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Chapter 286: Looked Down Upon  

Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons  

“Look here! Say cheese!”  

After receiving their diplomas, the Duncan family went into full photo-taking mode.  

It was the same for everyone else.  

Four years of relentless effort had all led up to this very moment.  

Many students, especially the girls, were in tears—these past four years had been incredibly tough.  

Some parents also couldn’t hold back their emotions, crying tears of joy.  

Raising a doctor in the family was an immense honor, and the financial investment required was no joke. It was nearly impossible not to get emotional.  

What? 

Every med student pays for tuition independently with student loans and never relies on their parents? 

Yeah, right.  

That’s a misconception.  

Sure, plenty of students take on the burden of loans themselves, but many are supported by their families. Even those who do shoulder their own debt aren’t necessarily doing so out of sheer independence—many simply don’t have another option.  

But now, it had all paid off.  

Most of the graduation photos featured students in their academic gowns (regardless of the degree level, they were all referred to as academic gowns—high school graduates even wore similar ones), proudly holding their medical diplomas front and center.  

The families attending weren’t just parents and siblings; many brought along their boyfriends, girlfriends, fiancés, spouses, and even their children.  

These loved ones were arguably even more excited.  

Dating or starting a family with a med student was no easy feat.  

But now, they could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.  

Though the upcoming residency training wouldn't come with a doctor's full salary, at least they would no longer be pouring money into education. That financial shift alone was a massive relief.  

“Adam, it’s time to pick up our match letters!”  

Elliot called out.  

“Got it.”  

Adam let his family know and followed Elliot and the others into the academic building, where groups of graduates were already heading inside.  

At a counter set up to resemble a hospital’s nursing station, students stepped forward as their names were called, receiving the envelopes that revealed which hospitals they had matched with for their residencies.  

Medical residency applications worked both ways—students applied, and hospitals selected candidates. However, top-tier medical schools had established partnerships with major teaching hospitals, which meant placements were often assigned rather than purely chosen.  

Medical schools allocated students based on their academic performance, placing them at hospitals of varying levels, usually within the same city.  

For example, most Harvard Medical School graduates stayed in Boston.  

Columbia med students, naturally, were assigned within New York.  

Of course, students could opt out of their assigned match and apply elsewhere on their own, but without the school’s backing, securing a residency required strong personal connections. Otherwise, the application process became significantly more challenging, and the hospitals available weren’t as prestigious as those offered through the school’s matching system.  

This was precisely why some students practically worshipped their senior professors—not only could they impart invaluable medical knowledge, but they could also influence their students’ futures. How could you not admire them?  

“Where are you placed?”  

“Mount Sinai. You?”  

“Same here.”  

As graduates tore open their envelopes, discussions erupted around the room.  

Adam and his group remained relatively calm. Their placements had already been determined in advance, and as expected, they were headed to the Medical Center’s surgical department.  

Adam glanced at a few of the other prominent students, noting their equally composed expressions. Clearly, their placements had been pre-arranged as well.  

With a slight smile, Adam waved his letter at Elliot and Bianca.  

“Let’s go.”  

He stepped outside—his whole family was still waiting for him.  

That day, Adam led the "Duncan Army" on a tour of Columbia University, followed by a grand tour of New York City.  

The Next Day 

Medical Center  

Adam took his family for a full health check-up, focusing especially on his mother.  

She had always been in great shape, giving birth to an entire basketball team’s worth of kids—all through natural delivery.  

But six years ago, when she had Toby, the fifth child, Adam had noticed a clear decline in her physical condition.  

Pregnancy at an advanced maternal age carried serious risks.  

With her third and fourth children, Gabby and Charlie, she had bounced back quickly, returning to work without any issues.  

But by the time she had Toby in her forties, her recovery took much longer.  

Now, she was pregnant with her sixth child—at nearly fifty years old. The thought alone was alarming.  

Modern medicine had come a long way, but childbirth was still a life-threatening event.  

“Leonard, what’s the verdict?”  

To get the most accurate assessment, Adam had sought out Rachel’s father, Leonard, for a professional and unbiased diagnosis.  

There was no other choice.  

OB-GYN specialists might be more knowledgeable, but their opinions often leaned toward either excessive caution or unnecessary alarmism—neither of which Adam wanted.  

As a doctor, he understood their approach, but as a son, he needed the real picture of his mother’s condition.  

“Your mom is in excellent health—there’s nothing to worry about.”  

Leonard smiled. “I even double-checked with the OB-GYN department head. She’s really fine. As long as she takes care of herself, everything should go smoothly. But at her age, this should definitely be the last one. Another pregnancy would be far too taxing on her body. Though if she did manage to conceive again, she’d be a medical miracle…”  

“Got it. Thanks.”  

Adam sighed in relief and expressed his gratitude.  

