Chapter 776: A Clear Conscience

Ji Xiang wanted to go help Deng Chaohong, but was pulled back by Liu Zhuren.

"Don't go, it's meaningless." Liu Zhuren pulled Ji Xiang away.

"A long time ago, when I was still working in the Emergency Department, I had just eaten two dumplings at 5:30 in the evening."

As Liu Zhuren mentioned eating dumplings, he was interrupted by Ji Xiang.

Ji Xiang was a bit surprised, "Zhuren, you also ate dumplings when you worked in the Emergency Department?"

"It's simple and saves trouble. You kid, why are you so gossipy?" Liu Zhuren glanced at Ji Xiang, "I didn't notice it before, but it's no wonder; young people are all curious."

Ji Xiang felt ashamed.

It wasn't all because he had been led astray by Lang Ge.

"Zhuren, I'm sorry, please continue."

"A college student who had just graduated was working at a state-owned factory. Back then, there were still shuttle buses; after getting off work, she was hit by a car right after stepping off the bus."

"……"

"She was gone right then and there. After I performed resuscitation for half an hour according to protocol, when I went out to explain it to her parents, the two of them went limp on the spot." Liu Zhuren sighed.

"Just like what you saw just now, as if their bones had been pulled out."

"Great sorrow and great joy, that's just how it is. You get used to it after seeing it enough. Don't worry about it; besides, isn't Professor Deng over there?"

"Okay." Ji Xiang recalled the way the middle-aged woman looked as if her "bones had been pulled out," added to what Liu Zhuren said about great sorrow and great joy, and nodded.

"Go back to work," Liu Zhuren said.

"Zhuren, I've been thinking about the Ghost Bed matter you mentioned for two days, and I always feel like something isn't right."

"I really just said it off the cuff. If you really can't solve it, just give it a try; it's just disinfecting anyway," Liu Zhuren laughed. "Since you're so curious, let me tell you an Urban Legend."

Ji Xiang didn't even notice his own ears perk up the moment he heard the four words "Urban Legend."

"There was an elderly man with a cerebral hemorrhage, 89 years old, who was hospitalized in our hospital's Neurosurgery Department. At the time, he was a patient of Lao Bai... Bai Chuzhang."

"After the CT scan, we found 40ml of bleeding."

"Normally, we would advise patients of a similar age to give up treatment. After all, they are old enough, their bodies are frail, and they have numerous geriatric diseases; it's hard to say if they could even make it off the operating table."

"If the family has even the slightest hesitation, they must be advised to give up. Otherwise, the money is spent, the person is gone, and it's even easier to cause conflict."

Ji Xiang listened quietly to the gossip Liu Zhuren was telling.

"But that family strongly requested surgical treatment; their will was very strong, and they told Bai Chuzhang that even if it went wrong, or even if he didn't make it off the operating table, they would accept it."

"The patient's grandson is my classmate. We used to play at his house when we were kids, and the old man would take us fishing; we were very familiar. So, Bai Chuzhang performed the emergency surgery right then, and after the surgery, he was sent to the Neurosurgery intensive care unit."

"The day after the surgery, I saw the old man walking around the Outpatient Hall with a cane."

"!!!" Ji Xiang looked closely at Liu Zhuren's expression, trying to distinguish whether what he was saying was true or false.

One second Liu Zhuren was saying he didn't believe in supernatural things, but the next second he was talking in a mystical way.

Saying he didn't want to, but his body was truly honest.

"I saw him wearing a head wrap, the kind of mesh cap used after neurosurgery, and I thought to myself, 'Lao Bai is amazing.' An old man of that age with 40ml of cerebral hemorrhage, and he could walk all over the place the day after surgery."

"At the time, I was afraid I had recognized him wrong, so I went up and chatted with the old man for a bit. He didn't say anything else, just that he couldn't find the way back. I wanted to take him back, but he didn't answer anything I said on the way. At the time, I thought he hadn't recovered well yet."

"In my heart, I had some complaints about the Neurosurgery intensive care unit. How could they let a patient who had just undergone cerebral hemorrhage surgery wander out? If he had gotten lost, how would you explain it to the patient's family in the end?"

"And the patient's family was also damn careless; there wasn't even a soul at the door. To have such a big oversight."

"Yeah, how did the old man sneak out?!" Ji Xiang was also full of question marks.

