Chapter 399: Rising Instead of Falling

Arriving at the training ground, Fan Chengen saw a figure running on the turf like an elf, exceptionally agile.

This was Zhao Dali,

This was Zhao Dali!

This, damn it, was actually Zhao Dali!

Half a month post-surgery, the average patient is still battling joint effusion and adhesions within the joint cavity; they can't even walk normally, let alone run.

Yet Zhao Dali was already moving as swift as the wind on the turf...

Fan Chengen's eyes widened, as if he were looking at an alien.

He had treated countless similar patients, so Fan Chengen knew very well what impact a ruptured left Anterior Cruciate Ligament would have on a patient.

Precisely because he understood, he was all the more astonished.

"I was firmly against Dali training the second day he returned. He suffered damage to his left Anterior Cruciate Ligament; if others don't know about this condition, surely we do. It's basically a death sentence for Dali's professional career."

"And then?" Fan Chengen asked distractedly, watching the elf doing shuttle runs on the turf.

"I thought the kid was just unwilling to give up. And fair enough, he'd passed the trial for the Borussia Dortmund Youth Team; he had the potential to make a name for himself in the European professional leagues, and then it was all gone. If it were me, I wouldn't be willing to give up either."

Kong Yisheng was also watching Zhao Dali running laps; even now, he still couldn't believe it was all real.

"I forced him to stop for 3 days, but then I couldn't stand the kid's desperate pleading—we couldn't just tie him to the bed, could we? Eventually, I hardened my heart, thinking that if the hope was cut off, the obsession would be too. A person shouldn't have ideas that exceed their own capabilities. Before the surgery, Feng Jiaolian also helped the kid line up a job as a security guard, just so he wouldn't have to go home to herd sheep."

"I took him for a simple physical assessment."

"But I never expected that the static physical assessment..."

At this point, Kong Yisheng paused, his eyes looking at Zhao Dali, somewhat dazed.

"How was it!" Fan Chengen raised his voice to ask.

"Better than before Dali was injured."

"!!!"

Fan Chengen knew very well what this meant.

But knowing it and understanding it were two different things.

How could the physical assessment data be better than it was pre-surgery!

"He hasn't trained for about a month; this data is simply impossible, Professor Fan, you know that."

"Really?"

"Really. I couldn't believe it, so I gave Dali the corresponding check-ups again and found there were no issues at all. Then, during the dynamic physical assessment, all of Dali's various metrics showed improvement, to varying degrees, over his original baseline."

Fan Chengen fell silent.

That young Doctor's surgery was indeed well-performed, but it couldn't possibly be *this* good.

Someone who hasn't exercised for a month would have some degree of muscle atrophy; even if the surgery were performed to perfection, at most, one would expect a slow, gradual recovery within 2-3 months post-surgery.

For the body's various functions and data to not only not drop, but actually rise—what the hell is this!

"I don't believe it either, I truly don't." Kong Yisheng sighed, "Since then, there hasn't been any reason to stop Dali from training, but I still control the volume. I worry every day that his left Anterior Cruciate Ligament will suddenly snap again."

As he spoke, Kong Yisheng raised his hand and pointed at Zhao Dali.

"Look at his power generation; there isn't a hint of hesitation in his left leg. It looks like he feels no pain at all. This kid has already forgotten that his left Anterior Cruciate Ligament was ever ruptured."

How many heroes of the sports world have had their futures cut short by a single major injury? Even if their physical function recovered to 90% of its former state, that shadow would still loom over their hearts, to the point where their power generation would change from before.

Fan Chengen watched Zhao Dali running, watching his left leg.

Just as the team doctor said, looking at Zhao Dali's running posture, there wasn't a hint of incoordination; it was as smooth as if he had never been injured at all.

Wasn't this the result he had dreamed of?

No, this was a result he couldn't have even dreamed of.

He never expected that a young doctor from the Second Affiliated Hospital could actually pull it off! Was it Hybrid Surgery? Fan Chengen's mind was filled with the scenes of that day's surgery.

"I think Dali should be fine," Kong Yisheng said. "Professor Fan, we've worked together for so many years; don't be angry if I speak plainly."

"Old Kong, don't say that. I know the surgeries at the Second Affiliated Hospital are well done." Fan Chengen was somewhat discouraged; he squatted on the ground and let out a deep sigh.

"When your skills aren't as good as others', no amount of explanation will stop people from laughing. But tell me, do you think the surgical outcome could really be this good?"

"I don't know either. Every time I doubt it, I look at Dali again. This kid..."

Just as he was speaking, Kong Yisheng's phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Ah?"

"Okay."

The person on the other end of the line said a lot, while Kong Yisheng's responses were relatively simple.

"What happened?"

"A forward from the Borussia Dortmund Youth Team is injured. There's a match in a few days, and they're asking if Dali can fly over right now. If he performs well in the match, he can stay!"

Kong Yisheng's tone carried a hint of excitement, a hint of confusion, and a hint of strangeness.

Fan Chengen was speechless.

Less than a month after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Surgery, without any systematic training, a massive opportunity had just dropped into Zhao Dali's lap.

Sometimes, an opportunity is only an opportunity if you can grasp it. If he hadn't been injured, Zhao Dali would have had a decent chance.

But now!

Fan Chengen didn't know what to say, but his purpose for coming to Sheng Tixiao this time had already been achieved.

Making a rough estimate, one 400-meter lap—Zhao Dali definitely took no more than 50 seconds.

This was already the standard for a national first-class athlete.

Of course, Zhao Dali was holding back; the moment he ran even slightly faster, Feng Jiaolian's berating shouts would come raining down.

This is just too damn strong. Just this running alone, the fact that Zhao Dali felt no abnormalities, and the recovery of his athletic ability, gave Fan Chengen a clear idea of the situation.

The surgery was indeed done well, very well, exceptionally well; it was good beyond words.

"Then I'll be going now." Fan Chengen stood up, "Old Kong, will Zhao Dali go to Borussia Dortmund?"

"I think he probably will," Doctor Kong said, "The match in 5 days... sigh, I just hope nothing goes wrong."

"It shouldn't," Fan Chengen said out of kindness, but he froze the moment the words left his lips.

It shouldn't; participating in a semi-professional league less than a month after surgery is simply a fantasy.

Moreover, Fan Chengen knew Zhao Dali's characteristics very well; he could shoot with both feet, and his left foot's power was especially great.

The Golden Left Foot, if he uses too much force on the field once...

There are still hidden dangers, it is a pity that I cannot go to watch Zhao Dali's match in person and witness with my own eyes whether Zhao Dali has recovered to a normal level.

Fan Chengen did not linger in the end; he knew there was no point in staying.

He felt a sense of bewilderment; having worked his whole life, he was actually surpassed by a young doctor—could there be anything more despairing than this?

(End of this chapter)