her words were simple and devoid of formality. It would be strange to stand on ceremony, but she also did not mention her location.

That meant she was in the emergency department.

Zheng Ren hurried there, taking long strides while Su Yun trailed him as usual, head lowered.

The emergency department was not very busy as it was in the middle of the cold winter season. There were almost no drunken brawls, the road was covered in snow and everybody drove extra carefully. It was almost deserted.

Still, that was a good thing.

When they arrived, Chu Yanran was standing by a bed; a doctor was performing an abdominal ultrasound on the patient from a B-scan ultrasonography trolley.

Family members watched from the sidelines anxiously. Zheng Ren ignored them and glanced at the System's diagnosis—gallbladder torsion and acute gangrenous cholecystitis.

Oh? This was a rare disease.

Gallbladder torsion was uncommon. Wendel described it as a "floating gallbladder" when it was first diagnosed in 1898. It had been over a century since, but Zheng Ren's memory of medical literature only yielded slightly over a hundred recorded cases.

Accounting for those that flew under the radar, there were three to five hundred cases at most.

There was no other option but to prepare for surgery.

Torsion of any organ would inevitably lead to necrosis of its tissues. According to the System, acute gangrenous cholecystitis had already set in.

At Zheng Ren's arrival, Chu Yanran said, "Aunt Lin started having abdominal pain after breakfast this morning but didn't do anything about it. Three hours ago, the pain intensified and she took some Xiaoyan Lidan tablets, which did not help with the pain. An hour ago, the pain was so intense that she couldn't endure it anymore, and so she came to the hospital for treatment. There were no chills, fever, nausea, or vomiting. I've already done the routine blood and liver function tests; the results should be back soon."

"It's acute cholecystitis. She needs to have surgery," Zheng Ren said.

"You're Dr. Zheng?" a man in his thirties asked.

He had gold-framed glasses and a studious face, currently etched with worry.

"Yes, that's me," Zheng Ren answered.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Zhou Wenxiang." Despite his anxiety, the man kept his composure and shook Zheng Ren's hand.

"Dr. Zheng, you said that my mother needs to undergo surgery. Is it okay if she doesn't?"

"I think she has a gallbladder torsion, resulting in local necrosis leading to acute gangrenous cholecystitis. There are two options for surgery: either we remove the gallbladder or reposition it. My advice is to surgically remove it to prevent relapse in the future. I don't recommend conservative treatment as it won't help with the symptoms."

Zheng Ren's diagnosis was detailed.

Zhou Wenxiang hesitated for a moment before storming out.

Zheng Ren glanced at Chu Yanran, who approached him and whispered, "His father is a colleague of mine and on his way back from Provincial Capital. Chief Zheng, gallbladder torsion is a rare condition. Are you sure about the diagnosis?"

"There." Zheng Ren pointed at the B-scan ultrasonography beside the bed. "The imaging confirms it."

"When did you learn to read B-scans? From what I remember, you've never made any diagnoses based on them." No incongruence could be hidden from Chu Yanran's keen eyes.

"That's because they did not identify any problems. I'm just pointing it out now since this is a rare emergency."

Chu Yanran tipped her head and thought it through; Zheng Ren's explanation made sense and she did not pursue the matter.

Zhou Wenxiang's voice rang out. "Chief Xia, can you help us? My mum is still in great pain but doesn't want to opt for surgery."

[1] Possibly referring to gambling.

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Chapter 273: Troubled Expression (Part 2 of 5)

Zhou Wenxiang walked in with two others, phone in hand.

They were Chief Xia from gastroenterology and Chief Sun from the second general surgery department.

When Chief Sun saw Zheng Ren, he nodded his head politely without the haughtiness of a department chief.

Chief Xia from gastroenterology was a middle-aged woman in her fifties. She was a little over five feet, with a tiny stature, short hair, and a thin, long face. She gave off the air of a capable, experienced woman.

"Chiefs, my mother felt a pain in her abdomen after this morning's breakfast..." Zhou Wenxiang repeated the whole situation to them.

As they spoke, they passed by Zheng Ren. Chief Xia ignored his presence and went straight to check on the patient.

Chu Yanran felt embarrassed. This was the second time she had asked Zheng Ren for help, only for the patient to seek out other directors and department chiefs, ignoring Zheng Ren outright.

It was happening again!

Between the Chu sisters, Chu Yanran was more reserved than Chu Yanzhi, but it was when the good-natured lost their temper that things were truly serious.

Zheng Ren felt something off upon seeing Chu Yanran's expression and dragged her away by her lab coat like a baby chick.

"What are you doing?" She glared at him.

Zheng Ren released his grip and chuckled, saying softly, "It's fine."

Chu Yanran frowned and stomped her feet. "I'm not going to bother anymore."

He laughed.

"Oh, you're flirting with Chu Yanran behind Xie Yiren's back. I'll be keeping tabs on you," Su Yun said coldly, standing behind them.

Zheng Ren was startled, breaking into a cold sweat even though he knew that Su Yun was joking.

"Cut it out!" Chu Yanran kicked Su Yun in the shin. "Chief Zheng, I trust your diagnosis."

Su Yun nodded, his fringe swaying as he spoke. "I'm not sure why, but I also believe him even though the diagnosis seems a little far-fetched."

After being kicked by Chu Yanran, he turned serious. "The patient has pain in her upper right abdomen. It's understandable to assume acute cholecystitis, but what made you diagnose a gallbladder torsion, Boss Zheng?"

"The abdominal ultrasound shows a gallbladder distension but no gallstones. You can see thickening of the segmental gallbladder wall by 8 mm, indicating the possibility of segmental adenomyomatosis." Zheng Ren pointed at the B-scan and said, "This was a routine checkup, but when we arrived earlier, it was at the oblique scanning plane and I saw that the compartments within the gallbladder had no visible thickening of its walls."

"Wow, what great eyesight you have." Su Yun was staring at the B-scan, but being untrained in the field, there was little point to it.

He was mentally exhausted after following Zheng Ren for so long.

While he had yet to brush up on interventional and general surgeries, this guy had already moved on to f*cking B-scan oblique ultrasound scanning... Clinicians could possibly read CT and MRI scans, but few knew the operating principles of the diagnostic examination of B-scan ultrasonography.

Most physicians only looked at the reports attached to B-scans.

Since B-scan ultrasonography required further specialization, doctors capable of sonography were very popular. There were always long queues for ultrasounds every single day.

As they were talking, Chief Xia had already started to examine the patient.

She was professional in her physical examinations and also very experienced in making diagnoses off interviewing patients. At a glance, she was clearly a seasoned doctor with plenty of clinical experience.

Following the physical examination, she looked at the B-scan report.

"Obviously acute cholecystitis. You can choose the conservative treatment or opt for surgery. It all depends on what you want," Chief Xia said confidently. "What do you think, Chief Sun?"

"Me?" Chief Sun laughed and waved it off. "Little Zheng, what's your opinion on this?"

This... Zheng Ren did not know what Chief Sun was doing.

The man had probably gotten used to slacking, and was thus unwilling to take a firm stance in front of others.

"I think the patient might have acute gangrenous cholecystitis, which requires immediate surgery," Zheng Ren explained honestly.

"How did you see that?" There was a hint of reprimand in Chief Xia's tone; she was not discussing the condition with him, but rather questioning him condescendingly.

Department chiefs had their own stature during clinical examinations, like grassland wolf pack alphas, and no one was allowed to challenge their authority.

The pups from their own pack notwithstanding, everyone else's was forbidden to as well!

As Zheng Ren was the chief resident of the emergency department, Chief Xia was going soft on him. A chief resident or young doctor who dared to defy their own department chief would be asking for trouble.

Old Chief Physician Pan's treatment of Zheng Ren was the exception, not the rule.

That was in itself partly due to Zheng Ren's proficiency in the Whipple procedure during the livestream.

Would Old Pan have clashed so violently with his peers to poach Zheng Ren otherwise? He had even acquiesced to Zheng Ren's requests and retreated to a more supporting role since.

"I saw something similar during the B-scan oblique ultrasound scanning," Zheng Ren explained, his tone free of frustration.

Chief Xia's face dropped. She stared at Zheng Ren sternly but did not argue.

Over ten seconds of silent rumination later, she said, "Go and get the test results."

The clinical doctor beside her obeyed and obtained the patient's details before turning around and running to the emergency department laboratory.

Chief Xia had both hands in the pockets of her lab coat and a red stethoscope hanging around her shoulders. The color of the stethoscope reminded Zheng Ren of Fang Lin.

He wondered if Fang Lin had recovered. When Zheng Ren was about to leave Imperial Capital, Fang Lin had not expressed his gratitude, promising only to visit Sea City once discharged.

Those words had been troubling.

Zheng Ren had no idea where to show a visitor around. Despite being born and raised in Sea City, he had been busy fighting to survive his entire life, spending all his time working to earn a living and sparing none for leisure.

When he had been studying Chengdu University, he had had no chance to visit the Wuhou Shrine, only going to the Wide and Narrow Alley when he was forced to by his classmates. Even standard tourist spots were not his cup of tea, let alone other attractions such as Dujiangyan City and Mount Emei.

If Fang Lin really did come all the way from Imperial Capital, Zheng Ren would be in trouble. He could not just spend all that time eating and drinking in Sea City, and even if he did, Zheng Ren had no idea what to introduce him to. Would he end up offering Fang Lin a shift in the emergency department?

Zheng Ren was willing to do so, but it was simply not hospitable.

Chu Yanran and Su Yun were surprised by Zheng Ren's silence and rare troubled expression.

What had happened to Chief Zheng? Had he crumbled under Chief Xia's authority? Impossible; Zheng Ren was very straightforward and unafraid of anyone in general.

Was he doubting his own diagnosis?

Soon, Chief Xia's clinical doctor returned, test report in hand.

Chief Xia took it and glanced at it briefly before saying coldly, "C-reactive protein levels in the blood are normal, white blood cell count is 7.5, neutrophil levels within range. Clinical laboratory testing does not support acute gangrenous cholecystitis."

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Chapter 274: Injuries Sustained by Fall (Part 3 of 5)

Su Yun scowled but regained his composure almost immediately. He blew at the fringe in front of his forehead and sneered, "I'll wait for you to come and beg me to do the surgery."

However, Chu Yanran felt Chief Xia's explanation was reasonable. The routine blood test and C-reactive protein levels indicated no inflammation. Why had Zheng Ren concluded that it was acute gangrenous cholecystitis caused by gallbladder torsion?

Weird.

Zheng Ren was not one to be that careless, but he had truly slipped up this time.

However, deep down inside, she still felt Zheng Ren was right, which was even weirder.

As he watched Zhou Wenxiang direct the caretaker in moving the old lady onto the stretcher trolley, Zheng Ren sighed and said, "You really don't want to have surgery? I strongly suggest that you do it."

Zhou Renxiang stopped all pretenses and ignored Zheng Ren out of scorn, saying to Chu Yanran, "Yanran, you're wasting your life in Sea City with your qualifications. You should find the opportunity to go to Provincial Capital. It's nearer to your home, and you can also take care of your mother."

Although he was not speaking to Zheng Ren directly, it was obvious that he was telling her not to waste her time around this useless chief resident.

Chu Yanran glowered furiously, but she had no idea how to argue. Internally, she added a mental note not to take on similar cases anymore.

There was no reason to embarrass Chief Zheng like that.

Zheng Ren sighed and shook his head before saying dejectedly, "Let's head back, then."

"Chief Zheng, please don't be mad," Chu Yanran said timidly, feeling ashamed.

"It's fine." Zheng Ren waved.

Chu Yanran did not know that Zheng Ren was more fixated on how to receive Fang Lin in Sea City than the attitudes of Chief Xia and the patient's stubborn family member.

"Be patient," Su Yun said, "Soon they'll be begging you to do it. You can decide whether or not to then, depending on your mood."

"Stop talking nonsense. I don't hold grudges, why wouldn't I agree to it?" Zheng Ren said.

The three of them returned to the emergency ward. Chu Yanran did not follow them in and went to the operating theater instead, most likely to brood.

Zheng Ren had intended to ask her if Xie Yiren had reappeared, but did not have a chance to after the whole commotion.

Back in his office, Zheng Ren started reading the General Surgery magazine while Su Yun sat behind him on a chair, bored and tapping away at his phone.

Chang Yue seemed to overlook their presence. She was busy going from ward to ward to chat with patients, inquire about their condition and strengthen their fortitude.

How nice if every day were this peaceful, Zheng Ren thought as he read.

Even if it meant that he would be unable to showcase his skill, it was still better than adrenaline-fueled, high-stakes emergency rescues.

The sun was very bright in the afternoon, its warm rays shining through the office windows and onto the pages. Zheng Ren was surrounded by warm sunlight and the pleasant scents of paper and ink.

It was as if he was back in his student days, free from the stress of emergencies.

"Do you get your surgical skill from reading books?" After observing Zheng Ren reading for an hour, Su Yun could not stifle his curiosity any further.

"Reading, performing surgery, and reflection," Zheng Ren said, brushing Su Yun off while keeping his eyes on the magazine.

Su Yun kept quiet and returned to his phone.

He pretended not to have asked anything.

The freedom to read leisurely on a sunny afternoon was not the fate of an emergency department physician.

Less than ten minutes after their conversation, Zheng Ren's phone rang uncontrollably.

