The TIPS surgery was the pinnacle of interventional surgery and anyone who could perform it was highly skilled. Zheng Ren was undoubtedly an exceptional surgeon, but there was no need to tell a tall tale.
"We can bring in the next patient. Director Zhang, can we assign your best team to monitor their post-surgery condition?"
"I'll make the arrangements. Don't worry," Director Zhang promised.
Zheng Ren had proven himself to be an exceptional surgeon despite his young age. In Director Zhang's mind, Zheng Ren was of equivalent standing to an Imperial Capital professor, hence he minded his words when speaking.
With Professor Rudolf Wagner on his team, Zheng Ren was making a bigger splash in the medical field.
The world-renowned interventional surgeon was currently stemming the blood flow from the surgical wound under Zheng Ren's instructions. A deputy director of a prefecture-level hospital was nothing compared to them.
"Thank you," Zheng Ren said before picking up the third patient's scan and moving toward the heavy door. His departure was interrupted when Director Ren spoke up.
"This is Dr. Zheng?"
Director Zhang froze. He had forgotten to introduce the director.
It was quite a mistake.
He blamed his forgetfulness on Zheng Ren's emergency TIPS surgery story. It had taken him by surprise and reset his brain.
He immediately pulled Zheng Ren over and said, "Chief Zheng, why don't you introduce yourself?"
Zheng Ren turned his head to look at Director Zhang.
"This here is Director Ren, and this is the chief resident of the emergency department in Sea City General Hospital, Zheng Ren," Director Zhang said with an awkward smile.
"Chief Zheng, nice to meet you," Director Ren said reservedly. He smiled at Zheng Ren.
He was waiting for Zheng Ren to initiate the handshake.
Scans in hand, Zheng Ren returned the smile and said, "Nice to meet you too, Director Ren."
Then, he turned and headed for the operating room.
Zheng Ren was in the zone. He and Professor Rudolf Wagner had conflicting opinions over the second patient's scans when they were reviewing it in Sea City General Hospital. Their discussion went on for a long time, but they were interrupted by the emergency case with the heart laceration.
After the emergency rescue, Zheng Ren was still mulling over the patient's scans.
Today, with the patient before them, Zheng Ren felt enlightened.
The current surgery they had completed was not perfect. Although it was a success, the puncture needle had to be angled slightly, and if it were not for Zheng Ren's +8 to luck, it would have been a failed puncture.
This was the part that required experience. Zheng Ren's theory and hypothesis had to be proven once with the help of the System's attributes, then he could repeat the procedure to form a conclusion.
At the moment, Zheng Ren's mind was fully occupied with the third patient's MRI scan. The two directors were the least of his concerns.
The air in the control became freezing.
Even Director Ren was surprised by Zheng Ren's disrespect.
This young man…
Then, Director Ren realized his mistake.
Although this young man held the position of a chief resident in Sea City General Hospital, he doubted anyone in the hospital actually treated him as such.
The director glanced at the professor in the operating room who was closing up the wound. Instead of getting angry, Director Ren felt cold sweat drip down his back.
"Chief Zheng, it's really good to meet you personally. I'm the director of the Secondary Hospital," Director Ren said with a genial smile. He reached out with two hands and clasped Zheng Ren's free hand.
"Uh huh, Director Ren. Good to see you too." The sudden warmth from the man surprised Zheng Ren.
"I won't hold you any longer. Please proceed with the surgery. We'll have dinner once everything's wrapped up," Director Ren said.
"Sure, sure." Zheng Ren let out a relieved sigh; the ideas in his head were still intact.
Director Ren released their clasped hands and Zheng Ren made a beeline for the operating room. They watched as he clipped the scan onto the viewer and started studying the scan.
Silence fell over the control room.
Those doctors who were used to the bureaucratic ways of the hospital were stunned at the exchange.
The interaction between Director Ren and Zheng Ren was beyond their comprehension.
In the operating room, Zheng Ren stared at the scan.
The whole world faded away as his focus honed in.
Suddenly, Zheng Ren called out, "Lil Fugui!"
Professor Rudolf Wagner startled. "Yes? I'm here."
"Here!" Zheng Ren tapped on the scan.
Professor Rudolf had noted the same position and said, "I think for this position, we'll have to angle the needle 25 degree to the left, then advance from the right."
"No, 18 degree then a straight puncture," Zheng Ren corrected.
The observers in the control room watched the argument unfold. Words like gravitational field, thermal equilibrium, density, altitude, Boltzmann distribution, and a bunch of scientific jargon sounded from the operating room. No one understood a thing.
Chapter 389 - I Have A Dream
The surgery resumed.
TIPS surgery was supposed to be full of challenges, but in the hands of Zheng Ren and Professor Rudolf Wagner, the surgery progressed so smoothly, it was a boring affair for the observers.
For each surgery, they managed to establish the connection between the hepatic vein and portal vein in their first attempt.
The TIPS procedure appeared to be as simple as treating an ultrasound-diagnosed hepatorenal cyst. Zheng Ren's movements were so methodical, it gave people the impression that he was not even performing surgery.
It took 30 minutes to complete one surgery. Zheng Ren operated like a machine, in spite of the different patient conditions and tweaks in the methods. The time management was impeccable.
Director Ren, Director Zhang and the others in the control room watched on impassively.
There was a vast difference between the skill level of the doctors in the control room and the ones in the operating room.
As the final surgery of the day ended, the System display notified that nine out of ten surgeries were completed for the main mission.
He only needed one more surgery and was impressed by his progress. He was looking forward to completing the mission and getting the reward.
Radiofrequency ablation was very effective in treating liver cancer--a reason why Zheng Ren wished to accomplish the mission.
It was a shame he was one surgery away from completion.
Zheng Ren went to the changing room and took off the lead vest. He stored the lead vest in the System's space before entering the control room.
A dozen pairs of eyes fell on Zheng Ren as he entered. The plump man's feet shuffled, but he stayed where he was.
A deafening silence filled the room.
Zheng Ren felt the tension in the room and wondered, 'Why is no one speaking?'
After a few seconds, Director Ren gave him his sincere praise. "Chief Zheng, remarkable!"
Director Ren's words broke the silence. Like the warmth of the Pacific Ocean spreading across the Arctic Ocean, the huge iceberg in the room melted and the room broke out in an uproarious standing ovation.
"It's alright; it's really nothing," Zheng Ren responded with a humble smile.
"Chief Zheng, what do you like to eat?" the plump man approached Zheng Ren and whispered in his ear.
"I'm fine with anything," Zheng Ren said.
Director Ren had said they would have dinner together, but Zheng Ren was not particularly interested in social gatherings. However, he knew better than to reject an invitation from the director.
Especially when the Secondary Hospital had invited him over to perform the surgery.
Each patient displayed indication
s for operative treatment and had conditions that were not so severe as to serve as contraindications.
Zheng Ren interpreted this as the Secondary Hospital being invested in the TIPS collaboration as the patients were carefully cultivated.
Although the Secondary Hospital invited him to leave a mark in their history books, Zheng Ren was equally grateful for the sourcing of patients.
"Chief Zheng, you put us old men to shame. To be able to perform a perfect TIPS procedure at your age," Director Ren said amicably.
Zheng Ren gave a short reply, "It's all coincidence."
He had no clue as to how he should respond to the compliment, so he made generic responses in hopes to appease Director Ren.
From his previous interactions with Zheng Ren, Director Zhang knew the chief resident's social skills were the opposite of his surgical skills. With that in mind, Director Zhang stepped up to relieve Zheng Ren.
Director Zhang masterfully managed the atmosphere in the control room. If half of his social skills were allotted to surgery, the Secondary Hospital would already have a TIPS demonstrative surgery.
When Professor Rudolf exited the operating room, there was another round of applause.
The reservation was set by the plump man, but Zheng Ren was adamant about paying a visit to the wards to check on all the patients.
