Chapter 138

Fang Ziye was never a favored son of heaven from the start, nor was he born into power and wealth; Fang Ziye only knew that his current self could not withstand any tossing about, and no one could help him wash away the various stains on him.

Washing away possible stains on oneself is different from washing stains off clothes.

His parents could no longer support him much; this is Zhongnan Hospital, not Enshi Central Hospital — it is a place his parents' connections can barely reach, so Fang Ziye must be more cautious.

A gifted authorship paper seems like a good thing, but in reality it is a hidden landmine; the slightest carelessness and it will explode.

After all, it involves disputes of interest.

Teacher Deng putting his name as second or even first author on his own papers — that's another matter; in a large research group, he hasn't done nothing, and the fellow disciples have interacted a lot, so there's some degree of feeling between them.

But as for Hong Zili Associate Professor's team, to say they currently have any deep feelings for him — unless Fang Ziye's brain was kicked by a donkey, Fang Ziye would never believe it.

Other people's money, other people's projects, other people's output, again and again putting Fang Ziye's name on them — is this feeding him or drawing fire onto himself?

Fang Ziye himself finds it hard to assess, so he can only seek help from his Master, asking Master Yuan Weihong to step in and explain things properly to Hong Zili Associate Professor.

The current Fang Ziye has not yet reached the qualifications and level to sit down face-to-face with Hong Zili Associate Professor to discuss cooperation; borrowing a tiger's might, he is ultimately not the tiger, nor is he Yuan Weihong or Teacher Deng — he has self-knowledge.

Fang Ziye's gaze toward Yuan Weihong carried a hint of pleading.

This was also the first time Fang Ziye had ever sought help from Yuan Weihong like this.

At graduation, Fang Ziye did not hint or ask his Master to definitely help, because Fang Ziye knew his own graduation was not a problem, and Master Yuan Weihong's current position in the group was awkward; making Yuan Weihong bestow a future on him would put Yuan Weihong in a difficult spot.

His own output of achievements was limited, and he truly had no face to ask his Master for help.

Yuan Weihong looked at Fang Ziye's pleading gaze like a child's, reached out and rubbed Fang Ziye's head, and said: "Ziye, you're overthinking it; making a god isn't done the way you imagine, and Hong Zili Associate Professor has no intention of making a god out of you either."

"He simply wants to make your CV look a bit better; if it's some first-author or corresponding-author papers hung on you, that's fine; some second-author and third-author papers are purely to give the text hung on your name a bit more thickness."

"This is no problem."

"Have you met the visiting doctors? Any impressions?" Yuan Weihong shifted the topic; Fang Ziye's caution was a good thing, but the matter was far from the height Fang Ziye worried about.

Yuan Weihong also didn't want to enter into an emotional topic.

Fang Ziye poured a cup of water for Yuan Weihong with a paper cup; hearing this, his mood relaxed considerably.

Taking a slight deep breath, he replied: "Many thanks for Master's help and support."

If not for Yuan Weihong, then the experiences of Li Yuanhong and Dong Cheng might be the future portrait of the current Fang Ziye.

Once entering a prefecture-level city hospital, the difficulty of doing papers again increases geometrically.

Even though Li Yuanhong and Dong Cheng both graduated with Master's degrees and had written papers before, today they have visibly transformed into ascetic monks who would rather spend money to buy papers than write them themselves.

Why is this?

Perhaps work pressure is too great, time insufficient; or perhaps, having enjoyed another layer of blessings, with not insignificant income, they don't want to strive and just lie flat.

Treating asking favors and spending money as one of the driving forces to move forward, treating human relations as one of the pursuits to elevate their level, while instead neglecting the real improvement of their own capabilities.

Ultimately difficult to enter the hall of elegance.

Within the province, many people will indeed talk human relations with you, but looking nationwide at the orthopedics jianghu — no projects, no innovation, no papers — you could be the neighboring provincial leader's kid, and what the hell does that have to do with me? Even if you stand on the stage posturing, I'll kick you off so you can't get down, what can you do about it?

