godfather of surgery

Chapter 1333 It's really heavy! It's really good!

The day of the Nobel Prize award ceremony has finally arrived.

The Stockholm Concert Hall was resplendent in gold, its century-old hall adorned with royal blue curtains and thousands of flowers. Members of the Swedish royal family, political figures, and academic luminaries were all present, and the air was filled with an atmosphere of solemnity and honor.

Tang Shun stood in the backstage dressing room, adjusting his bow tie for the third time. In the mirror, he was wearing a custom-made black tuxedo, his hair neatly combed.

“Relax, Lao Tang.” Song Ziming patted his shoulder, but subconsciously checked the speech notes in his suit pocket himself. “Just go with what we rehearsed. You talk about the theory and basics, I'll talk about the clinical aspects and the vision, and don’t forget the pause—”

"I know, when we get to the part about 'medicine from war to dialogue,' there's a three-second pause, and your gaze sweeps across the room." Tang Shun took a deep breath. "So, what is the professor doing right now?"

“At this time…” Song Zimo glanced at his watch. It was 4 p.m. in Stockholm, which was 11 p.m. in China. “The professor should have just finished Lele’s evening rounds and is probably in his office looking at the latest data report on the mice.”

The two looked at each other and suddenly laughed.

Yes, the person who truly should be standing here is currently 8,000 kilometers away, doing the most ordinary work. And they, two "proxy players," are about to represent him and ascend to the highest hall of science.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome—the representatives of the Nobel Prize laureates in Physiology or Medicine, Dr. Tang Shun and Dr. Song Ziming!"

The host's voice came through the crack in the door.

Tang Shun took one last look in the mirror, nodded at the same time as Song Ziming, and stepped towards the door leading to glory.

Meanwhile, the Sanbo Research Institute.

At 11:05 p.m., Yang Ping had just finished his rounds with Lele.

Back in his office, Yang Ping turned on his computer. There were seventeen unread emails in his inbox: three from ongoing collaborative projects, two peer review invitations from academic journals, five invitations to domestic and international conferences, and the remaining seven from various foundations, institutions, and even individuals offering congratulations, collaborations, and investment intentions—a diverse array of messages.

Normally, Tang Shun and Song Ziming would handle these things, but now that they're out, Yang Ping has to do it himself.

He skipped the congratulatory emails and opened the latest data report sent by Jiang Jitong.

Phase III Experimental Analysis of the Metabolites and Immune Regulation of Intestinal Bacterial Strains X-7

The report is thick and contains complex data; it represents fundamental research for the subsequent development of enhancer technology.

Yang Ping made himself a cup of tea and began reading page by page. His phone vibrated; it was a message from Xiao Su: "Xiao Shu is asleep. Are you watching the awards ceremony live?"

Yang Ping replied, "No, I have experimental data to review. You guys get some rest, I'll be back shortly."

He put down his phone and continued to immerse himself in the data. The curves, charts, and statistical analyses held his attention more captivatingly than any awards ceremony.

Stockholm Concert Hall.

Tang Shun was halfway through his speech. Following his rehearsed presentation, he articulated the core framework of the system regulation theory in clear and engaging Chinese. On the large screen, meticulously crafted visualizations were displayed, ranging from the molecular structure of the TIM protein to dynamic simulations of cell signaling networks and multidimensional analyses of clinical trial data.

“...We traditionally view disease as an ‘intruder’ or a ‘faulty component,’ and treatment as ‘eliminating’ or ‘replacing’ it. But the theory of system regulation offers a different perspective: disease is more often a manifestation of imbalance in complex systems. And treatment should be about helping the system restore its ability to self-regulate.”

Below the stage, the King of Sweden listened attentively to the simultaneous interpretation, occasionally taking notes in the program book in front of him. Professor Carlson nodded slightly, her eyes filled with satisfaction; she knew just how valuable this theory truly was.

Song Ziming took the microphone and, also in Chinese, explained the clinical aspects. He presented data on preventative interventions for Lynch syndrome, followed by early trial data on systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis, and finally, anonymized presentation of Lele's case. These data elicited murmurs from the audience.

