The Surgeon's Studio c1-799

by Black Ursa Prime

  Zheng Ren was shocked. He had never done such an adrenaline-pumping thing before and still bore some guilt; his initial impression was that Old Chief Physician Pan was rebuking him, but on second thought, he realized such a thing was unlikely.

  "I made a call and the video recording is now in my office," Old Chief Physician Pan said coldly, "If someone tries to twist the truth, I will fight it to the f*cking highest court!"

  Zheng Ren laughed and tried to calm the old man down. It was not worth it for such a person.

  "What year does he think it is?" Old Chief Physician Pan slowly regained his composure. "I heard the guy was throwing a hissy fit in front of the traffic officers. Were it ten years ago, he could get away with doing this, but now? Hmph!"

  Zheng Ren had heard of the incident before.

  A drunk driver in the emergency department had resisted attempts to obtain a blood sample and threatened to self-harm.

  Unwilling to escalate the situation, the traffic officers had no choice but to relent.

  The incident had gone under the radar after a while.

  However, Zheng Ren had heard through other doctors that drivers resisting blood alcohol tests would receive a warning. Three strikes resulted in an automatic drunk driving charge.

  "You go ahead with your business. I'll take a look at the video and see who's this arrogant bastard." Old Chief Physician Pan left quickly.

  Zheng Ren let out a long sigh. Although he had not done anything wrong, he was afraid of being sold out by people like Ding Zhongtai were it not for Old Chief Physician Pan's presence.

  He would not be able to stand up for himself.

  Such things happened all the time. Zheng Ren knew as much.

  However, with Old Chief Physician Pan around, there ought not to be a problem. As for everything else, he would take them one at a time.

  Why should he be afraid if he had evidence and reason?

  What a joke!

  Zheng Ren felt a little tired, not from the surgery, but from the incident with the ambulance.

  He did not regret his actions. Even if it meant a permanent record, he would never regret what he had done.

  The ambulance had been delayed for at least three minutes.

  With those extra minutes, the patient would not have bled as much and her recovery could have been shortened by three days.

  Had he not acted on his "impulse", she could have been dead by the time they reached No. 9 Elementary.

  They would be pretending to perform CPR on the patient for ten to twenty minutes out in the snow in order to comfort the teachers and students of No. 9 Elementary.

  The lowlife who had blocked their ambulance would not get the punishment he deserved and would continue living his lavish lifestyle.

  Even if that outcome was not controversial, a true hero would be lying in the snow, quietly embracing her inevitable death.

  Justice?

  What justice!

  …

  …

  In the emergency ward office, Professor Rudolf Wagner approached the clearly exhausted Zheng Ren. "Mr. Zheng, what emergency was it?"

  He could sense the professor's Mandarin getting more fluent. The man was truly a savant at languages.

  Nonetheless, Zheng Ren was surprised that the professor was still present outside office hours.

  "The patient had been stabbed, sustaining thoracoabdominal injuries. Why haven't you left?"

  "Chang said that I would need to follow local customs if I really wanted to blend in. Although I don't agree with the idea that only bad doctors leave work on time, doing so often myself, I stayed in case a patient needed interventional surgery."

  "Go home, there's no need for that." Zheng Ren waved his hand weakly.

  Professor Rudolf Wagner was all smiles. He seemed sincere.

  As they spoke, Ding Zhongtai rushed in.

  "Little Zheng, there might be some trouble this time," he said seriously.

  Zheng Ren had mentally prepared himself. He refused to believe that he would lose.

  Old Chief Physician Pan was right; things were not as they were ten years ago.

  To Ding Zhongtai, Zheng Ren's poker face looked insufferably unaware of the severity of the situation, so he began to explain everything with a frown.

  "Lil Fugui, is Chief Zheng back?" Chang Yue called from the corridor.

  "He's back, Chang," Professor Rudolf Wagner replied.

  Lil Fugui? What was that about?

  Both Ding Zhongtai and Zheng Ren were dumbfounded.

  "Mr. Zheng, I asked Chang Yue to name me.