"He wouldn't talk, so I couldn't just stay silent, so I talked about the way back, rambling on. By the time I got off the elevator, the old man had disappeared without a trace."

"Uh..." Ji Xiang had already guessed the end of the story.

"I was scared to death at the time. I searched the area once, then immediately went to the Neurosurgery intensive care unit. When I saw the old man lying safely in his hospital bed, just preparing to be woken up, I broke out in a cold sweat."

"Zhuren, how did you encounter so many things when you were young?"

"Many doctors have encountered them, only they don't talk about it, or they didn't notice it at all," Liu Zhuren replied indifferently. "I haven't even told Lao Bai about this; he wouldn't believe it even if I did."

"What happened later? Did the old man wake up?"

"Lao... Bai Chuzhang's level is truly high; it's a pity he doesn't focus on clinical practice." Liu Zhuren sighed. "The old man woke up that same day. He was left with a few minor ailments, but he lived to be 102. Later, I asked him if he remembered me when he finished the surgery."

"!!!" Ji Xiang's ears completely perked up.

"He said he had dreamed of me, that he was lost and couldn't remember where he was. After seeing me, we chatted for a bit, and it was I who pointed him in the right direction."

"Zhuren, this is..."

"I can't figure it out either, so I'm too lazy to talk about it." Liu Zhuren turned his head and looked deeply at Ji Xiang. "I say that three feet above one's head there are gods; do you believe it?"

Ji Xiang neither nodded nor shook his head.

"So, ever since then, I have treated illnesses and saved lives very earnestly. As for everything else, as long as I don't betray my conscience, nothing else matters."

Ji Xiang carefully savored the four words "don't betray my conscience" that Liu Zhuren said.

Returning to the department, the work was still repetitive and monotonous. Ji Xiang had some doubts in his heart, but he felt that he had been led astray by Shen Lang, which was why he kept obsessing over these things.

After getting off work, because it wasn't Meng Qingfei's night shift, Ji Xiang didn't go to the Emergency Department and rode his bicycle home.

In the middle of winter, Ji Xiang didn't feel cold at all.

Young people have enough internal fire to withstand the biting winter wind. Especially since Ji Xiang's body was still in good shape—after all, he was someone who ran a half-marathon every day—this bit of wind was nothing to him.

"You're back." Ji Yongchang was sitting by the coffee table in the living room, brewing tea.

"I'm back." Ji Xiang reached out to pet the Sha Paozi that had run over. "Has the Paozi been obedient?"

"As long as you take it out for a run every morning, it's quite obedient. I'm thinking about whether to buy a sidecar motorcycle."

Ji Xiang knew that the old man wanted to take the Sha Paozi out for a run on that kind of old-fashioned sidecar motorcycle to burn off its excess energy.

The old man's body was still fine, but there was no way he could burn off all of the Sha Paozi's excess energy just by running like he could.

The grandfather and grandson only exchanged a simple sentence before each went about their own business.

Ji Xiang still had doubts; he took the elevator upstairs to change into his loungewear and then came straight back down.

He poured himself a cup of plain water.

At this time of day, Ji Xiang was not willing to drink tea; if he couldn't fall asleep, he wouldn't have the Spirit tomorrow, and performing surgery would be very exhausting.

"Dad, let me ask you something; I haven't been able to figure it out these past few days."

"Oh? What is it?"

Ji Xiang told his father about the "Ghost Bed" and the few supernatural anecdotes Liu Zhuren had mentioned.

Ji Yongchang smiled slightly, brewing tea according to the steps and procedures; every gesture was full of ink-wash painting elegance.

"No. 10 Right Alley, Jiansuo, Jingshan East Street—you went there to play when you were a child, do you remember?" Ji Yongchang asked.

"I remember!" Ji Xiang answered immediately.

But what did the thing he was talking about have to do with No. 10 Right Alley, Jiansuo, Jingshan East Street?

"Listen to the name, Jiansuo—'auspiciousness and health,' it sounds quite good, right?"

"Yes." Ji Xiang nodded.

"But before the Liberation, that place was specifically used to store the dead."

"!!!"

What his father was saying was even harder for Ji Xiang to accept than the "ghost stories" Liu Zhuren had told.

"After the Liberation, Marshal Nie served as the first mayor of the Imperial Capital and chose his residence at No. 10 Right Alley, Jiansuo, Jingshan East Street."

"!!!"

