Chapter 60: A Cup of Milk Tea and Surgical Lessons

Just when Zhou Can thought that Qiao Yu was about to sell him out, Qiao Yu giggled and said, “Keep it secret! Otherwise, I’d be embarrassed to take the hush money! Hush money, got it?”

That response was simply brilliant.

I collected Zhou Can’s hush money, so of course I’d keep it confidential.

It goes to show that Qiao Yu is anything but ordinary—her smarts and emotional intelligence are top-notch.

“Or maybe don’t mention it. Dr. Zhou must be fair—if you’re treating, you treat every nurse in the Emergency Department, not just Qiao Yu. Once we all get our cut, we’ll handle any advances on Qiao Yu for you, okay?”

Ye Tingting really says whatever comes to mind.

Zhou Can always found dealing with these married nurses to be his biggest headache.

Having never even been in a relationship, he knew he wasn’t a match for Ye Tingting.

Inviting all the nurses out for milk tea would not only forge good bonds but also ensure future support at work.

No matter how you sliced it, it was a deal too good to pass up.

“Alright, alright—give me a headcount and note their flavor preferences too. Make sure everything’s set for tomorrow. We need nurses from all three shifts.” He really wasn’t stingy at all.

He boldly treated every nurse to milk tea.

“Heh, Dr. Zhou is so generous! No wonder a woman of Qiao Yu’s caliber fell for him! Once you finish the count, let me know!” Ye Tingting beamed brightly.

For them, the thrill of snagging a free cup of milk tea far outweighed any monetary cost.

She walked away with a graceful sway.

Carrying the milk tea, Qiao Yu looked at Zhou Can with a hint of apology.

“Hey, our Emergency Department Nurse Station has over fifty nurses and nurse practitioners—one cup of milk tea costs at least ten bucks. Don’t promise things so carelessly next time. This time, once the total comes in, I’ll cover half.”

After saying that, she turned and walked off.

Zhou Can, a rich second-generation kid, wouldn’t worry about a few hundred bucks.

But Qiao Yu’s thoughtfulness—offering to pay half—made him think she had plenty of admirable qualities.

“Xiao Zhou, what are you standing there for? Get to the Operating Room, now!”

Dr. Xu stepped out of his office just then.

His meticulous work style meant he always arrived at the hospital about ten minutes early.

“Morning, boss!”

Zhou Can immediately scampered after him, all smiles.

“You don’t need to follow me; just head straight to the Operating Room. I’m off to inform the attending doctors to assign you a few extra level-one surgeries.”

Dr. Xu clearly cared about his protégés.

Zhou Can felt genuinely touched.

He vowed to remember these favors and repay his mentor tenfold when he had the chance.

After agreeing, he headed straight to the Operating Room.

Inside, only Jin Mingxi and Tang Ling were present.

Clearly, the doctor on the night shift had already left.

“Dr. Zhou, you’re here! I heard you’re treating all of us nurses to milk tea—is that true?”

Tang Ling had snagged a cup from Jin Mingxi, her smile practically beaming.

Seeing Zhou Can enter, she greeted him with a cheerful smile.

“It’s true—everything’s set for tomorrow!”

Zhou Can nodded in agreement.

“Yay, fantastic! I’m saving on my milk tea budget for tomorrow! Thank you, Dr. Zhou!” Tang Ling was as delighted as a little girl.

Sometimes, he mused, she really was just a grown-up who never outgrew her childish ways.

For the sake of her celebrity crushes, she’d even opt for instant noodles.

Scoring a free cup of milk tea could light up her day like nothing else.

Zhou Can admired her simplicity—she was straightforward, laughing when happy and pouting when scolded, her emotions clearly written on her face.

“Dr. Lu hasn’t arrived yet today!”

Zhou Can remarked casually.

He wasn’t particularly fond of Dr. Lu, but he didn’t mind working the shift with him.

Not for any other reason.

Because Dr. Lu was astonishingly lazy.

