godfather of surgery

Chapter 1280 Why Didn't We Do It Back Then?
"What? They're asking me to do so much, including publicly announcing that I'm going to Sanbo Hospital for treatment and publicly announcing my support for Professor Yang's X-2 vaccine enhancer. I'm furious! Aren't they making me a living advertisement for them? Are they making me admit that their technology is ahead of ours?" Li Gaoyang angrily slammed Rolf's documents on the desk.

“Impossible! I will use humanitarian pressure on them. He is a doctor. Can a doctor stand by and watch someone die?” Li Gaoyang’s voice grew louder.

Rolf just stared at him, letting him finish speaking before slowly saying, "You can directly book an appointment with the top doctors, while ordinary people in America are lining up in long lines for surgery. Why don't you say that doctors have no right to not save lives?"

“If you follow the normal procedure to schedule Yang Ping’s surgery or K’s treatment, you won’t have the chance in the next few years. You’re begging someone to give you a chance to live, to live, understand? You still don’t understand the current situation, so I really can’t help you. Take care of yourself.” Rolf got up to leave.

Rigoyan immediately stood up from his chair, strode forward, and grabbed Rolf: "My good friend, my closest partner, you can't abandon me like this."

Rolf shrugged: "I've never seen someone ask for help with this attitude. If it were me, I wouldn't want to take on a patient like you either."

"Let me think about it." Li Gaoyang sat down, rubbing his temples.

"Take your time to think about it," Rolf sighed, sitting down again. "Please control your emotions; negative emotions will accelerate the deterioration of your condition."

"As a friend, I have to advise you to change your attitude, recognize the situation, and make a sincere and correct decision. This is the only way out," Rolf earnestly advised his old friend.

Li Gaoyang said helplessly, "Once the illness is made public, I will lose control of BG."

“You don’t necessarily have to disclose your condition publicly. You can just announce that you’re seeking treatment at Sanbo Hospital, without disclosing the specifics of your illness. Remember, you can only have power if you’re alive,” Rolf reminded him.

Li Gaoyang finally relented: "Alright, you make the arrangements, I'll follow your instructions."

……

Under the global live broadcast, Rikoyan once again stood behind the podium, his face, once known for its toughness and arrogance, now covered in paleness and exhaustion. The spotlight was too intense, and fine beads of sweat seeped from his temples.

Below the stage, the jungle of cameras and microphones was silent, save for the occasional click of shutters. Countless eyes, focused on him through the live broadcast, awaited his speech.

He cleared his throat, and his voice carried through the microphone throughout the venue: "Thank you to all the media friends for attending. I have two main announcements to make at this press conference. The first is about my personal health. I have recently encountered some health issues, and after in-depth communication and careful evaluation with my medical team and international colleagues..."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the bewildered faces of the reporters in the front row, over the composed international news agency reporters, and finally landing on the few lines of cold, humiliating, yet unavoidable text on the teleprompter.

His Adam's apple bobbed up and down.

"...I have decided to go to Sanbo Hospital to receive treatment from Professor Yang Ping and his team."

The silence lasted for about two seconds. Then, as if boiling water, a wave of astonished gasps, incredulous questions, and hurried whispers surged from the audience. The flashes of the cameras suddenly went wild, almost engulfing Li Gaoyang in a blinding white light.

He raised his voice, struggling to suppress the noise, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth, yet he had to maintain a facade of calm: "Secondly, based on the latest and most comprehensive academic review and risk assessment, we recognize that Professor Yang Ping's X-2 enhancer technology for the vaccine demonstrates world-leading potential and unique advantages. Not only is X-2 technology world-leading, but many of Professor Yang Ping's technologies, such as K therapy for tumors, are also cutting-edge treatment methods. It was precisely because of these leading technologies that our medical team ultimately decided to send me to China to receive treatment from Professor Yang."

"Wow——!"

Now even maintaining a semblance of order was difficult. A reporter known for his sharp incisiveness suddenly stood up, almost rushing to the front of the stage: "Mr. Li Gaoyan! As far as I know, whether it's the X-2 technology for vaccines or the K therapy for cancer treatment, there is a general concern in the international academic community about their safety? Your current statement contradicts these concerns?"

