Healing Doctor

Chapter 789 Head-to-Head

Ji Xiang recounted what had happened.

The system NPC listened with a smile, and after Ji Xiang finished speaking, he gave Ji Xiang a deep look.

"Teacher, am I being a bit sharp?" Ji Xiang asked.

"Sharp, isn't it?" the system NPC muttered to itself, then suddenly looked up at Ji Xiang. "Should we give it a try?"

Ji Xiang was taken aback.

The rescue was successful, so why should I try to empathize with the patient's suffering?

This……

He was slightly puzzled, but still nodded habitually.

"It has nothing to do with technical skill. Some things are tricky, but they're not related to diagnosis or treatment. You'll encounter them sooner or later, so it's good to experience them first," the system NPC said softly.

"Indeed, I've heard my father talk about something similar." Ji Xiang understood what the system NPC meant, and he nodded vigorously.

I was a bit hasty today and didn't hesitate to confront Dean Zhao, which will probably cause some trouble later.

Although Ji Xiang didn't care much, he still humbly followed the system NPC to the next room.

With a flicker of light, Ji Xiang opened his eyes and found himself in the operating room.

"If you die, we'll pickle you in a wine jar until you're thoroughly flavorful... How utterly disgusting."

Ji Xiang looked in the direction of the voice and saw the circulating nurse sitting on a white bar stool talking to the surgeon.

"Remember to marinate it with Moutai," the surgeon said in a deep, muffled voice.

The practitioner was tall and imposing, and even with a hat and mask on, he still exuded a fierce aura.

It was only then that Ji Xiang saw Lang Ge standing opposite him, and in front of him was a familiar figure.

He looks a bit like Professor Zhou, but why is he standing in the third assistant position during surgery? Is he using a scalpel? Or what does it mean?

Ji Xiang scratched his head, feeling somewhat confused about his sudden arrival at this place.

"Master, look at you. With your health, I reckon you'll still be hale and hearty even after I die."

Ichisuke was shamelessly flattering him.

This kind of flattery is too low-class, a bit awkward, and a bit disgusting. If it were Ji Xiang, he felt he probably wouldn't have said that.

Just as Ji Xiang was about to recall what scene he was in, his thoughts were immediately interrupted by the alarm sound of the monitor.

The patient's blood oxygen saturation dropped sharply, and his heart rate soared.

In less than 10 seconds, the readings on the electrocardiogram monitor began to alert Ji Xiang that something serious had happened during the surgery.

"Is the electrode membrane not installed properly?" the surgeon asked, frowning.

"It's an air embolism."

Standing in front of Ji Xiang, the assistant, with his back to him, gave a diagnosis without hesitation.

It's Professor Zhou's voice! It's really Professor Zhou!!!

And it was Professor Zhou in his younger days!

Ji Xiang was very happy.

This is his favorite place to come; it's a small perk of empathy. Every time he meets Professor Zhou and Brother Lang, he has plenty of time to learn about surgery.

I never imagined that Professor Zhou's diagnostic skills were so high when he was still a teaching assistant!

Air embolism!

Ji Xiang immediately perked up and looked up, but the next second his eyes met Shen Lang's, and he saw a hint of panic in Lang Ge's gaze.

In Ji Xiang's memory, the fearless Lang Ge was now like a frightened little white rabbit, somewhat helpless.

Uh……

This is completely different from what Ji Xiang remembers.

In Ji Xiang's mind, Shen Lang was the kind of reckless person who feared nothing and no one. Shen Lang had a saying he always had on his lips: "I've had rabies before."

However, at this moment, Shen Lang looked terrified. The next second, Ji Xiang saw Shen Lang take half a step back towards the equipment table.

The practitioner seemed to say something, and Professor Zhou shoved his shoulder into the practitioner's shoulder, yelling, "What the hell do you know?!"

"!!!"

Ji Xiang was so shocked that he was speechless.

He thought that because of his bad temper, he had argued with Dean Zhao in the operating room, which would cause trouble for his future. Therefore, the system NPC wanted him to empathize with others and see how they handled similar situations.

however!

Professor Zhou, whom Ji Xiang had always admired, was even more ferocious and awesome than him. He started cursing right away and even used his body to knock the sorcerer aside, taking over the sorcerer's position himself.

