Chapter 20: Report for Duty Tomorrow

"Is this a 'little horse pulling a big cart'?"

"Wang Daxiao, don't you think Ji Xiang's surgery is a bit interesting?" Mo Jiaoshou asked.

Speaking of the surgery, the smile on Wang Daxiao's face faded, replaced by complete seriousness.

"His surgery is better than mine." Wang Daxiao lowered his voice, giving Ji Xiang's surgery an extremely high evaluation.

Mo Jiaoshou was not surprised, but nodded in deep agreement.

Neither of them said anything further, but the question in their hearts was identical—how could a Standardized Training Student possibly perform surgery to this level!

Is this even something a human can do?

The full name of the training is Standardized Residency Training; with Ji Xiang's level, who is training whom?!

Although it was just a simple circumcision with a stapler, which had almost no technical difficulty, Ji Xiang had managed to create a technical gap between himself and the Attending Professors of the Second Affiliated Hospital through this ordinary little surgery.

Questions could be discussed after the surgery; what needed to be done now was the surgery itself.

It was just that the two had originally intended to teach Ji Xiang how to perform a circumcision with a stapler today, but there was nothing left to teach.

The surgery was finished, taking even less time than when Wang Daxiao and Mo Jiaoshou worked together on the table.

Although they had already had this expectation after witnessing Ji Xiang perform one surgery, the two still felt it was incredible.

"Teacher." After finishing the surgery, Ji Xiang bowed slightly and respectfully, "There won't be any problems with the skills exam, right?"

"It's fine."

Wang Daxiao didn't know what was going on, but Mo Jiaoshou waved his hand, "I just confirmed it again; it has already passed. I'll find Deng Chaohong for dinner tonight."

Ji Xiang exchanged a few polite words and turned to leave.

"Mo, what's going on?"

Once Ji Xiang had left, Wang Daxiao asked.

Mo Chenggui explained the matter, and Wang Daxiao's jaw nearly dislocated.

Deng Chaohong regarded that incident from two years ago as his own classic case, bringing it up almost every time he had a meal.

So Wang Daxiao knew about it too.

A medical condition with an inexplicable blood sodium critical value belongs to the category of difficult and complicated cases in clinical practice; whether it can be solved depends on technical level, and even more so on interpersonal connections.

Deng Chaohong graduated from a prestigious school; at critical moments, he can call people for help or find a support group—this is his advantage.

But having said that, the fact that a patient who had once made everyone at the Second Affiliated Hospital so frustrated they nearly hit their heads against the wall was given the correct treatment plan by a Standardized Training Student was even more surprising than Ji Xiang's skillful performance of a circumcision.

If a circumcision is advanced mathematics, then the diagnosis of difficult and complicated cases is quantum mechanics; in terms of difficulty, they are not even on the same plane.

"Clean up and let's go." The Nurse said while nimbly tidying up the Outpatient Surgery Room, urging them, "You two, how do you have the nerve to talk about a 'Skin-bag Prince'. I used to believe the words of you old fogeys, but look at this young man today—that level is top-notch!"

As the Nurse spoke, she made a clicking sound with her tongue.

As an Outpatient Surgery Room Nurse, she hadn't seen many major surgeries, but she had seen countless minor ones like circumcisions.

No one was faster than Ji Xiang, so after Ji Xiang left, she switched to sarcasm mode and began to mock the two clinical Attending Professors.

Mo Jiaoshou and Wang Daxiao didn't refute her; what she said was true.

"The surgery is done well, but the diagnosis... how is he so slick with that stuff too!" Wang Daxiao blocked out the Nurse's mockery and asked in confusion.

"I don't know." Mo Jiaoshou sighed, "Ask for leave from home."

"Going to find Lao Deng for dinner tonight?"

"Yeah." Mo Jiaoshou said, "I'm going to find him now. We need to be attentive to Doctor Ji's affairs; since Lao Deng is helping, it's good to have a meal together."

