'This lucky bastard,' Zheng Ren cursed in his mind.
At 7:55 a.m, Professor Rudolf Wagner walked into the emergency wards. At the sight of Zheng Ren, the professor immediately got his attention. He wanted to share the reflections he had about the TIPS procedures they did yesterday.
However, Zheng Ren rejected his advances.
Zheng Ren had to oversee the handover, make the rounds and check on some patients. He had no time to entertain the professor.
This was not Heidelberg University. Sea City General Hospital had limited medical personnel on duty.
The medical staff were jaded from the many years of service at the hospital. They were no longer excited about their jobs and the toil was slowly grinding away at their souls.
Even with insufficient staff, the hospital took in patients and the staff cared for them at the expense of sleep. Medical research was far from their minds. They would rather have more time with their family than be roped into some research project.
After the rounds, Old Chief Physician Pan went back to his office while Chang Yue dragged the professor off to help with something. Zheng Ren was not sure what she needed help with, but refrained from asking.
Zheng Ren and Su Yun started to check on the patients whom they had operated on. They made note of each patient's condition: what was the blood oxygen level of the TIPS surgery patient, when could they remove the extra shunt, how was the ICU patient doing? It was a lot of work.
Once they were done, they exited the emergency ward. Zheng Ren was shocked to find a crowd in front of the emergency ward.
There were a bunch of elementary school kids and two a.d.u.l.ts. The a.d.u.l.ts looked prim and proper.
Which of their patients was a teacher? Teachers were held in high regard these days. A sick teacher often beckoned worried parents to the hospital.
Zheng Ren had heard complaints from coworkers who regretted joining their children's class chat group. After joining the group, they realized the group's content consisted of only two things: the teacher berating the parents and the parents trying to impress the teacher.
Zheng Ren rifled through his memory, but found no sick teacher in his list of patients.
The children were quite young. Could it be…
As Zheng Ren was lost in his thoughts, the child who looked the eldest in the group held up a newspaper. The child was comparing Zheng Ren to a photo in the newspaper.
"Uncle, are you Dr. Zheng?" The child had an angelic voice, which Zheng Ren found cute.
"Yes, I am." Zheng Ren studied the situation. The newspaper in the child's hand was the Sea City Metropolis Daily. He could not see the publication date, but he saw the front page headline photo; it was him.
"Good day, Uncle. We are students from No. 9 Elementary School. Our class teacher is Miss Yang Lili," the child who was leading the group said. "We're here to visit Miss Yang and to thank you."
Zheng Ren chuckled at the child's serious tone. He ruffled the child's head and said, "You're welcome. It's my job to save people."
The a.d.u.l.ts of the group approached Zheng Ren and bowed. "Dr. Zheng, the children were insistent on coming over to express their gratitude. Really sorry if we're interrupting your work."
Zheng Ren panicked at the sudden show of gratitude. "Thank you, thank you."
Social encounters were not Zheng Ren's forte.
Su Yun stood behind Zheng Ren, a playful grin on his face as he watched the scene play out.
"Students from Second Year Class One, Miss Yang's condition is improving. We can come back in a few days to visit her. This is Dr. Zheng, the doctor who saved Miss Yang's life. How do we show our gratitude?"
The first child who interacted with Zheng Ren must have been the class monitor, as she quickly turned to face the other students and said, "Class, attention!"
All the children stood up straight, shoulder to shoulder.
The class monitor turned to face Zheng Ren. Her expression was as serious as an a.d.u.l.t's.
"Dr. Zheng, we of Second Year Class One from No. 9 Elementary School sincerely thank you." The class monitor raised her right hand and led a Young Pioneer's salute.
The 30 or so children followed her gesture.
It was not a neat salute, but the effort was enough to impress the a.d.u.l.ts.
Zheng Ren felt his heart swell.
Chapter 391 - Good And Evil
Zheng Ren was fumbling with his hands. How should he react to the pure hearts of innocent children?
