System Came When the Doctor was Thirty

August 4th, sunny and bright.

Lu Cheng rode his electric scooter from Gaojia Slope District to Renmin Hospital up Yuelu Avenue, only feeling his backpack was a bit heavy, but no other issues.

A gentle breeze blew, the scorching sun was blocked by the mountain, and the sky was clear.

At 7:35, Lu Cheng pushed open the curtain of the emergency department and walked into the emergency hall, wiping the slight sweat off his neck with a tissue as cool air rushed in.

After tossing the tissue ball into the trash can, Lu Cheng headed straight to the surgery clinic door and shouted, ”Brother Wu, want to grab some noodles together?”

Tian Zhuang’s neck was stiff, his chin a bit retracted, and he coldly replied while twisting his neck, ”I’ll eat when I get off work... Only twenty minutes left, not enough time.”

”Then you carry on with your work.” Lu Cheng couldn’t move his stubborn and immovable Brother Wu, so he turned around.

After entering the doctor’s lounge in the comprehensive emergency ward, Lu Cheng took off his backpack and took out Campbell’s Surgery (Hand Surgery Edition) and Huang Jiasu’s General Surgery (Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Edition).

On duty was Brother Zeng Huanqi, who raised his small black head, pulled open the curtains letting sunlight in, unaffected while staying hidden in the dark: ”Xiao Lu, are you planning to settle in this department permanently?”

”These books must weigh more than ten pounds.” With his Adam’s apple moving, Brother Zeng Huanqi’s unspoken words could be noticed only if you watched closely.

”Brother Zeng, I haven’t weighed them. Want to grab some noodles together?”

”I’m planning to order, Professor Chen and Professor Tong are coming to eat in the department.” Lu Cheng explained.

Zeng Huanqi’s glance flickered slightly as he sat up cross-legged: ”Xiao Lu, I’ll order. Tell me about Professor Chen and Professor Tong’s taste preferences.”

Zeng Huanqi directly made a call: ”Boss, four bowls of noodles, red-braised pork with shredded meat, also a fried egg. One portion with extra vinegar, less chili, one portion with extra chili and Sichuan pepper oil, and one portion...”

After reporting the order, Lu Cheng laughed: ”Brother Zeng, I’m not being polite with you today? You can’t be polite with me tomorrow, okay? I remember you prefer beef, right?”

Professor Chen Song is not chubby but loves pork belly, while Tong Yuan’an is slightly plump, actually preferring spicy mushroom shredded meat, liking extra spicy peppercorns.

”We’re brothers, why be polite?” Zeng Huanqi said, noticing Chen Song and Tong Yuan’an walking in successively.

Chen Song was still arguing with Tong Yuan’an as he entered: ”Stop it, while Lu Cheng may be learning the Tajima Suturing Technique from you quickly, the spleen suturing skill I taught him is not weak either.”

”What do you know about surgery? You’re talking nonsense!”

”What’s tendon suturing compared to spleen rupture, which is a life-threatening condition. Don’t talk to me about irrelevant things...”

After taunting, Chen Song saw Lu Cheng had indeed arrived, raised his chin slightly, and calmly said, ”Xiao Lu, just go at your own pace. If Tong Yuan’an dares to PUA you privately, call me anytime.”

”Doesn’t matter if it’s Elder Professor Zhou, or Director Tan from the hand surgery department, even if he calls Dean Lei, I won’t be afraid of him.”

Tong Yuan’an’s plump face showed a trace of grievance: ”Come on, Brother Song, I’m here with a mission, just let Xiao Lu give me more time, once this passes, he’s all yours.”

”With Xiao Lu’s current progress, we can start the projects directly in about half a month, why bother arguing about this?”

Zeng Huanqi shouted Teacher Chen, Teacher Tong, but neither responded.

Chen Song wouldn’t budge: ”Half a month, a month, the person may not be yours, it’s not going to be yours, it’s me lending him to you.”

