Overpowered Resident Doctor

Chapter 532: Chapter 531: Confrontation

All cleaned up and ready for surgery, Yan Feifan walked back into one of the trauma surgery operating rooms with Yu Suye at his side.

The moment he stepped into the operating room, Yan Feifan’s eyes met those of a burly, pale-faced, middle-aged man on the operating table.

Upon seeing the man, Yan Feifan instinctively shook out his right hand, as if the person before him had just mischievously given it another painful squeeze.

Dr. Gon Yan Nian, vice director and chief physician of the orthopedics department.

Back when Yan Feifan was doing his residency rotation in orthopedics, this guy had told him he was as thin and frail as a girl and obviously didn’t have what it took to be an orthopedic surgeon.

Yan Feifan, of course, had bristled at the comment.

So Dr. Gon had shaken his hand, then suddenly squeezed with all his might, making Yan Feifan grimace and yelp in pain.

When the man let go, Yan Feifan was shocked to discover a purple handprint imprinted on his own hand.

He later found out that this Dr. Gon was known as "Iron Hand," even among orthopedic surgeons, a group already known for their brute strength.

His grip was unbelievably strong.

Orthopedic surgeons were, on average, the most physically imposing group of doctors in a hospital.

A lot of orthopedic work is physically demanding, requiring surgeons to be strong—very strong.

Treating various bone injuries requires patients to be held in specific positions. This involves all manner of lifting, carrying, holding, pulling, and pushing the patients...

The sheer variety, difficulty, and duration of these holds were enough to boggle the mind.

And while various assistive devices have been developed, a great deal of the work still has to be done by hand.

After all, manual labor is often the quickest and most convenient option.

Moreover, many senior orthopedic surgeons enjoyed using these tasks to "haze" and "test" the junior doctors.

It was considered one of the fundamental skills of the trade.

In special circumstances, like a field rescue with no equipment available, they had to rely on their own physical strength and stamina to provide aid.

Orthopedic surgeons also used tools like saws, drills, chisels, and hammers to treat patients, none of which could be wielded without considerable strength.

That’s why the vast majority of orthopedic surgeons, whether tall or short, tended to have a stocky, powerful build.

Even those who didn’t start out that way would become so after working in the field for some time.

Yan Feifan’s own memories of his orthopedic rotation were particularly vivid. He felt like a construction worker, hauling patients around all day long.

And it was no joke—his appetite during that period was incredible. He could eat twice his normal portion at every meal.

By the end of his rotation, he had actually gained nearly five kilograms...

"Dr. Gon!"

"Mr. Yan..."

Lying on the operating table, Gon Yan Nian looked Yan Feifan up and down and said with a hint of disdain, "You look even scrawnier than you did back then."

Yan Feifan gave a small smile. "You don’t need much strength to reattach a thumb."

"That’s true!"

Gon Yan Nian agreed, then added with an emotional sigh, "I never would’ve imagined it. In such a short time, you’ve already reached this level. Mrs. Yu herself said you’ve surpassed her."

He paused, then said in a low voice, "Mr. Yan, this time, I’m counting on you."

Yan Feifan nodded. "I’ll do my best, Dr. Gon."

Gon Yan Nian spoke again. "Mr. Yan, I’m only forty-five. My wife and I support five elders, and our twin sons just started elementary school."

"I’m not even done paying off the mortgage on our second property..."

Yan Feifan couldn’t help but roll his eyes. ’He’s clearly nervous and worried.’

It was understandable.

His left thumb was severed. If the replantation didn’t go well and its function was severely impaired, Gon Yan Nian would very likely have to leave the operating room for good.

"Dr. Gon, don’t worry. I’m very confident about this procedure. Otherwise, Mrs. Yu would be doing it herself."

Yan Feifan offered a word of comfort, then suggested, "Dr. Gon, why don’t you get some sleep?"

Gon Yan Nian shook his head vigorously.

"When I’m operating, I like to chat with the patient, my assistants, and the nurses."

"But now that I’m the one on the table..."

Just then, Yu Suye, who was assisting in the surgery, interjected, "Which means that this time, Dr. Gon, you are the patient. The one in charge of this operating room is Mr. Yan, not you."

