top student at medical school

Chapter 574 Showing Weakness and Going Their Own Way

"Ding dong ding dong!"

"Ding-dong! Ding-dong!"

In the middle of the night, Fang Ziye faintly heard the doorbell of the villa. As he gradually regained consciousness, the doorbell rang more and more urgently.

Fang Ziye pushed aside the silk quilt, slipped on his slippers, wrapped himself in his clothes, and went out.

The cold wind outside was kept out by the heating, and it only rushed out when the door was opened. Fang Ziye opened the access control and then opened the small door to look outside.

Two figures dressed in black entered from outside, amidst the swirling snowflakes. The lighting was dim, and Fang Ziye could not identify the newcomers from a distance.

As the two quickly approached, an "engineer" from the company who had previously been in contact with Wu Xuanqi and Fang Ziye hurried over, each holding an umbrella.

Upon seeing this, Fang Ziye frowned immediately.

Before he could speak, Wu Xuanqi said, "Ziye, I'm sorry to bother you so late!"

"I was also woken up by an emergency call."

When Fang Ziye turned on his phone, he found two unread messages from Professor Cheng Xiaoping.

"It's cold outside, Brother Qi, Brother Feng, let's talk inside." Fang Ziye politely stepped aside and opened the door.

The engineer who came was named Xu Feng, a fairly common name. He was very tall and slender.

As Xu Feng was changing into his slippers, he spoke up: "Professor Fang, just an hour ago, Johnson & Johnson in the United States officially announced that it will hold a press conference soon to launch a small, miniature circulatory device for kidney transplantation."

"Once this device is released, the research of many research groups in China will come to a standstill."

"so…"

Upon hearing this, Fang Ziye turned his head and interrupted Xu Feng: "Brother Feng, you came to see me in the middle of the night just for this?"

"It's not an emergency, is it?" Fang Ziye's voice was sharp and questioning.

Upon hearing this, Wu Xuanqi was taken aback for a moment, and then explained again: "Ziye, you may not know this, but organ transplantation is currently a cutting-edge and popular area of ​​research that is being conducted intensively all over the world."

"Many teams in China have invested heavily in this field!"

"The successful improvement of our limb microcirculation device in trauma surgery provides a very high-quality early research foundation for the preservation time of organ transplant donors. We have this first-mover advantage."

"Of course we can't give up on this track."

"Currently, Academician Cheng Xiaoping is also focusing on this direction. Professor Cheng, you must have heard of him, right?" Wu Xuanqi briefly explained the background.

Fang Ziye nodded and directly refused, saying, "Professor Cheng has approached me, but I'm not interested in this area."

"Brother Qi, if that's the case, I'm sorry, don't come to me with anything."

“I have already rejected Professor Cheng in person. I only want to work on my research in trauma surgery and orthopedics.”

"Besides, I have other tasks to complete!"

"Brother Qi, would you like hot water or coffee?" Fang Ziye still performed his duty of hospitality flawlessly.

Wu Xuanqi said, "Coffee!"

"Ziye, don't get emotional right away, let's talk slowly." Wu Xuanqi followed Fang Ziye in.

Xu Feng then took the initiative and said, "Professor Fang, Professor Wu, you two chat, I'll prepare the coffee."

Xu Feng picked up the cup and a disposable cup and walked towards the coffee machine. It was easy to operate, and Fang Ziye didn't stand on ceremony.

After sitting down on the sofa in the living room, Wu Xuanqi continued, "Ziye, I don't know why you are unwilling to take further steps to improve the existing microcirculation device."

"But it is undeniable that there are at least hundreds of thousands of patients in our country who need organ transplants to prolong their lives."

"The number of patients worldwide with this need is only in the millions or more."

"Donor transfer and preservation has always been a major challenge, making it a hot area that many medical device companies are eager to tackle. If successful, the potential market would be enormous, and our country could benefit from it..."

Fang Ziye smiled and said, "Brother Qi, when it comes to research projects, besides their practical significance, personal interest is also very important."

"I'm relatively young and my perspective isn't broad enough, so I can't worry about all that right now."

"When you are successful, you should help others; when you are unsuccessful, you should cultivate your own virtue. For now, I still consider myself very poor." Fang Ziye's tone was crisp and decisive.

I thought to myself, "Do they really have to drag me out of bed in the middle of the night to talk about something like this?"

Of course, Fang Ziye was also well aware that this time, Johnson & Johnson's advance in the direction of medical device improvement could mean that the preliminary research of many domestic teams would be wasted.

