Chapter 338: Late-Night Barbecue and a Breakthrough in Skill

The three of them arrived at Fat Wang’s Barbecue stand, where a young woman greeted them with a bright smile.

“Please, have a seat! If you need anything, just let me know!”

“We’ll have a plate of grilled lamb skewers, a plate of peanuts, and a case of beer!” Dr. Xu took the lead in ordering, picking out all of Dr. Hu Kan’s favorite dishes.

A plate of skewers held fifty sticks—plenty to go around for the three of them.

After ordering, he seemed to remember Dr. Hu Kan’s health and quickly changed his mind. “Actually, let’s just do three bottles of beer and one juice instead.”

“You got it! Please wait a moment, I’ll bring it right over!”

From the way the young woman dressed and carried herself, she probably wasn’t just a waitress.

Most likely, she was the owner’s wife.

“Miss, do you have any fermented tofu? Bring us some if you do,” Dr. Hu Kan said to her.

“Hmm… Sorry, we actually don’t have that,” she replied apologetically, shaking her head.

Most folks come for barbecue and beer—hardly anyone orders peanuts.

She thought these customers were a bit unusual.

If not for their impressive manners and appearance, she would have wondered if they were here just to cause trouble. After all, night market stalls sometimes drew rowdy crowds and drunken drama.

“Zhou Can, go grab a bottle from a shop nearby! Your teacher’s always had a thing for it!”

Dr. Hu Kan turned to Zhou Can.

“Still thinking about my love for fermented tofu after all these years, Old Hu? It’s true, looking back, we really shouldn’t have stayed apart so long!” Dr. Xu seemed touched. He reached out and clasped Dr. Hu Kan’s hand, helping to steady him.

“Teacher, I’ll go get the fermented tofu now.”

Zhou Can quickly let go of his teacher’s hand and dashed off toward a supermarket nearby.

He figured this was the perfect time to give the two elders a chance to patch things up.

Zhou Can knew the layout around the hospital by heart. That supermarket always had bottled Lao Gan Ma, bean paste, and fermented tofu.

When Zhou Can returned with the fermented tofu, he noticed that Dr. Xu and Dr. Hu Kan seemed much closer than before.

“Teacher, I’m not sure if this brand of fermented tofu suits your taste?”

Zhou Can handed the jar to Dr. Xu.

“Haha, you’ve got a keen eye! This brand is exactly my favorite,” Dr. Xu praised him with a smile.

“Heh, Dr. Hu mentioned you’ve liked fermented tofu for over thirty years. I figured you’d prefer something with an old-school flavor. I even asked the shop owner, and he said this Madame Chen’s fermented tofu has been around forever, so that’s what I went with.”

Zhou Can explained.

“Very thoughtful! Sit down and eat with us! This stand does the best lamb skewers—still tastes just like it did thirty years ago. The owners might have changed, but the flavor and quality sure haven’t.”

Dr. Xu praised him again and beckoned him to join in.

A massive plate of lamb skewers was spread out on the table.

The owner’s wife brought over two bottles of beer and a juice just as Dr. Xu was speaking. She brightened up. “I can’t believe you’re one of our old customers from thirty years ago! What an honor! My in-laws ran this stall back then. Now they’re older, so my husband and I handle things.”

“That’s great. For us old customers, it’s really all about reliving memories. You’ve come a long way—from a tiny roadside stand to a full barbecue shop.”

Dr. Xu let out a nostalgic sigh.

“Thank you for decades of support! I’ll give you ten percent off tonight. Eat and drink to your heart’s content!” The owner’s wife left the drinks and hurried off to help the next table, her steps light.

Clearly, she was thrilled to have such long-standing guests.

The three ate and chatted. Having caught up emotionally, Dr. Xu and Dr. Hu Kan turned the conversation to medicine.

“Old Hu, tell me—how does the Rapid Surgical Technique work with the Steady Scalpel Technique? I still think it’s a little far-fetched.”

Dr. Xu spent his life mastering the Fast Scalpel Technique, even setting records for the fastest surgeries. No one understood the technique better than he did.

He agreed with Dr. Hu Kan’s concerns about technique drag but didn’t believe speed and stability could coexist in surgery.

Speed and stability are like fire and water—polar opposites.

“Honestly, whether they’re compatible is still just a concept for me. If my health hadn’t failed, maybe I could’ve explored this further myself. For now, I’ll have to leave it to Zhou Can to try and prove it.”

Dr. Hu Kan looked over at Zhou Can.

But since Dr. Xu hadn’t agreed yet, Zhou Can wasn’t about to say yes on his own.

So he kept his head down, quietly gnawing on a skewer.

He had to admit, though—the taste was incredible. No wonder people can’t resist barbecue even though it’s bad for you.

Life’s short anyway. Most people just want to enjoy it while they can.