His heartbeat shot up to 110 beats per minute.

It had been ages since he had last experienced such a rush. Although he had only just returned, he adapted to it instantly.

Zheng Ren picked up and heard the nurse from the emergency department saying, "Chief Zheng, fall injuries!"

"Noted." Zheng Ren hung up immediately and closed the book before hurrying out of the emergency ward.

"Why can't people live normally? Jumping off buildings and all," Su Yun grumbled behind him.

The peak of property development was over. All construction would have stopped by now as it was already winter in northeast China.

Patients with fall injuries were usually those who attempted suicide by jumping off buildings.

"Do you think everyone's like you, with natural talent, a good family background, opportunities, luck and health?"

"I have troubles too. There are too many girls chasing me and it's really bothersome."

"..."

Both of them jogged towards the emergency department.

A young woman was lying on the stretcher trolley, her exposed skin pale as if completely drained of blood.

The nurse had already inserted an IV catheter and was connecting it to a bag of saline.

An ECG monitor showed a blood pressure of 60/30 mm Hg and a heartbeat of 160 bpm.

From the upper right corner of his vision, Zheng Ren saw the System's diagnosis: ruptured liver, ruptured spleen, multiple fractures in the pelvis, femoral shaft fractures on both sides, multiple fractures on the tibia, fibula, and calcaneus, retroperitoneal hematoma...

Fortunately, her chest area was safe. If she had ruptured lungs and multiple fractured ribs, Zheng Ren would have had to consider leveling his cardiothoracic surgery up to Master rank.

"Get the emergency B-scan ultrasonography; take her blood and send it to the blood bank," Zheng Ren yelled.

Everyone worked according to standard protocol. Emergency department nurses were efficient; when the doctor from the emergency department arrived with the B-scan ultrasound on a trolley, they had already prepped the patient for gastric and urinary tube insertions.

Knowing the patient was going for surgery, they set everything up in case Chief Zheng began yelling again.

The doctor performed a B-scan ultrasound and reported the results accurately to Zheng Ren.

"Where is her family?" Zheng Ren asked loudly.

"I'm here," a young man in his late twenties answered from behind Zheng Ren.

"What's your relationship with the patient?"

"She's my fiancée."

"She needs emergency surgery, can you sign off on it?"

"Yes." The young man seemed rather responsible, unlike some cowards who ran off the instant they heard that their signature was required.

"Su Yun, take him to sign the pre-surgery consent form and pass it to Chang Yue," Zheng Ren ordered.

"Doctor, my fiancée won't die, right?" the young man asked gravely.

"I can't guarantee anything. Her condition is very serious, but we'll try our best to save her." Once the B-scan ultrasonography was complete, Zheng Ren called another physician and a nurse along to rush the patient towards the operating theater.

As he ran, Zheng Ren pulled out his phone and called the operating theater to prepare for surgery.

The journey to the operating theater was not far, but it could still save them a few extra minutes.

In an emergency rescue, every one of those minutes could decide if the patient lived or died.

They reached the operating theater at record speed. "Enter the hybrid operating room and prepare for laparotomy to stop the bleeding," Zheng Ren said.

Another hybrid surgery? He truly had had no chance to rest after returning to the emergency department.

It was not that Zheng Ren's duties were extra arduous. When he was not around, the patients would be referred to their respective departments for surgery since no one else was capable of doing it all at once.

After the emergency department doctor and nurse assisted the Chu sisters and Xie Yiren in transferring the patient onto the operating table, they left the room.

Zheng Ren slipped into the isolation suit as fast he could and entered the operating room.

"How long until the packed red blood cells arrive?" he asked.

"20 minutes. I've asked the emergency department to send for it." Chu Yanran was reliable.

Zheng Ren said nothing further as he began sterilizing and putting on the sheets.

Under the surgical lamp, the patient's skin was so pale that the light reflecting off it was eye-watering; it only regained a sense of vitality when iodophor was applied.

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Chapter 275: Unintentional Reveal (Part 4 of 5)

In the live surgery broadcasting room of Xinglin Garden, another surgery broadcast began.

[What kind of advanced surgery will the surgeon perform? Is the hater from yesterday still alive?]

[I wanted to ask the same question.]

[I kept saying that this surgeon has great skill, but the doubting Thomas could not be persuaded. Such people would not survive three episodes in a drama series. By the way, after yesterday's observation, I noticed that the surgeon's interventional and general surgical skills have improved. Is this another genius professor starting a livestream?]

[The more I watch, the more I believe that there's a team behind this live surgery broadcast. It's impossible for all of these surgeries to be done by one person. Has anyone here gone on an exchange to Montreal Medical Center, Canada? Can you share your experience?]

After some idle chatter, everyone went through the patient's medical records to understand the situation.

The documentation was not that complicated. There was no need to crack one's brain and provide a differential diagnosis. The details shared in the livestream room had always been simple and to-the-point, and were always proven right no matter how bizarre they seemed.

After completing sterilization, Zheng Ren raised his hand and a scalpel handle appeared in it.

At that point, most viewers had glanced through the records and returned to the live surgery broadcasting room.

[Such serious injuries were most likely sustained from a high fall.]

[It's a young woman, did she attempt suicide because of relationship problems?]

[Please focus on the surgery, your bullet-screen gossip is blocking my view.]

The surgery was straightforward; a laparotomy would be done to repair the liver and remove the spleen. As for the rest... After the patient's condition stabilized, they would send her to orthopedics to fix her secondary fractures.

The situation was as critical as that from yesterday's live broadcast, but to any surgeon, it was significantly less complicated.

Most doctors watching the broadcast had encountered patients with fall injuries.

Zheng Ren made a 15 cm long median incision.

It was larger than usual as this was an emergency surgery; an unobstructed view of the trauma was more important than appearances.

Ths skin and subcutaneous tissue were an eerie pale color due to blood loss, and under the stark light of the surgical lamp, resembled a mourning shroud.

However, Zheng Ren had no time for sorrow.

When he saw that there was no blood underneath the patient's skin, he immediately ordered, "Get the emergency department to hurry the blood along. We may need more of it. If our blood bank doesn't have enough, go to the city's and demand some."

"Okay." Chu Yanran hurried away to contact them.

His instructions were given as he performed blunt dissection, reaching the peritoneum quickly. He extended his hand and a covered aspirator was passed to him.

With the scalpel, he made a small incision on the peritoneum and inserted the aspirator.

Dark red blood immediately began draining from it.

While the blood was being removed, Zheng Ren checked the patient's blood pressure: 50/30 mm Hg.

"Is Su Yun here yet?" he asked.

"'I've called him; he said that he has just finished with the consent form and passed it on to Old Chief Physician Pan. He's scrubbing in now," Chu Yanzhi yelled from the corridor.

Zheng Ren looked down at the operative field and saw the blood in the patient's peritoneal cavity slowly being siphoned away.

Before the blood was completely gone, Zheng Ren glanced up at Little Yiren, who instantly understood him and took over the aspirator.

He started to open the peritoneum, Xie Yiren handing him the tools with her other hand.

The peritoneum revealed, Zheng Ren reached into the liver and started to feel its surface.

There was a lesion with an approximate length of 5 cm. He reached further to the hilar area; crossing his arms, he opened his palm and received a pair of hemostatic forceps with tubing clamps.

Xie Yiren had anticipated it in advance despite it not being standard protocol. Zheng Ren was pleased.

The rubber tubing on the hemostatic forceps served to control bleeding from the liver. The tubing lowered the risk of inflicting secondary injuries to the hilar region.

Xie Yiren had deduced it herself after understanding the patient's condition in her short time on the operating table.

It felt good to have Xie Yiren assisting him. Zheng Ren was smitten, his blood pressure rising along with his heart rate from dopamine and adrenaline[1].

He clamped down the artery at the hepatic hilum with just enough force.

Then, Zheng Ren moved on to the spleen.

The spleen was more fragile and had a much bigger lesion than the liver did. Zheng Ren blindly groped around; he started blunt exploration when he reached the gastrosplenic ligament, preparing to cut it when he reached the short gastric arteries.

At that moment, the peritoneal cavity was finally drained of all its accumulated blood. Zheng Ren used both hands to scoop out two large blobs of clotted blood and threw them into a basin Xie Yiren passed to him.

He then started cutting the gastrosplenic ligament and cleaning up the splenic arteries.

"Why do you think she attempted suicide?" Su Yun asked, sauntering into the operating theater.

Silence greeted him.

"You guys are really boring," he said.

"Put on your lead apron, scrub in and stop dawdling. Check for any ruptures in the intestines and any remaining bleeding areas in the peritoneal cavity that I missed," Zheng Ren said.

"What will you do?"

"I'm going to do an interventional embolization. The patient has retroperitoneal hematoma and I will also need to deal with the arteries ruptured by the pelvic fracture."

Flabbergasted beyond words, Su Yun wasted no more time and scrubbed in.

When he reached the operating table, Zheng Ren had already removed the spleen and put it into the specimen basin to send to pathology post-surgery.

Su Yun was unsurprised by Zheng Ren's efficiency; it would be more unusual for the man to be any slower.

The surgery from yesterday night was one example.

Su Yun requested a large surgical hook to provide a better view to Zheng Ren, who began performing a mattress suture on the ruptured liver.

He was a little dazed by the man's swift stitching, but forced himself to regain focus and said, "Boss, the patient has adenomyosis."

"Mmm," Zheng Ren humphed in reply.

"She wanted a child and refused to remove her uterus, saying that she would rather die than not give birth," Su Yun continued, "The pain from her adenomyosis today was so extreme that she gave up on life and jumped out of a sixth floor window right in front of her parents and fiancé."

Adenomyosis was a common gynecological disorder caused by the growth and penetration of basal endometrium into the uterine wall in a localized or diffused manner.

In the past, it was usually seen in women above forty who had already given birth, but it had been diagnosed in increasingly younger patients recently.

The immense pain from adenomyosis was truly unbearable.

There were people who jumped off buildings or slit their wrists rather than continue in agony.

"Is it treatable?" Su Yun asked softly.

Zheng Ren chuckled. Su Yun always pretended to be indifferent and unattached, bragging about opening a veterinary hospital and trying to get Zheng Ren to operate on dogs and cats.

However, he had not left the medical profession after returning from Imperial Capital, opting to stay in the Sea City General Hospital ICU. His actions spoke louder than his words.

He was probably unaware of the soft spot in his heart.

Or, perhaps he was deliberately ignoring it.

Just then,

With one slip-up,

He had bared it all.

[1] The author described a decreasing heart rate (心率也有所下降), which contradicts the physiological effects of dopamine and adrenaline. Translated as increased heart rate instead.

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Chapter 276: One Screen, Two Surgeries (Part 5 of 5)

"I need a radiography," Zheng Ren said, "If it's diffuse adenomyosis, it's wiser to remove the entire uterus surgically than via interventional treatment. However, if it's focal adenomyosis, we can try treating it."

"Would it be effective?"

Su Yun's understanding of interventional surgery was already very impressive considering he had only been learning it for two months.

However, he was unsure as to its actual effects.

"There's a 30% chance of success, maybe lower. However, the goal right now is to stabilize the patient and save her life. We'll discuss the specifics later." Zheng Ren finished suturing the liver, having taken no more than ten minutes.

"You take over the next stage; I need to continue with interventional embolization," he said.

Su Yun nodded in response.

"Yiren, prepare the equipment Su Yun needs. Yanran, how is she doing?"

"She's fine, her blood pressure has stabilized, and I've just administered the drugs," Chu Yanran answered.

Midway through her sentence, Chu Yanzhi and the matron ran in with a dozen bags of fresh frozen red blood cells and plasma.

"Hook one up and connect it to the pressurized infusion device, then go." Zheng Ren placed the needle and its holder beside the patient's legs before also leaving.

Adenomyosis? Zheng Ren kept thinking about the disorder.

It was not life-threatening, but its pain could be excruciating.

He ought to save her first before trying to treat her adenomyosis.

As he retrieved his lead apron from the System, the ring of a mission chimed.

[Emergency Mission: Save People from Misery.

[Mission: Treating symptoms but not the root cause is meaningless. Please complete one case of emergency rescue and cure the patient's hidden health condition.

[Mission Rewards: 2000 skill points, 20,000 experience points.

[Mission Duration: 7 days]

Oh... Zheng Ren had flashbacks to the System's abundant rewards during his time in Imperial Capital.

He quickly dismissed the thought and chuckled.

The System's seven-day duration would seem incredibly long and the rewards exceedingly generous were this a normal patient.

However, she had a laundry list of life-threatening injuries.

After patching her liver and spleen ruptures, as well as rescuing her from hypovolemic shock, there were still plenty of bone fractures left to fix.

Would he be able to complete all these within seven days?

There was no time to think about it. Rescuing the patient came first.

He put on the lead apron while exposing the patient's right femoral artery. Then, he started scrubbing his hands, sterilizing them, and laid out the sheets according to aseptic surgical procedures, taking almost as long as he did to perform the surgery proper.

Aseptic surgical techniques were mandatory. Over a hundred years ago, general surgeries were not often successful due to post-surgery infections.

Even though clinicians were generally not fond of the infectious diseases department, they still uphold strict aseptic techniques during surgery.

The infectious diseases department... hah.

