After being separated from my family, I became a darling of the military region thanks to my medical

"I'm an observer; my job is just to watch," Zhao Tiancheng said.

"If you want to know if a process works, you have to go through it yourself."

"This is completely inconsistent with the hospital's definition of my role!"

Gu Zheng handed him the training plan approved by the military region's health department. At the bottom, a line of text was bolded: "Medical observers must participate in all subjects and collect real physical fitness and operational data."

Political Commissar Zhang casually added insult to injury. "Dr. Zhao, this attachment is attached to the transfer order. You should have checked it carefully when you signed for it, right?"

Zhao Tiancheng was immediately speechless. He was furious at the time, staring only at the transfer order and not even glancing at the attachments underneath.

Gu Zheng stopped talking and glanced at his watch. "First preparation."

Two soldiers quickly carried over a heavy medical kit, which was filled with splints, bandages, simulated IV bags, first aid kits, and rows of hemostatic forceps, weighing a total of 25 kilograms.

Zhao Tiancheng's face darkened. "You're making me carry it all by myself?"

"Everyone weighs the same."

"I have never received any physical training."

"So the route is only set for three kilometers." Gu Zheng pointed to the muddy area ahead. "Cross this muddy ground, climb over the scree slope ahead, and reach aid station number two to complete equipment preparation. Start the timer!"

The heavy medical kit suddenly pressed down on his shoulders, and Zhao Tiancheng's legs went weak, his knees sinking straight down, almost causing him to kneel on the spot.

The first two hundred meters were relatively flat. But once past the slope, the ground was covered in sticky mud and water, the deepest parts even reaching above the calves. Zhao Tiancheng struggled to move a dozen steps, his boots seemingly stuck in the mud.

The soldier following behind kindly reminded him: "Lift your legs as you walk, don't use brute force to pull off your shoes."

"I can!" Zhao Tiancheng roared in embarrassment and anger, and took a big step forward.

His right foot came out, but his left foot couldn't keep up, and he lost his balance, tumbling headfirst into the mud puddle with a "plop." The heavy medical kit crashed to the side, splashing mud and water half a meter high, and the icy mud poured down his collar, covering his entire body in filth.

At the opportune moment, Xiao Wang stood on the slope, gathered his strength, and hoisted the megaphone, shouting, "Dr. Zhao! Hang in there!"

"Turn it off!" Zhao Tiancheng spat out the muddy water in his mouth in a disheveled state.

"I can't hear you!" Xiao Wang decisively turned the loudspeaker volume up to the maximum, and the stirring and loud military song instantly resounded throughout the entire training ground.

The soldiers training nearby were all trying to suppress their laughter, their faces flushed red, and their shoulders shook uncontrollably. Zhao Tiancheng scrambled to his feet, wiping the foul-smelling mud from his face, and roared angrily, "I need to see my superiors!"

"Commander Gu is waiting for you at the finish line."

"I want to see someone with a higher official rank than him!"

"Commander Chen didn't come to the camp today!"

"Then I need to go back to the hospital!"

"During the joint training exercise, no one is allowed to leave the team without permission!" Xiao Wang replied with a smile, and the military song from the loudspeaker became even louder, as if accompanying him.

Enraged and powerless, Zhao Tiancheng could only grit his teeth and drag the seemingly immense medical kit forward. While climbing the steep, scree slope, he slid to his knees three times in a row. The last time, he crashed heavily onto the sharp rocks, tearing a large hole in his camouflage pants and drawing blood from his knee.

When he arrived at the second aid station like a dead dog, the other medical teams had already laid out their equipment in an orderly manner.

Gu Zheng pressed the timer in his hand without expression. "Thirty-eight minutes and twenty-seven seconds, a full eighteen minutes overtime."

Zhao Tiancheng gripped his knees tightly, panting heavily, barely able to utter a complete sentence. "I'm... the chief surgeon in general surgery! Poor physical condition doesn't affect my ability to save lives on the operating table at all!"

