System Came When the Doctor was Thirty

”It’s not that just because you’ve labeled yourself as realistic, everything can be traded.”

”Although you say I’m also a pure self-interested person, self-interested people can also be swayed by emotions. It’s not always necessary to ensure absolute fairness in every transaction.”

”Moreover, you can continue to look down on me, and I won’t be upset because of it.”

”This lack of anger includes, but is not limited to, the fact that if I have new ideas in the future, I will still choose to collaborate with the hand surgery teachers at Union Hospital first.”

”Even collaborating with you.”

Zhong Junyun said, ”Lu Cheng, aren’t you being a bit too calm right now?”

Lu Cheng said with a smile, ”Teacher Zhong, I’m really very, very happy right now, quite delighted.”

”I’m not calm; in fact, I’m a bit smug!”

Lu Cheng was genuinely very happy, even though he didn’t go out, the teacher from the unit where he failed his postgraduate entrance exam, the big shot professor of hand surgery, personally came to Ji City to find him and was rejected by him.

This feeling, only those who’ve experienced it would understand.

Not necessarily satisfying, but feeling very humorous and comfortable.

Zhong Junyun suddenly said, ”Xiao Lu, you’re not giving in at all from your side. Aren’t you afraid I’ll try to break you down through your girlfriend?”

Lu Cheng immediately felt tense for a moment but quickly realized, ”Teacher Zhong, I’m not afraid, at most you’ll just offer benefits, you won’t threaten.”

”Since it’s about offering benefits, no matter what, I won’t suffer any loss.”

”If you do manage to convince me through Mu Nanshu, then I am also a beneficiary, what’s there to be afraid of?”

”I’m not afraid to refuse you, not obtaining your support, an uncertain future, nor am I afraid of you becoming an appreciator of mine, lending a hand at the appropriate time.”

”Isn’t that so?”

Zhong Junyun hung up the phone.

...

The winter sunset was warm, raising the perceived temperature of Ji City by at least nine degrees.

The car window was half-open, and the light breeze came in, not making it feel cold at all.

Tong Yuan’an sat in the front passenger seat, his expression and demeanor seemingly paralyzed. He tilted his head to the left, resting his right hand on the door, remaining stiff in that position.

Only when Lu Cheng drove to the ’community’ where he was staying, about to enter the underground garage, did Tong Yuan’an wake up from Lu Cheng’s reminder, ”Teacher Tong, where do you plan to catch your ride?”

”Oh, no worries, just drop me off here, they’ll come over to pick me up, I’ll call them right away.”

”Forget it, I’ll borrow Chen Song’s car, return it to him over the weekend.” Tong Yuan’an thought since he would be making a phone call anyway, he might as well borrow a car to drive back.

”Shall I take you over there?” Lu Cheng suggested.

”No need, I’ll hail a cab myself, go take care of your own business.” Tong Yuan’an was no longer rational.

Lu Cheng said, ”Teacher Tong, Professor Chen is in the lab right now, I need to head over there too, it’s directly on the way.”

”In the evening, I’ll be returning to Long County from there.”

Tong Yuan’an nodded hurriedly.

After taking a few deep breaths, Tong Yuan’an lit a cigarette on his own, took a drag, and touched his forehead, ”Lu Cheng, how do you manage to stay so calm?”

”When you were calling Professor Zhong Junyun just now, you seemed to be without desire or demand. Going at your ease??”

Lu Cheng chuckled and restarted the car, ”Oh, Teacher Tong, is that what you’re talking about?”

”Expectations don’t involve weighing pros and cons.”

”If you’re not counting on anyone to help you, then you don’t care about gaining access to his network.”

”Teacher Tong, would you mind not knowing the leaders in Wuzhong City, Shan Province?”

Tong Yuan’an was puzzled, ”What in the world is all this gibberish?”

Lu Cheng affirmed in his tone, ”Exactly, he’s someone outside of your circle, so it doesn’t matter whether you know him or not.”

Tong Yuan’an’s mouth twitched a little, and his chubby face lightly contracted, ”Your thinking is a bit quirky, huh?”

”Do you mean Professor Zhong Junyun is someone outside your circle?”

”So you’re acting so indifferent about it?” Tong Yuan’an was slightly defensive, unsure of what Lu Cheng wanted to do.

Lu Cheng shook his head, ”Connections trade on relationships, the title of genius sells future potential. If it’s a young boss, then there’s no concept of selling.”

”What about opportunities, you’re not considering them at all?” Tong Yuan’an understood Lu Cheng’s meaning but instinctively objected.

Lu Cheng explained, ”Only a huge opening is a genuine opportunity, what people bring are just assistance, not an opportunity.”

”Teacher Tong, please don’t ask me so much, I’m just a little Lu Cheng, and I don’t have anything to offer right now.”

”Not a single aspect of my resume is worth bragging about, why make me think about all this? It’s better to furnish myself with something valuable in the eyes of others.”

...

After sending off Tong Yuan’an, driving out, Chen Song asked again whom Lu Cheng and Tong Yuan’an had met.

After hearing Lu Cheng’s account, Chen Song couldn’t help but reprimand Lu Cheng a bit.

Lu Cheng had a good impression of Chen Song, so he joked, ”Well, Teacher Chen, you take the two big brothers away, and I’ll take this project out as a treasure offering, huh?”

When Lu Cheng was joking like this, he didn’t notice that Chen Song was leaning against a steel stool. After he spoke, Chen Song picked up the stool and started moving.

”Do you believe I’ll smack you?” Chen Song’s expression was serious.

Lu Cheng got scared, quickly saying he didn’t dare, didn’t dare.

Then Chen Song earnestly began the experiment with Lu Cheng again.

...

Around nine in the evening, Chen Song carefully compared the suturing qualities of himself, Lu Cheng, and Tao Shibin, and gave his conclusion: