On the second day of the Lunar New Year, the bad weather in Binhai City didn't improve. The temperature was still hovering at minus three or four degrees, and the sky was still merrily snowing!

For Lin Jie, Lin Miao, and the others, who were cozy in their warm apartment, this terrible weather had no impact at all. Instead, there was an indescribable sense of happiness!

Especially after breakfast, watching Yang Leyi, bundled up tightly, reluctantly head off to work, this feeling grew even stronger.

An Kemeng glanced out the window and said somewhat insincerely, "Sister Yang is really pitiful; in such cold weather, she still has to go to work! It's still snowing outside, and some of the snow hasn't melted..."

Suddenly, her eyes lit up and she shouted, "Brother Jie, Sister Miaomiao, Sister Ling, the snow outside hasn't melted yet. It snowed all night, so it must be thick."

"Shall we go to Binhai Park to roll snowballs, have a snowball fight, and build a snowman?"

Her suggestion instantly moved them all.

In Binhai's winter, it's still common to see snow, but it usually melts as soon as it hits the ground. Seeing thick snow like today was quite rare.

Lin Jie, Lin Miao, and Ling Mengjiao were about to go back to their rooms to change into the warmest clothes to go out and play in the snow.

"Hey, brother!"

Lin Miao suddenly grabbed Lin Jie's arm and said, "I just remembered, you can't play in the snow. You need to stay home!"

Lin Jie's dream of a snowball fight was instantly shattered. Reluctantly, he said, "What if I bundle up and go out with you, but just watch you build a snowman, okay?"

"No way!" Lin Miao firmly replied!

An Kemeng and Ling Mengjiao also heard Lin Miao's words and returned from the stairs.

"Just thinking about the snow being cold and freezing my hands makes me not want to play anymore. Brother Jie, I'll stay and watch TV with you!" An Kemeng said obediently!

Ling Mengjiao also agreed, "I suddenly don't feel like playing in the snow either!"

Lin Jie, of course, could tell they were just saying it against their will, so he laughed and said, "Alright, alright, I understand you guys. You all go out and have fun; I'll stay at home."

Seeing Lin Miao still about to speak, Lin Jie interrupted, "I know what you want to say. I promise, I won't sneak out. Now you can be at ease, go on, all of you go out and play!"

Lin Jie was about to say a few more words to put on a brave face, but the three were already racing towards the stairs with excitement.

About ten minutes later, the three, fully geared up, each gave Lin Jie a piece of advice before rushing out with loud cheers.

But just over half an hour later, Lin Jie suddenly heard the doorbell!

"Why didn't you play for a while longer?"

Muttering to himself, Lin Jie opened the door to find Chen Shi and Tao Taqing standing outside.

Chen Shi entered while saying, "Old Tao and I thought that since these couple of days are relatively quiet, we should settle the research project as soon as possible."

"Lin Jie, first give us a detailed explanation of your surgical plan!"

Lin Jie offered them hot tea, served some fruits and nuts, and began to expound on his surgical ideas.

Both Chen Shi and Tao Taqing listened intently, occasionally interrupting to ask a question or two.

In this back-and-forth, it took Lin Jie nearly an hour to finish explaining his plan.

He concluded, "Based on the patient's recovery, we're expected to perform three to five surgeries for muscle, microvascular, and nervous system replantation. After that, one or two procedures for skin grafting and cosmetic adjustments."

"The entire course of plastic surgery treatment will take about three to six months. During this period, the patient will undergo intermittent and prolonged pain."

Lin Jie looked at both Tao and Chen, reminding them, "This point must be clearly communicated with the patient and the patient's family. If they can't take it halfway and want to quit, that would be troublesome!"

Tao Taqing nodded, "I will make this clear to them and sign a legally binding agreement to ensure the project's smooth continuation."

He chuckled and said, "Hearing your detailed explanation boosts my confidence. I'll write up the project application report when I return, aiming to get this done by the fifteenth day of the Lunar New Year."

Lin Jie chuckled and asked, "Um... how much funding can you apply for?"

Tao Taqing and Chen Shi exchanged glances and laughed, "Although Donghua Hospital is quite large, the budget for research funding is still relatively tight."

"But this research project is significant, with broad demonstration and reference implications. Since it's a collaboration with the Binhai University Medical School, I'll strive to ensure the fund wouldn't be less than a million!"

"Lin Jie, apart from some necessary expenditures, Old Chen and I will try to make sure most of this ends up in your pocket."

With the balance in his bank account and the five million given by Ye Hongqing, Lin Jie's cash holdings exceeded ten million, amounting to a modest fortune.

But money is never something one thinks they have enough of.

Lin Jie, slightly insincerely, said, "I'm doing this surgery not for the money, but to challenge myself and help that girl."

Feeling some hidden meaning in Chen Shi's and Tao Taqing's smiles, he switched topics, "Besides the three of us, is anyone else involved in this project?"

Tao Taqing nodded lightly and said, "Naturally, there are others. If this project doesn't involve a plastic surgeon, it wouldn't make sense. I'm planning to invite Yao Siyuan to join!"

He introduced, "Yao Siyuan is a young doctor in the hospital's plastic surgery department."

"Although his title is just a resident doctor, I know he is quite competent, but due to seniority and office politics, he's a bit frustrated."

Chen Shi added, "I'll have Yu Jingsheng join this project. Among my students, he's relatively promising."

Lin Jie vaguely remembered the name "Yu Jingsheng", but he couldn't recall what this person looked like. You could blame it on Chen Shi having too many students.

He suddenly thought of something and solemnly said, "We also need to draft a stringent confidentiality agreement. Any breach should be punishable to the extent that they can't recover. Everyone involved in this project must sign it, including the patient!"

Both Chen Shi and Tao Taqing nodded in agreement.

At that moment, the door suddenly opened, and An Kemeng dashed in, crying as she ran, "Brother Jie, my hand! Boohoo... come take a look at my hand..."

Her pitiful cries startled Lin Jie, who immediately got up to greet her.

An Kemeng held up her right hand, with her index, middle, and ring fingers bent backward over ninety degrees!

Chen Shi and Tao Taqing also stood up and followed.

Lin Jie took hold of An Kemeng's right hand, noticing that the base of her three fingers was slightly swollen. At the slightest pinch, An Kemeng couldn't help but shout, "Brother Jie, it hurts!"

"I slipped during the snowball fight and fell! When I hit the ground, I stretched out my right hand in a panic, and my fingers ended up like this! Are my fingers broken?"

Lin Miao and Ling Mengjiao, who had run over together, also looked worriedly at Lin Jie.

Lin Jie nodded solemnly, "Yes, they are broken..."

An Kemeng turned pale with fright, looking as though she was about to burst into tears...

Just then, Lin Jie suddenly gripped An Kemeng's right hand's index, middle, and ring fingers, pulled and jerked them, and with three crisp snapping sounds, An Kemeng's fingers were back in place!

Lin Jie smiled and said, "It was just a dislocation of the finger joints; you're fine now."

An Kemeng looked at her now normal-looking right hand, flexed her index, middle, and ring fingers, and was delighted to find them moving normally.

But after this joy, her eyes welled up with large tears.

Crying like a little five or six-year-old girl, An Kemeng looked past Lin Jie at Chen Shi and explained tearfully, "Uncle, Brother Jie just now really hurt! I couldn't help but cry!"

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