Chief Kong stopped smiling, his expression turning serious.
The Lancet was the most renowned journal in the field of general surgery, with an impact factor of over 30. In the world of medicine, it surpassed other prestigious journals such as Nature and Science.
Nowadays, it was harder to graduate with a master's degree or PhD as they required a publication in a journal with the Science Citation Index (SCI).
Chief Kong had stopped taking in Master's students and was thus unfamiliar with any of these.
Only half the PhD students under him managed to graduate on time. The rest took at least five years to complete their studies.
Why?
Aside from writing their graduate thesis, a PhD student also had to publish at least two short articles indexed by the three main international scholarly literature databases, namely SCI, Ei Compendex (EI), and Index to Scientific & Technical Proceedings (ISTP).
In addition, the journal had to have an impact factor of 4 to 5.
The Lancet? Most postgraduate students would never dare publish in that journal. Even Chief Kong himself would have to think twice.
It would be nearly impossible to have their article published.
Su Yun was not even thirty years old, and yet at such a young age, he had already published an article in The Lancet…
"You're Su Yun?!" Chief Kong asked in astonishment.
"You finally remember," Chief Bao said, amused, "Su Yun went to Sea City because of that. Who knew he would return after less than two years."
"It's all a coincidence. I'm only here to observe," Su Yun said, keeping his head bowed.
His explanation sounded far-fetched, but the two chiefs were unbothered.
Feng Xuhui started to see stars in his vision.
Who knew that the assistant beside Chief Zheng had had such a remarkable past?
He had no idea how much gravity publishing in The Lancet had, but it did not stop him from comprehending Su Yun's reputation.
A young doctor under thirty had been able to leave an impression on a professor from Imperial Capital, recognizable by name alone.
As Feng Xuhui thought it over, his heart started to accelerate uncontrollably.
Had Dr. Su been playing dumb to take advantage of Chief Zheng when…
No!
Had it not been for the presence of others, Feng Xuhui would have slapped his own mouth.
Su Yun was only Chief Zheng's assistant. With such an amazing assistant, one could only imagine how incredible Chief Zheng had to be!
He retreated further into the corner and dared not speak a word, trying his very best not to attract the attention of either chief.
Manager Feng's inexperience was apparent.
He had missed the opportunity to make his presence known in front of two department chiefs by serving them tea. Especially with Department Chief Kong around, the only thing going through his mind was how not to get chased out of the room.
"Haha, you can't stop the passion of a talented young man." Chief Kong laughed and said, "I remember you writing an article about a heart transplant?"
"It was a collaboration with West China University," Su Yun answered frankly, raising his head. "It was a transplant of a 3D bioprinted heart with autologous stem cells."
"Little Su was amazing." There was a hint of regret in Chief Bao's praise. "He managed to reach the animal testing stage back then. Little Su successfully transplanted the heart into a mouse and it survived 107 days post-surgery."
"..." This caught the attention of Chief Kong, who was not all that interested in heart transplant surgery.
After all, he was a medical pioneer on the national scene. The significance of a successful heart transplant with an animal model surviving over 100 days post-transplant was crystal clear, needing no further elaboration.
The mouse living 107 days post-transplant meant that they had passed pre-clinical trials. They would have been able to move on to the next phase of clinical trials after wrapping up the animal study!
Zheng Ren was also stunned by the news. This had all been accomplished by the sissy behind him?
'It seems unlikely from the way he carries himself,' he thought.
A heart transplant in a mouse was much more intricate than that of a human's as it required skill in microsurgery, post-transplant monitoring notwithstanding.
No wonder he was so good with postoperative care. It had to be all the training with mice.
Had the lab mice played a role in his dream for a veterinary hospital?
Nonetheless, this was the first time Zheng Ren had heard of Su Yun's outstanding achievements.
