Healing Doctor

Chapter 776 Smoke Emerging

The next morning, Ji Xiang was stopped by Deng Chaohong as soon as he arrived at the hospital.

Deng Chaohong was radiant and full of vigor.

"Xiao Ji, I have good news for you."

"Teacher Deng, what's the good news?"

"When you were doing variety shows, Wenban Yama said she was coming to have surgery and even appeared on TV, remember?"

"I remember." Ji Xiang smiled. "So you've finally figured it out?"

Finally... I... understand...

This statement is incredibly confident, bordering on Versailles-like.

Deng Chaohong was slightly taken aback, then gave a wry smile.

"Yes, the team from Wenbanyama contacted me yesterday and is preparing to fly over for surgery soon."

"Aren't we going to Shanghai?"

"We'll make it in time. Let's go to Shanghai first to perform surgery on Li Muzhi. It will take some time before Wenban Yama can come over."

"Sure," Ji Xiang replied with a smile.

"Xiao Ji, come here." Deng Chaohong pulled Ji Xiang around, looking him over like a thief, but he was still worried.

I walked from the office to the duty room, and finally went to the restroom.

The hospital was packed with people early in the morning. Seeing Deng Chaohong's cautious expression, Ji Xiang felt helpless and pulled him to the fire escape.

Even in the fire escape, patients' family members were secretly smoking. It took two floors to find a secluded spot.

"Teacher Deng, you need to talk to me about the fees, right?" Ji Xiang asked directly.

Deng Chaohong was speechless.

"How much money is the Amazon side offering? 300 million dollars or 500 million dollars? Any less wouldn't be appropriate. And what does the hospital say about the money?" Ji Xiang asked.

"!!!"

Deng Chaohong was completely stunned, and then a sense of relief swept over him, and he even felt himself starting to lose strength.

When Deng Chaohong heard the unbelievable price yesterday, he was excited but then had a little ulterior motive.

Ji Xiang was a resident physician, young, naive, and focused solely on surgery.

Deng Chaohong had not heard anything about the cost of Neymar's surgery.

Or you could simply not mention the expenses yourself, gloat over it, and end up pocketing the money?

Deng Chaohong thought about it all night, but still couldn't make up his mind.

When I saw Ji Xiang early in the morning, I felt a pang of guilt and pulled him aside to find a secluded spot to talk about the money.

But Deng Chaohong never expected that Ji Xiang had already known everything and offered a price that was almost exactly the same.

"How did you know?" Deng Chaohong asked in a low voice.

"This is roughly the price for surgery on internationally renowned athletes," Ji Xiang said with a smile. "However, not many doctors are willing to take on a second surgery, so Professor Deng can ask for more."

"!!!"

"How much exactly?"

"US$450 million," Deng Chaohong said.

"Double it," Ji Xiang said calmly. "$900 million. Take it or leave it."

"Fuck!" Deng Chaohong blurted out a curse, completely contradicting his previous refined persona.

Ji Xiang really is... asking for an exorbitant amount.

In Deng Chaohong's view, the $450 million surgery fee was already an astronomical price, but Ji Xiang was not only not satisfied or excited, but also felt that the money was too little and asked for it to be doubled.

Moreover, doing so would contradict Deng Chaohong's long-held understanding and perception of doctors.

People flying in to have surgery already shows their trust in my skills... no, it shows their trust in Ji Xiang and the entire medical team.

Money for throwing knives is necessary, but a few hundred thousand would be enough. Why offer millions of dollars?

Furthermore, the doctor's sudden price increase and constant talk of money made Deng Chaohong even more uncomfortable.

Moreover, Ji Xiang doubled the amount as soon as he opened his mouth.

There are several jokes that satirize surgeons for accepting bribes.

For example, when performing surgery on one's own father, one must first receive a red envelope (bribe), otherwise the surgery cannot proceed.

Deng Chaohong's values ​​creaked and shattered.

"Teacher Deng, he's a basketball star from the US, and he's still on a rookie contract. If he plays well this season, he'll be getting a multi-million dollar max contract next year," Ji Xiang said. "Don't worry, he doesn't care about that."

"Xiao Ji, how much did you charge Neymar for his surgery when you were on your show?"

"I didn't ask for any money," Ji Xiang replied matter-of-factly.

"!!!" More and more exclamation marks appeared above Deng Chaohong's head, and black lines appeared on his forehead.

"At the time, we were recording a variety show, and I wasn't short of money. Neymar coming to China for surgery was a favor to me, so why talk about money? They didn't say anything, probably because there were huge disagreements within the medical team. They just wanted to get it done quickly and deal with the consequences later."

"But it's different in Kovanbamar."

Deng Chaohong felt that Ji Xiang was playing house like a child, joking with him.

"Seriously, no problem, Professor Deng." Ji Xiang smiled. "Yesterday my dad gave me some information. An actuary calculated that $900 million is the upper limit they can afford."

Deng Chaohong was once again stunned by Ji Xiang's words.

When will doctors need to deal with actuaries?

"Don't worry," Ji Xiang reassured him.

"Xiao Ji, aren't you flush with cash?" Deng Chaohong asked in a low voice.

"I don't lack money, but the rest of the medical team does," Ji Xiang said. "Dr. Zhao Zhe has just settled here and needs money for many things. The allowance my mother gives me is enough, but it doesn't seem right to give him money directly."

Deng Chaohong listened silently to Ji Xiang's boasting.

"I'm worried that Dr. Zhao will be under too much pressure if I pay every penny. It's more comfortable to spend money I earn myself, don't you think, Professor Deng?"

"Uh... right?"

"You'll have to pay 45% in taxes, or you can tell the Wenban Amazon team that you need $450 million after tax," Ji Xiang suggested.

"Such a high tax?!"

Ji Xiang paused for a moment, looking at Deng Chaohong with a surprised expression.

Deng Chaohong scratched his head, looking somewhat embarrassed.

He wasn't short of money, but he rarely paid taxes on the money he earned. Ji Xiang instantly understood why.

"You can keep some of the rest, and Dr. Zhao and Dr. Lin in the medical team can each take some." Ji Xiang readily distributed the money.

That's such a damn pretentious act!

Deng Chaohong was inwardly wailing.

The key point is that Ji Xiang really doesn't care about money. He didn't even look at the millions of dollars and directly divided them up to himself, Zhao Zhe, Lin Jiu... what was it again? Deng Chaohong hesitated for a moment before remembering the name Lin Jiu.

"Oh right, we should leave some," Ji Xiang suddenly said.

Deng Chaohong smiled slightly and said, "Hey, there's always a time when you overdo it."

At least half should be left for Ji Xiang.

"Give some money to Tang Yan, the scrub nurse. Professor Deng, could you come up with a plan? We can sit down and discuss it sometime. Money is money, we'll earn more, it's not a big deal. There will be plenty of opportunities to make money in the future, don't you think?"

Ji Xiang waved his hand and said casually.

Deng Chaohong was on the verge of tears.

Ji Xiang really doesn't care about money.

"Teacher Deng, when are we flying to Shanghai?" Ji Xiang asked.

"If we include Wenban Yama's surgery, the sooner the better."

"Then tomorrow or the day after."

Ji Xiang made the decision that the leave application, along with the qualification review and filing, would all have to go through the medical affairs department.

Generally speaking, scalpel transfers are performed at lower-level hospitals. The Second Affiliated Hospital is one of the top-tier tertiary hospitals in the province, and it performs quite a few scalpel transfers.

We can go up to the Magic City Flying Knife, this is the first time.

Director Bai looked at the approval form for a long time, a smile appearing on his lips.

……

"Dr. Ji Xiang, I need to ask for half a day off when I come to Shanghai."

Lin Jiu didn't care about dividing the money. After the medical team sat down and finished their meeting to discuss how to divide the money, he whispered to Ji Xiang.

"Oh, it's not considered taking leave, as long as it doesn't delay the surgery." Ji Xiang smiled. "Are you from Shanghai? Are you going back to visit your parents?"

Lin Jiu suddenly felt a little helpless.

It seems that his surprise at Ji Xiang guessing that his family was from Shanghai was not due to that; rather, there was something else going on.

Ji Xiang was slightly taken aback. He knew Lin Jiu quite well. His mind raced, and then he felt confused.

