Chapter 506: 478: Surgical Society Arc (Ending 1)

A month and a half later. Inside the temporary conference center at the Vienna Golden Hall.

Underneath the dome, more than three thousand seats were fully occupied. Top surgical scholars and industry leaders from over 120 countries and regions around the world sat solemnly, awaiting the most anticipated segment of this year’s World Society of Surgery conference—the young scholar’s breakthrough technology demonstration.

Gu Yu stood in the shadows of the backstage corridor, unconsciously rubbing the embroidered emblem of "Haidong University Medical College" on his lab coat cuff.

He would soon be showcasing his technology to the world stage; claiming he wasn’t nervous would be a lie.

At this moment, the anatomy maps and surgical procedures clearly floating in his mind provided him some reassurance.

This knowledge came from Old Dai’s repeated explanations at the operating table, from the penetrating yellowed notes on every page of the "Dai’s Surgical Miscellaneous," which carried the efforts of two generations, and more so from countless times of battling against death under limited conditions in the Rohingya Refugee Camp tent.

"Nervous?" A gentle voice came from beside him.

Dai Zhengguo, who had unknowingly approached him, wore an unusually well-pressed dark gray Zhongshan suit, his silver hair meticulously groomed, but his eyes remained as sharp as an eagle’s, now filled with undisguised relief and pride.

Gu Yu shook and then nodded his head: "A bit, but more so... feeling a heavy responsibility."

He recalled that half a year ago, he was just an ordinary student, and now he had to represent Huaxia, standing on this stage that gathered the world’s top intellects.

Dai Zhengguo patted his shoulder with great force, as if to convey all the trust and entrustment: "Remember, you’re standing here not because of luck."

"It’s your steadiness when stitching the first needle, your calm judgment when facing complex cases, your courage to complete high-difficulty surgeries under simple conditions in combat zones. Medicine only recognizes results, not origins. Today, show everything you’ve learned, understood, and experienced to the world."

"I will."

Gu Yu took a deep breath, his gaze becoming firm, "I won’t disgrace the Huaxia medical community."

"Go ahead."

The curtain at the end of the corridor slowly opened, and the dazzling spotlight shone on his face like a real substance.

Gu Yu squinted slightly, then stepped towards the center stage where the futuristic "holographic real-time surgery simulator" was situated.

The large ring screen behind him lit up, displaying the complex three-dimensional anatomical structure of the human abdominal cavity, with the central focus on a virtual tumor located at the pancreatic uncinate process, tightly adhered to the superior mesenteric vein—a classic complex case deemed highly instructive and challenging by the conference committee.

Instantly, the audience quieted down, followed by a low murmur.

Pancreatic surgery is known as the "Mount Everest of surgery," especially when involving tumor removal near important blood vessels, which is the ultimate test of the surgeon’s technology, experience, and mental toughness.

Choosing this case for real-time demonstration speaks volumes about its difficulty and risk.

The conference chairman, a respected German professor, gave a brief introduction in English: "... Next, Gu Yu from Huaxia Haidong University Medical College will demonstrate his proposed precision excision of pancreatic tumors under multi-layer membrane anatomy guidance."

"Please note, this is not recorded; it’s a real-time operation, where the simulator is connected to the Charite Hospital in Berlin’s central database for real-case parameters."

Real-time!

The word elevated the murmur from the audience.

This means any minute hesitation, mistake, or judgment error will be captured and magnified by thousands of professional eyes.

"Oh, my god! He’s still a student? Can he really perform such a complex surgery?"

"I might trust Professor Dai’s skills more... but if it’s his student..."

"A young doctor standing here is already quite remarkable; let’s watch."

"Failure doesn’t matter, right? We can’t do it either."

Gu Yu seemed oblivious to the audience’s reaction.

He put on special sensor gloves, fingertips lightly touching the control panel.

The intricate discourse on fascia layers from Dai’s Surgical Miscellaneous, the precise understanding of tissue viability during complex trauma in Rohingya, now converged into a quiet focus.

"Surgery begins."

His voice spread across the venue through the microphone, calm and serene.

The virtual scalpel emitted a faint glow on the screen.

Gu Yu’s first incision didn’t go directly to the tumor, but along the root of the mesocolon, using a gentle yet steady force to start separating a fascia tissue as thin as cicada wings.

The precision of the action was astonishing, with each separation perfectly pausing at the outer membrane of the vascular sheath; more would break, less would adhere.

This is a "layered surgery" concept based on deep understanding of embryonic development and local anatomy, which is not showcasing skill but a key to minimizing bleeding and protecting functionality.

"He’s establishing an avascular plane... An unconventional yet extremely ingenious approach."

A French professor in the front row whispered to his companion, his eyes showing surprise and admiration.

This is precisely the "multi-layer membrane anatomy" concept which Dai Zhengguo fully imparted in the Surgical Miscellaneous, and it has been completely integrated into Gu Yu’s experience.

Gu Yu’s hands were steady like well-honed mechanical arms, yet every tiny adjustment was full of precision, an instinct to heal patients, something no precise machine could simulate, and also the most valuable asset of a surgeon.

