System Came When the Doctor was Thirty Chapter 24: A ‘Playful’ Blind Date

Long County, sumr, noon, the scorching sun blaze once again.

The coffee shop, with an air of pretentious elegance, was decorated in a garish manner, playing slow-paced 'foreign-style' music.

Lu Cheng placed his phone on the table, introduced himself with a casual smile: "My na is Lu Cheng, Aunt Wang should have introduced to you, I'm an ergency departnt doctor at the County Renmin Hospital."

The person who arrived was a young woman, around twenty-six or twenty-seven, with a delicate appearance, a beautiful figure, and an elegant deanor. She placed her bag with a hint of apology: "I just had a parent ask about grades after work, so I was delayed for a bit."

"Dr. Lu, didn't my aunt say you were an orthopedic doctor? Why do you say you're an ergency departnt doctor?"

Lu Cheng was on a blind date, a common setup where teachers et doctors introduced by family.

"This month, just yesterday, I applied to transfer to the ergency departnt; I used to work in orthopedics."

After casually explaining, Lu Cheng asked, "Teacher Wang, are we just going through the motions today or ticking a box?"

Having had sixteen or seventeen blind dates, Lu Cheng was quite familiar with the 'routine' of such etings. So people attend just to appease family pressure, going through the motions.

The woman chose to turn off her phone at this mont, curiously asking, "Dr. Lu, I'm naturally here for a proper date, not just ticking a box or going through the motions."

"Why did you transfer from orthopedics to the ergency departnt? Orthopedics is great, the pay is high."

"The ergency departnt is exhausting and doesn't pay well?"

Lu Cheng's eyebrows twitched slightly: "You also think the inco in orthopedics is high? It is indeed, but our hospital's situation is a bit different."

"The hospital's structure is deficit-based performance, with reallocation based on performance points. However, there are five associate chief physicians in our departnt. I'm just a junior attending, so performance has nothing to do with ..."

"That's why I moved to the ergency departnt."

Wang Xinyue suddenly showed understanding: "So that's how it is... Dr. Lu, what are your plans for your career? Have you thought about venturing out?"

This is also a common question in blind dates; usually, teachers staying in the county are content with their lot and don't want their date to leave, wasting the ti of the et-up.

Lu Cheng shook his head: "I don't have such plans for now."

"For now? So you might work outside in the future?" Wang Xinyue was not surprised.

"That's a possibility, mainly because working in the County Hospital doesn't allow much learning, not many surgeries, and slightly complex patients get pushed away... it's like high-level triage..."

"Of course, it's not just my decision to leave."

"dicine is highly competitive."

"Without education, there's no 'elegant' stepping stone."

"Without connections, there's no idle position."

"Without cases, without learning opportunities, there's no way to master techniques others don't know."

"So it's just a one-sided wish." Lu Cheng replied.

The barriers in dicine are very high; although it's a field based on skill, to gain 'irreplaceable' strength requires seeking guidance from teachers, not sothing gained through 'self-reflection.'

Each skill's learning, practicing, mastering, requires years of painstaking effort...

"Then you could pursue further studies? Many of my classmates in dicine went for master's or even Ph.D." Wang Xinyue seed to not treat this date as a 'formal' one, just wanting soone to chat with.

Lu Cheng laughed: "I never pursued further studies before, and now being at this age, the chances are even slimr."

He added casually: "Moreover, it's not like you can pursue a master's or Ph.D. just by wanting to. Every year, many fresh and past graduates take exams, but only a small number succeed."

Wang Xinyue asked with interest: "Dr. Lu, when you were taking exams, did you encounter any unfairness?"

Lu Cheng paused, silent for a full minute: "Not really."

Wang Xinyue said: "I heard you were from Han City University; you must have been an exceptional student, right? How could you not succeed in the exams?"

Han City University's comprehensive ranking is within the national top ten; although their dical program isn't top-notch, the admission scores are far from beautiful.

"dicine is an experiential discipline; exams for master's or Ph.D. have little to do with studying." Lu Cheng said casually, then continued, "Teacher Wang, let's talk about sothing else."

"I'll briefly ntion my situation, I'll be thirty in September, have a mortgage for a house, my car is fully paid for and costs around fifteen grand."

