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Chapter 51: 51

Chapter 51: Six Hundred and Twenty Four New Patients

“Argh! 2nd assistant it is then!” After long consideration, Team Leader Qiu steeled his resolve . “He will follow Ruiwen . ” Hearing the final decision, the expressions on the new primary surgeons took a drastic change . Other than Zhu Ruiwen, the faces on the others curled up in anxiety . “Ruiwen and his team are all very experienced . The others, your 1st assistants are slightly weaker, they need a more experienced 2nd assistant . So that’s final . ”

With the superior setting an ultimatum, they could not fight over it any further . All the other newly appointed primary surgeons could do was to stare with envy at Zhu Ruiwen and pick up the leftovers .

Observing for another 10 minutes or so, they have chosen their 3rd assistants and left swiftly with Team Leader Qiu . They still had to rush back to the clinical block and make final arrangements for their operating procedures before lunchtime .

Zhou Jiaqiang knew this was the part that differentiated the newbies like Gu Jun from the experienced veterans . Before the skills of surgeons were tested during the procedures, their expertise was put to trial . Just like a war, “fail to plan, plan to fail . ” The primary surgeon had to choose his operating procedure and methods, and also consider all the different issues that may occur along the way . The operating theater was not a venue for him to try out new techniques .

As Team Leader Qiu left with the others, Gu Jun had just completed stitching up the deeper cavity of the jinmenken . Then, he left the more shallow areas for Wang Ruoxiang to complete .

Recently, Wang Ruoxiang had also been refining her technique every day . While she did not have bewildering improvement like Gu Jun did, her suturing on the more shallow areas were not a problem .

While he had left the final procedures to Wang Ruoxiang, Gu Jun did not leave the operating table . He stood by the side, watching Wang Ruoxiang’s every stitch . If she was about to make an error, he could still remind her before it happened . Until she reached the last layer of skin, Wang Ruoxiang did not stumble even once . Once she tied the sailor’s knot, she snipped off the excess thread and cleaned up the edges of the wound . Before she put on the dressing and bandages, she covered the wound in iodine tincture and tightened the bandages . Finally, they were done .

“Phoo…” Gu Jun heaved a sigh of relief . His first-ever operation in his life was completed without a hitch . “Operation complete! Zixuan, settle the injections and the additional anaesthesia please . ”

Finally, he snapped out of his intense focus and had time to notice the things around him . For example, how Wang Ruoxiang’s pretty forehead and sparkling eyes were at least 1 hundred times more beautiful than the jinmenken .

“Alright, leave it to me . ” Cai Zixuan ended his duty and obligation to keep everything sterile as a scrub nurse and began to clear up post-operation .

As Gu Jun turned and left the operating theatre, a familiar ring echoed in his mind . The system menu popped up and displayed a congratulatory statement .

[NORMAL mission – Mission Completed!]

[The proficiency of the Hands of Dexterity has risen! The current level is second-tier(5000/30000 proficiency)]

[Mission rewards are waiting to be collected: 1 box of Human Anti-inflammatory Medicine . Click to receive your rewards . ]

Click to receive your rewards?

Gu Jun was taken aback, it seemed like the system was really affected by his consciousness . It could tell that this was not an appropriate place to reward him .

An operation on the jinmenken had raised his proficiency by 2000; not a bad result . However, it was probably due to this being his debut operation and first time taking the role of primary surgeon .

Deep in thought, Gu Jun walked to the sink in the corridor outside the operating theater . As he removed the bloodied gloves under the tap, the cool water automatically gushed out and cleansed his hands bit by bit .

“Gu Jun, you are really not bad at all . ” By his side, Wang Ruoxiang also took off her gloves for a wash . While her mask covered her face, the admiration in her eyes was unmistakable .

“HAHA, because my assistant was fantastic!” Gu Jun laughed .

Hearing the mutual praise, a laugh burst out of Wang Ruoxiang . “HAHA . If you continue to be so cheeky, I will really hit you next time . ”

Having cleaned their hands, the duo laughed and chatted as they headed to change . The immense pressure of the operation still lingered in their hearts . They had to joke and laugh to relieve the tension .

