...

Sha City, Kaifu District, Xintong Road, Century Jinyuan Hotel.

The hotel is located at the confluence of the Xiangjiang River and the Liuyang River, with tall buildings and a broad view. Although the floor of Lu Cheng's room isn't high, it happens to be on the side with the river view.

Although Professor Tong Yuan'an didn't manage to get many competition perks for Lu Cheng, he did secure a better view room for Lu Cheng through Xiangya Hospital's connections behind the scenes.

Outside the window, the drizzle continued, with the city lamps just starting to glow.

After eating takeout, Lu Cheng had been waiting for news from Professor Tong Yuan'an, but it was as if Tong Yuan'an had disappeared. Lu Cheng waited until nine in the evening without any message.

It was Lu Cheng's first visit to Sha City, and he didn't know many people or have any connections, so although he often heard the familiar greetings of acquaintances outside, none were for him.

He just kept drinking Luckin coffee and chatting with Mu Nanshu.

"Don't worry, since Professor Tong said he'd contact you later, he definitely will."

"He's probably busy with personnel reception at the moment."

"In a hospital like Xiangya and within the provincial academic association, there are still many big bosses the associate professor needs to entertain," Mu Nanshu said.

While Mu Nanshu was talking, Xie Yuan'an's voice floated over: "How long are you two going to fawn over each other?"

"Xiao Mumu, we still have to go to the lab at three in the morning to check on the cells. Are you going to sleep at all?"

"Sister Xie, you go to sleep first," Mu Nanshu lazily changed his posture, turning his head to the side.

"I'm afraid you won't be able to get up later," Xie Yuan'an said.

Lu Cheng replied, "You still have to go to the lab at three, huh? Then you should rest first. I'll wait here a bit more and watch some shows or something."

Xie Yuan'an appeared on the video screen, her voice clear and courteous: "Hello, Dr. Lu Cheng, in a few days, I'll need your guidance."

"Teacher Xie, you're too kind," Lu Cheng said politely.

Xie Yuan'an explained, "Actually, I really had no choice. Our hospital's nerve suturing and vascular suturing tracks are packed. Even if I went to participate, I'd just be a bystander."

"So, I can only take a shortcut to gain some experience."

"It's a good thing I know Xiao Mumu, otherwise I wouldn't even have the nerve to ask."

Lu Cheng responded, "Teacher Xie, you're still too polite. If it weren't for the help you gave me before, I might not even have had the chance to study at Union Hospital."

Mu Nanshu interjected, "You two can stop with the mutual compliments now and get some rest..."

"Lu Cheng, you have a competition tomorrow, so you should rest early too."

"No need to worry about not making it to the national competition."

It was then that Lu Cheng realized what Mu Nanshu had been hinting at all day. Before, Lu Cheng really thought he might not make it to the national competition.

After all, there were so many masters in the province. When it came to basic skills in vascular suturing, Lu Cheng definitely couldn't compare to someone as skilled as Tong Yuan'an.

Xiangya had at least eight associate professors or more, and many deputy chief physicians from city hospitals and Sha City were just there to make up the numbers, not to mention someone as small as Lu Cheng...

But if there were an additional tendon suturing track, Lu Cheng might have some confidence.

Five minutes after hanging up the video call with Mu Nanshu, the 'Opportunist', and the 'Gossip Girl', Professor Tong Yuan'an's voice message finally came through.

"Lu Cheng, come up to the twenty-fifth floor. Let's have a simple midnight snack together."

Lu Cheng was on the 19th floor, so after listening, he quickly replied, "Okay, Teacher Tong, I'll be right there..."

Lu Cheng swiftly grabbed a couple of bottles of the wine he had brought and took the elevator upstairs.

Tong Yuan'an had long told Lu Cheng his room number.

After Lu Cheng knocked on the door, a short person with a delicate, pretty face stepped out, and for a moment, Lu Cheng even thought it was a girl.

"Hello? Is this Professor Tong Yuan'an's room?" Lu Cheng asked.

The pretty-faced person's voice was crisp, "Are you Dr. Lu Cheng? Brother Tong is inside drinking; come in..."

"Lu Cheng, come on in. Now it's time for us small fry," Tong Yuan'an also called out.

Lu Cheng quickly entered with the "pretty face." This person barely reached Lu Cheng's shoulder, probably only about one and a half meters tall, with a well-proportioned and petite figure.

But Lu Cheng didn't dare to underestimate him...

At first glance, Lu Cheng saw eight people inside, and he only recognized Tong Yuan'an among them.

It might have been the talkative big-nosed guy who spoke up, asking, "Brother Tong, who's this guy? Seems like it's the first time we're meeting?"

Today's gathering was among senior attendings and above, all experts. While Tong Yuan'an was certainly the most "prominent" among the associate professor generation, bringing a stranger drew some attention.

"Lu Cheng is a brother I got to know in the countryside, quite an interesting person. His name is Lu, spelled with 'ear' and 'east', and the Cheng means 'success'," Tong Yuan'an introduced and continued.

"Xiao Lu, what are you waiting for, show them your Long County People's Hospital style..."

Lu Cheng quickly said, "Hello, teachers! My name is Lu Cheng, hello Teacher Ding!~"

Besides Tong Yuan'an, Lu Cheng also recognized Ding Mou, the associate professor from Xiangya Second Hospital.

However, it was just a brief encounter; Ding Mou had left Long County People's Hospital around the time Lu Cheng started working there.

Ding Mou rubbed his flat nose, and upon hearing Lu Cheng was from Long County People's Hospital, his serious expression relaxed, while the mole on his right brow danced:

"From Long County People's Hospital, huh? Then you must have quite a knack for drinking?"