This assessment was held in a small conference room at the Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine. By the time Xu Ze arrived, several people were already there.
These individuals all looked very young. As Xu Ze walked in, he could tell from their appearances that they were definitely here for the Rising Star Assessment.
When they saw Xu Ze enter, aside from a young man in a Zhongshan suit who lifted his chin with a hint of pride, the others gave him slight smiles and nods of acknowledgment, though none seemed inclined to strike up a conversation.
Xu Ze found a seat for himself and sat down, casually taking in his surroundings. The decor of this small conference room at the Institute had a distinctly vintage feel. A dozen or so large rosewood chairs and a few old-fashioned long tables gave the impression of having traveled back in time to the Ming or Qing dynasties.
What surprised Xu Ze the most was the information that Xiaodao’s encyclopedia quickly displayed: these rosewood chairs and old-fashioned tables were actually antique furniture over two hundred years old.
“This place truly has a depth that others can’t match. No wonder it’s considered a stronghold of traditional medicine,” Xu Ze remarked softly to himself.
After sitting down and waiting a moment, someone soon brought him a cup of tea. Xu Ze thanked them and took a gentle sip.
As the delicate tea fragrance spread across his palate, followed by a subtle sweetness, Xu Ze raised his eyebrows slightly. Even the hospitality tea was this high-grade Tieguanyin—it seemed the scholars at the Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine were far from ordinary.
Xu Ze set down his cup and glanced around at the five other people in the room, gaining a bit of insight. These individuals all appeared to be between twenty-three and twenty-four years old. Though young, they carried themselves with remarkable composure, and their attire was quite formal and mature.
Looking down at his own casual jacket—which, though well-fitted, seemed a bit too relaxed for the setting—Xu Ze couldn’t help but smile faintly.
Aside from the young man in the black Zhongshan suit at the front, who carried himself with a solitary pride, the others responded to Xu Ze’s glances with gentle smiles, making him feel quite at ease.
“These are clearly students trained by accomplished masters. Just from their calm and steady demeanor, they’re nothing like the frivolous young people of today,” Xu Ze thought to himself. Yet, he couldn’t help but feel curious about the proud young man. Judging by his attitude, his background must be remarkable—how else could he carry himself like that?
To be so confident and yet be here for the Rising Star Assessment meant he was likely no ordinary contender.
After forming a brief impression of the group, Xu Ze withdrew his gaze and began savoring his tea.
Drinking tea is an exercise in cultivating one’s temperament. Often, you can tell a lot about a person simply by observing how they drink tea.
So, while Xu Ze was drinking his tea, a few others glanced at him discreetly.
Among the group, Xu Ze was clearly the youngest. But regardless of age, anyone who appeared here at this moment was no ordinary individual.
After all, this was the Traditional Chinese Medicine Rising Star Assessment. Those recommended by national-level master practitioners were not to be compared to graduates from conventional medical schools.
Traditional Chinese medicine has a unique way of refining a person’s temperament and character. Many of its principles are things that can only be grasped intuitively, not explained in words. It requires a consistently calm mindset and a certain kind of insight to truly understand its essence.
Therefore, anyone who has genuinely studied traditional Chinese medicine and achieved something in it would never exhibit a restless or impatient disposition.
By having these young candidates drink tea here, the senior experts were likely also making quiet observations. So, before coming, most of the candidates’ mentors would have given them some advice—except for someone like Xu Ze, who had ended up here somewhat by chance.
But when it came to such matters of temperament, Xu Ze naturally had no issue. Since childhood, he had been gentle and composed. Seeing that no one else seemed interested in chatting, he was perfectly content to sit back, cup in hand, and enjoy his tea. It was a peaceful way to pass the time. After all, a fine tea like this deserved a quiet atmosphere to be fully appreciated. And in this setting, focusing on the tea helped settle the mind as well.
The other candidates, who had been subtly observing Xu Ze, couldn’t help but feel a quiet admiration for his calm and effortless composure—as if he were sitting alone in a peaceful room, savoring tea in solitude. Though none of them considered themselves ordinary, they knew better than to underestimate someone who could achieve such a state of ease.
Even the proud young man at the front, upon seeing Xu Ze’s tranquil and composed demeanor, set aside some of his earlier arrogance.
Several dozen meters away, in a spacious and comfortable reception room, seven or eight elderly men were sitting on upholstered sofas, drinking tea and chatting casually, occasionally glancing at the large screen in front of them.
