Duncan's Apartment.

Adam had spent hours at the bar celebrating Matthew and Lily's engagement with the others.

When he returned, he found Bianca still fast asleep and couldn't help but chuckle.

Despite her petite frame and delicate features, she looked quiet and reserved—but deep down, she was anything but.

When she let loose, she could be even wilder than most girls.

Adam had tried to stop her, but to no avail.

The Next Day

"A new day begins."

Adam nudged Bianca awake.

"Mm."

Bianca kept her eyes shut, unwilling to move.

"Are you planning to give up on becoming a surgeon?"

Adam teased.

"Of course not! Hiss…"

Bianca shot up immediately, only to wince and suck in a sharp breath. "Damn it! Adam, are you even human?"

"Heh."

Adam just smiled without responding.

Arguing with a woman about who was right or wrong was a pointless endeavor.

"You okay?"

Adam stepped forward to help her out of bed. "Do you want to take the day off and rest?"

"Absolutely not."

Bianca pushed him away, grimacing as she made her way to the bathroom to freshen up.

Every surgical intern wanted to learn as much as possible, as quickly as possible.

Hospitals treated interns like workhorses, and taking a leave of absence on just the second rotation? That would be a disaster for their evaluation scores.

If she got a poor rating or negative remarks recorded in her medical file, it would be a permanent stain on her career.

Landing a good job or competing for a coveted position later on? Candidates with blemishes on their records were usually the first to be eliminated.

Even though their resident supervisor, Dr. Shani, was known as the "compassionate doctor," Bianca wasn't about to take any risks.

After all, she was dating Adam Duncan.

Who knew if Shani would smile to her face while secretly holding a grudge and making her life difficult?

As a woman, Bianca understood all too well how tempting Adam could be.

Shani was just a few years older than them and still single. If she truly had no interest in Adam, Bianca wouldn't believe it for a second.

Medical Center

The second rotation officially began.

Unlike the grueling 48-hour initiation shift from the first round, this time it was about 14 hours per day—7 AM to 9 PM, six days a week.

As soon as Adam parked the car with Bianca, the loud rumbling of a motorcycle echoed nearby.

A rider clad in full leather pulled up beside his parking spot.

When the helmet came off, Christina's not-so-friendly face was revealed.

"Morning."

"Morning. You two?"

Christina's eyes darted between Adam and Bianca, brimming with curiosity.

"We just happened to arrive at the same time," Bianca explained.

"Oh."

Christina's expression read: Sure, if you say so… but I don't buy it.

"You patched things up with Meredith yet?"

Adam locked his car and changed the subject as they walked toward the hospital.

"Yeah."

Christina shrugged. "There was never really a problem to begin with. We're all surgeons—we know the rules of the game. Competition is the norm. If you can't handle that, you might as well quit now."

"Now that's the spirit."

Adam nodded approvingly. "I'll keep that in mind. Next time, I won't hesitate to jump in and answer first."

"…."

Christina rolled her eyes hard.

Locker Room

The interns were busy changing into their blue scrubs and white coats.

Fierce-looking Liz immediately drew the attention of most of the male doctors—especially Alex, the resident playboy.

He looked like he was about to whistle, his face plastered with a grin.

The embarrassment from his first rotation had clearly vanished from his mind.

His thick skin was practically bulletproof.

Watching the scene unfold, Adam reconsidered his earlier assumption that Alex would be one of the first to get kicked out.

Turns out, shamelessness was a superpower.

Compared to the self-righteous Liz and the perpetually unlucky, timid George, Alex might actually have a better survival rate.

"You're looking for roommates?"

Meredith walked in and pinned a notice to the wall.

George, who harbored a crush on her, rushed over immediately. "Count me in!"

"I'm in too," Liz added, her eyes lighting up.

"Not a chance."

Meredith shut them down without hesitation.

"My mom ironed my scrubs yesterday like they were regular clothes."

George pleaded, "I can't keep living with my parents. I need a place. Please let me move in."

"I can cook, and I'm super clean."

Liz tried to sell herself.

"We already spend 100 hours a week together. That's more than enough."

Meredith refused outright. "I just want two strangers as roommates. No small talk, no forced niceties."

"Come on, what about me?"

Alex smirked. "No small talk, no fake friendliness—you set the rules."

"I want you as far away from me as possible."

Meredith slammed her locker shut and stormed off.

Alex just shrugged, unfazed.

Greene Clinic

"Adam, you're assigned to the ER today."

"Christina, you're in trauma."

"Bianca, go deliver test results to patients."

"Stu, you're on sutures."

Shani handed out assignments.

"Yes, doctor."

Everyone acknowledged their tasks and dispersed.

Emergency Room

Beep. Beep.

Adam's pager went off. He checked it and immediately sprinted toward the designated room.

"I'm Dr. Duncan, in charge of this resuscitation. What's the patient's status?"

He assessed the situation while questioning the EMTs.

"57-year-old male, cardiac arrest."

The paramedic responded.

"Defibrillator ready—charge to 200 joules."

Adam grabbed the paddles, signaling the nurse.

"Charged."

The nurse confirmed.

"Clear!"

Adam gave the warning, making sure no one was in contact with the patient before delivering the shock.

"Ah!"

The patient gasped and jolted awake from unconsciousness.

"Heartbeat restored," the nurse announced, looking at Adam with newfound respect.

They had seen plenty of rookie doctors freeze under pressure, standing by helplessly while the nurses took charge.

But Adam? He was decisive and confident, like a seasoned pro.

He glanced at the monitor, satisfied, then set the defibrillator down with a smile.

Because on his system panel, a small notification had just appeared: +0.01

Just like that, he had saved a life.

No wonder some people loved emergency medicine—this kind of high-stakes action was exhilarating.

Compared to long, grueling surgeries that lasted for hours, the ER's split-second, life-or-death moments seemed like a perfect fit for someone like Adam, whose goal was to extend lives.

But it was just a thought. He didn't regret choosing surgery over emergency medicine.

After all, these dramatic defibrillator saves were rare. Within the hospital's coverage area, the odds of such cases weren't high.

A renowned surgeon, on the other hand, could attract critically ill patients from all over the country—or even the world.

At that point, he could perform as many surgeries as he wanted, maximizing efficiency, stability, and long-term impact—something the ER could never match.

And his instincts were right.

Over the course of the day, Adam only got one chance to play "lightning god" with the defibrillator.

The other emergency cases weren't life-threatening, giving him system boosts of only +0.0001 to +0.0005 at a time.

In the end, assisting in surgery still yielded better results.

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