The Surgeon's Studio

Department Chief Kong had no qualms with Zheng Ren’s decision to perform the hepatocellular carcinoma surgery. They had agreed to it yesterday.

According to Zheng Ren, they would have to put the live streaming on hold.

Chief Kong also preferred to do this covertly. No footage meant no evidence.

He was fine with it as long as the surgery was not too poorly done. It was impossible for the young doctor to surpass the German professor. If such a thing was doable, why had so many experts left the Imperial Capital overnight?

Chief Kong had already thought it all out.

Chairman Ma was astonished by the conversation happening before him. Never in his life had he seen a subordinate speak directly to a department chief from one of the country’s top Class Three Grade A hospitals. Nevertheless, he kept his composure and remained silent.

One’s true colors would surface given enough time.

The truth would out if the doctor was truly a prodigy.

Chairman Ma did not pick sides rashly. Up until now, Changfeng Microinvasive Surgery was the major beneficiary in this situation. He was satisfied to maintain it.

He could not care less about the success or failure of the surgery.

…

Qin Liren had finished preparing for his surgery. Chief Kong sent the man to the operating theater after completing his ward rounds.

Qin Liren had mixed emotions about finally being able to receive surgery.

He lay down on the table in the operating room and stared up at the surgical lamp as he recalled his past few weeks.

Zheng Ren walked in after a few minutes. “Qin Liren?” he said, confirming his patient’s identity off the film in his hands.

“Yes, that’s me,” Qin Liren replied instantly.

“Got it,” Zheng Ren said softly before signalling to Su Yun, who began scrubbing in and putting on the first layer of the sterile sheet.

After assembling the first layer, Su Yun repeated the process with disinfectant and changed his gloves before setting up the second layer of the sterile sheet.

Zheng Ren was not in a hurry. He examined the scans on the radiographic film viewer leisurely while waiting for Su Yun to finish setting up.

Since he attained Prime level in interventional surgery, Zheng Ren had entirely new knowledge and insight on hepatocellular carcinoma nodules. He was able to derive the insertion point and entry route by analyzing the scans alone.

“Mr. Zheng, it’s ready,” Su Yun said half-seriously when he looked up and saw Zheng Ren staring at the reverse 64-slice CT scan that had been reconstructed yesterday.

“Okay,” Zheng Ren answered, not moving. Instead, he shut his eyes and simulated the entire surgical procedure in his head.

After doing so many surgeries, Zheng Ren was confident about every detail, down to the selection of blood vessels and route of entry.

Earlier today, he had completed over fifty rounds of prostate interventional embolizations in the System. This allowed him to master the technique of maneuvering micro guide wires into miniscule capillaries.

After being promoted to Prime level, all the obstacles he had faced in the past were completely gone and it had been smooth sailing from there.

A minute later, Su Yun walked to Zheng Ren’s side and asked quietly, “Did you not have sufficient rest yesterday? Do you need me to perform the surgery?”

Zheng Ren chuckled and replied, “No, I’m running a mental simulation; it should be complete within about 28 minutes.”

“Tsk…” Su Yun expressed his disdain.

“Do you know how to do it?” Zheng Ren was intrigued by Su Yun’s offer. The man’s learning curve was astonishing.

“Shouldn’t be a problem. I’ve watched you do five of these, so I know the steps by now.” Su Yun blew at his fringe out of habit, but it remained unmoved, held in place by the scrub cap.

He felt a little disappointed.

Zheng Ren was surprised by his statement, but it was nothing compared to the shock Su Yun felt at Zheng Ren’s words.

How had Zheng Ren managed to estimate the time taken to complete the surgery? His achievements in Imperial Capital could have inflated his ego, and it was probably time to knock him down a peg or two. Otherwise, if they managed to publish in The Lancet, the accompanying academic recognition and fame would destroy him for sure.

Zheng Ren was not bothered by Su Yun’s inner monologue. He turned around to scrub in and suit up before approaching the table.

Su Yun carried out femoral artery cannulation and waited patiently for Zheng Ren.

There were not as many people in the observation unit as yesterday. Most of them had yet to digest the procedure they had observed.

They would not benefit much from observing the same surgery again today.

Furthermore, they had their own packed surgery schedules. A whole day had been spent observing Zheng Ren’s demonstration and they could not afford to do so a second time.

In addition, there had been news about a prostate interventional embolization scheduled the next day, which all the doctors were excited to observe and learn from.

All of the surgeries for that day had either been brought forward or delayed to the day after.

Chief Kong was watching Zheng Ren and Su Yun through the lead glass, but his thoughts were drifting off to the million-dollar question—ought he livestream the surgery?

There was no issue with the patient as he had signed a consent form for the surgery to be publicly shared and received a share of the benefits, including complete fee waivers on checkups, medication and admission.

The surgery being broadcast would also not make a difference to Zheng Ren. He had much higher stakes in the matter.

However…the circumstances were different now.

Chief Kong sighed internally.

Everything would have proceeded according to plan if Professor Rudolf Wagner of Heidelberg University had not completed the surgery a step ahead of them.

After his success, many pioneering experts in interventional surgery had left the Imperial Capital and gave up on the research. Livestreaming the surgery now would almost certainly lead to them never being able to show their face in public again.

As Chief Kong fought his inner demons, the noise around him picked up, further distracting him.

‘Such unruly behavior!’ Chief Kong was displeased.

Although he was always kind and gentle to Zheng Ren, Chief Kong was strongly paternalistic towards his own doctors. Zheng Ren’s exemplary skill had gained the chief’s respect and earned an exemption from the norm. To his own staff, Chief Kong was always cold and quick to berate them if they went against his wishes.

It had never been this rowdy before. Were they not aware that the operating theater had to remain silent at all times?

Frowning, Chief Kong harrumphed as he turned around to glower at them.

The sound was low and traveled far, like the heartbeat of the patient with cardiac tamponade.

If Su Yun was around, he would have recognized the chief’s familiar signal of disapproval.

Yet…

Chief Kong noticed that the operator and nurse standing behind him were staring into the operating theater with surprise and excitement; no one had noticed his irritation.

This was unprecedented! Chief Kong was about to blow his top when he realized that everyone else’s gaze was also transfixed at the operating theater. Where was the surgery at?

He had been buried in his own thoughts, debating internally about livestreaming the surgery and failing to pay attention to the projector screen before his eyes. When he focused on the screen in front of him, he was stunned.