top student at medical school

Chapter 79 A Seven Hundred Li Raid (Seeking First Subscription)
"Receiving cells" is actually a rather colloquial way of saying it. What Luo Tingzhu really needed to do was to transport some cells from Shashi back to the laboratory in Hanshi for subsequent work.

Luo Tingzhu's research group mostly conducts osteosarcoma cell experiments, but even Professor Deng Yong's laboratory cannot achieve full population of osteosarcoma cell lines.

Even though they are all osteosarcoma cells, they can still be divided into many different cell lines, such as the common HOS, MG-63, and U2OS, which are common cell line classifications in Professor Deng Yong's group.

However, the cell line classification of osteosarcoma is far more than that, including cell lines such as 143B and HuO9.

These cell lines are not available in the experimental group. If they were to purchase new ones, the experimental group would probably not buy a new cell line specifically for Luo Tingzhu's upcoming experiment.

Even if there's nothing, people still have to find a way; the living can't starve to death.

Even a skilled cook can't cook without rice, but that's not a reason not to cook.

So, Luo Tingzhu contacted a tumor laboratory at Xiangya Medical College, affiliated with Central South University, through the forum. They had two cell lines, 143B and HuO9, but they were missing the U2OS cell line, as all of the U2OS cell lines had died.

It's essentially a one-for-two exchange; Luo Tingzhu only needs to cover her own travel expenses.

The meeting was scheduled for around 8 p.m. Luo Tingzhu was afraid to go to an unfamiliar city alone, so a few days beforehand, she discussed with Fang Ziye about having him accompany her, and she would pay for the travel expenses.

Therefore, after finishing her meal, Luo Tingzhu had to rush back to the lab to exchange the frozen cells with others using dry ice and an incubator.

This is a common exchange among medical researchers.

Because if you can obtain a batch of cell lines and freeze enough of them, you can almost never need to buy new cell lines again.

Simply exchanging one group's frozen first-generation cells for another group's first-generation cells allows both groups to conduct experiments. It's a win-win situation.

In many teaching hospitals in prefecture-level cities, where some experimental groups have insufficient funding, it is very common for many graduated doctoral and master's students to travel thousands of miles to obtain cell lines from their former professors to conduct experiments.

Li Nuo, Qin Geluo, and the others didn't say anything more. During the meal, they just chatted normally and then rearranged the emergency surgery shift that Jin Hongzhou might encounter that evening. Everyone was helping each other out.

The first person they asked was Fang Ziye, but Qin Geluo explained that Fang Ziye had something to do that evening and had given the operating room shift to another junior colleague.

After dinner, Luo Tingzhu quickly scanned a QR code to buy an electric scooter and sped back to the lab. Once there, she immediately began preparing insulated boxes, dry ice, and petri dishes that were about to be fully grown...

If you want to process frozen cells, you need to use a small liquid nitrogen tank, which is quite troublesome.

The procedures for boarding and alighting from the high-speed rail are also quite cumbersome.

In comparison, insulated boxes and dry ice are relatively easy and convenient transport tools.

Fang Ziye, of course, did not rush back immediately. Qin Geluo and Li Nuo, along with other senior doctors, were walking slowly towards the hospital. Qin Geluo and Li Nuo were indulging in their role as senior doctors, so he naturally had to accompany them, chatting and laughing.

After chatting for a while, Qin Geluo finally said, "Ziye, you have to be responsible for bringing Tingzhu back safely."

"Brother Luo, it should be fine. The cell transplant location is inside a university, so security is guaranteed."

“We’ll go and come back quickly. The high-speed rail between Shashi and Hanshi is also well-developed. We can arrive at Hanshi Station by 11 o’clock at the latest. We’ll take taxis along the way and send you a message when we get there.” Fang Ziye wasn’t very scared.

If they were in an unfamiliar place, and the meeting place was some random, inexplicable location, even Fang Ziye wouldn't dare go with Luo Tingzhu. What if they got into trouble or joined a pyramid scheme? Fang Ziye might not be able to get back.

However, if it is in a university laboratory or on the university campus, then there is a certain level of safety assurance.

