White armor

Chapter 716 The Newborn Holding the Heaven-Turning Seal

Feng Zixuan couldn't find any legitimate reason to refuse.

For many years, poverty alleviation medical work has been steadily advancing. The New Rural Cooperative Medical System, in particular, has been widely recognized as a benevolent policy that has saved countless lives since its inception more than a decade ago.

The current state of healthcare in rural areas is drastically different from that in cities.

In those mountainous areas with towering peaks, hundreds of households are often scattered across several valleys, yet they can only share a single medical point.

Although they were called "barefoot doctors," they were more like poorly equipped rural clinics—lacking both professional medical equipment and qualified licensed physicians.

The treatment methods used in these rural clinics are often simple and direct—antibiotics, acetaminophen, and hormone therapy are used together. If it works, great; if not, patients are transferred to higher-level hospitals.

Although this may seem rudimentary, it is the most basic link in the tiered medical system.

Feng Zixuan fell into deep thought, his fingertips unconsciously tapping lightly on the table. He carefully weighed the feasibility of this idea and suddenly realized a key advantage—AI doesn't know what fatigue is.

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Luo Hao said with a smile, "A while ago, there was a robot in a dark factory that was being tested. It worked for 780 hours straight, and recharged itself four times in between."

"Hahaha." Feng Zixuan laughed loudly.

“It’s hard work in the countryside and there’s not much money, but if you want to go to the countryside, you need to be in contact with the doctors at the local clinics.”

“Don’t ruin their livelihood, and their treatment is definitely not standardized. Let me think of a way to get AI to accept it.”

"Xiao Luo, what you're doing..."

Feng Zixuan keenly noticed that Luo Hao was paying more enthusiastic attention to this poverty alleviation medical project than to the AI ​​robot he was developing to handle medical disputes.

He knew perfectly well that this was the real issue concerning people's livelihood.

"Chen Yong!"

"Luo Hao!"

Luo Hao and Chen Yong called each other's names almost simultaneously. Chen Yong hurriedly came out and was stunned when he heard Luo Hao call his name.

"You speak first."

"You speak first."

The two of them said in unison.

"..." Feng Zixuan simply couldn't bear to look.

AIs can work together perfectly, and Luo Hao and Chen Yong are no exception.

"Then I'll go first. Let's settle this for now, and we'll discuss the details tomorrow or the day after."

"Okay, Director Feng, take care." Luo Hao waved.

"You go first," Luo Hao said.

"Xiao Fang encountered a child who was born holding a Heaven-Turning Seal in his hand," Chen Yong briefly explained the situation.

As expected of a student trained by Jiang Wenming, he can not only explain things clearly in one sentence, but also create a sensation.

“Perfect timing, I’m looking for Master Qi,” Luo Hao said. “Do you have a photo? I’d like to take a look.”

"Have!"

Chen Yong took out his phone and started looking through the photos.

"The Heaven-Turning Seal, doesn't some people say it belongs to the Goddess of the Lantern?"

"Huh? How did you know? It's very common?" Chen Yong was taken aback.

"hehe."

“There is a hospital in Bin County nearby, and it is said that there is a dragon vein there.”

"Stop talking nonsense and get down to business," Luo Hao snapped.

The so-called dragon vein theory is nothing more than a rural legend.

According to locals, eight out of ten children are considered to be the golden boys and jade girls under the seat of Guanyin—these folk beliefs, full of mystery, are ultimately just a way for people to comfort themselves when facing suffering.

"Everyone's saying it like that; people from all around, even from the provincial capital, go there specifically to give birth." (Note)
"Let's get down to business." Luo Hao frowned at Chen Yong. This guy could be concise or rambling.

“There’s a child here who was born with a growth on his hand.” Chen Yong found the photo, handed his phone to Luo Hao, and specifically instructed, “Don’t look through it.”

"I'm not interested. By the way, does Lao Liu ever go through your phone?"

"No, Lao Liu isn't a troublemaker. He's living a good life, why would he look at my phone?"

Luo Hao smiled and saw the photo.

The newborn had a growth on his right hand, about the size of his fist, with a peculiar shape—as if he were holding a delicate lantern upon his arrival in the world, or as if he were tightly gripping the legendary Taoist artifact, the "Heaven-Turning Seal."

interesting.