Every ward staffer had to sanitize their hands with 3M Avaguard HCG Handrub after each patient... However, clinical staff usually wished the one who had drafted these rules would also experience having to sanitize their hands over a hundred times per day.

It was feasible in the ward, but there were more than a hundred patients visiting each clinic every day. Were they to sanitize according to standard protocol, their hands would not last more than a week.

The delicate hands of the nurses would crack and their skin would peel off. In half a month, their hands would start to bleed. Even Zheng Ren's callus-covered hands would not be able to withstand it, let alone the nurses'.

No hand, no matter how strong, would survive over a hundred sanitizations every day.

Standard international protocol did not account for daily patient intake.

Zheng Ren finished sanitizing. When Xie Yiren, the Chu sisters and the matron had left the operating room, he performed femoral artery cannulation to insert the introducer sheath.

"Boss, take a look at the staining of the uterus," Su Yun reminded him.

"Noted," Zheng Ren answered.

Two surgeries began on one operating table.

The live surgery broadcasting room in Xinglin Garden exploded.

To the doctors watching the broadcast, the surgical removal of the spleen and repair of the liver were just ordinary procedures. There was no doubt that the surgeon had outstanding skill as the entire operation was smooth.

They also discussed the assistant's late arrival. Most assumed that the first surgeon was a student and that the newcomer was the real star of the show.

However, this theory was instantly opposed.

Anyone with eyes could see how skillful the hands behind the laparotomy and spleen removal were.

Could such skill belong to a mere student? Impossible!

It deflated the confidence of the watching doctors.

However, that was not the climax.

It was assumed that the surgery was over once the liver was repaired. The viewers were preparing to debate the two surgeons' identities when the hands onscreen suddenly vanished.

Gone... The surgeon had left!

Under normal circumstances, a professor would leave the remaining procedures to their assistant after completing a surgery.

It was the norm. There was no point in bringing an assistant who did not know how to close up a laparotomy. Why would one participate in surgery at all without knowing such simple procedures?

It would be outrageous!

Such a person would have to start from the bottom and practice appendectomy for five years.

There was no point in any further debate. As the victorious doctors sent out a few celebratory comments, the screen of the live surgery broadcast split into two.

Dual-screen?

What were they doing?

Were they planning to fix all the fractures at the same time?

It did not seem necessary as fracture repair was not urgent. As long as the broken bones did not pierce the skin and cause secondary infection, they could do it in the second phase of surgery.

Could the patient endure the massive blood loss of multiple procedures in one surgery?

As viewers guessed as to what was going on, the pair of hands on the screen started performing femoral artery cannulation.

[What the... are they trying to stop the bleeding through interventional techniques?]

[Why the hurry?]

[In the surgical field onscreen, I saw the surgeon's hand migrating downwards during the examination. Did he find the peritoneum hematoma? I read the diagnosis in the case details.]

[Where are the others? Are there only two of them in the team? Why is only one person performing the interventional surgery and the other working on abdominal closure?]

[Hospitals from overseas operate like that. There are only a maximum of two surgeons no matter how big the surgery is. One surgery costs at least 30,000 USD and it would have to split more ways if the team was any larger. This looks like a foreign hospital. Such amazing skill, but my chances of furthering my studies there are... bleak.]

[This is what you call an emergency rescue. Were it up to us, we'd just end with abdominal closure and monitor the patient's blood pressure in the ICU. If her blood pressure still failed to rise, we would send her to the interventional radiology department for further examination.]

[Specializing in multiple fields is amazing. I'm considering taking up interventional surgery.]

The bullet-comments filled the screen and obstructed it.

Most viewers turned off comments and focused on the live split-screen surgery.

On one side, the surgeon that had taken over demonstrated impressive surgical skill. Even though it simply involved checking for bleeds, cleaning the site and closing the abdomen, the surgeon's skillful execution mesmerized viewers.

On the other hand, the interventional surgery was being carried out swiftly. Superselective catheterization of the internal iliac artery was completed in the blink of an eye, the root-like shadow of black contrast medium spreading out at the endings of four small blood vessels.

Two surgeries in one screen. This live surgery broadcast deserved a high score!

Most of the doctors watching the broadcast shared the same sentiment.

...

...

I'm finally done with the additional chapters~ I gave my word and stuck to it... thank goodness. Thank you for your subscriptions, monthly votes, and recommendation votes. I'm grateful for the tips as well, as well as the buddy from QQ named "Ningningningning" who tipped me so many times. Please continue to vote for the recommendation list~ Bow*

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Chapter 277: The Visit (Part 1 of 4)

Professor Rudolf Wagner flew to Imperial Capital right after the award ceremony.

Despite still being jet-lagged, he wasted no time resting and dragged along his exhausted body in his search for Zheng Ren.

However, he received disappointing news—Zheng Ren had left Imperial Capital two days ago and returned to Sea City.

Professor Rudolf Wagner considered trying to contact Zheng Ren via official channels to meet with him in Imperial Capital.

He dismissed this thought as soon as it surfaced.

What a joke!

He was here to ask for a favor. Most people could worship him as one of the top five professors in the world in interventional surgery, but would the person with hands of God feel the same way?

The tables might even be turned.

If he accidentally stepped on the man's toes, there would be no hope for a collaboration in the future.

Dr. Mehar was still waiting for good news. The Nobel Prize of Medicine or Physiology gleamed alluringly on the horizon.

As Professor Rudolf Wagner thought about it, he immediately made up his mind to buy a plane ticket to Sea City.

He had no clue where it was located, though.

He knew only a handful of cities in China but remained determined to seek out the hands of God. There would be no mountain he would not climb, nor a river he would not ford!

Department Chief Kong was surprised by Professor Rudolf Wagner's arrival.

His first thought was that this German professor had come all the way here to challenge them.

Questioning an academician was no different from competing for the rank of department chief.

Professor Rudolf Wagner seemed to be acting rashly; he could have questioned them from Germany, and there was no need for him to come all the way to China.

Did he distrust the Chinese that much?!

However, Department Chief Kong was dumbfounded by the professor's attitude.

In front of Department Chief Kong, Professor Rudolf Wagner maintained his artsy, elegant composure and the professionalism of a world's top professor, but the front shattered at the mention of Zheng Ren.

He wanted to get to Sea City...

Department Chief Kong reflected on his own actions. Had he not treated Zheng Ren with sufficient respect and recognition?

If Zheng Ren was willing to work under him and lead his team, he had promised the man his full backing for the department chief position before retirement.

Was that not enough?

Department Chief Kong had considered it a good bargain, but Professor Rudolf Wagner's demeanor made it clear that it had been far from adequate.

Thus, he decided to personally accompany Professor Rudolf Wagner to Sea City.

He needed to strengthen his relationship with Mr. Zheng and had some research-related topics to discuss with him, which would need one-on-one conversations. Regarding research funding... he would need to make a generous offer.

After liaising officially with Sea City General Hospital, Department Chief Kong booked the ticket and flew over to Sea City along with the professor and his interpreter.

It was so sudden that Director Xiao from Sea City General Hospital rushed back from Provincial Capital upon hearing news of their visit.

When he reached the airport, Department Chief Kong and Professor Rudolf Wagner had already alighted at the cold and deserted city.

Director Xiao Keming was surprised. The department chief of the interventional radiology department from an Imperial Capital Class Three Grade A Hospital and Professor Rudolf Wagner from Heidelberg University, Germany, would not be of help to his career.

Regardless, he went to the airport to personally welcome them.

It was always useful to know a few experts in the medical profession.

For example, If the mayor fell sick, he could pull strings for the man to receive treatment in Germany through Professor Rudolf Wagner. That would be such a proud moment!

He would not need to worry about promotion in the future.

After meeting up with the two, he drove them to the general hospital right away.

"Where's Zheng Ren?" Department Chief Kong said, concerned about not seeing Zheng Ren at the airport. He could not care less about the hospital director.

A director? Of a county-level hospital? What about it?

Zheng Ren was not part of the welcoming party. Was he getting cocky over his achievements? Youth these days...

"Dr. Zheng's in an emergency surgery. I called the operating room and was told that it's still in progress," Director Xiao Keming explained patiently, unbothered by both professors' contempt.

Oh. He was in an emergency.

Why had he chosen to stay in Sea City? Had he stayed in Imperial Capital, he would only need to perform surgery by consultation. Was that not good enough for him? Regardless of one or the other, he would still be saving lives.

Department Chief Kong silently cursed Zheng Ren.

The three rushed to the emergency building of Sea City General Hospital.

Director Xiao Keming was chatty, trying to keep the atmosphere lively by introducing the history and culture of Sea City throughout the journey.

"Why is Zheng still working in the emergency department?" Professor Rudolf Wagner finally asked, breaking the silence after a long while.

As a world-renowned professor, he was not familiar with emergency surgeries.

However, everyone had to start from the bottom and the emergency department was but one rung on the ladder.

"Professor Rudolf, Zheng Ren is the chief resident of the emergency department in the general hospital, which means that he's responsible for all emergency diagnoses and related surgeries there," Department Chief Kong said after some thought, hoping the description was understandable enough.

He was not sure if Professor Rudolf Wagner got the gist of it. They continued chatting as the car sped towards the Sea City General Hospital.

The emergency building was the only one of its kind in Sea City.

Nevertheless, it was not grand enough for Department Chief Kong and Professor Rudolf Wagner's liking.

Director Xiao Keming introduced the hospital to them. After only a few sentences in, he realized that neither of them showed the slightest interest, and stopped talking.

After contacting Old Chief Physician Pan, they rushed to the emergency operating room after being briefed on the patient's condition.

They changed into isolation suits and entered the operating theater through the doctor's access route.

Chu Yanran was sitting in front of the operating console and watching the ECG monitor. She had already put on a lead apron, ready to run in at any moment.

Chu Yanzhi was pacing back and forth while humming a song, exuding the energy and motivation of youth.

Xie Yiren was standing, her eyes fixated on Zheng Ren, observing him through the leaded glass.

"Director Xiao, they're in the middle of a rescue," Old Chief Physician Pan said. Then, surprised, he asked, "Hmm? Why are you guys out here?"

When Chu Yanzhi heard Director Xiao's arrival, she immediately hid in a corner and pretended to be idle.

Chu Yanran stood up instantly and answered with a smile, "The exploratory laparotomy was completed ten minutes ago; he removed the spleen and patched up the ruptured liver.

"Then, he discovered a massive retroperitoneal hematoma and deduced that the pelvic fracture could have injured the internal iliac artery branch, which is why Chief Zheng is now performing superselective catheterization radiography and subsequent embolization."

"Right." Old Chief Physician Pan nodded, his overbearing demeanor eclipsing the director, department chief and German professor behind him. Even in such company, Old Chief Physician Pan still stood out.

"He's quite competent," Department Chief Kong said, laughing.

Professor Rudolf Wagner's eyes remained fixed on the interventional imaging, unmoving.

Even though they had a language barrier, the imaging had no borders.

Onscreen, it was as if the fine micro guide wire had a mind of its own. It continued moving fluidly, unhindered by the superselective catheterization of even the tiniest of blood vessels.

Superselection, embolization and radiography were all done in one breath.

Professor Rudolf Wagner knew that he had finally found the one he had been searching for.

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Chapter 278: Chief Zheng Is Not Available (Part 2 of 4)

The surgeon was very skillful, definitely the one he had been looking for.

Professor Rudolf Wagner confirmed his speculations after watching the man for less than a minute.

The internal iliac artery branch was very narrow, but on the monitor, the surgeon had no problem performing superselective catheterization with the micro guide wire.

To Professor Rudolf Wagner, the diameter of the micro guide wire was considerably wide, but that was apparently no obstacle to it reaching the capillaries and starting embolization.

"Kong, he's your collaborator, right?" Professor Rudolf Wagner asked in broken Mandarin.

The professor was a language savant. He had studied Mandarin for a time and travelled to China before. Simple sentences were of no issue, but he did not use it often.

As he had an interpreter following him around, why not speak in his own mother tongue? From his standpoint, it was a disadvantage to speak in the language of the other party.

However, circumstances had now changed.

Department Chief Kong nodded and observed Zheng Ren's surgery.

Director Xiao was stunned. Collaborator? Was there anyone in this hospital worth being addressed as a f*cking collaborator by a German professor?

"Director Xiao, Zheng Ren was invited to Imperial Capital for research on novel surgical methods a while ago," Old Chief Physician Pan explained.

Director Xiao nodded while the office director behind him began sweating profusely.

When the office director had received news this morning about a visitation by a German professor and another esteemed doctor from Imperial Capital, he had been a little lost. Why would a professor of such renown come to Sea City, not to mention at such short notice? The situation was very abnormal.

However, he had not divulged the news and tried to look into it quietly.

No one usually paid attention to the outpatient department. The main job of an office director was to butter up the director instead of monitoring every move in the outpatient department like a royal guard.

Nevertheless, Director Xiao said nothing, clearly dissatisfied.

Director Xiao was the kind of person whose glare was survivable, but whose silence indicated anger.

The office director took an opportunity to slip out of the operating room into the corridor, getting some distance away before entering another operating room to make a call.

"Zheng Ren from the emergency department. Any recent news about him?

"How are you the marketing director?!

"Got it."

The office director hung up dejectedly, his eyes staring up at the sky. Through the window, it was already dark. Light pollution from the city painted the layers of clouds above a dark red hue.

Dark and gloomy, like his current mood.

