After being separated from my family, I became a darling of the military region thanks to my medical

When Zhou Hai heard that Vice President Gao was going to "sit on the bench" himself, he quickly stood up from his chair, waved his hands repeatedly, and his expression was extremely serious.

"No, no! Vice President Gao, you're too old for that. You absolutely can't get onto that bench. If something goes wrong, how am I supposed to compensate Fuwai Hospital?"

Vice Dean Gao frowned, tapping his walking stick on the terrazzo floor. "Dean Zhou, what do you mean by that? I'm only fifty-five, in excellent health. How come I can't even sit on a stool?"

Zhou Hai stood aside, gesturing with his hands, and began to patiently explain the specific operating procedure of this "bench".

"You misunderstood. I didn't mean for you to sit and watch." Zhou Hai pointed to a corner of the wall not far away. "It's one of those long wooden benches. When the surgery starts this afternoon, the first three circles of people will already be packed. You'll have to take this wooden bench and stand at the very back of the third circle of people. Then, you'll stand on the bench, tiptoe, and crane your neck to look down over the heads of those senior doctors in front of you."

The reception room fell into a deathly silence. Only the monotonous ticking of the wall clock could be heard.

"That wooden bench is old, and its four legs aren't very stable. Only one person can get on at a time, and there's no handrail," Zhou Hai said, his tone full of concern for his old friend. "Think about it, a surgery can last for more than three hours. You're standing on that narrow bench, dangling in the air for three hours. What if your legs get tired, or you get dizzy from low blood sugar and fall headfirst... It's a small matter if you get hurt, but what if you hit the senior surgeon in front of you who's retracting the hook, affecting Dr. Ye's accuracy in making the incision? That patient's life would be in danger. None of us can bear that responsibility!"

Vice Dean Gao's face turned a deep, liver-colored hue at a speed visible to the naked eye.

He, the vice president of Fuwai Hospital, a leading figure in Beijing's medical community, was forced to come to this military hospital and, like a spectator watching a monkey show, stand on a rickety wooden bench and try to learn from others by peeking at their backs? This was an utter disgrace!

Director Liu and Director Ma, who were standing nearby, were also stunned. Director Liu suddenly stood up, about to lash out, but was firmly held down by Vice President Gao.

Vice Dean Gao's chest heaved violently as he forcefully suppressed the rage surging to his head. If he left today, he would truly miss Ye Zhen's surgery, and this entire investigation would be ruined.

"Old Ma, you're ten years younger, and your legs are nimble." Vice Dean Gao turned to look at Director Ma, gritting his teeth as he said, "This afternoon, you'll stand on this bench. Make sure you see the entire surgical procedure clearly."

Director Ma swallowed hard, his face contorted in a grimace, and could only nod in agreement.

Vice Dean Gao took a few deep breaths to compose himself, then looked at Zhou Hai again and changed the subject. "Dean Zhou, now that the afternoon's arrangements are finalized, we'll need the main hospital to help us with our accommodations and meals for the next few days. Fuwai Hospital is quite far from here, almost halfway across Beijing, and traveling back and forth is too much of a hassle. We need a quiet place to rest, preferably a guesthouse with a private room and bathroom. After all, Lao Ma has to observe a high-intensity surgery this afternoon and needs to recharge."

This request is perfectly reasonable under normal circumstances. When experts go to the grassroots level for exchanges, staying in a high-ranking official's guesthouse is standard practice.

Zhou Hai slapped his thigh, his face beaming. "Oh dear, look at my memory! Fatty Wang!"

Fatty Wang, who had been waiting outside the door, quickly pushed it open and came in.

"Hurry up, take the three experts from Fuwai Hospital to the 'Continuing Education Expert Building' that our main hospital has specially set aside! Reserve the best seats for the directors!" Zhou Hai ordered loudly.

Vice President Gao's expression softened slightly. At least Zhou Hai knew some manners this time, knowing to arrange expert housing for them.

The three men, carrying briefcases, followed Fatty Wang out of the office building and headed deeper into the main compound.

The north wind howled, whipping up the yellow dust from the ground. The further they walked into the backyard, the more uneven the path became, and the greenery on both sides turned into weeds. Looking at the increasingly remote surroundings, Vice Dean Gao's heart began to pound.

Fatty Wang stopped in front of a row of dilapidated bungalows made of red bricks. Large sections of the walls had peeled off, revealing the red bricks underneath, and the wooden doors rattled loudly in the wind. Most outrageous of all, the glass in several windows was broken, with yesterday's Beijing Evening News haphazardly pasted on them.

