Chapter 11: The Price of Precision

Why did the most basic hemostasis technique ultimately outperform its successors?

Because once the hemostasis technique reached Level 3, he never stopped practicing.

Every dissection revealed numerous bleeding points. Without prompt hemostasis, dissecting five or six wounds would drain the White Mouse of blood and kill it.

Sticking to the rule of not wasting his tools, he had to perform hemostasis while dissecting.

At Level 3, his hemostasis technique achieved nearly flawless precision, capable of sealing a bleeding spot within a second.

Though over six hundred experience points looked intimidating, he only needed roughly 3,200 clicks.

“All four basic surgical skills have been upgraded to Level 3 as planned. My residency spot is assured. If I can also elevate my pathology diagnosis to Level 3, it’ll be perfect.”

Zhou Can stopped burning the midnight oil and instead took care of his trash, showered, and went to bed on time.

Pulling an all-nighter before an exam is a big no-no.

……

By early morning the next day, all the interns were up at dawn preparing for the residency exam.

They had registered as early as two weeks ago.

Zhou Can had applied for General Surgery.

But, as was Tuyu Hospital’s usual practice, the final departmental assignment was at the hospital’s discretion.

He got up fairly early; after washing up and using the restroom, it was nearly 7 a.m.

With the residency recruitment starting at 8 a.m., time was still on his side.

He quickly pulled out his collection of 1,000 surgical pathology cases for review.

“Patient Ms. Ma, 43, discovered a bean-sized lump on her left side while showering in February. It didn’t hurt at the time, so she ignored it. By July, the lump had grown to about the size of a walnut. During her period, she felt her left breast was sore and full, fearing cancer, so she visited a local hospital. Tests showed no fever, chest pain, cough, nipple discharge, or bloody secretions. Her weight, appetite, and sleep were all normal…”

Based on these symptoms, the tumor should be benign.

However, pathology diagnosis requires integrating multiple pieces of information. Test results are especially crucial.

“On palpation, the lump measured 5*5*4 cm, felt hard, and its surface was uneven.”

At this point, Zhou Can’s heart skipped a beat.

A creeping sense of foreboding washed over him.

“Routine blood tests were mostly normal, with urine and stool tests unremarkable. However, X-ray, chest fluoroscopy, and chest films revealed abnormalities. The aluminum target film showed an irregular mass with a dense core in the upper outer quadrant of the left breast.”

That was it—this female patient’s tumor was almost certainly malignant.

Had she sought medical attention immediately upon discovering the lump, the outcome might have been much better.

Most serious illnesses develop when patients let minor conditions escalate.

“Ultrasound shows a homogeneous mass in the left breast’s upper outer quadrant with a potential for malignancy.”

All test results were steadily worsening.

“Without a doubt, the patient has breast cancer.”

【Pathology Diagnosis Experience +0.1】.

Zhou Can earned 0.1 experience points, yet he couldn’t bring himself to feel happy.

It was such a tragedy for this patient.

If only she had sought treatment earlier.

Reviewing further treatment results, a biopsy had confirmed cancer. Subsequent tests revealed that the cancer cells had spread to surrounding tissues and organs, leaving surgery off the table.

After chemotherapy, the patient ultimately passed away on October 17 that same year.

From now on, whenever he encounters similar cases in the clinic, he must ensure patients get treated sooner.

He glanced at the clock—it was 7:34.

There was no time for further reading; he had to hurry to check in at the hospital.

The hospital HR department’s bunch of unsympathetic ‘seniors’ and ‘middle-aged women’ wouldn’t let him in if he was late for the residency recruitment.

He sprinted to grab breakfast at the cafeteria first, then strolled through the outpatient hall to see if he could snag one last chance to diagnose a patient.

He was just 0.9 experience points away from leveling up his pathology diagnosis.

He couldn’t help but feel disheartened by the narrow margin!

A long queue had already formed at the intelligent registration machine in the outpatient hall, and the area was very noisy.