Lin Jiuze is usually very aloof, and coupled with his potential to be an invisible figure, Ji Xiang really couldn't understand what Lin Jiuze was embarrassed about.

Moreover, Lin Jiuze's expression was not only awkward, but also strange and inexplicable. Ji Xiang felt that Lin Jiuze's emotions were like a layered cake, hard to describe.

"Dr. Lin, what's wrong with you?"

"No, no," Lin Jiu denied outright.

moment!

Shen Lang's gossipy nature stirred something within Ji Xiang.

But this was Lin Jiuze's personal privacy, and Ji Xiang didn't want to get too involved.

Two forces intertwined within him, and for the first time, Ji Xiang understood what it meant for two little people to fight.

After taking leave, the group of five flew to Shanghai.

Tang Yan sat in her first-class seat, looking around. She was extremely satisfied with this "job".

Originally, I thought that getting an extra income from Feng Yuqing every month would be a great blessing, but I never expected that just working as an instrument nurse would earn me millions!

She was a little excited, but Ji Xiang seemed hesitant on the plane, as if he had something on his mind. Tang Yan tried to talk to Ji Xiang several times but received no response.

"Old Zhao, what's wrong with Ji Xiang? Is the surgery difficult? Can't it be done?" Tang Yan asked Zhao Zhe in a low voice.

Zhao Zhe also noticed Ji Xiang's strange behavior.

He scratched his head. "We're the ones who do the work, so we should do more and ask fewer questions."

"Tch!" Tang Yan said disdainfully.

"Tang, let me tell you, making money isn't easy, and don't think we're indispensable. Anyone else could take our place," Zhao Zhe said to Tang Yan in a low voice.

There were some things that could have been left unsaid, but Tang Yan's cheerful personality was truly endearing, and Zhao Zhe was especially unwilling to see structural problems arise in the newly established and stable medical team, so he gave Tang Yan a heads-up.

There are some things that I, the old doctor, need to do quietly, even though Ji Xiang doesn't know it.

"Oh, I know." Tang Yan chuckled. "You're not going to act innocent after getting the benefit, right?"

"That's roughly the idea. Let me tell you something," Zhao Zhe whispered with a smile. "It's almost Chinese New Year, and I went to visit some graves a few days ago."

"..." Tang Yan glanced at Zhao Zhe.

"They're all small graves, not public cemeteries, so finding ancestral graves is very difficult," Zhao Zhe explained at length. "This time it was easy. I had my Second Affiliated Hospital ID and the medical team's approval documents with me, and I saw a wisp of smoke rising up. I just followed it and found my family's ancestral grave."

"!!!" Tang Yan laughed heartily; Zhao Zhe really had no serious business to attend to.

"Brother Zhao, you're probably the only one who would dare to joke about their own ancestral graves," Tang Yan said with a smile.

"I'm not kidding, I reckon my ancestors would be very pleased if they knew this in the afterlife." Zhao Zhe straightened his back and said seriously, "When I was the chief physician in Yuanliao, the profits were distributed from top to bottom. Everyone said how big the profits were, but those who did the work at the bottom got the least money."

"We don't even see the big money coming in. The director only gets a small portion. As for the clinical doctors who work like oxen and horses, they're lucky if they can even get a sip of soup. They're lucky to have a good director."

"By the way, Xiao Tang, do you get any extra income while working in the operating room?"

Tang Yan shook her head.

"That's right." Zhao Zhe whispered to Tang Yan, still keeping his voice low. "All the income from the supplies they use goes to the head nurse and the department director. The people who actually work on the front lines don't get much income."

"Look this time, Xiao Ji didn't take any at all. Let's put it this way, if Xiao Ji took 80%, or even 90%, would there be anything wrong with that?"

"No, that's why I think he's crazy. It's all money," Tang Yan said.

"Hey, having a good leader is like having your ancestors' graves emitting auspicious smoke; this is no joke."

Zhao Zhe wasn't talkative this time; he seemed to have thought of something and shivered.

"Brother Zhao, let me introduce you to a girlfriend." Tang Yan didn't notice Zhao Zhe's mood and suddenly changed the subject.

Zhao Zhe assumed Tang Yan understood what he meant, so he started gossiping.

"No, I'm not cut out for marriage." Zhao Zhe sighed. "Let me tell you something. Do you know why I got divorced?"

