Chapter 787: Deal, Delay No More

"Meng Laoshi, I think it's just my inner demon." Ji Xiang felt that Meng Qingfei was exaggerating.

"It's like long-distance running; the sooner you reach your limit, the better. The technical term seems to be 'Second Wind,' I heard an athlete say it. Professional athletes' limits are very vague, also called a second wind or something."

Meng Qingfei's explanation was a bit chaotic and complex, but Ji Xiang understood the general meaning.

He thought about it carefully; it seemed somewhat similar to his own situation and could be used as an analogy.

"As a Doctor, facing life and death, do you think everyone is the same?" Meng Qingfei laughed. "Not bad, not bad, to have a 'Second Wind' at this age. By the way, did you get better later?"

"I did, I adjusted my mood very quickly, it probably delayed things for less than 10 minutes, and then that surgery was completed smoothly."

Meng Qingfei smiled and pondered, looking even happier than if he had overcome a towering difficulty himself.

"Work hard in the future. But you kid understand worldly wisdom better than I did when I was young, you'll go further. Back then, I truly thought that as long as your skill level was high, nothing else mattered."

Meng Qingfei looked at Ji Xiang, "Do you know about the competition between two candidates for Dean at a large hospital back then?"

"Emmm, I've heard of it, it happened many years ago, before I was even around, right Meng Laoshi?"

Ji Xiang and Meng Qingfei began speaking in riddles.

"Yes," said Meng Qingfei. "Originally, according to my view at the time, the one with the higher skill level should be the Dean. But the other one took advantage of him going abroad to study and seized the position of Dean with lightning speed—it was truly shameless. But his management methods later on were nothing to sneeze at."

Ji Xiang knew a thing or two about this anecdote; he looked at Meng Qingfei with a smile.

"And the one with the high technical level went to Jinmen later. How should I put it?" Meng Qingfei tapped his own head. "A blockhead, nothing to be done."

"Meng Laoshi, your way of putting it is a bit..."

"Heh heh, it's just my own reflection. By the time I figured it out, I was nearly forty. Just like that matter of you not being able to perform surgery, it appeared in your twenties, so you could forge ahead bravely. But if it happened at forty or fifty, I'm afraid it would be senile dementia."

Ji Xiang and Meng Qingfei chatted idly, while Dr. Merz was on the phone in the cold wind at the entrance of the Second Affiliated Hospital, frozen like a dog.

"Jones, I've encountered a Patient." Dr. Merz briefly recounted what he had seen and heard.

"Why would it be Patent Foramen Ovale? How could it be Patent Foramen Ovale? What does the foramen ovale have to do with neurological abnormalities? Do you have any latest research findings?"

"My dear Merz, are you interested in Heart Heart Surgery Department? For God's sake, you should just stick to your joint surgeries; you don't know how much I envy you."

"Jones, I... am asking you why!" Dr. Merz was somewhat impatient.

"Are you out of surgeries to do? That can't be!"

This sentence stirred up painful memories in Dr. Merz's heart, and he said in a fit of shame and anger, "Jones! I just encountered a difficult problem, damn it! Can you stop teasing me!"

"I'm about to go into surgery."

"Explain it to me before you go in!"

The doctor on the other end was somewhat surprised; after all, Dr. Merz was an Expert in Sports Medicine, and he couldn't understand why Dr. Merz would suddenly take an interest in Heart Heart Surgery Department.

However, Dr. Jones could already hear Dr. Merz's furious mood over the phone.

"The foramen ovale is a fissure in the middle of the atrial septum, located at the upper edge of the Primary Atrial Septum, at the junction of the first atrial septum and the Secondary Atrial Septum, which is the lower edge of the second atrial septum, usually covered by a thin flap of the Primary Atrial Septum."

"Before birth, the fetus has not established Pulmonary Circulation, so during the fetal period, the foramen ovale acts as a physiological channel like a valve, only allowing blood to flow from right to left, preventing blood from flowing backward from right to left, allowing blood to flow from the right atrium into the left atrium to maintain blood circulation in the fetus."