"As for the specific reason, it was a long time ago, and I've heard several versions of the legend, so I won't speak nonsense." Ji Yongchang picked up the teacup, smelled the tea fragrance, and closed his eyes slightly.

Ji Xiang didn't dare to urge him, only feeling puzzled in his heart as to why Marshal Nie would do such a thing.

After a long while, Ji Yongchang continued.

"It wasn't just a morgue; it was said that the Yin energy there was extremely intense, and it could be considered the most ominous of ominous houses."

"During the internal strife of the former Qing imperial palace, some palace maids were sent to Jiansuo while still alive and were wronged to death. If you go by folk sayings, it could be called a 'hundred ghosts walking at night,' with countless wronged souls demanding their lives."

"But why?" Ji Xiang was still deep in thought.

"What I want to tell you is not the 'why,' but this matter." Ji Yongchang's train of thought was clear, and he pulled the topic back before it could drift away.

"Later, when Marshal Nie was in charge of the Two Bombs, One Satellite, your great-uncle went to Marshal Nie's former residence many times."

"I believe in the talk of ghosts and gods, but I believe even more in Hao Ran Qi." Ji Yongchang used tea as wine, drank it in one gulp, and looked at Ji Xiang with a smile, "Doctor, saving lives and healing the wounded, with no shame in your heart, you naturally have nothing to fear."

Ji Xiang suddenly remembered the Empathy experience with Lao Wangtou, who sucked away people's lifespan, and the fact that Shen Lang had urged him to remember to wear the White Uniform.

It seemed to have similarities to what his father was saying.

Then he thought of the "clear conscience" that Liu Zhuren had mentioned.

"I traveled everywhere when I was young." Ji Yongchang continued to say calmly.

"Dad, by traveling, do you mean you were a street hoodlum?" Ji Xiang asked with a smile.

"Hahaha, how could that be." Ji Yongchang wasn't angry either, saying with a smile, "Among the people I met later was an old friend of a different generation; he joined the army in the thirties. He didn't have a First-Class Merit, but he was the type whose chest was covered in Second-Class and Third-Class Merit medals."

"One year, I thought about finding my old brother to drink. When I crossed mountains and ridges to get there, my old brother was busy."

"At that time, we had to reclaim wasteland to ensure food security. The best piece of land in the village was a former Mass Grave; it was said that after dusk, no one dared to walk past it."

Ji Xiang pricked up his ears, listening to his father tell the story.

If it were in the past, Ji Xiang would only think his father had made it up, but now Ji Xiang wouldn't think so.

"No one dared to touch that Mass Grave. My old brother was the village chief and also the Militia Company commander, so he gathered the villagers and came before the Mass Grave."

"He didn't do any ideological work with the villagers; he drank a mouthful of old wine in front of the Mass Grave, sprinkled the rest on the ground, and fired three shots into the sky."

"Everyone, I'm sorry for the disturbance today."

"We need to use this land to farm and feed more descendants. If you are our ancestors, please forgive us! This is a major event for our China, and I believe you can smile in the afterlife."

"If you are just passing through, from now on you are a member of my Li Family Village; there will be a share for you during festivals and sacrifices."

"If you are Japanese devils whose souls refuse to disperse, I will stay here tonight; if you have any business, come at me."

"Then, the two of us fired nine more shots into the sky."

Ji Xiang shivered.

In his mind, an image appeared of an Old Man with white hair and beard and a straight back, along with his own young and frivolous father, firing shots into the sky.

Especially that last sentence, which made Ji Xiang's skin crawl.

"That night, my old brother and I set up a tent in the Mass Grave and drank for the whole night. The usual ghost fires disappeared, as if the lonely ghosts and wild spirits of the Mass Grave had understood my old brother's words. That day, my old brother told me many past events; old stories as a side dish for wine—it was truly refreshing, the most satisfying time I've ever drank."

"And then?"

"The Mass Grave was leveled and planted with crops. That's what was said, but no one in the village was willing to farm it, so my old brother divided it between his own family and the family of the Militia Company's deputy commander."

"Later, it seemed they said that the land was very fertile; even in the years when chemical fertilizer was scarce, there was no need to fertilize it, and anything planted would grow, with yields twenty percent higher than other places."

"!!!"

"A body full of Hao Ran Qi—this is no joke; even ghosts and gods are afraid." Ji Yongchang said leisurely, "As a doctor, don't spend all day thinking about these meaningless things; just do good deeds and don't ask about the future."

