Chapter 105

At 9:20 in the morning, Fang Ziye experienced firsthand what it meant to be the "grandpa" and what it meant to be the "grandson."

The one paying was the grandpa; when Fang Ziye went to the print shop, the owner there was exceptionally polite, warmly having Fang Ziye sign, then slightly checked the notebook and discovered that the recent multiple print jobs were all signed by Fang Ziye.

Handwriting is very difficult to imitate.

He then handed Fang Ziye's several theses to Fang Ziye, and also said: "Teacher Fang, I specially created new files for your things; whenever you send them over, I will build a file for you."

The owner was extremely polite and did not look down on Fang Ziye just because he was only a master's graduate student.

There were not a few of this hospital's medical students who went from undergraduate to doctorate and then became superiors in the hospital; he would not slight a single one of them, regarding them as potential stocks.

It was precisely because he was so reliable that he had worked in the medical college for over twenty years, and now had even built a print shop team.

He naturally earned quite a lot, because opening a print shop inside a medical college originally came with subsidies from the school, and on top of that he did things reliably; basically all superiors in this hospital, when they sent him files, he would categorize and organize them.

For example, Fang Ziye's documents were placed by him under Surgery, Orthopedics, Trauma Surgery, and in the sub-files under Yuan Weihong's folder.

However, at Spine Surgery, Fang Ziye hit a slight snag, though it wasn't exactly acting the grandson.

Rather, there was a hospital-wide grand consultation, and Professor Zhang happened to have gone there; this hospital-wide grand consultation was extremely important, the department director had to go, the ward director had to go, and even that might not be enough qualification.

The teaching secretary hadn't come to work yet; fortunately Fang Ziye found a same-year graduate student classmate from Spine Surgery, and the classmate agreed to help send a message to ask his own teacher if he could take Fang Ziye and Senior Brother Sun Shaoqing's theses and submit them on their behalf.

There was a precedent for this, so the hospital made a rule: thesis submission for review must be delivered into the person's own hands.

Previously, it was an unlucky senior sister from Internal Medicine who, for convenience, handed her thesis to the duty doctor in the department; that duty doctor was still a student of the defense chairman professor, and in most situations, submitting like that would also work.

But until the defense was imminent, that defense committee professor asked the Internal Medicine professor of Zhongnan Hospital, asking why there was one less thesis?

The result was that the duty doctor simply forgot about this matter, and the graduation thesis was thrown by him into a cabinet and locked away for a full month.

In the end, the defense had to be postponed!

Therefore, even if it is to be handed to a student or a teaching assistant, they must be made to contact the person themselves, and only after obtaining the defense committee professor's informed consent can it be handed over with peace of mind.

One's own graduation matter, one naturally has to care about it oneself; if someone else makes a mistake, do you go find trouble with them or graduate first?

"Industry Brother, today's hospital-wide grand consultation will probably take a while, you'll have to wait a bit; how about this?"

"You leave the theses here with me first, come deliver them tomorrow, you go run to other places first."

"Can I trust you with this?" Gong Wei, a third-year master's student from Spine Surgery, patted his chest and guaranteed it.

"With Dawei Brother stepping forward, how could I not trust it?"

"Thanks, Wei Brother!" Fang Ziye used two "wei"s in two sentences; joking around with same-year classmates, Fang Ziye had absolutely no psychological pressure.

"Something personally instructed by Doctor Fang, how could I dare not obey? Right, in the future I might even become your teacher." After Gong Wei chatted and laughed a sentence, he glanced at the time: "I have to go to the training room first, Industry Brother, let's drink together when we have time in the future."

Fang Ziye's previous grades were so-so, but he was a decent person; he didn't make especially deep friendships, but with same-year classmates, as long as you weren't a jerk, no one would be mean to you; reciprocity, emphasizing that there's always a chance you might need to ask a favor.

After all, master's classmates and doctoral classmates' resources are unlimited potential stocks.

Right now they might be small fry, but wait ten or twenty years, when Fang Ziye's cohort all grow up, not to mention possibly producing academician-level figures, a batch of senior old professors, at least in the Central China region, people with head and face, absolutely not few!

