The Virtue Bottle was full, brimming to the edge as if it might overflow. With a heart pounding with anticipation, Xia Tian gently tapped the bottle.
Pop!
A crisp sound rang out.
A mechanical voice followed:
[Reward: World-Class Experience in Fibroma Removal Surgery.]
[Reward: World-Class Dexterity Enhancement – 50%.]
[Reward: World-Class Ingrown Toenail Extraction Procedure.]
...That was it?
Xia Tian stared blankly at the three listed procedures, his handsome face full of confusion.
That was it?
He had imagined something grand, a flood of advanced knowledge, a path paved to mastery. Instead—just three procedures?
There are thousands of surgeries in the world. Medical experience runs deep and vast. And all he got were three?
And what the hell was with the ingrown toenail extraction?
"Why the hell would I need that!?" Xia Tian burst into a rant. "System, get out here! I don't want some damn toenail surgery! Give me a better one!"
"Also—just three? Can't you give me ten? Eight at least?"
The system responded coldly:
[Mind your tone, host. The system has already aided you immensely.](If not for the system, you'd be in prison for murder right now.)
[To acquire more procedures, you must continue striving. As the Virtue Bottle grows, the quality and quantity of rewards will increase accordingly. Dedicate yourself to being an excellent doctor. Build virtue, and world-class experience shall follow.]
[Lastly—what's wrong with ingrown toenail surgery? Don't tell me you've never had one.]
The system's sarcastic scolding shut Xia Tian up.
Fine, three it is.
He could earn more later. For now, he accepted the rewards.
The moment he clicked "Agree," information surged into his body like electricity. The surgical procedures replayed in his mind on a loop. In less than ten minutes, he understood them as though he had performed them countless times.
Then came the dexterity boost—50% enhanced flexibility and control.
Every surgeon knows: skilled hands are everything.
A moment on the operating table takes years of off-stage practice.
Surgeons often train by using a rotary tool—like a miniature high-speed drill—to peel the thin shell off an egg, preserving the membrane underneath. It takes exquisite control.
Some even take beta-blockers before surgery to steady their hands by slowing their heart rate.
Doctors go to absurd lengths for precision.
And Xia Tian? He just got a 50% skill boost in one go.
This felt amazing.
He flexed his fingers quickly, then held his hands perfectly still for five full minutes—no twitching, no trembling. When he moved again, his fingers were lightning-fast.
Compared to those flashy finger dances on Douyin, his dexterity was on another level.
These hands—
They were every surgeon's dream. And, let's be honest, a few women's too.
With that thought, Xia Tian drifted off to sleep, feeling more satisfied than ever.
At 7 a.m., Xia Tian woke up and splashed cold water on his face. Fresh out of medical school and broke, he lived in a small dorm provided by the hospital—just behind the outpatient clinic. It was convenient for work and meals.
He headed straight to the hospital cafeteria.
The dining hall was split into two zones: one for patients and one for staff.
Breakfast came in two classes: simple and luxurious.
The simple meal—steamed buns, soy milk, fried dough sticks—cost no more than 3 yuan. Xia Tian's usual: two dough sticks and a cup of soy milk.
The luxury section offered steak, grilled sausages, toast, and eggs—40 to 50 yuan per meal. Way out of Xia Tian's league.
As he entered, he instinctively turned toward the simple section.
Just then, a crisp voice called out, "Xia Tian."
He turned. A pretty female doctor was waving at him. She looked like someone from neurology. He didn't know many people yet, but he'd heard her name: Huang Chanchan.
"Good morning, Dr. Huang," Xia Tian greeted her politely.
Huang Chanchan smiled sweetly, dimples appearing like blooming flowers. "Xia Tian, I bought you breakfast. Come join me?"
On her table: two steaks, toast, eggs—the deluxe treatment.
Xia Tian froze. This felt... awkward. They barely knew each other. Was it really okay to accept this?
He hesitated.
Just then, a nurse from the emergency department walked over, holding out a bag.
"Dr. Xia, I remember you like soy milk and dough sticks. I got breakfast for you. Let's eat together."
Before he could respond, Huang Chanchan's voice turned cold.
"I already bought Dr. Xia breakfast."
"Besides, fried dough sticks are junk food—sugar and oil, loaded with trans fats. Eating that every day will kill you. Dr. Xia works hard. He should eat something nutritious."
The nurse glared at her. "I work in the same department as Dr. Xia. You think I don't know what he likes?"
"And anyway—it's not like he eats it every day. What's the big deal?"
"Steak for breakfast? Overkill much?"
"So what if it's tasty? Dr. Xia doesn't like it, and that's what matters."
The tension escalated. Xia Tian stood between them, caught in the crossfire, thoroughly embarrassed.
Thankfully, just then, his colleague from the ER, Dai Weiwei, appeared.
She shot both women a glare. "What are you two arguing about?"
"We all work in the same hospital, under the same roof. You see each other every day. You're putting Dr. Xia in a terrible spot."
"Seriously, where's your pride?"
"Fighting over a man like this, in front of everyone? Pathetic."
"A real woman should have dignity. Be your own queen. Buying a man breakfast like this? You're just simping!"
Xia Tian glanced at Dai Weiwei with deep gratitude. She had saved him from a very awkward mess.
He was about to thank her—when she turned around, beaming, and handed him a bag.
"Xia Tian, I brought you breakfast."
"I made it myself."
"Come on, try it!"
Huang Chanchan let out a cold laugh. "Didn't you just say buying a man breakfast was pathetic? What do you call this?"
Dai Weiwei shot her a sharp look.
"You know nothing."
"I made this breakfast. I didn't buy it."
Xia Tian: "???"