Chapter 25: Like a Fish in Water, Splash to Your Heart's Content

On the second day after arriving in Qingniao City, the municipal government hosted a high-level welcome banquet, attended by a vice mayor. He spoke for half an hour about national policies and the friendship between the two regions. Several county heads from the border region were also present, led by a high-ranking official who delivered yet another half-hour speech. When the banquet finally began, Zhang Fan was stunned: there were massive prawns—thicker than his own arm—along with giant crabs and a variety of seafood he had never seen before. Each table sat ten people, and many of the guests from the border region were from ethnic minorities who did not eat shellfish. That worked out perfectly for Zhang Fan, who took full advantage of the spread.

After being well-fed, Zhang Fan began his six-month advanced training program. Although he had been sent as a general surgery trainee, his specific department assignment was not yet fixed. When the hospital leadership asked for his preference, Zhang Fan chose the Department of Trauma Orthopedics, as his own hospital’s department had not yet been upgraded. As a major hospital in a large city, the patient volume and surgical frequency were high. Upon his arrival, the department director, Lin Cong, was unfamiliar with Zhang Fan’s capabilities, so he assigned him a few simple plate-removal surgeries just to test his skills.

The idea was to gauge Zhang Fan’s proficiency; if he couldn't even handle a plate removal, he would have to start from the basics. The dean of the Qingniao University Affiliated Hospital had repeatedly emphasized in meetings that this was a political task, and they were to treat it with the utmost care. The assistant assigned to Zhang Fan was Huo Qinghua, a senior attending physician who had passed his associate chief physician exams years ago but remained in his current role due to a lack of available positions.

The dean’s constant reminders and the department director’s frequent mentions kept Zhang Fan and his colleagues in the spotlight. Despite coming from the far west, Zhang Fan was treated with warmth, partly due to the hospitable nature of the locals and partly because there was no conflict of interest between them. Consequently, the department doctors were fully cooperative.

In the operating room, the procedure was a clavicle plate removal. "Dr. Huo, I’ll go scrub and disinfect first."

"Let’s go together." Since sterile technique was the bottom line in surgery, Huo Qinghua was there to observe Zhang Fan’s operational standards. If Zhang Fan faltered, Huo would have to take over. Zhang Fan’s scrubbing, disinfecting, and draping were standard, precise, and flawless. Just as they were about to begin, Huo Qinghua’s phone rang. It was unrealistic to forbid surgeons from answering calls; sometimes, a primary physician needed to be informed immediately if a patient had a problem. The circulating nurse held the phone to Huo’s ear. He waved a hand at Zhang Fan, intending for him to wait, but Zhang Fan mistook the gesture as a signal to proceed.

To Zhang Fan, a clavicle plate removal was as basic as it gets, though for a novice who hadn’t performed many surgeries, it could be tricky. The lungs and major arteries were right underneath; one wrong move or too much force, and one might break the clavicle again while trying to remove the plate.

After finishing his call, Huo Qinghua looked down and exclaimed, "Oh! You’re quick, Dr. Zhang. You’ve already removed the plate." The call had been about a patient complaining of severe post-operative joint pain, and Huo had spent ten minutes explaining the situation to an unhappy family member.

"Dr. Huo, if you’re busy, you can head out. I can handle the rest on my own."

Huo was there on assignment, so he couldn’t leave just yet; he needed to see the rest of the procedure. "It’s fine, I’ve handled it." Zhang Fan proceeded to clear the hematoma and callus tissue and suture the muscle and skin with practiced, expert ease. Huo was astonished: "Looking at this, you’ve clearly performed plenty of surgeries." In less than half an hour, including anesthesia and the procedure itself, it was done.

Huo hadn’t paid much attention to the first surgery, but for the second—a radial plate removal—he watched closely. After the set was complete, Huo asked, "Dr. Zhang, what year did you pass your attending exams? Your hospital must have quite a few orthopedic patients."

"I just graduated with my bachelor’s degree last year," Zhang Fan replied with a grin.

"You’ve got to be kidding me! Did you spend every day in the hospital just removing plates? Even then, you couldn't be this proficient," Huo remarked, looking at Zhang Fan with bewilderment.

In Director Lin Cong’s office, Lin asked, "Well? Is Dr. Zhang’s technique up to standard?"

"His scrubbing and disinfection were flawless," Huo replied. "As for the plate removals today, if I had done them, I certainly wouldn't have been as fast or as precise."

"No way," Lin Cong said, nearly spitting out his water. He knew Huo’s level—a Ph.D. from Qingniao University and a rising star in orthopedic surgery.

"It gets even more surprising," Huo added with a laugh. "The kid only graduated last year!"

"Well, this is interesting. Put him on tomorrow’s trauma surgeries. You stand by and observe a bit more." Since plate removals were simple, Lin hadn't taken it to heart yet.

The next day, the surgeries escalated in complexity. In a county hospital, trauma cases were rare—sometimes patients only came in for transfer papers. But here, the emergency room was packed even from the night before. Femur fractures, tibiofibular fractures, and forearm fractures were everywhere. For Zhang Fan, this was routine, as 70% of his work at the county hospital had been trauma orthopedics. The system’s physical enhancement had not only increased his stamina but also significantly sharpened his reflexes.

"Steady, fast, and gentle—you’re already at this level? Are you here for advanced training, or to show us up?" Huo was increasingly shocked. Some of the fractures were severely comminuted; even Huo would have to pause and think, but Zhang Fan didn't hesitate for a second, completing the work perfectly. "The alignment is textbook. Dr. Zhang, your foundation is deep." To earn such praise from a Ph.D. at a provincial-level top-tier hospital meant the system was extraordinary.

"How was it?" Lin Cong asked again in his office.

"Incredible. Truly incredible. In terms of skill, the only one in our department who could supervise Zhang Fan is you, Director. We aren't up to the task. It’s a real blow to our pride!"

"You’re exaggerating. Don't tell me you’re just trying to pawn him off on me," Lin said, skeptical. "You’re making him sound like a character in a novel."

"I’m not exaggerating. Why don’t you see for yourself tomorrow?"

"How many elective surgeries are there tomorrow?"

"I have two femur fractures. One is severely comminuted; we need to discuss whether to use internal or external fixation at the department meeting."

"Bring me the scans. I’ll take a look."

A moment later, Huo brought the images. "Internal fixation. The patient is a bit old; I don't think they can handle external fixation. As long as we achieve physiological alignment, it will be fine. Assign me and Zhang Fan to this surgery tomorrow. If you’re pulling my leg, I’ll deal with you," Lin said with the typical directness of a northerner.

"Just don't be too surprised tomorrow. Keep your blood pressure medication handy," Huo quipped.

Lin Cong feigned throwing his cup at Huo, who ducked out of the office. Having been mentored by Lin, their relationship was much like that of a master and his apprentice.