Chapter 597: Glimmers of Hope in the Emergency Room

This has always been Zhou Can’s way of doing things—never taking credit all by himself.

The truth is, no treatment can ever be done by just one person. It always takes a whole team, sometimes even several departments working together.

Plenty of people contribute, of course, but there’s a difference between the main players and the supporting cast.

The attending doctor and those who play key roles in treatment definitely deserve the most credit. Everyone else, while important, plays more of a supporting role.

“I’m grateful to everyone. If it weren’t for Dr. Zhou diagnosing my daughter and performing her surgery, she might not have survived. Without Teacher Jiang’s expert care plan, she wouldn’t have made it either. I also have to thank the whole pediatrics and gastrointestinal surgery teams. I’ll never forget the kindness Tuyu Hospital has shown by saving my daughter’s life.”

Lin Jinzhi still regarded Zhou Can as the main hero in all this.

Maybe worried he’d left Jiang Wei out, he quickly reached out, shaking her hand with a warm, “Thank you, Teacher Jiang! It’s thanks to you and Dr. Zhou’s amazing medical skills that I truly appreciate Tuyu Hospital. No wonder it’s a top hospital with such a strong legacy and so much talent.”

“You’re too kind. I was only doing my job.”

Jiang Wei answered with a gentle smile.

Even though Lin Jinzhi was a big leader, she wasn’t flustered at all. Instead, she stayed calm and composed, coming across as both gracious and confident.

After the polite greetings, Zhou Can started to carefully check on Lin Ai Xi’s condition.

It had only been a few days, but her face already had a healthy flush and her eyes looked much brighter. The wound on her abdomen was starting to heal.

Kids heal way faster than elderly patients—their cells divide much quicker and they bounce back with far more energy.

“Thank you, Uncle Zhou, and everyone else who saved me!”

She was only five, her eyes clear as glass, and yet she took the initiative to thank Zhou Can herself.

“Oh, you know who I am?”

A smile appeared on Zhou Can’s face.

“I saw you during the surgery. But you were wearing a mask, so I couldn’t see clearly. Now I finally know what you look like!”

The little girl still sounded weak as she spoke.

Still, she didn’t show any signs of coughing or shortness of breath.

Zhou Can looked at this bright, fairy-like girl and smiled again.

“Haha, you’re pretty funny! How do you feel now? Does your stomach still hurt?”

“Sometimes it still aches a little.”

“Do you love your dad?”

“Of course I do! My dad loves me too. I saw him wiping away tears more than once while I was in bed. At those times, I told myself I had to keep fighting, so he wouldn’t be sad. When he gets old, I want to take care of him.”

Hearing her words, Zhou Can felt his own heart quietly cleansed.

“Such a good girl!”

Lin Jinzhi looked a little awkward after his daughter revealed he’d been crying in secret.

But most of what he felt was his overwhelming love for her.

To have such a thoughtful daughter made him one of the luckiest fathers in the world.

As Zhou Can caught the way the girl looked at her father, he began to understand why a medical miracle had happened.

Sure, the surgery was a success and Jiang Wei made a fantastic nursing plan. But, most of all, this girl’s bond with her family had sparked a fierce will to survive.

Human potential really is limitless.

In clinical medicine, it’s often love from family, friends, or a partner that triggers miracles.

Take vegetative patients, for example—it’s so common for relatives or partners calling out to play a big role in helping them wake up.

Talking to them, touching them, and caring for them all over again stimulates their brain and nerves. In the end, sometimes these miracles happen and patients come back.

When someone’s badly injured or near death, the care and calling of those who love them can ignite that instinct to keep fighting. That’s often when miracles strike and people pull through.

You’ll hear stories after earthquakes or mine collapses where someone survives, trapped under rubble, for 136 hours—way past the three days you’d expect without food or water—simply by hanging on for their loved ones.

When the rescuers finally arrive, they’re hauled out alive.

Sometimes, you just have to marvel at how stubborn life can be.

This case had deepened Zhou Can’s understanding of life itself. He felt like he’d gained something new.

In the future, this example would serve as valuable reference in his own medical practice.

