top student at medical school

In the trauma surgeon's office at the new campus of Zhongnan Hospital, Hu Qingyuan was printing out the discharge archives while replying to Lin Fangzhong, "I feel fine."

“Master hasn’t had any spinal cord injuries for a long time recently, and I’ve seen many of the recent surgeries he’s been performing.”

“Even if I were given the opportunity, I wouldn’t be able to get on stage or help much. I might as well use this time to finish the work I’m supposed to do in the ward.”

Lin Fangzhong asked Hu Qingyuan if he felt disappointed that Fang Ziye didn't give him a chance to go on stage.

Hearing Hu Qingyuan's answer, Lin Fangzhong thought about it carefully and then added fuel to the fire, saying, "Hu Qingyuan, that's true."

"To be fair, if you also set aside time to practice your basic skills, you will definitely have the opportunity to participate in the National Postgraduate Skills Competition."

"This is a very good resume. Hu Qingyuan, you won almost every award you could get during your undergraduate studies, but after you came here, you don't seem to stand out much."

"Don't you think my senior brother is scrutinizing you?"

Lin Fangzhong is Fang Ziye's junior brother. Although he and Hu Qingyuan are in the same class, Lin Fangzhong is of a higher seniority than Hu Qingyuan. At this moment, he seems a bit old-fashioned.

It's normal for fellow disciples to joke around, and Lin Fangzhong was also eager to know what Hu Qingyuan thought about Fang Ziye's current arrangements.

Hu Qingyuan gave Lin Fangzhong a strange look, then stroked his chin and chuckled, "Lin Fangzhong, is that how you see me?"

Hearing Hu Qingyuan's somewhat mocking tone, Lin Fangzhong bit his lip and said, "Hu Qingyuan, don't be angry. I just wanted to chat with you."

“Look, of all the research projects your teacher has done, the ones you’re listed on are basically useless, and even though your senior brother Fang Ziye dragged you to Enshi for so long last year, he didn’t give you anything.”

"You missed the skills competition too. You won't have many opportunities when it comes to awarding scholarships again, will you?"

"Although Senior Brother Fang has made remarkable achievements and his status in the hospital is rising, especially in scientific research, he has almost firmly established himself as the number one person."

"But it seems like Senior Brother Fang hasn't done much to help you out, has he?"

Upon hearing this, Hu Qingyuan felt a chill run down his spine, realizing what Lin Fangzhong might be up to, and replied, "My teacher has his own things to do, and me receiving the scholarship is my own business."

"Lin Fangzhong, I think that no matter who you are with, even if you are father and son, the number of times you help each other is relatively limited."

"Therefore, such opportunities are invaluable! They shouldn't be wasted on trivial matters."

Upon hearing this, Lin Fangzhong added, "But scholarships are the most down-to-earth thing we can access, aren't they?"

In addition to achievements, university scholarships also consider extra points for extracurricular activities. At the master's level, they look at your research output and competition awards, all of which can earn you comprehensive points.

"Maybe I've taken it so many times that I'm used to it," Hu Qingyuan said, not wanting to argue with Lin Fangzhong.

These words may not necessarily reflect Lin Fangzhong's own thoughts; they may represent the unified ideas of other groups, such as Professor Deng Yong's new students and Fang Ziye's "junior brothers."

Hu Qingyuan then said, "With Teacher Yuan leading the team, Lin Fangzhong, you published quite a few articles last year, didn't you?"

Lin Fangzhong's eyes narrowed slightly upon hearing this: "Master's team has a relatively small number of members, and they haven't started sharing meals like Senior Brother Fang's team yet."

"Think about it, how many people are credited for the articles that Senior Brother Fang publishes?"

"This is actually not good for us master's students."

"I think..."

Just as Lin Fangzhong was about to say something more, Hu Qingyuan put down the medical record in his hand and then mysteriously beckoned to Lin Fangzhong.

Hu Qingyuan showed Lin Fangzhong a string of data on his phone. At first glance, Lin Fangzhong was dumbfounded and stared at Hu Qingyuan in astonishment.

Lin Fangzhong was indeed in the same year as Hu Qingyuan, and Hu Qingyuan was also a top student in that year, but not the top student in the grade. Therefore, Lin Fangzhong did not know much about Hu Qingyuan's life.

