Chapter 453

"Senior Brother, Professor Dong has passed away. Are you going to attend his funeral?"

When Jie Han's gentle voice drilled into Fang Ziye's ears, Fang Ziye found it hard to calm down for a long time.

Suddenly, many things flashed through his mind.

"Professor Dong was fishing when he rescued a drowning person, but he himself was swept away."

"It's been raining lightly in Yi City for days, and the water flow is a bit strong." Not hearing Fang Ziye's reply, Jie Han hurriedly explained.

Hearing this, Fang Ziye suppressed some scenes he had seen in movies and then asked, "Who told you this news? How come I don't know?"

"It was Wang Shixiong Yuanqi. Teacher Deng Yong meant not to tell you for the time being, but after I learned this news, I asked Wang Shixiong."

"Wang Shixiong said it's okay to mention it," Jie Han said.

"When did this happen?" Fang Ziye's heart sank, and he asked in a calm tone.

Fang Ziye guessed that his Master Yuan Weihong had already hinted at this choice to him. Or in other words, his Master Yuan Weihong might have already received the news, fearing that he would be put in a difficult position.

Therefore, this morning, he specifically said that friendships are separate for each person.

Professor Chu's matter and Professor Dong's matter would stop at him and Deng Yong; there should be no further related entanglements beyond them.

"I didn't ask, and Wang Shixiong didn't say," Jie Han replied bluntly.

"Alright, I know. Jie Han, where are you now? I want to entrust you with something. Come to the Meal Room of the Surgery Department, and this afternoon, assist in the second surgery," Fang Ziye said.

"Senior Brother, wait for me a moment. I'll come over in about half an hour! I still have some small matters here," Jie Han did not agree directly.

"Alright." After hanging up, Fang Ziye continued walking downstairs, his mind unsettled.

Fang Ziye could not blame Jie Han for not inquiring carefully enough.

Jie Han's relationship with Deng Yong was just that of a general teaching teacher and student; the conveniences Jie Han enjoyed were available to any Master's Student, not a special favor from Deng Yong.

Jie Han was usually polite to Deng Yong, but why should Jie Han have a bond with Deng Yong like Fang Ziye did?

Han Yuanxiao could also be counted as Fang Ziye's teaching teacher, and Xiong Jinhuan could be counted as Fang Ziye's classmate and friend, right?

How was Fang Ziye toward Han Yuanxiao?

More directly, how was Fang Ziye toward Associate Professor Xie Jinyuan?

During school, there shouldn't have been these so-called 'closeness and distance,' but wherever there are people and interaction, there will be degrees of closeness.

Not long after, Fang Ziye met Luo Tingzhu at the doorway of the surgery room in the Surgery Department; Luo Tingzhu had clearly been waiting for Fang Ziye for a while.

Seeing Fang Ziye arrive, she instinctively felt joy, let go of her hands behind her back, and greeted him with a smile: "Senior Brother, why did it take you so long to come out? Did you run into an acquaintance?"

It wasn't reproach, but just happily wanting to inquire, or simply wanting to say a few words, with no other purpose. After speaking, Luo Tingzhu sat down and began to put on blue disposable shoe covers.

Luo Tingzhu didn't even wait for an answer.

"Jie Han just called me, saying Old Professor Dong had passed away and asked if I wanted to go, but I don't know exactly when he passed away or where the funeral will be held," Fang Ziye didn't hide it.

Luo Tingzhu wasn't very clear about recent events in the Department, and Fang Ziye didn't relay all these anxieties and troubles to Luo Tingzhu one by one.

It wasn't that Fang Ziye didn't want to complain; it was just that this girl was too damn hardworking. From the moment Fang Ziye met her, which was when she first came to Trauma Surgery, she was a king of nested competition.

She slept in the early morning, then came to the Department for handover, then went into the surgery room, and finally went to the Laboratory. Ordinary men couldn't endure such exhaustion.

"Ah?"

"Before Professor Dong resigned, did he have a hidden illness?"

"I personally think that Professor Dong's sudden resignation shouldn't have much to do with Teacher Liu coming to the Department; perhaps his health wasn't good."