At least one thing is certain: if something happens to Fang Ziye and Luo Tingzhu, and there is surveillance footage showing that they entered Xiangya Medical College, the Medical Department of Wuhan University can directly contact Xiangya Medical College and ask them for help in finding them.

"Hmm, it should be fine."

"Tingzhu has a real talent for surgery and a high aptitude for basic experiments. Although he can't compare to you, Ziye, with that drive, he has a bright future ahead of him."

"Professor Deng is very fond of Tingzhu and is trying his best to get more research projects to allocate to her. However, if she can work hard to get more research projects herself, she can get more funding for her experiments in the future."

"Ziye, you and Weige are in the same research group as us, relying on the same laboratory. It's a good thing to help each other!" Qin Geluo said this.

Gu Yi picked up where he left off: "Brother Luo, Ziye is very enthusiastic. After all, he's one of our own. Compared to the brothers and sisters on Professor Hong's side, I still feel a difference in closeness."

"Brothers and sisters from the same family are just different."

With no one else around, Gu Yi grumbled to himself. At the same time, he bumped shoulders with Fang Ziye as a gesture of friendliness.

If the comprehensive surgical capabilities of professors and clinical teams in hospitals serve as a tool and foundation for dialogue within the country, then the research of the research group is a cornerstone for dialogue with the world and top universities.

Top surgeons, in terms of surgical skill, do not exhibit any completely insignificant qualitative differences.

However, there are differences in the progress of scientific research and the depth and level of scientific research.

Professor Hong is Associate Professor Hong Zili, who conducts experiments in Professor Deng Yong's research group. His team is much larger, no smaller than Professor Deng Yong's, although they are in the same laboratory.

Those who graduated from the same school under the same teacher should at least avoid disturbing each other. If you really want to help each other, others won't bother with you.

Associate Professor Hong Zili is skilled in scientific research, and most of his students are academic master's and doctoral students. He spends a lot of time in the laboratory doing experiments, and it is quite difficult to ask him to help with an experiment.

For this reason, Associate Professor Hong Zili's enrollment quota is almost always full every year. He has many research projects and supervises two doctoral students each year, one academic doctoral student and one professional doctoral student.

No matter how much the hospital cuts back on doctoral positions, it won't cut back on Associate Professor Hong Zili's position, because his research group needs someone to do the experiments.

However, Fang Ziye is usually very enthusiastic. Whether it's him, Wang Yuanqi, or even the academic doctoral students Dong Wenqiang and Xue Cao in his own group, whenever they ask Fang Ziye for help, Fang Ziye will help unless he really can't find the time.

"I've heard about it too! Ke Ziye is easy to talk to, so you all just bully him, right?"

"How many meals have you treated them to so far?" Qin Geluo began to direct his questions at Gu Yi.

"I don't think I've heard much about this kind of good news before?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Yi's expression immediately hardened: "Brother Luo, I was wrong. Next time, even if Ziye says no, you have to take it!"

Qin Geluo has been promoted to attending physician. Similarly, his scientific research title is about to reach the associate senior level of associate researcher. He just doesn't have graduate students, but he does go in and out of the laboratory.

Naturally, some people also consulted Qin Geluo, acting as his eyes and ears.

Qin Geluo was still paying attention to some things happening in the laboratory.

Fang Ziye quickly replied, "Senior brother, no, no, I really don't like drinking beverages."

"Then I'll treat you to more meals," Gu Yi agreed earnestly!

At the same time, he put his arm around Fang Ziye's shoulder and gave him a firm squeeze.

Gu Yi finally understood what Qin Geluo meant.

Luo Tingzhu, this junior sister who doesn't have any research funding, knows to get close to Fang Ziye, a master with excellent experimental talent. Why don't you take the initiative and be more enthusiastic? What are you pretending to be high and mighty for?

While the bond between fellow apprentices should be pure, it's essential to understand basic social etiquette; otherwise, even superiors won't approve.

“Senior Brother Gu, we’re helping each other out, there’s no need to be so polite. Being too polite will only make us feel distant, right?” Fang Ziye wasn’t stupid either; he managed to soothe Gu Yi’s feelings with just a few words.

