White armor

Chapter 719 Let's just let Xiao Luo cause trouble by himself.

Director Xiang is well aware that AI robot technology is advancing rapidly—during last year's Ice and Snow Festival, those robot dogs dressed in panda costumes were already able to skillfully pull sleds.

Along the entire Central Avenue, these "pandas" not only undertake transportation work, but also assist the police in maintaining order.

However, those were ultimately just rudimentary products that added a panda shell to a robot dog, and their movements were still clumsy, making it easy for discerning people to spot their flaws.

But this afternoon, he looked at the young man named "Xiao Meng" repeatedly, but did not notice anything unusual at all—who would have thought that he was not a talented young man at all, but an exquisite AI robot?
The AI ​​robot was able to ask detailed medical history questions and make accurate diagnoses, a sight that broadened Director Xiang's horizons.

What shocked him even more was that they could actually perform surgery.

Director Xiang stared wide-eyed through the lead glass at the two busy AI robots in the operating room, momentarily lost in thought.

The level of realism is simply unbelievable!
If they hadn't entered the operating room without lead aprons, he wouldn't have been able to tell they were two machines—he would have thought they were a well-coordinated pair of twin doctors.

"Director Shen, this is... amazing." Director Xiang murmured.

"It's alright. Surgery is a delicate procedure, and AI robots are rarely used. This is the second surgery. The first one was a pancreatic cancer surgery performed by Professor Luo with an AI robot, which included intraoperative radiotherapy."

Shen Zizai was smug and showed off to Director Xiang.

"Huh? Intraoperative radiotherapy for pancreatic cancer?"

"Yes, it's an old procedure, but the sutures get stuck during the operation, so surgeons are reluctant to do it. Luckily, we found a suitable patient, so Professor Luo brought an AI robot along. The robot was responsible for handling the radiation source."

"!!!"

“Xiao Luo is a bit far away, so he doesn’t consume too many threads, and there’s no problem.” Shen Zizai sighed. “Many spells can’t be performed because the caster consumes threads. If only AI robots could take over.”

"Not now..."

After saying half a sentence, Director Xiang laughed at himself. This kind of surgery is relatively simple, and with a professional surgeon by his side, the AI ​​robot only needs to complete the "dirtiest" step.

This is completely different from performing a full surgical operation.

Director Xiang pursed his lips tightly.

Having lived in a cramped apartment in a small county town for so long, he had lost a lot, but Director Xiang was unaware of it.

Scrolling through short videos every day led him to mistakenly believe that he could communicate and interact with the world without barriers.

He thought he was a frog at the bottom of a well, able to see a vast sky through the narrow opening of the short video.

That's enough. Who would want to leave their comfort zone?

However, before even reaching Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, or Shenzhen, just arriving in the provincial capital, Director Xiang felt as ridiculous as an ant.

Unbeknownst to him, his lips had become pressed into a thin line, and his lips had turned pale.

Before anyone knew it, the airtight lead door had closed. The young Professor Luo was the lead surgeon, with two AI robots working in perfect harmony.

Under the real-time guidance of a C-arm X-ray machine, the guidewire moved nimbly like a fish along the narrow channel formed by the tumor compression in the intestine.

This was originally a "dead end" that Director Xiang thought was impossible to pass through, but the guide wire went in smoothly and effortlessly, seemingly without any difficulty.

Director Xiang stared intently at the screen the entire time, but still couldn't figure out the mystery, leaving him completely bewildered.

Luo Hao then inserted the bracket as well. He was satisfied with the position shown on the screen. Luo Hao turned his head and gave a "good" gesture through the leaded glass.

Luo Hao then hid to the side, and the AI ​​robot began to expand the support frame.

With just a little force applied, a strange noise came from the walkie-talkie.

It sounded like a long, drawn-out fart, but with a melodious and resonant quality, almost like a suona horn, its sound reaching the heavens, making the people in the control room feel their very souls tremble.

Uh……

Director Xiang then noticed something dark on the leaded glass in front of him, obstructing his view.

Like summer gnats, or like mud splatters left after a sandstorm.

