Chapter 27: Priority Cultivation

"Why are you looking at me? Hurry over and take a look!"

Noticing Fang Zhiyan's gaze, Zhu Zixiao ran over without a second thought. Fang Zhiyan shook his head. This Zhu Zixiao must be cursed! Every time he mentions eating or says anything at all, a patient is bound to appear. Although the emergency department is always busy, he just wanted a chance to sit down and eat his breakfast.

But it was too late now. Fang Zhiyan tossed his steamed bun onto the table, quickly changed into his scrubs, and met the incoming gurney. Cao Chong also rushed out of the office.

"What's the situation?"

"Dr. Cao, the patient started showing signs of abdominal pain about three hours ago. By the time we arrived, his blood pressure had dropped to 80/50 mmHg," the accompanying paramedic reported.

"What?" Cao Chong’s expression shifted slightly, and he entered the resuscitation room immediately. Fang Zhiyan frowned. With blood pressure that low, there had to be internal bleeding. This patient was going to be trouble.

"Doctor, please, save my son! I don't know what happened, he just suddenly developed abdominal pain." A person, presumably a family member, grabbed Cao Chong’s hand and begged.

Zhu Zixiao skillfully stepped in to intercept the family member and offered comfort. "Please, don't panic. The most important thing right now is to save the patient. Please stay calm and give us some space."

As he spoke, the patient was quickly wheeled into the emergency trauma room. Fang Zhiyan didn't follow inside; instead, he stayed at the door to speak with the family.

"Did anything happen before the abdominal pain started? Did he eat something, or suffer any trauma?" Given the low blood pressure, internal bleeding was the most likely cause. It was necessary for Fang Zhiyan to clarify the history.

"Trauma? Well, he fell while playing basketball at school this afternoon, does that count?" the family member asked hesitantly. "He stayed in the school infirmary for a while, but since there didn't seem to be anything wrong, he came home."

Fang Zhiyan’s expression tightened. He nodded slightly and hurried into the trauma room. Inside, Cao Chong was assessing the patient.

"Establish two intravenous lines! Start rapid fluid resuscitation! Get a complete blood count, blood type, and prepare for cross-matching."

The patient’s condition was dire; he was in full shock. The priority was to identify the cause to provide targeted treatment. Once inside, Fang Zhiyan quickly reported his findings.

"Dr. Cao, I just spoke with the family. They mentioned the patient fell while playing basketball this afternoon. I suspect the shock is likely caused by internal organ damage."

Cao Chong nodded, a look of gravity in his eyes. "Get his blood pressure up, and prepare for a bedside CT scan!"

The emergency department had its own bedside CT scanner, allowing for immediate diagnostics. "Understood!" nurse Shen Qingyue replied, nodding quickly. The staff executed Cao Chong's orders methodically. Soon, Shen Qingyue spoke again, "Dr. Cao, the patient's blood pressure has stabilized."

"Good, proceed with the CT!" Cao Chong didn't hesitate and led the team to perform the scan.

Moments later, Cao Chong stared at the imaging and took a sharp breath. "It's a ruptured spleen."

Generally speaking, the spleen is very fragile and highly vascular; when subjected to an impact, it is prone to rupture and hemorrhage. If not controlled in time, it could easily be fatal.

When Zhu Zixiao heard the news, his face turned pale. But after glancing at the calm Fang Zhiyan standing nearby, he gritted his teeth. *Why is he so calm? No, I need to stay calm too.* Every time he followed a senior physician on a case, it was an opportunity to train. He had arrived at the hospital before Fang Zhiyan—how could he be performing worse? He couldn't embarrass himself!

Beside him, Fang Zhiyan’s expression remained solemn. Looking at the scans, he saw that in addition to the ruptured spleen, there was a large amount of blood accumulated in the abdominal cavity. If they didn't operate immediately, the mortality rate would be very high.

Fang Zhiyan spoke up immediately. "Dr. Cao, I believe we need to proceed to surgery right away."

"Agreed!" Cao Chong nodded. "Quickly, get him to the operating room. I'll go speak with the family."

The team split up to complete their tasks. Moments later, Cao Chong was ready, having changed into surgical gear. "Zhiyan, you're scrubbing in with me."

Fang Zhiyan nodded in acknowledgment. Beside them, Zhu Zixiao looked on with a sense of resentment. *Wait, how long has Fang Zhiyan even been here?*

Last time, Director He tested him by letting him act as the primary surgeon. Today, Dr. Cao wasn't even pretending; he was clearly grooming him as a key talent.

Soon, the two walked in. As they moved, Cao Chong said, "For a young kid like you to catch Director He’s eye, that’s quite an accomplishment. You should know that a surgeon usually spends years as an assistant before earning a chance to lead a surgery. Director He specifically instructed us to give you more opportunities and nurture you well. One day, you might just become our hospital’s star surgeon."

Hearing this, a smile appeared on Fang Zhiyan’s face. He wasn't afraid of the work; he was only afraid of not having the opportunity. To him, the more chances to perform, the better.

If it weren't for the fact that there weren't many surgeons in the hospital at this time, it might not have been Fang Zhiyan’s turn to step up. He followed Cao Chong to scrub in, his movements seasoned and efficient, which made Cao Chong nod in approval.

Soon, they entered the operating room. The anesthesiologist was already prepared. He gave them a thumbs-up. "The patient's anesthesia induction is stable. You can proceed, no need to worry." As he spoke, he looked curiously at Fang Zhiyan.

This young doctor was already quite famous throughout the emergency department. Having only arrived days ago, he had been hand-picked by Director He for a lead surgeon role. It was the stuff of dreams! It would be impossible for anyone else.

Yet, Fang Zhiyan had done it. And he performed his surgeries beautifully. It was no wonder Cao Chong was bringing him back onto the stage.

"Alright, let's begin." Cao Chong didn't say anything more, signaling the anesthesiologist to monitor the vitals. He prepared to start the surgery.

Fang Zhiyan handled the disinfection, draping, and exposure of the surgical field; everything was done with methodical precision. Cao Chong smiled, then began the operation.

The patient required a laparotomy. Cao Chong selected an incision through the rectus abdominis in the upper right quadrant. After slowly incising the superficial fascia, he pierced the anterior layer of the rectus sheath. Gradually, he deepened the incision until the entire abdominal cavity was exposed before them.