Chapter 25: Is He Even More Impressive Than the Deputy Director?

Bai Yunxiao did not object to Lin Nan’s request for Jiang Yuan and Li Qin to serve as his first and second assistants. Although the two of them were not yet capable of performing as lead surgeons, their skills were not to be underestimated. Having them assist Lin Nan was not only appropriate but would also contribute to their professional growth.

Xia Minghui thought for a moment and said, "Lin Nan, you are actually performing three surgeries this time: bone setting, vascular repair, and nerve restoration in the leg. If you do them all yourself, the workload will be too intense. How about I handle the bone setting, and you take care of the remaining two?"

Lin Nan nodded with a smile. "That would be perfect. Thank you, Director Xia."

Given his skills and stamina, he could have handled all three, but since the man was kindly offering to reduce his burden, he saw no reason to refuse.

Bai Yunxiao smiled slightly. "Old Xia, I’ll leave it to you."

Xia Minghui waved his hand. "It’s no trouble at all."

"Let's begin," Lin Nan said to Li Qin and Jiang Yuan.

The two nodded, their faces showing a touch of excitement. This was their first time participating in such a high-difficulty surgery. Shortly after, Lin Nan and his team put on their medical scrubs and entered the operating room.

Xia Minghui had his own surgical team, so Lin Nan and his colleagues did not need to step in during the bone-setting procedure; they simply waited patiently on the sidelines. Only after Xia Minghui finished the bone setting would it be their turn to take the lead.

Lin Nan looked at the slightly nervous Liu Jialiang on the operating table and said with a smile, "Your injuries are quite severe, so we need to perform several different surgeries in succession. Director Xia will handle the first one—the bone setting—and I will take over for the remaining two. These last two are the key to whether you can fully recover after the surgery."

Liu Jialiang nodded. "I understand. I leave it in your hands."

"Rest assured, we will do our best," Xia Minghui added in a gentle tone.

Lin Nan and his two assistants then moved to the side. Lin Nan glanced at Li Qin, who was wearing a surgical mask, and nodded inwardly. It was fortunate that medical staff wore masks in the operating room, as they blocked out most odors; otherwise, given Li Qin's allergy to alcohol, there was no telling what kind of accident might have occurred during the procedure.

First, the anesthesiologist administered general anesthesia to Liu Jialiang. Liu felt his head grow heavy, and he quickly lost consciousness and sensation. Once the anesthesia took effect, Xia Minghui swiftly disinfected the wound, located the fracture point on the leg bone, and skillfully reset the broken bone. His movements were adept, clearly demonstrating that he had performed this procedure many times before.

Lin Nan watched, silently giving him credit. Xia Minghui truly lived up to his reputation as the deputy director of orthopedics; his skill was beyond reproach. One of the critical points of this surgery was that the broken bone had to be restored to its original position without the slightest error or misalignment; otherwise, the patient could easily end up with a limp or uneven leg length post-surgery.

Only a perfect realignment could provide a solid foundation for the subsequent two surgeries. If a mistake were made at this stage, even if the following procedures were done perfectly, Liu Jialiang would never return to his original state. However, it was clear that he had no need to worry about this.

After Xia Minghui completely realigned the broken bone, he used an internal fixation device to secure the fracture. Seeing that Xia’s work was flawless, Lin Nan nodded to himself again. This step was also crucial. After realignment, the bone had to be secured to maintain the correct position and prevent any subsequent shifting. If this step was done well, the recovery process would be much smoother. Xia Minghui’s performance here was equally impeccable.

Once secured, Xia Minghui carefully inspected the site, and upon finding no issues, he let out an audible sigh of relief. With that, the first stage—the bone-setting surgery—was essentially a success. All that remained was cleaning the surgical site.

After finishing, Xia Minghui turned toward Lin Nan. "It’s your turn."

Lin Nan smiled and stepped forward, followed closely by Li Qin and Jiang Yuan. As Xia Minghui prepared to leave, he stopped beside Lin Nan and said, "Director Bai has a lot of confidence in you. In my experience, this is the first time he has trusted a young doctor this much. Don’t let him down."

Lin Nan nodded. "I won't."

"Also, don't let us down, either," Xia Minghui added, patting him on the shoulder. His tone was much softer than before.

Lin Nan nodded again. Xia Minghui then exited the operating room along with his team. However, the anesthesiologist, the scrub nurse, and the circulating nurse were part of the emergency department, so they remained to assist Lin Nan’s team.

"Doctor Lin, shall we begin?" the anesthesiologist asked.

"Yes," Lin Nan replied, nodding to Li Qin and Jiang Yuan. They nodded back, signaling that they were ready to start.

Outside the operating room, Han Gui sat on a chair, feeling restless. Just then, two figures approached quickly.

They were two young women. One wore a beige cashmere coat and had a delicate, oval-shaped face with beautiful features and straight, dark hair flowing freely—a stunning beauty. The other woman was Xu Weiwei.

Xu Weiwei was wearing a long, slim-fit black down jacket that accentuated her graceful figure. With her tall stature and glamorous looks, she was in no way inferior to her companion. Liu Jiamin’s face was etched with anxiety.

Seeing Liu Jiamin, Han Gui hurriedly stood up to greet her.

"Coach Han, how is my brother?" Liu Jiamin asked, her heart burning with worry. She had only just heard about her brother’s car accident and had rushed over immediately. Xu Weiwei, standing beside her, also looked deeply concerned. Liu Jiamin was her best friend, and she was naturally worried about her friend's brother.

"He is still in surgery," Han Gui said in a low voice.

"Can the doctor save my brother's leg?" Liu Jiamin asked urgently. "I mean, will he be able to recover to the way he was before?" She knew that her brother’s greatest dream was to become a professional basketball player; if his leg couldn't recover fully, his professional career would be in jeopardy.

Han Gui explained the three options Lin Nan had previously laid out for them.

"So you chose to let that young doctor perform the surgery?" Liu Jiamin frowned. "Isn't this just reckless? In the medical profession, seniority and experience are everything. How could a fledgling young doctor possibly compare to a department’s deputy director?"

Xu Weiwei also looked grim. "Have you lost your minds? How could you entrust such an important surgery to a young doctor? If the deputy director had performed the surgery, Xiaoliang could have recovered ninety percent of his function. Even if he couldn't be a professional athlete, he would at least have a normal life. If that young doctor makes a mistake, the consequences will be dire."

Han Gui shook his head. "Xiaoliang said he trusts that doctor."

"Xiaoliang is just too naive and trusts people too easily, which is why he was taken in by that young doctor," Xu Weiwei scoffed. "Even the department’s deputy director only promised a ninety percent recovery, yet that man claims he can ensure a full recovery. Isn't he just bragging? Does he think he’s better than the deputy director?"