All of this was beyond Ji Xiang's expectations, and he stared blankly at Professor Zhou's back.

Is he arrogant and domineering?

Compared to the young Professor Zhou, I am the kind of doctor who is harmless to humans and animals.

Professor Zhou then looked at the anesthesiologist and asked, "Check if the patient has already developed cyanosis."

Ji Xiang instinctively reached out to look, but then felt someone pulling him from behind.

Looking back, it was Shen Lang, who had somehow "teleported" behind him.

Shen Lang winked at himself, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

Ji Xiang was suspicious, so he took a step closer to Shen Lang's position.

Lang Ge is still wearing a sterile gown, what's he doing?!

Following Shen Lang's guidance, Ji Xiang and he left the operating room. The moment they stepped out the door, Shen Lang let out a long sigh of relief.

"Sigh."

"Brother Lang, help! That's an air embolism!!"

"Damn it, air embolism, you know how to perform CPR?" Shen Lang said disdainfully. "Hurry up and get out of here, didn't you see Congwen is about to go crazy?"

"Huh?!" Ji Xiang was stunned.

Shen Lang didn't say much and pulled Ji Xiang into the locker room.

Here, the changing room is exactly the same as the operating room of the system, which gives me a sense of familiarity.

So this is the prototype for the model! Ji Xiang looked at the "No Smoking" sign with curiosity, as if the system NPC was sitting there smoking.

Shen Lang took off his mask, let out a long breath, and took out a cigarette, tossing one to Ji Xiang.

"Xiao Ji, I'm afraid they'll splatter brains in the operating room. Let's stay away." Shen Lang lit a cigarette and took a deep drag.

"You're not going to help..." Ji Xiang said, then froze.

The timing seems to be different.

"Help the director? I can't." Shen Lang shook his head. "I'm not as shameless as Wang Qiang. Besides, the director's attitude towards me... hahahaha."

Shen Lang laughed loudly, but Ji Xiang couldn't hear any joy in his laughter, only self-mockery and resentment.

"You heard how the foreman scolded me when I handed over my shift a few days ago—the work I did was the same as the tea I gave him during the Chinese New Year, it wasn't high-quality at all."

"!!!"

Ji Xiang stared at Shen Lang in astonishment.

What kind of nonsense is this?!

You can't insult someone like that!

Giving the former director some tea during the Chinese New Year is a gesture of goodwill between teacher and student; it's certainly not a valuable gift. But to say during the morning shift handover that the tea is low-grade, like the work itself, is just incredibly sarcastic.

Ji Xiang pretended to smoke and began searching for fragments of his memory.

Soon Ji Xiang finally understood what had happened. It turned out that when Professor Zhou first started working, he was constantly scolded like a dog by the old director. Although Shen Lang was a little better off than Professor Zhou, he wasn't much better off.

Lang Ge gave a gift to the old director during the Chinese New Year, and it's still brought up from time to time.

Is this something that's mentioned during shift handover?!

Ji Xiang, out of affection for the old director, also felt disgust and disdain for him.

"Congwen has probably given up on himself lately," Shen Lang sighed. "Ever since he became a patient with kidney failure due to external injuries, he's been arguing with Director Wang. In my opinion, Congwen will need surgery today."

As he spoke, Shen Lang made a gesture of slashing his own neck with a knife, which startled Ji Xiang.

"It can't be that bad."

"Sigh, it's not that bad. Look at Congwen, he's very easygoing, but when he gets angry... tsk tsk, didn't you see it just now? Congwen started cursing right away—you don't know anything."

"To be honest, I also want to curse, but I don't dare." Shen Lang admitted defeat directly. "If Cong Wen is right, then the patient in this operation will definitely die. Although we went up on the stage, we weren't there during the rescue, so we don't have to take the blame."

"What if Professor Zhou... had successfully saved Congwen?"

"How could that be? Didn't you learn about air embolism when you were in school? It kills almost everyone with that disease." Shen Lang gave Ji Xiang a disdainful look. "A while ago, there was a patient in the obstetrics department with amniotic fluid embolism. They were resuscitated for seven hours, but he still died. The patient's family is still making a scene."

"Brother Lang, the patient may not have an air embolism; it's possible that Congwen made a misdiagnosis," Ji Xiang reminded him.

