Chapter 33: Beiyang Barbecue

Mo Chenggui did not exchange words with Zhou Jiaoshou, but he took in the other man's every expression.

Although he did not reveal any emotion, Mo Chenggui felt a secret thrill inside.

When he first watched Ji Xiang perform surgery, he had been inexplicably shocked, his jaw nearly dropping to the floor.

Now, seeing Gu Lao's student, the young and promising Zhou Jiaoshou, he looked just as pathetic.

"Professor Mo, let's grab a bite to eat tonight." Dean Li had seen everything long ago and extended a direct invitation.

"I won't go; I have surgeries tomorrow, so I need to rest early."

Mo Chenggui refused directly, just as he would refuse to perform an Extension Surgery, without the slightest hesitation.

"Doctor Xiao Ji, let's go, let's take a look at the patients." Mo Chenggui did not forget to call for Ji Xiang.

Zhou Jiaoshou frowned as he watched.

His previous understanding had been shattered by Ji Xiang.

In his mind, a little voice kept shouting that it was impossible, but Zhou Jiaoshou had witnessed it all with his own eyes; he knew very clearly that this was the truth.

A young man who looked like he had just turned twenty was performing surgery better than Professor Mo, and even better than himself!

It was simply a fantasy.

Mo Chenggui only politely greeted Zhou Jiaoshou and ignored Dean Li.

The two arrived at the Post-operative Observation Room, where Mo Chenggui checked on the post-operative patients one by one; for every patient, he gave instructions to come to the hospital if they needed a dressing change, and also told them strictly not to undergo Baking Therapy or similar treatments.

Hearing his instructions to the patients, the expression of the shrewd Dean Li turned very ugly.

Ji Xiang and Professor Mo left the Nan Ke Yi Yuan; Professor Mo was silent for a long time, finally looking at Ji Xiang with a profound gaze.

"Professor Mo." Ji Xiang felt a bit embarrassed under his gaze.

"Student Xiao Ji, your surgery... your surgery..." Professor Mo stammered, not knowing how to put it.

Ji Xiang smiled.

He knew his surgical progress was too fast, especially since both surgical procedures had reached the LV4 level, with Hand Speed+6.

The speed of his progress was advancing by leaps and bounds; no wonder Professor Mo found it hard to accept.

"Forget it." Mo Chenggui thought for a long time, but not knowing what to say, he could only let out a deep sigh.

"Professor Mo, I'd like to ask you a question." Ji Xiang asked.

"What is it?"

"I want to practice Stapler Circumcision at home; what is the best way to do it?" Ji Xiang asked.

"Dismantle the stapler and get familiar with the instrument." Mo Chenggui said without thinking, "After all, without the Titanium Nail, simulated surgery always feels a bit off; the feel of pulling the trigger isn't right, so I don't recommend it."

"Uh... Professor Mo, I use newly opened staplers."

"What?" Mo Chenggui felt his hearing had developed a problem; he didn't understand what Ji Xiang was saying.

"I said, I use staplers with Titanium Nails, the same ones used in surgery." Ji Xiang said affirmatively.

Mo Chenggui was stunned for a moment.

That thing, even at wholesale or factory price, cost several hundred yuan; Ji Xiang training with the real deal was truly extravagant.

But it was useless.

"It's useless." Mo Chenggui said truthfully, "You only get one chance, that's all."

"It's not just one, I have many staplers." Ji Xiang said earnestly, "I can use them as I please."

"..."

This time, Mo Chenggui was truly shocked.

"You... you... say... what?" Mo Chenggui asked, stammering.

"I have staplers, I can use them as I please."

"Where did you get so much money?" Professor Mo asked in surprise.

"Money?" Ji Xiang was also stunned for a moment, "I didn't use money."

The two lived in two different worlds; on this point, there was no possibility of communication.

Mo Chenggui carefully studied Ji Xiang's expression, and determining he wasn't lying, he asked, "A stapler costs several hundred, over a thousand yuan, and that's the wholesale price; what do you mean by using them as you please?"

"I make a phone call, and my mom has someone deliver them to the house." Ji Xiang said very casually, "When I finish them, there are more."

Facing such a lavish rich kid, Mo Chenggui was left speechless.

"How much money do you spend every month?" Mo Chenggui asked in a strained voice.

He was truly envious, envious of a rich young master like Ji Xiang.

Money couldn't solve every problem, but it could solve most of them.

If he had been like Ji Xiang when he was young, his current achievements might not be limited to being an Attending Professor at the Second Affiliated Hospital.

"Pocket money... one or two thousand a month, I rarely spend money." Ji Xiang said earnestly.

Mo Chenggui was even more speechless.

"What about that bicycle of yours?" Mo Chenggui asked.

"I didn't spend money on it; I thought it looked nice and it was comfortable to ride, so someone sent it over." Ji Xiang said frankly.

Professor Mo began to curse internally.

However, he didn't dwell on this point; different worlds occasionally have points of intersection, and he couldn't learn that.

"Buy bananas and practice at home following the surgical steps." Mo Chenggui said helplessly, "I've only pondered it, but I didn't have that many staplers. I took a dissection kit from the hospital and practiced suturing Banana Peel at home. Sigh, if only..."

If he could practice with the real deal using a stapler, how much money would he spend in one night? Mo Chenggui didn't ask this question out loud.

Ji Xiang had no concept of money; he just smiled.

"Let's go eat skewers, are you okay with that?" Mo Chenggui asked cautiously.

"Sure." Ji Xiang grinned, his teeth snow-white, which was pleasing to see, "I'm not picky about food and drink."

