Chapter 502: A Shining Blade in the Heart of Tuyu

With that, all his advanced surgical skills had finally made it to level six, just as he’d hoped.

This meant he now had the strength to take on any level three or four interventional or endoscopic surgery without breaking a sweat.

There are plenty of endoscopic surgeries out there that are truly difficult.

Up until now, he’d only ever led operations that were more or less standard.

It was really the severe shortage of high-level endoscopic surgeons that made his abilities seem so extraordinary.

Now, with every one of his advanced surgery skills upgraded to level six, he’d genuinely stepped into the circle of real masters; before this, he was just a big fish in a small pond.

Today, after successfully completing an incredibly challenging cardiovascular intervention, staying low-key at Tuyu Hospital was no longer an option.

Fame meant more eyes would be on him from now on.

He used to get on the news or appear on TV for patient outreach.

But the impact of tonight’s livestream went beyond anything he could imagine. Watching him weren’t just countless regular people and patients—there were also many from the medical field, including top experts in cardiovascular medicine.

Given all this, bringing every advanced technique to level six hadn’t just been useful. It was absolutely necessary.

The timing couldn’t have been better.

It wouldn’t be long before colleagues were coming to him for advice, students seeking mentorship, and waves of patients lining up for a consultation.

[Placement Technique – Level 6. Current experience: 1. At a Chief Physician’s entry level. Capable of performing complex precision device placements even under tough conditions.]

No way that short introduction told the whole story.

When his Injection Technique hit level six, his sensitivity through the guidewire evolved. He could now tell exactly what kind of tissue he was touching, even picking up the tiniest irregularities.

He believed getting Placement Technique to level six would bring similarly impressive surprises.

His experience had shown that every skill upgrade from level five to six was a massive leap. His abilities would multiply several times over.

Take the current procedure—if he had to repeat it now, he might even be able to complete it via the primary route on the first try.

Of course, he’d have to actually test that to know for sure.

Zhou Can just felt a bit more confident now, that’s all.

With the stent set precisely in place, it expanded open.

The patient’s long-blocked artery began to carry fresh blood again, sending it rushing throughout the body.

The once-starved heart muscle finally tasted relief, like long-awaited rain after a drought.

With a steady flow restored, the patient’s heart failure symptoms eased up noticeably.

His chest didn’t feel so heavy, and that nagging pain around his heart slowly faded away.

Following in Dr. Hu Kan’s footsteps, Zhou Can had brought a second spring to Tuyu Hospital’s Cardiothoracic Surgery Department.

As his education and skills continued to skyrocket, it seemed certain that Tuyu’s cardiothoracic unit was headed for a new golden age. One day, everyone would know the pupil had surpassed his master.

He was well on his way to becoming Tuyu’s next legendary surgeon.

“Oh! The surgery was a success! We did it!”

“Dr. Zhou is amazing!”

“Great work, everyone! Tonight’s late-night snack is on me.”

Cheers broke out in the operating room, and Director Xueyan, normally so composed, blushed with excitement, looking as happy as a little girl. True to her word, she generously offered to treat everyone to a midnight feast.

“Dr. Zhou, thank you so much!”

With an illness that had haunted him for years finally cured, the patient was overwhelmed with emotion—possibly more than anyone else in the room.

At that moment, a wave of gratitude washed over him as he thanked Zhou Can face to face.

Honestly, Zhou Can had saved his life—there was no exaggerating that. He really was a lifesaver.

No amount of thanks could ever fully express his feelings.

Especially since, from the start, the patient hadn’t exactly had good intentions.

He’d actually been sent by the Third Hospital to make trouble for the Tuyu team.

But nobody could have predicted his illness couldn’t be treated at Imperial Capital Renhe Hospital, nor by the Japanese expert at the Third Hospital. In the end, it was Zhou Can at Tuyu who pulled him back from the brink.

“Don’t mention it. Saving lives is what I’m here for.”

Zhou Can simply waved it off.

He started tidying up after the procedure.

Judging by the arteries, the patient’s lifestyle hadn’t exactly been heart-healthy. The vascular damage was shockingly severe.

He looked like a man in his fifties, but his arteries were in worse shape than most seventy-year-olds.

