Chapter 109

Fang Ziye didn't know which classmate, Senior Brother, or Fellow Trainee had played the role of "busybody" and pinned the title "Time Management Master" on him.

Since a certain incident, this title composed of several phrases was no longer a compliment.

There was almost nothing to revise today; it was mainly a simulation of the Q&A session for the defense, preparing several questions in advance to have a clear idea of what to expect.

Fang Ziye walked toward the rental house while stretching his arms.

On his right-hand side, on the playground, someone was jogging, and there were some who were probably Undergraduate Fellow Trainees sweating profusely on the basketball court, and others practicing penalty kicks on a football field without nets.

The people on the football field were mostly ethnic minorities or international students...

Arriving home, Fang Ziye boiled a kettle of water first, then sat quietly at the table and began to reflect.

Looking back from August three years ago when he had just entered the Resident Physician Standardized Training Rotation Program as a Master's First Year, to now, thirty-one months had already passed.

Among them, the most fulfilling period was not the recent half year, but the first half of Master's First Year — the stage his Fellow Trainees are currently in — when Fang Ziye, having just arrived at Zhongnan Hospital Affiliated to Han City University, still held the ambition to strive in his heart.

Professional knowledge of Trauma Surgery, the skill of writing medical records, the informed consent talks and signatures required when managing patients, as well as familiarity and accumulation regarding the risks of common surgeries in the department and postoperative medications; accumulation of basic operations in the training room, beginning to slowly read highly specialized literature...

In the second semester, Fang Ziye started writing tool-type articles himself, lasting from January to May before finishing; after completing the manuscript, he handed it to his teacher for revision.

The teacher then had him collect data on a very narrow angle within the department as material for a clinical research paper, preparing the second article.

Progress slowed down at this point.

After the first stage of progress in basic skills practice in the training room, improvement became arduous, as if every step forward required experiencing a thousand parts of obscurity and tedium.

The first year of graduate school could be counted as having some achievements.

He had made some headway in basic operations in the training room, and one article manuscript was completed.

However, by the second year of graduate school, Fang Ziye's second article was completed around October, but both articles, submitted successively in December, failed to succeed.

This made Fang Ziye panic; starting from October, he began working on Chinese articles and rapidly submitted them in December, finally getting a CSCD accepted in January of last year — the second semester of his Master's second year — and published in October last year...

Yet his other two "English compositions" remained unable to be submitted for a long time.

Regarding this, even his teacher Yuan Weihong was quite depressed, but there was no way around it.

Multiple rejections for article submissions are very normal, but Yuan Weihong kept urging him from behind while secretly making preparations for him...

Hurriedly, from a naive greenhorn growing into a young man with a sense of urgency — this was the only change in Fang Ziye's first two years as a Master's student.

On the contrary, after Master's Third Year, Fang Ziye slackened slightly; at least from August to December, Fang Ziye simply didn't consider article publication issues at all.

Yuan Weihong's experimental results on Giant Cell Tumor of Bone and the p53 pathway during his Chief Resident period, with Yuan Weihong as Corresponding Author and Fang Ziye as First Author, directly let Fang Ziye soar.

Not to say one paper suppresses the whole department, one paper suppresses the whole subspecialty — there's absolutely no problem.

No way around it; this was what Yuan Weihong needed to publish to hit Deputy Chief Physician — a high-quality SCI paper within the orthopedics industry — how could a regular Professional Master's Student have such honor bestowed upon them?

Fang Ziye only counted as a bonus; if Yuan Weihong were willing, giving this article directly to Sun Shaoqing, then Sun Shaoqing might really be able to compete with that person from Joint Surgery for Hospital Retention.

But Yuan Weihong still didn't do so...

January 19th, the last day before the defense.

This day, Fang Ziye arranged many things, yet discovered he didn't need to arrange anything at all.

Sun Shaoqing's early defense was specially arranged by Teacher Deng, so naturally the other Doctoral Senior Brothers from Deng Yong's Group helped Senior Brother Shaoqing arrange the miscellaneous matters afterward.

For example, preparing good tea and water, contacting the Head Nurse, contacting the Orthopedics Teaching Director, arranging the Demonstration Classroom, setting up the defense venue, making banners, reporting to the Graduate School...