Fang Ziye was willing to help with the experiments, so naturally he also benefited greatly, even more than his fellow students.

Upon hearing this, Qin Geluo said, "See? The emotional intelligence of the students that Brother Wei trains is truly exceptional."

Qin Geluo's words made Li Nuo turn his head to look at him.

You have to understand, Yuan Weihong is really something else. When he stayed on as a faculty member, Professor Deng Yong's own doctoral students were just there to make up the numbers. Deng Yong didn't keep his own students, but instead kept Yuan Weihong.

Ability, emotional intelligence, IQ, and interpersonal skills—if any one of these is lacking, Professor Deng Yong could not have achieved such a level.

After all, Yuan Weihong had single-handedly fought his way out of the crowd after his teacher, Professor Chu, passed away unexpectedly. Such ability should not be underestimated.

Next, Qin Geluo began to berate Shu Lang, but ignored the ordinary Zhu Peilan Tianluo.

Shu Lang is a master's student, while Lan Tianluo is a resident physician who came after graduating with a bachelor's degree. As for resident physicians, they don't need to publish articles or conduct research. They just need to complete the 33-month rotation and obtain the certificate of completion of standardized residency training.

Fang Ziye noticed that Lan Tianluo seemed a little down, so he took the opportunity to lean gently towards Lan Tianluo and said, "Tianluo, it's okay. As long as your postgraduate entrance exam results are good enough, my master will welcome you to join the group as a junior brother."

Although Lantianluo is a social residency training program, students can also withdraw from the program after successfully passing the postgraduate entrance examination and then re-enter the ranks of master's students.

"Withdrawal from standardized training" means leaving the standardized training program and then entering the master's student registration management system to become a formally enrolled master's student.

Upon hearing this, Lan Tianluo narrowed his eyes, touched his slightly chubby belly, and didn't reply. It was unclear what he was thinking.

He wasn't in a particularly high mood. Normally, Fang Ziye would definitely have chatted a bit more, but Han Street is only so far from Zhongnan Hospital, and they arrived quickly.

Fang Ziye had promised Luo Tingzhu, and he needed to keep his promise.

……

Zhongnan Hospital is adjacent to the Medical School of Wuhan University; in fact, they are intertwined, separated only by a narrow road just over two meters wide.

When Fang Ziye arrived at the three flags in front of the medical department of Han City University, Luo Tingzhu was just walking out of the medical department with a shoulder bag and a small chest bag hanging from her shoulder.

As she walked, the large box containing the tumor cells swayed, while her small chest bag was held down by the strap of the box.

Fang Ziye checked his wallet, which contained his bank card and ID card, and that was enough. He then stepped forward to help Luo Tingzhu turn the corner for a while.

Although it's just cells, it requires a lot of dry ice and is quite heavy.

Luo Tingzhu was dressed warmly, carrying the suitcase from the lab to the door. Her forehead was already covered in fine sweat. She didn't hold back and argued with Fang Ziye, simply saying, "Senior brother, I've already called a car. The license plate ends in 7890."

She then took out her phone from her chest bag and checked: "There's a bit of traffic, about three kilometers away, it should take about ten minutes."

"It's okay, it's always a bit congested here. Let's wait at the entrance for a while."

"Have you contacted that online friend?" Fang Ziye asked again.

"I contacted her, and she said she was in the medical school's lab. We'll text her when we get there, and then we'll meet on the street between the teaching building and the basketball court. There's also a library nearby, but I don't really know what kind of place it is. I'll probably find out when we get there."

"Yeah, it's okay. As long as you're at school, it's relatively safe."

"Did you tell them that it would be best to give you cells in a culture dish, and also prepare some dry ice for you, otherwise we probably won't have enough dry ice?" Fang Ziye nodded, while looking towards Shuanghu Bridge, the neon lights of Wanda Reign Hotel and Han Show Theater flashing, slightly dazzling his eyes.

It's already six o'clock, which is the time to get off work, but this has absolutely nothing to do with medical students, especially those who are research-obsessed and stay up all night.