This kind of thing was only worth a phone call, just a casual word, but since Mo Chenggui was being so formal, Wang Daxiao wasn't surprised, but said cautiously, "Mo, why do I feel like pulling this kid into our group is a bit... a bit..."

"Pull him over to see first." Mo Jiaoshou said, "Then take it one step at a time."

After saying this, he was silent for a few seconds and said sincerely, "What is being born with talent? This is it!"

But their dilemma lay here as well.

Mo Jiaoshou and Wang Daxiao wanted to find a strong, sturdy young fellow to hold retractors and do some odd jobs.

If Ji Xiang could have a certain understanding of surgery, that would be best, as he could get started faster.

But!

Ji Xiang was too capable, unexpectedly capable, and this matter troubled the two of them.

Supposedly, this kid was strong and sturdy, but his ability exceeded the two's control.

It wasn't just the surgery, and it wasn't just the diagnosis; even the things before and during the surgery that sounded like lewd talk, but were actually meant to soothe the patient, were mastered and innovated upon by Ji Xiang extremely quickly.

"Mo, what exactly is a 'little horse pulling a big cart'?" Wang Daxiao asked.

Mo Jiaoshou shook his head and gave a bitter smile.

The two old guns of the Urology Department, known for being the dirtiest, were actually stumped by a Standardized Training Student—who would believe this if it got out!

That phrase definitely had a deep meaning; the eye contact between the patient and Ji Xiang at the time explained everything.

This world belongs to the young; we really are old, Wang Daxiao and Mo Jiaoshou both had this thought cross their minds at the same time.

There's even a generation gap in driving!

The two of them cursed bitterly in their hearts in unison.

……

……

When Mo Jiaoshou found Deng Chaohong, he had just left the examination room.

Although it was just a formality, Deng Chaohong was extremely serious on the surface and did not let the skills exam remain superficial.

"Lao Deng, what score did you give Student Ji Xiang for his skills?" Mo Jiaoshou asked.

Deng Chaohong inadvertently swept his gaze over the other students, and Mo Jiaoshou curled his lips indifferently, "Lao Deng, let me tell you, Ji Xiang... Student Ji's surgery is truly excellent; there was absolutely no need for this."

"It still has to go through the process, you guys." Deng Chaohong shook his head.

"This isn't because I was afraid you old fossil wouldn't do it." Mo Jiaoshou rubbed his hands and chuckled, "Just pass him, pass him. The score doesn't matter, as long as he can do the Standardized Residency Training."

"What is he to you?" Deng Chaohong asked.

"He's nothing to me." Mo Jiaoshou pulled Deng Chaohong away, stood at the side of the Jiguan Lou, faced the parking lot, fished out a pack of Supreme cigarettes, and handed one to Deng Chaohong.

"He's wearing a White Uniform." Deng Chaohong shook his head.

"You're just too straight-laced, a fake prude." Mo Jiaoshou knew Deng Chaohong's temper and lit a cigarette for himself, "The Dean's kid came for Standardized Residency Training, and the Department of Science and Education gave a heads-up in advance to let the child get on stage and get a feel for it."

"Oh."

"I couldn't just let him be the only one on stage, so Wang Daxiao just called over a random student for the second surgery to go through the motions."

Deng Chaohong raised an eyebrow, "That would be student Ji Xiang?"

"Yeah," Mo Chenggui said, "The one that day was a manual circumcision. Student Ji Xiang's surgical technique has already taken shape. Tell me, can we not be tempted when we encounter someone like this?"

"Already taken shape? A Pre-service Trainee? I don't believe it." Deng Chaohong shook his head.

"Don't talk about you, I don't believe it either," Mo Chenggui said, "Today was a circumcision using a stapler. Let me put it this way, student Ji Xiang's surgery gave both me and Wang Daxiao a shock."

"How so?"

"The surgery was done steadily and quickly, better than... when I was young."

