Chapter 526 You’re on Your Own
Courtney had no time to prepare for the competition, and she even had no idea what the rules were before she reached the venue. When they came to the hall and found out that it was packed with the audience, their jaws almost dropped.
Linda pushed the throng away and tugged at Courtney, pointing at her. “You’re wearing this for the tournament?”
“What’s wrong with this?” She was in a beige windbreaker, light brown cotton sweater, and a pair of gray palazzo pants. It was casual but stylish. She looked at herself, thinking that she was dressed appropriately.
Oliver stuck his head out and said, “She looks great.”
Linda felt like taking her heels off and hurling them at Courtney and Oliver. She pointed at the audience seat and growled at Oliver, “You get to the audience seat. Leave everything else to me.” She went off like the wind.
When Courtney pushed the crowd away and saw her competitors, she realized why Linda was so mad. She thought this would be a regular test or interview, but this competition turned out to be way more. She thought she was on a live recording set. There were cameras installed in all corners of the hall, and most of them were trained on the dozens of interns in the hall. Just like Courtney, they had passed the first elimination round. All of them were wearing white coats and standing there solemnly. Courtney took her number and stood among the crowd, though she looked really different wearing her beige windbreaker.
“Why aren’t you in your uniform? You can’t take part in the tournament if you aren’t in your uniform.” The moment she stood still, a patrolling judge came over to her sternly, as if he would eliminate her for not wearing a coat.
Courtney looked sheepish and was about to reason with him, but Linda barged in and handed her a coat. “We have a uniform! The competition hasn’t started yet.” Linda was huffing and puffing. Her hand was on her waist, and she forced a smile. After the judge left, she turned around and took Courtney’s windbreaker off. “Wear this. Can you at least pay attention to this?”
Courtney wore the coat, muttering, “You didn’t tell me the competition would be like this. It’s like a live show.”
“They’ll record the whole competition and make it into a promotional video for the hospitals. All the edited footage is gonna make it to the Internet. The public can see the early stages too. Aren’t you worried at all?”
Linda was almost bursting with fury, while Courtney teased, “Can I worry about it now?”
Linda rolled her eyes and left. “You’re on your own now,” she said.
The competition was an elimination race. All the contestants would be eliminated until there were only three left. Since Courtney was not familiar with the rules, she listened closely while the host was announcing them.
Oliver looked at the screen and noticed Courtney looking confused. He chuckled. She found her bearing after a few rounds, but by then, only about two thirds of the contestants were left.
The third round was a speed game. The host split the contestants up into groups of two according to the draw, and then they would be tested on their medical knowledge. The three groups with the lowest marks would be eliminated, leaving only twelve contestants. Courtney’s knowledge reserve was solid, and she knew the answers to all the questions. She was not keen on getting the top three, but she would not be eliminated easily. After the fourth round, there were only six contestants left.
Courtney had gotten into the mood at this point. When she snapped out of it, she was already looking tense and ready for the next challenge like everyone else.
“And now, for the last round of the tournament. This is it. This will decide the top three contestants. The top three of Melrose’s eighth Sunshine Cup shall be born!” the host announced, and the audience cheered in delight. A moment later, he announced, “And now, let’s welcome Dr. Allen from Melrose Hyperion Hospital to the stage. He shall be the last trialsperson for the contestants. Give it up for Professor Allen!”
The audience clapped, and Courtney looked at Allen who was sitting at the judging panel. He was about fifty years old, and he looked professional and lean. Although he had graying hair, his steps were filled with energy. He was a legend among doctors, and Courtney had heard of him as well. He was rumored to have operated twelve times in twenty-one hours. Lots of people marveled at this, but lots had their doubts about it as well.
Courtney and her colleagues had also discussed this before. The intern nurses did not believe it, but Linda had come in with her arms crossed and said, “Just because you can’t do it doesn’t mean nobody can. Expand your horizons.” Linda worshipped Allen. When she found out he was coming back, she tried her best just to see him, but her attempts failed for some reason. Now she was in the audience seat, and Linda was beside herself. Poor Oliver had his thighs bruised because she kept slapping it.
“We all know Professor Allen spends most of his time researching. He seldom performs any operation anymore, but I believe everyone has heard of his astounding achievement. Care to share your experience with us, professor?”
An eerie silence captivated the hall.
Allen was sitting in the middle of the panel of judges. His eyes were almost hidden behind his wrinkles, and reminiscence appeared within them. He never did tell anyone about his experience because he could never bring himself to say it. It was a gory and bloody experience. He might have decades of experience in this field, but the PTSD he gained from it forced him to retire from the operating theater. His eyes trembled, and his voice rang across the hall.
“This happened two years ago in Vietnam. I was in an exchange program at the capital’s hospital. One month before the program ended, something tragic happened.” He paused and kept his voice steady. What he said next shocked Courtney, who was just an audience until a moment ago. “The local police force called it ‘Operation Solaris’, which was an operation to arrest the local drug syndicate. The syndicate’s name was Crescent, so the police named themselves after the sun. An accident happened during the operation. Someone set off a chain of explosions, and hundreds of patients were sent to the hospital.” He was reminded of a grim experience, so he stopped for a moment and looked around before he could calm down.
