He could only thank him repeatedly.
The family members were still trying to process what just happened; it was all too sudden.
When the ICU door finally unlocked, Zheng Ren quickly opened the door and entered.
He let out a sigh when the door sealed shut, shielding him from the outer world.
"Boss, were they moved by your chivalry?" Professor Rudolf Wagner asked puzzled. "Is that lady swearing her loyalty to you?"
"..."
"Nowadays, we rarely have this medieval ceremony in my country," the professor continued.
"Lil Fugui, this has nothing to do with knights or loyalty," Zheng Ren said weakly and did not bother to elaborate further to the professor.
It would take at least a 100,000-word thesis to explain their entire history and culture.
Instead of doing that, he would rather spend his time visiting patients and chatting with Xie Yiren.
It did not matter to Zheng Ren whether the professor understood him.
After changing, he entered the ICU and saw Su Yun perching on the counter, happily chit-chatting with the nurses.
Chapter 379 - Slow And Steady Wins The Race
"How's the patient?" Zheng Ren asked as he walked toward Su Yun.
"Boss, you should know how the patient is doing just by looking at me." Su Yun blew at his fringe while the nurses watched him with shimmering eyes.
'That's true,' Zheng Ren thought to himself.
If the patient was in critical condition, Su Yun would be sitting beside the bed with a pen and paper in his hand, periodically noting down the stats of the patient.
He would then adjust the drug dosage accordingly.
Everything had to be fine if Su Yun was casually leaning on the nurses' station counter and chatting with them.
"We managed to rescue the patient in time; the heart only stopped for a short while. He's recovering well," Su Yun said. "The cerebral edema isn't too serious, so you don't have to worry.
"Also, the patient's D-dimer level is slightly elevated. If there are no other complications like a pulmonary embolism or mesenteric artery occlusion, the patient can be transferred to the emergency ward and be discharged the next day."
"..." This was Zheng Ren's first cardiac tamponade patient. He was skeptical that the patient's recovery would be so quick.
Su Yun knew what Zheng Ren was thinking just by looking at his expression.
"I've treated a patient with cardiac tamponade in Imperial Capital. The patient's condition was not as serious, or rather he received timely treatment and as a result, his heart didn't stop," Su Yun started to gossip. "It was a young guy in his early twenties. He was able to walk around the second day of surgery if he carried the drainage chamber around. On the third day, he removed the c.h.e.s.t tube and self-discharged."
"Incredible!" Zheng Ren exclaimed.
"That has nothing to do with the surgery. The patient was physically fit," Su Yun said. "This patient isn't that old either. There shouldn't be any issues with the post-op. Little Lan, can you help me check if the report on his coagulation is here?"
A giggly young nurse responded and clicked on the patient's case file to search for the report.
"Brother Yun, it's not out yet." Her voice was as refreshing and chirpy as an oriole.
"Please text me when it's ready," Su Yun tapped on Zheng Ren's shoulders. "Let's go, boss."
Zheng Ren walked out of the ICU in silence, along with Su Yun and the professor.
Thank goodness everything went well.
Nevertheless, he could not share this information with the patient's family members.
If he did, they might be able to rejoice momentarily, but it would be difficult to explain if the patient's condition deteriorated after that.
Before Zheng Ren opened the door, he gestured a 'shh' sign to them and snuck out from the ICU discreetly when no one was looking, trying his best not to startle the patient's family members.
"You're a doctor; why are you acting like a thief?" Su Yun said disdainfully when they left the ICU and entered the fire escape.
"It's too troublesome."
"Right, Boss. I forgot to tell you something," Su Yun was about to tease Zheng Ren when he remembered all of a sudden, "Amigo Veterinary Hospital wired me the surgical fee. Twelve thousand yuan, three thousand for their surgical tools."
"Oh." Zheng Ren continued to walk, his face expressionless.
"Hey, Boss. Tell me how to split this," Su Yun said.
"You can spend it on food," Zheng Ren said. "Find a time and invite all of them for a meal."
