godfather of surgery

Chapter 1253 Innocent Heart
The old residential area of ​​Nandu Medical University, the study of Academician Xiang.

In the stillness of the night, 83-year-old Academician Xiang was wide awake. The study was dimly lit, filled with the unique scent of old books and ink. He held a magnifying glass with trembling hands, meticulously reading a document about the "Breaking the Wall" project.

When Academician Xiang read about how Yang Ping's team had to resort to makeshift methods for expression and purification due to the shortage of imported special enzymes, and how the researchers' hands were stained with the culture medium, his hand trembled violently, and he almost dropped the magnifying glass. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, as if trying to inhale back the bitterness and resilience of those distant years into his lungs.

The floodgates of memory burst open, and the long-forgotten hardships, the figures of those who struggled together, and the pure passion of dedicating themselves to the needs of the country surged into his heart like a tide. He seemed to have returned to that passionate era.

He suddenly opened his eyes, a sharp, youthful light flashing in his cloudy gaze. He put down the magnifying glass, grabbed his phone from the desk, his fingers trembling slightly with excitement, but his dialing motion was unusually firm.

When the call connected, the respectful voice of his most prized student, now the dean of the School of Life Sciences at a top university in China, came from the other end: "Teacher, it's so late, aren't you resting yet?"

"Mingda!" Academician Xiang's voice carried an undeniable urgency, even a rare hint of sternness, "Do you understand the cause and effect of that 'breaking the wall' plan?"

"Teacher, I understand. We are paying close attention and considering how to cooperate..."

"Attention and cooperation alone are not enough!" Academician Xiang interrupted him, his tone becoming more forceful, like a heavy hammer blow. "This is a matter of national importance, concerning the lives and livelihoods of the people! We old folks are practically on our deathbeds, unable to rush to the front lines anymore, but what about you? You are in your prime, the backbone of the nation's scientific and technological endeavors! I've heard that what they lack most right now isn't money, but top-notch talent capable of shouldering heavy responsibilities and fighting tough battles! Young talents with both solid foundations and the courage to break new ground!"

He took a breath and continued in an unquestionable tone, "That Zhao Mo under you, the young man who independently published a protein structure paper in Nature last year, is incredibly talented! And that Li Ying who came back from an exchange program at Stanford, working on computational biology and AI-assisted drug design, has very cutting-edge ideas! They are both promising talents, unpolished gems! Go and persuade them to put aside their current trivial projects and immediately join the 'Breaking the Barrier' project!"

"Oh, right, there's also Chen Xiao, who graduated with her PhD this year. I heard she had excellent grades in the US..."

Dean Li on the other end of the phone seemed hesitant: "Professor, I understand what you mean. But... Zhao Mo's doctoral dissertation is in the most critical data completion stage, Li Ying has just applied for a National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) grant, and... several top international labs, such as Harvard's Davidson Lab and Cambridge's LMB, have offered them postdoctoral positions with very generous terms... At this point, would it be...? You know Chen Xiao, he's a star newcomer at MIT right now, I'm afraid..."

"Generous offers? No matter how much foreign countries offer, it's just icing on the cake! It's like doing someone else's bidding!" Academician Xiang's voice suddenly rose, trembling with excitement. "Returning to participate in 'Breaking the Barrier' is like sending charcoal in snowy weather! It's about giving us the strength to stand up to others! Can these two things be the same?! Graduation can be delayed, grants can be taken along, and foreign offers can be turned down! Tell them, this is my request, Xiang Wangshan's request! It's the only request I, an old man nearing the end of my life, have for them!"

His words carried the hopes, regrets, and heavy responsibilities of the older generation of scientists, so much so that Dean Li on the other end of the phone fell silent instantly. Only Academician Xiang's slightly heavy breathing could be heard in the study.

After a long silence, Li Mingda's deep but firm voice came through the phone: "Teacher, please don't get agitated, I understand. I was confused for a moment and forgot the fundamentals. Don't worry, I'll talk to them personally. No matter what, I will make sure Zhao Mo and Li Ying are placed in the positions where the 'Breaking the Barrier' project needs them most!"

After hanging up the phone, Academician Xiang seemed to have exhausted all his strength. He slowly leaned back in his chair, gazing at the deep night outside the window, but his eyes shone with a light of relief and anticipation.

He mentally considered where to make the call. Xiao He from the Digital Medicine Center of Nandu Medical University was already a key figure in the project to break down barriers, not to mention Principal Su Qingyun, who was undoubtedly strategizing and didn't need him to say anything more.

