Chapter Thirty-Seven: A Fortunate Find

Zhou Yi fell silent.

Right now, he was just a medical student. Even if he wanted to apply for a job at a private hospital, he had neither the professional certificate nor the necessary social experience. It was indeed a headache.

At that moment, Zhou Yi’s phone rang.

The beeping startled both of them, and after confirming it was indeed his phone, Zhou Yi quickly pulled it out.

He glanced at the screen—an unfamiliar number. He pressed the answer key.

“Hello, who’s this?”

“Hello, is this Zhou Yi from Shanda Medical School?”

“Yes, what is it?”

On this phone, there were only two numbers saved: the one at the clone’s house, and his counselor’s. Zhou Yi checked his call log—the last call was three days ago. Clearly, very few people contacted him. Since the caller was polite and knew his name, it was obviously not an acquaintance.

“An hour ago, you saved an old man at the medical school entrance, right? I’m Su Yongming, the old man’s son. Thank you so much for your help. The ER doctor just told me they’d like to know more about how my father was injured. Could you come to Shanda Qilu Hospital’s emergency department?”

Before Zhou Yi could answer, the chubby friend quickly shook his head, his expression wary. He mouthed three words:

“A scam!”

Zhou Yi considered it for a moment, then nodded.

“I’m a bit far from there. It’ll take me an hour by bus, but I’ll come right away.”

Su Yongming hurried to stop him.

“Wait, take a taxi. I’ll wait for you at the ER entrance and cover the fare. That’ll save time.”

Zhou Yi didn’t refuse. After all, taking a taxi was beyond his budget, and having someone else pay was a relief. The caller did seem urgent.

After hanging up, the chubby friend became anxious.

“Are you crazy? When stuff like this happens, you should avoid it like the plague, not rush toward it! Helping an old man isn’t something you can just do casually—what if they make us pay compensation? What would we do then?”

Zhou Yi waved it off and recounted what had happened. The chubby friend finally blinked his small eyes and edged closer to Zhou Yi.

“So, there were witnesses. That’s good. Let’s go check it out. If things go south, I’ll cover for you. We’ll meet at your campus gate—don’t get separated, I don’t even have a phone!”

Zhou Yi didn’t respond.

He quickly hailed a cab, and the two headed straight for Shanda Qilu Hospital. It wasn’t far by car, but the bus would’ve taken a detour, and with traffic, it really would have taken ages.

As soon as the car turned into the emergency entrance, a man was already there, looking around. As Zhou Yi and his friend got out, the man hurried over and asked Zhou Yi:

“You’re Zhou Yi, right?”

Zhou Yi nodded. The man shook his hand warmly, paid the driver, and led Zhou Yi inside. The chubby friend trotted after, still wary, not knowing what this man wanted.

The three of them entered the ER and went straight to the doctors’ office. A white-haired doctor had just finished his work; when he saw Su Yongming come in, he quickly set down his cup, waved them over, excitement on his face.

“You found him? Come in, quickly!”

Zhou Yi was a bit bewildered, not sure what was going on, but since he’d been called, he followed Su Yongming inside without hesitation. The chubby friend stayed by the door—quickest route to escape if needed.

Zhou Yi glanced around and immediately understood the situation. He sat down and looked at Su Yongming.

“Is there something you need from me?”

Su Yongming smiled.

“Yes, two things. First, to sincerely thank you for saving my father. There were a lot of people around and the traffic was bad. Dr. Cao said if we’d waited for the ambulance before helping, the outcome could’ve been tragic. Second, I’m curious—does your family have a tradition in medicine? Your emergency techniques were truly impressive!”

Zhou Yi chuckled, relieved.

After all, with the experience as a doctor from his past life in his mind, these techniques were even simpler and more effective now. He just gave a soft “mm” and didn’t pursue the topic further.

The white-haired man was probably Dr. Cao. His reply didn’t satisfy him; his eyes, full of interest, remained fixed on Zhou Yi.

“I read your records. You’re just a fourth-year medical student, haven’t even interned yet, but your emergency response was so skillful. CPR aside, the way you repositioned and protected the fractured arm left me in awe.

