Chapter 78: A Day of Surgery, Deals, and Developments

Zhou Can assisted Dr. Fu with surgery. Today was a blast.

Many minor level-one surgeries were handed directly to Zhou Can.

However, because Dr. Fu’s skills were only so-so and the incident with Dr. Lu last night had left him rattled, even when given a chance to learn, Zhou Can still just stood by watching.

In the end, he didn’t dare delegate as boldly as Dr. Xu had, letting Zhou Can run a procedure with a nurse.

Meanwhile, Dr. Lin was notably ambitious.

Whenever a surgery posed even a slight challenge, he would vie with Zhou Can for the opportunity.

After all, with his seniority, it was nearly impossible for Zhou Can to snag the tougher cases.

When money was on the line, any favor Zhou Can had with Dr. Lin quickly evaporated, as he always took precedence.

Around after six in the evening, Zhou Can’s phone kept buzzing.

Inside the operating room, it was absolutely essential to keep your phone on silent.

Otherwise, whether it was a ringtone or a text alert, the Chief Surgeon would start cursing.

Even if he held back his words, that cold, piercing glare from the Chief Surgeon was more than enough to freeze anyone in their tracks.

“Sorry, I need to take this call!”

Zhou Can greeted briefly and then stepped outside the operating room to answer.

Note: An operating room usually has at least two doors.

After the first door, a changing room and a duty area typically line the left, leading into a spacious corridor.

Only after the second door does one enter the actual operating room.

Their operating room was possibly the worst—just your standard facility. In specialized surgery, the best are rated at a hundred-level, and even slightly lower ones hover around a one-hundred-thousand-level.

In such rooms, the risk of infection for both patients and doctors is drastically reduced.

For high-sterility procedures, operations must be conducted in a hundred-level or ten-thousand-level laminar flow room.

For instance, valve replacements, heart surgeries, organ transplants, and other high-precision operations—with significant risk factors—demand a hundred-level laminar flow environment.

“Hello, Mr. Zhou, this is Lao He, your tenant!”

“Hello, Lao He!”

Zhou Can had rented out three apartments, and usually his tenants rarely bothered him.

When rent was due, they were always conscientious.

“My lease is about to expire. I just took possession of a new house last month, and after discussing with my wife, we’ve decided to move in. I won’t be renewing your lease.”

Lao He and his wife, both nearing their forties, had fought tooth and nail in this city for over a decade before finally buying a home.

It wasn’t an easy journey.

“Hehe, that’s fantastic! Living in your own home beats renting any day. Congratulations!”

Zhou Can smiled and congratulated him.

“Thank you, thank you! If it’s convenient, could you come over to handle the handover?”

“Sure, when would be a good time?”

“Uh… Most of my belongings have almost been moved out. My wife and I just need to tidy the place—should be done by around eight. If you’re sure you can come, I’ll wait here; otherwise, we can arrange for tomorrow.”

Lao He and his wife certainly carried themselves with integrity.

Not many tenants would take the initiative to leave the apartment spotless upon leaving.

“I’ll head over around eight then!”

After ending the call, Zhou Can returned to the operating room and waited until the surgery was finished before saying to Dr. Fu, “Dr. Fu, I’m afraid I have to work overtime tonight—I’ve got an urgent matter at home.”

“Go ahead!”

Dr. Fu readily agreed.

Over time, Zhou Can found that among Director Lou, Dr. Xu, and Dr. Fu, Dr. Fu was by far the easiest to get along with.

Once out of the operating room, he didn’t forget the promise he’d made to the nurses.

He first dashed off to the bubble tea shop to settle the matter.

Then, while the on-call doctor at the research and teaching building still hadn’t clocked out, he managed to buy five White Mice. Had they left, he wouldn’t have been able to get them.

These experimental white mice were nothing like the hamsters you’d find at a pet store.

Their breeding followed strict guidelines.

This included standards for pathogens, vitality, weight, and other metrics.

Even though they were expensive, labs buy these for experiments or for surgeons practicing procedures like mouse tail anastomosis and anatomical dissections.

In truth, white mice are among the cheaper experimental animals.