Working with him meant there were plenty of extra opportunities for surgical practice.

“He might be here any minute—he usually times it perfectly, though sometimes he’s a few minutes late.”

Tang Ling glanced at the digital clock on the wall.

Every Operating Room has a clock mounted on the wall.

This helps the doctors keep track of surgery durations and other timings.

For instance, during CPR, every second counts.

If resuscitation efforts drag past thirty minutes without any improvement, they usually declare it a failed rescue and pronounce death.

Just then, the Operating Room door swung open as Dr. Lin walked in.

“Hey, everyone!”

Dr. Lin’s bright, infectious smile had a way of lifting everyone’s spirits.

“Dr. Lin, are you on the early shift today?” Zhou Can asked in surprise.

“Yes! The three of us residents in the Operating Room rotate duties—every three days, one of us handles the night shift.”

Night shifts are the toughest—with a rotation of three shifts, it’s usually two day shifts to every night shift.

That system generally ensures every doctor stays energetic.

Just then, Dr. Xu entered.

His arrival instantly made the atmosphere much more serious.

Everyone straightened up, too subdued to joke around.

“I’ve already informed the attending doctors. Based on your surgical skills, you’ll get some extra cases for practice. But I have one condition—even for low-risk, level-one surgeries, exercise extreme caution. If anything goes wrong, don’t expect another chance at extra training.”

Dr. Xu addressed the two with utmost seriousness.

“Understood.”

Every surgery carries risks—and if something goes wrong, the attending bears the brunt.

Dr. Xu’s willingness to give them practice opportunities was an enormous favor.

If they weren’t cautious, it would be like dooming him.

Such recklessness would undoubtedly lead to a halt in future opportunities.

Regaining Dr. Xu’s trust after that would be nearly impossible.

“Call in the standby nurse Qiao Yu and Li Shuangshuang from the Operating Room to assist!”

Dr. Xu said to Tang Ling.

For surgery, at least one nurse is needed to pass instruments, record the procedure, and offer various forms of assistance.

“Dr. Lin will assist me, while Zhou Can and Jin Mingxi will, as usual, handle level-one surgeries independently.”

Dr. Xu laid out a series of arrangements.

Soon, Qiao Yu and Li Shuangshuang entered.

“Shuangshuang, I’ll be assisting Dr. Zhou!”

Qiao Yu whispered the arrangement to her.

“Alright! I know you’re Dr. Zhou’s long-time partner—no one’s going to snatch you away.”

Li Shuangshuang teased with a laugh.

“‘Old partner’ sounds so lame—we should call ourselves the best partners! Hehe!”

Qiao Yu quickly stepped up beside Zhou Can.

“Dr. Zhou, you don’t mind if I assist you, right?”

Her hands were tightly clasped together, hanging at her side.

Her slightly nervous expression revealed a deep anxiety over being rejected.

“You’re more than welcome!”

At Zhou Can’s words, her face immediately lit up with delight.

It was impossible for her to hide her happiness.

“Your performance yesterday was stellar—the instruments were passed promptly, your surgical assistance was top-notch, and the way you comforted patients while I explained everything was outstanding. I couldn’t ask for a better partner.”

That barrage of praise left her overjoyed.

“Hehe, you’re practically singing my praises! If I fall short at work, just let me know, Dr. Zhou!”

Girls certainly do love a heap of compliments.

Her face radiated confidence, and she exuded an upbeat charm.

Before long, surgery patients began arriving one after the other like on a conveyor belt.

Zhou Can was firing on all cylinders as he operated.

Whenever he was unsure, he would humbly turn to Dr. Xu for guidance.

Dr. Xu answered every question and patiently directed Zhou Can through his procedures; each time, patients’ expressions grew strange, their eyes filled with the worry and fear of being treated like lab rats, though they dared not say much.

If this nervous new doctor’s hand twitched and he ended up making an extra cut, it was the patient who would end up paying the price.