The Surgeon's Studio c1-799

by Black Ursa Prime

  "Is it the live broadcast room again?"

  The engineer replied with a husky voice, "The live broadcast room is still operational, but the system resources are critically low due to the sheer amount of account registrations."

  Peng Jia would normally be exhilarated if told that the number of account registrations had skyrocketed.

  However, the website had just experienced a system breakdown. If another one occurred again in such a short period of time… a dark future awaited him.

  "Why the hell are you not doing anything?! Quick, turn on the backup server!" Peng Jia howled in exasperation.

  "It has been turned on." The engineer was drenched in cold sweat as he stared at the mainframe display. "Ten seconds after the live broadcast room went online, 366 viewers entered the room. At the twentieth second, 983 entered the room. At the first minute, 1360 viewers entered the room."

  "I don't need data! I need…" Peng Jia roared in response.

  "Er… President Peng, all the newly registered accounts have entered the live broadcast room. What do you suggest we do about it?" The engineer's voice had become croaky as he pointed at the data in the backend server.

  The upgraded live surgery broadcast room had a maximum capacity of three thousand viewers.

  Xinglin Garden was not a professional livestream website after all. Most users normally posted medical-related content and only a minority of people would broadcast surgery, so Peng Jia did not implement the most advanced servers available as it was simply a waste of resources.

  Well, this was a problem today.

  The number of viewers in Xinglin Garden had shot up this bright, sunny morning as if a popular female online streamer had brought her fans to his website. The server had been overwhelmed just now and was about to face its doom for the second time…

  The addition of the backup server could only push maximum capacity to around four thousand viewers.

  "Make an announcement and stop all registration processes temporarily." Peng Jia made his decision instantly.

  Finally, the live broadcast room's capacity was capped at four thousand six hundred viewers after new members were rejected and all servers had been merged.

  However, Peng Jia was unable to bear the slowly increasing numbers, so he quickly grabbed his phone and ordered a business server with a more advanced configuration.

  Price was not the main concern here. He only wanted it to be quickly installed.

  Peng Jia lacked the courage to even look at the data in the backend server again, feeling as though his heart would stop beating every time the viewer count in the live broadcast room increased.

  He returned to his office and stared at Huangpu River with a dark expression.

  This was a blessed sorrow, but none of it would matter if he could not solve this issue.

  What the hell happened? Where did this demon come from?

  Zheng Ren, who had no clue that someone outside his world was distressed because of him, visited the Shop happily and searched for the option to purchase intensive training time for surgery.

  He was instantly stunned upon cl.i.c.k.i.n.g the Shop's purchase interface. What in the world was this?!

  Chapter 39 - Visit The Hospital For A Livestream

  There was an option to purchase intensive training time for surgery in the Shop but the price… was too expensive—3600 experience points for one hour.

  He could buy a set of surgical equipment with the experience points for four hours of intensive training.

  Zheng Ren's heart shattered instantly after calculating how much a set of surgical equipment was worth. Upon further calculation, he realized one second was basically equal to one experience point. Damn, the System sure knew how to settle its accounts.

  After going through his heartbreak, Zheng Ren soon noticed a new change in the Shop—the addition of interventional radiology to the original hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery.

  Zheng Ren was unfamiliar with interventional radiology.

  He only had a superficial understanding of it, such as percutaneous coronary intervention in coronary heart disease and the insertion of a stent to relieve jaundice in biliary obstruction.

  Apart from those, Zheng Ren had no clue what it was.

  Interventional radiology had been introduced in Sea City General Hospital once. There was no specific department for it, as only a few radiologists in the radiology department were involved in its training.

  After treating a few cases of ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma with intr.a.p.eritoneal hemorrhaging, as well as pelvic fracture with bladder rupture or hemorrhaging, interventional treatment for uterine fibroids had been introduced as well.

  However, after a forty-five-year-old radiologist was diagnosed with hematologic malignancy, they gave up on treatment with surgical methods involving radiation exposure such as X-rays.

  He was merely forty-five years old, after all, which was arguably the best age for a surgeon but had unfortunately been diagnosed with hematologic malignancy due to excessive radiation exposure. Everyone who listened to this story would be afraid of this kind of surgical technique.

  What was the point in learning it anyway? Zheng Ren only wanted to put more effort into mastering cholecystectomy.

  Rome was not built in a day and the same applied to surgery as well. After 20.83 days, Zheng Ren had merely become proficient in open cholecystectomy and laparoscopic cholecystectomy for simple acute cholecystitis.

  Proficient, but far from perfection, like how he was for appendectomies.

  Well, that was useless. Zheng Ren had no intention of investing any of his precious training time in interventional radiology.

  He felt some regret even though his current standard had reached the level of a deputy chief surgeon in cholecystectomy.

  However, he was afraid that the System may suffer a system meltdown again and demand he perform ten perfect cholecystectomies…

  When that happened… F*ck…

  After careful consideration for some time, Zheng Ren finally gave up the opportunity to purchase training time for interventional radiology.

  Every penny had to be broken in half before spending; that was the mindset he had after prolonged poverty. His heart would shatter in a moment if he was asked to use ten thousand experience points to learn non-essential interventional radiology.