[You’ve comprehended a new truth about life. Pathology Diagnosis experience +. Anesthesia Technique experience +.]

He hadn’t expected that one important realization could boost two sets of medical experience at the same time.

And both happened to be the most difficult skills to improve.

Pathology diagnosis, after all, isn’t just about understanding disease—it’s about understanding life, intimately.

As for anesthesia skills, that’s an even deeper field.

Anesthesiologists are known as the guardians of life. Their research into keeping people alive often goes further than any other specialist.

[Congratulations! Your Anesthesia Technique has advanced to Level 6.]

[Anesthesia Technique: now Level 6 (Primary Chief Physician level).]

Zhou Can had always kept anesthesia skills as an elective—especially since he was always so busy.

At most, he’d drop by Director Feng’s office for lessons twice a week.

But because he handled so many surgeries, whenever he had the chance he’d help the anesthesiologists administer anesthesia too. So, his skills had passively risen to Associate Chief Physician level.

With this new windfall of experience, his anesthesia technique bumped straight up to Level 6.

He could feel his understanding deepen—the way he managed anesthesia, rescued critically ill patients, supported those near death, and handled unexpected surgery complications had truly jumped to a whole new level.

No doubt, this would massively improve his ability to save lives overall.

From now on, facing emergencies or surprise complications during surgery, he’d be even better equipped to handle it.

At the limits of science stands theology. At the edge of medicine is life itself.

Now, with anesthesia technique at chief physician level, he sometimes had the strange sense that he was holding life in his hands.

It was a curious feeling.

He couldn’t fully control a patient’s life, but he’d definitely stepped into that realm—he’d truly touched it, even sensed that newfound power.

Before, if anyone said they could control a patient’s life, he’d have thought they were nuts, like someone who’d read too many xianxia novels.

But now, having gained this ability himself, it all felt so natural.

It was like learning to ride a bike. At first, you’re scared—you think you’ll fall the moment you get on.

But after mastering your balance, you realize riding isn’t dangerous at all. You can go or stop whenever you like, as long as you keep your balance.

He remembered how, when he first learned anesthesia, he approached life with pure reverence.

As his skills grew, he became extra cautious—walking on thin ice, so to speak.

But now, he was finally starting to master life, realizing it wasn’t as fragile as he’d once thought. As long as there’s some basic support, life goes on.

He glanced at the little girl in her hospital bed, filled with gratitude.

It was thanks to her that he’d made a huge breakthrough in his career.

“Director Lin, may I speak frankly?”

“Of course! Go ahead, Dr. Zhou!”

Lin Jinzhi treated Zhou Can with sincere respect.

How could he not? Zhou Can had saved his daughter’s life.

Her surgery at the time had been extremely challenging—Zhou Can’s contribution really was huge.

“Your daughter’s such a wonderful kid. Even though your work keeps you so busy, I hope you’ll try to spend more time with her. If her illness had been treated promptly from the start, maybe she wouldn’t have had such a close call with death. You’re her closest family, her guardian. At her age, she especially needs your love and protection.”

Zhou Can really couldn’t bear the thought of something else happening to this girl.

That was why he added another word of advice.

Stepmothers—some are kind, some are not.

There are lots of loving stepmothers, but there are also plenty with cold hearts.

For nearly a month, the girl had blood in her stool. There’s no way the stepmother caring for her didn’t notice. The nanny was probably also aware.

But it was all kept quiet for almost a month, until the girl nearly went into shock from blood loss before finally being brought to the hospital. That alone showed just how unreliable her stepmother was.

“Thank you for your wise advice, Dr. Zhou. I won’t be so careless in the future. I’ve already contacted Ai Xi’s grandparents. As soon as she’s discharged, she’ll go live with them. My work keeps me busy, and I just can’t always be there for her. Still, I’ll work hard to give her a better future.”

Lin Jinzhi was sharp—he understood the deeper meaning behind Zhou Can’s words at once.

Neither of them mentioned the girl’s stepmother.

That’s how adults communicate—sometimes what’s left unsaid means the most.

