Chapter 1312: Chapter 1315: The Unspoken Rules among Academicians
Zhou Hongguang sat in the car.
He was a little absent-minded the entire ti.
In China, the title “Academician” represents lifelong academic achievent and is the highest level of academic recognition!
When a doctor reaches their fifties or beyond, their dream often shifts away from earning big money or making a huge career to hoping to leave their na in history—to enter the academic sanctuary: Academician!
To most academic workers, “Academician” ans the legendary “Hall of Fa.”
It seems to beco the ultimate goal for academic workers in their lifeti.
Joining ans gaining recognition.
This perfectly aligns with humanity’s higher-level needs.
However, Zhou Hongguang’s path to becoming an Academician has now encountered a serious problem.
On paper, the selection of Academicians is not supposed to be limited by any quotas; as long as you et the criteria, accomplish major projects, and win significant awards… you can essentially secure the position of Academician.
But…
The key lies beneath the surface rules—in the unspoken “hidden rules!”
Although there’s no explicit regulation, everyone quietly abides by this rule: each subfield within the dical discipline can only have one Academician in the Academy of Engineering.
This hidden rule has only erged in earnest in recent years.
Why? Because Academicians can now retire!
That’s right!
The retirent system for Academicians was proposed only recently and is being gradually implented.
In fact, 15 years ago, the average age of newly selected Academicians was around 63. By 2017, this had dropped to an average age of 54.
It can be said that an energetic, fiercely capable team of Academicians is taking shape.
By 2018, it was explicitly suggested to steadily and orderly advance the retirent system for Academicians.
The aim is to fundantally address the aging issue among Academicians—bringing in more outstanding young talents to keep the nation’s research endeavors vibrant and dynamic.
Institutional reform requires courage and conviction—a break from tradition, showcasing the Party and governnt’s bravery in fostering innovation.
It’s a positive change!
But now, it has created a situation where old Academicians refuse to step down, and new Academicians struggle to step up!
They say the retirent age is 70, but there are plenty of Academicians still holding on in their eighties.
Most crucially, within the sa subfield, incumbent Academicians have the power of veto when evaluating new Academician candidates!
And conversely, when new Academicians step in, the old ones essentially have to start gradually retreating to the second line.
It’s a complex chanism.
On the surface it seems absurd, but it truly, practically exists.
Yet it has undeniably contributed to the younger, more creative montum among Academicians today.
Zhou Hongguang is now 55 years old.
No longer young!
In every industry, the rise of the new generation always requires the senior generation to step aside.
As the red light turned green, Zhou Hongguang released the brake and accelerated forward!
Chen Cang’s earlier case description flashed in his mind.
To be a successful surgeon…
During monts requiring urgent action, you need to have a rapid “reading” ability for cases.
anwhile, back in the general surgery office, He Zhiqian’s phone rang.
“Director He, the liver source will arrive in 10 minutes!”
Not long after, a WeChat ssage popped up on Chen Cang’s phone.
It was from Zhou Hongguang.
“Little Chen, I’ll be there in 10 minutes!”
Upon receiving the ssage, Chen Cang instantly felt delighted!
“Prepare for surgery!”
He Zhiqian’s mood also brightened. He had heard of the renowned Zhou Hongguang, the 55-year-old soon-to-be Academician and director of 301 Hospital’s Hepatobiliary Surgery Departnt.
In other professions, the youngest Academicians could be in their thirties!
But in dicine, it’s impossible!
Why? Because at thirty-sothing, you simply can’t produce aningful results. At this stage, you’re still a novice in the field, testing the waters; even by forty, you’re still considered a senior doctor only just capable of independent thought!
You need ten years of ti to hone and accomplish yourself!
By fifty, a doctor enters the pinnacle decade in their academic achievent and influence.
He Zhiqian quickly dialed the operating room: “Prepare for surgery!”
Here, Wang Dong took one last glance at his wife before leaving, but she didn’t look back. As he changed into surgical attire, his wife carefully fastened them for him—it felt almost ceremonial!
The operating table isn’t an execution platform.
But it’s still an arena of bittersweet separations and critical stakes.
Wang Dong said, “No need to be so proper! You’re being so ticulous, but the other doctors will just have to remove it anyway.”
His wife smiled but said nothing.
…
Inside the operating room.
Everyone took the upcoming surgery very seriously!
Parking at the hospital is tricky—so after Zhou Hongguang arrived, He Zhiqian had already arranged for soone to take care of his parking, allowing Zhou Hongguang to head straight to the operating room.
At the sa ti, Xiehe’s Hepatobiliary Surgery Departnt sent a young attending physician to deliver the liver source.
Liao Jia, as a Xiehe physician, ca in with strong confidence.
Part of that confidence ca from Xiehe’s century-old prestige, and part from her ntor Mo Li.
But Liao Jia couldn’t understand—why would the ergency center want this liver?
15 hours…
No, it’s probably 16 hours now.
What is the point of a liver like this?
A successful surgery?
She hadn’t even considered it.
As soone who had participated in several liver transplant surgeries in her thirties, Liao Jia knew exactly what a 16-hour cold ischemia ti for a liver source ant!
She didn’t believe Director He Zhiqian could outperform her ntor, Director Mo, from Xiehe’s Hepatobiliary Surgery Departnt!
Liver transplantation involves too many critical techniques—especially liver repair, perfusion procedures, and the ability to assess and judge liver recovery…
And more!
If even her ntor couldn’t manage it, there’s no way a second-rate director like He Zhiqian could.
That’s right.
Although Liao Jia wasn’t a top-tier doctor herself, this didn’t stop her from underestimating He Zhiqian.
In her eyes, only a handful of first-rate hepatobiliary surgery directors exist. There’s no question about the powerhouses of Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery—Wu, the venerable legend, owns that territory. Within the capital, only Xiehe and 301 asure up. If you talk specifically about director capabilities, you could include Peking University People’s Hospital and Beijing Chaoyang Hospital.
But there’s no way He Zhiqian belongs in that group.
Liao Jia didn’t understand one crucial detail: it wasn’t that He Zhiqian wasn’t competent—it’s that he had spent over a decade at the ergency center. In this place, there were critical cases every day, and his job wasn’t about tackling high-difficulty surgeries or solving national dical challenges. His mission was to save lives!
How many lives had He Zhiqian saved in his ten years here?
Even he didn’t know.
Truthfully, people like him inherently understood: working in ergency care led nowhere—becoming an Academician? Forget it.
But soone had to do it.
In fact, the pride of soone like He Zhiqian lay in knowing that if an ergency surgery ca through—whether in general surgery or hepatobiliary surgery—he could guarantee the patient wouldn’t die within a certain tifra.
While he may not cure the illness, he could save the life.
Soone once compared this to making movies.
He Zhiqian said, “I just want to be the best supporting actor.”
But after Chen Cang appeared, He Zhiqian realized… perhaps… maybe… he could even play the lead role!
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