Chapter 3: Tying Knots

In the mountains, there is no calendar; when the cold ends, one does not know the year.

Under the tutelage of the System NPC, Ji Xiang failed countless times before finally successfully completing a Circumcision.

The System NPC's requirements were very strict, one might even say harsh.

Every time the Hemostatic Forceps landed heavily on Ji Xiang's radial styloid process, Ji Xiang suspected that the System NPC had a 100% hit rate whenever it struck him.

Ji Xiang even had the illusion that the point it struck had never changed.

Although it was hard work, Ji Xiang's harvest was quite bountiful.

Under the tempering of the System NPC, his surgical technique became increasingly proficient, which was gratifying.

But Ji Xiang had no time to look closely at the System Panel; if his mind wandered even slightly, the Hemostatic Forceps with their 100% hit rate would land on his radial styloid process, without exception.

After successfully completing dozens of surgeries in a row, the System NPC nodded with satisfaction, "Your Basic Endurance is almost exhausted, go back."

"Teacher, how do I get in next time?" Seeing that the System NPC was about to chase him out, Ji Xiang used his final moments to ask.

"Enter the Meditation state and you can come."

As it spoke, the System NPC waved its hand, and Ji Xiang's vision blurred.

A flash of white light, and Ji Xiang subconsciously closed his eyes.

"Student Xiao Ji, are you feeling faint from the sight of blood?"

A familiar voice appeared by his ear.

Ji Xiang opened his eyes and saw Wang Daxiao just picking up the Syringe; his own hand had just rested on the Patient, not yet having lifted it to expose the surgical field to the surgeon, Wang Daxiao.

The time inside the system was actually "gifted," a thought flashed through Ji Xiang's mind.

Holy cow!

I've struck gold!

Ji Xiang was immediately ecstatic.

In the blink of an eye, a crisp "Ding-dong" sound arrived.

【System Task: The simplest minor surgery.

Task Content: Complete one Circumcision.

Task Duration: One hour.

Task Reward: Basic Endurance +1.】

A task?

Ji Xiang knitted his brows as he looked at the task text appearing on the System Panel on the right side of his field of vision, reading it carefully.

Before he could finish reading, another "Ding-dong" sound came to his ear.

【Long-term Main Quest: A simple task? No!

Task Content: Elevate the Circumcision to the Perfect Level.

Task Duration: Three months.

Task Reward: Unknown.】

Nani?!

Ji Xiang felt as if he were watching a surgical recording, and the style suddenly shifted into a Japanese adult film, surprise filling his heart.

This is too sloppy, isn't it?

In Ji Xiang's understanding and cognition, Long-term Main Quests were always extremely difficult, and the rewards were quite considerable.

But the task issued by the system was still a Circumcision; this thing didn't seem to have any difficulty, even at the Perfect Level.

Just this?

Just this!

What a joke.

"Little man, why are you still fainting at the sight of blood?" Wang Daxiao's mask moved, "If you aren't feeling well, go down and rest first. Fainting at the sight of blood isn't a big deal; if you can't do Surgery, you can just do Internal Medicine later, it's nothing to be ashamed of. A few years ago, there was a female student who fainted at the sight of blood; she went to the operating room to assist in a rescue, and the result was a rescue x2."

"Teacher Wang, I'm fine. I was just a bit distracted recalling the surgery you just performed."

Ji Xiang hurriedly explained.

As for that absurd system task, it was forgotten to the back of his mind.

What the mysteriously activated system actually meant, Ji Xiang did not yet know; he needed to prove some things with facts.

"Oh? You can remember the entire surgical process?"

Wang Daxiao's gaze carried a hint of contempt.

A Standardized Training Student, what could they possibly know!

Even the one before him hadn't passed the exam yet, not even counting as a Standardized Training Student. Talking about recalling the surgical process was most likely nonsense, just spouting big words to curry favor with him.

But no matter how much he tried to curry favor, it was impossible to give him the Scalpel; at most, he could serve as an assistant on the table, and if he performed perfectly, Tying Knots would be the limit, nothing more.

As for Tying Knots, Wang Daxiao didn't even want that.