“Ai Xi lost her mother at a young age. It’s been tough for her. But with her grandparents around, things should get much better.”

Zhou Can finished checking her over.

She still wasn’t completely out of the woods, but things were moving in the right direction.

“Intestinal tumors, or any malignant growth for that matter, are always stubborn. They’re difficult to diagnose, and even harder to treat. But they’re not incurable. With proper and scientific treatment, I believe Ai Xi will recover soon.”

“Thank you so much, Dr. Zhou, and Teacher Jiang. I’ll make sure Ai Xi stays here until she’s fully recovered. If there’s anything I don’t understand, I hope I can still ask for your help.”

Having faced the possibility of losing his daughter, Lin Jinzhi now placed absolute trust in Zhou Can.

Trust between doctor and patient is built bit by bit, exactly like this.

“Don’t mention it. From you, I see what a devoted father looks like. Ai Xi is truly a delightful child. Any time you have questions about medicine or her health, come ask me. If it’s something I know, you’ll get the best advice I can give.”

Zhou Can said this with utter sincerity.

“With that promise, I feel completely at ease.”

A rare, genuine smile broke out on Lin Jinzhi’s face.

Now that his daughter was recovering, the clouds over his heart finally began to lift.

There’s no doubt that the bond between him and Zhou Can would only grow closer.

That’s the kind of connection most people long for.

Funny how the world works: some people exhaust themselves trying to curry favor with Lin Jinzhi, just for a chance to get close. But things don’t always go as planned.

Zhou Can just treated him like anyone else, yet ended up earning his deepest gratitude, forging a stronger and stronger friendship.

Next time Zhou Can needs help, chances are he won’t even have to ask—Lin Jinzhi will step up on his own.

……

These past eight months, saving two children was just a snapshot of his busy work life.

In every area, his skills just kept getting better. His network of connections kept growing too.

With his help, the Emergency Department steadily moved forward—not only maintaining all of its previous achievements, but also seeing its business and reputation soar.

Even after two rounds of new hires, the department was still short-staffed—everywhere was bustling.

Besides honing his medical skills and building his reputation, Zhou Can also got the kind of management experience he’d never had before.

He now flourished as deputy team leader for the emergency surgery unit, sealing his spot as the number-two figure in the operating room. His influence was growing, even starting to surpass Dr. Xu.

Speaking of which, that reminds me: there was that botched toe surgery by Dr. Fu Chachun.

The ballerina girl—after surgery, the nerves in her toe were severed, leaving her with no feeling or ability to move it.

Later, Zhou Can performed a nerve anastomosis surgery to try to repair her toe, but it didn’t seem to help much at first.

Then, just over a month ago, she suddenly called the hospital to tell the nurse to pass a message to Zhou Can: her toe had regained sensation and she could even bend it a little.

That news brought Zhou Can real joy.

He’d waited more than seven months for such a good result. But it lifted his spirits right away.

Performing that second surgery for her daughter took him hours.

Normally, those hours would’ve been enough for a major Level 4 operation.

And it wasn’t a simple one either.

Spending hours just to connect a single toe’s nerve was almost unthinkable.

Now that her toe’s nerve function had recovered, he felt tremendously encouraged.

It meant his skill with nerve anastomosis had reached a high level.

He was one step closer to helping Dr. Xu break free from his limitations.

It was Zhou Can’s improvement in delicate, high-level surgeries that finally won over the doctors who weren’t convinced by him before.

Now, everyone in the emergency surgery department agreed—his surgical skills were catching right up with Dr. Xu’s, even starting to surpass them.

Dr. Xu wasn’t annoyed about being overtaken by a protégé—he was actually delighted, happy there was someone to follow in his footsteps.

Every now and then, he’d come by while Zhou Can tackled Level 3 surgeries, passing on advanced techniques and expert tips.

Most of those skills can’t even be taught until you have a rock-solid foundation in surgery.

They were Dr. Xu’s most guarded secrets.

Now that he’d passed them down to Zhou Can, there was basically nothing left to teach him.

The rest would have to be Zhou Can’s own journey—through effort and growth, someday he’d surpass his mentor and reach even greater heights.