Tang Xiu was not sure how major his achievement was, but knew that she would only get busier.
Her work continued non-stop twenty-four hours a day.
She did interviews and recordings in the mornings, organizing her findings and editing videos at night.
After three hectic days, Tang Xiu's round face had become sunken.
Her thoughts were getting clearer after every interview and video.
Her own breakthroughs astounded her.
Nevertheless, she was grateful.
"Editor Tang, we've finally finished our work in Imperial Capital." Her photojournalist yawned and stretched.
"We're almost done. All that's left is one more day of interviews after our return to Sea City," Tang Xiu announced.
"Arghhh…" the photojournalist w.h.i.n.ed.
"Could you pump yourself up a little? This could be the peak of your career," she said.
"I'm not being fussy, I just need to sleep. I haven't slept in three days. Hell, I might doze off the moment I close my eyes."
"At least your sleep is sound. I slept for 32 seconds while you guys were talking and it felt great," the other journalist said drowsily, his eyes half-open.
"Just keep it up! We can catch a break on the flight back to Sea City. After that, just watch me! I promise you guys a surprise within the last two days!" Tang Xiu clapped loudly in an attempt to lift the spirits of her team.
No amount of motivation could fend off the spectre of the Sandman, however. Her subordinates were so tired that they did not have the energy to acknowledge her.
…
…
Two days later, Zheng Ren was extremely bored.
Cui Heming was recovering slowly. He had been transferred to a normal ward and was able to walk. However, his gratitude towards Zheng Ren was so strong that his blood pressure fluctuated whenever the young doctor dropped by. Zheng Ren decided his second visit would be his last until they had all returned to Sea City, whereupon they would have dinner together.
Lin Jiaojiao brought her daughter to visit Zheng Ren to express her thanks. As Zheng Ren had completely forgotten about her, things became a little awkward, but she had heard about his facial recognition disorder from Department Chief Kong and was thus unsurprised.
Fang Lin was also doing much better, having been transferred to a regular ward as well and becoming the subject of an interview. He became emotional upon meeting Zheng Ren once more; everything had happened so quickly on that fateful day and he was extremely blessed to even be alive.
Perhaps, in a past life, he had saved the entire galaxy.
Zheng Ren did not spend all his time visiting and being visited by patients. When he could, he went out to buy a souvenir with Su Yun.
Su Yun snickered. Had the man not claimed to have prepared a gift for Xie Yiren? What a pretentious loser.
Zheng Ren rejected every one of Su Yun's suggestions as they were all… well and truly beyond his price range.
Finally, Zheng Ren settled on four plushies, a bottle of Maotai and an e-cigarette lighter. Thus ended his gift-shopping journey.
Su Yun bought nothing.
At Zheng Ren's questioning, his proclaimed that his return was the best gift anyone could hope for.
…
The wait was mind-numbingly boring.
Zheng Ren felt his fingers starting to rust.
Still, this step was unavoidable. He had to monitor the postoperative recovery of the patient.
Despite the System's 100% surgery completion rate and Zheng Ren's confidence in his abilities, he could not let the matter go without confirming the final outcome with his own eyes.
After all, this was a novel surgical procedure and nobody knew what could happen with the patient after surgery.
However, he ultimately had nothing to worry about. After 24 hours, the patient's ureter was removed and he was able to urinate normally. His test results were also very promising; post-void bladder residual urine volume was almost similar to the average 60-65 year old man.
Even though it was only two days post-surgery, the patient had almost fully recovered.
The surgery could be considered a success at this point.
Zheng Ren could not wait to return to Sea City and booked an early morning flight.
He had been away from home for a long time and missed being chief resident, especially one able to perform surgery every day.
Of course, no one truly knew if he longed for surgery or Xie Yiren.
They were seen off at the airport by Department Chief Kong and several doctoral students who had gotten to know them.
Zheng Ren had gained a lot from his trip to Imperial Capital.
