Chapter 172: Article First Draft (Seeking Subscriptions)

They were: foam-on-water suturing, watertight closure of a water-perfused vascular model, and his ultimate practice-material trump card — tension suturing of a rubber tube under traction.

"Ziye, these are all the practice materials our hospital's skill training room has. If there's anything more impressive about your suturing technique, that's beyond what I can teach you." Huang Kai frankly admitted it, as if giving up entirely.

Inwardly, though, he thought: at Fang Ziye's age, he surely couldn't be ready to directly perform end-to-end anastomosis of a severed artery.

But Fang Ziye, through micro-expressions, told Huang Kai the truth.

To tell the truth, Fang Ziye didn't come to the skill training room to practice operations; he came only to ask Huang Kai some more specific questions.

Huang Kai had considerable competition experience and had won quite a few awards.

"Uhh~~~" Huang Kai's expression went through quite a spectacular shift after reading Fang Ziye's face.

But Huang Kai still collected his surprise very well, knowing that the message he'd asked Guo Yunlei to pass to Fang Ziye was purely his own wishful thinking — Fang Ziye didn't need him to give any extra pre-competition coaching.

"Fine then, Ziye. Even if you came specifically to watch the joke, I'll just treat it as me performing a comedy scene." After Huang Kai's crooked mouth twitched a few times, he repacked his special practice kit.

Fang Ziye didn't need to practice at all, so his own voluntary offering was clearly one-sided wishful thinking.

"Kai Ye, actually the main reason I came is to ask you about some other competition-related matters. To be honest, I've been pretty broke lately..." Fang Ziye naturally wouldn't mock Huang Kai, so he explained it half-jokingly, half-seriously.

Fang Ziye really was broke — he'd even borrowed money from his senior brother; how could he not be broke?

And that was after his family had already given him extra support of over ten thousand, not during the process.

Even now, after last month's stipend was paid out and he repaid debts, neither Zhongnan Hospital nor Enshi Central Hospital's stipend would arrive this month; currently Fang Ziye's wallet held only about three or four hundred.

On top of that, he still owed over six hundred on Hua Biao. Fang Ziye figured he'd hold out on his own first; if he really couldn't hold out, well, home was close — he'd buy some rice and vegetables and start cooking for himself...

Huang Kai examined Fang Ziye's expression carefully, found no mockery, and his mood eased a little.

Then he asked: "Ziye, with your current strength, getting a Third Prize is no problem. But if you want a Second Prize, you'll have to beat excellent seniors from the generation above you."

"For instance, our department's Teacher Shen Tao — last year was his final time participating in the Youth Skills Competition, and he won a First Prize."

"For instance, your teacher Yuan Weihong also won a First Prize two years ago. As for last year, Wei Ge apparently didn't participate..."

Huang Kai had clearly taken part in quite a few such youth competitions.

And he also told Fang Ziye that generally speaking, competitions open to medical students are named "Something Competition."

If it's not a purely medical-student competition, or if deputy chief physicians can also participate, it's called "Something Grand Tournament" or "Something Trial Dao Assembly" — names that sound more high-end.

"Kai Ye, thanks! Actually I was just curious. Before, because I was too weak, my Master didn't let me know about any of this, to avoid damaging my Dao heart." After hearing this, Fang Ziye finally understood.

So that's what the Youth Skills Competition is like. The reason Yuan Weihong didn't let him participate: one, Yuan Weihong himself needed to compete to earn money; two, Fang Ziye was truly too weak — he might not even pass the first round, which wouldn't look good.

Third, when Yuan Weihong competed, he might also fear his student would think he was "weak."

"Ziye, that's being modest to the point of bullshit." After chatting with Fang Ziye for a good while, Huang Kai had grown familiar with him, so he joked and even fanned his nose.

"Kai Ye, it's true. If I'd known before, I wouldn't have come asking you so much — that would've been unnecessary and scheming, right?" Fang Ziye voluntarily tore away the face-saving cover Huang Kai assumed he had, openly and candidly.

He hadn't come here to learn from Huang Kai, only to consult on other matters.