  "I thought I would need a Chinese name if I really wanted to be part of the local culture. Something everyone would like, something that sounds joyful. Even if I don't agree with it, I really like the word "fu gui"," the professor said with a chuckle.

  Zheng Ren was speechless.

  Ding Zhongtai had not noticed that professor's presence. He thought for a moment and said softly, "Let's go somewhere else to talk."

  "Don't worry," Zheng Ren said with a smile and hand gesture, "There's nothing I'm afraid of letting others in on, so please proceed."

  "The car was seriously damaged and the driver had minor injuries," Ding Zhongtai said sternly when Zheng Ren did not oblige him, "He's from a wealthy family in Imperial Capital, like his lawyers, who have already touched down at the airport and are currently heading right to traffic police command."

  "Oh," Zheng Ren said casually, still unperturbed.

  Ding Zhongtai let out a suppressed sigh at Zheng Ren's reaction. "Little Zheng, I don't want to judge you, but this concerns the hospital, you…"

  As he spoke, Zheng Ren's phone rang.

  It was from Chief Kong.

  Zheng Ren accepted the call.

  "Hello, Chief Kong.

  "Ah, yes, I went to an elementary school in the afternoon for an emergency rescue, but the ambulance was obstructed. I was in a hurry, so I just ran the offender over.

  "Okay, sure, thanks for your trouble."

  He hung up.

  Chapter 330 - Suspect (Bonus for Wuhu 37 Chairman Yi Lifei Part 2)

  Ding Zhongtai's face scrunched up when he heard that it was Department Chief Kong from Imperial Capital calling. His ears perked up, trying to listen in on the phone conversation.

  Zheng Ren's phone volume was too low for eavesdroppers, however.

  "Little Zheng, how did Department Chief Kong find out?" Ding Zhongtai asked directly.

  Communication with doctors on the ground was straightforward, in stark contrast to the guessing games that often happened within hospital bureaucracy. Ding Zhongtai paid close attention to Zheng Ren's eyes as if they could provide him his answers.

  "Chief Kong only asked about the situation. I don't know how he found out," Zheng Ren replied. "He wanted to know if there was anything he could do to help. It's probably just a courtesy call, with him being so far away."

  Ding Zhongtai scrutinized Zheng Ren's blank expression. Perhaps it was truly a greeting call… but how had he heard the news?

  Ideas in his heads bounced about. Finally, a revelation struck him.

  Without raising his voice, he said to Zheng Ren, "Little Zheng, while what you did was not wrong, we're under the scrutiny of the urban district for this high-profile case. You should be more wary next time."

  "Next time…" Zheng Ren mumbled then smiled. "If I ever encounter this again, I'll just run them over without hesitation."

  Ding Zhongtai cursed the young doctor internally. Zheng Ren was as stubborn as a rock. Did he think he was invincible just because he had a direct line to a department chief from Imperial Capital?

  "Rest assured, the hospital will come to your defense. It's just… it's quite an expensive car." Ding Zhongtai was irked by the whole situation but maintained his mask. "Now that everything has settled down, you'll need to go to the traffic police."

  "Sure." Zheng Ren stood and asked, "Where's the station?"

  Zheng Ren had a driver's license but had never
owned a car. Hence, he had had little to no interaction with traffic police.

  "Oh. You go get changed and I'll take you there," Ding Zhongtai said.

  "Boss Zheng, what is happening?" The professor had been in on their conversation, but they had been vague and he was not confident in his comprehension. Still, he gathered that Zheng Ren had run into some trouble.

  "It's nothing. And please, Professor Rudolph, don't call me Boss Zheng," Zheng Ren said.

  "Call me Ru Fugui, or Lil Fugui," Professor Rudolph said earnestly.

  Zheng Ren ignored the man. His mind was elsewhere.

  On the way to change his clothes, he rang up Su Yun to ask about the ICU patient.

  She was stable, although her blood pressure was on the low end.

  Her bleeding was under control now. With another 1000 or 2000ccs of blood transfusion, her blood pressure ought to return to normal.

  Zheng Ren did not inquire about kidney and brain function. Such critical care information was beyond his expertise and for Su Yun to monitor.