"Sure." Su Yun could not care less about this amount of money, but he was curious why Zheng Ren was acting so indifferently.
Su Yun would have never thought that he only had himself to blame for Zheng Ren reacting this way.
Xie Yiren's parents would not care about a measly 'surgical fee' of several thousand yuan.
Zheng Ren would be performing surgery at the Secondary Hospital tomorrow.
If he managed to impress them, he could be getting at least one to two hundred thousand yuan annually. Compared to the amount Su Yun had, it would be more appropriate to spend that on social gatherings.
"Please pass the message to Yiren and Yanzhi," Zheng Ren said.
"Oh, right. There's a silk banner hanging in Amigo as an appreciation from Harry's owner," Su Yun said.
"..." Zheng Ren thought of a funny joke.
"Don't tell me that it has 'Thanks for saving my dog's life' written on it?" Zheng Ren asked attentively.
"No!" Su Yun said, "That's so cheesy. People usually write something more flattering. Also, Harry's owner was very grateful and told Little Ou to send you their regards."
"Oh. Noted with thanks," Zheng Ren replied.
"You're so boring," Su Yun laughed. "What are you doing tonight? Do you want to have dinner together?"
Zheng Ren's footsteps halted instantly. After glancing at Professor Rudolf Wagner, he approached Su Yun and said softly, "I'm going to invite Yiren for a movie tonight. Do you have any other suggestions other than what you mentioned earlier?"
"Tsk tsk." As expected, Su Yun put on a mean smile and mocked, "What you're really asking is how to get into her pants, huh?"
"..." Zheng Ren was at a loss for words.
"Listen here, young man." Su Yun wrapped his arm around Zheng Ren and whispered, "You need to access the situation. You shouldn't rush things, even if both of you have feelings for each other. Little Yiren comes from a rather distinguished family, you know that. You'll have to take it slow. Just watch a movie this time. Let's leave the rest for another day if you have the chance."
"Chance?"
"It's just a matter of time," Su Yun tapped on Zheng Ren's shoulders empathetically. "I'm thinking how nice it would be if you weren't going to Imperial Capital for interventional surgery. You could bring her along as your personal scrub nurse. Gosh, Boss, you'll be living the dream!"
Zheng Ren understood what Su Yun meant. However, interventional surgery would be exposed to radiation, so he could not request for Little Yiren to be there.
The first time she got involved in an emergency TIPS procedure was on the asphyxiation patient. It was understandable because they did not foresee any of that to happen.
Zheng Ren was also rather reluctant to involve Su Yun in interventional surgeries.
He had yet to have children and he did not own the System's special lead vest that could transform radiation into energy. Therefore, he should not be performing interventional surgery for the long-run.
As for Professor Rudolf Wagner, Zheng Ren figured he had been doing interventional surgeries throughout his life and he had no idea how long he was going to stay here, so he was not concerned about him at all.
What Su Yun said about bringing Xie Yiren to Imperial Capital to do surgeries sounded like a great idea.
Perhaps she would not be so shy in a place with fewer people who knew them.
Even the thought of it was
delightful.
Should he start learning the Whipple procedure? However, the general surgery professors in Imperial Capital would have the skills of at least the Grandmaster level. He would never be able to catch up with them. On the other hand, interventional surgery was a relatively new field; his Grandmaster skills would definitely be able to impress them.
Forget it; he should just listen to Su Yun and take it slow.
Slow and steady wins the race.
Chapter 380 - The Ignorant Knows No Fear
A black Mercedes MPV parked in front of the emergency building of Sea City General Hospital.
Several well-dressed folks alighted from the vehicle.
Walking in front was a m.a.t.u.r.e, elegant woman in her thirties.
She took her time standing outside the emergency building and surveyed the surroundings.
It was obvious that she did not belong in Sea City. She just stared in silence.
"Chairman Lin, the person you're looking for is here?" asked a man in a suit.
"Yes," the woman answered.
The woman was the Chairman of Yimei Cosmetic Surgery, Lin Jiaojiao. The man behind her was their potential business partner, Zhou Da.
