Surgery Godfather
Chapter 774 - 692: Scroll Painting

Chapter 774: Chapter 692: Scroll Painting

Director Lan felt that he, a prestigious PhD who had been trained at Xiehe Hospital and Shanghai Jiaotong University Ninth Hospital, had now suffered a pathetic fate where the ward barely had any patients and few patients even showed up at the outpatient department daily.

After some introspection, Director Lan decided to use his connections and adopt an undercover approach to investigate the largest private plastic surgery hospital in Southern China -- a cosmetic and plastic surgery hospital under the Ruixing Medical Group.

This hospital didn’t even own its building but rented it from someone else. However, the number of surgeries they performed was astonishing, with an annual turnover in the hundreds of millions. They conducted various types of surgeries such as liposuction, breast augmentation, eyelid surgery, rhinoplasty, abdominoplasty, and more, which were booming.

Non-surgical procedures such as botulinum toxins injections, hyaluronic acid injections, hair removal, skin tightening, and fat reduction were also extremely popular.

For three whole months, Director Lan studied this hospital thoroughly with the attitude and approach of a PhD doing a research project. He was confident that he had mastered the true essence of its operations and had been holding back a desire to make big waves.

However, when he presented a revitalization plan for the department that was worthy of being a research project proposal, he was berated harshly by Dean Xia.

After being scolded awake by Dean Xia, he went back and reflected deeply once more. As a result, he had an epiphany: he believed that Dean Xia had scolded him and discarded his report because he was too pedantic, including in his report things that were considered unprofessional and expecting the dean to approve of them.

Director Lan learned his lesson this time. He understood another truth: some things should be done, not said, or should be done in one way and talked about in another way.

With these theoretical understandings sorted out, Director Lan felt that he was about to make a major move. He would take full advantage of Dr. Ivan’s presence to launch a nationwide sensational marketing campaign, stomping hard on those so-called successful hospitals in the industry.

After the meeting, Dr. Ivan, led by Zhang Lin, went to the Medical Affairs Department to register as a visiting scholar.

For Dr. Ivan to stay and participate in surgeries, he needed to have proper procedures in place. The most suitable status at the moment was as a short-term visiting scholar, as was the case when Robert studied at Sanbo Hospital for two weeks.

Doctors who came to join the commotion each returned to their own home after the meeting. Many came with the intention of seeing a star, after all, who would not want to see the likes of Dr. Ivan, whose reputation was renowned online.

When Yang Ping returned to the director’s office, just as he was about to sit down and have a cup of tea, Director Lan from the Plastic Surgery Department followed him in, stammering wanting to say something, but too embarrassed to do so.

Director Lan’s situation was known by the entire hospital. Yang Ping didn’t have a good impression of him. His promotion of marketing theories that viewed medicine as commerce disgusted Yang Ping.

This guy even publically criticised in the hospital that most of the directors lacked market concepts and management awareness and means. He hoped that the hospital leadership would allow the department directors to take MBA President classes to learn business knowledge. He claimed that doing so could ensure that the hospital’s income would multiply several times.

Astonishingly, his views had a group of confirmed supporters, forming a minor force within the hospital, dubbed, the "marketing faction".

"Professor Yang, do you have a moment to chat?" Director Lan tentatively asked.

Despite Yang Ping disliking him, they were after all colleagues, it would be no big deal just to let him talk.

"Director Lan, please have a seat. Would you like some tea?", Yang Ping put down his teacup.

Director Lan shook his head: "No need to trouble yourself, I’ll just pour myself a glass of water."

"Professor Yang, you truly are an up-and-coming talent, even able to invite Dr. Ivan. From what I know, he is someone whom even Mayo can’t invite. The hospital has been wanting to develop the field of plastic surgery for a few years now but hasn’t made any headway. I just had an immature idea. If Dr. Ivan could spare some time to help us hold a special consultation and guide our surgeries, our business is sure to reach another level." Director Lan finally expressed his thoughts.