That's not just a matter of Yuan Weihong's team's research funding of hundreds of thousands or millions; it's at least hundreds of millions or even billions of yuan that were wasted.

"But we had the advantage of going first!"

"Ziye, given the current situation, we can't wait. If we wait and deal with it slowly, we won't be able to catch up!"

"You and Nie Mingxian are the two people who understand the improvement of the circulation instrument the most, so you should take it upon yourselves to do so."

"Ziye, are you blaming me for causing trouble? You can leave this matter entirely to me, and I'll take care of smoothing over Professor Yuan's research!" Wu Xuanqi said through gritted teeth.

"That's not necessary, Brother Qi. I can handle it myself."

"Brother Qi, didn't you say you were going back the day before yesterday? Why are you still here?" Fang Ziye changed the subject.

Not enough words to speculate.

A gentleman does not eat food offered with contempt. He does not dislike Wu Xuanqi, but he is not Wu Xuanqi's appendage. If he comes to persuade Fang Ziye, Fang Ziye will be 'convinced'!
Everyone should mind their own business. Each person has their own battles to fight on. Fang Ziye can't possibly interfere in every single one of these battles; doing so would only lead to his own demise and cause him to lose his composure.

"I had some things to take care of at home, so I had to be late."

“That’s not the point, Ziye, you…” Wu Xuanqi continued to correct the subject.

……

As Fang Ziye politely saw Wu Xuanqi out, Wu Xuanqi, still very composed, asked, "Ziye, if I were to ask you for help in my personal capacity, would you be willing to spare some time?"

He came to solve the problem, not simply to persuade Fang Ziye.

The extension of each research topic is inevitably the result of the accumulation of time and wisdom, similar to the workload of basic scientific research.

Although Johnson & Johnson said it would hold a press conference to announce the development of a new medical device, it is certainly not a finished product, but at most an effective semi-finished product. They are trying to gain an advantage in public opinion by bringing it out.

This allows capital in need of organ transplants to quickly intervene and accelerate their research progress.

"Brother Qi, things have priorities, but the priorities also vary from person to person. From my perspective, I have just explained very clearly what priorities mean."

"Yuan Weihong is my mentor. In front of you, I can say without reservation that he is the best teacher to me. If I had to rank his other mentor, I would choose Teacher Yuan first!"

“I shouldn’t have said those words,” Fang Ziye replied.

Adding flowers to brocade is far less valuable than providing charcoal in the snow. Fang Ziye will always remember the confidence that Yuan Weihong's eight-point academic paper gave him when he had almost nothing.

Wu Xuanqi tactfully left, rubbing his hair, clearly having a lot of bumps on his head.

Fang Ziye knew Wu Xuanqi's current predicament, but every adult must be responsible for their own actions.

At 2:57 a.m., even without drinking coffee, Fang Ziye's drowsiness had been somewhat worn away.

After thinking for a while, I decided to call Professor Cheng Xiaoping.

The call was answered as expected.

Cheng Xiaoping asked with a smile, "Professor Fang, have you agreed to cooperate with us? This is a very pleasant surprise."

Cheng Xiaoping looked slightly tired. After all, as an academician of China and a leading representative of scientific research in China, they are among the people who face the greatest pressure in the scientific research community and in the scientific research field around the world.

Don't just look at the glamour of being an academician. They also have pressure, ambitions, and visions, but to achieve all of this, they must fight hard.

Scientific research is free, so free that you can't find any rivals, but you're full of them.

Fang Ziye replied very calmly, "Professor Cheng, I'm sorry, I was actually calling to apologize. My plans and schedule are still very full."

"So I really can't find the time to learn and discuss matters related to equipment improvement with you."

"After all, my knowledge is limited and my family is not wealthy, so for now I can only do my own thing well!"

Cheng Xiaoping was taken aback by his words, and then began to ask in detail: "Professor Fang, what do you mean by that?"

"What are your current schedules and plans? Tell me about them. If the direction is right and the problem isn't too difficult, I can help you solve it."

What he needs now is someone with experience and knowledge like Fang Ziye to participate. If Fang Ziye's own task is not too difficult, he can contribute his manpower and resources to help Fang Ziye.

There's a clear difference in the value of Fang Ziye's time compared to that of others!

"There's quite a lot, Professor Cheng, so I won't take up any more of your precious time."

"The most important aspect of improving the microcirculatory device is the fundamental theory of vascular surgery. Professor Cheng, you can collaborate with experts in vascular surgery to discuss this."