Dr. Merz forcibly endured it for a few minutes before interrupting Jones.

"I want to know why, not listen to you lecture me on damn Embryology and Local Anatomy."

"Merz, your temper is very irritable today. Did your Patient have an accident during surgery because of Patent Foramen Ovale? That would be a sad piece of news."

"No, I'm at a community hospital!" Dr. Merz emphasized. "Tell me why, you still have to go into surgery. Damn it, it's so cold here."

Dr. Merz shivered and complained about the cold wind in the Second Affiliated Hospital parking lot.

"The specific mechanism of migraine in patients with Patent Foramen Ovale is not yet clear."

"Some scholars believe it may be that micro-thrombi or headache-triggering substances like 5-hydroxytryptamine are usually filtered in the lungs. If there is too much of this substance and it is not deposited or inactivated in the lungs, when right heart pressure increases, such as during coughing, holding one's breath, or diving, venous blood from the right atrium flows into the left atrium, resulting in a Right-to-Left Shunt."

"A Right-to-Left Shunt is usually asymptomatic, but if substances from the right heart system, that is, the venous system, such as Thrombosis from the deep veins of the lower limbs or pelvic veins..."

"Or fat emboli formed after surgery or trauma, reach the right heart with the blood flow and enter the left heart through the open foramen ovale, then the emboli enter the brain through the arterial system and cause cerebral vascular Embolization, symptoms can be produced."

"The Patient has no history of surgery or trauma and is a young female. Young!!!"

Dr. Merz emphasized, waving his arms as if fighting the cold wind outside the Second Affiliated Hospital.

"Yes, most patients with Patent Foramen Ovale who suffer from severe headaches are under 45 years old, which is nothing to be surprised about." Dr. Jones's hearty voice came through. "Merz, what I said above is just a guess, at the very least it sounds like the truth."

Like!

Dr. Merz was about to explode.

"I estimate it won't be long before those theories are overturned, it's just that there isn't a large-scale research sample yet."

"Why?"

"Because the treatment for this type of disease can now be done with Interventional Closure Surgery; the surgery is very small and very simple." Dr. Jones said. "There is already a simple way to solve it clinically, who would still put so much effort into researching why."

"In young migraine patients, after excluding other causes of arterial Embolization for migraine symptoms, one needs to be vigilant about the existence of Patent Foramen Ovale. Discover it in time, treat it as early as possible, and eliminate the symptoms."

"Just remember to check a bit more when young patients have intractable headaches, following the insurance company's procedures is completely fine, there won't be any problems."

"My dear Merz, do you understand what I mean? This is just a tiny branch issue, don't worry too much about it. But if you are interested in the diseases of our Heart Heart Surgery Department, you can come to me for specialized research."

Dr. Merz had bitter words he couldn't speak.

He would absolutely not say that he faced an arrogant Great Demon King, and when he was certain the Patient had a neurological disease, the Great Demon King popped out to tell him the Patient had congenital heart disease.

The knight defeated at the feet of the Great Demon King—the script was definitely not designed like this!

Dr. Merz clenched his fists, viciously thinking of the face of the young Doctor who was arrogant and domineering in front of him!

"It really has nothing to do with your Sports Medicine, and Heart Heart Surgery Department doesn't have much research on Patent Foramen Ovale either, don't think about it." Dr. Jones suggested.

The cold wind was biting, and white snow began to fall. After hanging up the phone, Dr. Merz took a deep look at the Second Affiliated Hospital.

An Emergency Vehicle came roaring over, and a person covered in blood was carried down from it.

Dr. Merz couldn't understand why that young Doctor wanted to come to the emergency room.

To increase Clinical experience? All young Doctors will have some interest in the emergency room during a certain period of their career.

Originally, this was the reason Dr. Merz had come up with.

But for the headache caused by Patent Foramen Ovale, Dr. Merz vaguely guessed that the young Doctor's level was extremely high, even far exceeding his own understanding of medicine.

Therefore, Dr. Merz negated his previous thoughts.

