In 1996, Xie Wanying of the Old Xie family declared her ambition to become a doctor—a declaration met with ridicule. The daughter of a truck driver pursuing medicine? Impossible. But when she added that she'd become a female chest surgeon, the medical establishment's skepticism turned to outright scorn. "Medical school entrance scores are brutal," her doctor relatives sneered. "And there's not a single female chief chest surgeon in the entire country. You'll be lucky to end up at some third-rate college, working as a health worker in a rural town." Yet Xie Wanying exceeded every expectation. She aced the college entrance exams with the highest provincial science scores, claiming a spot in the nation's elite surgical program. Department heads from the Capital's premier hospitals competed fiercely for her during her internship, each wanting to recruit the exceptional student. "Join our digestive surgery team." "Urological surgery needs you." "Pediatric surgery is desperate for talented female doctors like you." Her relatives and friends could only watch in amazement. By her mid-career, Xie Wanying had become legendary. She performed the country's youngest Tetralogy of Fallot operation, represented national chest surgery at international medical conferences, and pioneered the world's first minimally invasive heart valve repair technique. She wasn't just a surgeon—she was the foremost name in female surgery. As for those "marriage concerns" everyone had voiced? The accomplished doctor suddenly found herself in high demand. A wealthy returned overseas bachelor changed his QQ picture to her photo. A young CEO CEO arrived at the hospital daily with flowers and diamond ring in hand. Suitors lined up at her family's door, each hoping to win the heart of China's most celebrated surgeon.