“In a week, you’ll be starting your residency here. Ready for it?”  

Leonard clapped Adam on the shoulder with a grin.  

“Always.”  

Adam smiled confidently.  

“Good.”  

Leonard nodded approvingly. “I’ve arranged for you to work under Dr. Sheni Hiron. She’s one of my senior residents—very capable and has a great personality. You’ll like her.”  

“No doubt about it.”  

Adam smirked.  

This was the advantage of having connections—everything was smooth sailing.  

Dr. Sheni Hiron was Leonard’s resident, which meant she would undoubtedly take special care of Adam.  

With both the “county official” (Leonard, the attending physician) and the “direct supervisor” (Sheni, the senior resident) looking out for him, Adam’s opportunity to start performing surgeries would come much sooner than most.  

The benefits of networking had once again proven their worth.  

After a bit more small talk, Adam took the health report and rejoined his parents, first relaying the doctor’s cautionary advice before delivering the good news.  

“Dad, Mom, why don’t you move here?”  

After some thought, Adam suggested, “New York has better medical resources…”  

“Haha, no need.”  

His mom laughed and interrupted, “Your dad and I have our whole social circle in Galveston. Moving here would be tough—we wouldn’t know anyone! We’re happy where we are, and besides, you just said I’m in perfect health.”  

“Not perfect. Pregnancy at your age is still risky.”  

Adam reminded her.  

“Yeah, yeah, I know my body. You might be a doctor, but you’re still just a resident. I, on the other hand, am a seasoned nurse. Greenhorns like you rely on people like us in the hospital!”  

His mom said smugly.  

Adam: “…”  

Chapter 287: The Girl Next Door 

Even though his mom’s words didn’t exactly apply to Adam, he decided to let it slide. 

In the love-hate dynamic between nurses and doctors, young intern doctors often became the unfortunate targets of the nurses’ teasing—a bit like “the Jade Emperor being beaten by the Monkey King” in their eyes, a memory best left buried.  

You might be skilled, but as an intern doctor, you still had to ask the nurses for help with injections.  

You might be impressive, but as an intern doctor, you still had to ask the nurses what to do.  

You might carry authority now, but as an intern doctor, you had moments of vulnerability in front of the nurses.  

Because of all this, veteran nurses had a strong sense of superiority over intern doctors. They weren’t even intimidated by attending physicians or sometimes even department heads.  

After all, they had the backing of the nurses' union—they could organize a strike if necessary.  

As a seasoned nurse, Adam’s mom felt a double sense of superiority and joy when she talked down to her son, who was once an intern doctor himself.  

Though Adam wasn’t quite the “little Bambi” his mom liked to mock, she was pregnant again—so as long as she was happy, Adam let it slide.  

Once the major issue of his mom’s health was resolved, Adam relaxed. He took the family on a short vacation for a few days before his busy schedule resumed.  

“Pfft! What?!”  

When Adam heard the results of his assistant’s investigation, he nearly spat out his drink.  

That’s right—Adam had an assistant. As his wealth grew and his investments became increasingly complex, he didn’t have the time or mental energy to handle all the details himself, so naturally, he needed to hire someone to manage it.  

He also opened a small publishing company to help his friend Max, which needed someone to oversee operations.  

A few years ago, Adam had set up a small investment company to manage all his financial ventures. He hired a professional female assistant to handle day-to-day tasks.  

Of course, to prevent any risk of embezzlement, Adam kept her authority low. She handled routine tasks like filing taxes, monitoring stock prices, booking flights, and running errands.  

Adam maintained tight control over the major investments and financial matters, handling them periodically himself, so there were no major risks.  

The assistant’s name was Ida Toot. She wasn’t particularly attractive, but she was highly competent and had no ambition beyond her well-paying, low-stress job. She worked a comfortable 9-to-5 schedule, not the grueling 24/7 grind.  

“Boss, you didn’t hear me wrong.”  

Ida, now with a face full of Adam’s spit, looked at him with mild annoyance. Her expression shifted from strange to amused.  

“That Danielle you asked me to look into? She’s actually acted in movies—specifically, The Girl Next Door series. Want to watch?”  

“Of course.”  

Adam grabbed the videotape, popped it into the player, and was shocked to see that the “girl next door” was indeed his younger brother Gabby’s girlfriend. He quickly turned it off as soon as she started transforming on screen, feeling uncomfortable.  

He wasn’t like Barney; he had no admiration for Fernando Valley’s so-called artistic actresses. At that moment, all he felt was disgust.  

How could such an odd element infiltrate the happy Duncan family?  

“So, boss, what now?”  

Ida asked curiously.  

“What now? Just let it be.” Adam snapped. “Book a flight for my parents tomorrow—but not for Gabby. I need to have a serious talk with him.”  

