Surgeons Episode 12 Recap
> Surgeons Recap
Lu Chenxi and Zhuang Shu successfully completed a complex surgery for a traumatic chest penetrating injury. Following the operation, Zhuang Shu suggested Lu Chenxi summarize the case and write a paper, noting her recent highly difficult surgeries. He believed that if she published two papers, she would have enough dissertations for promotion to an associate chief physician in the Thoracic Surgery Department. Lu Chenxi, however, was hesitant to claim sole credit for their joint effort.
Zhuang Shu, with a smile, explained that he did not need the dissertations, but she did, in order to return to the operating room and secure her promotion. Despite her initial reservations, Lu Chenxi accepted his offer, asking him to continue guiding her, admitting she struggled with writing papers and making presentations sound distinguished. Zhuang Shu jokingly attributed his skill to being able to "coax" people. Meanwhile, Tang Wenlong visited Yang Fan's office.
Yang Fan expressed concern that he might not be able to prevent Lu Chenxi's eventual return to the Thoracic Surgery Department. Tang Wenlong then suggested a colleague who could persuade Lu Chenxi to use their medical equipment. He revealed this colleague was Xue Luan, Lu Chenxi's former boyfriend, whom Yang Fan also knew. Yang Fan acknowledged that Xue Luan, now working at Pioneer Medical Treatment Corporation, could indeed be useful.
Later, Zhuang Shu noticed that Lu Chenxi's eyebrows were uneven, a result of the egg-throwing incident. He offered to trim them for her using a surgical knife in his office. As he meticulously worked, Lu Chenxi confided that the girl they had seen earlier with Xue Luan was not his girlfriend, but his teacher's daughter.
She clarified that her breakup with Xue Luan was due to differences in life choices, not a lack of feelings, and confidently asserted that Xue Luan still liked her and would not be interested in "a little white rabbit" type of girl. Zhuang Shu then paused, asking her pointedly if she still liked Xue Luan. Lu Chenxi playfully dodged the question, asking why he cared so much.
Zhuang Shu finished trimming her eyebrows and asked her to treat him to a meal as thanks. She declined, stating she had plans to meet Xue Luan to comfort their senior sister, Zheng Yanhua. Up on the hospital rooftop, Director Zhong met with Zhuang Shu. Zhuang Shu explained that his repeated efforts to have Lu Chenxi assist in surgeries were aimed at helping her accumulate enough papers to facilitate her return to Thoracic Surgery.
Director Zhong admitted he had previously misunderstood Zhuang Shu's intentions, having mistakenly believed he would compromise his ethics to uncover the truth. He then reminisced about Zhang Shumin's case. Zhuang Shu pressed Director Zhong for the truth about why he had persisted in appealing for his mother and was subsequently transferred to the emergency department. Director Zhong revealed that he had personally witnessed Zhang Shumin injecting an aqueous solution, not penicillin, into Lu Zhonghe.
He explained that penicillin is a powder requiring dilution, while Lidocaine is an aqueous drug. However, during the investigation, no Lidocaine ampules were found, only an empty penicillin vial, suggesting evidence tampering. Despite his persistent appeals, his testimony was dismissed due to lack of hard evidence, leading to his transfer. Zhuang Shu expressed his determination to reopen the investigation.
Director Zhong, however, doubted their ability to succeed, explaining that Fu Bowen and his powerful backer, who had both benefited greatly from the incident, were now revered figures in the medical world and would never admit to past mistakes. At that moment, Fu Bowen appeared silently in the distance, observing their conversation. After Director Zhong left, Fu Bowen approached Zhuang Shu to discuss the recent lung transplant surgery, hoping they could reach a unified statement.
He wanted everyone to understand that his incomplete performance was due to ill health. Zhuang Shu remained impassive, stating he had no interest in self-promotion or fighting for recognition. He challenged Fu Bowen to consider what his colleagues, subordinates, and students would think, especially after his television interview.
Fu Bowen then pleaded for Zhuang Shu to agree to a consistent narrative, revealing he had already submitted his resignation citing health reasons, viewing it as his apology and a way to preserve his final dignity. Zhuang Shu, however, scoffed, sarcastically remarking on Fu Bowen's pattern of resigning or remaining silent when faced with scandals, suggesting he might have used other, less known methods in the past.
Later, Lu Chenxi, Xue Luan, and their senior sister, Zheng Yanhua, were having dessert. Zheng Yanhua was still distressed over her husband's infidelity and her sacrifices for family, but Lu Chenxi managed to lift her spirits with a tough-love style of comfort, while also explaining that as a doctor, she had a duty to help the other woman as a patient. During their conversation, Xue Luan inadvertently let slip that Fu Bowen was resigning. Lu Chenxi was stunned.
Xue Luan explained that as the head of research at Pioneer Medical Treatment Corporation, his company had close ties with Renhe, making them aware of personnel changes. He also mentioned that he had learned about the details of the lung transplant surgery from their senior, Zhang Mohan, who suggested he seek Zhuang Shu, not Fu Bowen, to lead a particular surgery, implying that Zhuang Shu was the true leader of the lung transplant.
Alarmed by the revelation, Lu Chenxi rushed back to the hospital, rumors about the lung transplant swirling in her mind. She found Zhuang Shu in his office, discussing patient Lin Sen's case with the child's father, Lin Wei. Lu Chenxi joined them, reviewing Lin Sen's medical history. They explained that Lin Sen had undergone multiple surgeries, making another general anesthesia surgery for his mediastinal tumor inadvisable immediately due to potential complications.
They also advised Lin Wei on how to connect with his son, who was still traumatized. After Lin Wei left, Zhuang Shu assured Lu Chenxi that he would arrange for her to be the primary surgeon for Lin Sen's operation. Lu Chenxi, however, was still consumed by the news of Fu Bowen's resignation.
She confronted Zhuang Shu, demanding to know why he replaced her in the lung transplant surgery and if Fu Bowen's early retirement was his ultimate goal in coming to Renhe. She furiously accused him and Yang Fan of conspiring to remove her from Thoracic Surgery, only to bring her back once she was "tamed," implying they were using her as a pawn.
Zhuang Shu, disappointed by her strong prejudice, told her that Fu Bowen had his own reasons for resigning and that it had nothing to do with him. He also revealed that Fu Bowen's protectiveness of her stemmed from guilt over her father's death, which occurred years ago in a medical malpractice incident at the hospital. Lu Chenxi retorted that Zhuang Shu was calculated and scheming.
She adamantly insisted that her father's death was unrelated to Fu Bowen but was caused by a nurse's dereliction of duty, who had overlooked her father's allergy history and injected him with penicillin. Zhuang Shu asked if she truly believed that, then called her "stupid," and asked her to leave, stating that while he admired her surgical skills, he couldn't tolerate illogical thinking in life. Separately, Yang Yu persistently reminded Chen Shaocong to get a physical examination.
She finally revealed that she had seen his ex-girlfriend, Zhang Qian, at the sexually transmitted diseases (STD) clinic. Startled and alarmed, Chen Shaocong immediately grabbed Yang Yu and rushed off to find Zhang Qian.