"Luo Hao, Xiao Fang didn't understand. He did a calculation, and the child's fate is alright, but there's definitely nothing else going on." Chen Yong knew that Luo Hao didn't want to hear about superstitious gossip, so he kept his words as simple and vague as possible.

"This is a type of supernumerary toe called a floating thumb. The child is lucky; it's just a supernumerary toe."

"That's just bad luck."

“Look, this growth about the size of a fist needs to be cut off. Some children’s growths are evolved from thumbs, and if you’re unlucky, it’s a thumb. But the fingers are still there, this is a floating thumb.”

"Oh, let me check."

Chen Yong took the phone and began searching for the definition of a supernumerary toe and what a floating thumb actually is.

"Shave it off, send it for testing, and the medical records will confirm it," Luo Hao offered as a solution.

Can you do it?

"Yes, but it's unnecessary. Send them to the provincial capital's pediatric hospital; their pediatric surgery capabilities are quite strong."

"Let me think about it." Chen Yong frowned, his mask puffing out as if he were blowing air.

"What's troubling you?" Luo Hao asked.

"Right after the baby was born, no one knew what was going on in the maternity ward. Some people said that the child came carrying a lantern, which is also related to the ghosts and gods in the local culture."

Luo Hao smiled and said, "That's about right."

"Later, they searched the Funiu Mountains area. Old Qi didn't say much, and Xiao Fang couldn't figure it out either, so they called me."

"In that case, you should think about how to explain the condition to the child's family. This disease is extremely rare, with an incidence rate of about one in 100,000, and it has no hereditary tendency."

The resection surgery must be arranged as soon as possible; the sooner the better. While there's no immediate danger to life, delaying treatment will significantly increase surgical trauma. "Understood. Are there any other precautions?"

"Does Master Qi have any contact with clinics and doctors in the nearby villages?" Luo Hao asked.

"I think you should have them all. What do you want to do? Admit patients?" Chen Yong asked.

"Let AI robots go to the countryside to collect data."

Gan!
Chen Yong was stunned.

AI robots, such high-tech gadgets, Luo Hao actually wants them to go to the countryside and get stuck in the mud and dirt!

"Robots are meant to serve humanity. Although our current economic conditions don't support widespread adoption, we might as well take the first step and try something out."

When the words "make some attempts" were mentioned, Chen Yong noticed an unusual light shining in Luo Hao's eyes—it was clearly a heartfelt enthusiasm and sense of mission.

Can these AI robots withstand harsh environments?

"They're all built to military standards and are intended for the battlefield. Since they're preparing for actual combat, what kind of extreme environments can't they adapt to?"

"That's true." Chen Yong nodded. "We can't be delicate, and getting research funding is a good deed."

"By the way, have the child undergo an echocardiogram to see if it is Tetralogy of Fallot."

"What? Law IV also exhibits this behavior?"

"It's very rare, there's nothing wrong with getting it checked more often. Go to the children's hospital, and if that doesn't work, I'll contact the Women and Children's Hospital in Beijing."

"Okay then." Chen Yong had already started making the call.

After careful consideration, Luo Hao realized that Feng Zixuan's words had indeed opened a completely new door for him.

What is the purpose of AI robots? Isn't it to improve the quality of human life?

At this moment, Luo Hao became more and more convinced that he was on the right path.

Especially with the backing of the 912 Hospital and the 209 Research Institute, many cloud technologies that even internet giants find difficult to achieve are readily available to him.

There are no major technical obstacles; the real challenge lies in how to improve the environmental adaptability of AI robots.

If equipment breaks down within a week of being deployed to a grassroots level, it not only wastes resources but also affects the continuity of medical services.

While current AI robots may appear to perform exceptionally well in unmanned hospitals in Beijing, this is within a highly controlled indoor environment—every inch of the floor has been precisely mapped, and every variable is calculated by the system.

The situation will be quite different once you are in an unfamiliar and ever-changing rural environment.

This is precisely the key point that military products must overcome.

Director Feng's brilliance lies in his ability to see through this core issue at a glance, thus pointing the way for research and development.

The recent workload has indeed left Luo Hao feeling somewhat overwhelmed.

The hospital doesn't need to worry too much—with Dr. Meng in charge, the medical team is full of talent. Dr. Fan Dongkai and Dr. Jason are both internationally renowned top surgical experts, capable of handling things independently.