He still felt that the young Shen Lang was too timid and lacked the charisma he had imagined.

I never imagined that I, Lang Ge, was such a coward when I was young, especially when I gave the director a gift during the Chinese New Year and the director even said it out in front of everyone in the department.

The work they did was just as low-grade as the tea they delivered. Director Wang is really ruthless.

I've already encountered such a wicked boss since starting work...

Ji Xiang put the current situation together with what he had just encountered, and it seemed to make some sense.

"Whether it's an air embolism or not is irrelevant," Shen Lang said to Ji Xiang while smoking. "If it is, the patient will definitely die; but if it isn't, Cong Wen is doomed."

As he spoke, Shen Lang let out a deep sigh.

"Zhou... Congwen will be fine."

"I really don't know where you get your confidence from. If he doesn't die, who will?" Shen Lang looked at Ji Xiang with disdain and blew a puff of smoke at him.

"I think Congwen is very confident, Brother Lang, I want to go and see if he can help."

"You're not allowed to go." Shen Lang grabbed Ji Xiang and said firmly, "We don't need more people for the rescue. There are three on the operating table, plus two anesthesiologists and a circulating nurse. We have enough manpower. Going to watch the commotion now will only cause trouble and won't be of any help."

"If you don't know how to perform resuscitation, standing there won't do any good. Especially... once the patient dies, stepping out of the operating room with your right foot first is a major cause of death."

"Damn it!" Ji Xiang cursed.

"It's true. After all these years, don't you understand Director Wang?" Shen Lang said. "Not showing up now is the best choice."

"Brother Lang, what if Director Wang finds out you've disappeared?" Ji Xiang asked.

"First of all, he's completely preoccupied with how to kill Congwen and doesn't pay any attention to me. Remember that kidney failure patient Congwen took to the provincial capital for dialysis a while back?"

"Remember."

"Congwen was indeed thinking about the patients, but Director Wang's diagnosis was rejected and he was even scolded by Congwen. He must have been holding back, wanting to get back at Congwen."

"We couldn't even avoid it, but Congwen delivered himself right to our doorstep. Tell me, what's going on here?"

Shen Lang grumbled on, looking worried.

"Then we should definitely go and take a look," Ji Xiang said.

"It's useless. We don't know how to treat air embolism. Are you going to go up there and point your finger at Director Wang and yell at him like Congwen did?"

"Hmm." Ji Xiang nodded. "We're just junior doctors, we don't know how to treat it, and you, the head doctor, don't know either, yet you have the nerve to criticize?"

Shen Lang was taken aback, then burst into laughter.

This time, there was a hint of amusement in his laughter. "I wouldn't dare. If you're so great, then you do it."

"I'll go take a look."

"Come back! You just go because I tell you to, are you stupid?" Shen Lang grabbed Ji Xiang's pants. "I'm gossipy enough, but you're even more gossipy than me. When Cong Wen called you a coward, I knew Cong Wen was doomed today."

Ji Xiang had an idea and sat down to ask seriously, "Brother Lang, if Wen can solve it, but the director will make things difficult for him afterward, what do you suggest we do?"

Shen Lang shook his head. "I don't know either."

"..." Ji Xiang was speechless.

"There are countless principles to be a good person. But when it comes to actually applying them, your mind goes blank. Those grand principles simply don't apply. I'm telling you, seriously."

"Oh, oh, oh, I'm very serious, Brother Lang." Ji Xiang made a serious face.

"In Shanghai, that old gentleman is in his seventies or eighties, yet he still performs surgeries frequently. But in surgery, youth is a powerful force; in his seventies or eighties, his hands start to tremble, his surgical skills can't keep up with recent years, and his eyesight is failing, so he's always making mistakes."

"oh?!"

Ji Xiang knew which old gentleman Shen Lang was referring to.

"Do you think the old man's disciples and grand-disciples could persuade him? They just followed him onto the stage, constantly cleaning up his messes."

"Hmm, that doesn't seem like a good idea," Ji Xiang said.

"What's wrong with that? The old man taught me all the surgeries in the beginning. It's not an exaggeration to say that he has saved countless lives. He has been doing this his whole life and still has a strong belief in it. Can you convince the old man? Tell him that what you know is outdated, and not only the knowledge, but you yourself are an outdated relic."

