Chapter 1212

Ye Qingqiu silently returned to the Gengyishi; at this late hour, the hospital was quiet, with only occasional emergency surgeries underway, lacking the daytime bustle.

He pondered Zheng Ren, and didn't find it boring. After a while, Director Wei walked in.

"Director Wei, you must be exhausted."

"Yeah, I'm getting old; this kind of long, delicate work is really beyond me." Director Wei sighed, saying, "Only someone like Zheng Lao Ban, young with good eyesight and steady hands, can still manage it."

As he spoke, he took off the pants of his isolation gown, revealing a pair of—stockings.

Ye Qingqiu knew that surgeons who stand for long periods often develop varicose veins in both lower limbs, and these elastic stockings are a good remedy for varicose veins.

However, a man wearing these is already strange enough, and having both legs tightly compressed is especially uncomfortable. I suppose Director Wei doesn't want to keep them on; he's taking them off to relieve some fatigue.

"Old Wei, does wearing this make you look sexy?" Ye Qingqiu said with a chuckle.

Seeing Director Ye, who usually doesn't smile or joke, start teasing him, Director Wei felt relieved. This matter involves the Gastroenterology Surgery Department, but the shared responsibility can be big or small; as long as Director Ye is willing to take the blame, it's fine either way.

He chuckled, "After a lifetime of standing in surgery, my legs look like they've crawled with earthworms—just looking at them makes me nauseous."

As he spoke, he began to take off the stockings.

"Old Wei, your technique is really practiced." Ye Qingqiu clicked his tongue.

"Haha, back in the day I was also a fresh-faced city kid, 912 cute—any young girl who saw me couldn't help but turn her head." Director Wei laughed loudly.

"Haha~~" Ye Qingqiu laughed loudly, "You'd only dare say that to my face; go say it in the Operating Room and see how the nurses would retort."

"Now I'm old—flowers may bloom again, but people never return to youth." Director Wei skillfully pulled down the stockings and tossed them into the cabinet.

Looking at the earthworm-like varicose veins crisscrossing his legs, Director Wei said, "I still want to find time to have Director Mao take care of my varicose veins."

"Wait a bit longer; the technology isn't ready yet. In two years, Zheng Lao Ban will be able to fix it for you using interventional methods."

"Director Ye, that's fine—you don't do clinical work, but you really know the ins and outs of this clinical matter."

"Only the patients truly know the details. Just a few days ago, at the national meeting of Directors of Medical Affairs, I heard many county‑ and city‑level hospital Directors of Medical Affairs complain about how hard the work is. Actually, what's the deal with 912?"

"Heh heh." Director Wei just gave a couple of heh‑heh laughs.

"Don't doubt it—a Director of Medical Affairs told me that a few days ago, a patient from the Dental Department came to complain that a filling had turned his tooth black. Later, after examination, it was determined to be a tetracycline‑stained tooth from thirty years ago."

"That's just annoying; the hospital certainly wouldn't compensate him."

"One or two complaints don't matter, but what if there are many?" Ye Qingqiu said, "A Director of Medical Affairs once told me he sees two old complainers waiting at his office door every day when he goes to work. For over ten years, rain or shine, they've been there. The elderly lady is already in her seventies, almost eighty, yet she's still in great health and chats with him daily."

"……" Director Wei stared for a moment, "What's it all for?"

"Before, her husband had a limp; a few years ago, they performed that procedure where they broke the femur and then lengthened it—do you still remember it?"

"I remember, but it's hardly done these days."

"Yeah, the local Orthopedics Department Head performed that kind of surgery on her husband, and the postoperative result was good—his leg is no longer lame."

"Isn't that great?"

"But her husband was a fresh‑faced city guy; after he got better, he found a lover and divorced her. Because of that, she's been suing the local hospital all along." Ye Qingqiu said with a squinting smile.

"……" Director Wei cursed inwardly, "People who work in the Medical Department really have dirty hearts; I just made a casual remark, and he dragged out all that just to take a jab at me."

"Old Wei, you really shouldn't come to the Operating Room often." Ye Qingqiu continued, "Just now, watching you take off those stockings gave me a psychological scar."

"Why?"

"All my good memories are ruined by you. Under those stockings isn't a smooth white leg, but a bunch of dark leg hair—who should I complain to about this?" Ye Qingqiu laughed loudly and tossed a cigarette to Director Wei.

Director Wei truly didn't want to chat with Director Ye—this guy's good at hurting people. But seeing Ye Qingqiu in a good mood eased his mind a bit. Moreover, with Zheng Lao Ban overseeing things upstairs, maybe this could pass without harm to him.

"Director Wei, give me a fair assessment—how is Zheng Lao Ban's skill in General Surgery?" Ye Qingqiu had thrown out many jokes just to close the distance, just to hear this honest answer.

He lit a cigarette, Director Wei pondered for nearly a minute, then gave a wry smile.

"His level is higher than mine." Director Wei said, "Whether you believe it or not, I'm sure his level is definitely higher than mine."

"That's to be expected; saying his level is lower than yours would be the lie."

"You say Zheng Lao Ban, at his age, how many surgeries can he do, and how is his technique so polished?" Director Wei voiced his inner doubt.

"Who knows? Some people are blessed by the Grandmaster to eat this bowl of rice—it's just their fate." Ye Qingqiu said, "There's no comparing, don't bother. Not mentioning Zheng Lao Ban, I see Su Yun assisting, and the surgery's progress is clearly much faster."

"Young, steady hands, sharp eyes. For ordinary surgery, routine anatomy might not show much difference, but switch to this kind of abnormal anatomical surgery, and the gap becomes huge." Director Wei spoke frankly.

"Do you think the surgery will succeed?" Ye Qingqiu asked.

"Hard to say; it's too complicated inside. Generally, for this kind of rectal foreign‑body surgery, the biggest taboo is intestinal perforation, which can cause widespread infection in the pelvic and abdominal cavities. But the patient's perforation happened years ago, and it's been so long that a fistula has formed in the bottle."

As he spoke, he paused for a moment, cigarette in hand, the blue‑gray smoke curling and tracing a faint elegant curve—like… the splenic flexure of the colon.

After pausing for nearly a minute, Director Wei shook his head and said, "If it were me, I definitely couldn't do it. Swap in Zheng Lao Ban, and I estimate the chance of success rises to 70%."

Ye Qingqiu also knew this was the case; although not 100%, a 70% chance was already a pleasant surprise.

Outside, the patient's girlfriend kept crying, her emotions unstable. Ye Qingqiu also worried about these things, fearing that if the surgery failed, she might suffer some further misfortune.

After finishing the cigarette and tossing the butt into the restroom, Ye Qingqiu said, "I'll go check on the patient's family; you stay here and keep watch—call me immediately if anything comes up."

"Sure." Director Wei replied without hesitation.

……

……

He went out to grab a bite to eat, then come back, write a bit, and sleep. Not watching the monthly tickets tonight, he'll release two chapters in a row, continue early tomorrow morning. The poor patient still has to lie overnight. Well, you all keep saying in this chapter's comments, so I'll say it first.

He smiled.

Monthly votes are strong, updates shouldn't lag behind—this is the highest ranking since the book began. Every past minute and second is brand‑new history.