As more and more black mud spots appeared, Director Xiang realized that the black spots were the shadows of the patient's intestinal contents being squeezed out under high pressure and sprayed onto the leaded glass.

In that instant, Director Xiang was overwhelmed with mixed feelings.

Previously, when the nurses in the operating room were talking behind Shen Zizai's back about how he had taken on such a patient, Director Xiang thought it was because Shen Zizai's management skills were a bit lacking, which led to his inability to suppress the dissenting opinions of the nurses below.

This feeling reached its peak, especially after seeing Luo Hao arrive.

He had anticipated that the surgery would be very dirty, with the operating table full of feces, but he never expected that the pressure inside the patient's intestines would be so great that as soon as the intestines, which were flattened by the tumor, were stretched up a little, the gas inside gushed out along with the feces.

This is so dirty!

If you don't have experience, you'll definitely get a lot of flak.

Looking through the leaded glass stained with black smudges, Luo Hao was already standing on the patient's upper abdomen. Every little movement he made now seemed full of clinical experience.

He looks so young, where did he get all this clinical experience? Director Xiang was a little confused.

A few minutes later, the airflow from the patient's intestines weakened, and the AI ​​robot increased the pressure again.

Luo Hao looked around, monitoring the patient's vital signs and the strength of the AI ​​robot.

He is now the central figure, while the two AI robots are Luo Hao's right-hand men, undertaking the "dirtiest" work.

"Director, I think I can smell something in the control room. By the way, is our airtight lead door not sealing properly? Should we get an engineer to take a look?" Technician No. 66 murmured.

"No way." Shen Zizai said casually as he watched Luo Hao perform surgery with two AI robots, his arms crossed, but his heart was in turmoil.

"It smells bad; it must be because our operating room isn't well-sealed," a nurse asked.

“Impossible, that’s just what you’re thinking.” Shen Zizai categorically denied their statement.

This is definitely a psychological reaction to seeing feces sprayed onto leaded glass; it's absolutely not because there was actually any odor emanating from it.

We'll find out when the airtight lead door opens.

As the AI ​​robot increased the pressure, this time no feces were ejected; the high-pressure airflow in the gastrointestinal tract had been "slowly" cleared away in just a few minutes.

As the pressure decreased, the patient's blood pressure also changed. Luo Hao was acting as a nurse, administering medication to the patient.

However, everything went smoothly because the intestines were not stretched open recklessly. The patient's body gradually adapted to the reduced pressure and did not go into shock.

The medication recommended by Luo Hao is only for preventative purposes, to avoid some rare occurrences.

Five minutes later, the AI ​​robot raised its left arm and made a gesture.

The surgery should be over, and the doctors and nurses in the operating room all breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sixth Brother, what's wrong? Stop spacing out and give me an image," Luo Hao's voice came through.

"Ah? Professor Luo, I thought Xiao Meng was talking to you." Technician No. 66 quickly operated the machine to generate an image.

He never expected that the AI ​​robot's action just now was actually talking to him.

Looking back now, it seems that gesture was something Professor Luo often used.

"I'm so stupid, really!" Technician No. 66 complained to herself, but her hands didn't slow down at all. She started providing images and assisting with the surgery.

Luo Hao's words before the procedure echoed in the mind of technician number 66.

Generally, Professor Luo prefers to perform surgeries himself on the operating table, including setting up sutures and providing images.

Because he thinks quickly, technician number 66 has a hard time keeping up.

But this time, Professor Luo insisted on helping, and only then did technician number 66 realize what was going on—Professor Luo was far from the operating area, standing in the patient's upper abdominal region, making it impossible to operate.

The operating area is the airflow "attack" zone, where AI robots stand to absorb physical and magical damage.

In retrospect, it seems that Professor Luo had a meticulous plan before the surgery.

Technician No. 66 even suspected that Professor Luo had planned to have the AI ​​robot perform the surgery all along, and that this surgery was not a coincidence, but rather a long-planned scheme.

The imaging showed that the patient's bowels were unobstructed. Although the huge tumors were unsettling to look at, at least the patient's immediate problem was solved, and his future life would have a certain quality.

Even if the quality of life isn't very high, it's still much better than having your intestines burst from being bloated.

