"Who will do it?" asked a middle-aged doctor as the question emerged in his mind.
"The purpose of this research project is to promote interventional radiology and demonstrate its potential and charm to the public." Li Haitao smiled without answering. "Today is Saturday. Since you have all just arrived, you get two days' rest. On Monday, you will demonstrate your surgical skill."
The crowd started murmuring immediately.
What the hell did that mean?
Was this a Player Kill1 challenge? Although it was not explicitly stated, that was exactly what he meant.
Everyone here was considered an elite among elites, and only a few of them would stand out in the end and lead the future development of interventional radiology.
However, one or two surgeries were simply inadequate to assess a surgeon's skills; many were required to properly determine one's proficiency.
Li Haitao's words implied that the surgery demonstration would be a contest.
The professors' opinions and the importance they attached to the research project would determine who would perform the surgery in the end.
Only a few of them placed high value on the research, but they were all interested in the surgery demonstration that would be held like an ancient Chinese imperial examination.
Li Haitao seemed to have expected this reaction as he remained calm instead of calling for silence.
When the voices of the young and middle-aged doctors gradually faded after a few minutes, he smiled and said, "Interventional radiology is still at a rapid developmental stage. You're all elites in this field, so the future of interventional radiology depends on you. Now, I would like everyone to send me original copies of your medical license, practicing certificate and ID card, and I'll keep them for the record in the medical administration division.
"Also, the hospital management has located a few patients who have given their consent to undergo surgery demonstration.
"The conference ends here. If you have any questions, please send me a message on WeChat. If any of you want to see the patients preoperatively, the chief residents will escort you." Li Haitao opened the curtains and turned off the slideshow.
The winter sunshine was a little dazzling, but Su Yun's black hair was almost blinding.
"Hey, are you confident?" he asked.
"Huh?" Zheng Ren was startled.
"Be serious. This is a competition to be the future leader of interventional radiology." Su Yun's expression was grim, which was a rare sight. "Whether the surgery succeeds or fails doesn't matter, but as long as you win the contest, you can choose to work in the interventional radiology department in any Class Three Grade A Hospital in this country. You don't have to stay in Sea City anymore."
Su Yun seemed like a completely different man in the moment, as if the part of his soul that had been reluctant to attend the conference had been thrown into a different dimension.
He was now a man with immense fighting spirit burning within him, eager to compete with other surgical titans.
"Not interested," replied Zheng Ren.
"You'd have a tenfold, twentyfold or even a hundredfold increase in your monthly income. Are you interested now?" Su Yun's tone reeked of conceit that would have otherwise earned him ten thousand knuckle sandwiches.
"Not really. That's not what I have in mind for the time being. Besides, even if I miss this opportunity, I can still earn a good income in the future," replied Zheng Ren absent-mindedly as he repeatedly read through the patient's medical record from the scientific research team.
"You're really boring." Su Yun brushed his black bangs aside and leaned in closer, whispering, "Are you thinking about becoming a glorious live-in son-in-law of the Xie family?"
"Live-in son-in-law?" The term reminded Zheng Ren of a rotten banana.
"I can see that you've been flirting with Xie Yiren, but come on, don't be such a loser. Let me tell you…" In an unprecedented act, Su Yun decided to offer sincere advice to Zheng Ren.
However, just as he began to speak, the long-forgotten System alert rang out in Zheng Ren's ears. "Ding-dong!"
A mission!
[Mission: The First Stage of The Great Beginning.
[Task: Obtain the surgery qualification for interventional radiological treatment of the prostate.
[Reward: One Master-ranked skill book, 1000 skill points, 200000 experience points and one gold c.h.e.s.t.
[Time: 7 days.]
Zheng Ren was flabbergasted upon receiving the mission, turning a deaf ear to Su Yun's nagging.
The Great Beginning; this mission alone had rewards exceeding that of everything he had received prior.
A skill book that directly upgraded a random skill to the Master rank… That, coupled with a truly humongous amount of points and long mission duration, left Zheng Ren drooling in anticipation.
The points were equivalent to surgery intensive training time in the System!
The flame instantly burned bright within Zheng Ren's heart, igniting his interest in this surgery.
He needed to complete it!
He had to complete it!
He must complete it!
Zheng Ren stood up abruptly in the midst of Su Yun's speech.
"What's wrong?"
"Let's go see the patients."
"Huh? What a two-faced b*stard." Su Yun smirked. The writer's original term, PK, most likely refers to a Player Kill challenge: MMORPG slang for a player-versus-player free-for-all in which player characters are killed. Given the writer's penchant for gaming terms, it's probably a fair assumption.
Chapter 192 - Hostility
They noticed Professor Pei sitting in the front row as they were about to leave the room. Zheng Ren gave it some thought and turned around to greet the man.
"Hello, Professor Pei," said Zheng Ren with a slight bow.
"Old Wu, this is Doctor Zheng, the one that I've been telling you about." Professor Pei introduced Zheng Ren to Professor Wu Haishi, who was sitting beside him.
"Oh? Is he the one who superselected seven to eight blood vessels and then completely embolized several tumor-feeding arteries?" asked Wu Haishi with a smile.
