The Surgeon’s Studio

Before Zheng Ren could react, a figure charged past him at lightning speed, like a cheetah.

In the blink of an eye, the young robber was already on the floor with his elbow twisted underneath a large foot.

It was a professional maneuver to subdue an opponent as it fully conformed to one’s body mechanics and ergonomics, but simply knowing about it did not mean Zheng Ren was able to execute it.

“Doctor Zheng, we meet again.” Fan Tianshui smiled.

Zheng Ren had long forgotten about this man ever since he was discharged… half a month ago?

However, his features were so unique that Zheng Ren, who had late-stage face blindness cancer, could easily recognize him.

The big-boned Fan Tianshui had gained considerable weight compared to his initial emaciated frame half a month ago.

The added bulk made him look sturdy rather than simply being plump.

Just like a lion.

“Why… Why are you here?” asked Zheng Ren curiously.

“The company has been paying attention to the Sea City General Hospital emergency department. After we were informed about ongoing trouble, I rushed here as soon as possible,” Fan Tianshui said, “Manager Lian will be arriving soon.”

Zheng Ren was aware that ‘Lian’ was Little Six’s surname, but was used to addressing the man as Brother Six.

This was really…

‘Being kind has its own advantages too,’ Zheng Ren thought.

“Have you called the police?” he asked loudly.

“They should be arriving soon,” answered one of the nurses from afar.

Zheng Ren sighed in relief. His heart rate gradually normalized, but the irregularity in his heart rhythm was still there.

It was a small issue, though.

He went to console the frightened nurse still huddled in the corner of the treatment room.

She was an experienced nurse in her thirties.

A senior nurse was required to supervise junior nurses during night shifts in the emergency department and keep them from panicking during an emergency.

After he comforted the nurse for a while, Little Six and the police arrived at almost the same time.

The officers were particularly professional in dealing with malicious cases that could endanger public safety.

The young robber was escorted back to the public security bureau first before every involved staff member was interviewed and their confessions recorded in a quiet room.

Old Chief Physician Pan also arrived along with a chief from a sub-bureau. After he grimly inspected the department and ensured that all medical personnel were only mentally traumatized rather than physically injured, he began discussing the issue with the bureau chief, relieved.

Unlike his usual method of communication with patients, his mannerisms were particularly imperious when speaking with the chief.

The chief merely stood ramrod-straight, like a recruit receiving a lecture from a senior squad leader.

After statements had been taken, Zheng Ren noticed that the emergency department had regained its peace and approached Old Chief Physician Pan to give his report. The old man merely asked him to return home immediately to rest and get over the traumatic experience, promising to properly handle the situation.

Old Chief Physician Pan was capable of solving almost every issue that came his way, so Zheng Ren agreed, unworried.

A few hours later, Zheng Ren returned to the emergency ward, dead on his feet.

The few minutes of tension had been more exhausting than ten consecutive surgeries. Adrenaline and dopamine had been released in large quantities, but once the stressor had gone, an overwhelming fatigue consumed his body.

Upon returning to the office, he was astonished to see Xie Yiren sitting cross-legged on a chair, wearing a pair of white airpods while playing on her phone.

Two large rabbit ears on the headphones accentuated her cuteness.

“Why are you here?” asked Zheng Ren, dazed.

“Hey, you’re back!” Xie Yiren merely detected his presence at the door without actually hearing his question. After she raised her head and saw Zheng Ren, she quickly removed her headphones and jumped off the chair.

“Why are you here?” Zheng Ren repeated, realizing that she had been distracted.

“I brought you food,” Xie Yiren replied, “This barbeque is very delicious.”

“How delicious?”

Xie Yiren gestured with her hands, mimicking a multi-storey building. “This much.”

The adorable girl’s youthful vitality reinvigorated Zheng Ren and alleviated his fatigue.

He laughed and patted Xie Yiren’s head. “Where is the rice?”

“I heard that you were speaking to the police when I came back just now, so I left it on the water heater. What happened?” She finally remembered to ask about the incident.

“It was just a small issue,” replied Zheng Ren with a smile, unwilling to scare Xie Yiren.

“Then hurry up and have your dinner. It’ll go cold if you wait any longer.” Xie Yiren leaped to retrieve the packed food.

Her fair-skinned hands were clean and unpolished, natural like a beautifully carved jade.

Zheng Ren could even detect her infinite love for delicious food as she opened the bags of food one after another.

There was a gleam in her eyes as she elaborated on their taste and texture.

‘She is a typical foodie,’ Zheng Ren thought.

He did not have much love for food and considered it a means to fill his stomach. If there was no hunger and food was not required for his survival, he would probably choose not to eat at all.

Eating was simply a waste of time.

“Try this, it’s very delicious. Unlike ordinary rib fingers, you can actually savor the depths of flavor in your mouth.

“Try this. It’ll stimulate all your taste buds without giving you a greasy feeling and make your heart explode with joy.”

“…”

Zheng Ren tasted each dish while listening to Xie Yiren’s enthusiastic descriptions. He failed to detect the depths of flavor, nor did he experience explosive sensations on his taste buds.

“How are they?” asked Xie Yiren with her big, round eyes full of excitement.

“Delicious,” answered Zheng Ren against his conscience.

In his opinion, this was merely food, and the only differences lay in their content—protein suppressed appetite for a longer period of time.

However, his strong instinct for survival prevented him from blurting out the truth. No matter how insensible he was, he had to show some respect for his precious life.

“My bestie, the one hospitalized in the gastroenterology department for acute pancreatitis a few days ago and discharged recently, also went for a barbeque today.” Xie Yiren smiled, her crinkled eyes like crescent moons. “She liked it and ate a lot as well.”

“She had acute pancreatitis, it’s best not to binge-eat.” Zheng Ren was a killjoy.

“She had recovered anyway. Besides, she wasn’t really binge-eating because her stomach could only expand so much.” Xie Yiren argued.

“Have they gone home?” asked Zheng Ren.

“They wanted to play mahjong after dinner, but it’s alien to me, so I sent them back to my house first before delivering food to you. I think they’re still in the middle of their game.”

‘They’re really indulging themselves,’ Zheng Ren grumbled internally about their luxurious lifestyle.

“I’m afraid to stay alone in a house, anyway. The more the merrier, right?” continued Xie Yiren as she stared at Zheng Ren happily, anticipating compliments whenever food entered his mouth as if she was savoring the taste herself.

In order not to disappoint Xie Yiren, Zheng Ren ate very slowly while racking his brain for numerous compliments every time he took a bite of the barbecued meat.

This was more… agonizing than when he had faced the young robber just now.

The thought popped up naturally without him actually realizing it.

Suddenly, his phone rang while he was halfway through the meal.

His heart rate that had normalized once again accelerated to more than 110 beats per minute. When a chief resident’s cell phone rang, especially for doctors like Zheng Ren, it usually meant the arrival of an emergency case.

“Chief Zheng, there is a patient with a stab wound in the emergency department. Please come down and take a look at him.”