"Why?" Tang Yan asked curiously.

"Because in previous years some scammers started with fake orders." Zhao Zhe sighed. Although he was talking about the past, he still couldn't get excited.

"My ex-wife was scammed out of more than 5 yuan while doing online order boosting."

"!!!" Tang Yan exclaimed in surprise, "Are there really people this stupid? I always thought it was just a made-up story to fool people!"

"It's not that I'm stupid, I've studied it. These things go straight to human nature. A few years ago, there was a Tsinghua professor who was scammed out of millions in a 'pig butchering scam,' you know? A Tsinghua professor, he was a pure intellectual."

Tang Yan shook her head.

"Putting that aside, my ex-wife was scammed out of more than 5 yuan through online order fraud. Making up the money was enough. I was worried that she would get upset, so I spent the whole day comforting her. In the end, she came to the conclusion that she was scammed because she married me."

Tang Yan stared wide-eyed, not understanding the logic behind it.

This is so unreasonable!

"Actually, I know what's going on." Zhao Zhe sighed again. "It's because they think I don't earn enough. Look at all these short videos and 'little white books' these days, they're all about showing off wealth. The annual production of a Rolls-Royce Phantom can't even compare to the number of people on 'little white books' who are happily buying Rolls-Royces. Isn't that ridiculous?"

"Oh, that's all just bragging, don't take it seriously. If you believe it, you've already lost," Tang Yan said calmly.

"Yes, but my ex-wife believed it, so the scammer found a loophole and swindled her out of more than 5 yuan."

"Ever since she cried and said that she was deceived because she married me, I knew I had to get a divorce. At that moment, I felt like a bucket of ice water had been poured over my head."

"I am utterly disappointed."

"Hey, Brother Zhao, that's all in the past. You're not short of money now, are you?" Tang Yan advised.

"I'm not short of money, so there's no need for me to find a partner," Zhao Zhe said with a smile. "I'm living such a comfortable life now, why would I need to?"

"talk……"

"You want gifts for Valentine's Day, gifts for anniversaries, gifts for every occasion, but you never remember my birthday. What's the point? I earn money to support my family, and I just watch some live streams, which is fine with me."

"What if the day comes when I can no longer walk?"

"Aren't you still young?" Zhao Zhe said. "I'm not taking advantage of you. For now, we're comrades in the same medical team. At least when I go to the nursing home, you can visit me. When I'm in the ICU, you can give me some medication to make my journey more comfortable."

"Brother Zhao, you've wasted over forty years of your life. Don't you know that people forget you once they're gone?" Tang Yan said disdainfully.

"If you don't do it, there's still Xiao Ji, right?" Zhao Zhe said frankly. "Xiao Ji is very loyal. When I get old, Xiao Ji will definitely let me pass away peacefully."

Tang Yan's expression changed slightly as she looked up at Ji Xiang in front of her.

Zhao Zhe's evaluation of Ji Xiang was no longer flattery; it was so high that Ji Xiang had never heard of such praise in his entire life.

Ji Xiang was chatting with Lin Jiuze, and Tang Yan listened intently for a long time but couldn't hear what they were talking about.

"Dr. Lin, please tell me what's wrong. You seem to have something you're having trouble saying. If it's inconvenient for you, that's fine, but I'll definitely help if I can."

Ji Xiang hesitated for a long time before finally revealing his trump card.

He really wanted to know why Lin Jiu was in such a dilemma.

As they were talking, the flight attendant came over and squatted down next to Lin Jiuze.

"Mr. Ji, what would you like to drink?" the flight attendant asked solicitously.

Ji Xiang glanced at Lin Jiuze, seeing that he was already used to it, and smiled. "Give me a glass of water, Dr. Lin. What would you like?"

After hearing Ji Xiang's words, the flight attendant finally saw Lin Jiuze.

She was so startled that she almost fell to the ground.

"Plain water," Lin Jiu said.

The flight attendant fled in panic, completely forgetting about asking Ji Xiang for his contact information.

"Dr. Ji Xiang, I... sigh." Lin Jiu said in a deep voice, "Family scandals should not be aired in public."

Upon hearing the phrase "family scandals should not be aired in public," Ji Xiang became completely agitated.