  Before leaving with Office Director Ding, Zheng Ren left a few instructions with Chang Yue.

  They got into a car and made their way to the police station. Zheng Ren had no regrets.

  If life gave him a second shot, he would do what he did again without hesitation.

  It did not matter whether the car was a Porsche or Ferrari.

  They were nothing compared to a human life.

  Zheng Ren and Ding Zhongtai arrived at the station and made their way upstairs to the incident management center.

  Old Chief Physician Pan was sitting with an old, stern-faced police officer. The rank badge on the officer's shoulder meant nothing to Zheng Ren but he concluded that the man held some authority in the station.

  On the other side of the table sat a middle-aged man in a business suit. Behind him stood two young professionals, a man and a woman, taking note of the ongoing conversation in their books.

  "The dashboard camera is evidence," the officer said as he leaned forward, the national emblem on his uniform gleaming.

  "We'll have to authenticate the evidence, and I've yet to speak to witnesses. We can't have only one side of the story, yes?" the man in the suit said with utmost decorum, a polite smile on his face.

  "Lawyer Ge, you're a big name in Imperial Capital. The suspect—"

  "I'm sorry, Inspector. Let's not call my client that unless we're willing to call the driver of the 120 ambulance a murder suspect as well," Lawyer Ge interjected, the smile on his face unwavering.

  Murder?

  The bushy white eyebrows on Old Chief Physician Pan's face furrowed.

  Old Chief Physician Pan and Zheng Ren were men of science, medicine and surgery. They were not well-versed in semantics and the black-and-white of the law.

  Even the chief inspector was no match for the lawyer in this department.

  After all, it was a lawyer's bread and butter.

  At this moment, moral accusations carried little weight. There had been many cases over the years with blood-soaked evidence.

  An example would be the shocking news reported by an established news agency in the south about an assistant maternity doctor who had wrongly sutured a woman's anus post-delivery.

  The story was instantly sensationalized by the media and the truth was quickly drowned out by public outcry.

  If that happened today, there would be individuals selling the news online and inseminating false information within social media groups to garner attention. The story would then be twisted by the public and immortalized in an unrecognizable form on the Internet.

  Logic played no role in the modern world.

  Resources would determine the last one standing.

  The owner of the Porsche had managed to get a big-shot lawyer from Imperial Capital to travel all the way to Sea City within the span of a surgery.

  It demonstrated the man's wealth, prestige and power.

  All of these went unnoticed by Zheng Ren, whose worldview was as thin as his wallet.

  Old Chief Physician Pan wanted nothing more than to slap the infuriating smile off the lawyer's face.

  However, such an action would not help their case. He swallowed his anger.

  "That is conjecture," Old Chief Physician Pan said, "The hospital's legal representative is on his way. It would be best if you spoke with him instead."

  "The hospital's what?" Lawyer Ge's static smile revealed no change in emotion as he spoke. "To be frank, in the legal sector, most winning lawyers would start their own firm. Of those who can't win in court, only the dumbest go into consultancy."

  The smile had a devious edge now.

  "At least, that's the case in Imperial Capital. Sea City… Heh." Lawyer Ge did not bother to elaborate.

  "I take it that this is the doctor who took over the ambulance?" Lawyer Ge had noticed Zheng Ren's appearance but had wanted to deliver his speech before acknowledging the young doctor.

  "Your actions have been escalated to a criminal court, I will—" Halfway through Lawyer Ge's words, the female assistant's phone rang.

  …

  ...

  Chapter 331 - Thick-Skinned And Unscrupulous

  Lawyer Ge was not happy. His smile turned ugly as his mood darkened.

  "It's for you," the female assistant spoke carefully, her smile forced. She could feel the disp.l.e.a.s.u.r.e radiating from Lawyer Ge.

  "We're on a case. Personal calls are prohibited," Lawyer Ge stated.

  "It's Chairwoman Lin," the assistant clarified.

  Lawyer Ge's hands froze, then he relaxed and said to the room, "Pardon me, I have to take this call."

  His hand reached out for the phone.

