Zheng Ren shook his head, but before he could return to his revision, Su Yun darted toward him and grabbed his arm.
"Let's go for dinner," said Su Yun.
"You guys go ahead, I'm going to read my book." Zheng Ren declined.
However, he was soon overwhelmed by the group's enthusiastic invitation. They were also curious as to why Su Yun lacked the humility and courtesy toward the young man whom he claimed to be his boss.
Zheng Ren had no choice but to accept.
Fortunately, the System had given him memories of three thousand prostate anatomical dissections, so he was not worried about the Q&A session in the laboratory tomorrow.
He presumed that it would involve a process similar to that of a graduation thesis. Anyone who passed the test would be able to stay for the research project.
As for its details, Zheng Ren had no idea what they were.
Since it was still early, he presumed that the group would find a place to sit down for chit-chat.
Just as they were about to leave in excitement, someone's phone suddenly rang.
Red Stethoscope took out his phone and accepted the call. After a brief conversation, he said apologetically, "A patient from my hometown was scheduled for morning consultation, but arrived only this evening. I'm going to make arrangements and change my attire in the meantime. Wait for me."
"Let's go together. It has been a long time since I was last here." Su Yun, who seemed unbothered, grabbed Zheng Ren and followed the group to the outpatient building.
…
…
It was crowded in the Imperial Capital hospital.
Zheng Ren had once heard that a registration number for specialist consultation sold by the ticket scalper cost between three to five thousand yuan.
However, with the development of transport systems such as high-speed rail and commercial aviation in today's world, more people had started swarming into Imperial Capital to seek treatment, unfazed by its sky-high medical charges.
They weaved through the crowd and arrived at the outpatient department on the fourth floor. Red Stethoscope then made a phone call to locate the patient from his hometown.
She was an emaciated girl in her early twenties. Her skeletal appearance was a depressing sight.
Zheng Ren was puzzled when he read through the patient's details on the upper right corner of his vision.
Chapter 178 - Advanced Cancer? I Don’t Think So
Red Stethoscope read the films and brought the girl from the outpatient department to the inpatient department.
Worried, the girl's family brought their thick stack of films with them.
The girl attracted a lot of attention, presumably due to her severe emaciation, which was a rare sight.
"Probably an advanced cancer of the gastrointestinal system," said a young doctor beside Su Yun sympathetically.
"Her malignant tumor is so aggressive at such a young age. I don't think there is much chance of recovery now."
"I would suggest she receive traditional Chinese treatment in China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences Guang'anmen Hospital; she could probably live for another year or so."
Su Yun kept quiet and stole a peek at Zheng Ren.
Zheng Ren failed to notice his gaze as he was deeply immersed in his own train of thought about the emaciated girl.
Half an hour later, Red Stethoscope had changed into casual attire and returned briskly.
"Let's go," he said.
"What's wrong with that patient from your hometown?" someone else asked.
"Advanced esophageal cancer with multiorgan metastases." Red Stethoscope sighed and said, "It's too late for surgery or even targeted drug therapy. I'm actually sneaking out while Boss Gu is reading the films."
"..." Everyone remained silent.
"I don't think so," said Zheng Ren after a few moments of hesitation.
"Huh?" Red Stethoscope stared at Zheng Ren in disbelief. He had been quiet throughout the journey and his first sentence was to question the diagnosis?
Who the hell did he think he was?
Su Yun merely stood aside with his arms crossed.
"Brother Yun, how good is your young boss?" another young doctor asked softly as he approached Su Yun.
"Very good." Su Yun's answer was plain and simple.
"Is he really your boss? Is he a professor with a baby face?"
"No, he is a few months younger than me, but his surgery skills are much superior to mine," replied Su Yun truthfully.
"..." The young doctor was flabbergasted, and his expression even more exaggerated than when he had laid eyes on the emaciated girl.
"What? He guides you in surgery? Are you kidding us?" Pretentious shock was written all over another man's face. "Brother Yun, your words are getting more unbelievable."