Two days ago, Sea City News Network and Sea City Metropolis Daily had sent a joint notice to the hospital, but he had forgotten about it as Director Xiao had gone to Provincial Capital to attend a meeting.

No, he had not forgotten. He had included it in the morning briefing for tomorrow.

Damn it!

According to the marketing director, Zheng Ren had appeared on television?

Tsk, who watched television nowadays? The office director kept his thoughts to himself, but sent the information to his subordinates and told them to gather related information.

Director Xiao would question his involvement if it was brought up later over a meal and he failed to answer questions about it.

He might not have been involved, but his head would be on the block.

Finally returning to the operating room, he sneaked back behind Director Xiao, relieved.

Why had the atmosphere become so serious?

"Chief Zheng is in surgery, he's not available currently." Chu Yanran was holding Zheng Ren's phone, her tone unusually harsh.

Xie Yiren was confused over what had happened and stared at her with eyes wide open.

"What happened?" Aware of Chu Yanran's background, Director Xiao smiled when he saw her getting angry, hoping to calm her down.

As she hung up, her anger dissipated. Despite her unhappiness, she felt a rare sense of satisfaction and her entire demeanor changed.

Calmly, she said, "There was an error in gastroenterology's diagnosis. The patient cannot continue with conservative treatment and wants to ask Chief Zheng to perform surgery."

"Oh? What's that about?" Director Xiao was puzzled.

Chu Yanran explained what had happened in the emergency department earlier.

The patient had been admitted to the gastroenterology department after their encounter.

She received the corresponding medication there, but since she had acute abdominal pain, she was not given analgesics as they would affect diagnosis.

It was why she had been suffering this whole time.

Administration of antibiotics and the relevant medication did not alleviate but rather aggravated the patient's symptoms.

Zhou Wenxiang's expression was somber.

No family of the patient could smile in such a situation.

Chief Xia had not considered other possibilities as pain could not be treated for acute cholecystitis. However, although antibiotics ought to have taken effect, the patient's condition had only worsened

It was then that she remembered the words of the emergency department's chief resident.

Gallbladder torsion? Impossible, it couldn't be. In her 30 years of experience, she had only encountered one case of gallbladder torsion.

But... was it really impossible?

Why were the patient's symptoms so similar...

Chief Xia hesitated.

However, she refused to consult Zheng Ren, for no other reason than her unwillingness to lose face!

She called Chief Sun from the second general surgery department. A little over 10 minutes later, Chief Sun arrived for a consultation.

Chief Sun fell into deep thought after observing the patient's condition.

"Old Sun, what do you think?" Chief Xia asked.

Chief Sun was surprised by himself as his first instinct was that Zheng Ren had been right!

The man had made the correct diagnosis on so many occasions. Why would he be wrong this time?

What was that? Gallbladder torsion was very rare? Chief Sun was not convinced that he would never encounter it.

It was because of its rarity that they had to be more careful about the possibility of it happening.

"Hey, Old Sun!" Chief Xia snapped, displeased by Chief Sun's silence.

"Huh?" He regained his senses and said, "I think that if the pain continues, we can't continue conservative treatment."

He took the middle ground without mentioning the diagnosis in order to not offend anyone. The truth would be revealed when the patient received surgery.

"Surgery?" Chief Xia's tone changed slightly.

"There's no clear diagnosis. With consent, we can prepare for an exploratory laparotomy," Chief Sun continued diplomatically. He avoided mention of the gallbladder and suggested an abdominal exploration.

"We'll wait for the results of the detailed blood test," Chief Xia said.

The diagnosis of a rare disease was problematic. In general, physicians did not give conclusive remarks. Those who did were quacks, and bad ones at that.

However, many people still preferred to hear a definite answer, which was fertile soil for scam artists.

Before the patient had been admitted, all test results had indicated mild cholecystitis with slight edema.

Chief Xia was sure of recovery through medication.

However, when she saw the patient's symptoms worsening with no signs of improvement, her confidence wavered.

Could it really be as rare a disease as gallbladder torsion?

The results of the test came back and confirmed a change in inflammation. Even though only a few hours had passed, the condition of the patient had changed so drastically that it made the previous diagnosis obsolete.

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Chapter 279: Expanding Your Horizons (Part 3 of 4)

The physical examination revealed that the patient was experiencing chills and a high fever, as well as signs of abdominal guarding and abnormal muscle rigidity.

Department Chief Xia had no other choice but to proceed with surgery.

The patient was transferred to the second general surgery department.

Ever since the emergency department had taken his patient, the first general surgery department chief, Dr. Liu had yet to clock in, leaving only the second general surgery department chief, Dr. Sun.

They prepared for the emergency procedure.

Department Chief Sun was mindful when handling the case as he did not want to offend anyone. He made a call to Zheng Ren and asked if he had time for a consultation.

Normally, it would be a junior doctor ringing up the department chief for assistance.

Department Chief Sun was not embarrassed by this, however; Zheng Ren was someone who could perform a Whipple procedure by himself.

Whatever doubts that he had about Zheng Ren vanished after witnessing yesterday's emergency surgery. Zheng Ren's quick decision to embolize the artery and allow segments of the intestines to necrotize had impressed him. The successful bowel resection surgery that followed had quelled any distrust he previously had for the young doctor.

It was a miracle and Department Chief Sun knew better than to offend someone with such talent.

Still, Zheng Ren was occupied at the moment.

Director Xiao asked, "Is there a problem with Chief Sun's surgery?"

"I believe they're starting the surgery. He wanted Chief Zheng to stand by for assistance," Chu Yanran said nonchalantly.

Director Xiao was bewildered.

A chief resident, on standby to step in for a department chief?

"Chief Zheng diagnosed the patient with gallbladder torsion. I think Chief Sun worries about finding something unexpected," Chu Yanran said, noticing Director Xiao's odd expression.

"My God, a floating gallbladder!" Professor Rudolph Wagner said in Mandarin.

Director Xiao was not a general surgeon and did not understand the significance of the diagnosis.

"Have you seen one before, Professor Rudolph?" Department Chief Kong asked with a smile.

He knew the quirky, artsy professor was able to understand and speak Mandarin, albeit with an accent.

"I heard there was a research group in Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin who had worked on this, but their progress was limited by how rare the disease was," Professor Rudolph Wagner replied in halting Chinese.

Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin was Germany's top university hospital; the research lead was also a member of the German Excellence Initiative, which was how Rudolph Wagner had found out about it.

This diagnosis had piqued his interest.

"Director, I would like to have the surgery recorded if possible. It will be valuable educational material," the professor requested.

Director Xiao agreed to it. It was a small matter, especially when it was for a foreign acquaintance. The hospital already recorded routine surgeries and a rare one like this was no exception. It would be useful for future reference.

The German professor's request was a statement on the importance of the surgery, and indirectly, a statement about Sea City General Hospital's reputation as a healthcare facility.

It was a win-win situation.

Director Xiao went through a few pleasantries before excusing himself to make a call, not waiting to see if the professor understood or not.

"Chief Liu, can you hold the surgery?

"A professor from Germany wants to observe.

"The patient... Hold on." Director Xiao put the phone down and turned to Professor Rudolph. "Professor, the patient has septicemia and they can't pause the surgery."

The foreign professor had a look of longing as he watched Zheng Ren's surgery. A moment later, he said, "Zheng completed the surgery in record speed. Will he be performing the next one? I've never seen an interventional surgeon perform general surgery."

No one said a word.

They had never seen it before as well. It was time to expand their horizons.

Seeing Zheng Ren complete a pelvic fracture artery embolization within 20 minutes left several holes in Professor Rudolph Wagner's pride.

Previously, he had been reluctant to concede that Zheng Ren had the Hands of God.

Now, he could not refute the moniker. It was as if God had descended upon humanity and took up the operating room.

Rudolph Wagner predicted the surgery would take an hour to complete. For a normal surgeon, the procedure would take at least three to five hours.

Interventional radiology-assisted surgery was only a few decades old; an infant compared to general surgery. The passing of knowledge spanned two or three generations of doctors at most.

Some had never even heard of interventional radiology-assisted surgery as not all hospitals were equipped with the required facilities.

Other forms of surgery had many more years' worth of knowledge and thus expertise.

Knowing that, Professor Rudolph Wagner was blown away by Zheng Ren's Grandmaster-level interventional surgery skill.

Were it any other field, Zheng Ren would likely have needed to reach Legend rank to be recognized by the world's top surgeons.

Department Chief Kong had a satisfied smile as he watched Zheng Ren wrap up the surgery. "Boss Zheng's skill has improved since his visit to Imperial Capital. Youth these days grow up so fast. There seems to be no limit to their potential. Bravo!"

Director Xiao did a double take. Had he heard that right.

Boss... Did the department chief from Imperial Capital just call Zheng Ren 'boss'?

This was not a marketplace where the honorific could be thrown around recklessly. In the hospital, the honorific was reserved for people who had conducted nationally-acclaimed research and secured public funding for their work.

How had a chief resident in an emergency department earn the title, from an Imperial Capital department chief no less?

Could it be that his hospital had produced a legendary figure?

Director Xiao was deep in thought. On Xinglin Garden, the livestream was bombarded by numerous comments.

[Does anyone still remember the first interventional surgery, the one with the pelvic fracture and hemorrhage? Am I the only one who thinks the surgeon's skill has grown significantly since?]

[You're seeing things.]

[Doesn't seem like it. I,too, feel that the surgeon has improved. The person who stitched up the abdomen seems more skilled than my department chief, and the embolization was completed before the abdomen was even closed.]

Su Yun had similar thoughts.

He had initially planned to stitch up the abdomen, clean up, and then assist Zheng Ren with the interventional procedure, but Zheng Ren completed the surgery before he was done.

Su Yun had checked the cavity for active bleeds before rinsing and suction.

The procedure was clean and neat. He could not believe Zheng Ren had managed to perform the splenectomy blind with such accuracy and precision.

When Su Yun entered the operating room, Zheng Ren had already excised the spleen. The man's movements were getting faster and faster.

Su Yun could only sigh in defeat as he prepared to stitch up the abdomen.

When he next looked at Zheng Ren, the man was already pulling out the micro guide wire.

Was the artery embolization already done?

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Chapter 280: Two Heroes of Interventional Surgery (Part 4 of 4)

"Boss Zheng, is the surgery done?" Su Yun asked casually, trying to be affable.

Hopefully, he could make it less awkward.

"Yes, the four arterial branches have been embolized," Zheng Ren said. "Do you need help on that end?"

"No. I'm closing the abdomen up now. I thought you would get the uterine artery as well, you know, to cure the adenomyosis."

"No, this is an emergency surgery. The patient's injuries are severe and her body might not be able to handle another embolization. We don't want the uterine artery to be the last straw on the camel's back. She can come to us after she's recovered and we'll try it then."

"Understood." Su Yun found his explanation long-winded.

"You can be my scrub nurse. Yiren doesn't need to come in," Zheng Ren said.

"Chief Kong is here. Don't you wanna go greet him?" Through the leaded glass, Su Yun could see Department Chief Kong with a Caucasian man by his side.

Already? Su Yun smirked. He wondered how long he would take to reach, let alone surpass, or even conquer, Zheng Ren.

Even after moving the goalposts repeatedly, he still could not find a credible answer.

Zheng Ren turned to the control room and saw Department Chief Kong waving at him. He mumbled something to Su Yun and went to remove his surgical gown.

"Boss Zheng, I see your hands have gotten faster," Department Chief Kong said as a greeting when Zheng Ren entered the control room.

"Chief Kong, please don't exaggerate; also, just call me Little Zheng," Zheng Ren said with a smile. "What brings you here?"

"I heard that Professor Rudolph wanted to meet you, so I decided to tag along. There's something I'd like to discuss with you in person," Department Chief Kong said.

Professor Rudolph? Why did the name sound so familiar?

Zheng Ren was bad at facial recognition, but his memory was solid.

"Professor Rudolph Wagner?"

"Yes." Department Chief Kong stepped aside to let Professor Rudolph introduce himself. The professor offered his hand and spoke in heavily-accented Mandarin: "Nice to meet you, Zheng. My name is Rudolph Wagner from Heidelberg University in Germany."

Zheng Ren shook the hand obliviously.

"Chief Zheng, it's the second general surgery department. They're waiting on you," Chu Yanran reminded him.

"Oh? They're just starting now?" Zheng Ren asked.

"I'm not sure." His words worried Chu Yanran and she pursed her lips.

"We should hurry, then." Zheng Ren turned serious. "Chief Kong, my apologies, but I need to assist with a floating gallbladder case. I worry that too much time has been wasted."

"Go on. We'll talk once you're done." Department Chief Kong did not mind one bit. Zheng Ren's total disregard for the German professor as he excused himself was admirable. Before leaving to change, Zheng Ren exchanged a few words with Old Chief Physician Pan.

Most young doctors would fawn over a foreign professor. China's recent growth and development did not lessen the youths' worship of the West.

However, Zheng Ren did not pay much attention to Professor Rudolph, which pleased Department Chief Kong.

Su Yun was almost done with the stitching despite operating without any assistance.

"Send the patient to the ICU once it's done. Inform Chief Qian that the patient needs a ventilator," Zheng Ren instructed Chu Yanran.

"Yes, my lord," Chu Yanran whispered in a high-pitched voice.