The young man driving the Porsche 911 was Zhou Da's son.
Lin Jiaojiao thought that it was a normal traffic accident, so the first thing she did was to send Lawyer Ge down to Sea City to handle the related matters.
Initially, Sea City was not the kind of city that was included in Yimei Corporation's business expansion scheme. However, Sea City got Lin Jiaojiao's attention after the incident that almost blinded her.
That incident sparked her interest in opening a branch in Sea City.
That was also another reason why she sent Lawyer Ge here. After he briefed her about the situation, she thought of Zheng Ren.
The series of events seemed coincidental, yet inevitable.
However many years had passed since Lin Jiaojiao saved lives in the hospital or how much she was profited from her beauty products, there always remained an untouchable soft spot in her heart.
When she heard that Zhou Da's son was involved in an accident wherein he obstructed the path of an ambulance, she declined the offer to work with him.
To be able to expand her business so quickly within a few years, especially as a woman, she had to be decisive.
Lin Jiaojiao was known to be strong-willed. Something like this went against her principles.
Of course, Zheng Ren played a part in that decision as well.
Otherwise, Lin Jiaojiao would not take such drastic measures to draw a line between them with diplomatic business strategies instead.
Who knew Zheng Ren was so gutsy? Lin Jiaojiao grinned.
"Chairman Lin, I don't understand why you need me to come here and personally apologize to a small doctor in Sea City?" Zhou Da's voice was deep and suffocating, like the haze in Sea City.
"Forget about the partnership," Lin Jiaojiao said. "I'm just trying to save your *ss because we worked together before. I can't let you dig your own grave just like that useless son of yours."
"Dig my own grave?" Zhou Da was furious.
Apologizing to that doctor who drove his son to safety with an ambulance was not the reason he came to Sea City.
This was just a business tactic, a chance to negotiate a partnership with Lin Jiaojiao.
However, Lin Jiaojiao had yet to show her true intentions, even after they arrived at Sea City. This made Zhou Da quite frustrated.
"Chairman Lin, you're not trying to humiliate me right?" Zhou Da said icily while he stared at the entrance of the emergency building of Sea City General Hospital.
"Humiliate?" Lin Jiaojiao laughed. "Still think that this is one of your business schemes?"
"Isn't it?" Zhou Da snickered.
With his wealth, destroying a small doctor form a third- to fourth-tier city would be child's play.
Why did Lin Jiajiao have to act all mysterious and strange?
"I've said it many times, but you're the one who refused to believe it," Lin Jiaojiao blew on her palm to warm herself. "You turned your son into a spoiled brat. You know that I was a nurse right? We're humans; it's normal to fear."
"Fear? Haha." Zhou Da sneered.
"Are you still trying to wrap your head around this?" Lin Jiaojiao said. "You're very lucky to have had such a smooth journey all these years."
"What do you mean, Chairman Lin?"
"Only the ignorant knows no fear." Lin Jiaojiao's voice was as chilly as the winter in Sea City. "If I were you… Nevermind, it's impossible to save a lost cause."
"Chairman Lin, even if we can't be partners, you should have at least the decency to be civil." Zhou Da's face dropped.
What was Lin Jiaojiao up to? She would not bring him all the way to Sea City just to 'humiliate' him if it was purely for commercial interest. She had nothing to gain from this.
Zhou Da was puzzled.
"Old Zhou, I can't really tell you everything. Ask around and you will know. I can only give you this much. Are you coming or not?"
"I'm already in Sea City; how can I miss out on this deity you hold to such high regard?" Zhou Da trailed behind Lin Jiaojiao without saying another word.
Then, they entered the emergency building, one after the other.
This was the night's busiest hour. The air reeked of disinfectant and the sounds of patients vomiting and coughing incessantly.
"Chief Zheng, I'm Lin Jiaojiao. Thanks for treating me in Imperial Capital. I have some business here in Sea City and thought to drop by for a visit.
"I'm in the lobby; are you in the emergency ward on the second floor?
"Oh, sure. I'll wait for you in front of the emergency ward."
