27 What a Coincidence

“If you have things to do, go ahead. I’ll write the medical records for you,” Luo Hao said with a gentle and sincere smile.

“No, it’s not that,” Chen Yong put on his mask. “Come with me for a bit; I’ll treat you to a meal.”

“???” Luo Hao looked puzzled.

“Just say you’ll come out with me. Consider it doing me a favor.”

Luo Hao’s curiosity piqued. He changed clothes and followed Chen Yong out the door.

“I’m going on a blind date.”

Once outside, Chen Yong no longer hid it and spoke frankly.

“Huh? Don’t you have a girlfriend?”

“No.”

“What about the girl who delivers your meals?” Luo Hao asked, suspecting Chen Yong was a typical player.

“First of all, she’s not my girlfriend; she’s the one who’s been chasing me. Secondly, I’m not a player.”

Chen Yong seemed to read Luo Hao’s thoughts and denied it outright before Luo Hao could say anything.

“Heh,” Luo Hao smiled.

“What’s with that attitude?”

“Heh.”

Chen Yong wanted to say more but softened his tone, remembering he had a favor to ask.

“I’m going on this blind date for about half an hour. I’ll call you then; come find me.”

“You’re judging it as unsuitable without even seeing her? Then just don’t go.”

“It’s a task assigned by the website.”

“???” Luo Hao’s world was definitely different from Chen Yong’s; he couldn’t understand what Chen Yong meant.

“I’m a VIP member of the matchmaking site. They pay me 300,000 yuan a year in membership fees.”

“Wait a minute!” Luo Hao interrupted. “Did you get that backward? Shouldn’t it be that you pay them 300,000 yuan a year? By the way, where do you get that kind of money?”

Chen Yong looked at Luo Hao as if he were a country bumpkin, full of disdain.

“The site begged me, paid me to make me a VIP.”

“!!!”

“But I have to go on twenty blind dates a year. It’s a pain,” Chen Yong sighed. “Making money isn’t easy. You know, I’m a doctor, and I actually have to rely on blind dating to survive. Doesn’t your medical office think about increasing hospital income?”

How did it come to blaming the medical office? Luo Hao thought for a moment and immediately understood what Chen Yong meant.

This guy was just a shill for the matchmaking site.

Not wanting to say it outright, Luo Hao began to find fault with himself.

“Your side gig… is quite creative,” Luo Hao remarked.

“If I don’t go, someone else will. At least I don’t scam money or deceive anyone. Well, that’s my consolation. By the way, isn’t your medical office supposed to look out for doctors’ interests? When will they increase income?”

So it was all the medical office’s fault? Luo Hao knew Chen Yong was making excuses for himself and chuckled.

“An annual income of 300,000 yuan, that’s pretty high.”

“The website says my income is 350,000 yuan a year. Besides the 300,000, only 50,000 comes from the hospital. You should be ashamed,” Chen Yong said without thinking.

“Let’s go.” Luo Hao, curious, drove Chen Yong straight to a restaurant downtown.

Arriving at the restaurant, Chen Yong got out while Luo Hao looked for parking.

From afar, Luo Hao saw a girl about 1.65 meters tall standing at the entrance. Chen Yong approached and chatted with her briefly.

She must be the blind date.

She looked decent, though the restaurant was upscale and pricey.

Luo Hao suddenly recalled stories about people skipping out on bills. Could Chen Yong have brought him along just to dodge paying?

If it came down to it, Luo Hao decided he’d just pay the bill himself.

But unexpectedly, the two didn’t enter the restaurant but walked side by side to a nearby lottery shop.

What was going on?

Luo Hao suddenly found it rather interesting.

A few minutes later, they left the lottery shop, laughing and chatting.

Chen Yong took off his mask, and for the first time, Luo Hao saw a genuine smile on his face.

This girl was impressive! Luo Hao scrutinized her carefully.

Although the system didn’t provide enhanced vision or concrete numbers, Luo Hao felt his eyesight was better than before.

From a distance, he could tell the girl wasn’t stunningly beautiful but had a warm and approachable aura.

They then went to a nearby spicy hotpot shop and ate there.

Just that?

Luo Hao was puzzled, not knowing what had transpired.

After about twenty minutes, before Chen Yong could call, they left the hotpot shop, waved goodbye, and Chen Yong stood still for a long moment, watching the girl’s figure disappear before returning to Luo Hao.

“What were you two doing?” Luo Hao asked, puzzled.

“This girl is interesting,” Chen Yong said, smiling happily.

“Oh? How so?”

“Usually, blind dates involve a big meal. I’m not afraid of that; the website reimburses me up to a thousand yuan. That’s VIP treatment.”

“Get to the point,” Luo Hao said, not wanting to hear Chen Yong ramble.