"Don't open the airtight lead door yet," Luo Hao said into the walkie-talkie.

"How's it going on your end, Luo?" Shen Zizai asked.

"My eyes are almost closed, Director. Turn the exhaust fan up to the maximum." Luo Hao frowned, squinted, and had a strange expression.

"Director Shen, what's the situation inside?" Director Xiang asked.

"Have you ever had surgery to remove latrines?" Shen Zizai asked him.

Director Xiang shook his head. "We can't do it. The postoperative infection would be too severe, and the patient would definitely die. So, patients like this have to be sent to the provincial capital."

"Oh, there's too much ammonia and other gases in the intestines. Although there's ventilation equipment in the operating room, it still smells quite bad for a short time. Look, Xiao Luo's eyes are already watering from the irritation."

Looking closely, Director Xiang could vaguely see that Luo Hao's eyes were red-rimmed and seemed to be brimming with tears.

If the mere smell of gas can make people cry, what must it smell like inside the operating room? Director Xiang was quite curious.

But he wasn't that curious; there were plenty of dry toilets in the countryside, and they must smell like that.

In short, it won't smell very good.

Moreover, in a confined space, the smell cannot dissipate and can irritate the mucous membranes of the human body.

This surgery was really tough.

"The patient's vital signs are stable, and he will be taken out of the operating room in 10 minutes."

"Don't come in. Let Xiao Meng tidy up the operating room and prepare the ultraviolet lamps."

Luo Hao was communicating with the outside through a walkie-talkie when Shen Zizai suddenly saw Luo Hao lower his head and tears fall onto the floor of the operating room like pearls from a broken string.

"..."

"..."

Shen Zizai remained silent.

“I rarely perform this kind of surgery.” Yuan Xiaoli sighed when she saw Luo Hao’s disheveled appearance. “It must be so painful. The surgery itself isn’t difficult, but the difficulty lies in… well, let’s not even talk about it.” “Director Yuan, after you’re off the operating table, please consider using less medication and try to save the patient some money. He’s a recipient of the Five Guarantees, brought here by poverty alleviation cadres,” Shen Zizai instructed.

"Why? What is a 'Five Guarantees Household'? What is a poverty alleviation cadre?" Dr. Jason asked, somewhat surprised, standing behind Yuan Xiaoli.

The group's gazes fell on Dr. Jason, but they quickly looked away.

“Jason, the patient doesn’t have money for treatment,” Yuan Xiaoli said. “If we charge exorbitant fees, we won’t be able to collect the money in the end, and it will only make things difficult for everyone. If we only charge a little, the local poverty alleviation officials might be able to pool their money and hand it over.”

Yuan Xiaoli then explained the concept of the "Five Guarantees Households" again, leaving Dr. Jason completely bewildered.

"I really don't understand why you want to perform this kind of surgery. Is it to increase the number of surgeries?" Dr. Jason asked Yuan Xiaoli. "In the past six months, I've seen you perform more than a dozen similar surgeries."

"If it were any other surgery, I wouldn't mind, but I wouldn't do this kind of surgery even if you offered me $100,000."

Dr. Jason made an exaggerated gesture.

“Jason, the patient is a recipient of the Five Guarantees,” Fan Dongkai explained. “They’re like those people who go to free food stations every day for relief. They have no money for medical treatment, and if they don’t get surgery, they’ll die.”

“But isn’t that life?” Dr. Jason said naturally.

“That’s your life. We live under socialism here. The systems are different,” Yuan Xiaoli explained.

Dr. Jason still couldn't understand.

"Jason, how much does this kind of surgery cost where you are?" Shen Zizai asked Dr. Jason, a little curious.

“I wouldn’t do it no matter how much money you offer,” Dr. Jason said frankly. “Especially for patients with late-stage cancer, surgery is pointless and only makes things more complicated for doctors.”

"Shouldn't we provide end-of-life care?"

"They're going to meet God, so it's best not to stop them."

The two different viewpoints collided slightly, without sparking any discussion; neither side understood the other's point of view at all.

"I really envy you guys," technician number 66 said with a smile. "Dr. Jason told me the other day that technicians in America can earn $3000 a week!"