“This is not a panacea,” Song Zimo said sincerely. “It’s a new way of thinking. It requires us to be more humble and acknowledge that the complexity of the body far exceeds our current understanding; it also requires us to be more meticulous and design personalized regulatory strategies for each unique system.”

At the end of the speech, a 30-second video of Yang Ping, pre-recorded by him, appeared on the big screen. In the video, he was wearing a lab coat, and the background was a typical research institute office.

"Thank you to the Nobel Committee for recognizing this work." Yang Ping's expression was calm in the video. "But the real honor belongs to all those who explore the complexity of life, in the laboratory and on the front lines of clinical practice. The brilliance of science lies not in awards, but in illuminating more of the unknown and bringing new hope to those in need. Thank you!"

As the video ended, applause erupted like a tidal wave.

According to the procedure, the next step was the award presentation by the King. When the King personally handed the Nobel Prize medals and certificates to Tang Shun and Song Ziming, the flashbulbs of the cameras almost formed a continuous white light.

"Please convey my congratulations to Professor Yang Ping," the King said gently in his recently learned Chinese. "His work is changing the future of medicine."

"We will certainly convey your message, Your Majesty." Tang Shun bowed respectfully, clutching the heavy gold medal in his palm, his emotions too complex to express.

The banquet following the ceremony was even more lavish and lively. Tang Shun and Song Ziming, holding champagne glasses, were surrounded by wave after wave of celebrities and scholars. Congratulations, questions, and invitations to collaborate came one after another.

"Professor Yang really won't come to accept the award because of just one case?" a Fellow of the Royal Society asked incredulously.

“For him, the treatment window for that nine-year-old boy is more important than any ceremony,” Song Ziming replied.

The academician paused for a moment, then raised his glass: "This is perhaps the rarest scientific spirit in this era. A salute to him!"

Halfway through the dinner, a well-dressed middle-aged man quietly approached. He introduced himself as the Vice President of Research and Development at a top European pharmaceutical company and handed over his business card.

“We are developing next-generation biologics for autoimmune diseases,” the man said in a low voice. “The theory of systems regulation has given us a completely new perspective. We are willing to invest considerable resources in in-depth cooperation with Professor Yang’s team. Of course, we can discuss very favorable terms regarding intellectual property and commercialization.”

Tang Shun maintained a polite smile: "Thank you for your kind offer. For all cooperation proposals, please submit formal plans to the institute's academic committee according to the normal procedure."

Before the man could say anything more, Tang Shun and Song Ziming had already been called away by Professor Carlson.

“You handled it well,” Professor Carlson said softly. “Remember, from now on, countless hands will be reaching out to you and your research. Some will offer genuine collaboration, while others will just want to take advantage or get a piece of the pie. Learning to discern is an essential skill you must master after winning the award.”

“Professor Yang reminded us of this,” Song Ziming said.

“I know,” Professor Carlson smiled. “That’s what makes him so admirable. He not only made revolutionary scientific contributions, but also cultivated a team that can uphold this pure scientific spirit.”

It's 1 a.m. in Nandu, the provincial capital.

Yang Ping finished reading Jiang Jitong's report, made annotations on several key data points, and replied to the email with suggestions for the next steps of the experiment. He got up, stretched his stiff shoulders and neck, and walked to the window.

The city was still brightly lit in the night. My phone vibrated again; this time it was a photo from Mainstein showing the grand scene in a Stockholm banquet hall, where Tang Shun and Song Ziming were talking with a group of scholars.

“Professor, they performed exceptionally well,” Mainstein added. “The whole world saw not only your genius, but also the power of an outstanding team. Professor Carlson told me privately that these were the most special laureate representatives she had ever seen, because they truly understood and represented the core spirit of the award-winning work. Professor Carlson also said that Chinese sounds really good.”

Yang Ping replied, "Thank you, Professor Mainstein. They deserve to be in the spotlight."

"Professor, you always forget my proper title. Please just call me Mannstein!" Mannstein always encountered this problem.

“Oh, Mainstein!” Yang Ping corrected.

“Yes, Professor!” Mainstein replied happily.

