A New Kind of Empathy

Chapter 21 A New Kind of Empathy

Ji Xiang rode his bike home, thinking about today's surgery the whole way.

Although I've performed many surgeries in the operating room, the feeling is fundamentally different from real-life surgery.

Ji Xiang also knew that the pressure of training himself to perform surgery in the system's operating room was not great, but when performing surgery in reality, he would unconsciously immerse himself in the role every time, as if he were the one lying on the operating table.

This feeling is complex and hard to describe.

However, his surgical skills improved very quickly, and coupled with the fact that the experience wasn't as terrifying as he had imagined, a wild ambition gradually rose in Ji Xiang's heart.

While improving his skills was one thing, Ji Xiang also completed a system task – [Assembly Line].

今天做了32台手术，前20台每台手术给0.2手术点数，合计4点+任务奖励2点+完成20台手术后每台手术多给0.3个点数，也就是6点。

The surgery points arrived promptly at 12 o'clock.

However, the system interface showed 22 more surgery points. Ji Xiang probably thought the remaining 10 points were a reward from the system for his empathy.

Ji Xiang hasn't figured out how to spend the points yet, but the more the better.

He examined the changes with the joyful anticipation of a hamster preparing for winter.

The experience points increased by a moderate 3300 points, which is exactly the same as the 100 experience points gained per surgery in reality.

Yesterday, Ji Xiang used up all 6000 experience points he had accumulated training in surgery in the system space, exhausting his basic stamina. These points were now completely depleted on upgrading surgical techniques.

With 3300 experience points, plus today's surgical training, the circumcision technique under the suture device can also be upgraded to level 4.

Ji Xiang was somewhat looking forward to the upgrade from level 3 to level 4, not knowing if there would be any rewards.

When he got home, Ji Xiang changed his shoes and greeted the old man as he passed by the study.

It was lunchtime, but the old man was looking at candlestick charts on his computer.

That was a one-minute candlestick chart, which wasn't very helpful for actual trading, but Ji Xiang's father used looking at one-minute candlestick charts as a form of entertainment and relaxation.

Ji Xiang smiled. There was no doubt that he had inherited his father's obsessive and fanatical personality. Otherwise, he wouldn't have enjoyed the tedious and endless surgeries so much, and tirelessly completed them.

Back in his bedroom, Ji Xiang didn't rush to the operating room; instead, he washed up first.

After taking a hot shower, Ji Xiang sat down and began to jot down some of the scattered details of today's surgery.

These records are actually meaningless, much like how the old man likes to look at one-minute candlestick charts.

After everything was done, Ji Xiang lay down on the bed, closed his eyes, and focused on the system operating room.

The system NPC stood in the corridor with his hands behind his back and his back bent, looking like a statue—the medical sage Zhang Zhongjing that Ji Xiang had seen in the school square when he first started school.

Ji Xiang composed himself, walked over, and bowed respectfully.

"Teacher, I'm here."

"Hmm." The system NPC nodded slightly. "How does it feel?"

"That's good." Ji Xiang then got straight to the point, "Teacher, I want to participate in more tests that involve empathy."

"Your resolute nature makes it alright," the system NPC said. "However, the surgical training you're exchanging for might be a bit tedious."

Ji Xiang pursed his lips slightly and remained silent; his expression spoke volumes.

"Not bad." The system NPC rarely gave a compliment, and then took Ji Xiang to have the surgery.

Ji Xiang knew that he was performing the surgery on himself, so he was extremely focused.

After undergoing surgical training and performing surgeries in real-world settings, Ji Xiang gained some understanding and questions about circumcision.

While undergoing surgery, Ji Xiang asked questions of the system NPC, who explained every detail.

Next came the time for empathy training. Ji Xiang, eager to have more opportunities for surgical practice, showed no fear of empathy and was even more eager to try.

It's just cutting a leather bag; you'll get used to it.

Ji Xiang also knew that there was absolutely no one in the world as familiar with cutting leather bags as he was.

The legendary "purse prince" should be me!

Time and again, Ji Xiang didn't look at the donkey hoof repairman or the "History of Ming," but focused on the pain-comparison surgery process.

The process went smoothly, and for the first time, Ji Xiang fully experienced the various situations that a postoperative patient would face.

After coming out, Ji Xiang consulted the system NPC about some things he had been thinking about.

Having the surgery again, I felt the same way once more.

However, the system has limitations on the rewards for this bug-like situation. Ji Xiang, having experienced the same thing again, received no extra rewards and could only reflect on the gains and losses of his surgery.

Ji Xiang didn't really care. He couldn't possibly reach the pinnacle of surgery just by experiencing a circumcision.

