Chapter 318: Life on the Line: Dawn Rescue at the Riverside

There’s more than one reason why a finger curls and just won’t straighten. Especially in this child’s case—he’s five already, and after more than five years his hands are so deformed, the condition’s become stubbornly set.

With contracted muscles, tight skin, and nerves and blood vessels that have adapted to his twisted fingers, everything about his hands is stuck in place.

At the heart of it, though, the problem lies with the joints themselves.

As he’s grown, the joint damage hasn’t been corrected, so things have only become more complicated.

Never in a million years did Zhou Can expect Director You’s solution—it turned out to be an osteotomy.

Take a section out of the finger’s metacarpal, reshape the palm, and improve the finger’s ability to extend. Only someone with a wealth of surgical experience could even think of that.

About ten minutes later, Director You sent her hand-drawn surgical diagram to Zhou Can over WeChat.

After looking it over, Zhou Can couldn’t help but clap and praise her work.

Breaking original bone structure to reconstruct the palm like this—it felt like a whole new window had opened for him.

He had to hand it to Director You for thinking so far outside the box.

With the hardest problem solved, and Zhou Can being an impatient sort, he picked up the phone and called Dr. Zhang at Xinxiang Maternity and Child Hospital.

“Dr. Zhang, this is Zhou Can from Tuyu Hospital. Sorry to bother you so late.”

As soon as the call connected, Zhou Can introduced himself.

“Don’t worry about it—I wasn’t asleep anyway, still digging into some reading.”

Dr. Zhang greeted Zhou Can with genuine warmth.

“Are you checking resources for that child’s hand deformity correction surgery?”

Zhou Can asked.

“Exactly! With your help, I’ve solved every other issue with the surgery. I refuse to believe there’s no answer for this last hurdle—I’m determined to crack it.”

Dr. Zhang’s situation actually mirrors that of many hardworking, ambitious doctors in small and mid-sized hospitals.

These hospitals often lack strong technical teams and have few senior doctors to consult. When faced with tough medical challenges, they mostly learn and puzzle things out for themselves—researching journals and past cases is the most reliable method.

“The joint issue? I’ve already found a solution!”

Zhou Can happily shared the news with Dr. Zhang.

“Really? Tell me now!”

Dr. Zhang could hardly contain her excitement.

Zhou Can quickly described the core surgical idea, though he didn’t share Director You’s hand-drawn diagram.

After all, they worked at different hospitals—advanced techniques for challenging cases weren’t something you’d share lightly.

No matter how friendly hospitals might sound about working together and sharing, their key techniques are their livelihoods—no one truly gives those away for free.

Any young doctor who naïvely believes otherwise just hasn’t seen enough of the real world.

On such matters of principle, Zhou Can never got confused.

So at most, he explained the surgical approach. As for the finer details, Dr. Zhang would have to work those out herself.

After listening to Zhou Can’s explanation, Dr. Zhang clapped her hands in amazement. “You can solve it like that? That’s so bold and brilliant! Yes, there are some risks, but as long as the osteotomy is performed carefully, it might really work.”

She was an experienced orthopedic surgeon and department head—she just needed that breakthrough thought and method.

With just a few words from Zhou Can, inspiration struck her all at once.

“Dr. Zhou, you solved my biggest problem. Thank you so much! I can’t wait to start drafting the operation plan. I’ll let you know if it goes well.”

With that, Dr. Zhang hung up.

Tonight would be a sleepless one for her.

…

The next morning, Zhou Can had just woken up and habitually checked his phone.

There was a new message waiting.

It was from Dr. Zhang.

“Dr. Zhou, the surgery plan is set! We’ll try to get the operation done today. I’d like you to co-host the procedure with me!”

That invitation carried real weight.

It wasn’t just asking Zhou Can to assist—she wanted him to co-lead the surgery, putting him on her level.

“Sounds good!”

Zhou Can agreed—he wasn’t about to pass up an amazing learning opportunity.

He replied with just those two words.

After getting up, he headed out for his usual morning jog.

Not far from the hotel was the renowned Bijiang River. Thanks to the city’s beautiful development, the thirty-kilometer scenic track along the river made for an ideal spot to exercise.

The air was cool and fresh, carrying a faint trace of river water that felt especially invigorating.

There was even a bit of mist, making each breath smooth and pleasant.

Jogging along the riverbank, with rolling waves, pavilions, stone railings, lush flowers, and leafy trees all around, Zhou Can felt absolutely at ease.

“Hey, look! There’s someone floating in the river!”

“Where?”

“There! See that black spot out there!”

The early morning crowd—mainly retirees out exercising—were the first to gather, soon followed by some younger people.

In the blink of an eye, twenty or thirty people had already surrounded the riverside.

Zhou Can followed the crowd’s gaze into the middle of the river.

He saw a dark shape tossed up and down by the surging water, quickly carried downstream.