Were it not for the presence of the hospital director, department chief and professor, Zheng Ren knew she would have shouted the words.

They filed out of the room and hurried to the operating room of the general surgery department.

The office director contacted the second general surgery department as they walked. The surgery had already begun.

As soon as the final stitch was done, the livestream on Xinglin Garden ended.

[These live surgeries are very enjoyable.]

[One must be incredibly skilled to be willing to do a live recording. I doubt even our department chiefs would ever reach this level of mastery. They probably wouldn't even match the surgeon's assistant.]

[The assistant did pretty well. Did anyone notice that the surgeon's embolization technique is similar to the one in the prostate interventional embolization video released a few days ago?]

[I did not catch it live but I saw the recording. Personally, I couldn't really understand the procedure.]

[The surgeon in that prostate procedure video is likely world-class.]

[I feel the surgeon today is comparable to that one.]

[I disagree. This Canadian surgeon's techniques are well-documented, while the other surgeon used a never-seen-before method in the recording. I don't think they're comparable.]

[Two world-class surgeons on the same platform. Amazing! The whole community is filled with talent, whether in interventional or general surgery.]

Although the livestream had been over for a while, the doctors still chatted away.

The emergency hybrid surgery had featured the surgeon's extraordinary skill and techniques, earning much praise and admiration from the viewers.

If they ever encountered similar cases, they could replicate the surgeon's methods and save precious time.

Every additional minute in emergency rescue increased the patient's chances of survival.

...

...

A row of men in surgical gowns walked into the No. 2 operating room in the general surgery department.

An emergency surgery was ongoing.

Department Chief Sun's surgical cap was soaked through with sweat. He occasionally turned his head to the side so a nurse could wipe his forehead and prevent excess sweat from contaminating the surgical site.

In the operative view, the gallbladder was contorted like a fried dough twist.

As blood circulation had been cut off for some time, the gallbladder was showing initial signs of necrosis. Based on standard protocol, the deteriorating gallbladder had to be excised. Why else would they open up the abdomen?

The unfamiliar sight before him baffled Department Chief Sun.

His anxiety and nervousness drove his blood pressure over the edge as sweat seeped through his outfit.

Zheng Ren was the first to enter the operating room. "Chief Sun, allow me."

"Little Zheng, you're finally here. Have a look at this." Department Chief Sun welcomed Zheng Ren warmly, pride no longer of any concern.

Gallbladder torsion was difficult to diagnose but cholecystectomy was a straightforward procedure. Why had Department Chief Sun asked for him?

He gazed at the surgical site. The gallbladder was twisted to the point where the cystic duct, blood vessels and hepatic duct were all tangled in a mess.

A floating gallbladder? This one looked like it came from Tianjin 18th Street[1].

[1] Tianjin 18th Street is famous for their fried dough twists.

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Chapter 281: Cooperation (Part 1 of 4)

"The knot is too tight and there's too little room for excision." Department Chief Sun prodded the necrotizing gallbladder with a hemostatic clamp.

"Do not untangle the knot. Necrosis has been going on for too long. If gangrenous tissue enters the hepatic duct, it'll be problematic," Zheng Ren said matter-of-factly.

"But..." Department Chief Sun glared in frustration at the twisted knot that held the cystic duct, blood vessels and hepatic duct.

There was no extra space at the base of the gallbladder to perform a resection and suture. If they forced it, the suture would likely unravel. Hence, they could not proceed with the cholecystectomy without untangling the knot.

"May I have a go?" Zheng Ren asked politely.

Department Chief Sun was elated to hear the offer and nodded.

That was why he had called the man here in the first place, after all.

This was a surgical consultation.

The practice of operating without the lead surgeon's approval was frowned upon. Such a move could soil the relationship between two professionals.

Once the green light had been given, Zheng Ren went to change and scrub in.

When he returned in a surgical gown, Department Chief Sun called out to him. "Little Zheng, come over here."

Zheng Ren hesitated for a moment before approaching.

The surgeon's position offered the best view of the surgical site. However, under certain special circumstances, the surgeon's view was obstructed and the assistant would help from their position.

Department Chief Sun stepped aside and Zheng Ren unabashedly stepped into the lead surgeon's spot, studying the gallbladder before him.

The chief had started off with a laparoscopic cholecystectomy but switched to a laparotomy when he noticed the atypicality.

However, the problem had remained unsolved even after he opened up the abdomen. This was the first time he had witnessed gallbladder torsion of this severity. It looked like a fried dough twist from 18th Street.

If they had started the surgery before necrosis had set in, the surgery would have been much easier. All he would have had to do was untangle the knotted organs.

Unfortunately, a few hours had been enough for the gallbladder to become gangrenous. It was saturated with fluids, which meant they could not untangle the knot; the slightest movement could tear apart the organ.

The consequences of that were dire.

No one spoke in the operating room, not from Director Xiao's presence, but the complexity of the patient's condition.

A lead surgeon would usually be in a bad mood upon encountering such a complicated case. Anyone attempting to joke in the operating room would be on the receiving end of a clamp missile.

Zheng Ren extended his hand and waited. Then, he realized his mistake and softly said, "Hemostatic clamp."

The tool was passed to him, but the force with which it was pressed into his palm discomfited him.

He started with blunt separation of the swelling surrounding the gallbladder. Department Chief Sun watched with trepidation, as the thin tissue walls were easily perforated.

Being too gentle would accomplish little.

Excessive strength would cause irreversible damage.

"Scissors," Zheng Ren said a few minutes later, his hand outstretched.

A pair of scissors was given to him.

Zheng Ren looked at them and placed them by the patient's thigh. "Blunt scissors."

The scrub nurse jolted and quickly handed him the requested tool.

Zheng Ren sighed internally. He strongly preferred his own scrub nurse.

However, asking for Xie Yiren would be too impudent, so it was best he put up with his lot.

"Move the retractor higher."

"Pull harder."

"Here. Hemostatic clamp. Careful with the pressure."

Zheng Ren constantly coached the assistant throughout the surgery. The time it took for the assistant to shift the retractors seemed longer than the actual surgery itself.

Director Xiao shook his head. Department Chief Sun and his assistant had utterly humiliated themselves in front of a foreign professor.

He would have a word with them after the surgery.

In the operating room, Zheng Ren gave out instructions in his monotonous voice to the assistant, who gritted his teeth.

A fiery anger burned in his chest.

In his opinion, the way he had positioned the retractors was sufficient to provide the lead surgeon a suitable view into the surgical site. He believed Zheng Ren was nitpicking on purpose.

If the surgery went wrong, Zheng Ren could shift the blame, citing subpar assistance during the procedure. That would be 30% of the culpability off Zheng Ren's shoulders.

"Prep 3#0 atraumatic needle and suture. Smallest size." Then, Zheng Ren repeated his previous instruction, "Widen the smaller retractor. I need a better visual of the liver area."

The monster residing within the heart of the second general surgery department chief resident roared.

"Steady your hands. Hold on a little longer if you're tired."

The monster grew, almost breathing fire.

"I need a better view to perform blunt dissection of the Glisson's capsule."

"Steady the large retractor. Don't move."

Manning the retractors was a test of strength for a surgeon's assistant.

The second general surgery department chief resident could not predict Zheng Ren's next move, which was why he was always one step behind rather than ahead of the lead surgeon.

As Zheng Ren operated, more instructions were given to the assistant and the scrub nurse.

The atmosphere surrounding the operating table was uneasy and awkward.

The furious beast in the assistant's heart was beginning to rival Godzilla, but he held his temper. The thought of Zheng Ren blaming him for the surgery's failure made him persevere.

"Boss, shall I step in?" Su Yun called out from amongst the crowd.

"Has the patient been sent to the ICU?"

"Yes. She is stable. They're giving her a blood transfusion to mitigate any complications as she bled heavily from her fractures. We couldn't get fibrinogen, but I've told Chief Qian to reach out to others. Not sure if we'll find some," Su Yun explained.

"Chief Sun?" Zheng Ren said so softly that only the people next to him—Department Chief Sun and his assistant—could pick up the words.

The assistant understood what was being asked. The vein on his forehead bulged.

"Little Lei, go and take a break. Su Yun, you take over," Department Chief Sun ordered.

Su Yun went ahead to scrub in.

He came up to the operating table and flinched at the state of the patient's organs. "How are we doing this?"

"By splitting the liver," Zheng Ren answered.

The words fell like a bomb onto the heads of every doctor present.

A hepatectomy was usually part of the treatment of a liver cancer patient, when the tumor was between 3 to 5 cm. It was not a common surgery as it required specialization.

The liver was a fragile organ with an abundance of blood vessels. After the wedge resection, reattachment of the remaining tissues to stop the bleeding was a complicated procedure.

Once Su Yun was clear on the procedure, he turned to the nurse, smiled and requested several surgical tools which were then arranged beside the patient's lower body.

The operating room finally fell silent.

Su Yun matched each move made by Zheng Ren. Be it manipulating the retractors to give Zheng Ren a better view or assisting with the hepatectomy, Su Yun did everything without a word from Zheng Ren.

The surgery was smooth-sailing.

The effortless cooperation between Zheng Ren and Su Yun was a stark contrast to the previous arrangement.

It was a far cry from the second general surgery department chief resident.

A section of the liver was resected, followed by hemostasis. The cystic duct, hepatic duct and relevant blood vessels were cut before the gallbladder was removed. Another round of bleeding control later, the liver sections were reattached with its ducts and vessels.

The rage in the chief resident's heart immediately subsided as he watched the surgery.

Zheng Ren was in the right.

Their coordination put his own performance to shame; the chief resident slinked away, unable to show his face any longer.

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Chapter 282: Scientific Research (Part 2 of 4)

The rest of the surgery carried on without incident. Within 20 minutes, it was done.

The excised gallbladder was oddly-shaped and had an unnatural hue.

Zheng Ren chuckled. "Department Chief Sun, could you take this and show it to the family?"

"Excuse me, then." Department Chief Sun was glad to have not once offended Zheng Ren.

The fool Liu Tianxing was still at home, faking illness. He had wanted to press Zheng Ren down but had made the wrong choice. Zheng Ren's potential could not be smothered.

Liu Tianxing had to have been blind to not notice someone as talented as Zheng Ren in his own department. It was unthinkable that Zheng Ren had remained a junior doctor for a few years in general surgery.

Department Chief Sun regretted not having Zheng Ren in his own department.

He would have been able to leave all the surgeries to his subordinate while he managed clinical consultations. Old Chief Physician Pan was probably having an easy time.

What a bummer.

As such, he chose his words to Zheng Ren with care—humility, even.

"Su Yun and I will close the abdomen up, but we won't be writing up the report," Zheng Ren said with a smile.

The patient was under the care of the second general surgery department and Zheng Ren did not intend to take full credit for it. Although Department Chief Sun seemed like an understanding person, Zheng Ren preferred to clarify the issue.

He was, after all, doing the department chief a favor.

"Of course," Department Chief Sun reassured them with a smile before taking the specimen tray, which contained a dark grey gallbladder with a twisted and tangled base, and walking out of the operating room.

Chu Yanran followed him.

Professor Rudolph Wagner had the whole surgery recorded. Although he was not a general surgeon, his years as a medical professional gave him some insight into the difficulty of the procedure.

A floating gallbladder... He had never seen a case this severe before, but that young doctor, whose interventional surgery skill surpassed his, had performed the general surgery with ease.

A darkness clouded the professor's heart.

He had initially planned to persuade the young doctor to be his assistant. They could work on the prostate surgery together in Germany.

Convincing a small town doctor to do so would be easy, he had thought. It would be an honor for many.

However...

Since arriving, Professor Rudolph Wagner had already witnessed 1.5 surgeries and it was not even lunchtime.

The interventional surgery was perfect, but Professor Rudolph Wagner had expected as much.

He had not expected the junior doctor to successfully resolve a floating gallbladder.

Were his eyes playing tricks on him? Professor Rudolph Wagner thought long and hard. In the end, he decided to send the video to someone with pertinent expertise.

As soon as he delivered it, he walked out of the room to make a call to its recipient, currently doing research on floating gallbladders, to make sure the doctor watched the recording.

Stitching up the abdomen was child's play for Zheng Ren and Su Yun.

Zheng Ren sewed while Su Yun knotted and trimmed. The scissors in Su Yun's hand danced across the patient's body. He was making no effort to look good, but his natural elegance was undeniable.

Su Yun was like a swordsman in white, standing atop a hill with his handsome silhouette... slightly marred by Zheng Ren's presence beside him.

The routine rinsing and checks were performed before they closed up the abdomen, layer by layer.

When the surgery was complete, Zheng Ren took off his surgical gown and said, "Old Chief Physician Pan, I think I'll need a few days off."

"No problem. You have to entertain Department Chief Kong and Professor Rudolph." Old Chief Physician Pan was elated after seeing Zheng Ren perform one successful surgery after another.

Department Chief Kong waved his hand and said, "I'm leaving on an early flight tomorrow. I just dropped by to visit Boss Zheng. Oh, I've gathered around a dozen or so patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Come over to Imperial Capital when you're free and you can perform the surgeries."

It was the minimum sample size they needed for their study. There were still other elements—like interviews, methodology and consent—that Department Chief Kong did not mention, but he was likely the one shouldering those burdens.