"There were such guesses when I was in the Department before, but I didn't dare to ask. After all, Professor Dong was a very impressive senior, and there was no need for me to remind him." Luo Tingzhu still thought Professor Dong had died suddenly from an accident.

After signing in the Surgery Meal Room, Fang Ziye got a meal tray for Luo Tingzhu and first whispered a warning: "Eat a bit more carbohydrates; don't take cucumber as your staple food."

"He was rescuing a drowning person," Fang Ziye explained.

Luo Tingzhu, in front of Fang Ziye, put down the corn she had just picked up, tilted her head, and lowered her voice: "Senior Brother? Professor Dong went swimming to rescue someone even with heart function issues?"

"What's wrong?" Fang Ziye asked.

"Nothing, I'm just guessing. Even if Professor Dong didn't have coronary heart disease, he definitely had heart function damage, which can be seen from his physical signs."

"He is..." Luo Tingzhu didn't continue.

However, Fang Ziye had already understood Luo Tingzhu's meaning: "Let's go get food first; let's not talk about this topic."

Luo Tingzhu's implication was that if Professor Dong knew he had heart problems, then he would know that going into the water to rescue someone this time was certain death.

As for Professor Dong, on Fang Ziye's level, and even in Yuan Weihong's view, they couldn't find any problems with him; he was a relatively pure person.

Fang Ziye really didn't know much about the grudges of the older generation.

And in the last moment of his life, he was still saving people.

Fang Ziye absolutely did not believe Old Professor Dong would need to deliberately label himself as 'self-sacrificing for others.' His life had basically come full circle.

Except for possibly letting down one or two people, he could face the vast majority of people with a clear conscience.

After Fang Ziye and Luo Tingzhu sat opposite each other, Fang Ziye looked at Luo Tingzhu's meal tray and passed one of the two chicken legs he had taken to her: "Eating meat costs fifteen, not eating meat costs fifteen. Whether it tastes good or not is another matter, but eat more meat."

"Senior Brother, are you alright?" Luo Tingzhu's soft voice pierced into Fang Ziye's ear canal.

Fang Ziye shook his head, his expression and tone turning calm: "It's nothing, I just remembered some other things."

"Is it related to Teacher Yuan?" Luo Tingzhu lowered her head softly, as if she knew everything, yet as if it were just her own guess.

"Yes and no. Let's eat first. After eating, there's still surgery later." Fang Ziye's voice sank slightly.

Luo Tingzhu bit into a cucumber with her left hand, while Fang Ziye shoveled rice at a rather fast speed.

By the time Luo Tingzhu had eaten about one-third, Fang Ziye had finished his meal.

Luo Tingzhu said voluntarily: "Senior Brother, you go back first. I'll go back after I finish eating."

Luo Tingzhu's lively big eyes flickered. Using her intelligence, she analyzed that Fang Ziye needed a period of calm, so she gave up time and space for him.

Fang Ziye didn't dwell on it. He smiled and said: "Then I'll go back first. I have an appointment with Jie Han for something."

"Mm." Luo Tingzhu nodded.

Fang Ziye carried the meal tray back to the dish return area. Then, as he walked out slowly, Jie Han happened to appear at the doorway of the Meal Room—

"Senior Brother, what do you need me for?" Jie Han's face was relaxed, his voice carrying a barely concealed joy.

"Jie Han, go to the Emergency Department Trauma Center Clinic and ask Wang Shixiong Yuanqi for some specific details, and find out where Professor Dong's funeral will be held. If it's in Han City, I still have to go. But if it's somewhere else, I definitely can't get away."

"After you ask that, come back first to eat. After eating, go up for the second surgery," Fang Ziye said.

Hearing this, Jie Han's expression changed slightly in surprise: "Just that? Senior Brother, this could have been said over the phone?"

Fang Ziye narrowed the corners of his eyes: "That expression of yours—could there be some secret?"

Jie Han's change in expression was a bit off.

"Senior Brother, Tian Luo and I co-authored a paper... it was just accepted today. Master is the corresponding author, and you, Senior Brother, are second author, but the impact factor isn't low," Jie Han said.