This wasn’t something his mom could find out about, no matter how irritated Adam felt. He’d have to hold back until his parents left.  

“Got it, boss.”  

Ida left Adam’s apartment.  

The next day.  

His parents returned to Texas. 

Danielle went back to California. 

Gabby, though, was left behind by Adam.  

“Adam, you wanted to talk?”  

Gabby rubbed his hands together, looking at Adam with anticipation.  

“How did you meet Danielle?”  

Adam asked.  

“Oh, you know, just bumped into each other on campus—love at first sight. She has this… aura about her.”  

Gabby seemed completely smitten. Unfortunately, his lack of eloquence left him struggling for words.  

“An aura like the girl next door?”  

Adam’s expression turned strange.  

“Exactly!”  

Gabby clapped his hands. “She’s the embodiment of that ‘girl next door’ vibe. It’s like my dream come true—unlike our actual neighbor, that annoying old lady who’s always giving me trouble.”  

“Maybe because you’re always bothering her?”  

Adam rolled his eyes. “So, you’re serious about her?”  

“Of course I am!”  

Gabby sounded offended. “I’m serious about every relationship I’m in!”  

Adam’s mouth twitched, though inside he felt a sense of relief.  

That sincerity seemed familiar to him. The fact that Danielle was an actress from the Fernando Valley probably wouldn’t hit Gabby too hard.  

“Do you even know what she does for a living?”  

“Yeah, she’s an actress.”  

Gabby answered matter-of-factly. “In fact, she’s technically a senior in my field. Maybe we’ll collaborate on a film someday.”  

Gabby studied art design, which could be applied to both game development and filmmaking, especially behind the scenes.  

“Collaborate on a film?”  

Adam nearly laughed. “Why don’t you watch some of her ‘films’ first, then we’ll talk.”  

He played the tape for Gabby and left him alone to watch while he called home to check if their parents had landed safely.  

Everything had gone smoothly. After chatting with his parents for a while, Adam hung up and felt a bit uneasy.  

Wait—something was off.  

Gabby had been quiet for way too long. That wasn’t normal.  

Adam rushed back to the living room—  

—and froze.  

Instead of crying or shouting in despair, Gabby was sitting there, eyes glued to the screen, watching The Girl Next Door series with genuine fascination.  

“Did I put in the wrong tape?”  

Adam panicked and checked. Nope, it was the same Girl Next Door series.  

“Gabby, are you okay?”  

“Why wouldn’t I be?”  

Gabby pointed at the screen, smiling. “Look at that—my girlfriend’s acting is incredible! Oh my God, I’m dating a true artist from the Fernando Valley. This is amazing!”  

Adam was speechless. After carefully studying Gabby’s expression, he realized his happiness wasn’t fake.  

“Holy shit. Is Gabby basically Barney 2.0?”  

Adam kept him around for an extra day, observing him in secret. Eventually, both amused and concerned, he had Ida book Gabby’s flight back to California.  

The good news? Gabby genuinely didn’t care. His psychological resilience was on another level.  

The bad news? He was practically a clone of Barney Stinson, truly believing dating a Fernando Valley actress was something to be proud of.  

The Duncan family was supposed to be honest and wholesome. How had they ended up raising a second Barney?  

Adam couldn’t help but regret sending Gabby to study in California. This was freedom gone too far.  

Yep, that had to be it.  

Chapter 288: Orientation Training  

After seeing off Gabe, the third brother, Adam spent the last two days in Boston.  

Juno, Karen, and Heather—who had flown in from Texas—were already waiting for him.  

The four of them had a wonderful time together.  

Talking with Juno helped Adam finally put aside the troubling thought that Gabe might be a second Barney.  

Of course, when Juno suggested that Gabe could have been influenced by him, Adam firmly disagreed. For the first time, he found himself doubting Juno’s judgment.  

After all, Juno was only human, not a god.  

Since Heather had a tight schedule and they had limited time together, Adam knew better than to dwell on this issue.  

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.  

Sunday Night 

At the airport, Adam and Heather bid each other a reluctant farewell.  

He flew back to New York.  

Heather returned to Texas.  

Juno stayed in Boston.  

As an outstanding graduate of Harvard Medical School—despite the many students who got in through connections or sheer luck—her academic performance remained top-tier.  

As a result, she was placed at Massachusetts General Hospital, one of the best.  

Karen, having studied nursing, found the transition easy. After years of assisting Adam and Juno in hunting and dissections, she was more than prepared.  

Monday Morning 

Adam got up early, got ready, and arrived at the medical center well ahead of time.  

Today was orientation day.  

Several people were already waiting there.  

“Adam.”  

A young woman of South Asian descent spotted him and approached. “Do you remember me? I’m…”  

“Cristina Yang.”  

Adam smiled. “Juno’s classmate. You and Meredith really gave up those great hospitals in Boston just to come to New York and compete with us?”  