"It was such a pity that you left Imperial Capital. But you're back now, and that's all that matters," Chief Kong lamented. After hearing of Su Yun's achievements, Chief Kong was tempted to poach the man even if they were from completely different departments.
"This is my superior, Zheng Ren. I'm here as Mr. Zheng's assistant." Su Yun lowered his head and stared at his toes, his black fringe swaying. "We'll return to Sea City after completing the interventional surgery," he continued.
"..." Both chiefs looked at each other with sadness and surprise. They had digressed after meeting Su Yun and forgotten their original topic of conversation.
At that moment, Chief Kong's gaze shifted towards Zheng Ren.
Su Yun was a rising star of cardiothoracic surgery. Even if he decided to throw that away, he ought not to have stayed in the middle of nowhere and chosen a random guy as his superior.
A young man like him was definitely prideful. Were Chief Kong in those shoes, he would never have settled for a random doctor.
He watched Su Yun standing behind Zheng Ren with his head lowered. The blank expression on Zheng Ren's face made it clear that he was just a newcomer and completely lost.
It seemed that he had come to the right place.
Chief Kong straightened his back and said seriously, "Dr. Zheng, I have something to discuss with you."
Chapter 213 - The Zheng Procedure (Part 5 of 5)
"You're too kind," Zheng Ren said with a smile on his face.
"The interventional surgery that you performed today will have a great impact on your future career path." Department Chief Kong finally revealed the true intention of his visit. "Is it convenient for you to conduct a few more surgeries these next couple of days?"
Chief Kong was not overly polite, but from a department chief of a Class Three Grade A Hospital in Imperial City, the respect Zheng Ren had received already exceeded that of anyone else in his position. If the chief had to bow down any further… it would seem too good to be true.
"The next few days? How many patients in total?" Zheng Ren's eyes brightened once he heard about surgery.
Su Yun, who was silently standing behind Zheng Ren, suddenly said, "Chief Kong, there's something we need to inform you of beforehand."
"Uhm?" Chief Kong was startled. Zheng Ren looked rather interested in his suggestion, but there was a slight hesitation in Su Yun's tone.
"I'm in the middle of analyzing the research data and writing up a paper on this novel treatment created by my boss." Su Yun's glance was sharp, as if unbothered by the fact that he was facing a department chief.
Chief Kong was not upset by Su Yun's words. Instead, he was intrigued and inquired further. "Do you think it'll work?"
His question referred to the possibility of naming the procedure after its inventor. The entire process required successful publication of the treatment in established journals, followed by mass adaptation of his method by other doctors over time.
All of them understood the meaning behind his words… except for Manager Feng in the corner. He had no idea what Su Yun and Chief Kong were saying and just stared at them blankly.
"Yes, and I'm very sure it'll work," Su Yun answered firmly. "I've been looking into interventional surgery for the past month, focusing on the differential diagnosis between hepatocellular carcinoma and hepatic cirrhosis nodule formation. I'm sure you
're aware that this has been an unsolved problem in the industry. Only yesterday did I realize that Mr. Zheng had found a solution to that. Regardless of differential diagnosis or treatment method, his technique will play a key role as the major breakthrough of my research. That's why I hope that the method will be named after him: the Zheng Procedure."
Su Yun emphasized spelling out "Zheng" in Latin script over the Chinese character, displaying his confidence in the procedure gaining international recognition and being written into textbooks in the future.
This…
Chief Kong had not given him enough credit. Su Yun was already a star in the cardiothoracic circle, but even as he had left for Sea City, he still had great aspirations for the world stage and the degree of his ambition exceeded even Chief Kong's expectations.
Chief Bao was also astonished and immediately asked, "Little Su, you're certain about this?"
"Of course," Su Yun flipped his fringe out of habit and continued, "As an assistant, I need to make sure that everything's perfect. It'll be my fault if we can't name the procedure after my boss."