The most important part of developing a new method was its application. If Zheng Ren had to deal with such extraneous things, Department Chief Kong would be embarrassed to claim any contribution to the research work.

Zheng Ren gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you, Chief Kong."

"No, I should thank you. All I'm doing is the paperwork." Department Chief Kong then pulled Zheng Ren aside and whispered, "Also, I've put in an application for a research grant worth three million yuan solely for this project. I'm prepared to give you one million to spend on anything you want; let me deal with the accounts."

Zheng Ren was stunned by this offer.

He had little experience with research, but from his past observations, underhanded practices were widespread. Supervisors treated grants like their personal bank accounts. Why would Department Chief Kong be sharing one with him?

Moreover, the amount offered was very generous—one million yuan to be spent freely. Was this the beat of money playing?

Department Chief Kong was glad that his offer had made Zheng Ren pause. The young were unacquainted with money and one million was enough to shock them into silence. Given another year, this sum would mean little to Zheng Ren.

The chief's danger sense was tingling, which was why he had rushed to reveal the offer even before they had stepped out of the operating room. He was not worried about Sea City General Hospital but the arrival of the German professor; if he did not make a bid for Zheng Ren now, the young doctor could slip from his grasp.

"I have also recently applied for a national-level grant for natural sciences. All the particulars are complete; we just need around 20 cases of surgeries as proof and we'll be given the money. We can split it equally between us." Department Chief Kong made sure to emphasize the last point, making no effort to lower his voice.

The muscles on Su Yun's face twitched.

The National Natural Science Grant was not given to just any group with quality research. It was mostly about networking and reputation.

Department Chief Kong had offered to split the money with Zheng Ren. How much was the chief willing to invest in him?

There were many who would pay for the prestige of being a recipient of the grant.

Zheng Ren tried to refuse politely. "Uh... I don't think I can spend that much money."

"As a man of science, you should be able to live comfortably. Otherwise, how would we elevate the scientific community in this country? Movie stars and singers have hundreds and thousands of fans, but none of them are saving lives like you," Department Chief Kong said with a gentle smile. "Alright? Give me your account number and I'll transfer you the money once I get it."

"Oh." Zheng Ren had heard of district-level research grants when he had been in medical school. In order to be promoted to deputy chief physician, the hospital he had interned at required the applicant to have received at least a district-level Natural Science Grant before.

The money was not much, but the recognition that came with it was prestigious.

It was, however, nothing compared to a national-level grant.

He nodded at Department Chief Kong.

Old Chief Physician Pan asked jokingly, "Chief Kong, how much did you ask for?"

"I applied for 50 million, but I will be happy if they offer 20," Department Chief Kong replied, sounding dissatisfied.

When Director Xiao heard the figure, his pupils shrank to needlepoints.

The annual net profit of Sea City General Hospital did not even reach 20 million yuan...

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Chapter 283: Show-Off (Part 3 of 4)

Chu Yanran followed Department Chief Sun out of the operating room.

Once she was out of the sterile space, she took off her mask and massaged her face, practicing her smile to get the right degree of sincerity.

Department Chief Sun noticed a set of footsteps behind him and turned to look. It was the young woman who had been in the emergency department operating room.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Chief Sun, I'm a medical graduate undertaking anesthesiology training in the emergency department. My name is Chu Yanran," the woman said, introducing herself.

"I see. Do you need something from me, Dr. Chu?" Department Chief Sun asked. It was uncommon to have a young, pretty woman tailing him.

"The patient's family are friends of my parents, so I figured I'd follow Chief Sun to see them." Zhou Wenxiang's suggestion back in the emergency department had made her uneasy.

Despite the success of the surgery, the man's words gnawed at her heart.

She was a cool-headed person by nature but was hardly a pushover.

An older Chu Yanran could have let words like these slide, but being in her twenties, she was all too ready to clash.

Department Chief Sun raised his eyebrows slightly but said nothing, keeping on a warm smile.

He had had an inkling of the patient's background upon receiving the call to join Department Chief Xia for consultation.

Clearly, Chu Yanran was connected in some way.

They both chatted as they walked, but he was unable to glean anything off the young woman.

She was tight-lipped and revealed nothing about her family. Her parents had taught her well.

He found himself liking this young woman.

The electronic door opened and Department Chief Sun walked out with the specimen tray. He called out once, and Zhou Wenxiang ran over immediately.

"Chief Sun, Chief Sun, how did it go?" Anxiety was written all over Zhou Wenxiang's face.

An elder gentleman in his sixties walked up to them with a frown on his face. He was much calmer than Zhou Wenxiang.

"Uncle Zhou, you're back!" Chu Yanran's professionalism gave way to youthful exuberance when she saw the man.

"Yanran, thank you for helping us with this," the older man said with a gentle smile after seeing the contents of the specimen tray.

Chu Yanran replied in kind, "I deliver my promises. I got Auntie the best surgeon we had."

"Thank you." He smiled gracefully.

"This is the gallbladder, its neck, and here..." Department Chief Sun probed the organ with a hemostatic clamp as he explained the matter to Zhou Wenxiang and the older gentleman.

It was not an anatomy class for the patient's family but a reassurance that the surgery was a success. The department chief wanted to convey the skills and techniques the surgeon had had to employ to overcome this adversity.

Were it a failed surgery, he would not be talking them through the process.

"This part is gangrenous. This occurs when blood supply to the tissue is restricted. It's a dangerous development and difficult to manage."

Department Chief Sun eyed the family. The old man seemed unaffected by his words; perhaps he had to be more dramatic. "Look here: we found the ducts and vessels too tightly knotted. The necrotizing gallbladder contained a lot of toxins that risked leaking into the liver if we untangled the knot, which could lead to infection and toxic shock syndrome."

He paused for a moment to let the implications set in, then continued, "Hence, we could not perform a standard cholecystectomy. This was why I chose to change tactics."

Chu Yanran smirked. All that jargon just to justify his reasons for changing the surgical procedure.

Department Chief Sun was truly a cautious person.

"And then?" The older man stared at the oddly-colored gallbladder. The tissue had darkened, reflecting irreversible damage. When the gallbladder was cut open, a slurry of green and black flowed out. The rot was unmistakable and reaffirmed the decision to prevent leakage into the liver.

The older man held his composure with dignity.

"This disorder is very rare. Chief Resident Zheng's diagnosis in the emergency department was correct. Neither I nor Department Chief Xia have ever seen such a case," Department Chief Sun admitted.

"It's out now and all is well," Zhou Wenxiang uttered softly.

"Auntie is lucky. Chief Zheng had just completed an emergency rescue surgery and managed to assist. If more time had passed, the outcome could have been different," Chu Yanran piped up.

Department Chief Sun smiled as he looked at her.

If the young woman had not followed him out, he would have been spinning a completely different story now.

He then recalled what the patient's son had said to her earlier in the emergency department.

Suddenly, Department Chief Sun understood why Chu Yanran was here. "Thankfully, Chief Resident Zheng from the emergency department was available."

"Chief Resident Zheng?" Zhou Wenxiang murmured, doubt creeping into his voice.

"Yes. It was lucky for us Chief Resident Zheng stepped in. If Provincial Capital had had this case, they would have succeeded without someone like Chief Zheng," Department Chief Sun said resolutely.

"Yes, it's true. A professor from Imperial Capital even dropped in today to discuss the National Natural Science Grant with Chief Zheng. Also, a German professor experienced in similar cases complimented Chief Zheng's handling of the surgery."

Professor Rudolph Wagner had said nothing. All he had done was record the whole surgery.

Chu Yanran was not lying, however; she was simply depicting the situation in a way the patient's family could understand.

"The surgery is over and done with. Are there any risks of complications after?" the old man asked.

"Unlikely. She should be able to walk after a day of rest and discharged within a week," Department Chief Sun answered.

Chu Yanran said nothing, but there was a smug smile on her face as she moved beside the old man.

She had said everything she wanted to say and was thoroughly enjoying the displeased expression on Zhou Wenxiang's face.

She ought to have dragged Su Yun along. Some witty lines from him would surely make this scene even more enjoyable.

Specifically, things she could not utter herself.

The department chief's answer was a relief to the old man, whose expression softened as he said, "No wonder you refused to go to Harbin Medical University Affiliated Second Hospital when you came back from Sichuan. Evidently, you've found your master here."

Chu Yanran said nothing as she gave Zhou Wenxiang a satisfied grin.

Zhou Wenxiang fumbled as he tried to rack his brain for a response. His cheeks burned as he recalled his foolish words to Chu Yanran.

However... Dr. Zheng was so young. Even if the older department chiefs admired him, Zhou Wenxiang could not believe an Imperial Capital professor would come all the way to Sea City for him, let alone to discuss the National Natural Science Grant.

Zhou Wenxiang worked in culture and education, and although it was not in his department, he knew the application and selection process well.

Prefecture-level recognition for medical research required a difficulty score of at least 9.5. It was much higher at the national level.

Chu Yanran was sorely mistaken if she thought she could fool him with her tall tales.

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Chapter 284: Intellectual Exchange (Part 4 of 4)

Zheng Ren and Su Yun's closure of the abdomen was swift and methodical like the rest of the surgery.

When the patient woke from anesthesia, she was already in the second general surgery ward. A trip to the ICU was not required.

Director Xiao's compliment was muted. "Zheng Ren, that was a good show of skill."

Zheng Ren smiled at him.

Professor Rudolph Wagner sent the video he had taken to his friend in Berlin, then greeted Zheng Ren excitedly. "Zheng, you're finally free."

"Your Mandarin is incredible." Zheng Ren was impressed by the professor's mastery of the language.

"Come, let us have a meal to celebrate the successful surgeries," the office director behind Director Xiao said.

Old Chief Physician Pan and Department Chief Kong were familiar with such events.

After hours of waiting, it would be odd not to arrange for a meal together. They could talk business over food.

Professor Rudolph Wagner was unaccustomed to the culture, but was willing to attend as long as Zheng Ren was present. He would put up with anything for the chance to win a Nobel Prize.

As the patient was wheeled out, Director Xiao's phone rang. A moment later, the office director left to make the arrangements for the patient to be transferred to the special demands ward.

Zheng Ren was unaware of what was happening, blissfully ignorant of anything unrelated to treating patients.

Once everyone had changed, they headed to the Small Stove Canteen.

Six years ago, the hospital canteen's food had rivalled that of the best restaurants in Sea City. Sadly, its quality had deteriorated over the years.

Although there was a drop in standards and dining space, the hospital maintained the canteen to cater to the fly-in surgeons who occasionally visited.

The office director was busy making all manner of arrangements when his phone rang.

He answered the call, frustrated.

Seconds later, his face dropped in shock.

His subordinate had discovered some documentary being aired on Sea City News Network. It featured Sea City General Hospital, but its focus was the emergency department chief resident, Zheng Ren.

This...

The office director was speechless.

Under normal circumstances, the media would require some form of payment in return for advertising the hospital.

However, the hospital had not requested this. Had Sea City News Network and Sea City Metropolis Daily worked together to produce a documentary on a nameless chief resident?

Did the hospital administration mean nothing to them?

Or the law, even?

This was absurd!

The anger in him dwindled just as quickly as it erupted. He considered the situation before him and realized the decision was not his to make.

He was not a fool. There were lines he could cross and lines to avoid.

Aftering ordering his subordinate to send over the documentary, he waited for the crowd to thin before approaching Director Xiao to explain the issue.

Director Xiao was also surprised. He could not understand why all this had happened, and the whole situation smelled fishy to him.

However, there was nothing he could do but pretend ignorance

The office director also provided Director Xiao some background information on Department Chief Kong and Professor Rudolph Wagner.

After reviewing their profiles, the surprise in Director Xiao only grew.

One was a department chief from the nation's top Class Three Grade A Hospital.

Visiting Imperial Capital alone was one thing, being able to even meet someone of that stature was another.

On the other hand, Professor Rudolph Wagner was a world-class professor in interventional radiology-assisted surgery. Director Xiao would have never met the man were it not for Zheng Ren.

He struggled to comprehend the arrival of two distinguished surgeons in his small hospital.

The bill for today was going to be sky-high. Director Xiao forced a pained smile.

There was a similar expression on Zheng Ren's face as well.

In one day, he had performed an emergency rescue surgery, a minor surgical procedure and assisted in another surgery. He was not terribly tired but wanted nothing more than to just rest and read some books in the emergency department.

The fatigue truly hit him when he realized that he had to stay seated at the dinner table and listen to the director's small talk.

He knew there was no way to excuse himself as Department Chief Kong and Professor Rudolph Wagner were here for him in particular.

When they had arrived at the Small Stove Canteen, Department Chief Kong turned down Director Xiao's offer to sit with him and stuck close to Zheng Ren. Professor Rudolph Wagner pretended to not understand Director Xiao's words and did the same.

Needless to say, Director Xiao's pride was crushed.

Was the hospital's director incomparable to a mere chief resident?

He knew the answer to that was yes.

However, this was a small matter. The office director had arranged for others to fill in the seats and the awkwardness was soon resolved.

"Boss Zheng..."

"Chief Kong, please stop embarrassing me. Little Zheng, just call me Little Zheng," Zheng Ren objected.

Department Chief Kong laughed and continued, "Can we formalize the arrangements for the research? I will need you in Imperial Capital once a month. Each visit will involve 10 to 20 surgeries which can be split between two days. What do you say?"

