Chapter 210: You Really Came Back! (Bonus Chapter for Alliance Leader Niuniu Dian Dian Mao)

Emerging from the System Space, Ji Xiang carefully savored the last words spoken by the System NPC.

The System NPC had likely mellowed with age, his temper becoming much gentler; he rarely spoke with such heavy emphasis, unlike the irascible personality he had described himself as having.

But the tone he used for those words was grave, and Ji Xiang could not help but give it serious thought.

Early detection, early diagnosis, early treatment?

Or something else entirely?

Ji Xiang pondered for a long time; this was not a matter he could solve alone, and it would naturally improve as people grew wealthier and more patients sought medical check-ups.

He sat silently, recalling the surgery the System NPC had just performed, and only after a long while did he stand up, brush off his trousers, and stride toward the department.

"No meat, think about how cute those cows and sheep are, how could you bear to eat them?"

Ji Xiang walked into the Urology Department and heard someone in the office saying this.

"How about we order fish instead?"

"Fish won't do either, all living things have spirits."

"Sister, I don't even dare smoke around you," Wu Zong laughed heartily. "If I accidentally burned out a few dozen sarira, what would you do then?"

"I'll order for myself," the Nurse said.

"Don't be like that, we're on duty together, I'll handle it. I really don't get you, you won't eat this or that, how are you so sure plants don't have spirits? That's discrimination, you know." While grumbling, Wu Zong began ordering takeout on his phone.

Ji Xiang walked into the office, and Wu Zong was holding a cup of apple juice, drinking it. When he saw Ji Xiang, the cup in his hand paused, and he seemed to forget to swallow, nearly spilling the apple juice all over himself.

"Ji Xiang, you... you... damn, you really came back!" Wu Zong stood up abruptly and blurted out.

But he was immediately choked by the apple juice, and Wu Zong began to cough violently.

"Doctor Xiao Ji, Chief Resident Wu has been talking about you constantly," the Nurse asked with a smile when she saw Ji Xiang enter. "Didn't they say you were staying in Shanghai? Why are you back?"

"Just joking, it's not that easy to stay in Shanghai, I'm still a Standardized Training Student," Ji Xiang reached out and patted Wu Zong on the back. "Take it easy."

"Xiao... *cough cough cough*... Ji Yisheng, you really came back."

"Yeah, I spent the day doing surgery with Mo Laoshi and Wang Laoshi," Ji Xiang said. "Take it easy."

Wu Zong coughed for a while, his face turning beet red, before he felt slightly better.

He tasted what was in his mouth and spat.

"Got a stone?" Lu Kai laughed.

"Pah, say something nice." Wu Zong then looked at Ji Xiang, sizing him up. "Xiao Ji, you really did come back."

"I'm a Standardized Training Student..." Ji Xiang was speechless. "Where else would I go if I didn't come back?"

"Come, come, tell me all about it," Wu Zong pulled Ji Xiang to sit down, completely ignoring whatever Ji Xiang had come to the hospital to do. "I heard the rumors were wild! This is a big deal."

"Nothing happened, I just attended a conference and then came back," Ji Xiang said helplessly.

"Doctor Xiao Ji," Wu Zong joked with a pretentious tone. "We're so familiar now, why are you still putting on airs?"

"Tell us," Lu Kai was also extremely curious.

Although he felt no sense of rivalry toward Ji Xiang, they had arrived together, so the most basic curiosity remained.

"There's really nothing to tell."

Ji Xiang spread his hands.

"See, that's not right of you," Wu Zong pressed, but Ji Xiang simply wouldn't say, and in the end, Wu Zong had no choice.

"It's more fun chatting with Lu Kai," Wu Zong said. "Lu Kai's family is introducing a girlfriend to him. By the way, Xiao Ji, do you have a girlfriend?"

"Not yet."

"Me neither, guess what my family said," Lu Kai, seeing the atmosphere was slightly awkward, especially with Wu Zong unable to save face, said with a smile. "My mom said, hurry up and find a girlfriend, hurry up and get married, so I don't drag her down."

"Tell me, is that something a mother should say?"

"Can't be that casual, though," Wu Zong said.

"But my mom won't have it; she said to hurry up and find a partner, and if I really can't find a woman, she'll accept a man. If I can't even find someone breathing, a Ghost Marriage will do."

"!!!"

"Hahaha."

Wu Zong laughed out loud.

The awkward atmosphere had just eased, and Wu Zong was still curious; just as he was about to say something, a nurse's shout came from the hallway.

"What are you doing!"

It was as if a spring had been installed under Wu Zong's seat; he sprang up and rushed out like the wind.

Lu Kai followed behind Wu Zong, but one figure was faster than him.

"Ji Xiang, slow down," Lu Kai grabbed Ji Xiang. "Hey, tell me..."

"I'm going to see what's wrong," Ji Xiang was a bit anxious, almost ready to tuck Lu Kai under his arm and run to see what had happened the next second.

"Probably a patient cooking for themselves," Lu Kai said. "It happens often in the wards; even though they aren't allowed to use induction cookers, they insist on bringing one."

Ji Xiang slowed his pace. "Induction cooker?"

"You'll know once you spend more time in the department," Lu Kai said with a smile. "Some patients aren't well-off and try to save some money. The hospital cafeteria is expensive and tastes bad, so cooking a bowl of noodles themselves is normal, but the hospital strictly forbids it for fear of fire."

"I see."

"A while back, a Family Member of a patient in Gastrointestinal was heating up food, and the Head Nurse from the Nursing Department happened to see it and gave the nurse a real earful."

So it was that kind of thing; Ji Xiang had initially thought a fight had broken out between a nurse and a patient, so he stopped worrying.

"Ji Xiang, you're really amazing, have time to teach me?" Lu Kai whispered to Ji Xiang as they walked toward the ward.

"Uh, I wouldn't call it teaching, maybe if there's an opportunity." Ji Xiang smiled.

Teaching Lu Kai was almost impossible.

Two Standardized Training Students performing surgery? That would be asking for trouble; neither of them had a Physician Certificate, what kind of joke was that?

Once caught, they would likely be torn to shreds; that was a violation of the rules.

When performing a Cavernous Body Puncture, if someone questioned him, Gu Lao could shut down the objection with just a casual remark.

But if he and Lu Kai were to perform the surgery...

The two walked into the ward, where Wu Zong was pulling the Nurse aside, trying to smooth things over in the middle. Moreover, as he spoke, he kept winking at the Nurse, his eyeballs nearly popping out.

This kind of look meant that the matter should end here; if it continued, no one would have a good outcome.

Although the Nurse was angry, she restrained herself under the signal of Wu Zong's gaze.

"Old Jing, don't be like this." After pushing the Nurse away, Wu Zong squatted down in front of the Patient and said gently, "I know your family is having a hard time, but if a fire were to start, it would be a major incident; some patients are still lying in bed and wouldn't be able to run at all."

A middle-aged man was squatting on the ground with his head lowered, his face obscured.

Ji Xiang scanned the ward, estimated the bed number, and combined it with the unique surname—Jing—to realize that this must be the penile cancer patient, Jing Liang.

The surgery hadn't even been performed yet, but the Patient's mood already looked wrong. Although his expression couldn't be seen, the sense of depression and despair on the Patient was visible to the naked eye.

(End of chapter)