Healing Doctor

Chapter 179 The Old Father

"I didn't know what you wanted," Zhao Zhe said apologetically, "so I just brought everything. Use it as you see fit."

"It's nothing, it's nothing." Ji Xiang looked at the pile of things, called Director Liu, and then hailed a car to take the documents home.

"Teacher Xiao Ji..." Zhao Zhe grabbed Ji Xiang.

"No, no, Teacher Zhao, you can just call me Xiao Ji." Ji Xiang quickly stopped the talkative Zhao Zhe.

"Of course," Zhao Zhe said with a beaming smile. "You have a bright future ahead of you, and I might even need you to perform surgery for me in the future. You know the situation at our hospital; it would be wonderful if we had the opportunity to perform interventional surgery here, but unfortunately, we haven't had that chance yet. I was just thinking..."

Zhao Zhe's words went further and further away, and if he weren't interrupted, he could probably talk forever.

Ji Xiang smiled and said, "Teacher Zhao, even if I went to Shanghai, I wouldn't have that ability. You're overthinking it."

"Sigh, this is just me trying to comfort myself," Zhao Zhe said. "I know that having a DSA machine alone isn't enough; we also need people to perform the surgery. Talent development is a process that takes generations on, but if the leadership doesn't value it, nothing will work."

I saw someone say something the other day…

"Teacher Zhao, wait, wait." Ji Xiang quickly stopped Zhao Zhe's rambling conversation. If it had been any later, the topic would probably have gone off on a tangible tangent.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't have that kind of ability. I don't even know what the outcome would be if I went to Shanghai. I just think your research has been going on for a long time, so it seems reliable. I'm just looking for the opinions of the big shots in Shanghai."

"Huh? These documents of mine..." Zhao Zhe realized something and looked at Ji Xiang with surprise, as if something had overturned his worldview. "Little Ji... Doctor, these documents are for you."

"!!!"

"After so many years of doing this, I treat patients like friends and family. These files are full of my hard work, just like my children."

"What parent doesn't want their child to be successful? You agree, right?"

As Zhao Zhe spoke, he habitually hunched his back, his face full of wrinkles, each wrinkle carrying humility and ingratiation.

Even when giving away his life's work, Zhao Zhe still habitually remained humble, as if he were an ant.

"I'm speaking from the heart. I'm just a urologist. I was actually on the wrong track from the very beginning to do such a large-scale research project. How many patients in our small town are capable of undergoing partial nephrectomy? And nobody really cares about it."

Furthermore, this conference is for interventional radiology specialists, which I'm not really involved in. If the big shots in Shanghai are interested, I'll give these to you, Dr. Ji. It would be best if you could produce results and publish a paper, ideally with five, six, seven, or eight authors as co-authors.

It's okay if I can't take care of her; I'm happy to see my child succeed. Of course, of course, she's not my child, she's yours, Dr. Ji.

"..." Ji Xiang was speechless.

"Actually, I've lost interest in publishing papers and doing research. I'm content to just be a senior attending physician for the rest of my life. Look at their promotions, whose research wasn't bought? Look at my phone."

As Zhao Zhe spoke, he took out his phone, opened WeChat, and found a group.

"These are all about selling academic papers; it's become an entire industry chain. Just yesterday, someone posted on WeChat Moments that there were vacancies for first authors of SCI papers, and people were urging others to hurry if they needed them."

You tell me, what does this have to do with scientific research? This isn't the kind of scientific research I imagine, and I wouldn't want to... Sigh, if I were ten years younger, I definitely would have bought it. But now that I'm this age, I might as well just give up and do whatever I want, it doesn't matter.

"Anyway, I have a permanent position. Being a resident physician or attending physician for life is just shameful, it won't affect anything else."

"But my efforts over the years are different. I really hope they can find a good home... Hahaha, not to marry off a daughter, not to ask for a dowry, I really hope they can become famous."

"No, that's not right. I certainly won't become famous worldwide, but if I can get published in a domestic journal, could you please mail me a copy? It doesn't matter if my name isn't on it. Just looking at the data on it will make me smile in my dreams."

Zhao Zhe became increasingly humble and emotional as he spoke.

He was like an old father who wanted his child to succeed, and he tried his best to please Ji Xiang.

"Teacher Zhao, look what you're saying," Ji Xiang quickly said. "It has nothing to do with what you said. Let's go to my house, organize the information, and make a PPT."

"Yesterday, Professor Ling called me and said he would review it and, if it was acceptable, give the presentation as the last one."

"!!!" Zhao Zhe's eyes lit up.

"It seems you can't do the report, because they specifically asked me to do it," Ji Xiang said with a hint of regret. "But your name must be the first author in the paper; I'm just someone who's hitching a ride."

"Dr. Xiao Ji, look at what you're saying." Zhao Zhe was a little bewildered. Even his talkativeness had disappeared, which was different from what he had expected.

"I'm telling the truth, Professor Zhao," Ji Xiang said earnestly. "Although I performed three surgeries with Director Liu, there were no long-term effects. This conclusion can only be reached because of your years of research."

"No, no." Zhao Zhe waved his hands repeatedly, firmly refusing, "This is an interventional radiology conference, not a urology conference. How can you take over the main event? Dr. Xiao Ji, please don't be so polite."

"It's so nice to have you as the finale!"

As Zhao Zhe spoke, his eyes lit up; he was envious to the core.

But after being worn down by life for so long, Zhao Zhe couldn't muster even the slightest bit of jealousy.

He had only one thought—the bigger and higher the stage his children could reach, the better. As for whether he himself could benefit from it, Zhao Zhe had lost all interest in that.

Zhao Zhe's biggest worry is that Ji Xiang will abandon his own child.

After all, it was the annual meeting on interventional procedures, and Ji Xiang's demonstration of interventional surgical techniques had already impressed Zhao Zhe. He knew that the data he had accumulated over the years was dispensable and of little use to Ji Xiang.

It's not even as good as chicken ribs.

At the academic conference, Ji Xiang could have easily showcased his exquisite surgical skills, rather than presenting a study on urology.

Zhao Zhe was aware of this.

He was not an ignorant teenager.

The two exchanged polite words the whole way, and Zhao Zhe finally managed to express his meaning after much rambling.

When Zhao Zhe arrived at Ji Xiang's house, he was dumbfounded.

"Dr. Xiao Ji, your house... is really impressive." Zhao Zhe looked at the quiet villa amidst the hustle and bustle and exclaimed sincerely.

"fine."

"Where's the nanny? Who takes care of such a big house?"

"We hire hourly cleaners, but my dad takes care of the lawn and everything else himself," Ji Xiang said. "He just enjoys doing these little chores."

(End of this chapter)