Zheng Ren had not thought that far. In his opinion, the procedure was but a simple surgery. The only thing he had to do was to compare the 3D-reconstructed reverse 64-slice CT scan to the correct NMRI image.
A novel procedure? The thought had never crossed his mind.
"No problem." Chief Kong understood where Su Yun was coming from and did not weaponise his seniority to talk down to the two young men. Instead, he chortled and said, "There are so many people in this country suffering from hepatitis B. Our duty is to serve and treat them. Zheng Ren will definitely receive the credit and fame he deserves. Just go ahead and do it if you have the confidence in this procedure. Please let me know if you need any help."
"You probably couldn't care less about the fame, but that doesn't mean that the other physicians under you think the same," Su Yun said coldly. "Of course, with their current abilities, they won't be able to surpass my current work even if they had three years. I'm not too worried about them."
He spoke with such confidence, yet no one could rebut his claim.
"I'll send the article to The Lancet after finishing this batch of surgeries. If the editor isn't blind, they will definitely publish it."
Chief Bao and Chief Kong were uncomfortable with Su Yun's self-confidence. One might even argue that he was borderline narcissistic.
Had someone else been saying those exact words, both chiefs would have walked away by now.
However, this was Su Yun, the one who had published in The Lancet before even completing his Master's, the one who performed a heart transplant on a mouse and watched over it for 107 days post-surgery.
Even though Chief Kong was displeased with the way Su Yun spoke, he had to admit that Su Yun was telling the truth.
Less than half of his PhD students could graduate, and Su Yun was here publishing papers in The Lancet for breakfast.
What a vast gulf in ability!
"What do you think, Mr. … Dr. Zheng?" Chief Kong nearly addressed Zheng Ren as his superior, compelled by Su Yun's magnetic personality.
"You're too kind, Chief Kong. It's just a few surgeries; I'm fine with that," Zheng Ren replied with a polite smile, oblivious to Su Yun's aura. "The surgery is secondary; more importantly, we have to compare the NMRI to the 64-slice CT scan with 3D-image reconstruction. I have had some experience with them both, but I'm still working on it. Let's discuss them together some other time."
"Comparing the NMRI and the 64-slice CT scans?" Chief Kong's mind was instantly filled with a series of images.
"Old Kong, let's talk about it tomorrow… no, the day after tomorrow," Chief Bao said after seeing Chief Kong's thoughts wander to scans and imaging.
"Why two days later?" Chief Kong wanted to get Zheng Ren into the CT room right now.
"Old Gu said that Zheng Ren had to stay here and rest for two days. If he leaves the room within this period of time, I'll be to blame." Chief Bao laughed.
Only then did Chief Kong recall that Zheng Ren was still having a fever.
It was not appropriate to ask that much of him.
However, Chief Kong was reluctant to leave just like that.
Initially, he had been excited to hear of Zheng Ren's previous surgery, which had been elegant and clean in addition to solving a major issue. After hearing Su Yun out, it dawned on him that it involved a novel method to diagnose and treat hepatocellular carcinoma and hepatic cirrhosis nodules.
This was a major breakthrough!
Chief Kong regretted giving his word to Su Yun so early. He could have been a corresponding author on a published article on The Lancet.
After chatting for a little longer, Chief Bao dragged Chief Kong out of the private ward.
Zheng Ren saw them both out before asking, "Su Yun, did you mean what you said?"
"Of course, don't you realize what you're doing?" Su Yun responded.
"Saving someone."
"..." Su Yun resisted the urge to kick Zheng Ren. Even if he did, it would probably not have any effect. "Boss, let me tell you this: if I write the report, it'll guarantee a publication in The Lancet."
"Why?"
"Because I'm Su Yun."
…
…
Chapter 214 - Loneliness Is Worse Than Cancer (Part 1 of 5)
"Rest well. I'm going back now," Su Yun said once the two department chiefs were gone.
Zheng Ren wanted to follow Su Yun but was stuck here in the hospital. Although he had a single room to himself, it was not as comfortable as their own accommodation.
