The Surgeon’s Studio

“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 grapevine, 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.

“Yes, that’s right. The recording of my surgery has been reviewed by several professors in Imperial Capital and Sorcery Capital, and they claimed that the surgeon’s skill was unbelievable, and perhaps far superior to that of Professor Ichiro Moriyu’s.

“Yes, you’re right. I don’t think it’s possible, either.

“Alright, I’ll contact you again if something happens.”

Bu Ruotian hung up and smiled bitterly.

The other party simply could not believe that an unknown doctor in Sea City was actually that proficient in surgery, and he would not book an urgent flight to Imperial Capital based on it.

Bu Ruotian had almost died, and so was now more open-minded than before. In all honesty, recommending a doctor to someone was not necessarily beneficial. If something went south along the way, disaster would await him as well.

This was especially the case with Zheng Ren, a young doctor. If he had not been anesthetized and left unconscious, he would never have let the young man perform surgery on him.

He had started to become unbothered by many issues once he became open-minded. The other party had been good to him, so after realizing Doctor Zheng’s proficiency, he had had to do something—including asking Doctor Zheng for his opinion—to repay the man’s kindness.

Even when there was a high chance that his suggestion would be rejected.

And as expected, it was.

The other party sounded annoyed as well, under the assumption that he was simply fooling around.

Bu Ruotian shook his head.