Damn it, he is just a young Doctor; how could he let himself develop such a strong, powerful illusion?

Wait until he watches his surgery, and after he learns it himself, he must finish off that Great Demon King; Dr. Merz was already fantasizing in his heart about the scene where he takes advantage of the Great Demon King being off-guard, snatches that sword, and then slays the Great Demon King.

Regarding surgery, Dr. Merz was still very confident; he estimated that the young Doctor's New Surgical Technique must have noticed some detail.

As long as he goes to watch the surgery once, he will be able to understand the entire process.

After all, he had performed countless similar surgeries, and as for the principles, they were much the same.

Dr. Merz felt that he had only been temporarily deceived by "magic"—no! Deceived by the Great Demon King's black magic.

Then just wait and see!

Dr. Merz took a deep breath, wanting to suppress the flames burning deep within his heart.

But the cold wind mixed with snowflakes was inhaled into his respiratory tract, and the violent coughing made Dr. Merz very uncomfortable.

This damn weather, this damn Great Demon King!

……

The next day, Wembanyama arrived at the Second Affiliated Hospital.

What made Dr. Merz feel happy was that he followed by Lin Jiuze's side, and Lin Jiuze and that young Great Demon King did not drive him away or chase him off.

As long as he didn't speak, they pretended he didn't exist.

This is the arrogance of the Great Demon King! He thinks he cannot learn that damn surgery, Dr. Merz became increasingly certain.

Every arrogant guy will get the end they deserve!

Villains die from talking too much!!

Wembanyama's post-operative recovery was not good, with relatively severe local tissue adhesion; if following the recovery plan, it would take at least half a year to step onto the court.

Moreover, whether it was lateral movement or the first step of a crossover, the starting speed would be affected.

But this was already the best Dr. Merz and his medical team could do, and Dr. Merz did not believe anyone could do better than him!

Because Wembanyama's team brought complete documentation, after arriving at the Second Affiliated Hospital and completing several relevant examinations, they submitted the surgical order and prepared for surgery.

Dr. Merz lay down early to rest; he needed to conserve his energy.

But this night, Dr. Merz tossed and turned; as soon as he closed his eyes, his vision was filled with the image of that damn young Great Demon King.

He is arrogant, he is unruly, he is impolite, and he has broken the balance of the industry. Even top athletes come to him for surgery, paying a sky-high price.

9 million US dollars, that damn green paper.

These are all damn crimes; Dr. Merz had already sealed the Great Demon King away in his heart and cast countless curses upon him.

On the morning of the surgery, Dr. Merz arrived at the hospital with dark circles under his eyes.

He was worried that Lin Jiuze would not let him enter the operating room to watch the surgical process.

Dr. Merz even sought out friends at the embassy for this; if they refused, he was prepared to use all his resources to apply pressure.

But the thing he imagined did not happen; that young Great Demon King seemed not to have realized yet that he was going to snatch his sword, and Dr. Merz followed him into the surgery, beaming with joy.

Putting on the Lead Clothing, Dr. Merz complained inwardly about how worn-out the Lead Clothing was.

He wore a full set of Lead Clothing and refused Lin Jiuze's request for him to observe from the control room.

If one wants to watch, one must stand in the closest position to watch the surgery; otherwise, it's better not to watch at all!

Dr. Merz was full of confidence in himself.

Wembanyama is 2.23 meters tall, and after gaining muscle, he no longer looked like the beanpole he was before the draft.

He lay on the operating table, looking just as he did during the surgery in Massachusetts a few months ago.

Dr. Merz watched silently; as the Airtight Lead Door closed, only the two surgical teams, the Instrument Nurse, and the doctor in charge of Wembanyama's medical team were in the operating room, and he came behind Ji Xiang.

Lin Jiuze was performing the puncture, and the young Great Demon King was doing the final disinfection.

Cutting along the outer side of the previous incision, the young Great Demon King even patiently cut away the scar tissue.

Dr. Merz felt disdain in his heart; this was all superficial work, Wembanyama wouldn't care, and no one else would care either.