Yang Ping thought for a moment before saying: "I’m afraid I might not be able to help with that. I’m not very familiar with Dr. Ivan. Let’s wait until we’re more acquainted."

This was a refusal of Director Lan’s request. Treating medicine as marketing had crossed the line of medical ethics, and Yang Ping was very disgusted with this.

Doctors are doctors, they are not businessmen.

"Professor Yang---"

Just as Director Lan wanted to continue arguing, he changed his mind. He immediately realized it wasn’t because Professor Yang actually knew Dr. Ivan well nor was he unfamiliar. Otherwise, why would Dr. Ivan, who Mayo could not attract, appear at Sanbo? Director Lan thought that maybe Professor Yang considered Ivan as a guest and asking him to conduct consultations or give lectures on top of being at Sanbo was already a great honor. Nevertheless, Director Lan believed that he would have to take the initiative to seize any opportunity to talk to Dr. Ivan about his proposal. There are some things that can be accomplished as long as one has a thick enough face, which already counts as half of the success.

"Thank you, Professor Yang!"

Not wanting to take up more of Yang Ping’s time, Director Lan then excused himself.

Thank me?

Yang Ping was puzzled, perplexed. What had he even said for them to be thanking him?

Of course, it wasn’t that he couldn’t do them this favor. Director Lan was currently the leading figure of the hospital’s marketing faction. Yang Ping suspected him of having ill intentions, especially as he seemed to be getting immersed in them of late. He was worried that Director Lan would create a fuss around his relationship with Ivan just to exploit it for marketing the plastic surgery department.

So, Yang Ping was in no rush, needing to carefully ponder how he could best aid them.

Under the guidance of Zhang Lin, Ivan had gone to the medical office to process the paperwork for his international visiting scholar status, scheduled for two weeks. This period was more than enough for him to complete the first phase of Teacher Sun’s surgery.

---

The next morning, Dr. Ivan returned to the department.

It was still around seven in the morning, and there was still some time before their shift. Everyone was engrossed in their work.

This time, he came carrying a large painting roll. The painting was quite large and seemed rather heavy. As soon as he entered the office, Ivan had Little Five Zhang Lin help him unroll it.

When the painting was unrolled, it was too big for just Little Five Zhang Lin to handle. So, they called upon two interns to assist, with each of the four individuals holding a corner, they fully expanded the painting.

It was splendid!

This was a life-size anatomical drawing, and it was even in color.

Everyone was attracted by the painting and immediately gathered around it. Song Zimo, Xu Zhiliang, August, and Robert also came to see what was going on.

Ivan watched the doctors around him, feeling a bit of excitement. He could not speak Chinese, so he could only converse with everyone in English.

"This is a life-sized anatomical drawing, I always make one of the surgical subject before every surgery," he explained.

Not just one painting, Ivan had brought a dozen of them. Under his instruction, everyone unrolled each one.

These drawings were a combination of full-body and partial anatomy, including front, back, left, right, and 45-degree angle views from front and back. They also had detailed diagrams of each body part, with every surgical step represented graphically. Specifically, for the skin grafting procedure, the shape, size, and thickness of the skin flap were accompanied by detailed data.

"To describe a surgery, the best way is to draw!"

Dr. Ivan said with a justified pride, in this world, perhaps no one else could possess such illustrative capability like him.

"Awesome!"

Robert exclaimed in Chinese and then gave a thumbs up, prompting everyone else to join in.

Although Ivan could not understand what Robert had said, he knew it was something full of admiration and astonishment.

"Thank you! I’ve enjoyed drawing since I was a child and have received professional training. I just never thought that after becoming a plastic surgeon, drawing would provide me with such great assistance." Ivan, ever the gentleman, bowed slightly in acknowledgment to everyone.

"What was that forceful and compelling word you used just now, what does it mean?" August, unclear about Robert’s speaking, inquired in a low voice.

August knew Chinese well, but he was not proficient in slang words.

"Genitalia of cattle!" Robert repeated his phrase in English.

It meant ’you are great!’ ’Super great!’

August immediately took note of it in his heart. It was so important to have a good companion when learning Chinese.