Chapter 75: An Unsolvable Dilemma

"Young man, let me explain this to you again." The Doctor looked grave. "For ultrasonic Extracorporeal Lithotripsy, you can perform a maximum of three sessions on one location, and it is best to have a two-week interval. The interval between your two sessions now is too short; it is very easy to..."

Indeed, Ji Xiang knew that these were all things written in books.

Theoretically, stones under 2cm can be treated via ultrasonic Stone Crushing, but there are various limitations.

The biggest advantage of ultrasonic Stone Crushing compared to Laser Stone Crushing is—it's cheap.

There is a geometric order of magnitude difference between a thousand-something and ten-thousand-something.

"Doctor, please don't worry." The young boy said earnestly, "Just one more time, it will definitely be better, definitely."

He seemed to be comforting the Doctor, and also seemed to be comforting himself.

The Doctor was also helpless; he took a deep look at the young boy and began to start the machine.

A water sac was pressed against the left side of his lower back, and ultrasonic waves were used to strike it.

The Stone Crushing felt a lot like physical therapy, with no real pain. During the process, the Doctor adjusted the position several times, and after half an hour, he announced that the initial shock was over.

After the young boy got down, the Doctor told him to rest more and drink more water over the next two days, and that if hematuria occurred, it was a normal phenomenon.

If the pain became unbearable, he should come to the hospital for treatment.

These were all standard procedures; both Ji Xiang and the young boy understood them.

After leaving the hospital, the young boy began to drink large amounts of water.

The counselor watched him miserably from the side; even though the counselor did not know how much pain he was in, seeing the bright red hematuria made the counselor feel chilled.

"Student Xiao Ji, why don't... let's go to the Second Affiliated Hospital to take a look. If you don't have the money, I can think of a way and apply to the school." The counselor could not hold back and said in a low voice.

The young boy's clothes were soaked through with cold sweat, his face was pale, and he was panting.

But he still said firmly, "Counselor, I'm almost better, just almost better."

The counselor sighed and did not continue to persuade him.

After nearly an hour passed, the young boy passed blood in his urine once.

Seeing the bright red color of the urine, he was not afraid; instead, he was somewhat happy, as if those stones could be smoothly expelled along with the bloody urine.

However, the pain did not ease at all; waves of cramping pain came from his waist, as if he were being cut by a knife.

Let alone the young boy, even Ji Xiang, from a third-party perspective, almost fainted from the pain.

This experience was extremely poor, even worse than the last Kidney Stone sensation.

Half an hour later, the young boy was almost in Shock; he sat limply on the ground, having no strength left to struggle.

"Student Xiao Ji, how are you feeling?"

"Still hurts." The young boy's voice was already hoarse; although he only said three words, he used all his strength.

"I should still take you to the Second Affiliated Hospital. The school has subsidies, and we can also try crowdfunding."

"Counselor, I should be fine." The young boy was stubborn; his mood was quite complicated.

Ji Xiang savored it, his feelings a mixture of everything.

The counselor could not overcome the young boy, and applying for funds was quite troublesome and might not even be useful. As for crowdfunding... just the commissions taken by those "staff members" were unbearable.

Previously, a student had used crowdfunding and found themselves turned into a sheep, having countless amounts of wool sheared off. The illness wasn't treated properly, but the middlemen were fed until they were stuffed.

The young boy spoke with certainty, and the counselor had never experienced similar things, so the counselor could only follow his opinion and go back to find the doctor at Qu Yi Yuan.

Repeated begging, undergoing Stone Crushing, drinking large amounts of water, and jumping.

Stone Crushing 4 times in one day.

Finally, after the last Stone Crushing, the young boy felt nauseous and vomited violently. The doctor at Qu Yi Yuan subconsciously touched his head, which gave him a start.

His forehead was burning hot; without knowing when, the young boy had already started running a high fever.

The doctor dared not perform Stone Crushing again, and even flew into a rage, chasing the young boy away.

Before leaving, the doctor spoke earnestly to the counselor for a long time, urging the counselor to be sure to hurry and take him to the Second Affiliated Hospital.

Although Ji Xiang was in observer mode, he could still feel the pain and the sense of powerlessness.

After a day of tossing and turning, Ji Xiang was almost fainting, but the young boy was still begging the counselor for one more time.

He was gambling; perhaps one more time, that hateful stone would be shattered and then fall out through the urethra.

It was unknown why the young boy's body contained such great energy; at the moment he fainted, Ji Xiang returned to the System.

……

……

"Teacher." Ji Xiang touched his clothes with his hand.

The clothes were dry and crisp, no longer like they had been fished out of water, sticking to his body in a wet, soggy mess, which was very uncomfortable.

"Mm, you're back." The System NPC stood with hands behind his back, hunched over, and said faintly.

"Teacher..." Ji Xiang had countless things he wanted to ask, but he didn't know how to say them.

He was very confused about the content of this Empathy; he had no idea why the young boy had to do that.

"This is also the purpose of creating this system." The System NPC looked at Ji Xiang seriously. "Your family background is good, so there are many things you cannot understand. People, after all, can only stand in their own position to understand the whole world; everyone is the same."

"The so-called 'where you sit determines what you think'—at first listen, it sounds nonsensical, but after you experience more, you will know that this is a golden rule."

Ji Xiang listened quietly; he felt there was some great secret hidden within this.