“Rapid surgery is all about extreme speed, while steady surgery focuses on precision and stability, minimizing mistakes. On the surface they’re total opposites, but think about yin and yang in Tai Chi—two extremes that still find harmony. Tai Chi blends hardness and softness, and I believe speed and stability can also be balanced if you work at it.”

“Back when I was healthy, I tried combining them. It clashes a bit—pursuing stability can hold back speed—but it’s not as incompatible as I thought. Actually, if your steady technique is strong enough, it can offset the downsides of speed. Like the ocean, it holds everything—from fresh streams to muddy waters, even trash. It can take it all.”

As Dr. Hu Kan described his discovery, his eyes shone with youthful brightness.

When someone has drive and conviction, their eyes always shine—there’s light within them.

“Containment?”

Dr. Xu’s gaze flickered. His medical ambitions had always been narrower than Dr. Hu Kan’s, even when it came to disciples—so far, he’d only ever taught Zhou Can.

But Dr. Hu Kan had students everywhere. Across Cardiothoracic Surgery, even those doctors who just trained there for a short time probably picked up his Steady Scalpel Technique.

You could see it in the way surgeons performed in that department.

Their style was almost always based on stability.

Though, honestly, their slow pace could drive you crazy.

“Exactly—it’s about combining them. To be precise, they’re compatible. Say my steady technique is strong enough, I can try to bring in some rapid technique elements. Likewise, if your speed is high-level, you can incorporate some steadiness. If your rapid technique is at level 10, you might also handle steady at level 5 or 6. The stronger your core skillset, the easier it is to blend others in. Find common ground, keep your strengths.”

Dr. Hu Kan explained his concept with no lack of confidence.

Zhou Can listened quietly. He already had his answer.

Even though Dr. Hu Kan’s explanations of advanced surgery were a bit abstract, they really made sense.

All techniques are connected at their peak—the great truths are both clear and simple.

“I can’t deny you’ve found a good approach.” Dr. Xu knocked back his beer. “When it comes to surgical innovation, you’re just plain better than me.”

Dr. Xu was a little down about losing out to Dr. Hu Kan again.

“I have no objection to letting Zhou Can learn the Steady Scalpel Technique from you.”

At last, Dr. Xu truly opened his heart—setting aside the zero-sum mindset and letting his only disciple train with Dr. Hu Kan. That meant he tacitly approved Zhou Can picking up another teacher.

For those old-school types, this kind of decision is far from easy.

“I knew you’d come around. Come on, let me toast you!”

Getting Dr. Xu to agree made Dr. Hu Kan as giddy as a kid.

Letting Zhou Can be his disciple had almost become an obsession for him—after all, there just wasn’t anyone else as outstanding in sight.

No matter how talented the other young doctors were, none of them could hold a candle to Zhou Can, not when he had that surgical skills experience system backing him up.

“Better stick to juice! If you keep drinking, who’s going to teach Zhou Can in the future?”

Dr. Xu poured out Dr. Hu Kan’s beer and replaced it with juice.

“Thanks!”

Dr. Hu Kan raised his glass and toasted Dr. Xu. Their glasses clinked together.

“Zhou Can, raise your glass! What, you think I didn’t check with you first? I already asked for your opinion ages ago. Now that Dr. Xu agrees, you can say yes too!”

Dr. Hu Kan was beaming nonstop, grinning so much his face almost never broke.

Of course Zhou Can was eager to learn the Steady Scalpel Technique and master the best of both worlds.

He raised his glass with both his mentors.

“Let me toast my two teachers! Thank you for putting your heart and soul into nurturing me and helping me grow. I can only repay you by giving it my all!”

Zhou Can leaned back and drained his glass in one go.

“Haha, this guy’s born for big things. Even the way he drinks shows it,” Dr. Hu Kan looked at him with obvious delight.

Dr. Xu seemed to be in great spirits too.

Old grudges laid to rest, a friendship restored, and a disciple possibly finding an all-new path forward—

Every one of these was a cause for celebration.

“Zhou Can, whenever you have time, come to Cardiothoracic Surgery and learn the Steady Scalpel Technique from me. I’ll teach you all the department’s top surgical skills too. If you’re swamped at work, just come after hours—but you need to keep at it every day. Because my health really is bad, and I worry I won’t have time to teach you everything before I’m gone.”

Everyone knew Dr. Hu Kan’s health was a real concern.

Heart disease is terrifying because it can strike at any moment.

Especially for someone like Dr. Hu Kan, who’d already survived two heart surgeries—it was even riskier.

……

The next day, Zhou Can stopped by Pediatrics to check on the child with congenital heart disease. Then he found Dr. Zhuang Sheng to talk through the surgery plan.

They’d already run through it with the Cardiothoracic Surgery team, and with Dr. Hu Kan overseeing things, Dr. Zhuang only had to glance at the plan before nodding approval.

A doctor of Dr. Zhuang’s caliber could tell at a glance how thorough the plan was, covering every angle.

