Overpowered Resident Doctor

Chapter 615: Chapter 614: A Clear Conscience

At 9:00 AM on Saturday, between one and two hundred neurosurgery experts from across the country gathered in the small plaza in front of the Affiliated Hospital’s main teaching building to watch a demonstration of an intelligent surgical robot’s puncture and injection capabilities.

The target for the puncture demonstration was an eighteen-pound watermelon.

This particular demonstration was designed to showcase the intelligent surgical robot’s capabilities in three key areas.

First, its ability to convert MRI scans into a three-dimensional digital model.

Second, its 3D spatial positioning accuracy.

Third, its ability to autonomously design puncture pathways.

As the crowd of medical experts watched, a processed, three-dimensional transparent view of the watermelon rotated on a large screen.

Each and every watermelon seed was rendered in lifelike detail, embedded within the oval-shaped 3D image.

The sight would make anyone with trypophobia dizzy, their skin crawl.

The hostess explained to the medical experts that the conversion accuracy for the 3D view was currently 0.2 millimeters.

With further integration of the three partners’ technologies, they were confident they could improve the accuracy to under 0.1 millimeters before the product’s official launch.

The 3D spatial positioning accuracy was also at 0.2 millimeters, with the same goal of reaching under 0.1 millimeters.

For the live demonstration, a doctor from the audience would randomly select a watermelon seed. The robot would then autonomously design a path, perform the puncture without damaging any other seeds, and dye the target seed a glittering gold.

After eleven such demonstrations, the watermelon was cut open for the assembled doctors to inspect.

When the demonstration concluded, Yu Youlian looked around and saw every technician surrounded by ten or twenty people asking for details. She couldn’t suppress a thrill of excitement.

"Feifan, we did it."

Yu Youlian said excitedly, "Our team did a survey yesterday. We asked forty-seven people in total."

"They all agreed that if our surgical robot can achieve seventy to eighty percent of your results in puncture and injection surgeries, they would absolutely push for their hospitals and departments to purchase one, as long as the price is within their budget."

Yan Feifan said happily, "That’s great news. If the robot can perform as designed, I can finally step back from all these puncture surgeries. It’ll make my life much easier."

Ouyang Yanran, a broad smile on her face, said, "Feifan, I wouldn’t count on that."

"After all, our robot is only seventy to eighty percent as good as you are, and we’re talking about operating on the central nervous system."

"Patients with the means will still seek you out to ensure the best possible post-operative recovery."

Yan Feifan chuckled. "At least I won’t have to spend more than half of every week performing puncture surgeries like I do now."

Yan Feifan then asked, "What’s the approximate price point?"

Yu Youlian said softly, "We’ll have three versions: basic, intermediate, and advanced. The tentative prices are eight million, ten million, and twelve million."

"That much?"

Yan Feifan sounded surprised. "A large MRI scanner costs about the same."

Yu Youlian explained, "It’s not expensive at all. Baining Medical Technology’s R&D investment alone was six or seven hundred million."

After a brief pause, she continued, "The current cost to treat a single spinal canal tumor is between one and two hundred thousand."

"If using the surgical robot dramatically improves post-operative outcomes, asking a patient to pay an extra hundred thousand isn’t a huge problem, is it?"

"For a hospital, they’d recoup their investment in just one or two years."

Just then, a middle-aged man with a long face approached them and gave Yan Feifan a thumbs-up.

"Mr. Yan, you have my deepest admiration."

"Most people would hoard a unique skill like that, guarding it jealously to profit from it for the rest of their lives. But soon after you developed this talent, you chose to share it with the world through this surgical robot."

"I’m truly in awe of your selflessness."

Yan Feifan glanced at the name tag on the man’s chest and saw his name was Niu Yiding, from Chengyu First People’s Hospital.

He replied politely, "Dr. Niu, you’re too kind."

"I’m not that noble. I was paid quite well for my collaboration with Baining Medical Technology."

Niu Yiding said with an admiring expression, "Mr. Yan, if you were really in it for the money, with your life-saving skills, you could charge a million, even ten million, for a single surgery, and I imagine you’d still have a never-ending line of patients."

Yan Feifan gave a small smile and said jokingly, "Actually, I’m quite fond of money myself. I just don’t have the thick skin for it."

Niu Yiding laughed. "Mr. Yan, I happen to have an opportunity for you to earn ten million. For you, it would be effortless."

"Are you interested?"

Yan Feifan froze for a second. He finally realized all the man’s flattery had been leading up to something.

He said quietly, "Dr. Niu, this isn’t about the money."

"We made it clear at the beginning of this symposium that I would not be taking on any of your patients."

The attendees of this symposium were all well-known neurosurgery experts from their own regions.

Every one of them surely had a backlog of difficult cases involving spinal canal and brain tumors.

If Yan Feifan opened that door and accepted their requests, he could work himself to death and never finish all the surgeries.

Therefore, to be fair to everyone, the organizers, Lo Jun and the others, had made the rule clear from the very beginning.

They were here to observe surgeries and discuss medical techniques, period. Yan Feifan would not accept any patient referrals, so they were told not to even ask.

Niu Yiding said awkwardly, "Mr. Yan, surely there can be exceptions. This patient of mine is a famous local entrepreneur..."

Yan Feifan cut him off. "Dr. Niu, please stop. We set these rules ourselves, and we will not be the ones to break them."

Niu Yiding said, somewhat embarrassed, "Mr. Yan, I was out of line. I won’t disturb you any further..."

Ouyang Yanran watched Niu Yiding turn and walk away, then leaned closer to Yan Feifan. "Feifan, given your current standing, it probably wouldn’t have been a big deal to take that patient on privately, would it?"

"Do you feel guilty for refusing him like that? Like you’re letting someone die?"

Before Yan Feifan could respond, Yu Youlian spoke up. "What is there to feel guilty about?"

"Feifan can’t save everyone."

"Ouyang Yanran, there are plenty of people in the world who can’t afford medical care or even a meal. I don’t see you donating all your money to them, do I?"

Ouyang Yanran’s eyes widened in anger. "Yu Youlian, I only asked Feifan that question because I was worried people would try to guilt-trip him! I wanted to make sure he was prepared for it."

"Who do you think you are, butting in?"

Seeing Yu Youlian about to retort, Yan Feifan quickly cut in. "Alright, alright, why are you two fighting now?"

He paused for a moment, then continued slowly, "Actually, it’s an issue I thought through a long time ago."

"I’m a doctor. Treating patients and saving lives is my duty. It also brings me immense satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment, and I will always do it to the best of my ability."

"I can be impulsive, I can be moved, and I can throw myself into my work without a second thought. But at the end of the day, being a doctor is my profession."

"I have my own family and my own life. I want to enjoy myself and live comfortably."

"So, I do my best to act with a clear conscience."

"As for working myself to the bone and giving my last breath to the job... I can’t do that."

Yan Feifan met Yu Youlian’s and Ouyang Yanran’s gazes and asked with a smile, "Sounds a little selfish, doesn’t it?"

Yu Youlian sighed. "How is that selfish at all?"

"If everyone in the country had your mindset, our nation would have been number one in the world long ago."

At 10:30 AM, the attendees gathered in a lecture hall in the main teaching building and launched into a heated discussion...