The Enhanced Doctor

"What happened? Did Director Zhou criticize you again?" Liang Xiaolin saw what was up and grinned, sidling up to Liu Banxia.

Liu Banxia shook his head, pulling Liang Xiaolin aside and speaking mysteriously, "Have you heard any insider news? Our emergency department will be moving to a new building."

"Director Zhou already told you this?" Liang Xiaolin asked in astonishment.

"Also, can you help me analyze this situation?" Liu Banxia continued. "Director Zhou first reminded me not to neglect the emergency department for the sake of earning money from freelance medical work. Then he praised my small-incision appendectomy and suggested that I should research it thoroughly."

"I don't know how to interpret all this now. What was Director Zhou trying to imply? Was it really a compliment? He even told me to present the case of the aneurysm at next week's hospital meeting."

"How can you be so slow?" Liang Xiaolin said casually. "Director Zhou's praise is a reminder for you to take initiative. Aren't you still holding just an undergraduate degree? Apply for Director Zhou's postgraduate program."

Liu Banxia was stunned. He couldn't tell if Liang Xiaolin was telling the truth or just messing with him.

Liang Xiaolin wrinkled her nose. "Just ignore what I just said. I need to get back to work."

This was a reminder to herself as well; it was sensitive information, and she needed to be more careful about what she said in the future to avoid letting things slip.

If Liu Banxia had been merely confused before, after hearing Liang Xiaolin's words, his thoughts began to churn like boiling water.

He had to solve the problem of his educational background. His medical skills would be wasted if he didn't further his studies. Many things weren't as one might assume; there were strict requirements. His initial thought was to simply apply for a part-time master's degree for working professionals. Although it might hold less prestige, it was a popular trend, and at least he would earn a master's degree. However, if Zhou Shuwen was willing to accept him, that would be an entirely different matter. This wasn't just about earning a degree; it concerned his entire future. To put it simply, if a degree obtained through equivalent qualifications was gold-plated, then studying under Zhou Shuwen would be like pure gold. Not to mention the advantages Zhou Shuwen's reputation would bring to his future career. It was precisely because he understood this that his heart was unsettled. He felt he was aiming too high. Zhou Shuwen didn't take on many students, mainly because he was too busy. Therefore, the students he did mentor were usually handpicked after careful consideration and often given considerable autonomy.

"What are you pondering? Time for patients," Shi Lei called out.

Liu Banxia looked up to see a group of students in school uniforms entering. The one at the front was doubled over, clutching his stomach, walking unsteadily.

"Can someone else register him? Is it a stomachache, or is the pain somewhere else?" Liu Banxia asked.

"We're students from Experimental High School," a girl on the left said. "We were playing basketball during PE class when he suddenly got this pain. Qiu Mingyuan, tell the doctor."

"My stomach hurts, and my back too," Qiu Mingyuan said. "It feels like someone is grabbing my insides, or like someone's stabbing me with a knife."

"Lie down first, let me check. Are you from the high school section?" Liu Banxia asked.

"We're in our second year of high school, Doctor," the same girl replied. "The school nurse said it might be kidney stones and told us to come to the hospital."

"Let me take a look. Does it hurt here?" Liu Banxia asked, touching the boy's left kidney area.

Qiu Mingyuan nodded. "Yes, right there. It hurts terribly."

"Did you drink any water before you came? Did you go to the restroom before PE class?" Liu Banxia asked.

"No, he didn't drink any water. PE class had only been going for about ten minutes when the pain became unbearable," the girl answered again quickly.

"First, buy a bottle of plain water and have him drink more than half of it. Then, he needs to hold it in for a while, or the ultrasound won't yield clear results. During that time, walk him around the waiting area. It would be best if he can jump a little," Liu Banxia said.

"Doctor, if it really is kidney stones, will he need surgery?" another boy asked.

"That depends on the situation. Don't worry," Liu Banxia said with a smile.

"Doctor, he's in so much pain! How can you still smile?" the most outspoken girl asked, growing anxious.

Liu Banxia shrugged. "What else should I do if I don't smile? He's already terrified as it is. If I also looked grim, he'd be even more scared."

The students who had come along were amused by his words. This doctor seemed pretty straightforward.

"It's most likely kidney stones. We'll see how big they are in a bit," Liu Banxia continued. "What do you usually eat? Is there any particular food you love? Do you have any other discomfort in your body?"

Qiu Mingyuan shook his head. "We always eat at home. The instep of my right foot has been a bit sore for the past few days, probably from when I was playing basketball."

"Oh, let me take a look," Liu Banxia said, then removed Qiu Mingyuan's right athletic shoe, pulled down his sock, and gently squeezed his instep.

"Doctor, it's starting to hurt again, even worse than before," Qiu Mingyuan said, his voice strained with pain.

"You're quite fond of sugary drinks, aren't you?" Liu Banxia asked suddenly.

"Doctor, how did you know he loves sugary drinks?" one of his friends asked curiously.

"Not only do I know he loves sugary drinks, I know he particularly loves carbonated drinks," Liu Banxia said.

"If you keep drinking like this, forget just kidney stones; you could end up with renal failure in the future. Your gout will also get worse. You all really don't take proper care of your bodies."

Even Qiu Mingyuan, who was in terrible pain, was startled by his words. He had no idea why Liu Banxia was describing such frightening conditions as renal failure and gout.

"Still don't believe me?" Liu Banxia said. "When you drink too many of these drinks, your body can't process all the fructose they contain. Too much fructose disrupts your body's purine metabolism."

"The consequences are high blood sugar and hyperuricemia, leading to kidney stones, gout, and declining kidney function. Over time, this can cause multiple organ failure."

"Doctor, don't try to scare us. Aren't purine levels only high if you drink beer and eat seafood?" the girl who had spoken first interjected.

"Haha, looks like we have an expert here," Liu Banxia chuckled. "We'll do a blood test for uric acid in a bit, and you'll see. I'd bet you twenty cents on it."

"Can't you explain it more simply? They don't understand all this," Liang Xiaolin couldn't help but cut in.

"Alright, I'll listen to the boss," Liu Banxia said with a grin. "When you urinate after drinking a lot of carbonated beverages, what you're passing is mostly dilute fluid—essentially just water."

"So, sometimes when you drink these beverages, it feels great at the moment, and you might drink a lot. However, you still end up feeling very thirsty. All the water passes through your system, but the uric acid that should have been expelled with it stays behind."

"You already have stones. I guess you've probably enjoyed these kinds of drinks since you were young and have been drinking them ever since. You'll have to bite the bullet and give them up now. Switch to plain water; it will be good for your kidney stones too."

"Ah… I remember! Aren't you Little Liu Flying Dagger?" a kid at the side blurted out suddenly.

"Oh, a fellow traveler in the martial world! A pleasure to meet you," Liu Banxia replied, clasping his hands in a traditional salute.

Little Liu Flying Dagger was his online username. Back in the day, he too had harbored great ambitions.

"Dr. Liu, are you the doctor who diagnosed Wang Mingxing's illness?" another young man asked excitedly.

"Just a lucky guess, a lucky guess," Liu Banxia said with a friendly smile.

"Dr. Liu, you're amazing! You have no idea how many students in our class are planning to study medicine."

"Dr. Liu, if we study hard, can we all become like you after we graduate?"

"Dr. Liu, how did you deal with those troublemakers later? They were so infuriating to watch."

...

Hearing his friends' words, Qiu Mingyuan felt quite bitter. Weren't they supposed to be here with me for my doctor's visit? How come nobody is paying attention to me now?