CHAPTER 368: 368 NEW COMPOUND SHOWS MAGIC

(Thanks to my friend Yuan Qiuyuan for the reward and encouragement, and to friends Silence529 and Fairy Tale Ending for their monthly votes and encouragement.)

HUFF... HUFF... HUFF...

After panting strenuously a few times, Liu Banxia’s tense mood finally stabilized somewhat.

"Who is the strongest, can stand the firmest, and we need at least two people," Liu Banxia said, looking towards the firefighters.

He wasn’t counting on Qi Wentai; the only ones he could rely on were these firefighters.

As soon as he finished speaking, two men stepped forward.

"Take off your firefighting suits. It might be a bit cold, but wearing them will be cumbersome," Liu Banxia said.

"In a moment, your task is to use your arm strength to gently lift them. I’ll support them from inside the car. Then, once the rest of you see an opening, slide the stretcher in."

"You must be steady. If our movements are too drastic, their bodies could shift. This will take about a minute."

These two firefighters wasted no words. As soon as Liu Banxia finished speaking, they stripped off their firefighting suits, even removing their helmets.

"Dr. Liu, are you sure you’ll be okay in there alone?" Liang Xiaolin, who had followed them, asked anxiously.

"I’ll be fine on my own. After all, I eat a lot," Liu Banxia said, flashing a grin that revealed his white teeth.

DING!

Potent Firming Agent successfully exchanged. Cost: 50 Glory Points. Acquired: 8 Spirit Points, 8 Strength Points. Duration: 3 minutes.

These dual-attribute concoctions were new items added to the system store when he reached level 45. Liu Banxia had coveted them for a long time but had never brought himself to exchange Glory Points for one. Although they offered dual attributes, they only provided an 8-point boost each, had a shorter duration, and cost more Glory Points. But he had no choice now; the space inside the vehicle was too small for two people to fit. The Potent Firming Agent would increase his spirit and strength, allowing him to concentrate better and have more power. Three minutes... that should be enough.

Many onlookers were gathered outside. Even the firefighters were shocked to see Liu Banxia lift a person single-handedly, gripping them under the arms.

This wasn’t like lifting an object where one could use leverage; he had to rely purely on arm strength. Even though Liu Banxia also braced his feet underneath for support, it was still an immense effort.

Liu Banxia was also struggling; he was clearly using every ounce of his strength. For him, there really was no other choice.

The longer this dragged on, the greater the danger to the two patients. If they had to switch people, not only was the confined space in the vehicle an issue, but it would also waste at least ten more minutes.

"AAARGH..."

Before the stretcher was even fully inserted, Liu Banxia was already at his limit. He could only yell to push himself through these last few moments.

"Okay, okay, it’s in!" the firefighter who had been observing with a flashlight shouted.

"Quick... HUFF... get... get... get them in the ambulance," Liu Banxia gasped.

"Dr. Liu, you’re a real trooper!" a firefighter said, giving him a thumbs-up.

Liu Banxia forced a smile. "I’ve definitely strained a muscle. I probably can’t perform surgery until tomorrow at the earliest. Be careful when lifting the stretcher. Hang another bag of plasma and start oxygen. Dr. Qi, you go with them, straight back to the hospital."

Although they had managed to save time, it had come at a significant cost. Liu Banxia felt like he could barely lift his arms now; he’d be lucky if they recovered by tomorrow.

He was very relieved now. Thankfully, he had brought extra blood; otherwise, these two patients would have been in serious trouble. Each of them had severe bleeding and might have lost too much blood.

Although it had only taken them half an hour to reach the scene, the return trip to the Second Hospital took forty-six minutes. They didn’t dare drive too fast, fearing the bumpy roads would cause secondary injuries to the patients.

"What’s their blood status?" Zhou Shuwen, who was waiting, asked quickly as soon as the ambulance doors opened.

"They still need more blood, two bags each. And be gentle when moving their gurneys," Qi Wentai said.

"Continue the transfusions! Careful with the gurneys!" Zhou Shuwen shouted.

"Director, the female patient is in a more critical condition. She might have injuries to her carotid artery and kidneys," said Liu Banxia, stepping out from the back of the ambulance.

"What happened to your arm?" Zhou Shuwen frowned.

"I strained it a bit while moving the patients. In the OR, I can only observe or help spot bleeders. It’s not a big deal," Liu Banxia said.

The staff waiting in the Emergency Center were all shocked when they saw the condition of the two patients; they hadn’t expected it to be this severe. Seeing their current state, one could only imagine how difficult it must have been to move them from the wrecked car to the ambulance.

"What did the ultrasound show?" Zhou Shuwen asked upon entering Trauma Bay Two.

"The male patient has a significant amount of free fluid in his abdomen. The ultrasound suggests a splenic injury. For the female patient, the ultrasound is inconclusive; her intra-abdominal injuries are too severe," Shi Lei reported.

"Everyone, pay attention! Both patients are critical," Zhou Shuwen announced.