  More importantly, he did not have enough "money" to learn it even if he wanted to.

  That was all for now. Zheng Ren was ready to leave but before that, he wanted to know his current general surgery standard.

  There was a huge increase from 1067 to 1360 skill points in his general surgery skill tree, presumably due to an improvement in proficiency after his intensive training in the System, just like what he did with appendectomy last time.

  Zheng Ren was glad he had taken a step further to achieve the Expert rank as he still yearned for the superb surgical manipulation he had performed under prime experience. How he wished he could reach the peak one day and command a view of the medical world.

  Looking at the skill tree carefully, Zheng Ren noticed a tiny branch spreading out of the skill tree.

  The branch originated from the general surgery skill tree and connected with various other skill trees—internal medicine, vascular surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, neurosurgery, and many more—like a deep-seated tree root.

  Huh? What was going on?

  Zheng Ren was momentarily stunned and quickly took a closer look.

  It turned out to be a branch of hepatobiliary interventional radiology… Zheng Ren stomped his foot, annoyed. Interventional radiology again!

  However, it actually made sense when he thought about it. After mastering hepatobiliary interventional radiology, he could spend some time learning anatomical structure from other subspecialties and start performing surgery afterward.

  The principle was the same.

  However, Zheng Ren remained uninterested. His goal was limited. Cholecystectomy was his only priority for the ti
me being.

  Before Zheng Ren could summon himself back to reality, the emotionless System appeared unexpectedly, which gave him a shock.

  [Free customized lead apron with purchase of intensive training for interventional radiology.]

  Er… Was this a buy one, get one free promotion or a clearance sale?

  There was no such thing as a free lunch. Zheng Ren dropped the idea of getting free items from his mind almost instantaneously, rolled his eyes at the Great Shining System Deity and left the System.

  …

  Zheng Ren was not tired at all after leaving the System.

  Despite thirty hours of emergency surgery in Sea City General Hospital and twenty days of intensive training in the System, Zheng Ren actually felt energetic and his body brimmed with vitality.

  He could almost confirm his speculation that the System possessed an ability to replenish his health bar and mana pool when the host was in the mysterious world.

  Should he go to work or continue his rest at home? In the end, he had decided to take a shower first before departing for the hospital.

  He had not seen the postoperative patients in the general surgery department yet. As a surgeon, he would not be able to eat if he did not personally check his patients after surgery.

  "Knock-knock-knock!" The knocking was soft as if the visitor was checking if Zheng Ren was asleep.

  That must be Little Zhao, so Zheng Ren stood up and answered the door.

  "Bro, you haven't slept yet?" asked Little Zhao charmingly.

  They had been renting this house together for more than half a year. Before he rented the house, Zheng Ren had some wild thoughts about living under the same roof with a beautiful woman, a common plot in romance novels.

  However, whenever the landlord brought ladies over to check the house, they would always refuse and escape faster than rabbits upon seeing Zheng Ren, which made him wonder if all pretty women were similarly reserved or if he was simply too plain-looking.

  In the end, Little Zhao had become Zheng Ren's housemate.

  Little Zhao was a good man who would share his food with Zheng Ren whenever he could not finish them in the live broadcast. From that, Zheng Ren had been able to save up some money.

  "What's the matter?" asked Zheng Ren.

  "Are you tired?" There was a gleam in Little Zhao's eyes, suggesting that he indeed had something on his mind.

  "Just tell me what you're thinking of. Look at you, it's obvious you're up to something," Zheng Ren teased with a grin.

  "I'll come in and tell you." Little Zhao squeezed past him without waiting for an invitation and sat on the bed, his expression becoming troubled. "Bro, the popularity of the food and drink broadcast channel has been decreasing recently, so I want to start a new livestream."

  "Go ahead, but I don't have money for the investment."

  "I don't need your investment." Little Zheng quickly dismissed Zheng Ren's worry. "There was a livestream video yesterday that went popular instantly."

  "Okay?"

  "An online streamer went to the hospital for medication and happened to see your consultation, so he broadcasted it live and the result was very good," Little Zhao explained his intention.

  There was no point in hiding secrets since they were close to each other.

  "It's not allowed in the hospital."

  "I don't need permission. You can't stop me from consulting a doctor, right? I'll just sit outside the emergency department every day and start a livestream if there is any interesting gossip, or I can just read online novels to pass the time if nothing happens."

  It seemed like Little Zhao had planned it thoroughly, so there was nothing Zheng Ren could say about it.

  "Go ahead then, but I can't give you the green light from the hospital's perspective. You're on your own out there."

  "I just want to know if there is enough interesting gossip in the hospital. If I don't start my livestream in the next two days, I'm going to starve to death." Little Zhao was getting more troubled and disheartened. It was what usually happened to those born at the bottom of the social hierarchy. He had a long, miserable past.

  "Bro, you also know that I've got a girlfriend but I don't even have enough cash to visit her. I have a really tough life."