A doctor who was serious, responsible and proficient in their tasks could easily gain respect.
Even though Zheng Ren was unfamiliar with Wu Haishi, he bowed slightly and said, "Professor Wu, my name is Zheng Ren, but you can just call me Little Zheng."
The moment he raised his head, he detected a hostile gaze directed at him.
The feeling was faint but could not be ignored.
Chapter 193 - A Coincidental Encounter In Imperial Capital
"Good luck! The company is in trouble this time, and we've to work together to overcome this crisis!" Hua Yingying accepted the car key and tossed it in the air.
Her words of motivation felt malicious somehow, making Feng Xuhui feel uncomfortable.
That was the end of their conversation. Feng Xuhui stood in a corner and continued smoking near the ashtray-topped trash can as Hua Yingying busily settled her issues inside the car.
'There is nothing wrong with her being arrogant,' he thought, staring at Hua Yingying. He also wanted to be as busy as her, but the truth was always depressing.
Even so, this matter… was indeed frustrating!
A few hours later, Feng Xuhui spied Zheng Ren from afar and quickly approached him.
However, he did not expect Hua Yingying to outrun him after seeing that the conference had ended. With a coquettish, flirty gait, she walked toward the crowd.
'Is she trying to poach my men?' Feng Xuhui quickened his pace.
Chapter 194 - The Entertainment Scene of Imperial Capital
When Bu Ruotian had said that Zheng Ren belonged to the same social circle, it was a clear summary of what he had in mind.
Some words needed not be spoken directly.
"That's too kind of you, Mr. Bu." Zheng Ren smiled. "I'm very grateful for your care in the emergency department as well."
"Those
were just small issues." Bu Ruotian laughed heartily. "I was very happy when I received my follow-up test results yesterday. My original plan was to return to Sea City and thank you in person, but my daughter informed me that you're currently in Imperial Capital, which is why you're here. No time like the present, right? But I do apologize for the unexpected invitation."
At the upper right corner of Zheng Ren's vision floated the System panel with Bu Ruotian's condition highlighted in light green, which was indicative of suboptimal health. He had not recovered completely yet, but the System, at least, did not provide any indication of tumor cells in his body.
Chapter 195 - Postoperative Patient Who Made A Heart
"How is Fang Lin?" asked Zheng Ren.
Zhao Yunlong had been keeping an eye on the ICU in the hours since the accident. After ensuring that Fang Lin's condition had stabilized, he invited Su Yun to dinner to thank them both for their help.
"Thanks to his timely resuscitation, he should be fine. You've saved him, Doctor Zheng, and I must thank you for that," said Zhao Yunlong, raising his glass. However, he soon realized that Zheng Ren did not drink, and so chugged the whiskey down in one go.
"How was the surgery on the patient with aortic dissection?" Zheng Ren's focus remained on the patient.
"Good. It took me six and a half hours to complete the surgery." Zhao Yunlong looked exhausted just recalling the elephant trunk surgery.
It usually entailed a six-and-a-half-hour operation including any potential intraoperative accidents under immense stress, which would wear anyone to a frazzle.
"That's good to hear. Thank you for your hard work." Zheng Ren nodded slightly in respect.
"Let me tell you something interesting," Zhao Yunlong said with a smile, "The patient woke up this morning. Guess what he did next."
Zhao Yunlong was using this opportunity to change the topic, obviously unwilling to talk about Fang Lin any further.
Zheng Ren perfectly understood how he felt.
No one at the table would feel comfortable and be able to enjoy dinner if they continued discussing Fang Lin.
"Discomfort, excessive phlegm or shortness of breath. What else could it have been?" a man answered.
"Just spit it out already," replied Su Yun without thinking.
"When I went for a ward round, the patient opened his eyes and made a heart with his hands." Zhao Yunlong laughed. "It didn't look like a heart, and even his gentle movements triggered restlessness, but I managed to calm him down."
Since it was a major surgery, sedatives had to be continuously infused and a ventilator attached postoperatively. Perhaps Zhao Yunlong was particularly confident in his skill, and the patient in good physical shape due to his young age, for him to let the patient regain consciousness the very next day.
"When can he be taken off mechanical ventilation?" asked Zheng Ren.
"He is currently stable. If that continues, he should be able to regain consciousness tomorrow, and we'll try to disconnect the ventilator in two days. However, he still has to remain under observation in the ICU for a few more days. We have to take it slowly," replied Zhao Yunlong.
Zheng Ren was very satisfied with this result, and Cui Heming was also incredibly lucky that his aorta had not ruptured between takeoff and surgery.
Another man cracked a joke. "Making a heart? This patient likes watching variety shows too."
"His case isn't that serious. After general anesthesia and sedatives wear off, the respiratory tubes can make many patients feel uncomfortable and lead to violent agitation."
"Haha, I think he'll leave the ICU soon, seeing how his first reaction was to make a heart postoperatively. He must be a big-hearted man."
After briefly discussing Cui Heming's condition and knowing that he was currently stable, Zheng Ren did not pursue the details any further.
The hospital facilities in Imperial Capital were far better than that of Sea City. At the very least, Su Yun did not have to keep an eye on patients in the ICU alone.