Letting an Intern on the table was a requirement of the Department of Science and Education, giving that person a legitimate opportunity to experience it up close; doing so was mainly to curry favor with his father, Dean Zhao.

Wang Daxiao grumbled about this incessantly, the thought flashing by.

"Hold it steady." Wang Daxiao asked a question, and without waiting for Ji Xiang to answer, he said with a chuckle, "Do you know what my biggest realization is after performing circumcisions all these years?"

Several Standardized Training Students shook their heads one after another.

"Time spares no one," Wang Daxiao sighed, his words filled with melancholy.

"Back in the day, I could pee ten yards against the wind; now, I pee on my shoes with the wind. Those who get circumcisions are basically all under 30; young people's bodies are truly good."

"……"

"……"

Several Standardized Training Students were completely unable to understand the melancholy in Wang Daxiao's words.

"Be gentle when holding it; you absolutely must not stimulate it, otherwise, once the Corpus Cavernosum and White Membrane become engorged, the surgery will be incredibly difficult to perform."

"!!!"

Wang Daxiao's words flashed through Ji Xiang's mind; the System NPC had said similar things!

This sentence wasn't a dirty joke, but standard, textbook Clinical experience!

In the system, several of the times I failed while performing a Circumcision were because of engorgement of the Corpus Cavernosum and White Membrane.

That was all real; Ji Xiang still felt slightly dazed, as if in a dream.

As for why such a serious matter sounded so inappropriate, Ji Xiang didn't think about it carefully.

"Hold it steady, the surgery will be quick," Wang Daxiao said. "It takes others at least 30 minutes to perform a Circumcision, but I can do one in 20 minutes at most. As long as you don't cause trouble, Xiao Ji, just watch carefully."

Wang Daxiao was quite confident in his surgical skills; after all, this was the smallest procedure in the Urology Department, and he had performed thousands of them in his thirty years of medical practice.

His confidence stemmed from years of tempering.

Hearing Wang Daxiao's instructions, Ji Xiang didn't feel that he was being looked down upon, so he gave a soft "Mm."

Dozens to hundreds of hours of training had allowed Ji Xiang to understand one thing while mastering surgery—stand in the position required by the surgery and do the work required of that position.

Everything for the Patient,

Everything for the sake of the Patient.

He held the surgical site, twisting in one direction to expose the surgical field for the surgeon.

The 5ml Syringe needle landed at the base, and after injecting about 1ml of diluted Anesthesia, Wang Daxiao made another injection.

After a few needles, Wang Daxiao suddenly felt something was off.

Actually, there was nothing special; it was just that the assistant's gestures were very natural, and the Anesthesia he was performing felt very comfortable.

But what was strange was that as he performed the circular Anesthesia, every time he changed direction, the assistant would hold and twist it slightly, exposing the surgical field where he needed to insert the needle.

This was the basic skill of an assistant, not worth being surprised about.

But the young man standing beside him was only a Standardized Training Student, and to be able to do it so smoothly...

After finishing the circular Anesthesia, Wang Daxiao capped the Syringe needle and then took a deep look at Ji Xiang.

The young man is not bad; should I give him a chance to practice Tying Knots?

"Xiao Ji, did you scrub in during your internship?" Wang Daxiao asked.

"My teacher took me in twice, so I've had some contact with it," Ji Xiang replied.

"No wonder, but you have good talent and are quite observant," Wang Daxiao did not skimp on praise.

Having just injected the Anesthesia, they needed to wait a few minutes for it to take effect, so Wang Daxiao was in no rush.

"Speaking of performing a Circumcision, there are several major categories, but after doing them for so long, I still feel the oldest technique is the best to use."

"Teacher, what do you mean by that?" a Standardized Training Student asked.

"There is equipment for cutting and suturing, but that stuff is too expensive, and it uses staples," Wang Daxiao said. "That stuff does have its benefits, but once you enter Clinical practice for a while, you'll understand what's going on."

Wang Daxiao had no intention of explaining in detail to a group of greenhorns; he just spoke his mind as it came to him, mentioning it in passing.

A bunch of rookies—if he tried to explain the difference between staples and Suture, he'd probably wear his tongue out without making it clear. Rather than that, it was better not to say anything.

