Great Doctor Ling Ran

“Greetings, everyone. I will resign myself to your guidance.” Hayato Ueda stood at the spot where the chief surgeon was supposed to be. He faced Department Associate Director Pan and the others, bowing to them in turn. His emotions seemed to be surging within, barely contained.

Operations that carried levels of difficulty involving flexor tendon sutures had always been rare for him.

When he realized that he was soon about to perform such of operations on a daily basis, Hayato Ueda nearly burst out in song.

“Then, I shall begin.” Hayato Ueda bowed to them solemnly.

His expression and his movements led Department Associate Director Pan to recall his actions during yesterday’s banquet. Hayato Ueda had also said something similar, “I shall begin eating.”

As Department Associate Director Pan was lost in his thoughts, Hayato Ueda no longer restrained himself. His scalpel went down.

Operate.

Retraction.

Tendon stripping.

Suture.

Suture again…

Completely sutured…

As the operation neared its end, Hayato Ueda felt overwhelmingly refreshed. He could not help but bow one more time and said, “Everyone, thank you. Thank you. Our teamwork was splendid!”

“Professor Ueda also did extremely well.”

Department Associate Director Pan raised his head and looked at the time. Stitching one finger within four and a half hours was actually a pretty good result for a doctor who had just started employing the M-Tang technique.

Anesthetist Su Jiafu let out a big yawn.

Today, he came here to assist this Japanese medical professor with the administering of anesthesia. To earn a good reputation for Yun Hua Hospital, to earn a good reputation for the anesthetists of China, and to earn a good reputation for the Chinese, he had remained alert throughout the entire surgery. His eyes had remained fixed on the monitoring instruments, and he had adjusted the various dosages as he saw fit. He was so weary to the point he felt that his blood in his body was about to dry up.

And worse still, the length of the surgery was incredibly long.

It was just like the headmaster going crazy and giving a lesson to the students. The students would have no other choice but to listen attentively to the lesson. At first, the students would think that they could just pretend to be serious for tens of minutes. Who would have thought that the headmaster would do three consecutive lessons…

Su Jiafu let out another yawn. There were many anesthesiologists who were assigned to duty around the clock, and those who were able to stay sober for twenty-four hours had to be on drugs…

“Doctor Su, thank you for your hard work today as well.” Professor Ueda went to thank each of the medical staff. When he reached the anesthetist, he thanked him as well, not showing the slightest bit of negligence in his gratitude.

Su Jiafu waved his hand dismissively and said, “It was nothing. This is my duty.”

“I appreciate your approval very much, Doctor Su.” Hayato Ueda bowed once again and said, “The surgery which was initially planned to be completed in four hours was unexpectedly delayed by over half an hour. I’m really sorry about that. I shall try my best to ensure the completion of the surgery within the allotted duration in the future.”

The expression on Su Jiafu’s face seemed a little strange as he looked towards Department Associate Director Pan.

Department Associate Director Pan chuckled and said, “Anesthetists in Japan are terribly fierce, especially towards newcomers. He was just afraid that you might scold him.”

Su Jiafu let out a long hum before he asked again, “Can I scold him?”

Department Associate Director Pan froze for a moment before he laughed out loud. He pointed at Su Jiafu and said, “You young people these days… We never understand your humor.”

Su Jiafu pouted. He had estimated that the maximum duration of the surgery would be three hours. Who would have thought that the operation would end up being four hours long in the end? And because of that, his plans had been disrupted. That was enough reason for him to scold someone.

However, since this was a Japanese friend, Su Jiafu could only smile back at him.

“Doctor Su, may I ask for your assistance for the next operation?” Hayato Ueda seemed to have the mindset of not asking for anyone else but Su Jiafu for this task. He bowed slightly again.

“Hmm…” Su Jiafu only pondered over this for two seconds before he sighed and said, “Alright.”

Of course, Ling Ran’s surgery would be the ideal place to be. Sometimes, he could complete two surgeries in an hour. He would receive a great deal of surgery fees from each surgery he performed as well. So having to complete ten surgeries in a day… Everyone in the Department of Anesthesiology fought to join Ling Ran in surgery. So, he should not even dream of being Ling Ran’s anesthetist.

But no matter what, four and a half hours was indeed too long for a single operation.

Su Jiafu looked at his watch helplessly.

“Alright. I am going to perform my own surgery as well after this,” Department Associate Director Pan called the translator hired by the hospital over again and said, “We are going to work overtime on surgeries. Let’s hope that we won’t end up emptying our reserves on patients who require flexor tendon suturing in the end.”

“Ha… cough cough, cough cough cough…” Su Jiafu could not help himself but cough violently.

The scrub nurse who was present appeared displeased, a fact made apparent by her undisguised expression. Then, she spoke with a soft voice, though it was at a volume everyone could hear. “That’s far from the volume of surgeries Doctor Ling can perform.”

Department Associate Director Pan’s eyes shifted to her in an instant.

The nurse standing beside the operating table puffed out her chest. She supported the scrub nurse firmly.

Compared to a resident doctor, who was said to have a status even lower than a dog, a doctor with the status of an associate director had a greater advantage in terms of their psyche when they faced the young nurses.

However, when the young nurses stood together as one, any doctor had to retreat about thirty miles away from them.

Associate Department Associate Director Pan could only snort softly. He kicked the airtight access door open and went out. He thought to himself that he would simply need to show his worth using his volume of surgeries.

On the next day.

Pan Hua and Hayato Ueda had performed surgeries for the entire night. They walked out of the operating theater with dark eye bags, took their breakfast while they were unsteady on their feet, and returned to the department. They smiled at each other.

“We’ve performed four surgeries yesterday. That was truly satisfying and delightful,” Hayato Ueda shouted using Japanese. He sounded as if he was a character from an anime, and it caught the attention of many in the office.

Department Associate Director Pan was much calmer. He spoke softly to Hayato Ueda in Japanese and said, “I also only did five. After leaving the country for so long, I’m a little bit unfamiliar with the feeling of performing multiple operations in a go.”

Hayato Ueda stroked his head as he laughed out loud. “I never thought that it would feel so great to perform operations continuously. Although my calf muscles are aching a little, it feels really comfortable…”

“Oh, Old Pan, you’re here. Did the operation last night go smoothly?” Department Director Jin Xi strode into the office with the gait of a leader.

The young doctors nodded one after another to show their respect. Some of them even revealed well-rehearsed smiles on their faces.

Pan Hua stood up and said, “It was quite smooth. Professor Ueda did not run into any unexpected situations during his operations either.”

“Alright. It’s good to know that the operations went smoothly,” Director Jin Xi nodded and said, “Then carry on as you usually would today.”

“Oh, alright.” Pan Hua nodded out of habit. But soon after that, he was stunned. “As normal?”

“Department Associate Director Pan, the assignment chart has been placed on the table for you,” a resident doctor said softly.

Hayato Ueda also realized what was going on from his interpreter. “Um… what do you mean by, carry on as usual?”

“Ward rounds. Then surgeries.” Pan Hua’s expression was deadpan as he picked up the assignment chart from the table and took a look at it. Then, he said, “There’re three operations for you. I also have three on my end…”

Hayato Ueda was truly terrified at this point. He muttered softly in Japanese, “Didn’t… Didn’t we just complete our surgeries last night?”

Pan Hua looked at him before he looked at the young resident doctor.

Baffled, the young resident doctor turned around and looked at Pan Hua.

Pan Hua suddenly realized what was going on and spoke in Japanese, “They did not know that we had been performing surgeries the entire night.”

“What? How’s that possible?”