"Junior, do we need to do another imaging session?"

Liu Ziang asked Zhao Heng.

Modern stereotactic surgery requires MRI or CT imaging of the head, followed by drafting a surgical plan at a computer workstation to avoid blood vessels and critical areas, precisely targeting and addressing brain tumors or other lesions.

But now, because the situation is extremely urgent, the pre-planned computer 3D imaging work cannot be carried out, and we can only rely on Zhao Heng's stereotactic sense.

Bear in mind, inputting the scanned data into the computer and generating a sufficiently clear and useable 3D image takes at least three days.

The current situation cannot wait three days, let alone three days—whether or not the patient can make it through tonight is uncertain.

"Time is of the essence, it's not needed, we can start now."

Zhao Heng slightly shook his head; performing another comprehensive multi-layer scan would take at least half an hour, and now every minute and second is precious. The earlier the diagnosis, the more time the director will have to deal with this emergency case.

"Alright, then let's drill directly."

Liu Ziang nodded, and with that, he picked up the scalpel and made a small incision on the disinfected, shaved scalp.

Next, he picked up the cranial drilling tool and drilled a hole in the skull, opening the dura mater.

This series of operations was performed seamlessly, flowing effortlessly, deserving of a neurosurgical expert.

But the subsequent localization and biopsy, even as an expert in neurosurgical operations, he wasn't entirely confident and could only rely on Zhao Heng, who had a better stereotactic sense.

Though neural navigation systems could be used for localization and biopsy, the patient was now infected with Naegleria fowleri, causing the brain to be in a state of severe swelling.

Hence, the patient's brain is highly compressed, and the locations of various important nerves and brain functional areas may differ from a normal person's.

In such a situation, reliance on the operating surgeon's extensive experience and exceptionally powerful stereotactic sense is necessary to avoid crucial areas that appear blurred on the electronic screen imaging.

"Junior, it's up to you next."

Liu Ziang quickly completed the preparatory procedures and looked up at Zhao Heng.

Before meeting Zhao Heng, Liu Ziang had never thought that one day he might lack enough confidence in a surgical procedure and instead have to rely on someone else.

For Liu Ziang, who had always been extremely confident, this was a first; but knowing that the person was Zhao Heng, he felt it was alright.

After all, if he was a genius, then Zhao Heng was a genius or a monster beyond conventional measure.

"Hmm."

Zhao Heng nodded.

He picked up the stereotactic biopsy needle, and based on the previous imaging exams, the patient's brain structure's 3D image clearly appeared in Zhao Heng's mind.

Moreover, details such as where the swelling was, where compression occurred, which couldn't be shown through imaging exams, were now in Zhao Heng's mind.

In a moment, Zhao Heng seemed to find a perilous and narrow path that avoided all dangers in a thorny and hazardous journey.

In the blink of an eye, Zhao Heng seemed to "see" through the patient's scalp and skull into the deep brain structure.

Without any hesitation or pause, Zhao Heng maneuvered the biopsy needle, avoiding all dangerous areas, including the regions of brain swelling caused by the Naegleria fowleri infection, and obtained a brain tissue biopsy.

The entire operation process took less than ten minutes.

Even in Liu Ziang's hands, this highly difficult operation would take at least half an hour to complete.

After all, because the brain is in a state of swelling due to the parasitic infection, clearly recognizing the brain structure is a very challenging and headache-inducing task.

"Junior, impressive."

Seeing Zhao Heng complete such a highly difficult operation smoothly, even the genius and confident Liu Ziang couldn't help but praise him.

"Has Dr. Qu arrived?"

Zhao Heng nodded, and now that the biopsy was completed, the remaining identification work had to be done by Qu Xiaofeng, the most proficient and accurate pathologist in the local hospital regarding pathology and pathogen detection.

This is the specialization; after all, someone like Qu Xiaofeng, who has persisted for more than ten years in front of a microscope, is genuinely one of a kind.

Just as Liu Ziang was about to respond, the operating room door opened, and Qu Xiaofeng entered wearing surgical isolation clothes.

Speak of the devil, and he doth appear.

"The biopsy is complete? I calculated the time and came half an hour early."

Seeing everyone in the operating room looking at him, Qu Xiaofeng curiously looked at the workbench where the test tube containing the living tissue was placed and asked in confusion.

How did the biopsy finish so quickly?

At this point, Qu Xiaofeng was very puzzled; in his mind, a stereotactic biopsy should take at least an hour, and this is with Liu Ziang, the neurosurgical expert, personally handling it. If it were another doctor, it could take much longer.

So he had calculated the time to arrive half an hour early, intending to observe the operation.

But unexpectedly, even after arriving half an hour in advance, the operation had already concluded.

Who finished it so quickly?

Qu Xiaofeng was puzzled; in his understanding, even a neurosurgical expert like Liu Ziang shouldn't have such a quick operation time.

"Yes, junior completed it, this time it was indeed very fast."

Liu Ziang nodded.

Zhao Heng was indeed quick, and this was something he experienced deeply.

"Huh? Dr. Zhao, you performed this operation?"

Hearing Liu Ziang's words, Qu Xiaofeng was shocked with his mouth agape; he knew Zhao Heng was skilled in diagnosis and research.

But in a highly difficult operation like neurosurgery, to surpass even a neurosurgical expert like Liu Ziang was astonishing to Qu Xiaofeng.

"Hmm, start the testing."

Faced with Qu Xiaofeng's astonished expression, Zhao Heng remained calm and nodded; for him, such an operation wasn't his limit.

Previously, he had conducted several procedures blindly, without any visual guidance.

"Hmm, alright."

Qu Xiaofeng nodded; he knew this test was critically important, and the result couldn't allow for the slightest deviation.

As a senior attending physician in pathology and pathogen detection, he understood better than anyone how terrifying the "Brain-Eating Amoeba" Naegleria fowleri was.

When Qu Xiaofeng began testing, everyone in the operating room held their breath, and the atmosphere suddenly became exceptionally tense.

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