Chapter 232: Chapter 232

(Thank you to my friends Beizhai404 and Zhaogerentolaichong for their encouragement with monthly tickets)

That night, Liu Banxia slept the most peacefully he had in a long time. The tension that had been building up over the past few days finally eased, and he felt incredibly relaxed.

After waking up, he happily washed up and then leisurely enjoyed a hearty breakfast. Only then did he return to the Emergency Department in high spirits.

Although he came here every day, today it felt as if he had been away for a very long time.

"Brother Liu, when will you take a break? My dad said you still have to come over to our place for a meal," Qiu Mingyuan asked as he approached.

"You usually come in this early too?" Liu Banxia asked, surprised.

"Absolutely. I only have about ten more days here. Then I need to get into the right mindset and prepare for my senior year of high school," Qiu Mingyuan replied.

"Haha, cut the crap. It's because you want to hang out with Xiao Yue, isn't it?" Liu Banxia asked, a teasing smile on his face.

"Hehe, Brother Liu, you know me best. By the way, Sister Qiaoqiao asked me to remind you: if you dare forget the promise you made her, she won't let you off the hook," Qiu Mingyuan said.

Liu Banxia felt a headache coming on. He had indeed put off their agreement for far too long. The fact that Qiaoqiao hadn't hunted him down personally and had merely sent Qiu Mingyuan with a message meant she was already being incredibly considerate.

He owed quite a few favors, and now that he finally had a day off, he would have to start slowly paying them back. Latest content published on novel★fire.net

Ten days isn't a long time, nor is it short. At the very least, when Liu Banxia did his ward rounds, about one and a half rotations of patients had already occurred in the ward.

Aside from patients requiring major surgery who needed to stay in the hospital longer, most minor surgeries and conditions were typically resolved within a week.

This wasn't like treating conditions such as anal fistulas and perianal abscesses, where it was normal for some patients with poor healing to stay for over ten days.

"Ah... suddenly having some downtime feels a bit strange," Liu Banxia said, stretching expansively after returning to the ground floor.

"Get some proper rest. I still can't believe you managed to hold out for so many days, performing over fifty surgeries," Wang Huan remarked with feeling.

"I was about to collapse from exhaustion; my mind was practically blank. Honestly, if there were enough operating rooms, ten appendectomies a day would be no problem at all. Didn't I do quite a few on the second day? It's just that the wait for an OR can be quite long," Liu Banxia said.

"Things should get much better once the new building is ready. I heard there will be no fewer than ten operating rooms. Plus, an entire floor is being kept in reserve, possibly for new ORs in the future, as the pipelines have already been pre-installed," Wang Huan said with a smile.

"Really? Isn't that going to cost an arm and a leg? Is the hospital really willing to spend that much?" Liu Banxia asked, surprised.

"Well, it also depends on how things go after the Emergency Department moves over. They were apparently planning to build a new surgical floor anyway, and this recent incident is likely another contributing factor," Wang Huan said after a moment's thought.

"We have enough attending surgeons, but not enough ORs to go around. That's a common problem in many hospitals. However, the investment for operating rooms is incredibly high, so they have to consider the demand. It's a 'damned if you do, damned if you don't' situation."

"It looks like they're serious about establishing the Trauma Center this time. Even without the official designation, it needs to have the actual capabilities. Besides, the new ORs can also be used by the inpatient departments, so they won't need to keep their own reserved."

"But this is all just what I've heard them discussing; I don't know the actual details. This whole affair has caused quite a stir. Even the Chief Director personally spoke to people about it."

Liu Banxia nodded. This incident really did cause a huge commotion. Many people probably find it unbelievable, since in their eyes, doctors are all high-earners.

But what's the reality? The money earned from a proper surgery might not even match what a hairdresser makes from one haircut. These days, women spend hundreds of yuan for a hairstyle as a starting price, don't they? How much of a cut do you get from a ten-thousand-yuan surgery?

"By the way, I heard this incident might have some strange connection to Director Qin," Wang Huan added, lowering his voice.

I really don't get it. He's about to leave, so why is he still stirring up trouble? There are only a few days left until the end of the month. Why can't he just keep his head down?

"Isn't he going to Dazheng? What does it have to do with him?" Liu Banxia asked.

Wang Huan shook his head. "That's just what I heard too. But everyone's saying it. Otherwise, how could those other hospitals have such accurate information about us? It's impossible without someone leaking it."

Liu Banxia was genuinely speechless. What on earth is someone like Qin Hai thinking? This is purely a case of harming others without benefiting himself. How can he even consider such a deal?

But there's no smoke without fire. If everyone is saying it, there must be some reason. Even if their compensation improves a bit this time, what about the future? This incident will definitely be remembered when it comes to staff promotions and assignments.

"You lot, work hard today! I need to get some serious rest," Liu Banxia called out to Liang Xiaolin and the others.

"When do we ever slack off? We're running around all day, every day. I've already worn out a pair of shoes," Liang Xiaolin retorted.