Lin Jiaojiao hung up the phone and took the elevator.
Zhou Da was still doubtful. He had been testing the waters on their way here, but he failed to understand Lin Jiaojiao's true intention.
Was there something special about this young doctor?
Damn it! He instructed people to find out about this doctor before he left for Sea City but he had not gotten a reply!
His subordinates had been living so comfortably these few years that they had become inefficient. He had to do something when he returned.
The humiliation and anger were all just a pretense--a business tactic.
A real businessman would never be so easily angered.
If there was a profit, there would always be room for negotiation.
Zhou Da was deep in thought while he followed Lin Jiaojiao to the emergency ward entrance.
Lin Jiaojiao did not enter the ward. Instead, she just stood by the entrance and waited patiently.
A few minutes later, several people hurried over.
There were two young men and a foreigner.
"Chief Zheng, finally we meet." Lin Jiaojiao walked toward them and extended her hand, "I planned to treat you to a meal in Imperial Capital after I recovered, but Chief Kong said that you were busy. When you finally cleared your schedule, you took the first flight back to Sea City."
Zheng Ren was startled by Lin Jiaojiao's enthusiasm.
It was past 9 o'clock. Who was this woman? She had to be Lin Jiaojiao who had called him earlier, but Zheng Ren could not remember who she was.
Lin Jiaojiao was slightly embarrassed when she saw Zheng Ren look so confused. Did he not recognize her?
There was a small possibility of that being true.
"Chief Zheng, I'm Lin Jiaojiao. You performed interventional surgery on my ophthalmic artery."
"Oh, it's you." Zheng Ren pretended to realize who she was, but in fact, it was the surgery that he remembered.
Chapter 381 - Health Agency
Lin Jiaojiao and Zhou Da had many years of business experience. They could sense the lack of interest under Zheng Ren's enthusiastic pretense.
However, Lin Jiaojiao was not bothered by it. She smiled and said, "Chief Zheng, tonight…"
"I'm sorry, Sister Lin, I have a prior
engagement tonight," Zheng Ren rejected without any hesitation.
"It's fine." Lin Jiaojiao was very well-mannered. She was unaffected by Zheng Ren's blatant rejection and asked with a laugh, "What about tomorrow?"
"I'll be performing TIPS surgery on six to eight patients at Secondary Hospital tomorrow. I don't think I have time." Zheng Ren shrugged.
Lin Jiaojiao was surprised. She knew the difficulty of the TIPS procedure since she was a nurse in the interventional department in Imperial Capital's Class Three Grade A Hospital: one of the earliest places where TIPS surgery was first established in this country.
No wonder Chief Kong highly recommended this young man.
Was he even human to be able to perform six to eight TIPS procedures in a day?
If a doctor at his age could complete a TIPS procedure in eight hours, they would be the rising star of interventional surgery.
She suppressed her astonishment and asked with a smile, "Oh, that's too bad. I'll not bother you any further. I heard from Chief Zhang that you're going to Imperial Capital to operate a few days later; you have to let me treat you then."
"Sure, sure." Zheng Ren nodded, his impression on Sister Lin got better.
After seeing the three of them enter the emergency ward, Zhou Da snickered.
"Chairman Lin, you came all the way here just to be rejected?"
Lin Jiaojiao chuckled and turned to leave.
"Let's talk about something else. Do you know who the foreigner behind him was?" Lin Jiaojiao asked.
"No."
"Professor Rudolf Wagner from Heidelberg University, the world's pioneer in interventional surgery. If you can't find anything about Chief Zheng, follow Professor Rudolf's footsteps. Then, you'll know why I'm trying to save your *ss," Lin Jiaojiao said.
Zhou Da followed behind Lin Jiaojiao at the same pace, but his breath became heavier.
Zhou Da's phone started ringing; his assistant brought it to him with both hands.
"Hello." Zhou Da halted his footsteps and lowered his voice. He frowned when he saw Lin Jiaojiao continue walking with no intention of waiting for him.
"President Zhou, there's an update on the thing you asked for."
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