For now, Zhou Can had only cleared the most important artery. There were still several areas with calcified spots.

Some segments inevitably narrowed as well.

If the patient could afford it, placing a few more stents now would open up those risky arteries before they ever got blocked again.

Anyway, the Third Hospital was footing the bill for this round. A few more expensive heart stents wouldn’t hurt them any.

Of course, he’d need to discuss this with the patient first.

Meanwhile, watching the surgery succeed from the livestream, a number of top specialists in the field couldn’t help but sigh in admiration.

For the heart and vascular experts at Imperial Capital Renhe Hospital, it was a complicated moment.

None of them expected Tuyu’s surgical skills to be this strong.

“Who is that young doctor anyway?”

“Find out right now.”

“I’ve got a student working at Tuyu—he’s already an associate chief physician. I’ll give him a call.”

Inside the office at Imperial Capital Renhe Hospital, the lights burned late as several of the country’s leading cardiovascular experts gathered to watch the stream. All of them were formidable figures with incredibly busy lives.

Yet right now, their attention was fixed on a young doctor from Tuyu Hospital.

Because, plain and simple, this young doctor was just that talented.

“Got it. The surgeon leading this procedure is named Zhou Can. Word is he’s a protégé of Hu Kan and has quite the gift in surgery.”

“No wonder he’s so skilled! When the teacher’s famous, so are the students.”

“But Hu Kan’s not exactly a master of interventional or endoscopic procedures. He’s really only brilliant at traditional open-heart operations. His greatest strength is steadiness—and he’s also notoriously slow.”

The mention of Hu Kan’s strengths and weaknesses brought a round of knowing, gentle laughter from the senior experts.

“But this Zhou Can—the way he operates isn’t anything like Hu Kan. From the moment he started, I watched every step. He went from femoral artery puncture all the way to guiding the wire through the right coronary occlusion in just over thirty seconds. Even among us, I doubt many could match that pace.”

“His speed really is shocking. Feels a lot like the late Master Yi Yidao’s style.”

The three great surgical legends of Tuyu Hospital were famous across the entire country.

Master Yi Yidao’s reputation had even spread internationally.

To this day, nobody had beaten his fastest surgical record.

For a surgeon, lacking a distinguishing mark was the worst thing.

But a single outstanding skill made you unforgettable.

“They say Master Yi Yidao and Hu Kan are sworn rivals. Zhou Can is Hu Kan’s student—no way he’s also Yi Yidao’s. Besides, steadiness and speed are opposites, like water and fire. Even if Zhou Can wanted both legacies, he’d have to pick just one.”

“Either way, this kid’s a once-in-a-generation talent. Tuyu Hospital is about to reach new heights!”

“Now, let’s not get jealous. When it comes to talent, Renhe Hospital is still at the top. It’s overflowing with prodigies from every field. Zhou Can might have skill, but he’s hardly the only one. Our cardiothoracic team has Han Kai, Nuo Xiu, and Shuang Jiao. Each of them is every bit as good as this Zhou Can.”

“Exactly. Just because Zhou Can nailed this surgery doesn’t mean he’s some kind of legend. In the end, real skill stands the test of time. There are plenty of tough heart ops we’ve tackled, too.”

“I’m honestly looking forward to the day these young geniuses face off! Next year’s the seventieth anniversary of our country’s cardiac surgery foundation. Maybe we should host a national exchange to gather young experts from all the top hospitals.”

“That’s a great idea! Count me in.”

“It’s about time we had a real academic, clinical, and research summit to get the measure of cardiothoracic surgery across the country.”

Many of Renhe Hospital’s senior figures were what you’d call ‘academicians.’

If they put their names behind it, the coming summit would be the event of the year.

Give Zhou Can another year, and he’d be even stronger by then.

Odds are, he’d be invited to this national gathering, where all the brightest minds in cardiac medicine would converge.

Maybe there’d even be a clinical showdown.

Of course, doctors didn’t spar with fists the way martial artists did.

Instead, they’d tackle the toughest real-life medical cases.

The one who could cure the patient would come out on top.

While the veterans at Renhe Hospital discussed plans for that big exchange, things at the Third Hospital were bleak, a heavy cloud hanging over everyone.