"..."

"Is that even human language? It's correct, but you can't say it like that."

"Brother Lang, if you knew how to treat this—I mean, if you knew how to treat air embolism—what would you do in front of Director Wang?" Ji Xiang asked.

Shen Lang was stunned.

He clicked his tongue and hesitated for a long time, his expression shifting between happiness and depression, as if he had experienced the same feeling countless times.

Ji Xiang even suspected that Shen Lang was the one who suggested the idea of ​​empathy.

"Brother Lang? Brother Lang?"

"It's no use." Shen Lang sighed. "I'm an attending physician. Even if I knew how to perform this kind of high-level emergency, Director Wang could dismiss me with a single word. Even if the emergency was successful... it's impossible. Director Wang doesn't know how, and he would never let me perform the emergency."

"So we just watch the patient die?"

"Uh, I could knock Director Wang to the ground." Shen Lang's eyes suddenly lit up. Ji Xiang could read from Shen Lang's eyes how attractive knocking Director Wang to him was.

"Deep vein puncture kit!"

The sound of a nurse rushing about could be heard in the corridor.

Shen Lang was taken aback, and Ji Xiang perked up his ears.

The rescue effort is ongoing, and it doesn't appear to have failed.

Ji Xiang was extremely anxious. He had only read about the treatment of air embolism in books, but had never actually encountered a patient with a similar condition.

He stood up abruptly.

This time, Shen Lang didn't stop Ji Xiang and tiptoed behind him back to the operating room.

In the operating room, Zhou Congwen took the intravenous puncture kit and immediately began the puncture.

Ji Xiang glanced at it, thinking that the puncture would be done through the jugular vein, but he didn't expect Professor Zhou to puncture the median cubital vein.

Why is that?

Before Ji Xiang could figure out the reason, the vein, which had shrunk to a thin line, had been successfully punctured, and a small amount of dark red blood was drawn out, proving that the puncture kit was in the blood vessel.

Then Ji Xiang watched as Professor Zhou fiddled with the puncture kit and began superselection.

Without any footage, he actually overselected?! Only now did Ji Xiang truly understand Professor Zhou Congwen's formidable strength!

This is much more difficult than playing blindfold chess, and by a significant margin.

The circulating nurse ran to get an ice cap and put it on the patient.

The hospital's facilities were rudimentary, at least two levels worse than the Second Affiliated Hospital, and the ice caps weren't professional either, but something was better than nothing.

"Add another 5mg of dexamethasone and 10mg of adrenaline."

"20% mannitol 250ml, full speed."

Professor Zhou kept giving verbal medical orders, and Ji Xiang huddled in the corner, not daring to utter a single unnecessary word. Even subconsciously, Ji Xiang's breathing became softer.

Having used the "Superior Doctor's Gaze" himself, Ji Xiang's experience was extremely average; he wasn't the kind of person who was overbearing.

But Zhou Congwen in front of me exudes a powerful sense of oppression from the very core of his being.

This is what a real senior doctor is like!!

Ji Xiang's mindset underwent subtle changes, and these changes continued to occur.

As for Shen Lang, he hid outside the operating room, peeking out from time to time to check the situation.

After waiting for the blood gas analysis results, Professor Zhou seemed to relax and turned to leave the stage.

"Director Wang, should I write the emergency record or should you write it? Or should Wang Qiang do it?" Professor Zhou asked.

Emergency medical record!

Ji Xiang was slightly taken aback.

The tall, imposing-looking old director remained silent, seemingly ignoring Professor Zhou's question.

"Director Wang, if your legs go weak and you pee your pants, I'll close your chest."

I am!

When Ji Xiang heard Professor Zhou ask this question, a chill ran from the soles of his feet to his head.

Shen Lang described Director Wang as sharp-tongued and vicious, but Lang-ge was too scared to confront him.

But Professor Zhou was different. After the rescue, it was clear that he had "brought" the patient back to life. He was extremely sharp-tongued and made his stance clear with just a few words—"I know you want to mess with me, so come at me if you dare!"

That's freaking brutal!

Ji Xiang recalled what he did in the operating room, and emmm, he really was a gentle and shy big boy.

