Chapter 116: A Day in the Operating Room

In the operating room, Zhou Can entered about ten minutes early as usual to prepare for the surgery.

“Good morning, Dr. Zhou!”

Tang Ling always seemed to be the first to step into the operating room.

But that was understandable – the pre-op preparations for the nurses were plenty.

It took time to set up all the instruments, medications, and consumables.

“You’re grinning like crazy. Dating someone?”

Zhou Can asked with a smile.

“I’d love to, but no handsome guy ever asks me out!” Tang Ling replied, her comment clearly a self-deprecating joke. She wasn’t unattractive – nowadays, with more men than women, plenty of ‘dinos’ were chasing after her.

In fact, there were even more men vying for her attention.

“Do you know why I’m so happy? It’s because my favorite pop star Su Qianqian has made a comeback after a hiatus! Her new hit single is topping every chart. Seeing her return means she’s recovered from that disastrous stage collapse incident. I’m genuinely thrilled!”

Tang Ling was undoubtedly a die-hard fan of Su Qianqian.

Watching Su Qianqian overcome her troubles made her even happier than winning a bonus.

“I’ve noticed that too. Hey, you know what? Su Qianqian’s songs really are amazing,”

Chiming in as he entered the operating room, Dr. Lu had overheard their conversation about Su Qianqian.

Dr. Lu had noticeably changed lately.

Although he still flirted with nurses from time to time, he no longer arrived late – arriving a few minutes early instead.

His attitude during surgeries had also become much more serious.

His skills in suturing, hemostasis, and debridement had improved significantly.

Dr. Xu, who used to never compliment him,

now casually praised him every so often.

Even Dr. Fu remarked on the remarkable improvement in Dr. Lu’s surgical skills.

Competition was pushing him to excel.

A fierce will to survive had transformed his approach to work entirely.

“Ha! Now you see how great it sounds, right? I told you before, but you didn’t believe me!”

Tang Ling said proudly.

“Not only does she sing beautifully, but the real woman in her music video is stunning. A goddess of this caliber – sigh… If I had tens of millions or more in assets, maybe I’d even have a chance at her.”

Dr. Lu really was like a toad dreaming of swan’s meat.

For him to think he could ever win Su Qianqian’s heart was nothing but a daydream.

“Dr. Zhou, didn’t she give you a box of albums last time? Is that new hit on the internet from her latest album?”

Tang Ling had a remarkable memory.

She still remembered that incident clearly.

“I believe so, but I’m not entirely sure,”

Zhou Can replied vaguely.

“Su Qianqian gave you an album? How come I never heard about it?”

Dr. Lu’s ears perked up immediately.

“Dr. Zhou, did she leave you her contact details? I’d trade a five-course feast for them,”

Dr. Lu said, spreading out his five fingers.

“No,”

Zhou Can thought, how could he ever give his future wife’s contact details to such a cad?

Without a second thought, he refused outright.

“Ah, what a pity! If she comes back for treatment next time, no one is to snatch her from me!”

Dr. Lu looked forward to such a stroke of luck falling into his lap next time.

He convinced himself that if given the chance, he could surely get Su Qianqian’s contact details.

“Heehee! Dr. Lu, not chasing after Qiao Yu?”

Tang Ling teased him with a laugh.

“She barely pays me any attention – even if I tried, I’d never catch up! I bet a girl as good as Qiao Yu will eventually end up with Dr. Zhou anyway.”

Mentioning Qiao Yu left Dr. Lu a bit dejected.

Qiao Yu wasn’t like other easily won-over girls.

She left him not even a sliver of hope.

“The new surgical nurse, Song Chunyan, isn’t bad either! I saw you both laughing and chatting,”

Tang Ling noted as she looked at the seemingly quiet girl. Dr. Lu had never objected when she was scolded before, but when it came to gossip, she could rival even Ye Tingting.

It seemed that women all shared a love for gossip.

“Don’t even start – I’ve treated her to over ten Western meals and haven’t even held her hand!”

Dr. Lu wore a sour expression.

This remark nearly made Zhou Can burst into laughter.

There should be more girls like her to cure Dr. Lu’s shortcomings.

Song Chunyan appeared shy and easily embarrassed, and Zhou Can even worried that she might be deceived by a cad like Dr. Lu.

In the end, it was hard to tell who was fooling whom.

It wasn’t long before Qiao Yu and Song Chunyan walked into the operating room.

Since Nurse Tian Tian was driven away by Zhou Can, Song Chunyan had become the standby surgical nurse.

“Morning, everyone! I heard you laughing – what were you talking about?”

Qiao Yu greeted everyone with a smile.

Her gaze toward Zhou Can was especially meaningful.

“Dr. Lu said he couldn’t even get a chance with you – not a single opportunity. And he reckons you’d end up getting lucky instead,”

Tang Ling wasn’t afraid to say it out loud.

