The Surgeon’s Studio

246 subclavian vein catheterizations. It took three hours in total including preparation time.

In the emergency department, all medical personnel had forgotten the passage of time and were solely focused on the lives that required saving.

They were all doing their best.

Zheng Ren completed another central venous catheterization and looked up. The emergency bed opposite him was empty. That was the last nitrite poisoning patient.

It was over? Really?

Zheng Ren was a bit surprised.

Repeating a procedure for such a long time was bound to paralyze a doctor, especially someone like Zheng Ren who had exchanged all his experience points for surgical training time in the System and practised a few hundred venipunctures. After that, he had performed two hundred more catheterizations in the emergency room. Although a catheterization was not comparable to an actual surgery, the sheer number of them was enough to make Zheng Ren feel tired.

Zheng Ren turned and asked, “Any more patients?”

“I’ll ask.” Xie Yiren had also noted the lack of patients and walked out to inquire, a spring in her step.

Watching Xie Yiren’s retreating figure, Zheng Ren noticed the alterations made to her lab coat. The waist was pinched and showed off her perfect curves in each movement.

It was unlike the others, whose lab coats made them look shapeless and unflattering.

In a flash, Xie Yiren was back. Her mask was removed to reveal a flushed face. She spoke excitedly from the door, “Chief Zheng, there are no more patients. Old Chief Physician Pan said he would handle the hospital admissions and that you should stay put.”

“Okay,” Zheng Ren mumbled a reply.

Once the end was confirmed, fatigue flooded his body.

During the rescue, Zheng Ren had operated single-mindedly to save all the patients’ lives.

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His lethargy, hunger and basic human needs had been overshadowed by the epinephrine and dopamine released in his body. He had been unaware of his body’s needs.

Zheng Ren had not even kept track of the mission given to him by the System. 𝑓re𝘦𝔀𝗲𝘣𝘯𝘰νℯ𝒍.c𝗼ｍ

What was the mission again? Zheng Ren could not recall. Faced with the ‘Avatar’-like patients that kept coming in, he had no time to think about the experience points he would gain.

There were only subclavian vein catheterizations, methylene blue infusions and nitrite poisoning on his mind.

Ambulance sirens and the desperate cries of families filled his ears.

The end. It was finally the end.

Zheng Ren walked to the door and the world suddenly started to spin. His vision went blurry and he knocked into Xie Yiren.

“Ah!” Xie Yiren pushed Zheng Ren away. A loud bang echoed as his head crashed into the door. His boneless body collapsed onto the floor.

Seeing Zheng Ren on the floor, Xie Yiren was stunned. A moment passed and she called out. “Help!”

That was the most-repeated word in the emergency department today, especially this afternoon.

All the patients with nitrite poisoning were already receiving treatment, so who was yelling for help? Did a patient suddenly take a turn for the worse?

A few doctors and nurses put down their non-urgent work and came to check on the situation.

They were surprised to find Xie Yiren shouting. “Little Xie, what’s wrong?”

“Chief Zheng fainted!” Xie Yiren was still stunned and did not know what to do.

Did she cause it? Maybe... He was the one who fell into her... This pervert!

He was not injured, right? What if he hurt his brain?

Xie Yiren’s mind was filled with images of trepanation and drainage for intracranial hemorrhage.

A few medical personnel hurried to help Zheng Ren up.

Zheng Ren was sweating profusely. The people who helped him up had wet hands after.

“Move him to the bed!” a doctor said.

Zheng Ren only fainted for a moment. He was half-awake now.

He could feel the changes in his body. Mustering all his strength, he spoke, “Help me sit, don’t move me. 20 milliliters of glucose, injected, then another bottle of 10% glucose.”

He was weak, lightheaded, sweating, and there was ringing in his ears—the symptoms of low blood sugar. Zheng Ren only realized now that he had not eaten for almost 24 hours.

The last proper meal he had was supper with Xie Yiren, the crayfish.

That seemed like a long time ago.

Hearing Zheng Ren’s medical instructions, everyone’s panic abated as they figured it was likely hypoglycemia.

Soon, a large syringe of syrupy 50% glucose solution was injected into Zheng Ren’s veins as he leaned against the wall. Sitting on the floor, he gulped down the 10% glucose solution.

Sweat dripped down from Zheng Ren’s hair. Some family members of patients were heartbroken to see him. They wanted to ask after him and maybe send him some food, but Zheng Ren’s pallid complexion made them hesitant.

A human’s heart was made of muscles. If these were the people who usually wrote nasty online posts about doctors without ethics, even their hearts would be wrung upon seeing the doctor who fought tooth and nail for each patient collapse from exhaustion.

A phrase appeared in their hearts: what a great doctor!

A few minutes passed and the symptoms of hypoglycemia abated. Zheng Ren felt revived.

Although he had little interest in food, he had to at least consume something at regular intervals.

The previous night of appendectomies had exhausted him. After today’s endoscopic transrectal appendectomy, he had gone home and taken a small nap before coming in again to check on his patients.

He had totally forgotten to eat.

Tsk... He had to pay more attention next time.

The emergency department corridor was filled with hospital beds. Zheng Ren felt sincerely happy and giddy at the sight of the bluish tint gradually fading from the patients’ skins.

This was perhaps the happiest moment for doctors and nurses.

Wait, the System had given him a mission with a pretty substantial reward. The thought slowly crept into his mind.

Zheng Ren took a big gulp of the glucose solution in his hand. The syrupy glucose entered his oral cavity and into his esophagus, all the way down to his stomach. He could feel his energy restored as the gastric mucosa[1] rapidly absorbed it.

He lowered his head and feigned resting to enter the System.

Sweat splattered from his lowered head like raindrops from a cloud hanging above.

[Emergency Mission: A Buddha to All, completed.]

The cold, robotic female voice of the System rang out as soon as Zheng Ren arrived.

[Completed a total of 246 subclavian vein catheterizations, zero failures.Total rewards are 750 skills points, three silver chests, and 75000 experience points.]

Jackpot!

That was Zheng Ren’s first thought.

During the emergency, he had no time to think about the mission. Now that the crisis was over and he could reap the rewards, his happiness was only natural.

His general surgery skills set was originally at 1360. After the intensive training for cholecystectomy and venipunctures, plus the 246 subclavian vein catheterizations, it had risen to 1690.

A subclavian vein catheterization was a normal procedure without much complexity, and therefore the resultant increase in skill points was limited.

It was likely that most of the points came from the cholecystectomy training.

He still had 180 skill points saved. Including the skill point reward from this emergency mission, he now had 930 skill points at his disposal.

Based on his skill level in other types of surgeries, whatever skill tree he chose would instantly elevate him to the rank of Graduate.

The rank of a deputy senior chief surgeon was in his grasp. It felt really good. Zheng Ren figured he should give some thought to whichever specialty to invest points in.

After all, he was a miser who would split even a dollar.

The emergency rescue was an outlier. It was normal for humans to be impulsive.

These skill points and experience points were his just rewards. Floating before Zheng Ren, there were also three shiny, silver chests.

Zheng Ren did not play games and had thus never spent money for in-game treasure chests. Who knew that the System would contribute to his collection of life experiences?

As he was not a gamer, let alone a paying one, Zheng Ren had no basic knowledge of draw rates. He knew nothing about the generosity and harshness of Lady Luck[2].

His heart fluttered with intentions as all three silver chests opened.

The light was radiant!

[1] Glucose absorption occurs in the duodenum onward. Author may have mistaken their scientific facts.

[2] In some chinese online games, 欧皇 (European King) and 非酋 (African Chieftain) are used to call lucky and unlucky players respectively.