godfather of surgery

Chapter 1279 Apology
As Yang Ping listened to the gossip going on and on, his mood, which had been somewhat heavy due to He Zijian's betrayal, gradually relaxed.

The vibrant, even somewhat mundane, atmosphere of the clinical ward is a stark contrast to the highly tense and logically rigorous environment of his recent laboratory work, yet it feels real and warm. This is the soil in which he, as a doctor, is rooted, the scene where countless research achievements ultimately return to service.

"Alright, alright, everyone disperse. Go do what you need to do." Song Ziming waved his hand with a smile, dispersing the growing crowd of gossips. "The professor is back to hear serious business, not your gossip."

Everyone dispersed, laughing and joking, but the atmosphere was noticeably more relaxed. Zhang Lin, still feeling a bit unsatisfied, was pulled away by Xiao Wu to work on the medical records.

Song Ziming then continued to the main topic: "In addition to these follow-ups, the ward has recently admitted several rather difficult cases. I have compiled the imaging data and preliminary examination results. Please take a look when you have time."

Yang Ping nodded. He needed to focus his energy on clinical work during this period. Clinical work was the source of scientific research and innovation. Medical research ultimately served clinical practice and solved clinical problems, rather than appearing out of thin air.

……

At this time, Rikoyan was in a state of extreme anxiety in the United States.

A phone call from Dr. Johannesson, the head of neurosurgery at the Mayo Clinic, shattered any remaining hope in Rigoyang's heart. A high-resolution follow-up MRI clearly showed that the brainstem tumor had recurred, and was in a more treacherous location with even greater adhesion to surrounding tissues. Therefore, Dr. Johannesson didn't wait for Rigoyang's scheduled meeting to discuss it; instead, he called immediately after receiving the report.

“Mr. Rigoyan, the situation is not optimistic.” Johnson’s voice came through the receiver. “The location and growth pattern of the tumor recurrence have increased the difficulty and risk of a second surgery exponentially. We have evaluated all possible surgical approaches and plans, and frankly, the success rate is much lower than last time.”

Li Gaoyang's palms were sweating as he gripped the phone, but he forced himself to keep his tone steady: "So, Dr. Johannesson, what is your advice?"

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone: "Please have Professor Yang Ping perform the surgery... But now there's some good news. Professor Yang Ping's team is researching a new method called K therapy, which is very effective against your type of tumor. However, it's not yet on the market and is in the clinical trial stage. There have already been many cases of cures among the clinical trial volunteers."

"You said cure?" Li Gaoyang thought he had misheard.

“Yes, cured! Several volunteers have had their tumor cells cleared,” Johannesson answered clearly.

Li Gaoyang's hand trembled slightly as he held the phone. He felt incredibly fortunate that, throughout the previous "Troy Project," he had remained behind the scenes, allowing Karl Mueller to lead the charge. Although the world knew he was the true mastermind of the BG Group, it was Karl, not Li Gaoyang, who openly confronted Yang Ping and Ruixing and issued the specific blockade orders. This left him some room to maneuver now. He felt his decision back then was incredibly brilliant, arguably the best decision of his life.

“I understand, thank you very much for your honesty and advice. But how can I contact Professor Yang Ping?” Li Gaoyang asked, forcing himself to be brave. He knew in his heart that Johannesson must know about their BG Group’s recent crazy “Troy Project”.

Instead of answering his question, Johannesson said, "Mr. Rigoyan, is there anything else you don't understand regarding the illness?"

"No, I understand, thank you."

Li Gaoyang hung up the phone, leaned back in his expensive leather chair, his face ashen under the office lights. This was the second time the shadow of death had loomed over him. Wealth, power, fame—all seemed pale and powerless before the onslaught of illness. His only lifeline now was the man he had seen as a challenger and had tried to destroy.

He had actually experienced this feeling before, but after the surgery, he forgot the pain as soon as the scar healed. That's just how people are sometimes.

He leaned back in his chair and thought for a while, then immediately convened a secret meeting with his confidants, including Rolf. His illness could only be made public in a small circle, as it involved a power struggle within the family.

