"Go on."
"Dr. Zheng Ren participated in prostate interventional surgery research in Imperial Capital and became a candidate for main surgeon."
'Prostate?' Zhou Da hummed lowly.
"I heard that his patients are recovering very well."
The person on the other end paused for a moment, suppressed his voice to a minimal volume, and continued.
"President Zhou, I have inside news that this Dr. Zheng will be appointed to the National Central Health Agency soon."
Erm…
He started to piece things together. Lin Jiaojiao's constant reminder not to dig his own grave kept replaying in his ears like morning bells.
Health Agency…
His mind went blank and his body went limp. He held to the wall when he was about to fall.
"President Zhou, are you okay?" His assistant rushed over and helped him up.
Zhou Da shook the assistant's hand away in disgust. He then leaned against the wall and tried to think things through.
He was not stupid. He would not be running such a huge business if he was.
Everything fell into place now that he had the key information.
After a few minutes of silence, Zhou Da stood up with a serious expression.
"President Zhou, Lawyer Wang called and said that the Young Master has something to discuss with you." The assistant held the phone in front of Zhou Da.
Zhou Da flung his hand and sent the phone flying.
Nevertheless, he quickly suppressed his anger and said indifferently, "Call Lawyer Wang back and stop the appeal."
"..." His assistant was stunned.
It was no secret that Zhou Da loved his only son very much. Why did he ask the best lawyer in Imperial Capital to stop appealing? He would be facing a three-year sentence…
This…
After Zhou Da gave the orders, he rubbed his face with both hands. As his hands left his face, he put on a kind and sincere smile before running toward where Lin Jiaojiao left.
…
…
Zheng Ren returned to the ward and performed a routine checkup. The patients were all stable.
He glanced at the time; it was 3:45 p.m.
Su Yun saw that Zheng Ren's mind was somewhere else and teased, "Chill, it'll be just like your first surgery. You've seen the anatomical structures and tissues countless times, but you're just nervous because it's your first time."
He was definitely not a professional psychologist, but his example was quite on point.
Zheng Ren took a deep breath, calmed himself, and recalled the last time they went for a movie.
He took out his phone and clicked open the app to check the showtimes.
The latest showtime for IMAX was 5:15 p.m. Zheng Ren did not care about what movie it was and texted Xie Yiren.
[Have you seen this?]
[We're going to the movies tonight? Great, I've been wanting to go for a while, but the timing's been a little rushed.]
[No worries, we can go straight after work. I'll treat you to dinner afterward.]
Zheng Ren had a genuine smile on his face.
Su Yun watched in disgust and left to chat with the professor.
[Okay, we probably won't have time for ice cream.]
[Oh, I can go get the tickets and you can go buy ice cream. Do you want popcorn and cola?]
[Oh, no thanks, I'll book the tickets then.]
Zheng Ren was delighted to read Xie Yiren's messages.
[Let me do that. You can buy the ice cream while I collect the tickets so we can save time.]
Zheng Ren switched back to the app and booked two tickets.
He clearly remembered the last time Xie Yiren bought tickets for the ninth row of the middle seats toward the right.
They were not the best seats, so he thought that it was Little Yiren's preference.
Zheng Ren chose the same seats and confirmed the purchase.
This was the first step to success. He just needed to succeed one step at a time! Zheng Ren cheered himself on.
"Relax, you don't look too good." Su Yun approached him and said. "There's nothing to worry about. Take it slow. It'll happen naturally."
"Right," Zheng Ren nodded with a serious expression, as if he was a soldier about to go to war.
Su Yun shook his head. He could sense Zheng Ren's nerves. He knew that no matter what he said right now would just make him more anxious.
"Call me if there's an emergency tonight," Su Yun told the doctor on shift.
After that, Zheng Ren was restless. He could not even sit quietly in his chair, let alone read. He kept pacing around the office and checked the time on his phone every now and then.
After he got off from work, he happily changed clothes and went to the bas.e.m.e.nt parking lot without waiting for Xie Yiren's text.
