System Came When the Doctor was Thirty

”Brother Zhang... the coffee has arrived.” At ten in the morning, Lu Cheng took the initiative to carry the takeout bag into the surgical emergency room, gently interrupting Zhang Tiesheng who was lounging and playing on his phone.

Zhang Tiesheng skillfully pushed up his black-framed glasses, reached out with a smile, looking courteous, and joked, ”Is our Teacher Lu here to inspect and show care for his juniors?”

With a natural expression, Lu Cheng held the coffee in his left hand, ”Brother Zhang, if you keep teasing me like this, it only shows our friendship is shallow. I regard you as a real brother, but you don’t take me to heart.”

”We’re all just working to make a living... But it’s Brother Zhang who’s just a step away from becoming a leader.”

Zhang Tiesheng had already gone out for further training. He just needed the emergency department’s approval for the deputy senior title to become an associate chief physician.

Another brother, Zeng Huanqi, was even younger than Zhang Tiesheng.

Zhang Tiesheng knew that someone as smart as Lu Cheng had long been polished into a smooth operator by the environment in the County Hospital, able to say both human and ghostly things with ease. Zhang Tiesheng said earnestly, ”Not at all, brothers are brothers, but in clinical practice, ranks need to be observed.”

”As the saying goes, no rules, no standards. Learning also has its rules.”

”Let’s make it clear, I’ll take care of lunch. You and Xiaoping don’t worry about it. This face you have to give Brother Zhang, right?”

”Then I’ll thank Brother Zhang in advance. I’m pretty straightforward.” In the end, Lu Cheng couldn’t out-talk someone as worldly-wise as Zhang Tiesheng.

Privately, Zhang Tiesheng could even handle someone like Assistant Professor Chen Song, which shows how shrewd he was in interpersonal matters.

”Being straightforward is good. We’re all straightforward people, saying what we mean.”

After saying that, Zhang Tiesheng glanced at the duty roster, ”There were only a few cases of gastrointestinal issues and stones in the morning, gave them medication and sent them back.”

”There was also a chest pain, but Thoracic Surgery took one look and sent the person off quickly.”

”Xiao Lu, don’t worry. If we get suitable cases, I’ll notify you immediately,” Zhang Tiesheng assured him.

”Brother Zhang, you misunderstood... I wasn’t rushing you. Just happen to order a coffee for you.”

”Now I’ve even bummed a meal off you,” Lu Cheng remarked with gratitude.

Zhang Tiesheng chuckled, gesturing for Lu Cheng to come closer and lowered his voice, ”Xiao Lu, what’s your relationship with Professor Chen? Do you know each other privately?”

”He’s unusually kind to you... ”

”You two just don’t look alike, otherwise, I would’ve suspected you were related.”

Zhang Tiesheng really couldn’t figure out why Chen Song was smitten with Lu Cheng at first glance, and now it had grown from ’favoritism’ to ’more favoritism,’ leaving no room for others in the department to interfere!

”Teacher Chen found me when I was still a diamond in the rough, I can’t understand why he favors me either.”

Lu Cheng sighed, ”Speaking of which, I feel a bit guilty. Recently, the most I’ve treated Teacher Chen to is Big Bowl Rice.”

”Brother Zhang, I heard when you went for further training, you spent over fifty thousand, didn’t you?”

The role of a resident-in-training is to learn skills, but to gain learning opportunities from a teaching hospital full of master’s and doctoral students, one has to show something else.

Zhang Tiesheng knew Lu Cheng’s family situation was fairly ordinary, ”Respect lies in the heart, not in gestures. Matters of fate rely on sincerity for success.”

”Professor Chen isn’t picky about food, he doesn’t care what you treat him to.”

”Just one thing I can’t figure out, for your sake, Professor Chen got another professor from Xiangya Hospital to topple Xiang Dahong from the State People’s Hospital.”

Lu Cheng hurriedly explained, ”Brother Zhang, you misunderstood. Professor Tong’s trip to the countryside was unknown to both me and Teacher Chen beforehand.”

”It was only after Professor Tong arrived in Long County did he call, that’s when Professor Chen and I went to pick him up.”

”That’s exactly what Professor Chen told me,” Zhang Tiesheng raised an eyebrow.

”Xiao Lu... with what Professor Chen says, you shouldn’t take it at face value?”

”Xiangya Hospital’s paired assistance unit is Feng County People’s Hospital. Professor Tong belongs to Xiangya Hospital. He doesn’t go to Feng County but comes to our Long County. It’s that easy to get through the procedure?”

There’s also a Feng County in Xiang Province, well-known for its Phoenix Ancient City. Whereas the neighboring E Province Feng County is another instance.

Zhang Tiesheng’s analysis left Lu Cheng somewhat surprised, ”That can’t be, right? Why would Teacher Chen go to such great lengths?”

Zhang Tiesheng pondered for a moment, then stood up and closed the door slightly ajar, ”You would definitely need to ask Professor Chen for the specific reasons, I can only offer some analysis and speculation.”

”Anyway, don’t be afraid to laugh at me, you’ve been in our hospital long enough to know the rules of heaven and earth.”

”Admittedly, your Brother Zhang did do some ’shady’ things. Previously, I didn’t let you do the surgeries Professor Chen wanted you to do, but this atmosphere wasn’t created by me. Back in the day, I was just a small fry, squeezed into a crevice with nowhere to go.”

”Our hospital’s basic rule of operation is whoever is capable is cool. We prioritize reality and a results-based outlook, not the process.”

”But in top teaching hospitals, things aren’t like this.”

”Because everyone under forty-five can be seen as a rookie. You can even regard Professor Chen and Professor Tong from there as rookies in their world...”

Once Zhang Tiesheng finished his outrageous statement, he continued, ”So in this environment, they value assessing a person’s potential and capability.”

”The most important ability is learning ability. They don’t care about how many surgeries you can do now or what problems you can solve for the patients...”

”So, the future can be borrowed against.”

”If your capability is hard currency in our hospital, then in theirs, your potential and talent are the hard currency.”

”Xiangya Second Hospital and Xiangya Hospital aren’t competing for things that could be settled in a short time, a year, ten years, or even fifty years.”

”That’s your resource; Professor Chen is your network...” Zhang Tiesheng’s explanation was particularly insightful and straightforward.

He covered the good and the bad.

Zhang Tiesheng continued, ”The relationship and feelings between you and Professor Chen are something that all the hospitality in the world that those like us might offer still wouldn’t obtain.”

”Because we can’t offer what moves Professor Chen’s heart, but you can, so only you can make a deal with him.”

”Although it might not sound nice, this is the truth.”

...

When Lu Cheng walked out of the emergency room, his expression was no longer particularly calm.

Perhaps Zhang Tiesheng’s analysis of social interactions was too blatant, and it stirred a ripple and wave in Lu Cheng’s heart.

But this ripple was only temporary, and Lu Cheng quickly suppressed it, ”Better to be pragmatic now rather than aim too high. Given the current rate of gaining Skill Points, thinking too far ahead is aiming too high.”

”I haven’t even found my footing, thinking about such lofty things is just wishful thinking...”

Lu Cheng picked up his phone, considering telling Professor Chen Song something, but in the end, the words arrived at his mouth and then were pulled back.

For now, his own strength was too weak, and even with foresight, Lu Cheng didn’t know how to repay the mentorship of Professor Chen Song.

He could only dutifully perform the rites of a disciple for the time being.