Chapter 622: Don't Ever Provoke Ji Xiang

"Dad..."

Zhao Tianjiao called out, but he couldn't get a single word out of what he wanted to say next.

He felt as if Zhao Dali had delivered a powerful kick, the football striking his chest directly. It wasn't the goalkeeper who had fractured a bone, but himself.

Now, even breathing felt painful to Zhao Tianjiao; it was agonizing.

The mental shock Zhao Yuanzhang received was far stronger and more violent than what Zhao Tianjiao felt.

He had practiced medicine for decades and had seen countless patients with ligament, tendon, and meniscus injuries. This type of surgery was not actually difficult; what was difficult was controlling the degree of functional impairment in the patient after surgery, keeping the impact as small as possible.

He had also thought about the post-operative results of Ji Xiang's surgery.

But the best assessment Zhao Yuanzhang had given was that Zhao Dali's athletic ability would fully recover, and even then, there was only a 0.1 percent probability of that.

Yet Zhang Zhidao had clearly explained Zhao Dali's improvement; his 100-meter sprint time had actually improved by about 0.3 seconds, which was simply incredible.

Every powerful kick, every steal relying on his speed advantage, and every time he physically overpowered a defensive player silently proved just how successful Zhao Dali's surgery was.

If, six months to a year after surgery, he were to cooperate with a world-class sports medicine rehabilitation team, combined with the player's determination and patience, perhaps it would... no, even then, it would be absolutely impossible.

Zhao Yuanzhang looked somewhat dazed, as if he were watching a science fiction movie. His heart surged, and his fingers twitched slightly.

For the first time in so many years, Zhao Yuanzhang felt a bit of regret; he should have stayed in Clinical back then and continued to explore the path of medicine.

"Dad, this can't be possible, right?"

After a long silence, Zhao Tianjiao said in a low voice.

"I also think it's impossible." Zhao Yuanzhang sighed, "Perhaps something went wrong somewhere; I'll ask."

As he spoke, Zhao Yuanzhang picked up his phone.

"Professor Deng? What are you busy with?" Zhao Yuanzhang asked.

"That's perfect, I'm also watching that variety show Ji Xiang is participating in. Is the Zhao Dali in the show the patient you operated on a few months ago?"

"I just thought he looked familiar. Professor Deng, your surgical skills have improved very quickly. After this show, you'll be the treasure of our hospital, hahahaha."

Zhao Yuanzhang's tone was enthusiastic, but his face was gloomy; the contrast was obvious.

The four words "speaking with tongue in cheek" were clearly written on his forehead.

After confirming with Deng Chaohong that this Zhao Dali was indeed that Zhao Dali, Zhao Yuanzhang chatted indifferently for a few sentences and hung up the phone.

Father and son were silent at the same time.

Zhao Tianjiao, who had previously claimed he had overcome his inner demons and would no longer focus on Ji Xiang but instead put all his heart into his work, had bloodshot eyes; his mind was filled with—if only I had performed that surgery!

Zhao Yuanzhang knew very well that if one could perform surgery to this level, the fame, money, and honor gained would be far more than the position of Dean, and besides, he was only a Vice President.

For the only time in his life, Zhao Yuanzhang felt some regret for his choice to leave Clinical back then.

"Lao Bai, do you know what's going on?" Liu Zhuren asked blankly.

He never expected the production team to throw out such a big bomb at the end.

"I know. For this matter, I communicated with the First Hospital for a long time."

Bai Chuzhang talked about Zhao Dali's case, very briefly, but finished with disdain, "Look at the results of the surgery Xiao Ji performed; they even have the nerve to claim they specialize in Sports Medicine."

"No, no, no!" Liu Zhuren shook his head repeatedly, "Lao Bai, I mean, did Xiao Ji really perform this surgery?"

"Then do you think Deng Chaohong did it? Does he have that ability?" Bai Chuzhang retorted.

Liu Zhuren didn't think Deng Chaohong had accomplished it either.

He stared blankly at Zhao Dali on the screen running on the football field, so unbridled, as if he had never been injured at all.

The results of the surgery were just too good; as Liu Zhuren watched, his mind went blank.

Although his specialty was the Urology Department, he still had some understanding of common clinical diseases.

For ligaments and tendons to be damaged and then recover to the degree of Zhao Dali's post-surgery, this was undoubtedly a miracle.

No, it was a divine miracle!

"Lao Bai, can we open a Sports Medicine Department after Xiao Ji comes back?" Liu Zhuren asked casually.

The speaker had no intention, but the listener took it to heart.

Bai Chuzhang was stunned for a moment, then slapped the table hard.

"Right!"

The "Bang!" sound startled Liu Zhuren, who was concentrating on the show, and he frowned at Bai Chuzhang.

"Don't mess around, I was just saying. You don't have the final say on establishing a new department," Liu Zhuren said. "Even if you get promoted to Vice President next year, you still won't have the final say. Let alone a Vice President, even the Dean might not be able to make it happen."

The Second Affiliated Hospital had an annual turnover of over two billion, a huge operation, and the interest disputes involved were also significant.

For something like establishing a new department, the Dean really only had a certain amount of say; even if they managed to apply for it, the staffing quota would be coveted by others, and it was unknown who would end up with it.

However, Bai Chuzhang didn't speak; he pursed his lips, seemingly calculating the matter.

Liu Zhuren was very helpless and sighed. Lao Bai's shortcoming was that he was too focused on "proper business," to the point where he often made the wrong decisions.

Otherwise, with his ability, he would have been promoted to Vice President long ago; why wait until next year?

Ling Tian's shoulders slumped as he sat blankly in his chair, watching the screen.

He was alone and not watching the show with Qin Chu.

Seeing Zhao Dali's performance on the football field, Ling Tian felt a complex mix of emotions; he couldn't describe the feeling.

To take down Ji Xiang, or at least make Ji Xiang make a fool of himself in front of the national audience, his boss had gone to great lengths to bring in outside help from Massachusetts General Hospital.

From Ling Tian's perspective, Lin Jiuze was powerful to the Extreme Point.

But just such a person, after one episode, was trampled underfoot by Ji Xiang. Lin Jiuze even left without saying goodbye, returning directly to his country, looking as panicked as a stray dog.

But!

Lin Jiuze had actually returned with a "famous athlete," and the purpose of his return was to find Ji Xiang for surgery!

If this can be tolerated, what cannot!

But what could be done if one did not tolerate it?

Ling Tian thought of many things, his mind in chaos; in the end, he did not even know what he had been thinking about.

Yet one thought kept echoing in Ling Tian's heart—never go and provoke Ji Xiang again.

Let the past be the past; from now on, everyone should mind their own business and have nothing to do with each other.

Even if they met at the annual meeting, pretending not to know each other would suffice; keeping one's tail between one's legs is not shameful, but repeatedly provoking others only to be slapped in the face is truly shameful to the extreme.

When someone as strong as Lin Jiuze kneels at the first encounter and even turns against his own side, what else is there to say?

The program continued, and Ling Tian watched silently; he cast aside Zhao Dali, the football field, and Zhang Zhidao from his mind, leaving only a single, pure thought—never provoke Ji Xiang.

(End of this chapter)