Chapter 382 - Just A Matter of Time
A moment later, Zheng Ren saw Xie Yiren walking with her head down.
Her hair was styled in a double ponytail today and bounced with every step she took. Zheng Ren's heart melted at the sight. She was typing on her phone as she walked.
[Bas.e.m.e.nt parking, Zone D. I'm here.]
The message notification popped up on his phone.
Zheng Ren smiled and spread his arms, welcoming Xie Yiren into his embrace.
Xie Yiren pocketed her phone and looked up.
Zheng Ren was standing a few meters away with his arms open wide. Wide-eyed and red-faced, Xie Yiren looked around nervously.
When she was sure the car park was empty, she ran toward Zheng Ren and into his welcoming embrace.
Click! Click!
There was a sudden noise and lights flashed.
Zheng Ren's muscles were tense from the start as he treated the hug like a holy ritual.
The sound startled him and his flinching startled Xie Yiren.
The lovely moment was shattered, just like that.
Zheng Ren scanned their surroundings and found the culprit. It was Xie Yiren's Volvo. He could not help but resent the car at that moment.
The Volvo had intelligent sensing abilities. Whenever Xie Yiren was within range, the car would automatically start up.
Why was he startled? He had sat in that car many times before.
"Come on, or else we'll be late," Xie Yiren said with a smile, pulling away from Zheng Ren. She got into the driver's seat.
Zheng Ren sighed. If only he had held her tighter.
With a mind full of regrets, Zheng Ren climbed into the passenger seat and buckled up. The car pulled out of the bas.e.m.e.nt parking.
As they cruised along the road, Xie Yiren asked, "What happened to the patient who was stabbed in the heart?"
"He's stable now. Su Yun says he should be off the ventilator tomorrow and transferred to the emergency wards."
"So soon? Wasn't his injury quite severe?" Xie Yiren was surprised by the patient's speedy recovery.
"Yeah. As long as the patient is given emergency care in time and no other complication like cerebral edema arises, it's an open and shut case. We'll still have to monitor him for possible infection," Zheng Ren replied.
"When Yanran transported the patient, the family dogpiled her. Do you know how the patient was wounded?" Xie Yiren asked with a sliver of amus.e.m.e.nt on her face.
"No, I didn't ask," Zheng Ren said, curious.
"He was attending a lunch gathering with some ex-classmates. They drank a bit," Xie Yiren began telling the story.
Xie Yiren was usually not one for gossip; that role was reserved for Chu Yanzhi. Little Yiren was only interested if food was involved.
However, a silent car ride would have been awkward, so she kept the conversation going.
She was slightly embarrassed by the hug in the car park and her face was still warm from all the blushing. Her first instinct was to rush into Zheng Ren's arms when she spotted him.
Xie Yiren could not tolerate an awkward silence throughout the journey.
"And?" Zheng Ren asked.
/>
"When it was time to pay, they were fighting over who would pay and the patient managed to snatch the bill. One of his friends got upset and they got into a row."
Zheng Ren frowned.
It was not uncommon to see drunken brawls break out among men when they were fighting for the bill. Incidents like these were very memorable in the hospital.
There would be a few incidents a year without fail.
In this incident, the offender and the victim were extremely fortunate. If it were not for the emergency response team, two families would be ruined by this mistake.
"Yanran said when the attacker sobered up, he almost went into shock. His face was pale as a sheet. His blood pressure was probably through the roof," Xie Yiren said.
"It was a successful rescue, so everything is fine now. If no one presses charge, the police won't look into the matter. The two families can come to an agreement, maybe cover his medical expenses. They're good friends after all," Zheng Ren commented.
"Yanran says it'll cost around a few hundred thousand."
"Her estimates are right. They should be glad the patient is still alive. Otherwise, the attacker will have to go to jail."
"Zheng Ren, you're so brave," Xie Yiren complimented. She pursed her lips, a proud look on her face.
"Hm?"
"Sister Yanran said there are few doctors who would dare to perform a pericardiotomy in the emergency response room with so many witnesses around. She said most doctors would just perform the standard CPR and tell the family they had tried their best, maybe some would attempt the procedure, but only if the patient was in the operating room. By then, the window would have passed."
"I was just doing my duty."
"No. You're confident in your abilities, that's why you could do it without hesitation," Xie Yiren said.
The praise made Zheng Ren's heart flutter. It was a nice feeling, having Xie Yiren be proud of him. Zheng Ren saw how her face lit up when she spoke of his courage.
He let out a chuckle.
"Hopefully there won't be any emergency cases tonight," Xie Yiren prayed.
"Don't worry. Su Yun will cover for me if something comes in. As long as it's not a major surgery, we're safe," Zheng Ren said reassuringly.
"His surgery techniques are quite good."
"Su Yun's known as the rising star of the cardiothoracic department in Imperial Capital."
As they chatted, the car entered the bas.e.m.e.nt parking of the cinema. Xie Yiren parked the car nearby the elevators and they quickly made their way upstairs.
Xie Yiren exited on the third floor to buy her ice cream while Zheng Ren went one floor up to retrieve their movie tickets.
He checked the time; the movie was just about to start.
The lights would be off when they enter the hall.
Zheng Ren's heart was racing as he recounted his plan to inconspicuously put his arm around Xie Yiren's shoulders.
Failure was not acceptable.
Just like before each surgery, Zheng Ren would review each scan and visualize the procedure. He ran through all the steps he had to make later.
It was nerve-wracking.
A few minutes, Xie Yiren came up the elevator with two ice cream cones in hand. She made a small wave to get Zheng Ren's attention.
Zheng Ren relieved her of a cone and they made their way to the IMAX theater.
As he predicted, the hall was pitch black. The floor and seats were partially illuminated by the shifting display on screen.
Everything was going according to plan. Zheng Ren tried to calm his heart as he made one cautious step after another.
"Ah!" A shriek behind Zheng Ren. Xie Yiren missed a step and fell forward.
Zheng Ren quickly caught hold of her and asked in a low voice, "Did you sprain your ankle?"
"N-no…" Xie Yiren's voice trembled. She spoke so softly, only Zheng Ren could hear.
Zheng Ren breathed a sigh of relief. He released her arm and just as he turned, a soft, warm hand clutched at his.
Chapter 383 - The Stories Are A Lie
At that moment, Zheng Ren felt the blood in his body freeze.
This was out of his calculations.
Warm.
Smooth.
Soft.
Zheng Ren instinctively clutched Little Yiren's hand tight. Xie Yiren tried to tug her hand back, but Zheng Ren maintained his grip.
He took a step forward, and another, and another.
Time seemed to slow down around them; each passing second felt like a minute.
Zheng Ren could feel the pulse underneath Xie Yiren's delicate skin.
Each beat was clear and strong.
The stories were a lie.
Zheng Ren did not need to touch her radial artery to feel her pulse.
Each beat was clear and strong.
After a dozen steps, their stiff movements gave way to a newfound fluidity.
The awkwardness melted away and they moved in sync to their seats.
A problem appeared before Zheng Ren.
With one hand clutching Little Yiren's hand while the other held the ice cream cone, how was he going to deal with the armrest in between the seats?
Damn it… Zheng Ren's heart was beating wildly.
This scenario was similar to what he encountered in the System operating room. There was always something unexpected that meddled with his plans.
Panic overcame Zheng Ren and he stuffed the whole ice cream cone into his mouth.
So cold…
With his left hand, he lifted the armrest and guided Xie Yiren to the seat, ignoring the freezing pain in his mouth.
Oblivious to it all, Xie Yiren sat down and a soft sigh escaped her lips.
They were seated, shoulder to shoulder.
Their hands were intertwined.
Their arms were interlocked.
Xie Yiren's hair occasionally brushed past Zheng Ren's ear.
It was heavenly.
