Rebirth of a Doctor Without Regrets

Chapter 125 Surgical Madness

As dawn broke, Shen Hao, still feeling exhausted, set up a folding cot in the corner of the operating room.

After searching for the Da Vinci sleep method on Baidu last night, he didn't sleep a wink. The blood vessels in his eyes were even more prominent than those of post-operative patients, and his face also had a sickly pale complexion.

He followed Wang Xiao's example and specifically instructed the nurses that after each surgery, no matter how short the interval, he should rest for fifteen minutes.

After the first level IV valve repair surgery, Shen Hao staggered to his cot, and without even taking off his shoes, he fell asleep immediately.

But as soon as he closed his eyes, his mind was filled with the numbers on the leaderboard and Wang Xiao's calm and composed demeanor on the operating table. How could he possibly sleep peacefully?

A moment later, the nurse's voice came: "Deputy Director Shen, the next surgery is ready."

Shen Hao suddenly woke up with a start, all his muscles tense up, his mind a complete blank, as if he had been hit with a hammer.

He rubbed his throbbing temples helplessly, forced himself to stand up, and staggered to the operating table.

This painful cycle repeated itself three times.

After finishing a surgery, I would drift off to sleep for about ten minutes, only to be forcibly woken up again.

At noon, when he finished his fourth surgery, a sudden surge of acid from his stomach rushed up to his throat.

Shen Hao couldn't hold on any longer. He covered his mouth and ran into the operating room bathroom, where he hugged the toilet and vomited violently.

Looking at the acidic bile in the toilet bowl, Xi Hao slowly recovered.

Seeing Shen Hao run out, Li Lei was worried that something might have happened to him, so he followed him.

He pushed the door open and came in, looking at Shen Hao's pale face, and asked worriedly, "Deputy Director Shen, are you alright? Why don't we stop the surgery for now and you go to the rest room to get some sleep? If you keep pushing yourself like this, your body will break down."

Shen Hao, supporting himself against the cold sink, slowly straightened up and washed his face with cold water.

He replied in a hoarse voice, "No need! Wang Xiao is a human being, and so am I. He can work 24/7, he can keep going with the so-called Da Vinci sleep method, why can't I?"

His pride wouldn't allow him to back down, and he certainly wouldn't allow himself to lose to a resident who had only been in the department for six months.

Neither the nomination for promotion to director nor my reputation, built up over many years, would allow it.

Seeing his stubborn expression, Li Lei's lips moved, but in the end, he swallowed back the words that were about to come out.

He had served as an assistant to Wang Xiao during that highly complex secondary valve surgery, and he knew better than anyone that Wang Xiao was far beyond the capabilities of ordinary people.

That kind of precise operation, calm mindset, and creativity in the face of difficulties is less a talent and more an inhuman quality.

Competing with Wang Xiao is probably a losing proposition from the start.

But as a member of Shen Hao's team, he absolutely could not say these words aloud; he could only keep them to himself.

After a moment of silence, Li Lei made up his mind and looked up at Shen Hao: "Deputy Director Shen, if you really can't hold on any longer, then leave this level-three coronary artery bypass surgery to me."

I've been working with you for so long, I'm familiar with the procedures for this type of surgery, and I'm technically competent. Please rest assured, I will not make any mistakes.

Shen Hao paused for a moment, then turned to look at Li Lei.

He knew that Li Lei was skilled, but he was usually too reserved, or perhaps he had suppressed his own abilities for too long, so he rarely volunteered to be the lead surgeon.

Seeing Li Lei's determined gaze and considering his own discomfort, Shen Hao finally relented.

He nodded: "Okay, then this surgery is in your hands. I'll guide you from the side. If you encounter any problems, stop immediately."

Once authorized, Li Lei immediately perked up.

He took his place as the chief surgeon, his movements skillful and steady, each step performed methodically, demonstrating the ease and expertise of a seasoned attending physician.

Shen Hao stood aside, watching Li Lei's actions, and breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Having completed the crucial steps, he took the opportunity to lean against the wall and close his eyes for a short rest.

People are more concerned about inequality than scarcity.

With Li Lei taking the lead, the other attending physicians in Shen Hao's team also volunteered.

Seeing Shen Hao's exhausted appearance, they knew that if Shen Hao collapsed, their group would definitely lose the points competition.

So, the group decided to take turns performing the surgery, while Shen Hao provided overall guidance from the sidelines, only personally handling any particularly difficult procedures.

As a result, the surgery progressed smoothly rather than slowed down.

Before I knew it, another day had passed.

At midnight, Shen Hao dragged his aching body back to the office area.

Zhao Zhao was still slumped over the computer, looking exhausted. When he saw Shen Hao come in, he quickly stood up and said, "Deputy Director Shen, the weekly points have just been tallied. Please come and take a look."

Shen Hao leaned closer to the computer screen, and the numbers on the screen felt like a sharp knife, piercing his heart.

Shen Hao's group has accumulated 890 points, while Zhu Chunhua's group has accumulated 900 points, surpassing Shen Hao by 10 points.

These 10 points may not seem like much, but they were achieved by Shen Hao after giving it his all.

Shen Hao knew that his body had reached its limit. The Da Vinci Sleep Method not only failed to restore his energy, but also made his condition worse.

If I keep pushing myself like this, I won't be able to catch up in points, and I'm afraid I'll even ruin my health.

Wang Xiao, on the other hand, seems to have inexhaustible energy. Zhu Chunhua's team continues to increase the number of surgeries, and the gap between them will only widen.

Shen Hao staggered back a step, leaned against the cold wall, ran his hands through his hair, and let out a heavy sigh.

He had worked so hard for so many years and put in so much effort, and he was about to get a promotion, but he never expected to be surpassed by a junior.

Just then, Wu Deyang quietly walked in and saw Shen Hao's distraught appearance, so he quickly went over to him.

He lowered his voice and said, "Deputy Director Shen, don't get too upset. It's just that we've been overtaken by 10 points. We still have a chance."

Shen Hao raised his head, looking at him blankly: "Opportunity? What opportunity is there? I can't hold on any longer. That kid Wang Xiao is a monster. I can't beat him at all."

Wu Deyang looked around to make sure no one else was in the office area before leaning close to Shen Hao's ear and saying mysteriously, "Deputy Director Shen, there's no need to compete with him physically. We definitely can't win a physical contest. I have a relative in the infection control department who might be able to help."

Shen Hao suddenly looked up, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes: "Infection Control Department? What help can they be? The points system is based on the number of surgeries and cases, the Infection Control Department has no control over these things."

Wu Deyang smiled faintly and continued in a low voice, "You forgot, Zhu Chunhua's team has been performing too many surgeries recently, and there are bound to be oversights in the disinfection of the operating room and wards and in infection control."

My relative can be a little stricter during infection control checks and find some minor issues, so that we can catch up.

Upon hearing this, Shen Hao froze, a look of shock on his face: "This—can this really work?"

Although he was eager to win the competition, he was also aware that such opportunistic methods were extremely risky.

Wu Deyang patted his chest and said, "Deputy Director Shen, don't worry, leave it to me. My relative has worked in the infection control department for several years. He's very reliable and won't leave any evidence against us. Besides, infection control inspections are very strict, so no one will suspect us."

Shen Hao fell silent. He stared at the glaring 10-point gap on the leaderboard, and then thought of the promotion opportunity that was within reach. The struggle in his heart grew more and more intense.

On one side is fair and square competition, which is destined to end in defeat; on the other side is opportunistic shortcuts, which come with enormous risks.

He clenched his fists, closed his eyes, and nodded.