It was a habit.
It was better to identify any issues early on.
As they were all doctors, no one objected to Zheng Ren's practice.
It would be embarrassing and unbecoming to criticize a doctor who put their patients first. No one wanted to work with a big-talking doctor who only cared about the surgery, not the patient.
Zheng Ren would have a clearer picture of the patient's post-surgery condition with the System's help.
As the patients had the second removable shunt in place, the blood flow in the liver was better controlled; this reduced the chances of hepatic encephalopathy.
Each patient was given an intravenous administration of ornithine aspartate to prevent hepatic encephalopathy.
The visit to the ward allowed Zheng Ren to assess the capability of the Secondary Hospital staff. Once he was satisfied, the group made their way to the restaurant.
They arrived at a farmhouse restaurant that advertised a wide range of dishes, including the exotic sorts.
Deer meat, swan meat, and wild goose meat were available in different styles of preparation.
Zheng Ren stared at the table full of food, then looked around. Everyone around him was raising their glass; even the foreign professor was enjoying the alcohol. Zheng Ren felt very lonely at that moment.
The noisier the crowd got, the lonelier Zheng Ren felt.
If only Little Yiren was there… If she was there, she would not be socializing, but wolfing down the numerous dishes that were laid on the table. Zheng Ren would be happy just watching her eat.
They had held hands. Did this mean he could pick food for her?
Zheng Ren let his mind wander into the clouds; his imagination was much more appealing than reality at the moment.
Director Zhang appeared before Zheng Ren with a glass in hand. "Chief Zheng, can we ask a favor from you?"
A reluctant expression crossed Zheng Ren's face. Were they going to force him to drink?
He was a lousy drinker. One glass was enough to make him want to puke.
The change in expression clued Director Zhang in on Zheng Ren's thoughts. The deputy director laughed and said, "You're a good man to not have this vice. Drinking excessively can make your hands shake; definitely not good for a surgeon. I respect your discipline. No wonder you've achieved this much at such a young age."
At the admission, Zheng Ren felt relieved.
"You're too kind, Director Zhang. What do you need?" Zheng Ren asked.
"Your TIPS procedure was exceptional." Director Zhang did a fist pump that made Zheng Ren slightly embarrassed.
"Hahaha, you're younger than me, but I hope you won't feel awkward if an old man like me calls you brother," Director Zhang said as he wrapped an arm around Zheng Ren's shoulders as if they were actual brothers.
"Oh… I'm good, I'm good." Cold sweat was breaking out on Zheng Ren's forehead.
"Brother, your surgical skills are incredible. Everyone was speechless. Brother, I've always wanted to perform a TIPS procedure, but at this age, it's not possible anymore. Regardless, I have a dream: to have someone from the Secondary Hospital successfully perform a TIPS surgery," Director Zhang said.
'I have a dream'. Zheng Ren recalled the African-American man's iconic speech [1] and cringed.
"Brother, you gotta help me with this." Director Zhang had a tight grip and Zheng Ren was starting to feel pressured.
"Sure, sure. It's very easy. So long as the person has some foundation, they'll be able to pick it up. But…" Zheng Ren rambled.
Director Zhang was slightly tipsy as he hollered, "No worries, just tell me what you need."
"The person has to be a good listener. I have a busy schedule, so I can't give lessons for too long."
"Sure. I'll get you someone. If they misbehave, just hit them."
Chapter 390 - A Heartfelt Thank You
Zheng Ren was exhausted after the dinner.
His soul was tired. He had to promise Director Zhang he would pass on the TIPS method to one of the doctors at the Secondary Hospital.
As a human being, Zheng Ren knew he had to participate in these social events despite how much he hated them.
They were the bane of his existence.
Feng Xuhui served as their waiter, running errands and refilling glasses; hence, he remained sober all through the night. Occasionally, he had to drop a line here and there to keep the mood alive.
After attending multiple events, Feng Xuhui had graduated from wallflower to a professional at addressing the crowd.
