System Came When the Doctor was Thirty

”Brother Dai, may I ask, you didn’t have to do all this in the first place, why do you enjoy tinkering so much?” Lu Cheng asked.

The fish was already in the pot, and the aroma of the old pickled vegetables filled the air, but it still needed time to soak in the flavor.

”Two reasons. The first is that it’s hard to stay afloat in the bureaucratic sea. If you don’t want to get involved, you have to start anew. I’m just walking a path others have walked before.”

”The second reason is that I enjoy it. I really like that feeling.”

”It’s not about controlling life and death; it’s the feeling of exploration,” Dai Linfang answered truthfully.

”Besides, my parents have supported these interests of mine since elementary school. But maybe, as others say, I always like to take big steps, which is why I’ve accomplished nothing so far.”

”...”

After finishing the meal, Dai Linfang left without any further entanglement with Lu Cheng.

...

February 14, Valentine’s Day. At 5:40 in the afternoon.

After finishing his day shift, Lu Cheng was on his way home when he made a video call to Mu Nanshu: ”Xiao Shu, why are you in such a hurry to go back?”

”Today’s Valentine’s Day, you know. I see lots of couples going out on dates, and I’m just heading home to nibble on takeout.”

Mu Nanshu said, ”If I don’t go back, there will be a fight. I didn’t want to get involved in the stuff between my dad and my uncle, but there’s no way around it now!”

”Luckily, I went back. As a Mu family junior, I can insist on having an engagement in the hometown...”

”Let me tell you, Lu Cheng, don’t say that. In the village, in the eyes of the elderly, having an education and a government job is more influential than my dad.”

Lu Cheng sounded surprised: ”Huh?”

”Uncle Mu couldn’t solve it, but you stepped in and solved it?”

Mu Nanshu nodded, ”Yeah, it got resolved. I find it quite amazing too...”

At this point, Lu Cheng received a call from Dai Linfang, interrupting the video call with Mu Nanshu.

Lu Cheng hung up directly, then called Mu Nanshu back: ”I got a call just now, I missed what you were saying.”

”I should really change this phone.”

Mu Nanshu raised the volume: ”I said, my grandpa and all of them don’t dare not to recognize me as part of the Mu Family.”

Lu Cheng affirmed, ”Of course, my wife is so smart, she’s a PhD, and she works at Union Hospital.”

Just then, Dai Linfang called again, interrupting Mu Nanshu.

Lu Cheng simply pulled over, then texted a message to Mu Nanshu.

After that, he connected the call: ”Brother Dai, what’s up? I was on a call.”

Immediately, Dai Linfang said, ”Brother Lu, can you come to the lab for a moment? I have some new findings here.”

Lu Cheng checked the time, it was indeed February 14, indeed the fifth day of the new year, and indeed there was no work.

Working at the hospital was inevitable, but who opens a lab on such a day?

”Brother Dai, do we need to? It’s February 14.” Lu Cheng’s tone wasn’t very stimulating, but the other side should have caught the hint about ”no bother to singles.”

”Huh? Today’s Valentine’s Day?”

”Sorry, Brother Lu, carry on with your stuff.” Dai Linfang also promptly hung up.

However, right after hanging up, Dai Linfang quickly texted Lu Cheng: ”Brother Lu, I think the liver injury rabbit model can still be made, I’ve got a case here.”

Lu Cheng was already back on call with Mu Nanshu, and he just happened to relay what Dai Linfang had said.

Mu Nanshu said, ”Hey, did we misunderstand him?”

”Or, maybe he’s more obsessed than we thought?”

Lu Cheng nodded, ”I don’t know, he texted saying he managed to create an animal model case in the lab.”

”The company isn’t even open for work, I don’t know how he managed it.”

”If Brother Zhang Xibei wanted to show off, we could understand. But Dai Linfang doesn’t need to do all this, right?”

Mu Nanshu thought for a moment: ”So, why don’t you go and keep him company for the holiday?”

”Don’t joke around. None of that funny business.” Lu Cheng warned.

”You arrange it yourself. Anyway, I’m off to see my uncle and aunt to discuss things, whether it’s a clean break or an intricate separation, there needs to be a resolution today.”

”My dad said, we must have the old home, and claim the homestead. But no money is to be given.”

”Since my uncle and aunt have gone this far, he’s going to be shameless and make a fuss about everything for the whole village to judge...”

”Be careful, don’t get hurt.” Lu Cheng quickly advised.

The atmosphere in Long County is pretty ’wild’; it’s not Lu Cheng’s prejudice, because when Lu Cheng gets provoked, he would choose to use his hands too, it’s something ingrained.

”Don’t worry, my dad definitely won’t suffer.” Mu Nanshu reassured.

After Lu Cheng finished the call with Mu Nanshu, he sent Mu Nanshu another message: ”If you had told me about this earlier, I would certainly have taken leave to be with you, but since you and Uncle Mu were planning a surprise attack, I couldn’t change my shift.”

Mu Nanshu replied, ”It’s okay, none of us can accurately predict the future.”

...

Lu Cheng drove to the lab.

The security guard at the lab entrance was dozing off, lacking the spirit of a working day, holding a birdcage, while his phone played Douyin short videos on loop.

After Lu Cheng let himself in with facial recognition, he went straight to his usual lab area, and indeed saw Dai Linfang bustling around, wearing a lab coat in the animal operation room.