Chapter 2

After dinner, Ling Ran came to the old air-raid shelter behind the school morgue by himself.

The air-raid shelter was left over from the early years. It had been used as a temporary hospital for a while, then as a temporary morgue for a long time. Later, when a new medical building was constructed, it became a neglected corner once again, even the dogs looking for a place to mate found the smell here unbearable.

Ling Ran didn’t really care.

When medical students first started dissecting corpses, they were nauseated to death. After two years of practice, they could spin a pen with finger bones.

Of course, when there was nothing to do, no one would come to the morgue for a stroll, especially in the evening.

Ling Ran stood in the center of the quiet air-raid shelter, thinking that leader-class Transformers were only about seven to ten meters tall, so the space should be enough.

However, what if the Transformer given by the system was too big?

While thinking, Ling Ran used both his hands and mind to open the “Newbie Big Gift” in the upper right corner of his field of vision.

“‘Master-Level Suturing Technique’ obtained!”

A calm voice echoed in Ling Ran’s mind.

At this moment, when Ling Ran recalled the “Suturing Technique,” he thought of countless details.

The distance between two stitches, the force used during suturing, the choice of suture, several ways to tie knots...

“But, just one suturing technique, and only one type of it, is that too stingy?” Ling Ran muttered to himself in a low voice.

“The ‘Suturing Technique’ includes simple interrupted suturing, simple continuous suturing, subcuticular suturing, mattress suturing, cross suturing, and continuous locking suturing, a total of six types,” the system explained in a rather mechanical tone.

Ling Ran, not entirely satisfied, said, “Even if there are more types, it’s still just a suturing technique. Inverted suturing and tension suturing need to be learned separately. Can’t you give me a Transformer?”

This time, the system’s response was a bit slow. After a while, it answered, “No.”

“Why?”

“The medical system teaches medical skills, not Transformers.”

Ling Ran pouted, thinking that at the very least, this system didn’t seem to have a person behind it.

If it were a person, they would likely ask, “What do you need a Transformer for?”

“What does ‘Master-Level’ mean?” Ling Ran asked again.

The system’s voice remained unchanged: “The skill levels from low to high are Beginner, Specialized, Master, and Perfect. Master is the third level.”

“So, you mean your newbie big gift is just this flimsy suturing technique?”

“Yes.”

“Just the suturing technique?”

“Yes.”

“No Transformer?”

“Yes.”

Ling Ran frowned, thinking that if this system wasn’t faking it, it probably wouldn’t pass the Turing test (a test to determine whether the conversation partner is human or a machine).

The questions he had just asked were classic Turing test questions.

If asked the same questions by a normal person, even if they weren’t scolded, they would likely say something like, “I’ve already told you.”

Only a mechanical program would methodically answer, “Yes.”

But what if this thing was faking it?

Ling Ran shook his head. With the resources he had, he really had no way to determine. Even if he conducted a full Turing test, he would still have the same doubts.

“Alright, it’s a waste of such a good air-raid shelter.” Ling Ran looked up at the sky, regretting not making use of the air-raid shelter.

Back in the dorm, his roommates had all returned after eating dinner, each holding a phone, taking selfies or photos of each other.

“Ling Ran, come quickly to get your white coat. It’s new from the warehouse, but it’s a bit wrinkled. Take it to room 306 to iron it.”

Chen Wanhuo was the first to see Ling Ran, gave him a few instructions, and then raised his phone.

“Hey, do you really need to do this?” Ling Ran looked at the room full of medical students in white coats, feeling helpless.

“We start our internship at the hospital tomorrow. Don’t you want to leave a good impression? The white coats issued by the school are all wrinkled. How can you wear them without ironing?” As Chen Wanhuo spoke, he posed a 45-degree angle look-up, snapped a photo, and pressed the shutter.

“Where’s the stethoscope?” Ling Ran pointed to the red stethoscope hanging around Chen Wanhuo’s neck.

Chen Wanhuo chuckled, “I bought it myself, a 3M one. It’s very clear. Do you want to try it?”

“Doesn’t the hospital’s stethoscope meet your needs?”

“Interns are only given white coats, not stethoscopes.”

“Have you ever thought about why the school doesn’t give stethoscopes to interns?” Ling Ran looked at Chen Wanhuo with sympathy. “Stethoscopes are expensive, right?”

Chen Wanhuo was taken aback for a moment, then took off the stethoscope dejectedly, “Five foot massages were wasted. The red one was even more expensive.”

“Told you, stethoscopes are useless. What interns need most are gloves.” Wang Zhuangyong, who had been speaking, extended his hands, both wearing white gloves, and kept wiggling them in a showy manner.

Ling Ran didn’t want to watch anymore and took a banana from the drawer.

Wang Zhuangyong clicked his tongue, “Wow, yours is a bit big.”

Ling Ran, in front of Wang Zhuangyong, silently used a scalpel to cut the banana peel.

Wang Zhuangyong couldn’t bear to look and said, “Ling Ran, your suturing is already good. No need to practice right before the exam.”

“I feel good today.” Ling Ran said, turned on the desk lamp, and took out a box of 70 cm Johnson & Johnson Ethicon sutures from the drawer.

This 00 suture has relatively high friction, making it easy to cause tension, and is a difficult model to control. It is also a recommended practice material for many foreign medical schools. The only problem is that it is more expensive than domestic products, and many students can’t afford the cumulative cost of training.

Fortunately, Ling Ran’s family runs a clinic, has some savings, and understands the expenses of medical students, so they can barely support his expenses.

Ling Ran held the forceps in his left hand and controlled the needle holder with his right hand. The moment the needle tip touched the banana peel, countless pieces of information flashed in his mind. He didn’t need to think much; with a twist of his wrist, the needle went through smoothly.

Inserting the needle, pulling it out, tying a knot...

Ling Ran had already practiced a good suturing technique, which was why he wasn’t particularly excited about the so-called ‘Master-Level Suturing Technique.’

However, when he started, Ling Ran realized he was still too young.

Details that required concentration before were now completed subconsciously.

The entire suturing process left the banana completely still, with no pulling from the needle insertion or removal. The sutures were perfectly aligned from start to finish, as if it were an original version.

The distance between two stitches was exactly the same, as if measured with a ruler, and the knots were beautifully neat, like industrial binding...

Accurate direction, precise force, skilled judgment, appropriate depth and curvature of the puncture, and uniform, stable technique... Despite being just a simple suturing technique, after serious practice, he realized it was far from simple.

“Damn, you sew so fast?” Wang Zhuangyong suddenly appeared behind Ling Ran, grabbed the large, well-sutured banana, and held it up to his nose like an art piece, examining it carefully.

Ling Ran suddenly felt a sense of loneliness as a master: I did so much, and you only noticed the speed.