After hanging up the phone, Yang Ping prepared to pack his things and go home. Just then, there was a knock on the office door. "Come in."

Dr. Lu Xiaolu walked in, holding a newly printed report, his expression somewhat strange.

"Professor, please take a look at this."

Yang Ping took the report, and the title made him frown slightly: "Preliminary Report on Rare Abnormal Immune Responses After Systemic Regulatory Intervention".

"This is……?"

“It came from a collaborative center in Europe,” Lu Xiaolu said seriously. “They applied our regulatory theory to treat a group of patients with refractory Crohn’s disease. Most patients responded well, but three cases experienced unexpected and serious side effects.”

The report details the three cases: after 4-6 weeks of personalized treatment, the patients’ previously overactive intestinal immune response was indeed controlled, but other systems in the body began to show abnormalities. One patient developed a severe skin allergic reaction, another developed neurological symptoms such as headache and dizziness, and the third developed rare abnormal blood indicators.

"They suspect that while the intervention corrected the local imbalance, it may have disturbed the steady state of other parts of the system, triggering a chain reaction," Lu Xiaolu said. "I just received the report this afternoon; I was planning to come tomorrow..."

Yang Ping was already quickly flipping through the report, his eyes focused: "No, you did the right thing. Notify everyone else immediately. Emergency meeting at seven o'clock tomorrow morning. Oh, it's too late. Notify everyone tomorrow morning."

"Yes!"

After Lu Xiaolu left, Yang Ping also had to go home. On the way, he kept thinking about the possible mechanisms behind this problem: immune redistribution? Local immunosuppression leading to the migration and accumulation of immune cells or factors in other systems? Metabolic chain reactions? Alterations in the gut microbiota-metabolite axis affecting systemic metabolic homeostasis? Unexpected coupling of the neuro-immune-endocrine network? Individual-specific thresholds causing our regulatory dose to still be excessive for some systems?

The nights in Stockholm, however, are still long.

At the private reception after the dinner, Tang Shun finally found an opportunity to slip out onto the balcony with Song Ziming for some fresh air. The winter night in Stockholm was cold and clear, with an exceptionally bright starry sky.

"Here you go." Tang Shun took out the Nobel Prize medal from the inside pocket of his suit. The gold medal gleamed warmly in the moonlight. The front featured a relief portrait of Nobel in profile, while the back was designed according to the prize. The design for the Physiology or Medicine prize was of the goddess of medicine with an open book on her lap, collecting spring water flowing from the rocks to quench the thirst of a sick girl.

Song Ziming also took out his medal, and the two of them played with it in their hands.

"It's really heavy!" Song Ziming weighed the medal in his palm.

"It's so beautiful!" Tang Shun held the medal up to his eyes to admire it closely.

Song Ziming looked into the distance. "At the banquet tonight, I heard people question at least three times whether the systemic regulation theory was too idealistic, whether the risks of clinical application were uncontrollable, and whether the existing basic research needed was broad and deep. You also heard what that pharmaceutical company vice president said. On the surface, they talked about cooperation, but in reality, they wanted to buy out or dominate the research direction."

“The taller the tree, the more the wind will blow against it.” Tang Shun sighed. “Before the professor won the award, the criticism was mainly within the academic circle. Now that he has won the award, the criticism will come from all directions, and it will be mixed with interests, competition, and even malice.”

“That’s why the professor didn’t want to come.” Song Ziming suddenly understood. “He didn’t want to get involved in these turmoil. He wanted to stay in the lab and continue doing the really important work. He didn’t want to waste time.”

“When we get back, we need to build a firewall for the professor,” Tang Shun said. “We’ll be the ones to handle all business collaborations, media attention, and unnecessary social engagements. We’ll let him continue to work quietly.”

“Agreed.” Song Ziming nodded.

The two remained silent for a moment before putting away their medals.

"How about we both wear our medals around our necks, take this picture, and post it on WeChat Moments?"

"Yes, just one photo, no text, leave it blank!"

It's 7 a.m. in the provincial capital of Nandu.

The institute's conference room was packed with people, the atmosphere serious. A large screen displayed the report on the unusual reaction from Europe.