Liu Banxia didn't dare say anything back; it was true.

Although they had more opportunities to participate in surgeries, the minor ones were done in groups. After finishing a surgery, they had to rush around, unlike him, who could actually rest for a bit.

But in the entire intern group, only Liang Xiaolin dared to sass him. It had pretty much become a habit between them since they first met. Xu Yino and the others wouldn't dare.

"When I was handing over to Xu Hui, I also mentioned that patient with hemorrhagic fever. You're truly amazing. I reviewed the case file; if it were me, I'd definitely have gone straight to nephrology to sort out the kidneys first," Wang Huan continued.

"But if it had been handled that way, the patient's condition would have been delayed, and who knows how much more money they would have had to spend. Xu Hui said that when the patient and their family heard the diagnosis, they cried with joy, even though it was still going to cost a lot."

"Oh, please stop praising me. If the patient had been munching on corn during the consultation, you guys would have figured it out too," Liu Banxia said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

"That was just a fluke, me stumbling upon it. I didn't recognize that brucellosis case last time, remember? If you hadn't calmly made the diagnosis right then and there, I would have really messed up."

Wang Huan shook his head, a helpless smile on his face. But he truly felt Liu Banxia was a good person. Such humility, despite his achievements, was incredibly rare in someone so young.

What kind of standing did Liu Banxia have in the Second Hospital now? Even though he was just a resident, after performing so many surgeries, he had already become a legend there.

Those who had once questioned his abilities now all kept quiet. Even when they talked about him, they no longer had the inclination to speak ill of him.

A hospital was definitely a place that valued strength and skill. Liu Banxia's performance recently had proven that Chen Zhenxing and Zhou Shuwen's judgment was spot on.

Someone like him deserved an unconventional appointment; giving him a permanent position was only natural. Jealous? If you have the skills, go for it. Liu Banxia had already set the bar. If you weren't convinced, you could try to measure up.

The two were about to chat more when a patient for internal medicine arrived. Wang Huan quickly took his intern to handle the admission.

Liu Banxia saw there was nothing for him to do, so he decided to rest for a bit. He sat down to the side and pulled up his attribute panel.

Liu Banxia: Level 39, 79,090/79,135

Title: Somewhat Knowledgeable Doctor

Mental: 67 points (Comprehension, memory, concentration increased by 19.64%)

Agility: 70 points (Stability, speed, touch sensitivity increased by 29.63%)

Strength: 57 points (Strength, instrument mastery, instrument effectiveness increased by 32.56%)

Endurance: 49 points (Tolerance, physical stamina increased by 25.64%)

Dressing Change: Level 3, 24,419/49,999

Suturing: Level 3, 25,914/49,999

Diagnosis: Level 3, 44,931/49,999

Even though he was about to reach Level 40, it would be the same as before. If that class advancement quest wasn't completed, all this experience would be useless.

Then he opened the skill tree on the panel to check his other skills.

Appendectomy and cholecystectomy were currently his signature skills, both at Level 3. Anal fistula ligation, inguinal hernia repair, and liver surgery were also decent, all at Level 2.

This was perhaps a small quirk of the System. Other people's surgical skills might improve gradually, but for him, it all depended on which surgeries he performed most frequently and what opportunities arose.

It had been exhausting lately, but definitely worth it.

After calming himself a little, he picked up his book again. There was so much knowledge he still needed to master. He had spent a massive amount of Glory Points just to get through this recent period; he couldn't afford to waste any normal study time either.

"Dr. Liu, quick! A patient who came for a consultation just fell down!" Just then, Liu Banxia heard Nurse Shen Lin cry out.

Without a second thought, he tossed his book aside and ran over.

The person who had fallen was a young woman in her twenties. She was stylishly dressed and wore a silk scarf around her neck. Right now, however, her pretty face was contorted in pain. One hand clutched her abdomen, while the other tried to push herself up, but her legs seemed unresponsive.

This sight startled Liu Banxia. "Bring a wheelchair over! Miss, try not to panic."

"Doctor, I-I'm fine. It might just be from the diarrhea I had this morning. My legs feel a bit weak," the young woman said, a little embarrassed.

Liu Banxia, who had been tense, was taken aback. So it was a false alarm. But that diarrhea must have been pretty severe for her legs to give out like that.

However, as he helped the young woman up, something seemed off; she was quite unsteady on her feet.

"Can your legs still not support you?" Liu Banxia asked.

The young woman nodded awkwardly.

"Alright then, sit in the wheelchair for now. Can't let it go to waste after bringing it all the way here. Enjoy the VIP service," Liu Banxia joked, easing her embarrassment.

As she did, however, he frowned. The hand she was using to hold her bag... it seemed to be trembling slightly.

DING! Task Issued: The Patient with Weak Legs and Trembling Hands

Open Task: The patient's chief complaint is diarrhea, but the Host has noticed a hand tremor, suspecting an underlying condition that requires further diagnosis. Task reward will be issued based on the diagnostic result.