His eyesight had always been sharp; he squinted for several seconds, and his pupils narrowed.

It really was a person.

Dead or alive, he couldn’t tell.

If no one rescued him soon, there was no way he would survive.

But the man was close to the center of the river. Pulling him out would be a massive challenge.

Even someone who could swim decently would find it hard to cross the river at all.

Swimming to the middle and hauling someone back was even harder than crossing the river solo. And with someone in tow, it was downright dangerous.

Faced with those raging currents, no one dared jump in to help.

Two strong-looking retirees stripped down and swam partway out, but gave up and quickly made their way back.

Doing good is one thing, but no one’s willing to risk their life.

Just then, Zhou Can saw the person in the water move his arm a little.

That small movement made the man sink beneath the surface.

Zhou Can sighed to himself—a life was about to slip away. What a shame.

The river was flowing fast. Once someone went under, they were almost certainly gone. Zhou Can’s brief urge to help faded just as quickly.

The onlookers all shook their heads and sighed.

He kept jogging.

But his eyes kept flicking back toward the river.

“Oh my god! He’s resurfaced! That guy’s luck is unreal!”

Within seconds, Zhou Can saw the shadow swept more than twenty meters downstream. It was clear just how fast the current moved.

Yet now, the man was actually being pushed toward the riverside.

From the looks of it, he’d keep drifting closer.

“Today’s your lucky day running into me. If I can get you out, maybe there’s still a shot at saving you.”

Zhou Can had been physically training from a young age—martial arts, swimming, you name it.

His water skills were pretty solid.

Since fate had given this man a second chance, Zhou Can decided to try to save him.

He quickly stripped off his jacket, revealing a muscular, athletic build.

“Ma’am, I’m going in to help. Could you please watch my things for me?” He wasn’t worried about losing his clothes, but his phone was another matter.

Better to trust an honest-looking older woman than just leave his stuff on the ground.

Without waiting for her response, he sprinted toward the river.

Wearing nothing but shorts, he dashed through the crowded street. He was quite a sight, but there was no time for modesty.

After running fifty or sixty meters, he glanced at the person in the water—he’d drifted even closer to shore and hadn’t gone under again.

That was good.

He vaulted over the railing and plunged straight into the icy river.

Despite appearances, the water near the shore was shockingly deep.

When he hit the water, his feet couldn’t touch bottom at all.

The man was being swept downstream fast; there was no time to think. Zhou Can hurriedly swam toward the middle.

His only thought was to intercept the victim.

To his credit, Zhou Can had picked the perfect spot to enter the water. As he swam out, the current brought the man right to him. He swam along with the flow, locking onto the growingly close figure.

Amid the roar of the river, he could just make out distant shouts from the bank.

Timing it right, Zhou Can pushed himself hard and managed to grab the man’s shirt.

In a rescue, never grab onto a drowning person directly.

A drowning victim, desperate to survive, will cling to anything within reach. If you hug them, they’ll latch on like an octopus.

And once that happens, both of you risk being dragged under.

You could both drown in the end.

The best way is to grip the person’s clothes from behind, keeping them from grabbing you and pulling you under.

Now that Zhou Can had a hold, he could finally see the man clearly.

It was a burly, bearded middle-aged man with several long scars running down his head and face.

They looked like the aftermath of a knife or axe attack.

There were at least six or seven scars of varying lengths.

Who was this guy, anyway?

“Hey, can you hear me?”

Zhou Can called out loudly.

“Help…”

The man was still alive, and seemed faintly conscious.

He only got that one word out before blacking out entirely.

For Zhou Can, that actually made rescue easier. He held onto the man’s shirt, making sure to keep his face above water, and used the current to drift both toward shore.

The older men on the bank had real moral fiber.

Seeing Zhou Can succeed, one of them tossed a life ring out to help.

But the first two helpers had the wrong idea—they picked swim spots just five or six meters downstream from where Zhou Can entered. By the time they got in, the current had pushed him past them.

So they wasted a life ring for nothing.

Finally, a quick-thinking fellow ran thirty meters downstream and jumped in right on target.

This time, the rescue finally worked.

Zhou Can was getting tired by now. He bagged the life ring first for the victim.

With his hands free, he felt a lot lighter.

He and the helper worked together to get the man back onto shore.

Several people worked together to hoist the man up.

“I’m a doctor! Please give us some space—let the air circulate.”

Zhou Can made his profession known.

After all the effort to save this man, he wasn’t about to let things fall apart now.

He wasted no time clearing the victim’s nose and mouth, making sure the airway stayed open.

He placed the man flat on his back with his head tilted up.

He checked—there was only the faintest heartbeat and no breathing at all.

Ignoring his own exhaustion, Zhou Can immediately started CPR.

Many people think that after pulling someone from water, you should run around carrying them, compress their belly, or slap their back to spit out the water, but that’s not the right way.