Fang Ziye didn't exchange pleasantries with Gong Wei; originally he had brought a small gift for Professor Zhang, but it wasn't convenient to have him pass it on, so he just said: "Wei Brother, chat next time. I'll treat you to a meal."

Fang Ziye directly withdrew, then without daring to delay, ran a trip to the Provincial People's Hospital first.

The Provincial People's Hospital professor, when Fang Ziye sent him a message, this professor happened to be at the outpatient clinic, and instructed Fang Ziye to deliver directly to the outpatient clinic.

This was the most comfortable; it wasn't requiring delivery to the operating room or some messy place.

At the consultation room doorway, Fang Ziye was merely questioned as someone thought to be cutting in line, but once Fang Ziye took out the thesis cover engraved with Han City University, it was smooth sailing.

"It's a student, a graduate student, not cutting in line, looking for the teacher. Leaving right away."

Fang Ziye waited slightly at the doorway for three minutes, then took advantage of the previous patient coming out to go in, properly handed it over, and then said: "Thank you for your hard work, Professor Du, this is my and my senior brother's thesis, please correct it with your axe."

While speaking, Fang Ziye took out a fountain pen gift box that wasn't very expensive, probably around two hundred yuan.

Giving a fountain pen to an academic worker represents a kind of respect, not an extraordinary bribe.

Engraved on the outside was the domestic Hero brand; Professor Du merely smiled slightly and didn't say much more.

He roughly flipped through it, then nodded: "I'll go back and look when I have time; you can send an electronic copy to my email too, and if there are places needing advance revision, I'll send them to you."

Fang Ziye hurriedly thanked him, quickly took out the small notebook from his pocket, and recorded Professor Du's contact email inside.

Fang Ziye wasn't surprised by this either; generally, professors who are fairly decent absolutely won't make things difficult on the graduation thesis, and instead will anticipate some things for you in advance; of course, if the errors are too outrageous, they won't take responsibility onto themselves either.

Two minutes later, Fang Ziye left, gently closing the door behind him.

After leaving the outpatient clinic, he thought for a bit, then still decided to take a taxi, which would be faster...

Around 11:20, Fang Ziye finally walked out of the operating room of Huazhong University of Science and Technology Affiliated Union Hospital, wearing a green surgical gown, and after changing into his own casual clothes in the changing room.

Politely using the changing room cabinet key to exchange back his student ID, and also saying thanks: "Thank you, teacher, I've already found the professor and handed over the thesis, leaving right away."

The operating room does not allow outsiders to enter, especially people from outside this hospital; this is an iron law.

But there are exceptions to everything; for cases like Fang Ziye coming to deliver a thesis, or other schools' graduate students coming early to find their doctoral supervisors, do you wait to death? Or make an exception?

Generally speaking, as long as you can produce a student ID, produce a thesis and other relatively professional things, they won't make things difficult for you either, unless the gatekeeping auntie is a particularly slippery old hand who dead-bites and won't let go, then you can only think of another way.

But fortunately, such a thing did not happen; between Han City's several universities, there is no hatred relationship; most adults have a unique "partiality" toward students; not to say they'll help, but they absolutely won't make things difficult for a student, even if he is a doctor, in front of social people he is still a student.

Exiting the hospital gate, Fang Ziye casually bought a baked sweet potato, then bought a bottle of water, and directly hailed a ride-hailing car to rush toward Han City Station.

This last stop was the Orthopedics professor of Central South University Xiangya Third Hospital; this was the farthest, and also the hardest to deliver.

Because Fang Ziye also didn't know when he would set out, when he could arrive on time; and if today he arrived at the Third Hospital and the professor happened to be unavailable, Fang Ziye might have to wait until Monday to go.

But begging people, one can only do so.

Besides the running around, it couldn't be counted as too tiring.

At 2:59 in the afternoon, Fang Ziye only then rushed to Central South University Xiangya Third Hospital again, which is next to the Xiangya Medical College that Fang Ziye and Luo Tingzhu had visited before.

Squeezed into the elevator, explained the situation at the department door, after entering the department, Professor Wu did not give a definite reply, probably busy.

Busy or not, one has to wait; and Fang Ziye did not go into the doctors' office to wait.