Sometimes, when I need to do experiments, the scheduled time is not good, so it is common to stay up until the early hours of the morning.

Otherwise, why would they be called "miserable lab dogs"?

Medical dog, postgraduate entrance exam dog, laboratory dog, on-call dog, canine veterinarian (Part 1)...

"I've already told you, senior brother, thank you for your hard work today. Otherwise, you might have been able to do another experiment recently." Luo Tingzhu knew that Fang Ziye was also currently conducting preliminary experiments for his research project application.

Although Fang Ziye cannot apply for research projects in his own name, he can apply in Yuan Weihong's name or Jie Han's name.

Which group would complain about the number of research projects and the amount of funding?
If you get a research grant but can't complete it, at worst you can outsource it to a company. They can still produce results, but you won't be able to verify whether those results are photoshopped or plagiarized from other experiments.

When Luo Tingzhu said this, she was very envious of Fang Ziye.

Of course, she now has an alternative plan. If she has a new cell line, she can borrow some reagents from her seniors to do a small experiment first, and then publish a basic SCI article after obtaining the results.

The region doesn't matter, and the impact factor isn't particularly important either. The main thing is to demonstrate that you have the ability to undertake basic experiments, which can boost your chances of getting research grants.

Fang Ziye is different. He has already published basic research articles, and his experimental skills are outstanding. With that first-tier basic research article, he will definitely be given priority when applying for research grants after he becomes a postdoctoral researcher.

The current Fang Ziye is no longer considered the basic article that Yuan Weihong fed to him.

It's just that Fang Ziye is a professional master's student, and his previous clinical tasks were too heavy, so he didn't have time to do experiments, not that Fang Ziye is incapable of learning basic experiments.

Fang Ziye is currently in the laboratory, conducting basic cell experiments. Opening up simple pathways is absolutely no problem for him.

"It's alright, Junior Sister Luo, you've helped me a lot too. Let's help each other out!" Fang Ziye concealed his ulterior motives.

Luo Tingzhu did indeed borrow experiments from other places in the laboratory, giving Fang Ziye the opportunity to participate and gain a lot of knowledge.

In contrast, his fellow students didn't give Fang Ziye many opportunities like this.

Fang Ziye conducted the experiment, but he did not participate in the operation. Therefore, reading the experimental results would not provide any additional knowledge.

Knowledge is fundamental.

Fang Ziye glanced at his phone's battery level and asked, "Does your phone still have power? Did you bring a charger?"

Fang Ziye's phone is a Huawei, and Luo Tingzhu's is an Oppo. Both of them use Type-C charging ports. If Luo Tingzhu brings his own charger, he can charge it on the high-speed train; otherwise, he'll have to borrow a power bank.

Luo Tingzhu patted her chest bag, indicating that the charger was inside.

Her chest bag today was different from the snack bag she usually carried; it looked more formal and less cute, but Fang Ziye didn't know how big it was.

After waiting a little while, the taxi arrived.

The destination is Hansi Station.

Hansi Station is located in Chang-gu. The subway goes directly there, but since I have some family members, I wanted to avoid the crowded subway, so I took a taxi directly to the entrance, swiped my ID card, and went straight to the waiting hall…

Speechless all the way.

Two hours and ten minutes later, the two exited from the east exit of Shashi South Railway Station and went straight to queue for a taxi. After explaining their destination, the driver asked, "Are you going to Xiangya Hospital or Xiangya Medical College?"

"It's Xiangya Medical College. There seems to be a Xiangya Third Hospital nearby. You should know it, right, driver?" Luo Tingzhu quickly gave the location, afraid that the driver had gone to the wrong place.

"That's in Hexi. Shall we take the highway? It'll be faster if we take the highway," the taxi driver asked, turning around.

"No need, driver, we're not in a hurry." Luo Tingzhu was trying to save money wherever possible. In fact, she had already checked the route before coming and knew that they didn't need to take the highway.

"You're not locals, are you? The traffic is terrible at this time of day," the driver continued to say.

Fang Ziye then handed over his phone: "Sir, please follow this navigation. It might be a bit smarter and show more green lights!"

What kind of society is this? Fang Ziye was too lazy to argue with the other party.