The teacher from No. 9 Elementary seemed to notice his struggle. He stepped out immediately and yelled, "Attention!"
The children put down their hands and stared at Zheng Ren with their innocent gazes.
"About-turn! Teacher Sun, can you bring the kids to the bus? I need to speak to Dr. Zheng," he said.
Another teacher nodded and guided the children away from them.
The crowd instinctively cleared a path for them. Many of them were stirred by the commotion but had no idea what was going on. However, they could feel a tug in their worn hearts.
"Who is that? Why are the children here?"
"Didn't you hear on the news about the assault at No. 9 Elementary School? This is the doctor who saved the wounded teacher."
"I heard that the teacher is still in the ICU."
"She's lucky to have survived after being stabbed more than a dozen times. I heard that they couldn't even get her blood pressure reading when she arrived at the hospital."
"They were able to rescue her? That doctor's incredible!"
"Of course. A few days ago, a patient with a heart injury was sent in while I was having a drip in the emergency department. I took my drip and followed them, only to see this doctor opening the patient's c.h.e.s.t right there with blood shooting out to the ceiling."
"My goodness… Is that person still alive?"
"Of course, he's fine. I heard that they transferred him to a normal ward. This doctor is amazing. He almost made me cry. If I could experience that once, I'd die without any regrets."
There was a soft murmur from the crowd as they gossiped about them. The teacher from No. 9 Elementary walked toward Zheng Ren and extended his hand for a handshake.
"Dr. Zheng, I know it came as a bit of a shock but it was what the children wanted. I tried to talk them out of it, but I ended up changing my mind in the end. We have to show our gratitude. It's the right thing to do and it'll help set a good example for the kids," the teacher told Zheng Ren with a smile.
"Thank you, Dr. Zheng."
"You're welcome. I'm just doing my job," Zheng Ren said.
"I was there at the scene. If not for you, I'm sure she wouldn't have survived," the teacher said. "Yang Lili can thank you personally when she's transferred back to the emergency ward. I'm here to represent the teachers from No. 9 Elementary in expressing our sincere gratitude for your help."
After saying that, he released Zheng Ren's hand and bowed deeply.
Zheng Ren was speechless as all of his words coursed through his heart.
"You must be busy this morning. I won't take up any more of your time." The teacher stood up and smilingly said, "We'll talk more if we meet again."
"Sure, of course," Zheng Ren replied.
After that, the teacher bid farewell before turning around to leave. Zheng Ren accompanied him downstairs.
There were a few school buses filled with children in front of the emergency building's entrance of the Sea City General Hospital.
When the children saw Zheng Ren, they rushed to the windows and waved at him.
What a sight.
Zheng Ren waved back and said goodbye to the kids from No. 9 Elementary, feeling bittersweet.
This was the greatest satisfaction from his successful emergency rescue.
"Boss, are you crying?" Su Yun whispered in Zheng Ren's ear once the school buses left.
"No." In that instant, Zheng Ren felt a strong resentment against him.
Why did he always interrupt him when
he opened up his heart to these touching moments?
"It's time for ward rounds. Yang Lili's in good condition. She's fully awake after disconnecting from the ventilator. We can even remove her c.h.e.s.t tube today," Su Yun said.
"Can she be transferred out the day after tomorrow?"
"I hope so," Su Yun said. "If she's like any other patient, she would have been transferred out already but since the Ministry of Education and the deputy mayor instructed us that this is a high profile case and Director Xiao has been visiting her every day, we have to leave her in the ICU for a few more days."
Zheng Ren had no choice but to follow these formalities.
"A little bird told me that you did eight TIPS procedures at the Secondary Hospital?" Su Yun changed the topic shockingly fast.
"Mm." Zheng Ren frowned as he stared far ahead.
"Boss, your surgical talents will make others envious," Su Yun said.
"It's no big deal. There's nothing to be jealous of." Zheng Ren brushed it off as his frown deepened.