It wasn't plastic surgery; there was no point in it being that smooth, as the focus of the surgery was inside.

For this step, Dr. Merz gave a very low evaluation.

Lin Jiuze's surgery proceeded quickly: catheterization, Super-selection, and then starting the Angiography.

It really was Angiography! Dr. Merz was surprised to discover that, just as the legends said, this was a Hybrid Surgery.

At the very moment the Angiography was completed, the young Great Demon King had already cleared the adhesive tissue and began preparing to suture the areas from the previous surgery that had not healed well.

The technique for clearing adhesions was not bad, but that was not important; Dr. Merz watched the surgery intently.

It hadn't reached the main point yet!

He perked up, preparing to study carefully; this was an important step in snatching that sword from the Great Demon King's hand.

The young Great Demon King looked up, glanced at the Angiography image, and then began the anastomosis.

Before the anastomosis, he asked for a pair of scissors and cut open certain parts of the site sutured in the previous surgery.

Dr. Merz was somewhat puzzled; according to conventional secondary surgery, destructive surgery was completely unnecessary.

The Great Demon King was seeking his own death.

Supposedly, this should be the focus of the surgery, but based on Dr. Merz's many years of rich Clinical experience and the experience accumulated from performing countless surgeries, he still did not know what the young Great Demon King was doing.

Ji Xiang cut off a portion of the tissue and began to suture.

His suturing seemed very casual, and some tissues were not even aligned properly.

Just this?

Dr. Merz could hardly believe his eyes.

He raised his hand to take off his lead glasses, rubbed them hard, and looked again carefully.

Just this!

Indeed, the young Great Demon King did not perform any maneuvers beyond his common knowledge; he simply skillfully cleared the connective tissue adhesions and sutured again.

The key step must be after this; perhaps they invented some magical medicine, who knows!

Dr. Merz's gaze fell upon the instrument tray in front of Tang Yan.

Every single instrument was ordinary, with absolutely no sign of new equipment.

Why on earth!

The surgery was finished so quickly, and there was simply nothing present that exceeded his cognition.

Except for Lin Jiuze putting on a show with the Angiography, there were no other details different from existing surgical procedures.

If there was anything, the young Great Demon King's "rough" operation during the Suturing made Dr. Merz feel somewhat confused.

"Prepare for irrigation." Ji Xiang asked for warm Saline.

It's this! Dr. Merz's eyes lit up.

If he had a legendary medicine, he wouldn't put it in an eye-catching bottle, but would instead put it in a Saline bottle to use it inadvertently.

It must be!

Dr. Merz "discovered" the essence of the problem.

But they used the warm Saline so casually and wastefully, as if it were truly a 0.9% sodium chloride solution.

Dr. Merz dismissed his own view; as the young Great Demon King began to suture the skin, he recalled the entire surgical process again.

The Great Demon King hid his sword exceptionally well; Dr. Merz was surprised to find that he had observed the surgery from beginning to end, yet he hadn't seen how the surgery should be done.

F!

Dr. Merz cursed in his heart.

It must be that the young Great Demon King knew he was coming to steal his sword, so he didn't care whether Wembanyama could recover his health, he just had to hide his sword!

How despicable, how shameless!

Dr. Merz cursed in his heart.

Just like this, Wembanyama would never be able to recover after the surgery!

Originally, Wembanyama's team was preparing for the young man to participate in the Playoffs and put on a dominant performance; after all, this was a Contract Year.

After the Playoffs, Wembanyama would be able to get the biggest contract in history.

Yet all of this was completely shattered by the young Great Demon King.

He collected a sky-high surgical fee of 9 million dollars from Wembanyama, but he didn't perform the surgery properly for Wembanyama!

Dr. Merz's thoughts flashed like lightning, thinking of countless conspiracy theories.

So what is the next step?

If it were him, what would he do?

Dr. Merz knew that if he failed a secondary surgery, he would definitely claim loudly how terrible the first surgery was, and that was precisely why the secondary surgery failed!

Shameless!!

Simply a Judas who would betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver!

