godfather of surgery

Chapter 1278 Counterattack
He Zijian's "resignation" did not cause much of a stir within the Sanbo Research Institute. The publicly stated reason was that "due to personal health considerations and family reasons, he applied to be transferred to a university in another city to engage in basic teaching work so that he could have more time to take care of his family."

The HR department completed the formalities according to procedure. Although his colleagues were somewhat surprised by the sudden departure of this diligent old colleague, most of them expressed their understanding. Yang Ping even organized a small farewell party for him.

At the meeting, He Zijian looked somewhat haggard and spoke less than usual, only repeatedly thanking everyone for their care. When his gaze occasionally met Yang Ping's, he quickly looked away, revealing a deep sense of panic and complexity that only the person involved could perceive.

Yang Ping's farewell speech was brief and calm, wishing him all the best for the future.

After the farewell party, Yang Ping returned to his office alone, closed the door, and shut out the noise from the outside world. He stood by the window, watching He Zijian's slightly hunched back as he carried a cardboard box toward the institute's gate. What surged in his heart was not pleasure, but a heavy, dull pain, mixed with lingering anger and deep disappointment.

The taxi parked at the entrance was actually arranged by Section Chief Qiu. He Zijian brought all this upon himself, and he has no one else to blame but himself.

The friendship between classmates and the bond of working together—those once sincere or seemingly sincere moments now seem tinged with hypocrisy in retrospect.

What Yang Ping finds most unbearable is not the collapse of personal trust, but that He Zijian betrayed his compatriots for personal gain, targeting this research that could benefit countless people and carries the hope of national scientific and technological self-reliance.

People change; Section Chief Qiu's words kept echoing in Yang Ping's mind.

……

The once formidable BG Group is now in an unprecedentedly awkward situation. Their meticulously constructed "Troy Project" has not only failed to trap Yang Ping and Ruixing, but has instead fostered a more dynamic, autonomous, and even leading research ecosystem for their competitor.

Karl Muller's position on the board was precarious. His tough but ineffective strategy not only wasted a lot of the group's resources but also caused BG to suffer moral and commercial reputational damage. "Blocking Ruixing" has almost become a somewhat ironic joke within the industry, symbolizing a typical case of a top giant misjudging the situation and instead helping its competitors rise.

Li Gaoyang's intracranial tumor showed signs of recurrence in a recent follow-up examination. He was more aware than anyone of the danger of his condition and understood better who could give him the greatest hope for survival—Yang Ping, whom they had been trying their best to suppress.

The success of the first surgery led Li Gaoyang to develop an almost superstitious trust in Yang Ping's skills; he knew that only Yang Ping could save him.

When Karl Muller's blockade strategy proved to be a blunder and unsustainable, calls for a change within the group grew louder. Ricoeur, assessing the situation, astutely seized this opportunity and sought the best time for his comeback.

Thus began a meticulously planned shift in public opinion.

First, the BG Group board announced that Karl Muller would step down as vice president and interim CEO due to "health reasons and personal wishes," and that his responsibilities would be temporarily taken over by others. This seemingly amicable departure actually shifted all the blame for the failed lockdown onto this pioneer.

Following this, Rikoyan, who had been out of the public eye for some time, made a "recovery appearance" in an interview with a globally renowned financial media outlet. In front of the camera, although he appeared slightly thinner, he was in good spirits and spoke earnestly, showing no signs of being seriously ill.

"...I deeply regret the inappropriate measures taken by some members of the group's management in their relationship with Ruixing Medical and Professor Yang Ping's team over the past period." Li Gaoyang said to the camera with a somber and sincere expression. "During that time, I was recuperating from illness and temporarily delegated daily decision-making authority, which is why this outrageous thing happened. I have always believed that science knows no borders, and any progress made by mankind in the field of life and health should be the common wealth of the whole world. Competition should promote innovation, not build high walls; it should be a competition of technology and value in the sunlight, not an attempt to stifle a possible future with non-market means."

He spoke eloquently, portraying himself as an open, inclusive, and wise man who firmly believed in the spirit of scientific sharing, and downplaying all the previous suppression by attributing it to "some management," "temporary decisions," and "communication misunderstandings."

“Professor Yang Ping is a respected and outstanding physician and scientist whose talent should not be constrained by any narrow competitive mindset. BG Group has always upheld an open and cooperative attitude, and we highly value our relationship with our Chinese counterparts and with excellent institutions like the Sanbo Institute. I believe that we have tremendous complementarity and room for cooperation in many areas, and we can explore a new and constructive partnership model to jointly address global health challenges, rather than getting bogged down in unnecessary waste.”

After the interview aired, it caused an uproar.

