Chapter 403: A Visit to Extend an Invitation

"Let's talk this over calmly." Meng Qingfei blocked the path between Feng Jiaolian and Ji Xiang, watching this man with the peculiar expression cautiously.

Although Meng Qingfei did not think Feng Jiaolian was here to cause trouble or look for a fight, he still subconsciously protected Ji Xiang.

"I... I..." Seeing Meng Qingfei's movement, Feng Jiaolian was slightly startled, then immediately explained, "Today is Dali's first match, and I wanted to find Doctor Xiao Ji to watch it together."

"He's just competing?"

"Yes, I didn't dare let Dali go on directly. I insisted for a long time before I managed to secure one match off."

"Why didn't you go?" Ji Xiang asked.

"The leadership went," Feng Jiaolian said simply.

Ji Xiang understood immediately and did not press the matter. "Is there a broadcast signal?"

"There is." Feng Jiaolian tugged at the sleeve of Ji Xiang's White Uniform and asked nervously, "Doctor Xiao Ji, I saw that the results of the second surgery for that person were exceptionally good. Dali's surgery will be fine, right?"

"Normally speaking, there shouldn't be any problems." Ji Xiang smiled. "Don't worry. What time does it start? Let's watch it together."

"Second surgery?" Meng Qingfei asked.

"Oh, a few days ago, I performed surgery for Suture Impingement Syndrome on a patient from the Provincial Women's Weightlifting Team. The post-operative recovery was quite good; it's said she has already returned to her normal level," Ji Xiang said.

"!!!" Meng Qingfei was stunned.

What did Ji Xiang mean? A second surgery, and on an athlete at that, and they could recover to their normal level post-operatively?

"Dali is..." Meng Qingfei asked tentatively.

"He is a key player for the Provincial Youth Football Team and was scouted by the Dortmund Youth Team. A while ago, he suffered an incomplete tear of his left Anterior Cruciate Ligament. It was Deng... it was Doctor Xiao Ji who performed the surgery."

Feng Jiaolian changed his wording mid-sentence, and Meng Qingfei noticed this.

He was sharp as a tack and guessed the truth in the blink of an eye, even though it was hard to explain—Ji Xiang's surgical skills were better than those of Deng Chaohong from the Orthopedics Department.

"Dali's post-operative recovery was exceptionally good, just like before; he runs like a rabbit. But I... I'm still scared in my heart. What if this little brat breaks his leg again from running?"

Feng Jiaolian said with a troubled expression.

"How long has it been since the surgery?"

"Less than a month."

"..." Meng Qingfei was speechless.

Less than a month, and he can run like a rabbit.

And Feng Jiaolian said it was the Dortmund Youth Team.

Dortmund—the German league was among the first batch of sports events broadcast on the sports channel. That was decades ago, and Meng Qingfei was still a fresh-faced youth at the time; he had an impression of it.

Playing football against those guys who are as sturdy as calves, less than a month after surgery, and scoring a hat-trick.

Putting these words together left Meng Qingfei feeling dazed, doubtful, and confused.

The surgery Ji Xiang performed, the surgical results were this good?!

It was completely inexplicable.

"Xiao Ji, surgery for the Anterior Cruciate Ligament is very difficult to perform."

"It's alright." Ji Xiang smiled, glanced at Zhao Zhe who was still seeing a patient, and turned back to say, "Meng Laoshi, I'll be going now."

"Go ahead." Meng Qingfei scrutinized Feng Jiaolian once more, and only after he was sure there were no issues did he nod.

Ji Xiang changed his clothes, greeted Meng Qingfei, and disappeared at the end of the corridor while whispering something to Feng Jiaolian.

Watching the two leave, Meng Qingfei saw the patient coming out and stepped aside to make way.

Zhao Zhe said, "Brother Meng, I just saw five patients; there were no critical cases or difficult, complicated illnesses. There was also a small suturing case, and I've already finished the paperwork. The patient who needed the suturing will probably try to skip out on the bill; I don't know how you handle this side..."

