Healing Doctor

Chapter 4 Young man, I have high hopes for you.

After being taken aback, Colonel Wang felt a surge of anger.

He was kind and gentle, and he had no intention of suppressing or making things difficult for the young doctors who had just entered clinical practice. He did his best to fulfill his responsibilities as a mentor, which is why he agreed to let these young doctors experience surgery up close when they visited the hospital.

Even though it's just a minor outpatient surgery, it's still surgery!

I have a responsibility to my patients!!

But what Colonel Wang never expected was that Ji Xiang's hand speed was so fast. The hand speed that he couldn't develop even after being single for thirty years suddenly appeared. In the blink of an eye, the knot was tied, catching him off guard.

He didn't have time to grab the hemostat, so he raised his hand and slapped Ji Xiang's hand on the back of his hand.

"Why so fast!" Colonel Wang suppressed his anger, maintaining basic politeness, and said unhappily, "This is surgery, why are you in such a hurry..."

He swallowed the rest of his harsh words halfway through his sentence.

During a circumcision, the patient is under local anesthesia, and even if the patient has a thousand or ten thousand complaints about this junior resident, they cannot reveal them to the patient.

Otherwise, things could very well spiral out of control.

And the person next to me was just a student... It's all my fault.

"Hurry up?" Ji Xiang was taken aback.

But he didn't continue to argue. Instead, he let go of her hand, obediently and properly turned to the side, and stood there.

Colonel Wang sighed, picked up the thread shears, and prepared to cut the knot and start over.

Looking up at the knot, Principal Wang was relieved to see that the "reckless" boy hadn't used too much force and torn it.

It wasn't a particularly important operation, otherwise Colonel Wang wouldn't have assigned it to a junior resident trainee.

But just as Colonel Wang was about to pull the knot, his hand froze in mid-air.

This knot...

This knot...

Well done!

The surgical knot was tied precisely, unlike many beginners who tie slip knots.

Moreover, the tension appears to be just right, ensuring the knots are secure without causing excessive tension that could lead to local ischemia or even tearing.

Although knot tying is just a basic procedure on the operating table, it still surprised Colonel Wang that it was done by a reserve resident physician who had not yet joined the department.

He looked at it for three seconds, confirming the knot was tied quite well, then turned to look at Ji Xiang, "Do you practice often at home?"

"I've practiced," Ji Xiang answered honestly.

"Not bad, but..." Colonel Wang drawled, staring at Ji Xiang, "Take it slow, it'll be faster."

The other trainees were still confused about what was going on. Seeing that Teacher Wang was angry, some of them took a half step back and hid behind others to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

But in an instant, Teacher Wang became amiable again, and seemed to be praising Ji Xiang.

"Continue," Colonel Wang nodded.

Ji Xiang picked up the needle holder, threaded the needle, and skillfully began intermittent suturing.

Colonel Wang's eyes were sharp as he watched Ji Xiang stitch up the wound.

Suturing...

Colonel Wang's pupils gradually narrowed, his brows furrowed, and the wrinkles on his face gradually gathered, like a chrysanthemum slowly blooming.

Ji Xiang's technique doesn't seem like that of a newly graduated resident physician entering clinical practice; rather, it's more like that of an experienced attending physician who has been honing their skills in the clinic for several years—skilled yet meticulous.

The stitches are even, and the knot is tied with just the right amount of force, neither too strong nor too weak.

Colonel Wang held the thread cutters. After Ji Xiang finished tying the knot, he acted like an assistant, making sure the knot was okay before cutting the thread.

One needle after another was inserted. Colonel Wang remained silent, and Ji Xiang was happy to complete the surgery.

After all, the system had given him a task, and there would be a reward after the task was completed. Ji Xiang wanted to know what the so-called basic endurance was.

The suturing was completed quickly. Colonel Wang checked it again and, seeing that there were no problems, began to apply pressure bandage.

After the bandage was finished, Ji Xiang heard a crisp sound.

[System Task: Complete the simplest minor surgery. Reward: Base Stamina +1.]

A line of text appeared on the system panel in the upper right corner of Jixiang Vision.

At the same time, a warm current descended upon Ji Xiang as if he had been given a sudden awakening, making him feel warm and comfortable all over.

Could this be the moment of enlightenment that follows? This thought popped into Ji Xiang's mind.