Industry insiders are well aware of how hypocritical and ridiculous Li Gaoyang's words are, but the general public and some media outlets that are not so familiar with the inside story are easily misled by this "high-handed" attitude and the pretty words of "science knows no borders." BG Group has successfully dressed itself up in a cloak of "repentance" and "rational tolerance," attempting to downplay its previous egregious behavior and reposition itself as a benevolent party seeking cooperation.

"Mr. Li Gaoyang, what should you do next?" the beautiful host asked.

Li Gaoyang's expression was grave. He paused for a moment and said, "I will actively seek communication with Professor Yang Ping and Ruixing Group. I believe that both Professor Yang Ping and Ruixing Group are broad-minded and can resolve the misunderstanding between us. As for Mr. Karl Muller, who provoked this dispute, we have already given him the most severe punishment. Only in this way can we show our sincerity."

……

At the Sanbo Institute, Yang Ping and everyone watched a clip from the interview. Professor Su Qingyun, Academician Xiang, and Dean Xia were also present.

"How shameless!" Even Professor Su Qingyun, a man of such refined manners, wanted to swear. "When they can't win, they try to make peace, and then try to absolve themselves of all responsibility, talking about science having no borders? When they were blocking our equipment and reagents and trying to poach our employees, why didn't they say that science has no borders?"

Dean Xia sneered, "That old fox Li Gaoyang has probably really relapsed. He's trying to leave himself a way out and see if he can squeeze some more benefits out of us. Cooperation? He probably just wants our core technology!"

Academician Xiang, who usually doesn't speak at such meetings, said excitedly this time: "Don't believe these robbers. They're trying to destroy us, and now that we're at a disadvantage, they want to talk about cooperation. They can start a war and then stop if they want. There's no such thing as a free lunch. In my opinion, we should take advantage of our current advantage and destroy them."

Old Xiang had never spoken like that before; he was truly angered this time.

Tang Shun frowned: "Their change of strategy is more troublesome than a simple blockade. Under the guise of cooperation, there are too many things they can do: technological infiltration, standard dominance, and interest binding. We absolutely cannot agree to these. I know them well. They will never negotiate with you when they can win. I suggest we take this opportunity to launch a counterattack. We can go as far as we want. At worst, we will both suffer heavy losses. Their losses will be more severe than ours. Many of their international adversaries who have been oppressed by them will definitely take advantage of their weakness to destroy them. What are we afraid of? We can start over. If we don't deal with them this time, we will hardly have such an opportunity again."

Chen Xiao seemed thoughtful: "Li Gaoyang specifically emphasized that Professor Yang is an outstanding doctor, which may not be just a casual remark. He may be sending a signal, or laying the groundwork for his possible personal requests later."

Yang Ping turned off the video, his expression calm, but his eyes sharp as knives. He saw right through Li Gaoyang's performance. This was merely another manifestation of hegemonic logic: when they couldn't crush you directly with force, they put on a smiling face and tried to discipline and assimilate you in the name of "rules," "cooperation," and "sharing," ultimately incorporating your achievements into their system to maintain their dominant position. The so-called "science knows no borders" was often just a fig leaf for "using scientific achievements for their own purposes."

Alternatively, he could use this opportunity to catch his breath, and after he has gathered his strength and redeployed, launch an even more intense attack.

“He’s right. Competition should foster innovation, not build high walls,” Yang Ping said slowly, his voice low but carrying a resounding authority. “But competition is predicated on equality and mutual respect. They built walls in the past, and now they want to tear them down, not because they suddenly believe in the truth, but because those on the other side of the wall have proven with facts that walls cannot confine us, and may even make them look ridiculous.” He looked at everyone present: “As for cooperation, we have never rejected truly equal, mutually beneficial, and rule-abiding international cooperation. That helps to pool wisdom and accelerate progress. However,” he changed his tone, his voice firm, “the foundation of cooperation is that we ourselves are strong enough, have independent control over core technologies, and possess clear goals and bottom lines. Otherwise, so-called cooperation may become another form of subservience.”

"Regarding BG Group's next steps, I think it's best to leave that decision to Ruixing Company. I want to tell everyone that Ruixing's General Manager Huang has decided to concentrate our efforts on delivering a fatal blow to BG Group. Even if we can't defeat them, we'll cripple them and make them fear us forever. Li Gaoyang's illness is his personal matter and has nothing to do with Sanbo or the X-2 project. I am a doctor, yes, healing and saving lives is my duty. But I have my own judgment and principles regarding who I treat and under what conditions. Science may have no borders, but scientists have a homeland."

"Let's hear what Mr. Huang has to say."

