Chapter 275: 0269 Intimate, Considerate (3/5)

【Emergency Mission: Rescue, completed.】

Mission content: Completed an emergency hemostasis surgery for lower gastrointestinal bleeding.

Mission reward: 200 skill points, 2000 experience points.

Mission time: 2 hours 15 minutes, remaining 2 hours 45 minutes.】

Zheng Ren sighed, accustomed to big fish and meat, and seeing the reward from this mission, it's basically not enough to cover expenses.

Looks like I'll have to tighten my belt to get by.

This feeling… I'm really quite used to it.

After taking off the sterile gown, Zheng Ren walked into the operating area wearing an isolation gown.

"Pay attention to coagulation status post‑op." Zheng Ren said.

"Alright, anything else to watch for?" Director Qian asked.

"With Su Yun around, there shouldn't be any other problems."

Director Qian was stunned.

How did I just blurt out agreement? It felt like going back twenty years, when I was still a junior clinical doctor, facing senior doctors on rounds—I'd write down whatever they said and carry it out unconditionally.

The other party is merely a newly appointed inpatient chief, while I'm the head of ICU at City First Hospital—what gives him the right to boss me around? I felt a flicker of resentment, but then I thought, his surgery is just badass; I can't really disagree.

Director Qian forced an awkward smile, patted Zheng Ren on the shoulder, gave him a meaningful glance, said nothing, then turned to direct his subordinates to move the patient back to the ICU.

"Little Zheng, impressive!" Director Liu praised.

"Not bad, just a basic procedure." Zheng Ren said calmly.

"If Director Pan lets you go, come work for me—I'll make you deputy chief right away." Director Liu didn't dare poach someone in front of Director Pan; saying this much was already over the line.

As expected, Director Pan shot him a glance; Director Liu gave an embarrassed laugh, uttered a few pleasantries, and left the emergency operating room.

I hadn't really prepared anything; Director Sun's temperament is relatively mild.

Even if the emergency put a knife to his throat, he'd still bite off the emergency patient. But whenever he thought of the now‑listless Director Liu, Director Sun had no desire to compete with Director Pan and that monstrous inpatient chief.

As for this surgery, the preparation was the key point, but I had no idea what Zheng Ren was doing at the time. I even wanted to jump in and try, but luckily I instinctively pulled my head back, or I'd surely have been embarrassed.

Director Sun walked out of the emergency operating room, out of the emergency building; the dry cold wind blew on his face, refreshing him greatly. Recalling the recent surgery, he couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

Zheng Ren and Director Pan together—this duo could sweep through City First Hospital.

Even if I didn't understand, even if I did, without anyone to perform the interventional surgery, this operation couldn't be completed.

Even if someone did the interventional angiography, Director Sun wouldn't dare take the huge risk to perform the surgery.

After Director Sun left, Director Pan stared at Zheng Ren for a long while without speaking.

Zheng Ren was a bit puzzled, touching his face, worried he still had rice grains on him, lest he contaminate the operating table.

"For a surgery of this level, your skill is fine, but if I weren't here, you'd have to wait another ten years to do it." Director Pan said solemnly.

He understood the implied meaning in the chief's words.

Zheng Ren felt warm inside; perhaps this is what home tastes like.

Even if the reward from the big pig trotter is a little less, having Director Pan and Xiao Yi Ren makes City First Hospital far stronger than the Imperial Capital.

Feeling grateful, Zheng Ren stepped forward, sat opposite Director Pan, and sincerely said, "Thank you for your hard work."

"It's my duty." Director Pan smiled.

"I'll start my shift tonight and swap Yang Lei back in. Let him rest a few days; he's worked hard this period." Zheng Ren said.

"Sure, call me if anything comes up." Director Pan's spirits were low, especially after the surgery—the excitement faded, leaving fatigue that made him half‑asleep.

Zheng Ren quickly found the Chu sisters; since they had fewer post‑op duties, he had them send the chief home.

After seeing Director Pan off, Zheng Ren thought for a moment, then instead of returning directly to the emergency ward, he went to the operating room.

Because the emergency ward is still in the makeshift stage, staffing isn't complete, so the operating room has no regular anesthetists or nurses—staff are called in as needed.

Xie Yiren and the circulating nurse had finished tidying up and were about to leave.

Seeing Zheng Ren return, the circulating nurse and Xie Yiren whispered a few words, making Xie Yiren's face flush crimson. She giggled as she left, and when she passed Zheng Ren she whispered, "Chief Zheng, keep it up!"

Zheng Ren was greatly embarrassed.

The operating room was quiet as a mouse; you could almost hear the other's heartbeat.

Xie Yiren lowered her head, seeming a bit nervous, her hand trembling slightly. She then gripped her sleeve tightly, trying to appear as natural as possible.

Zheng Ren, meanwhile, was like a block of wood; in this slightly ambiguous setting, he had no idea what to say.

After a long silence, Zheng Ren said, "I'll see you to your car."

His voice echoed in the empty hallway,

echoed in Zheng Ren's heart,

and echoed in Yi Ren's heart.

"Mm."

The two walked side by side out of the operating room.

During this time we'd grown used to exchanging morning and night greetings on WeChat, but face‑to‑face we didn't know what to say.

Zheng Ren merely felt that walking with Xiao Yi Ren made his heart unusually calm; the ingrained sense of urgent survival anxiety was tossed to the horizon, as if it had never existed.

If we could keep walking like this, with no end in sight, how wonderful that would be.

Xie Yiren also said nothing, head down, wondering what she was thinking.

Although there was no exchange and we stayed silent, the atmosphere wasn't awkward. Walking like that, the hospital's distinctive disinfectant smell was even more intoxicating than the fragrance of spring blossoms.

Arriving at the underground parking lot, Xie Yiren stood by the car door and whispered, "Zheng… Zheng… Chief Zheng, goodbye."

Zheng Ren summoned his courage, raised his arm, intending to give Xie Yiren a hug just like that day.

But Xie Yiren immediately sprinted to the car, giving Zheng Ren not a single chance.

That was awkward.

Zheng Ren opened his arms, standing blankly like a puppet in front of the car, his eyes showing disappointment and panic.

Xie Yiren waved at Zheng Ren outside, indicating she was leaving.

Starting up, the Volvo XC60 emitted a low yet powerful rumble.

Seeing Zheng Ren standing there dazed, Xie Yiren also hesitated a bit. Without shifting gears to drive off, she silently watched Zheng Ren.

The two young people, lost in the forest of love, had no way to escape.

After a minute, Zheng Ren came to his senses, lowered his arms, gave a slight smile, and signaled Xie Yiren to leave.

Xie Yiren suddenly picked up a red thread from her snow‑white, jade‑like neck and pulled at it.

Zheng Ren did not understand.

A heart‑shaped ornament made of microguidewire appeared at the end of the red thread; Xie Yiren placed that extremely crude ornament between her mouth and nose, gave a bewitching smile, then slipped it back and wore it close to her body.

The action was simple, yet Xie Yiren seemed to have exhausted all her strength, a fine sweat beading on her forehead.

She wiped the sweat, placed her hand over her heart, as if telling Zheng Ren that the ornament was there.

The Volvo sped away, leaving dust behind.

Zheng Ren watched the departing figure, his heart filled with joy.

Still, home is best.