Healing Doctor

Chapter 790 What if it were you?

"Director Wang?" Ji Xiang frowned in thought.

This should be the crux of the story, the point where the system NPC makes him empathize with the character. But Ji Xiang felt that Director Wang was familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere before.

However, even with Ji Xiang's photographic memory, he couldn't remember it at all.

"You probably don't know this, but let me tell you, a few days ago when I passed by the basketball court, I saw Director Wang chatting very intimately with Dr. Liu from the internal medicine department. There's definitely something fishy going on."

I estimate...

As Shen Lang spoke, his expression became serious and increasingly solemn.

Ji Xiang did not disturb Shen Lang.

"Do you know what 'mixing in sand' means?" Shen Lang asked.

Ji Xiang nodded. "Find someone else, then pretend the incident didn't happen. If the emergency department needs more staff in the future, send someone to help out, just let..."

At this point, Ji Xiang suddenly paused in surprise.

Ji Xiang spoke naturally and logically at the beginning, but when he talked about supporting the emergency department, he immediately thought of Meng Qingfei.

Professor Meng Qingfei is highly skilled, humble, and very kind to his patients... well, it's hard to describe, but there's no denying that he is a very good doctor.

Meng Qingfei could even be considered the most responsible and clear-headed doctor Ji Xiang had ever met.

Yet, this doctor, a graduate of a prestigious university, has wasted so many years in the emergency department, and now all his youthful ambition has been worn down to dust.

In an instant, Ji Xiang had a sudden realization.

"That's right!" Shen Lang slapped his thigh. "Director Wang has already started looking for someone to fill the void left by Cong Wen's departure. The next step will definitely be to move Cong Wen to the emergency department!"

"Well……"

"Just watch, it won't be long before Congwen gets kicked to the emergency department. I was chatting with Wang Qiang once, and he said he wanted Congwen to go to the medical affairs department to train. Can you believe how stupid that guy is? He's not even a director yet, just a junior doctor, and he's already so arrogant and domineering." Shen Lang said mockingly in a low voice.

"It wouldn't be that bad for the medical affairs department. Besides, if Congwen were to establish himself in the medical affairs department, and he were to come and nitpick over medical records, the department would be fed up. And would he even tell you this? He himself thinks it's quite excessive. What do you think, Brother Lang?" Ji Xiang continued, following Shen Lang's words.

"That's right, see what I told you, Wang Qiang is not as good as you." Shen Lang said, "Although the medical affairs department is bad, it has the power to monitor clinical departments. How could Director Wang possibly arrange Congwen to go to such a critical place?"

"The emergency room, it must be the emergency room, I'll go remind Congwen. No, there must be other, more dangerous places, like flood control and disaster relief in the summer. I heard from an old doctor that when you go to participate in flood control, there are mosquitoes everywhere, and if you encounter them on the front line..."

As Shen Lang spoke, he stubbed out his cigarette and stood up abruptly.

"Brother Lang!" Ji Xiang called out to Shen Lang.

"What's wrong?"

Seeing Shen Lang's anxious expression, Ji Xiang quickly gathered his thoughts and asked.

"Brother Lang, let's imagine a scenario, like an air embolism during surgery today. Your superiors wouldn't know how to treat it, but if you knew how, what would you do?"

Ji Xiang felt the topic had strayed a bit, so he steered it back on his own.

Whenever Ji Xiang met Shen Lang, he would always ramble on about all sorts of nonsense, leaving Ji Xiang feeling helpless.

After hearing Ji Xiang's question, Shen Lang thought for a few seconds and scratched his head helplessly.

"Xiao Ji, this question is too difficult. First of all..."

Shen Lang began preparing another long speech.

Ji Xiang interrupted Shen Lang, "Brother Lang, there are objective facts. If you were in his shoes, what would you do? Simply put, just tell me what you're going to do."

Shen Lang was stunned, and it seemed that he was putting himself into the role as Ji Xiang had instructed.

He turned into a statue as if he had been petrified, motionless, and even his breathing gradually disappeared.

He was lost in thought.

Ji Xiang wasn't in a hurry and waited silently for Shen Lang to give him an answer.

Indeed, this question is a bit difficult.

