Chu Yanran followed Department Chief Sun out of the operating room.
Once she was out of the sterile space, she took off her mask and massaged her face, practicing her smile to get the right degree of sincerity.
Department Chief Sun noticed a set of footsteps behind him and turned to look. It was the young woman who had been in the emergency department operating room.
“Who are you?” he asked.
“Chief Sun, I’m a medical graduate undertaking anesthesiology training in the emergency department. My name is Chu Yanran,” the woman said, introducing herself.
“I see. Do you need something from me, Dr. Chu?” Department Chief Sun asked. It was uncommon to have a young, pretty woman tailing him.
“The patient’s family are friends of my parents, so I figured I’d follow Chief Sun to see them.” Zhou Wenxiang’s suggestion back in the emergency department had made her uneasy.
Despite the success of the surgery, the man’s words gnawed at her heart.
She was a cool-headed person by nature but was hardly a pushover.
An older Chu Yanran could have let words like these slide, but being in her twenties, she was all too ready to clash.
Department Chief Sun raised his eyebrows slightly but said nothing, keeping on a warm smile.
He had had an inkling of the patient’s background upon receiving the call to join Department Chief Xia for consultation.
Clearly, Chu Yanran was connected in some way.
They both chatted as they walked, but he was unable to glean anything off the young woman.
She was tight-lipped and revealed nothing about her family. Her parents had taught her well.
He found himself liking this young woman.
The electronic door opened and Department Chief Sun walked out with the specimen tray. He called out once, and Zhou Wenxiang ran over immediately.
“Chief Sun, Chief Sun, how did it go?” Anxiety was written all over Zhou Wenxiang’s face.
An elder gentleman in his sixties walked up to them with a frown on his face. He was much calmer than Zhou Wenxiang.
“Uncle Zhou, you’re back!” Chu Yanran’s professionalism gave way to youthful exuberance when she saw the man.
“Yanran, thank you for helping us with this,” the older man said with a gentle smile after seeing the contents of the specimen tray.
Chu Yanran replied in kind, “I deliver my promises. I got Auntie the best surgeon we had.”
“Thank you.” He smiled gracefully.
“This is the gallbladder, its neck, and here…” Department Chief Sun probed the organ with a hemostatic clamp as he explained the matter to Zhou Wenxiang and the older gentleman.
It was not an anatomy class for the patient’s family but a reassurance that the surgery was a success. The department chief wanted to convey the skills and techniques the surgeon had had to employ to overcome this adversity.
Were it a failed surgery, he would not be talking them through the process.
“This part is gangrenous. This occurs when blood supply to the tissue is restricted. It’s a dangerous development and difficult to manage.”
Department Chief Sun eyed the family. The old man seemed unaffected by his words; perhaps he had to be more dramatic. “Look here: we found the ducts and vessels too tightly knotted. The necrotizing gallbladder contained a lot of toxins that risked leaking into the liver if we untangled the knot, which could lead to infection and toxic shock syndrome.”
He paused for a moment to let the implications set in, then continued, “Hence, we could not perform a standard cholecystectomy. This was why I chose to change tactics.”
Chu Yanran smirked. All that jargon just to justify his reasons for changing the surgical procedure.
Department Chief Sun was truly a cautious person.
“And then?” The older man stared at the oddly-colored gallbladder. The tissue had darkened, reflecting irreversible damage. When the gallbladder was cut open, a slurry of green and black flowed out. The rot was unmistakable and reaffirmed the decision to prevent leakage into the liver.
The older man held his composure with dignity.
“This disorder is very rare. Chief Resident Zheng’s diagnosis in the emergency department was correct. Neither I nor Department Chief Xia have ever seen such a case,” Department Chief Sun admitted.
“It’s out now and all is well,” Zhou Wenxiang uttered softly.
“Auntie is lucky. Chief Zheng had just completed an emergency rescue surgery and managed to assist. If more time had passed, the outcome could have been different,” Chu Yanran piped up.
Department Chief Sun smiled as he looked at her.
If the young woman had not followed him out, he would have been spinning a completely different story now.
He then recalled what the patient’s son had said to her earlier in the emergency department.
Suddenly, Department Chief Sun understood why Chu Yanran was here. “Thankfully, Chief Resident Zheng from the emergency department was available.”
“Chief Resident Zheng?” Zhou Wenxiang murmured, doubt creeping into his voice.
“Yes. It was lucky for us Chief Resident Zheng stepped in. If Provincial Capital had had this case, they would have succeeded without someone like Chief Zheng,” Department Chief Sun said resolutely.
“Yes, it’s true. A professor from Imperial Capital even dropped in today to discuss the National Natural Science Grant with Chief Zheng. Also, a German professor experienced in similar cases complimented Chief Zheng’s handling of the surgery.”
Professor Rudolph Wagner had said nothing. All he had done was record the whole surgery.
Chu Yanran was not lying, however; she was simply depicting the situation in a way the patient’s family could understand.
“The surgery is over and done with. Are there any risks of complications after?” the old man asked.
“Unlikely. She should be able to walk after a day of rest and discharged within a week,” Department Chief Sun answered.
Chu Yanran said nothing, but there was a smug smile on her face as she moved beside the old man.
She had said everything she wanted to say and was thoroughly enjoying the displeased expression on Zhou Wenxiang’s face.
She ought to have dragged Su Yun along. Some witty lines from him would surely make this scene even more enjoyable.
Specifically, things she could not utter herself.
The department chief’s answer was a relief to the old man, whose expression softened as he said, “No wonder you refused to go to Harbin Medical University Affiliated Second Hospital when you came back from Sichuan. Evidently, you’ve found your master here.”
Chu Yanran said nothing as she gave Zhou Wenxiang a satisfied grin.
Zhou Wenxiang fumbled as he tried to rack his brain for a response. His cheeks burned as he recalled his foolish words to Chu Yanran.
However… Dr. Zheng was so young. Even if the older department chiefs admired him, Zhou Wenxiang could not believe an Imperial Capital professor would come all the way to Sea City for him, let alone to discuss the National Natural Science Grant.
Zhou Wenxiang worked in culture and education, and although it was not in his department, he knew the application and selection process well.
Prefecture-level recognition for medical research required a difficulty score of at least 9.5. It was much higher at the national level.
Chu Yanran was sorely mistaken if she thought she could fool him with her tall tales.