"That's because you're blessed with a gift," Su Yun said smilingly.
Back in Imperial Capital, many envied Su Yun's talents too.
It was just that he had met a greater monster in Sea City.
Zheng Ren remained silent and watched the crowd from a distance.
Su Yun quickly noticed that something was wrong. He asked lazily, "Boss, what are you thinking of? Are you still overwhelmed by the children's gratitude?"
"No, call Fan Tianshui and check if he's in the hospital. If he's not, tell him to hurry over." Zheng Ren sounded anxious.
Su Yun was at a loss for words.
What was going on?
Zheng Ren was fixated on a bearded man carrying an infant. He seemed to be in a hurry while he glanced around sheepishly.
Su Yun could not see that the System's monitor in Zheng Ren's upper right vision was displaying an ashen white screen.
There was no diagnosis on the screen, just a ghostly white color like years of thick frost acc.u.mulating in the cold chambers of a morgue.
If it was several days ago, Zheng Ren might have been startled by this because he had not experienced something like this since he first attained the System.
However, after the heart stabbing incident where the cardiac tamponade patient's heart stopped beating, Zheng Ren understood what was going on.
The System's monitor would show a plain white color if the person was dead.
White: A ghastly color.
Just like the infant in the bearded man's arms.
What was happening?
Zheng Ren felt suspicious.
The System's monitor was green for the man, indicating that he was perfectly healthy without any neurological disorders.
If he was sane then why was he carrying a dead child to the hospital?
Zheng Ren felt a chill run down his spine.
"Old Fan, are you working today?
"Boss is asking for you. Please come immediately. Oh, we're at the emergency building's main entrance.
"Okay, I'll talk to you when you're here."
Su Yun then hung up.
"Boss, did something trigger you?"
"Su Yun, go look for Old Chief Physician Pan." Zheng Ren's voice was firm and irrefutable.
Su Yun was confused. He looked around but did not find anything unusual.
Nevertheless, as the perfect assistant, he did not question Zheng Ren's decision and turned around instantly.
"Chief Zheng, what's the matter?" Fan Tianshui asked from behind with an honest smile.
At that moment, the middle-aged man carrying an infant brushed against Zheng Ren.
He glanced at Zheng Ren briefly and tightened his grip on the blanket around the infant before rushing into the emergency building.
Zheng Ren turned around. "There might be some conflict later. Try not to hurt anyone if possible. We can always call the police."
Chapter 392 - Blackmail
There was a shift in Fan Tianshui. He did not ask why and squinted his eyes. He then followed behind Zheng Ren into the emergency building.
Zheng Ren walked slowly, unsure of the man's intention.
Was he here to get a death certificate or something?
Medical disputes were rarely seen in Sea City General Hospital with the help of Little Six, so Zheng Ren did not take this into consideration.
However, Zheng Ren chose to play it safe.
He calmly followed the man to the emergency department, putting around a 20-meter distance between them.
The man disappeared into the pediatric emergency department.
Zheng Ren leaned against the door and listened.
"Doctor, my child is having a fever, please prescribe some medication," the man said.
The crowd in the emergency department was not too busy early in the morning.
If the patients did not have any urgent symptoms, they would usually let the sick children be treated first.
The country currently had a shortage of pediatricians.
Sea City General Hospital fought hard to transfer two pediatricians to the emergency department. They only worked day shifts so if there were any patients at night, they would be directed to the inpatient department.
If they lost more pediatricians, the hospital would need to close the pediatric inpatient department.
Zheng Ren curiously stood in the corridor while carefully listening to the conversation in the consultation room.
"Let me examine your child," the doctor said.
"Doctor, there's no need for that. My baby is soaked in sweat. What if my kid catches a cold?" The man sounded agitated, his tone no longer polite.
"How can I simply prescribe medicine without examining your child?" The pediatrician insisted, but there was fear in her voice.