  "Stop. I don't even have a girlfriend and have to rent a house together with you. Don't you think you have it better than I do?" Zheng Ren quickly interrupted Little Zhao so that the wounds Xie Yiren had unintentionally inflicted on his heart yesterday would not burst open.

  "This sort of situation is common in the hospital and you'll meet all kinds of people, especially in the emergency department. If you want to go there for your livestream, let me teach you a trick." He smiled and added, "You've to establish a good relationship with the security guards."

  Under normal circ.u.mstances, the doctors and nurses would not bother with trivial matters such as live broadcasts in the hospital.

  What a joke. How would they have time for such a matter when the emergency department had to handle around one hundred to two hundred patients on busy nights? In any case, a livestream would not affect the patient's safety.

  The excited Little Zhao replied quickly, "Of course, no problem. I'll still follow the rules."

  "I'm going to the hospital to check on the postoperative patients. Do you want to come along?" asked Zheng Ren.

  He could save some fare if Little Zhao, who owned a scooter, wanted to tag along with him. That was what Zheng Ren had in mind.

  Chapter 40 - Doctor

  Zheng Ren advised Little Zhao along the way, "Don't start a live broadcast if someone passes away. If he is a grumpy one, you might end up walking hand-in-hand with his soul across the Naihe Qiao."

  Little Zhao took Zheng Ren's advice seriously. Soon, they arrived at Sea City General Hospital.

  This was the first time Zheng Ren rode a scooter and he took a huge interest in it instantly. Its speed aside, the fact that it could easily weave through traffic was more than enough to pique his interest.

  Zheng Ren parted ways with Little Zhao upon reaching Sea City General Hospital and went to the emergency department to look for Old Chief Physician Pan.

  The emergency department remained chaotic as usual with multiple fistfights, injuries from falls and alcohol intoxication requiring gastric lavage… Zheng Ren was confused. Why had they drunk alcohol in the middle of the day? Not only that, but they had been binge-drinking as well.

  Zheng Ren squeezed past a group of onlookers and walked straight toward Old Chief Physician Pan's office.

  When he passed the resuscitation room in the emergency department, he heard a high-pitched whistling sound as if from a flute, a typical sign of an acute exacerbation of bronchial asthma.

  The doctors and nurses were busy resuscitating the patient in the resuscitation room.

  "2mL of diprophylline for intravenous injection!"

  "Add one ampoule of epinephrine!"

  "Tracheostomy set prepared. Notify the general surgery department to perform tracheostomy when necessary."

  Zheng Ren changed his mind and went to change his attire first before going to the resuscitation room.

  None of them greeted Zheng Ren as they were still busy trying to revive the patient.

  A male in his twenties was lying on the hospital bed with a girl, presumably his girlfriend, holding his hand beside the bed and crying.

  Zheng Ren observed the patient whose symptoms and diagnosis were revealed in the upper right corner of his vision.

  He spread his hands helplessly after seeing the diagnosis.

  "Patient's family member, please leave the room," said Zheng Ren in a deep voice.

  The girl in a red shirt raised her head with tears welling up in her eyes. In her opinion, Zheng Ren's words were indicative of an even more severe illness and the patient would require aggressive resuscitation in the intensive care unit.

  "Doctor…" The girl could not form a complete sentence as she was out of breath from her constant
crying.

  "Don't worry, just leave the room first. I'll explain the situation to you later," replied Zheng Ren.

  The girl was reluctant to let go of the boy's hand.

  What beautiful love, but why had nobody developed such fondness for him? However, he was aware of his limitations, especially after acquiring the System.

  Poverty, ugliness, and a strong body odor—and there had been no change of clothes after being fully occupied with work for three to five days. Who would like him in this state?

  "You're delaying the rescue. Get out now!" Zheng Ren roared after noticing that the girl was still in the room. The words on the upper right corner of his vision had started to glow red, which meant that the boy's condition had worsened and was approaching a critical state.

  Zheng Ren's tone was stone cold and impolite. "We need to rescue him, so leave now!"

  A total lack of tender and protective feelings toward a girl; no wonder he had remained a bachelor until now.

  The girl's crying intensified after she was pushed out of the room.

  Every ambulant patient and family member in the emergency department noticed the commotion and gathered around the scene. Little Zhao also joined the crowd with a cell phone in his hand, his livestream having already begun.

  "Wait here. I'll come out and explain his condition to you later," instructed Zheng Ren with a commanding voice before entering the resuscitation room and closing the door.

  His method was simple and rough, but he had no choice because it was absolutely impossible to reason with the patient's family right now.

  "Control the dosage, his condition will improve soon," said Zheng Ren.

  "Chief Zheng, the patient already has signs of laryngeal edema," the nurse reported, shining a penlight into the patient's mouth.

  "It's okay. Start a 10mg intravenous injection of dexamethasone, as well as an intravenous infusion of 250mL normal saline and three ampoules of diprophylline at sixty drops per minute. Attach an ECG machine first and pay attention to the oxygen saturation."

  An intravenous fluid drip was quickly attached at Zheng Ren's request. The ECG reported a heart rate of 132 beats per minute and an oxygen saturation of 80 percent, which were the typical signs of acute respiratory distress.