"Zhao Yisheng, what's going on?" Meng Qingfei asked, full of confusion.

"Skipping out on the bill, isn't that quite normal?" Zhao Zhe was taken aback, also full of confusion. "I haven't been in the Emergency Department for a long time; I don't know if the Emergency Department is subtle or aggressive when dealing with patients who might skip out on the bill."

"..." Meng Qingfei glared at Zhao Zhe. "I'm asking you what's going on with that Feng Jiaolian just now."

"It's like this."

Zhao Zhe gave Meng Qingfei a brief explanation of the ins and outs of the matter.

Starting from the Rotator Cuff Injury and Suture Impingement Syndrome, to Zhao Dali coming directly from the First Affiliated Hospital to the Second Affiliated Hospital to seek medical treatment a few days ago.

"Doctor Xiao Ji's orthopedic surgery skills are this badass?!" Meng Qingfei was astonished.

Meng Qingfei's own level was not low; an Anterior Cruciate Ligament tear, even an incomplete one, would usually bring an athlete's career to an abrupt end.

But...

"I can't figure it out either. I watched the surgery, but I didn't quite understand it. At first, I thought Xiao Ji was trying to highlight his own level by turning an Arthroscopy into a Hybrid Surgery. But don't look at the advertisements, look at the results—this effect is truly amazing!" Zhao Zhe did not skimp on his praise, giving a thumbs-up.

Meng Qingfei fell silent, carefully pondering Feng Jiaolian and the events that had transpired before this.

"Brother Meng, especially when Xiao Ji sutured the Anterior Cruciate Ligament, he used 6-0 catgut, the thinnest thread in clinical practice. I even doubted whether it could hold. If it snapped with a 'bang' after some exertion post-surgery, that would be a disaster."

"But the patient could get out of bed and move around 5 days after surgery, run in a dozen days, and compete in less than a month—this is just too damn awesome."

When Zhao Zhe said this, he also felt a sense of unreality.

Even though he had experienced it all himself, looking back on it felt like a dream. Especially when thinking of that kid Zhao Dali running tirelessly on the football pitch like a rabbit, Zhao Zhe also wanted to go watch the game.

No, he wanted to watch Zhao Dali.

"Not bad, truly amazing," Meng Qingfei praised in a deep voice. "Zhao Yisheng, why aren't you going?"

"Hehe," Zhao Zhe laughed. "I know my place. Whatever papers, whatever provincial scientific research projects, those all belong to Doctor Xiao Ji. I'm just a figurehead, the one doing the grunt work below.

I want to go too, but I'm afraid that if that brat Zhao Dali really breaks his leg again while running... Brother Meng, you tell me how awkward that would be.

In such an awkward moment, it's better if I'm not there, otherwise I'd worry that Xiao Ji might silence me. Just think, the leadership is full of confidence, and then suddenly the chain drops. I'm not saying the surgery definitely won't work, but who can really say for sure about probability."

Zhao Zhe spoke incessantly, and Meng Qingfei did not know whether to laugh or cry.

However, Zhao Zhe did indeed know his place; being able to calmly refer to Ji Xiang as the leadership was something that made people admire him.

How many people lose their minds when it comes time to divide the spoils, leading to a total collapse.

Meng Qingfei looked at Zhao Zhe with great interest, thinking of Ji Xiang with equal interest.

For an ordinary person, a repair surgery for a partial tear of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament is not a major procedure, but for an athlete, it is a different matter entirely.

Post-Surgery, there would be high-intensity exercise, and Ji Xiang was so confident that a thought suddenly popped into Meng Qingfei's mind—he also wanted to go watch the competition.

"Brother Meng, rationally I feel it definitely won't work, but in my heart, I feel it might be possible; you understand my conflict, right?"

(End of this chapter)