The Enhanced Doctor

"Everyone, come over here." Liu Banxia, emerging from his office, beckoned to Liang Xiaolin and the others.

"Teacher Liu, what's the matter?" Xu Yino asked.

"Great news. In a moment, you eight will divide into two groups and start taking turns assisting me in surgery. This afternoon, we'll perform two appendectomies and one gallbladder removal," Liu Banxia said with a grin. "Tomorrow morning, there's a liver cystectomy scheduled. I anticipate that within the next five days, my surgery schedule will be completely full. Isn't that thrilling and exciting?"

With this announcement, the interns were stunned. If there were indeed so many surgeries, they would gain a lot of practical experience very quickly.

Having dropped this bombshell, Liu Banxia paid them no further mind and turned his attention to Wei Yuan.

"What's with the grin?" Wei Yuan chuckled.

"Brother Wei, I need your help urgently," Liu Banxia replied earnestly.

"How much do you need? WeChat or Alipay?" Wei Yuan asked casually.

"Heh, I don't need your money, I need you," Liu Banxia replied with a cheeky grin.

"You're losing your mind, and it's serious," Wei Yuan said with a sigh, pocketing the phone he had just taken out.

"I really do need you. Get ready. How about backing me up for a week?" Liu Banxia asked, his tone becoming serious. "I just applied to the director for more surgeries. If he's satisfied with my performance this afternoon, I plan to ask him to add one or two more operations in the evening."

"Seriously? Is it that bad?" Wei Yuan frowned.

Liu Banxia nodded. "Although the director said it's a normal situation, the fact that he approved my request suggests he's probably feeling the pressure too." "The number of attending surgeons in General Surgery must have been drastically reduced. They can't have everyone working overtime, so it's down to the director and Shi Lei to hold the fort."

"If our previous discussion was on the mark, then I'm partly responsible for this situation. I can't just stand by and watch. I can't rely on others; the only ones I can count on are you and Wang Chao."

Wei Yuan clapped him on the shoulder. "Leave the emergency department to me. I'll tell your sister-in-law later that I won't be coming home for the next few days."

"Thanks, Brother Wei," Liu Banxia said sincerely.

For Wei Yuan to offer such support was truly significant. This was more than just filling a spot; it was a responsibility. And beyond the responsibility, it would be exhausting.

"Add an extra chicken leg to my lunch. Have Wang Chao and Qi Wentai take shifts. You're not going to take all the interns with you, are you?" Wei Yuan asked with a smile.

"They'll be divided into groups and will take turns assisting me. They're all excited now, but let's see how they feel when they're standing with me in the operating room until the middle of the night," Liu Banxia grinned back.

"You'd better take it easy. This isn't just for a day or two," Wei Yuan said with concern.

"Don't worry. I haven't performed surgery for a few days, and I've been sleeping well at night. I'm full of energy," Liu Banxia replied confidently. "Actually, I also want to perform well. After all, I've been featured in a news column; it's time to show off my skills. If people start gossiping, with my temper, who knows how much more trouble I might cause."

"Alright then. Just make sure you know what you're doing," Wei Yuan said, sounding somewhat resigned.

Indeed, Liu Banxia had seemed stable and hadn't provoked any conflicts lately. But considering his temperament, could it really be that there wouldn't be any issues in the future?

Even Zhou Shuwen was somewhat overwhelmed by the current situation, indicating it was indeed difficult. At a time like this, it would be unacceptable if Liu Banxia didn't step up.

After pondering for a bit, Liu Banxia sent another message to Shi Lei.

"Just finished a surgery. What's up?" Shi Lei replied promptly.

Liu Banxia immediately called him.

"Speak quickly, I only have a half-hour break," Shi Lei said upon answering.

"Boss, I'll also be doing surgeries this afternoon. Can you secretly arrange two or three more for me in the evening? Appendectomies, gallbladder removals, hernia repairs—anything is fine," Liu Banxia hurriedly suggested.

"Can you handle it? Have you talked to the director?" Shi Lei asked.

"I haven't told him about the evening surgeries, but I believe that with my speed, plus the break time, it won't be a problem. For small-incision appendectomies, as long as the patients don't require general anesthesia, I can complete one in thirty minutes," Liu Banxia explained.

"Okay, we have seven more appendectomy cases lined up. I'll shuffle them around; you can do them all today," Shi Lei said and hung up.

Liu Banxia was startled. He hadn't expected there to be seven appendectomies waiting. It was clear how congested the current surgery schedule must be.

「DING!」

Task issued: Formidable Challenge.

Open-ended Task: The host believes that the backlog of general surgery operations is related to him and decides to bravely shoulder this heavy responsibility. Task duration: ten days. Minimum number of operations: fifty. Task rewards will be issued based on completion results.

Penalty for Task Failure: System store access disabled for 30 days.