Professor Zhou's way of handling problems is one approach, and my own way of handling problems is another.

There's also the approach of remaining silent and determined not to offend anyone.

As for whether the patient lives or dies, it seems to have nothing to do with his future, and it's certainly not something that would offend the chief physician.

However, it remains to be seen what Shen Lang will choose.

Although Shen Lang didn't speak, Ji Xiang noticed that his expression was constantly changing.

Sometimes resolute, sometimes troubled, sometimes with a fawning smile, sometimes with a face full of anger.

Five minutes passed before Shen Lang shook his head.

"I can't do it."

"Huh?!" Ji Xiang exclaimed in surprise.

This is not the Shen Lang, Brother Lang, that Ji Xiang knows.

"I can't gamble my entire future," Shen Lang sighed. "That's why Congwen has already given up. He seems to have a good temper, but he's actually a stubborn mule."

"But if you don't intervene, the patient is doomed."

Shen Lang stopped answering Ji Xiang's question and silently looked out the window, looking somewhat dejected.

Just then, the door to the duty room was pushed open, and Wang Qiang walked in.

After he came in, he slammed a few sheets of paper onto the duty room table with a "thud." Shen Lang seemed to be unleashed from a spell and suddenly became lively.

"Zhou Congwen is really too much. He's arrogant and domineering just because he knows a little bit of things. He can't even perform surgery. If he really knew how to perform surgery, he would be unstoppable!" Wang Qiang cursed as soon as he entered the room.

"Why didn't you say so on the operating table? There's no point in saying it now in front of us. Or should I go and call Congwen over?" Ji Xiang couldn't contain his agitation and retorted directly.

"!!!" Wang Qiang stared blankly at Ji Xiang, almost spitting out a mouthful of blood.

"The patient seems to be alright," Shen Lang said, emphasizing each word. "That means Congwen's resuscitation was successful. As long as the patient is safe, everything is fine, and it saves everyone some trouble. This is good news, Wang Qiang."

"You guys!" Wang Qiang glared angrily at Shen Lang and Ji Xiang, feeling that they hadn't agreed with him. "The department has its own rules, otherwise everything would be in chaos! Do you think Master really doesn't know how to treat air embolism?"

"Hmm, I don't think he would. If he did, he would have done it long ago and wouldn't have had to wait for Congwen to make a move." Ji Xiang didn't back down and covered Wang Qiang's mouth again.

"..."

"I think it's pretty amazing that they can remove air from the heart via deep vein puncture," Shen Lang added, but he didn't mention Director Wang. "Wang Qiang, don't be angry, I have something to tell you."

Shen Lang's aura suddenly became more lively, and he chuckled as he pulled Wang Qiang to sit down.

Without even trying to hide it from Ji Xiang, Shen Lang said with a smile while Wang Qiang was completely bewildered, "Look at you, we're brothers behind closed doors. I've always been hoping you'd take care of me when you become the director."

Wang Qiang's expression softened considerably after hearing Shen Lang's words. He glanced at Ji Xiang out of the corner of his eye, his eyes filled with disdain and hatred.

Ji Xiang sighed inwardly.

This is incredibly naive. It's a wonder Shen Lang dared to say it, and it's also a wonder Wang Qiang dared to believe it.

"I was terrified during the surgery and ran away right away." Shen Lang didn't shy away from admitting his mistake first.

"Tch, you're such a coward."

"Wang Qiang, let me ask you, what happens if a patient dies on the operating table?" Shen Lang asked seriously.

"..."

"Let me tell you, if that's really the case, with the patient's family making a scene outside and Master busy dealing with them, you'll be called away by the medical affairs department. And! Tonight, when Master has some free time, he'll go through your medical records."

"!!!"

"The first thing I did after leaving was to go through the medical records. Let's put it this way, who can write a medical record without any mistakes? If you can't write a medical record, can't you at least find the mistakes?"

"It's not that your medical records are bad, it's just that it wouldn't matter who wrote them."

"Then they'll find some fault and Master will pin the blame on you..."

Shen Lang spoke leisurely.

Is this an attempt to sow discord? Ji Xiang stared intently at Shen Lang.

I never expected that Brother Lang would actually have this skill.

Although it's a bit naive, it's enough to deal with Wang Qiang.

