Chapter 1178: [1178] Senior fellow apprentice gave guidance as a beacon

Speaking of great teachers, the truly capable bosses, especially those in specialized fields like cardiac surgery and neurosurgery, often possess exceptional skills and vision, and they’re notoriously exacting when it comes to their apprentices.

“Yingying.” Tao Zhijie turned to speak to his junior sister again, his warm gaze curving into a smile. “If you decide to go into neurosurgery in the future, that’s the department where I’ll worry about you the least.”

Was Senior Tao implying that Senior Cao, being close to her, would open the back door for her? Xie Wanying believed in Senior Cao’s integrity and fairness, replying, “Senior Cao keeps his private and professional matters separate.”

Had the junior sister caught onto something? Tao Zhijie and He Guangyou fixed their focused gazes on her face. Unfortunately, even after a long look, they realized that particular string in her mind hadn’t budged.

Forget it—for now, Cao Yong wasn’t in a hurry and likely had his own plans. Tao Zhijie wouldn’t let slip anything about his junior brother’s intentions.

“Yingying,” Tao Zhijie said to her with heartfelt advice, “If you’re considering teachers like Fu Xinheng or Zhang Huayao, make sure to think it through carefully.”

What would happen if she chose Teacher Fu or Teacher Zhang? Doubts began to swirl in Xie Wanying’s mind.

“Teacher Tao is trying to tell you…” He Guangyou stepped in to help Tao Zhijie explain, “Those two are regarded as bosses in the field, and their criticisms usually invite scrutiny. Just like Teacher Lu said, people like Zhang Huayao only have room for their work in their minds. A doctor focused solely on work is likely to have difficulty maintaining a tolerant attitude towards themselves or others within the scope of their profession. Following those two, you’ll be worked to the bone. For female students, it’s better to follow a more compassionate teacher.”

“If you’re considering cardiovascular surgery, you might want to connect with Senior Zhu first. He’s about to be promoted to associate senior physician and lead his own team,” Tao Zhijie pointed her in a direction.

Senior Zhu was kind and personable. Under his guidance, there was no need to worry about being considered inadequate. However, when compared to Teacher Fu and Teacher Zhang, Senior Zhu’s skills were not just a little inferior. Deep down, Xie Wanying couldn’t help but be intrigued by the allure of the technical bigwigs.

“If you’re thinking about general surgery, your Teacher Tan may be similar to me—someone with a certain vision for your career and the ability to guide you,” Tao Zhijie spoke truthfully. It was clear to everyone that Tan Kelin felt deeply proud and satisfied with the student he had personally mentored.

After listening to Senior Tao’s long speech on interpersonal skills and handling situations, in the moments before parting ways, all Xie Wanying and Song Xueling wanted to hear was his evaluation of their technical capabilities.

Looking back on the department’s exit exams they each underwent separately with Doctor Song in the past two days, Senior Tao, as always, stood calmly to the side without intervening or offering commentary. That subtle smile in his curved gaze seemed like the gentle moon hanging in the night sky—softly illuminating their path toward the Moon Palace, filling their hearts with hope yet stirring the unease of whether Chang E disapproved.

From the day the two of them joined his department, Tao Zhijie had never commented on their technical skills, as long as they didn’t violate the principles of clinical practice.

Now it was the final day. Could they finally know how they ranked in Senior Tao’s eyes?

“Teacher Tao is not like other teachers,” He Guangyou again explained on behalf of Tao Zhijie. “He doesn’t like to critique his students, not because you’re performing poorly or doing well. It’s just that, one day, no one will be able to critique you anymore. Getting an early taste of the loneliness at the top can be a good thing.”

Tao Zhijie treated all students equally. It wasn’t about giving them any special treatment. As He Guangyou said, he simply wanted them to learn independence early on.

Teaching students hands-on can result in faster progress. But the issue is, someday, students have to stand on their own, without guidance. If they then fall into a phase of uncertainty, the consequences could be disastrous.