Li Gaoyang felt a throbbing in his temples and a tightening in his stomach. He forced himself to meet that aggressive gaze and replied in a memorized tone, "Science is evolving, and evaluation is dynamic. We made this judgment based on objective facts. Would I joke about my own health? Please understand, I am the president of BG Group. We cannot ignore objective facts because of prejudice."

Someone else asked, "There are reports that you previously strongly opposed Professor Yang's two technologies. Was this change due to some uncontrollable pressure?"

Li Gaoyang's fingertips dug deeply into his palm, the stinging sensation allowing him to maintain his last shred of composure. "There is no pressure. Who can put pressure on me? You? This is a fact. We were unaware of the truth before. I apologize to the public here, and I ask you to abandon your prejudices and acknowledge the facts. Thank you."

He wanted to escape, but he didn't. He pretended to calmly leave the meeting, leaving behind a public opinion field that was completely boiling, chaotic, and full of crazy speculation.

"Betrayal? Despair? Li Gaoyang's shocking turn!" "Politics or medicine?"... Sensational headlines dominated the front pages of major media outlets. On social media platforms, the topic exploded, with conspiracy theories, technical debates, mockery and sympathy for Li Gaoyang as an individual, and hatred for those previously deceived by public opinion tearing the virtual space apart.

……

On the other side of the world, however, public opinion presents a completely different picture.

Surprise, excitement, pride, and hindsight commentary reminiscent of "I told you so" all mingled. Comments like "A powerful rebuttal!" "Welcome Mr. Li Gaoyang to believe in Chinese medical technology!" and "Waiting for Dr. Yang to create another miracle!" flooded social media. While official media used relatively cautious language, their focus on "international recognition of Chinese medical technology" and "open cooperation and win-win outcomes" was very clear.

……

In the conference room of international pharmaceutical giants.

In their view, Rigoyan's choice was a dangerous signal, a wedge that could pry open their painstakingly built technological barriers and monopoly system.

"He betrayed us, damn it."

"Why is this happening?"

"what should we do?"

"is this real?"

A company president who appeared to be quite prestigious tapped on the table: "Quiet down, everyone!" Everyone immediately fell silent, waiting for the charismatic president to speak. In the past, BG Group had handled these kinds of matters, but now it had withdrawn from the alliance.

"It's obvious that Li Gaoyang has reached some kind of secret agreement with them, and has discussed a plan to divide the market behind our backs. We have been deceived by him. The only way now is for us to also contact Ruixing and Professor Yang's team, hoping to cooperate with his new technology. Otherwise, if we miss the opportunity, the entire market will be divided up by BG and Ruixing."

"I agree."

"I agree."

……

Sanbo Hospital's official website, official social media accounts, and several internationally influential Chinese science and medical media outlets simultaneously released a statement jointly signed by Xia Changjiang, Song Ziming, and Tang Shun:

"Sanbo Hospital, Sanbo Research Institute, and Professor Yang Ping's team have taken note of Mr. Li Gaoyang, President of BG Group, regarding his personal health condition and his views on previous related events."

Professor Yang Ping, as a doctor who has always adhered to the principle of "life first," has the deepest sympathy and care for the suffering of any patient. We believe that medical progress should serve the health and well-being of all humankind, and that communication and cooperation between scientists and doctors should transcend geographical and competitive boundaries.

Given the complexity and urgency of Mr. Li Gaoyang's condition, and his publicly expressed wishes, our hospital, with the consent of Professor Yang Ping, has decided, based on humanitarian principles, to conduct a professional assessment of Mr. Li Gaoyang's condition and explore the possibility of providing necessary medical assistance.

At the same time, we believe that Mr. Rigoyan chose us after extremely careful consideration, and that it is a sign of his trust in our medical skills and new treatments. We thank Mr. Rigoyan for his trust.

This statement, seemingly a response to Likoyan, is actually a declaration to the world: Look what you've seen! Likoyan has already voted with his feet; our technology is the best in the world, and he has admitted it.