“Mayo’s Johannesson has contacted me. You probably already know what’s going on even if I don’t tell you.” Rigoyan rubbed his temples hard. His confidants across from him remained silent.

After a brief silence.

"We will spare no effort to contact Professor Yang Ping, express our sincere apologies, and request his medical assistance." Li Gaoyang's voice was hoarse but resolute. "We must adopt the lowest possible stance, and the conditions can be appropriately relaxed. But remember, we are not begging, but seeking a solution based on humanitarianism and the possibility of future cooperation." He still tried to maintain a semblance of dignity.

"Excuse my bluntness, but if that's your mindset, I'm afraid you'll never be able to contact Professor Yang. You're begging now, so why not lower your proud head? You've already done it once, what's one more time?" Rolf was blunt; he had initially strongly opposed the disastrous "Troy Project."

Li Gaoyang waved his hand: "Let's try it first!"

Rolf said helplessly, "Fine, you'll pay the price for this."

Soon, the harsh reality made Li Gaoyang's team realize what it meant to have "no access to medical care."

They initially attempted to contact Yang Ping directly through official channels, academic connections, and even private referrals. However, all requests to schedule appointments with Yang Ping for outpatient visits or surgery, whether made through the International Medical Department of Sanbo Hospital or through American hospitals that collaborate with China, were met with the message that Professor Yang Ping was currently overwhelmed with research and his clinical surgical schedule was full, making it temporarily impossible for him to accept new international patients, especially those with complex secondary surgeries, and the waiting time was unpredictable.

Li Gaoyang used his connections at the government level to try to exert some "friendly" pressure or create opportunities for communication, but with little success. The feedback was vague, but the core message was clear: Professor Yang Ping is a top-tier scientific and technological talent under key national protection, and his medical work and research activities are highly autonomous; external parties should not and should not forcibly interfere.

Clearly, this is an invisible yet formidable barrier. Yang Ping's team and the forces behind them have closed the door to Li Gaoyang in their own unique way. This isn't just a matter of scheduling; it's an attitude—you want to see a doctor? Sorry, I'm busy right now.

As the days passed, Li Gaoyang's headaches became more persistent, a reminder that the tumor was growing and the window of opportunity was closing. Fear and anxiety gnawed at his heart like venomous snakes. His wealth and influence, which he was so proud of, could not open a door to salvation for him at this critical moment of life and death.

He eventually had to seek help from Rolf, who proposed a solution: to issue a public statement through top global media outlets, apologizing to Professor Yang Ping in his personal capacity and in his dual capacity as president of BG Group, acknowledging that the blockade against Professor Yang Ping at the time was wrong, acknowledging the advanced nature of Professor Yang Ping's X-2 vaccine enhancer, and removing all man-made obstacles to the technology's market launch.

"You mean you want to use public pressure and humanitarian sympathy to force the other side to respond?" Li Gaoyang perked up.

Rolf shook his head: "No, it's a sincere apology, not a strategic one. Strategies are useless now; only sincerity can open this door."

"But……"

Li Gaoyan strongly opposed this, as it would be a devastating blow to his dignity. Publicly admitting his mistake and humbly apologizing to an "opponent" he had once tried to suppress would cause him to lose face among the global elite. "Is your dignity more important, or your life? The choice is yours. My advice is the only way. You must apologize sincerely, and this sincerity must not be empty; it must be supported by concrete actions. For example, as I just mentioned, publicly acknowledge the advanced nature of the X-2, remove all obstacles to the X-2's market launch, and even provide assistance for its launch," Rolf said, emphasizing each word as if afraid Li Gaoyan wouldn't understand.

Li Gaoyang rubbed his temples vigorously: "Does it have to be like this?"

Rolf sneered: "When I gave you advice last time, you asked me the same question, and in the end, my advice kept you alive until now."

Rigauyan hesitated, and Mayo Clinic's experts recently conducted another remote consultation with him, subtly reminding him that the tumor's compression symptoms were progressing and that the risk of surgery being delayed was soaring with each passing day.

The instinct for survival overwhelmed everything, and Li Gaoyang finally relented, as if he had aged ten years in an instant, "I will follow your proposed plan, but I must personally review the draft statement."