Drowning rarely happens from drinking too much water—it’s suffocation that kills.

Just two or three minutes underwater, and the brain shuts down.

After water floods into the lungs, breathing stops for protection. The most important thing after a rescue is to get breathing going again. Artificial respiration is a must.

You’ll need to breathe for them about ten times a minute.

The exact method should follow CPR’s artificial breathing techniques.

With a life hanging in the balance, Zhou Can didn’t care about anything else—he focused on his rescue efforts.

For doctors, there’s always a mental barrier doing mouth-to-mouth.

It doesn’t matter if the patient is male or female—it always feels awkward.

People online think everyone would rush to do mouth-to-mouth if the victim’s a beauty, but that’s wishful thinking. When you’re actually saving someone, it’s nothing like that.

You’ll often run into victims with mucus or vomit, and a rescuer’s stomach needs to be strong.

Thanks to Zhou Can’s relentless efforts, the man’s heartbeat and breathing slowly returned.

He coughed hard, spitting up a few mouthfuls of river water.

Anyone with forensic training knows a drowned person’s lungs never hold much water.

Water in the lungs is never what kills.

“He’s awake, he’s awake!”

The crowd burst into cheers and applause.

Zhou Can checked the man’s pulse—it was strong now, and he finally let himself relax.

He realized that ever since becoming a doctor, saving lives had become almost routine.

Getting to his feet, he scanned the riverside for the older woman guarding his clothes.

He searched everywhere, but she was nowhere to be found.

“You gotta be kidding me! I risked my life to save that guy, and the woman ran off with my clothes and phone? The world’s cold these days. I’m out here saving lives while she pulls this stunt. Unbelievable.”

Then Zhou Can remembered—they started off much farther upstream.

In the chaos of the rescue, he’d drifted downriver a long way.

Maybe the woman was still waiting back where he’d left his things.

Unbothered by the crowd gawking at him, Zhou Can walked upriver in just his shorts.

He had just stepped away from the crowd when a stylish young woman in sportswear, exuding confidence, came over carrying his belongings.

“Excuse me, did you ask my mother to look after your things while you rescued someone?” She glanced at his athletic physique, blushing slightly.

It was obvious this wasn’t your average woman.

She radiated confidence and, judging by her poise, was probably a high-powered executive or businesswoman.

Women like her almost announce their status with that natural aura, experience, and effortless composure.

It was clear to anyone with a pair of eyes—she was special.

“That’s right. These are my clothes.”

Zhou Can reached for his things.

But she stepped back, avoiding his grasp with ease.

“Your phone’s here too. To make sure I’m giving them to the right person, could you tell me the number?” She didn’t hand anything over just yet.

“Is that really necessary? Who else would claim them wearing nothing but shorts?” Zhou Can was a bit speechless.

“Sorry! Even though there’s no other half-naked guys here, I still need to be cautious, or I might give a hero’s things to the wrong person—wouldn’t want to break your trust.”

The young woman was unfailingly polite, not the least bit upset by his annoyance.

Zhou Can had no choice but to recite his phone number.

She dialed it from her own phone. Sure enough, the phone she’d brought along started ringing.

She broke into a smile. “Sorry, hero! I just wanted to check your identity first, to prevent any mix-ups. Here’s everything—please make sure nothing’s missing!”

She returned all his belongings.

“Looks good. Thank you!”

Zhou Can quickly put his clothes back on, using a towel to dry his hair.

“No need to thank me—it’s what we should do. My mom had to rush home and couldn’t wait around; sorry if we caused you trouble. And by the way, you did amazing today. Better get back and change before you get cold. A shower’s a must—that river isn’t very clean.”

She chuckled, suddenly realizing something.

“Oh, right! I almost forgot—you’re a doctor yourself!”

“Thank you and your mom for your honesty and kindness. Thanks for being considerate, too. Take care!”

Zhou Can waved as he left, feeling completely at ease.

This woman was truly remarkable—steady, smart, and thoughtful in everything she did.

He’d lost his cool earlier.

Luckily, she hadn’t taken offense. In fact, she’d shown concern, reminding him to wash up.

Back at the hotel, Zhou Can took a steaming shower and changed into fresh clothes, all without another word about it.

After the delay, it was nearly nine a.m.

“Zhou, we’ve been waiting! Let’s go!”

Director Zhang Bihua called out.

“Coming!”

Zhou Can grabbed his hastily packed bag and quickly headed for the waiting bus outside.

In front of the bus, Director Tian from Xinxiang Maternity and Child Hospital, Section Chief Tang, and a few others greeted him.

“Experts and medical staff, thank you so much for visiting and supporting our hospital! We’ve prepared a small token of appreciation, and hope you’ll come back again next time.”

As Director Tian finished, Section Chief Tang and the administrative assistant started handing out red envelopes.

Each envelope had a name, and something told Zhou Can the amount inside varied from person to person.