After changing into surgical attire—shoes, gown, mask, and cap—everyone carefully covered their nose and hair before proceeding to the next step: scrubbing in.
Hands and forearms were thoroughly disinfected, arms held up in a prayer-like position, never dropping below the waist. The entire sterilization process took six minutes—precision over haste, ensuring nothing was left to chance.
The patient had already been anesthetized by the anesthesiologist to minimize discomfort.
"Director, has Director Liu arrived yet?"
Everything in the operating room was set, except for one critical piece: Director Liu, the orthopedic specialist, had yet to appear.
"The procedure plan still isn't finalized," someone remarked.
Director Zhang glanced at the clock and said calmly, "He should be here any minute. He just stepped off another surgery."
No sooner had he spoken than a doctor in his fifties hurried into the OR. It was none other than Director Liu. Still catching his breath, he hadn't even had time to eat after finishing his last operation.
"Zhang, what's the situation with the patient?"
The two directors were old colleagues.
Director Zhang opened the scan and began explaining. "Triple tibial fractures. My plan is an open reduction and internal fixation—using steel plates."
As he spoke, his eyes briefly flicked to Xia Tian.
He added with a smile, "However, one of my interns suggested a manual reduction instead. My own skillset isn't enough for that in a triple fracture case, so I'd like your professional take as an orthopedic expert."
Director Liu raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Triple fracture, reduced manually? Which intern came up with that? Do we have a genius hidden among us?"
"It was Xia Tian," Zhang replied, pointing him out.
With everyone masked up, Liu hadn't recognized him at first. But hearing the name, he froze for a second.
"You mean that Xia Tian? The one who cracked open a patient's chest with a kitchen knife at McDonald's?"
Xia Tian gave a small, sheepish nod. "That was me."
"Hah!" Director Liu chuckled, the kind of hearty laugh that only an elder mentor could pull off. "I saw the video. You've got guts—and surprisingly skilled hands. That incision was clean. If I hadn't seen it myself, I'd never have believed it was done with a kitchen knife."
"Young people these days, full of fire and talent. That's good. But remember to stay humble and keep learning."
He turned serious. "The tibia is crucial. Even the slightest error could leave the patient permanently disabled. I've only ever seen successful manual reduction in cases with two breaks. Three? Honestly, it's nearly impossible."
"Let's proceed with the open surgery. Prepare the plates."
Director Zhang gave Xia Tian a playful wink that said: Don't be discouraged. You've got promise.
Just then, a young nurse burst in, breathless behind her mask.
"Director Liu, Director Zhang! Emergency in OR 2—a ten-centimeter diameter steel pipe has pierced through a patient's chest. Vitals are crashing. Director Wang from Thoracic Surgery is requesting your immediate assistance."
What the hell?!
A steel pipe through the chest… and the patient's still alive?
This was a red-alert emergency.
Without hesitation, both directors dropped their scalpels.
"Don't touch the patient yet," Zhang instructed the interns.
"Call Associate Director Mu from orthopedics to take over."
Fixing tibial fractures with plates wasn't particularly complex. One senior attending would be more than enough. Saving a life took priority. After issuing instructions, the two directors rushed out.
Inside the OR, the patient lay unconscious under anesthesia.
The three interns looked at each other, wide-eyed.
Fatty Yang went off to inform Associate Director Mu, only to learn he was in surgery and would arrive in twenty minutes.
Twenty minutes didn't sound long—barely enough to finish a mobile game—but inside the sterile stillness of an operating room, every second dragged.
"Xia Tian, what are you thinking?" Fatty asked, noticing his friend staring intently at the patient's leg.
Without lifting his gaze, Xia Tian finally asked, "Fatty, Xiaohong… if I want to try manual reduction, do I have your consent?"
"Huh? You want to move the patient? How?"
"I want to attempt a manual reduction," Xia Tian replied. "You heard what Director Liu said—chances are slim, but not zero. If anything goes wrong, I'll take full responsibility."
"But you're here too. If something happens, it won't just fall on me."
"So I need your consent. If you're okay with it, I'll proceed. If not, we wait for Director Mu."
Fatty and Xiaohong exchanged a glance. They weren't from the same university, but after three months of interning together, both trusted Xia Tian deeply. To them, he was the top-tier senior—brilliant, kind, and ridiculously dependable.
Still… the risk was real.
One minute passed.
Then, Xiaohong spoke. "I agree. Go ahead. We believe in you."
"Besides," she added with a grin, "the patient was already set for open surgery. If it doesn't work, we just plate it anyway. It's not life-threatening. I've got your back."
Fatty hesitated—but the look Xiaohong gave him said it all.
Even she's braver than you? Coward.
Blushing, Fatty clenched his jaw. "Alright. I'm in. Do it."
With their approval, Xia Tian began.
He visualized every detail, every motion he had memorized from textbooks, simulations, and observation. With his gifted hands and 50% technique boost, each move was crisp and deliberate.
He rotated and adjusted each displaced fragment, aligning the three broken sections of tibia one by one.
No wasted motions. No hesitation.
Five minutes later, he withdrew his hands and inspected the leg. The twisted angles had vanished.
"Fatty, Xiaohong—look closely. Any irregularities left?"
The three stared at the leg for a full thirty seconds.
"I think it's aligned," said Xiaohong softly.
"Looks good," Fatty agreed. "Some swelling, but we can't be sure until we X-ray it."
"So… what now? Should we wheel the patient out?"
Xia Tian thought for two seconds.
"Let's go."
Meanwhile, in OR 18, Mu had just wrapped up.
"You guys handle suturing," he said briskly. "There's a plate surgery waiting in OR 3—I'll take over."
The emergency intern had emphasized it was Director Liu's request. Mu dared not delay. He sped up his previous procedure and arrived five minutes ahead of schedule.
Pushing open the door to OR 3, he stopped dead in his tracks.
"Where's the patient?!"