The day passed quickly.

The next day.

Fang Ziye finally wore a suit and leather shoes, putting on newly bought leather shoes with polished shine.

This isn't being flashy; it's proper formal wear to show respect to the Defense Committee. Normally, which Surgeon would be masochistic enough to dress this formally? Once you enter the operating room, even if you carve the clothes on your body into a project as massive as the Forbidden City, you still have to take them off.

Fang Ziye didn't need to do anything, only needed to quietly prepare the defense content and materials.

As for receiving and seeing off the various professors of the Defense Committee, Wang Yuanqi, Gu Yi, Dong Wenqiang, Xue Cao, Yan Zhiming and other Professional or Academic Doctoral students would naturally handle it.

The venue setup and arrangement were led by the Head Nurse, with Li Yuanpei as the person in charge of the Master's Fellow Trainees, placing the fruit platter, tea drinks, water, and tea break snacks on the side —

There would definitely be a break for the Defense Committee between Senior Brother Sun Shaoqing's and Fang Ziye's defenses, and at that time, it was permissible to eat something.

Senior Brother Sun Shaoqing's defense time was one and a half hours, Fang Ziye's was one hour; basically it could all be finished in one morning.

Fang Ziye and Senior Brother Sun Shaoqing sat there somewhat tensely, avoiding wrinkling their clothes so they wouldn't have to bother tidying up later.

Senior Brother Sun Shaoqing looked at the scene before him and said: "Ziye, before, I was also like them, seeing off graduating Senior Brothers. At that time I still felt reluctant; you tell me, such good Senior Brothers, why did they have to graduate and leave?"

"Why couldn't the Hospital keep them? They left, who will guide me in the future?"

"But I don't know either, what these Fellow Trainees will ultimately think of me."

Sun Shaoqing was filled with emotion.

Although Fang Ziye didn't have direct-line Senior Brothers, when Doctoral and Master's Senior Brothers defended in the past, Fang Ziye was also a busy little bee; he knew that one day, he would also need these natural brothers to help.

Fang Ziye isn't an idiot; even if he couldn't read for a Doctorate or become Teacher Deng's student, after mixing in a group for so many years, if these classmates, Senior Brothers, and Fellow Trainees later enter prefecture-level units, and if his relatives or friends need help at some prefecture-level city hospital, Fang Ziye makes one phone call — do you think the other party would refuse him face?

Fang Ziye didn't think so.

Senior Brothers within the Master's School are the most direct connections, but Senior Brothers within the department are also nodding acquaintances; even with little contact, just this bit of face-based friendship might be useful for a lifetime.

Since matters were arranged, Fang Ziye was naturally active about it.

"Senior Brother Sun, we're also very reluctant to see you go. I still remember when I first entered the department, you were only a Doctoral First Year, and my Master had me follow your team for the first month."

"Looking back later, I realized you actually didn't need to manage beds; it was my Master who planted you as a bed-managing doctor for a month."

"You also taught me many routines that have benefited me immensely ever since." Fang Ziye bowed slightly, his tone sincere.

Sun Shaoqing looked like a high-ranking Senior Brother in Doctoral Year Three.

But when Fang Ziye first arrived, Sun Shaoqing was also the younger brother of other Senior Brothers in the department — for example, Li Senior Brother who graduated two years ago, and Fang Senior Brother who graduated one year ago and shared his surname.

"Hey. Don't flatter me, it's what I should do."

"After all, during Wei Ge's Chief Resident period, he treated me quite well..."

Sun Shaoqing finished speaking and then began naming the busy people one by one with some reluctance.

In a low tone: "Wang Yuanqi, formerly from Shandong University, took the Special Program; the teacher had high hopes for him after he passed assessment, but his progress in recent years has been relatively slow."

"Wenqiang has been on the academic track since his Master's, staying with Master the whole time; he's still quite by-the-book, but does research pretty well."

"Xue Cao, Zhiming, Senior Brother Li, Shu Lang, Yun Wen..."

"Associate Professor Xie's student Gong Ziming — those two are your junior brothers, right?"

"Yes, Senior Brother! The thin one, the one with the chubby face is called Jie Han! The one with very fair skin is called Lan Tianluo. They both only came last August." Fang Ziye introduced them like this.

