“Bro, it’s seven already! Get up! You’ll be late for that hospital interview if you don’t move now!”

The hospital… interview?

Albert Quinn shot up from bed, blinking at the familiar yet slightly off face of his little sister, Lily Quinn.

“Got it.” He jumped out of bed and darted toward the tiny bathroom that barely let you turn around.

In less than ten minutes, he was cleaned up and sitting at the coffee table, downing spoon after spoon of the millet porridge Lily just made.

“I’m heading out. Don’t leave the house, and make sure you get plenty of rest,” he said, helping her back into bed.

“If you feel anything off, call me right away.”

“Okay, okay, quit nagging,” Lily smiled, waving her small fist. “My awesome big bro’s going to crush that interview and become a superstar doctor!”

Her face was pale, but her grin was radiant.

“Silly girl.”

Albert ruffled her hair and gently closed the bedroom door behind him.

Throwing on his faded backpack, he pushed open the creaky apartment door.

...

Exactly one year ago, their father—who had been raising the two of them alone—was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, a rare heart condition.

Their savings dried up fast, and four months ago, their father passed away.

Then three months ago, Lily, still in her senior year of high school, was diagnosed with the same hereditary heart problem.

Doctors said this type of genetic issue had a high risk among immediate family members.

To take care of Lily and keep up with living expenses, Albert, fresh out of med school, gave up his spot in grad school.

With help from one of his professors, he took a job as a general practitioner at a nearby neighborhood clinic.

A month ago, he suddenly woke up in a parallel world that was basically a copy of his old life—except this time, he had something extra: the General Practice System.

Once his memories synced up, he realized the two lives were scarily similar.

Just three days ago, the top hospital in Long Province wrapped up its major expansion and was now in desperate need of med staff. Thanks to a glowing recommendation from his mentor, Edward Grant, Albert—despite only having a bachelor’s degree—was offered an interview at the elite hospital.

Twenty minutes later, Albert stood outside the front gates of Long Province Central Hospital, the most prestigious tertiary hospital in the region.

Looking at the stream of people coming and going, he clenched his fists.

With the system on his side, he was determined to level up fast.

Last time, he’d watched helplessly as his sister slipped away because he wasn’t good enough.

This time around?

He wouldn’t let that nightmare repeat.

7:50 AM.

“Albert Quinn, your turn. Come inside,” a nurse called from the director’s conference room.

“Albert, over here.”

As he stepped into the room, Albert found himself staring at a sea of stern-faced men and women in white coats—and froze.

Before he could react, President Evelyn Lane beckoned him over with a wave, signaling for him to stand nearby.

“Everyone, let me introduce him.”

“This young man is the prized student of my old mentor, Professor Edward Grant.”

“He comes highly recommended.”

“Sure, his degree might not stand out, but his medical foundation is solid.”

“If we give him the right guidance, he could be a real asset to any department…”

Albert looked way younger than anyone else in the room.

When he first walked in, most of the department heads barely gave him a glance.

But the second they heard who his mentor was—the godfather of Jin City surgery, Edward Grant—everyone’s attention zeroed in on him.

“What’s your current educational background, Albert?” asked Marshall Summers, the cardiothoracic surgery director, before the introductions even finished.Being Edward Grant’s protégé was a big deal—that name alone could give Thoracic Surgery some serious clout.

“Bachelor’s degree.”

Albert Quinn hesitated for a second but chose to be upfront.

Yeah, in his past life he had a doctorate from a top university, but here, those credentials were useless.

“Just a bachelor?”

Everyone in the room, including Director Summers, looked visibly surprised.

This was one of the best hospitals in the province—a Class A, Grade 3 facility. Their standard hiring requirement was a master’s degree. Normally, someone with just a bachelor's wouldn't even make it to the interview.

"Alright, let's put the degree aside for now."

Summers glanced at President Lane with a loaded expression, then asked in a more relaxed tone, “What was your major?”

As long as Albert had studied some form of surgery and carried Grant’s teachings, Summers was ready to bring him into Thoracic without hesitation.

After all, that’d win some ground with the president and also boost their department’s reputation thanks to the Grant name. A total win-win.

“General Medicine. I’ve been working as a general practitioner at a community clinic since graduation.”

“As for experience... let’s just say I’ve got more than a little.”

He couldn’t change his degree or specialty anymore, that was set. But he had years of hands-on experience burned into his muscle memory from his past life.

And now, with a literal cheat code—the system—backing him up, he wasn’t worried.

Wherever they placed him, he’d make it work. No doubt about that.

“General Medicine?”

There was a ripple of disbelief around the table. Some doctors even clicked their tongues softly.

“Didn’t think anyone seriously picked that as a specialty…”

The looks Albert got weren’t exactly kind—most seemed to feel sorry for him.

In big hospitals, general practice was almost invisible. Sure, it covered a bit of everything, but these places went all-in on hyper-specialized departments.

The more prestigious the hospital, the more specific the roles.

“We’ve all got a rough idea of Albert’s background,” Lane cut in, sensing the room’s mood shifting.

“If no one minds, let’s hear from each department head about whether they’d be open to taking him in.”

Edward Grant had gone out of his way to put in a good word—outright rejecting the candidate now was just awkward.

“Let’s go in order. Leonard, you first.”

Seeing the silence drag out, Lane called on the neurosurgery director directly.

“Can you handle a stroke?”

Leonard Young asked casually, arms folded like it was barely worth his time.

“I know a bit.”

Albert didn’t flinch.

Back in his previous life, he’d started out in neuro anyway—he had the know-how.

“I’m done. Over to you, Summers.”

Young clearly wasn’t interested in digging further.

To him, the idea that someone from a community clinic claimed to handle strokes was just absurd. Even he wouldn’t say that with confidence.

“Can you perform surgery?”

Summers jumped in, nodding toward Young before continuing.

“More than a bit.”

Albert’s voice was steady, serious.

In his previous life, for his sister’s sake, he had switched from neuro to thoracic—to master the most advanced surgical techniques. The things he'd learned went way beyond textbooks.

“I…”

Summers paused, unsure how to respond.

“Maybe Director Holt from Radiology should go next…”