"I won't bother you any longer. It's getting late, Professor Cheng, you should get some rest."

Cheng Xiaoping's voice was clear and crisp: "How can I possibly sleep right now?"

"The origin of the extracorporeal circulation device is not China. They have far more core technologies than our team."

Fang Ziye replied, "Professor Cheng, take it slow. You'll eventually see hope and find the right path for yourself."

“The field of orthopedics is relatively narrow. I just stumbled upon a path by chance.”

In fact, research on the improvement of circulation instruments has been conducted for a long time, and many articles have been published in top journals. Fang Ziye drew on some of these theories when he was conducting his research.

However, for top-tier biotech companies, improving the use of limb circulatory devices is far less economically viable than organ transplantation, so they haven't pushed hard into this field.

After Fang Ziye successfully improved the miniature circulatory device for the limbs, his published articles and the principles he mentioned in those articles certainly inspired and helped other research teams.

Several months have passed since the improvement of the micro circulator.

With a top-notch team and some guidance, a few months is enough time to make some decent and substantial progress.

After all, everyone's time is precious, and it's impossible to put in effort without any breakthroughs or progress.

"Professor Fang, do you have a great misunderstanding and malice towards organ transplantation?"

“Professor Fang, I think we can discuss this in more detail!” Cheng Xiaoping said.

Fang Ziye replied, "Professor Cheng, you've misunderstood. Last time, I was already flattered that you could visit me in person!"

"It's not that I have a big problem with organ transplantation as a procedure, but everyone ultimately has their own path and mission."

"I entered the field of orthopedics, and what feeds me are the patients in trauma surgery. I also have my own preliminary research and tasks for our team. Who can easily give that up?"

"Professor Cheng, in other words, I am currently designing an original treatment plan for orthopedic tumors. Once this treatment plan is successfully improved, it may revolutionize the treatment of all tumors?"

"Would you be interested in collaborating with me on this project?" Fang Ziye asked, pressing forward.

The person who gave me food was a patient in the trauma surgery department!
Others may not have a deep understanding of this statement, but Cheng Xiaoping experienced a special era, so he dared not refute it.

"Professor Fang, if it's convenient for you, I hope you can lend a hand!" Cheng Xiaoping didn't dare to say anything irrelevant to Fang Ziye.

You must be very careful when chatting with people from different disciplines.

He dared to say things like "orthopedics is just a carpentry department, and all the diseases are useless" today. If Fang Ziye records this and then gives it to an academician in orthopedics, there will be a lot of arguments!
True scholars dare not underestimate any research direction or team; if a direction is useless, then the country will not pay any attention to it.

Even shoveling latrines is a profession!
When Cheng Xiaoping met Fang Ziye, Fang Ziye had already demonstrated his backbone. He had indeed produced several research projects, and the feedback was quite good.

Such a talented person cannot be suppressed by Cheng Xiaoping's power.

Fang Ziye's network of relationships is already well-established. In different systems, giving you face is a favor, not giving it is within one's rights!
"Professor Cheng, good night! We can discuss this further another time if we have the chance."

"I have surgeries tomorrow, and a few more teaching surgeries as well," Fang Ziye explained.

If someone of Fang Ziye's age had told Cheng Xiaoping, "I have to perform a demonstration surgery tomorrow, so please don't disturb my rest," Cheng Xiaoping would probably have snapped at them!
But he knew Fang Ziye well. Fang Ziye had even held his own seminars, so performing teaching surgeries was just part of his job.

"Professor Fang, then it's settled. If there's an opportunity, we'll discuss this further!" Cheng Xiaoping wasn't placing all his hopes on Fang Ziye.

With Fang Ziye's help, the chances of 'successfully fighting' are definitely much greater.

After hanging up the phone, Fang Ziye put down his phone, rubbed his eyes, and lay back on the sofa. His eyes were clear, but he felt a little confused.

This is a sign that you haven't rested well.

"Never mind all that, just do your job well." Fang Ziye yawned and walked into the room.

From undergraduate to master's, then doctoral studies, going abroad, and serving as chief resident, Fang Ziye's mindset has been tempered by experience.

Saving patients from wrist-cutting suicide attempts relies not only on the emergency department, but also on social education and other preventative measures.

The deaths of civilians caused by gas cylinder explosions should not be used as a basis for examining 'firefighting' in emergency rooms and burn units!
When natural disasters occur, what is needed is to actively solve the problems, rather than complaining and blaming others!