In addition to this, he also needs to go to "I Love My Pet" to accumulate AI surgical scenario data and continuously optimize system performance; now he has added two more tasks: AI physical examination system and grassroots medical support project.

Thinking about how he would have to take some time to visit the bamboo in the Qinling Mountains, Luo Hao suddenly felt a lump in his throat and his eyes involuntarily welled up with tears.

I'm starting to miss bamboo; the busier I am, the more I miss it.

If only bamboo could be grown in Harbin, I could take some time after get off work to tend to it, and even when I'm busy, life would seem alright.

No wonder bosses gradually scale back their operations in the later stages of development—they simply can't handle it all. Even with superhuman abilities, it's difficult to manage such an overwhelming workload.

Luo Hao couldn't even find time to go home, and in the blink of an eye, he had to hold a video conference with Boss Zhou to review every detail of the rescue just now.

He could only grit his teeth and persevere.

After all, what's the point of letting decision-makers take the lead? Although these predecessors still have undiminished ambition, time waits for no one, and their bodies are already beyond repair.

During the rescue at the unmanned hospital, Luo Hao saw the two bosses falling behind, and knew that they were already powerless to continue.

If it were them twenty years ago, they would never have allowed remote surgery. They wouldn't have trusted remote surgery and would have insisted on performing it themselves.

……

Zhuang Yan went home...very early.

At ten o'clock, Zhuang Yan opened the door and saw Zhuang Yongqiang washing up.

"dad!"

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh~~~" came the sound of an electric toothbrush from Zhuang Yongqiang's mouth.

"Hurry up, hurry up, I need to talk to you."

"???" Zhuang Yongqiang was puzzled, but he ignored Zhuang Yan and continued brushing his teeth and washing his face, ignoring his precious girl urging him from behind.

Since joining Luo Hao's medical team, his "little cotton-padded jacket" (his daughter's nickname) seemed to have neglected the family. Zhuang Yongqiang knew perfectly well that his daughter's urgent visit was probably at Luo Hao's behest.

As he slowly brushed his teeth, he pondered the purpose of Zhuang Yan's visit.

"What's your hurry?" Mrs. Zhuang scolded from the side.

"Mom, I need to talk to Dad about something in a bit, don't eavesdrop."

"You have a boyfriend?" "Mom, stop joking! I'm telling the truth, it's confidential!"

Zhuang Yongqiang's wrist trembled, and the electric toothbrush nearly pierced his throat.

This isn't some "little cotton-padded jacket leaking the wind," it's clearly pushing her own father into a fire pit!

Classified information!

That's top-secret!

Many projects at the provincial university involve state secrets, and it is common for researchers to suddenly disappear and only reappear in the public eye many years later.

It is a great blessing to be able to return safely; many people have been lost without a trace until they are old and frail.

Zhuang Yongqiang cursed inwardly: Luo Hao, that bastard!
He quickly brushed his teeth and, with a serious expression, led Zhuang Yan into the study. The father and daughter had barely sat down when, before Zhuang Yongqiang could even begin to reprimand her, Zhuang Yan took out an encrypted USB drive and deftly inserted it into the computer.

"Xiao Yan, what are you doing?" Zhuang Yongqiang was taken aback.

"Tonight's emergency rescue is classified. Dad, you can only take a look. You can only look, you can't go out and talk about it. My senior brother specifically instructed me that this is the extent of my authority. If I really tell others, who knows what kind of trouble it will cause."

"???"

Zhuang Yongqiang was speechless for a moment, abandoned the idea of ​​lecturing, and instead focused on watching Zhuang Yan operate.

As the video began playing, he was instantly captivated by the live footage of the rescue efforts in the deserted hospital, as if he were there in person.

As a professional with a background in the medical system, he was amazed by the skillful techniques and professional competence displayed by the AI ​​robot in the video.

Let alone the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, even top hospitals like Peking Union Medical College Hospital and West China Hospital would probably find it difficult to reach the professional level shown in the picture.

This is the difference between humans and machines.

Humans make mistakes, and things don't always turn out perfectly. Machines, on the other hand, are different. As long as the input program is correct, they perform tasks flawlessly, almost like a "perfect" rescue.

The kind that only exists in textbooks.

Before the surgery, the entire process only took a dozen minutes. Zhuang Yongqiang didn't even blink, and he distinguished the content almost frame by frame.

At the same time, Zhuang Yongqiang's brain was working at high speed, considering countless things.