"That suits me well, but earlier notice would be appreciated as I will need to apply for leave," Zheng Ren replied.

Department Chief Kong glanced at Professor Rudolph Wagner. The German was listening in on their conversation. "Professor Rudolph, Zheng Ren is fairly busy these days. If there's anything you need from him, just be forthright."

Professor Rudolph Wagner gladly took over. "Zheng, I watched your surgery. It was perfect."

"Professor, you exaggerate," Zheng Ren said with a smile.

"Not at all. By my eyes, yours are the hands of God!" the professor said, eyes wide.

The smile on Zheng Ren's face remained as he waited for the Professor's follow-up.

"I wish to invite you to Germany for a collaboration. If all goes well, I am ready to start a lab in both our names with the aim of furthering research into prostate interventional embolization surgery. What do you say?"

Director Xiao's ears perked up like a rabbit's, trying to catch what the two mighty surgeons were discussing with the chief resident.

Flying to Imperial Capital to perform surgery...

A collaboration in Germany...

Director Xiao's eyes were red.

His experience with fly-in surgeons from Imperial Capital and Sorcery Capital were not the best. Some surgeons were temperamental and hard to please.

Yet now, Zheng Ren was going to Imperial Capital as a fly-in surgeon for research purposes... Were he not witnessing the discussion with his own eyes and ears, Director Xiao would never have believed it.

The invite from the foreign professor, Rudolph Wagner, was even more ludicrous.

Director Xiao had also been overseas for intellectual exchange and career development, but the trips were in truth sponsored by equipment manufacturers with their own agendas.

Learning and networking? Others discussed their technical skill while he could only talk politics.

It was not just him; even the department chiefs in Sea City General Hospital were of the same ilk.

Director Xiao could see the hunger in Professor Rudolph Wagner's eyes. The invitation was a lifelong dream for many professors and department chiefs.

The director truly resembled a rabbit with bloodshot eyes and raised ears.

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Chapter 285: Answers (Part 1 of 4)

Professor Rudolph Wagner's words fell on deaf ears with Zheng Ren, whose frozen smile did not change one bit.

Nothing happened.

The professor was at a loss. This was not going as he had planned.

Professor Rudolph Wagner readily conceded that Heidelberg University ranked lower in research output compared to Stanford and Cambridge, but all three universities were in the same tier.

What more did this chief resident want?

Did he think he was actually God just because he had miraculous hands?

Zheng Ren started discussing the patient selection process with Department Chief Kong.

Patients never stopped coming to Imperial Capital Hospital. It was an inexhaustible resource.

It was possible to get 20 liver cancer patients within a day, what more in a month.

The limiting factor would be the 64-slice CT scan 3D reconstructions as Zheng Ren would only visit Imperial Capital once a month.

Most of his time would be spent on reconstruction, not the surgery.

This was the problem Zheng Ren and Department Chief Kong were discussing.

They would have to consider speaking to Department Chief Chu about training several technicians to help out with the 3D reconstruction.

If Zheng Ren... Department Chief Kong refrained from asking him to stay in Imperial Capital again.

Every man had his own ambition.

To be so skilled, Zheng Ren likely had an IQ of at least 150. Although he seemed to lack EQ, Department Chief Kong believed it was because the young doctor was wholly focused on his work.

The chief could only see all the good in Zheng Ren and did not bother questioning the young doctor's decision.

Zheng Ren had not responded, so Professor Rudolph Wagner decided to cut to the chase. "My dear Zheng, will you consider my offer?"

"No, not for now," Zheng Ren answered truthfully. He liked the professor's straightforwardness.

Professor Rudolph Wagner shrugged, his long, blond hair bobbing with the motion. He could not understand why Zheng Ren would turn down such an invitation.

"Zheng, forgive my candor, but your current employment setting lacks the facilities for someone of your caliber," Professor Rudolph Wagner remarked.

Zheng Ren nodded in agreement.

"If all goes as planned, we will get 3.5 million euros every year for the research. If that is insufficient, I can find private donors. Every year, there are foundations who wish to donate to my research. I just need to make the call and it will be settled."

Department Chief Kong was speechless.

Internally, he cursed at the German professor.

He had given his all to get Zheng Ren on his side, but the things he could offer were miniscule compared to that of a world-class professor.

Were he in Zheng Ren's position... He would have chosen to talk to Professor Rudolph Wagner about their proposed collaboration.

Zheng Ren just smiled and said, "My esteemed Professor Rudolph, I take kindly to your offer."

"Eh?" The professor was confused.

Professor Rudolph could speak Mandarin but was not attuned to the intricacies of the language, how a shift in inflection could change the meaning of a word.

"This is my homeland and I have no wish to part with it for now," Zheng Ren said firmly, his refusal final.

Wine glass in hand, Director Xiao had wanted to make a toast. As he stood, he had overheard Professor Rudolph Wagner speaking about research funding and donations.

The numbers put in his mind mountains of gold and silver.

Although the offer had nothing to do with him, it had momentarily distracted him from the task at hand.

He stood there absentmindedly with a glass in hand. It was an awkward sight to behold.

The office director gently tapped Director Xiao with his foot.

"Eh..." Director Xiao immediately woke from his stupor and put on a gracious smile. "Our friends from afar..."

"With all due respect, director, please allow me a few minutes to convince Zheng." Professor Rudolph Wagner was annoyed at the interruption.

Director Xiao was already lower than a speck of dust in Professor Rudolph Wagner's eyes, and with this incident, his impression of the director only deteriorated.

Being rejected by Zheng Ren had been a blow to the professor's pride. The Nobel Prize was slipping from his grasp and now he had to be interrupted by this insignificant fool!

How awkward...

The mood at the table was tense.

Fortunately, Director Xiao was a seasoned veteran in managing social interactions. He had not gotten to where he was without some people skills.

He did not sit down, as that would thoroughly soil his image.

His mind grasped for the right words and inspiration struck him.

"My respected professor, allow me to show you something that will assuage your doubts," Director Xiao said dramatically, then signaled to the office director, who quickly left the room.

"Truly?" Professor Rudolph Wagner said in disbelief.

"In this new era, the great rejuvenation of the Chinese people will be unstoppable." Director Xiao managed to wrestle the conversation back on track.

Department Chief Kong was confused. Why was Director Xiao delivering the opening lines of a meeting report?

"I have here a documentary made by the local news network and print company. It's about Sea City General Hospital. Perhaps you will get your answers after watching it."

Director Xiao delivered his lines with austerity.

The office director set up a projector and started playing the documentary on the canteen's large screen. It was the one that Zheng Ren had briefly seen upon returning from Imperial Capital.

It was immersive and captivating, lended to by the quality projector and sound system.

Professor Rudolph Wagner turned to watch, wondering why this young doctor with the hands of God had refused his offer.

After a short prologue, the scene opened with blaring ambulance sirens.

The video showcased the mass poisoning ordeal of Sea City General Hospital.

Chief Kong was surprised—nitrite poisoning? And Zheng Ren had had to deal with such a rare event?

At this point, Professor Rudolph Wagner had fully turned his chair around to have a better view.

Director Xiao let out a sigh of relief and gave the office director an approving nod.

Were he honest with himself, Director Xiao had no idea what the documentary depicted. He had only brought it up as he could not think of any other way to resolve the situation.

However, he ended up being stunned by it himself.

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Chapter 286: True Heroism (Part 2 of 4)

The documentary alternated between intense, fast-paced scenes and content that were daily life reflections. It was not very detailed, but had been made with the utmost sincerity.

When it reached the emergency rescue during the assault in Imperial Capital, the entire atmosphere in the Small Stove Canteen turned cold.

Professor Rudolf Wagner's eyes flashed with shock and confusion, but he finally understood when Tang Xiu brought up the term, true heroism.

It was a concise documentary, which also meant that a lot of content was cut.

Department Chief Kong had witnessed firsthand all the things Zheng Ren had done during the rest of his stay at Imperial Capital, things that had little to no airtime in the documentary.

However, the nitrite mass poisoning and emergency rescue were self-explanatory.

Initially, Director Xiao had intended to give himself an out, but had not expected to watch something that would turn his world upside down.

Back in the day, Director Xiao would have been furious.

How could he not have known about the documentary?!

However, the video stirred even his numbed heart.

The documentary ended around fifteen minutes later.

Professor Rudolf Wagner fell into silence.

"Professor, I believed you'd found your answer." Director Xiao stood up once more, without holding the wine glass this time.

"For the cultural awakening of our people, we all have to play our part to move towards the next success!" he said passionately. "Medical professionals are the strong shield of the people, the dependable foundation of society. I believe that Zheng Ren feels the same, which is why he won't leave his beloved nation."

Zheng Ren was stunned by Director Xiao's speech.

That conclusion was excellent. Why hadn't he thought of such a practical reason?

Department Chief Kong was unmoved by the speech, turning around solemnly.

Professor Rudolf Wagner was still in a daze. He did not continue to persuade Zheng Ren, instead falling into deep thought.

The atmosphere at the table died down. Although Director Xiao and the office director did their best to lighten up the mood, everyone was still reeling from the 15-minute long documentary.

"Right, Little Zheng, where's Su Yun?" Department Chief Kong asked, trying to defuse the tension.

"He's in ICU monitoring the postoperative patients," Zheng Ren answered immediately.

"Oh? The cardiothoracic rising star has become an ICU doctor under your supervision?" Department Chief Kong laughed.

"Not all the patients require post-surgery care. There's a patient with adenomyosis who attempted suicide today by jumping off a building. Her condition after surgery was not promising, and I need his professional knowledge during this critical period."

"You're right. He did manage to raise the mouse into Godzilla after its heart transplant. Little Zheng, you have a great assistant," Department Chief Kong said sincerely.

Zheng Ren chuckled as he thought of Su Yun chatting away happily with the nurses in ICU while taking care of the patient.

Great indeed, he thought.

His phone ringing interrupted Zheng Ren's thoughts. Glancing at it, he frowned when he saw that it was from the emergency department.

"Sorry." Zheng Ren excused himself and received the call.

"Yes... Yes.

"Okay, I'll be there right away."

Zheng Ren hung up after a few curt words. He stood and said, "There's a knife attack victim in the emergency department. I need to help with their emergency rescue. Director, Chief, I apologize but I have to leave now."

After bidding his farewells, Zheng Ren exchanged looks with Old Chief Physician Pan and apologized to Department Chief Kong personally before turning to leave.

Director Xiao felt a little frustrated.

This meal had been so awkward.

Even though he had managed to iron out the situation, he still felt something gnawing at his heart at a spot so deeply repressed that he had almost forgotten its presence. It was Zheng Ren's attitude!

He was way out of order!

Without any hesitation, Professor Rudolf Wagner instantly stood and said, "Zheng, I want to follow you to understand your ambitions and determination."

Zheng Ren had no time to bother with him. What did he mean by ambition and determination? The responsibility of a doctor was to save lives and treat illnesses. All that bluster was meaningless.

Zheng Ren pulled out his phone to call Su Yun as he rushed to the emergency department.

The condition of the suicide victim had stabilized. She was no longer suffering hemorrhagic shock symptoms after receiving 20 units of red blood cells and 1500 mL of plasma.

Subsequently, they had to prevent disseminated intravenous coagulation and acute hypoperfusion injuries. They were preparing to administer platelets and had requested fibrinogen.

After recruiting Su Yun to the emergency rescue, Zheng Ren jogged towards the emergency rescue room.

Professor Rudolf Wagner quietly followed Zheng Ren, staring at the man's back, puzzled.

Zheng Ren's skill was on par with that of specialists and professors. He ought to be doing theoretical research, which had easier career advancements and a more relaxed lifestyle.

He was still so young, with a bright future ahead.

However, he was willingly staying in this ordinary hospital and working his fingers to the bone in the emergency department.

How peculiar. Was this a cultural difference between the East and West?

Zheng Ren soon arrived at the emergency department.

A young man was lying on an emergency stretcher trolley with a knife in his stomach to an approximate depth of seven to eight cm.

The ECG monitor indicated sinus tachycardia, but his blood pressure was still in the acceptable range of 95/60 mm Hg.

Zheng Ren calmed down after seeing that the victim's injuries were not that severe.

There was a group of young men in front of the trolley that looked up to no good, their eyes flickering about, whispering occasionally.

Zheng Ren checked the System's monitor on the upper right corner of his vision. The diagnosis was straightforward: other than the self-evident stab wound, there was only one real diagnosis—a gastrointestinal perforation.

It was just a ruptured bowel. How fortunate.

Even though it was not life-threatening, the patient still required emergency surgery.

A gastrointestinal perforation would result in the leakage of the contents of and fluid from the intestine into the abdominal cavity. This would lead to infection and even toxic shock syndrome if left untreated.

Zheng Ren was pleased to see that the emergency department nurses had finished preparing for surgery.

"Are there any family members of the patient? We need to proceed with admission, payment and signing of the consent form," Zheng Ren asked, looking at each of the young men in turn.

They all lowered their heads and avoided his question. No one looked him in the eye.

One of them finally said, "I'm not his family, but I'll call and notify them."

He left in a hurry right after.

He was the first in a row of dominoes. As he reached the exit of the emergency rescue room, the others followed suit and began to leave as well.

Zheng Ren was used to such a situation and did not pay it any mind.