Therefore, Lin Fangzhong had no idea about Hu Qingyuan's income level.

"Lin Fangzhong, the purpose of our studies is to make us happier and less ignorant, at least that's what I think," Hu Qingyuan emphasized.

Hu Qingyuan used the most violent and direct method to shut Lin Fangzhong up.

Perhaps Lin Fangzhong's "initiative" this time will result in him being withdrawn for a month or even longer, but Hu Qingyuan knows that Lin Fangzhong came with a mission.

Therefore, to reply to that group of people, we have to be direct and forceful.

Lin Fangzhong indeed stopped talking, his mouth opening and closing erratically.

Hu Qingyuan then took another deep breath and said, "Lin Fangzhong, you, Teng Feng, and Gong Luoyuan can all think that my teacher is a traitor."

“My teacher would rather benefit outsiders, such as professors in the Department of Orthopedics, than help his junior colleagues in the department.”

"This is what you consider freedom, and it is also the objective fact from your perspective."

“But if you have any objections, go find my teacher’s master, someone with more seniority, to discuss this matter. Don’t ask me to instigate any trouble.”

"Although we are from the same great school, we don't get to know each other very well when we're together."

"I thought you, Lin Fangzhong, would have different ideas from others, but since you brought this message with you, you must have your own biases."

"But I still want to say a few words to you."

"Why should many of my teacher's junior brothers expect their senior brothers to give them things directly?"

"We've given you everything we could indirectly, yet you keep asking for more. Do you want to be an academic beggar?"

Deng Yong and Yuan Weihong's teams nurtured Fang Ziye, but Fang Ziye's return on that support—in terms of research funding, research depth, and opportunities—is many times greater than what he received from other sources back then.

Although repaying a debt multiple times cannot repay a favor, if one cannot learn the principle of teaching someone how to fish rather than giving them a fish at the master's or doctoral level, then it's better not to acknowledge such a fellow student as a brother or sister!
Lin Fangzhong's expression was priceless: "Hu Qingyuan, isn't that a bit much?"

Hu Qingyuan said, "Excessive? Can a scholar's actions be called stealing?"

"The funding is there, the research direction is there, just go for it."

"Who hasn't gone through this? My teacher's publication schedule was also very clearly tiered, wasn't it?"

"Do you think that because I've published fewer articles than you, I must have more complaints about my teacher than you do?"

"You guys are so smart, you know me better than I know myself, don't you?"

Lin Fangzhong: "Hu Qingyuan, I didn't say those things!"

Hu Qingyuan said, "But you carried a message, you chose to be a messenger, so even if I shit on you, you have to hold the shit in your mouth and return it to the other party. Isn't that right?"

"Are you a child or a minor?"

"Brother, we're already graduate students, don't you have your own thoughts?"

"You said it to my face, not me? If you're just gossiping, you don't even understand gossip? What the hell did you study?"

Hu Qingyuan was furious. He wasn't even angry, yet someone else was angry on his behalf, and even came to stir things up.

Others may not know what Fang Ziye has been through recently, but Hu Qingyuan has guessed something.

It wasn't someone else who told Hu Qingyuan; it was Hu Qingyuan who made some guesses based on his teacher's previous experiences.

As the saying goes, when things go wrong, there must be a monster.

This time, Fang Ziye's temporary suspension of the experiments in his research group is similar to his inexplicable departure from Zhongnan Hospital in the past.

At this time, what is most needed is internal unity.

Perhaps some people are working on differentiating orthopedics, or rather, trauma surgery, but they haven't been able to get past Yuan Weihong and Deng Yong, but they've ignited the passion of junior master's students like Lin Fangzhong.

"Hu Qingyuan, why are you getting angry at me? I've already told you, I didn't say those things."

"I'm just passing on a message." Lin Fangzhong's face turned grim, and his breathing became heavy.

Hu Qingyuan tapped the table with his finger and said, "Then you have to take my exact words back with you, right? You're not going to take them back just because they're too harsh?"

"Then what the hell did you even say in the first place?"

Hu Qingyuan pointed at Lin Fangzhong again: "These words? Are you going to carry them or not?"

"I will only convey the meaning," Lin Fangzhong replied, taking a deep breath.

