'We should give up now,' Old Chief Physician Pan thought.
He could make neither head nor tail of interventional radiology, but if Professor Pei from Sorcery Capital could not find fault with Zheng Ren, then this was simply destined.
Not all diseases could be treated.
Intraoperative findings being completely different from preoperative test results in a seemingly simple surgery was a common occurrence in the medical field.
After all, the truth was hidden underneath skin; it was impossible for tests alone to always be consistent with a direct view.
'If someone must take responsibility in this case, let me be the bad guy.'
Old Chief Physician Pan made up his mind and pressed a button on the intercom.
"Zheng Ren, time's up," he said with a heavy heart.
If possible, no one would give up on saving the patient.
However, things did not go their way.
On the battlefield, how many comrades could have been rescued if blood had been transfused in time? How many could have avoided amputation had a sterile operating theater been available?
It was a great idea, but impractical.
It was impossible even for the United States with its tremendous war machine.
There was only so much a man could do.
This…
This was fate!
Old Chief Physician Pan's words momentarily stunned both Zheng Ren and Su Yun, but instead of giving up on the surgery and leaving the interventional radiology suite, they started exchanging views.
Professor Pei sighed heavily. He had witnessed the same situation countless times and had given up on at least a hundred surgeries in his lifetime.
Who could hold the surgeon responsible when even he could not locate the crucial artery? Besides, even a surgeon would collapse after prolonged radiation exposure, what more the patient?
A few minutes later, the duo in the suite started arguing; even outside observers could detect their hostility through the thick lead door and radiation-shielded glass.
Old Chief Physician Pan immediately stood, opened the lead door and entered the suite.
"What are you guys doing?!" His imperious aura burst out instantly.
"I'm going to try again," Zheng Ren said calmly, "Su Yun has been exposed to radiation for more than an hour. He should leave now."
"Who the hell do you think you are?" Had it not been for the fact that Su Yun was wearing a pair of sterile gloves, he would have brushed his bangs aside to express contempt for Zheng Ren.
"I'm the surgeon, so I've the right to make the decision," replied Zheng Ren.
"Do you seriously think—"
"That's enough!" Old Chief Physician Pan interrupted their argument. Shifting his gaze between the bickering duo and taking note of Zheng Ren's determination, he said, "Try again. Su Yun, come with me."
Su Yun could quarrel with and humiliate Zheng Ren with his harsh tongue, but there was absolutely nothing he could say to Old Chief Physician Pan.
Exasperated, he ripped off his sterile surgical gown and tossed it into the biohazard waste bin. Then, like a dejected deserter, he followed Old Chief Physician Pan out of the interventional radiology suite.
His head lowered, the black hair on his forehead danced weakly as the heavy lead door closed.
He removed his lead apron and casually threw it to a corner of the operator's console room.
The lead apron weighed a few kilograms and made a loud bang upon contact, venting the dissatisfaction in his heart.
Old Chief Physician Pan ignored Su Yun's childish behavior, expecting such an attitude of youth.
Besides, the surgery was still ongoing. Even if he was going to reprimand the man, he would do so in private after this was over.
The surgery resumed following the calming of the small storm.
Zheng Ren's movements became slower and more cautious in Su Yun's absence.
Using the crossed-hands maneuver this time, he restarted superselective catheterization.
"Chief Physician Pan, your doctor is good," said Professor Pei, whose eyes were glued to the screen.
Old Chief Physician Pan smiled bitterly. The better the surgeon, the more awkward he was in such a situation.
Chang Yue noticed the dark green patch on the back of Su Yun's surgical attire. Performing surgery in an outfit weighing a few kilograms required both physical and mental strength.
She turned around and left the room before returning with a bottle of water in her hand.
"Thank you," said Su Yun, who averted his gaze from the feed from the interventional radiology suite as he accepted the water.
Chang Yue wanted to console him, but words failed to leave her quivering lips.
In the suite, Zheng Ren had superselected the hepatic, renal and superior mesenteric arteries, and was currently superselecting the radiculomedullary artery.
It was still incorrect!
Instead of ending the surgery as promised, Zheng Ren began superselection of the next artery.
Old Chief Physician Pan could not help himself. He pressed the intercom button and said sternly, "Zheng Ren, I order you to end the surgery now!"
On the operation table lay Zheng Yunxia, fully aware of everything that had happened as she had been given only local anesthesia via the femoral artery at the base of her t.h.i.g.h.
Upon hearing Old Chief Physician Pan's words, she suddenly said, "Doctor Zheng, let's end this now.
"Life and death are fated, and I know I'm doomed. Thank you all so much for your help, I really appreciate it."
Zheng Ren's hand froze for a few seconds before he put down the micro-guidewire and microcatheter, saying softly, "Don't move."
Then, he left the suite.
"Chief Physician Pan, artery superselection is almost complete," Zheng Ren said firmly, "If we give up now, everything we've done will be for nothing."
"It has been two hours! Something must have gone wrong somewhere! Who can give me an explanation?!" Enraged, Old Chief Physician Pan was roaring like a fierce lion.