"Dr. Ji Xiang, is the surgery already finished?" Dr. Merz thought of the conspiracy theory, feeling uneasy in his heart, and decided to strike first.

"Yes."

"But I didn't see you do anything, just cleared the local connective tissue adhesions."

"Then what else did you want me to do?"

Ji Xiang asked while suturing the skin.

Sure enough!

The young Great Demon King's words confirmed the speculation in Dr. Merz's heart.

He would push all the problems onto the first surgery and find various excuses to shirk his own responsibility.

"F***!" Dr. Merz no longer maintained his gentlemanly demeanor and cursed quite bluntly.

"What did you say?" Ji Xiang turned his head, his eyes narrowed into slits.

"Are you going to say the first surgery was done terribly, leading to the failure of your secondary surgery?! It must be, you are despicably and shamelessly trying to blame the mistakes on me and my medical team." Dr. Merz could no longer suppress his anger and blurted out the words he expected the Great Demon King to say in advance.

"The first surgery was done by the book, there were no obvious errors."

"!!!"

Dr. Merz was stunned all of a sudden.

The Great Demon King actually didn't say his surgery was done poorly?

This shouldn't be!

"Diao!"

Ji Xiang said with disdain.

The operating room went quiet instantly.

Deng Chaohong looked up at Ji Xiang in disbelief, and Tang Yan's eyes were wide open, also looking at Ji Xiang.

In their impression, Ji Xiang was usually elegant and easygoing during surgery, at most making a few jokes, and would absolutely never curse or throw instruments.

Even when problems occurred during surgery in Shanghai due to tension, he would self-regulate rather than transfer the pressure to others.

What is wrong with him today?

Ji Xiang actually started cursing, and it seemed to be the way of cursing from the region where he went to university.

Would that blond-haired, blue-eyed foreigner get angry?

If he got angry, what would happen if it triggered a diplomatic incident?

Tang Yan was a novice, and although Deng Chaohong was battle-hardened, he had never encountered a similar situation.

Watching this scene before them, everyone was too scared to speak.

However, contrary to everyone's expectations, Dr. Merz did not get angry; a smile appeared on his face.

"Diao, diao ni ma!" Ji Xiang turned back and continued to curse.

The crowd was stunned into silence.

Dr. Merz still had no reaction; he made a puzzled expression, spoke a few words to the head of the Wembanyama medical team, and then turned and left.

"Xiao Ji, why are you cursing? That's not good," Deng Chaohong asked.

"Teacher Deng, I wasn't cursing," Ji Xiang narrowed his eyes.

"Diao seems to be a Cantonese curse word, handsome," Deng Chaohong said helplessly, adding "handsome" at the end to show he knew a little bit about the dialect.

"Not at all, I was saying 'deal', which translates to 'good', 'that's it'," Ji Xiang explained.

"!!!"

"!!!"

"!!!"

Countless exclamation marks popped up over every head in the operating room.

"Then what about the 'diao ni ma' you said after that?" Tang Yan asked.

Ji Xiang glanced at her, "Really now, a young girl like you, why are you saying such dirty words?"

"You said it!"

"I said 'deal', 'delaynomore'!" After saying this, Ji Xiang repeated the letters one by one.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

"He asked me if I would blame the failure of the surgery on the first operation; my meaning was that I wouldn't. It's truly nonsensical. Lin, does your Massachusetts General Hospital often shift the blame too?"

"Hmm, shirking responsibility exists everywhere. Doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital are human too and cannot avoid such conventions." Lin Jiuze was stunned for a few seconds before answering helplessly.

"Heh." Ji Xiang finished the last stitch, turned around, and stepped down from the operating table.

"Delaynomore?" Tang Yan carefully pondered what Ji Xiang had just said.

"Xiao Tang, it's hard to learn good, but easy to slide into bad," Deng Chaohong sighed. "Don't learn these things from Xiao Ji. Especially when there are visiting Experts, you must never say that. It really causes misunderstandings; be careful that the Expert might throw their instruments."

"Ha!"

(End of this chapter)