The Surgeon's Studio

The surgery resumed.

TIPS surgery was supposed to be full of challenges, but in the hands of Zheng Ren and Professor Rudolf Wagner, the surgery progressed so smoothly, it was a boring affair for the observers.

For each surgery, they managed to establish the connection between the hepatic vein and portal vein in their first attempt.

The TIPS procedure appeared to be as simple as treating an ultrasound-diagnosed hepatorenal cyst. Zheng Ren’s movements were so methodical, it gave people the impression that he was not even performing surgery.

It took 30 minutes to complete one surgery. Zheng Ren operated like a machine, in spite of the different patient conditions and tweaks in the methods. The time management was impeccable.

Director Ren, Director Zhang and the others in the control room watched on impassively.

There was a vast difference between the skill level of the doctors in the control room and the ones in the operating room.

As the final surgery of the day ended, the System display notified that nine out of ten surgeries were completed for the main mission.

He only needed one more surgery and was impressed by his progress. He was looking forward to completing the mission and getting the reward.

Radiofrequency ablation was very effective in treating liver cancer–a reason why Zheng Ren wished to accomplish the mission.

It was a shame he was one surgery away from completion.

Zheng Ren went to the changing room and took off the lead vest. He stored the lead vest in the System’s space before entering the control room.

A dozen pairs of eyes fell on Zheng Ren as he entered. The plump man’s feet shuffled, but he stayed where he was.

A deafening silence filled the room.

Zheng Ren felt the tension in the room and wondered, ‘Why is no one speaking?’

After a few seconds, Director Ren gave him his sincere praise. “Chief Zheng, remarkable!”

Director Ren’s words broke the silence. Like the warmth of the Pacific Ocean spreading across the Arctic Ocean, the huge iceberg in the room melted and the room broke out in an uproarious standing ovation.

“It’s alright; it’s really nothing,” Zheng Ren responded with a humble smile.

“Chief Zheng, what do you like to eat?” the plump man approached Zheng Ren and whispered in his ear.

“I’m fine with anything,” Zheng Ren said.

Director Ren had said they would have dinner together, but Zheng Ren was not particularly interested in social gatherings. However, he knew better than to reject an invitation from the director.

Especially when the Secondary Hospital had invited him over to perform the surgery.

Each patient displayed indications for operative treatment and had conditions that were not so severe as to serve as contraindications.

Zheng Ren interpreted this as the Secondary Hospital being invested in the TIPS collaboration as the patients were carefully cultivated.

Although the Secondary Hospital invited him to leave a mark in their history books, Zheng Ren was equally grateful for the sourcing of patients.

“Chief Zheng, you put us old men to shame. To be able to perform a perfect TIPS procedure at your age,” Director Ren said amicably.

Zheng Ren gave a short reply, “It’s all coincidence.”

He had no clue as to how he should respond to the compliment, so he made generic responses in hopes to appease Director Ren.

From his previous interactions with Zheng Ren, Director Zhang knew the chief resident’s social skills were the opposite of his surgical skills. With that in mind, Director Zhang stepped up to relieve Zheng Ren.

Director Zhang masterfully managed the atmosphere in the control room. If half of his social skills were allotted to surgery, the Secondary Hospital would already have a TIPS demonstrative surgery.

When Professor Rudolf exited the operating room, there was another round of applause.

The reservation was set by the plump man, but Zheng Ren was adamant about paying a visit to the wards to check on all the patients.

It was a habit.

It was better to identify any issues early on.

As they were all doctors, no one objected to Zheng Ren’s practice.

It would be embarrassing and unbecoming to criticize a doctor who put their patients first. No one wanted to work with a big-talking doctor who only cared about the surgery, not the patient.

Zheng Ren would have a clearer picture of the patient’s post-surgery condition with the System’s help.

As the patients had the second removable shunt in place, the blood flow in the liver was better controlled; this reduced the chances of hepatic encephalopathy.

Each patient was given an intravenous administration of ornithine aspartate to prevent hepatic encephalopathy.

The visit to the ward allowed Zheng Ren to assess the capability of the Secondary Hospital staff. Once he was satisfied, the group made their way to the restaurant.

They arrived at a farmhouse restaurant that advertised a wide range of dishes, including the exotic sorts.

Deer meat, swan meat, and wild goose meat were available in different styles of preparation.

Zheng Ren stared at the table full of food, then looked around. Everyone around him was raising their glass; even the foreign professor was enjoying the alcohol. Zheng Ren felt very lonely at that moment.

The noisier the crowd got, the lonelier Zheng Ren felt.

If only Little Yiren was there… If she was there, she would not be socializing, but wolfing down the numerous dishes that were laid on the table. Zheng Ren would be happy just watching her eat.

They had held hands. Did this mean he could pick food for her?

Zheng Ren let his mind wander into the clouds; his imagination was much more appealing than reality at the moment.

Director Zhang appeared before Zheng Ren with a glass in hand. “Chief Zheng, can we ask a favor from you?”

A reluctant expression crossed Zheng Ren’s face. Were they going to force him to drink?

He was a lousy drinker. One glass was enough to make him want to puke.

The change in expression clued Director Zhang in on Zheng Ren’s thoughts. The deputy director laughed and said, “You’re a good man to not have this vice. Drinking excessively can make your hands shake; definitely not good for a surgeon. I respect your discipline. No wonder you’ve achieved this much at such a young age.”

At the admission, Zheng Ren felt relieved.

“You’re too kind, Director Zhang. What do you need?” Zheng Ren asked.

“Your TIPS procedure was exceptional.” Director Zhang did a fist pump that made Zheng Ren slightly embarrassed.

“Hahaha, you’re younger than me, but I hope you won’t feel awkward if an old man like me calls you brother,” Director Zhang said as he wrapped an arm around Zheng Ren’s shoulders as if they were actual brothers.

“Oh… I’m good, I’m good.” Cold sweat was breaking out on Zheng Ren’s forehead.

“Brother, your surgical skills are incredible. Everyone was speechless. Brother, I’ve always wanted to perform a TIPS procedure, but at this age, it’s not possible anymore. Regardless, I have a dream: to have someone from the Secondary Hospital successfully perform a TIPS surgery,” Director Zhang said.

‘I have a dream’. Zheng Ren recalled the African-American man’s iconic speech [1] and cringed.

“Brother, you gotta help me with this.” Director Zhang had a tight grip and Zheng Ren was starting to feel pressured.

“Sure, sure. It’s very easy. So long as the person has some foundation, they’ll be able to pick it up. But…” Zheng Ren rambled.

Director Zhang was slightly tipsy as he hollered, “No worries, just tell me what you need.”

“The person has to be a good listener. I have a busy schedule, so I can’t give lessons for too long.”

“Sure. I’ll get you someone. If they misbehave, just hit them.”