He was tired, but excitement buzzed through his body.
Every hospital was a castle and he had successfully penetrated the defenses of one. With the Secondary Hospital sourcing supplies from them, the company's business report would show a significant boost in sales. Feng Xuhui looked forward to the hefty bonus at the end of the year.
These pleasant thoughts occupied his mind as he served the crowd.
Feng Xuhui recalled the words of that restaurant owner in Imperial Capital. He was told to hold on tight to Chief Zheng; the man was a rising star.
Feng Xuhui did not know what a TIPS procedure was, but he could tell the doctors from the Secondary Hospital were impressed by Zheng Ren's performance.
As the night ended, Feng Xuhui escorted Zheng Ren and Professor Rudolf home.
"Chief Zheng, shall I drop you or the professor off first?"
The professor had one too many and was snoring soundly in the back seat.
"Drop the professor off at Shangri-La first." Zheng Ren wound down the window and lit a Ziyun cigarette. He took a drag and let the menthol in the tobacco linger in his mouth. The cold Northeastern air blew into the car, clearing Zheng Ren's mind. "You help him up. I'll wait downstairs."
"Okay." Feng Xuhui could sense that Zheng Ren wanted some silence. He kept his focus on driving.
After Professor Rudolf Wagner was dropped off at the hotel, Feng Xuhui asked Zheng Ren about their next destination.
When he heard Zheng Ren mention the neighborhood, Feng Xuhui's eyes widened.
No wonder Zheng Ren was able to wholly focus on surgery; money was not a worry for him. He lived in one of the fanciest neighborhoods.
Only the rich could abandon the usual worries in life and truly pursue what they loved.
Surgery was a hobby to Chief Zheng.
In that instance, Feng Xuhui's impression of Zheng Ren strayed further and further from the truth.
Zheng Ren was texting Xie Yiren on his phone.
He wanted to go to Xie Yiren's place and bid her goodnight with a hug.
If he could do that, the night would be perfect like the TIPS surgeries he ha
d done that day.
However, Chu Yanzhi was at Xie Yiren's house today as she was working on-call.
Given Xie Yiren's personality, with the presence of another human being… Zheng Ren sighed and gave up on his idea.
It was late and he had things to attend to tomorrow.
Zheng Yunxia's 64-slice CT scan required his attention. He needed to evaluate the efficacy of the second embolization treatment.
He needed to visit the patients in the wards, and there was still the old man who was faking ill.
Never mind… He would go home and wash up. An early rest would do him good as he would be required to replace Su Yun in the emergency department. The man had been working for two days straight.
With Zheng Ren's guidance, they arrived at Xie Yiren's manor.
Feng Xuhui watched as Zheng Ren entered the house. He was still shocked to find out how loaded the man was.
Zheng Ren was a man of many surprises. He had never flaunted his wealth. His attire was ordinary and his taste in food was nothing unusual, but the manor he lived in was spectacular.
The image of Zheng Ren as a rich person was surprising.
Feng Xuhui gathered his thoughts and quickly drove off.
He still had a lot of work to do when he got home. He had to assess today's surgeries and evaluate future business between Changfeng and the Secondary Hospital.
Although these were usually done by the company's data analysts, Feng Xuhui felt he had a better feel of the ground and could provide a more accurate and realistic number.
He patted himself on the shoulder. He drove off with thoughts of one day living in a manor like Zheng Ren.
Self-motivation was important in his line of work.
…
The next morning, Zheng Ren was invited by Xie Yiren to breakfast.
Chu Yanzhi was interested in his visit to the Secondary Hospital and asked a bunch of questions. Xie Yiren ate her breakfast quietly, occasionally glancing at Zheng Ren.
After breakfast, Zheng Ren went to the emergency department wards and asked about the patients.
Unexpectedly, Su Yun had had two rather free and easy days at the hospital.
"You must have neglected to worship the Night Shift God," Su Yun laughed at Zheng Ren.
The Surgeon's Studio c1-799 Page 183