“…What these three cases have in common is that they all belong to the ‘hyperresponsive immune phenotype’ in our classification.” Lu Xiaolu pointed to the data charts. “That is to say, their immune systems are in an extremely sensitive and easily overreacting state. Our regulatory approach successfully suppressed the overreaction in the gut, but may have caused some kind of stress transfer at the systemic level.”

"It's like pressing down on a spring; it will bounce back up elsewhere?" Jiang Jitong added.

Yang listened quietly, and only spoke after everyone had finished speaking:
"First of all, I would like to thank the European Collaboration Centre for its candor and timely sharing. Scientific progress requires this kind of open discussion about anomalies and failures, not cover-ups."

He walked to the whiteboard and began to draw: "This reminds us that the core of system regulation theory is 'equilibrium,' but our understanding of 'equilibrium' is still too superficial. Sometimes what we think is equilibrium may be a local steady state, but we have ignored the dynamic coupling between systems."

He drew several interconnected circles to represent different physiological systems: "The gut immune system, skin, nervous system, blood system... they are not isolated. When we strongly regulate one of them, we must consider the possible effects of the redistribution of energy, matter, and information on other systems."

“Then what can we do?” a young researcher asked. “It is very difficult to truly grasp the overall balance; it depends on a thorough understanding of the disease mechanism.”

Yang Ping nodded. “Therefore, we need to conduct more in-depth and detailed research. The value of this report lies in its identification of the current boundaries and blind spots in our theory. We need more refined system modeling, comprehensive baseline assessment, more gradual regulatory strategies, and more intelligent feedback adjustments. We not only need to organize existing mechanistic research on this disease worldwide, but also conduct more in-depth research based on this organization.”

“This requires more data, more complex algorithms, and longer follow-up.” Yang Ping looked at his team, “which means more difficult work. But that’s science. Every answer leads to more questions, and every breakthrough exposes new unknowns. Our known knowledge is a circle, while unknown knowledge is outside the circle. The larger this circle is, the longer its boundary with the unknown.”

In the conference room, the confusion in the eyes of the young researchers was gradually replaced by determination.

Chu Xiaoxiao raised her hand, "Our next step is to reanalyze all existing case data to find 'high-reactivity' biomarkers? At the same time, we need to design new animal experiments to simulate this inter-system perturbation?"

“Yes.” Yang Ping nodded. “And we need to be quick. These three cases in Europe are a wake-up call. As our theories move towards wider application, we must anticipate and mitigate these kinds of risks as much as possible. Only in this way can we continue to progress.”

The meeting lasted until 9:00 AM. After the meeting adjourned, Yang Ping remained alone in the conference room to think.

My phone vibrated. Tang Shun had sent a message with a photo of them at Stockholm Airport: "Ready to board the plane home. Everything went smoothly, but I have many feelings. Let's talk in detail when we meet."

Yang Ping replied briefly: "Have a safe trip. Get back and rest immediately. We'll talk again tomorrow."

He put down his phone and continued working on the problem on the whiteboard. For him, this was the real front line, not under the spotlight of Stockholm, but in the laboratory and the ward.

The plane broke through the clouds and flew eastward.

Tang Shun and Song Ziming sat side by side, their two Nobel Prize medals carefully tucked away in a hidden compartment of their briefcases.

“I’ve been wondering,” Song Ziming said, gazing at the churning sea of ​​clouds outside the window, “what the professor is doing right now.”

Tang Shun closed his eyes to rest. "Perhaps for him, winning the award is not the end point, but just another beginning, as he works on solving that new problem from Europe."

"After we go back, how many media outlets will be waiting at our door? How many cooperation offers will we receive? How many voices of doubt will we face?"

“There are many, but don’t think too much about it.” Tang Shun opened his eyes. “The professor said that as long as our work is solid enough and the data is solid enough, time will prove everything. And all we can do is help him block out unnecessary distractions so that the team can continue to focus.”

"Yes, that's right!"

Did you post that photo we took together on your WeChat Moments?

"I got it! What about you?"

"It's been issued too!"