The driver stopped talking, silently took Fang Ziye's phone, and started driving according to the route!

The current regulations are quite effective; taxis are all registered under real names and must provide receipts. If Fang Ziye were to report this, it would be considered making trouble out of nothing.

Running a sports car can be profitable; it's just a matter of how much.

Then he would occasionally pop a betel nut into his mouth; the taste was a bit pungent.

Although Fang Ziye and Luo Tingzhu were both wearing masks, disposable surgical masks could not block out the air, so they both chose to open the back windows and let the cold wind blow in.

After a while, the driver couldn't stand it anymore: "Can't you open the windows? It's a bit cold."

“Master, the betel nut smell is too strong, we can’t stand it. We’re cold too.” Fang Ziye leaned his head closer to the window.

The driver opened the driver's side window and snorted out.

Then he proactively closed all the windows: "This is a good thing. We sports cars rely on it to keep going. We have no other choice." "Are you students going to school? Or on a business trip?" the driver chatted with the two to get closer to them.

"Go back to school," Fang Ziye replied rather coldly, not wanting to continue the conversation.

"That's Central South University, a very good school. I really envy you students. You'll definitely earn more than us when you graduate," the driver remarked.

Fang Ziye wanted to say that medical students might not earn as much as you if they didn't study enough, but the smell in the car was too strong, so he didn't want to talk and could only pretend to be aloof.

Finally, after more than forty minutes, the driver dropped Fang Ziye and Luo Tingzhu off and took them to an unfamiliar road.

It's called an unfamiliar road because it's under construction, with high barriers erected on both sides, leaving only a small gate. It's unclear whether it leads into the school.

Fang Ziye and Luo Tingzhu didn't dare to walk any further, so they used navigation. After walking more than a thousand meters forward, they finally arrived at a small gate that looked relatively normal and had a lot of foot traffic.

Without security guards, Fang Ziye and Luo Tingzhu were able to enter.

Once inside, he was still a bit lost, but luckily Fang Ziye bought two drinks at the convenience store. After showing the information to the shopkeeper, the shopkeeper said, "Handsome guy, go straight in along this road, turn right when you get to the library, and then turn onto the road in front of the library. That's where you are."

"Just call your friends down." The boss was relatively enthusiastic, speaking with a slight Shashi accent.

After thanking him, Fang Ziye continued on his way with his suitcase.

Students came and went along the way, couples walked hand in hand, and on the basketball court, some people were sweating profusely.

Outside the football field, some people were jogging.

However, Fang Ziye and Luo Tingzhu had no interest in appreciating any of this; they continued forward, following the map.

A dozen minutes later, Fang Ziye and Luo Tingzhu saw a similar team!
However, the other party consisted of two boys and one girl. They were about the same age as Fang Ziye, a few years older than Luo Tingzhu, and all of them were wearing masks.

Luo Tingzhu wasn't sure, so she made a voice call to confirm their identities, and both teams burst into laughter.

It turns out that the girl on the other end wasn't from Xiangya Medical College at all!
She used to be, but not anymore. She is now an academic graduate student at Xiangya Hospital, specializing in bone tumors.

However, fearing for his own safety, he asked two senior students to meet him at a different location.

I chose Xiangya Medical College, which is quite familiar to me.

Upon learning that Fang Ziye and Luo Tingzhu had come all the way from Shashi, she specially suggested that Fang Ziye and Luo Tingzhu go out for a late-night snack together.

Luo Tingzhu smiled knowingly when she saw the delicate handwriting on the other person's petri dish and the fact that the cells looked like they were about to grow to full size. She shook her head and said, "Thank you, senior sister."

"No need for a late-night snack, we need to rush back to culture the cells. Our journey is still quite long."

Luo Tingzhu was wearing a mask. As she spoke, the two boys opposite her stared at Fang Ziye, fiddling with their phones, but ultimately didn't ask for his contact information.

The two groups parted ways.

Fang Ziye and Luo Tingzhu headed straight back.

While waiting for the car, Luo Tingzhu had already returned to her seat and asked, "Senior brother, is this senior sister from Xiangya Hospital?"