"I'm telling the truth. Your intelligence worries me greatly," Su Yun said coldly, "I think you should all pack your stuff and return home. Your presence here will just get in the way of patients' recoveries."
All of them, including Zheng Ren, had gotten used to his harsh words, so nobody took him seriously.
"Er…" Red Stethoscope hesitated for a while. "Boss, what did you just say?"
Boss… Zheng Ren was unaccustomed to this title.
"My name is Zheng Ren," he said, "The patient doesn't seem to have advanced esophageal cancer; I recommend doing an esophagoscopy with a tissue biopsy."
"I don't think that's necessary. The patient's investigation reports, including a PET-CT scan, indicate that she indeed has advanced esophageal cancer with multiorgan metastases," replied Red Stethoscope coldly as he understood Zheng Ren's meaning.
"How dare you speak to my boss in such a derogatory tone." Su Yun's lips curled into a sneer, an otherwise extremely punchable sight.
"Brother Yun, what do you mean?"
"Just perform a tissue biopsy. It won't take long, anyway." Su Yun said, waving his hand, "Since it's still early to be having dinner, perhaps you'll be surprised by the results."
Red Stethoscope could ignore Zheng Ren's opinion, but when Su Yun gave his, he started to hesitate.
"Brother Yun, are you being serious?" Red Stethoscope asked doubtfully, "She already has advanced cancer, it's inhumane to torture her any further."
Su Yun glanced at Zheng Ren, who had a confident expression, and said, "Give it a try. If it isn't advanced cancer, dinner is on you, and vice versa. You can choose anywhere you want and order anything you like."
"I want to eat foie gras at Da Dong until you go bankrupt," joked another man, who pushed Red Stethoscope toward the inpatient department.
"Then I'll go back and have a look," replied Red Stethoscope, firmly believing that it was unnecessary. After all, the PET-CT results had clearly stated the diagnosis, and the patient's family merely wanted to try their luck in Imperial Capital.
Was it really necessary to torture the young girl by performing esophagoscopy with tissue biopsy?
The tumor cells could seed through the biopsy tract and worsen her condition.
However, he decided to do it due to Su Yun's persistence.
Su Yun shook his head and smiled. "Boss, how sure are you?"
"One hundred percent," said Zheng Ren confidently, not recognizing the mockery in his tone.
Zheng Ren's attitude toward Su Yun and Professor Pei varied hugely.
The rest of the group found it interesting that Su Yun's "boss" was convinced that it was a misdiagnosis when the investigation results clearly stated otherwise.
What a joke.
"Oh, what do you think she has?" asked Su Yun.
"Active phase of gastrointestinal tuberculosis with extrapulmonary manifestations. Once the diagnosis is confirmed via tissue biopsy, she can undergo an antituberculosis regimen," replied Zheng Ren.
"..."
Everyone was dumbfounded.
Even Su Yun was unable to accept it.
What the heck was this?
Gastrointestinal tuberculosis was a rare
disease.
It was no longer a terminal illness after the development of antituberculosis regimens.
Tuberculosis had been an "incurable disease" just like cancer a century ago.
Moreover, intestinal tuberculosis was more commonly seen in gastrointestinal tuberculosis; as for esophageal tuberculosis… It was too rare. Even the doctors in Class Three Grade A Hospitals in Imperial Capital had only seen a few cases in their careers.
How uncommon was esophageal tuberculosis?
Disregarding the number of cases, the mechanisms of primary and secondary tuberculosis remained clinically ambiguous. Some suspected that primary esophageal tuberculosis simply did not exist, and all esophageal tuberculosis happened due to secondary infection by bacterial infiltration from the mediastinal lymph nodes and the tissues surrounding the esophagus directly into the esophageal wall.
Dead silence reigned around Zheng Ren.
"I really have no idea what your confidence is based on," Su Yun mumbled and sighed while tapping on his phone.
It looked like he could not prevent his WeChat Wallet from bleeding money this time. Hematemesis directly from a phone seemed like it would be a gruesome sight.
A doctor patted Su Yun's shoulder in consolation.