"Heh, Dad, I'm not overthinking it, I was just curious hearing it as gossip." Ji Xiang drank the plain water in front of him in one gulp.

Although it was just a cup of plain water, Ji Xiang actually felt like he had tasted strong liquor.

"I heard you're going to Shanghai to perform surgery?" Ji Yongchang asked suddenly.

"???" Ji Xiang was stunned; he didn't even know about this himself.

"I heard it from your mother; it wasn't a dream-sent message." Ji Yongchang made a lame joke.

Ji Xiang didn't pursue what the "dream-sent message" reference was; he scratched his head, "I don't even know about it myself. Teacher Deng mentioned it to me yesterday, but we haven't communicated today."

"Oh, the New Year is coming, go quickly and return quickly."

Ji Yongchang instructed.

"Dad, how are things on your end?" Ji Xiang asked.

"You don't understand, why are you asking about things you don't know?"

Ji Yongchang always maintained the same demeanor; from his words and actions, one could never tell what he was doing, or whether he was succeeding or failing.

"How do you evaluate the post-operative results of Neymar's surgery?" Ji Yongchang asked nonchalantly.

"Very successful, more than a dozen papers have already been published. Although my mother did a lot of groundwork for it, if the quality wasn't sufficient, they wouldn't have been published so many times." Ji Xiang gave a definitive answer.

After speaking, Ji Xiang suddenly paused, "Dad, you aren't thinking of buying sports lottery tickets, are you?"

"Do you think there's something wrong with my brain?" Ji Yongchang said dismissively, "By the way, I had someone put together a set of code these past few days. I heard a programmer complaining, saying that people who don't understand code always think that as long as a programmer is diligent and attentive, they can write code without bugs."

"Hahaha." Ji Xiang laughed, "As long as a Doctor has a sense of responsibility, they can bring the dying back to life; this is also a misunderstanding that Patients and Family Members have about Doctors."

Ji Xiang understood immediately, and Ji Yongchang didn't say anything more, drinking his tea on his own.

"By the way, I recently bought a farm."

"A farm?"

"If you are going to be away for a long time, I'll move to the farm to live."

Ji Xiang sighed, looking down at the well-behaved and gentle Sha Paozi; to raise this little guy, his old man really had gone to great pains.

A farm has the benefits of a farm; letting Sha Paozi run loose, it wouldn't matter if it played until the end of time.

"Alright." Ji Xiang had no objections to this.

The nature of his work determined that he wouldn't have much time at home; even if he were in the Provincial Hospital, there would be night shifts, emergency surgeries, and the like.

……

……

Lin Jiuze stood in front of the window, silently gazing at the night in the Provincial Hospital.

To outsiders, Lin Jiuze was young and successful, with unparalleled glory, but in truth, only he knew the hardships involved.

Temporarily giving up the job offer from Massachusetts General Hospital to stay in the country was an extremely difficult choice.

A decision had already been made on this matter—once the move is made, there is no regret—what had Lin Jiuze standing frozen was another matter.

A few minutes ago, the email his teacher sent him had given Lin Jiuze some different thoughts.

Because he hadn't returned, his competitors from not long ago were beginning to stir.

People, they are the same everywhere.

That damn guy, Lin Jiuze thought viciously, clenching his fists.

The phone rang, and Lin Jiuze answered the video call.

"Teacher."

Tang Chenhua appeared in the video, and Lin Jiuze greeted him respectfully.

"TIRR Memorial Hermann Hospital just admitted a Patient from the country."

Lin Jiuze shrugged.

"Jiuze, why didn't you stay to perform the surgery, instead of flying thousands of miles to TIRR Memorial Hermann Hospital?" Tang Chenhua asked.

"Doctor Ji Xiang is too young; people in the country don't believe in his skill level."

"That is truly ridiculous. So many papers have been published, does no one know?" Tang Chenhua sighed and remarked, "Neymar just scored three goals in the match. Watching Neymar play now, I sometimes drift into a trance, thinking I've returned to many years ago."

"That is the fact of the matter, Teacher. Neymar's recovery is surprising to me; it's truly unimaginable."

"I have some bad news for you. You've read the email, right?"

"I saw it. Dr. Merz is at TIRR Memorial Hermann Hospital, and he has started attacking me over this."