"Inform the medical staff on duty to come to the emergency ward to record the pre-op briefing," Zheng Ren ordered before getting another paramedic to help him push the patient to the emergency operating room.

Professor Rudolf Wagner did not understand what had just happened. The standard protocol here was different from that of Germany.

How strange.

Chapter 287: Fix His Eyes (Part 3 of 4)

As they reached the elevator, a figure appeared at the front entrance and ran at them.

They were not yelling, instead sobbing silently in shock.

It was a girl in her early twenties with a pretty face covered in tears.

The young man on the stretcher trolley struggled to take her hand with his, saying with the last of his strength, "Don't tell my family."

The girl nodded her head repeatedly, clear teardrops flying everywhere as she did.

"How is he, doctor?" she asked Zheng Ren hoarsely, staring at him misty-eyed.

Zheng Ren was emotionless. "We're sending him to the OR. Are you his wife?"

"I'm his girlfriend."

"Call his family to come here and sign the papers for surgery." The elevator arrived and Zheng Ren and the other doctor pushed the stretcher trolley in.

Professor Rudolf Wagner followed them into the elevator.

He was curious as to how emergency rescue worked.

After hearing Zheng Ren's words, the girl lowered her head, large tears falling from her eyes to the elevator floor like pearls breaking loose from a necklace.

When they reached the operating room, Chu Yanran took over and pushed the patient in.

"Don't move that knife," Zheng Ren reminded her.

Chu Yanran shot him a scornful expression. "I know that."

The segment of knife in the body obstructed the blood vessels it perforated, reducing blood loss. Were it to be removed, the emergency rescue would take on a whole new direction.

Zheng Ren led the girl back to the emergency ward. Su Yun was already there and was stunned when he saw a foreigner following Zheng Ren around while he processed admission procedures.

Without looking at him, Zheng Ren said, "Go and check the OR. I need to handle some things first."

"Okay." Su Yun took a second glance at Professor Rudolf Wagner before heading to the operating room.

"You need to pay the fees. This page is the blood transfusion request form for surgery." Zheng Ren passed the hospital admission form to the girl and asked, "Can his family come?"

"Doctor... he told me not to inform his family."

"You can't sign," Zheng Ren answered coldly. He hated dealing with such foolish sentiment during an emergency rescue.

The man was on the brink of death. Would she prefer to break the news of his death to his family?

Based on his choice of company, he did not seem like a man of virtue, either.

"Doctor, I can sign it. I really can. I'll be held responsible if anything happens," the girl said determinedly.

Hmm? Zheng Ren's impression of the girl changed.

On many occasions, the significant others of car accident or weapon assault victims refused to acknowledge their relationships to the patient, but this girl was willing to take full responsibility for him.

Interesting.

Zheng Ren was not worried since Su Yun was supervising the operating room, so he followed up with a few more questions.

"Brother Kai is a good man. He has worked hard to support his family since his father passed away early and his mother was bedridden," the girl said, collecting herself, "We've been together for two years already. If everything goes according to plan, we're going to get married next spring. He has made a lot of friends since he has a strong sense of justice and is always willing to help others. This time, he was about to lend his friend 30,000 yuan that we had saved up for our wedding."

Zheng Ren nodded.

This was common among youth. They usually learned from experience as they got older.

However, the man had to have been blind to call those folk his friends. Perhaps a visit to the ophthalmology department to fix his eyes was in order.

"I was angry at him and refused to talk to him for several days. I didn't know that he had been egged on by that group of friends and... this happened." The girl kept her head lowered and continued wiping the tears streaming down her face. "I was in the wrong, I shouldn't have fought with Brother Kai."

Zheng Ren printed the preoperative documentation and other forms requiring signature.

He explained each one to her quickly but systematically.

The girl signed them without hesitation and addressed herself as his spouse in the relationship box.

What a decent girl, Zheng Ren thought.

"I'll give my best to save him and try to reduce the cost of surgery," Zheng Ren said seriously.

The girl bowed deeply before leaving with the admission form for payment.

The paperwork complete, Zheng Ren made a phone call as he headed towards the operating room, notifying Su Yun to hold off preparing the operating table and anesthetic until his arrival.

Despite being unable to comprehend its reasoning, Su Yun carried out the order.

Professor Rudolf Wagner was still following Zheng Ren. Curious, Zheng Ren asked, "Professor, are you going into surgery with me? This is just an ordinary general surgery, there's nothing to see."

"No, no, Zheng. I just want to understand your beliefs and motivations." The professor shook his head, looking artsy as usual. "I was deeply moved by the documentary and would like to know more about you."

Zheng Ren was fine with that. He could not possibly dismiss a world-renowned professor, anyway.

If the man wanted to watch him perform surgery, so be it. He had nothing to hide.

The young man was the problem. Zheng Ren quickly outlined a proposal in his mind.

These situations were superfluous burdens to a surgeon. Nevertheless, Zheng Ren liked helping out occasionally, like the traffic officer that had come to the emergency department last time...

After changing, Zheng Ren and Professor Rudolf Wagner entered the operating room

Su Yun was surprised to see the professor. As he was about to question Zheng Ren, the latter approached the patient instead of scrubbing in, saying regretfully, "What a waste, he's still so young."

Uh... Su Yun was stunned. Was this not just a gastrointestinal perforation? What was so unfortunate about that? Was the patient going to die?

However, he understood Zheng Ren's intention immediately after.

"Yes, the chances of his survival are grim. What about his family? Does he have anybody?" Su Yun's reaction was lightning-fast and he played along with Zheng Ren.

Zheng Ren made a hush motion to Chu Yanzhi to signal her to prepare for anesthesia before saying, "He has a sick mother at home and his fiancée's outside panicking. Sigh, even his gaggle of 'friends' has left. You tell me, why would he do this?"

"So unfortunate. If he dies at such a young age, who will take care of his mother?"

There'll be no one to take care of her, so she might die of a heart attack after a few weeks," Zheng Ren said, "A good family destroyed just like that."

"Young man, keep your eyes open in the next life." Su Yun stared closely at the patient, whose eyes looked lifeless. Although his vitals on the monitor were fine, he resembled a corpse.

Zheng Ren gave another signal and Chu Yanran started administering the anesthetic.

A few seconds later, the patient was completely out.

"Chief Zheng, what are you trying to do?" Su Yun asked disdainfully as he scrubbed in.

"I felt sorry, not for him, but for his mother and fiancée." Zheng Ren sighed. "Let's just try our best. It'll be great if he's able to get out of this. If he continues down his path, what we just said will come true sooner or later."

Su Yun could not agree more.

Thus began another emergency surgery.

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Chapter 288: I'm Sorry! (Part 4 of 4)

After scrubbing in, they went to the operating table.

Su Yun was one step ahead, having already sterilized and prepared the sheets. After putting on his gown, Zheng Ren continued with the second layer of sterile sheet and started the surgery.

A sterile glove was placed on the handle of the knife in the patient's abdomen. After a laparotomy, Chu Yanzhi removed it.

The moment the knife left the abdomen, Zheng Ren pressed a sterile cotton pad into the wound.

Blood did not hit the ceiling.

After repeating sterilization a few times, Zheng Ren and Su Yun changed into a new pair of sterile gloves before opening up the patient's abdomen.

There was no actual need for such a process as perforated intestines would result in leakage of intestinal juice and fecal matter. The surgery would fall under class IV of a contaminated surgical wound.

However, as usual, Zheng Ren still wanted to try his best to perfect his craft.

He made a 10 cm incision at the left rectus abdominis muscle.

Then, he slowly made his way into the abdominal cavity. Xie Yiren quietly passed him the tools required for each step.

Professor Rudolf Wagner observed them in a daze. The ongoing surgery was just a simple, ordinary procedure.

However, something was off about it

It was as if those performing the surgery were not humans, specifically the surgeon, assistant, scrub nurse and anesthesiologist.

The entire team operated so seamlessly that they resembled a machine.

No one even spoke a word.

There seemed to even be a fluent rhythm to it.

The flow was so smooth that those in the know felt relaxed and calm.

"Boss, you're getting more and more nosy these days." Although Su Yun had played along with Zheng Ren's act earlier, he was back to his acerbic self once the patient was unconscious.

"It's just a few words, it's no trouble." Zheng Ren found the perforation as he spoke.

"Tsk, if you're that thoughtful, why don't you take some time to visit the veterinary hospital that you're not interested in? Also, who's that foreigner?"

"Foreigner? Are you referring to me?" Professor Rudolf Wagner asked.

Su Yun was startled. How had this foreigner understood him without an interpreter? This was awkward.

Zheng Ren was unaffected by the exchange. He extended his hand and Xie Yiren passed him a needle holder.

The suture needle was fine, attached to a thin thread.

As usual, Su Yun asked shamelessly, "Yeah, who are you? Why did you follow Boss Zheng into the OR?"

"I'm Rudolf Wagner, a professor from the interventional department in Heidelberg University," the professor said, introducing himself.

Even though Su Yun had guessed his identity, it felt absurd to hear it confirmed in person.

Most foreign professors were extremely snobbish and much more difficult to deal with compared to the local chiefs.

After completing the suture on the perforated intestine, Zheng Ren put the needle holder on a sterile sheet on the patient's thigh.

Su Yun did not express any astonishment.

When he extended his hand again and an appendix retractor was passed to him. He pulled the peritoneum apart to widen the surgical field, allowing Zheng Ren to check for any remaining hidden injuries.

As he did that, he asked, "Are you going to be Mr. Zheng's assistant in interventional surgery?"

"..." Zheng Ren stopped moving.

Professor Rudolf Wagner was also stunned. His sole purpose of coming to the East was to recruit Zheng to be his assistant.

Xie Yiren was unaware of what Su Yun was doing, unbothered by anything unrelated to the surgery.

She was entirely focused on the surgery, holding a pair of blunt scissors in one hand with the aspirator, aspirator cover and sterile wet bandages beside her, ready to be handed over at any moment when required.

Chu Yanzhi was shocked and snorted with laughter.

Su Yun's biting tongue knew no limits, but this German professor was not just anyone. Truly incredible.

"I've invited Zheng to form a research lab in Heidelberg University to study prostate interventional surgery.

"However, he refused me. I think only a person of conviction will give up such an attractive offer and choose to stay in a basic operating room to endure heavy workloads and radiation," Professor Rudolf Wagner said seriously, "I wish to see what drives his determination and beliefs so that I can communicate with him better."

Tsk tsk, this professor was indeed honest.

Su Yun laughed and said, "Boss Zheng, kudos to you for rejecting such an offer."

Zheng Ren tapped the appendix retractor in Su Yun's hand with the hemostatic clamp to signal him to exert more force.

"You don't have to explain yourself if you don't feel like it, there's no need to pick on me," Su Yun grumbled, directing his attention back to the surgery.

They finished the surgery quickly. The scalpel wound on the ascending colon did not exceed one centimeter. After stitching it up, they continued to search for other lesions and rinsed the abdominal cavity repeatedly. Then, they administered antibiotics and began to close the abdominal incision.

The System did not announce any mission, but Zheng Ren could understand why.

Even if the System had assigned a mission for this, the rewards of such a simple procedure would be so little that it was better to not have any at all.

He wondered if the act he and Su Yun put up would frighten the young man into understanding the depths of despair and regret of those who had gone down similar paths.

Hopefully, the man would change his ways for the better.

After finishing the last stitch of the abdominal closure, the patient recovered from anesthesia.

Although Chu Yanzhi had a cheeky personality, she was still very reliable when something serious happened. In such situations, she was similar to her sister, Chu Yanran.

The patient had not fully regained consciousness. He started to react restlessly and babble.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" he mumbled.

"My goodness..." Chu Yanran was speechless. She looked at Zheng Ren and Su Yun. "Look at what you guys did to this poor man."

"Glad to know you've realized your mistakes," Zheng Ren said with a smile.

"Give me a chance!" the patient said, then passed out.

He was probably shaken by their charade. Zheng Ren and Su Yun exchanged a glance before leaving the operating table.

Zheng Ren had once met a patient who requested a professor to perform surgery on him. Upon waking up after surgery, the patient's first sentence was, "Have I paid the professor?"

There was another who woke up in the ward after his surgery, took the matron's hand and requested to bed her...

The matron had been so furious that the patient checked out of the hospital three days later.

The words spoken during this fugue state were actually their deepest desires.

It was a good sign that he was rueful.

Hopefully, he would cherish this 'chance', or the scenario that he and Su Yun had envisioned would soon become reality.

Zheng Ren left the operating room to change into his regular clothes after removing his sterile surgical gown.

He had not even bothered to take notice when Professor Rudolf Wagner had left.

The man was a world-renowned professor and not one to steal things from an operating room in Sea City, after all.

When he entered the changing room, he heard Professor Rudolf Wagner's voice.

It was in German and beyond Zheng Ren's comprehension.

Still, Zheng Ren did not stop moving, knowing that standing outside and waiting for the man to finish his call could be misconstrued as eavesdropping.

He walked in without hesitation to see an agitated Professor Rudolf Wagner waving his left hand in the air.

"Professor Rudolf, what happened?" he asked.

Professor Rudolf Wagner waved Zheng Ren to be quiet and began to speak faster, more authoritatively, before finally hanging up.

"Zheng, if you're not following me back to Heidelberg, I would like to ask your permission to stay in Sea City for a while," Professor Rudolf Wagner said resolutely.

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