Besides Li Mingda, Academician Xiang also has many other accomplished students who currently hold important positions, and some are even at top universities or laboratories abroad. As he thought about it, he picked up the phone again.

……

Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.

The Whitehead Laboratory at MIT is renowned worldwide, and Chen Xiao, only 28 years old, just graduated with his doctorate there.

He stood there, stunned, before the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing down at the twinkling lights and sails on the Charles River. Outside lay the bustling and tranquil city of Cambridge, but inside, his heart was churning with turmoil.

He had just finished a long talk with his mentor, Nobel laureate Professor Davidson. Professor Davidson strongly urged Chen Xiao to stay in the lab as an independent PI (principal investigator).

At the same time, he also received an offer from a top biotech company with an annual salary of up to one million US dollars, plus substantial stock options.

The tablet computer screen in Chen Xiao's hand is still lit, displaying detailed domestic reports on the "Breaking the Barrier" project, as well as a heartfelt email from his alma mater's former president. In the email, the former president conveyed the earnest expectations of Academician Xiang Wangshan and other senior scientists.

Chen Xiao is a rising star among Chinese researchers in recent years, emerging in the fields of gene editing and nucleic acid drugs. His research during his doctoral studies has been hailed by the industry as "opening up new possibilities," attracting invitations from numerous top journals and countless offers of employment from around the world. Staying in the United States would have provided him with a world-class research platform, ample funding, and a clear and visible path to academic success or financial freedom.

But at this moment, all those conditions that had once captivated him seemed to lose their luster in the face of the word "breaking down barriers." He recalled his elderly father patting him on the shoulder at the airport when he left the country a few years ago, his simple and unadorned words of advice: "Xiaoxiao, remember to come back after you've completed your studies." He also remembered the old instrument in the lab during his graduate studies in China, which required repeated calibration due to its insufficient precision, causing him countless sleepless nights.

I was also reminded of Professor Yang Ping's calm yet earth-shattering words in the report when faced with the blockade: "This is not a war fought by just our research group."

He had once met Professor Yang Ping at an academic conference, but he had only observed him from afar and had not had any close contact with him. Professor Yang was his idol, a true genius in his eyes. At that time, he felt that his abilities were insufficient and that he could not communicate smoothly with Professor Yang in the same professional field, so he could only sit in the last row. He vowed to work hard and strive to one day be able to discuss academic problems face-to-face with Professor Yang.

Now, it seems like an opportunity has come, but he has begun to hesitate.

"Go back?" He repeatedly asked himself this question. Going back meant giving up his readily available comfort zone and almost predictable brilliant future, throwing himself into a grand project full of unknowns, challenges, and even the possibility of failure due to high technological barriers. It meant facing the potential gap in research conditions between China and other countries, adapting to completely different humanities and research management systems, and transforming from a highly anticipated rising star back into an ordinary researcher who might need to "work his way up from the ground up" to tackle tough challenges. Reason told him that staying in the United States was a "smarter" and "safer" choice. But deep down, an indescribable emotion, stemming from his blood, kept crashing against the dam of reason like a tidal wave.

Just then, his phone rang, displaying the word "Dad" on the screen. He took a deep breath and answered the call.

“Xiaoxiao,” her father’s voice was as calm as ever, with a hint of his local accent, “Your mother and I saw the news, it’s about that ‘breaking down the wall’ plan. You’re all grown up now, you’ve seen more of the world than your father, and you have your own ideas, so I won’t interfere.”

Chen Xiao remained silent, listening to his father's words.

"Dad's been just an ordinary teacher all his life, nothing particularly remarkable. But Dad knows one thing," the father's voice was slow and firm, "In this life, whether you have a lot of money or a little, you can still make a living. Whether you're high or low in your position, it's all the same. But if you can do a few things that truly make you proud, things that make you feel you've done right by your country and your conscience, things that will allow our descendants to stand tall and say, 'This is something we Chinese created!' If you can accomplish even one or two of these things, then it's truly worthwhile!"

The father paused, his voice choked with emotion, as if remembering something: "Your grandfather... participated in the Korean War back then, in the freezing cold, with only a handful of fried noodles and a handful of snow, risking his life. What did he want? Wasn't it just for the country to be stable, for his descendants to be free from bullying, and for them to be able to stand tall as human beings? Now you don't need to shed blood and sacrifice your life. We're asking you to go back, use your skills to conduct research, and break through those bottlenecks. What... what are you still hesitating for?"

His father's simple, even somewhat rambling words were like the last straw, completely breaking the balance between "reason" and "advantages" in Chen Xiao's heart. A surge of heat rushed to his eyes, and his vision blurred instantly.