Fang Ziye breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "It doesn't matter. Whether it's true or not, as long as I got what I wanted, that's all that matters."

"Actually, I have doubts about her identity. Xiangya Hospital is at least a level above Zhongnan Hospital. It's impossible that she doesn't even have a common cell line like U2OS."

"Even if you don't have one, you can just buy another one. There's no need to exchange them online."

"But no matter what, as long as we're sure the other person is genuinely doing academic research and isn't a bad person, that's fine."

"Everyone who does scientific research has their own difficulties."

Xiangya Hospital or the Xiangya system has made quite a few news stories in recent years.

However, regardless of the circumstances, Xiangya Hospital and Xiangya No. 2 Hospital remain among the top ten or twenty in terms of overall strength, and their level in some specialties is unlikely to fall within the next few decades.

This is the foundation of a long-established university.

In comparison, Zhongnan Hospital is somewhat lacking in prestige. After all, Zhongnan Hospital was formerly an affiliated hospital of Hubei Medical University.

"Let's take a taxi back." The journey had been uneventful, and Fang Ziye felt this was the best course of action.

Whether the other party is a graduate student at Xiangya Hospital or a student at Xiangya Medical College is not important. Since the other party made this suggestion, they must have some difficulties, but Fang Ziye did not want to ask what those difficulties were.

Everyone has their difficulties, including Fang Ziye. Although he has enough funding to conduct experiments, he doesn't have as much time as Luo Tingzhu.

He is still a resident physician, nearing graduation, and has to go through the process of graduation defense, blind review, standardized residency completion exam, written exam, and doctoral assessment, and is ready to submit materials at any time.

Meanwhile, as the year draws to a close, he still needs to go through the accounting procedures with the finance department. Otherwise, some companies that sell research materials need to settle their accounts at the end of the year, and if he doesn't transfer the money to them, they definitely won't agree.

Therefore, Fang Ziye's time was also limited.

Furthermore, Fang Ziye's only advantage is that the teacher has dedicated research funding.

However, the number of other helpers is relatively limited.

Luo Tingzhu also has her own advantages. Although she doesn't have research funding, she can still get free funding.

With so many senior students, if we borrow a little from here and a little from there, and use reagents and cells sparingly, it's actually enough.

It just means there's no specific research direction for Luo Tingzhu to work on, not that there's absolutely no funding for experiments.

But Fang Ziye had no one to help him.

My junior colleague, Jiehan, is only a first-year master's student. He has just entered a junior college and is also a professional graduate student. He needs to manage beds and be on duty.

Teacher Yuan Weihong is now striving for an associate professorship, which requires teaching experience and grassroots work experience in rural areas, so he can't possibly be of much help.

Therefore, if Fang Ziye is sometimes unable to conduct experiments normally due to being on duty or other factors, he even has to ask others to hand over his experimental procedures.

Unlike Luo Tingzhu, she could ask Professor Deng Yong's academic doctoral students for help...

The research group is currently facing a significant shortage of personnel. Fang Ziye's desire to get closer to Luo Tingzhu stems from his belief that Luo Tingzhu will be spending a considerable amount of time in the lab for the foreseeable future.

So, she can help take a look at the cells or do some experimental procedures, and then hand them over.

Another point is that if Luo Tingzhu gets a research grant in the future, she will be able to see the experimental results, participate in them, and gain knowledge.

This is a two-way street. If you're willing to involve Luo Tingzhu in experiments now, then she can ask you to help her participate in them later.

Other senior students, even if they help out when things aren't going in sync, won't they keep you updated on the experiment's progress?

Ke Luo Tingzhu is different. She and Fang Ziye both started as lab newbies. Although Fang Ziye took a few steps ahead, their progress was similar afterward. In this situation, by helping each other, Fang Ziye was able to obtain more research topics to observe and gain more knowledge.

Best of both worlds!

On the way back, I took a ride-hailing service, and the smell inside the ride-hailing car was much more comfortable.

As they crossed the Xiang River, gazing at the magnificent Orange Isle outside, Luo Tingzhu, now relaxed, smiled contentedly. Perhaps she was captivated by the atmosphere, and said, "My dad brought me here before. Look, senior brother, there's still..."