"Shi Lei, protect the female patient’s neck wound. When we extract the rebar, there will definitely be massive bleeding. Wei Yuan, manage the female patient’s abdominal penetrating trauma; try to minimize bleeding as much as possible. I’m going to OR 2."

"Qi Wentai, after removing the rebar from the male patient, apply direct pressure to control the bleeding, then take him straight to OR 3. Liu Banxia, you go with him. There’s no time for detailed examinations; both patients go directly to surgery."

"Yes!" everyone responded in unison.

If these were branches, they could be cut with tools and dealt with in the operating room. But this was rebar. Cutting it at close range could render all prior efforts futile.

Therefore, in this situation, pulling them out directly was the most prudent approach.

The female patient’s injuries were more severe, and she needed urgent attention. Extracting two rebars simultaneously was an incredibly difficult task.

The onlookers held their breath, afraid any sound they made might interfere with the critical procedure.

"Blood oxygen down to 85! BP is dropping! She’s having difficulty breathing! Liang Xiaolin, intubate!" Liu Banxia, who was watching the monitor, shouted as soon as the female patient was freed from the rebar.

Liang Xiaolin didn’t delay and proceeded with the intubation. However, even for an intubation expert like her, today presented a challenge.

The rebar had pierced her neck, causing significant swelling and compressing the airway, which made intubation extremely difficult for Liang Xiaolin.

There was one last resort: a cricothyrotomy. But with the patient’s neck already severely injured, performing a cricothyrotomy could lead to further complications and disfigurement.

"It’s in!" Liang Xiaolin exclaimed after a tense moment, her voice filled with excitement.

Everyone heaved a sigh of relief. At least this part of the rescue was successful.

Liu Banxia gestured for the interns to follow Zhou Shuwen; that was where the complex, multi-departmental surgery would take place.

Meanwhile, the rebar was still being extracted from the male patient. Once it was out, they had no choice but to apply gauze to the wound and rush him to the operating room.

His arm was indeed badly injured today; it would probably mess up his surgical schedule for the day after tomorrow. Even scrubbing in would be difficult now. This wasn’t something an Essence-Nourishing Concoction could fix.

"How are you holding up?" Qi Wentai asked.

"I’m fine. I can still observe. But it’s best if I don’t scrub in. Qing Kewa, you’ll be first assist for Dr. Qi. Check carefully for any intestinal damage, and prioritize the spleen," Liu Banxia said.

Both Qi Wentai and Qing Kewa nodded.

Liu Banxia’s authority was now established. Qi Wentai’s attitude towards him had also changed. Liu Banxia’s medical skills had completely surpassed his own, and since Liu Banxia hadn’t used it to retaliate against him, Qi Wentai no longer held any ill feelings.

"I heard the patient next door is in worse shape?" Li Liwei, the anesthesiologist on duty today, asked as he entered the operating room.

Liu Banxia nodded. "The Director is operating on her personally. Her life will probably be saved. They were really unlucky, taking a ride-share. Who knows if the insurance for that driver and the truck will be enough to cover everything."

"Anesthesia is effective. You can start," Li Liwei said after checking the patient.

They proceeded with an open laparotomy. As the abdomen was incised, a large amount of blood gushed out. However, Liu Banxia didn’t interject; he was only there as a backup, just in case.

Qi Wentai and Qing Kewa were handling the procedure capably. Clamping the splenic artery, suctioning blood, and examining the intestines—they performed each step competently.

Unfortunately, they found a longitudinal tear in the intestine, nearly 2 centimeters long. Once the abdomen was opened and the internal pressure released, the tear split open completely. That segment of the intestine would have to be resected.

The spleen was also in bad shape and couldn’t be saved. There were a few other minor bleeding points, but they weren’t severe.

Liu Banxia finally felt relieved. Although there had been significant blood loss, the transfusions were timely. Qi Wentai and Qing Kewa were perfectly capable of managing this patient’s injuries.

DING!

Emergency Rescue Mission completed.

Base Rewards: 500 Experience Points, 1,000 Diagnostic Skill Proficiency, 10 Glory Points.

Mission Rating: Perfect.

Bonus Rewards: 1,000 Experience Points, 1,000 Diagnostic Skill Proficiency, 10 Glory Points.

Congratulations, Host! Leveled up to 48 (120,845/126,730 EXP).

Acquired: 1 Attribute Point, 5 Glory Points.

Looking at the notification made Liu Banxia a bit dazed; the rewards were indeed generous. Experience points, Diagnostic Skill Proficiency, Glory Points—it was a level of generosity he hadn’t experienced from the system in a long time.

He pondered for a moment. The rewards were likely given before both patients were fully stabilized because his participation in the subsequent surgeries wasn’t required. The generous amount was perhaps also related to his decision to try and save both patients. Moreover, he had contributed significantly before even reaching the hospital; both his arms were now so strained he could barely exert any strength. This was probably typical of the system. In some rescue missions, it didn’t evaluate based on the final outcome but rather on the process. For certain diagnostic tasks, however, it prioritized the results.