Chapter 54: The Damn Kidney Stone (Part 2)

Ji Xiang began to try various ways of squatting.

He was like a hamster, searching every corner of his home, looking for a good position to alleviate the pain.

The hardest part was squatting to use the toilet.

Ji Xiang had never imagined that one day he would try to squat on a toilet seat... in order to urinate the Kidney Stone out faster.

Several hours later.

Having found the right method, Ji Xiang felt the point of pain begin to move downward, step by step.

As long as it was effective, that was fine; Ji Xiang began to find a posture, adapting to squatting on the toilet seat.

Fortunately, no one saw this strange posture, otherwise, others would think Ji Xiang had something wrong with him.

Actually, there was a simpler way, but Ji Xiang couldn't bring himself to do it.

Since childhood, his family had required him to practice "caution when alone"—this was something his grandfather always kept on his lips, and it had gradually integrated into Ji Xiang's bones as he grew up.

Even if it hurt like hell, Ji Xiang still tried hard to squat on the toilet, attempting it over and over again.

Ji Xiang took the painkillers prescribed by the Emergency Department doctor at the maximum dosage, drank bottle after bottle of purified water, and fell off the toilet time and time again.

Ji Xiang was very tenacious; he used every possible method to pass those two damn Kidney Stones.

No one helped, and there wasn't even anyone to talk to.

His "girlfriend" seemed to be angry because Ji Xiang had hung up the phone, or perhaps because she looked down on Ji Xiang for being a grown man as delicate as a girl, so she never sent a message or called to comfort him.

Ji Xiang struggled on alone.

Nearly 12 hours passed.

Ji Xiang passed bloody urine once again; this time it seemed different somewhere, and Ji Xiang vaguely heard a "thud."

Afterward, he leaned against the wall with both hands, looking down at the bloody urine.

Another small, dark thing was passed along with the bloody urine.

It wasn't an illusion!

It was real!

Ji Xiang felt a warm current flow through his limbs and bones, his whole body feeling comfortable.

After tormenting him for nearly 24 hours, the little thing was finally expelled from his body.

Damn... Ji Xiang let out a long breath, tears of excitement streaming down his face.

The tears really flowed out; Ji Xiang understood that all the pain had ended in this second.

Light and shadow flickered, and the next second Ji Xiang returned to the System Operating Room.

The System NPC looked at Ji Xiang faintly, eyes deep yet as calm as water.

"Teacher, I'm back," Ji Xiang said.

The System NPC nodded.

"Why did it hurt so much?" Ji Xiang asked. "When I was an intern, I heard some patients say that Kidney Stones don't actually hurt that much, that you just endure it and it passes, and they even looked down on other patients who were in agonizing pain."

"People's tolerance for pain is different," the System NPC said. "For example, the pain of a normal delivery is top-tier, yet some pregnant women give birth while working in the fields."

Ji Xiang had heard of this too, but his understanding back then was definitely not as profound as it was now.

If you think about it, being able to give birth while working is also a very impressive skill.

"What you experienced was a slightly above-average pain for Urological Calculus, not the most top-tier pain," the System NPC said. "Tell me, what are your thoughts?"

Ji Xiang pondered, feeling slightly ashamed.

He bit his lower lip, and after a few seconds, said in a deep voice, "Teacher, my mother has a friend who had Endometriosis; it hurt terribly."

The System NPC didn't speak, but listened to what Ji Xiang had to say.

"A few years ago, my mother and her friend were having afternoon tea when Yuan Ayi suddenly started hurting. My mother stayed with her the whole time, but it was useless. A day later, she opened the window in front of my mother and jumped to her death without hesitation."

"At the time, I didn't understand what level of pain would make Yuan Ayi choose to leave the world so resolutely. But now, I understand."

Ji Xiang seemed to have matured a little; he spoke very seriously to the System NPC.

"Endometriosis is also quite painful, but I don't like to use pain grading to describe it," the System NPC said slowly. "After all, people are different, and there is a world of difference in pain thresholds."

Ji Xiang understood the System NPC's description a little; the sentence was simple, but if one thought deeply about it, there should be other considerations.

"People's joys and sorrows are never shared, and the same is true for pain."

"Teacher, when I saw the patient, I thought he was being pretentious or had some other illness. It was just a stone, it shouldn't be that bad. But only after experiencing it myself did I know that this thing really hurts."

"It's good that you know," the System NPC looked at Ji Xiang. "Go to the Clinical setting more often, go and see. Upgrading surgical techniques is important, but coming into contact with the Clinical side and the patients will make you different."

"How will I be different?" Ji Xiang asked.

The System NPC just shook his head slightly and didn't say anything.

"Teacher." Ji Xiang knew that some things could only be understood intuitively and not explained in words, so he didn't dwell on it, but instead began to ask the System NPC about Urological Calculus.

The System NPC remained that omnipotent existence; the relevant knowledge and details were explained very thoroughly, and some case studies were added.

There were successful cases and failed ones; Ji Xiang listened very carefully, and unknowingly, his Spirit energy was consumed by 6 points.

"That's about it." After explaining the relevant content with local anatomy, the System NPC smiled. "You still need to practice more, otherwise I'm afraid you won't understand no matter how much I tell you."

Ji Xiang no longer had the pride he had when he first entered the System Operating Room, and he didn't think what the System NPC said was a joke.

It was indeed the case; without more integration with practice, he certainly wouldn't understand.

"Teacher, then I'm going out," Ji Xiang said.

"Go."

Ji Xiang knew that raising the Prepuce Circumcision to LV9 was like pulling up seedlings to help them grow.

The vast majority of doctors exhaust their life's efforts and still cannot touch the edge of LV7, yet he had surpassed them in just a few days with the help of the System.

