System Came When the Doctor was Thirty

Long County, within the Scholar District opposite Huangcang Middle School, inside the temporary dormitory of Professor Chen Song.

Chen Song held a cup of tea, crossed his legs, and leisurely asked, ”How is it, Old Tong? Did it meet your standards for handling Zone 2 flexor tendon suturing?”

Tong Yuan’an was out for a walk, leaning against a stone pillar at the Xiangjiang River Estuary, with the sunset’s red glow, the river’s red waves, a gentle hot breeze permeating, beads of sweat on his face and neck. He didn’t speak, but was intently watching a video.

After about three minutes, Chen Song put down his crossed legs and said, ”It’s okay, Old Tong, just say what’s on your mind.”

”If it didn’t meet the standards, just give a few pointers. I can relay them to him.” Chen Song thought Tong Yuan’an didn’t know how to start.

Tong Yuan’an seemed to have watched the video several times, so he held the phone farther away, with the skin on his plump face pulling, the corners of his mouth drooping outward like a clown: ”No, Chen Song, what exactly have you encountered?”

”Is he really an emergency department doctor?”

Chen Song said, ”I’m currently in the Long County Emergency Department on a rural mission; if he isn’t an emergency doctor, then what is he?”

”You’ve watched the video, and called Teacher Tong. Just for my sake, give some pointers, please.”

Tong Yuan’an answered with a different question: ”Then ask him if he’s pursuing a Ph.D?”

The question from Tong Yuan’an was a rather abrupt pivot.

”He’s an undergraduate. He previously trained in orthopedics, doesn’t have a master’s degree, how can he pursue a Ph.D.?”

”If he wants to pursue a master’s now, he can only apply for a master’s by coursework. He’s not very interested in academics.” After explaining, Chen Song wiped his bald spot.

”Is it that his performance was quite good and caught your eye?”

After hearing Chen Song’s explanation, Tong Yuan’an’s mouth twitched for a while: ”Why is this guy so weird?”

”To be honest, his current ability to handle tendons is not worse than the current chief resident in our hospital.”

”I’m starting to wonder if the Modified Tang Method I learned before is fake. How could someone reach this level in just a month?” Tong Yuan’an rubbed his nose; he almost provoked his allergic rhinitis.

Tong Yuan’an could only take out a tissue from his pocket, wipe off some sweat, and then spat a few times.

”Anyway, a month ago, Xiao Lu probably couldn’t handle tendons. The Modified Kessler method was built step by step under my supervision.”

”I had contact with the suturing technique of the Modified Tang Method back in the day too, but it was too troublesome to learn. According to our hospital’s brothers, one has to strengthen the basic skills and advance the technical ability of tendon suturing to make progress in the Modified Tang Method.”

”Isn’t that nonsense? Where do I have so much time to learn these things?” Chen Song said.

”It was during that time when there was some tension with a few brothers in the hand surgery department, and it just eased up now. I thought they were keeping it a secret.” Chen Song reminisced about those days.

”Chen Song, if Dr. Lu is really as you say, he must have a considerable talent for hand surgery.”

”What was he training for back then?” Tong Yuan’an scratched his head.

The systematic issues made him feel troubled.

Chen Song said, ”Ha, let me tell you, if Xiao Lu hadn’t been training, it wouldn’t even be our hospital’s turn to recruit him. His first choice for application was the orthopedics department of Huashan Hospital, the top scorer in the written exam.”

”It’s just that Huashan Hospital has very few master’s slots; one needs to bring published papers to get in. So, he slipped through.”

Tong Yuan’an said, ”Then transfer, and try again?”

Chen Song said, ”Yeah, those were the choices we could make back then, but that was all in the past.”

”Right now, just give a definitive answer. Can he handle Zone 2 flexor tendon suturing or not? Don’t overthink it, okay?”

Tong Yuan’an widened his eyes, his plump face scrunched again: ”Chen Song, what exactly did you come to find me for?”

”Damn it, you can’t bring him back and want to use him as bait?”

”Why am I such a masochist? Did I mess with your uncle?” Tong Yuan’an cursed and began to vent.

Chen Song said, ”No, Tong Yuan’an, did you get your head caught in a door on your way out? Why are you cursing me? It’s not my fault!”

”Damn you! You idiot, you fool, I’m too lazy to talk to you.”

”I knew nothing good would come out of meeting you, damn it...” Tong Yuan’an cursed and hung up the call.

Chen Song watched as Tong Yuan’an’s face morphed almost grotesquely before hanging up the video call, and he started reflecting.

Even though Tong Yuan’an didn’t state Lu Cheng’s capability, judging by his current reaction, it was clear he was fond of him, but as they say, love unrequited, hence the psychological turmoil.

No, isn’t the ability to perform the Modified Tang Method as good as the chief resident? Is that so unusual?

Chen Song wasn’t a hand surgeon, so he couldn’t concretely assess to what level Lu Cheng’s current ability could reach.

Yet Chen Song wasn’t annoyed: ”Brother Tong, give a definitive word, surgery isn’t something to be taken lightly.”

”Performing tendon sutures is certainly doable, but having the talent only for tendon suturing, don’t you think it’s a waste?”

The response from Tong Yuan’an wasn’t as laced with profanities as before, but it was still there: ”This situation has me stuck, it’s so damn uncomfortable.”

”Just put it this way, Xiao Lu’s basic skills at their current level, and his tendon suturing ability are all expected; it’s part of our hospital’s standard path for internal development.”

”But at this age, having such proficiency in the Modified Tang Method is a bit beyond expectations.”

”And you’re telling me he achieved this level in a month? And you couldn’t bring him here, oh, Chen Song, what kind of grudge did I have against you in my past life for you to do this to me?”

”With this learning talent... damn it?”

I’ve taken off my pants, swallowed Viagra, set the mood, and now you’ve left. Isn’t this scheming for my life?

”You continue... I didn’t expect you to have such a talent for performance.” Chen Song straightened his posture and appreciated Tong Yuan’an’s slightly distorted face with an elderly demeanor.

”I can’t explain it to an outsider like you. I’m going back for a walk. Take it easy; be careful not to choke. I’ll have to buy you a white circle and chip in for your funeral expenses.” Tong Yuan’an retorted rather equitably...

Lu Cheng was completely unaware of this. After he sent his operation video back to Chen Song, he went back to catch up on sleep.

He had gotten up early today, so Lu Cheng went to the market again, buying groceries and meat.

Lu Cheng cut the fat of the front leg meat into standard slices, separated the rest of the pork belly’s fat and lean parts, and cut them into equally long, wide, and thick strips.

The trimmed bits and pieces were all chopped into minced meat...

In this way, the ingredients for stir-fried pork with chili and meatball soup were prepared.

By accident, Lu Cheng noticed the prompt on the panel flashing:

[Incision Skill has improved to (Skilled 10/10)]

Lu Cheng grinned —

Well, a kitchen knife is also a knife, and a kitchen knife is even harder to handle than a surgical scalpel. I guess they lead to the same goal after all...