Sunday, 6 PM.
While practicing incision techniques with focus, Zhou Yanqing suddenly noticed a notification flash before his eyes:
[Completed 1,000 incisions. Medal (Forged in Fire) effect triggered. Incision experience +1.]
[Incision Technique (Proficient 1/3) upgraded to Incision Technique (Proficient 2/3).]
On the skills panel, the mastery levels were divided into Beginner, Proficient, and Specialized.
"Hm?" Zhou Yanqing's refined face briefly furrowed before relaxing again. His right thumb and index finger flexed lightly a few times before he turned to his junior, Fan Ziwei.
"Ziwei, could you get me two more pieces of pre-molded modeling clay, 20 cm long, 20 cm wide, and 1 cm thick?"
Fan Ziwei nodded without hesitation and immediately headed to the materials supply area.
Unlike suturing, where the first practice material was modeling clay, the first material for incisions was tofu, followed by modeling clay as the second stage, and then back to tofu for the third.
The hand surgery training room set rigorous requirements for incision practice:
First stage: Create precise straight incisions of varying depths (2 cm, 1 cm, and 0.5 cm) on tofu, maintaining absolute control over the depth. Second stage: On modeling clay, practice a large, smooth S-shaped curve about 5 mm deep to hone control over the scalpel. Third stage: Carve predefined shapes (triangles, squares, hexagons, and irregular forms) into modeling clay using a scalpel, which required an extraordinary degree of control.
A scalpel is not a pen; mastering it to act like one demanded precision and control over every movement.
The third stage corresponded to skin flap incision designs, a vital but highly challenging skill in hand surgery, as it dealt with irregular tissue defects.
Previously, Zhou couldn't complete this stage. His surgical assignments were limited to simpler cases, like incising skin over tendon contractures. He wasn't yet trusted with complex flap designs.
But now, Zhou felt he had broken through a critical barrier.
Fan Ziwei soon returned with the modeling clay—three pieces in total, each costing 1.5 yuan. Modeling clay could be reused, but the price still felt steep for a working student.
"I'll treat you to dinner later," Zhou said, mentally calculating how much his junior had spent on materials.
Before Fan could respond, Zhou adopted a senior's authority: "I'm your senior, and seniors treat juniors. No arguing."
Fan relented, setting the materials down as he stood across from Zhou, eyes alight with curiosity. "Senior Zhou, have you improved again?"
"Let me finish first!" Zhou scanned the room, confirming only juniors were present. Relieved, he proceeded without distractions—interrupting a senior during practice was against the rules.
Fan watched in awe as his senior deftly gripped the scalpel in a pen-hold grip, carving precise shapes into the modeling clay: triangle, square...
Fan's envy was palpable; his admiration practically radiated as he watched Zhou perform feats he couldn't even attempt, like cutting a smooth S-shaped curve.
For nearly eight minutes, Zhou worked steadily before conceding defeat to a regular pentagon.
Fan whispered praise, "Senior Zhou, the regular pentagon and double ellipse patterns are requirements for the next level. These correspond to advanced skin flap incision techniques!"
Zhou chuckled. "Just experimenting. Worst-case scenario, it's just a chunk of clay."
"Not bad for today. I'll leave these two extra clay pieces for you to practice S-curves," Zhou said generously. "Keep at it."
"Let's go eat."
After leaving the training room, Zhou and Fan headed to a small alley across from the hospital for a meal. On the way, Zhou asked, "Ziwei, what do you feel like eating? How about some barbecue?"
Noticing Fan's slender frame, Zhou wanted to help him bulk up.
"I'm fine with anything, Senior. You decide," Fan replied casually. It was customary for juniors to defer to their seniors unless they had a strong preference.
As they walked, Fan inquired, "Senior Zhou, has something happened in our department?"
"I heard Senior Guo Congyu and Senior Liu Dongyang both took leave. Guo signed up for a private hand surgery workshop at Huashan Hospital, and Liu went to intern with a distant relative at another hospital. What's going on?"
The arrival of a surgical prodigy at their affiliated hospital had created waves beyond Zhou—it had spurred his peers to act.
Zhou explained what his mentor had told him. "The situation is this: a superstar surgeon came to our hospital, and now we're all forced to look elsewhere."
"Competing with him isn't worth it, even if you win. And if you lose, you'll have missed your window of opportunity."
"Third-year is approaching fast. Exams for doctoral programs at Union Hospital and Peking University have already opened for applications, and other universities will follow."
Fan gasped at the competitive landscape. While being a Hengda Medical Master's graduate was prestigious enough for county hospitals or smaller city hospitals, it was a far cry from the caliber of top-tier programs like Ruijin Hospital in Shanghai.
"What about you, Senior?" Fan asked, concerned.
While his other seniors were taking steps to secure their futures, Zhou remained in the hospital's training room.
"Focus on doing my best and fulfilling my responsibilities. Work hard and strive forward!" Zhou said, calm and composed.
"Leave the rest to fate." He had already come to terms with the situation after much reflection.
As they reached the barbecue stall, Zhou led the way with a smile, their camaraderie untouched by the pressures looming over them.