Lu Cheng drew the curtains open, the evening sun angled in, lazily, with a touch of charm.

Looking out the window, a gentle breeze swayed the greenery in the community back and forth.

Leaning against the window after reading a message, Lu Cheng smiled and called back Professor Chen Song.

"Teacher Chen, my parents said they'd like to invite you over for dinner tonight."

"We bought some matsutake mushrooms, paired with homemade cured meat, and a few pounds of beef bones, perfect with some liquor," Lu Cheng invited.

Chen Song replied, "I won't be coming today, I've already made plans with someone else."

"Xiao Lu, regarding yesterday's matter, you shouldn't take chances lightly in the future. If your hospital's rules weren't so strict, it might have cost you."

Hearing Chen Song mention yesterday's incident, Lu Cheng nodded, "Teacher Chen, I didn't take any chances, haven't you said before?"

"You can't rely on luck when treating patients; you need a solid theoretical foundation, absolute understanding, and reliable skills to handle things smoothly."

"I've memorized these words, and it's based on these principles that I performed the manual realignment for the patient."

"It wasn't recklessly waiting for others to make mistakes or anything else." Lu Cheng replied very naturally and steadily.

The essence of Lu Cheng performing the manual realignment for the patient was his own capability, and he was somewhat confident!

Providing cost-effective treatment while achieving therapeutic goals.

What's wrong with that?

If there's any fault, it might be said that Lu Cheng doesn't understand human affairs, ignoring the 'performance' of fracture doctors like Xiang Kuihua.

But Lu Cheng felt that if he truly understood these 'human affairs', being a doctor would lose its meaning.

Being powerless, hesitant to speak or act much.

With capability, as long as everything was within the rules, it might offend some, but not his own conscience.

Chen Song reflected on Lu Cheng's character, knowing Lu Cheng was not as simple as he seemed.

Studious, steady, yet also a "predator"!

Lu Cheng once asked him, Chen Song, that Tong Yuan'an mentioned his tendon suturing skill wasn't as good as Lu Cheng's, so if Orthopedics Director Peng Haibo or Tong Yuan'an wanted to block Lu Cheng's tendon tears, Lu Cheng wouldn't agree to it.

"Hmm, with this mindset, I'm relieved."

"Mainly because I also don't quite understand the manual realignment of fractures. Online information is a mix of good and bad, it just doesn't seem reliable."

"That's why I reminded you, but still, I suggest Xiao Lu, that you find a mentor in this field, seek guidance, and after dissecting cases you've done like before, consult them. That's the way to progress." Chen Song was genuinely concerned for Lu Cheng, giving detailed advice.

Lu Cheng listened and replied with a smile, "Thank you, Teacher Chen, for the guidance. If you're not coming over for dinner tonight, I'll cook something in the morning and bring it to the department, and we can eat together then."

Chen Song hurriedly said, "No need, no need, cooking in the morning is a hassle..."

"It's no hassle, Teacher Chen. I'll clean and prepare everything tonight, refrigerate it, and cooking in the morning will be quick..."

After hanging up, Lu Cheng smiled slightly.

He understood Chen Song's hint; even if Chen Song returned by the month's end, Lu Cheng could still consult him on ongoing surgical studies.

In this way, he could somewhat be considered a named disciple of Professor Chen Song, right?

"Let's practice the Hemostasis Technique…" Once Lu Cheng's mind cleared, he headed to the training room at home, beginning preparations for practicing the Hemostasis Technique with setup, materials, etc.

Some needed to be purchased online, requiring delivery time, while some Lu Cheng already had.

...

While in the training room, with the air conditioner on, Lu Cheng was taking notes when a WeChat message rang.

Lu Cheng thought it was from a senior in the department, but it turned out to be from Mu Nanshu: "The 17th of this month is a weekday. I just arrived here, and really can't get time off."

"Is it okay to make it up during the National Day break?"

Lu Cheng replied, "Oh, no worries, I haven't planned anything for my birthday anyway, and I happen to be on duty that day."

"You've been so busy lately, what have you been up to? Writing papers?"

At Union Hospital, where Mu Nanshu worked, the competition was more focused on comprehensive research abilities.

Such research wasn't mentioned casually, nor were they fictional statistics-based research papers, but real clinical and fundamental projects.

Applying for provincial Natural Science Funds and National Natural Science Funds with research proposals, getting project funds was quite challenging.

"I won't tell you yet, I'll talk when I'm back..." Mu Nanshu teased.

After reading, Lu Cheng pondered over the message briefly, and then reviewed his chat thread with Mu Nanshu

Mu Nanshu: "You're in your fourth year as an attending, right?"

Lu Cheng replied: "Yes, fourth year!~ I passed the intermediate title exam in 2019."

Mu Nanshu: "So you're planning to get promoted to associate senior, where are you planning to further your studies?"

Lu Cheng: "Possibly at Affiliated Hospital No. 2 or Affiliated Hospital No. 1. Most of us go there for further training, but it could also be State People's Hospital."

Mu Nanshu: "Can you apply for out-of-province training?"

Lu Cheng: "Generally very difficult. You need connections or to have arranged something in advance."

Mu Nanshu: "Oh, it's just a promotion resume, doesn't matter. Having more exposure to practical cases might be better."

"..."

Was Mu Nanshu planning something? Lu Cheng tilted his head in thought.

Had it not been for Professor Tong Yuan'an's "impromptu decision" to come to Long County, Lu Cheng wouldn't have thought so much.

But doctors in large hospitals sometimes step out to do research projects.

Because some projects aren't suitable for overstretched hospitals like Xiangya, like tendon injuries, which Xiangya doesn't routinely admit.

Therefore, tendon ruptures aren't typically sent to Xiangya by 120 ambulances.

"Mu Nanshu, you're not thinking of coming to our hospital, are you?" Lu Cheng directly typed and asked.

Mu Nanshu was silent for a while: "How could I possibly come to your county hospital?"

Then quickly countered: "Do you want me to?"

"Not really, our county hospital can't accommodate a prestigious overseas doctor like you. Getting a medical PhD abroad is quite challenging."

"Graduates with just undergraduate or master's degrees enter, it's not worthwhile to waste on this."

"About the matter I consulted you on last time, any progress on your side?" Lu Cheng asked.

"No way, Huazhong Union Hospital generally only accepts doctors from local county hospitals and prefecture-level city hospitals in other provinces for further training, with limited slots."

"Doctors from out-of-province county hospitals aren't accepted for further training unless it's a designated support unit."

"This is also to ensure the proportion of local further training slots." Mu Nanshu explained.

Lu Cheng sighed: "What a pity, the Emergency Department of Union Hospital is quite outstanding..."

The world is realistic. Without breaking through during student days, barriers are everywhere.

At 30, pursuing a master's or doctorate, striving to graduate a year early by 35, but 35 would be too old, and top teaching hospitals wouldn't recruit.

One could only go to prefecture-level city hospitals, so it's better to stick to the title-based career path.

Research, articles?!

Lu Cheng looked at his panel with two "unnamed suturing techniques" and started pondering…

After a while, Lu Cheng set the thought aside and began meticulously reviewing a series of study materials sent by Professor Tong Yuan'an.

The materials were comprehensive, including basic suturing skills of the Hand Surgery Department of Xiangya Hospital, study techniques for common surgical techniques at various stages, and more.

There was even a comparative chart of the approximate strength of doctors at different levels in the hand surgery department compiled by Professor Tong Yuan'an. This chart was the benchmark Lu Cheng needed to aim for in competitions...