Hu Qingyuan laughed upon hearing this: "Then it seems that what you said during your conversation was even more unpleasant than what you relayed to me."

“That’s interesting. I’m really curious about what you two talked about.”

"Lin Fangzhong, if you consider me a friend, can I take a look at you?"

Lin Fangzhong shook his head and said, "We talked about it at the last gathering, not by sending a text message."

"No, we didn't really talk about anything. We just casually complained about some trivial things."

“Hu Qingyuan, there’s no need to get so agitated. I was just asking casually. No one can force you if you don’t want to. You’re an adult.”

Lin Fangzhong calmed down and realized that Hu Qingyuan's behavior was particularly "irrational" just now, making such a fuss for no apparent reason.

However, Lin Fangzhong soon understood what Hu Qingyuan meant.

Senior Brother Sun Shaoqing had already returned to the department at some point, and was now pretending to be walking towards his office, looking as if he had just arrived.

"What are you two doing? You don't look too good," Sun Shaoqing asked, feigning composure.

"Teacher Sun, Teacher Sun..." Sun Shaoqing was more than seven years older than Hu Qingyuan and the other person, so they addressed him as "teacher".

Hu Qingyuan probably originally intended to say these things to Sun Shaoqing, which is why they were arguing earlier. Therefore, after Sun Shaoqing asked, Hu Qingyuan simply made his point clear.

Sun Shaoqing's expression grew increasingly grim as he looked at Lin Fangzhong: "Did you two really have this conversation?"

Lin Fangzhong's expression actually betrayed him; he nodded.

Sun Shaoqing waved to Hu Qingyuan: "Hu Qingyuan, have you finished processing your medical records?"

"All that's left is to sign," Hu Qingyuan said.

"Then take it with you to sign!" Sun Shaoqing sent Hu Qingyuan away.

Lin Fangzhong wanted to give Hu Qingyuan a look that said, "Don't go," but Hu Qingyuan didn't even look at him. Hu Qingyuan left the doctor's office with the medical records in his hand.

After Hu Qingyuan left, Sun Shaoqing said, "Lin Fangzhong..."

"Teacher Sun, I was wrong. I shouldn't have thought that way. I should have refuted them immediately." Lin Fangzhong apologized immediately.

He told Hu Qingyuan these things to test him, which meant he also had this idea. Otherwise, he would have just told Hu Qingyuan who was talking about Fang Ziye behind his back, instead of asking Hu Qingyuan if he had any opinions about Fang Ziye.

And it was all done under the guise of being kind to Hu Qingyuan.

Sun Shaoqing had already closed the door. He shook his head and said meaningfully, "Actually, your thinking is not wrong. Everyone looks out for themselves!"

"However, if you can approve of your methods and ideas, then you must also accept that if Fang Ziye finds out about this, in order to ensure his own safety..."

"Then we'll figure out a way to get rid of you all."

"Therefore, you must pray that from now on you will not make mistakes, especially not mistakes of principle."

"After all, everyone looks out for themselves, right?"

Lin Fangzhong's face immediately turned deathly pale. He was filled with fear and anxiety, and his voice was tense: "Teacher Sun, you have to believe me. I will never dare to do it again."

"I was really wrong!" Lin Fangzhong seemed about to burst into tears.

Sun Shaoqing patted the other person on the shoulder and glared at him, saying, "Why are you such a coward? No wonder you were swayed by such gossip. You don't have any independent values ​​at all."

"Can Fang Ziye remove your student status? Is he that powerful? Are the school and hospital just Fang Ziye's puppets?"

"Why should Fang Ziye fire you? Just because you think he's unfair? Just because you think he's a traitor?"

"Fang Ziye is so domineering. If you just think about it and have a chat, he'll kill you. I don't know how many people he'd kill every day!"

"Don't be so naive, okay? Use your brain, think about your own thoughts, your own choices, the things you've encountered, and the things you've heard."

"Think it over more, from various angles."

"Reading is not just about memorizing knowledge, but about enabling you to think about things from multiple perspectives..."

Lin Fangzhong nodded upon hearing this.

Sun Shaoqing then asked, "So now do you think your thinking is right or wrong?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Fangzhong shook his head: "I was wrong, Teacher Sun."