She even repeated the remark for Qiao Yu’s benefit.

One had to admire her emotional intelligence. Sometimes, she seemed like a little girl who’d never grown up.

Though she was diligent and skillful at work, when it came to conversation, she was notably naïve.

Of course, she never resorted to hurtful or insulting remarks.

“Dr. Zhou just doesn’t like me anyway!”

Qiao Yu looked at Zhou Can with a trace of wistfulness.

Women’s intuition is remarkably sharp.

She sensed that though Zhou Can and she were close colleagues, there was no romantic spark.

Even if it was never explicitly stated,

Zhou Can’s actions told the tale.

For example, they had connected on WeChat, but their chats never veered into romance.

Zhou Can had never taken the initiative to ask her out.

Moreover, the way he looked at her was friendly and warm, not the deep, passionate gaze of lovers.

“I have a girlfriend, so I’d never cheat!”

Zhou Can quickly explained.

It was the first time he had ever directly told Qiao Yu that he was in a relationship.

“Oh, really? No wonder you never pulled any cheeky jokes with the other female colleagues! These days, honest, devoted men are so rare,” Qiao Yu said, her smile a bit forced as her expression changed slightly.

Yet her reaction was acceptable.

It showed she had long prepared herself for this possibility.

Zhou Can, a novice in love, considered himself fine with working alongside Qiao Yu, but he didn’t feel that thrilling ‘spark’ he had when he first saw Su Qianqian.

“Hey Qiao Yu, are you complimenting me or taking a jab? Devoted men are simply incapable of anything because they’re too afraid of losing their girlfriends to stray,”

Zhou Can noted that she seemed a bit upset.

So he purposely made a self-deprecating joke to cheer her up.

“Haha! I had no idea there were two meanings to being devoted. Pure accidental hurt, sorry!”

Sure enough, his joke made Qiao Yu smile.

“You mentioned ‘girlfriend’ rather than ‘wife’, so you’re not married yet – right?”

When talking with a smart girl like her, every word and tone could reveal secrets.

Even a single word could expose much.

“Impressive!”

Zhou Can gave her a thumbs-up.

“Being your boyfriend would surely be a blessing! I really envy that girl!”

Her tone, eyes, and expression all radiated envy.

It was clear she truly admired Su Qianqian.

Also, knowing that Zhou Can wasn’t married made her forced smile relax a bit naturally.

“You’re all early today – good job!”

Dr. Xu, the Chief Surgeon, was the last to enter the operating room.

Glancing over at everyone, he wore a satisfied expression.

His arrival silenced any further chatter.

“Xiao Zhou, Jin Mingxi, there’s a notice from above. Your three-month residency in the Emergency Department is over. You’re being rotated to other departments. Check the schedule for details.”

Dr. Xu had come in a few minutes early specifically to relay this message.

The Emergency Department wasn’t eager to let them go.

But the purpose of the residency was to train doctors in standardized clinical procedures so they could handle various patients expertly.

“Dr. Xu, can I choose the Internal Medicine residency route?”

Jin Mingxi, despite his strong surgical skills, expressed a desire for an Internal Medicine training track.

“You can ask the Internal Medicine Department – if they’re willing to take you, then it’s fine,”

Dr. Xu replied.

In truth, when department heads initially selected residents, these trainees had no say.

They basically had just two options: either accept the hospital’s arrangement, or work hard for a transfer to a more prestigious department later on if their performance shined.

If accepted, a transfer required a supervising doctor at least at an attending level. Even senior residents wouldn’t do.

Only attendings had that kind of authority.

And if a head of department really took notice, it could be a dream come true.

A transfer was practically decided in a word.

Once transferred, one could expect focused mentorship.

For instance, as long as Zhou Can was willing to shift to Internal Medicine, Director Tan of the department would provide the best training.

Yet in reality, such exceptionally talented residents like Zhou Can were rare.

Most were ordinary trainees, where factors like connections, flattery, and making a name for themselves came into play.

Jin Mingxi was considered quite outstanding.

However, because he was older and only held a bachelor’s degree, his ability was seen merely as stronger surgical skills. Top-tier departments wouldn’t usually pick him.

With limited departmental resources and training slots, only the best were chosen.

For the sake of departmental progress, only the cream of the crop was selected.

Everything was weighed carefully.

Jin Mingxi’s schedule spanned nine departments: three months in the Emergency Department, one month in Critical Care, three months in Orthopedics, three months in Urology, two months in Anesthesiology, five months in General Surgery, and more.

Looking at his training direction, he was set for the Emergency Surgical track.

Jin Mingxi glanced at Zhou Can’s training schedule and his face filled with envy.

“Hey, your residency covers more departments than mine!”

Indeed, Zhou Can’s schedule included several more rotations.

“With Director Tan from Internal Medicine, Director Zhang from Obstetrics personally inviting you, and Deputy Director Ye’s nod – if you have the talent, you could even add those elite departments.”

