Ryan Bolton—how could he possibly know how to perform a tracheotomy? His fingers gently tapped on the patient’s chest, and he immediately noticed the difference between the two sides. Although he had no understanding of modern medical terminology, he realized that the tracheotomy suggested by John Green was actually the wrong approach. The patient’s left chest was injured, causing air to enter the thoracic cavity and compress the lung, which was the real reason for his breathing difficulty. According to traditional methods, Ryan Bolton could use a hollow needle to extract the trapped air, but he didn’t seem to have the right tools at hand. His eyes swept around, and suddenly he spotted a syringe on the treatment cart nearby. A faint smile appeared on his lips—this should do the trick.

Under Sophie Harris’s astonished gaze, he grabbed the syringe, pulled out the plunger in one swift motion, then aimed at the patient’s left intercostal space and plunged it in like lightning.

Sophie Harris nearly fainted, covering her mouth with both hands. Time seemed to freeze for a moment, until she heard the hissing sound of air escaping, snapping her out of her terror. Ryan Bolton’s judgment was spot on—the patient was simply suffering from a pneumothorax, and the correct treatment was to extract the air trapped in the chest, not to perform a tracheotomy. If they had followed John Green’s plan, the patient would likely have been in grave danger.

Once the pneumothorax was relieved, the patient’s breathing distress disappeared instantly, and Ryan Bolton quickly withdrew the syringe.

At that moment, the on-duty doctor from the inpatient department rushed over after receiving the news, and the medical team was fully reinforced. The interns’ work was completely taken over by these senior doctors.

Only then did John Green remember the issue with patient number 7. He came over to take a look and saw that Sophie Harris still hadn’t acted. He couldn’t help but frown: “Xiaoqing, why haven’t you started yet?”

Sophie Harris replied weakly, “He has a pneumothorax!” Then she turned and walked toward the break room.

John Green’s expression became a bit awkward, and his gaze fell on Ryan Bolton, quickly turning into anger. Ryan Bolton, sharp as ever, immediately realized this guy was about to take his frustration out on him. Discretion being the better part of valor, he hurriedly turned and slipped away, following Sophie Harris’s footsteps.

Sophie Harris absentmindedly washed her hands, her mind still replaying the scene from moments ago. This usually unremarkable vocational school student actually possessed such amazing skills. If she hadn’t witnessed it herself, she wouldn’t have believed what had just happened.

Ryan Bolton came over and washed his hands at the neighboring faucet, clearing his throat softly.

Sophie Harris looked at him. “Your name is Ryan Bolton?”

Ryan Bolton nodded.

Sophie Harris gave a bright smile and extended her fair, delicate hand. “I’m Sophie Harris, nice to meet you!”

Ryan Bolton had seen this handshake etiquette countless times on TV news, but he was a bit clumsy as he reached out. Their wet right hands clasped together, and Sophie Harris’s hand was soft and smooth, giving Ryan Bolton a very pleasant sensation in his palm.

Sophie Harris whispered, “You’re really amazing!”

Ryan Bolton grinned, revealing a set of neat, white teeth, and whispered back, “Just a little trick, nothing worth mentioning!” He was genuinely being modest, but in Sophie Harris’s eyes, it didn’t seem that way. To her, he felt unfathomable—and this guy really knew how to put on a show.

Chapter 0003: A Forceful New Concept

The incident in which fifteen construction workers were injured was already a major event for the small county town of Chunyang. An hour later, all the key leaders of the county party committee and county government arrived at the hospital—first, to visit the injured workers, and second, to minimize the impact of the incident. News like this was bad for everyone involved. Fortunately, none of the fifteen workers were in life-threatening condition, and the two seriously injured had also passed the critical stage after emergency treatment.

The county party secretary, Matthew Thompson, began a passionate speech right in the emergency room. He first praised the county people’s hospital for their rescue efforts, then extolled the benefits of reform and opening up. Shifting his tone, he quickly reframed the accident as the price paid during the process of reform and opening up. He spoke earnestly: “These injured worker brothers have poured their hearts and souls into the cause of reform and opening up for the Republic. They are all great contributors to this cause. We will not forget them, the people will not forget them. Here, I ask all levels of leadership to rest assured, all family members to rest assured, and the broad masses of the people to rest assured—these injured workers will receive the most meticulous and thorough treatment. I believe it won’t be long before they are back on the front lines of reform and opening up, full of energy. Thank you, medical workers, thank you, angels in white, oh, and these young comrades…”

Thunderous applause erupted, camera flashes went off nonstop, and Ryan Bolton was deeply shaken by the scene before him. He whispered to Sophie Harris beside him, “What official is that?”

“County party secretary!”

“What rank?”

Sophie Harris looked at Ryan Bolton in surprise, then was amused by his dry humor. Her smile was enchanting: “I think that’s seventh rank!”