Luo Tingzhu had only said a few words when her enthusiasm waned slightly.

She may have had a happy childhood, but she also had a less-than-beautiful youth, including her current experiences, which quickly brought Luo Tingzhu back to reality.

Fang Ziye had never been to Shashi before, so everything was out of curiosity. As they passed through a certain area, Fang Ziye asked, "Master, is the stinky tofu here really that delicious?"

"Stinky tofu? It's not tasty anymore. What kind of stinky tofu is it after it's been commercialized?"

"Back then, the kind of stinky tofu sold by people pushing carts and pulling big jars was the real stinky tofu!"

"But we can't find these anymore, so we'll just have to make do with this. Are you going to the South High-Speed ​​Railway Station or somewhere else?" the driver asked with a hint of regret.

"To the South Station, driver. I was just asking, we need to catch our high-speed train." Fang Ziye quickly explained when he saw the driver slowing down a bit.

"Oh, I thought you were going to go to Wuyi Square or somewhere to have some fun."

"But now, Wuyi Square isn't very special. It's just a place to stroll and eat, but it doesn't have much flavor."

"You young people might like it more, but I like to go to the suburbs now..." The driver must be a native of Changsha.

The unfamiliar city, the unfamiliar accent, and the unfamiliar atmosphere prevented Fang Ziye and Luo Tingzhu from stopping.

However, after arriving at the high-speed rail station, Luo Tingzhu couldn't help but stop and buy a cup of Chayan Yuese from Shashi. She ordered the Youlan Latte, while Fang Ziye ordered a cup of the popular Sheng Sheng Oolong.

It feels okay.

Luo Tingzhu sipped her tea while protecting her cell box, saying, "The tea from Shashi doesn't taste particularly different from the one from Hanshi, but the taste is still quite refreshing."

"I haven't tried it." Fang Ziye didn't know how to compare it.

Luo Tingzhu clicked her tongue in amazement: "Senior brother, haven't you ever tried Chayan tea?"

"I'm too lazy to queue. Besides, I rarely drink milk tea." Fang Ziye nodded.

Luo Tingzhu nodded: "Oh."

"I've tried Chayan before, and I thought it tasted pretty good."

“My mother lives in Shashi,” Luo Tingzhu suddenly turned to Fang Ziye and said.

Fang Ziye blinked, unsure how to answer Luo Tingzhu's question.

Then, Luo Tingzhu herself started by talking about her past, perhaps because the scene reminded her of the past.

To describe Luo Tingzhu's personal experiences, one cannot simply call them lucky or unlucky.

Her parents were both well-educated college students from the early 21st century, around the turn of the millennium, and were doing quite well. However, their relationship eventually fell apart because they felt it was becoming mundane, and they separated.

Originally, Luo Tingzhu was supposed to stay with her mother, and her father agreed. However, Luo Tingzhu had been closer to her grandmother since she was a child.

Therefore, when Luo Tingzhu's father and mother fought for custody, neither of them could win against her grandmother, and Luo Tingzhu was raised by her grandmother.

Luo Tingzhu actually disliked her parents before, feeling that their separation was irresponsible towards her. Therefore, for many years afterward, she only took the money and did not keep in touch with them.

After both parents remarried, their relationship cooled down a bit.

Even now, Luo Tingzhu's parents still give her a living allowance each.

But now she can't go back to either side. After her grandmother passed away, she didn't even know where to go for the New Year.

Luo Tingzhu laughed and said, "On my dad's side, I have a younger brother, and on my mom's side, I have a younger sister. Compared to my younger brother and sister, I feel like I'm missing my parents."

"During my first year of university, I felt so lonely when I went home for the Chinese New Year. I originally went to my father's place, and my mother, who is still my mother in name, is not bad, but ultimately I lacked companionship and a sense of belonging."

"Later, before New Year's Eve, I ran back to my hometown. That year, I spent the New Year at my uncle's house. My hometown was still pretty much the same as before, but it wasn't as comfortable as when my grandma was here..."

