Masterful Miracle Doctor

Chapter 1081 - 1043: Freelance Surgery

It was close to five in the afternoon when the parents of Zhang Xuan, a floor exercise gymnast, arrived at the University Affiliated Hospital to sign the surgery consent form.To ensure Zhang Xuan's quickest recovery, Lin Jie decided to perform the surgery immediately.

After nearly twenty minutes of preparation, Lin Jie completed the surgery in just five minutes.

Upon leaving the operating room, amidst many who were waiting, Lin Jie saw a familiar figure, Wang Jinglan.

After explaining the surgery details to Zhang Xuan's worried parents, Lin Jie looked at Wang Jinglan, who approached, and smiled lightly, "Are you also here for a check-up?"

Wang Jinglan nodded and said, "The diving team, swimming team, and synchronized swimming team have all come."

"I've completed all the check-up items and heard you were performing surgery here, so I came to say hello to you."

Lin Jie looked at her left arm and asked, "Do you still feel any discomfort?"

Wang Jinglan rolled her left arm extensively and said with a smile, "It couldn't be better!"

"The coach said that as long as I perform normally, the gold medal is a sure thing. You surely know, the Chinese diving team has a dominating advantage in this event."

Lin Jie blessed her saying, "Looking forward to the moment you step onto the champion podium."

"Since you're in Binhai, are you going to the Fu Family's home?"

Wang Jinglan nodded and said, "The car to pick me up is already waiting downstairs."

"Great-grand uncle's age is getting up there; his energy and strength are not what they used to be. My mom specifically reminded me to visit great-grand uncle while I'm in Binhai."

Lin Jie sighed and said, "Yes, age spares no one."

Last year, he had seen Mr. Fu a few times at different occasions.

But this year, except for the time he specially visited the Fu Family during the Chinese New Year and met Mr. Fu once, he hasn't seen him again.

Lin Jie hasn't heard of Mr. Fu appearing at any recent events or occasions either.

Wang Jinglan leaned closer to Lin Jie and whispered, "Expert Lin, we all privately say you have a penetrating eye that nothing can escape from you."

"Some people are secretly worried, afraid of the chance of losing the opportunity to participate in the Olympics if something is found."

Lin Jie chuckled and said, "Although participating in the Olympics is important, one shouldn't risk their health."

Wang Jinglan squinted her eyes, speaking with a tinge of helplessness, "Winning a gold medal is both for national glory and for personal gain."

"A gold medal brings with it all kinds of bonuses, and sponsorships from companies, which amount to at least several million, a substantial income for athletes who have trained hard for over a decade."

She sighed again, "Expert Lin, many athletes are eating the meal of their youth."

"Involving in sports training for such a long time, their academic performances are often poor, and once their physical peak is past, they retire, carrying possibly plenty of injuries."

"After retiring, getting a job as a sports coach or physical education teacher is considered good, many can't even find a decent job."

Lin Jie knew she was speaking a harsh reality.

However, such matters did not interest him much; they were beyond his duties as a doctor anyway.

Lin Jie did notice Wang Jinglan squinting her eyes earlier, asking, "Has your myopia gotten worse again?"

Wang Jinglan giggled and said, "During today's check-up, my myopia increased by fifty degrees in both eyes."

Lin Jie advised, "After participating in this Olympic Games, you'd better retire."

Myopia is considered an occupational disease for swimmers and divers.

During swimming training, the impact on the retina when entering the water could, over time, lead to retinal degeneration, detachment, thereby affecting vision.

Especially for divers, eye condition issues are even more severe.

When they complete the airborne maneuvers and plunge straight down at free-fall speed towards the water surface, their eyes have to be open.

This 'window' is kept open only to find the most accurate entry point into the water to minimize splash.

Jumping from a ten-meter platform, when nearing the water, the speed is close to sixty kilometers per hour.

Such high speed subjects the already fragile eyes to significant impact.

In the medical field, there is even a specific term for it—Diving Retina Syndrome.

At the moment of water entry, under the massive impact force from the water, the eyeball becomes deformed, while the vitreous base tissue lacks elasticity, unable to stretch synchronously with the eyeball wall, easily causing retinal tears or detachment.

Wang Jinglan nodded and said, "Family and friends are advising the same. In fact, I've made up my mind to retire after this Olympic Games."

At this moment, Qin Gang came over and said softly, "Researcher Jiang Yuanlin from the vice building is leaving now, do you want to?"

Lin Jie bid farewell to Wang Jinglan and quickly walked to the end of the corridor.

From there, through the window, he could see an ambulance with a military plate parked at the vice building's exit, with many people gathered as if saying goodbye.

Lin Jie watched for a while, then turned to Qin Gang and said, "Forget it, I won't go to say goodbye."

"I've already said everything that needed to be reminded before and after the surgery yesterday. Going to say goodbye would just be repeating meaningless well-wishes."

He sighed and said, "Just blessings, they carry no real significance."

"Once I change clothes, I'll head straight home…"

Today, Lin Jie returned to Xiangtai Apartment slightly earlier than usual, not yet six-thirty, allowing him to have dinner with his family.

He also encountered two guests at home.

Ye Hongqing, and his still captivating wife Shen Hui.

At this moment, forty-something Shen Hui had transformed into a seven or eight-year-old little girl, playing with little Yuanyuan, tossing a tennis ball back and forth to tease Lele into running around.