Despite his encouragement, Old Chief Physician Pan had likely never expected someone as unsocial and sincere as Zheng Ren to expand his social network to such a degree.
Zheng Ren and Su Yun checked in their luggage before going through security, promising to stay in touch with their companions as they bade their farewells.
As they were waiting to board the plane, Su Yun approached Zheng Ren with a strange expression.
"Are you having a stomachache?" Zheng Ren asked, looking up from the group chat.
"On the way here, you encountered a patient with Type I aortic dissection on board," Su Yun said earnestly, a serious look on his face. Zheng Ren knew that something nasty was about to leave the man's mouth. "What kind of patient do you think you'd meet on the way back?"
"An insane patient like you whose cerebral cortex was overstimulated by microcurrents," Zheng Ren snapped back at him.
"In our half-month trip, you achieved a level of brilliance that took me three years as a postgraduate researcher. Are you going to tell me that nothing's going to happen on our way back? I don't believe it." Su Yun's use of the word "brilliance" to describe Zheng Ren and himself was unabashed.
To him, it was an objective description.
"What makes you think so?" Zheng Ren put down his phone. "I don't want to see emergency cases everywhere I go. I enjoyed my time in Imperial Capital. There's no lack of emergency cases in our own ward."
"I knew you would say that." Su Yun pulled out his phone and captured a selfie with Zheng Ren before saying, "I've already finished writing both papers and sent them out."
"So fast?" Zheng Ren was shocked.
There was a fixed structure when it came to writing a paper. Zheng Ren knew that Su Yun was familiar with the style, but was the man taking a shortcut to finish two whole papers, fit for the world's top medical journal, within two days?
More importantly, it was one of the most prestigious journals in existence. They would not accept any ordinary paper.
Its reviewers were usually very busy. Email submissions from unknown figures would receive a glance at best and most submissions did not even elicit a response.
From Su Yun's confidence, Zheng Ren suspected that the man had pulled some strings abroad.
Su Yun maintained his enigmatic expression and did not respond to Zheng Ren's question.
Their short conversation over, Zheng Ren started reading his novels while Su Yun scrolled through his phone.
They started queuing to board the plane not long after.
Feng Xuhui had reserved a first-class seat for Zheng Ren and Su Yun, which allowed them to board first through the VIP lane.
When a beautiful flight attendant laid eyes on them, the smile on her face turned to astonishment.
"Oh, it's you guys!"
Chapter 260 - Unlimited Charm (Part 4 of 5)
Zheng Ren was at a loss. Although he knew that boarding the same plane he had taken here was a possibility, he had no recollection of the person in front of him. Her identity, whether she had spoken to him previously, or even the things she had done were lost to him.
Still, he pretended to recognize her and offered a polite, elegant smile.
"Dr. Zheng, right? I remember you!" the flight attendant said cheerfully.
Since first-class passengers were all
owed to board in advance, and they were both the only one of those on this flight to Sea City, the flight attendant did not hold back her excitement and squealed like a young girl meeting her favourite celebrity.
"Dr. Zheng? The one who called for the helicopter ambulance?"
"Let me have a look."
"It's definitely him, I'll inform the captain."
Within moments, there were six to seven flight attendants circling them. Su Yun was befuddled by Zheng Ren's sudden stardom.
"Dr. Zheng, have you finished your research in Imperial Capital? Please follow me." Another graceful flight attendant led them into first class.
Since their luggage was checked in, they only had their phones with them and did not need much assistance from the attendant.
A few minutes later, the upright and honest-looking1 Captain Lin appeared before Zheng Ren and offered his hand. "Hello, Dr. Zheng."
Finally, someone Zheng Ren recognized.
When Zheng Ren had entered the c.o.c.kpit to radio the airport traffic control tower, the captain had treated him like a criminal, fearing that something dangerous was about to be done.
However, the captain was responsible enough that he agreed to it upon finding out a passenger needed emergency treatment.
