The Enhanced Doctor

"Isn't it a bit early to roast this lad over the fire?" Zhou Zhiyong asked with a chuckle as they made their way back.

"It would put tremendous pressure on anyone else, but not him," Chen Zhenxing shook his head.

"After all, we're planning on fostering a star, and since he has the potential, we'll gladly give him a push. It's not just appendicitis and gallbladder surgeries; we can also assign him a portion of gastrointestinal surgeries."

"Some people don't want to see us thrive; they want to drag us down. Let's show them whether the person we've endorsed is truly worthy."

"Let's send out an internal hospital notice: whoever wants to watch can do so. If a patient needs emergency surgery, we can also reserve Teaching Operating Room No. 9 for him."

"Actually, I also want to see how well he handles these surgeries. If he can get through this period, I'd like to see who still dares to make snide remarks."

Zhou Zhiyong nodded. They had indeed been under great pressure lately. Otherwise, they wouldn't have pivoted the hard-earned promotional opportunity to focus on publicizing Liu Banxia.

Most people only knew that the Second Hospital's doctors were a bit restless, but these higher-ups were facing considerable external pressure. This wasn't just about the hospital's doctors, but also concerned the preparations for the new emergency department.

After all, in any department involved in construction and procurement, the potential "profits" are too significant. Even without evidence, an anonymous accusation can stir up discussions and attract attention.

As the one spearheading this initiative, Chen Zhenxing was under even greater pressure.

Now that Liu Banxia had volunteered to step forward, both Chen Zhenxing and Zhou Zhiyong were relieved. What Zhou Zhiyong hadn't expected, however, was that Chen Zhenxing would bet so heavily on Liu Banxia.

Otherwise, why would he say they were roasting Liu Banxia over the flames? If Liu Banxia made any slip-up during surgery, not only would Liu Banxia be finished, but they would also end up with egg on their faces.

Of course, if Liu Banxia could withstand the pressure and prove his comprehensive mastery over many types of surgery, that would be a different outcome entirely—the one they hoped to see.

Upon arriving at Operating Room No. 10, Liu Banxia was still oblivious to Chen Zhenxing's "calculations" concerning him. After all, these decisions were made by the higher-ups; he wasn't at a level to comprehend such grand strategies and perspectives.

This patient was also scheduled for an appendectomy and had agreed to a small-incision procedure, which would save some surgical costs; it was a good thing.

A number of people had also gathered at the observation gallery. Although the small-incision appendectomy was considered somewhat rudimentary, mastering it was still beneficial. Liu Banxia had made his name with small-incision appendectomies, so it held a certain prestige.

"From my perspective, the trickiest part of a small-incision appendectomy is locating the appendix," Liu Banxia said.

"It's a bit difficult for me to articulate this technique. However, I'll give you all a chance today. You can all try to feel for it. Remember, you're feeling, not pulling."

After speaking, Liu Banxia stepped aside, allowing the four of them to take turns.

Even Liang Xiaolin, who had some experience, didn't find it very easy. After all, there was a significant difference between palpating and direct visualization, and her tactile sense wasn't nearly as acute as Liu Banxia's.

When it was Liu Banxia's turn, he extended his fingers, grasped the appendix with forceps, and with a gentle tug, it was out.

This wasn't the first time the observers had witnessed this, yet they were still amazed. Even some senior attending physicians couldn't hope to locate it so accurately by touch alone.

The subsequent steps were straightforward. Liu Banxia assigned the task of transecting the base of the appendix to Huang Bo. The young man was ecstatic, feeling he had made a significant contribution to the operation.

Irrigation and closure were handed over to Li Hao. Since it was his first time formally participating in a surgery, he deserved some encouragement.

DING! Extraordinary Challenge task completed (2/50).

Gained 100 experience points, 500 skill proficiency points in Appendectomy, 50 skill proficiency points in Wound Dressing, and 200 skill proficiency points in Diagnostics.

Liu Banxia smacked his lips. The rewards this time are somewhat meager, he thought. It's likely because I've performed too many small-incision appendectomies, so the other skill points awarded are fewer. Moreover, there was no task rating this time. Otherwise, if there had been a rating, even a Flawless one, the rewards would have been more plentiful.

"You two, take the patient to the ward and write up the post-operative orders. Then call those four over. I need to rest for a bit." With that, Liu Banxia dashed out.

Normally, he would have taken the opportunity to rest while the operating room was being cleaned, but Qiu Huaili from the Proctology Department was waiting for him.

Knowing Qiu Huaili's personality, if Liu Banxia didn't go over, Qiu wouldn't even bother to change the patient's dressing that afternoon. That wouldn't do; the rubber band ligature was about to fall off, and changing the dressing was crucial.

He hurried over and then hurried back, earning only 10 experience points and 20 skill proficiency points in Anal Fistula Ligation.

When he ran back, the operating room still wasn't ready. Wang Lei, waiting outside, gave him a smiling glance.