The professor is a chief physician; asking the duty doctor is useless; if someone at Zhongnan Hospital were looking for Professor Deng, Fang Ziye could only answer that he didn't know.

Professors have always been like dragons showing head but not tail.

Three o'clock, four o'clock, all the way until five o'clock.

Fang Ziye hadn't waited for Professor Wu's reply, but his stomach was truly hungry.

Only then did Fang Ziye arrive at the doctor's office, explained the situation, and left his phone number: "Brother, thanks. If Professor Wu returns to the department, please be sure to notify me."

"Okay, Senior Brother." The duty doctor was a second-year professional Master's student; he could only do so much.

Fang Ziye then went to the KFC opposite the hospital and ate a simple meal.

He kept waiting for a reply message until his phone ran out of battery; current smartphones just don't hold charge, so Fang Ziye had to rent a power bank.

Then he replied to his teacher Yuan Weihong: "Master, Professor Wu is still busy; I haven't been able to contact him. I estimate I won't return to Han City today."

"If Professor Wu hasn't replied by seven o'clock, I'll have to book a hotel."

"Okay! No rush." Yuan Weihong couldn't do anything about it either.

Such a small matter didn't warrant Professor Deng Yong directly making a cross-province, cross-hospital call to contact Professor Wu; Fang Ziye just had to wait.

However, at this moment, Fang Ziye received a message from that second-year Master's duty doctor.

"Senior Brother, our department's Teaching and Research Director has arrived. Teacher Xie is a research assistant under Professor Wu's group; you might be able to hand the thesis to her."

"Ah, okay." Fang Ziye felt as if granted amnesty.

Although he hadn't waited for Professor Wu himself, if he could wait for the research assistant, perhaps he could learn some accurate schedule and information.

Fang Ziye didn't even want his unfinished fries; he shouldered his backpack, put on his mask, and rushed straight back into the hospital.

Arriving at Trauma Surgery again, seeing the teacher left behind by the duty fellow trainee, Fang Ziye froze for a moment.

Isn't this the Senior Sister Xie who exchanged cells with Luo Tingzhu before?

But judging by the posture with which that graduate student introduced her, Fang Ziye felt the other party definitely wasn't a medical student: "Teacher Xie, this Senior Brother says he's an Orthopedics Senior Brother from Hanzhong University Zhongnan Hospital, here to deliver a defense thesis to Professor Wu."

Xie Xin merely glanced at Fang Ziye, thought for a moment, then reached out and said: "Professor Wu indeed has an arrangement to go to Hanzhong University Zhongnan Hospital for a defense next month. Give me your theses; I'll hand them to Professor Wu when the time comes."

Xie Xin completely didn't recognize who Fang Ziye was; the person who traded with Xie Xin last time was Luo Tingzhu.

However, it seems Xie Xin once again deceived Luo Tingzhu regarding her identity.

She didn't deceive about the key components, only modified her own identity.

This doesn't matter; online friendships are half true, half false.

Fang Ziye listened and could only comply, saying: "Okay, Teacher Xie, then how do I contact you? Later I may need to follow up to confirm the thesis reached Professor Wu's hands; if lost, I can come supplement another copy."

Xie Xin heard this, thought for a moment: "You add me on WeChat; then you can contact me directly when the time comes."

"You should have contacted a day in advance. Although today is Friday, Professor Wu went to a prefecture-level city for a consultation surgery and is temporarily not here."

"Teacher Xie, mainly I also couldn't determine a definite time schedule. Naturally I couldn't make Professor Wu wait; I'll follow Professor Wu's time." Fang Ziye explained, skillfully scanned Xie Xin's WeChat QR code, and noted his own name.

But when Fang Ziye sent these three characters over, Xie Xin couldn't help turning her head back, looking at Fang Ziye seriously and carefully for a while, her face showing a few traces of contemplation.

"Come with me." Xie Xin picked up Fang Ziye and Sun Shaoqing's two theses, walked out of the office, then headed toward the Director's Office next door.

Guest follows host's convenience; Fang Ziye didn't know what Teacher Xie wanted to do, so he asked: "Teacher Xie."