At that moment in time, Zheng Ren had not thought through the weight of his request, but with the benefit of hindsight, he was truly grateful to the captain.
He hurriedly stood and shook Captain Lin's hand.
"Captain Lin, right? I must thank you for what you did last time," Zheng Ren said sincerely.
"Why are you thanking me?" Captain Lin pretended to be surprised before bursting into laughter. "You're a doctor. It's your duty to treat and save people in danger. That man was also my passenger, and I always strive to ensure all my passengers reach their destination safely."
Zheng Ren nodded in agreement.
"Dr. Zheng, let's exchange contact information." With the rest of the passengers about to board as well, Captain Lin skipped the formalities. It would not be presentable for the flight crew to all be crowding in one spot.
After they both exchanged numbers and WeChat IDs, Captain Lin waved and took his leave.
The flight attendants whispered to each other for a while before returning to their own posts to welcome the other passengers.
"Didn't expect you to leave an impression," Su Yun said softly from beside Zheng Ren.
Zheng Ren laughed. Could the passive ability mission reward be more than ornamental?
If that was the case, could he make a living out of his appearance from now onwards? At the very least, he would not need to envy Chang Yue for her skill at communicating with patients.
As he remembered Chang Yue, he also thought of Chu Yanran, Chu Yanzhi, Old Chief Physician Pan, and his favourite beautiful lady. It made him want to be home right this instant.
As for Yang Lei… he had a mysterious presence which made him easily forgettable. Although he was a good friend of Zheng Ren's, he did not come to mind during the nostalgia trip.
It began to get rowdy when more passengers came aboard. Su Yun requested a sleep mask from the flight attendant and prepared to doze off. Zheng Ren stared out of the window into the blue sky and started daydreaming.
Upon returning, they would be busy with unexpected emergencies every single day.
Even though Zheng Ren had not even left Sea City for half a month, it felt like a century had passed. He was finally getting back on track to his usual adrenaline-filled life, where one's heart rate could shoot above 120 beats per minute with one phone call.
Straits Hospital seemed like a good choice.
However, as Zheng Ren had told Su Yun, he was mainly choosing to stay in Sea City for Old Chief Physician Pan.
Even though Zheng Ren had the System and did not require Old Chief Physician Pan's guidance, he would never forget how the man had entrusted him with hope and confidence.
Being an orphan, he remembered every bit of warmth and care ever afforded to him.
As it were, he was still young. He could still leave in a few years' time.
When he thought of Old Chief Physician Pan, Zheng Ren was reminded of Little Yiren's parents who spent most of the year traveling.
He then remembered Xie Yiren rejecting his hug before he had boarded his flight. This transformed Zheng Ren from a decisive professional surgeon into a simple, nervous little boy with no dating experience.
The plane started accelerating on the runway before taking off smoothly.
"Hi, Dr. Zheng," a sweet voice called out to Zheng Ren.
Zheng Ren turned around, seeing the flight attendant who led the way earlier; he smiled in return.
"I'm Sun Jia and I'll be serving you throughout this flight. Would you like something to drink?" Her tone was mellifluous and pleasant.
This was Zheng Ren's first time flying first class. Did it always come with personalized service? He had heard someone talk about similar things, but it seemed to only be a thing on international airlines.
Nevertheless, there ought not be any potential problems, even for someone as low-EQ as him.
"Coffee, thanks." The smile on Zheng Ren's face was as warm as a summer breeze.
Sun Jia nodded before leaving to make his drink.
"This is weird." Su Yun was still awake despite having his sleep mask on. After the attendant left, he took it off and asked, "Are there flowers blooming on your face?"
"Flowers?" Zheng Ren was confused.
"When I'm around, the female gaze would usually never land on anybody else but me. but something strange is going on now." Su Yun examined Zheng Ren's features carefully. There was not much of a difference; his normal eyebrows, eyes, nose… everything looked normal, a far cry from himself, and exuded no charm in the slightest.