After hearing Zheng Ren's diagnosis, everyone seemed to lose interest in Su Yun's "boss" and merely considered it all a joke by Su Yun.
They casually sat and began engaging themselves in their phones.
Nearly an hour later, Red Stethoscope returned with long strides. His walking was so quick that his hood fluttered with every movement.
"Let's go for dinner." A man put down his phone, rubbed his eyes and said lazily, "Brother Yun, I've actually made reservations in Da Dong."
Su Yun waved his hand casually to indicate that he did not mind at all.
"We're having dinner in Da Dong?" Red Stethoscope's complexion instantly became pale.
"Why not? Dinner is on Brother Yun today, so let's not have dinner somewhere else. I want to eat foie gras at Da Dong."
"..." Red Stethoscope's expression looked like he was constipated. He scratched his head and said, "Let's have dinner elsewhere."
"Huh? That's strange, why are you helping Brother Yun save money?"
"Visual inspection during tissue biopsy suggested that it wasn't a tumor…" said Red Stethoscope, embarrassed.
Chapter 179 - Misdiagnosis? Impossible
"What?"
"It's not esophageal cancer?"
"F*ck! That's impossible!"
All of them were astonished. How could the diagnosis have been wrong when everything had pointed toward esophageal carcinoma?
"Anyway, the tissue sample has been sent for histopathology, so it can't be considered a loss yet." Red Stethoscope was shameless. "Let's go to Gui Street for Chinese-style spicy crawfish."
The mention of that food made Su Yun's expression sink immediately.
Zheng Ren was exhilarated and slightly regretful at the same time. Had it not been for the misunderstanding in the emergency department, he would have surely returned to the restaurant to see Su Yun being demolished by Chang Yue. How glorious a sight that must have been.
From Su Yun's expression, Zheng Ren knew how much damage he had received that day.
Critical hit +10086.
A taxi they had hailed online arrived after a brief chat.
As for the destination… It was still Da Dong.
It was the evening rush hour now, so it took nearly two hours for them to travel from Fourth Ring to Dongsi Shitiao Station.
Zheng Ren began to regret his decision as well. If these guys had not insisted on his participation, he would surely have gained one skill point from reading his book.
Upon reaching South Fujikura, the lobby manager, who seemed to be familiar with these people, enthusiastically welcomed their arrival.
In the private dining room, Su Yun unrestrainedly ordered lots of food, including three plates of foie gras. Red Stethoscope's complexion…
Became darker…
And darker…
Everyone was seated after Su Yun was done ordering. Then, he started introducing them one by one.
Red Stethoscope's real name was Fang Lin, a doctoral student just like the others, and all of them had known Su Yun since their postgraduate days.
Zheng Ren seemed to remember that Su Yun had been in the postgraduate program at Union Medical College Hospital, so how would he have known all these people?
He knew Su Yun all too well, so he decided to keep these questions to himself despite his doubts. Otherwise, he would only receive harsh, mean answers.
"I'd like to propose a toast to Boss Zheng," Fang Lin said politely after requesting two bottles of Laphroaig.
Zheng Ren refused the offer. "That's too kind of you, but I can't drink."
"Forget about him. He can't drink, so I'll drink with you." Su Yun knew his role and smoothed things over. "He'll be in big trouble if he can't attend the conference at the institute tomorrow morning."
"Oh!" Fang Lin slapped his t.h.i.g.h and said, "Brother Yun, I heard Little Sun of the urology department saying that he has been studying prostate artery embolization recently, and saw your name on that list. That's why I said Sea City wasn't a suitable place for a talented man like you."
Su Yun smiled and brushed the black bangs framing his forehead aside, saying, "In terms of beauty, the snow will melt and the frost will thaw were I in Siberia."
"..." Everyone was flabbergasted despite their familiarity.
"But I'm actually tagging along with my boss for this research project," said Su Yun while stealing a look at Zheng Ren.
"Huh? Who invited Boss Zheng?" Fang Lin was unconvinced.
"Professor Pei Yingjie from a hepatobiliary hospital in Sorcery Capital."