He couldn’t arbitrarily question a patient about their symptoms or history.

He feared getting beaten by accompanying family members.

These days, patients and their relatives despise medical touts and scalpers above all.

If someone with a bad temper got involved, one punch could make things worse—not worth the risk.

The truly professional touts, with their sharp eyes and silver tongues, knew exactly which patients or guardians to target, sparing them from abuse.

Zhou Can scanned the crowd but couldn’t find a suitable patient.

Glancing at the clock, it was already 7:47.

It took him three minutes to dash from the outpatient hall to the Teaching and Research Building.

With ten minutes still available, he had to act quickly.

Finally, he fixed his gaze on an elderly woman at the back of the queue.

Observing her, he noted her occasional winces of pain and frequent glances toward the smart registration machine at the front.

She must have been extremely anxious.

And without a male companion, her risk of confrontation was minimal.

Stepping forward with a smile, Zhou Can asked, “Ma’am, are you experiencing stomach pain?”

The elderly woman glared at him, her face sour. “Who are you calling ma’am? I’m not that old. Get out of my way—you’re annoying me.”

The powder on her face was flaking off, revealing deep wrinkles around her mouth and eyes.

She looked downright fierce.

Terrified, Zhou Can dared not say another word and quickly stepped away.

Soon, he spotted another target.

This was a young man in his twenties, fair-skinned and delicate-looking—a clear newcomer to the workforce.

“Hey buddy, here for a check-up?”

He replied simply, “Yeah.”

The young man eyed him nervously.

“What seems to be the problem?”

Zhou Can’s heart leaped with relief; finally, someone easy to talk to.

That last 0.9 experience points now had a promising target.

“Uh… I’m here to register on behalf of my mom.”

A wave of disappointment washed over him.

After finally meeting someone approachable, it turned out he wasn’t the patient himself.

“Security! Security! That guy is a tout—first he asked about my condition, and now he’s questioning this young man. He’s definitely a tout…”

The elderly woman shouted at a nearby security guard.

Zhou Can could only feel a strong sense of dread; no one should cross an angry elderly woman.

Especially an ailing one.

Tuyu Hospital abhorred touts—not only do they drive patients away, but they also exploit them, severely harming patient interests and the hospital’s reputation.

Two security guards immediately rushed over, batons drawn.

“Whose hospital tout are you? Now, speak honestly!”

“Come with us to the Security Office!”

Zhou Can was about to attend the residency recruitment and had no time to deal with them.

He quickly flashed his intern ID.

“I’m an intern doctor here, not a tout.”

After checking his credentials, the two guards relaxed slightly.

“Ah, an intern doctor! No wonder you were pestering patients. Luckily, my instincts kicked in and I dodged a bullet. Everyone, keep your eyes peeled—don’t let an intern doctor trick you into being a practice dummy.”

The elderly woman bellowed at him.

Many in the crowd shot Zhou Can unfriendly looks.

It was hard to understand her grudge—just because he called her ma’am? Why such deep-seated anger?

Zhou Can dared not risk tarnishing the hospital’s image over this matter.

Otherwise, the Medical Affairs department would surely come after him.

Though he felt deeply wronged, he forced a smile and explained to the waiting patients, “I’m just conducting a survey. Please don’t misunderstand.”

Their glances softened slightly.

Zhou Can quickly slipped away.

After that outburst from the elderly woman, approaching other patients was unlikely to be pleasant.

Exiting the outpatient hall, he checked his phone.

There were only five minutes left.

He continued his search.

A middle-aged man who had just stepped out of a taxi caught his attention.

This man, around fifty years old, wore black trousers and a blue shirt without a tie, carrying a black briefcase.

Judging by his demeanor, he was likely a boss or high-ranking executive.

At first glance, Zhou Can noticed the man’s face was slightly pale.

Even his lips bore the same pallor.

Though his stride was normal and his alertness acceptable, his brows were slightly furrowed.

Relying on his keen medical intuition, Zhou Can was certain that this man was unwell.