System Came When the Doctor was Thirty

”You call this ’bao mian’ here? Not ’wonton’, and not ’chao shou’?” On his day off, Chen Song had arranged to meet Lu Cheng at a breakfast shop early.

Lu Cheng brought over a plate of ’pepper chilli’: ”Teacher Chen, how’s the taste? If you like it, I’ll ask the owner to add another bowl.”

Both Lu Cheng and Chen Song were eating bao mian, in a spacious hall, with the morning sun yet to arrive, and only seven or eight ceiling fans blew away the heat of breakfast diners.

Bao mian is actually just wonton, but the skin is thicker than wonton, and the filling is larger than chao shou, making it a unique eating style in the border area near Long County.

”No need to add a bowl, it’s just too spicy. The beef bone broth is quite rich and tastes good.” Chen Song objectively commented as he put another one in his mouth.

When the soup exploded, it blasted a unique texture inside his mouth.

”Tong Yuan’an hasn’t been to the ER for three days, and the recent tendon sutures were all handled by you alone.”

”Has he been taken away by Peng Kun for special training? Do you want me to ask?” Chen Song glanced furtively at Lu Cheng’s expression.

Today is already August 13th, based on the time, orthopedics Peng Kun should be finishing up in the Training Room and starting tendon suturing work soon.

Peng Kun is different from a master’s degree student now, he can concentrate entirely on practice, without needing to work for a boss or produce research papers like a PhD student.

In a short period, he can dedicate more time to intensive training.

”No need Teacher Chen, Teacher Tong probably has his own plans.” Lu Cheng’s eyes flickered.

Unexpectedly, visiting Tong Yuan’an’s home last time not only silenced him but also made him stop coming to the ER.

Tong Yuan’an must be feeling particularly miserable...

With the new suturing techniques, as one of the original founders, Tong Yuan’an definitely had earlier contact and practice compared to Lu Cheng.

Lu Cheng, however, within just ten days, not only surpassed Professor Tajima, but his suturing technique, which he was proud of and hoped to compete with Professor Tajima’s, became ’fragmented’.

Although, according to Professor Tajima’s published articles, the ’tong’ method has a slight advantage.

But Mu Nanshu mentioned that having a slight advantage and comparing with it is like ”taking off pants to fart”, producing no statistical significance.

Therefore, Tong Yuan’an has to carefully redesign his technique, collaborate with hand surgery professors at Xiangya Hospital to refine and improve it before showcasing it again.

Otherwise, if Lu Cheng learns it and masters both methods, ending with a score of 96/95, it would seem like Tong Yuan’an’s team was just trying to create a controversy with Professor Tajima.

Clinical topics aren’t done that way.

”Do you know the reason?” Chen Song raised his chin with some curiosity and wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin.

”I think that’s the case, on the 10th…” Lu Cheng briefly recounted the events of the tenth.

Chen Song’s eyes lit up immediately, and the furrowed eyebrows were straightened by the skin: ”Detail it...”

Lu Cheng had no choice but to elaborate more thoroughly.

”Haha, serves him right!~”

Chen Song slapped his thigh: ”He thought he had a bit of ability and ended up delusional!~”

”Claiming an original technique as if it’s unique, if surgical techniques were easy to create, they’d be all over the place.”

”Many professors pride themselves on creating a technique in their specialized field over a lifetime.”

”I thought Tong Yuan’an truly had such abilities!~” Chen Song mocked unreservedly.

Previously, Chen Song didn’t dare to be too vocal, mainly because Tong Yuan’an was indeed quite outstanding, and the words he spoke, Chen Song chose to believe first, remaining silent.

Now that problems have arisen, Chen Song accurately explained to Lu Cheng the difficulty of creating an original technique.

Lu Cheng listened and was silent.

It’s probably true; take tendon suturing as an example, whether it’s kessler, Tang method, or Tsuge Suturing Technique, they’re all the lifelong understanding of a top professor, refined and thoroughly output over at least half a lifetime.