"And what about your maternal grandparents?" Fang Ziye asked.

"They have their own grandchildren now?" Luo Tingzhu smiled, seemingly indifferent yet also concerned.

I took a small sip of milk tea, using the sweetness to wash away the bitterness of life.

Then Luo Tingzhu continued, "My dad and mom think that it would be good for me to have a stable job in the future, so they want me to become a teacher. Maybe they feel that I can't spare enough energy. Then they will pool their money to buy me a house, each contributing 50 percent. It can be in our hometown or in the provincial capital."

"When I was in high school, I planned to go to Shanghai or Kyoto. I couldn't let them miss out on their love for me, and I didn't want them to lose some money on me, could I?"

"But when I grew up and graduated from high school, I realized that my parents had also had a tough time, so I gave up on that idea. When I filled out my college application, I was accepted into my first choice major..."

"Senior brother, actually, whether you're male or female, you can't just tie yourself down for life for the sake of your family and children, right?" Luo Tingzhu said with a very insightful sentiment.

Fang Ziye had no answer to such a question: "Perhaps."

According to Luo Tingzhu's description, it might not be a good thing if her parents forced them to get together.

"Senior brother, what about you?" Luo Tingzhu asked, seeing that it was still early.

"Me? I'm just a typical small-town test-taker. I went to Tianjin Medical University for my undergraduate degree, and then I had a little burst of success when I took the postgraduate entrance exam. I actually managed to get into Wuhan University by the last minute."

"There's not much else to say. I've been mediocre and unproductive all along. It's only recently that things have gotten a little better," Fang Ziye said with a smile.

Compared to Luo Tingzhu's life, his own life trajectory was much more uneventful.

Of course, he was also much happier, as his parents treated him extremely well. In the town, a bachelor's degree from a 211 university was quite good. Back then, he thought that if he couldn't get a master's degree, he would take a residency training course and then go back to the county hospital.

County hospitals generally don't accept undergraduate degrees, but they do accept undergraduate degrees from Jinshi Medical University, because Fang Ziye had previously contacted the personnel department of that hospital...

A little while later, the two began to have their tickets checked and board the train.

This time, Luo Tingzhu, who had been keeping herself alert, leaned against the window and dozed off for a while after getting on the bus.

I woke up just as we were getting close to Hansi Station.

After getting off the high-speed train, she opened the box again and found that there was still a lot of dry ice left. She was relieved and then took a taxi back to the entrance of the medical department of Wuhan University.

She happily said, "Thank you, Senior Brother Fang. I'm going to the lab now."

After the cells are brought back, they need to be passaged and cultured, and the roots need to be cryopreserved. These are all essential procedures.

It's simple.

Fang Ziye said, "Go back and rest early, don't stay up too late."

"It's alright, senior brother. It's just a generational training process; it'll only take about forty minutes at most." Luo Tingzhu squinted her eyes and walked happily toward the laboratory.

Fang Ziye walked to his rented house, went inside, and plopped down on the sofa. He felt that the journey to Shashi had been like a dream, but such an experience was also a fulfilling one in life.

If you hadn't experienced it firsthand, who could imagine that a medical student, a top student in an eight-year integrated bachelor's, master's, and doctoral program, would be so meticulous, spending hours traveling 1,400 miles round trip and staying up all night to properly culture a few bottles of cells?

Fang Ziye couldn't have imagined it either.

Since it was something unexpected, Fang Ziye didn't dwell on it too much. He quickly took a shower, brushed his teeth, did his laundry, and then went to sleep.

Just before going to sleep, Luo Tingzhu sent a voice message.

"Senior Brother Fang, thank you for your hard work today. It's too late, so I didn't invite you to have a late-night snack. I'll treat you to dinner tomorrow to express my gratitude. I'll head back now." Luo Tingzhu's voice was filled with surprise, but also with exhaustion and a stubbornness.

"Get some rest. Tomorrow, Professor Qin Geluo will probably have to play a full game again, and you may still have to go to the outpatient operating room. I have to be on duty."

"I probably won't be able to eat tomorrow," Fang Ziye replied to Luo Tingzhu.

(End of this chapter)