They’d tried to set up Tuyu Hospital but only ended up shooting themselves in the foot.

Instead of a disaster for their rivals, all they’d done was give Tuyu a PR windfall and a shower of praise. The livestream audience was now full of glowing reviews for Tuyu’s cardiac surgeons.

Vice Director Zhang sat with a stormy expression. He knew they’d lost this battle—badly.

Not only had their competitor come out unharmed, they’d actually become a stepping stone for Tuyu’s growing fame.

At that moment, you could hear the livestream replaying Zhou Can’s conversation with the patient.

Zhou Can took time to explain the patient’s vascular conditions, suggesting extra stents could be placed during this surgery to prevent future problems.

The patient happily took Zhou Can’s advice.

Vice Director Zhang winced at the thought. Each extra stent meant more money out of the Third Hospital’s pocket.

There was nothing he could do but grit his teeth and accept it.

If he tried to argue, word would get out, and the Third Hospital would be the target of a PR firestorm. The authorities would never tolerate a hospital inciting malicious competition.

Competing fairly was fine.

But resorting to such dirty tricks? That was a sure way to bring shame and break the rules.

Hospitals are unique institutions.

Just interfering with regular diagnosis and treatment was enough to land someone in jail.

Vice Director Zhang felt like he’d done the stupidest thing on earth—paying big money to promote the rival’s bright achievements, and practically handing the Japanese expert over as a stepping stone.

The Third Hospital covering the patient’s full medical bill was bad enough; afterwards, they’d still owe the patient extra ‘compensation’ for his ‘troubles.’

Talk about being a real sucker.

In a luxurious office set aside for him, the Japanese heart surgeon could be heard smashing things in rage and letting out a beastly roar.

The operation he’d failed to pull off had been completed by Zhou Can.

Maybe it shouldn’t have been a big deal.

If your skills weren’t enough, just admit defeat.

But the higher the expert, the more they cared about saving face.

He was the definition of fragile pride.

To be honest, the Third Hospital had already seen a sharp drop in business lately, along with a bombardment of complaints and disputes.

There was no way they could shell out huge sums for a Japanese expert just to sit around. No hospital would spend that much for a do-nothing.

That’s why the Japanese surgeon at the head of their cardiac team was under so much pressure.

He was afraid of losing his job—afraid of returning home in shame.

He hadn’t come alone. Several team members had moved with him.

All those people had put their trust in him, followed him across the ocean, hoping to build a career and earn big money together.

If he failed, they’d all be packing their bags too.

Over at Xinxiang Hospital, Director Tian and all their major cardiac and vascular specialists, plus key leaders, were glued to the livestream.

The showdown between the Third and Tuyu Hospitals was exactly what they wanted to see.

No matter who won, Xinxiang Hospital wouldn’t feel any impact.

All they had to do was enjoy the show and pick up the spoils.

“That Zhou Can really is something. Too bad he’s so loyal to Tuyu Hospital; otherwise, we’d have poached him ages ago.”

Watching Zhou Can pull off this hugely difficult operation, Director Tian couldn’t help but sigh.

She’d spotted his talent years ago, but he was immovable.

“No sense worrying about it now. Our hospital is full of capable people these days; we’re nowhere near the same place we were a few years back.”

The hospital assistant chimed in from the side.

“You just don’t get it. Those are good soldiers, sure, but people like Zhou Can are true generals. As the saying goes, it’s easy to find a thousand troops, but hard to find one great leader.”

Director Tian let out a gentle sigh.

Some things just couldn’t be forced.

Every hospital has its own ‘destiny,’ just like a nation does.

Xinxiang Hospital had gone from the edge of bankruptcy to being a true top-tier institution. That was a stroke of destiny most could only dream of.

No one’s ever figured out exactly where their funding comes from, though.

In fact, nobody knew who really controlled Xinxiang Hospital behind the scenes.

Even Director Tian was just a professional manager, not the real boss.

Back in the Interventional Operating Room at Tuyu Hospital, Zhou Can was still carefully working on the patient. The arteries needing stents this round only showed narrowing, so the placement was much easier.

Still, it took real surgical finesse to get the device placement just right.