“The most ridiculous time, the girl brought six or seven friends… couldn’t help it. This time, she suggested a fancy restaurant, but her idea was to pick a landmark so we could meet easily.”

“So what did you two do?”

“We split the bill. Thirty yuan each to buy scratch tickets. Whoever wins pays for the first meal. If we hit the jackpot, we’ll have a feast.”

“How much did you win?” Luo Hao asked.

Chen Yong glanced at him. “You really don’t get the point, do you? The money isn’t the point. The point is the uniqueness of the method—not about the money!”

“So you ended up eating spicy hotpot?”

“Pretty good,” Chen Yong replied, dodging the question.

Luo Hao found it amusing but couldn’t figure out what was so good about it.

Back at the hospital, the underground parking lot was locked, inaccessible.

Northeastern winters were bitterly cold. When the underground parking first opened, many people left their cars idle for days, using the garage as a warming shelter, making it impossible for others to park.

So the hospital later set a rule: if a car doesn’t leave within 48 hours, parking privileges are revoked. Moreover, from 4 p.m. onwards, no entry is allowed, only exit.

Managing people is the hardest; there’s always someone trying to exploit loopholes.

Luo Hao parked near the inpatient department entrance and was about to get out when his phone rang.

“‘As the saying goes, a man remains a youth until his death...’” Chen Yong said, “Your ringtone sounds just like my mentor’s.”

Luo Hao answered the call.

“Little Snail, Director Nie’s equipment will undergo charity donation procedures first thing tomorrow morning,” Lin Yuming’s tired voice came through.

“Oh, thanks, Uncle.”

“Why do you sound like the boss?” Lin Yuming grumbled.

“Hehe, Uncle, what can I say?”

“I’m just letting you know. The manufacturer worried you wouldn’t accept the surgery, so they brought in a provincial expert to back you up.”

“Got it, thanks, Uncle.”

Lin Yuming was speechless. He was just informing Luo Hao, but it sounded like a report.

“You medical second-generation really have it easy,” Chen Yong mocked. “Everything paved for you; you don’t have to worry about a thing.”

“There’s one key point,” Luo Hao didn’t refute but added, “For tough decisions, elders have rich experience. At least from seeing others’ paths, they can offer constructive advice.”

Chen Yong’s eyes widened, staring at Luo Hao.

Was his sarcasm not sharp enough? Or was he not direct enough?

No way!

“You’re really thick-skinned, a prime example of shamelessness turning into pride,” Chen Yong admired.

“Honestly, when I was preparing for the college entrance exam and wanted to study medicine, my uncle told me it wasn’t worthwhile unless I got into Peking Union Medical College’s eight-year combined master’s and doctoral program,” Luo Hao smiled faintly. “By the way, Chen Yong, what was your exam score?”

“...” Chen Yong cursed silently.

“Does the patient need laser lithotripsy? I see Director Guohua is confident,” Chen Yong said flatly, changing the subject.

“Yes,” Luo Hao nodded firmly, “but we still have to follow Director Guohua’s lead.”

“I really don’t get it. If you think—”

“It’s not important. The hospital has rules. The opinions of senior doctors must be followed. If every junior doctor thought they were right and acted on their own, what’s the point of the tiered ward rounds system?”

“Uh~”

“Besides, not everyone is as capable as me. Believe me, the Peking Union Medical College eight-year program isn’t for everyone,” Luo Hao said calmly.

“...” Chen Yong was silenced twice by Luo Hao’s responses and fell quiet.

Back at the hospital, Luo Hao continued writing medical records.

There were no emergencies today; it was peaceful. Luo Hao finished quickly and went home, washed up, and lay in bed, entering the system’s virtual operating room for surgical training.

The next morning, Luo Hao arrived at the hospital.

Coming out of the elevator, he saw several sharply dressed men standing in the lobby.

“Hello, Director Nie,” Luo Hao smiled and shook hands with Director Nie.

“Doctor Luo, as you requested, I brought the laser lithotripsy equipment. Since I wasn’t sure which one you used at Peking Union, I brought all the equipment available in the market.”

“Thanks for your hard work.”

“You’re welcome. It’s the right thing to do. Healing patients is the mission, but your medical support work at the grassroots is the real hard work,” Director Nie said warmly.

“When will the paperwork be completed?” Luo Hao asked.

“Today,” Director Nie said confidently. “Director Lin worked overnight. We’ll definitely finish in time and won’t delay tomorrow’s surgery.”

As long as the surgery wasn’t delayed, Luo Hao confirmed with Director Nie and then changed clothes, saw patients, and began a busy day.

Wen Youren was “hospitalized” for rest, so Senior Director Wang Guohua naturally took charge.

Almost all surgeons saw nothing wrong with this arrangement.