Xie Xin said: "You're the Senior Brother who came to Sha City with that Xiao Luo last time, right? I remember you're called Fang Ziye, but you wore a mask that time, didn't pay much attention to you."

"Was that your first time trading cells with someone? Why did you use all real identities?"

"What's improper about that?" Fang Ziye asked.

Xie Xin put down Fang Ziye and Sun Shaoqing's two theses, then said: "Using real identities carries risk. If I were someone from some laboratory institution, then took on private work, and finally threatened you, what would you do?"

"There's even this kind of thing?" Fang Ziye was slightly puzzled.

Fang Ziye's own cell line was bought openly and aboveboard; it didn't matter, invoices were all there.

As for the situation Xie Xin spoke of, Fang Ziye had never heard of it.

"Forget it; these things should be taught by your teachers, but perhaps your supervisors never had such encounters back then, only doing basic cell experiments. If you want to exchange cells, you still need to pay attention to some information protection."

"Thank you, Teacher Xie. Then please trouble Teacher Xie to help relay a message to Professor Wu." Seeing Xie Xin unwilling to speak more, Fang Ziye didn't pursue further questions.

Being sufficiently wary of strangers isn't a bad thing; after all, one cannot fathom a person's heart, let alone a stranger's.

Xie Xin nodded, then thought again, and only then said: "Right, that cell line you took last time currently cannot be used for basic cell experiments, because we haven't developed the cell line and filed it in the Eastern Han Cell Bank."

"If it's really investigated later, this isn't raw material; don't waste it. But later it might still be usable."

"If your team has the intention to do experiments on this cell line, it can be used directly." Xie Xin hesitated slightly, then gave this reminder.

"Okay, Teacher Xie." Fang Ziye didn't conceal it either; he had indeed frozen and stored it.

Only even if it's a new cell line, it would benefit his knowledge point gains. Fang Ziye still hadn't operated on it.

Knowledge point gains are gains, but the money in research funding still has to be used in relatively proper places.

Useless waste and expenditure are extremely shameful; one cannot be too selfish, spending money on useless work that only benefits oneself purely.

These funds, frankly speaking, are not just one person's alone; they belong to the small team.

The fellow trainees and teachers are all this good to him; Fang Ziye won't screw them over because of this.

Leaving the Director's Office, Fang Ziye curiously asked that duty fellow trainee about Teacher Xie Xin's identity; this was only proper.

After all, Fang Ziye was handing his and his doctoral Senior Brother's theses to the other party; if he didn't inquire at all, how could he be at ease?

And according to this fellow trainee's description, Xie Xin was truly awesome; currently she is formal staff of the Third Hospital's Tumor Department, but works at Professor Wu's Postdoctoral Mobile Station in Trauma Surgery.

Niece of Professor Xie, Chief Director of Spine Surgery at Central South University Xiangya Third Hospital; daughter of a renowned Professor Xie in Cardiology at Central South University Xiangya Hospital; her own capability is also very strong.

Central South University Clinical Medicine Eight-Year Program; she basically never relied on her uncle and father for feeding, all were wool-pulled onto young supervisors at Zhongnan Hospital and Third Hospital; the papers and thickness hanging on her are also very substantial.

You know, pulling wool onto young supervisors isn't easy; if you lack sufficient capability, even if your old man steps in, young people can still disagree — you only have that little bit of money, and you still want to cause trouble?

Conversely, if it's papers mixed out of old professor teams, that's completely different.

With this layer of identity, Fang Ziye felt even more at ease.

She is a person who truly does research, so she generally does things meticulously, won't have careless situations; but as for why she wanted to exchange those two common osteosarcoma cells with Luo Tingzhu, Fang Ziye also couldn't find an answer.

He took a look; the sky had completely darkened, time had reached 7:49, he could still barely make it back, so Fang Ziye set off on the return journey.

Around midnight, when Fang Ziye rushed back to the rental house, he didn't even want to shower; just brushed his teeth, took off his shoes, got on the bed, didn't even wash his feet, and fell asleep like that.

Naturally, this way he also missed the knowledge point gains from the photo Luo Tingzhu sent him.

(Chapter End)