Monday, 5:00 PM. The low-temperature operating room in the Affiliated Hospital’s teaching building.
After eight hours of relayed assistance, Chen Yu, Yan Feifan, and Yu Suye had once again performed a full rehearsal of the reconstructive surgery on a "silent mentor" that was still in good condition.
"I think we can start experimenting on the lab mouse now."
Qin Ying, who was bundled up warmly and had participated in the entire procedure as a surgical assistant, lightly stretched her feet and nodded. "Today’s rehearsal went quite smoothly. I also believe the time is ripe."
She looked at Yan Feifan again, her voice a little louder as she instructed, "Feifan, you can start writing the paper now."
"Once the clinical trial surgery on the mouse is finished and we have the preliminary examination report, the paper can be published."
Chen Yu’s face stiffened. He shot Qin Ying a sidelong glance and said disdainfully, "Dr. Qin, you don’t have to speak so loudly."
"This concept was proposed by Feifan. He’s the lead surgeon and, for all intents and purposes, my student."
"I’m not going to steal his achievement and be looked down upon by someone’s jaded eyes."
Being implicitly called a dog, Qin Ying let out a cold laugh.
She shot back sarcastically, "A certain someone’s current position, one could say, was obtained entirely by waiting out the years for seniority!"
"In all these years, has he produced any research results actually worth showing off?"
Qin Ying continued, "If the reconstructive surgery Feifan designed proves to be effective..."
"With how proactively a certain someone has gotten involved, can he slap his chest and swear he’s never had the wicked thought of claiming it for himself?"
Chen Yu was furious, glaring daggers at Qin Ying.
"You, with the surname Qin! Who was it that begged me to join this project in the first place?"
"And now you’re twisting things around. Is your face made of cowhide leather?"
Qin Ying’s expression remained unchanged as she said, "I did request it at the time. I won’t deny that."
"The problem is, you’ve also been far too proactive."
"I can only be the villain first to be the bigger person later, to cut off any of a certain someone’s improper thoughts. This is to prevent him from doing something he shouldn’t in the end, getting stabbed in the back by gossip, and ruining what little reputation he has left."
Chen Yu was so angry he ground his teeth, pointing a finger at Qin Ying’s nose.
"A dog’s mouth can’t spit out ivory! Qin, do you think my knowledge and judgment are worse than yours?"
"You saw the potential of this concept, so you think I couldn’t? That’s why I’ve been so dedicated to helping Feifan make it a reality."
Qin Ying nodded with a solemn expression. "Strictly speaking, your judgment and knowledge are indeed just a tiny bit worse than mine."
Chen Yu was truly about to lose his mind.
He turned his head to look at the surgical instruments on the stainless steel tray, as if looking for a weapon to use.
Seeing this, Yan Feifan and Yu Suye could no longer pretend to be invisible and quickly intervened.
They each took on one of them.
Yu Suye took Qin Ying’s arm, coaxing her as she pulled her out of the operating room.
Yan Feifan, meanwhile, stayed behind in the operating room to placate Chen Yu.
"Director, Mrs. Qin, she..."
"I don’t need your placating!"
Chen Yu angrily cut Yan Feifan off. "I’m not going to stoop to the level of that unloved, uncared-for, menopausal madwoman who has nothing!"
He took a few deep breaths, calming himself slightly.
"Yan Feifan, let me ask you. You don’t also worry that I’ll steal this concept of yours, like that madwoman does, do you?"
"Director, I’ve never thought that!"
Yan Feifan quickly clarified his position. "Director, over this past period, you have always taught me without holding anything back."
"I have never doubted your moral character, Director!"
Chen Yu nodded lightly. "Your saying that is enough."
"I’ll leave the cleanup here to you..."
Yan Feifan watched, somewhat dumbfounded, as Dr. Chen Yu flicked his sleeves and sauntered away.
’How is he supposed to clean up this huge mess all by himself?’
Fortunately, there was someone who had Yan Feifan in her thoughts.
A little over ten minutes later, Yu Suye returned.
The two of them bustled about for over an hour before they finished cleaning the operating room and returned the "silent mentor" to the specimen room.
Back in the changing room next to the OR, after changing out of their thick, warm clothes, Yan Feifan took his phone out of his locker and found several unread messages and missed calls.
He first opened a voice message from Dr. Qiu Ge.
Yan Feifan was informed that Zhou Yan had woken up around 1:00 PM.
The examination revealed that he was conscious and lucid, his memory was decent, but he had some short-term memory loss.
He had feeling in his hands and feet, with moderate numbness on the left side of his body.