Chapter Four: A Bewildered Zhang Fan

Zhang Fan completely lost consciousness and only woke up the next day. The hospital had organized a two-day trip to the grasslands for the department heads and newly arrived university students. Zhang Fan sat silently in the back seat of the bus.

“Don’t take it to heart. We all got drunk yesterday; you just passed out a little earlier. We rookies can't compare to those old hands,” Li Hui whispered to comfort Zhang Fan, noticing his lack of enthusiasm.

“It’s not that. I honestly wasn’t thinking much about it. I’ve just never been drunk before, and I’m still a bit dizzy today. I think I’ll just rest a little longer,” Zhang Fan replied, though in his mind he was busy analyzing the sudden appearance of the system.

The Super Auxiliary System was born a century in the future, designed to enhance China’s medical system. Created by numerous scientists, it was a tool to rapidly improve doctors’ treatment capabilities. It combined functions such as querying, assistance, and training. For some unknown reason, it had slipped through a rift in time and space, entering Zhang Fan’s body.

The system automatically detected and identified Zhang Fan as a medical intern. Following China’s medical training progression, the system presented four major departments—surgery, internal medicine, gynecology, and pediatrics—though he could only choose one to study until he became a licensed physician.

Upon waking, Zhang Fan immediately began to explore the system. Years of university had toughened his nerves; he wasn’t flustered by the sudden appearance of the system. Despite the four main departments, only one was selectable. The system had informed Zhang Fan that before obtaining his medical license, he could only learn in a single department. He hesitated between surgery and internal medicine, having already ruled out gynecology and pediatrics.

He lacked sufficient knowledge, having spent his university years working to pay tuition. Internal medicine would fill in his knowledge gaps, but during his hospital internship, he found himself drawn to surgery. After some contemplation, he chose the surgery system.

Once surgery was selected, the other departments became grayed out and unavailable. Surgery itself split into two subcategories: clinical recovery and clinical treatment. This time, the system allowed him to study both.

Zhang Fan first entered clinical treatment under surgery and was overwhelmed by the countless options—neurosurgery, orthopedics, general surgery, urology, and many more. He favored orthopedics for its straightforward and tangible nature. Upon entering orthopedics, he faced even more options: spine, joints, trauma, microsurgery, and so on, leaving him utterly bewildered.

As he stared at the endless options, Zhang Fan felt lightheaded. It confirmed the online saying: “If you advise someone to study medicine, your entire family will suffer.” There was just too much to learn. This was precisely why future scientists invented the system—to rapidly elevate doctors’ skills without needing a decade or more to mature.

To study advanced orthopedic topics, he first had to master basic surgery. Following the system’s step-by-step guidance, Zhang Fan began foundational surgical studies.

Fluid replacement, interference resistance, basic trauma first aid—three major courses that almost pushed him to the brink of collapse. “Did I attend a fake university? I’ve never even seen some of these subjects during my studies,” he lamented. But having chosen the arduous path of medicine, he resolved to persevere.

Putting aside thoughts of his future medical career, Zhang Fan knew his sister’s upcoming university entrance exams meant he had to forge ahead. As her older brother, he refused to let her face the cold realities of society prematurely to pay tuition and living expenses.

During foundational surgical training, even a simple skill like suturing and knot tying had many variations. Zhang Fan began practicing mentally. The Super Medical Auxiliary System stimulated the thalamus to enhance learning efficiency by about five times and activated neurons to develop muscle memory for autonomous muscles.

Zhang Fan had never seriously interned in his fifth year, merely going through the motions. He knew the terminology but not the specifics. As he practiced knot tying, his brain followed the step-by-step instructions. While the system improved efficiency, it also increased his physical and mental exhaustion.

The grasslands of Quark County were Asia’s largest, situated at an altitude of 1,500 to 3,000 meters. It was a narrow, elongated highland rich in water resources from the Gongnisi River system, flowing from east to west with an average annual runoff of 1.589 billion cubic meters. Influenced by Siberian air masses and Arctic Ocean moisture, the climate was cool and relatively humid, with annual precipitation around 800 millimeters and an average temperature of 8.5°C. During the tourist season, temperatures ranged between 12.5°C and 15.7°C.

Mount Nalati lay like a green jade resting along the Gongnisi River. The mountain was grand and majestic, powerful but gentle, elegant without being coquettish. The main scenic area of the park was the Great East Gorge on the mountain’s eastern side, stretching nearly 10 kilometers. Here, clear waters and beautiful mountains mingled with meadows and forests in harmonious patterns.

Beside the river was a favored camping spot for visitors. The mountain streams carved deep valleys with sheer cliffs and jagged rocks. The naturally formed stone gates soared into the clouds, mysterious caves and ravines abounded, waterfalls cascaded into deep pools, and streams babbled—all suffused with nature’s charm, a rare and splendid place for exploration.

“Zhang Fan, get up! Look, we’ve arrived at the grasslands!” Li Hui from Su Province, seeing such a vast and beautiful grassland for the first time, was excited. His call interrupted Zhang Fan, who was still immersed in the system.

Though the grassland was stunning, Zhang Fan had little spirit to enjoy it. The previous night’s drinking still weighed on him. While studying with the system, he hadn’t felt it as keenly, but once outside, fatigue and hunger hit hard. At that moment, he felt he could eat an entire cow or sleep for days on end.

Now no longer a student, he couldn’t indulge whimsically. Gritting his teeth, he followed the group. Batu, a skilled publicist, had already arranged for the office director to prepare a bright red banner reading “Quark County Hospital University Students’ Rural Outreach Activity.”

Before noon, Batu had the new university students take photos holding the banner for publicity purposes—mainly to impress the leadership. Without the system, Zhang Fan would have tried to cozy up to the hospital director and other heads. Now, with this mysterious system, the desire to ingratiate himself had vanished; all his focus was on the system.

Finally, lunch arrived. Inside the Mongolian tents on the grassland, long low tables were set up. Everyone sat cross-legged on carpets. The local cuisine emphasized freshness, rustic flavor, and generosity.

Two whole roasted lambs were served, along with Quark County’s special smoked horse sausages, big plate chicken, and braised beef. Dish after dish was brought out, making Zhang Fan’s mouth water. But when servers dressed in ethnic costumes began offering silver cups for toasts, Zhang Fan was once again dumbfounded. It looked like he was on the verge of starving.