CHAPTER 364: 364 ZHOU FAMILY DINNER PARTY

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Today was a formal Zhou Family gathering, with no outsiders present. To Liu Banxia’s surprise, it wasn’t just him and Shi Lei who had come; there was also an unfamiliar middle-aged man named Chen Lu.

After introductions, Liu Banxia learned that this man was their Eldest Senior Brother, currently working in Beijing as a proper Chief Physician. Otherwise, Zhou Shuwen wouldn’t have extended this small invitation; it was arranged precisely so they could all meet.

"Ah... finally meeting family. Master, when are we going to have a sect assembly?" Liu Banxia asked.

"Why are you so mischievous? They’re all very busy. Chen Lu also rushed here while on his way to a conference in the provincial capital; otherwise, it would be difficult for you all to meet," Zhou Shuwen said with a chuckle.

"I’m way ahead of you on this one; I’ve already met four senior brothers," Shi Lei said, smiling broadly.

"Hehe, I won’t bicker with you. Eldest Senior Brother, when I visit Beijing someday, you have to look out for me," Liu Banxia said with a grin.

Even Chen Lu found Liu Banxia’s overfamiliarity a bit hard to take. After all, as the saying goes, like master, like disciple. Zhou Shuwen usually wore a stern expression, so the disciples he trained were mostly similar in temperament.

This Liu Banxia is an anomaly, always grinning and joking, never serious. But judging from Zhou Shuwen’s attitude towards him, he’s truly doted upon. Which of the other disciples would dare to be so cheeky and playful? They’d probably be kicked out of the sect the very next day.

"Qiaoqiao, don’t be so reserved. I know you and Banxia don’t usually get much time together, so that’s why I invited you over too," Zhou Shuwen said after a few moments of idle chatter.

"Master, I actually wanted to help your wife. But I’m still too clumsy; I’m afraid I’d only get in the way," Qiaoqiao said honestly.

"You all just chat. There aren’t many dishes; they’ll be ready soon," Zhou Shuwen’s wife called from the kitchen.

Qiaoqiao, however, nudged Liu Banxia, an awkward expression on her face.

"Then let’s listen to Master and his wife. We’re here to freeload a meal today anyway," Liu Banxia replied, just as honestly.

Qiaoqiao felt a little apprehensive. She knew that in their medical system, this kind of master-disciple lineage was very important. She had heard Liu Banxia mention at home that if it weren’t for Zhou Shuwen looking out for him, he definitely wouldn’t have progressed so quickly.

"When I was on the phone with Master, I learned we have a new, very talented junior brother. I’ve also watched the surgical videos Master sent us; they are indeed remarkable," Chen Lu said with a smile.

"Senior Brother, you flatter me; I’ve only just begun. If it weren’t for Master and Shi Lei watching over me, I probably wouldn’t have gotten very far," Liu Banxia said sincerely.

"Don’t sell yourself short either. Though you can be a bit flighty, you’re very steady when you operate," Zhou Shuwen said. "Among all my students, you’re the fastest growing. You develop muscle memory for any surgery you’ve performed. That’s exceptionally rare. You were born for this line of work."

"Those other guys, each has a direction they excel in. With you, however, I’m actually a bit stumped. I don’t know which area you should focus on. I asked them for their opinions, but they couldn’t offer any either."

Liu Banxia was a bit dumbfounded. Is he... praising me?

"It’s true. Especially when comparing your first surgery of a particular type with your second, that impression becomes very clear," Chen Lu said. "Based on past experience, while there’s usually some improvement the second time someone performs a specific surgery, the leap is never as great as yours."

"The others are incredibly envious, especially after Master mentioned you also have excellent bone-setting skills. That’s even rarer. Anyway, they’re green with envy and told Master to exploit you more."

"Actually, I’m not as amazing as Senior Brother makes it out to be," Liu Banxia said a bit sheepishly. "During my residency, if Shi Lei hadn’t taken me into so many surgeries, my foundation definitely wouldn’t be as solid as it is now. I also have to say, I’ve met many good people on my medical path. Without everyone’s help, I would have struggled to even stay in this profession."

"It’s rare to see you being humble for once. But Senior Brother is right; we really should exploit you more," Shi Lei added from the side.

Qiaoqiao, listening in, didn’t understand everything, but she knew they were praising Liu Banxia. She felt delighted inwardly, even happier than if she were being praised herself.

"Precisely because we can’t offer a clear opinion on your future development path, I’ve decided to let you consider this yourself," Zhou Shuwen said. "Work at the hospital is too busy, and I don’t have that much time to pay close attention to you. How far you can go in the future—whether it’s me or these senior brothers of yours—we can only offer some assistance. You still have to walk the path yourself."

"The hospital is currently experimenting with professional integration, and it’s somewhat because of you. Whether this model will work, whether it can be developed further, or if it will become too unwieldy to manage, we must be very careful."

