Xiong Jinhuan let out a small sigh of relief, patting his stomach as he smiled and said, "Brother Ye, I was just asking. It's fine if you report my teacher too."
"After all, during the doctoral admissions assessment, who knows if there might be some big shot who, not content to stay at their own institution, decides to try their luck with us."
The number of doctoral positions available in each place was extremely limited, far exceeding the number of graduating master's students from their own institutions. Everywhere was a case of too many monks and not enough porridge.
This system inevitably led to survival of the fittest - thousands of troops crossing a single-log bridge.
Xiong Jinhuan was just making an objective assessment of his relatively stable position, taking advantage of his familiarity with his advisor, his research publications, and his decent aptitude for professional operations.
But nothing is absolute. What if during this year's doctoral admissions process at Hanshi University's Zhongnan Hospital, someone showed up who had published in journals like Nature or JAMA, or even just subsidiary journals of that caliber? Even if it wasn't the main journal, just having published in a subsidiary as a master's student who applied...
Who could guarantee that Professor Han would be able to resist the temptation of bringing such a research talent into his group, rather than choosing Xiong Jinhuan?
"The chances of that happening are really too small. Brother Huan, don't worry so much," Fang Ziye reassured him.
But Xiong Jinhuan tilted his head slightly. "Isn't that exactly what happened with Brother Pei?"
When it came to the matter between Li Yuanpei and Professor Deng Yong, Fang Ziye didn't feel comfortable commenting. Professor Deng choosing Li Yuanpei was a matter of personal connection, but choosing someone more outstanding was also his duty. As a doctoral advisor, he should have enough freedom to choose who he wants as a student.
...
Two days later, at noon.
"Ku ku ku, ku ku ku." Lan Tianluo, neither fat nor thin with pale skin but slightly loose flesh, sat in the doctor's office unable to hold back his trembling laughter.
Fang Ziye lifted his attention from the printed paper article and turned his head: "Go ahead and laugh if you want, but why are you shaking as you laugh?"
Hearing this, Lan Tianluo raised his head slightly and pressed down on his phone: "Brother Ye, sorry for disturbing you. I was just reading a novel."
"What novel? I used to read novels too. Is it good?" Fang Ziye curiously craned his neck a bit.
Lan Tianluo hesitated slightly: "It's a medical novel, Brother Ye. You probably shouldn't read it. You might not be able to relate much."
"Why not? What's the title?" Fang Ziye asked.
"The Young Doctor Pushes the Chief Surgeon Out of the Lead Position..."
"Pure wish fulfillment? That's even more to my taste. As long as there's some surrealism, it can give people a certain pleasure..." Fang Ziye was about to get the novel name from Lan Tianluo to read and enjoy when his junior fellow apprentice Jie Han came stumbling into the doctor's office.
"Senior, there's a girl outside who's incredibly beautiful. Want to go take a look?" Unlike Lan Tianluo, Jie Han's face was full of gossip at this moment. His skin was slightly dark and covered in acne.
"What does a beautiful woman have to do with us?" Fang Ziye glanced outside upon hearing this and saw a girl in a white coat following behind Professor Deng Yong.
Fang Ziye only caught her profile, but was immediately drawn to the girl chasing after Professor Deng Yong.
From the distance, Fang Ziye couldn't make out her eyelashes, but the lines of her profile - nose tip, lips, chin - were distinct. Her hair was tied back in a rather capable ponytail, and she clutched a folder as she said something to Professor Deng: "Professor Deng, our eight-year program doesn't take up the department's doctoral quota. As long as you sign..."
The figures disappeared beyond the office doorframe, their voices gradually fading away.
About five seconds later, Jie Han came back to his senses: "Senior Fang, didn't I say she was beautiful?"
"Maybe she'll even become our department's senior apprentice sister in the future..."
At the same time, Lan Tianluo and Fang Ziye gradually stood up.
It was just a fleeting glimpse, so of course they couldn't make out her exact features, but that rather confident aura was unmistakable.
Fang Ziye nodded noncommittally: "She is quite beautiful."
Hearing Fang Ziye say this, Lan Tianluo immediately put away his phone and asked: "Senior Fang, what kind of guys do girls like that usually go for?"
Lan Tianluo straightened his posture a bit.
Fang Ziye's gaze became bewildered.
The three single dogs looked at each other, then all saw the cowardice in each other's eyes...
Fang Ziye then turned his attention back to the paper. This paper specifically discussed the pathogenesis and treatment of heterotopic ossification in a patient Fang Ziye was currently in charge of. The current treatment plan given by the department was partly based on current domestic guidelines, and partly based on this literature.
But Fang Ziye wanted to polish it further to see if he could find a breakthrough point. First, to build a theoretical platform for his own deeper understanding of heterotopic ossification as a disease, and second, if he could find a breakthrough, it would definitely be a substantial Knowledge Point.
On non-surgery days and non-clinic periods, Fang Ziye's main source of Knowledge Point growth still relied on breakthroughs like this, which could also further solidify his theory.
However, these cases that had already been chewed over by Professor Deng Yong, Associate Professor Xie Jinyuan and others - where would they leave any bones for Fang Ziye as a breakthrough point? He might as well just read papers.
After careful pondering for over two hours, he only gained 0.1 Knowledge Point. This paper-reading benefit to Knowledge Points couldn't even compare to going to the training room.
Around 4 PM, Li Yuanpei appeared in the department.
Seeing him, Fang Ziye took the initiative to ask: "Brother Pei, is Professor Deng Yong going to take on an eight-year program doctoral student?"
The eight-year program was a combined bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree, even more impressive than the seven-year combined program at Beijing University's Third Affiliated Hospital. In eight years, an ordinary five-year medical student could at most obtain a master's degree, while this person would directly have a doctorate in hand, saving a lot of time.
"Mm-hmm, eight-year program students don't take up the advisor's original doctoral recruitment quota, so it's one more person to do work. Teacher is definitely willing."
Li Yuanpei said this, then immediately added: "The key is that this junior sister is incredibly beautiful."
Obviously, Li Yuanpei had also heard about this person from his junior fellow apprentice.
Li Yuanpei and Fang Ziye were both in their third year of master's studies. This little sister who had just come to choose an advisor was probably at least two years junior to Fang Ziye and the others, maybe even three years.
Eight-year program students could only choose advisors in their fifth and sixth years. Before that, they were all studying basic medical theory.
Hearing this, Fang Ziye said: "So you think it's all the better to have a junior sister like this come to Professor Deng Yong?"
Li Yuanpei sat down seriously, his feet forming a figure eight as he tapped the ground: "Of course. Look around our orthopedics department, it's all steel rods..."[1]
"Are you not counting the nurses in our department as people?"
"Just a few months ago, you were saying there were several incredibly beautiful nurses in our orthopedics department." Fang Ziye directly pierced through Li Yuanpei's sour grapes.
Li Yuanpei nodded vigorously: "I like those few too, but they all want to find someone who can pursue a doctorate or stay at the hospital. I think this junior sister might not be that shallow..."
Translation Notes:
[1] A metaphor for the predominantly male environment in the orthopedics department, comparing the men to the steel rods commonly used in orthopedic surgeries.