168: Chapter 168 Acknowledging Lu Chen's strength is tantamount to admitting one's own weakness.
At the same time.
In the General Surgery Department's Duty Room.
Ma Xu tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep.
He Zhongfeng's words from earlier that day kept spinning in his head.
"Professor Liu Chongli couldn't even suture that vessel himself; why don't you give it a try?"
Today, Deputy Director Qin Yi had specifically sought out Lu Chen to help suture a blood vessel.
Deputy Director Qin Yi was an Associate Chief Physician who had worked in General Surgery for twenty years, yet he had failed the Suturing twice.
Lu Chen went in and fixed it in three stitches.
Ma Xu rolled over and pulled the quilt over his head.
He knew, of course, that Lu Chen's skill was truly formidable.
But he didn't want to admit it.
Or rather, he was unwilling to admit it.
Because admitting Lu Chen was strong was equivalent to admitting he was weak.
A Resident Physician who had been on the job for less than two months already had skills that crushed ninety percent of the department.
How was someone like him, who had been an Attending Physician for several years, supposed to feel?
But no matter what he thought, the facts were right there.
After today, Ma Xu realized one thing clearly.
No matter what Vice President Peng arranged, he would absolutely never provoke Lu Chen again.
Because he couldn't afford to mess with him.
It wasn't about power.
It was about technical skill.
...
4:30 AM.
Shen Xiaoning's alarm went off.
She groggily turned off the alarm and lay there for ten seconds.
Then she sat up abruptly.
Today she was going to make sesame and scallion egg pancakes.
Fewer scallions.
More sesame seeds.
She dressed in the dark, washed her face, tied her ponytail, and headed out with a shopping bag.
The streetlights outside the dormitory were still on.
The early morning air was cool.
She jogged toward the morning market.
Her mind drifted to how Lu Chen looked in the Operating Room last night.
Standing at the lead surgeon's position, head down, his hands were incredibly steady.
Everyone else was nervous, but those hands of his were completely still.
As Shen Xiaoning ran, she couldn't help but smile.
Then she quickened her pace.
...
Lu Chen didn't dream.
Under the effects of the genetic enhancement serum, his sleep was extremely deep, and every minute of rest efficiency was maximized.
He would wake up naturally at exactly seven o'clock tomorrow morning.
Then he would open the system panel.
And then he would see the message that made him pause for three seconds.
[Vascular Anastomosis: God-level! Has reached the limit!]
Three God-level skills.
The road to becoming an all-around great physician was still long.
But every step was taken firmly.
[system panel Update Complete]
[Host: Lu Chen]
[Identity: Resident Physician (Jiangcheng City Central Hospital · Emergency Department)]
[Skill Panel]
[Suturing (God-level! Has reached the limit!)]
[God-level Hepatic Artery Anastomosis (God-level! Has reached the limit!)]
[Vascular Anastomosis (God-level! Has reached the limit!)]
[Basic Surgical Operations (Master Level): Progress 96/100]
[Internal Medicine Diagnostics (proficient level): Progress 77/100]
[Manual Hemostasis (Master Level): Progress 75/100]
[Laparoscopic Appendectomy (Master Level): Progress 96/100]
[Basic Theory of Emergency Medicine (proficient level): Progress 6/100]
[Tracheal Intubation (Master Level): Progress 63/100]
[Closed Thoracic Drainage (perfect level): Progress 47/100]
[Comprehensive Trauma First Aid (perfect level): Progress 49/100]
[Ultrasound-Guided Puncture (Master Level): Progress 83/100]
[Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (Master Level): Progress 18/100]
[Living Donor Liver Transplantation (Master Level): Progress 0/100]
[Basic Hepatobiliary Surgery (Skilled Level): Progress 67/100]
[Basic Neurosurgical Operations (Master Level): Progress 0/100]
[Current Total gratitude points: 1,025]
[Available Lucky Draws: 1]
[Title Slot]
[Currently Equipped: enemy of yama (Elementary), newcomer: surgical blade, one needle to settle the world, First Step into the Academic Hall, Amazing the World with a Single Feat, Dual Hands, Mentor Aura (Elementary)]
...