He seemed to see his grandfather's weathered yet resolute face, his father's hardworking figure on the podium, and the faces of countless Chinese students like him studying abroad, whose hearts were always with their homeland.

"Dad..." Chen Xiao's voice was a little hoarse. He wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, took a deep breath, and his tone became more firm than ever before, "I understand. You and Mom take care of yourselves. I know what to do!"

Hanging up the phone, Chen Xiao didn't hesitate for a moment. He turned on his computer and first wrote a long email to Professor Davidson, sincerely expressing his decision, his apologies, and his gratitude for his mentor's guidance. Then, he organized his resume and representative papers and solemnly sent them to the designated global recruitment email address of the Sanbo Institute, writing a heartfelt message in the email body:

"...I know the road ahead is full of challenges, but I also know that some things always need to be done. I am grateful to the 'Breaking the Barrier' program for giving me this opportunity to use what I have learned in the places where my country needs it most. I am willing to dedicate our youth to forging the spirit of national rejuvenation."

……

In Professor Davidson's office at the Provincial Polytechnic Institute, filled with documents and permeated with the smell of old books, the atmosphere was somewhat tense.

Professor Davidson, with his silver hair, furrowed brows, and eyes filled with incomprehension and regret.

He was filled with anxiety after receiving Chen Xiao's email. In order to keep Chen Xiao, he specially invited Professor Zhang Chunquan, a Chinese scientist at MIT, hoping that this outstanding scientist with Chinese blood could help him retain his most outstanding student, Chen Xiao.

“Chen,” Davidson’s voice was earnest, “have you really thought this through? The platform and resources here are the best place for you to realize your scientific ambitions. The project you are involved in has unlimited potential. If you return to China, your talent may be buried, and your research may stagnate!” Professor Zhang Chunquan added gently, “Chen, Professor Davidson is genuinely concerned for you. The challenges in the domestic environment are indeed enormous. If you stay, you can go further and make greater contributions to science.”

Standing before his two mentors, Chen Xiao's handsome face bore the faint marks of a sleepless night. He took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over his mentor, then turning to Professor Zhang Chunquan, who had shown him so much care. The emotions surging within him finally coalesced into clear, calm, yet weighty words:
“Professor Davidson, Professor Zhang, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your invitation to stay and for your kindness. Every day I have learned here, and experienced the purity and magnificence of science, will be the most precious treasure of my life.” His voice trembled slightly, but then became more composed. “You are all right. Going back means facing countless difficulties, and may even mean temporarily leaving the forefront of academia. But my roots are there.”

He paused, his eyes filled with complex emotions—a mixture of longing and unwavering resolve: "Science may indeed know no borders, but scientists have a homeland. Now, my compatriots, my country, need the knowledge I have acquired in this field, and I believe that with the current research conditions in China, I will achieve great results. Please forgive my choice, and please believe that this is not an abandonment, but rather a journey to another equally important, and perhaps even more meaningful, battlefield."

"After I return, I will conduct research under the leadership of Professor Yang Ping..."

After he finished speaking, the office fell silent.

Professor Davidson stared blankly at his beloved student. Finally, he sighed deeply. There was disappointment in that sigh, but even more so, an unspeakable understanding and respect.

……

Nandu City, headquarters of Ruixing Medical Technology.

Huang Jiacai's office phone and mobile phone were practically ringing off the hook. Coordination messages from various alliance companies, recommendation lists from major universities and research institutes, job applications and inquiries from top overseas talents... came in like snowflakes. His assistant team was extremely busy, unable to keep up with the calls.

Huang Jiacai stood in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the distant horizon where golden sunlight had already filled the entire sky.

It was his decision to publicly announce the talent recruitment for the "Breaking the Barrier" project globally, hoping to attract more top talent. However, he didn't expect it to be so effective; many top overseas PhDs called to inquire about the project, eager to contribute.

The balance of power between the two sides is slowly undergoing a fundamental and qualitative change. A tremendous force is rapidly merging and colliding with the industrial power he leads, and is about to unleash astonishing energy.

He took a deep breath, picked up the internal phone, and connected with all the core executives and project leaders. His voice was slightly hoarse with excitement, but it was filled with an unprecedented power that seemed to penetrate all obstacles:

"Notify all departments to welcome our new comrades-in-arms from all corners of the country, who share the same ideals, with the highest honors and the warmest welcome! History has bestowed this opportunity upon us, and we will certainly live up to this era with a hundredfold effort!"