  "Chairwoman Lin?

  "Yes, we're at the police station. The suspect had caused intentional harm through his driving."

  Despite having excused himself, he remained seated in place as he took the call.

  It was a tactic employed to pressure a suspect.

  Lawyers were unscrupulous and not above using dirty tactics.

  A moment later, the lawyer's hands visibly clenched.

  The smile on his face became a grimace.

  He fell silent as the caller went on.

  After half a minute, Lawyer Ge opened his mouth to speak.

  "But—"

  Shouting from the other end of the phone cut through the lawyer's retort. Zheng Ren could hear the anger reverberating through the speaker.

  "Yes. Yes, I will handle it.

  "Yes, you are right. We have to maintain a zero tolerance policy on this."

  Lawyer Ge finally hung up.

  The room was silent as all eyes fell on him.

  From the tone of his conversation, there were some changes to be made. What did the future hold for this case?

  "Dr. Zheng, my employer has informed me that I am to be your legal counsel for this case," Lawyer Ge announced seriously.

  There was no hint of hesitation in his tone. Truly, he was a man of many faces.

  He could change sides as easily as a coin flip.

  It was a room-shaking revelation.

  Zheng Ren took a moment to think and remembered Department Chief Kong's call. "Are you Sister Lin's lawyer?"

  Sister… Lin…

  It was rare to hear someone address Lin Jiaojiao so casually.

  His eyes narrowed into pinpoints as he stared at Zheng Ren.

  Without much fanfare, Lawyer Ge schooled his features and put on his characteristic smile.

  The courts had been around for centuries.

  During the Ming Dynasty, the Huizhou merchants were renowned for their economic prowess. Everyday lives of the people were simple and largely governed by the teachings of their ancestors. Larger expenses could be split into three categories: concubines, harlots and disputes.

  As such, someone who could hire a personal attorney could also throw entire fortunes into the Qinhuai River.

  A good attorney was hard to find, especially one who could play b
oth offense and defense. Having a thick skin and no scruples were essential to the trade.

  Lawyer Ge was exemplary in his work, and that excellence extended to his ability to switch sides at a moment's notice.

  Why else would Lin Jiaojiao hire him as the group's legal attorney?

  Why else would he be willing to come to Sea City at the drop of a hat?

  Why else would he be smiling as he spoke to Zheng Ren now?

  The dark aura surrounding Lawyer Ge dissipated.

  "Dr. Zheng, Chairwoman Lin is the chairperson. I'm from the legal department and have little contact with her. You are her…" Lawyer Ge said.

  "I'm not that familiar with her, either," Zheng Ren answered honestly.

  Old Chief Physician Pan sighed. At times, Zheng Ren was too oblivious.

  Although they had morals and logic on their side, having a professional lawyer would not hurt their case.

  "I performed an emergency surgery on her back in Imperial Capital. Was that Sister Lin?" Zheng Ren explained, smiling humbly.

  Lawyer Ge was responsible for legal processing and had read up on the incident during his flight to Sea City.

  He had gotten the gist of it before arriving at the police station.

  "Zhou Bai is one of Chairwoman Lin's partners in the franchising business. His family is wealthy. When Chairwoman Lin announced that she wanted a direct branch office in Sea City, he quickly packed up and headed over."

  Zheng Ren listened to the lawyer talk but was getting bored by the second. He wanted to return to the emergency department. Even with no surgeries scheduled, he could read his book in peace in his office.

  Despite his eagerness to leave, he knew he had to settle this incident.

  "He wishes to gain a small position of power in the Lin empire. With Chairwoman Lin's blessing, I have full authority over the legal case and will proceed with a public disturbance charge."

  Lawyer Ge knew little of Zheng Ren's character, so he studied the young doctor's face as he spoke.

  Zheng Ren was daydreaming. He found the lawyer to be most uninteresting. Sure, the whole incident could be considered a form of public disturbance.

  He wished he was back in the hospital, reading.

  From Zheng Ren's inscrutable expression, Lawyer Ge could not gain any insight into the young doctor's mind. He gritted his teeth, money from the Zhou family long forgotten.