Chapter 314: Chapter 313: A Political Task

’It’s just a brain tumor, not an emergency!’

This made Yan Feifan shoot a subtle glance at Zheng Libin.

He was rather displeased with the man for rashly bringing people to his home after hours to seek treatment for a non-urgent condition.

’Perhaps our previous collaborations gave him the wrong idea, making him think I’m a friend he can have at his beck and call?’

Yan Feifan suppressed his displeasure and said in a flat tone, "Let’s talk inside."

After showing the three of them into the living room, Yan Feifan held out his hand. "Let me see the tumor’s imaging scans first."

At his words, one of the strangers, who appeared slightly older, took a tablet out of a briefcase and handed it over.

Yan Feifan took the tablet and began looking through the cranial MRI scans on the screen.

After viewing a few of the scans, his dissatisfaction grew.

It showed two small tumors, each about the size of a quail’s egg, with well-defined borders, located near the craniopharyngeal duct.

Based on the location and size of the tumors, they likely hadn’t caused any significant discomfort or adverse symptoms yet.

It was likely an incidental finding from a routine physical exam.

Just then, Yan Ziruo came over and poured a cup of tea for Zheng Libin and the other two men.

After looking through all the scans, Yan Feifan handed the tablet back to the man.

"The resection of these tumors isn’t particularly difficult. Any experienced neurosurgeon can handle it."

The older man’s face was stern. "Mr. Yan," he said gravely, "we need the surgical trauma to be minimal and the recovery time as short as possible."

"More importantly, there can be absolutely no complications during the procedure."

Yan Feifan smirked. "No complications whatsoever? Not a single neurosurgeon would dare make that guarantee."

"Brain surgery always comes with unforeseen risks."

The older man nodded. "That’s why we’ve been searching far and wide for a way to reduce the surgical risk, and how we found our way to you, Mr. Yan."

"Mr. Yan, your ethanol puncture injection technique can dehydrate and denature the tumor’s proteins, causing it to shrink and thereby reducing the difficulty of the surgery."

Yan Feifan retorted, "For people as cautious as you, surely you understand that every additional procedure introduces another potential for complications!"

"This is an operation that a single lead surgeon can complete on their own."

The older man tapped the tablet’s screen again, pulled up an image, and showed it to Yan Feifan.

"Mr. Yan, can you shrink the tumors to this extent?"

Yan Feifan glanced at the screen and saw that it was a 3D simulation.

The two tumors in the simulation were a size smaller than in the MRI scans, with their volume reduced by about a quarter.

Yan Feifan considered this for a moment. "I can’t make a definitive judgment without concrete biopsy results."

"All I can say is that it’s potentially achievable."

The older man exchanged a glance with his companion, then continued, "Mr. Yan, how about this: let’s first conduct a trial surgery on a patient with similar tumors."

Yan Feifan asked skeptically, "Is that really necessary?"

"If Dr. Qiu Ge performs this surgery alone, the probability of postoperative brain damage is no higher than ten percent."

"That level of risk is perfectly acceptable in neurosurgery. You can proceed directly with the operation."

"This approach of yours is overly cautious. You’re trying so hard to be careful that it’s becoming counterproductive and might actually create even greater risk."

The older man said gravely, "Mr. Yan, as I just emphasized, we need to reduce the risk to an absolute minimum—or better yet, eliminate it entirely."

"How about this..."

The man exchanged another glance with his companion. "The validation surgery will be scheduled for this Sunday."

"We will have the medical records for another patient with a similar tumor sent to you as soon as possible."

"We ask that you prepare for the surgery, Mr. Yan."

Yan Feifan grew annoyed, listening to them making plans for him as if his consent was a given.

"Hey, don’t get ahead of yourselves."

"I never said I would accept this case."

Yan Feifan added in a disgruntled tone, "Your approach to this kind of tumor surgery is a complete waste of medical resources. I’m not interested."

The words had barely left his mouth when Zheng Libin grew anxious.

"Mr. Yan, you should just take the case. The patient is..."

Zheng Libin wanted to say more, but he immediately shut his mouth when he saw the look the older man shot him.

The older man stood up. "Mr. Yan," he said, "you will take this case."

"We’ll have the medical records for the trial patient delivered to you as soon as possible."

"We apologize for the intrusion. Goodbye."

As he watched Zheng Libin and the other two men leave with the breezy confidence of those who always get their way, Yan Feifan’s temper flared.

"Who the hell do they think they are?"

Just then, Yu Suye came over and said softly, "Feifan, from the way that man spoke, he sounded like a government official."

"Privilege?" Yan Feifan was beginning to understand.

Yu Suye guessed, "They must have some serious backing. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be so obsessively cautious about a brain surgery."

"And all that talk about having to reduce the risk to an absolute minimum."

Yan Ziruo chimed in, "It could also be the CEO of a publicly listed company."

"If news got out that the company’s founder has a brain tumor, it would have a huge impact on the stock price."

"Oh..."

Yan Ziruo suddenly exclaimed, "They forgot the most important part!"

"The payment! Shouldn’t they be offering a generous fee to motivate Feifan to do his absolute best?"

Yu Suye chuckled. "That’s why I said he’s probably a government man, not a CEO."

"If he were a CEO, he probably would have just handed you a blank check..."

Yu Suye cleared her throat and, mimicking the man’s voice, boomed, "Mr. Yan, write any number you want. We’re not short on cash!’"

Her little performance made Yan Feifan chuckle in spite of himself.

"Alright, let’s stop guessing."

"I’d like to see just how they plan to make me take this case."

Then Yan Feifan urged, "Are the dumplings done yet? I didn’t even eat lunch. I’m starving."

Yan Ziruo quickly replied, "I’ll go boil a pot for you right now. You can be the first to eat."

"Hey, Feifan, do you want pork and chive, or tomato and egg?"

"Tomato and egg!"

As Yan Feifan replied, he saw Yu Suye looking at him, her eyes full of affection. Then, she reached out and cupped his face with her hands.

"Feifan, I’ve just realized how handsome you are."

"You’re only just noticing?"

Yan Feifan said smugly, "I’ve always been considered the hospital heartthrob, you know. The campus hunk."

"It’s just that for a while there, I was so thin I didn’t even look like myself."

"But now that my body’s recovering, my unparalleled good looks have returned."

Yu Suye nodded. "True. You’re not just handsome, you’re also a narcissist on par with your talent..."

With that, she let go of his face and ran back to the dining room, giggling.

Yan Feifan scoffed lightly and lay down on the sofa to rest.

A moment later, he felt an itch on his face. When he casually went to scratch it, his hand came away covered in flour...

After ten o’clock that night, Yan Feifan was at the desk in his bedroom drawing a 3D perspective diagram of an intraspinal tumor when he received a call from Vice President Liu Jin.

"Feifan, we have an important political assignment that requires your involvement..."