Fang Lin and the rest stared at each other in disbelief.
Professor Pei Yingjie was a popular candidate for a research fellow and a famous professor in the medical world!
Zheng Ren's age, while not completely childlike, did not seem close to that of an expert who would be invited to attend research. However, not only would questioning him be particularly impolite, they were also unfamiliar with the young man. Thus, they remained silent.
Zheng Ren did not mind them either. He was actually staring at the empty table and recalling the anatomy of the prostate using the bottle of Laphroaig. It seemed like he was the only one with such extraordinary imagination.
He had a feeling that he could skillfully dissect a prostate like a butcher dismembering an ox after the System had poured three thousand prostate anatomical dissections into his mind.
Fang Lin broke the awkward silence. "Boss Zheng's diagnostic ability is amazing. When I returned just now, Boss Gu was actually preparing to perform esophagoscopy with a tissue biopsy."
"Your boss is very good," answered Zheng Ren naturally.
The atmosphere once again became lifeless.
His boss was very good? Was Zheng Ren actually praising himself? It was good enough that others complimented him, but what the hell was this self-aggrandizing?
Fortunately, the roast duck and other dishes arrived. Su Yun then began indulging in food and drink with Fang Lin and his gang, throwing the boring Boss Zheng aside.
The group had plenty of gossip on everything that had happened over the last two years. Despite Su Yun's sharp tongue, Zheng Ren noticed that they were actually unwilling to see Su Yun leave and were constantly persuading him to return.
Su Yun merely downed his drink without any response.
The Laphroaig, smelling like iodine, was consumed one glass after another. Fang Lin and the rest were lightweights and could not compete with Su Yun.
Su Yun remained unsatisfied even after finishing a whole bottle by himself.
"I wish Chang Yue was here," said Zheng Ren after noticing his dissatisfaction.
Su Yun's facial muscles twitched uncontrollably as he glared at Zheng Ren.
"Brother Zhao has been y
earning for a reunion drink with you. We are no match for you in that." Fang Lin and the rest had quickly surrendered when they started to feel tipsy. It seemed like they had been repeatedly trounced in previous drinking contests.
It was rare that alcoholics knew their limitations. Zheng Ren presumed that Su Yun occupied the same spot in their minds as Chang Yue did in Su Yun's.
"Where is Old Zhao?"
"He was instructed to perform an elephant trunk surgery by my boss this afternoon," Fang Lin said, "He initially scheduled fewer surgeries today on purpose just to have a drink with you, but we hadn't expected an emergency case of aortic dissection. I think he's still in the operating theater now."
Su Yun glanced at Zheng Ren and asked, "Was the patient sent via an air ambulance?"
"Huh? How did you know?" Fang Lin was getting tipsy after two glasses of Laphroaig, but his thought process was still present.
"Let me tell you, I've seen air ambulances deployed less than five times, and one for a case of aortic dissection is even more extraordinary. That patient was really lucky to have survived until hospital admission, and I even heard that he was initially diagnosed on a plane," he said excitedly.
Every doctor's blood would course with excitement whenever such gossip was discussed over alcohol.
"That's right. There was a case of sudden cardiac death on Flight D last year. We later found out that he probably had had an aortic dissection which completely ruptured afterward. He wasn't as lucky as the patient we received today," another man said, "It's really unusual for an air ambulance to stand by at the airport and pick up the patient. This is the first time I've heard such a thing."
Zheng Ren took a cherry-shaped piece of foie gras and munched on it.
He was not interested in the roast duck and other dishes, but the foie gras was genuinely delicious. A layer of fruit jam was smeared on its outside which removed most of its greasy mouthfeel.
As for its texture, Zheng Ren was unable to decipher it and only knew that it tasted wonderful.
He also turned a deaf ear to the discussion.
"What's the matter with the girl today? Let's talk about her." Upon noticing Zhang Ren's lack of interest, Su Yun changed the topic from the aortic dissection to the girl they had seen earlier.
The Surgeon's Studio c1-799 Page 91