"Teacher, I heard there is an Extension Surgery?" a Standardized Training Student asked, taking the opportunity while Wang Daxiao was waiting for the Anesthesia.

"Heh, why? Do you have a friend?" Wang Daxiao asked.

"Teacher Wang, you even know that meme!" The Standardized Training Student wasn't embarrassed, showing a smile that all men understood. "They all say 18cm, right? I'm a bit shorter than Ji Xiang, but I'm still 1.8 meters tall..."

Wang Daxiao didn't let him ramble on, interrupting the Standardized Training Student, and laughed, "Normally speaking, it's divided into the external part and the internal part. Extension Surgery sounds very mysterious, but it's actually just like that. I don't recommend it, especially since you are all Doctors. This thing, it's enough as long as it's functional."

"28 isn't even enough," the young Standardized Training Student muttered in a low voice.

Happy laughter erupted in the operating room.

"A must-have for a playboy; it seems you have the potential to be one," Wang Daxiao said. "Extension Surgery is rarely done in public hospitals."

"Oh? Why, Teacher Wang?"

"It's a minor surgery, not very difficult, and unnecessary; it belongs to cosmetic plastic surgery. The most critical point is..."

"It doesn't make money and is troublesome, so who would do it? That's not even important; the most critical thing is that it's unnecessary. How long is too long to use? Who is that self-deceiving ruler prepared for? Doesn't everyone claim to be 18?" the Nurse said with disdain from the side.

Wang Daxiao smiled without saying a word.

"How could it not make money!"

Although they were chatting, Wang Daxiao's attention remained on the Patient.

Estimating that the time for the Anesthesia was about right, he pricked the area with the Syringe needle, and seeing that the Patient had no reaction, he picked up the scalpel and began the surgery.

He placed the Circumcision Ring on the edge of the prepuce and fixed the inner plate by everting it.

Wang Daxiao performed this process with extreme proficiency; it is no exaggeration to say he could complete it with his eyes closed, relying solely on his sense of touch.

It was just that Wang Daxiao was absent-minded during today's surgery; the corner of his eye kept falling on Ji Xiang's movements.

After Carbon dioxide laser circumcision, hemostasis, and trimming, Wang Daxiao began the Interrupted suture.

For the first stitch, he flicked the end of the Suture over.

"Xiao Ji, tie a knot," Wang Daxiao said calmly.

Several burning gazes fell upon Ji Xiang.

Tying Knots!

This was actually Tying Knots!!

Doctors like Wang Daxiao who would let a Standardized Training Student participate in a surgery were rare; most Standardized Training Students were just writing Medical Records or doing odd jobs in the ward, having no chance to do anything themselves.

Tying Knots was basically the ceiling for a Standardized Training Student's learning in the Surgery Department.

As for picking up a scalpel, that was almost a legend, except for certain special cases.

Even if they did pick up a scalpel, it was because a teacher liked a certain student, and that student had been working like a horse, so the teacher would let them perform the smallest surgery as a reward before they finished their rotation.

But today was just an observation!

He isn't even considered a proper Standardized Training Student!!

Teacher Wang actually let Ji Xiang tie knots!!!

Feelings of envy and jealousy began to spread.

Especially the student who was the first to go on stage as an assistant; their gaze began to grow dazed, then became complicated.

"Okay."

Ji Xiang wanted to let go, but hesitated for a moment and looked up at Wang Daxiao.

Wang Daxiao was startled, then immediately understood.

This was his own fault.

Ji Xiang was holding it and couldn't pull his hands away. He had decided on a whim to see this little guy's knot-tying technique, yet he hadn't taken over.

"I'll take over, you let go." Wang Daxiao took over, watching the movements of Ji Xiang's hands without blinking, prepared to interrupt at any moment—as long as there was the slightest deviation in Ji Xiang's movements.

However, the next second, Wang Daxiao's mask moved slightly, becoming a little damp.

Ji Xiang tied a Surgical Knot with extreme proficiency, his right index finger pressing the knot down onto the Patient's skin.

Everything was so fast that Wang Daxiao didn't even have the chance to call a stop.

"You..."

(End of chapter)