Even if the Tang method is better than an improved kessler effect, one can’t say it replaces others in every anatomical position.

Of course, this matter is distant from Lu Cheng.

Lu Cheng said: ”Teacher Chen, this sort of thing is for those taller people to think about, my task is just to learn whatever you and Teacher Tong teach!”

”Learning well benefits patients, and I’ll apply it to them.”

”Currently, although the Tajima Suturing Technique can’t form a topic, it can potentially apply to most tendon sutures, especially Achilles tendon sutures.”

”It’s unfortunate that Achilles tendon suturing is always done by orthopedics, who ensure patients have good recovery.” Lu Cheng sighed deeply.

After all, a county hospital is just a county hospital; there aren’t many patients, so Lu Cheng truly can’t take away the case type captured by orthopedics.

Playing this game in the county hospital would only ruin Lu Cheng, forcing others to a dead end.

”Since orthopedics does well, don’t make extra trouble, you came through this way too.”

”Surgeries get more skilled and better the more they’re done, leaving room and opportunity for others to grow.”

”This is called leaving a line when doing things.”

”Spleen Preservation Surgery, Gallbladder Preservation Surgery, there are plenty of surgeries you can learn and no one will compete with you for them.” Chen Song specifically pointed out.

Doctors in the county hospital surely need to grow, and to grow, there must be patients allowing them to perform surgeries continuously.

”Yes, I know, Teacher Chen.”

”I’ve always been keeping up with learning Spleen Preservation and Gallbladder Preservation Surgeries!” Lu Cheng glanced at his two techniques.

[Spleen Preservation Surgery (skilled 3/10) (+2), Gallbladder Preservation Surgery (skilled 2/10) (+1), Liver Preservation Surgery (skilled 1/10) (+4)]

These techniques weren’t acquired by Lu Cheng through skill points, rather following Professor Chen Song’s surgeries, completing partial operations, experiencing the tactile feel, familiarizing with surgical procedures, naturally improving.

Of course, Chen Song’s guidance was quite crucial.

The better the fundamental skills, the easier learning surgeries are, so Lu Cheng plans to improve his basics when not urgently required.

For instance, if the opportunity arises, he will grasp the current mainstream laparoscopic surgeries in general surgery, using minimally invasive techniques to perform surgeries, reducing postoperative burdens.

That would be a considerable source of skill points...

”Lu Cheng, Tong Yuan’an won’t come to the ER anymore.” During Lu Cheng’s good mood, Chen Song suddenly said.

Lu Cheng, upon hearing this, raised his head abruptly, looking somewhat apprehensive.

Chen Song explained: ”There are three reasons; first, he’s let go of his obsession, indeed not as skilled. Second, without demanding much from you, he taught you their hospital’s suturing technique along with the Tajima Suturing Technique.”

”It roughly counts as a fair exchange.”

”Third, temporarily, Tong Yuan’an couldn’t enable further breakthroughs in his technique; investing time holds no meaning.”

”Originally, Tong Yuan’an came to Long County for an outreach mission with orthopedics, so… he’s going to lead Peng Kun in orthopedics performing specialist surgeries like tendon and flap suturing.”

Lu Cheng nodded, said to Chen Song: ”Teacher Chen, understood, before Professor Tong leaves, I won’t handle tendon rupture cases anymore.”

Peng Kun improved in learning, reached the threshold of tendon suturing, Tong Yuan’an let go of his ’obsession’, had taught what he needed, and gave Lu Cheng the ’tong’ method tendon suturing material and teaching videos.

He doesn’t have the obligation to continue teaching Lu Cheng like a teacher; as an orthopedic outreach doctor, the role wasn’t formally established.

With Tong Yuan’an in orthopedics, they can rightly claim authority over tendon suturing surgeries, even Chen Song couldn’t object.

As for whether Peng Kun could surpass Lu Cheng in few months, solely handling tendon suturing authority, that remains for later discussions.

Chen Song said: ”Fill your stomach first...”