While training in the system space, Ji Xiang didn't feel too tired because of the novelty.

In addition, he was young and in good health, so he underwent a long series of surgeries in one go.

Later, due to excessive physical exertion, he was kicked out by the system NPC, which left Ji Xiang somewhat regretful.

This warm current flowed through my body, sweeping away all my fatigue. The red "health bar" in the upper right corner of my vision was instantly replenished, and my base value changed from 8 to 8+1.

So that's how it is. Ji Xiang was in a good mood.

Although Colonel Wang admired Ji Xiang, he did not allow him to remain on the operating table.

For the next surgery, a resident trainee came to assist me, allowing me to observe the surgery up close.

The anesthesia did not go smoothly this time; the patient remained responsive even after intermittent local anesthesia at the root.

Colonel Wang remained calm, seemingly unfazed by the situation.

He picked up the syringe and gave himself a shot in the head.

The moment the needle pierced the skin, the patient let out a bloodcurdling scream, startling the students behind Ji Xiang.

He instinctively jumped back, almost messing up the medicine on the cart.

"Will it hurt that much to get another injection?" Ji Xiang frowned slightly.

"Just bear with it, grit your teeth and it'll pass."

Colonel Wang comforted the patient with ease.

As the anesthetic was administered, Ji Xiang noticed that the patient's face was bluish-purple and he was sweating profusely.

It really hurts; I wasn't faking it.

However, this was only due to the pain. The local anesthetic injected into the head worked remarkably well, and the medication took effect quickly, allowing the surgery to continue.

The surgery was performed with exceptional precision, and eight outpatient surgeries were completed a few hours later.

Colonel Wang led the resident trainees to check on the post-operative patients. Seeing that everything was alright, he instructed the patients on dressing change times and precautions before sending them home.

"Let's visit other departments," Colonel Wang said to the resident trainees. "The surgical procedure is simple, but it's not as simple as you think."

"Teacher," a resident trainee habitually raised his hand to ask.

"you say."

"Circumcision shouldn't be too difficult, right? I...I..."

"You've learned it?" Colonel Wang had taken off his mask, revealing a faint smile.

"I think I'll be able to do it on my own after a few more months of training," the resident physician said "modestly."

He then muttered something under his breath, as if to say, "If Ji Xiang can do it, so can I."

Colonel Wang did not refute his words, but just smiled and beckoned to Ji Xiang, "Dr. Ji, have a smoke with me."

Amidst the envious glances of his classmates, Ji Xiang scratched his head sheepishly and accompanied Colonel Wang to the fire escape.

"It's getting harder and harder to smoke these days. When I first started working, I could smoke freely in the clinic." Colonel Wang plopped down on the steps, pulled a pack of 95 Supreme cigarettes from his white coat pocket, and waved it at Ji Xiang.

"Teacher Wang, I don't smoke."

"That's true." Colonel Wang didn't insist, and lit a cigarette. "Smoking is bad for your health, but people always have a sense of luck until they reach that point, always thinking they're the exception."

He lit a cigarette and took a satisfying puff.

Wang Daxiao inhaled the entire puff of smoke without exhaling any smoke, which surprised Ji Xiang.

Smokers like Colonel Wang are extremely rare.

After a full three seconds, he finally exhaled a few wisps of smoke. Colonel Wang felt completely relaxed. "Having a cigarette after surgery is fucking amazing. A surge of energy rushes from the base of my tailbone straight to the back of my head."

Ji Xiang didn't understand Colonel Wang's description, and just smiled politely.

"The surgery looks simple, but every step is like walking on thin ice, as if facing an abyss. Can you really master it in just a few months? You won't know your own limitations until something goes wrong."

There was no disdain in Colonel Wang's tone, but Ji Xiang vaguely sensed some painful memories from the past.

"Dr. Xiao Ji, do you know how much this cigarette costs?" Colonel Wang asked, shaking the 95 Supreme cigarette in his hand with a hint of regret.

Ji Xiang shook his head.

"One hundred," Colonel Wang said. "Doctors these days are not like they used to be; ordinary junior doctors can't afford this kind of cigarette."

"Teacher, do you mean...?"

"You're new to clinical surgery, but you're already doing a pretty good job. I'm pleased to see that, so I'll say a few more words to you," Colonel Wang said, his mouth dangling from a cigarette.

