The Surgeon's Studio

“Please, go ahead,” replied Zheng Ren.

In order to ease future consultations with the doctor, the patient’s family members would normally try to promote a friendly relationship first by inviting him over for a meal.

However, the richest man in Sea City should not worry about such an issue at all. Zheng Ren had a vague feeling that it was going to be another troublesome case.

“Thank you for your trouble, Doctor Zheng.” Bu Li clapped her hands and a female assistant entered the room with a stack of radiographic films in her hand.

“These are my brother’s films,” explained Bu Li.

Zheng Ren noticed some hidden annoyance in Bu Li’s eyebrows when she mentioned her brother.

“I’m sorry, Doctor Zheng. He is my half-brother,” explained Bu Li as she keenly perceived the thought on Zheng Ren’s mind and added, “He has been suffering nasal ulceration for half a year and there hasn’t been any improvement despite various treatment plans.”

‘Hey, he should go to the otorhinolaryngology department. I’m just a general surgeon,’ Zheng Ren complained silently and continued listening to her story.

“The first-class experts in this country suspected he had nasal NK/T cell lymphoma, but the results after three pathological tissue biopsies showed that it was just simple inflammation. My father was worried and distressed about this issue. Then, he was found to have pancreatic cancer,” said Bu Li.

Zheng Ren had already detected countless grudges and resentments within Sea City’s richest family from Bu Li’s story, but these were none of his concern.

This sort of gossip was life-threatening and Zheng Ren would like to stay as far away as possible from them.

He picked up the thick stack of films, trying to read them facing a light source. The assistant beside Bu Li then came back with a brand new radiographic film viewer.

‘Damn, that’s really professional. No wonder this is the richest family in Sea City,’ Zheng Ren complimented internally.

“I need to see the patient myself.”

“He is a little irritable, so you may not be able to examine him,” said Bu Li.

“Just one look will be fine. I’ve a rough idea about his condition already,” replied Zheng Ren.

‘How am I supposed to know if the patient has nasal NK/T cell lymphoma if I don’t see the patient? You guys are asking a general surgeon to diagnose his condition when a specialist with decades of experience couldn’t even figure out his problem. Is this an example of a drowning man clutching at straws?’

At least they had been fortunate enough to encounter Zheng Ren, who possessed the power of the System.

Zheng Ren’s words surprised both Elder San and Bu Li. They stared at each other briefly before Elder San left the room in silence.

The room instantly became quiet as the chefs had already packed up their utensils when the assistant had come in earlier.

Zheng Ren pretended to be serious but was in fact absent-mindedly looking at and comparing each of the films. He had devoted his life to the medical field for more than ten years, including his time spent studying medicine, and even if he did not clearly understand the films, he at least knew how to act professionally.

A loud voice could be heard in the corridor twenty minutes later. It was unclear, so Zheng Ren had no clue what the commotion was about.

Soon, the door opened.

Elder San entered the room while holding a fourteen- or fifteen-year-old boy with one hand,

“I’m sorry, Doctor Zheng. This boy has developed fear of hospitals and doctors after frequent consultations,” explained Elder San.

Zheng Ren was shocked at the sight of Elder San holding a constantly struggling boy with one arm behind his back and admired silently, ‘No wonder those people respect Elder San so much. Look at that arm strength. He probably has a handgrip strength of a hundred kilograms.’

The boy’s condition and final diagnosis were shown in the upper right corner of Zheng Ren’s vision when he fixed his gaze on the boy.

Well, that was awkward.

Wealthy families were indeed chaotic.

“Elder San, you’re too polite. Let the child go. It’s better not to let him create a mess here,” said Zheng Ren.

Behind Elder San stood a man whose expression sank immediately. “Miss, are you humiliating the young master?”

“Huh?” Bu Li hissed through her nose as she looked askew at that man with piercing eyes.

“You seized the young master directly after stating that his presence was required, then you want him to leave after taking one glance. Do you think you’re fooling a monkey?” The man refused to give up. “The young master has been in a bad mood after Master Bu fell sick and even had a nosebleed this morning. If you continue humiliating the young master any further and cause his condition to deteriorate, I will definitely report this issue to Master Bu.”

“Up to you.” Bu Li waved her hand casually.

The man gritted his teeth, unable to do anything about her attitude. Left with no choice, he stared at Zheng Ren and asked, “You’re a professor? Which hospital are you from?”

The contempt in his tone was obvious when he emphasized the word “professor”.