Huang Jiacai, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke: "BG Group has twice targeted Ruixing with a blockade. The first time, they tried to nip us in the bud, but failed. At that time, we lacked the ability to retaliate, so the matter was dropped. The second time is the recent, high-profile blockade, which everyone has witnessed. Today's Ruixing is not the Ruixing of the past. Since they have come knocking on our door, we will settle both the old and new scores this time. We must not be soft-hearted towards such cunning and ruthless enemies, and we must not treat them as human beings, otherwise we will not even know when we die. We must be sufficiently vigilant, make sufficient determination, and use the most ruthless means to deliver the most fatal counterattack, leaving no room for maneuver, otherwise the consequences will be endless."

No one in the room objected to Huang Jiacai's words.

……

"Professor Zhang, you said He Zijian was doing so well, why did he resign? Where did he go after he resigned?" A graduate student asked Zhang Lin curiously, knowing that Professor Zhang had inside information.

Without a second thought, Zhang Lin said, "He's having some health issues and wants to teach at a school so it'll be easier for him."

"which school?"

"I heard it's not decided yet. I heard he wants to study abroad for a while first, and then find a school to teach at. I heard he's going to the United States."

Professor Zhang is very well-informed and knows everything, which the graduate student greatly admires.

Zhang Lin's mouth is usually unreliable, but it's surprisingly reliable when it matters. He was the one who helped Section Chief Qiu expose He Zijian, and he knew that He Zijian had already been punished by law. However, Section Chief Qiu had instructed that this matter must not be leaked, as it could easily affect everyone's mood and cause them to become suspicious of their colleagues.

Yang Ping arrived at the ward doctor's office. He had been spending most of his time in the lab researching the X-2 vaccine enhancer and had hardly come to the clinical ward. Later, after the general practice clinic opened on the first floor, he worked there as a doctor and didn't return to the clinical ward either. Now, returning to the clinical ward felt like a natural return to home.

Back in the ward, Song Ziming also reported to him on the follow-up situation of some patients who had recently undergone surgery performed by Yang Ping.

The conjoined twins in the United States have been doing well since their separation surgery. They returned to the United States and recovered very well after the surgery, without any complications.

After undergoing experimental K treatment, the tumor of Englishman Adams has been brought under control, with 80% of the tumor cells killed. After one or two more courses of treatment, he may be cured. He returned to England to rest for a while and is now preparing to come to China again for the next stage of treatment.

After An Chenfeng received his artificial heart transplant, all his follow-up examinations were normal. His parents came several times to thank Yang Ping in person, but Song Ziming stopped them. At that time, Yang Ping was working on a research project in the laboratory.

Before tackling the new research topic, Yang Ping performed many complex surgeries, and Song Ziming personally conducted all the follow-up work.

“There’s one more thing. Wen Ruzheng got married. You were working on your project at the time, so he didn’t want to bother you,” Song Ziming said.

"Wen Ruzheng is getting married? Then I should give him a big red envelope."

Yang Ping was quite surprised. That kid actually got married. All these people were getting married one by one. Xu Zhiliang even married a young civil servant, and it seems his wife's due date is approaching. Even Tang Shun, that playboy, reformed and married Li Yingtong, who is about to have a baby.

Needless to say, Zhang Linxiaowu is already a father.

The new nurse, Xia Shu, has officially announced her relationship with the head nurse; all that's left is to set the date for their wedding banquet.

Yang Ping couldn't understand why Song Ziming, the most handsome guy at Sanbo Hospital, and Tang Fei had been dating since college and still hadn't made any progress.

"Wen Ruzheng? With that female PhD in oncology?" Yang Ping had been too busy lately to remember these things.

Song Ziming smiled: "You forgot so quickly? The woman was a policewoman from the provincial department. It was the time we helped the provincial department solve a case. Wen Ruzheng and that policewoman hit it off, and after a few back and forth, they started talking. Zhang Jiehui from the oncology department even made a fuss about it. You forgot?"

Yang Ping rubbed his temples: "I remember now, that's what happened. It was Tang Shun who came out of the predicament, otherwise Wen Ruzheng would have been in a real predicament."

"Did Zhang Jiehui really let go later and stop causing trouble?" Yang Ping asked.

Zhang Lin had been listening intently to Yang Ping and Song Ziming's conversation from a distance. When he heard Song Ziming unable to answer Yang Ping's question in time, his chair slid over with a whoosh.

"Professor, stop joking. Zhang Jiehui often comes to our head nurse for advice these days, and our head nurse tries to avoid her whenever she sees her."

"What does he want with the head nurse? That's nonsense!"

"When he saw the head nurse and Xia Shu get married, he seemed to suddenly realize something. How come all the good targets have been snatched away? Now she has her eye on a PhD student who just graduated from our lab. He's 28, she's 36, he's 1.85 meters tall, and she's 1.6 meters, a few centimeters short. She still has the courage to make a move." Another graduate student chimed in.

Immediately afterwards, several more resident trainees and graduate students gathered around. What was supposed to be a proper work report turned into a gossip session because of Zhang Lin's arrival.