"Doctor Zheng, just do your best and finish the surgery." Even though Professor Pei was not in the position to order anyone around, he could still give advice.
Zheng Ren shook his head without hesitation and replied, "Chief Physician Pan, let me try again."
"That's what you said just now!"
"I'm the surgeon now and I understand the current situation better than anyone," Zheng Ren said determinedly. "There aren't many arteries left for me to rule out now. What I can think of at the moment are the short gastric artery and aorta, so it'll be over soon. Am I right, Professor Pei?"
Professor Pei contemplated it for a while in his wheelchair.
There was pin-drop silence in the operator's console room.
"Rule out the intercostal arteries as well." Professor Pei was very careful with his words.
Zheng Ren nodded in response and turned to look at Old Chief Physician Pan.
Old Chief Physician Pan met his gaze for five seconds.
"Three times. I'll give you three attempts at superselection," he decided.
Chapter 119 - Be My Doctoral Student
Unusual arteries were usually thinner and more complicated, so it was particularly difficult to superselect the designated artery on the first attempt.
Arteries such as the hepatic, uterine and renal arteries were considered straight highways compared to the next artery Zheng Ren was going to superselect.
The radiculomedullary artery had a very complicated network. Zheng Ren carefully worked out the dosage of the contrast medium and parsimoniously made every injection after precise analysis and calculation.
He was worried about excessive contrast medium administration, which could force the end of the surgery.
Prolonged radiation exposure, which was constantly on Old Chief Physician Pan's mind, did not concern him in the slightest.
The System's reward, the lead apron with radioactive energy conversion properties
, was extremely powerful. Rather than become more tired, the longer Zheng Ren stood in the interventional radiology suite, the more energetic he felt; even his manipulation became increasingly accurate.
Professor Pei, who was attentively watching Zheng Ren attempt to superselect the radiculomedullary artery from the operator's console room, sighed in amazement when it was successful.
Old Chief Physician Pan was afraid that Zheng Ren had reached his physical limit and immediately asked, "Professor Pei, what's wrong?"
"Chief Physician Pan, your chief resident is truly amazing!"
"Huh?"
"The radiculomedullary artery has a very distinctive anatomical structure and varies hugely between each individual. I wouldn't even have touched it had I been the surgeon in charge."
He paused momentarily and excitedly pointed to the screen.
"Had I been in his position, my body definitely would've given out. Therefore, my maneuvering would be erratic and imprecise. However, from Chief Zheng's manipulation, it's as if his physical state is actually improving as time goes by."
Old Chief Physician Pan was flabbergasted.
The man was actually getting more energetic despite performing the surgery in a lead apron that weighed a few kilograms for three hours? Was that a joke?
Even ancient generals could only fight at peak performance for a limited time in full body armor.
Was Zheng Ren possessed by the spirit of Zhao Zilong of Changshan, who charged seven times through the ranks of his enemies during the Battle of Changban?
Despite the successful superselection of the radiculomedullary artery, the angiography revealed that it was not the one feeding the tumor.
Everyone in the operator's console room simultaneously felt disappointment and relief.
If that artery had been the culprit, the surgery could not proceed any further.
Zheng Ren had superselected a few possible arteries, but none of them had been responsible for supplying the tumor according to the angiography.
Short gastric… Intercostal… None of them were responsible for feeding the tumor.
Like finding a needle in a haystack, Zheng Ren had no choice but to keep trying.
Most arteries had been excluded…
Zheng Ren started searching for an answer from within his Master-rank interventional radiology recollections.
Could it be the phrenic artery? It was highly unlikely, but he had to try despite the low possibility.
Just when Zheng Ren was about to superselect the phrenic artery, a bell suddenly rang out in his ears.
[Doctors with Parental Heart 2: Countdown initiated.]
[Ten…]
[Nine…]
Zheng Ren was briefly stunned as he had completely forgotten the mission at hand.
[Five…]
[Four…]
If he ended the surgery now, he would be able to receive the rewards—skill and experience points—that he desperately needed.
However, after a brief moment of hesitation, he ignored the System's cold, monotonous robotic female voice and stubbornly began superselection of the phrenic artery.
The mission?
F*ck that fickle-minded *sshole!
An unfinished task was not a big deal.
The System's robotic female voice vanished into thin air as soon as the countdown was complete. Zheng Ren did not give a damn about it and directed his entire attention towards superselecting the phrenic artery.
The micro-guidewire successfully entered the artery…
Commencing microcatheter insertion…
Using the pressure injector, Zheng Ren began injecting the d.e.s.i.r.ed dosage of contrast medium with extreme caution and precision.
One second after the administration of contrast medium, the upper half of the liver tumor, like a shy woman, gradually appeared on the screen in the operator's console room.
"Woah!" Chu Yanzhi immediately jumped up in excitement.
Chu Yanran slowly exhaled and leaned against the wall. Once her overly-tensed up nerves relaxed, energy drained from her body and her legs turned to jelly.
Clenching his fists tightly, Old Chief Physician Pan triumphantly waved his right arm as if had just watched his soldiers gloriously charge through heavy suppressive fire and take down an enemy command center.