"Coward!" Sun Shaoqing rolled his eyes at Lin Fangzhong.

Then, she took a deep breath and said, "If I were you, I would run straight up to Fang Ziye and loudly tell him, 'Senior Brother Fang, you are willing to give others a chance, but I am your junior brother, why are you unwilling to give me a chance?'"

"Are you going to cut off your tongue or something if you say something like that?"

"If I had a senior brother like that back then, I would have followed him around every day until he was willing to give me a chance."

"Do you see a concept or idea as simply black and white?"

"Like you now, such a great opportunity is just sitting there unused. What are you waiting for? Waiting for Fang Ziye to kneel in front of you and say, 'Uncle Lin Fangzhong, please help me. Without you, Lin Fangzhong, my research project can't continue.' You need to take the initiative to say what you can do, what you can't do, but what you can learn. You can even ask Senior Brother Fang Ziye to point you in a way that allows you to get involved in the project and break through the deadlock."

"There is a natural connection between you and Fang Ziye; you are fellow disciples!"

"How exactly did my junior brothers teach you guys?" Sun Shaoqing rolled his eyes.

……

It was 6:43 PM.

Fang Ziye went directly from the operating room to the ward, and after opening the door, he found Hu Qingyuan indeed reading literature and checking materials in the director's office.

Hu Qingyuan is a professional master's degree holder. He needs to work regular shifts in the ward and also work in the emergency surgery shift, just like Fang Ziye back then.

Today is Hu Qingyuan's shift!
As dusk deepens, it's still not dark at this hour, around six o'clock, but the setting sun is no longer hanging in the sky.

"Master, would you like some tea?" Hu Qingyuan asked.

Fang Ziye carefully examined Hu Qingyuan's notes and, finding them meticulously written, felt somewhat relieved before asking, "Qingyuan, what were your thoughts when I praised Dai Zhusheng in front of so many people today?"

Hu Qingyuan still went to make tea for Fang Ziye, and replied as he turned to the side, "At first I thought, maybe I wasn't paying enough attention? But later I realized that I was indeed not paying enough attention."

"Brother Dai's talent is indeed quite good. But then I thought about it, and it seems a bit uninteresting. I don't know if this kind of mentality is too stable or too arrogant..."

Dai Zhusheng and Hu Qingyuan were in the same cohort.

"If you register, you'll definitely be able to participate in the competition. Would you consider participating in this kind of competition?" Fang Ziye asked.

"Sometimes, but then I feel like it's a waste of time."

"If you're only investing time in training for the prize money from the competition, it's not very cost-effective."

"If it's just for honor, I think it would be better to go all out in the National Young Physicians Skills Competition and compete against the top doctors nationwide." Hu Qingyuan's tone was somewhat conflicted.

Because he currently has too many choices and his own "funds" are too plentiful, he doesn't have much superficial personal desire to motivate him.

Fang Ziye said, "But Hu Qingyuan, just to be on the safe side, we should still participate in more social activities and leave some real traces."

"If you suddenly leap into the air, even if you don't have mud in your crotch, people will still think you're shit. You know what I mean, right? People will question you."

Fang Ziye himself had "cheated" his abilities, so he knew how to leave traces step by step so that no one would dare to suspect him.

But if you haven't left any traces and you go straight for the unconventional path from the beginning, people won't ask you if you've used any social connections.
“Master, but I’m only a first-year graduate student this year, and there really aren’t any suitable social activities for me to participate in.” Hu Qingyuan pushed the teacup in front of Fang Ziye.

Hu Qingyuan's predicament lies here!

He may be talented, but he's too young, so he hasn't had a chance to show his abilities.

Because he is still in the accumulation stage, his current level of skill is insignificant compared to that of a seasoned doctor.

However, Hu Qingyuan is far more outstanding than his peers, and even compared to many mature doctors of the same age.

However, those who have already walked this path may not remember what they were like back then when they look back.

"Then? Don't you really think I'm holding you back?"

"For example, getting a scholarship or something," Fang Ziye asked.

Lin Fangzhong and the others spoke with ulterior motives, and Fang Ziye also took this matter to heart.

Fang Ziye was a first-time mentor and had no prior experience to draw upon, but he himself had wanted to win a scholarship back then, and Hu Qingyuan's current number of publications was indeed insufficient.