Jie Han and Lan Tianluo hadn't produced their own papers for a long time. Since he went abroad last year, Jie Han hadn't even been writing articles for low-tier journals.

Fang Ziye also knew the two of them were doing things almost every day, he just hadn't had the energy to ask in detail.

So they were saving up a big move.

"That's good news. What's the journal's impact factor? It shouldn't be lower than fifteen, right?" Fang Ziye pressed further.

If it were just a small article, Jie Han wouldn't be this excited, nor would he still be somewhat excited at such a time.

"Nineteen," Jie Han said.

This impact factor was already equivalent to the major paper Fang Ziye had produced entirely on his own from his first basic cell experiment.

Of course, Fang Ziye had spent less time and done it single-handedly.

But over this past year, he and Lan Tianluo, besides doing basic experiments, had other tasks to handle, so such speed was already very fast.

Many people in the laboratory said Fang Ziye's workload and efficiency were too fast, fast to the point of being inhuman.

Jie Han and Lan Tianluo had privately discussed this many times; they were too lazy to directly compare themselves horizontally with their senior brother, and instead compared vertically.

Not comparing time and efficiency, but only comparing the thickness of the workload.

They had to produce one or two articles comparable to their senior brother's, right?

Those were Lan Tianluo's original words!

Jie Han, under Lan Tianluo's guidance, slowly ground out the workload. Once there was workload output, he wasn't the type to rush into publishing papers; he accumulated.

"Excellent. Very good."

"It would be even better if I could get a second-author credit from you. Will there be a follow-up to the article you wrote? Is it about the relationship between giant cell tumor of bone and HK2?" Fang Ziye continued to speculate.

"I knew I couldn't hide it from you, Senior Brother!"

"Master said that since there was already a certain foundation between osteosarcoma and giant cell tumor of bone, they shouldn't leave any blanks. Anyway, for now, just focus on the key direction of HK2. It would be best if our team could thoroughly study this pathway," Jie Han replied while conveying Yuan Weihong's arrangement.

Fang Ziye didn't feel jealous just because he didn't know about this matter; everyone's energy was limited. He already had enough tasks to undertake, so Yuan Weihong not disturbing him was giving him space.

"That's good!"

"With these two cell lines, our small team doesn't need to add more basic cell experiment project aspects in the short term; we just need to go deeper vertically."

"Jie Han, thank you and Tian Luo," Fang Ziye thanked him again.

That basic research project suspected of being a tumor marker definitely wasn't Lan Tianluo's achievement alone. Tian Luo was willing to give it to him, which definitely meant Jie Han had agreed as well.

"Senior Brother, saying these things makes me feel like an outsider. I just hope you won't keep blaming me for my past immaturity."

"Senior Brother, I'll go find Wang Shixiong Yuanqi." After saying that, Jie Han hurriedly slipped away.

Fang Ziye stood still and thought for a moment, also understanding the meaning behind Jie Han's words.

Back then, Jie Han's 'thieving heart was not dead' toward Luo Tingzhu, and Fang Ziye had separately warned Jie Han that Luo Tingzhu was already his girlfriend, telling Jie Han to be careful.

Fang Ziye himself had forgotten this matter, but obviously, Jie Han still kept it in his heart.

Fang Ziye smiled casually and walked toward the changing room.

But in his thoughts, two things kept intertwining—

From Jie Han's perspective, the time he and Fang Ziye met Luo Tingzhu was the same. A graceful and virtuous lady, a gentleman's pursuit—he wasn't wrong either.

Of course, from Jie Han's perspective, he was wrong in that after Luo Tingzhu was already Fang Ziye's girlfriend, he still sometimes had a 'thieving heart not dead.' That was definitely wrong.

But Jie Han probably still felt it was hard to let go.

However, hard to let go was hard to let go; fellow disciples could continue, but on this matter there definitely could be no concession.

The second matter was related to Old Professor Dong.

Fang Ziye had been in the department for so many years and had never encountered even one patient saying Professor Dong's technique was bad, nor had anyone said Professor Dong was arrogant.

From the perspective of a doctor's profession, Fang Ziye believed Old Professor Dong was respectable.

