The faucet at the wash basin poured water like a deluge, and droplets splattered like embroidery, splashing onto the large mirror above the sink, tracing wet marks like flying serpents.

At ten in the morning, Lu Cheng stood at the wash basin scrubbing his hands, glancing sideways at Brother Zeng Huanqi. At a close look, he realized that Zeng Huanqi's features were actually quite delicate.

It was just that Zeng Huanqi's complexion overshadowed this, contrasting with the saying "a fair complexion covers a hundred flaws": "Brother Zeng, Professor Chen is resting today, and Director Lin has just gotten off work, so this gallbladder removal surgery can only be guided by you."

Zeng Huanqi smiled, showing white teeth, his expression kind and his tone calm: "Xiao Lu, though I know you have a good talent, mastering the tendon suturing skill within a month for multiple tendons of the upper limb."

"But gallbladder removal is quite different from tendon suturing, and you still need to learn it patiently."

Zeng Huanqi quickly added, "I mean, perhaps gallbladder removal has more long-term applicability."

"After all, Peng Kun from orthopedics will eventually learn tendon suturing someday."

Tendon rupture is a standard orthopedic condition. The County Renmin Hospital is just a county hospital, with limited patient volume. It can't be as generous as Xiangya Second Hospital in outsourcing conditions to the emergency department.

Lu Cheng can seize the moment to take the "surgical rights" but cannot rely on this surgery for a lifetime.

The gallbladder removal surgery was taken from the specialty department by Lin Qianlong and now belongs to the emergency department, undisputed surgery. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"Mmm, I understand, thank you, Brother Zeng, I'll still need your backup later…" Lu Cheng was aware of this, but his thoughts were not aligned with it.

The zones for tendon suturing are many; Peng Kun can surely learn over time, but it will take years.

By the time Young Master Kun finishes mastering tendon suturing, I will have already learned other surgical techniques and will be too lazy to compete with him for tendon suturing.

The routine operations of sterilization and draping for gallbladder removal are similar to appendicitis, just the focus of disinfection is different.

Once the drapes were laid, and the circulating nurse had connected the electric knife and adjusted the current, Lu Cheng only asked one question: "Brother Zeng, can I use the right subcostal (Kocher) incision to enter the abdomen?"

"Yes, you can!~" Zeng Huanqi nodded. As an attending surgeon who could operate gallbladder removal, he naturally understood the English terms Lu Cheng was mentioning.

This is one of the more commonly used incisions for gallbladder removal, and mastering this basic skill is essential. Lu Cheng had been assessed by Professor Chen Song and was prepared for this surgery.

Without much hesitation, Lu Cheng directly used a circular knife to open the skin, seamlessly in local movements, though not yet adept overall.

Zeng Huanqi knew that this was because Lu Cheng's fundamental skills were good enough, but he hadn't operated on gallbladder removal surgery yet.

The mind is capable, and the hands are skilled, but without having done it, there isn't an overall familiarity…

"Retractor!~" Lu Cheng spoke, with Zeng Huanqi following.

"Gallbladder position is normal."

"Right angle clamp!~"

"Hem-o-lok clamp, cystic artery."

"Hem-o-lok clamp, cystic duct."

"Drainage tube…"

Zeng Huanqi's expression started to solidify. From the beginning of August to now on the sixth, in just six days, Lu Cheng not only learned the complex Tajima Suturing Technique as Professor Tong Yuan'an mentioned, but his skill level in gallbladder removal was also distinctly not ordinary!

Zeng Huanqi's gaze lingered on Lu Cheng, discovering that Lu Cheng's operations were meticulous, with local operations such as hemostasis, incision, and debridement being superior to his own…

Only in the transition from one step to another did Lu Cheng need a bit of thought, clearly following a script.

This indeed was Lu Cheng stepping into the door of this surgery, yet Lu Cheng just relied on reciting the surgery plus 'mature' basic skills to push the surgery forward, leaving even him unable to find flaws.

Lu Cheng has truly learned the real skills; it can't be contained—

Some people, give them sunshine, and they can shine brightly. Give them a little color, and they'll start their own dye workshop.