Zheng Ren's attention was far from the movie. It was a 2D IMAX movie today instead of 3D, which Zheng Ren was thankful for as he did not have to carry the glasses.
Zheng Ren had successfully achieved what he discussed with Su Yun; he would even say he had surpassed expectations.
As time passed, Little Yiren relaxed her tense muscles. She subconsciously inched closer to Zheng Ren and rested her head on his shoulder.
Zheng Ren inhaled the sweet scent of her perfume.
Was this contentment?
If contentment had a smell, that must be it.
If contentment had a touch, it must be the warm and soft hand resting in his palm.
Zheng Ren was in his own world as the movie played on.
He was wholly focused on his five senses and Xie Yiren's every smile and gesture.
Time passed quickly without him realizing. The ending credits of the movie rolled on screen.
Einstein's theory of special relativity with regards to time was true.
Xie Yiren nudged Zheng Ren shyly. "Hey, it's time to go."
Zheng Ren came back to reality. He glanced around and saw they were the only ones left in the hall, barring the housekeeping crew. The lights were on maximum brightness now.
Huh…
It was too soon!
Xie Yiren's hand slipped away like a fish in the ocean.
"Come on." Xie Yiren stood up and turned to leave. She avoided looking at Zheng Ren, her face slightly flushed.
Zheng Ren took a deep breath.
That counted as a success, right?
Maybe it did.
He followed Xie Yiren out of the cinema. It was peak time now and the crowd was absurd.
"What do you want for dinner?" Xie Yiren asked.
Zheng Ren's mind drew a blank.
Dinner? If he could stay in that seat with Xie Yiren forever, he would. Dinner was of miniscule importance.
Xie Yiren took in Zheng Ren's silence and smiled. "Let's go to Xiao Long Kan; the boss is my dad's friend. I gave him a suggestion when I la
st visited. He hired a chef from Yucheng, Chef Zhou Master Slice, and all their meats are flown in fresh."
"Sure." Zheng Ren remained uninterested on the topic of food.
Xiao Long Kan was a hotpot restaurant, but what was this Chef Zhou Master Slice? Could only a professional chef cut open the meat and innards of livestock?
Preparing food these days required professionals?
Zheng Ren's answer was no; anyone could prepare meat.
His mind was addled from the close proximity and hand-holding. He had not recovered from the assault on his senses.
Zheng Ren followed Xie Yiren in a daze. They went down to the bas.e.m.e.nt parking and started their journey toward Xiao Long Kan.
Xie Yiren was looking forward to the tripe, ox aorta, and pig kidney cooked in a chilli soup base.
It was a cosy environment.
A peaceful meal.
Wonderful.
Zheng Ren paid little attention to what he put in his mouth. Whatever Xie Yiren cooked in the pot, he ate them without hesitation.
His eyes were glued to the cute expression on Xie Yiren's flushed face. A sheen of sweat made her face glow, likely due to the spiciness of the soup.
Zheng Ren only woke from his daze when a cold breeze blew past them. Dinner had concluded and they were standing outside Xiao Long Kan.
Xie Yiren was talking to him. "Remember to shower when you get home. Wash away the sweat so you can sleep well."
"Okay."
"There's milk in the fridge. Remember to drink it."
"Okay."
"What do you want to eat in the morning?" Xie Yiren asked.
Zheng Ren recalled his schedule. "Tomorrow… I have to go to the Secondary Hospital."
"You're heading there to perform a surgery?" Xie Yiren asked, then after some thought, she said, "Right, it's their loss if they don't invite you to perform your TIPS procedure."
"We're still in the midst of perfecting the method. They're a specialized hospital, so they have more patients," Zheng Ren said humbly, a sheepish smile on his face.
"Are they picking you up from the hospital? Or you're heading there on your own?" Xie Yiren asked.
Zheng Ren neglected to ask about the transportation arrangements.
He had been so engrossed in the scans earlier today that other details regarding the trip eluded him.
This question was the tip of the iceberg.
The Surgeon's Studio c1-799 Page 180