"That's true enough. I don't think you're that kind of person, Ziye."

"But it doesn't matter anyway. Competing doesn't improve capability — it only broadens experience. If you participate this time, Ziye, you'll definitely get good results."

"Ziye, if you have time, could you help guide our hospital's postdoctoral researchers?" Huang Kai very tactfully offered Fang Ziye a place to practice.

"I wouldn't dare call it guidance. Occasional mutual exchange is fine. Thanks, Kai Ye."

"I still have some other matters here, so I'll head back first. If you're free this weekend, Kai Ye, we can grab a meal together." Fang Ziye knew he might still need to trouble Huang Kai quite a bit later.

So even though he was short on cash, the necessary treat still had to be given.

"Great, we can have a few drinks then." Huang Kai stood up, making a drinking gesture at his own crooked mouth.

Fang Ziye then said his goodbyes and left.

On the walk home, Fang Ziye's thoughts were heavy.

As if he could see the possible little bits of money about to descend, all flying away.

Good fellow, Fang Ziye only now realized that the participants in the Youth Skills Competition wouldn't just be doctoral students like himself — for instance, the attending physicians in his own group, Qin Geluo, Li Nuo, Zhang Zixi, etc., would all take part in the Youth Medical Skills Competition.

And based on this competition's award quotas — one Special Prize, four First Prizes, eight Second Prizes, sixteen Third Prizes.

The number of winners for Second Prize and above is only thirteen.

Those thirteen will basically be split clean among the younger generation of Zhongnan, Provincial People's Hospital, and Tongji Union. The leftovers are only a few Third Prize slots, which a student might luckily squeeze into.

Leaving others aside for now, just Brother Luo Qin Geluoluo from his own group — Fang Ziye felt pressure even thinking about going all-out against him.

Qin Geluo is thirty-three this year, two years younger than his own teacher, but he's still six years older than Fang Ziye, and in those six years Qin Geluo has been diligently practicing trauma surgery.

Qin Geluo and the others, being able to stay at Ben Yuan, had no weak talent to begin with. With so many years of accumulation, Fang Ziye felt the pressure to surpass them would be enormous.

After all, they're all Level 4 operations, but there can be a huge gap in proficiency between them.

God knows what Qin Geluo and them...

Sure enough, even with this panel, trying to cross many levels and years to take down seniors is tremendously stressful.

Since he couldn't figure it out, Fang Ziye simply decided not to think about it for now, and just stay honestly in clinical work, get the knowledge points in hand, and finish the paper he has on hand first.

Fang Ziye concentrated fully and devoted his time to writing the paper.

Writing the paper, in the near term, is the most important task — nothing else...

"Master, I'll still complete my own tasks on time and in full. The department's surgeries and patient volume are already on track..."

"Mm, good."

Jie Han then returned to Fang Ziye the portion of tasks he'd previously assigned him.

Lan Tianluo — his speed counts as the group's fastest quick-draw. Perhaps because his main task is data processing, which he happens to excel at, he always finishes the data visualization first.

Moreover, Lan Tianluo also told Fang Ziye that he'd tried to find some materials to mathematically model and analyze the conjectures about closed reduction Fang Ziye had sent him earlier.

But it was only an attempt; not necessarily any result.

"Good, Tian Luo. You don't need to spend too much time on this. Do it if you can. Our main task right now is still writing the paper..."

Time flows like water.

Over the next half month or so, just as Fang Ziye had anticipated, the patient volume in the department was not very high.

The Trauma Medical Center in Enshi Central Hospital is not a strong department in Enzhou, so the trauma center here relies purely on luck to receive patients.

Moreover, the emergency patient volume is not high either, so this so-called follow-up resident Fang Ziye merely holds the title in name only.

Also exactly as Fang Ziye predicted, apart from when junior residents like Mao Mao and Guo Yunlei were on duty and would call him, when others were on duty, it was impossible for them to summon him to the Emergency Department for emergency consultations.

First, they couldn't lose face; second, it would be inconvenient to cover for Fang Ziye.