"Damn Yankee!" Tang Chenhua cursed.

"I have no way to fight back."

"Merz has said a lot, but there is one thing he cannot explain—Wembanyama is preparing to go to the country to receive his next surgical treatment."

"!!!" Lin Jiuze was startled.

"Wembanyama is too tall. After entering the NBA, he started bulking up, and his weight increased rapidly, causing his joints and ligaments to be unable to withstand the immense pressure. Back then, Yao retired because of injuries caused by weight gain."

"Teacher, what do you mean?"

"With two cases, isn't that enough? If there are a few who successfully recover and achieve results on the court, I am prepared to persuade Old John to hold this year's global Sports Medicine annual conference in the country."

"!!!"

Lin Jiuze knew very well what this meant and how high a price would have to be paid.

"Teacher, thank you."

"Are you confident on your end?"

"According to my observations, Doctor Ji Xiang's level is very high. Since I began participating in the surgeries, Doctor Ji Xiang has already completed 56 various Achilles Tendon Repair surgeries. I will send you the post-operative follow-up reports a bit later."

"Although there hasn't been enough time, they all look to be recovering quite well right now. It is a pity that there are relatively few athletes, and there was no high-intensity exercise during the post-operative recovery process, so the chain of evidence is not very complete."

"Evidence-Based Medicine, after all; we still need sufficient evidence."

"Wembanyama's agent team will contact Doctor Ji Xiang very soon. They truly cannot endure the results after the surgery. Especially seeing Neymar shining on the green field again, while Wembanyama can only lie on a hospital bed."

"It is truly a pity. If it were me, I would also feel like a fool." A smile appeared on Lin Jiuze's face.

"Furthermore, it is already January, and the NBA All-Star Game will start soon; the season has already reached the second half. If possible, do you think Wembanyama can recover quickly after the surgery and participate in the Playoffs?"

"It's hard to say. A second surgery, you know, the difficulty is extreme. As for the extent of the recovery, I..."

"Nonsense!" Tang Chenhua scolded unhappily, "It's not Neymar's first time having surgery either. I suspect Wembanyama's agent team wants him to recover quickly so he can make it to the Playoffs."

"This year is a Contract Year?!" Lin Jiuze guessed the crux of the problem at once.

If one suffers a major injury during a Contract Year, it will lower the athlete's value, and those massive contracts flying everywhere will also be suppressed to an extremely low level.

For example, the famous 4-year, 44-million-dollar 'child labor' contract from back then.

It is normal to fight for one's life during a Contract Year; no wonder Wembanyama is undergoing surgical treatment again only a few months after his surgery ended.

"Jiuze, based on your understanding, is there a high probability of success for Wembanyama's surgery on your end?"

"Big, very big." Lin Jiuze changed his tone and answered very seriously, "I roughly understand the basic principles of the surgery—tendons have very few blood vessels; during the surgery, one must try their best to restore blood supply to the vessels."

"I have tried, but the blood supply of the capillary network... it is truly too difficult to distinguish."

"I am watching surgical videos now, to the point where I'm almost getting presbyopia." Lin Jiuze sighed, "Teacher, what puzzles me most right now is not how Doctor Ji Xiang actually developed this surgical technique; what I can't understand is that his eyesight is simply too good."

This is talent, Lin Jiuze had once thought.

But the height of Ji Xiang's talent made Lin Jiuze feel somewhat lost, confused, and even gave rise to a sense of powerlessness.

This was something he could never catch up to in his entire life, to the point that Lin Jiuze would occasionally doubt whether there was any meaning in him staying in the country.

"Do the Wembanyama surgery well." Tang Chenghua said a sentence with profound meaning.

Lin Jiuze was silent.

The teacher was very old-fashioned; usually, he would at most make a phone call, and sending emails was his most habitual method.

Yet today, he specifically sent a video.

The implication of this could not help but make Lin Jiuze take notice.

It looked like the pressure the teacher was under in Massachusetts was not small, which was why he had to confirm it again and again.

Working by Ji Xiang's side recently, Lin Jiuze had already forgotten about matters of intrigue, happily performing surgeries every day, with his biggest worries being work habits and the lack of standardized medical record writing in the country.

Furthermore, there were too many patients, so many that Lin Jiuze felt his skills were not worth anything at all.

Everything else was fine.

But today, teacher Tang Chenghua's video pulled him back to the real world.

(End of this chapter)