Wang Guohua was very focused on the upcoming surgery. Instead of going to Wen Youren’s office, he spent the day studying materials in the doctors’ office.

Facing a difficult surgery, Wang Guohua showed convincing rigor and seriousness during pre-op preparation.

No news that day.

Early the next morning, the patient was taken to the OR.

Wang Guohua seemed well-rested and energetic but was more silent than usual before such a major, complex reoperation.

He appeared to be mentally restraining himself, ready to channel all attention and energy into the surgery.

After all, he was in his sixties and had limited stamina.

“Guohua, it’s been years! I’ve missed you so much!” The anesthesiology director greeted Wang Guohua warmly upon entering the OR.

To show respect and emphasize the importance of today’s surgery, they assigned the best anesthesiologist.

Moreover, Director Xu from anesthesiology stood inside the operating room observing.

“Your friend Youren is sick, and many have left the department over the years, so I’m covering for a few days,” Wang Guohua replied.

Director Xu, an experienced veteran, surely saw through this but wouldn’t expose it, going along and chatting casually with Wang Guohua.

After scrubbing in and taking the stage, Wang Guohua personally selected Luo Hao as his first assistant.

Standing as first assistant, Luo Hao was calm. He had trained extensively on this surgery in the virtual operating room and knew it thoroughly.

Just by presence, Wang Guohua dominated the operating table over Wen Youren. Luo Hao had never seen anyone more imposing in an OR at the mining hospital.

This was the result of thousands of surgeries, forged through countless successes and failures.

“Adjust the lights,” Wang Guohua said softly.

Behind him, the anesthesiologist had already moved a stool, waiting for this instruction.

“Director Guohua, it’s been a while since I heard you say ‘adjust the lights,’” the anesthesiologist said as he expertly adjusted the shadowless lamp’s focus.

Wang Guohua insisted on this ritual before every surgery. Even if the lighting and focus were fine, he would redo it. Everyone was familiar with this.

“I haven’t done surgery in a long time. I wonder if I’m rusty,” Wang Guohua said softly and then reached out.

The forceps, holding an iodine-soaked gauze, tapped his palm.

His scrub nurse was experienced, about 35 or 36 years old, having worked with Wang Guohua before.

After disinfection, a dry gauze wiped the area, the scalpel cut into the skin.

Electrocautery stopped bleeding as layers were dissected entering the abdomen.

Wang Guohua’s movements were steady, precise, and straightforward. There was no sign of rust despite years without surgery.

He was just as before, steadily opening the abdomen and beginning to explore the liver.

Minimal bleeding during these initial steps led Luo Hao to estimate Wang Guohua’s surgical skill was level 4, about the same as himself.

Truly impressive!

Especially since Wang Guohua had been out of the OR for years yet still performed at such a high level, which amazed Luo Hao even more.

In less than half an hour, Wang Guohua paused after exploring the abdomen.

“Director Lin.”

“I’m here, Director Guohua,” Lin Yuming replied. “How’s it going?”

“The patient’s condition… is complicated,” Wang Guohua frowned. “One stone is very deep and can’t be removed.”

Lin Yuming glanced at Luo Hao.

Luo Hao had told him this two days ago.

At the time, Lin Yuming instinctively believed Luo Hao’s judgment, or else they wouldn’t have rushed the charity donation process.

“We might need to perform a partial hepatectomy. I discussed this with the patient’s family pre-op, and they signed the consent. The medical office can take a look to see if we need to communicate or get signatures again.”

Lin Yuming sighed but spoke calmly, “Director Guohua, the medical office has made all necessary preparations pre-op.”

“Alright, prepare for partial hepatectomy. Luo Hao, is the blood ready?”

“Director Guohua, let me finish,” Lin Yuming interrupted Luo Hao as he was about to speak.

“Hm?” Wang Guohua looked up, eyes sharp as knives at Luo Hao.

Although silent, his killing intent was palpable.

“The medical office anticipated possible complications during stone removal and made some preparations in advance.”

“Preparations?” Wang Guohua was surprised.

“Laser lithotripsy.”

“Does our hospital have the equipment?”

“No, not before. But a company just completed a charity donation this morning, so it’s now available.”

Wang Guohua was silent.

“Director Guohua, your opinion is paramount, but before performing a partial hepatectomy, can we try this? If it doesn’t work—”

“Enough with the fuss if we have the equipment!” Wang Guohua sharply retorted. “Who would choose partial hepatectomy if lithotripsy works? I applied for years and never got approval. Why the sudden luck now?”

“Director Guohua’s luck is good. He’s treated patients all his life and has great blessings. Everyone around him benefits. Not just us, the patient is fortunate too,” Lin Yuming awkwardly flattered.

Wang Guohua said nothing, frowning at Luo Hao.

