The Surgeon’s Studio

Chapter 7: Seven Blocks of Building

Zheng Ren agreed that Su Yun was indeed attractive, but they were doctors, not models who danced down catwalks. Was beauty a prerequisite for consulting patients?

He returned to the emergency department in a flash, worrying that Yuan Li could have treated every trauma case that had arrived during his lunchtime. Since he had lost any chance of taking part in major surgeries, to be able to practice wound closure at the very least was better than nothing at all.

In the end, his worries were for nothing. The emergency surgery department was surprisingly quiet today and there was only a girl in a red shirt sitting on a plastic chair in a corridor, weeping.

It was normal to see a patient or their family members sob in a hospital. Zheng Ren had no intention of comforting the young lady, though, as he prioritized his wait for traumatic injury patients more.

He shifted his gaze to her in passing and recognized her instantly.

Upon closer inspection, he found that she was Xie Yiren, the scrub nurse present in the operating theater during his surgery yesterday.

“Yiren, what happened to you?” asked Zheng Ren.

Xie Yiren, who appeared pitiful with tear-sodden eyes, raised her head upon hearing his question.

Upon realizing that the person standing before her was Zheng Ren, Xie Yiren’s crying intensified as she brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs.

Zheng Ren was helpless and had no idea what to say at that moment.

He would never be able to forgive himself if he did not find out why Xie Yiren was wailing in the emergency department. Keeping his mouth shut, he started racking his brain on how to comfort the dejected woman.

“I… I applied for a transfer to the… the emergency department, but was worried… worried about the lack of surgeries,” the sobbing Xie Yiren informed Zheng Ren after a while.

Zheng Ren tried to comfort her. “Working in the emergency department has its own benefits. At least you don’t need to work overtime for surgery, right?”

“But… But I want to attend surgeries,” replied Xie Yiren.

“What’re the benefits of surgery, anyway?” asked Zheng Ren, who had completely forgotten about the fact that he yearned for surgeries too, before adding, “you don’t have to work overtime in the emergency department, and you can flirt with young men, watch movies and enjoy life during your free time. Look how busy it gets in the operating theater. The working schedule isn’t fixed and you often need to work overtime.”

“I don’t have the courage to flirt with young men,” said Xie Yiren with a serious expression.

Zheng Ren was delighted to see some improvement in her mood, so he figured that it was better to keep this pure-hearted lady talking to prevent her from crying her heart out again.

“Why? It’s a perfect time for you to enjoy a love life at your current age.”

“I’m still young, so I’m not looking for a boyfriend just yet. I just want to work overtime in the general surgery department,” replied Xie Yiren firmly.

Desire to work overtime… That responsibility seemed a little too awe-inspiring, right?

An attempt to contribute to the great renaissance of the Chinese nation? The young lady’s ambition was a little too great as well.

Xie Yiren’s response basically ended the whole conversation and Zheng Ren was at a loss on how to re-initiate it.

Suddenly, a thought ran through his mind and he asked, “Do you want to work overtime because you need the money?”

Zheng Ren figured that he was almost touching the core of her issue.

‘She must be a poor kid too,’ Zheng Ren thought and started to imagine the miserable life this young lady must have had in her youth.

“Not really, I’m actually quite well-to-do,” answered Xie Yiren. The twitching in her little nose and the flaring of her alae nasi made her look cute, especially with her dorky expression.

“How much overtime pay do you get in a month?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never checked my payroll card,” replied Xia Yiren.

“Don’t you spend money at all?”

“Of course I do. I don’t check the balance on my payroll card because I can’t buy anything with it anyway.”

“…” There seemed to be a major misunderstanding. Zheng Ren contemplated the current conversation and carefully asked, “How much pocket money do your parents usually give each month?”

“They usually travel around the globe each year and should be in Turkey right now. A supplementary credit card was given to me before their departure and I can spend as much as I possibly want with it, but they didn’t specify how much pocket money they give me each month.”

A critical hit! Xie Yiren dealt ten thousand damage points to Zheng Ren’s health bar instantly.

“Your family runs a business?”

“Previously yes, but not anymore. My family owns seven blocks of building in Linyin Street, so the monthly rental collections are more than enough for a living.”

Linyin Street was located in a central business district and there were many white-collar workers with high salaries working in the area.

Zheng Ren sighed in response. Rent collection from seven properties in Linyin Street alone would definitely be enough for anyone to live a comfortable and enjoyable life.

“Why are you even working when you already have seven houses?” asked Zheng Ren curiously since his imagination was limited from being poor at a very young age.

“Not seven houses… Seven blocks of building. Just like the Wumao Tower.” Xie Yiren corrected him.

A one hundred percent critical hit! One-hit and Zheng Ren was instantly knocked out.

An eerie silence followed in the emergency department’s corridor. Zheng Ren’s vision became blurry and he tried to recover from the psychological shock.

“Why are you even working, then? Wouldn’t it be better to travel around the world with your parents?” asked Zheng Ren after a while.

“I want to attend surgeries.” This appeared to be Xie Yiren’s only concern in her stubborn mind. “There won’t be any surgery in the emergency department, so I guess I’ll have to spend some time checking if any other hospital is hiring a scrub nurse…”

“…” What an idealistic, ambitious, and noble young lady who strove valiantly for the great renaissance of the Chinese nation.

Every glorious word that Zheng Ren could think of was bestowed upon Xie Yiren in that instant.

“Not crying anymore? I’m currently working in the emergency department and will occasionally perform some surgeries,” Zheng Ren paused for a brief moment to regain his cool and continued. “Work with me until you resign for a new job.”

“Most cases tend to be wound closures in the emergency department…” Xie Yiren hesitated for a while before summoning up her courage and said, with glistening eyes, “Doctor Zheng, I actually came here for you.”

“For me?”

“Yes. Chief Surgeon Liu and his team need at least six to seven hours to complete a pancreaticoduodenectomy, but you did it within half an hour. My instinct told me that I will get to attend countless surgeries if I follow you.”

This young lady’s ambition was too great, glorious, and righteous.

Her family owned seven blocks of building and yet she wanted merely to be a scrub nurse… Was she the same as those rich folk who drove around in their Maserati?

Even though the scrub nurse did not give him an impressive impression in the operating theater yesterday, he recalled that she was able to pass him every instrument that he required throughout the operation.

She must be quite proficient in her profession.

Let her assist him in emergency surgery, then.

“Report yourself to duty first, after that…” Zheng Ren suddenly realized that a scrub nurse was absolutely unnecessary and would be a complete waste of manpower in the emergency department since there was no major surgery in this place after all.

“Are you thinking about the matron?” asked Xie Yiren kindly.

“Yes, she will be a little troublesome.”

“Don’t worry about her. Her brother established a company in one of my family’s properties, so I made a phone call this morning and waived three years of his rental fees. The matron basically permitted our collaboration and my only responsibility is to be your scrub nurse from now on.”

“…” Zheng Ren noticed that he was speechless more frequently in this one conversation with Xie Yiren than he had ever been in his lifetime.

Would this be considered a gift exchange?

Who cared, anyway? At least he could save some time by having someone assist him in surgery, even if it was just plain and simple wound closure.

The decision was made.

“Why were you crying just now?”

“I was worried about the lack of surgery in the emergency department.”

Suddenly, a high-pitched squealing of car brakes from outside the building pierced their ears.

The metallic scent of blood assailed their nostrils a few seconds later as two men appeared in the hallway.