The entire living room echoed with her and little Yuanyuan's hearty and cheerful laughter.

"Haven't seen my wife this happy in a long time!" Ye Hongqing, with a big belly, said meaningfully.

Lin Jie furrowed his brow slightly.

In his heart, Ye Hongqing's family wasn't a suitable choice.

With Ye Hongqing's demeanor, Lin Jie was very worried that being close to him, Yuanyuan might end up looking silly or spoiled.

And with the industry he's in, under his guidance, Yuanyuan could very well grow up to be a rowdy girl.

Lin Jie responded perfunctorily, "Yuanyuan is indeed adorable, everyone who sees her can't help but hug her and play with her."

"It's the weekend today, isn't Ye Chen back?"

Ye Chen is Ye Hongqing's only son. Leveraging the An Family's connections, he got into Binhai University last year through the back door.

Every time this guy sees Lin Jie, he very politely calls him uncle.

However, according to rumors, Ye Chen is someone who knows how to enjoy himself, living it up quite well in university.

When Ye Chen was mentioned, Ye Hongqing showed a face of disdain and said, "Don't even mention that brat, every time he comes back it's all about asking for money, nothing else."

"It's better if he doesn't come back, out of sight, out of mind."

He changed the subject abruptly and asked, "Hey, Brother Lin, I heard you and Li Ao'ge from Huagang Group had a small misunderstanding at a Four Seas Bank party over Qushui Garden?"

Lin Jie nodded lightly, saying, "It's actually nothing serious, just a minor issue, all in the past now."

Ye Hongqing chuckled, "I just got word today that Li Ao'ge doesn't want the Qushui Garden he bid on anymore."

Lin Jie was taken aback, saying, "Doesn't want it? But they had agreed on a 20% penalty for default. If he doesn't want it, he has to pay over 70 million in damages."

"Would Four Seas Bank agree to waive the penalty?"

Ye Hongqing sipped some tea and said softly, "From what I know, Li Ao'ge paid the full penalty."

Lin Jie found it rather unbelievable, saying, "Paying over 70 million in penalty shows he's not short of money, so why doesn't he just buy Qushui Garden outright?"

"Because he wants to save tens of millions!"

Ye Hongqing analyzed, "Four Seas Bank's actual psychological price for Qushui Garden is only 240 million. Li Ao'ge got prodded by Qi Yuanou from Xinggang Group to raise the bid to 365 million."

"By forfeiting this bid and paying the penalty of 73 million, he can easily participate in the formal auction next time and buy it for 240 million."

"That way, he can still save 50 million."

Lin Jie snorted lightly, "Doesn't he worry someone would deliberately mess with him again and raise the price?"

Ye Hongqing laughed lightly, "He's really not afraid."

"He's already said he'll only bid at base price. He even mentioned that Qushui Garden isn't a necessity, if someone wants to pay more, they can go ahead."

Ye Hongqing further analyzed, "Given the current economic climate, there are very few big companies or wealthy individuals willing to spend that kind of money on Qushui Garden."

"Moreover, Li Ao'ge is quite influential in Binhai, potential buyers wouldn't risk offending him directly."

Lin Jie couldn't help but ask, "Wouldn't doing this offend Four Seas Bank?"

Ye Hongqing chuckled, "Brother Lin, think about it, this is a 50 million difference, not just 5 million."

"Besides, with so many financial institutions in Binhai, Li Ao'ge doesn't necessarily have to cooperate with Four Seas Bank."

"Plus, bidding up to 365 million for Qushui Garden, people in the circle are already jokingly calling him the biggest fool of the year, saying he's rich and impulsive."

"Li Ao'ge might be annoyed, thinking it's a scheme by Four Seas Bank and Qi Yuanou."

Lin Jie couldn't help but laugh, "This Li Ao'ge certainly has lots of money and the temperament for it, but he definitely isn't a fool."

He sighed again, "If only I were that wealthy. I've never been to Qushui Garden, but it must be a great place, opening a private club there would be nice."

"Brother Lin, are you interested in Qushui Garden too?" Ye Hongqing inquired.

"What's the use of being interested? This isn't something that can be solved with just a few million."

Lin Jie lamented, "The Anlin Garden project has tied up all my money for the next few years, even a decade."

Ye Hongqing just smiled and said, "If you're interested, then bid for it. A mere two or three billion is no small amount for you."

"I know that the chief surgeons at the Affiliated Hospital make tens of thousands for each freelance surgery they perform."

"With your medical skills, Brother Lin, making a million per freelance session would be no problem."

"A few freelance surgeries a month, along with other income, and earning over a hundred million a year is definitely achievable. For you, Qushui Garden is just one or two years of income."

This 'freelance' isn't about Little Li's Flying Dagger; it's hospital jargon for the renowned surgeons of major hospitals performing surgeries at smaller or regional hospitals during off-hours, for a fee.

For a long time, most quality medical resources in our country have been concentrated in large public hospitals. Experts from these hospitals going to grassroots or private hospitals for 'freelance surgeries' are an open secret in the industry.

Lin Jie knew that many doctors at the Affiliated Hospital were busy flying all over the country on weekends.

Sometimes what they earned over a weekend could equal two or three months' salary.

With Lin Jie's level of medical expertise, he didn't even need to freelance; if he wanted lucrative surgeries, many patients would come waving checks.

However, what Ye Hongqing said made his mind even more active.