"And Mr. Yan prefers it to be quiet..."

The anesthesiologist standing by caught Yu Suye’s glance and placed the anesthesia mask over Gon Yan Nian’s mouth and nose...

Yan Feifan shot Yu Suye an approving look.

Operating on a fellow doctor, especially a skilled senior colleague, meant you were bound to be critiqued during the procedure.

Out of concern for their own well-being, even the most mentally resilient seniors were liable to lose their objectivity, their critiques becoming nitpicky and harsh.

Yan Feifan figured he wouldn’t be affected, but ’keeping the patient quiet is better for everyone...’

Once Gon Yan Nian was under, Yan Feifan entered his zone.

The first step of the surgery was debridement of the amputation site.

Dr. Gon’s left thumb had been cut off by a bone saw, leaving a very clean wound surface, which made debridement much easier...

Inside the operating room, everyone performed their duties, and the work proceeded in an orderly manner.

What Yan Feifan didn’t know was that just outside the isolation doors of the surgical wing, two groups were facing off, neither willing to back down.

One group was Dr. Gon’s wife, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, along with their two children, and Dr. Gon’s own assistants and students.

The seven or eight of them had linked arms, forming a human barricade that firmly blocked the doors.

On the other side was Mr. Qin, the director of neurosurgery, accompanied by several of his own assistants and students.

Mr. Qin’s face was dark as thunder. "You can’t be so selfish!" he shouted furiously. "Mr. Yan isn’t the only one who can reattach a thumb!"

"Another doctor can take his place if he leaves."

"My patient is dying from a brain herniation, and only Mr. Yan can save him!"

Dr. Gon’s wife, Huang Li, her face tight, met Mr. Qin’s gaze without flinching. "I don’t care about anything else," she said, not giving an inch.

"All I know is that if my husband’s thumb isn’t reattached perfectly, he’ll never be able to operate again."

"Mr. Yan is the best surgeon in this hospital for replantation, and right now, he’s operating on my husband."

"Nobody is going in there to interrupt him!"

Mr. Qin was panting with rage.

He took a moment to compose himself and tried again to reason with them. "Mr. Yan isn’t significantly better than the other surgeons at replantations. His real expertise lies in percutaneous injections for vertebral and brain tumors."

He paused, then added, "Look, even in the worst-case scenario where Dr. Gon can’t return to the operating table, he can still work in the outpatient clinic or teach. He’d still be a doctor."

"But my brain tumor patient will die without Mr. Yan’s help."

"A person’s life versus Dr. Gon’s uncertain future—surely you can see which is more important, can’t you?"

Huang Li hesitated for a moment, but then her expression hardened once more.

"Mr. Qin, don’t you lecture me or try to guilt-trip me. For once, I’m going to be selfish."

"Mrs. Yu herself admitted how skilled Mr. Yan is at replantation."

"To you, Mr. Qin, a life is obviously more important than my husband’s career, but you’re not the one in this situation."

Huang Li’s voice grew even firmer.

"Mr. Yan is not leaving until he has finished my husband’s surgery."

"You... you..." Mr. Qin’s hand trembled as he pointed at Huang Li.

"Everyone, disperse..."

Just then, an authoritative voice cut through the noise.

As the voice spoke, several hospital security guards trotted over and began dispersing the crowd of patients and family members who had gathered to watch.

At the same time, Vice President Hou strode over.

"What in the world is going on here?"

With a grim expression, Mr. Hou scanned the two opposing parties and questioned Mr. Qin sternly, "Mr. Qin, you’re a senior member of this hospital. What are you doing, arguing in front of everyone? Do you want our hospital to become a laughingstock?"

"Mr. Hou, it’s not what you think..."

Mr. Qin quickly explained, "I just admitted a patient with a brain tumor who is already showing signs of herniation. He needs immediate surgery."

"I need Mr. Yan’s help."

"But Mr. Yan is in the middle of reattaching Dr. Gon’s thumb, and I just wanted to go in and have a word with him."

"But they won’t let me..."

"Mr. Hou, this is a matter of life and death! You have to..."