It’s the monkeys that command a higher price.

The cheapest monkeys cost around 20,000, and even the scarce crab-eating macaques, which can go for about 160,000 each, are nearly impossible to secure.

Seeing that it was still before seven, he decided to grab dinner at the restaurant.

Only then did he return the white mice to his dorm.

To his surprise, Jin Mingxi wasn’t in the dorm.

Had she gone out to have some fun?

After work, as long as there were no emergency patients, doctors generally enjoyed a fair amount of free time.

They weren’t as swamped as programmers, who hardly ever have time to date.

After stashing the white mice, he hailed a cab and headed straight for Baying Lake Xiangshan Garden Phase 1.

About forty minutes later, he arrived smoothly at the community gate.

The trip from the hospital to here was quite long.

During rush hour, heavy traffic could prolong the taxi ride even further.

Fortunately, Line 6 of the subway goes right to his doorstep. Commuting by subway is much more convenient than taxis—only about 15 minutes to the hospital, without worrying about traffic and at a lower cost.

This convenience was one of the key reasons housing prices in Baying Lake Xiangshan Garden had soared from an initial roughly 6000 per square meter.

After paying the fare, Zhou Can walked toward the community.

He saw that the infrastructure had been meticulously upgraded, radiating the vibe of an upscale neighborhood.

Especially remarkable was Baying Lake, once tainted by foul sewage.

Now, its waters were crystal clear. A scenic walkway lined the lake, with rows of graceful willows hanging like silk streams, and an on-lake gallery even led to a charming, antique octagonal pavilion at the center.

Lotus flowers dotted the shallow waters.

On the opposite bank, well-tended purple bamboo groves created a picture-perfect scene.

Baying Lake had truly become a lake with eight stunning views, its springtime beauty overwhelming.

The developers, always profit-driven, spared no effort.

When Zhou Can bought his property, the lake was still filthy and stinking. Later, with the arrival of Line 6, property prices skyrocketed, prompting developers to invest in its renovation.

They then launched new projects: Baying Lake Xiangshan Garden Phase 2 and Phase 3, Baying Lake Villa District, and Baying Lake Prosperous Splendor, among others.

Of course, the newer projects were all priced well above 10,000 per square meter.

Owners who purchased in Baying Lake Xiangshan Garden Phase 1 had made handsome profits.

Zhou Can heard that even those less favorable floors in Phase 1—suffering from poor lighting or awkward layouts—later sold for over 8000 per square meter.

He snapped up four units in one go, marking a highly successful investment.

He swiped his access card and entered the community.

As an upscale neighborhood, it featured dedicated segregation of vehicles and pedestrians, and he noted many residents coming and going.

The four apartments he had bought were all in Building 2, Gate A.

They followed a one-elevator, two-bedroom layout.

Compared to one-elevator, four-bedroom units, these offered much better privacy and lighting.

He owned two units on the fifth floor.

He remembered Lao He had rented Apartment 2501.

At that moment, the entry door was left open.

Zhou Can knocked on the door.

Hearing the knock while tidying up the kitchen, Lao He promptly came out.

“Mr. Zhou, you’re here! The cleaning is nearly done—only the kitchen cabinets still need wiping.”

Lao He, holding a rag and wearing an apron, said this.

There were muffled sounds coming from the kitchen.

Surely, his wife was busy working there.

A timid five- or six-year-old girl peeked out from the kitchen, her bright eyes curiously sizing up Zhou Can.

Zhou Can casually scanned the room; the furniture, walls, and appliances were all well cared for.

Normally, families with children tend to have walls and sofas defaced with scribbles.

That the apartment remained so pristine was truly impressive.

“Moving in immediately after handover—aren’t you worried about pollutants from the renovations, especially with your little one around?” Zhou Can offered a gentle reminder.

He had no intention of letting them continue renting.

Some owners rush to move in as soon as the renovations are done but overlook dangerous substances like formaldehyde and benzene.

Children’s immune systems are much more vulnerable than those of adults.

There have even been cases where children in new homes were diagnosed with leukemia in less than four months.

Such tragedies are truly heartbreaking.