Sun Shaoqing then grinned and said: "Six years ago, Master had just been promoted to Chief Physician not long before; he was the most junior Chief Physician in the department. Back then Associate Professor Han Yuanxiao was still following Master."

"The department doesn't have many doctoral quotas, and Master doesn't have that many students either; six years have passed since then."

"It's really hard to let go!"

"What about Brother Cao?" Fang Ziye wanted to gossip a bit.

Sun Shaoqing grinned and turned his head: "Convinced heart and mouth, nothing to say. It's not because Professor Du Xinzhan of Joint Surgery is the Bone Surgery Chief that he chose him; Cao Lei isn't Professor Du's student either."

……

The defense thus formally began, with Sun Shaoqing bearing the brunt as first up.

The defense secretary role was taken by Associate Professor Xie Jinyuan from the department.

Sun Shaoqing's teacher, Senior Brother, goes without saying — it's Professor Deng Yong.

Then came the Defense Committee; the Defense Chairman is Professor Zhang from this hospital's Spine Surgery, fifty-five years old, Spine Surgery Chief, Chief Physician Level 1, Level 2 Professor, Doctoral Student/Post Supervisor, Chutian Scholar...

The professors on the defense panel are all at least Full Professor rank.

Because Fang Ziye wasn't doing a doctoral defense, he was allowed to watch Senior Brother Sun Shaoqing's defense.

By-the-book, rather academic style — this was Fang Ziye's sole impression of Senior Brother Sun Shaoqing.

Where would he have so many thoughts? His mind was full of nothing but: I have to defend soon, I must not be nervous.

He didn't even remember what questions the Defense Committee asked Senior Brother Sun Shaoqing, nor how Senior Brother answered; he was just ushered out when the Defense Committee went into closed session.

During the Defense Committee's post-defense meeting, everyone must recuse themselves.

Even Professor Deng Yong had to recuse; only the Head Nurse and the Defense Secretary could stay inside to record the meeting resolutions.

In a somewhat muddled daze, at 10:40, Fang Ziye walked into the demonstration classroom together with his supervisor.

Fang Ziye's defense PPT had been put in long ago; he went up on stage and briefly introduced himself: "Respected Defense Committee, teachers, fellow students junior brothers and sisters, good morning everyone. I am Fang Ziye, a Master's graduate student in Orthopedics slated for defense. My defense topic is..."

No excessive flashy content; Fang Ziye also learned from Senior Brother Sun Shaoqing and the senior brothers in the department before, presenting solemnly and unhurriedly, mainly expounding the content inside, what was done, what the results were...

The content he narrated, Fang Ziye precisely controlled within thirty-five minutes, leaving twenty-five minutes for Q&A.

On the contrary, once he started lecturing, because he had rehearsed many times, Fang Ziye wasn't very nervous; the more he spoke the more relaxed, the more he spoke the smoother it felt, but Fang Ziye didn't get carried away, didn't rush the rhythm.

Most of the narration concerned the basic experiments he had done and the corresponding results; only after the results presentation ended did Fang Ziye flip the PPT to the acknowledgments page.

But the acknowledgments page — but inside the PPT page — was completely blank.

Fang Ziye straightened his posture, placed both hands flat before his abdomen:

"Actually I considered a lot of acknowledgment content, collected quite a bit of material, but in the end I still couldn't make it into a PPT page to put here; I'll just say a few simple words."

"In a blink time flies, three years, interest unspent but gains abundant; here I express sincere gratitude to all teachers, classmates, and friends who have cared for and helped me." Fang Ziye bowed lightly.

Fang Ziye stood up, then said in a very flat tone: "Especially, special thanks to my teacher Yuan Weihong — this paper's topic selection, writing, conception, and the entire process from first draft to final draft —"

"And a correction notebook named Fang Ziye —"

"Teacher poured massive heart and effort into all of them." Fang Ziye didn't bow again, just a calm tone, looking once more toward where Yuan Weihong sat; his eyes had already moistened somewhat.

