Chapter 162: Sincerely Convinced
Gu Jiaojiao listened to Xia Qiuming speak as she carefully examined the scans in her hands.
"I have a general idea. The patient has a piece of shrapnel lodged near his heart that was never removed.
It’s causing insufficient blood supply, leading to heart failure and shock. So, do you want me to help you remove the shrapnel, or just provide a treatment plan?"
Xia Qiuming frowned. "I want you to help me remove the shrapnel. I’m not sure if it will be a permanent cure, but... at the very least, we can keep him alive. He’s an old hero."
"I can do that. You’ve already run a full-body examination on him, and removing the shrapnel is the best option.
It’s the only way to ensure he wakes up... But I can’t make any guarantees about how long he’ll live after the surgery is over."
Gu Jiaojiao stated it plainly. She wasn’t one to overestimate her abilities or make promises she couldn’t keep.
"As long as we can wake him this time, nothing else matters." Xia Qiuming, however, was full of confidence in Gu Jiaojiao.
He could have removed it himself if it were in any other location, but he could tell Gu Jiaojiao was more skilled than he was.
Gu Jiaojiao fell silent for a moment before asking, "What are the plans for his aftercare?"
Xia Qiuming thought for a moment, then replied, "Don’t worry. As long as we can wake him up, someone else will take over his follow-up care. They’ll find the best doctors to help him recuperate."
Gu Jiaojiao nodded. "Alright then. Schedule the surgery immediately. Let’s wake the patient up as soon as possible."
Xia Qiuming gave Gu Jiaojiao a grateful smile. "Thank you, Teacher Jiaojiao."
Gu Jiaojiao waved a hand dismissively. "You said it yourself—the patient is an old hero worthy of our respect.
As doctors, it’s our duty to save lives. Waking him is our mission. There are no debts here. And from now on, call me Su Gu."
"Alright, Divine Doctor Su Gu," Xia Qiuming readily agreed.
Meanwhile, the high-ranking official and Mr. Sheng arrived at the hospital. They saw Su Shuochi, Uncle Dong, and a crowd of other officials all gathered at the door to the patient’s room.
The hospital’s dean and vice dean were also present, so the official knew that Divine Doctor Su Gu had arrived.
They couldn’t hear what Professor Xia and Divine Doctor Su Gu were saying, so when the door opened, all eyes immediately turned to the two of them.
Xia Qiuming didn’t disappoint them. He announced gravely, "Schedule the surgery immediately. Divine Doctor Su Gu has a way to remove the shrapnel."
"Really? Old Sir Xi can be saved!" the dean exclaimed, overjoyed.
"Excuse me, where is Divine Doctor Su Gu?" Xi Gaoguan was thrilled. He had long been aware of Professor Xia’s formidable skills.
He hadn’t expected Professor Xia to admit he wasn’t confident about removing the shrapnel. Given how long it had been in there, it was highly likely his father wouldn’t wake up this time.
Xi Gaoguan glanced at the thirty-something-year-old Professor Xia, then at the young, impossibly stunning girl.
"That would be me," Gu Jiaojiao said, her expression serious as her gaze swept over Qing City’s highest-ranking official and the crowd behind him.
"The patient has been unconscious for two days. As his family, do you consent to the surgery?"
Xi Gaoguan paused to consider, a complex mix of emotions flashing in his eyes before he stated firmly, "I consent."
"Then please sign the surgical consent form. Divine Doctor Su Gu and I are ready to operate at any moment."
With a grave expression, Xia Qiuming handed him a piece of paper to sign.
Xi Gaoguan couldn’t help but ask for confirmation, a worried edge to his voice. "You’re Divine Doctor Su Gu? You look so young. Are you really capable of this?"
Gu Jiaojiao knew what the family was worried about. "I am Su Gu. I’m eighteen years old. Waking him up is not a problem, but I can’t make any promises about how many years he’ll live after that."
Hearing Gu Jiaojiao’s words, Xi Gaoguan was too emotional to speak. Instead, he picked up the pen and swiftly signed his name.
He looked down at the signed consent form. "Divine Doctor Su Gu, Professor Xia, I’m entrusting him to you."
"It’s no trouble. It’s our duty."
Xia Qiuming held the consent form and exchanged a look with Gu Jiaojiao. If he were the lead surgeon for this operation, the success rate would only be fifty percent.
But he believed that with Gu Jiaojiao participating, the success rate would be over eighty percent.
The crowd watched with bated breath as the medical staff wheeled the patient away, following Gu Jiaojiao and Xia Qiuming into the operating room.
CLICK. The operating room door shut.
Inside the operating room were Gu Jiaojiao, Xia Qiuming, the hospital’s vice dean—considered one of Qing City’s finest—and several other top surgeons.
Of course, they were all there to assist Gu Jiaojiao. Some of them looked at the bewitchingly beautiful girl and felt a sense of resentment.
It was safe to say that, apart from Xia Qiuming, no one in the room truly accepted her authority.
But Gu Jiaojiao had no time to bother with them. She glanced at the old hero lying on the operating table.
A hint of confusion flickered in her eyes. "His condition has worsened in such a short time."
Xia Qiuming nodded, picking up a vial of medicine from a nearby tray. "This drug can prolong the patient’s life, but only for two days at most.
If we don’t remove the shrapnel within those two days, he’ll... And it’s already been over a day."
This was far from Gu Jiaojiao’s first surgery, so she naturally wasn’t nervous.
She had performed surgeries that were live-streamed for the titans of the medical world and their top students to observe.
’This era doesn’t even have live-streaming for an audience, so what’s there to be nervous about?’ She expertly directed everyone to their stations.
Although the vice dean was inwardly resentful, he didn’t dare to slack off when he saw that even Professor Xia was attentively following her orders.
The other attending physicians didn’t dare step out of line and obediently took on the role of assistants. One of them, a department head of surgery, was seething internally.
’He was the head of surgery, yet here he was, reduced to a junior assistant passing forceps and scalpels.’
"You," Gu Jiaojiao said sternly, "you can’t even hold a pair of forceps steady. How did you get selected for this surgical team?"
"Don’t tell me you got in by pulling strings. Is your father some high-ranking official in Qing City?" Xia Qiuming demanded with the utmost gravity.
"Professor Xia, Divine Doctor Su Gu, I... I was just a little overwhelmed," the head of surgery said sheepishly.
Mr. Xi was still conscious on the operating table. He lay there, feeling like a helpless guinea pig.
’He knew they’d given him several injections, and he could hear a young girl’s stern voice.’
"The patient is still conscious. Administer the anesthesia immediately to prevent any movement."
The fact that the vice dean had reached his position at only forty years old was proof of his considerable ability.
"Right away, Divine Doctor Su Gu. I’ll administer the anesthesia to Mr. Xi now."
As soon as the vice dean inserted the long, thin needle, Mr. Xi slowly slipped into complete unconsciousness.
Gu Jiaojiao’s movements with the scalpel were incredibly fast, decisive, and precise. Xia Qiuming was left in the dust, filled with boundless admiration.
The other attending physicians were utterly convinced. As for the head of surgery, forget passing forceps—he would have gladly cleaned the entire ward if asked.
Everyone had gone from grudging obedience to genuine conviction, and then to outright adoration. Before they could fully process it all, feeling as if it had ended too soon, the surgery was over.