Chapter 58: ‘fairness’!
“Mhm!” Lu Cheng replied with a smile.
Lu Cheng also felt that he was someone with ‘opportunities’ and ‘favored by heaven’, having been given some talent to establish himself.
Although not yet wealthy, he could be considered well-off.
Moreover, the appearance of the panel was heaven’s compensation. It would be greedy to still expect everyone he met to revolve around him as if he were the ‘protagonist’.
Lu Cheng looked at Chen Song with a somewhat complex gaze, and after being open, he went on to reassure him: “Teacher Chen, the technique Professor Tong taught me was left for me.”
“That’s right, such awareness is commendable!” Chen Song gave Lu Cheng a thumbs-up.
The reason Chen Song told Lu Cheng about Tong Yuan’an was actually to test Lu Cheng’s mindset.
If Lu Cheng were someone with a short-sighted perspective, only seeing Tong Yuan’an’s teaching during these few months in the countryside, it would indicate a narrow mind.
However, Chen Song didn’t expect that after taking a sip of soup, Lu Cheng secretly raised his eyebrows and whispered into Chen Song’s ear: “And Teacher Chen, if I’m not mistaken, in terms of comparing materials and techniques for pig trotter tendon suturing, I might be slightly better than Teacher Tong.”
“I also have surgical permissions for tendon suturing.”
Chen Song was taken aback, and a look of admiration unexpectedly appeared in his eyes…
Honoring teachers is not about unconditionally bowing down to them, nor is filial piety about abandoning everything solely to accompany parents.
After finishing the noodles, both felt completely full. Lu Cheng paid the bill and then drove Chen Song to the county hospital.
And at 7:58 AM, they arrived at the department.
Two minutes before the deadline, they were precisely on time.
The moment Professor Chen Song and Lu Cheng arrived at the department, Han Xiaoping, the big brother on duty in the clinic, rushed out holding a square-headed object, tucking his mobile phone into his white coat pocket: “Professor Chen, Xiao Lu, you’re here!”
“Just as we received a patient with a spleen hematoma, and they’re still undergoing pre-operative checks. Director Lin said Professor Chen would be coming, so Professor Chen will be guiding Brother Lu on this.” Han Xiaoping’s tone was respectful and polite.
“Alright.” Chen Song agreed without hesitation.
Han Xiaoping then looked at Lu Cheng: “Brother Lu, Director Peng from orthopedics called this morning. He said our clinic has a patient with a tendon rupture and requested that orthopedics be consulted as a priority.”
“Director Lin is currently in the department and has passed on this matter.”
Lu Cheng said: “Brother Han, have the discussions and signatures for the emergency patient been completed?”
“The patient is undergoing rapid pre-operative checks. The family member has gone to the doctor’s office; someone should be talking to them.” Han Xiaoping knew Lu Cheng might not be in a good mood, so he didn’t continue the previous topic.
Chen Song clasped his hands behind his back and said: “I’m going to get a little joy first. Once the pre-operative preparations are complete, Xiao Lu, you call me.”
Chen Song couldn’t be bothered with the ‘arguments’ between the emergency department and orthopedics! So he slipped away first, out of sight, out of mind.
Lu Cheng and Chen Song went in opposite directions. After quickly reaching the director’s office door, Lu Cheng, without wearing his work clothes, gently knocked.
“Come in.” Lin Qianlong’s voice came back. A few seconds later, Lin Qianlong beckoned to Lu Cheng: “Xiao Lu, you’ve arrived at a good time. I just called Director Peng.”
Lin Qianlong spoke first, and Lu Cheng suppressed his thoughts and asked: “Director Lin, what does Director Peng mean?”
“Director Peng’s intention is that we handle tendon suturing on odd-numbered days, and they handle it on even-numbered days. If there’s an orthopedic surgery day, tendon rupture patients will still be handled by our emergency department.”
“I think this idea is good. Director Peng of orthopedics is also a smart person.”
“Professor Tong is in the countryside for now, but he will return eventually,” Lin Qianlong implied.
Lu Cheng understood Peng Haibo quite well and was not surprised that Peng Haibo would make such a far-sighted “suggestion,” which could accommodate Professor Tong Yuan’an’s shifts and rest time, while also fostering a good relationship with Lu Cheng by handing over some surgeries to the emergency department to gradually expand their influence.
