Generally speaking, daily ward rounds are mainly carried out by the attending physician and resident doctors. The chief and associate chief physicians lead two large teaching rounds per week, but Eric Bennett and Brian Sullivan, as young doctors who had only recently been promoted to associate chief physicians, would lead a major round almost every other day.

Both of them graduated from the eight-year combined bachelor's and doctoral program in clinical medicine at A Medical University. From their first year, they were locked in a constant battle for first and second place—sometimes the east wind prevailed over the west, sometimes the west wind over the east. During their doctoral studies, they both entered the affiliated Jihua Hospital of A Medical University, and after completing their rotations, fate brought them together again in the obstetrics and gynecology department, both apprenticed to the department head, Professor Carter.

This Professor Carter was a kind-faced, gentle middle-aged woman, and also the vice president of Jihua Hospital. She was highly experienced and exceptionally skilled. When Eric Bennett and Brian Sullivan first learned that they would be in the same department under the same professor, they stormed into Professor Carter's office together.

Eric Bennett: "If he's here, I'm not. If I'm here, he's not."

Brian Sullivan: "I'd rather starve to death or jump out the window than work with Eric Bennett!"

But Professor Carter just smiled at them, holding her thermos cup and speaking softly, "The system has already registered you both, it can't be changed. What overnight grudges can't be resolved, boys? Take a step back and the world opens up. Come on, shake hands?"

Eric Bennett and Brian Sullivan obviously refused to shake hands. They exchanged a glance, snorted coldly, and swept out of the office.

So in the days that followed, Professor Carter watched with delight as the two rivals worked tirelessly in the lab, competing to assist her in surgeries as if they never got tired, or brought stacks of literature to case analysis meetings, engaging in fierce debates, each trying to out-argue the other.

This month, Eric Bennett submitted a paper; next month, Brian Sullivan would definitely come to her for revisions. While others might say, "If the moon doesn't sleep, I don't sleep," for these two it was, "If he doesn't sleep, I don't sleep."

Pulling all-nighters became routine. As the corresponding author, Professor Carter received so many bonuses her hands went numb. In a way, she enjoyed the thrill of being propelled forward by her students. As the sharp-eyed ultimate winner, she looked at the two with satisfaction and said leisurely, "Young people need competition to have motivation."

In the end, under this intense competition—if you don't outwork me, I'll outwork you—both were promoted to associate chief physician in the same year. From then on, they each took charge independently, becoming the two young and sharp blades of the Jihua Hospital obstetrics and gynecology department.

However, their rapid career advancement did nothing to change their mutual antagonism. Competing over everything had become a daily practice for both doctors. For example, who would leave the office first for the major ward round, or—

"Eric Bennett, you're going too far!" Brian Sullivan looked at the operating room schedule handed over by the head nurse. "Next Tuesday's first slot is already yours, and you're still taking up so many spots. Are you planning to do all six surgeries in one morning? No one jumps between surgeries like you do. Are you planning to spend the night at the hospital and never go home?"

Operating rooms in the hospital are limited. Generally, the most difficult and high-level surgeries are scheduled first—the so-called "first slot"—and these are usually assigned in order, with little dispute.

Surgeries after the first slot are called "follow-up slots," and at that point, it's all about seniority and your relationship with the head nurse.

No one wants to be stuck in the hospital doing surgery late at night, so the operating schedule is always fiercely contested. Eric Bennett and Brian Sullivan are usually polite and accommodating with others, but when it comes to each other, they fight tooth and nail.

"So what if I jump between surgeries? I'm fast," Eric Bennett didn't even look at him, just lowered his head to sign the schedule, the thin lenses of his glasses reflecting the cold white light of the hallway.

Usually, a surgery isn't completed by just one doctor. The lead surgeon handles the most critical part, while the prep and the suturing afterward are left to more junior doctors.

Jihua Hospital has many patients, and the lead surgeons have so many operations that it's common for them to leave after the key part to rush to the next operating room—this is called "jumping slots."

With a "slap," Brian Sullivan put a beauty salon card on the table, softened his voice, and said to the head nurse, "Ms. Bolton—, look at Eric Bennett, he's being way too domineering. Please, could you rearrange the schedule?"

He was good-looking, sweet-talking, knew how to act cute and coax people, and his fan-shaped, peach blossom eyes were especially attractive. "Dashing and charming" was no exaggeration. Even after countless sleepless nights, his eyes still sparkled, making him the type young women liked best.

"Ms. Bolton, my mom always goes to this beauty salon, and the results are great. You're already beautiful, but if you go for some treatments, you'll look ten years younger for sure."

No woman dislikes being complimented on her looks. Head nurse Grace Bolton was delighted by his flattery, but she also had a shopping card from Eric Bennett in her pocket. For a moment, she looked awkwardly at the two feuding doctors and tried to mediate, "Dr. Bennett, why don't you let him have it this time?"

Actually, they usually didn't fight this fiercely over the schedule. Who knows what big event is happening next Tuesday that has both of them acting like they're in a race to be reborn, desperate to finish all their surgeries.

Eric Bennett shot Brian Sullivan a cold look. "Don't even think about it."

"Eric Bennett," Brian Sullivan pressed down on his pen, "Next time you and Laura Clark are on surgery together, I promise I won't come and mess things up."