Chapter 263

"I'm fine, just keep your own mindset in check," Gu Lao said indifferently. "But speaking of which, the research project Ji Yisheng Xiang did should have been submitted for publication; even the dullest person wouldn't accumulate ten years of data without writing a paper."

"I saw the data was detailed and seemed quite good; you could just give it a cursory review on your end," Zhou Tianbo laughed.

"Zhonghua Urology? That wouldn't be enough."

"???" Zhou Tianbo was startled, then immediately realized, "Boss, you don't mean you want to recommend it to a sub-journal of The Lancet, do you?"

"Wait and see," Gu Lao said. "If you have the mind for it, go help out."

This time, Gu Lao's words were very blunt, without any ambiguity. Zhou Tianbo gnashed his teeth; what did the boss want him to do?

"You've been at the First Affiliated Hospital all along, so you don't know about things outside," Gu Lao suddenly smiled. "Do you know that a while ago, Ji Yisheng Xiang was scouted by Qin Chu?"

"I've heard a little; they say the department's farewell party was already held, but he came back the day after he went there." Zhou Tianbo focused; he had vaguely heard some gossip, but didn't really believe it.

There are few rumors in the world that can be trusted; almost everyone spreads them as bizarrely as possible without considering rationality at all.

"Boss, I heard people vaguely say that Ji Yisheng Xiang scolded Old Master Qin Chu; hahaha, you tell me, people nowadays are so bored, how could such an absurd thing happen?" Zhou Tianbo laughed loudly.

"It's true," Gu Lao said indifferently.

"Right, they can..." Zhou Tianbo was startled. He had intended to go along with his boss's words, but the boss actually said it was true!

"What's true? Boss."

"Ji Yisheng Xiang did indeed scold Qin Chu at a conference he convened, and it's said he even threw the literature in Ling Tian's face, beating Ling Tian like a dog," Gu Lao said, a smile appearing on his face.

"!!!"

"Ling Tian, you know him, right?"

"I do, I heard he's quite an arrogant person, how could he..." Zhou Tianbo immediately recalled the feeling he had when performing surgery with Ji Xiang.

Could it be that Ling Tian had a similar encounter?

"The industry says so, I don't know much about it," Gu Lao smiled. "The doctors in their Interventional Department look down on Qin Chu's faction, saying their surgeries are too sloppy. We are just ordinary people, and work is just to make a living and support our families.

Although that's how it's said, since we do it, we should always maintain some professional ethics."

"Fifteen minutes per operation? It's not just intervention over in Shanghai," Zhou Tianbo chuckled.

But there was no mirth in his laughter; it was dry and hollow.

"Boss, is there something wrong with Ji Yisheng Xiang here?" Zhou Tianbo pointed to his own head. "That shouldn't be."

"Young and impulsive," Gu Lao said. "To be honest, such things are rarely seen in our Urology Department, and even if they are, it's mostly in private hospitals. But in other departments, if they don't like something, they just lash out; young people are truly unbridled, I'm quite envious."

"I'm getting on in years; one phone call comes in and I have to scurry over to stand on stage for someone, damn it!"

Gu Lao cursed viciously.

Zhou Tianbo smiled; he didn't understand the saying "one cannot help oneself in the world" when he was young, but he understood it after growing up.

Didn't that old gentleman also try to maintain his innocence with the vague term "in vitro experiment," yet he couldn't refuse directly no matter what?

His own boss was in the same situation; he looked down on private hospitals but still had to come and stand on stage for them.

The boss was unwilling, but could only curse a few times in private.

"Ji Xiang couldn't stand the style of surgery over there, stood up and scolded them, and threw A4 paper directly into Ling Tian's face; my hands shook when I heard this description," Gu Lao sighed.

"Boss, this doesn't sound like you; you always tell me to blend in with the world."

"Blend in with the damn world!" Gu Lao cursed, but there was no anger on his face, only a smile.

"That may be so, Boss, but it's a pity that Ji Yisheng Xiang gave up such a good platform," Zhou Tianbo said.

"That's not necessarily true," Gu Lao smiled. "Do you want to stay?"

Zhou Tianbo always felt something was wrong with his boss; he was speaking evasively, unlike his usual style—simple and direct.

"Boss, are you serious?"

"Yes."

Zhou Tianbo had a headache; he didn't want to stay at all, and even less so to work for a Standardized Training Student here.

The boss was getting old, like a child, with thoughts that were whimsical and extremely impractical.

But no matter what, he was his own boss; even if he didn't agree, it wasn't easy to say it directly. This was the most basic social etiquette.

"Forget it if you don't want to," Gu Lao closed his eyes, seeming tired. His tone was very calm and didn't sound angry. "It was just a whim of mine; I always feel this kid Ji Xiang is not simple. Since you're not willing, then forget it; you can't force a cow to drink if it doesn't want to."

"Director Xu."

Ling Tian's cold voice came over the phone.

"Professor Ling, I have failed my mission today," Director Xu still said politely.

"Wasn't the surgical competition meant for Professor Zhou Tianbo to build his credentials? How did it become Ji Xiang?"

Ling Tian's information is truly well-informed, Director Xu thought to himself.

"Professor Ling, don't blame me. First of all, it was Gu Lao's intention, and he didn't give us any chance to argue."

"Secondly, Ji Yisheng Xiang's surgery was truly excellent; he performed a rare disease surgery as if it were a routine one. I can't do it, I really can't."

The other side of the phone was silent; it was unknown what Ling Tian was thinking.

"Professor Ling, I have failed the mission this time. When you come to the Imperial Capital or I go to Shanghai, I will apologize to you."

"You're too kind."

Director Xu hung up the phone immediately, as if Ling Tian were carrying a virus.

Ling Tian's phone was already being squeezed until it creaked.

It was truly bizarre; the surgical competition Gu Lao prepared for his own closed-door disciple to build his resume was actually snatched by that kid Ji Xiang. The key was that Gu Lao was still there; could there be anything more outlandish than this?

If it weren't for the fact that all channels were reporting the same thing, Ling Tian wouldn't want to believe it.

To hell with high surgical skill; Ling Tian absolutely did not believe that at Ji Xiang's age, he could perform Interventional Surgery to that extent, and also practice Surgical Operation to a level higher than that of the big professors in the Imperial Capital.

I don't believe I can't crush him!

But could he really do it? Anxiety sprouted in Ling Tian's heart.

Back when he saw Ji Xiang at the Second Affiliated Hospital, Ling Tian thought he was just a highly talented youth, and that if he didn't agree to his boss's recruitment, he could crush him with one hand.

Yet, not only did Ji Xiang cause a scene at the academic conference, angering the boss until he fell ill, but the moves Ling Tian made to obstruct him—filling the rungs of his career ladder with cement step by step—also seemed to be checked by some invisible force.

Creak~

Ling Tian's phone made a sound again.

No! He must make Ji Xiang regret it and pay for everything he did that day, Ling Tian secretly swore to himself.

(End of this chapter)