But he lacked many things; for example, when he saw that Urological Calculus patient earlier, he thought the patient had an antisocial personality.

Only after experiencing it personally did Ji Xiang understand the pain involved.

After exiting the System Operating Room, Ji Xiang heard a "Ding-dong~" notification sound by his ear.

System Task!

Ji Xiang smiled.

He vaguely remembered the System NPC saying that this system was a piece of teaching software, created by a student of his named Zhou Congwen.

Teaching, well, staying in the System Operating Room all the time was like hiding away to cultivate immortality, which should be fine, but the System NPC's intent was for him to go into Clinical practice more often.

Which is to say, entering the world.

And just like that, a task arrived.

【System Task: I Understand.

Task Content: Help a Patient with Urological Calculus.

Task Time: 3 hours.

Task Reward: 3000 Experience Points.】

It was a very ordinary little task, the Experience Points given were very few, only 3000 points, and there were no Surgical Points, but Ji Xiang didn't particularly care.

Just a moment ago, Empathy had given him 20 Surgical Points; Ji Xiang swept a glance and saw his Surgical Points had become 126.

But none of this was important.

What was important was that during Empathy, what Ji Xiang loathed most wasn't the colic, nor the collapse that infinitely approached Shock, but that sense of loneliness when there was no one by his side.

Furthermore, being a Patient with Urological Calculus himself and still having to go pay the fees—with no one around, it really made one feel like going crazy.

Ji Xiang had done a Clinical internship and had heard teachers and Nurses complain. At least half of all expenses for Patients who skipped out on bills were borne by the department; in other words, if someone skipped out on a bill, they would have worked for nothing and still have to pay out of their own pockets.

If everyone remained kind, there wouldn't be so many issues.

If seeing a Doctor didn't cost money, there would be even fewer problems.

Ji Xiang was not an Expert in sociology, nor did he want to solve this problem at all; he just wanted to help the Patient.

Although this Patient had a Family Member, saving some time was a good thing.

Ji Xiang ran back to the department to change into his White Uniform at the first opportunity.

Wearing a White Uniform, even if he was young, his words carried weight.

If he were in casual clothes and went up to point fingers, he feared the Patient and the Family Member might beat him until he was half-paralyzed.

In the department, he ran into Chief Resident Wu Laozong head-on; he was slightly stunned after seeing Ji Xiang.

"Hello, Chief Resident Wu." Ji Xiang walked over quickly, taking the opportunity to greet General Manager Wu as well.

"Heh, you still know how to come?" Chief Resident Wu muttered in a very unhappy, low voice.

If it were yesterday, these words would have been even harsher.

But he had seen with his own eyes Ji Xiang performing Cavernous Puncture Infusion on a burn Patient; that kind of imaginative operation had long since left Chief Resident Wu speechless, and even if he had complaints, he could only mutter them under his breath.

Ji Xiang didn't hear clearly; his heart was entirely set on going to help the Patient, even if it was just to act as a guide to the clinic.

Recalling the whole way how he had struggled to go pay the fees during Empathy, wasting a lot of time and suffering a lot in the process, Ji Xiang felt uncomfortable all over.

After changing into his White Uniform, Ji Xiang ran off in a flash.

"Why did Ji Xiang come and then leave?" Lu Kai asked in surprise, watching Ji Xiang come and go in a rush.

"Heh." Chief Resident Wu didn't say anything; he vaguely felt that Ji Xiang was a bit off, and it was best for him not to provoke this person and bring trouble upon himself.

"Today I will teach you Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy with Holmium Laser Lithotripsy." Chief Resident Wu looked in the direction Ji Xiang had left, intentionally or otherwise, and smiled. "In the past, Urological Calculus was very troublesome. I heard from my teacher that when he was young and they first got a Lithotripsy Machine, Patients couldn't even get in line."

"But now, not many Stone Crushing procedures are done. Why, Chief Resident Wu?" Lu Kai asked.

Liu Yunqing looked confused, as if she didn't know what was about to happen at all. By comparison, Chief Resident Wu liked Lu Kai more; the kid was sharp.

If it weren't for the fact that Liu Yunqing was quite pleasing to the eye...

Beauty is justice, even if it's just for looking.

"Because Extracorporeal Lithotripsy has gradually been phased out; now only a small portion of Patients use it. Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy with Holmium Laser Lithotripsy is also Stone Crushing, but it's more precise, and the crushed stones are taken out directly with an Endoscope, so the Patient doesn't have to pass them themselves," Chief Resident Wu explained.

"Passing stones—some Patients don't feel much, but some find it extremely painful. So, we don't sleep in the middle of the night and perform the surgery for the Patient overnight; this is also a Doctor's responsibility."

"Chief Resident Wu, you really are a good Doctor with a heart of a Bodhisattva," Lu Kai said with a smile.

Chief Resident Wu had long been immune to such talk; the sleazy little fat man in front of him couldn't even flatter him in the right way, and Chief Resident Wu felt a bit of regret.

Emergency stone removal usually requires completing relevant examinations, and it's rare to do it in the middle of the night; this Patient had other reasons.

But General Manager Wu didn't explain.

……

……

Ji Xiang wore his White Uniform and rushed to the Emergency Department.

With a Standardized Training Doctor coming to help, no one would refuse.

Although Ji Xiang wasn't very familiar with the Second Affiliated Hospital, when the Doctors of the same institution saw him, they would be at least a little polite.

Paying the fees, doing examinations, the Ultrasound showed the Patient had Urological Calculus, and a large number of red blood cells were visible under the microscope in the routine urine test.

All kinds of laboratory tests pointed to Urological Calculus.

Ji Xiang sent the Patient back and reported the test results to the Emergency Department Doctor; the Patient quickly received intramuscular injections of symptomatic medication, and the pain symptoms were relieved.

(End of this chapter)