After being separated from my family, I became a darling of the military region thanks to my medical

Ministry of Health building.

In Vice Minister Li's office, the internal red hotline on the desk suddenly went off.

The bell rang urgently and loudly, making the enamel teacup on the table tremble slightly.

Vice Minister Li grabbed the microphone.

The person on the other end of the phone gave a brief report.

Vice Minister Li suddenly stood up, the chair legs scraping against the floor with a screeching sound.

Are you sure?

"Harrison from the Mayo Clinic extended a formal invitation to Ye Zhen in a private capacity?"

"Did the invitation also mention supporting materials for the Nobel Prize nomination?"

He tightened his grip on the microphone, and his eyes lit up.

"it is good."

"This is no ordinary invitation."

After hanging up the phone, Vice Minister Li stood in the center of the office, motionless for a long time.

Ye Zhen has already defeated the Europeans.

The case data from the UK, Germany, and France are there for all to see; even The Lancet gave up its cover and naming rights.

However, the United States has never truly made a statement.

The top medical institutions, core journals, and academic conferences in North America still wield considerable international influence.

If "Huaxia Standard" wants to truly go global, it cannot bypass the land across the ocean.

The fact that Mayo Clinic is now willing to give up its highest-level auditorium to allow North American cardiac surgeons to ask questions in person is no small honor.

This is an opportunity to open the door to the North American medical community.

Without further hesitation, Vice Minister Li immediately dialed the phone number of the Beicheng Military Region General Hospital.

Beicheng Military Region General Hospital, Foreign-Related Specialized Ward.

Two high-risk surgeries have just been completed.

Ye Zhen took off her gloves and casually threw them into the medical waste bin.

She walked to the sink and bent down to wash her hands.

The back of the scrub suit was soaked with sweat and clung to the shoulder blades.

Just as the head nurse walked over with a towel, the phone in the office rang urgently.

Liu Xiaohe answered the phone, and after listening to only two sentences, her expression immediately changed.

"Teacher Ye, it's a call from Vice Minister Li of the Ministry of Health."

"They said it was extremely urgent."

Ye Zhen dried her hands and took the phone.

"Vice Minister Li."

"Xiao Ye, this is great news!"

Vice Minister Li's voice couldn't contain his excitement.

"You've seen the Mayo Clinic's invitation, haven't you?"

"This is a very rare opportunity."

"The ministry can process your paperwork immediately. We'll coordinate everything, including your passport, visa, foreign affairs reception, and security."

"Just set a time, and we'll head to America right away."

Ye Zhen opened the medical record card that had just been delivered to the table.

"Who will take over the care of these children who are already on the waiting list?"

Vice Minister Li paused for a moment.

"Xiao Ye, the trip will last no more than ten days to half a month."

"The surgery can be postponed."

"no."

Ye Zhen answered without the slightest hesitation.

"My schedule is booked until the end of the month."

"Among them are children whose pulmonary hypertension is progressing rapidly, children with recurrent hypoxia, and two children who may develop heart failure at any time."

"They can't wait ten days."

Vice Minister Li suppressed his anger and tried to soften his tone.

"Xiao Ye, I understand your concerns."

"But you went to America not to win an award, nor to embellish your reputation."

"If the standards you establish can be recognized by the North American medical community, more hospitals will be willing to adopt them, and more institutions will be willing to contribute their cases, equipment, and data to participate in the collaboration."

"You can perform more than a dozen surgeries a day by yourself."

"But if a thousand doctors worldwide performed surgeries according to your standards, how many children could be saved?"

Ye Zhen's gaze fell on the whiteboard.

The child's name, age, disease rating, and surgery date are written on it in dense text.

She remained silent for a moment.

"Academic exchange is fine."

"Let them come to China."

"I don't have time to leave these children lying in their hospital beds just to hold a presentation."

Vice Minister Li became extremely anxious.

"Xiao Ye, this is an opportunity for the nation's medical community to gain international recognition!"

"Mayo extended an invitation, which doesn't happen every year."

"If you can stand on that stage and let those people in North America see the Chinese standards with their own eyes, your chances of winning an award will be much higher."

Ye Zhen's tone remained calm.

"Patients are not my bargaining chips."

"I will not temporarily disrupt the treatment order for critically ill children for the sake of anyone's approval."

After she finished speaking, she handed the microphone to Zhou Hai, who was standing next to her.

"Dean Zhou, you speak with the minister."

Zhou Hai reluctantly answered the phone.

"Vice Minister Li, please calm down."

"I'll try to persuade her again."

"All right."

A heavy sigh came from the other end of the phone.

The next second, the call was disconnected.

