The Godfather of Surgery

Doctors are like this—work through the night, and the next day, they still have to show up for duty. No one cares whether you can handle it.

Because—you must handle it!

Early the next morning, after finishing his shift, Yang Ping was about to head to the operating room to help.

At the elevator, he ran into Director Wu, who kindly said, "Xiao Yang, you worked hard last night. You should rest today, no need to go to the operating room."

Yang Ping had expected to be scolded after last night's events, but Director Wu spoke as if nothing had happened, with such a gentle tone.

It was almost unsettling. Yang Ping was left feeling nervous and uncertain.

Since Director Wu had given the order, Yang Ping didn't push it further and decided to head back to the doctor's office.

Just then, a nurse hurried into the office, scanning the room until she spotted Yang Ping and said, "Yang doctor, just now the HR department called your phone but couldn't get through. They've asked you to come to the HR office."

Yang Ping agreed, thinking that since he wasn't on duty today, it couldn't hurt to check out what HR wanted. Maybe it was about his contract, or they had something to discuss regarding his pay. He chuckled internally, not expecting anything major.

At the HR office, a kindly woman gestured for him to sit. She took out a piece of paper and said, "Dr. Yang, your behavior last night seriously violated hospital protocol. Discipline is essential for medical safety, and as such, we must terminate your contract early. We apologize, but we will offer some compensation. If you have no objections, please sign here."

Fired? It was a bit sudden—he hadn't been prepared for this.

Sure, last night's actions had been extreme, but in an emergency, there had been only a few minutes. He couldn't waste any time explaining. Even if he had explained it all and Director Wu had agreed, it might have taken too long and cost the patient's life.

Yang Ping wanted to speak to Director Wu again to explain, but when they had met this morning in the elevator, Wu hadn't mentioned anything.

Now, the termination agreement was in front of him. It seemed like Director Wu had already made up his mind and had no interest in hearing his side. There was nothing he could do to fix it.

Indeed, his actions last night had been a serious offense to the department head. Unless the director was especially magnanimous, such an incident was difficult to overlook.

"Thank you." Yang Ping signed the paper.

The HR woman took the agreement back and asked, "If you're looking for a new job, I can help with recommendations."

"Thank you, I think I'll take some time off first," Yang Ping politely declined.

At G City People's Hospital, most doctors had PhDs, and even having a master's degree was a tough struggle. For someone like Yang Ping, without any family connections, being accepted had been a long shot. He had only managed to enter because he was one of the top students in his class. Even so, once inside, he was basically doing grunt work. The so-called "contract position" was essentially a glorified temporary job—no real future, and could be dismissed at any time, for any reason, with just a small compensation.

At least there was some compensation, Yang Ping thought as he left the HR office, feeling a chill in his heart. But thanks to the unexpected gift of the system, he didn't feel too lost. Perhaps this was how the universe worked—closing one door and opening another.

He went back to his department to pack up his things. It didn't take long. His belongings fit into a single large plastic bag. His colleagues didn't know about his termination, and one of the nurses even asked him to help with a patient's dressing change.

Yang Ping didn't refuse. He placed the bag of belongings aside and went to the dressing room to grab a cart, performing the dressing change carefully. Looking at the familiar ward, he couldn't help but feel a little melancholic.

Back at his rental apartment, a small room in a rundown area, with its own bathroom, costing 1,000 yuan a month. G City's housing prices were skyrocketing, and Yang Ping had long since stopped thinking about buying a house or a car. He did have an electric scooter—a well-known brand—but as for a house? With his current income, even a down payment on a small bathroom would be impossible.

He called Xiao Wu and explained the situation.

They started discussing their next steps, trying to figure out how long his savings would last and where he could find a job.

In a big city like G City, jobs were easy to find, but good jobs were rare. Yang Ping had landed his temporary position at G City People's Hospital because of his excellent academic record.

That afternoon, there was a knock at the door.

Yang Ping opened it to find Xiao Wu, who was lugging bags and boxes inside.

"Xiao Wu, what's all this?" Yang Ping asked, confused. Xiao Wu usually stayed in the hospital dorm, a room shared with several people.

"I got fired too..." Xiao Wu said dejectedly.

Misery loves company!

"It's okay, there are plenty of jobs," Yang Ping said, trying to comfort his friend.

Xiao Wu was clearly feeling down, but Yang Ping couldn't help but notice the large pile of things he was carrying.

"Why do you have so much stuff?" Yang Ping asked.

"There are two whole boxes of instant noodles," Xiao Wu replied, pulling out random items—an arm strengthener, a laptop, and a mess of other things.

After settling Xiao Wu's things, the two started to plan their next move.

"Brother, to be honest, that surgery last night was pretty impressive. I didn't realize you were so capable," Xiao Wu said, still puzzled.

Yang Ping smiled. "I don't show off, that's all. Normally? Normally we're just pulling hooks and getting yelled at, and stitching up skin is considered an honor. If we get to do any surgery at all, it's enough to keep us excited for days."

"I'm curious. You've been at G City People's Hospital all this time. Why didn't you go for further studies anywhere?" Xiao Wu asked.

Yang Ping patted his shoulder. "Talent, my friend, it's just natural! It's like you playing video games."

"Ah, I see now," Xiao Wu said, finally understanding.

The two of them chatted all afternoon, forgetting that it was already past dinnertime. Yang Ping slapped Xiao Wu on the shoulder and said, "Today, I'm treating myself to something fancy."

"A big meal?"

"Pfft, small fry! We're going to the bar street by the river, Nóng Yuè."

Nóng Yuè was a popular bar. Xiao Wu, momentarily forgetting the pain in his shoulder, gave a thumbs up. "Let's go!"

It had been so long since Yang Ping had relaxed like this. Back at the hospital, he was always working non-stop—24 hours a day, no breaks.

They sat at an outdoor table, ordered beers, and chatted, reminiscing about their early days working in the hospital. One story after another, they were so animated that they high-fived each other. Bottles piled up on the table.

Not far off, one side was calm river water, with a cruise boat drifting by. On the other side, the street was bustling, with cars rushing by even at 9 PM—people hurrying along, like ants on the move.

"You know, why do people work their whole lives like this?" Xiao Wu burped.

"That's too philosophical, it's giving me a headache!" Yang Ping raised his glass.

"Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

Suddenly, a commotion broke out nearby. The crowd started gathering around a table. Yang Ping and Xiao Wu pushed through to see what was going on. A middle-aged man in his 40s, overweight, was sitting, leaning back in his chair, his face pale.

His companions were panicked, running around and shouting, "It's not good! Not good! Help! Help!"

"Help!" The word caught Yang Ping's attention instantly. As a doctor, he couldn't ignore it. He pushed through the crowd.

Others in the crowd were shouting instructions:

"Pinch his philtrum! Pinch his philtrum!"

"Where's the philtrum?" The man's companion fumbled around.

"You're pinching his... What are you doing? It's the philtrum!" someone yelled.

Yang Ping, feeling a bit tipsy, looked at them with a mix of amusement and irritation.

"Call 120! Quickly!"

"Pat his back! Hard!"

"Open his mouth! Give him water!"

The crowd had no clue what to do. A tall girl with shoulder-length hair tied into a ponytail was unbuttoning the man's shirt, checking his carotid pulse, and listening for his breath. She looked like a real doctor.

"Dingdong! Newbie First Task: Complete a street-side rescue to earn a Newbie Experience Pack."

The system's voice appeared, and a subtitle popped up in the top-right corner.

Looks like he had triggered a system task!

Yang Ping squeezed through, suddenly alert, the alcohol wearing off. The evening breeze made him wide awake. This was an airway obstruction, the kind he had practiced in the system until he almost wanted to puke.

If he didn't act soon, the man would suffocate. Yang Ping rushed forward, pulling the girl aside—perhaps too roughly, as she flinched in pain.

"What are you doing?!" she snapped.

There wasn't time to explain. Yang Ping lifted the man, who was too heavy. Xiao Wu rushed over to help. They both propped him up, with Yang Ping sitting on the chair and placing the man on his lap. With both arms around him, Yang Ping formed a grip around his abdomen and thrust upwards with his fist.

With a loud pop, something was expelled from the man's airway, and he immediately began gasping for air.

Yang Ping and Xiao Wu helped him back into the chair. His breathing slowed, becoming more stable. His face slowly returned to a healthy color. The ponytail girl stood there, stunned.

"Dingdong! Task successfully completed. Reward: Newbie Experience Pack x1."

The crowd started murmuring. Some complimented Yang Ping's skill; others commented on how critical the situation had been. Some even debated what would've happened if the man hadn't been saved—likely, Yang Ping would have faced legal consequences.

As the crowd dispersed, everyone returned to their tables.

Yang Ping pointed to the man's red face. "Airway obstruction. Heimlich maneuver. If you hadn't acted quickly, he would've died. And you're feeling his carotid pulse?" he said to the girl.

"Who's the intern here? You—" The girl, clearly annoyed, started to argue, but when she saw the man was perfectly fine, her tone softened.

Blushing, she said, "I thought it was acute coronary syndrome. How did you know?"

"Want to know? Buy us a drink," Xiao Wu chimed in.

"Sure!" the girl said readily.

Xiao Wu gave Yang Ping a knowing glance and whispered in his ear, "The beauty's buying. Let's go with the flow. Life's tough without work, might as well save some money."

That's some good advice! Yang Ping thought.

The girl checked the man one more time, reassured that he was okay, and then told his friends to take care of him before leaving.

She gave Yang Ping a final wave. "Bye!"

Then, she and her friends grabbed their bags and walked away.