Liu Banxia grew a bit worried. He had never really considered his future development path. It’s not that I haven’t considered it at all; at most, it crossed my mind, I fantasized a bit, and that was it. Zhou Shuwen’s meaning is clear. It’s essentially a choice between two paths: specializing in one area or pursuing comprehensive development, each with its own pros and cons. Specializing would definitely be easier, though it would have certain limitations. Comprehensive development could lead to greater achievements in the future. But it would undoubtedly be very tiring, and if not handled well, I could end up being a jack of all trades and master of none. My own situation is also a bit special. With the System’s help, it does indeed provide some support. However, cross-disciplinary development would also require considerable effort. Even now, I spend at least a few hours every day immersed in the Dream Space, practicing my fundamental operational skills and related anatomical knowledge. For someone like me, who has never seriously planned for the future, this topic feels really heavy right now.

"Qiaoqiao, Banxia might have even less time to spend with you in the future. He has this talent; if he doesn’t strive hard, he might have regrets later on," Zhou Shuwen said with a smile.

"Master, it’s okay. When I miss him, I’ll just go see him, that’s all. Besides, no matter how busy he gets, he’ll still be able to come home at night in the future, which is definitely better than now," Qiaoqiao hurriedly said.

"You’re better than my wife in that regard; she’s always complaining I spend too little time at home," Zhou Shuwen said.

"Listen to you talk! Just tell me, how many meals do we get to eat together in a month?" Zhou Shuwen’s wife’s voice drifted over again.

Zhou Shuwen fell silent. Even though he was a man of genuine authority at the Second Hospital, he still had to behave himself at home.

"Master, I’ll give it a try then. I’ll go back and read more books, and wander around other departments more," Liu Banxia said.

"I’m not getting involved; it’s your choice. But one thing: no matter how many disciplines you dabble in, you can’t let your work in our General Surgery department slide," Zhou Shuwen reminded him.

Liu Banxia nodded. "You can rest assured about that, Master. I definitely won’t abandon my original profession. By the way, Master, do you think you’ll become the Deputy Chief Director this time?"

"Why are you thinking about that? What are you planning to stir up now?" Zhou Shuwen asked curiously.

Liu Banxia gave a wry, forced smile. When am I ever that keen on stirring up trouble?

"It’s hard to say. Let the higher-ups consider it. If I really do become a Deputy Chief Director, I’ll definitely be even busier," Zhou Shuwen said. "Now that you mention it, I almost forgot: you need to take charge of the teaching and training work. For the students interning at our emergency center this year, strive to retain all of them."

"Master, that’s a rather high difficulty level, but I’ll do my best," Liu Banxia nodded.

Sometimes, that’s just how it is. For me, back then, I was desperate to stay at the hospital. That was because I had no connections; it was my only choice. But what about those with strong backgrounds? They have many choices and don’t necessarily have to be stuck in the Second Hospital’s emergency center. Some return to their hometowns to enter the local medical system, while others choose slightly more relaxed jobs. It’s like Wang Chao; he originally had many options, but in his family’s eyes, he ended up choosing the worst one.

"Alright, the food’s almost ready. Stop chatting for now," Zhou Shuwen’s wife called out at this moment.

"Hehe, I smelled the aroma of chicken stewed with mushrooms long ago," Liu Banxia remarked.

"I know you have a big appetite, so I cooked extra rice today," Zhou Shuwen’s wife replied with a warm smile.

Liu Banxia felt a bit embarrassed. It seems the news of my large appetite has really spread; even Master’s wife knows about it now.

Chen Lu watched with great interest. This little junior brother is quite amusing.

However, once they actually started eating, Liu Banxia’s appetite truly stunned him.

They were just ordinary home-cooked dishes, nothing fancy, nor a wide variety of courses. But in terms of quantity, it was definitely ample.

Normally, one should be a bit reserved when eating at Zhou Shuwen’s home for the first time. But in my opinion, when eating at someone else’s home, eating heartily is the greatest sign of respect.

His appetite was already large, and today he made a bit of an extra effort. After they finished eating, apart from some leftover sauce, all the plates and bowls were empty.

"See? His appetite is famous at the Second Hospital," Zhou Shuwen said, shaking his head helplessly.

"Being able to eat well is a good thing. Banxia, come over for meals whenever you have time in the future," Zhou Shuwen’s wife said.

"Master’s wife, rest assured. When I’m off, Qiaoqiao and I just go around freeloading meals anyway. Now that I know the way to your home, I won’t go astray in the future," Liu Banxia readily agreed.

Zhou Shuwen’s wife was very happy. Dealing with leftovers was always a headache, and it’s impossible to cook just the right amount every single time. Besides, for someone her age, with their child not living with them and Zhou Shuwen being so busy, staying at home was rather lonely. She longed for more people around to make things livelier and add some vitality to the home.