7:00 AM.
Lu Chen's eyes opened right on time.
He sat up and habitually opened the system panel.
Then he paused for three seconds.
[Vascular Anastomosis: God-level! Has reached the limit!]
The third God-level skill.
Lu Chen looked at the three lines marked "God-level" on the panel without much emotional fluctuation.
He had already sensed that last night's surgery would trigger a breakthrough.
Completing three perfect repair stitches in an extremely restricted operating space—that kind of precision and control had indeed touched the ceiling of the perfect level.
The breakthrough was a natural progression.
He glanced at the gratitude points again.
[Current Total gratitude points: 1,025]
[Available Lucky Draws: 1]
Enough for one draw.
But Lu Chen wasn't in a hurry to use it.
Past experience told him that a few minutes wouldn't make a difference for something like a lucky draw; it wouldn't be too late to do it when he was in his best state.
He closed the system panel and got up to wash.
While brushing his teeth, his phone vibrated.
A message from Shen Xiaoning.
[Xiao Ning: Dr. Lu! The egg pancakes are ready! I added more sesame seeds and fewer scallions. The millet porridge is also done, and the pickled cucumbers are sliced. I'm waiting for you at the entrance of the Red Zone!]
The time showed 6:47 AM.
She had woken up even earlier than he had.
Lu Chen replied.
[Lu Chen: Be there in five minutes.]
After washing up and changing into his white coat, Lu Chen pushed open the door of the Duty Room and walked out.
The air in the corridor still carried the characteristic chill of early morning.
He walked quickly through the emergency hall and pushed open the door to the Red Zone.
Shen Xiaoning was standing by the Nurse Station, holding an insulated lunch box. Her eyes immediately lit up when she saw him enter.
"Dr. Lu! Quick, eat while it's hot!"
She opened the insulated box and laid out the layers one by one.
The egg pancakes were golden and crispy, topped with a dense layer of white sesame seeds. The scallions were used sparingly as a perfect garnish, and the portion size was controlled very moderately.
The millet porridge was thick and rich, with a layer of rice oil floating on top.
The pickled cucumbers were sliced thin and arranged on a small plate, looking translucent and emerald green.
Lu Chen sat down and began to eat.
With the first bite of the egg pancake, the aroma of the sesame seeds spread in his mouth. The crispness of the crust was just right, and the tenderness of the eggs was also perfectly controlled.
"How is it?"
Shen Xiaoning had her hands clasped in front of her, leaning forward slightly, her round face full of anticipation.
"It's delicious."
"Really? Better than last time?"
"Better than last time."
"What's better about it?"
"The amount of sesame is just right, and the scallions don't overpower the flavor anymore."
The corners of Shen Xiaoning's mouth curled up, two dimples appearing simultaneously.
"Then I'll use this ratio from now on!"
"Okay."
After Lu Chen finished breakfast, Shen Xiaoning asked casually while packing up the insulated box.
"Dr. Lu, what time did you go to bed last night?"
"11:30."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Then you were quite well-behaved."
Lu Chen glanced at her.
Shen Xiaoning immediately realized what she had said, a hint of red flushing her face.
"I didn't mean you're not usually well-behaved! I meant you did very well... yeah, that's what I meant."
"I know what you meant."
"That's good then."
Clutching the insulated box, Shen Xiaoning quickly ran out of the Red Zone.
Sun Ji poked his head out from the Resuscitation Room.
"Lu-ge, did you know that Xiao Ning got up at 4:30 to cook for you?"
"How do you know?"
"Our resident dormitory is next to the Nurses' dormitory. This morning when I went to use the restroom, I saw her coming back from the morning market with a shopping bag."
"She wanted to."
"Her wanting to is one thing; whether you're aware of it is another."
"I'm aware."
Sun Ji clicked his tongue.
"You... when you speak from the heart, it's like you're reciting medical orders. There's no warmth at all."
"Are you done with your medical records?"
"Almost, almost. Lu-ge, don't change the subject."
Lu Chen ignored him, sat down at his workstation, and flipped to page 348 of the Emergency Medicine textbook.