138 You Should Work On A Higher, Wider Platform

Old Chief Physician Pan and Tang Xiu had just arrived outside the operating theater, but before she could call her family, the doors of the operating theater flung open and a stretcher trolley was wheeled out from inside.

Tang Xiu was stunned. There was no white sheet on it.

Her father's greyish-white hair accentuated his ashen-grey complexion, which made him look like he had met his end.

On the stretcher trolley sat a girl in a blue surgical gown. Her posture was awkward as she repeatedly squeezed the self-inflating bag to provide positive pressure ventilation.

The medical field was alien to Tang Xiu, but a knowledgeable person like her vaguely knew that the self-inflating bag was a type of artificial ventilation, a method to deliver oxygen to her father.

Sorrow instantly consumed her heart.

Tears started pouring from her eyes in a seemingly endless flow.

'He is dead… The surgery failed…' Countless negative thoughts popped into her mind.

A chill went down her spine. The world turned into a blur.

Tang Xiu held onto the stretcher trolley and cried.

It was a silent wail.

However, everyone on the scene could detect the grief and pain in her broken heart.

Chu Yanran sat curled atop one corner of the stretcher trolley and focused on compressing the self-inflating bag; Su Yun pushed the trolley from the back and Zheng Ren steered in front.

Like a driver slamming on the brakes, Tang Xiu slowed the stretcher trolley down and Chu Yanran nearly toppled off it.

Zheng Ren, who was standing lateral to the head end of the trolley, quickly broke Chu Yanran's fall and rebuked Tang Xiu angrily, "Who the hell are you?!"

Old Chief Physician Pan quickly yanked the latter away and said, "Don't interfere with the rescue. He isn't dead."

Not dead? She failed to understand this simple phrase even as she was being pulled away by Old Chief Physician Pan.

Her mind had gone blank.

It seemed to be good news or even sympathy from the doctor, but she could not contain her overwhelming grief and continued to cry silently.

"She's the patient's family member," said Old Chief Physician Pan to Zheng Ren.

"Are you alright?" asked Zheng Ren out of concern, relieved only after Chu Yanran shook her head and narrowed her eyes as if smiling at him.

The stretcher trolley was pushed into the hospital bed elevator once its doors slid open.

"Chief Physician Pan, ask her to wait for me here. I'll speak with her after sending the patient to the ICU." Zheng Ren's voice traveled past the slowly closing elevator doors.

Old Chief Physician Pan had seen numerous ups and downs throughout his life, so naturally, Tang Xiu's dejection was not alien to him.

However, he made no attempt to console the woman. After all, any words of comfort would be pointless when she was emotionally unstable right now.

More importantly, how would he comfort her when he had no idea if the surgery had been successful? It was better to steer clear of careless statements and irresponsible remarks in the medical field.

The muffled sobs coupled with the howling wind outside the window created a ghastly atmosphere in the spacious but empty hall outside the operating theater on the third floor.

Even so, Old Chief Physician Pan, a war veteran, remained unbothered.

Strong positive energy could drive all evil spirits away.

He recalled the moment just now and combed his memory for details. From Zheng Ren's expression and mannerisms, the surgery was likely successful.

This chief resident was really good.

The emergency department had received three to five similar cases this month, and each of them had been successfully resolved.

This time, there should be no problem as well.

Old Chief Physician Pan slowly paced around the hall with his hands behind his back, wondering if he had missed any details during his own explanation just now.

It would be inexcusable to be a hindrance to a competent man such as Zheng Ren.

More than ten minutes later, Zheng Ren came up via the fire escape with Chu Yanran in tow. Su Yun was nowhere to be seen.

"Zheng Ren, you've returned." Old Chief Physician Pan made a subtle gesture.

Zheng Ren acknowledged the hint, nodded and whispered, "Very successful."

Finally, it was a weight off his mind.

Tang Xiu assumed a fetal position on the ground, her shoulders trembling with every sob.

"Are you the patient's family member?" Zheng Ren stood in front of her and asked.

Tang Xiu did not seem to hear him at all and continued sobbing on the ground.

Zheng Ren asked a few more times, but Tang Xiu remained unresponsive as if her brain had been fried. Left with no choice, he took out his phone. "Are you busy?"

"Come to the operating theater.

"Yes, a family member is too deeply in grief for communication.

"Yes, that's right. Once you arrive, I'll sort out the angiographic footage. The surgery was a success, don't worry."

Zheng Ren hung up and said to Old Chief Physician Pan, "Let Chang Yue communicate with her."

Old Chief Physician Pan, who was fully aware of Chang Yue's superb communication skills, knew Zheng Ren's decision was logical and did not mind him taking the initiative. He then asked with a smile, "How did you perform the surgery?"

Zheng Ren patted Chu Yanran's shoulder and signalled her to leave first while they waited for Chang Yue's arrival. After that, he replied calmly, "He had a traumatic rupture of a hepatic hemangioma. I've injected an embolization coil after locating the bleeding artery."

"That's it?"

"It gets more complicated," Zheng Ren explained, "The artery was relatively thick, and its lumen couldn't be fully closed with an embolization coil alone, so I used four absorbable gelatin sponges to complete the task."

Zheng Ren's explanation sounded dull and uninteresting, but Old Chief Physician Pan could imagine the intense tension and caution needed to perform the surgery against the clock.

"How is the patient now?" asked Old Chief Physician Pan.

"His systolic pressure has reached 80mmHg and diastolic pressure was detectable upon his arrival at the ICU. His heart rate has reduced as well, so I think hemorrhagic shock is under control by now," Zheng Ren reported, "I'm still worried, so I've asked Su Yun to watch over him for the time being. If everything goes well, he can be extubated tomorrow and discharged from the ICU."

"Good." Content, Old Chief Physician Pan gave Zheng Ren a kind and proud gaze.

They chatted for a while until they finally saw Chang Yue approaching at full speed.

After assigning Chang Yue her tasks, Zheng Ren and Old Chief Physician Pan entered the operating theater.

In the operator's console room, Zheng Ren explained the surgical process to Old Chief Physician Pan while editing the angiographic footage.

Old Chief Physician Pan's thirst for knowledge greatly surprised Zheng Ren.

He was almost seventy years old. Even though he was still physically strong with flawless eyesight and hearing, not to mention the ability to walk like the wind, it was impossible for him to involve himself in interventional radiology.

There was no way he could perform interventional radiology-assisted surgery in this lifetime.

Was there any point in him learning interventional radiology, then? Zheng Ren had no idea and could not be bothered to think about it. Perhaps the old man was curious, or maybe he wanted to master a new clinical skill that could come in handy during certain emergency situations.

Regardless of what Old Chief Physician Pan had in mind, Zheng Ren would still satisfy his simple request—an explanation of the surgical procedure.

Having seen the process, especially from the shocking bloom of the "smoky flower" until its complete dissipation, Old Chief Physician Pan was convinced of the surgery's success.

Although he had not personally performed it, he had read through related articles and understood the fundamental principles and difficulties behind its manipulation.

The words sounded simple and the surgery seemed straightforward, but Old Chief Physician Pan knew that all potential difficulties had been overcome with Zheng Ren's expertise.

If the surgeon had been someone else, the patient could have died from blood loss before the responsible artery was located.

An idea suddenly emerged in Old Chief Physician Pan's mind as he quietly watched Zheng Ren editing the angiographic footage.

"You should involve yourself in scientific research in Imperial Capital. I'll call Professor Pei in my free time."

"Huh?" Zheng Ren turned his head and looked doubtfully at Old Chief Physician Pan.

"You should take your skills to the next level. It'd be a waste of talent if you stay in Sea City."

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