“Competition is everywhere. It’s the same no matter where you go.”  

Cristina raised an eyebrow, unconcerned.  

“Where’s Meredith? Didn’t you come with her?” Adam asked.  

“No.”  

Cristina shook her head. “She’s staying at her mother’s house, while I rented a place on my own. I don’t like living with others. She wanted me to go to a bar last night, but I turned her down since we had orientation today. She’s probably still asleep.”  

“You didn’t wake her up?”  

Adam chuckled.  

“She’ll wake up.”  

Cristina smirked.  

So much for sisterly love.  

Adam understood immediately. When Cristina said, competition is everywhere, she meant it.  

Meredith might be her close friend, but she was also her biggest rival. If Meredith didn’t perform well, many of her opportunities would fall to Cristina instead.  

So why would she wake Meredith up?  

Adam even wondered if Cristina had chosen not to live with Meredith precisely to keep some distance and avoid unnecessary complications.  

“By the way, thanks for helping me on that flight.”  

Cristina changed the subject and thanked him.  

“No problem.”  

Adam glanced at her briefly.  

They casually chatted about some hospital gossip, and time passed quickly.  

More interns gradually arrived.  

Orientation Begins 

“Is everyone here?”  

A bald man in a suit looked over the group, checking his list.  

“Meredith isn’t here yet,” Cristina whispered to Adam.  

“Don’t worry. The head of surgery is a close friend of her mother’s.”  

Adam smiled knowingly.  

“Good point.”  

Cristina nodded.  

For regular interns, the first few days were nerve-wracking—they had to be extra cautious to avoid breaking any hospital rules and getting kicked out of the residency program.  

But for someone like Meredith, who had strong connections, the rules didn’t apply in quite the same way.  

This was probably why, despite knowing today was important, she still felt comfortable drinking at a bar the night before.  

“Follow me.”  

The bald man didn’t call names. He simply led the group into an office and had them take their seats.  

“I’m Jason Dawn, the hospital’s legal advisor. Today, I’m here to give you an orientation, so you understand what you can and cannot do.”  

He glanced around. “Now, can anyone tell me what the most important thing is for a doctor?”  

“Caring for patients?”  

A young intern raised his hand and answered with a smile.  

Jason let out a dry laugh.  

“See? This is exactly why you’re all so naive! Caring for patients? No! The most important thing you need to remember is—the hospital does not want to be sued! Lawsuits are never a good thing…”  

What followed was a long list of lawsuit cases involving doctors. The sheer variety of legal troubles—many stemming from doctors who had meant well but were still sued—made everyone’s scalp tingle with unease.  

“Good.”  

Jason scanned the room and, seeing that everyone had taken his words to heart, nodded with satisfaction.  

“Now, let’s say you’ve done everything you can, but an accident still happens. What do you do then? Any takers?”  

“Deny everything?”  

Cristina raised her hand.  

“Exactly!”  

Jason’s eyes lit up, and he pointed at Cristina.  

“Deny, deny, deny. Of course, that applies when dealing with the patient. But if the patient is already dead, well… then you can say whatever you want.”  

He even chuckled at his own remark.  

No one laughed with him.  

Jason clicked his tongue in disappointment and continued drilling this legal mindset into them.  

Meeting the Department Heads 

“Alright, my job here is done. Your department heads will take over now. I’m sure they have plenty to tell you.”  

About ten minutes later, two doctors in white coats—one white, one Black—appeared at the door.  

Jason finally wrapped up his speech.  

“Surgical interns, follow me.”  

The Black doctor, an older man with short, graying hair, spoke briefly before turning to leave.  

Cristina was the first to jog after him.  

“Let’s go.”  

Adam nodded at Elijah, a fellow internal medicine intern, and gestured for Bianca to follow. Then, he joined the surgical group.  

The interns followed the surgical department head into a room that, once the lights were turned on, was revealed to be a practice surgical suite.  

“This is where you’ll be training,” the department head began.  

He looked around at the group and started his speech.  

“Today, you come here full of hope, eager to compete…”  

At that moment, a young woman slipped in through the door.  

The department head glanced at her but didn’t say anything about her tardiness. Instead, he continued:  

“In medical school, you were students learning how to become doctors. But as of today, you are doctors.  

“The next seven years of your residency will be both the best and worst years of your life.”  

Standing with his arms crossed, he spoke in a calm but firm tone.  

“You will be pushed to the brink of collapse. Look around. Say hello to your competition.  

“By the end, eight of you will transfer to less demanding specialties. Five of you will crack under pressure. Two of you will be asked to leave.  

“This is your starting line—your battlefield.  

“Where you end up depends entirely on you.”  

Adam scanned the room.  

There were 20 surgical interns in total.  

According to the department head, only five would make it to the end…  

Let the games begin.