Dr. Xu scoffed.

This world had never known fairness.

Everyone had the same opportunities.

Whoever could seize more chances under equal conditions would naturally impress the hospital leadership and receive more support.

After Dr. Xu’s explanation, Jin Mingxi shrank his neck in resignation.

“Forget it – tomorrow I’ll report to Orthopedics obediently!”

Those in the know understood his situation.

If he sought out Director Tan or Director Zhang, he’d likely end up with nothing – not even a meeting.

As for Deputy Director Ye, he wouldn’t dare even consider it.

“Let’s start the surgery! Everyone, take your final post!”

Dr. Xu’s last words were directed at Zhou Can and Jin Mingxi.

Once they completed their residency and mastered their skills, they would return to the Emergency Department.

Then, they wouldn’t be trainees anymore but full-fledged resident doctors.

……

Patient after patient was wheeled into the operating room.

Zhou Can seized every opportunity to demonstrate his expertise, performing surgeries quickly and flawlessly.

Qiao Yu’s performance was also more proactive than usual, with seamless coordination and high synergy.

After diligently finishing the last patient’s wound care and setting down his needle holder and forceps, Zhou Can asked:

“How many surgeries did we do in total?”

he asked Qiao Yu.

“39!”

She replied while silently cleaning the instruments and disposing of the surgical waste.

“With such intense teamwork, you must be exhausted, right?”

Astonishingly, they had once again broken the record.

“Working with you is a pleasure – it’s something I’ve never experienced with any other surgeon. I’ve always hoped to become your dedicated instrument nurse someday.”

She looked up at Zhou Can.

“Thank you for your high praise and your support! Once my residency is over, I promise I’ll have the ability to apply to Director Lou and Nurse Niu.”

Zhou Can said earnestly.

“Hehe! I didn’t expect you would remember your promise. I’ll be waiting!”

Her cheerful laugh echoed.

Zhou Can had once told her he would make her his dedicated instrument nurse.

He hadn’t forgotten that promise.

Once his residency was complete, he planned to gradually build his own surgical team with Qiao Yu as his first choice instrument nurse.

“I might not return to the Emergency Department for nearly three years. What are your plans during this time?”

“Once I finish my thesis, I’ll apply to transfer to the Inpatient Department to study for about a year. If I pass the evaluation, I’ll join the Intensive Care Unit for further training. My primary focus has always been nursing, but now, whenever I have time, I’m brushing up on surgical nursing skills and treating surgical assistance as a main focus so I won’t be outdone by you in the future.”

She clearly had a well-defined career plan.

Her shift to surgical assistance was all for Zhou Can.

“That’s touching! Let’s both work hard together!”

Zhou Can clenched his fist and raised his arm in a gesture of encouragement.

She happily high-fived him.

“If we’re not working together, will I still be able to consult you on medical matters?” she asked, looking right into his eyes.

There was a hint of nervousness in her gaze.

She seemed afraid of being rejected.

“Of course – you’re welcome anytime!”

The two of them chatted about medicine most often on WeChat.

More accurately, she frequently sought his advice on medical knowledge.

After saying their goodbyes, Zhou Can turned to Dr. Xu.

“Teacher, I’m afraid it will be a long time before I can come back and operate with you again.” Zhou Can felt incredibly fortunate.

Entering the Emergency Department had allowed him to meet a mentor like Dr. Xu.

The kindness he received was nothing short of immense.

“It shouldn’t feel like a life-and-death separation! We’re all still working in the same hospital. If you ever have questions, come see me. After hours, if you want extra surgical practice, feel free to join. And if you suffer greatly, you can always turn to me or Director Lou – consider this your second home.”

Dr. Xu was forever so stern yet warming to the heart.

“Yes!”

Zhou Can nodded emphatically.

“Jin Mingxi, same goes for you!”

Dr. Xu called out to Jin Mingxi, who was not far off.

“Thank you, sir!”

Jin Mingxi nodded respectfully.

As they exited the Emergency Department Operating Room, Dr. Lu caught up from behind.

“Dr. Zhou, there were some things I couldn’t say earlier. You’ve seen the state of the Emergency Department – it’s pretty bad. With your skills, if you ever get a chance to work in those elite departments, don’t foolishly hang yourself on this tree in the Emergency. You know what I mean, right?”

Dr. Lu lowered his voice as he offered his advice.

“Yes, I understand. Thank you for the reminder. I’ll give it serious thought,”

Zhou Can agreed verbally, though he was crystal clear in his mind.

Could Dr. Lu really be so kind as to guide him?

It was obvious he feared that once Zhou Can completed his training, he might threaten his own status.

In terms of surgical skills, even flattery couldn’t match Zhou Can.

Once Zhou Can returned to the Emergency Department, Dr. Lu’s position would likely be pushed back against the wall.