……

Saturday, April 1.

After getting up early and finishing his run, Fang Ziye went to the cafeteria to have breakfast.

Today, the cafeteria was at least half as crowded as usual. These people had all rushed over to attend the offline training course on "Functional Reconstruction Techniques".

This is a training course that Fang Ziye entrusted Dean Chen Song to send out. It lasts for two days, recruits one cohort of students, and costs 340 yuan per person, with a maximum of 20 people.

Accommodation and meals were at their own expense. Although it was said that accommodation and meals were at their own expense, it was actually a private event hosted by the sanatorium. The twenty people who came to learn were all hand surgeons specializing in emergency care from military hospitals or military units.

When Fang Ziye was halfway through his meal, Professor Du Donglin sat down opposite him, smiling as he looked at some people he recognized and others he didn't.

He whispered, "Team Leader Fang, you have quite a reputation, don't you?"

"The registration period was only open for three days, and all twenty spots were filled."

Du Donglin was very happy. As a hand surgeon, he was pleased to see the hand surgery field flourish.

Fang Ziye's predicament in the research field has nothing to do with the sanatorium or clinical treatment. Therefore, Du Donglin is unaware that Fang Ziye is actually having some "pain" right now!
Fang Ziye glanced at the group of incredibly fit young people sitting around eating heartily and lowered his voice, saying, "I guess Dean Chen Song helped out by assigning this mandatory task."

"That's how we got a full group."

"Professor Du, have all the surgical cases for today and tomorrow been discussed and signed?"

"Would you like me to discuss a copy?" Fang Ziye asked politely.

Du Donglin scoffed, "Team Leader Fang, are you kidding me? You're going to have a talk, sign papers, and write medical records? Should we have Han Zhiliang or Han Hongquan perform the teaching surgery?"

There are two associate chief physicians in the hand surgery department, both surnamed Han.

"I'm mainly worried that the two Han brothers won't be able to handle it all," Fang Ziye said politely.

By holding private tutoring classes, Fang Ziye gained fame and reaped benefits, possibly earning a large amount of knowledge points. Professors Du Donglin and others also got to show their faces and definitely get to go on stage to learn from him.

However, the two attending physicians, Han Zhiliang and Han Hongquan, had a tougher time.

"It's not a big problem!"

"Both young comrades are very enthusiastic, mainly because Professor Fang, you are willing to teach!" Du Donglin said.

The associate chief physician is about to be promoted to associate professor. If he goes to a teaching hospital, his position will definitely be quite high.

However, if Han Hongquan and Han Zhiliang don't even study diligently in the sanatorium, then the upper limit for their lives will only be that of an ordinary professor!

This is an advantage they already possess.

After lunch, Fang Ziye went to the demonstration room to re-adjust the projector and computer, and asked Director Song from the logistics department to confirm that the staff for the live surgery broadcast had been contacted.

It's best to avoid making this kind of blunder.

Otherwise, even if you do a lot of publicity and attract a lot of people, if some small details go wrong, it might make others feel uncomfortable.

……

Sunday evening, January 27.

After finishing the last teaching surgery, Fang Ziye stepped down from the stage, cupped his hands, and said, "Dear teachers, due to time constraints, this explanation and demonstration of the functional reconstruction surgery will come to an end here."

"There are bound to be parts that weren't explained well, and there will be many questions left. All the teachers are in the group, and I'm in the group too!"

"If you have any questions in the future, feel free to discuss them."

Fang Ziye raised his hand, glanced at the watch that Luo Tingzhu had just bought for him last week, and said, "It's getting late, it's already 5:49, and the teachers may still need to head back!"

"Please forgive us if the live surgery broadcast has disrupted your schedules."

There weren't many people in the operating room. The operating room was very spacious; even twenty or thirty people could stand there without feeling crowded.

"Holy crap, Professor Fang, I hadn't even realized it until you said it! I bought a ticket for the 35th minute train, so I have to change it!" a young man exclaimed in the crowd.

The two people at the front are professor-level "contestants" who came for this training; both are middle-aged, around forty-six or forty-seven years old.

One of them said, "Professor Fang, I feel like I haven't had enough of the learning these past two days, but unfortunately the time was too limited and there were too few opportunities to practice."

"We wish we could invite Professor Fang to come to our hospital and give you a lecture for half a month."

"Well then, teachers, we'll meet again next time."

