On a rainy night, the school beauty knocked on my door and asked for shelter

Time flies, and the days pass by quickly and uneventfully.

After the military training, Chen Mo and his classmates officially entered a rigorous and fulfilling teaching rhythm.

For these eight freshmen in the eight-year clinical medicine program, facing the vast amount of medical knowledge is a more difficult challenge than military training.

Especially during the first practical anatomy class after half a semester!
It was a Thursday afternoon, and the air was slightly cool.

The corridor leading to the anatomy lab was unusually quiet, as if even the sound of footsteps was absorbed by some invisible solemnity.

As soon as they stepped into the laboratory, a strong, slightly pungent odor hit them – formalin, the first sensory hurdle they had to learn and overcome on their medical journey.

The laboratory was spacious and bright, with several stainless steel dissection tables neatly arranged, most of which were covered with clean white sheets.

The students spontaneously quieted down, their conversations ceased, and only the sound of slightly tense breathing remained.

An elderly professor with gray hair and a solemn face—Professor Wang, who was in charge of their basic anatomy—was already standing in front of the podium.

His gaze swept over each young, slightly nervous face in the audience, and he said in a deep voice, "Students, welcome to your first special practical lesson on your medical journey."

He paused, his gaze falling on the dissection tables covered with white sheets, his tone more solemn than ever before, "Here, lying are not cold specimens, but our most selfless and most respectable teachers—the cadavers."

In this unique way, they perpetuate the value of life and guide us in exploring the mysteries of the human body.

Therefore, I ask everyone to maintain absolute silence and respect for them.

Led by Professor Wang, all the teachers and students faced the dissection table and bowed deeply.

At this moment, the air was filled not only with the smell of chemical reagents, but also with a profound respect for the spirit of dedication to life.

Chen Mo lowered his head slightly, his eyes focused and devout. Su Yuqing stood beside him and could clearly feel her heart racing. She pursed her lips tightly, trying to calm the pounding in her heart.

It wasn't that she hadn't seen corpses before; the first corpse she had ever seen was her own, which she had witnessed in that dreamlike dream.

Even now, recalling it still sends a chill down her spine.

After bowing, Professor Wang walked to one of the dissection tables. Instead of immediately removing the white cloth, she began to explain today's lesson content—the anatomical layers and neurovascular distribution of the shoulder girdle muscles of the upper limb.

He first drew exquisite anatomical diagrams on the blackboard, explaining in detail the origin and insertion points and functions of each muscle, as well as the course and adjacent relationships of important neurovascular bundles.

“Theoretical knowledge is the foundation, but true understanding comes from practice.” After saying this, Professor Wang’s gaze returned to the white sheet. “Now, under the guidance of our cadavers, we will verify what we have learned.”

He slowly and solemnly unveiled the white cloth covering the area.

Despite being mentally prepared, a faint, suppressed gasp still rippled through the classroom when the processed human tissue, with its specific color and anatomical structure, was actually presented before their eyes.

These were real traces of life, unlike any model or atlas. Professor Wang picked up the scalpel, his movements steady and precise. As he operated, he explained the layers of the incision, the techniques for separating tissues, and how to identify and protect important nerves and blood vessels.

"First, let's reconfirm our anatomical layers. The skin and superficial fascia have been carefully opened; now we are facing the deep fascia. Before making the incision, you must use your eyes and sense of touch to reconfirm the target."

“Look here, the gap between the supraspinatus and deltoid muscles.” His tweezers gently parted a strand of fiber. “This is the area where important structures such as the axillary nerve and the posterior circumflex humeral vascular bundle pass through; we call it the boundary of the ‘quadrilateral foramen.’ The operation must be handled with the utmost gentleness, like handling the most delicate flower bud. Any roughness may damage these fragile ‘lines,’ leading to irreparable loss of observation.”

His explanations were both insightful and easy to understand, and combined with his skillful demonstrations, he transformed the two-dimensional knowledge in the book into a three-dimensional and vivid reality.

The entire classroom was completely silent; everyone held their breath, afraid of missing a single detail.

Su Yuqing gripped her pen tightly, trying her best to memorize every movement and every word of Professor Wang's explanation. Her initial nervousness was gradually replaced by a strong thirst for knowledge.

Soon, Professor Wang finished demonstrating the key parts and put down the equipment.

"Medicine is a practical science. Seeing it ten times is not as good as doing it once yourself." He looked around the room. "Now, I will divide you into groups. In the following class time, the teaching assistant and I will guide you to do some preliminary anatomical exercises in the designated areas."

He gestured to the few young teaching assistants waiting at the back of the laboratory.

These teaching assistants are usually outstanding senior students or graduate students. They stepped forward to help Professor Wang maintain order and provide group guidance.

The atmosphere in the classroom instantly became more tense, but everyone was also filled with anticipation.

The students proceeded to their designated dissection tables according to their assigned groups.

The teaching assistants patrolled between groups, stopping from time to time to check the equipment in advance, reiterate the key points of operation, and ensure safety.

When it was Chen Mo's group's turn, he stood in front of the dissection table, but his expression was not as tense, scared, or expectant as the other students; his expression was only calm.

He put on the gloves steadily and meticulously.

At this moment, his gaze had become unusually focused, clearly a different person from his usual self.

When he picked up the small, sharp scalpel from the instrument tray, his hand did not tremble in the slightest, unlike the other students who were nervous.

However, he did not rush to make the cut.

He first closed his eyes slightly, seemingly reviewing Professor Wang's demonstration and anatomical diagrams in his mind. Then he opened his eyes, his gaze sharp, carefully and repeatedly examining the exposed and undissected areas on the cadaver's body, comparing them with the three-dimensional image in his mind, confirming the muscle patterns and searching for potential neurovascular landmarks.

Su Yuqing stood to the side, so nervous that she didn't know where to put her hands.

Seeing the complex expression on Su Yuqing's face, who looked nervous and at a loss, Chen Mo turned to her and gave her a reassuring smile, saying, "The cadavers are sacrificing their own bodies to better teach us. We shouldn't have any other thoughts. Only by learning diligently and assiduously can we live up to their sacrifice." (End of Chapter)