The X-rays just came back—no surgery needed. Your technique was truly remarkable. How did you think to use a book as a splint? Are you interested in joining our hospital after graduation?”

Zhou Yi paused. The job assignment system had just been canceled in this era, so such an invitation was a golden opportunity.

But for Zhou Yi, it meant little—he’d only be here for a month.

The chubby friend sighed beside him, regret written all over his face. His sigh immediately drew the attention of the other two.

“Alas! Probably won’t work. His father passed away, and his mother’s health is failing. He asked me to go back with him; he might have to drop out.”

Zhou Yi shot his friend a glance, shifting his eyes away. He’d just used his father’s critical illness as an excuse for leave, and here it was again—hard to get into character!

Dr. Cao looked regretful, shaking his head repeatedly.

“What a pity. Such a promising talent. If I could train him for a few years, he’d be an outstanding practitioner, with a bright future ahead.”

Seeing Zhou Yi remain silent, head lowered, Su Yongming didn’t know what to say. He felt a mix of emotions and hurriedly opened the bag he carried under his arm.

“It seems I’ve delayed your visit home. In such hardship, you still didn’t hesitate to save someone—your character and medical ethics are beyond reproach. Don’t be anxious; go home to see your mother and find someone to look after her.

I believe your studies must not be neglected. Take this ten thousand yuan—it should be enough to help you finish school. If things get tough, bring your mother to Jinan, find a place to stay. If you face difficulties, I’ll help you.”

Zhou Yi stood up in a fluster, wanting to refuse, but Su Yongming handed him a business card, his manner resolute.

“Don’t turn me down. My father is alive today thanks to you. Let me express my gratitude. Otherwise, I’ll feel guilty for life—nothing is more important.”

Zhou Yi was at a loss. Dr. Cao waved a hand, unconcerned.

“No need to be polite. This kid is a model son. If something happened to his father today, he’d be heartbroken. Just accept his kindness.

Besides, medicine and pharmaceuticals go hand in hand. He owns a medical device company. Instead of refusing, why not help him design an emergency splint like the one you used? If he can produce it, we could use it to save more lives—a win for everyone!”

Zhou Yi paused, looking at the business card. Su Yongming had several titles; one, indeed, was Qilu Medical Devices Company—so he was in development!

Zhou Yi pressed his lips together. The chubby friend came over, placing a heavy hand on Zhou Yi’s shoulder, his expression solemn.

“Take it. You’ve given me a lot of design drafts before. Once we get a computer, I’ll help you turn them into professional 3D blueprints. Maybe that way, we can help more people.”

Hearing that—

Even Su Yongming’s eyes lit up, and Dr. Cao pressed a hand on Su Yongming to stop him from speaking.

“You’ve designed splints like this before?”

The chubby friend looked at Zhou Yi, urging him to seize the opportunity—time waits for no one.

Zhou Yi nodded. Seeing pen and paper on the desk, he took them and quickly sketched a simple diagram—a cervical spine fixation brace. The materials were straightforward; as long as there was a mold, it could be made at any time.

As he sketched, Dr. Cao stood up and came to Zhou Yi’s side. As a professional, he understood instantly what it was. The more he looked, the brighter his eyes became.

“This is for cervical spine immobilization?”

Zhou Yi nodded.

“The earliest MAYFIELD head frame fixation system was invented in 1968 by neurosurgeon Dr. Frank H. Mayfield. It was almost entirely made of metal and extremely expensive.

In our country, for prone posterior cervical spine fixation, we usually use a horseshoe-shaped headrest with cranial traction for support. But this method is unreliable, inconvenient to adjust, and can easily injure the face and eyes.

Moreover, the biggest issue is the high cost, making it impossible to popularize. This brace could use plastic as the outer frame, with internal foam padding and simple straps outside. The cost would be less than a twentieth of the metal version, the operation is straightforward, and it would be easy to promote and popularize.”

Dr. Cao’s eyes gleamed, his nostrils flaring, and he gave Su Yongming a hearty slap on the back.

“It’s just a rough sketch, but if this thing is made, it could solve a huge problem. Su Yongming, you’ve struck gold!”