Chapter 213: Chapter 214: Old Classmate (Added for Alliance Hierarch Sleeve-silent Good-doer)

“`

Mrs. Fu set off for the School of Media Studies with her younger brother, while Chen Cang took a taxi to Dongyang Medical University.

Dongyang Medical University started its term earlier than most, and today was the opening ceremony for new graduate students.

In reality, it was just the so-called mobilization assembly.

The feelings that came with stepping onto the campus once again were, after all, different.

It felt like a return to those youthful days.

Chen Cang went through the process of completing various formalities and collecting a series of documents. By the time he finished, it was already noon.

Graduate studies in medicine are unlike other fields; many people say it doesn’t cost much to pursue a graduate degree, and some even manage to save money. That might be true because you chose a good major. If you think you have extra cash… come try studying medicine…

You’re as busy as a dog, up early and working late. Doctors in the department don’t even regard you as a peer—just a free intern labor force.

Getting paid by the boss?

Nice to think about.

The assembly was scheduled for the afternoon and evening, so Chen Cang took his meal card to the cafeteria around midday, this familiar place.

Flavors once deemed unappetizing had, after graduation, become somewhat nostalgic; the food was economical and clean.

Chen Cang would occasionally come back for a visit.

A cafeteria meal with two meat dishes, one vegetable, and rice cost only seven or eight yuan.

When Chen Cang had first entered university, he used to walk with his dorm mates in groups. Now, he found he preferred to be alone.

Working alone, knocking off alone, eating alone.

Being on your own wasn’t exactly enjoyable, but once accustomed to it, you might find it comfortable.

Okay, Chen Cang was just trying to justify his single status with some lofty excuse.

He purchased his familiar meal and found a familiar spot to sit down.

…

…

“Hey? Luo Zhou, do you see that? Isn’t that Chen Cang?” Dong Jia pointed at Chen Cang who was eating at a nearby table and suddenly spoke up.

Luo Zhou was startled and looked in the direction to see for himself, then said in surprise, “My God! It really is him! Chen Cang! What’s he doing here?”

As they spoke, the two walked towards Chen Cang’s table with their plates.

“Cang Er! It really is you!” Luo Zhou laughed out loud, setting down his tray and smiling.

Only then did Chen Cang look up. Seeing the two, he was stunned too.

“Luo Zhou? Dong Jia? What are you guys… What are you doing at school?”

Dong Jia started laughing, “I’m here to help out with the new graduate student orientation this year; Professor Guan sent me. Old Luo graduated this year, was idle, and had nothing to do, so I dragged him out for a walk.”

“Oh right, you might not know this, but Professor Guan has now become the director of the Graduate Student Affairs at Dongyang Medical University. How awesome is that?”

“But, Chen Cang, what are you doing at school?”

The three were classmates during their undergraduate studies and had a reasonably good relationship, so seeing Chen Cang naturally felt more cordial.

Chen Cang smiled, “I’m just following in your footsteps and have come to pursue graduate studies. From now on, I’ll have to call you Senior Luo and Senior Sister Dong!”

Luo Zhou’s eyes widened: “What do you mean?”

Chen Cang took out the student ID he had just received that day and handed it over: “Have a look, I’m a fresh 19th-level newcomer, brand new and green.”

This immediately made Luo Zhou and Dong Jia burst into laughter.

“`

However, Luo Zhou couldn’t help but express his doubts, “That’s not right, Cang Er, with your capabilities, it would take you three years to get into grad school? Xiehe shouldn’t be an issue for you, should it!?”

Chen Cang smiled, “I worked for two years, and now that the opportunity has come, I’ve started pursuing my graduate studies.”

Dong Jia sighed, “You’re telling me, jobs are hard to find nowadays. Those provincial hospitals directly under the provincial capital cities don’t even want graduates anymore. Even if they do, it’s like fitting a carrot into a hole, tailored for their own students.”