"You don't need to worry about the draft. If you were to review it, your pitiful pride would kill you. I'll have someone write the draft out. You need to practice and memorize it beforehand. You must speak without notes, and when you speak, you must be sincere and express your feelings, as if you are confessing."

“Fine, if I do as you say, then my resignation will be the time after I finish speaking,” Li Gaoyang said helplessly.

Rolf laughed and said, "Actually, you would resign automatically if you didn't do as I said."

"Why?" Li Gaoyang asked, puzzled.

Rolf said, "Because... you won't last more than a few days."

"Alright, you win again!" Rigoyan waved his hand, telling Rolf to leave so he could get some rest.

Thus, a meticulously planned public apology to the global media unfolded.

The location was chosen to be the European headquarters of the BG Group in Switzerland. He was wearing a dark suit, his face was paler than usual, and his eyes were sunken, but he tried his best to maintain a calm appearance.

Below the stage, cameras and microphones from major global media outlets such as CNN, BBC, The Wall Street Journal, and the South China Morning Post were pointed at him, and the live broadcast signal was transmitted to all parts of the world.

"Dear friends from the media, today I stand here in my dual capacity as both a personal representative and the president of BG Group to express my deepest regret and to make an important statement."

He began by recounting, in a somber tone, the unpleasant incidents that had previously occurred between BG Group and Ruixing Medical, as well as with Professor Yang Ping's team.

"I must admit that during this period, some of the Group's decisions, including those that attempted to restrict competition rather than promote innovation, were completely wrong and deviated from the spirit of scientific cooperation and fair competition. Although I was not directly involved in day-to-day decision-making at the time due to health reasons, as the head of the Group, I bear an unshirkable responsibility. Here, I would like to express my sincere apologies to Professor Yang Ping, Ruixing Medical Group, and all researchers who uphold the spirit of openness and innovation as a result."

"Our verification shows that Professor Yang Ping's team's vaccine enhancer X-2 is the most advanced vaccine technology in the world."

"..."

He bowed deeply to the camera, and the 90-degree bow lasted for several tens of seconds.

The statement spread rapidly through major media outlets around the world, immediately causing a huge uproar.

……

A small core meeting was held again in the institute's conference room. Participants included key members of the institute, Dean Xia, Professor Su, Academician Xiang, and Huang Jiacai.

"He put on quite a show." Xia Changjiang looked at the replay of Gao Yang's statement on the tablet and said with a sneer, "He managed to absolve himself of all responsibility. Looks like he's really sick."

Academician Xiang snorted: "When they were suppressing us, they wanted to kill us. How sincere is this apology? I think it's out of desperation! We can't be soft-hearted."

Tang Shun frowned: "This apology isn't enough; it lacks sincerity."

All eyes eventually turned to Yang Ping and Huang Jiacai.

Huang Jiacai spoke first, his voice calm and decisive: "Li Gaoyang has thrown a difficult problem at us, but a difficult problem is also an opportunity. My opinion is that we can respond and accept treatment, but it must be within the framework of our absolute dominance, and we must make him and BG Group pay a real and memorable price."

He paused, then continued, "First, the treatment location must be in China, at Sanbo Hospital, using our team, our equipment, and following our medical procedures and safety regulations. Before he comes, it must be publicly announced to the world that he is coming to Sanbo Hospital in China for treatment."

Second, the treatment costs will be astronomical and will need to be paid in advance. This fee will not only cover medical expenses but also compensate for losses caused by previous malicious competitive practices; the specific amount will be determined by us.

Third, before and after the treatment, BG Group needs to sign a legally binding public statement and guarantee, reiterating the apology, promising to abandon all unfair competitive practices in related fields in the future, and making concessions in a way that benefits us in certain specific markets or technology cross-licensing matters. These terms can be discussed in detail, but must be in writing.

Fourth, all obstacles to the commercialization of X-2 must be removed before treatment can begin.

If he agrees to these conditions, we can consider treating him. If he doesn't, it means his sincerity is merely verbal, and we don't need to feel any pressure. Global public opinion? With sufficient power, public opinion will naturally be on our side.

After listening, Yang Ping pondered for a moment and said, "Let's do as General Manager Huang says."