After all, Fang Ziye's professional title is lower than theirs; if they called him to see patients, they would still have to clean up any potential misdiagnosis mess for Fang Ziye.

Meanwhile, in clinical practice, because of the participation of Director Wu Guo Nan and Shen Tao, everything basically proceeded in an orderly manner.

Fang Ziye's operative opportunities were middling; major operations were few, because Shen Tao's primary task in coming here was to provide surgical teaching to the young doctors here, such as Xue Tao.

Shen Tao himself also had certain teaching tasks; he was not the kind of person who came down just to go through the motions, but wanted to do things solidly, to increase his grassroots work experience while also leaving something behind for Enshi Central Hospital, which had given him the opportunity, as repayment.

But minor operations, Fang Ziye got his fill; on the operating table, occasionally a closed reduction, occasionally an internal fixation instrumentation operation, and even during nonunion surgeries and bone transport surgeries, Fang Ziye could still hone his osteotomy technique...

Fang Ziye did not add points to his osteotomy technique level too high, because through his interactions with Senior Brother Wu Xuanqi, he knew that having too high capability is not a good thing.

If capability is too strong, others might feel embarrassed to demonstrate teaching ability in front of you, to impart new things to you.

And if capability is too weak, that won't do either; others would feel you lack aptitude.

For instance, Wu Xuanqi has interacted with so many people, why did he specifically give it to Fang Ziye? Although this has to do with Deputy Director Huang Haitao, it is also because Fang Ziye's own capability and talent are good enough.

Under such circumstances, Fang Ziye controlled his point allocation progress at a level just right to be valued by Uncle-Master Shen Tao, but not so high as to strike a blow to his Dao heart.

Although Shen Tao did not, like Wu Xuanqi, bring Fang Ziye new guidance directions, bringing Fang Ziye to a 'transcendent' realm in realistic theoretical understanding, he still let Fang Ziye gain a great deal of insight, even letting Fang Ziye's basic theoretical knowledge of trauma surgery, without point feeding, obtain not a small improvement.

At the same time, knowledge points were also not few; daily minor operations, plus four emergency duty shifts performing several fracture closed reductions, basically every day the knowledge points obtained from clinical practice averaged around 40 points!

Half a month's income is 600; even with occasional skill point allocation consuming a little, a full five hundred were still saved...

Of course, Fang Ziye's knowledge point sources are naturally not only clinical operations; there is also in Director Zhang Mingcan's experimental group, where Fang Ziye, by watching those two 'fellow trainees'' miraculous operations, accumulated knowledge point gains over half a month that were actually not inferior to clinical practice.

Just knowing this shows how exaggerated it is.

However, Fang Ziye did not merely watch their jokes; he had them operate, then gave guidance and correction, which also counts as a kind of feedback; perhaps Du Hai and the other don't know what they brought Fang Ziye, but Fang Ziye himself is very clear.

In this way, Fang Ziye's current knowledge point balance actually reached 2200+.

Such a knowledge point balance can be said to make Fang Ziye very much at ease.

With so many knowledge points stored, Fang Ziye feels that if there are no special events before the Provincial Youth Medical Skills Competition, Fang Ziye can push for four Level 4 skills to compete at that level.

Whatever it takes, he must win a First Prize to play with.

The First Prize bonus is twenty thousand.

Over this half month, Director Zhang Mingcan and Director Hong Du, the two of them, have sought out Fang Ziye for chats multiple times.

Mainly, Zhang Mingcan persuaded Fang Ziye to give up the follow-up resident position and go to the laboratory proper; since clinical tasks are not busy either, he hoped Fang Ziye could use up all the money in the research group and such talk.

Director Zhang Mingcan even very subtly expressed to Fang Ziye that he has a very special thing in hand; if Fang Ziye uses this thing properly, future promotion to professor title would be smooth sailing all the way.

However, Fang Ziye sneered at Zhang Mingcan's such words.

Zhang Mingcan himself isn't even a professor; what such thing could he have in hand?

And even if there is, Fang Ziye also feels that one should not accept rewards without merit; the laboratory can be gone to, but personally stepping in is unnecessary; although Fang Ziye envies the money in the research group, but?