Separation, ligation, and then separation again... The operation on the screen was fluid, like performing a meticulous surgical symphony.

The most perilous moment occurred at the adhesion site between the tumor and the mesenteric vein.

The blood vessel had been invaded by tumor tissue for nearly one-third of the circumference, and on the screen, the simulated blood vessel wall appeared slightly thin due to compression.

Many people in the audience held their breath. Conventional practices often required combined vascular resection and reconstruction, which would drastically increase surgery time and risk.

Gu Yu’s movements paused slightly.

It was Dai Zhengguo’s calm voice on the operating table: "Yu, remember! Blood vessels are living structures, respect their elasticity, within limits, you can treat them like the most precise instrument, gently freeing them."

Also flashing before his eyes was the scene at the refugee camp performing surgery on Ez’s father, with insufficient lighting and simple instruments, relying on the feel to separate adhesive tissue.

He chose to trust his judgments and experience.

The virtual instrument was swapped for a specially designed ultra-fine dissector.

With a nearly microscopic level of precision, he cut into the virtually nonexistent potential space between the tumor and blood vessel, not crudely cutting, but like an artist restoring an ancient painting, gently peeling away the tumor tissue from the vessel’s outer membrane bit by bit.

Sweat seeped from his temple, but his arm did not tremble at all.

The entire venue was silent enough to hear a pin drop, only the faint operating sound of the simulator and Gu Yu’s occasional brief command.

Time passed by the minute.

When the last strand of gray-white tumor tissue was completely separated, the vital vein was revealed intact, the vessel wall smooth, even restored to normal form after the pressure was relieved.

"Wow——!!!"

Applause erupted like a tsunami, instantly sweeping across the entire hall.

Many gray-haired professors stood up directly, clapping fervently.

The German symposium chairman widened his eyes, repeatedly examining the enlarged vascular close-up on the screen, murmuring, "Perfect...God, this is not just technique but also an art! The ultimate respect for surgery!"

Gu Yu slowly exhaled a breath he had been holding, and removed his gloves.

The virtual patient’s vital sign monitoring curve remained stable as ever, and the estimated blood loss was kept at an extremely low level. He turned around, faced the audience, and bowed slightly.

The applause lasted for a long time before gradually calming down.

During the Q&A session, questions came like rapid-fire about the anatomical basis for the approach choice, details of vascular freeing techniques, post-operative rapid recovery ideas... Gu Yu answered fluently in English, citing the Dai’s concept and the integration of Huaxia’s traditional medicine "precise minimally invasive" thought, while explaining clinical data referencing valuable statistics obtained from numerous emergency surgeries in Rohingya, with clear logic and broad vision.

He not only showcased superb skills but also demonstrated a deep understanding of the essence of disease and a medical philosophy focused on the overall care of patients.

After the demonstration ended, he was surrounded by enthusiastic peers.

The editor-in-chief of German "Clinical Surgery" pushed to the front, tightly shook his hand: "Dr. Gu, your surgical demonstration and concept presentation shows me the future direction of precise surgery and individualized treatment.

"Our journal sincerely invites you to write a feature article!"

A senior surgical director from the Mayo Clinic directly issued an invitation: "Gu, your technique and concept are impressive. Our center has many complex pancreatic cases, looking forward to deep academic exchanges with you."

Gu Yu responded humbly, expressing gratitude, and credited the honor to the guidance of mentors and team collaboration.

He knew, standing here today, was not just him Gu Yu personally, but also the experience of Dai Zhengguo, the epitome of Huaxia’s surgical medical tradition passed down through generations, and the stability and strength beyond technique bestowed by his special experiences in Rohingya.

As the crowd slightly dispersed, Dai Zhengguo stepped forward, vigorously patted his back, eyes somewhat red, thousands of words boiled down to a single sentence: "Good lad! You did Huaxia proud!"

Gu Yu looked at his teacher’s excited expression, a warm flow surged in his heart.

It was then that his phone vibrated, a message from Lin Xinyue, who returned home early after a pregnancy check in Vienna: "Yu, I watched your live stream, it was awesome! The baby and I are proud of you!"

Followed by a self-designed cartoon figure clapping with a bulging belly emoji.

Gu Yu’s lips naturally curled upwards, quickly replied: "Mission accomplished, everything went smoothly. I’ll be home soon."

Nearly simultaneously, another message came in from the "Ideal Paradise" company group.

Yu Shutong sent a screenshot of the "Tomorrow" game backend real-time data, with simultaneous online numbers reaching a new high.

Qin Shan then sent a bouquet emoji with a note: "Laosi powerful! Just got inspired for a new book outline, how about ’School Beauty’s All-Purpose Boyfriend’?"

Pu Tongren followed up with: "The boss says when you return, we must feast on you heavily to celebrate the double joys!"

Gu Yu looked at the jumping messages on the screen, a smile spread across his face.

The stage of the world is vast, but the stage of life is constructed by countless such moments, such people.