"Impossible!" Wang Qiang said angrily.

"The obstetrics and gynecology department is downstairs. The patient's family has been making a scene for a month. What do you think, Director Shen? Are you pushing all the responsibility onto the attending physician? They've been making a scene right under our noses every day. How can you just pretend you didn't see it?" Shen Lang sternly cited examples.

Wang Qiang shivered.

Ji Xiang tried hard to recall what the obstetrics and gynecology department was all about, but Shen Lang continued, "I just don't understand, how could you be so clueless about something that should have been a happy ending!"

"What do you mean 'everyone's happy'? Does the world stop turning without Zhou Congwen?"

"Of course the earth will keep turning, but the patient will definitely die on the operating table, and neither of us will get away with it. I'm the one who deserted at the last minute, but I'm not the attending physician, nor the surgeon or assistant, so most of the responsibility still lies with you."

"We came from the same class, we're brothers. Let me tell you something from the bottom of my heart, don't think that just because our master can take care of you in small matters, he will do the same in big matters."

"Hey."

Shen Lang kept talking, fanning the flames with a sinister wind, while a noisy sound came from downstairs in the background.

Ji Xiang looked out the window and saw a group of patients' families holding up a banner with words that could be vaguely seen on it, such as "treating human life like dirt."

"As long as the patient is alright, that's the best thing, really, Wang Qiang," Shen Lang said. "I've said a lot because I consider you my older brother. Think about it carefully."

After saying that, Shen Lang stood up, patted Wang Qiang's shoulder hard, and then turned and left.

Ji Xiang was overjoyed.

Shen Lang clearly favored Professor Zhou, thus driving a thorn into the side between Wang Qiang and Director Wang.

Although the methods were naive, it was impossible for a young person in their twenties to be completely foolproof in such a hurry.

Ji Xiang watched from afar as Shen Lang stopped the young Professor Zhou, and whispered a few words to him.

Ji Xiang could tell what Shen Lang was saying from his facial expressions and gestures.

But the young Professor Zhou didn't care at all. He just smiled and comforted Shen Lang a few times.

Ji Xiang had a sudden thought: he would have to ask Professor Zhou about this in the end.

However, Ji Xiang soon saw a patient's family member come to present a banner with a big smile.

Shen Lang's eyebrows furrowed into a knot when he saw this scene.

"What a damn mess," Shen Lang muttered under his breath when no one was around. "Congwen's luck is really bad."

Ji Xiang watched this scene with a smile.

As Professor Zhou was getting ready to go home after get off work, she was changing her clothes when Ji Xiang stopped her.

"So rushed? Your girlfriend's waiting for you?"

"Ha, that's right, I have nothing to say to you guys who don't have girlfriends." Zhou Congwen laughed.

"Congwen, there's something I want to ask you." Ji Xiang pulled Zhou Congwen to the fire escape.

"What do you want to ask?" Zhou Congwen asked with a mocking expression.

"You verbally abused the head surgeon on the operating table today, what will you do next?"

Zhou Congwen looked Ji Xiang up and down. "You've offended the director so badly, do you think there's any future for you? You don't actually think that just because you're technically skilled, the director will surrender and give up, do you?"

"..."

Zhou Congwen's way of speaking is different from Shen Lang's.

Ji Xiangming knew he was being sarcastic, but he didn't know how to refute him.

"The patient's condition is stable; I just checked on him. Our job as doctors is to treat and save lives; why think about so many other things?"

"Congwen, you're urinating and defecating on the prostate of morality, do you know I'm underneath you?" Ji Xiang asked.

It feels really strange to call Professor Zhou, whom I've always admired, "Congwen".

"Isn't that right?" Zhou Congwen smiled at Ji Xiang. "Little Ji, you're overthinking it."

"No, no, no, Congwen, I have a question for you."

"you say."

"Why did you shove the head doctor aside when the patient suddenly suffered an air embolism?"

"Because he doesn't know how to perform CPR. Is it even necessary to ask such a simple question?"

"But I heard you cursing him."

"That's all they're thinking about. If I don't yell at them, they'll come at me and cause trouble the next second. It's an air embolism; time is of the essence. The first step is to intimidate everyone. The senior doctor directing the rescue naturally needs to have the air of a senior doctor," Zhou Congwen said.