Gu Zheng remained noncommittal, walked straight to the muddy medical kit, and yanked open the lid.

Two glass-made simulated IV bottles were shattered into pieces, three precision hemostats were covered in mud, and most importantly, the outer layer of the first aid kit was completely waterlogged and unusable. "If this were a real injury area, even if you went through all that trouble to deliver this box of junk, the injured person would just lie there and wait to die."

Zhao Tiancheng suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with resentment. "You're deliberately messing with me!"

Gu Zheng wasn't annoyed at all, casually handing the timer to the recorder behind him. "The whole thing was recorded. If you think anything is unreasonable, you can take the recording to your superiors after the exercise. But now, immediately go clean the contaminated equipment, disinfect it, and re-register. Next item: Prepare!"

This hellish day finally came to an end.

Zhao Tiancheng dragged his leaden legs back to the tent next to the pigsty. He didn't even have the strength to take off his stinking mud-covered clothes, collapsing onto his cot like a corpse. The rhythmic scraping of the feeding troughs from the pigsty outside sounded particularly jarring in the quiet night.

He pulled the blanket over his head in humiliation, gritting his teeth. "Even a bunch of pigs are joining in the fun!"

Before he could even catch his breath, a sharp emergency assembly whistle pierced the night. The tent flap was flung open, and Xiao Wang stood outside, looking sharp. "Dr. Zhao, a simulated landslide has occurred in area three, resulting in twelve injured people, four of whom are seriously injured. The medical team must be dispatched immediately."

Zhao Tiancheng's eyes were bloodshot as he struggled to sit up, supporting himself on the edge of the bed. "What time is it?"

"12:40 AM"

"My training for today is over, I need to rest."

"Landslides don't happen specifically to coincide with doctors' shifts." Without further ado, Xiao Wang slammed the heavy medical kit down at his feet. "Three-minute assembly countdown begins."

Zhao Tiancheng collapsed, clutching his blanket tightly. "I'm not going! I'd rather die than go!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than the loudspeaker outside the tent began blaring that familiar, stirring military song once again.

Zhao Tiancheng's head was ringing from the shock. He straightened up abruptly and roared, "Turn that thing off right now!"

The next day, in the afternoon, arrived.

When Gu Zheng arrived at the Beicheng Military Region General Hospital, covered in dust from his journey, Ye Zhen had just finished three high-intensity surgeries in a row. She carefully washed her hands and took the post-operative medical records from her assistant, Li Hong.

"Is Zhao Tiancheng participating in an exercise?" she asked casually while looking at the medical records.

"Yes." Gu Zheng skillfully pulled out the chair opposite her and sat down, a faint smile playing on his lips. "I participated in two emergency drills last night, and this morning I've barely managed to learn how to immobilize a stretcher."

"You didn't make things difficult for him, did you? Dean Zhou came to see me, worried that things might get messy."

"No, no." Gu Zheng quickly waved his hand. "I also arranged a high-end single tent for him. It's very quiet, with a dedicated desk, hot water, and even a desk lamp."

"However, there are strict rules for training: everyone must be treated equally and with equal importance." Gu Zheng moved his chair forward, his deep eyes fixed on her, his tone serious. "Dr. Ye once taught me that an excellent doctor cannot simply stand under spotlights. Theory, practice, physical fitness, and emergency response—lacking any one of these could delay saving lives at a critical moment."

Ye Zhen stared at him quietly for two seconds, a hint of a smile appearing in her cool eyes. "You remember every single word I said offhand."

She picked up a gleaming red apple from beside the aluminum lunchbox on the table and gently handed it to him. "Well done, this is a reward for you."

Gu Zheng stretched out his hand and caught the apple steadily, playing with it for a moment. "Just one?"

"Not enough? Then give it back to me." Ye Zhen made a move to withdraw her hand.

"One is sweet enough." Gu Zheng chuckled and took a big bite. The crisp chewing sound revealed his undisguised triumph and satisfaction.