After Zhang Mingcan learned the quantity of funding Fang Ziye had been fed by Zhongnan Hospital on the funding ledger, he once again fell into deep silence, and never mentioned these matters again...

As for Director Hong Du's thoughts, he hoped Fang Ziye could do more teaching in trauma surgery, carry out more closed reductions, and even if the opportunity is suitable, he also hoped Fang Ziye could go out and give a lecture once.

This kind of thing, Fang Ziye did not agree either; the follow-up resident position can bring Fang Ziye not a small knowledge point gain, and can also give certain help to emergency patients seeking treatment at the hospital, relying on their treatment needs.

As for becoming famous, and bringing fame to the department, these are things Director Hong Du and this hospital's doctors should do; even Shen Tao does not have the task of establishing absolute reputation for the hospital on his shoulders, so Fang Ziye does not meddle either.

Fang Ziye merely used the excuse that his own tasks are very busy, and his teacher has other arrangements, to politely decline.

Fang Ziye's clinical group is not Director Hong Du's group; the connections he came with are not Hong Du's either, so there is no need to look at Hong Du's face; therefore, although Old Director Hong Du feels regret, there's nothing much to it.

If one must say, the person Fang Ziye is especially close to, besides Shen Tao, another person is not Deputy Director Xue Tao or Director Wu Guo Nan, but Huang Kai from Director Hong Du's group...

"Mouth Pot, I've roughly reviewed your group's discharge records; the rest still needs Grandpa Kai to check and sign." Fang Ziye finished reviewing a stack of discharge records and handed them to Huang Kai.

Reviewing discharge records is one of the follow-up resident's responsibilities; Fang Ziye had to do such things at Zhongnan Hospital too.

Although this yields no knowledge points, it can increase Fang Ziye's insight and understanding of disease types, letting him know more surgical techniques and treatment plans...

"Tch, I believe you my ass."

Mouth Bro pursed his lips, walked over personally, stood behind Fang Ziye, while personally loosening the muscles on Fang Ziye's shoulders, said: "Ziye, the records you've reviewed, I still look at a fart."

"Come come come, Bro helps you knead knead."

Fang Ziye's neck shrank slightly, then he gently closed his eyes.

Huang Kai is very generous and easygoing, and did not, because he has won many awards, act domineering in the department, but gets along best with junior doctors.

Treating to meals and drinks goes without saying; his teaching is also top-notch; basically all the young residents in the hospital were taught by Huang Kai, so to speak, he looks at every junior like a fellow trainee.

Of course, when interacting with Fang Ziye, it's even more like looking at a slightly older younger brother.

"Grandpa Fang, that's enough, knock it off." Huang Kai pressed for a while, seeing Fang Ziye enjoying it to the max, *pa*—gave Fang Ziye's shoulder a slap.

"Director Zhang hasn't come looking for you again, right?"

Fang Ziye shrugged his shoulders left and right, smiling: "Kai Ye, speaking honestly, your technique, if you opened a massage parlor, you'd definitely make a killing."

Fang Ziye didn't bring up Director Zhang's matter again; although he doesn't know how good or bad the relationship between Huang Kai and Director Zhang is, there's also no need to badmouth Director Zhang in front of Huang Kai.

Huang Kai, however, crossed his arms, mouth tsundere-cocked: "Bullshit, the hospital asked me to be Ward Director to treat patients and I'm not willing, you still want me to go out and give massages?"

"Can you afford this price?"

"But speaking of, Ziye, that super awesome paper of your group should be almost finished, right? The day before yesterday I heard you say, only a tiny bit of the ending was left." Huang Kai moved the records onto a table, while flipping them open preparing to sign, leaned sideways and lowered his voice, starting reverent-style gossip.

It is reverent-style.

Fang Ziye returned a smile, nodded slightly.

"Fuuuuck~~~ ah~~~~" Huang Kai did not clamor loudly, but his whole body's muscles were trembling slightly, emitting a very low trembling sound.

(Chapter End)