That's not what Ji Xiang wanted to hear.

He stared blankly at the righteous and awe-inspiring Zhou Congwen.

Faced with Professor Zhou, whose technical skills far surpassed his own and who also stood on moral high ground, Ji Xiang genuinely felt that this conversation was impossible.

"Foolish," Zhou Congwen said disdainfully. "What are you thinking?"

"Ah, you know what I'm thinking?" Ji Xiang was taken aback.

"Of course," Zhou Congwen said. "Are you secretly thinking that I only know how to spout those high-sounding platitudes?"

"..."

"You need to have the confidence to confront your superiors," Zhou Congwen said calmly. "Let me tell you something."

Ji Xiang pricked up his ears.

"Take this as a story."

"Um!"

"There's a research institute that's responsible for part of the rocket launch work. The leader there doesn't know anything, and he's even worse than Old Wang Chengfa."

"The researcher was content with a monthly salary of around ten thousand yuan, doing all the work. But he couldn't stand being bullied all the time, and gradually he became resentful."

"Later, he submitted his resignation, and the boss let him go without even thinking about it."

"Working in a private company can earn you an annual salary of over a million yuan, which is much better than working in a research institute. Later, the country experienced two consecutive rocket launch failures, the root cause of which was that the capable people in the institute were squeezed out by the leaders."

"..." Ji Xiang remembered something.

He looked at Professor Zhou Congwen in surprise, as this matter should not have happened at this point in time.

But how did Professor Zhou know that?

However, Ji Xiang quickly found the answer for himself—this is a world where empathy is universal.

"We doctors only need to focus on the present. My situation is a bit special. I suddenly encountered a difficult problem that Wang Chengfa couldn't solve, so I had to take action myself. Besides, the illness is quite difficult, and he can't handle it."

"Yes, yes, that's right, Congwen, that's exactly the situation." Ji Xiang quickly seized on Zhou Congwen's words, "Besides confronting them head-on, is there any other way?"

"To be true to both Buddha and love, your idea of ​​cleverly solving problems is basically impossible. Unless, of course, your superiors are exceptionally kind to you and indulge you in everything."

"Let me teach you. First, you need to ensure that your communication channels with your superiors are open."

"For example?"

Zhou Congwen glared fiercely at Ji Xiang.

"Of course it's the Medical Affairs Department, the Medical Affairs Section. They're like the hospital's secret police; you at least need to get along well with their staff."

"The specifics are uncertain; I'm just giving a general overview."

Next, Zhou Congwen explained to Ji Xiang the importance of the medical affairs department to clinicians.

"Is that all? Congwen, what if they don't even look at us?" Ji Xiang felt that what Zhou Congwen said was unrealistic.

"Ha, why is your brain so foggy?"

Ji Xiang was taken aback.

"What's the basis for what we're saying?" Zhou Congwen asked, but before Ji Xiang could answer, he provided the answer himself: "How many people in clinical practice can be successfully resuscitated from air embolism?"

Ji Xiang shook his head.

"Like that technician I just mentioned, the rocket launch would fail without him."

"If you have that kind of ability, anyone in the medical department who has even the slightest bit of business to attend to will have to protect you."

"!!!"

Director Bai appeared before Ji Xiang.

"I can resolve air embolism. I'm not bragging, but any medical department head with even a little medical knowledge knows how many problems I can help them solve."

"In this world, most things are just a matter of mutual favors. I can solve problems, so why would I stand by and watch a patient die, just to hide my incompetence, just to save face for Wang Chengfa?"

Zhou Congwen's words completely dispelled the fog in Ji Xiang's mind.

Indeed, just as Zhou Congwen said.

His ability to confront Wang Chengfa and even verbally abuse the head of the department on the operating table stems from his competence.

The example Zhou Congwen cited, it seems, was later used by the research institute to recruit people back, and they talked about confidentiality agreements and such.

It's likely that the leaders approved the resignation too readily, violating the confidentiality agreement, and those "leaders" didn't dare to say much about it.

Both Zhou Congwen and Zhang Xiaoping possessed considerable talent.

