"The chief surgeon asks for a first assistant, but if the first assistant always contradicts the chief, how can the surgery proceed? The first assistant must be like a roundworm in the chief's stomach, understanding any thoughts the chief might have, whether it's a new or an experienced surgeon.
If we go by this rule, among all the doctors present, perhaps only Xie Wanying truly understands Song Xueling's surgical thought process.
Besides unity in thought, in terms of technical coordination, these two had tried to work together during Student Zhao's operation last time. Xie Wanying could always readily grasp the trends in Song Xueling's techniques, responding in kind. By contrast, He Jiuliang and the others took forever to catch up with the two newcomers' operational mindset, let alone coordinate well.
Realizing his own limitations in syncing his surgical thinking and techniques with the newcomers, He Jiuliang suggested, "Teacher Tao can help you."