Zheng Ren was less than thirty years old. He could not possibly be a professor.

“You flatter me.” Zheng Ren was not bothered as he had developed an immunity to this sort of mocking tone after encountering various incidents in the hospital.

“You asked for the young master’s presence. What have you understood so far?” asked the man fiercely.

“Have a care how you speak!” Bu Li scolded. “He is the surgeon who performed the surgery on my father!”

“Professor Ichiro Moriyu performed the surgery on Master Bu! Miss, if you don’t explain yourself today, the young master and I will visit Master Bu to demand an explanation! You don’t have any authority yet in the Bu family!”

Zheng Ren was experiencing a headache. A war within a wealthy family. That was boring.

“Are you sure you want to hear it?” Zheng Ren tilted his head and stared at the man with a smile on his face.

“Is there a problem?”

“Come in and close the door if you’ve made up your mind.”

The astonished Elder San and Bu Li stared at Zheng Ren in silence.

“His condition is special. Are there any unrelated parties here?” asked Zheng Ren.

“Just spit it out!” answered the man impatiently.

“Good.” Zheng Ren then pointed at the nearest MRI film on the radiographic film viewer. “There are indeed signs of nasal NK/T cell lymphoma in the films, so the diagnosis isn’t wrong.

“But judging by his medical history, this diagnosis is invalid.”

“Don’t talk nonsense!” The man was getting impatient.

“I think the patient is using recreational drugs,” said Zheng Ren.

It was a simple statement, but its effect was that of a small stone thrown into a pond, sending ripples in ever-widening circles.

The startled Elder San gave this some thought.

Bu Li gave Zheng Ren a puzzled look. How did he come to the diagnosis with a quick glance at the patient and reading the MRI films for twenty minutes?

Even senior professors in Imperial Capital and Sorcery Capital were unable to diagnose the patient with certainty. What was the source of his confidence?

“Bullsh*t!” yelled the man in exasperation. Then, he glared at Bu Li and complained, “I’ll definitely report to Master Bu what happened today.”

“Up to you,” replied Bu Li coldly before asking, “Doctor Zheng, there aren’t any needle marks on his body.”

“It’s mixed with glass particles. During inhalation, those particles rupture the nasal capillaries and facilitate the entrance of recreational drugs into the bloodstream. Hence, the high is further intensified.”

The child in Elder San’s grip stopped struggling immediately and gave Zheng Ren a horrified stare as if he had seen a ghost.

The child was very good at covering his tracks. He had not expected someone to see through his tricks so easily.

“Go to the hospital and take a blood sample for a toxicology screen. If he had a nosebleed this morning, that means the chemicals in his bloodstream haven’t completely metabolized yet and can still be detected in the blood test,” Zheng Ren concluded.

Zheng Ren’s confidence and the terrified look on the child’s face made the trio believe the explanation instantly.

That must be the truth, but who could have guessed it?

Elder San put the child down and assumed a fist-and-palm salute. “I misjudged you, Doctor Zheng. Still waters run deep.”

Zheng Ren failed to grasp the hidden meaning in Elder San’s words. He did not care who Elder San supported—Bu Li or the young boy—because the rivalry over a wealthy man’s inheritance would definitely end up in turmoil.

After noticing that the boy had been released, the man wanted to step forward and help him, perplexed. However, his legs had been drained of energy after realizing the truth and he staggered after taking one step, almost falling to the ground.

“Doctor Zheng, you must be tired. I’ll instruct someone to send you home,” said Elder San lightly. Zheng Ren had no intention of staying any longer, so he agreed to his suggestion and left the room.

In front of the door stood a man dressed completely in black. He was the brute with a baseball bat in the emergency department yesterday, the one whom Elder San addressed as Little Six.

“Send Doctor Zheng home.” Elder San made some arrangements. “Also, give Doctor Zheng an explanation for what happened this afternoon.”

Then, Elder San assumed a fist and palm salute again to bid farewell.

“Doctor Zheng, this way, please,” said Little Six politely.

“I still don’t know your name yet. What’s your surname?” asked Zheng Ren.

“That’s very nice of you, but just call me Little Six. You’re the Bu family’s savior, and that means you’re my savior too, so there’s no need to be so polite.” The smiling Little Six’s tone was as humble as dust. The ferocity with which he held the baseball bat in the emergency department last time had disappeared into thin air.

As they walked out of the main entrance, Zheng Ren frowned upon seeing a traumatized man standing alone outside the door.