Now, Lu Cheng's skill level in gallbladder removal has reached the point of readiness, not fearing 'mistakes' even when handling cases solo, even if Professor Chen leaves, Lu Cheng can lead the surgery alone…

Suppressing someone at the County Hospital doesn't mean 'completely' locking the surgery away! That's impossible, as everyone is an adult, and no one would choose to offend someone so absolutely.

What can be locked is simply that I can choose not to teach you, not to guide you!

If no one leads you into the door... you can screw up like Director Peng of orthopedics, taking all responsibility is your freedom.

But skill learning is something not passed down lightly. Without a superior taking responsibility, proceeding is courting disaster…

"Brother Zeng, I think it's fine. What do you think?" Lu Cheng completed the placement of the drainage tube step by step and turned to ask Zeng Huanqi.

Zeng Huanqi carefully inspected the intra-abdominal situation, finding that after gallbladder removal in the gallbladder area, the field was dry, with no bleeding points, no bile leaks, and the direction of the drainage tube was standard.

Achieving this, Zeng Huanqi couldn't find anything amiss, thus nodded teasingly: "Xiao Lu, you must be an amphibian."

Zeng Huanqi could only elegantly and implicitly express the words 'abnormal'.

...

Below Elephant Ridge lies a black fish pond, frequented by many anglers from Long County managed by the owner.

Zhang Tiesheng and Chen Song each set up a sun umbrella and a complete fishing platform. Chen Song sat composed, having placed the bait, waiting for fish to bite.

Catching it from the corner of his eye, he hurriedly reached to grab Zhang Tiesheng's fishing rod: "Your bobber sank, why aren't you pulling?"

"It ran off." Chen Song pulled up only emptiness.

Zhang Tiesheng just took a moment to check some messages, quickly putting down his phone, re-baiting his hook, and handed Chen Song a cheerful ease before apologetically smiling: "Professor Chen, sorry, I got distracted."

"Just now, Zeng Huanqi texted me saying that the gallbladder removal surgery Xiao Lu just led was very skillfully done; this was only his first time leading, so it felt a bit unbelievable."

"It doesn't seem reasonable." Zhang Tiesheng's expression seemed relaxed, but internally he felt a squeeze, a vague pressure of being outpaced.

Chen Song raised his fishing rod, re-baiting it: "That's perfectly normal, Xiao Lu's fundamentals are solid, so learning specialist techniques quickly."

"Specialist surgeries, at the core, are just the organic combination of countless fundamental skills. All surgeries, when broken down to the last layer, can be reduced to basic skill components."

"In teaching hospitals, during master's and doctoral periods, you basically don't learn specialist surgeries, just develop foundation skills!~"

"This has two purposes: one is that foundational skills are easy to learn but hard to master, and mastering them isn't easy, also they affect a person's clinical ceiling; secondly, it represents a person's comprehensive potential."

"So, we basically start formally learning surgical operations in our 30s, but with five to six years, we can catch up with the main group."

Chen Song saw that Zhang Tiesheng was still somewhat perplexed, so he made an analogy: "It's just like how many fields welcome undergraduates from mathematics to switch to them for postgraduate studies."

"Is math useful? In practical applications, it's hard to link directly. But all science disciplines essentially branch off from mathematics."

"Basic skills are like the mathematical prowess of science."

"There it goes again!~" Chen Song's bobber moved, and he pulled, but the fish in the pond were truly sly, just a teasing nibble, pulling the rod without result.

Chen Song mused: "General learning, such as what you undergo, Zhang Tiesheng, appears to be learning surgical techniques, but in truth, foundational skills, specialist skills, and techniques need to advance together, so learning is relatively slow…"

"However, if foundational skills and theoretical reserves are built first, and then specialist surgeries and techniques are learned after a foundation is laid, simultaneous advancement isn't necessary."

"Mmm." Zhang Tiesheng adjusted his glasses and nodded.

Understanding the essence of Lu Cheng's rapid progress, but the fundamental reasons left Zhang Tiesheng helpless.