Until the remote surgery began, Zhuang Yan clicked to close, unplugged the USB drive, and did something else that Zhuang Yongqiang couldn't understand, probably something like cleaning up debris.

"Dad, did you see that?" Zhuang Yan said proudly. "This is a car accident that just happened in Punk Village in the capital. The patient was taken to the nearest unmanned hospital for treatment. Later, the assessment showed that even if it had happened in front of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, the patient would most likely not have survived."

"Hmm." Zhuang Yongqiang nodded, simply responding without saying anything more to Zhuang Yan.

"Look, the progress of unmanned hospitals will amaze you, won't you?"

"Ah."

"Dad, stop with all the 'uh-huh'!" Zhuang Yan's voice started to crack. "Uncle Feng came over tonight when we were reviewing the situation after the emergency treatment. He suggested that AI should be included in the physical examination."

Zhuang Yongqiang's expression shifted.

"What if our hospital's physical examinations were conducted using AI? What do you think?"

The scene just now had completely impressed Zhuang Yongqiang. As a doctor, he knew very well how strong his technical skills were required to do that.

But he didn't agree immediately. Instead, he looked at Zhuang Yan in silence and with a serious expression, which made Zhuang Yan feel a chill run down her spine.

"Dad, say something."

“Normally, it would be highly desirable to have AI included in the physical examination,” Zhuang Yongqiang said seriously. “But I have only one request.”

In front of Zhuang Yan, Zhuang Yongqiang didn't ramble on, didn't beat around the bush, and directly stated his requirements.

"You said."

"As if you can make the decisions." Zhuang Yongqiang said as he took out his phone and made a video call to Luo Hao.

"Hello, Dean Zhuang."

"Xiao Luo, I've finished watching the rescue video, and I'm deeply moved," Zhuang Yongqiang said frankly. "You're laying the groundwork for Feng Zixuan, aren't you?"

"I guess so, and it's something I really wanted to do," Luo Hao said honestly, to save on communication costs.

"I have a few requirements. First, Xiaoyan must be in charge of the AI ​​health check and be the AI ​​director of the health check center."

"?!" Zhuang Yan was stunned.

“Yes, that’s what I think too.” Luo Hao said with a calm expression and a smile. “Zhuang Yan is in charge of the AI ​​health check. She’s been working on this project, and I don’t want her to be exposed to too much confidential information. It’s good for her to be in charge of the implementation.”

Zhuang Yongqiang breathed a sigh of relief. Xiao Luo was truly amazing; he could almost always come up with the perfect plan.

"With the national key scientific research project underway, getting a full section chief position shouldn't be a problem, Dean Zhuang, right?"

"!"

"I will still fight for what I can for my subordinate doctors. I've discussed it with the boss. The Ministry of Science and Technology has issued a document, and after passing through the provincial level, Xiao Zhuang will be at least a section chief. Going beyond the deputy section chief level would be considered an exceptional promotion. I just glanced at Xiao Zhuang's file, and it should be fine."

Luo Hao paused for a moment as he spoke.

"I'm just worried that it might have a negative impact on your end, and delay Xiao Zhuang from managing the implementation of the AI ​​robot."

Zhuang Yongqiang was both amused and exasperated.

Luo Hao's few words dispelled all my doubts, and he was speaking strangely from a peculiar perspective.

I would like to promote Zhuang Yan to vice dean directly, but I need the opportunity to do so.

"I only have one request," Luo Hao said finally.

Wasn't it me who was making the demands? How did it become Luo Hao making the demands?

Zhuang Yongqiang was taken aback.

But it doesn't matter anyway. Knowing Luo Hao's background is the best thing; the rest doesn't matter.

"Xiao Luo, say more."

"If things go well for me, I'll take the medical team to the capital in a year or two. If things go wrong, these people will have nowhere to go. They've worked for me for so many years and put in so much hard work. I have to find a way out for my subordinate doctors."

"The health check center is great. With Xiao Zhuang there, I feel at ease."

Why does it feel like he's entrusting his orphan to someone? A strange feeling welled up in Zhuang Yongqiang's heart.

However, since Luo Hao had put it this way, he had nothing to worry about.

"Xiao Luo, tell me your requirements, don't just say this much." Zhuang Yongqiang stopped talking about his own requirements and turned to ask Luo Hao.