The operation of their group was completed . However, the other two groups were still grappling with bloodshed . After another half an hour, the other two operations were completed . The two circulating nurses took responsibility for the aftercare . They will then proceed to perform another operation later .

Owing to their lacklustre qualifications in this selection, Zhou Jiaqiang did not arrange for them to appear first . Even so, not everybody from the first nine who operated were selected .

Only five people were called by Zhou Jiaqiang to the resting room . They were Gu Jun, Wang Ruoxiang, Sun Yuheng, and two other male students from a different batch; Tian Zelun and Liu Hong .

“There are 624 patients with Banyan Malformation Disease this time . ” Zhou Jiaqiang’s face was solemn . “They are doing pre-operative diagnosis in the Clinical Building right now . The first amputation operation is scheduled at 1 pm . Not only that, but all the operations also need to be completed within three days . We are very tight on time . Even so, we must race against the clock because once the patient’s condition reaches the bereavement stage, there is no cure . ”

Hearing the grave news from the usually cheerful brother who was so awe-inspiring, naturally set a massive tension in the hearts of the five trainees .

In Gu Jun’s mind, the video he watched at the competition stadium resurfaced . The man lying on the prison cell painfully shrieking in opisthotonus . That was the tragedy that would happen to a patient in the bereavement stage .

“Lack of manpower; we severely lack manpower,” Zhou Jiaqiang sighed in distress . “At this moment, the training for the 5 of you has been halted . You are all 3rd assistants now . Except you, Gu Jun . You are a 2nd assistant . ”

“Alright…” Gu Jun’s eyes narrowed as he dived deep in thought .

624 patients… That’s easily an entire village’s population . All of them are waiting for life-saving surgery .

The more he thought about it, the heavier his heart felt . Uncontrollably, the hoarse pained cries of help from the call in Gurong Village looped in his ears .

Save… me… Please… . Save me…

With a deep breath, Gu Jun hesitated .

Could we even save all 624 patients?

To be frank, he had always been stumped by a question and could not resist but ask, “Brother Qiang, I’m perplexed . Since time is so tight, why are we the only ones used?”

“Cai Zixuan and the others aren’t quite ready yet,” Zhou Jiaqiang answered . “This was not my decision . ”

“That is not what I meant . I’m thinking of experts like Professor Yu from Eastern University . There are also other veteran doctors and even graduates who would definitely know more than us,” confused, Gu Jun continued . “Why doesn’t the Phecda Department look for them instead?”

While he had earned the chance to be a 2nd assistant himself, he still believed that even Brother Zhang Lin was more qualified than him .

Hearing Gu Jun’s question, Wang Ruoxiang, Sun Yuheng, and the others also nodded in agreement and chimed along, “Brother Qiang, can you explain to us?”

“Indeed, how questionable . ”

At the competition site, Professor Qin only hinted slightly and claimed that what they were looking for was the malleability of the young talents . Professor Qin had also stated that they would be trained upon admittance . Yet, they were now contradictorily chased and rushed onto the operating theater . Wouldn’t it have been more efficient to hire already trained experts?

“At your level of authority, you are not allowed to know the admittance criterion of Phecda . To be honest, I am not allowed too . ” Zhou Jiaqiang waved his hands . As their trainer, he had an obligation to calm their nerves and worries . He patiently replied, “When I first came here, I was on my way to my internship at the hospital . Somehow, I was sent here instead . I can understand why Ah Jun would think that way . Indeed, experts and graduates are better trained . However, that is precisely the reason that we cannot use them . They know too much . ”

“Huh? This…” Sun Yuheng didn’t understand . Where’s the problem?

“Oh . ” Wang Ruoxiang had some hazy understanding .

This also sparked some ideas within Gu Jun . “Too much to learn . Learning too much . ” Just like a tall skyscraper, should such a building collapse…

“You can guess what this means now . ” Zhou Jiaqiang’s tone gradually became more serious . “Once you are at the clinical building, you might understand it . Well, let’s go!”

Brother Qiang left the operating room to a fellow trainer who came to take over . Then, he took the five of them to the Clinical building .