It was clear that Peng Kun could not take on all tendon rupture patients at once. After Tong Yuan’an left, if Peng Kun wanted to continue his in-depth study of tendon suturing, he might still need Lu Cheng’s help.
Asking for favors diminishes one’s standing. Peng Haibo would not treat Lu Cheng like an idiot and bully him when he didn’t need him, only to speak kindly when he did.
“Since Director Lin and Director Peng have already agreed, I will follow your arrangements.” Lu Cheng concealed his inner thoughts.
If it were truly according to the operating rules of the county hospital, Lu Cheng would have wanted to visit the Medical Affairs Department.
If he hadn’t practiced the Tajima Suturing Method to a certain level and hadn’t participated in the ‘tryouts’ with Professor Tong Yuan’an, Lu Cheng would certainly not dare to be so ‘arrogant’!
However, knowing that his single-disease treatment for tendon ruptures was not inferior to Professor Tong Yuan’an’s, Lu Cheng would not be overly ‘modest’ and would clarify everything; he would be responsible himself!
Lu Cheng was a senior attending physician, not a junior resident physician who hadn’t even obtained Level 2 surgery permissions…
Around 8:30 AM, Chen Song took Lu Cheng to the operating room to perform spleen preservation surgery.
At 8:45 AM, disinfection was completed.
At 9:00 AM, after completing the local manipulation, Chen Song handed over to Lu Cheng.
Around 9:30 AM, Chen Song stood by the operating table, dumbfounded. After a moment of thought, he said in a low voice: “Xiao Lu, did you learn a trick from Tong Yuan’an called ‘prioritizing fairness’?”
“You made him emo, so he had to give me a myocardial infarction for a while?” Chen Song’s tone was restrained.
“Teacher Chen?” Lu Cheng looked up, full of confusion.
“Your proficiency? It’s too…”
“This way, you not only risk not having friends, but also not having a teacher.”
In just over ten days, Lu Cheng had not only learned new tendon suturing techniques but also achieved such mastery in spleen preservation surgery. The speed of progress made even Chen Song, his teacher, feel a bit apprehensive.
He estimated that Lu Cheng would be able to graduate before he finished his rural posting.
“Teacher Chen, it’s truly because you taught me well,” Lu Cheng said sincerely.
For spleen preservation surgery, Lu Cheng hadn’t added anything; it was all thanks to Chen Song’s guidance and his own practice.
Chen Song greatly appreciated Lu Cheng’s flattery and nodded slightly: “Your basic skills are good enough, and you have talent, which is why you’ve reached this point.”
“Putting that aside, what’s the situation with the argument between your department and orthopedics?”
“It’s roughly like seven for us and three for them.”
“On the surface, it’s said that we do surgeries on odd-numbered days and orthopedics on even-numbered days, but orthopedics also has surgery days, and Professor Tong rests on weekends.”
Chen Song was not surprised: “As expected of Tong Yuan’an, who champions fairness.”
“It seems he’s also realized what you told me this morning. Considering it, his thoughts are even more meticulous than mine.”
“Xiao Lu, you’ve got something! In this past month, in terms of tendon rupture suturing, you’ve outdone ‘Tong Yuan’an’!” Chen Song’s teeth chattered in shock.
Lu Cheng continued the operation of suturing subcutaneous tissue, which Chen Song usually disdained, and replied earnestly: “Teacher Chen, what you just said is like praising me to my downfall.”
“Firstly, Professor Tong’s specialty is definitely not tendon suturing, but genuine hand surgery procedures.”
“Secondly, it’s because the suturing technique developed by Professor Tajima over so many years, combined with Professor Tsuge’s concepts, is so strong that I had the opportunity to overtake them.”
“As for tendon suturing, even in your hospital, no one is interested in doing it, so what’s there to talk about?” Lu Cheng’s voice was calm, clear-headed.
Chen Song clicked his tongue a few times, very satisfied with Lu Cheng’s response.
Chen Song also praised Lu Cheng without reservation: “Tong Yuan’an, who only acts when there’s a benefit and prioritizes fairness, will eventually suffer. There will be a day he regrets it.”