As for whether we will ultimately agree to accept Rikoyan's request, we are still evaluating it.

……

Rigoyan was rushed to the hospital after the press conference due to severe headache and dizziness, and was placed in a luxury ward.

“They responded, faster than expected,” Rolf said, his face revealing little emotion.

Li Gaoyang struggled to pick up the paper, squinted as he read it, and let out a long sigh, whether from relief or increased anxiety, it was hard to tell. "Does this mean they've agreed to accept me?"

“Yes.” Rolf nodded. “Actually, they have more moral principles than you. Compared to them, you’re more like an animal.”

"Old friend, please don't curse me like that," Li Gaoyang said weakly.

Rolf replied, “This isn’t an insult, but a statement of objective facts. Professor Yang once saved your life, but how did you treat him? You blocked and suppressed him, thinking only of your own interests, without a shred of gratitude. Even now, I don’t know if you truly have any gratitude, but rather that you were forced to make this choice.”

Li Gaoyang stared at the ceiling, remained silent for a few seconds, and seemed to want to say something but didn't.

After a long pause, he said, "Next, help me persuade the board to withdraw all obstacles to the listing of K therapy and X-2 in the United States and Europe. Assemble a negotiation team to contact Huang Jiacai of Ruixing. You will handle this personally. Also, please arrange for medical treatment as soon as possible..." He paused, "You will do these things personally, Rolf. Only when you do it can I feel at ease."

Rolf seemed to have anticipated this and did not refuse: "Okay. But I need you to sign a document with full authorization, my friend. You need to clarify our bottom line in negotiations and the acceptable range of costs. Huang Jiacai is not an easy character to deal with; they will definitely ask for an extremely high price."

“The bottom line…” Li Gaoyang closed his eyes, feeling wave after wave of headaches, his voice weak but clear, “Living, living as healthily as possible, is the only bottom line. Everything else is negotiable. However, we must try our best to protect the core interests of the group, especially not to shake our foundation in our traditional areas of strength. As for K-therapy and X-2, since they have proven their value and our previous blockade has failed, let's go with the flow. We can give them a boost in exchange for achieving balance in other areas. You decide the specifics.”

“I understand.” Rolf noted down the key points. “I will assemble a team as soon as possible for the initial contact. You stay healthy and the medical team will do everything they can to support you while we wait to go to China.”

Li Gaoyang said helplessly, "Why do they have to tie business warfare to my personal health? This is unethical."

"Morality?" Rolf scoffed. "You only think of morality when you need them, but do you ever think about morality when you don't need them? Tying business wars to personal matters is the first thing you violated. If it weren't for the immense pressure, you would have even taken extreme measures against Professor Yang. Didn't you and the Japanese already agree to use extreme measures to solve the problem once and for all?"

Rigoyan fell silent; Rolf was right.

Actually, the matter wasn't that complicated to begin with; it was his ingratitude that made things complicated.

Business battles should not be tied to individuals, but he violated this basic principle first. He had the idea of ​​using extreme measures against his savior several times. If it weren't for the pressure from several powerful families, he might have taken the risk of using extreme measures against Yang Ping.

“They’re just using your methods against you,” Rolf said.

Li Gaoyan nodded, unwilling to say anything more. If he continued, Rolf would call him a beast again. He waved wearily, indicating that Rolf could go about his business.

When he was the only one left in the ward, Li Gaoyang looked out the window at the gray European sky, feeling a mix of emotions.

Once upon a time, he was a powerful business tycoon who held the power of life and death; now, he has to humble himself and beg others just to survive.

Irony, an incredibly real irony.

He knew that from the moment he decided to publicly apologize, he had already lost this round in terms of "face" and "momentum." But as long as he could win back his "life" and "future," he was willing to pay the corresponding price. However, the extent of that price would depend on the upcoming negotiation between Rolf and Huang Jiacai at the negotiating table.

Huang Jiacai is not a kind person; he will definitely make exorbitant demands. Will the board members agree to Rolf's advice? If they don't, will he be unable to go to China for treatment?

If I had known this, why would I do it in the first place?