Great Doctor Ling Ran

*Beep… Beep, beep, beep.*

*Tut, tut…*

*Ring, ring…*

*Boom, boom…*

Zuo Cidian slowly opened his eyes when all four alarm clocks beside his bed rang in unison.

His gaze was bright and lively. His eyes were pitch black, and he did not blink at all as he switched on the lights in his room. He looked like a man with a lot of power and influence but had a lot of wrinkles on his face. He seemed like someone who had a lot of burdens on his shoulders, but had loving eyes, and was someone who could hold his lover gently.

Zuo Cidian slowly rubbed his hands until they were warm. He then rubbed his face, chest, and other body parts in a leisurely manner before he slowly got out of bed.

An old classmate of his who was a chief physician in a tertiary Grade A hospital taught him this trick.

Doctors in tertiary Grade A hospitals had to work overtime and attend to emergencies all year. It was very normal for them to work overtime or to be woken up in the middle of the night when they were sleeping.

Even though Zuo Cidian neither needed to work overtime to treat patients nor perform surgeries in the middle of the night, he had to wake up early and sleep late at night even more often than doctors in tertiary Grade A hospitals to attend to the leaders of the hospital. Ever since he started applying the trick his classmate taught him, he felt a lot better and was able to stay up late without feeling too tired. He was also able to serve the leaders better.

He was over the age of forty, after all. Zuo Cidian had to make a lot of effort not to appear old next to those leaders, who were around thirty years old.

He glanced at his watch. It was just past two in the morning.

Zuo Cidian flashed a devilish smile before rolling over and getting out of bed. After he got dressed, he took out the steamed dumplings he specially bought from the renowned Long’s family restaurant the night before and brought two small steamers along with him before he headed toward Yun Hua hospital.

2:40 a.m.

Zuo Cidian entered the Emergency Department of Yun Hua Hospital through its main entrance and greeted a few doctors and nurses who were on the night shift. He then turned the corner with ease and entered the waiting room he already located the day before. He set up the steam cooker, placed the steamers on top of it and arranged the steamed dumplings from Long’s family restaurant in the steamers. He only flashed a relieved expression when he saw white smoke rise from the steamers.

*Vroom…*

The dull sound of a car engine rang.

Zuo Cidian looked outside the window of the waiting room and saw that Ling Ran had excited a Rolls-Royce.

Zuo Cidian could not help but be dumbfounded for a moment.

He then took a better look at the car. Not only was it a Rolls-Royce, but it was also an extremely expensive Rolls-Royce Phantom.

Zuo Cidian knew this car model very well. There were mines in his hometown, and the richest mine owner in town bought a Rolls-Royce Phantom.

‘As expected, Ling Ran is from a loaded family.’ Zuo Cidian pursed his lips in envy. However, it only took him a few seconds to get rid of this envy. He was forty-two this year, and he had used up what remaining resources he had just to begin a new life in this new city and build a career all over again. The term Rolls-Royce had nothing to do with his life at all.

“Doctor Ling.”

“Hello, Doctor Ling.”

“Doctor Ling, you’re so early today.”

Like birds in cuckoo clocks, the young nurses in the main hall greeted Ling Ran in a kind and friendly manner.

And before this, they did not greet Zuo Cidian at all.

‘It seems like this tertiary Grade A hospital in Yun Hua is not such an easy place to survive either,’ Zuo Cidian thought quietly, ‘I wonder how much of ordinary doctors’ resources someone from a loaded family like Ling Ran had snatched to be able to become such a powerful figure in the hospital.’

But then, Zuo Cidian started thinking about it from another perspective. ‘Why would someone who gets to ride a Rolls-Royce Phantom to the hospital work as a doctor?’

‘In comparison to common people, a doctor’s social status isn’t low. For those born in middle-class families or lower class families, a career as a doctor seems like a good choice. However, why would someone who was born in a family who could afford a Rolls-Royce Phantom become a doctor?

‘Even though he gets to snatch other doctors’ resources, he still needs to come to the hospital at three in the morning.’

Zuo Cidian could not figure it out no matter how he thought about it.

“Hi, you’re here.” Ling Ran entered the waiting room. When he saw that Zuo Cidian had already arrived, he greeted him in a socially appropriate manner.

Zuo Cidian quickly said, “I just arrived and have just finished preparing some steamed dumplings for breakfast. I don’t know whether you prefer meat or vegan, so I got both. Those steamed dumplings are from Long’s family restaurant. Their ingredients are clean, and their food is prepared meticulously. I’ve seen their kitchen before.

As he spoke, Zuo Cidian was about to remove the steamers from the steam cooker.

Ling Ran waved his hand and said, “I ate in the cab just now.”

“Huh?”

“The cab I rode just now gave me some breakfast.” Ling Ran explained and said, “You can have those dumplings to yourself. Come to the operating theater when you’re ready. Don’t be too late.”

After he said that, Ling Ran put on his large white coat and went straight to the operating theater.

Zuo Cidian was dumbfounded for a moment. He stomped his feet on the ground and quickly finished all the steamed dumplings before he ran toward the operating theater.

He was panting when he arrived at the Operating Area. After he changed into slippers and entered the place, he could smell the faint aroma of pork trotters.

The Operating Area was considerably vast. Other than the four operating theaters, which were the most important component of the Operating Area, there were also storage rooms for medical supplies, drugs, and disinfectants. All of the storage rooms served their own purposes.

And outside the Operating Area were waiting rooms, bathrooms, and toilets that allowed the doctors to rest for a short while.

Even though Zuo Cidian was curious about how early the canteen opened, he did not think much of it. He retrieved a pair of scrubs and a surgical gown using his temporary working pass in a rush before changing into them and entering the operating theater. The doctors inside were already halfway through a surgery.