Professor Gu had insisted he stay and Zheng Ren had no heart to refuse the old man.
The ward was where he would remain.
The two men parted ways and Zheng Ren returned to his single room. Feng Xuhui was still standing in a corner, in a stupor.
"Manager Feng, what are you thinking?" Zheng Ren asked.
Shaken from his daze, Manager Feng said softly, "No—Nothing much. Chief Zheng, what were you guys talking about just now?"
He wondered if his ears had failed him. Chief Zheng's assistant had published in The Lancet? Department Chief Kong's surgery, performed with Chief Zheng's help, was also going into The Lancet?
Impossible. He must have heard wrong.
"I think they were talking about publishing in the Lancet, specifically how I differentiated cirrhosis and carcinoma from the scans," Zheng Ren said with a shrug. "Is there anything else? If not, I would like to rest."
"No, nothing at all," Feng Xuhui quickly replied, smiling. He bade Zheng Ren goodbye and left the room.
Feng Xuhui trudged down the hospital corridor, his steps heavy, his mind a whirlwind.
There were too many things that he did not understand and he needed time to digest the information.
Meanwhile, Zheng Ren opened one of the windows in his room and breathed in a few gulps of refreshing, cold air.
He had racked his brain to make this differentiation method work. Would it make it into The Lancet? After a moment of thought, he decided he had no interest in the whole ordeal.
The benefits of publishing meant little to him.
What was more important was how his method would benefit his patients.
The Lancet was distant in Zheng Ren's thoughts. There were many opinions and studies out there, cluttering the mind, but he wanted to focus on the things at hand. He wanted to stay true to his path.
His mission, The First Stage of The Great Beginning, gave him an abundance of surgical training time. If required, he would be willing to use those experience points.
For now, Zheng Ren was unsure if he ought to do so.
At this stage, he had the skill to handle most patients that came through his hospital's doors.
His thoughts cleared as he gazed into the glowing light of the full moon. Then, he shut the window and blinds. After washing up, he tucked himself into bed and started chatting with Xie Yiren.
It was the most relaxing
part of his day.
…
…
Qin Liren stood in the front of the hospital room and sighed.
He was once a man of stature with many subordinates who looked up to him. Those people were all gone now.
His retirement had been a huge dent in his ego. The diagnosis of liver cancer in the second year of his retirement rubbed even more salt into his wounds.
There were occasional greetings from a few of his subordinates, devoid of warmth and sincerity. They used to treat him like he was their father.
Needless to say, Qin Liren was disappointed.
Yesterday, he had received a call from Mr. Bu from Sea City.
He knew that Bu Ruotian had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and that a Japanese professor had performed the surgery for it.
They had bonded over their similar conditions.
Then, Bu Ruotian had given him a recommendation—a young doctor who hailed from Sea City. Qin Liren was doubtful.
Qin Liren said nothing on the phone, but once the call ended, he had violently smashed up his study.
'That fool thinks he can trick me? Recommending an inexperienced doctor? B*stard!'
Back in the day, when Bu Ruotian was but the owner of a small restaurant, the two had been as thick as thieves.
Qin Liren's friendship for Bu Ruotian over the years had only earned him a rotten suggestion in return. The man's words were a blow to him when he was already at his lowest.
The b*stard!
Anger and despair coiled within him. He blamed his retirement. No one would have dared to try to fool him back when he was still a powerful figure.
Qin Liren called up a few friends in Imperial Capital and booked a flight ticket.
Cancer was scary but the loneliness he experienced after his retirement was what truly plagued him.
Luckily, his friends in Imperial Capital were welcoming and even promised him the best doctor they could find.
Qin Liren had landed in Imperial Capital the next day.
With the assistance of his friends, he was immediately admitted into a famed Class Three Grade A Hospital in Imperial Capital, bypassing all waiting lists.
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