"Your wording is slightly more refined now, and you know to think about some meticulous issues; not bad." Yuan Weihong was very satisfied with Fang Ziye's reply.

He no longer kept the words "bestow" and "gift" hanging on his lips regarding papers.

Yuan Weihong continued: "However, even with refined wording, it's still not enough. The next general project I plan to apply for is again in the osteosarcoma direction. This project will be handed solely to you; analyze why."

"You are a Doctor now."

A special difference between doctoral students, master's students, and undergraduates is that they must themselves know how to think about problems and solve them through scientific methods, rather than following others' guides, following others' narratives, and engaging in absolute repetition and worship.

After placing the water cup properly, Fang Ziye unceremoniously found a spot, first sat down properly upright, and meeting Yuan Weihong's gaze eye-to-eye, Fang Ziye steadily took the patch Yuan Weihong had thrown him: "I've done it, I'm still doing it, I've done it very deep."

The relationship between osteosarcoma and HK2 — although I previously only understood and knew it, you can't find fault with me; but if I can make it bottomlessly deep, push it to the extreme, then no one will ever doubt it.

They'll even be certain, even feel you are the big shot of this pathway.

Listening to Fang Ziye's words, Yuan Weihong slowly leaned his back back, finally forming the Ge-style lying posture, hands interlocked behind his head, and said unhurriedly: "Alright, with this kind of realization, your Master can rest assured."

"One more thing to tell you: once you go down to a prefecture-level city hospital, do more, talk less, promise less, drink less."

"What I mean by talk less is less reckless talk, not that you shouldn't interact with people."

"Achieve these few points, and it's enough."

"Hey, go rest for a bit. During this time, cultivate yourself well; being able to get an early rural rotation opportunity is thanks to Old Professor Li Guohua laying a good foundation for you."

"Learn more things and come back, make your foundation more solid. Some common basic disease types in orthopedics, in our hospital you have to wait for the chance to learn, but in a prefecture-level city hospital, they're routine learning."

Fang Ziye agreed for now.

Looking at Yuan Weihong's somewhat fatigued gaze, his heart ached slightly; all he could do was not disturb him more, let his Master rest well, and wait for the afternoon's bunch of junior brothers and sisters to bombard him chaotically.

"Master, then I'll withdraw first."

"One last outpatient clinic with you, then I have to go back to our Enshi to study." Fang Ziye said this as a parting instruction before leaving.

Yuan Weihong was truly exhausted, lying there playing on his phone, as if he didn't want to move a muscle.

……

That day, past seven in the evening.

Luo Tingzhu might have just entered the lab, not yet at the stage of her own experiment, and contacted Fang Ziye saying: "Senior Brother, the apartment Hong Professor contacted for me is really nice; many people in our team are surprised."

"Actually got this apartment for 860 monthly rent, and no bills either."

Bills is a collective term for a type of fee — water, electricity, and internet fees.

And the average price of a one-bedroom apartment in Los Angeles is 1000 to 2000 dollars a month, which counts as very expensive; Luo Tingzhu getting an apartment for 860 counts as even less than the market's floor price.

When Hong Zili Associate Professor found this place, he definitely put thought into it. Heard it was bought by his classmate himself, later couldn't bear to sell it, so just rented it out — counting as a kind of reminiscence of his youth...

"That's a good thing!"

"Right, Tingzhu, after you went, do you roughly know the research depth of your team?" Fang Ziye asked.

This was what he cared about most.

Domestically, Hong Zili Associate Professor's research team counts as especially deep, but Fang Ziye didn't know what level foreign teams' current routine projects have reached in depth.

"Many teams are doing gene sequencing, striving to find new, never-before-seen novel targets. There are also a few experimental groups doing what are our domestic routine projects."

"The small project my boss assigned me right now is just a sub-branch of a sub-branch — the kind of direction that's optional, do it or don't."