"By the way, I heard Su Yun say that it was Professor Pei who invited you to perform surgery this time?" asked Zhao Yunlong.
"I think I'll just be an observer instead of the chief surgeon in the actual surgery," said Zheng Ren.
"You must be very skillful as well. I had not expected Sea City to actually have talent. There aren't many people whom Su Yun admires. You know, I tried to make Su Yun my surgical assistant two years ago, but he rejected me no matter how hard I pushed him." Zhao Yunlong punched Su Yun's shoulder. "I really didn't expect you to find a boss eventually."
"I could have been my own boss when I was with you." Su Yun glanced at Zhao Yunlong before downing his whiskey.
His words instantly placed Zheng Ren in the middle of a warzone.
Zhao Yunlong merely smiled without questioning the man and emptied his glass as well.
He began to gossip. "Come to think of it, it'll be difficult this time."
"How so?"
"I heard this through the gr.a.p.evine, so don't take everything I say seriously and keep it to yourselves," Zhao Yunlong said grimly, "Medical devices are mainly manufactured by four international companies, namely Abbott Laboratories, Boston Scientific, Medtronics and Biosensors International, and domestic manufacturers have always been suppressed by them. You guys are aware of this, right?"
"Tell us something new," Su Yun complained.
"It is said that there was an information leakage regarding the new stent-graft researched by Biosensors International, and the company has suffered great losses as Boston Scientific is making imitations of their product. Bankruptcy will be inevitable if the company doesn't focus its market on mainland China, which offers huge profits, to get through its crisis."
"And?"
"The mainland Chinese market is the key, but for historical reasons, Biosensors International had never invested much in China before, so it'll be difficult for them to slap something together at the last minute."
"They've taken an interest in this research?"
"It could be a stepping stone to success," Zhao Yunlong said, "Perhaps they could use stent-graft technology to create opportunities when the time comes."
"What do the bosses have in mind?"
"Of course they'll fight this head-on. If they lose in this field, a few of them will probably end up hospitalized straight away from rage." Zhao Yunlong laughed.
"That's okay. They came up with this idea at the last minute, so their technical preparations are probably inadequate."
"Not necessarily. I heard that Biosensors International has invited interventional radiology experts from Germany and established a separate production line to produce suitable guidewires and catheters regardless of cost," said Zhao Yunlong.
Everyone remained silent. The Germans were… or rather foreign scientific researchers were indeed extravagant when they had enough funds.
For example, German experts had researched hemorrhoid treatment with interventional radiology and even established a production line specifically for appropriate micro-coils.
A specific production line for a handful of hemorrhoid cases sounded completely illogical, but that was exactly how the rigorous Germans did it.
Science was advanced step by step through constant wastage.
How could one possibly engage in scientific research without huge financial and physical resources, as well as unimaginable manpower? Anything less was pie in the sky!
However, researchers in China lacked such means at the moment.
Several expressions sank immediately upon hearing Zhao Yunlong's words.
Everyone knew the shortcomings of the domestic medical industry, and it was to be expected that foreigners would strong-arm their way in eventually.
Su Yun shook his head and sneaked a look at Zheng Ren, who seemed unaware of the discussion, absent-minded, even.
Was this guy confident or inattentive?
Just as Su Yun was about to explode with rage, a thought ran through his mind. Could it
be that Zheng Ren was actually confident?
"Boss Zheng, what do you think?" Su Yun and Zhao Yunlong asked at the same time.
"What?" Zheng Ren raised his head and aske, nonplussed.
"..."
This guy was so annoying!
"About the research in interventional radiology." Su Yun suppressed the rage deep within him.
"It's unrelated to my ability to perform the surgery, yet you ask me what I think? What's there to say? Just perform it as usual. It's slightly difficult, but not a big deal at all."
Was Su Yun's boss simply overconfident? Not a big deal at all? Biosensors International was about to invest thirty million dollars in it, and he was saying it was not a big deal at all?
Before Zhao Yunlong could argue the matter, he recalled the elephant trunk surgery that he had performed yesterday, diagnosed by this "boss" from a single glance at the patient aboard the plane.
Could he have done it if he was in Zheng Ren's shoes?
Zhao Yunlong highly doubted it. He had only his experience and no tests to diagnose a patient with, so there was no way he would have had the courage to contact the control tower for an air ambulance.
A misdiagnosis would have a disastrous impact on his reputation.
Besides, Su Yun was willing to address him as "boss", and Zhao Yunlong had known the man long enough to understand that Boss Zheng had to have something unusual about his ability.
"What do you need from me?" asked Zhao Yunlong after thinking for a few seconds.
"Are you familiar with the CT room?"
…
…
When Zheng Ren had bid goodbye, Bu Ruotian stared at his departing figure and ruminated for a long time.
He was deep in thought for ten minutes before finally making up his mind and taking out his phone.
"I'm Ruotian.
"I met the doctor who had performed the surgery on me in my follow-up consultation in Imperial Capital. Coincidentally, he is here to attend a new project in the research institute.
The Surgeon's Studio c1-799 Page 97