Surgery is monotonous and boring, but Ji Xiang found enjoyment in each operation. After completing hundreds of surgeries, his physical strength gradually approached zero.

"This is the last time, you should rest now," the system NPC said kindly.

Having accumulated another 3000 experience points, Ji Xiang upgraded his circumcision technique to LV4.

A warm current rose up, and Ji Xiang looked at the system panel.

Ji Xiang felt both satisfied and disappointed.

Perhaps due to the same surgical technique, the reward given by the system for upgrading from level 3 to level 4 is the same as the reward for manual suturing—hand speed +3, and a 20% reduction in the error rate of circumcision.

Fortunately, the reward effects of similar surgeries can be stacked. Ji Xiang's hand speed for performing circumcisions has increased by 6, and his error rate has decreased by 40%.

"Phew." Ji Xiang breathed a sigh of relief; it wasn't too bad.

"You've made rapid progress," the system NPC said.

Ji Xiang could clearly sense that the system NPC was very satisfied with his efforts. With a thought, he asked, "Teacher, I want to learn a new technique."

"A new technique," the system NPC murmured.

"Is that alright?"

"Alright," the system NPC said. "Extensive knowledge and specialized expertise are a given. Next spell: Extension Spell."

"..." Ji Xiang felt as if he was not facing a serious and kind system NPC, but rather as if Colonel Wang or Professor Mo were standing here joking around with him.

Extension spell... that sounds like magic.

"I'll take you to do a lengthening procedure first," the system NPC said. "This procedure is generally used for obese patients. Actually, I don't recommend it for obese patients. I've done more than 300 cases, and they were mostly lengthening procedures after burn surgery."

burn?

Ji Xiang was taken aback.

In his mind, the lip augmentation procedure was a cosmetic surgery similar to breast augmentation, nose augmentation, or chin reduction.

However, the system NPC described it as burns.

Upon closer reflection, what the system NPC said seemed to make some sense, even though Ji Xiang hadn't carefully examined a single burn patient yet.

During his internship, Ji Xiang saw extremely critically ill patients while rotating through the burn unit. For routine, less demanding tasks, his supervising physician would assign them to Ji Xiang.

However, each dressing change for severely burned patients is not only a torment for the patients, but also a torment for the doctors.

The supervising teacher changes the dressings himself every time. To prevent infection, he doesn't even bring the students with him. He changes the dressings by himself for an hour and a half each time.

The procedure to prolong lifespan after severe burns... Ji Xiang felt a chill in his heart. Every procedure has its own use, to heal the sick and save lives.

"Come on." The system NPC raised his hand and patted Ji Xiang on the shoulder.

The operating room was the same one, but this time it was a little different—an scrub nurse appeared in the operating room, along with an anesthesiologist.

The system NPC did not communicate with the scrub nurse. After the anesthesiologist administered continuous epidural anesthesia to the simulator, the scrub nurse began to scan hands and come on stage.

Unlike circumcision, lengthening surgery at least looks like a proper surgery, as the anesthesiologist and scrub nurses in the operating room silently reminded Ji Xiang.

Ji Xiang focused his attention, disinfected and laid out sterile sheets, then changed his clothes and stood in the assistant's position.

The system NPC stood still, extended its hand, and whispered, "Give me the knife!"

A scalpel was placed in his palm.

Ji Xiang shivered.

cool!

That's fucking cool!!

"Focus," the system NPC said. "This time we're talking about a standard lengthening procedure. First, we'll make a circumferential incision to separate the subcutaneous tissue and fascia, down to the tunica albuginea of ​​the corpus cavernosum."

Ji Xiang focused intently, watching the actions of the system NPC while offering his assistance.

The system NPC didn't rush to explain the surgical procedure, but instead taught Ji Xiang step by step how to work as an assistant, explaining the surgeon's intentions and what an assistant should do.

Fully release and loosen the spongy tissue, then remove the skin from the base of the stem.

Separate and loosen the ligaments at the base of the penis and the pubic bone to allow the penis to lengthen fully. Then suture the tunica albuginea of ​​the corpus cavernosum at the base of the penis to the skin at the pubic bone with silk thread (both sides of the horn of the penis).

Replace the leather bag to cover the stem, cut and sew the stem skin to the inner panel of the bag, and apply pressure with Vaseline or other gauze.

The system NPC performed the surgery at a leisurely pace, spending most of the time explaining the procedure to Ji Xiang and what he should do as an assistant.

After the surgery, Ji Xiang had memorized the entire process.

"Go back now," the system NPC said kindly after seeing Ji Xiang and the anesthesiologist lift the simulator onto the stretcher.

"Teacher," Ji Xiang said, pursing his lips with a hint of stubbornness.

"Um?"

"I want to empathize."