His subsequent smoking motions were normal; he didn't seem to swallow all the smoke in the first puff.

"Dr. Ji, let me ask you, why did you become a doctor?" Colonel Wang asked.

"My mom says gambling and drugs are off-limits, but starting a business is the biggest money sink, so it's better to learn a skill to keep yourself in check," Ji Xiang said frankly.

Colonel Wang paused for a moment.

He had expected to hear the lofty ideals instilled in him by the school—such as healing the sick and saving lives—from this young man's mouth.

But what Ji Xiang's mother said...

This is not the way ordinary people think.

Even though Wang Daxiao had been in the business world for decades, he could only vaguely understand what Ji Xiang meant; he certainly didn't understand it at all.

Those are, after all, two different worldviews.

Colonel Wang was speechless for a moment, unable to utter a single word of his next statement.

"Teacher Wang, please go ahead," Ji Xiang said politely.

"Does your family have connections?"

"I don't know the specifics either," Ji Xiang smiled.

Colonel Wang sighed, and Ji Xiang's 1.88-meter figure seemed to become unfathomable.

"Come with me to another hospital sometime when you have time," Colonel Wang finally said, revealing his thoughts. "Multiple practice locations—we urologists can earn just as much as anyone else."

"Old military doctor, the kind you see on utility poles?" Ji Xiang asked with a smile.

Colonel Wang was amiable, and Ji Xiang, not being reserved either, started joking around.

"Nonsense, those are all quack doctors scamming people," Colonel Wang said. "A foreskin removal surgery is just one of the few procedures performed at a hospital. In a plastic surgery clinic, the fee for one surgery would be enough for me to buy several packs of cigarettes. It's a pity Old Mo doesn't do lengthening surgery; if he did, he could earn even more."

As Wang Daxiao spoke the last sentence, his voice grew softer and softer. As for who Lao Mo was, Ji Xiang didn't care.

Looking at Ji Xiang's calm expression, Colonel Wang could guess that this young man's family must be extraordinary.

"It's a real shame," Colonel Wang sighed.

Since Ji Xiang is not short of money, there is no point in recruiting him.

After accompanying Colonel Wang to finish his cigarette, Ji Xiang politely said goodbye and continued his tour of the hospital.

……

A few hours later, I got off work and went home.

The bicycle was parked next to the shared bikes. Ji Xiang greeted a burly man and rode home on the strange bicycle covered with butterfly patterns.

Less than a kilometer from Wanda Plaza in the city center, there is a private garden-style building. Dense trees separate the courtyard from the hustle and bustle, creating a quiet oasis amidst the city's noise.

Ji Xiang rode his bicycle into the yard, parked it in the bike shed, and pushed open the door to enter the house.

"Dad, I'm back!" Ji Xiang said as he changed his shoes.

A middle-aged man sat in his study, the computer screen glowing green, reflecting a green light onto his face, like a vegetable garden.

In another place, this would be full of life, but the green on the man's face was full of gloom.

"Oh ho, you fell again?" Ji Xiang laughed.

"Hmm." The man sat up straight, stretched, and said, "Let's eat."

The man stood up, a few specks of snow falling from his temples, his expression handsome; Ji Xiang and he were practically identical.

"How was your first day at the hospital? When is the exam?" the man asked casually.

"Not bad." Ji Xiang had no interest in chatting with the old man; he was more interested in the system panel in the upper right corner of his field of vision.

But suddenly Ji Xiang remembered something and asked, "Dad, did you feel unwell after we received the stem cell injections a few days ago? Did you have any hallucinations or anything?"

"Hmm? I'm fine. Are you feeling unwell?"

"No." Ji Xiang quickly changed the subject.

Adipose tissue is extracted, cultured into stem cells, and then reinfused. Ji Xiang has needed to have these infusions twice a year since adulthood, and he doesn't know how much each infusion costs.

This procedure is not for treating illness, but rather for boosting immunity, and there are even rumors that it can slow down aging.

He was already used to this, but the appearance of the system after the stem cell infusion made Ji Xiang think more and ask more questions.

After dinner, Ji Xiang didn't accompany the old man for a walk. Instead, he used the excuse that he was tired from the first day of surgery to go back to his room and lie on the bed to carefully observe the system panel.

(End of this chapter)