Surgery Godfather-Chapter 1997 - 1353: Fifteen Notebooks

Xia Shu sealed several cardboard boxes and turned to glance at the duty room.

His gaze fell on the desk.

There were fifteen black hardcover notebooks neatly stacked there.

They were his study notes.

Xia Shu walked over, picked up the top one, and opened it.

During the hundreds of days and nights at the institute, every surgery he participated in, every case discussed, every offhand comment Yang Ping made, he recorded it. At first, he noted the technical details: the angle of the anastomosis, the choice of sutures, the time for extracorporeal circulation, the handling of surgical accidents. Later, he began noting those seemingly irrelevant things: the patient’s occupation, dietary habits, sleep conditions, medication history, family medical history, even living environment.

Xia Shu closed that notebook and stacked it with the others. The edges of the covers were frayed, and the spines of several were cracked, which he had meticulously taped with transparent tape. Inside, it was densely filled with writing, some pages had drawings, some pages were folded to mark notes.

The door was knocked.

"Please come in."

The door opened, and three young people in white gowns walked in. Xia Shu recognized the one leading them; he was Zhou Zheng, a doctoral student recruited by Li Zehui this year, whom he’d seen a few times around the department. The other two were unfamiliar, probably fellow disciples of the same group.

"Mr. Xia!" Zhou Zheng greeted with a smile, "Director Li sent us to help move things."

Xia Shu hesitated for a moment: "No need for trouble, I can move them myself."

"No trouble at all," Zhou Zheng had already rolled up his sleeves and walked to the corner, "Director Li specifically sent us to help; we’re young and strong, perfect for a bit of activity."

The two other doctoral students nodded along and began picking up the boxes on the floor. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Xia Shu opened his mouth, unsure of what to say.

Zhou Zheng picked up a box and looked at the label: "Mr. Xia, what is in this box? It’s quite heavy."

"Books," Xia Shu replied, "and professional materials."

"Alright, I’ll take it downstairs first." Zhou Zheng carried the box towards the door and turned back before leaving, "Mr. Xia, leave those notebooks alone; I’ll come back for them."

The three young men went back and forth and moved all six boxes onto the flatbed cart.

Finally, Zhou Zheng returned and saw Xia Shu still standing by the desk, staring at the pile of notebooks.

"Mr. Xia, let me take these."

Xia Shu hesitated for a second and nodded.

Zhou Zheng glanced at them, fifteen notebooks stacked together, meticulously bound with tape. Each cover had a handwritten number from 1 to 15.

"These are your notes? Mr. Xia!"

"Mm."

Zhou Zheng did not ask again; he carried the stack of notebooks out, very heavy.

On the bedside table was a note, put there when he first came, with a line Yang Ping once said: "A well-done surgery can save one person, but passing down skills can save many more."

The note was already yellowed, the corners curling up.

He left it there for the next person who would stay.

He turned, closing the door.

Downstairs, a small hospital truck and a sedan were waiting. The three doctoral students loaded the boxes and notebooks into the vehicles, Zhou Zheng patted the dust off his hands.

"Mr. Xia, you can take the car; we’ll walk over."

"Let’s walk together," Xia Shu said, noticing it’s only a few steps, yet Li Zehui arranged for both a sedan and a truck.

Zhou Zheng looked at his expression and did not insist further.

The four walked through the institute yard towards the surgical building. Several young doctors in white gowns passed by; some knew Xia Shu and nodded in greeting.

At the heart surgery ward of the surgical building, Li Zehui awaited at the door.

"Here you are?" He saw Xia Shu, then the three doctoral students and the small cart, "Have all the things been moved over?"

Zhou Zheng answered promptly, "Report Director Li, six boxes, a pile of notebooks, all in place!"

Li Zehui nodded and looked at Xia Shu.

"Dr. Xia," he extended his hand, "Welcome!"

Xia Shu shook his hand.

Li Zehui is a world-renowned heart surgeon, serving at the Cleveland Clinic’s cardiac surgery department, a member of the American Society of Cardiothoracic Surgery. He practiced in the United States for over twenty years, an authority in congenital heart disease, with millionaires from Europe and the Middle East flying to Cleveland specifically for his surgeries.

Such a person has returned to Sanbo.

Xia Shu asked him the reason for his return.

Li Zehui’s answer was simple: "Because Professor Yang is here, to achieve great endeavors, one must be with great individuals."

At this moment, the two stood at the entrance of the heart surgery ward, looking at everything before them.

The heart surgery ward spans over 2000 square meters, with 48 beds, 12 ICU beds. A roundabout nurse station, giant intelligent monitoring screen, six film reading workstations, and a remote consultation room. Two hundred-level laminar flow operating rooms, one hybrid operating room.

The extracorporeal circulation team has six members, the anesthesia team four, the nursing team twenty-three, the rehabilitation team three, the nutritionists two, and one psychologist.

In the team roster, there are young doctoral students from Fuwai and Anzhen, and returnees from the United States, Germany, and Japan. The extracorporeal circulation team member was dug out by Li Zehui from Cleveland, having been with him for fifteen years; the anesthesiologist has been at Sanbo Hospital for eight years; the nursing team was rigorously trained and selected from Sanbo Hospital.

Sanbo is not short of funds now; with Xia Changjiang’s determination under Yang Ping’s support, they aim to establish Sanbo as a world-class medical center.

The heart surgery department is critical; the most advanced equipment is just the foundation; what truly gives this department stability, is its people.

With Li Zehui and Xia Shu, Xia Changjiang does not worry about the heart surgery department not thriving.