Great Doctor Ling Ran

Zhang Anmin arrived at the hospital just in time. He went inside the office of the Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and put on a large white coat. He then took his bag and left.

“Young Zhang, are you heading to the Emergency Department?” Duan Yiwen, a senior attending physician who was standing behind him, asked mockingly.

Duan Yiwen entered the hospital three years earlier than Zhang Anmin. He could be considered Zhang Anmin’s superior whether it was when he was a resident doctor or after he became an attending physician. Even though both of them were attending physicians now, Duan Yiwen still ordered Zhang Anmin around all the time.

However, for the past year, Zhang Anmin had become more and more reluctant to be ordered around. He was mainly focusing on Ling Treatment Group and Bazhaixiang, and no longer spent much time in the Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery. Of course Duan Yiwen did not have many opportunities to order him around anymore.

This made Duan Yiwen rather annoyed. However, he was no longer Zhang Anmin’s superior, and they did not even have the opportunity to operate on patients together anymore. Hence, Duan Yiwen could do nothing but mock Zhang Anmin with a scornful expression every now and then.

A few resident doctors in the office played along with Duan Yiwen and chuckled a few times. But no one said anything.

Everyone wanted to give face to Duan Yiwen, but they did not see the need to offend Zhang Anmin. If they were to side with Duan Yiwen, they would be going up against Zhang Anmin. And right now, as Zhang Anmin was working with Ling Ran, he was more of a subject of envy compared to Duan Yiwen.

Zhang Anmin, too, smiled and did not argue with Duan Yiwen.

Even though both of them were attending physicians, he would never win against Duan Yiwen in an argument.

Zhang Anmin lowered his head and walked out of the office. Duan Yiwen who was standing behind him snorted scornfully. “You’re getting paid by the Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, but you’re working for the Emergency Medical Center. You’re seriously a traitor.”

The resident doctors who did not dare to mock Zhang Anmin openly just now started playing along.

“He’s playing up to someone of power and influence, okay?”

“In the past, he still bothered to work in our department for a few hours every day and put on a front.”

“Things are different for him now since Ling Ran’s backing him up.”

“Truth be told, our department director really has a good temper. If we had a fiercer department director, he would have flown into a rage at Zhang Anmin.”

Zhang Anmin pretended that he did not hear anything. Internally, he shook his head scornfully.

He Yuanzheng was never known as someone with a good temper. Not many good-tempered surgeons existed in this world. It was just that He Yuanzheng was not powerful enough to throw a tantrum regarding this matter. Duan Yiwen might be a direct subordinate of He Yuanzheng, but He Yuanzheng was not directly related to any of the higher-ups in Yun Hua Hospital.

Of course, a person could look at the situation another way. It was precisely because Zhang Anmin was not a close subordinate of He Yuanzheng that he was having such a hard time in the Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery.

At the Operating Area of the Emergency Medical Center.

Zhang Anmin was thirty minutes late. He headed straight to the Operating Area and looked at his schedule.

These days, he mostly spent his days operating with Ling Ran. During more idle days, he would participate in three surgeries a day. Meanwhile, on busy days, he would need to operate on more than six patients a day. His schedule was considered quite a relaxing one, as he mostly participated in laparoscopy. Even in the Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, it was quite normal for doctors to participate in five or six laparoscopic cholecystectomy or appendectomy a day.

Of course, it was still quite rare for a doctor to participate in so many surgeries a day, and this was mainly because they could not find so many patients.

Zhang Anmin placed his fingertip on the surgery schedule that was printed on a piece of A4 paper. He slid his finger across the paper and muttered internally. ‘Hepatectomy, hepatectomy…’

Hepatectomy was a lot more difficult than cholecystectomy. To Zhang Anmin, it felt more tiring to participate in one or two hepatectomy a day compared to carrying out five or six laparoscopic cholecystectomy a day, a lot more tiring.

Hepatectomy was more arduous and tiring, and Zhang Anmin could make less money from it. However, he preferred to carry out hepatectomy.

Only by carrying out difficult surgeries could a person grow, and growth was what every surgeon aimed for.

When it came to surgeons in China, everyone only paid attention to associate chief physicians and chief physicians. Only after becoming an associate chief physician could a surgeon reap the fruits of his labor. And when a surgeon became a chief physician, his trees would be unquestionably covered in fat and juicy fruits.

