Chapter 358: Has Your Dad Also Been Hit by a Car?

"Teacher Deng, around twelve noon, it won't delay the afternoon surgery."

"Alright." Deng Chaohong waved his hand at Liu Zhuren and turned to leave.

"Xiao Ji, you're busy enough," the Anesthesia Doctor remarked with a sigh.

Tang Yan sighed, because she was the Instrument Nurse for Ji Xiang's surgery this afternoon.

Ji Xiang was as resilient and tireless as a beast, performing one surgery after another.

He could handle it, but she couldn't.

After standing for two months and performing hundreds of surgeries, plus working night shifts and participating in emergency rescues, her Great Saphenous Vein had already begun to show signs of varicosity.

But since Feng Yuqing paid so well, Tang Yan could only grumble to herself.

"Xiao Ji is young and in his prime," Liu Zhuren said. "It's only right for him to do a bit more."

"To be in one's prime at twenty-something and starting a career, isn't that a bit too early?" the Anesthesia Doctor joked.

"Xiao Ji is reliable, unlike other young doctors," Liu Zhuren said. "There was once a Standardized Training Doctor. Our department rarely admits car accident patients, but one time I was called from home to perform emergency surgery. After struggling all night, I slept in the office afterward."

"In the middle of the night, I heard an argument in the hallway. I didn't pay attention at first, but it got more and more intense, so I got up to take a look. Guess what? The patient had regained consciousness from anesthesia, and the Standardized Training Student was asking about the medical history."

"Geez, that's being too pedantic," the Anesthesia Doctor laughed. "Just say it was a car accident injury; why ask about the position? To insist on asking clearly, that's just quoting textbooks."

"If only it were that simple," Liu Zhuren said with disdain. "He asked the patient—has your father ever been hit by a car?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

Everyone in the operating room was stunned.

How could such words come out of a doctor's mouth!

But upon reflection, everyone understood; such words could only come from a half-baked doctor.

He knew to ask about family history, but this was trauma, it was trauma! Could this kind of thing be hereditary?

Only by following the book to the Extreme Point would one cause such a joke.

And this doctor's imagination was truly wild.

"That kid didn't get beaten to death, did he?" the Anesthesia Doctor asked coldly.

Judging by his tone, even if he had been beaten to death, it probably wouldn't count as a work-related injury.

"Sigh, what else could be done," Liu Zhuren said. "I've been keeping an eye on Xiao Ji. The first time was a patient with a self-amputated Kidney, and Xiao Ji did a great job with the handover. Then came the Cavernous Body Puncture..."

Speaking of this, Liu Zhuren frowned slightly.

Ji Xiang had been in the department for Standardized Residency Training for less than half a year, and it seemed he was about to recount every patient he could remember; he estimated the next surgery would be finished by then.

"Ji Xiang is capable, Liu Zhuren, don't work him like an ox or a horse. Everyone's child is a child; he needs to rest when he should!" Tang Yan wailed, sounding just like a young wife at home.

"What? Heartbroken?" Liu Zhuren looked at Tang Yan with interest.

"It's not like a donkey turning a millstone; you have to let Ji Xiang catch his breath."

Liu Zhuren laughed, and just as he was about to make a joke, a thunderbolt suddenly struck his head.

Wait!

The Instrument Nurse for recent surgeries had always been Tang Yan!

Who is assigned as the Instrument Nurse is the operating room's business, so Liu Zhuren only felt that this girl worked efficiently and didn't delay the surgery, so her coming to assist was a good thing.

But hearing Tang Yan's wailing today, Liu Zhuren finally noticed that for the surgeries over the past two months, as long as Ji Xiang was there, Tang Yan was the one assisting.

Connecting this to the phone call he made to Nan Fang's classmate, a cold wind rose up Liu Zhuren's back.

A dedicated Instrument Nurse—even he himself wouldn't dare to dream of such a thing.

Ji Xiang is a Standardized Training Doctor, even... no, he has passed the Practicing Certificate exam now, and he was the number one in the country with a perfect score.

Even so, that wouldn't warrant a dedicated Instrument Nurse.

Many Academicians don't have this configuration; what right does Ji Xiang have?

Liu Zhuren quickly calmed down; this matter needed further observation. He smiled slightly, "Yan'er, you're wrong about that."

"Liu Zhuren, it's the truth!"

"Xiao Ji is young, what's that phrase, in the prime of life."

As he spoke, Liu Zhuren felt a slight palpitation and a touch of sorrow.

In the prime of life—a young man in his twenties can't appreciate it, but at his own age, he would be willing to trade everything for it.

However, Liu Zhuren only let his mind wander for a moment and continued, "If he doesn't perform surgeries now, when will he? This is the time to hone his skills. And!"

"And what?"

"The paper Xiao Ji is writing is almost done. I took a look; it will definitely be published in a national-level journal."

"Pfft, it's just publishing an article."

Liu Zhuren endured and endured; he didn't mention the Provincial Natural Science Foundation.

It is very difficult to apply for the Provincial Natural Science Foundation, and it would be more than half a month before they reviewed the applications.

Liu Zhuren was also anxious, fearing that Ji Xiang would make a big name for himself in the Orthopedics Department.

But this matter made Liu Zhuren feel relatively at ease.

Ji Xiang seemed focused on the professional medical exam, and he was doing well in the Orthopedics Department, but he wasn't as stunning as he was in the Urology Department.

Discovering today that Ji Xiang's Instrument Nurse seemed to be the same person added another heavy weight to Liu Zhuren's heart.

The scale was gradually losing its balance.

While chatting, the surgery was already finished.

Steady, calm, and composed.

Ji Xiang's level was becoming increasingly seasoned; Liu Zhuren found it hard to believe that this surgery came from the hands of a Standardized Training Student in his twenties.

One after another, Ji Xiang performed them steadily and quickly, without a single unexpected situation occurring, as smoothly as a high-speed train in motion.

"Xiao Ji, you've worked hard." Seeing the skin sutured on the final surgery, Liu Zhuren patted Ji Xiang heavily on the shoulder, then tore off his gown and threw it into the red bin for contaminated waste.

"I'll go take the Patient." Zhao Zhe was observant; he lifted the Patient onto the gurney and pushed it away with the Anesthesia Doctor and the Nurse.

"Zhuren, I'll give Teacher Deng a call."

"No rush." Liu Zhuren glanced at the time and pulled Ji Xiang along, intending to go to the locker room to sit for a while and chat to build rapport.

In the past, Liu Zhuren would certainly have carried a bit of a mentor's mindset.

But today, he subconsciously treated Ji Xiang as an equal Expert and friend, saying with a smile as they walked, "When I first saw you perform surgery, I felt your level was high, but I didn't expect you to be able to reach even greater heights."

"Zhuren, you're too kind; my surgery is still not good enough, I still need to practice."

The two had just reached the stairwell, preparing to go to the locker room downstairs to change clothes, when suddenly a clamor came from somewhere.

Liu Zhuren frowned, suddenly remembering something, "Xiao Ji, have you heard of a hospital where they perform surgery upstairs while performing rituals downstairs?"

"I've heard of it." Ji Xiang sighed, "I don't know what to say, but when I saw the rituals at the time, I felt quite uncomfortable inside."

"..." Liu Zhuren clicked his tongue; he had originally wanted to share some gossip, but the rest of his words were choked back.

This matter sounds absurd and is hard for ordinary people to understand, but it is indeed a fact.

Upstairs in the operating room, surgery was being performed, while in the rest area downstairs, rituals were being performed.

Unfortunately, it was of little use.

(End of this chapter)