Speaking of this, a chaotic and complex stream of information flooded into Mo Chenggui's mind, things like a little horse pulling a big cart, and things like if there are flowers to be plucked, pluck them.

As they were chatting, a familiar figure appeared not far away.

The one-meter-eighty-eight Ji Xiang stood out from the crowd; he could be seen from far away.

Mo Jiaoshou waved his hand, and Ji Xiang trotted over. His attitude made Mo Jiaoshou very satisfied, while Deng Chaohong looked curiously at this young man who seemed to be glowing all over.

"Mo Jiaoshou."

"Why are you only leaving now?"

"I ran into a classmate after finishing the surgery," Ji Xiang lied without changing his expression, "We chatted for a long time."

"Hurry back," Mo Jiaoshou said, "Come to the department to report tomorrow."

"Urology Department?"

"Yeah, I've already spoken to the Department of Science and Education, and I'll tell the director; the first department you'll rotate through is Urology."

"Did you drive here?" Deng Chaohong suddenly asked.

"I rode my bike," Ji Xiang scratched his head.

Deng Chaohong furrowed his brows, staring at Ji Xiang and the colorful bicycle he was lifting with one hand.

The bike looked too flashy; although those butterflies were lifelike, it didn't fit the aesthetic of Deng Chaohong and the others.

"Teacher." Ji Xiang felt a bit uncomfortable being stared at by Deng Chaohong.

"Is that your bike?" Deng Chaohong smiled gently, "Although social security is good nowadays, you should still be careful not to lose it."

"Yeah." Ji Xiang nodded.

"This bike is carbon fiber, right?" Mo Chenggui took a look and saw many various butterflies printed on the frame; it was truly strange.

"Yeah."

"This bicycle isn't cheap, right? How much was it?"

"I don't know, a friend of my mother's gave it to me," Ji Xiang replied.

Deng Chaohong's attitude suddenly turned warm, and he asked with a smile, "Student Ji Xiang, I heard from Mo Jiaoshou that you did a good job in surgery."

"I know a little bit," Ji Xiang said.

"Are you interested in the Orthopedics Department?"

Mo Jiaoshou was stunned; Deng Chaohong's change in attitude was so drastic, even a bit blunt, that it caught him off guard.

Is even Deng Chaohong trying to snatch someone away?

"I will be rotating to the Orthopedics Department, and I hope for your guidance, Professor Deng," Ji Xiang said neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"Go home and rest," Deng Chaohong smiled.

Watching Ji Xiang's figure as he rode away lightly on his bike, Mo Jiaoshou felt as if he had returned to thirty years ago, back to that carefree time full of energy.

"Mo, I reckon you won't be able to keep him," Deng Chaohong said softly.

"I know Ji Xiang's family seems quite wealthy."

"It's not just about money. If he drove a BMW or a Mercedes, that would be one thing. That kind of common commodity, how much is it worth? Those gold-diggers wouldn't even look at it," Deng Chaohong sighed, "A child of a friend of mine likes to play with bicycles, so I know a little bit about it."

"No matter how expensive it is, it's still just a bicycle."

"Heh," Deng Chaohong smiled, "A good bicycle is no cheaper than an ordinary car. This one of Ji Xiang's, which he can lift with one hand without any effort... I reckon it must be at least four or five hundred thousand."

"!!!"

Mo Chenggui was startled by this number. He paused for a moment and waved his hands repeatedly.

"Impossible. Spending four or five hundred thousand on a bicycle and just leaving it out there so carelessly? That's not a joke."

Professor Deng Chaohong tilted his head and thought about it, feeling that what Mo Jiaoshou said also made some sense. If it were that expensive, it shouldn't be left casually next to a Shared Bicycle.

But this kind of carbon fiber bicycle starts at at least 2,000-3,000, and if an ordinary family lost one, they would feel the pain for days.

This kid is really quite interesting.

(End of this chapter)