"Stop dreaming. People go to school with loans. Even Obama only paid off his student loans when he was over 40 and running for president. Sixth brother, check your pockets and go home to ask your parents if they have a few million dollars to pay for your college education," Shen Zizai laughed.

“That’s true.” Technician No. 66 did not argue.

"Going to university isn't important; you also need connections to get your professional qualifications. Forget about that." Shen Zizai kept checking the time. Luo Hao in the operating room seemed to be a little better; he didn't look as uncomfortable as he had at the beginning.

"Two minutes left, prepare the stretcher." Shen Zizai hesitated for a moment, but in the end, he didn't let the nurse go in to help.

At this point, let the AI ​​robots do the work, since they don't seem to be in any discomfort.

"Xiao Meng" was tidying up the equipment table, moving quickly. However, its body and face were covered with black spots, just like the black spots stuck to the leaded glass, all of which were years of accumulated feces.

However, "Xiao Meng" didn't care about the stains of feces at all.

Humans would care, but in the judgment of AI robots, these are all contaminants, evaluated using the same standards as bloodstains, perhaps only with a little more E. coli or the like.

Two minutes passed in the blink of an eye.

Shen Zizai directed the nurses to push the stretcher to the operating room door.

The airtight lead door slowly opened.

A strong, almost tangible odor slammed into Shen Zizai's nose like a fist, causing him to stumble and nearly fall.

The nurses covered their mouths and noses with their hands, their eyes brimming with tears. The operating room seemed like a living hell, and everyone hesitated to enter.

"Get away from here!" Luo Hao reached out and pulled the flatbed cart inside. "Turn on all the ventilation fans. The smell inside is too strong. It hasn't been cleared out properly for so long."

"Mmm." Shen Zizai neither volunteered nor showed any intention of sharing weal and woe with Luo Hao.

If there was any remaining doubt before the airtight lead door was opened, Shen Zizai now has absolutely no intention of sharing joys and sorrows with Luo Hao.

Let Ronaldinho cause trouble by himself; he's young and can handle the chaos.

Soon, the patient was wheeled out. His body had been wiped clean by the AI ​​robot, and apart from a slightly strange smell, he was even cleaner than when he entered the operating room.

"Director Xiang, let's go, let's go and talk to the poverty alleviation cadres." Shen Zizai pulled Director Xiang away in a hurry.

Although the air had been exchanged for more than ten minutes using the most powerful ventilation equipment, the air in the entire operating room was still extremely pungent.

It's hard to imagine what Luo Hao smelled when the airflow was expelled.

Shen Zizai didn't need to communicate with the poverty alleviation cadres, but he didn't want to deal with that kind of atmosphere.

If Shen Zizai had performed the surgery, he would probably be regretting his "meddling" right now.

"Director Shen," Director Xiang wiped away her tears, "I really didn't know you were working so hard. I'm so sorry, so sorry."

"Sigh." Shen Zizai licked his chest when he heard him say that. "Treating the sick and saving lives is what doctors should do."

"I haven't even been in the operating room yet, just walking around there has already made my eyes hurt. It's hard to imagine what the surgeons inside are like."

"Many years ago, the first similar surgery I performed was a disaster. I had no experience and got sprayed all over myself," Shen Zizai began reminiscing. "That was really tough back then."

"The ventilation equipment wasn't as good as it is now, so in the end we could only open the doors and windows of the operating room and rely on natural ventilation. The operating room was dirty and smelly for a whole day and night, so things like ultraviolet lamps were completely useless."

"Thank you for your hard work," Director Xiang said sheepishly.

"It's nothing." Shen Zizai walked out of the operating room and slammed the heavy iron door shut with a pleasant bang.

He took a deep breath, holding his breath in the operating room. Although he could still communicate, he felt tightness in his chest, shortness of breath, and even his heartbeat was a little abnormal.

A breath of fresh air filled Shen Zizai, and he immediately felt refreshed.

"Hey you, the surgery's done." Shen Zizai called out to the poverty alleviation cadre, "Look at your stomach, it's gone down."

"!!!"