"I was just a Doctor. By that time, medical disputes were already very serious; the two sides were incited to be antagonistic, full of hostility."

"I wanted to find a solution. But as you know, ordinary people have no way to solve this kind of social problem."

"Is it a matter of the medical insurance having no money?" Ji Xiang asked.

"It is, but it also isn't." The System NPC said, "There are many complex understandings in between; you will understand once you have done enough Empathy experiences."

Ji Xiang pricked up his ears, wanting to hear the System NPC continue.

But the System NPC stopped, his hunched back bending a bit more, as if a great mountain were pressing down upon it.

"Teacher, what do you mean by what you said?" Ji Xiang asked carefully.

"Doctor Xiao Ji, you say..." the System NPC said half a sentence, then sighed, "No rambling, my students all say I like to instill my values, and that it's truly rambling and annoying."

"Not at all, I think it's quite good. Standing high, seeing far; it's a bird's-eye view," Ji Xiang laughed.

"In any case, Zhou Congwen and I discussed it for many years, and only after a technological breakthrough did this system come to be. Just keep collecting data for now..."

"Data? Teacher, you still haven't said how to solve the problem of Medical Dispute."

Ji Xiang recalled the experience of Empathy regarding the Renal Auto-amputation, and he clearly knew the source of some conflicts.

"To solve this problem is to eliminate the profession of doctor," the System NPC said, smiling slightly.

Ji Xiang was surprised.

"Let's not talk about this," the System NPC waved a hand, "Let me ask you a question."

"Teacher, please go ahead."

"This young Patient refuses to accept the appropriate surgical procedure due to treatment costs," the System NPC said calmly. "Then, if you were the Attending Physician, how would you solve this problem?"

Ji Xiang did not hesitate and answered directly, "Teacher, I'll ask my mom for some money; 10,000 to 30,000 should not be a problem."

The System NPC smiled, his gaze toward Ji Xiang carrying a hint of playfulness.

"Then let me ask you, what about other Patients who have no money for treatment? For example, a Tumor Patient suitable for heavy ion impact directional radiotherapy, where the cost is millions at a time and requires advance booking—what do you want to do?"

"..."

"There are so many Patients in the world without sufficient treatment funds; what do you plan to do?"

"..."

"Even if there are sufficient basic treatment funds, the Patient and the Family Member still want the world's, humanity's top-tier treatment. How do you want to solve this problem?"

"..."

"This is part of Clinical experience," the System NPC said. "It's not a System Task; it's a task I am giving you."

Ji Xiang was somewhat lost.

"Go see how to solve this matter," the System NPC suddenly smiled quite mischievously. "Although it's not a System Task, I have a certain amount of authority, so I'll give you a reward."

"Hehe, Teacher, no need." Seeing the System NPC in a good mood, Ji Xiang's own mood also lifted. "But this matter is unsolvable."

"Unsolvable?" The System NPC shook his head. "If the scope is expanded, it is certainly unsolvable. But if it's within a certain range, it can still be solved through flexible means. As for the specific method, you go research it."

"I pay the hospitalization fees for them?"

"That is an incorrect solution," the System NPC said. "It's not that it wouldn't work, but what about later? All solutions are relative; your method is not good."

The System NPC's words were a bit convoluted, but Ji Xiang knew what he had to do.

It was a task that wasn't a System Task; Ji Xiang didn't covet whatever reward the System NPC was going to give him, he was more troubled by how to solve the problem.

"Prepare for surgical training," the System NPC beckoned. "The Laser Stone Crushing surgery is just the foundation, the foundation for operating the Guide Wire. Do you know why the doctors in the Urology Department of the Second Affiliated Hospital seem so clumsy in your eyes?"

"Controlling the Guide Wire is indeed very difficult."

"Relatively speaking," the System NPC said. "Back then, when I wanted to develop coronary Interventional Surgery, the vast majority of my students didn't want to 'eat the rays.' People are all the same; they have inertia. If they can live well, why do a DSA Shou Shu and eat the rays?"

So it turned out there were many things the System NPC couldn't do either, Ji Xiang smiled.

"Let's not talk about this for now; I'll give you a hand to improve your proficiency in Laser Stone Crushing." The System NPC and Ji Xiang walked into the System Operating Room and began a new round of surgical training.

In the real world, Ji Xiang felt his stone-crushing level was already outstanding, enough to bluff Wu Zong into a daze.

But in the System Operating Room, it was completely useless; no matter how flawless Ji Xiang thought his operation was, the System NPC could always find problems.

Time passed bit by bit, and Ji Xiang's surgical level also soared.

The next morning, Ji Xiang rode his bike to the hospital for work.

He had pondered all night on a plan to solve the Patient's problem, but Ji Xiang's social experience was still shallow; it was impossible for him to have an answer to such an ultimate question.

Arriving at the hospital, walking past the corner, before even entering the ward area gate, he heard Wu Zong's angry voice coming from inside, "Doing stone crushing so many times in one day, do you want your Kidney or not! Didn't I say I'd try my best to reduce the fees for you, why are you still not doing it!"

"Stop acting up, how old are you? There is already fluid accumulation in your Kidney, and the Ureter is also ruptured; if you don't get proper treatment, your life will be ruined!"

Sigh, Ji Xiang sighed.

(End of this chapter)