"The equipment in this lab is more high-end than ours..." Luo Tingzhu didn't explain directly, but that ellipsis represented a lot of things.

Fang Ziye read the message and sighed deeply in his heart; counting it up like this, there was still a gap of at least ten-plus years.

As early as the early twenty-first century, the research level in foreign medical laboratories had already benchmarked against pathways, and even various reagents for finding, defining, and processing mRNA, miRNA, etc., were all produced by them — the foundation of this research was completely different.

However, in this aspect, the most advanced domestic technology currently is still only at the stage of establishing its own cell lines; those truly doing their own unique miRNA detection technology are still only the absolute top-tier universities and laboratories.

"You'll definitely broaden your horizons quite a bit; you've been there nearly a month now, the gains must be substantial, right?" Fang Ziye asked.

"Mm, it's fine since I laid some groundwork before. So there's not much difference in operation."

"It's just that the images and results here are kept completely confidential by the lab; unless it's for writing the graduation thesis or submitting papers, they're not allowed to be taken out of the lab."

"So Senior Brother, lately I..." Luo Tingzhu reported like a goofball.

Fang Ziye: "..."

Fang Ziye read the message, took two deep breaths, then said: "If you really can't find photos, then don't look; taking a selfie or two works too."

Fang Ziye's words were a little sleazy, carrying a teasing element.

But Fang Ziye didn't expect that Luo Tingzhu actually sent a shy emoticon, then sent another nodding emoticon.

She actually agreed.

While Fang Ziye was still stunned, he saw Luo Tingzhu ask again: "Senior Brother, did another Sports Medicine Senior Sister come to our lab?"

Orthopedics' 'Golden Flowers' — there are only three.

Luo Tingzhu from Trauma Surgery, one each from Sports Medicine and Joint Surgery.

That Sports Medicine classmate is in the same cohort as Fang Ziye; that Joint Surgery girl is one cohort younger than Fang Ziye, but in terms of graduate enrollment year, both are earlier than Luo Tingzhu, so Luo Tingzhu calls them Senior Sister.

"Is there? I didn't notice; I've been in the lab very late lately. Check Jie Han and Lan Tianluo's experiment progress, then head back."

"You looking for them for something? If so I can help ask." Fang Ziye said after thinking carefully.

"No, I was just asking." Luo Tingzhu replied hurriedly, almost instantly.

"Oh, then want me to go ask for her WeChat and forward it to you?" Fang Ziye continued asking.

Fang Ziye was doing it on purpose.

Although Fang Ziye doesn't know how to pursue girls, Fang Ziye felt that his current self was too sleazy, not good; but pretending to be a bit of a straight man seemed pretty good.

Luo Tingzhu didn't reply anymore.

Didn't say yes, didn't say no.

Three minutes later, Fang Ziye then told Luo Tingzhu: "Just teasing you."

"I still have to handle some wb labels; you go be busy first."

Luo Tingzhu sent a sprinting puppy emoticon and vanished in a puff of smoke.

Fang Ziye was glad emoticons exist now; otherwise Fang Ziye would never understand Luo Tingzhu's delicate inner thoughts.

Work work...

Time quickly gradually approached the end of March.

March is a big month, with thirty-one days.

So on March 30th, Professor Deng Yong finally, after finishing rounds, temporarily halted the intention of going straight to the OR, and dragged Fang Ziye — who had planned to go hang around the OR for opportunities — into the office.

"Master!" After Fang Ziye entered the office, he changed his address, then looked around with eyes observing six roads to see what he should do.

There really was something to do: pour a cup of water, and incidentally fish out Deng Yong's exclusive ashtray from below — it was stuffed full of cigarette butts — Fang Ziye even helped clean it up a bit.

"You're leaving for Enshi with Li Yuanhong tomorrow?"

"Yes, Master." Fang Ziye replied while tapping the ashtray, then turned his head back.

"My thinking is, having an acquaintance bring you along might make it easier to blend into the crowd at Enshi Central Hospital; Li Yuanhong Big Brother happens to be doing advanced training at our hospital."