"This is the scan." Shen Zizai showed the newly printed images to the poverty alleviation cadres. "There are too many tumors, it's incurable, but a stent has been placed here. The tumors have opened up the collapsed part of the intestine, at least it won't suffocate."

The poverty alleviation cadre could see the stent, and since the patient's abdomen was no longer distended, he could understand what Shen Zizai was saying.

After repeatedly expressing his gratitude, Shen Zizai didn't stand on ceremony with them and escorted the patient back to his ward.

Since becoming the chief physician, Shen Zizai had not seen any patients, but this time was different; he didn't want to go back with tears streaming down his face again.

As for Ronaldinho, let him have his own good fortune.

The trolley had only been pushed a few meters when the heavy iron door behind him opened. Shen Zizai turned around and saw Yuan Xiaoli, Fan Dongkai, and Dr. Jason filing out one after another, followed by technician number 66, who had also succumbed to the pressure.

Behind them were several nurses.

The whole family came out, leaving Xiao Luo inside to clean? Shen Zizai felt that was a bit unfair.

But then I thought better of it; I didn't have the courage.

"It has to be young people," Shen Zizai thought coldly to himself.

A group of people had nothing else to do, so they followed the gurney back to the ward. They gathered in the ward, exchanging pleasantries and trying to get through the time.

After much hesitation, the poverty alleviation cadre pulled Director Xiang aside and secretly slipped out.

"Director Xiang, did something go wrong during the surgery?" the poverty alleviation cadre asked in a low voice. "Even if something went wrong, it's alright. Old Zheng has late-stage cancer, and he has no one to rely on. I can make the decision. Everyone was doing it for Old Zheng's own good..."

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Director Xiang glared at the poverty alleviation cadre. "Didn't Director Shen tell you the surgery was successful? Can't you understand human language?"

That's how grassroots communication is; if you don't use insults, it's as if you haven't said anything at all.

"Looking at all these doctors and nurses, Director Xiang, you don't need to hide anything from me, I understand." The poverty alleviation cadre said, "Although I haven't experienced it myself, what I read online is that if no one cares about you when you come to the hospital, that's a good thing. Once someone cares about you, it means your condition is serious, and the higher the level, the more serious your condition."

This is true.

Director Xiang looked up at the doctors and nurses in the ward, speechless.

"So many people are surrounding me, asking about my well-being... It's not like I haven't been to the First Affiliated Hospital of the Medical University before. The doctors and nurses here rarely look people in the eye; they mostly look at people with their chins."

"..."

"Director Xiang, tell me the truth so I can prepare in advance and report to my superiors," the poverty alleviation cadre said.

"It's really nothing." Director Xiang sighed. "It's like this, the patient's abdominal cavity, no, his intestines are full of gas. You know what a dry toilet smells like, right? Imagine it's been rotting in a closed space for a few days."

"Uh……"

"All the ventilation fans in the operating room are running at full power; it's unbearable to stay there," Director Xiang explained. "It has nothing to do with whether the surgery is successful or not; this surgery is truly filthy..."

He sighed.

"What do you need me to do?"

"The patient can be discharged in the next day or two. Go back and write a thank-you letter. It would be best to pass it on to the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University through the organization," Director Xiang suggested after careful consideration.

"Yes! A thank-you letter must be written..." The poverty alleviation cadre suddenly hesitated, "Director Xiang, there's one more thing."

"Don't worry about the cost. Director Shen has already said that we'll spend the least amount of money."

"Phew~~~" The poverty alleviation cadre finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Everything ultimately comes down to money.

It is true that there are special funds for poverty alleviation, but when these funds are distributed to each impoverished household, they are simply not enough to support a major surgery.

The poverty alleviation cadre thought to himself, "The best outcome is to get the least amount of money."

……

"Brother Yong, why are they all back?" Zhuang Yan asked as she walked towards the operating room.

"I don't know, something's definitely fishy. Luo Hao hasn't come back since his afternoon class." Chen Yong walked quickly and arrived outside the operating room in the blink of an eye.

"Ugh~~~"

A few meters away from the operating room, Zhuang Yan had already started to gag.

(End of this chapter)