NOVEL NEXT Chapter 13: Senior Brother is Terrifying!
Jokes aside, the surgery continued smoothly. The circulating nurse wasn't actually going to resign, and Gong Yi wasn't genuinely angry at He Xiaoqing.
After stepping down from the operating table, Gong Yi glanced at his two students and found himself agreeing with He Xiaoqing's earlier comment about their team being the "orthopedics department's peak of aesthetics."
With his mask and cap on, Zhou Yanqing's sharp eyebrows and bright, focused eyes exuded a calm confidence. His broad frame and muscular build were evident even through the sterile gown. By contrast, Fan Ziwei's pale complexion and lean, Korean-style physique might appeal to a particular crowd but seemed fragile next to Zhou's commanding presence.
That Evening
Lying on his dorm bed in the dark, Zhou Yanqing stared at the ceiling. The room, originally a four-person dormitory, was now empty except for him. One non-hand surgery graduate student had moved out, and his classmates Liu Dongyang and Guo Congyu were temporarily away, leaving Zhou in solitude.
He pulled up his mental skill panel:
Surgical Theory: General Surgery (Proficient 1/3) Orthopedics (Proficient 1/3) Hand Surgery (Proficient 2/3) Internal Medicine (Novice 0/1)
His focus on surgery, especially hand surgery, had naturally resulted in deeper expertise compared to other fields. Internal medicine, gynecology, and pediatrics had been part of his undergraduate curriculum, but the sheer volume of knowledge in each made mastery within a short period unrealistic.
Diagnostic Techniques: X-ray Interpretation (Proficient 1/3) CT Interpretation (Proficient 1/3) MRI Interpretation (Proficient 2/3) Basic Physical Examination (Proficient 1/3) Medical Test Analysis (Proficient 0/3) Medical Lab Interpretation (Proficient 0/3)
Hand surgery's emphasis on imaging, particularly MRI, had pushed Zhou's skills in this area to the forefront. He recognized the value of each diagnostic skill, but specialization demanded hard choices.
Surgical Basics:
Suturing (Expert 1/5) Incision (Proficient 2/3) Knot-Tying (Proficient 1/3) Debridement (Proficient 1/3) Hemostasis (Proficient 0/3) Puncture (Proficient 0/3)
Specialized Techniques:
Flap Suturing (Proficient 0/3) Tendon Suturing (Novice 0/1)
Among these, suturing stood out as his strongest skill, far ahead of the rest. Flap suturing had reached a proficient level thanks to repeated practice, but further refinement was needed for aesthetics. He was still working toward tendon suturing clearance, which would unlock new surgical privileges.
Time Management
Zhou's Forged Through Repetition badge offered a clear advantage—incremental improvements through consistent repetition. However, balancing priorities was critical. The ongoing goal of completing 10,000 precise incisions remained paramount, with progress currently at 2,568/10,000. At a disciplined pace of 1,000 incisions every two days, the goal was within reach.
Tasks like honing suturing and diagnostic skills, reading cases, and reviewing literature also demanded attention. Zhou knew that excelling in hand surgery required mastery of core skills like suturing, incisions, hemostasis, and debridement, as well as diagnostic proficiency with MRI, X-ray, and CT scans.
To secure admission into a top doctoral program like Xiangya's specialized track, Zhou had to prove himself as a standout "master of hand surgery." Half-measures wouldn't suffice.
Thursday
In the department, first-year master's student Tang Wenquan looked tense, his eyelids twitching as he nervously approached Zhou. "Senior Zhou, you're not reviewing our patient records, are you? Wang Chun said you've been cross-referencing the cases he's managing with literature."
Wang Chun, a fellow master's student under Director Han, was in the same cohort as Tang. Recently, Zhou had spent less time in the training room, opting instead to pour over thick books, printed research papers, and case notes. He'd already corrected several of Fan Ziwei's patient orders, causing ripples of unease among the junior students.
Tang felt the pressure mounting. If Zhou found errors in his notes, he'd have no choice but to accept criticism and report to his superiors.
Zhou reassured him with a smile. "Relax, Wenquan. I'm just studying these cases to analyze the treatment philosophies of my mentor, Director Dong, and Director Han."
"You know I'm job-hunting soon. I need to brush up on theory to impress department heads during interviews."
"Don't worry," he added. "I'm not here to criticize."
Hearing this, Tang let out a small sigh of relief. Standing up straight, his 1.8-meter frame regained its composure. "Senior Zhou, you scared me! I thought you'd found some mistakes."
He paused, then added with newfound resolve, "But if you have any suggestions—like the ones you gave Fan Ziwei—I'd love to hear them!"
"Really?" Zhou asked.
"Yes! As long as it's constructive and not overly harsh," Tang replied earnestly.
"Alright then. Come over, and let's discuss these two treatment orders. They're not wrong, but I think we could make some improvements, like switching to this medication…" Zhou began.
Two Hours Later
Returning to the training room, Tang lowered his voice as he spoke to two classmates. "Let me tell you, Senior Zhou is terrifying. He went through the literature and…"
Fan Ziwei and Wang Chun, however, showed no surprise. Instead, they exchanged amused looks.
"You knew?" Tang asked, baffled.
Fan, busy threading sutures at his workstation, turned and replied, "I got the same treatment a few days ago."
"Wang Chun was curious too. He even asked Senior Zhou for advice!"
"Senior Zhou is mentoring us. His dedication to learning is terrifying, isn't it?" Fan added, still shaken by the intensity of Zhou's study sessions.