Chapter 409 - 263: Ruijin’s Top Knife
Then he said, "Elder Zhi just sent a message saying the friend who’s coming to visit is named Jiang He—the same Jiang He from Southern Medical University who developed the early screening for pancreatic cancer."
Wen Xuyang: "???"
Good thing his professor had told him to sit down before breaking the news.
Otherwise, he probably would have made quite a scene.
But even now, he was still reeling from the shock.
’Elder Zhi’s friend... is Jiang He?’
’Jiang He... is Elder Zhi’s friend?’
Wen Xuyang suddenly shot up from his seat, overcome with embarrassment. Covering his face with his hands, he jumped up and down, exclaiming:
"ARGH, Professor, Jiang He called me in the middle of the night before and told me this himself! I thought he was joking! I even told him a terrible Snow White joke right then and there! Holy crap... This is so embarrassing... AHHH!"
Wen Xuyang felt mortified beyond belief.
No wonder the other end of the line had suddenly gone quiet.
’The guy revealed his identity, and not only did I refuse to believe him, but I also told him a lame joke.’
ARGH!!!!!
I’M SHORT-CIRCUITING!!!!!
"Tsk."
Li Jianping muttered to himself:
"No wonder... That explains it."
𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦
"I was wondering how Jiang He was able to help you answer questions on stage in Baltimore."
"I was wondering how he knew so much about our clinical projects at Ruijin. So it’s because he has Elder Zhi backing him. He was Elder Zhi’s friend all along!"
Everything made sense now.
So that’s how it was!
Seeing Wen Xuyang still covering his face and stomping his feet, Li Jianping finally frowned.
"Alright, stop jumping around!"
Wen Xuyang sat down, feeling utterly uncomfortable, as if ants were crawling all over him.
Li Jianping thought for a moment, then said:
"Xuyang, I have a task for you. Since you built some rapport with Jiang He in Baltimore, I want you to think about something."
"Go ahead, Professor."
"How can we make Jiang He’s visit comfortable and pleasant, while also fully showcasing the top-tier skill of Ruijin’s General Surgery Department?"
As Hushang’s premier medical center, Ruijin had its own pride.
Li Jianping didn’t want Jiang He’s visit to be all about flowers and applause.
He wanted Jiang He to see Ruijin’s real, tangible skills in the field of surgery.
Wen Xuyang recalled the details of his interactions with Jiang He, especially that awkward midnight phone call.
He said, "Professor, I have an idea. I think Jiang He might be interested in the live surgery broadcast we’re about to do."
Li Jianping: "Oh? How so?"
"During our phone call that night, I casually mentioned we were planning a multi-hospital live surgery broadcast. He immediately cut me off and kept asking about it. I could tell he was very interested."
Li Jianping frowned in thought and said:
"That won’t really work. This live broadcast is a major event."
"For this nationwide live broadcast, I chose a very complex case."
"Cancer of the pancreatic head, with a tumor already over four centimeters. There’s also an aberrant right hepatic artery, and it might even have slightly invaded the border of the portal vein. This is a standard Level 4 Surgery, the biggest operation in general surgery."
"Jiang He... he’s a research genius, but he’s only twenty-one. He can’t perform a surgery of this caliber."
Wen Xuyang understood this, of course. He explained, "Professor, I’m not suggesting he be the lead surgeon—that’s obviously impossible. I was thinking... could we maybe let Jiang He be the third assistant?"
"Third assistant?" Li Jianping was slightly taken aback.
In a massive operation like a Whipple procedure,
the lead surgeon is responsible for the core resection and reconstruction.
The first assistant is responsible for exposing key areas and assisting with dissection.
The second assistant handles ligation, cutting sutures, and peripheral retraction.
As for the third assistant, to put it simply, they just hold the retractors.
It was a tedious job.
It required holding a single position for a long time, grasping a retractor to keep the surgical field exposed for the lead surgeon.
"Professor, think about it. Jiang He is coming all the way from Yangcheng. It would be so boring if we just took him to dinner or held a seminar. Since he’s interested in the Whipple, we should let him scrub in. The third assistant position doesn’t involve any core procedures, so it won’t interfere with your rhythm. But by being there at the table, he’ll get the closest and most direct view of your every move, and he’ll see how Ruijin’s top surgeon operates."
"This would be an indirect way of demonstrating our strength to him, and by extension, to Elder Zhi."
Li Jianping didn’t immediately refute it.
He walked over to the window.
Wen Xuyang’s proposal had indeed hit the nail on the head.
In the world of surgery, there was no more direct form of communication than sharing an operating table.
If they could let this genius witness Ruijin’s capabilities on the operating table, it would be more effective than any flattering praise at a dinner party.
But...
Li Jianping turned around, his expression still hesitant.
"Xuyang, a Whipple procedure takes five hours at a minimum."
"And the case I’ve chosen is particularly complex."
"If his stamina gives out halfway through, or if he holds the retractor in the wrong position and interferes with my procedure..."
"Then, in front of a live, nationwide audience, he won’t be the only one embarrassed—so will Ruijin."
Wen Xuyang fell silent.
His professor’s concerns were not unfounded.
A twenty-one-year-old doctor was bound to have shortcomings when it came to practical, hands-on surgery.
After a long moment, Li Jianping said:
"This isn’t something we can decide on a whim. I’ll find an acquaintance at Affiliated Hospital No. 1 and ask around. I’ll ask about his recent performance in the OR."
"If his record is decent, I’ll consider keeping that third assistant spot for him."