”Spleen Preservation Surgery is important!!!” Chen Song raised his tone.

”On a small scale, this concerns whether a spleen-injured patient’s organ can be preserved. On a larger scale, this concerns the lives of tens of thousands of people in Long County.”

Tong Yuan’an was stunned.

When it came to major matters, hand surgery truly couldn’t compare to emergency surgery, as hand surgery fatal cases were nearly non-existent, and its main focus was on improving quality of life.

The main focus of emergency surgery is survival...

”You’ve been teaching him for so long, haven’t seen you really teach Xiao Lu much of your skills? Taking up a position without doing anything?” Tong Yuan’an began his counterattack.

”Why haven’t I been teaching?”

”I taught Xiao Lu tendon suturing, guided him through appendectomy, and trained him on cholecystectomy and splenectomy...”

”Tong Yuan’an, I’ve noticed your character isn’t good from the core!~”

”When you can’t justify yourself, you resort to personal attacks.”

”Since you’re this kind of person, I’ve been foolishly your roommate for five years, can’t serve you anymore.” Chen Song also started his PUA.

Lu Cheng quickly tried to mediate: ”Teacher Chen, Teacher Tong, calm down first. Can’t we talk after breakfast? Is that alright?”

”Arguing on an empty stomach isn’t efficient either.”

Lu Cheng really didn’t expect Chen Song and Tong Yuan’an to start a direct argument...

[Spleen Preservation Surgery (Skilled 1/10) (Skill Points -6), Unnamed Suturing Technique (Skilled 0/10) (Skill Points -4)]

Spleen Preservation Surgery, Lu Cheng entirely improved by adding points. The unnamed ’Tajima’ Suturing Technique was guided by Tong Yuan’an during his learning process because the basic skills were adequate, so naturally he was pointed in the right direction (Beginner 2/5). Yet to maintain his ’persona’, he also chose to slightly add points (Skilled 0/10)...

However, this balance he maintained led to a heated argument between Chen Song and Tong Yuan’an.

Actually, it’s understandable. According to Professor Chen Song’s previous description, basic skills are the hardest to improve for general surgeons, averaging just 3-4 skill levels in a year, which is considered excellent.

Surgical learning speed is relatively faster, roughly double to ten times the basic skills, depending on full commitment.

Lu Cheng, in less than four days, progressed on both fronts, seen by Chen Song and the others as extraordinarily talented.

”I don’t care, Tong Yuan’an, you’re from orthopedics, teach if you want, don’t teach if you don’t. I’m an emergency doctor, and so is Xiao Lu.” Chen Song said.

Tong Yuan’an replied, ”Xiao Lu is our orthopedic doctor!~”

”That was before!~” Chen Song emphasized, and pulled Lu Cheng’s badge: ”Open your eyes and take a good look, have you read? Want me to read it for you?”

”Lu Cheng, Attending Physician, Emergency Department.”

Tong Yuan’an, grabbing his head with his chubby hands, was speechless: ”I can’t make any sense with you, narrow-minded, not seeing the big picture...”

”What’s the big picture? Grabbing fame and profit is the big picture? People’s lives aren’t the big picture?!!~” Chen Song opened his recorder:

”Tong Yuan’an, tell, speak here, is Spleen Preservation Surgery more important or Tendon Suturing Technique?”

Zeng Huanqi and Lu Cheng watched these two characters, not daring to breathe heavily.

Of course, Zeng Huanqi’s gaze towards Lu Cheng was also tough to bear.

The reason for their quarrel was actually competing for Lu Cheng’s ’body’, understood in the literal sense of ’body’!

”Both are important, Chen Song, don’t play these games with me, I can’t talk over you, whatever you say goes, you’re the boss...” Tong Yuan’an first admitted defeat to avoid being mocked by Zeng Huanqi and the others.

Chen Song maintained the demeanor of a victor, standing proudly, hands behind his back, laughing heartily: ”Xiao Lu, this Spleen Preservation Surgery...”