In the dim light, Shen Lang's figure slowly rose behind Ji Xiang, his ears perked up like antennas.

But since Lin Jiuze had already said that, Ji Xiang had no choice.

"Sigh." Ji Xiang tried his best to suppress the gossip in his mind.

"My dad is a scientist. He was among the first in our country to research electronic devices and chips," Lin Jiu suddenly said.

"!!!"

Ji Xiang pricked up his ears and listened attentively.

"Unfortunately, my father was sent to study in the Soviet Union when he was young, and he went down the wrong path."

"Oh, I know that," Ji Xiang immediately chimed in, afraid that Lin Jiu would shut up.

"The Soviet Union followed the transistor route, while the United States followed the integrated circuit route, and the Soviet Union used a ternary system."

"Yes, my dad later said that transistors have advantages, but in peacetime, their disadvantages are even greater. Ternary transistors, on the other hand, are particularly advanced, but unfortunately, the environment for cultivating ternary transistor technology no longer exists."

This is hardly a family scandal.

Ji Xiang was somewhat confused.

On a grander scale, this was the culmination of an old scientist's lifelong exploration, even though it ultimately ended in failure.

In a world where success or failure is the sole measure of worth, perhaps they are not worthy of being remembered.

However, according to the education Ji Xiang received, he believed that these people were all unsung heroes.

Only through continuous trial and error can we find the right path.

Many researchers spend their entire lives studying something only to have it refuted by a single paper, rendering all their hard work futile.

But is their existence meaningless?

As Ji Xiang was thinking, Lin Jiu continued, "My dad had gone to extremes in his research, so I was born relatively late."

"How old is the old man?"

"Over seventy."

"That is indeed quite late."

"My dad..." Lin Jiu said, her face full of worry, before abruptly stopping.

Ji Xiang comforted him, "It's normal for an old man to become obsessed with scientific research, but you certainly don't know whether it's being obsessed or adhering to scientific truth."

Lin Jiu shook his head.

"It would be great if I could live in the lab every day."

"Oh?!" Ji Xiang's ears twitched.

"I..." Lin Jiu hesitated for a moment as he spoke, then turned to look at Ji Xiang.

Ji Xiang displayed an unprecedented thirst for knowledge, which caught Lin Jiu's attention.

In his mind, Ji Xiang did not have this attribute at all.

After a slight hesitation, Lin Jiu slowly said, "A few years ago I applied to Harvard and later entered medical school. I received all kinds of scholarships and thought I could bring the old man over."

"I can rest assured that my dad will be taken care of. After all, he's not really doing anything back in China; he's practically useless."

"So, he came to America."

"But he was very unhappy in the United States. My mother passed away early, and my father studied Russian, so he couldn't communicate with people at all in Boston. Boston is different from those big cities; the Chinatown is relatively small, and there aren't many people there. It's mostly young people."

"My dad wants to go to Chinatown in Los Angeles, but... if he goes to Los Angeles, I'm in Boston, it's too far away."

Ji Xiang nodded, "In that case, it's better to stay in the country."

"Yes," Lin Jiu said with a troubled expression. "My dad used to complain every day that he couldn't even find an old lady to chat with."

"Pfft." Ji Xiang couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Lin Jiu was slightly annoyed.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," Ji Xiang apologized quickly.

At that moment, the flight attendant came over and brought a glass of water.

Ji Xiang took the cup, handed it to Lin Jiuze, and smiled slightly, "I'd like another cup."

The flight attendant paused, looking puzzled, then bowed and apologized before going back to fetch water.

"My dad was so bored living in Boston that he insisted on going back to China."

"Go back," Ji Xiang said. "The old man is a scientific researcher. The young people sent to study in the former Soviet Union back then were the elite of the elite. His retirement pension is not small, and his medical insurance is high, so it won't cost much. If he is still mobile and has few age-related illnesses, going back to China would be a good idea."

"That's what I thought too," Lin Jiu said. "But my dad did come back, and when I first went home, he... he left me speechless."

"What happened?"

"I'll take you to see it after we get off the plane," Lin Jiu said after thinking for a long time.

Although family scandals should not be aired in public, it seems that what Ji Xiang said has nothing to do with it.

(End of this chapter)