"Old Wang," Liu Banxia said resignedly, "why do I get the feeling there's some mischief in your eyes?"

"Haha, it's nothing. Partnering with you is actually great. Surgeries go faster, so we get more time to rest," Wang Lei replied with a laugh.

"Dr. Liu, you're quite the sensation now," Liu Mei, the scrub nurse, said. "Everyone knows you're performing surgeries. The audience for the next one will definitely be even larger."

"It's just a temporary novelty, I suppose. Once I've explained things to this group, I'll speed up the subsequent surgeries. How much they can understand and master will depend on their future hands-on experience," Liu Banxia stated.

"Hehe, Dr. Liu, it's not quite like that," Liu Mei said with a smile. "I just went to the restroom and overheard people talking. They said you're going to perform a whole series of surgeries back-to-back. That's quite something!"

Liu Banxia was stunned and looked at Wang Lei.

Wang Lei nodded. "I heard the surgical schedule has already been updated. Even your surgeries for tomorrow are fully booked. Everyone knows you'll be practically living in the operating room for the next few days. They all want to see how you perform."

Liu Banxia forced a grin, a hint of bitterness in his expression.

Once the disinfection period was over, everyone entered the operating room.

This patient was also undergoing a small-incision appendectomy, with Qing Kewa serving as the first assistant. This was the prearranged order; with so many surgeries scheduled, everyone would get a turn.

While they performed the surgery below, the observers above were watching intently, their eyes glued not only to the surgical field through the observation window but also to the display monitor.

A considerable number of people felt a sense of unease as Liu Banxia, yet again, effortlessly extracted the appendix. Even though Liu Banxia's small-incision appendectomies were clearly effective, they felt the rewards bestowed upon him by the hospital were excessively generous.

Having witnessed two small-incision appendectomies today, and hearing that he had also completed a laparoscopic appendectomy earlier, they found it rather remarkable how Liu Banxia could consistently make these procedures seem so straightforward.

Surgical skill is evaluated based on the surgical process and the duration of the operation.

The surgical process considers the ability to handle unexpected situations and dissection techniques, which many could manage. However, when it came to surgical time, they often fell short.

All three of Liu Banxia's surgeries so far had been teaching surgeries. He wasn't just silently focusing on the work as he might have done previously. Even those who hadn't observed the earlier laparoscopic surgery could tell from these two procedures that he was quite loquacious during operations.

From the start of each surgery, he explained all the key points and operative techniques. Although these were generally routine matters, his explanations still met the requirements for a teaching surgery.

They had also seen the day's surgical schedule. Operating Room No. 10 was slated for another laparoscopic appendectomy, an inguinal hernia repair, and one more small-incision appendectomy.

These were all scheduled before 7:30 PM. After 8:00 PM, Liu Banxia still had three more small-incision appendectomies, alternating between Teaching Operating Room No. 9 and Operating Room No. 10.

This clearly indicated that the hospital had given Liu Banxia the green light. Performing so many surgeries consecutively was physically demanding, and the schedule was designed to allow him sufficient rest in the evening so he could resume operating the next day.

How many attending physicians even get the chance to independently perform a laparoscopic liver cyst resection like the one scheduled for him tomorrow morning? Liu Banxia has only done it once under Zhou Shuwen's supervision. Can he really take the lead this time?

Everyone understood the implications. This was a very strong stance from the hospital. After all, Liu Banxia currently only held a resident physician's contract, a full tier below their attending physician contracts.

Even if the hospital arranged it, does Liu Banxia truly dare to be so audacious as to accept it all?

In the minds of some, Liu Banxia was being incredibly audacious. They themselves lacked the confidence to perform such a string of surgeries. It would be understandable if they were all appendectomies—whether laparoscopic or small-incision, those weren't overly complicated.

But there are also two intestinal tumor resections scheduled for tomorrow afternoon! A resident who just finished his standardized training—is he really that competent? If this isn't audacity, what is?

And just as Wang Lei and Liu Mei had mentioned, even more people came to observe, packing the observation gallery.

However, these onlookers had varied motivations. Some were there to learn, some purely to watch the spectacle, and others were curious to see what capabilities Liu Banxia, a mere resident, possessed to be assigned so many surgeries.

It could be said that Liu Banxia performing surgery was now drawing more attention within the hospital than his previous appearance in the news.

Those familiar with medicine understood that surgery couldn't be faked; it required genuine skill. Now, they would see if he truly had the ability to back up such audacity.

After performing three consecutive surgeries and talking extensively during them, Liu Banxia felt a bit tired. However, this level of fatigue was still within manageable limits, especially since he could rest a little while the operating room was being cleaned between cases.

The next operation was a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, which was slightly more complex than the preceding appendectomies.

Liu Banxia spoke even more extensively during this procedure, as dissecting the gallbladder free required attention to numerous details. He explained every point he could think of.

Regardless of what others thought, the interns learning under him, at least, found the experience thoroughly engaging.