If setting aside Yuan Weihong and Old Professor Chu, Old Professor Dong's character was also quite good.

Voluntarily stepping aside and withdrawing was the last thing he did for the department.

Saving people was the last thing he did for this world.

The reason Fang Ziye needed to carefully examine this matter was because Fang Ziye had also gradually reached Old Professor Dong's position, and Fang Ziye had realized—

He could no longer return to that carefree resident physician stage; he was now the Chief Resident, dragging a whole pile of matters.

Not that he was bringing a whole pile of people, but he was dragging a whole pile of people to do a research project together.

Fang Ziye needed to take responsibility for this matter.

A point that must be considered.

If, during the progress of this project, someone accidentally died suddenly, would he, like Old Professor Dong, be blamed and resented by people?

Definitely would! ~

But Fang Ziye definitely couldn't be so thorough in arranging everything, nor could he consider every person's various encounters.

For example, he was on duty, he went somewhere and pulled an all-nighter? Someone's health wasn't so good.

"So what Master said is right. Each has their own dealings. Master, because of Old Professor Chu's matter, must have some thoughts in his heart."

"From his Teacher Uncle's perspective, because of his Teacher Grandfather's passing and the failure of professional title promotion, they also have sufficient reasons to resent something?"

"But what about me?"

"You can't spend your whole life carrying all of this, can you?"

Not everyone who doesn't get along with their teacher is a bad person, nor a 'bad person' as understood in worldly terms.

One thing can be confirmed: if Professor Dong had considered that Professor Chu had stayed up late for an out-of-town consultation surgery and hadn't let him be on duty in the department, then Professor Chu's sudden accidental death would likely have been avoided.

A very direct factor.

Being in a state of extreme fatigue is one of the direct causes that can easily lead to sudden death.

……

When Fang Ziye washed his hands and went back up on stage, Yuan Weihong turned his head and looked carefully twice, but only found Fang Ziye alone.

He then asked in a low voice: "Why is it that when two people went to eat, only you came back first?"

"Master, as Chief Resident, eating quickly has become my habit. Tingzhu eats slowly, chewing carefully and swallowing slowly. I finished first and came up first," Fang Ziye explained, while handing the ties at the waist of the sterile surgical gown to Lan Tianluo.

After Lan Tianluo took them, Fang Ziye turned around once.

Hearing this, Yuan Weihong's expression was a bit stunned, and finally he quipped: "A straight-man cancer like you can actually find a girlfriend; it's simply a miracle."

Lan Tianluo also nodded in agreement.

Fang Ziye smiled faintly: "That must be because my luck is better; the opportunities along the way have been too abundant."

After saying this, he approached the operating table, then looked over the surgical field and said: "Master, you go eat first; leave the rest of the surgery to me."

These words sounded as if Fang Ziye was not a student, but a teacher.

Of course, Yuan Weihong had long since made psychological preparations for this matter. After listening, he stepped back and began to remove his sterile surgical gown.

After Fang Ziye took the scalpel, Yan Zhiming asked in a low voice: "Ziye, can I try my hand?"

While asking, Yan Zhiming pointed at the surgical field, as if telling Fang Ziye that this surgical field was excellent and the surgery was going smoothly, so could he do a bit of the operational edge work?

Under Yan Zhiming's expectant gaze, Fang Ziye extinguished the other's hope, shaking his head slightly: "Brother Ming, this surgery really won't do; I need to start repairing. If you take over for a while now, it might affect things."

Yuan Weihong had not yet left the operating room; he turned his head and interrupted: "Ziye, what did you say?"

"I admit you're better than me, I admit your qualification is better than mine, but you can't look down on my achievements."

Yuan Weihong's heart was collapsing.

Fang Ziye pursed his lips, turned his head sideways: "Master, I didn't say anything; I mean, I'm going to continue operating."

Fang Ziye said no more, for fear of truly stimulating Yuan Weihong.

This is a functional reconstruction surgery, not a first-stage surgery for ordinary mangled extremities, so as long as you know a little, you can apply it directly.