"We're here. This is the current training building for our main hospital's experts." Fatty Wang pushed open a rickety wooden door and stepped aside to let the three of them in.

Vice Dean Gao stood at the door, peeked inside, and felt his blood pressure instantly spike.

A long, dimly lit corridor stretched out, lined with small shared rooms. Each room contained a few makeshift wooden planks nailed together, covered with a layer of yellowed, dry straw mats. Cobwebs clung to the corners, and a musty, damp smell permeated the air.

"You call this an 'expert building'? This isn't even as good as our Fuwai Hospital's morgue!" Director Liu couldn't hold back any longer, pointing his finger at Fatty Wang and yelling, "Is this how your military general hospital treats experts from other units? This is deliberately insulting!"

Vice Dean Gao's knuckles turned white as he gripped the walking stick. He turned around, ready to go back immediately to settle accounts with Zhou Hai, even if it meant tearing off all pretenses, he wouldn't tolerate this nonsense.

Just as I turned around, someone walked over from the other end of the corridor.

The man was wearing a faded thermal undershirt, with a towel draped over his shoulder. He was carrying an enamel basin with the words "Labor is the most glorious" printed in red on it, filled with freshly washed clothes, and was humming a tune as he walked out.

Vice President Gao stared intently, then froze. "Old Liu? Liu Jianmin, the chief surgeon of cardiac surgery at Shanghai People's Hospital?"

Director Liu, carrying a washbasin, looked up and, upon recognizing Vice President Gao, paused in surprise. "Oh, Lao Gao! Did your people from Fuwai Hospital also follow the scent here?"

Vice President Gao and Liu Jianmin had given presentations together at last year's National Cardiovascular Conference, so they were old acquaintances. Vice President Gao, as if seeing a savior, quickly walked over.

"Old Liu, you're one of Shanghai's top experts! That military hospital is going too far, putting you in this doghouse!" Vice President Gao lowered his voice, trying to rally support. "Let's go, we're going to the front right now to find Zhou Hai and demand an explanation! We'll make him give us back our private room at the guesthouse today!"

Liu Jianmin's reaction was far beyond Vice President Gao's expectations.

He showed no resentment at being mistreated. Instead, he cautiously took a half-step back, clutching the enamel basin tightly to his chest, and stared at Vice Dean Gao with the same look he had when watching a hen snatching food.

"Old Gao, don't cause me any trouble here. What do you mean 'doghouse'? This is a prime bed I bought for twenty yuan!" Liu Jianmin pointed to a room without a door next to him and said in a low voice, "Let me tell you, if you guys from Fuwai don't like this place today, pack your bags and leave right now. There are more than a dozen prefecture-level directors lined up with their money, waiting for this wooden bed!"

Vice Dean Gao wondered if Liu Jianmin had damaged his brain during surgery. Spending twenty yuan to live in this drafty, dilapidated cave dwelling, and treating it like a treasure?

"Are you crazy? How can anyone sleep in conditions like this?" Vice Dean Gao pointed to the window covered with newspaper.

Liu Jianmin wiped the water droplets from his face, leaned close to Vice President Gao's ear, and his eyes revealed a fanatical glint.

"Sleep? Who comes here to sleep?" Liu Jianmin pointed to the dim incandescent light on the corridor ceiling. "Every night before lights out at ten, this corridor is filled with top surgeons from all over the country. During the day, they observe Dr. Ye's new techniques in the operating room, and at night they exchange ideas and review their findings under this light. Whoever sees the key incision angle, whoever understands the force point of microscopic anastomosis, everyone gets together to draw anatomical diagrams and fill in the details. This shabby corridor is now the most prestigious medical research institute in all of China! You think you can hear all this staying in a high-ranking official's guesthouse?"

Vice Dean Gao was struck dumb. He had always thought his colleagues were being forced to suffer, but he never expected these old guys to be engaging in closed-door competition! In this era of technological blockade, the most core clinical experience is a closely guarded secret passed down orally. Whoever masters it can dominate the local area.

Liu Jianmin glanced at the two people behind Vice President Gao and pointed to a room at the end of the corridor.

"Don't blame me for not warning you. The bunks with bed boards are almost gone. If you go to Section Chief Wang to pay now, you can each reserve a spot. Any later, and you'll have to sleep on the floor."

Vice Dean Gao swallowed hard. He turned his head and looked at the broken window covered with old newspapers, and the north wind blowing in didn't seem so biting anymore.

"Old Ma," Vice Dean Gao gritted his teeth, slamming his walking stick heavily on the ground, "Pay up. Book all the last few seats!"