It was a good morning text from his girl.

Jiang He replied with a "Good morning," an irrepressible smile spreading across his face. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Lu Xiaolin teased, "What’s going on? Smiling so giddily... is that from your girlfriend?"

Jiang He replied, "Not yet."

"Hahaha, well, I’m rooting for you two to make it official."

After the banter, Lu Xiaolin said, "Alright, let’s go. I’ll take you to the archives and the equipment department at Peking Union Medical College Hospital. Didn’t you say you wanted to look up some cutting-edge data on pancreatic surgery? Since you’re here, we shouldn’t let the trip go to waste."

Jiang He nodded. "Sorry to trouble you, Lu Xiaolin."

The internal archives of Peking Union Medical College Hospital were at the far end of the old building.

In 2008, the healthcare system had not yet achieved a high degree of digital networking.

Many foreign journals and clinical trial data were still stored as physical printouts or on CDs.

Jiang He spent the entire morning immersed in the archives.

Lu Xiaolin helped him find all the equipment update catalogs and surgical recording CDs from the past three years, both domestic and international, related to pancreaticoduodenectomy.

The more Jiang He read, the more his brow furrowed.

It was all too backward. Not just in terms of academic theory, but the equipment was lagging behind as well.

He could advance the theory quickly, but when it came to equipment, it was a classic case of not being able to make bricks without straw.

To revolutionize the radical resection of pancreatic cancer, he would need, at a minimum, a laparoscopic system with a 3D high-definition view and a smart ultrasonic scalpel capable of multi-angle articulation.

Ideally, he could also get the Da Vinci surgical robot developed, which would become a game-changer in the future.

He had to find someone to get this done.

On a blank page in his notebook, Jiang He forcefully wrote a single word: Equipment.

This was another great mountain on his path to conquering the "king of cancers" that had to be tackled immediately.

Developing equipment required money.

The first person who came to mind was Chen Hao...

But that kid would, at most, invest a portion of it. He couldn’t be expected to foot the majority of the bill.

After some thought, he realized the coal boss was actually an excellent choice for an investor.

The only thing he needed to guard against was the hospital administration, especially that Vice Dean Zhao, swooping in to steal his credit.

With this in mind, Jiang He quietly gave Lu Xiaolin a few instructions, meticulously setting up a two-pronged plan.

As for sucking up to that Vice Dean? Not happening.

True maximization of benefits was built upon an absolute technological barrier—making as many friends and as few enemies as possible.

Some people weren’t worth associating with. It was not only a waste of time, but hanging around them could also lead to trouble. On the other hand, someone like Xu Wenpei was a person he should cooperate with sooner rather than later.

Jiang He’s gaze was sharp and clear-headed.

He held the blueprints for technology twenty years ahead of the world. In the face of such a decisive medical advantage, all unwritten rules would have to step aside for him.

’The fruits of my labor are mine to give. If I offer them, you may take them. If I don’t, no one can snatch them away.’

「2:00 PM.」

Jiang He had just left the archives when he got a call from Chen Hao.

"Old Jiang! Are you done with your stuff over there?"

"Still in the Capital City. What’s up?"

"Well, we’ve run into a few tricky cases and we’re not sure what to do. The pathology report’s description of lymph node metastasis is extremely vague. It just says ’cancer metastasis found in peripancreatic lymph nodes’ but doesn’t specify which lymph node group. The total number of nodes dissected is only five or six. How are we supposed to record this data in the spreadsheet?"

Jiang He quickly replied, "Record it directly, but add an asterisk with a note. A total dissection count of fewer than fifteen is considered a non-standard lymph node dissection. Don’t worry about the specific groups; just focus on extracting the ratio of positive lymph nodes to the total number."

On the other end of the line, Chen Hao immediately said to someone next to him, "Wang Bo, Old Jiang says to just calculate the ratio and mark it with an asterisk."

Then, Chen Hao started complaining into the phone again, "Old Jiang, you’re lucky you’re not here. This basement is so stuffy. But at least Cheng Xiyao is here. That kid Li Zijian is working super efficiently trying to show off for her."

Li Zijian loudly retorted, "Don’t talk nonsense! Who’s trying to show off?! I’m always this dedicated!"

Listening to his roommate’s complaints, Jiang He chuckled and said, "Hang in there, brothers. Once the data is processed, I’ll put all your names on the paper. It’ll be a huge help for you when you apply for grad school."