There were numerous occasions where pediatric doctors and nurses got hit and scolded by rude parents. Was it finally her turn today?
"You want me to spend more money! I just want some medicine for my child!" The man roared. "Can't you treat people without doing a checkup?"
Zheng Ren frowned deeply.
This man was obviously no ordinary visitor. He casually interchanged the concepts of physical examinations and a body checkup.
Although physicians could clearly distinguish these two different diagnostic methods, patients usually could not.
He raised his voice to attract the attention of others so that he could pressure the pediatrician.
Threatening the pediatrician with a dead infant...
Zheng Ren's heart sank.
"Zheng Ren, you asked for me?" Old Chief Physician Pan called out to him when he saw Zheng Ren standing in front of the pediatric consultation room after walking out of his office.
"Chief Pan, someone's trying to make a scene. It's going to be a big one," Zheng Ren said.
Su Yun clicked his tongue but did not tease Zheng Ren in front of Old Chief Physician Pan.
"Hmm?" Old Chief Physician Pan strode into the pediatric consultation room when he heard them fighting.
"What's going on? Why are you guys fighting in the morning?" Old Chief Physician Pan stood upright like a huge mountain.
The man was forcing the pediatrician to prescribe medication. He was startled when he saw Old Chief Physician Pan enter the room together with Fan Tianshui behind him.
"I just wanted some medicine. It's fine if you don't want to give me the prescription. I'll just go to the pharmacy." The man turned around to leave with the infant still in his hands. When he was about to leave, he mumbled, "You guys are all doing this for the money, not giving a shit about saving lives."
Old Chief Physician Pan's face dropped but he did not say a word.
When the man was about to walk out of the consultation room, he was blocked by Zheng Ren.
"You're just going to leave without getting treatment?" Zheng Ren asked. "I'll examine your child for free."
The man was immediately fl.u.s.tered by his words.
"
You evil doctors!" He yelled out of sheer panic, trying to get the attention of the patients in the corridor.
"You don't have to pay a single cent. Understand?" Zheng Ren did not back down and raised his voice as well.
Old Chief Physician Pan and Su Yun were surprised by Zheng Ren's out-of-character response.
The man glared at Zheng Ren furiously with his fist clenched.
Fan Tianshui stepped forward and stood behind Zheng Ren with an intimidating look.
He was giving off murderous vibes. At most, the man was a local pariah compared to Fan Tianshui. He was definitely no match for him.
The man instantly backed down when he sensed Fan Tianshui's presence.
"I don't want to anymore, okay?" The man muttered. He did not even bother to pretend under Fan Tianshui's pressure.
"No!" Zheng Ren moved sideways to block the man's path. He then said sternly, "You said that a hospital is a place where we save lives. I have to bear that responsibility. Please let me see your child."
This did not turn out the way the man had expected.
Even Old Chief Physician Pan and Su Yun were puzzled.
Was Zheng Ren looking for trouble?
The man felt hopeless. Who was this idiot in front of him? Why was he stopping him from leaving?
This was his first time encountering something like this after going through so many hospitals.
Out of a sudden, he threw the infant toward Zheng Ren and escaped.
Zheng Ren caught the infant and shouted, "Fan Tianshui, stop him!"
Fan Tianshui executed his orders obediently. He treated Zheng Ren as his savior and squad leader.
He would follow whatever his squad leader ordered him to do and carry out the mission without question!
Fan Tianshui knocked the man with his shoulders, causing him to lose balance and fall onto the ground.
Zheng Ren was unaffected by what was happening behind him. He opened the blanket and saw a young face with ashen skin.
Old Chief Physician Pan asked, "Dead?"
Su Yun pressed the infant's cheek with his finger to check its temperature and rigidity. He then said, "He's been dead for at least 12 hours."
The few of them were furious!
This was what the hospital was most afraid ofblackmail.
The Surgeon's Studio c1-799 Page 184