“Our batch just graduated this year, and there’s no recruitment information from the provincial direct units yet, everyone’s still at school waiting for announcements. Many people graduated with nowhere to go, the good places are out of reach, and they don’t want to go to the less desirable ones.”

Chen Cang watched as Dong Jia transferred the fatty pieces of meat from her meal to Luo Zhou’s bowl, showing a casual intimacy, and couldn’t help asking:

“Luo Zhou, Dong Jia, when did you two get together?”

Luo Zhou chuckled, and Dong Jia gave him a glance, saying, “I didn’t get into Xi’an Jiaotong University’s first affiliated hospital my first year, then we studied together and I tested back into our school. Luo Zhou took care of me all the way, helping me find a supervisor. After I got in, we got together.”

Luo Zhou didn’t mind and smiled, “Time really flies, three years have passed in a blink of an eye, and I’ve graduated from my master’s program this year.”

Speaking of which, Luo Zhou suddenly said with a hint of mystery, “Cang Er, this year’s freshman orientation will be lively, especially tomorrow.”

Chen Cang was puzzled, “What do you mean?”

Luo Zhou, “This year coincides with the school’s anniversary, the sixtieth. Many of our outstanding graduates and some of the more impressive students from the past two years have been invited back. Tonight’s orientation will definitely feature a few speeches from such individuals.”

Only then did Chen Cang nod in understanding.

These matters seemed distant from him.

“Luo Zhou, what specialty did you study in graduate school?” Chen Cang asked.

Luo Zhou complained with a smile, “General surgery, but this year, they’ve recruited too few in the general surgery direction, and nearly twenty to thirty are graduating from general surgery in our batch. Too many monks and not enough porridge—or rather, too many wolves and not enough meat! Everyone’s desperately waiting for a job.”

Chen Cang nodded thoughtfully, “Oh… Do you have a suitable position? Did your teacher secure a quota for you?”

Dong Jia chuckled, “With his dopey head, would his supervisor even like him?”

Luo Zhou laughed awkwardly, “It’s not like that. My supervisor isn’t the head of the department, so he doesn’t have that much power. Even the students of the big department heads can’t necessarily secure a quota. Besides, things aren’t that simple in today’s society.”

“Last year, a senior from our hospital wanted to stay on after graduating. In the end, he spent around six or seven hundred thousand. Where would I get that much money to buy a job?”

Speaking of work made everyone a bit anxious.

Chen Cang timely changed the subject, and they all started talking about the classmates from their class.

The meal was lively and boisterous.

Luo Zhou suddenly mentioned, “Right, Cang Er, there’s a gathering on Saturday. Do you want to come? It’s for graduates from our batch, just to catch up. After all, it might make it easier to find someone for a consultation once we’re working.”

Chen Cang couldn’t help but laugh.

He didn’t know about other industries, but in the medical field, it certainly was like that. With a group of classmates in different hospital departments, it was convenient to find someone for a consultation without incessantly making phone calls.

“Saturday… I might be busy this Saturday, let’s see then.”

He had quite a few things to do on Saturday, including supervising the recruitment fair as the director had asked him.

The meal was lively and enjoyable, the old classmates gathered, spirits were high, and laughter filled the air well into the afternoon.

Suddenly, Dong Jia asked, “Chen Cang, are you still in touch with Geng Yan?”

Before she could finish, Luo Zhou interrupted her, shooting Dong Jia a look.

Chen Cang smiled, “No, we lost contact after graduation.”

Luo Zhou patted Chen Cang, “Haven’t you found someone? By the way, where did you end up working?”

Chen Cang shook his head, “After graduation, I first went to a private hospital, but I couldn’t stand it after half a year. Just then, the provincial second hospital’s emergency department was hiring temporaries, and I’ve been there for more than two years now.”

“Working in the emergency department is so busy every day, where would I have time to date? So looking back, I think school days were the best.”

ps: I thank the Alliance Hierarch ‘Sleeved and Silent, Man of Good Deeds’ for the reward. Thank you. There will be five updates for today. Sorry for the late update. Toward the end of this month, I will add a lot more updates.