"If it's convenient for you not to leave, we can have a meal together later. If any teachers need to rush back, there are shuttle buses available to take them to the airport or high-speed rail station."

"There's still food in the cafeteria, so please don't go hungry!"

“If there’s a chance after the New Year, we can get together again and learn from each other,” Fang Ziye said.

Teaching these people once may not be as effective as expected!
Unlike the last conference, which was attended by top experts from across the country, these people's basic skills were certainly not as advanced. Therefore, even if Fang Ziye provided direction and theory, it would be difficult for them to quickly replicate and implement it.

It takes one or two more repetitions of explanation and in-depth analysis before they can have a chance to enter the threshold of functional reconstruction techniques.

Fang Ziye wasn't in a hurry either!
Once people start doing something and get into their own rhythm, they feel that there's no need to rush and that they can just keep moving forward slowly.

Everyone here is busy, but there's only one person who can truly avoid going back to work.

However, he has other plans.

After personally seeing everyone off at the entrance of the sanatorium, Fang Ziye finally breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Professor Du Donglin lowered his waving hands and said, "Team Leader Fang, I feel that being a team leader is not easy for you."

"Not only do I have to perform surgeries across both of our groups, but I also have to oversee the teaching of two subspecialties!"

"Your trauma surgery training course on bone defect treatment starts this Thursday, right?"

Fang Ziye understood Du Donglin's meaning, turned around and shook hands with him: "Professor Du, after all, I am a specialist in trauma surgery, so I have a deeper understanding of our trauma surgery."

"That's why I dare to speak out!"

"I'm only a dabbler in hand surgery, and I'm afraid I'll give away the secret if I say something wrong!" Fang Ziye replied with a smile.

Du Donglin meant that the trauma surgery training course lasted four days, while the functional reconstruction surgery course for the hand only lasted two days.

However, Du Donglin is now able to perform some simple functional reconstruction procedures, and Fang Ziye's teaching in clinical surgery is still very meticulous.

"Team Leader Fang, you're too kind. Even if you said you were a specialist in hand surgery, no colleague would dare to disagree!"

"If he dares to disagree, give me his name!"

"I can't hit him, but I should be able to scold him," Du Donglin joked.

"Professor Ye should be back tomorrow, right?" Fang Ziye changed the subject and asked.

Professor Yao Zhanzhong said, "It's not possible for now. Professor Ye's mother's pneumonia is quite severe this time. She was still in the ICU yesterday, so it will probably take some time."

"He also asked me to apologize to you, Team Leader Fang."

"There's nothing to apologize for. I'll call Professor Ye later to ask about the situation."

"Family matters are still important!" Fang Ziye scratched his head.

Everyone is part of a social network. Even though Ye Fusheng is a renowned professor, he still has a wife, children, and parents. Now that his mother is seriously ill, he insisted on delaying his surgery for a day before rushing back home.

Taking leave is a common practice nowadays.

"Team Leader Fang, shall we go back now and continue discussing the case?"

"The three functional reconstruction surgeries performed this time are all completed, and they are expected to be discharged around Thursday!" Yao Zhanzhong asked politely.

He felt a little sorry for Fang Ziye. Working across two groups must be very tiring, and he had heard that Fang Ziye also frequently went in and out of the laboratory.

So he was consulting, not instinctively inviting.

"Okay, next week, let's try to take on a diabetic foot patient first, then a functional reconstruction surgery patient to practice, and a deformity contracture patient to get a feel for the procedure." Fang Ziye already had a plan in mind.

"Okay, Team Leader Fang's arrangement is the most reasonable," Du Donglin said with a smile.

Diabetic foot is the future direction for further research and development; functional reconstruction is currently the most popular surgical technique, representing passion; contracture deformities are everyone's forte, representing confidence...

8:20 PM.

The Gong family and the professor arrived one after another.

Professor Du Donglin and the others have already left.

The two groups have reached a consensus: if the hand surgery group has teaching sessions on weekends, the hand surgeons will first discuss the cases to be admitted with Fang Ziye; if the trauma surgery group has teaching sessions, the trauma surgery group will first discuss the cases.

Fang Ziye is like a robot.

However, the Gong family and the others were not in high spirits!
When I came in and sat down, Fang Ziye was washing cups and sending them to the sterilizer.

There are four sets of teacups and water cups at home: one set for hand surgery, one set for trauma surgery, one set for familiar professors, and one set for guests. Fang Ziye always sorts and disinfects them after entertaining people.