Yuan Weihong's current debridement level is about the same as Nie Mingxian's level from a month ago; it still can't be considered barely completing the task, although it looks okay.

After Yuan Weihong left the operating room, Lan Tianluo narrowed his eyes slightly: "Senior Brother, is it appropriate for you to speak like that?"

"To be honest, there can't be too much human relations and worldly affairs in the process of surgery," Fang Ziye explained once, then picked up the scalpel.

Fang Ziye's two hands were nimble; the cross-sections that Yuan Weihong and Lan Tianluo had previously debrided were debrided again.

Laymen watch the excitement, insiders watch the way.

Fang Ziye had operated for less than three minutes when Lan Tianluo understood Fang Ziye's meaning, pursing his lips and saying in a low voice: "It really does look different; it will be more thorough."

"Senior Brother, your surgical skill is quite good now?" Lan Tianluo said with a smile, the corners of his eyes crinkling.

"The debridement technique for mangled extremities actually has subtle differences from the debridement technique for functional reconstruction of the eyelid. Or rather, it should be said the other way around: the debridement during functional reconstruction surgery should also incorporate the corresponding concepts of muscle relaxation."

"If we continue to treat it as a simple mangled extremity, then the chance of adhesions occurring after surgery will increase. At this time..." Fang Ziye operated while beginning to explain in detail.

Everything is interactive; while Lan Tianluo and the others can learn things, Fang Ziye is also gradually improving his own teaching ability.

Teaching ability is a very mysterious thing.

People with high talent don't need you to teach them particularly meticulously; they can understand everything.

And people with very low talent, no matter how meticulously you teach them, they still can't learn.

High-end medical surgery cannot be piled up simply by surgical volume, because that would be irresponsible to the patient, so a certain amount of talent is still needed.

Yan Zhiming interrupted during a gap in Fang Ziye's speech: "I really wish we were down below right now so I could take notes."

"But even if we weren't on the operating table, explaining using anatomical material images would ultimately lack a bit of feeling."

"Being on the table but having a bad memory and not being able to remember everything comprehensively turns it into fragmented information."

Fang Ziye's movements paused slightly; he raised his head and explained: "It's fine, Brother Ming. We'll do it slowly. There are many surgical cases; we'll learn slowly."

"If Brother Ming could learn it all at once, that would be great; then we could relax a bit more."

A good memory is no match for a bad pen...

Fang Ziye continued to explain in detail, slightly adding the flavor of functional reconstruction debridement.

Not long after, Luo Tingzhu entered the door and also stood with her hands behind her back, curiously listening to Fang Ziye's explanation.

Lan Tianluo saw this, tilted his head left and right, then asked cautiously: "Senior Sister Luo, can I use your mobile phone to record some audio?"

"I want to take back what Senior Brother Fang said and listen to it one or two more times. Some details, although they sound understandable, haven't been fully grasped."

Luo Tingzhu looked at Lan Tianluo, then looked at Fang Ziye, who had been interrupted by Lan Tianluo, and nodded, turning on the recording button of her own mobile phone.

"Senior Brother, it's ready; you continue," Lan Tianluo said, smiling and signaling to Fang Ziye.

Fang Ziye actually felt a bit sweet in his heart; that the things he explained and taught could be liked and valued by others felt like he had received immediate feedback.

This made Fang Ziye work even harder.

……

When Yuan Weihong returned to the operating room again, after stepping through the door and hearing Fang Ziye's voice, he actually didn't rush to wash his hands and put on clothes, but stood by Fang Ziye's side, standing still and carefully pricking up his ears.

Two minutes later, Yuan Weihong simply wiped his hands on his body, turned around to get his mobile phone, and did not go up on stage.

Standing by the table, setting aside his identity as a supervisor, Yuan Weihong discovered that although Fang Ziye's teaching quality wasn't great, he dared to share the essentials.

These essentials were too dry, so to understand them immediately seemed too rushed; he needed to record them, then listen back slowly and ponder them slowly.

The operational levels of 'Master' and student were still different.

The 'teacher-student role reversal' that Yuan Weihong had worried about for a long time finally completed its closed loop at this moment...

Chapter End