Chapter 236: Is This Really a Novice?

He had clearly underestimated the new arrival. It turned out that this newcomer had exposed a mistake within his team, something that had never happened before.

“What year are you in?”

Everyone was surprised when Tan Kelin suddenly directed this question at Xie Wanying.

Luo Yanfen and the other two exchanged uneasy glances: What did this mean? Was Teacher Tan paying special attention to this newcomer?

“I’ve been studying medicine for three and a half years,” Xie Wanying answered.

“How long have you been interning in the clinic?”

“This is my first rotation.”

“Have you done any prior observation?”

“Yes.”

“In general surgery?”

“No.”

“Which department?”

“Neurosurgery.”

“Neurosurgery?” The others chimed in, finding her words hard to believe.

Typically, clinical practice starts with general surgery, as neurosurgery is a specialized and challenging field.

“How long were you in neurosurgery?” Tan Kelin continued to ask, seemingly oblivious to the murmur of voices around him. His gaze was fixated on Xie Wanying, as if trying to uncover every detail about her.

“Three to four days,” Xie Wanying replied.

“I went during the Chinese New Year.”

“You’ve only observed for three or four days?” The others were on the verge of shouting in disbelief. No one thought it was possible.

“Yes,” Xie Wanying affirmed. If they didn’t believe her, they could check.

The calmer she appeared, the more the others found it strange: How could this possibly be a clinical novice?

Tan Kelin stared at her intently, his gaze as sharp as a microscope, scrutinizing every detail of her face. Eventually, he seemed to notice something, his brows furrowing slightly.

Liu Chengran returned after updating the medical orders and said, “I’ve spoken to the anesthesiology department. I’ll stay late to brief the night shift thoroughly.”

“Who’s staying tonight?” Tan Kelin asked, scanning the group.

The others were on the verge of speaking.

“I’ll stay, Teacher Tan,” Xie Wanying offered.

Sensing that the teacher was angry, Xie Wanying thought about the situation. Since she had brought up the issue, she felt responsible for handling it.

“You’ll stay?” Luo Yanfen and the others turned to her first: You’re new and don’t know anything, how could you stay to look after the patients?

“I can observe the patients and notify the on-call doctor,” Xie Wanying said.

Her words instantly drew laughter.

Tan Kelin chuckled softly.

The others felt a chill: A man who had been extremely angry suddenly laughed—this wasn’t a good sign.

No one dared to ask what was going on.

As he stifled his laugh, Tan Kelin’s dark eyes locked onto Xie Wanying. Half-smiling, he said, “You do have the qualifications to observe the patient’s condition. But the question is—Is this something you should be doing?”

Xie Wanying understood the slow, deliberate tone of Tan Kelin’s words and wisely kept her mouth shut.

“Who should be doing this?” Liu Chengran stepped in to ask again.

“We—” Luo Yanfen and the other two finally understood and raised their hands in unison.

“You three stay tonight,” Sun Yubo added weakly, hoping they would take their tasks more seriously. From the beginning, it was clear that the mistake was caused by a lack of diligence.

It seemed that the matter was finally settled. If possible, the group would have rushed back to the office as if fleeing, to collect themselves before continuing their work.

But the deputy chief didn’t dismiss them.

Everyone waited silently for his orders, the air around them tense and still, only their breathing audible.

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