Chapter 60: The Pitfalls of General Surgery, Filling in the Livers

Having talked back to the anesthetist, the young nurse spread the news across the entire surgical system, and everyone now knew that Zhang Fan had a temper. The medical affairs office didn't summon Zhang Fan, but they did scold Li Hong a bit for being irresponsible and so on.

Let them talk; Zhang Fan couldn't care less. If he encountered a situation like that again, he would definitely talk back. Surgical safety came above all else.

During day shifts, Zhang Fan was restricted to doing surgeries within his own team; he couldn't even dream of joining other groups. While the attending physicians were more than willing to let Zhang Fan operate, the associate chief physicians were not. If they found out, they would discipline the attendings, leaving Zhang Fan quite helpless.

Since his original plan to build up his surgical volume in the department wasn't working out during the day, he would just do it at night. By now, Zhang Fan had familiarized himself with the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, and with a bit of shameless persistence, he managed to secure surgeries. At night, instead of returning to the dormitory, he simply stayed in the operating theater.

Whether it was general surgery or hepatobiliary cases, he took them all. When he was tired, he would lay a sheet on the floor of the operating room and catnap for a bit. Wang Zipeng followed his example; hardworking people should never be mocked. After a week of this, Wang Zipeng's face had turned remarkably pale because he literally hadn't seen the sun for an entire week.

"Zhang Fan, there's a perforated appendicitis case, open procedure. Can you handle it?" A doctor on night duty from another team called out to him.

"Brother, I'm on it. We've just closed the abdomen here and will be wrapping up in a second. Go ahead and start disinfecting." Zhang Fan was in the adjacent operating room.

To participate in other teams' surgeries, shameless persistence wasn't enough; you had to stay in the good graces of the staff. If the on-duty male doctor smoked, Zhang Fan would hand him a pack of cigarettes—his stash was well-stocked and included premium brands, which always pleased the on-duty doctor.

If the doctor didn't smoke, Zhang Fan would buy him dinner in advance, offering these small favors. You couldn't be stingy; human relationships were built slowly step by step.

Wang Zipeng truly followed suit. Since he couldn't strike up professional conversations with the doctors, he dedicated himself to buying water and drinks for the nurses in the operating theater. After a few days, the nurses stopped glaring at him. When he made mistakes, they would gently guide him to correct them, unlike when he first arrived and was chewed out without a second word.

Wang Zipeng also followed Zhang Fan around like a loyal shadow, all for the chance to do a few more sutures or tie a knot inside the abdominal cavity during an open procedure. Having been a beginner himself, Zhang Fan didn't make things difficult for him; he let Wang Zipeng handle whatever tasks he was capable of and offered guidance whenever appropriate.

Wang Zipeng was much better than Wang Yanan. That young woman either talked back aggressively or resorted to threats, and being a female, there was no way to argue with her. Yet strangely enough, her personality was quite popular in the department, with Xue Fei even dubbing her the "Rose of Surgery"—what a glutton for punishment!

During this entire month, aside from a brief trip to the sports school to conduct routine physical examinations for the children, Zhang Fan hadn't stepped foot outside the hospital.

Using Zhao Quanping's words to scold Li Hong: "Why is your technical skill improving so slowly? It's because you lack practice. Look at Zhang Fan. He hasn't left the department and operating theater for a whole month. If you just spend three months without leaving the department and operating theater, I refuse to believe your skills won't improve."

Li Hong had no retort; his tears flowed straight into his stomach. "My wife is pregnant and suffering from severe morning sickness. Can I be compared to a single dog?!"

Zhang Fan's hard work practically replaced Li Hong. He ended up doing almost all the basic surgeries for the team. Full of energy, socially adept, and possessing high surgical proficiency, he became the unofficial fourth attending physician in the general surgery group—he didn't write medical records or change dressings, he just operated.

Zhao Quanping saw Zhang Fan's efforts and fully supported them, occasionally assigning him a few extra patients. Compared to orthopedics, general surgery had a similarly heavy labor intensity, but with many more peripheral benefits.

Zhao Quanping was a good man and recognized the efforts of both young men. From the bonus pool, he took out a thousand yuan and gave each of them five hundred. The underlying problem in general surgery was historical; the three associate chief physicians were too close in age to Zhao Quanping, and with Lao Huang training his people well, it had led to a sort of feudal rebellion among the subordinates.

Department directors in tertiary-grade Class A hospitals were highly sought-after figures, as a single director represented a vast network of interest groups.

Zhang Fan didn't care much about that, but Wang Zipeng was overjoyed—not just for the money, but for the director's affirmation. Receiving recognition from the head of surgery increased his chances of staying in general surgery, making the already industrious Wang Zipeng work even harder. He would be the first to arrive in the department in the morning, mopping the floor and fetching water, practically doing the cleaning lady's job for her.

The attending physicians from the other teams were also very satisfied with these two rotating doctors, occasionally pulling Wang Zipeng aside to help retract during operations. As for Zhang Fan, his skill level was among the best even among the attendings; asking Zhang Fan to act as a retractor was something they felt too embarrassed to do.

Over the weekend, Zhang Fan was staying in the operating theater waiting for surgeries, as general surgery had a high volume of emergency cases. Suddenly, Miao Juan called: "Zhang Fan, what is going on with you? Jia Suyue's mother is exceptionally satisfied with you. What are you dragging your feet for? Why aren't you taking any action?"

Zhang Fan got a headache the moment he heard this. It was obvious the girl didn't think much of him. He told Miao Juan, "My dear sister, she doesn't think of me that way at all. What action am I supposed to take? Wouldn't I just be making a nuisance of myself?"

"Nonsense! Just tell me, isn't Jia Suyue pretty? She has a good job and a decent family background, so naturally her standards are high. Look at you, all tanned and brooding, and you aren't even proactive. Are you waiting for her to chase after you? Let me tell you, her mother is extremely pleased with you. Don't let this slip through your fingers, or you'll regret it to your dying day!"

Zhang Fan was already stressed and anxious about his surgical volume in general surgery; how could he possibly have the mind to chase women? Although Jia Suyue's mother had taken a liking to him, Jia Suyue's attitude was crystal clear to Zhang Fan, so he hadn't made any moves.

Jia Suyue's mother had urged Miao Juan several times to push Zhang Fan to be more proactive, believing that even the most stubborn heart could be worn down by persistence. Making the first move might actually give him a chance. Jia Suyue's mother was genuinely terrified that her daughter would bring home some good-for-nothing pretty boy, dooming her to a lifetime of hardship after marriage.

Zhang Fan had a decent profession, a respectable income, and aside from his darker complexion, he possessed an extraordinary level of emotional maturity. Her mother preferred precisely that kind of man. Having lived through life's experiences, she knew what kind of partner was truly suited for building a stable life.

Miao Juan insisted, "I don't care. You have to ask her out. After a few dates, you might start to develop feelings. Haven't I been good to you, Zhang Fan? Just listen to your sister."

Zhang Fan didn't even have the girl's phone number; how was he supposed to contact her or ask her out? Just then, a weekend emergency case arrived: a perforated appendix. A young girl who loved hot pot had suffered agonizing abdominal pain and was rushed to the hospital by her family. When Zhang Fan pressed her abdomen, board-like rigidity was already present. He immediately initiated preoperative preparations and obtained the family's signature on the consent forms.

As it turned out, this young girl was Jia Suyue's cousin. Her entire family rushed over in a flurry. The moment Jia Suyue's mother saw Zhang Fan, her face lit up—what a familiar acquaintance! She stepped forward to speak with him, asking him to take good care of the patient. Taking advantage of a moment when no one was paying attention, she whispered to him, "I'm rooting for you. Don't give up. My daughter has a lot of suitors, but I've chosen you. You need to put in some effort. Go ahead and pursue her with confidence. Here's her number; call her when you have free time. You're both young and will have plenty of common topics."

What kind of situation was this? Jia Suyue had also arrived, and upon seeing her mother's enthusiastic posture, she stopped paying attention to Zhang Fan altogether. She was annoyed to death; her mother chanted her praises like a scripture every single day, refusing to stop until she had uttered Zhang Fan's name at least ten times.

The surgery was straightforward. Although there was a perforation, it posed no problem for Zhang Fan.

Outside the operating room, Jia Suyue's uncle and aunt paced back and forth, consumed with anxiety. Jia Suyue's mother comforted them, "Don't worry, I know this young man. He's exceptionally skilled at surgery and a backbone of this hospital. Besides, he's currently pursuing Jia Suyue, so he'll definitely put his heart into it. He'll be out shortly."

With her cousin undergoing surgery, Jia Suyue had no mood to entertain her mother's chatter.