Fang Ziye continued: "Blessed by my Person of Gratitude not abandoning me, ear-tugging face-to-face instruction, teaching by words and deeds, every word a pearl; only sigh that I couldn't keep it all in my ears, hide it all in my belly, express it all in my hands; so that thinking still unaccustomed, knowledge insufficient, level meager."

"But even if eleven passes, it's enough to benefit me for life. Unforgettable, and dare not forget."

When he reached here, Fang Ziye added: "Here allow me to slightly show off a bit of elegance, because only when not undergoing language exams can one know classical prose's subtle charm. Three years ago calling Master once to learn skills for a meal, three years later calling Master for life to know rites and go far."

"Three years' journey, ashamed of nothing to repay, guilty of no way to repay."

"Also must thank Professor Deng Yong, Professor Dong Yaohui, Professor Han Yuanxiao and other teachers for their guidance and cultivation, and help in studies..."

When Fang Ziye spoke here, his voice choked slightly.

But as a mature adult, he immediately reined it in, then used flat content, calm tone, to cover his stirred emotions.

Yuan Weihong's three years, fully worthy of the words Person of Gratitude, also worthy of guide and Master.

Yuan Weihong's eye rims were slightly red, but his whole body didn't move a muscle; his whole bearing was light and dismissive, as if Mount Tai collapsed before his eyes yet his face didn't change color — but actually, Yuan Weihong was deeply moved.

First time being a student facing first time being a teacher, Yuan Weihong also had many moments afraid he wouldn't guide well, hadn't guided well, also afraid he'd delay their prospects, couldn't lead them to the right path, couldn't give more opportunities...

Until the acknowledgments ended, Yuan Weihong didn't move, because Yuan Weihong knew he currently must not move, absolutely must not break down, because once the psychological defense broke, during the defense segment later his thinking might not be clear enough.

This kid, really!

Did the nice words have to be saved for this moment?

Acknowledgments ended.

The Defense Committee Chairman, Professor Zhang, looked at the thesis in his hand, closed it in his palm, and said: "Fang Ziye, your thesis — I read it carefully; it's written very well, even a bit too well."

"After all, just adding a little more content would make it sufficient for a doctoral graduation defense thesis. It's remarkably brilliant."

"So the professional content inside basically has no issues. I'll ask you one thing: about this p53 pathway, will you continue working on it?"

"Yes, Professor Zhang. If the opportunity is suitable — for instance if I have a chance to pursue doctoral studies, study abroad, that kind of thing — I'll definitely continue deeper research." Fang Ziye hurriedly nodded; questions like this all have standard answers.

The defense Q&A segment is an ask-and-answer-immediately format.

"I see many basic experiments appearing in your article; do you think cellular basic experiments really have effect for new ideas in developing tumor targeted drugs?" Professor Zhang asked further like this.

"I think they do, Professor Zhang."

"Because before tumors are initially diagnosed, all tumors lack novel targeted therapeutic drugs, and the origins of other targeted therapeutic drugs are all related to various pathways of tumor cells, adopting precise selection of one target to block."

"Even including existing tumor treatment chemotherapy drugs, they're merely a relatively broader biological blocking mechanism, just bringing side effects to normal cells, tissues, etc., unable to achieve precise blocking benefit." Fang Ziye is someone who understands basic research.

All the way from school-level projects through to general project proposal writing, the preliminary research was all done single-handedly by Fang Ziye; you want to make the current Fang Ziye slip up — absolutely impossible.

With such articulation, understanding, and accumulated workload, the experiments Yuan Weihong did that weren't Fang Ziye's became Fang Ziye's; you don't believe me? I can repeat it right in front of you, believe it or not?

Professor Zhang nodded.

However, the second professor stabbed Fang Ziye in the back right from the start.

"Fang Ziye, the hk2 you are researching is the first step of the glycolysis pathway; all normal cells have this step. From the angle of the research project, studying the hk2 target as well as the upstream and downstream regulatory components is correct."

"But from the angle of reality significance, if hk2 becomes a drug target, would its side effects not be greater than the harm the tumor cells themselves pose to the human body?" This knife was stabbed in ruthlessly enough.

Ruthless enough that even Yuan Weihong and Professor Zhang beside him frowned slightly.

Are you f*cking impulsive, Big Brother? This is a Master's thesis defense?

(Chapter End)