Liu Banxia was dumbfounded. How could a mission pop up under these circumstances? And wasn't this task a bit too harsh?

The logic was simple: "no less than fifty operations." This was the basic requirement. Even if he completed 49 operations, the task would still be a failure.

So, what did the number fifty mean for a doctor? It was approximately the number of surgeries an average surgeon performed in a month, or even a month and a half. This standard applied to a renowned Grade A tertiary hospital, where you, as a chief surgeon with considerable fame, would have patients seeking you out based on your reputation. Of course, renowned surgeons like Zhou Shuwen were exceptions. However, they didn't perform a particularly high number of operations each month because they primarily handled major surgeries.

It's a basic fact that surgeries are not like other tasks, as complications often arise. Due to a patient's condition, the surgical method might need to be changed, naturally extending the operation time.

Now that this task had appeared, he had to perform no fewer than five operations per day. Is this even humanly possible? Half of today had already passed.

"Teacher Liu, what's wrong?" Xu Yino asked, walking over with a box.

"Nothing, just looking forward to the upcoming operations," Liu Banxia replied, forcing a smile.

"Hehe, Teacher Liu, could you draw lots for us? The first four drawn will be in the first group to assist you in surgery," Xu Yino said cheerfully.

Liu Banxia glanced at the others; their eyes were also gleaming with anticipation as they watched him.

He randomly drew four small paper balls. The first group to assist him in surgery was confirmed: Xu Yino, Su Wenhao, Qing Kewa, and Miao Rui.

"By the way, you all need to prepare yourselves. I'll be doing a lot more surgeries during this period, so your rest time will be significantly reduced. You all have dormitory rooms, right?" Liu Banxia asked.

They nodded.

"Your start times will be somewhat regular, but expect your end times to be unpredictable. Opportunities to be first assistant or perform the initial incision will depend on your performance," Liu Banxia stated. "It's less than three hours until the afternoon surgery. The first group can familiarize themselves with the procedures for appendectomy and laparoscopic cholecystectomy. If you find any areas where you're lacking, read up on them."

He had come up through the residency program and knew firsthand that the biggest disadvantage he had faced was the lack of opportunities to operate. This was a chance for him, and it was also a rare and valuable opportunity for these interns. Regardless of whether he could successfully complete this mission, he had to perform every surgery to the best of his ability and ensure they could learn and understand new things. Although it would be tough on him, this opportunity was truly precious for them.

This small group, still unaware of how grueling the coming days would be, was currently filled only with excitement. They immediately ran off to one side to study their books and notes.

Wang Chao approached. "President Liu, are you planning something big?" he asked.

"A very big move. I'm going to be on a surgery spree for the next few days, aiming for dozens of operations. Any thoughts?" Liu Banxia said with a grin.

Wang Chao shook his head vehemently. "None at all. If you want to torture yourself, that's your prerogative. All I can do is my best to help Dr. Wei manage the Emergency Department. Of course, if I have spare time, I wouldn't mind observing a couple of your minimal-incision appendectomies."

"Manage your own time. This afternoon, this evening, and tomorrow afternoon, I anticipate about nine appendectomies. However, I don't know yet if the patients will agree to minimal-incision surgery. I'll find out this afternoon," Liu Banxia replied after some thought.

"Damn, that many?" Wang Chao, who had been all smiles, couldn't help but blurt out a curse.

To him, one or two operations were normal. Five or six? Already incomprehensible. He hadn't imagined Liu Banxia would casually mention nine. And that was just appendectomies; there would be other surgeries too. Was he really planning to blitz through dozens of operations?

"I don't know what time we'll finish work tonight, so the Emergency Department is in your and Brother Wei's hands. You absolutely have to hold the fort for me," Liu Banxia said, patting Wang Chao's shoulder.

"Alright! It's just longer hours. I'm in!" Wang Chao pumped his fist.

This was also a golden opportunity for him and Wei Yuan to align themselves with Chen Zhenxing and Zhou Shuwen's faction. Zhou Shuwen was likely to lead the future Emergency Center, and general surgery tasks might be delegated. This made it imperative for them to seize the opportunity. He wished he could assist Liu Banxia with surgeries too, but he simply lacked the skill. To help, one needed the ability; otherwise, one would just be a hindrance.

When he first received the mission, Liu Banxia had been a bit worried. But now? He was filled with fighting spirit.

His main concern with so many surgeries was his stamina. He could use the strength-restoring concoction then, even if it meant spending some Glory Points. The system's rewards were always proportional to the mission's difficulty. This mission was exceptionally difficult, so the reward should be substantial.

Since he had decided to step up, he had to give his absolute best performance. This was his way of repaying Shi Lei and Zhou Shuwen, and its importance surpassed even that of the mission itself. He had to make them proud—make himself proud, and make proud those who had helped him and believed in him.