Opposite Ling Ran was Lu Wenbin, who was the first assistant.

Lu Wenbin was rather joyous when he saw Zuo Cidian. He cheered, “The new doctor is here!”

“Hello, Doctor Lu.” Zuo Cidian bent his waist a little and greeted him in a humble manner. He really did not know how to mingle with those young doctors.

“Operate the retractor. Lu Wenbin, hold the thread.” Ling Ran did not give them time to mingle with each other. He raised his head to glance at Zuo Cidian before continuing with the surgery.

Lu Wenbin chuckled a few times. He did not have much energy to joke around either.

Other than Ling Ran, everyone would feel tired when they had to perform surgery at three in the morning. Even the other renowned surgery maniacs in Yun Hua Hospital only started performing surgeries at four or five in the morning. As for those who stayed up late to perform surgeries until three in the morning? There were probably a few who were busy operating at the surgical floor of the neighboring building. However, they would probably become handicapped due to fatigue within the next few years.

Zuo Cidian took the wound retractor the scrub nurse handed him in a dumbfounded manner. The retractor was made from silver stainless steel, just like other medical instruments. The middle of the retractor was flat, with two curved metal on both sides which looked like rakes. A child would look like the retractor if he were to extend both his hands forward and bend four of his fingers in a ninety-degree angle.

It had been quite some years since Zuo Cidian operated such a wound retractor.

Even though patients did not mind seeking treatment in town hospitals, they would never seek to be operated there. When town hospitals encountered unfortunate patients who needed emergency treatment, they made use of bandages and tourniquets more than scalpels. It was very rare for the town hospital to carry out surgeries. Zuo Cidian needed to use the retractor less than once a year, and even when a retractor was required, he had assistants who would help him with them, and that was if the town hospital even needed to carry out surgeries.

“Retract!” Ling Ran rarely spoke during surgeries, but when he did open his mouth, he spoke in a commanding manner.

“Oh… okay!” Zuo Cidian quickly answered and operated the wound retractor with force.

It was very tiring to operate the retractor. Many young doctors would be drenched in sweat after operating the retractor for only one surgery.

Zuo Cidian knew that he was no longer as energetic as young people. He could only do it with all his might and try very hard to persist.

Ling Ran stopped paying any attention to Zuo Cidian as soon as the wound was adequately retracted.

Twenty minutes…

Thirty minutes…

Zuo Cidian’s hands were numb, but he lowered his head and persisted. This was nothing compared to building small toy figurines for hospital leaders’ children at three in the morning.

Forty minutes…

One hour…

Zuo Cidian’s entire body trembled, but he continued to watch Ling Ran’s maneuvers with widened eyes. He knew that he needed to learn, and this was his final opportunity to do so. It was already rather arduous for young doctors who were twenty-something years old to operate the retractor for an hour, let alone a forty-something-year-old middle-aged man. Zuo Cidian did not mind, though. Once, he had to stand outside a leader’s office for a few hours just to treat the leader to a meal. This was nothing compared to developing varicose veins from standing for too long.

One and a half hours…

Two hours…

Zuo Cidian felt as if his entire body had become numb. All his muscles trembled, and his thoughts started running wild. He recalled the time he caught his wife and one of the hospital’s leaders in bed. At that moment, his wife got extremely furious, and the leader spoke some cruel words before leaving in a hurry. In the end… the leader did more than just say those cruel words…

“Hm, we’re almost done.”

Ling Ran’s words stopped Zuo Cidian’s train of thought.

The anesthetist also yawned loudly. He glanced at his watch and said, “You took two hours. Did you encounter some difficulties?”

“There were some obstacles,” Ling Ran answered.

Lu Wenbin chuckled softly, “I thought that the patient was going to bleed.”

“We definitely would have had to prioritize bleeding control if there were blood loss,” Ling Ran said.

Zuo Cidian was lost as he looked at the group. He did not know what went on in the surgery just now at all. Zuo Cidian had not been in an operating theater for a long time, and he was no longer familiar with Achilles tendon repairs. He had no idea why the surgery just now took such a long time.

‘Even kids from loaded families have it hard nowadays.’ Zuo Cidian raised his head to glance at the large clock in the operating theater. It was already five in the morning.

“Lu Wenbin, close the incision. New doctor, come with me.” Ling Ran had not remembered Zuo Cidian’s name yet. He checked one last time before tossing the instrument in his hand away and walking out of the door.

Zuo Cidian quickly followed him. “You’ve worked hard, Doctor Ling.”

“Hm.”

“Doctor Ling, if you’re tired, I can give you a massage. Even though I’m from a town hospital, I took some trouble to learn how to massage people from an old Chinese medicine practitioner in Beijing before…” Even though Zuo Cidian wanted nothing more than to dive straight into bed and take a nap, his desire to please Ling Ran was greater than his laziness.

“There’s no time for that.” Ling Ran shook his head.

“Don’t worry, there are massage techniques specially catered for those who are pressed for time.” Zuo Cidian smiled and thought, ‘This doctor from a loaded family is still young, and he might not be used to ordering people around yet. This is a good thing. I get to relax a little while keeping him satisfied…’

“We have already spent too much time in the surgery just now.” Ling Ran added. He then went to wash his hands again.

Zuo Cidian was baffled, but he imitated Ling Ran’s act of washing his hands.

Ling Ran then turned and stepped open the automatic door of the operating theater across the one they were previously in. There was already a patient on the operating table.

“The second Achilles tendon repair surgery.” Ling Ran compared notes for a moment with the anesthetist before extending his hand and asking for a scalpel.

Zuo Cidian watched Ling Ran as he made an S-shaped incision.

“Another?” Zuo Cidian felt a little dizzy.

“There are four surgeries in total this morning.” Ling Ran reminded him. “Don’t use up all your energy in one.”