His involvement in many projects was not significant enough; if he was merely listed as a co-author, he wouldn't be able to obtain particularly good research awards from CAA.

Otherwise, the value of being a mere figurehead would be too high.

Hu Qingyuan shook his head and replied, "Master, of course not. If I wanted to publish articles, the amount of work I did in Enshi would be enough to publish a seven or eight-point treatise."

"But if the research is not completed and only a partial report is published, then it is not very meaningful."

"The value of this new and unique miRNA for osteosarcoma is extremely high, and it may redefine the diagnosis of bone tumors."

"This topic is worth studying carefully..."

Hu Qingyuan first listed the facts before saying, "Master, even if I really didn't do anything, just pretend I did. Give me something, and how could Lin Fangzhong and his people possibly compete with that?"

"I already have the best resources, so let's give them more opportunities..."

Hu Qingyuan's mindset at this moment is somewhat similar to the well-known online theory of "not taking from the most basic resources".

People with ample means should never try to squeeze the meager remaining resources from the trash can; that's the last line of defense for some people.

As for Hu Qingyuan, he has money and can receive a lot of research bonuses. He also has research projects to do, but there are no phased results to incentivize him. However, his future is limitless.

In this situation, Hu Qingyuan only needs to avoid being envious and maintain a good mindset.

“We can think that way, but we can’t do things or be people with a condescending attitude.”

"The reason I no longer recommend that you apply for school-level and city-level research projects is because our research group does not need this funding support."

"But many research groups still need it, and many other people still need it."

“You don’t need a school-level or city-level research project to enhance your resume, but others certainly do.”

Fang Ziye narrowed his eyes as he said this: "Back then, it was really necessary. Ten thousand yuan was a lot of money for us..."

In fact, it hadn't been long since that municipal-level research project was completed, and Fang Ziye still remembered it vividly.

Although it was only 100,000 yuan, it was a real lifeline for Fang Ziye back then.

Hu Qingyuan knew that the research funding for some well-known professors was generally only a few hundred thousand yuan, and some might have two or three million yuan.

Most junior supervisors can only manage about 100,000 to 200,000 yuan in research funding.

Some professors even use the research funding they apply for to buy the next research project, spending their own money to buy data, articles, and more research projects...

The students they admit not only lack research funding at their own discretion, but also have to work for the research group. These are the real "scientific research oxen and horses"!
It's extremely rare to find someone like your teacher, who is your first student and can basically achieve financial freedom, across the entire country.

Hu Qingyuan thought for a while and said, "Master, actually I'm a little confused right now."

"That's right. If I keep doing clinical work, I'll have to give up research. If I keep doing research, I won't be able to focus on clinical work and I won't be able to help you, my mentor, as soon as possible!"

“Research will definitely slow down my clinical progress.”

"Master, how did you balance this time in the past?"

"Just boil it all down?"

Fang Ziye thought to himself: It's useless to just boil it for years, it only works when it's activated. What does your master Fang Ziye know about balance? It's all about adding points.

However, he still had to answer Hu Qingyuan's question: "My master endured it all by himself, and for a long time, no one guided him; he just relied on mechanical repetition."

“But Qingyuan, you are different.”

"What I mean is, you still need to set aside a small amount of time to do research and do your own thing, so that these skills don't go to waste."

"Otherwise, when you start over much later, you'll find it very difficult to get started again."

"Keep doing it, even if there's no progress, you can still maintain your skills."

"Clinical skills training is your core task right now, so focus on clinical skills training."

“Let’s take five years to advance that project. Don’t even think about finishing it in a short time,” Fang Ziye said.

Lan Tianluo lost millions of new miRNA projects in the early stages, which is not something that can be done in one or two years. Even if Fang Ziye personally took charge, there was only a chance to develop it within a year.

However, the price to pay is that Fang Ziye must take a full-time break from his job.

This research topic has far-reaching implications, but it doesn't directly impact clinical practice. Therefore, investing so much time in it is not cost-effective.

Fang Ziye has already perfected the ideas and other details; others just need to repeat them.

And for topics like spinal cord injury, progress is impossible without a solution.

With this comparison, Fang Ziye naturally knew where to invest his time.