Every detail and every hidden risk had been fully anticipated and accounted for.

Everything else was simple—schedule the surgery and make sure the patient was ready.

The anesthesiologist would evaluate risk with the patient and sign the consent forms.

Getting the chief surgeon to discuss things with the family? Dr. Zhuang handed that part straight to Zhou Can, even proclaiming confidently that Zhou Can would take the lead surgeon role for this surgery, so it was only right he speak to the family.

Zhou Can had spoken with families before, but never as the lead surgeon for a major operation.

Still, since the family already trusted him after their tough experiences, things went fairly smoothly.

The whole conversation went off without a hitch.

The nurse and attending doctor would handle specifics on pre-op prep, while the hospital coordinated the operating room.

……

Inside the operating room, Zhou Can stood at the table for the first time as lead surgeon, dressed in navy blue scrubs.

Dr. Hu Kan, at Zhou Can’s request, sat near the wall to observe.

At critical moments, he’d be there with guidance and support. That support was part of what gave Zhou Can the guts to take on the surgery.

Dr. Zhuang happily volunteered as his first assistant.

The whole surgical team was centered on Zhou Can.

Zhou Can used to watch as other chief physicians took the lead in surgery, wishing he might get a chance one day to be in that position himself.

Now, standing here for real, he realized the sense of responsibility felt like an invisible mountain on his shoulders.

There was no thrill—if anything, his legs felt like jelly.

The only difference was the whole crew moved according to his direction.

Once the patient was fully anesthetized, the surgery began.

Zhou Can established extracorporeal circulation, completed the total cavopulmonary connection, and the chest opening and heart surgery all went smoothly.

With half the procedure done and nothing major going wrong, Zhou Can finally exhaled in relief.

With the main tasks finished, it was time to stop the machine and see how things held up.

But as soon as everything stopped, the patient’s arterial pressure dropped dangerously low. The central venous pressure spiked fast.

Seeing that, Zhou Can’s heart clenched in panic.

Anyone in his shoes would have panicked.

Cardiac surgery was always risky—if arterial pressure won’t hold, things could go south in a flash.

“Zhou Can, don’t panic! You’ll run into situations like this all the time in surgery,” Dr. Hu Kan said calmly from his spot by the wall.

It gave Zhou Can just enough calm to steady himself.

It’s like rock climbing—having a safety rope changes everything inside your head.

With a rope around you, you’re bound to feel a little safer.

Even Dr. Hu Kan had sometimes buckled under pressure as lead surgeon. But after decades on the table, his nerves were ironclad compared to Zhou Can’s.

That’s what experience brings.

Regaining his composure, Zhou Can dove into finding the cause.

Why did the patient’s arterial pressure crash every time he stopped the machine? He decided to focus on the high central venous pressure.

Time meant life here—and trying to solve a medical crisis with the clock ticking and his nerves under stress was a test like no other.

Careful measurements showed there was no significant pressure drop between the upper and lower vena cava and pulmonary artery.

So he ruled out surgical anastomosis narrowing.

Could it be pulmonary vascular resistance was too high?

That seemed likely.

Zhou Can ticked through ways to check for it. So far, it was just a hunch, and he needed experiments to be sure.

Punching a small hole in the atrial septum could ease venous hypertension and boost cardiac output.

He tried that and used pulmonary vasodilators, but the problem still wasn’t solved.

He’d actually prepped for this, even discussing it back in Cardiothoracic Surgery. But the low cardiac output wasn’t responding at all.

Watching the child’s condition worsen by the minute, Zhou Can made a desperate call—he’d have to remove the atrial septal patch connecting the lower vena cava to the pulmonary artery.

At this point, the surgery was on the verge of failing.

Sweat was beading on Dr. Zhuang’s forehead, and the whole team was tense and anxious.

In the nick of time, Dr. Hu Kan stepped in.

“The main reason this surgery is failing is the child’s poor pulmonary vascular development and high resistance. Here—do it my way…”

In that moment, Dr. Hu Kan was the calm at the center of the storm—pinpointing why things were going wrong and offering a fix.

……

After over three hours, Zhou Can was utterly exhausted, having pulled the child back from the brink of death several times.

But finally—the operation succeeded.

Now, the child’s blood pressure and heartbeats were strong, breathing better than ever. Before their eyes, that cyanotic tinge faded fast from the child’s body.

Zhou Can quietly reviewed the entire surgery, reflecting carefully.

This child’s issues had been much worse than he’d imagined—not only poorly developed pulmonary vessels and high resistance, but also tricuspid atresia.

If not for Dr. Hu Kan’s hands-on guidance, the child wouldn’t have survived even with ten lives to spare.

Finishing the operation, Zhou Can felt like he’d just crossed between life and death himself. Every nerve had been taut, focused only on the surgery. Now, finally finished, he gained a pile of valuable surgical experience and knew what it truly felt like to lead a major operation for the first time.

In a word—absolutely exhilarating.