"The owner of this place is an old acquaintance of mine. I was eating at Peiyang Barbecue when I first arrived at the Second Affiliated Hospital; how many years have flown by since then?" Mo Chenggui fell into a reminiscent mode.

"Professor Mo, now that I've officially entered the clinical stage, do you have any advice for me?" Ji Xiang asked.

"Go to the clinical side more often," Mo Chenggui said. "Your circumcision technique is indeed quite good; the speed is fast, and the surgery is methodical—your level is very high. But clinical work is not just about a single minor procedure like a circumcision."

"Thank you."

The two arrived at Peiyang Barbecue. This place was less than 500 meters from the Second Affiliated Hospital. It was the height of summer, just five o'clock, and the sun hadn't set yet, but there were already a few outdoor tables set up outside Peiyang Barbecue.

"When I first came here to eat, the storefront was only the size of a palm," Mo Chenggui sat down casually and gossiped with Ji Xiang. "Over the years, the owner has bought up the surrounding shops, and the business has grown larger and larger."

"Boss!" After finishing his chat with Ji Xiang, Mo Chenggui waved at the owner of Peiyang Barbecue.

"Brother Mo, you're here. What would you like to order today? The usual?"

The owner of Peiyang Barbecue had dark skin and was quite thin, looking like a bamboo pole. He was standing in front of the grill, roasting skewers with a few employees.

Mo Chenggui was very relaxed; he walked over, chatting and laughing with the owner, and ordered some items before returning.

"Professor Mo, are there any things I should pay attention to when I go to the wards?" Ji Xiang asked.

"Have a better temper," Mo Chenggui said earnestly. "Young people all have vigor and drive. Especially young people like you who are talented and come from a good family background, it's even more so. Situations like today where you spoke so aggressively are best kept to a minimum."

"But!" Mo Chenggui emphasized his tone.

Ji Xiang listened attentively.

Although in Ji Xiang's heart, Mo Chenggui could not compare to the System NPC at all, this was, after all, the advice of an old clinician, and Ji Xiang could distinguish good advice from bad.

"Whether it's a nurse or a doctor, you must show respect. If you are bullied, you can tell me, and I will resolve it. As for yourself, it's best not to get into conflicts with others."

"I understand." Ji Xiang nodded.

Mo Chenggui was clearly implying something; he smiled and looked deeply at Ji Xiang.

Ji Xiang subconsciously reached out to wipe the corner of his mouth, then realized he hadn't eaten yet and smiled broadly.

"Showing your edge is a good thing, but you've already offended people today," Mo Chenggui said softly. "However, it doesn't matter. You are part of our team now; with me here, it's fine."

Offended people? Ji Xiang was startled.

He pondered carefully; he hadn't done anything today. He went to explain the condition to the family member of the patient with the Ren Cuo Lie Shang early in the morning, and then performed surgeries all day.

If he really had offended someone, it might be Dean Li of the Nan Ke Yi Yuan.

But Ji Xiang didn't care.

Offended is offended; what's the big deal?

A Nan Ke Yi Yuan, could it possibly reach the heavens? Even the forces behind it didn't seem like much.

The skewers ordered by Professor Mo were served quickly, brought personally by the owner of Peiyang Barbecue.

"Brother Mo, the lamb today was collected by me from the countryside. It's a perfect mix of fat and lean, very good. Try it." The owner of Peiyang Barbecue placed the skewers down and wiped his hands on his apron.

Professor Mo didn't mind the dirt; street stalls were like this—you eat for the authentic, original flavor.

The owner of Peiyang Barbecue only said a few extra words to an old regular before going off to get busy.

Mo Chenggui and Ji Xiang chatted while eating the skewers, and he tried to probe into Ji Xiang's family background.

But whether it was because Ji Xiang was tight-lipped or because he truly didn't know anything, Mo Chenggui returned empty-handed, having learned nothing.

Mo Chenggui felt a bit of regret, but he didn't actually care what kind of family Ji Xiang came from.

Just as they were chatting, a commotion suddenly came from the shop next door.

Ji Xiang was focused on eating his skewers and seemed not to have noticed the sound from that side at all. Mo Chenggui took a look and found it amusing. Compared to Ji Xiang, he himself seemed more like the young one.

The owner of the shop next door walked out with a dark face, cursing and swearing. He was speaking the local dialect of the areas around the Provincial Hospital, extremely angry.

The owner of Peiyang Barbecue rushed over to ask about the situation. The two whispered a few words to each other, and the owner of Peiyang Barbecue ran back with a strange expression on his face.

"Brother Mo, you're from the Urology Department, right?"

"Yes, what's wrong?"

"The second son of the shop owner next door..."

As he spoke, the owner of Peiyang Barbecue couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"What happened?"

"I don't know who he heard it from, but he got a Catfish to do that thing."

Ji Xiang was stunned. That thing? What thing?

But Professor Mo understood what he meant and sighed helplessly.

"How could he use a Catfish? A Catfish has teeth; people usually use a carp."

"Yes, yes, yes, you are experienced," the owner of Peiyang Barbecue said with a smile. "He can't get it out now. Can you help take a look?"

Mo Chenggui nodded, stood up, and followed the owner to the shop next door.

Ji Xiang was curious; he grabbed his phone and followed along to watch the spectacle.

He wasn't interested in gossip, but Ji Xiang vaguely guessed that this was an emergency, which was exactly the clinical experience he needed.

"Awoo~~~"

A suppressed scream came from the back room of the shop next door. Professor Mo called for an ambulance while simultaneously calling the department to ask Wu Zong to receive the patient.

Entering the back room, Ji Xiang froze instantly.

(End of this chapter)