Chapter 142 - 141: Medical Big Shot

Chapter 142: Chapter 141: Medical Big Shot

On his Tuesday commute, Yu Zhiming felt a certain spring in his step.

He was driving his first-ever SUV to work, and the feeling was absolutely fantastic.

Especially at the hospital entrance, when the security guard saw the hospital vehicle pass displayed on his windshield and waved him through, an inexplicable sense of pride washed over Yu Zhiming.

This feeling stayed with Yu Zhiming.

...all the way until he rather skillfully parked the car in his designated spot on the second basement level of the general office building.

Yu Zhiming pulled out his phone to check the time and couldn’t stop a "Holy shit" from escaping his lips.

8:35 AM.

His commute had taken thirty-one minutes!

That was surprisingly five or six minutes longer than when he rode his bike.

What was more, Yu Zhiming felt the drive over had been quite smooth; he hadn’t hit many red lights or gotten stuck in traffic.

Plus, walking from here to the Qi Yue Medical Research Center would take another three to five minutes.

Driving to and from work taking up more time was probably a strange phenomenon unique to a congested metropolis like Binhai.

Yu Zhiming had no time to complain. He grabbed his briefcase, rushed out of the car, and strode quickly from the parking garage, about to break into a run...

"Dr. Yu, Dr. Yu..."

Yu Zhiming stopped and turned around...

He saw Dean Li Yao and Vice Dean Gu Qingran, along with two vigorous, white-haired elderly gentlemen, strolling out of the general office building’s lobby.

Yu Zhiming turned and walked over to them.

"Good morning, Dean Li!"

"Good morning, Dean Gu!"

Gu Qingran chuckled. "Dr. Yu, don’t forget the ’Vice’ when you address me. I’m the Vice Dean."

"This gentleman..."

He gestured toward the shorter and thinner of the two white-haired gentlemen and introduced him formally.

"...is the true Dean of our Ning’an Hospital, Mr. Zhang Yuanzhao. He is an academician of the Academy of Engineering and a distinguished expert in gastric disease research."

Academician Zhang smiled warmly at Yu Zhiming and offered his hand. "Dr. Yu, I’m just a dean in name only. Besides drawing the salary, I don’t manage a thing."

’A medical academician... This was a true titan of the medical world.’

Yu Zhiming quickly slung his briefcase over his shoulder and respectfully took the man’s somewhat thin yet surprisingly strong hand with both of his.

"Academician Zhang, it’s a great honor to meet you!"

Just then, Li Yao introduced the taller, more robust elderly gentleman.

"Dr. Yu, this is Mr. Tan Ying from our hospital’s Liver Disease Research Center, a Chinese Academy of Sciences Medical Academician and a liver disease expert renowned both at home and abroad."

Before the introduction was even finished, Yu Zhiming stepped forward and took the man’s outstretched hand with both of his.

"Academician Tan, it’s an honor! I’ve heard so much about you."

Tan Ying chuckled lightly. "It should be the other way around."

"Lately, the name I’ve been hearing the most is yours, Dr. Yu."

"Seeing you in person, Dr. Yu, I truly feel that the younger generation is one to watch. The future of our nation’s medical field is full of promise."

Yu Zhiming replied with a humble expression, "You’re far too generous. I’ll be content if I can achieve even one-tenth of what you two academicians have in the future."

Tan Ying extended his index finger and pointed it playfully at Yu Zhiming.

"You’re a sly one, young man. I’m sure deep down you’re already thinking about how to surpass us old-timers."

Zhang Yuanzhao nodded with a smile. "Mr. Tan, when the results of this project are out, in terms of contribution and achievement alone, this young man will have already surpassed both you and me."

Tan Ying nodded in agreement.

Yu Zhiming said with a serious expression, "How could that be? On this project, I’m just a tool—the one doing the grunt work."

"The ones making the greatest contribution are masters of human data analysis, like you, Academician Tan, and you, Academician Zhang."

Tan Ying said with a stern expression, "In a research and development project, when you are the only one who can do something, when you are absolutely indispensable, then even if you are just a ’tool,’ you are a primary contributor."

"Young man, you don’t need to worry about anyone stealing your credit."

"Mr. Zhang’s and my greatest wish is to see this project produce tangible results in our lifetime."

Zhang Yuanzhao also said softly, "We’re already academicians; we have no further need for accolades. We just want to see more medical breakthroughs that can truly serve the people."