One of them, who looked to be in his seventies or eighties, with a half-foot-long white beard flowing from his chin, held his teacup and took a small sip with half-closed eyes. After exhaling with satisfaction, he turned to the others and said with a slight smile, “That young man who arrived last seems promising. Whose student is he?”
Hearing this, the others exchanged knowing smiles. Old Wang, seated nearby, chuckled and interjected, “That’s Xu Ze, the one I recommended. He’s not my student, though. I met him in the countryside near Xingcheng at the end of last year. I saw great potential in him—he has an excellent reputation locally and a wonderful temperament. However, because he lacks formal certification, he was being treated unfairly by the authorities. So, I suggested he come here to take the assessment.”
“Oh? Recommended by Brother Wang? I wonder who his teacher is?” The others looked intrigued and turned to Old Wang, curious. They all knew that Wang Yibo, though one of the younger members in the room, was exceptionally skilled in pulse diagnosis and acupuncture. Hearing him speak so highly of this young man naturally piqued their interest.
Seeing their curiosity, Old Wang shook his head with a smile. “I don’t actually know who his teacher is. But at present, he’s primarily focused on Western medicine.”
“Western medicine?” Upon hearing this, most of the elders frowned, with only two or three remaining expressionless. The bearded old man looked at Wang and said with a faint smile, “Brother Wang, have you been studying Western medicine lately?”
“Not at all, not at all,” Old Wang replied, sensing their misunderstanding. He chuckled and explained, “Xu Ze is currently twenty-one years old and studying clinical medicine at Xingda University. So, yes, his main focus is Western medicine. However, his skill with acupuncture needles surpasses even mine. I may not know the full extent of his knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine, but based on this alone, I believe he is qualified to participate in this assessment.”
“Surpasses even yours?” The elders were taken aback. How could that be? Though Old Wang was relatively young among them, no one could match his acupuncture skills. Now he was admitting that a young man was better? Impossible!
Yet, seeing the serious expression on Wang’s face, their doubts began to fade. No one would make such a claim as a joke.
The bearded old man gently set down his teacup and smiled warmly. “That’s wonderful. It’s a blessing for us to see such promising successors in our field. Well, it’s getting late. Let’s begin.”
“Indeed,” the other elders agreed in unison, nodding with a classical charm. Only two or three of them wore slightly helpless smiles.
Hearing the commotion at the door, someone quickly stood up to welcome the few remaining pillars of the traditional Chinese medicine community.
Seeing everyone rise, Xu Ze followed suit, setting down his teacup and straightening his clothes before turning his gaze toward the entrance.
As the group of elderly men, all in their seventies or eighties, filed in, Xu Ze nodded quietly. Xiaodao quickly sent him a stream of information about each of them.
At the front was Guo Baiqing, the elderly director of the Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, with his long white beard. Behind him was Zhang Sanlin, a renowned physician from the northern Yanbei region. Then came Zu Xingbo and Wang Yibo, famous doctors from the Jiangnan region. Following them were Professor Tang Wuyou and Professor Jiang Lingyun, senior experts from Capital Medical University. At the very end was Lin Zhikui, the somewhat younger deputy director of the National Medical Examination Center.
Xu Ze was deeply impressed by this lineup. The first few venerable seniors represented the highest achievements in modern traditional Chinese medicine. The two professors from Capital Medical University were top-tier clinical medicine experts, representing certain areas of authority in Western medicine. As for Deputy Director Lin Zhikui, his presence naturally represented the Medical Examination Center—after all, the issuance of the final certification required his approval.
Elderly Director Guo led the group and sat down behind the long table at the far end of the small conference room. He then looked over the group of young men standing before him with respectful expressions and nodded approvingly. “Please, have a seat,” he said.
With the director’s words, the six young men carefully sat down, waiting for his arrangements.
It would be untrue to say they weren’t nervous. Though their mentors had given them advice, seeing these legendary figures gathered in one place—these were names they had grown up hearing—was enough to unsettle even the most self-assured young men.
Of course, Xu Ze was the exception, having been brought into this somewhat by chance.
Old Guo took a gentle sip of tea, stroked his long beard, and sighed softly. “Nowadays, traditional learning is in decline, while Western medicine flourishes. We who uphold traditional medicine cannot bear to see it fade away. That is why we hold this special assessment every year—to discover a new generation of promising talents who can restore the vitality of Chinese medicine.”