"Alright, with you saying that, we’ll definitely get this work done. By the way, how’s the real-life meetup going? Is the girl pretty?"

"Get your welcome banner ready."

"Tch, talk is cheap. You’d better bring back a picture as proof!"

After a bit more small talk with Chen Hao, he hung up.

His business at Peking Union Medical College Hospital was mostly wrapped up.

Lu Xiaolin had to stay in the ward to follow up on the coal boss’s subsequent imaging results, so Jiang He didn’t go bother him.

From Dongdan, where Peking Union Medical College Hospital was located, it would take over an hour by subway Line 1 and a bus transfer to get to Normal University.

He had to get going. He had promised to take her out to dinner tonight.

Jiang He walked out of the old building of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, crossed the bustling outpatient hall, and headed toward the main entrance.

Just as he neared the hospital’s retractable gate, his phone rang again.

This time, it was Shen Yu.

Jiang He answered immediately, his voice softening involuntarily.

"Hello? Teacher Shen?"

"Dr. Jiang, where are you right now? Are you done with work?"

Shen Yu’s voice on the phone was noisy, with the sounds of car horns and people in the background.

Jiang He replied, "Yeah, I just finished. I was about to head to the subway station to go to your university and find you. Why aren’t you resting in your dorm? It sounds like you’re outside."

Shen Yu didn’t answer his question, asking instead, "So you’re at Peking Union Medical College Hospital right now?"

"Yes, I just reached the main entrance." Jiang He had a bad feeling and stopped in his tracks.

"Oh..." The voice on the other end suddenly became cheerful, tinged with an unconcealable smile. "Then keep walking forward. Come to the bus stop right outside the hospital entrance."

He pressed his lips together.

’It can’t be... Please tell me she didn’t...’

Clutching his phone, he quickly ran out of the hospital’s main gate.

His gaze swept past the service road and toward the bus stop not far away.

On this autumn evening, the setting sun bathed the entire Dongdan intersection in a golden glow.

The bus stop was crowded with people waiting for the bus, most of them patients’ family members carrying plastic bags.

But on the edge of the crowd, Jiang He spotted a familiar figure in a single glance.

Shen Yu had clearly taken great care to dress up today.

She was wearing a beautiful long dress, her long hair fluttering in the breeze.

Leaning on her crutch, she looked both beautiful and remarkably down-to-earth.

At the same time, she was holding a dark blue stainless steel thermos.

The chilly early autumn wind of the Capital City messed up her hair and nipped her nose slightly red, but the moment she saw Jiang He walk out of the hospital gate, her eyes lit up, and she waved vigorously at him.

Jiang He’s heart clenched.

From Normal University to Peking Union Medical College Hospital... it was so far.

A girl whose ankle was just injured yesterday.

Squeezing onto buses, transferring subways, hopping on one foot, she had crossed more than half of the Capital City.

"What are you doing?"

Jiang He rushed over, his heart aching for her. "Who told you to run around like this? What if you tear your ligament a second time!"

His tone was anxious, almost stern.

Shen Yu flinched at his words.

She pouted and apologized first. "I was wrong... Don’t be angry..."

With that, Shen Yu quickly held out the thermos she was holding. She looked up at Jiang He’s tense face, the corners of her eyes curving into a bright smile.

"Dr. Jiang, I just wanted to thank you..."

"You were running around all over the place for me yesterday, so I thought I should personally make something to repay you today."

"The dorm auntie was on duty, so I borrowed her pot and made you something tasty."

She pressed the thermos into Jiang He’s hands.

"There’s nothing good to eat around the hospital. I bet you haven’t eaten yet~"

"Did I guess right? Quick, try it. It’s still hot."

"I’m a really good cook, you know. I bet you’ve never had food this delicious before!"

Hearing her words, Jiang He felt a mix of anger and overwhelming emotion...

’Silly girl, how could I have never eaten your cooking before? I’ve had it thousands of times.’

’No wonder you asked me last night if I could eat spicy food. No wonder you told me to message you when I was done with work. So you were planning to bring me dinner all along.’

’Even after being reborn, why are you still so good to me?’

’Seriously, this is just unfair...’

Seeing his expression, Shen Yu giggled and playfully made her hands into finger guns, saying:

"Are you touched? Hehe, mission accomplished!"

After saying that, she even mimicked the action of firing a gun, going "PEW PEW PEW" several times.