The next day.
4:30 AM.
The hospital was once again bustling with the early morning shift.
Observation Surgery Room.
Dr. Burke was performing a coronary artery bypass surgery, and as expected, the fortunate intern assisting him was Meredith.
Adam and the others sat in the observation area, chatting while watching the live surgery.
"I heard you're going too?"
Christina asked casually.
"You're not going?"
Adam was a little surprised.
"At first, I wanted to go because Liz said it was just a small gathering with a few of us, and we'd get to meet her boyfriend."
Christina scoffed, "But then I heard she invited not only people from surgery, trauma, and plastic surgery but even those little brats from pediatrics and the nutcases from psych. All my enthusiasm disappeared—this party is going to be a disaster."
"That's a bit much."
Adam glanced at her.
"What do you mean?"
Christina dismissed it indifferently, "People who go into pediatrics or psychiatry—aren't they just little kids and idiots? Who in their right mind chooses those specialties? When we finish our internship and pick a specialty, would you choose pediatrics or psych?"
"…."
Adam was at a loss for words.
Pediatricians had it rough—no doubt about it.
In the U.S., pediatricians consistently ranked at the bottom of the doctor salary scale.
In a country where money is king, you can imagine where pediatricians stand in the medical hierarchy.
Yesterday, the pediatrician who diagnosed Joey's new girlfriend's daughter, Dr. Doug Ross, was a charming man. But even he got dumped by Nurse Carol.
Of course, the real reason was that Dr. Ross was too much of a flirt.
But in his own words, it became: "Do you know which type of doctor earns the least? You made the right choice dating a football player instead."
The only ones who could rival pediatricians in low income were family doctors.
That said, it still wasn't terrible—after all, it was still a high-income job compared to the average salary.
Back in Adam's previous life in China, his brother-in-law was a pediatrician, and that was truly miserable.
Low pay. Heavy workload.
Seriously, low pay and exhausting work.
His brother-in-law made just over 100,000 yuan per year, which seemed decent—until you realized he was in Shenzhen.
The average annual salary there was already around 110,000–120,000. So after five years of medical school, three years of a master's degree, and three years of residency training, he was actually below average.
Can you believe that?
Why was the pay so low?
Simple—base salaries were similar across the board, but income depended heavily on department bonuses.
And where do those bonuses come from? Department revenue.
A child's dosage is only a fraction of an adult's—so how can a pediatric department generate revenue?
At first, Adam's brother-in-law's bonuses were even lower than his sister's, who was a nurse. It was only after he completed residency training that he finally surpassed her—otherwise, his status in the family would've been questionable.
And it wasn't just about low income—the workload was brutal.
Seeing 100 patients a day was normal.
Kids have weaker immune systems, and when they gather, they get sick easily.
The start of school and flu season? Absolute nightmares for pediatricians.
When a child gets sick, the whole family shows up. Young parents were manageable, but grandparents? Not so much. They were often uncooperative and difficult.
A pediatric clinic felt like a chaotic farmer's market—constant crying, yelling, and noise that could drive anyone insane.
His brother-in-law had chosen pediatrics because his grades were average and job competition was fierce. Pediatrics had fewer applicants, making it an easier choice.
He had long regretted it and had been trying to switch specialties.
Back when Adam crossed over, there was even an infamous incident where an entire pediatric department applied to transfer out—an unprecedented move.
They wouldn't have done it unless they were truly desperate.
At one hospital, the monthly performance bonus coefficient for pediatrics was 1.0, translating to 498 yuan. Meanwhile, for administrative staff, it was 1.0 but worth 2,600 yuan—a fivefold difference!
That was pediatrics.
Psychiatry, on the other hand, was high-paying—but just look at Leonard's mother, Beverly, and you'll understand why Christina called psych doctors "idiots."
Psychiatrists who delve too deeply into their patients' minds often end up with their own issues.
Case in point: the psychiatrist treating the Joker ended up becoming Harley Quinn.
"Honestly, why even bother with this party?"
Christina complained, "We barely get time off as it is. If I had a free day, I'd spend it in bed with my boyfriend—not wasting time on a party. Tell me, do you think Liz's boyfriend has performance issues?"
"You should ask Liz that yourself."
Adam felt like his sarcasm still needed work.
Just look at Christina—she had managed to roast almost everyone within minutes.
And the worst part? She wasn't even wrong.
"But if that's not the reason, then Liz probably wants to break up."
"Break up?"
George, who had been silent until now, couldn't help but join the conversation. "No way."
"You mean Liz doesn't want to break up directly, so she's hoping her boyfriend will take the hint and back off?"
Christina immediately caught on to Adam's meaning.
"What else?"
Adam shrugged. "Like you said, we're all as busy as spinning tops. If she really wanted to introduce her boyfriend to everyone, why would she waste her precious free time on a party instead of just spending it with him?"
"Wait—what if Liz actually likes you?"
Christina suddenly turned to Adam. "Maybe that's why she wants to break up—to be with you instead?"
"Don't be ridiculous."
Adam shook his head. "That's impossible."
Christina smirked. "Still, it makes sense for Liz to want to break up. They're not even in the same city. She's insanely busy every day—how is she supposed to maintain a long-distance, Platonic relationship? Without that moral burden, she'd be free to do whatever she wants. If it were me, I'd just break up outright instead of making him come all this way."
"You've worked with Liz for a while now, and you still don't get her personality?"
Adam gave her a sideways glance. "Do you really think she'd be the type to break up first and hurt someone?"
Christina fell silent.
Saint Liz always put others first—there was no way she'd initiate a breakup.
"Wait, something's wrong!"
Adam's expression suddenly changed.
"What is it?"
Christina asked.
A storm raged in Adam's mind.
Inside the OR, Meredith was holding up the heart.
Adam saw her briefly doze off—her fingers squeezed the patient's heart.
Not a huge deal—the myocardium was strong enough to withstand a little pressure.
But Adam's sharp eyes caught something—Meredith's glove had been punctured by her own fingernail.
This…
Adam's gaze locked onto the surgery below.
Dr. Burke placed the heart back in, warmed it up, and removed the bypass. The heart was supposed to restart.
But it didn't.
Everyone tensed.
"Is this a transplant?"
"Not yet sutured. What's the temperature?"
"96 and rising."
"It has to restart on its own."
"It's failing!"
Adam couldn't hold back any longer. He pressed the intercom button.
"Dr. Burke, check for a cardiac puncture. I saw Dr. Grey's glove was torn by her fingernail."
The moment he said this, all eyes turned to Meredith.