Chapter 29: The Reaper Is Unrivaled

"Splenic repair complete!"

"Place two drainage tubes, prepare for abdominal closure!"

Cao Chong spoke in a methodical, orderly fashion. However, when it came time for the closure, he suddenly paused and turned his head to look at Fang Zhiyan.

"Zhiyan, how about you handle the abdominal closure?"

Cao Chong’s tone carried a hint of testing. Generally speaking, a step like abdominal closure would be left to a resident physician. Senior doctors usually focus on researching new surgical techniques, and many second or third-tier surgeons rarely perform the physical act of closing an abdomen themselves. As for an intern like Fang Zhiyan, it was virtually unheard of for him to perform an abdominal closure. Simple skin suturing might be acceptable, but closing an abdomen—which involves blood vessels, fat, and layers of tissue—is beyond the scope of a typical intern.

But was Fang Zhiyan a typical intern? Clearly, he was not. That was why Cao Chong intended to test him. However, before letting him proceed, Cao Chong felt it necessary to gauge Fang Zhiyan’s foundational knowledge.

"Do you know the methods for abdominal closure?"

Fang Zhiyan paused for a moment. He certainly knew. In his previous life, closure techniques and materials had undergone significant improvements and upgrades. One could use absorbable sutures for a continuous closure of the peritoneum, followed by a continuous suture of the linea alba, interrupted silk sutures for the subcutaneous fat, and mattress sutures for the skin.

But in the current era, things were not quite like that. The prevailing practice was to suture layer by layer: peritoneum, muscle, fat, and skin. Fang Zhiyan thought for a moment before articulating this clearly.

Upon hearing the answer, the appreciation in Cao Chong’s eyes became even more evident. He hadn't expected this kid to be so full of surprises. It was a pity; it seemed he had already caught the eye of Director He. Although Cao Chong was currently his supervising physician, it was only in name. In the future, Director He would likely take him under his wing for deeper training.

"Alright, go ahead!"

Seeing that Fang Zhiyan truly possessed the required level of competence, Cao Chong stepped aside. Of course, he wouldn't just leave him to it entirely. After all, Fang Zhiyan had only spoken in theory; who knew how he would perform in practice? Cao Chong needed to stand by to ensure everything went smoothly.

To his surprise, Fang Zhiyan was exceptionally capable—even beyond expectation. His movements were skillful, steady, and swift. Everything about his performance gave Cao Chong the illusion that Fang Zhiyan’s abilities might even exceed his own. How was this possible?

This was not the first time he had felt this way; the kid was simply phenomenal. Moments later, Fang Zhiyan completed the abdominal closure perfectly. With the patient still unconscious, they were transferred to the intensive care unit.

Once they stepped out of the operating room, Fang Zhiyan let out a long breath. He never slacked off, regardless of the size of the surgery. He gave his all to every procedure, and it was precisely this spirit that had earned him the reputation of an unparalleled surgical master in his previous life.

Cao Chong stood nearby and handed him a bottle of cola. "Want some?"

Fang Zhiyan nodded. He liked drinking cola after a surgery. While glucose might be better for recovery, the taste wasn't great—it was syrupy and slick, which he didn't particularly enjoy. More importantly, if a doctor were caught drinking glucose on camera and it ended up online, it would be easy to invite criticism.

After replenishing his energy with the cola, Fang Zhiyan returned to the office. Zhu Zixiao gave him a thumbs-up and secretly pointed toward Yin Jing, who was sitting nearby. Yin Jing was another intern assigned to Cao Chong. She had previously been indifferent to Fang Zhiyan, but the special treatment he kept receiving had piqued her intense interest. Seeing him return, she stood up immediately and asked, "Fang Zhiyan! Are you really a graduate of the East China Province Second Medical University?"

Fang Zhiyan took a sip of cola, sat down slowly, and replied in a leisurely tone, "Yes."

Yin Jing looked at him curiously. The East China Province Second Medical University was not a top-tier school, certainly not a prestigious key university. It was far inferior to her own institution. So how could Fang Zhiyan be so much more capable than she was? Had she underestimated that school all along?

Yin Jing was puzzled, but Zhu Zixiao, sitting nearby, no longer cared about such things. He leaned toward Fang Zhiyan and said, "Did you know? Gu Tao got scolded today."

"Gu Tao?" Fang Zhiyan raised an eyebrow. Gu Tao was the apprentice of Jin Mingcheng, the director of the Emergency Department. He had tried to steal credit for Fang Zhiyan’s work, only to be exposed. He had been keeping a low profile for days, fearing recognition. Why would he be scolded out of the blue? Knowing that Zhu Zixiao’s gossip was usually reliable, Fang Zhiyan looked at him expectantly.

"Ha!" Zhu Zixiao chuckled. "You didn't know? Luo Yun, the mayor’s daughter, has recovered enough to get out of bed. She ran into Gu Tao today and gave him a piece of her mind. I heard she did it specifically to vent for you!"

As he spoke, Zhu Zixiao’s eyes sparkled with envy. That was the mayor’s daughter! Fang Zhiyan had effectively latched onto a powerful connection. Even if the mayor and Director Tang didn't seem to pay much attention to Fang Zhiyan right now, it was only because he was still an intern. Once he passed his licensing exam and became a resident physician, that would be when Fang Zhiyan truly took flight. Thinking of this, Zhu Zixiao grew even more envious.

Fang Zhiyan rolled his eyes and said nothing. He got up and left the office, needing to use the restroom. The emergency room was quiet, and as he stood at the urinal, he heard voices from outside the restroom.

"Wife, why don't we just stop the treatment?"

The voice was calm and steady, which made Fang Zhiyan pause in surprise.

"You're already in the late stages; it can't be cured. Chemotherapy costs so much money. In the end, we'll lose both the money and you, and we'll have nothing left."

Fang Zhiyan frowned. He adjusted his clothes and slowly turned to leave. He had always believed that as long as there was a fight against illness, there was hope for a miracle. Of course, economic stability was an important part of that. But hearing a husband urge his wife to give up treatment felt unsettling.

However, as Fang Zhiyan walked out, he was struck by what he saw. A middle-aged couple stood nearby, leaning against each other while talking. Both of them were wearing hats. It seemed that it wasn't just the woman who was in the late stages of cancer; the husband appeared to be suffering from the same.

Fang Zhiyan stood frozen, not knowing what to make of it.

"We are both in the late stages of cancer," the woman said softly. "I gave up treatment earlier because I wanted to save the money to cure you. At least, I wanted to give you some hope. But I didn't expect that you couldn't be saved either."

"It doesn't matter, dear. I won't do it anymore," the man replied. "I know it costs a lot. Let's keep the money for our parents and the kids. We can't let them have no money for school in the future."

Their calm, plain exchange left Fang Zhiyan completely stunned.