On the other hand, Professor Pei reclined into his wheelchair and narrowed his eyes.
The subsequent steps were no longer difficult as everything would be done according to standard procedure.
This young man…
He wanted this talented man!
The surgery ended ten minutes later.
Zheng Ren used a piece of sterile gauze to compress the puncture site on the patient's femoral artery.
Su Yun entered the interventional radiology suite, placed his hand on the gauze and silently shouldered Zheng Ren aside, avoiding any direct eye contact.
'He is pissed.' Zheng Ren wanted to say something, but fought the urge to do so due to his inexperience in such matters.
He tore off his surgical gown and threw it into the biohazard waste bin before leaving the interventional radiology suite.
Upon noticing the darkness outside the window, Zheng Ren thought, 'Time really flies.'
A bottle of water emerged before him. It was from Xie Yiren.
Zheng Ren smiled awkwardly to express his gratitude.
"Chief Zheng, thank you." Chang Yue conveyed her sincere appreciation in a straightforward, simple manner.
"Don't mention it." Zheng Ren accepted the bottle of purified water and gulped it down.
"Little Zheng, come here." Professor Pei smiled and waved his hand.
Zheng Ren approached him.
"You must have studied somewhere to acquire such skills," Professor Pei inquired, "Perhaps a tutor specifically trained you in this field."
Zheng Ren kept quiet and smiled.
Professor Pei was merely showing his heartfelt admiration without looking for an answer.
"There'll be a national interventional radiology annual conference in the near future; would you be interested?" Professor Pei said.
"It depends. To be honest, I… I'm actually a general surgeon," answered Zheng Ren.
"Huh?"
"I'm licensed to practice general surgery," Zheng Ren explained, "Due to my recent transfer to the emergency department, I'm qualified to perform related emergency surgery as well."
Professor Pei noticed Zheng Ren's anxiety and smiled. "That's not what I asked, so why are you so nervous? You're obviously talented and have a high level of competency and patience."
Zheng Ren responded to Professor Pei's compliments with another slightly embarrassed smile
Old Chief Physician Pan asked out of concern, "Are you tired? Do you want to take a break?"
"I'm not tired," answered Zheng Ren, who was standing upright. Old Chief Physician Pan gave him a gentle punch on the c.h.e.s.t as he was standing at just the right angle.
This was an old habit in the army as a form of commendation, but no one did this in a hospital, especially when Zheng Ren had just been performing surgery for almost four hours while wearing a lead apron that weighed a few kilograms.
Old Chief Physician Pan immediately became embarrassed upon realizing his mistake.
Like King Kong climbing the Empire State Building, Zheng Ren quickly beat his c.h.e.s.t with his own fist, producing several loud thumps to indicate that he was absolutely fine.
"Little Zheng, what's your educational background?" asked Professor Pei.
"Undergraduate."
"I've a slot for a successive master-doctoral program next year. Are you interested in becoming my doctoral student? There won't be any examinations. You just have to come in and I'll personally handle your registration."
Chapter 120 - Perfect Ending
Employee poaching in Old Chief Physician Pan's presence?
That was awkward.
However, Professor Pei thought nothing of it as he merely had a pure lov
e for talented students.
Once young men like Zheng Ren with skills comparable to himself were placed on another high-level platform, they would be flooded with infinite opportunity for development; as the saying went, "the immense sea allows fish to leap at liberty, while the vast sky lets birds freely fly."
Even those who fell would not fall as far.
Zheng Ren quickly grinned and said, "Thank you so much, Professor Pei, but I'm really busy and have lots of work to do, so I don't think I'll be furthering my studies anytime soon."
His answer slightly relieved Old Chief Physician Pan.
Professor Pei smiled and stopped pushing the subject. A.d.u.l.ts had to choose their own paths, and accept the consequences of missing a golden opportunity.
The surgery's success instantly lifted the gloomy atmosphere. Just when Zheng Ren was about to wheel Professor Pei out of the room, Chang Yue squeezed past him and took over the wheelchair.
"Just tag along and have a good rest later," she said to Zheng Ren in an unusually pleasant tone.
Zheng Ren had a feeling that his rank had become higher following the completion of this surgery. Even though the mission had ended in failure, it was not a big deal.
What could make a surgeon happier apart from a flawless operation?
The group left the operator's console room, leaving one of the Chu sisters to help Su Yun transfer the patient back to the ward and Xie Yiren to handle postoperative procedures.
The door opened to the deserted and empty hall of the third floor of the emergency building, which was chilly despite being brightly lit.
There, they saw a figure pacing anxiously in the hallway.
Zheng Ren, who was alcohol-intolerant, could detect a strong scent of booze from the man even from three to five meters away.
It was dinnertime, so why was he reeking of drink already?
How much had he consumed if he had been binge-drinking since afternoon, leaving such a strong residue?
Due to having frequently encountered patients involved in traffic collisions caused by drunk driving, Zheng Ren was rather prejudiced against drunkards.
When the door finally opened, the man quickly stood, bowed so deeply that his head almost hit the floor, and asked humbly, "May I ask which one of you is the manager of Changfeng Microinvasive Surgery?"
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