"I smoke, don't drink, don't use betel nut, have no dating experience... been on over a dozen blind dates..."

"Teacher Wang, is there anything else you want to ask?"

Wang Xinyue listened, her eyes slightly raised: "Dr. Lu, Teacher Wang has a matter today, actually I'm Han Jingyi..."

Lu Cheng's expression remained calm: "Then Teacher Han, feel free to ask questions."

Blind dates co in various forms, attended by friends, parents, or even the person themselves...

Han Jingyi thought for a mont, suddenly asking: "Dr. Lu, do you mind changing the person you are on a blind date with?"

Lu Cheng's expression flickered.

It seems today's won really have endless tricks up their sleeves?

Lu Cheng: "..."

After a careful look, Lu Cheng found the girl sitting across from him was quite a beauty, with a standard oval face, naturally long eyebrows not requiring makeup, large eyes, bright pupils, a prominent nose, a long neck...

Not sure if she was testing him, but since she was playing along, Lu Cheng saw no need to treat her as a 'person'!

"Okay then!" Lu Cheng smiled with a hint of reluctance.

"Dr. Lu, would you mind if your date has higher qualifications than you and is also in the sa field?" Han Jingyi asked.

"Are you also a doctor?" Lu Cheng glanced at the girl across him with surprise.

Han Jingyi modestly lowered her head a bit: "Yes, sort of. Dr. Lu, I am currently an academic type Ph.D., just started my first year this year..."

Upon hearing this, Lu Cheng asked: "Dr. Han, did Teacher Wang ask you to co here to test ?"

"Actually, there's no need for that. If she didn't want to co, she could have just sent a ssage. No need for all the convoluted maneuvering."

Han Jingyi looked up, shook her head: "It's not that, Senior Brother Lu... look again? Don't you rember ?"

Lu Cheng examined Han Jingyi carefully again, unable to match her to anyone he knew, but her calling him Senior Brother left Lu Cheng a bit embarrassed.

"Honestly, I don't rember." Lu Cheng said.

"Han City University, Zhongnan Hospital, Orthopedics Departnt Two..."

"Back then, you were a resident doctor; I was Professor Lan's research assistant." Han Jingyi explained seriously.

"You were also the top scorer in Modu Huashan Hospital's written exam."

Upon hearing this, Lu Cheng's eyes beca clearer: "Han? How did you co here? Are you also from Xiangzhou?"

Han Jingyi shook her head, her gaze clear: "No, I'm from neighboring Feng County. I was high school classmates with Wang Xinyue, and after graduation, I took the civil service exam in Long County; she said there was a blind date she didn't want to attend."

"So she asked to substitute for her, and since I was on vacation and found it was you, Senior Brother, I ca in."

"Senior Brother Lu, why didn't you try a second attempt at re-examination? Your scores were so good..." Han Jingyi asked.

Lu Cheng and 'Han Jingyi' were old acquaintances, he replied: "Back then, I was young and arrogant, hadn't faced the harsh realities of society, thinking I could rise above without a good ntor."

"But here I am, beaten down like a drowned rat, can't even stay in the original orthopedics departnt."

dicine is experiential; without a good ntor teaching, without enough cases to support, talent is worthless, let alone so qualifications!

Even having a system won't help without patients.

"In retrospect, I shouldn't have aid so high. Should have chosen to study at the local institute or attempted again for the second year." Lu Cheng's voice was sowhat wistful but not too disappointed.

So talent might not support Lu Cheng's 'arrogance', but having a system might make a difference.

"Senior Brother Lu, I heard you applied to Fudan both in college entrance exams and graduate exams, do you have a particular reason for that? Any secrets?" Han Jingyi asked casually.

Lu Cheng straightened his posture slightly, carefully scrutinized her, and squinted with amusent: "Dr. Han, are you here for a blind date or gossiping? I feel like your motives aren't straightforward."

Han Jingyi pondered, then gestured subtly in a direction: "Actually, both... I was also sent on an errand."

Lu Cheng turned his head to look, and saw a 'figure' that looked more mature but familiar sitting upright there, and upon seeing him look over, she 'familiarly' grew nervous again...