"He only goes back once a month with difficulty." Fang Ziye smiled in reply, then stood up and handed the tidied ashtray to the smoking Professor Deng Yong.

"You and Li Yuanhong were familiar before?" Deng Yong crossed his legs, shifted direction, right elbow propped on the desk, the cigarette pinched between index and middle fingers positioned right above the ashtray.

Fang Ziye sat properly, shook his head: "Master, Li Yuanhong Big Brother is currently collaborating with our group on writing a paper; Jie Han gave him a direction, he's collecting meta-analysis data himself."

Fang Ziye understood Master's meaning, so he didn't play riddles, directly laid out the point Deng Yong cared about transparently, no nonsense, no need for Deng Yong to guess.

"You few are interesting." Deng Yong seemed to smile yet not smile.

Joking; Jie Han, a master's student, can actually send papers out — this isn't something ordinary people can pull off.

Moreover, Jie Han handles paper quantity and direction, Lan Tianluo handles data processing — practically mass-producing tool articles; this is an advantage other groups don't have.

Add Fang Ziye, who dominates in basic experiments and, professionally speaking, is now the most talented among all students.

Deng Yong even felt a bit envious, even jealous of Yuan Weihong, but it's fine too.

Anyway Yuan Weihong contributed a student to him; he's not a doctoral supervisor yet, even if he were a doctoral supervisor he couldn't compete for slots — eventually they'd all have to be contributed, handed to him, the big boss...

Deng Yong then said: "Since your re-examination ended, I never sought you out — not just because we're both busy, but because I was thinking about a problem."

"I've discussed your subsequent planning with my teacher Professor Li Guohua and Yuan Weihong more than once, but round and round, no final result."

"So I won't give you any pressure either; just follow your own rhythm, try to move forward as best you can."

"During your PhD, it's best if you can complete more workload; that way if you stay at the hospital, the standard can be raised. And if professional ability is rich enough, you can merge the associate chief residency and formal chief residency periods."

"This one year of bitter haha life, you can't escape no matter what. But there's one problem: who will become the next person to take over your Trauma Surgery chief residency position."

"This point also needs consideration; after all, if no one takes over your position, you can't shed the chief residency identity."

Fang Ziye heard this, slightly startled.

Deng Yong's considered horizon is a bit too far, right? Who takes over my chief residency?

That Fang Ziye really hadn't considered; he can only add thickness for himself now, can't feed others, and doesn't have that rich a workload himself.

The current experimental results are all his accumulation for PhD graduation plus hospital retention; whether there'll be specific workload later, Fang Ziye currently has no confidence.

"Master, I haven't considered that far. I also know Master you're busy, didn't actively disturb you." Fang Ziye replied.

"Yes, no matter what, things must be done step by step."

"Old Professor Li Guohua told me about the agreement between you and him; this doesn't need to be taken seriously. In our department, currently in the aspect of osteotomy correction, we have only just input the initial level."

"It's not to the point where a student who has just started reading for a PhD like you needs to shoulder part of the responsibility; this is something a Deputy Chief Physician like Xie Jinyuan should consider."

"However, since you went to Enshi, there are still these several points you need to pay attention to."

"The first point: although Enshi is a prefecture-level city, you also must not especially look down on it. Director Zhang of Enshi Central Hospital still has slightly some insight; following him, you may not only be able to learn clinical knowledge, but may also have a bit of money to do some basic research projects."

"You can pay attention to this."

"The second point: currently, in Enshi Central Hospital, there is a young person from the Provincial People's Hospital doing pairing assistance there, establishing a provincial key specialty. Although he hasn't been promoted to Deputy Chief Physician yet, I've heard his name several times. You and him should be able to learn not a little professional knowledge and skills."

"The third point: in Enshi, you must absolutely not speak recklessly. Especially regarding traditional medicine discourse, absolutely do not talk nonsense, and even must achieve keeping a respectful distance."

(Chapter End)