This isn't about being more efficient; it's about how it should be done.

“Master, are you sure I can completely stop thinking about it? I’m still young…” Hu Qingyuan bit his lower lip and said with a smile.

That's so true.

Hu Qingyuan is so young. He has always been in the limelight, but suddenly one year he couldn't be in the limelight anymore.

While it may not be particularly distressing or cause social withdrawal, it is still a kind of experience of disappointment.

All of this was actually what Fang Ziye 'originally wanted to do,' and now that he has achieved his goal, Hu Qingyuan has experienced a sense of loss.

The next step, of course, is to rebuild Hu Qingyuan's confidence: "Hu Qingyuan, how about this, you go and work full-time with Lan Tianluo to prepare for this year's provincial young physician skills competition."

"Let's set a small goal first, like winning third prize."

"If a first-year master's student comes back with a third-place award, everyone else will be furious!"

"This year it should be in Chishi, at the end of June, which is still more than three months away."

Upon hearing this, Hu Qingyuan's eyes flickered: "Master, it's a good idea, but I'm a little greedy for the experience in the animal laboratory. What should I do?"

Fang Ziye rolled his eyes and stood up irritably: "What are we going to do about this? Then let's not do it."

"Who are you? You want this and you want that."

"I wish I could work four days on and three days off, and I also wish I could finish a surgery in just five minutes!"

"Just do whatever you want?"

Of course, you can strive for things that are achievable, but wanting both things at once in an unrealistic way is just being a scoundrel.

"Then I'll go follow Senior Brother Lan Tianluo and continue to work hard to improve my basic clinical skills, striving to reach a level where I can suture nerves before the competition," Hu Qingyuan said.

Fang Ziye rolled his eyes again; "Then you'll have to buy a few more pieces of tofu."

“Even Lan Tianluo has only barely reached that level yet. If you reach it now, I’m afraid he’ll just bang his head against a wall.”

"You should prepare some tofu to line your stomach..."

In hand surgery, being able to complete nerve suturing is already a relatively high level of expertise, and being able to complete delicate blood vessel suturing is also a high level of expertise, which is the level that Lan Tianluo is at.

Hu Qingyuan suddenly realized: "Oh, okay, okay! Master is very experienced, I must remember that!"

Hu Qingyuan knows how to get along with people; he knows when to make which kind of appropriate joke.

Compared to Hu Qingyuan, Fang Ziye, the chairman, was simply a novice. Fang Ziye only just realized that Hu Qingyuan was flattering him and talking about his past!
Listening to Hu Qingyuan's earnest flattery, Fang Ziye narrowed his eyes: "Hu Qingyuan, how do you manage to be so completely absorbed in your flattery? Without any trace of Photoshop?"

Hu Qingyuan's ability to speak and sign documents is exceptional, earning him the approval and even admiration of Lan Tianluo.

Fang Ziye now has no doubt that Lan Tianluo has also been harmed by Hu Qingyuan in some way, and Lan Tianluo himself may not even be aware of it.

"How to say it, how to think it, and how to do it?" Hu Qingyuan said very frankly.

"For example, what I just told you, Master, is what I want to do."

"Later I remembered that you, Master, did the same thing back then." Hu Qingyuan thoughtfully gave Fang Ziye an example.

"What if you don't remember? What would you say?" Fang Ziye pressed.

Hu Qingyuan said, "If I don't remember, then I won't say it."

"But there's basically nothing I can't remember."

Hu Qingyuan has absolute confidence in his memory.

Fang Ziye continued, "What if you remembered it beforehand?"

"But didn't you still deliberately design the question to find the answer?"

Hu Qingyuan found this strange: "Master, when you design questions, you always work backward from the reference answers to deduce the questions, right?"

Hu Qingyuan continued, "Furthermore, Master, if your memory is more accurate, you should know that when you won the top prize, you didn't need to be so abnormal as to be able to stitch up nerves."

"I've set a small goal for myself."

"Only by setting the goal high enough can one surpass the master."

"Sigh, I'm now bound by this saying. Master, you're setting yourself up so high again. Proverbs are harmful."

Before Fang Ziye knew it, Hu Qingyuan had slapped his butt again, and Fang Ziye only reacted belatedly. (End of Chapter)