Of course, this skill must stand the test. Professor Zhou can perform emergency treatment for air embolism, and even without proper equipment, he can blindly insert a deep vein catheter into the heart and then remove the air.

Without Zhang Xiaoping, the rocket launches did indeed fail one after another.

Ji Xiang suddenly understood.

"Go back and memorize your textbooks first, then if you're interested, come to my house."

"To your house?"

"I'll teach you how to grind an egg," Zhou Congwen said with a smile. "But the first step is for you to memorize all the textbooks that are the same size as your height."

"Okay!" Ji Xiang said without hesitation.

Zhou Congwen was slightly taken aback.

He looked at Ji Xiang with curiosity.

Memorizing textbooks for children of the same height is a headache for almost all doctors, and it's somewhat of a demanding task.

To everyone's surprise, Ji Xiang agreed without hesitation.

"I would go back and memorize it. I wouldn't say I could recite it perfectly backwards, but I could recite any sentence you picked from it."

"Will this work?"

"Okay!" Zhou Congwen agreed without hesitation.

As Professor Zhou Congwen waved goodbye and strode away, Ji Xiang gradually drifted into a daze.

Not many people can do this, which is why the young Professor Zhou dared to confront the old director directly on the operating table.

What about yourself?

As Ji Xiang was thinking, a flash of light appeared before his eyes, and he returned to the system's operating room.

"Teacher, no!" Ji Xiang said anxiously.

"Grinding eggshells is a slow and steady process; there's no point in you following along with literature," the system NPC chuckled.

"I think I understand, teacher," Ji Xiang said. "Looking at it now, I'm pretty lucky."

"Luck is always important," the system NPC said calmly. "I have something to tell you."

"Teacher, please tell me."

"Some minor matters within the department are always minor matters; you can do whatever you want with them. When I was forty, I went abroad to attend the World Congress of Thoracic Surgery, and that time I defied all conventions and rejected the surgical procedure of cutting the internal thoracic artery."

"!!!"

"Although it's not about curing diseases and saving lives, it's about doing something at the root of the problem."

"Teacher, you're amazing!"

"Hehe, once your academic level reaches that point, and you're facing top doctors of all skin colors from around the world, and countless questions, you'll know how difficult it is."

"Difficult? Shouldn't everyone be very pleased?" Ji Xiang was taken aback.

"I ruined everyone's business back then," the system NPC said calmly.

"!!!"

Ji Xiang instantly understood what the system NPC meant.

If a procedure that is regarded as the golden rule is to be rejected, then all the patients who have undergone it before will have been treated incorrectly.

Only God knows how big the backlash this will trigger.

Zhou Congwen was dealing with an emergency air embolism, facing only the pressure of the senior doctor; but the system NPCs faced the pressure of top doctors from all over the world.

The system NPC was actually trying to tell me something here!

Ji Xiang understood immediately. He looked at the system NPC carefully and slowly nodded.

"I won't go into details. As a human being, you always have to have some spirit, damn it!" The system NPC suddenly swore.

"Damn it!" Ji Xiang clenched his fist. "Fuck them!"

The system NPC looked at Ji Xiang with a smile.

"I think I understand," Ji Xiang said. "Teacher, if that day ever comes, I will definitely not let you down."

"Yes."

"Then I'll be going now." Ji Xiang bowed deeply to the system NPC.

After leaving the operating room, Ji Xiang sat in the fire escape and first recalled the experience he had shared with everyone.

This experience was mainly centered around Shen Lang, with Professor Zhou merely serving as a backdrop.

Ji Xiang even suspected that the Empathy System was not created by Professor Zhou, but rather by Shen Lang.

Otherwise, why would Shen Lang appear as the protagonist so many times when he empathizes with someone?

But none of that matters. What matters is the final instructions from the system NPC.

Thinking back to the days when the system NPCs were so assertive at the World Congress of Thoracic Surgery, ruining everyone's livelihoods, yet remaining unmoved in the face of overwhelming criticism, Ji Xiang was slightly lost in thought.

That's awesome!

However, as Professor Zhou said, the foundation still lies in one's own level of expertise.

If you're skilled enough, you still need to have that youthful spirit; what's wrong with being a little sharp?

"Xiao Ji, what are you doing here?"

(End of this chapter)