Chapter 2824: 2621 It's hard to say whether it's luck or misfortune

Zheng Ren and Su Yun were stunned for a long time.

A shotgun blast, the whole person turned into honeycomb coal, yet no blood! Moreover, two fragments entered the chest cavity, one a few millimeters from the aorta, another penetrated the pericardium but did not affect the heart muscle.

What great fortune, Johannes Mandi was right—Old Fu Lai's luck is surely blessed.

"Not long ago the boss encountered a patient; a bullet entered the heart from the subclavian vein and was removed via interventional surgery." Su Yun said this, still feeling resentful.

That day he went to give a lecture at the Medical University Affiliated Hospital's children, missing this once-in-a-lifetime surgery. Now saying it, he lacks confidence, after all he didn't get to perform it.

"My goodness! Taking a bullet out of the heart via interventional surgery—how miraculous!" Johannes Mandi exclaimed.

"Are Old Fu Lai's vital signs stable?" Zheng Ren asked.

"He's completely fine, strong as a bear. When he came here, his small wounds had already stopped bleeding." Johannes Mandi said, "That's why doctors diverged in their assessment—some said to open the chest and remove the fragments, others said conservative treatment was better."

"Now we lack a most authoritative conclusion."

Zheng Ren followed Johannes Mandi onto the electric cart, carefully considering the lucky patient's injury.

As for Bota Private Hospital, Zheng Ren also complained—it's so huge that you have to take an electric cart everywhere, simply excessive.

But if others thought that, they'd surely approve—not everyone can run up the stairs like Zheng Ren.

Arriving at a meeting room, Johannes Mandi got off the cart and led Zheng Ren to the adjacent room.

"Doctor Zheng, Doctor Su, here are Old Fu Lai's images." Johannes Mandi retrieved the imaging data; Zheng Ren and Su Yun crowded around without hesitation, while the professor stood behind and watched.

Speaking, they walked into the room.

The room was spacious and bright; as Zheng Ren entered, he suddenly recalled Cui Lao's clinic.

This room alone is eight to ten times the size of Cui Lao's clinic.

Spacious, bright, tidy, and quiet—Zheng Ren didn't know why this thought came to mind, but he would go back to see Cui Lao later.

"Doctor Zheng, Doctor Su, here are Old Fu Lai's images." Johannes Mandi retrieved the imaging data; Zheng Ren and Su Yun crowded around without hesitation, while the professor stood behind and watched.

If Zheng Lao Ban hadn't come, the professor would surely have given the main consultation opinion; but with his own boss present, the professor didn't utter a word.

After adjusting the 3D imaging data, Zheng Ren glanced and immediately began to marvel at Old Fu Lai's good fortune.

The two fragments entered the mediastinum: one lodged a few millimeters from the aortic arch, the other penetrated the pericardium and became lodged between the pericardium and the outer layer of the left ventricular wall.

The vascular CT angiogram showed no contrast leaking from the aorta or around the pericardium.

In other words, those two fragments were well‑behaved; though inside the body they caused Old Fu Lai no irreversible harm—indeed, one could hardly call it harm at all.

Had either fragment been slightly off, Zheng Ren wouldn't be seeing these images; there's no need to scan a corpse, even at Bota Private Hospital.

"Boss, the surgery isn't difficult." Su Yun said after looking at the image.

"Yeah, the surgery really isn't difficult." Zheng Ren said, "Looking at the patient's current condition, there's no secondary injury. We just don't know the trajectory of the projectile inside the body or how severe any infection might be. Let's take a quick look at the patient first; for now we can't draw a conclusion."

"What conclusion can't we draw?" Su Yun frowned.

"Surgery, I think it's unnecessary. By the way, Mr. Johannes Mandi, what's the shotgun material—lead or steel?" Zheng Ren asked.

"It's steel."

"Then there's no need to remove them." Zheng Ren said while looking at the image, "My first thought is that; the specific conclusion will wait until we examine the patient."

"Could there be infection? That bullet fragment in the heart… do you remember the hip replacement we did in Nanyang?"

"The fragments' edges are smooth, so they won't cause extra damage from the heart's beating." Zheng Ren pointed at the image, saying, "After being encapsulated by connective tissue, they'll be even safer. Besides not being able to have an MRI, there should be no further effect."

"You're thinking far ahead—you almost got turned into a sieve." Su Yun said.

"Boss, what thing really doesn't need removal? I think the bullet is right next to the aorta and heart—one slip and the whole thing's ruined." Professor Rudolf Wagner said.

"From an imaging standpoint it's unnecessary; the shotgun material isn't lead, so the impact will be small. Within about a week the initial encapsulation and organization will complete. From the image, the trajectory caused no muscle or fat tearing." Zheng Ren then remarked, "Not even the ribs or sternum are hurt—this person must have saved the universe in a past life."

"Huh? You learned that fast?" Su Yun asked.

Zheng Ren chuckled, just expressing his feeling. The patient's luck is truly good—human ribs mainly protect the heart, lungs, and other vital organs. The two bullet fragments passed through the ribs and sternum without even a fracture…

But thinking about how his pig‑like teammates mistook him for a bear, it's really hard to say whether Old Fu Lai's luck is good or bad.

Afterwards Zheng Ren glanced at the lab results—everything was normal, nothing noteworthy.

"Mr. Johannes Mandi, take a look at Old Fu Lai." Zheng Ren said after reviewing all the lab reports.

"Doctor Zheng, Doctor Su." Johannes Mandi stood up, took the electric cart, and brought Zheng Ren, Su Yun, and the professor to the ward.

This private hospital is simply enormous and deserted. It's quiet, sure, but Zheng Ren thinks it's absolutely a perfect spot for filming horror movies.

If it were the dead of night, with LED lights flickering, plus a white‑coated figure wielding a willow‑leaf blade, it would scare many people into screaming.

Zheng Ren felt no fear at all, and moreover found it quite vivid.

The electric cart moved smoothly over the marble floor, making little sound, quiet. Zheng Ren suddenly thought how wonderful it would be if everyone could enjoy such medical conditions.

But this is merely a fantasy; here the medical‑staff‑to‑patient ratio would be somewhere between 20: -50:1—no society could ever achieve that.

……

……

Note: The case is drawn from Alberto Clerici, Augusto Pellegrini, Fabrizio Sansone et al. A fortunate escape in a hunting story, The Lancet, December 22, 2018. Thanks to Xiao Cao for the translation~a bow~