"Brother Yi, why aren't you pouring tea?" Fang Ziye asked with a smile when he returned and saw that everyone's water glasses were empty.

There was a hint of reproach in his tone!
Although this is his room, he has to entertain many people and clean the teaware. Gu Yi, as the lowest-ranking person, should help him with that.

Professor Fang Zhikuan's voice tightened as he said, "Team Leader Fang, it's not that Xiao Gu is unwilling to pour tea, but rather..."

"Alas, we are all feeling somewhat sad and melancholic!"

"Today is the 27th, there are four more days until January ends." Fang Zhikuan looked at Professor Gong Jiahe.

The procedures for Gong Jiahe's retirement home have been completed, and Fang Zhikuan has also signed the documents on behalf of the trauma surgery team!
The return date is set, and parting is inevitable.

Although it was a temporary gathering, we've spent so much time together that it's impossible to say we have no feelings for each other.

We can develop a bond just by drinking together!

"Professor Gong, how about we skip discussing patient admissions today? I'll just use my authority to directly admit the patients I want."

"Shall we go out for a late-night snack together? I wonder if this arrangement is presumptuous of me?!" Fang Ziye asked first.

Upon hearing this, Gong Jiahe covered his eyes with his hands, and his voice suddenly became hoarse: "I thought I could leave gracefully. I even advised Professor Fang and Professor Yan not to be too sad."

"In the end, I was the one who managed to calm the emotions and atmosphere within the team."

"I really don't want to leave. If I leave, I might never have another chance like this!"

"Life is but a fleeting few tens of thousands of days, and dreams take up half of it."

Gong Jiahe's tone was desolate, filled with mixed emotions.

His departure, though a promotion, actually locked in another layer of framework for his life's potential. When he returns, his potential will definitely be fixed!

If Miyako had no ideals or desires, he wouldn't have traveled thousands of miles to the desolate Enshi Sanatorium.

"Professor Gong, we'll have the chance to meet again in the future," Fang Ziye replied.

"Let's go, I'll treat everyone to some barbecue."

"I apologize to you, and I hope you won't hold a grudge against me, a deserter."

"Our trauma group's clinical research progress is slower than that of the hand surgery group, all due to my personal reasons."

“I’ll call someone to take us there…” Miyako Kazuya suppressed his emotions.

The group then arrived at the barbecue restaurant.

After ordering the barbecue and roasted pork, the drinks were also placed in front of everyone.

Gu Yi had to work a shift, so he could only pack it up for him!

Gong Jiahe raised his glass and said, "Let's have a toast to everyone. First, thank you Professor Fang and Professor Yan for staying with me through such difficult times for our group."

"Thank you, Xiao Miao and Xiao Qu. You've been working tirelessly on the front lines of clinical care. Thank you for your hard work."

"Thank you even more, Team Leader Fang. Since you arrived, our trauma team has seen an increase in both the number of surgeries and patients compared to before."

"Moreover, at present, apart from one patient who went to amputation as a terminal treatment, the rest of the patients have had satisfactory treatment results."

"In the past two months, our trauma surgery group has had the highest treatment rate and the highest admission and discharge turnover rate among all subgroups in the sanatorium!"

"Let's all raise our glasses to Team Leader Fang," Gong Jiahe suggested.

"This is a collective achievement, not just mine alone," Fang Ziye replied.

After a drink, the somewhat stagnant atmosphere seemed to be broken up, and no one mentioned the Gong family or the matter of leaving.

They chatted happily, their smiles unchanged.

……

After packing the barbecue and drinks into Gu Yi's office, Fang Ziye put the things down, rubbed his face, and rested on the table for a while.

Gu Yi was looking at his WeChat Moments. In the photos Miao Haoyu had taken, Fang Ziye, Gong Jiahe, and others were all smiling broadly, without a trace of worry.
Fang Ziye, in particular, seems to be enjoying immense success.

Gu Yi knew that Gong Jiahe was about to leave this place, and his life was about to be defined.

Gu Yi also knew how much pressure Fang Ziye was under beneath his smiling face.

"Ziye, let's have some drinks together." Gu Yi thought for a moment and opened a bottle of Yaha iced coffee for Fang Ziye.

Fang Ziye shrugged, not looking up, his voice sounding a bit muffled due to the confined environment: "Brother Yi, you eat first!"

His voice was somewhat clear and crisp, and he didn't sound very old, but his fatigue was hard to hide.

Gu Yi couldn't help but smile and think, "This is what adults are like, this is what the world is like..."

(End of this chapter)