Professor Zhou changed his clothes but didn't leave the stage. Instead, he scrubbed his hands again and "watched" Director Wang close his chest.

After the patient was taken away, Ji Xiang watched him enter the changing room. He wanted to follow him in to ask a few questions, but Shen Lang pulled him away and took the patient away as well.

Back in the ward, Shen Lang collapsed onto the bed in the duty room.

"Brother Lang, you're such a coward, isn't it?" Ji Xiang teased Shen Lang.

"You don't understand," Shen Lang said helplessly after a long pause, "Cong Wen just doesn't want to do this anymore."

"I think Wenqian's performance was excellent. He brought the person back to life cleanly and efficiently during the air embolism rescue. If I were a leader in the hospital, I would definitely give Professor Zhou a priority promotion."

Shen Lang suddenly opened his eyes and looked at Ji Xiang as if he were an idiot.

"What's wrong, Brother Lang?" Ji Xiang asked.

"Xiao Ji, you don't actually think that being highly skilled will guarantee you the boss's appreciation, do you?"

"Isn't that right?" Ji Xiang asked, puzzled.

In his world, because of his high level of expertise, Director Bai of the Medical Affairs Department treated him very well. Sometimes, Ji Xiang even felt that his own father's attitude towards him was not as good as Director Bai's.

"Hey, don't be silly." Shen Lang scoffed. "I'm just guessing, don't go around telling everyone."

"Go on, go on, Brother Lang." Ji Xiang sat down, took out a cigarette, and handed one to Shen Lang.

"Let's not talk about that for now." Shen Lang took a few puffs of his cigarette, regained some energy, and suddenly grabbed his clothes.

Ji Xiang was startled and jumped far away like a frightened little rabbit.

"You see that?" Shen Lang pointed to a scar on his back.

"This was done by Director Wang? That can't be right." Ji Xiang was stunned.

"When I was a kid, there were a few thugs near the school gate," Shen Lang chuckled. "They would rob female classmates of their money and even grope them. I went to help them out, and they ended up pinning me to the ground and beating me up."

"And then?"

"They had gang leaders outside of school; it was popular back then," Shen Lang started gossiping. "I got the short end of the stick, and I couldn't beat them. What would you have done if it were you?"

Countless solutions flashed through Ji Xiang's mind instantly, but they were only feasible within his own family's circumstances. In an ordinary family, Ji Xiang truly wouldn't know what to do.

He shook his head honestly.

"My classmates were young, and I wanted to uproot all the big brothers behind them," Shen Lang said. "Later, I stole 800 yuan from home, which was enough in those days."

"Bribing someone?" Ji Xiang asked, as this didn't seem like a good idea.

"Of course not. They called their older brother over to block the door and beat me up. I can't stay after school, right? So I got beaten up and they stole my money."

"..."

"Later, they robbed 800 yuan, and the gang leaders were sentenced to 3 years in prison."

I go!

Ji Xiang re-evaluated Shen Lang.

This thing is awesome!

"What I mean is, no bragging, I'm not a coward. But!"

Shen Lang emphasized his words.

"Director Wang has me completely under his thumb; no matter how much he scolds me, I don't dare to talk back."

Why?

"First of all, Director Wang is highly skilled in combat. When he was young, he led a group of people to drive the older directors to the farm to feed rabbits. He also performed all the surgeries himself."

"Secondly, Director Wang is fierce. It is said that when he kills foxes in his hometown, no one dares to make a move. They all have to wait for Director Wang to go back before killing them."

"!!!" Ji Xiang was stunned for a moment, but recalling the old director's fierce and menacing appearance, Shen Lang's words seemed to be correct.

"Third, we now have jobs, we're officially employed, we're practically guaranteed a position. But whether that position is right or wrong depends on what the old director gives us. This is the pressure from higher-ups, there's nothing we can do about it. Even if you have incredible abilities, there's nothing you can do, believe me."

Shen Lang was complaining, and Ji Xiang was listening attentively.

According to Shen Lang's description, there really is no possibility of breaking the deadlock.

As he spoke, Shen Lang suddenly sat up on the bed in the duty room, his eyes shining.

"Xiao Ji, guess what Director Wang will do?"

(End of this chapter)