"I don't really recommend you do it now," the system NPC said, "especially the empathy from the extension spell."

"I'm strong, don't worry."

Ji Xiang knew he needed to gain more surgical training opportunities through empathy using the new surgical techniques, so he insisted on his idea.

"Alright then." The system NPC nodded. "This empathy might not have anything to do with the surgery, but it's good to experience it for yourself."

Ji Xiang took a deep breath. He wasn't the first time a newbie had been taken to the next operating room by a system NPC, but he was still a little uneasy.

"You are very good." The system NPC looked into Ji Xiang's eyes and said calmly.

Ji Xiang was taken aback; he didn't know why the system NPC would say that.

"You are number 27149. Less than 5% of people can accept empathy," the system NPC said slowly. "Experiencing different empathies three times in a short period of time will grant you a hidden reward."

"Well……"

"Actually, I don't agree with doing this, but Zhou Congwen and the others discussed it in a meeting and thought it was acceptable. I... I won't go into that. In other words, you've passed the initial test and deserve a reward."

"Teacher, what kind of reward is it?" Ji Xiang was somewhat tempted.

"Two bottles of potions to enhance surgical skills," the system NPC said.

Ji Xiang didn't understand what it was, but he didn't ask for details.

To be honest, Ji Xiang isn't a masochist, and he's not really interested in those things. What he's interested in is how well his surgery went and how he can improve it further.

From receiving an extra injection in the head to complications such as frenulum bleeding and infection, Ji Xiang experienced all of these and received targeted treatment.

Ji Xiang was very satisfied with this. He thought the designer named Zhou Congwen, mentioned by the system NPC, was very capable.

"Let's begin. Remember, tell me if you can't take it anymore," the system NPC instructed.

"Okay, don't worry, teacher." Ji Xiang glanced at his energy level and nodded vigorously.

Upon arriving next door, Ji Xiang was greeted by flickering lights and shadows. The next second, he found himself crying in a square.

"swallow!"

Ji Xiang knew he was in an immersive experience, and there should be NPCs involved this time. The heart-wrenching screams he had just heard were from the NPC he was possessing.

"Stop shouting." A woman's voice came from the side. "Yanzi has a good home; you shouldn't disturb her."

"But how am I supposed to live without her!"

"With you around, how can she live?" The girl sighed, took out a cigarette, and handed it to him.

Ji Xiang tentatively moved, but unlike the previous two times, the person speaking was not himself.

Perhaps... Ji Xiang's mind raced, knowing that this time he wouldn't have the opportunity to act freely, and could only quietly observe from an outsider's perspective.

He wiped away his tears and snot with his sleeve and took the cigarette under the disdainful gaze of the girl next to him.

"Dahai, we disapproved of Yanzi dating you back then," the girl said coldly. "We're friends, I'll tell you the truth."

Da Hai shakily put the cigarette in his mouth and tried to light it after three or five tries with a lighter that said "Peking Union Medical College Hospital Urology Department" on it.

"Are you 180 centimeters tall? Are you 180 millimeters long? Do you own a 180-square-meter apartment?" The woman's voice was indifferent, cold, and even somewhat cruel.

You have nothing.

"So, that's it." The woman took a deep breath and exhaled onto the sea's face.

"You're not good enough for Yanzi, you need to understand that. Don't be fooled by Yanzi's tears, what she can't let go of isn't you, but her past love. Let bygones be bygones, forget about it, it's better for both you and Yanzi."

"We'll still be buddies. If you want a drink, just let me know, and I'll go with you for a round of drinks."

"Xiao Mo, I've been so good to Yanzi..." The man cried like a dog.

"Da Hai, do I need to make myself clearer?!" The woman's voice was hoarse. She glared at Da Hai, practically forcing out the words, "You're nothing but a lowly sycophant, you don't deserve Yan Zi!"

After saying that, the woman looked at the sea with disdain, and the smell of her cheap perfume was somewhat pungent.

The woman named Xiaomo stopped comforting Dahai, took a deep drag, finished smoking her cigarette, and then exhaled heavily.

"Xiao Mo, I just want to see the swallows one more time," Da Hai pleaded.

Xiao Mo stood up, her disdainful gaze undisguised. She slapped the man's hand away and turned to leave.

But she only took one step before turning around, her sly smile somewhat irritating.

"Look, what's the use?"

"Da Hai, don't you know what you're like? It's not that I think you're poor, or that you're not handsome enough..."

"Myself" was a little confused, staring blankly at Xiao Mo. Ji Xiang could sense the confusion and pain in "myself's" heart, and tears were streaming down his face.

"The sea, I cannot sit here."

A knife is plunged into the heart of the sea.

(End of this chapter)