“Luo Hao, can you perform laser lithotripsy?” Wang Guohua asked bluntly.

“Director Guohua, the blood is ready: 800ml red cells and 1000ml plasma,” Luo Hao first answered Wang Guohua’s previous question. “Partial hepatectomy can be done anytime. ICU beds are prepared. I personally explained pre-op to the patient’s family on behalf of the medical office. Rest assured.”

Wang Guohua’s face beneath his sterile cap and mask was grave.

“I can do lithotripsy, and the manufacturer brought in a provincial expert to support us. We can try first, and if it fails, switch methods immediately.”

“Lithotripsy!” Wang Guohua said without hesitation.

Normally, intrahepatic bile duct stones require open or laparoscopic surgery. Wang Guohua’s earlier procedure was precisely the pre-op preparation.

Not a step wasted.

The laser lithotripsy equipment was ready. Director Shi from the First Medical University arrived and immediately greeted Luo Hao.

“Little Luo, you really made a big deal out of this.”

“Ah, Teacher Shi, you’re too kind,” Luo Hao replied politely.

Wang Guohua sat in a corner of the OR. Hearing the expert’s words, his eyebrows involuntarily rose.

It was indeed Luo Hao!

“Since the anti-corruption campaign began, our contact with manufacturers was cut off,” Director Shi said cheerfully. “I researched several guidewires at the time, but before the manufacturer could make them, this all ended.”

(Note: Unlike other hospitals, our department used to order custom guidewires from manufacturers for rare cases. But now, not anymore.)

“These years, it’s the first time I’ve been invited by the manufacturer to another hospital. When I saw Director Nie, I knew it was your idea, Little Luo.”

Director Shi smiled widely.

“Just a coincidence, a coincidence.”

“Do you know how to perform lithotripsy surgery?”

“Yes.”

“Then you do it. I’ll supervise. Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”

Director Shi trusted Luo Hao and, seeing Luo Hao’s strong backing, wanted to build a good relationship, doing him a favor.

Holmium laser lithotripsy of the intrahepatic bile duct isn’t difficult. Director Shi was initially a bit nervous, quietly watching Luo Hao operate.

But in less than five minutes, the lithotripsy was over. Two stubborn stones lodged deep in the left intrahepatic bile duct were fragmented, flushed out with warm saline, and removed bit by bit. Director Shi finally relaxed.

“Little Luo, we have a conference before the New Year. If you have time, come join,” Director Shi said.

“Is it endoscopy-related?”

“Yes, we invited an international expert for a lecture and demonstration surgery.”

Luo Hao’s eyes lit up.

A demonstration surgery!

This was a great chance to learn new techniques.

Though things are easier than a decade ago, with many procedures on video platforms like Bilibili, and animations replacing graphic content, animations can only explain principles. To truly learn, one must watch surgeries.

Experts don’t just perform surgery; their minds hold vast experience. Casual chats can turn a future “medical mishap” into nothing.

“Sure, Teacher Shi!” Luo Hao replied.

“I knew you’d say yes,” Director Shi said. “Have you ever attended one?”

“When I was a student, my teacher took me to some. I helped prepare speeches and PPTs.”

“Tsk tsk,” Director Shi sighed, admiring.

“Since the expert will perform a demonstration, our province needs a few surgeons. If you don’t mind, I’ll put your name forward.”

“That’s not appropriate,” Lin Yuming immediately objected.

“What’s wrong with that? Little Luo’s skills are excellent!” Director Shi said. “He was my assistant last time for ERCP. I already had a good impression.”

By then, Luo Hao had removed all stones from the patient’s intrahepatic bile ducts.

“All done, Director Guohua,” Luo Hao said respectfully, raising both hands to chest level and turning to Wang Guohua sitting in the corner.

“Do you know how to place a T-tube?” Wang Guohua asked directly.

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll help you. You take over.”

Wang Guohua stood up and, without argument, took the assistant’s position.

Luo Hao didn’t refuse. His skill was comparable to Wang Guohua’s; either could perform the procedure.

As for the relationship between Wang Guohua and Wen Youren or other matters, those were beyond clinical treatment and not Luo Hao’s concern.

The surgery’s main challenge was removing the “old” stones deeply lodged in the intrahepatic bile ducts. Regardless of technique, as long as the stones came out, it was fine.

The rest was straightforward.

Luo Hao meticulously placed the T-tube. The procedure followed textbook standards—clean, efficient, and clear.

“Little Luo’s surgical skills are quite good,” Director Shi praised from behind. “Not inferior to our professors. Achieving this level means you worked hard during school.”

Wang Guohua’s expression was serious. While assisting, a “strange” thought surfaced in his mind.

...

(Note: Not sure about other hospitals, but our department used to order custom guidewires from manufacturers for rare cases. Well, not anymore.)