Faced with the two senior doctors’ declarations, Yu Zhiming was momentarily at a loss for words.

Gu Qingran spoke up. "Dr. Yu, the key to this project is finding more patients in the very earliest stages of cancer."

"Considering your energy is limited, and we also have to factor in your own growth, we can’t have you examining potential patients every day."

"We’ve discussed it..."

Gu Qingran asked slowly, "Dr. Yu, if we only have you examine a person’s stomach and liver, and only screen for cancer, how long would it take you per person?"

"Just for cancer?" Yu Zhiming confirmed.

Tan Ying answered himself, "Yes, just cancer. Ignore all the other miscellaneous conditions that aren’t malignant cancer, like cirrhosis, hepatic hydrothorax, or even benign tumors."

Yu Zhiming thought for a moment, then said, "That would still take two or three minutes per person. I’m afraid I’d overlook something if I went any faster."

Tan Ying and Zhang Yuanzhao exchanged a smile. "That’s actually a very good pace," they said.

"That’s twenty to thirty people an hour. An average of fifty a day will suffice. We’ll do our best to recruit high-risk volunteers."

"Do you think you could find two cases of cancer in a week?"

Zhang Yuanzhao said thoughtfully, "It’s hard to apply statistical probabilities to this sort of thing. Luck plays a huge role."

"We’ll just have to adjust our methods as we go..."

Yu Zhiming stood in front of the general office building’s lobby, discussing the early-stage cancer screening project with the two academicians and two deans for nearly an hour.

The impromptu meeting only ended when Yu Zhiming cautiously mentioned that he still had work to get to that day.

When Yu Zhiming got back to the Qi Yue Medical Research Center, he found that Teacher Qi had already finished his rounds.

He reported his morning encounter with the deans and academicians to Teacher Qi, then asked impatiently, "Teacher, Luo Qing’s scans?"

Qi Yue nodded slightly. "I’ve reviewed her imaging and brain scans."

"I agree with your idea to clear the blood clots first."

"Clearing the clots could accelerate the healing of her brain injury and optic nerve, provided that recovery is still possible."

After a pause, Qi Yue asked, "Zhiming, have you figured out how you’re going to remove the blood clots?"

"Surgery?"

"Let me remind you, the risk might not be worth the reward. New brain damage caused by the surgery could potentially outweigh the benefits of removing the clots."

Yu Zhiming pointed to his own right eye and said slowly, "Teacher, I’ve run a simulation. A puncture from here would cause relatively minimal damage."

"Luo Qing’s right optic nerve is likely completely destroyed. I’m writing off any possibility of restoring vision in her right eye."

"I’ll perform the puncture along the path of the right optic nerve, gradually clearing the clots along the way."

Qi Yue closed his eyes, carefully recalling the information from Luo Qing’s scans.

A moment later, he opened his eyes.

"That is indeed a viable path, but it would require..."

Qi Yue suddenly stopped, looked at Yu Zhiming, and smiled. "With your spatial sense and control, it’s a possibility."

"Still, it’s ultimately far too risky."

"The area of the brain between the eyes is teeming with blood vessels. If you happen to damage even one or two..."

Yu Zhiming said with a confident expression, "Teacher, it’s precisely because the area is teeming with blood vessels that I’m confident I can avoid them."

"Pinpointing the location of blood vessels is what I’m best at."

Seeing the resolute look on the young man’s face, Qi Yue sighed softly.

He reminded him, "Zhiming, you need to explain the entire treatment process clearly to the girl and her family."

"You and she are gambling with her health, and possibly her life, for a chance that is almost certainly zero."

Yu Zhiming took a deep breath and said, "Teacher, I understand what Luo Qing is thinking."

"She may seem calm, as if she’s accepted her reality."

"But in her heart, there’s a hidden desperation, a desperation willing to trade a lifetime for just three days of sight."

"She won’t back down when it comes to a chance at sight."

Qi Yue stared into Yu Zhiming’s eyes for a moment, as if he could see a stubborn flame burning within them.

Seeing that the young man had no intention of backing down either, he sighed in resignation. "Have the girl transferred to our center for the treatment."

"I’ll feel a bit better if I can supervise you myself."

Yu Zhiming chuckled. "Teacher, thank you for your strong support."

"Teacher, I know I’m being a little stubborn about this, but please, trust me."

"If, during the procedure, I find there’s truly no hope of success, I will stop on my own."

"I’m just determined, not crazy..."