It was very normal for a chief physician working in a tertiary Grade A hospital in China to earn more than American doctors of the same age group. And if that surgeon successfully became a department director, he would get paid a lot more and get treated a lot better compared to foreign specialists of the same age group.

Zhang Anmin reckoned that if he continued working under Ling Ran, or if he got even luckier and found an opportunity to become part of Ling Treatment Group, he would be able to get promoted within three or four years.

It was Zhang Anmin’s primary aim to not be limited by his skills when that happened. Of course, it would be even better if he could become so good at hepatectomy that he could carry out freelance surgeries.

“Young Zhang, you’re a little late, aren’t you?” At some point of time, Zuo Cidian had entered the waiting room of the Operating Area too.

Zhang Anmin froze for a moment. In the past, Zuo Cidian had always called him “Doctor Zhang”.

Zhang Anmin raised his head and looked at Zuo Cidian’s face, which was so full of wrinkles that it looked like a steamed bun that had fallen to the ground. He then forced himself to reply, “Old Zuo.”

“I have something to discuss with you.” Zuo Cidian wore a smile on his face, and he looked at Zhang Anmin with a kindly expression. It was as if he was looking at his own nephew.

Zhang Anmin was not really used to the situation, but he hummed in acknowledgement. He then glanced at the piece of A4 paper on the wall and said with a cold expression. “I have a surgery scheduled soon.”

This reply was not only an answer to Zuo Cidian’s question, but it also showcased Zhang Anmin’s current attitude and mood. At the same time, it also put to rest Zuo Cidian’s accusation that he was “a little late”. This was considered the best reply that Zhang Anmin could come out with.

Internally, Zhang Anmin was even a little pleased with himself.

Zuo Cidian gave Zhang Anmin a sidelong glance and asked, “Do you want to become an associate chief physician?”

Zhang Anmin’s mind immediately stopped working. A few seconds later, he said in a show of wisdom, “Yes.”

Zuo Cidian smiled. “Then, I’ll talk to you about it. Doctor Zhang, you’re free, aren’t you?”

“Of course. Since you want to talk to me, I’ll have to make myself available no matter what. Also, why don’t you just call me ‘Young Zhang’?” Zhang Anmin was fully utilizing his ability to yield to other people when the time was right. At home, he was the type of person who would kneel down if other people asked him to, and he had no problem doing the same at work too. Since he only had to do so in speech right now, things were even easier for him.

Naturally, Zuo Cidian flashed a smile.

…..

Ling Ran did not have a clue when it came to what Zuo Cidian and his other subordinates were planning. He did not bother to find out either.

He merely operated quietly on the patient at his own pace.

The surgeries he carried out lately were relatively simple, but Ling Ran believed that he could learn something from each surgery. This was especially true when it came to cholecystectomy as he learned it from scratch. Hence, he had to put more thought into this surgical method as well as gain more experience.

Ling Ran operated on patients in a leisurely manner until night fell, but he still ended up completing seven surgeries. This allowed him to fill up the empty hospital beds in the wards a little. Those busy patients who worked in big companies were getting discharged two and a half days after their surgeries, which was seriously quick. Because of this, Ling Ran was unable to fill up the wards as much as he wanted to.

“Doctor Ling, I’ve called a cab. Let’s get going.” The moment Ma Yanlin got off work, he immediately rushed over to remind Ling Ran of their appointment.

Since the appointment was made beforehand, Ma Yanlin did not have to say much.

Ling Ran closed his eyes and rested throughout the journey. After arriving at Shao’s family restaurant, he stretched and sized up the shop. It had been quite a while since he came over.

“Where’s the staff member who used to grill our meat?” Ling Ran was very sensitive to changes.

“He’s sick.” Boss Shao walked over with a smile. “I have sent all my other staff members for a physical examination, and they’re in the pink of health.”

“What illness is he suffering from?” Ling Ran inquired.

Boss Shao hesitated for a moment and said, “An eating disorder.”

Boss Shao then immediately made it a point to explain. “It’s not because the food in my shop is bad. It’s because he was admitted into the hospital for quite a few times and ended up developing an eating disorder because of the medication he took.”