However, he had felt completely ignored after boarding the plane!
This was unacceptable!
"You're already charming, is that not good enough for you?" Zheng Ren brushed him off. "Do you want anything to drink?"
"I'm going to sleep. You haven't had much to do recently, but I haven't slept in days. Also, keep an eye on your inbox. There'll be a response from the editorial team within one or two months." With that, Su Yun put his mask back on and continued "sleeping".
Zheng Ren was delighted. The fact that he had transcended Su Yun in surgery meant nothing to him in comparison to being able to steal the attention of the flight attendants. The psychological scarring achieved was incalculable.
The System could be quite reliable when it wanted to be. Zheng Ren took a sip of his coffee, smiling.
Occasionally, flight attendants approached Zheng Ren to ask for his WeChat ID.
He was slowly getting used to being accosted by girls now.
The flight to Sea City was smooth, and soon after, the plane circled the city before landing.
"I'm really looking forward to Xie Yiren's reaction when she sees you." Su Yun had already woken from his nap. "If I were her and you had bought me a few soft toys, you'd be dead meat!" Here, the author directly compared the captain's face to the Chinese character for honest, truthful or genuine, (shí), which is a monogram of the character for 'head' () and a cap, implying the man had an appearance that inspired trust.
Chapter 261 - Homecoming Fears (Part 5 of 5)
After the plane came to a halt, Zheng Ren switched his phone back on and sent a private message to Xie Yiren to notify her that he had landed safely. Then, he checked the group chat and saw a hefty discussion by the girls about the location of Zheng Ren and Su Yun's welcome party.
There was a long list of restaurants included that he did not even know existed in Sea City.
However, the discussion had ended an hour ago. It was likely the girls had already met up and were awaiting their arrival at the airport.
Zheng Ren bid farewell to Sun Jia and the other flight attendants. Finally, he was back in Sea City.
As he inhaled the familiar air, Zheng Ren felt a tinge of anxiet
y when he reached the exit.
What a ridiculous feeling. Perhaps it was the homecoming fears1 that people talked about.
Zheng Ren calmed his nerves while waiting for their luggage. Su Yun seemed fine as he chewed the fat with Chu Yanzhi and the others in the group chat.
Would Little Yiren give him a hug this time? Zheng Ren wrestled with the question as he walked out of the hall with his luggage.
The arrival gate of Sea City's airport was much smaller and shabbier compared to the ones in Imperial and Sorcery Capital.
The moment he stepped out of it, Zheng Ren saw Old Chief Physician Pan standing upright at the nearest blue line from the exit, waiting for him.
He smiled at the man habitually, but before he could search for Xie Yiren, a black shadow lunged at him.
Old Chief Physician Pan gave Zheng Ren a bear hug, his belly laugh echoing throughout the entire hall.
"I knew that you could do it!" Old Pan dr.a.p.ed his hand around Zheng Ren's shoulder and waved at Su Yun briefly before dragging Zheng Ren away.
"Little Zheng, I watched your interventional surgery and you've improved tremendously," Old Pan said as they walked. "What did I tell you? You needed that trip to Imperial Capital to broaden your horizons."
Zheng Ren just went along with him and vaguely spotted Xie Yiren through the narrow slit across Old Pan's shoulders. The girls were happily chatting with Su Yun behind them, leaving Zheng Ren frustrated and disappointed.
He was dragged into Old Chief Physician Pan's car, a small Jetta that sank when Old Pan entered it. Zheng Ren could feel the bottom of the vehicle scr.a.p.e against the ground.
Giving up on his original plans, he told Old Chief Physician Pan about his entire trip to Imperial Capital.
Everything from the Type I aortic dissection patient on the flight to Imperial Capital to the assault on Dr. Fang the very next day; the surgery competition and research into new surgical methods—he explained it all, including the surgery he had successfully performed even when everyone else had given up.
When Zheng Ren had been going through all these things, he had felt nothing amiss.
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