System Came When the Doctor was Thirty

In the office, Huang Haibo stared blankly at Lu Cheng, lost in thought.

He had known Lu Cheng longer than anyone else at the State People’s Hospital, having heard about a handsome young man who joined the emergency surgery department in Long County just last year.

At that time, Huang Haibo didn’t think much of Lu Cheng; there were too many young men like him.

The strict hierarchy and clear layering in medicine fundamentally arise because the technical gaps between different groups of people are too vast and thick.

The skill gap between an inpatient doctor and an attending physician is astonishingly large.

The gap between an attending and an associate chief physician is equally astonishing.

Everyone’s timeline is limited, so reaching different levels can only rely on individual talent for accumulation.

Why do top chief physicians and professors stand high and sit at the top of the pyramid?

Why are academic papers so highly sought after by so many people?

Others can do what you can’t, so what can you do?

Medicine is considered one of the most fair technical industries; if you can do it, you can, if you can’t, there’s no way to fake it.

The word "life" has no homophones or tones, so how can you gamble with it for fun?

Professor Gong being able to become a professor at Zhejiang University Second Hospital means he’s surpassed more than 99% of his peers nationwide to reach this position.

But just now, with frustration, Gong Chenwen arrived, and after watching Lu Cheng’s recorded video, he immediately changed his attitude, even contemplating bringing Lu Cheng to Zhejiang Province.

The scene was as absurd as a novel or TV drama.

"Director Huang, Professor Gong left and didn’t seem too angry, so should I leave now?"

"My teacher came." Lu Cheng replied.

Huang Haibo surely knew Chen Song and also knew that Lu Cheng currently only referred to one person as teacher; all other teachers would include the surname.

Huang Haibo smiled faintly, "Your teacher came, and you didn’t tell me. Are you excluding me, the internal and external medicine?"

Lu Cheng hurriedly explained, "Director Huang, Professor Chen came to discuss professional matters with me, not like last time."

"Alright, alright, I get it."

"You’re busy, so I’ll just tell you something. After the last event, our emergency department’s ECMO is also going to be brought in."

"At that time, you will be our emergency department’s technical advisor." Huang Haibo was only telling Lu Cheng what would happen, not asking Lu Cheng’s opinion.

Having been sent to study on behalf of the hospital and learning the skills, of course, Lu Cheng couldn’t become arrogant. "Director Huang, just call me anytime."

"I’m happy to help."

"Thank you for your hard work today."

Huang Haibo smiled casually, "Just part of the job. If I didn’t handle this kind of matter today, what’s the point of being a director?"

"If that Professor Gong’s skills were better than yours, we would just swallow our pride quietly."

"But he’s not that great either, showing courtesy can be a form of emotional release."

Huang Haibo didn’t seek to gain the same deep trust from Lu Cheng as the few directors in Long County’s surgery department, but he wanted to interact with Lu Cheng in a slightly different manner than the others.

Lu Cheng didn’t say much more and drove back to the scene.

When Lu Cheng returned, the banquet was already lively. Chen Song was quite curious about Lu Cheng’s past with Mu Nanshu, nudging Dai Linfang and Xie Yuan’an to get Mu Nanshu to spill the beans.

The main instigator was Xie Yuan’an.

Mu Nanshu’s expression was calm, "There’s nothing much to say, everything that needed to be said has been said."

Lu Cheng said, "Xie Yuan’an, don’t you already know?"

"What I know is boring, isn’t it?"

"So plain... I thought there’d be something dramatic?" Xie Yuan’an seemed less intimidated by Lu Cheng now.

Even though she knew Lu Cheng and Mu Nanshu were both quite "petty," this "pettiness" only applied to big matters, not small ones.

Lu Cheng steered the topic, "Liquor can be dramatic and flavorful, feel free to drink your fill."

Xie Yuan’an said, "Why would I drink? It’s not even tasty."

Lu Cheng replied, "That’s right, only those who appreciate good liquor savor it, using their own stories as accompaniment."

"How can someone else’s story accompany your drink?"

Mu Nanshu asked, "Then how do you drink liquor?"

Lu Cheng said, "Initially, drinking was about seeking progress, without tasting the flavor."

"Later on, it was to drown sorrows, but it never really helped, just numbed them."

"I feel the best use of liquor is to celebrate, to enhance joy, naturally making one radiant."

"Teacher Chen, you’re my benefactor, drinking with you doesn’t need any stories mixed in."

"I toast to you."

Chen Song raised his glass, "The way you put it, it’s like I don’t enjoy stories."

After he and Lu Cheng drank in one go, he nodded slowly, "Xiao Lu used to be in a sorry state, don’t be fooled by his current success."

"Back at the county, he basically never led any proper surgeries."

"In shallow waters, there are many toads; before becoming a toad, you’re just a little turtle struggling to stay afloat."

Neither Mu Nanshu nor the others had stayed at the County Hospital, but Chen Song had done his rounds in the countryside, so he shared this as a funny anecdote.

"Initially, when Lu Cheng joined the emergency department, for an appendicitis surgery, others wouldn’t let him take charge, keeping it for themselves."

"It wasn’t even about practicing skills, just about grabbing that little surgery fee."

"Imagine, in such a situation, how did he manage to make it here."

"Or rather, he could have achieved even more, but had to bow his head in his previous state, experiences beyond ordinary comprehension."