"We'll start by implementing AI-based health checkups, and we need to get these programs implemented in major universities and high schools," Luo Hao said. "The second step is to bring AI to rural areas and improve the grassroots medical system."

Zhuang Yongqiang remained silent, listening to Luo Hao describe his vast and ambitious plan.

Luo Hao would not benefit from this plan; at least Zhuang Yongqiang could not see how much benefit he could gain. On the contrary, he would have to bear a huge responsibility if something went wrong.

If this turns into a public opinion crisis, then it'll be even more of a mess.

But Luo Hao insisted on doing it, and he even left the juicy, tender parts for Zhuang Yan, while keeping the tough parts for himself.

After hearing Luo Hao's explanation, Zhuang Yongqiang was completely speechless.

Xiao Luo is a serious person.

……

……

"Dean Zhuang."

The next morning, Feng Zixuan knocked on Zhuang Yongqiang's office door and reported to Zhuang Yongqiang about the medical examination center.

After a night of contemplation, Feng Zixuan had a clear idea in mind and gave a report that was both detailed and concise.

After hearing what he said, Zhuang Yongqiang's face turned ashen.

Feng Zixuan didn't know what Dean Zhuang was thinking, and didn't dare to say anything more.

“Okay, the routine physical examination in the province is coming up soon, in a little over a week. Is that enough time?” Zhuang Yongqiang asked.

Feng Zixuan found it strange; this was not the Dean Zhuang he had imagined.

In my imagination, Dean Zhuang would ask a lot of questions. After all, he was designing a project for some important figures in the province, and he didn't want to just show his face and end up exposing his backside.

"I'll go and tell Secretary Zhang to hold an emergency meeting this morning to make good use of the old building as soon as possible."

"Oh, right, write this down..."

Zhuang Yongqiang began to speak, and Feng Zixuan took out his phone, his fingers flying up and down as he recorded Zhuang Yongqiang's words.

How long has it been since I've seen Dean Zhuang seriously do something? Feng Zixuan was so surprised that his jaw almost dropped to his feet.

However, after Zhuang Yongqiang finished speaking, Feng Zixuan understood. It must have been that Luo Hao's side had taken action overnight, which was why Dean Zhuang had to step forward and make a statement.

"Dong Dong Dong~"

There was a knock on the door.

"Enter."

"Dean, the Provincial Department of Science and Technology has sent an official document regarding the implementation of a national key scientific research project." The director of the Science and Education Department reported to Zhuang Yongqiang, holding the document.

"Just put it here, I'll take a look when I'm done."

"Dean, it seems the Science and Technology Department has given clear instructions."

instruct?

Zhuang Yongqiang knew all too well what the Science and Technology Department could do, and official documents were usually vague, leaving the meaning to the reader's interpretation.

The more you say, the more mistakes you make; this is also why wise people speak slowly.

Why are there specific instructions? Aren't the Science and Technology Bureau and the hospital part of a vertically integrated management system? Could it be...?

Zhuang Yongqiang reached out, took it, and glanced at it.

"Xiao Luo works really fast. He even got things sorted out with the Ministry of Science and Technology in one night," Zhuang Yongqiang thought in surprise.

The staffing issue could be resolved by the Science and Technology Department, but he didn't want to.

However, these are all minor details. With the document from the Science and Technology Department, there are almost no obstacles to doing things on my side.

To avoid any appearance of impropriety, the ball could be passed to Luo Hao, who would then decide who gets promoted.

“Okay, I’ll go talk to Secretary Zhang.” Zhuang Yongqiang picked up the document and glanced at Feng Zixuan.

"Then you go ahead with your work." Feng Zixuan hadn't expected Luo Hao to act so quickly; he was decisive and ruthless.

This is the kind of person who gets things done.

……

Luo Hao, the person in charge, was changing clothes in the operating room at that moment.

"Xiao Luo, my son is about to take the college entrance exam. He did quite well in the second mock exam. Do you think he might mess up in the actual exam?" Shen Zizai was nagging Luo Hao about Shen Yifei.

"Hey, young people have their own fates, it's alright. Besides, Chen Yong already calculated it, didn't he? You're sure to do well in the college entrance exam!"

……

……

Note: This hospital is in Ningliao. I was quite surprised when I heard about it~~~hhhh, it's really amazing that an obstetrics hospital uses the dragon vein as a selling point.

(End of this chapter)