Zhou Hai held the receiver, listening to the busy tone, his scalp tingling.

He turned to look at Ye Zhen.

"My great-aunt."

"That's the ministry's phone number."

"You have such a stubborn temper."

Ye Zhen changed into a clean white coat and picked up a stethoscope.

"Dean Zhou, the blood oxygen levels of the child in bed three fluctuated this morning."

"I'll go take a look."

Gu Zheng stood to the side the whole time.

He didn't interrupt at all.

He simply walked to the stove and lifted the lid of the lunchbox.

The braised pork and white rice were still steaming hot.

Gu Zheng picked up the lunchbox and walked up to Ye Zhen.

"Ward rounds are permitted."

"Let's eat lunch first."

Ye Zhen stopped in her tracks.

Gu Zheng shoved the chopsticks into her hand.

"Let's eat first, then we'll go."

Zhou Hai looked at the couple and couldn't help but shake his head.

He dares to challenge even the Vice Minister of Health.

One of them didn't urge her to strive for honors, but only cared whether she ate on time.

The fact that these two people are standing together makes everyone feel that it's perfectly natural.

Ministry of Health building.

After hanging up the phone, Vice Minister Li stood in his office for a full half minute.

The sky outside the window was overcast.

He stared at the vehicles coming and going downstairs, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.

Ye Zhen is not unaware of the bigger picture.

She understood better than anyone what it meant for a set of medical standards to go international.

But she was even more unwilling to abandon her child and give way to so-called international honors.

If this matter is handled too harshly, forget about going to the United States for exchanges.

It will probably be difficult for the Ministry of Health to coordinate her participation in international projects in the future.

The secretary knocked and came in.

"Vice Minister Li, you wanted to see me?"

Vice Minister Li turned around.

"Prepare the car."

The secretary was taken aback.

Where are you going?

Vice Minister Li said in a deep voice, "The Gu family's old residence."

"There aren't many people who can persuade Ye Zhen."

"But the old man of the Gu family is the first."

Six p.m.

A black Hongqi sedan was parked at the entrance of the alley.

Vice Minister Li, carrying two boxes of finely packaged pastries and a bag of specially supplied Da Hong Pao tea, got out of the car and walked into the Gu family's old residence.

The gate to the courtyard was opened by the guard.

In the courtyard, Grandpa Gu, wearing a traditional Chinese jacket, sat on a rattan chair, enjoying the cool air.

A transistor radio sits on the stone table, playing Peking Opera.

Grandma Gu sat to the side picking celery.

Moonlight fell on the old man's gray hair, and the courtyard was quiet.

Grandpa Gu raised his hand.

"Move a stool."

"Vice Minister Li has come to our door carrying some things. Is it something important?"

Vice Minister Li placed the gift on the stone table and sat down.

"Old Chief, there is indeed something important."

"Your granddaughter-in-law, Dr. Ye Zhen, has received a formal invitation from the Mayo Clinic in the United States."

"Sir Williams in the UK is also preparing to join forces with medical experts from multiple countries to submit materials for her to be nominated for the Nobel Prize in Medicine."

Grandma Gu paused.

A stalk of celery fell onto the stone slab.

Grandpa Gu did not speak immediately.

The old man's slightly hunched back gradually straightened.

Vice Minister Li leaned forward.

"Old Chief, this is not just an honor for Xiao Ye personally."

"If she could hold a conference at the Mayo Clinic and get those toughest experts in North America to acknowledge the Chinese standards, then the Chinese medical community would truly be at the forefront of the international arena."

Grandpa Gu picked up the teapot and poured himself a cup of chilled tea.

"It's a good thing."

"You came to me because you're in trouble."

Vice Minister Li sighed.

"Xiao Ye refuses to go."

"She said she had too many patients and no one could delay treatment."

"I can't persuade her."

"Old sir, could you please step in and try to persuade them?"

Grandpa Gu picked up his teacup and slowly took a sip.

He then carefully placed the teacup back on the stone table.

"Little Li."

"Old Chief, please speak."

"Do you think that my family-oriented granddaughter-in-law should abandon her critically ill patients and run off to give presentations on the other side of the ocean for the sake of foreign awards?"

Vice Minister Li quickly waved his hand.

"Old Chief, that's absolutely not what I meant."

"This is the highest honor in the world of medicine, and it represents the nation's voice."

Old Master Gu stared at him.

"How does a nation gain its voice?"

"She earned her living by saving children from the operating table."

"She didn't earn that money by abandoning her patients to perform for someone else."

Vice Minister Li had a slight sheen of sweat on his forehead.

"Old commander, I understand."

"But this time it's different."

"Once the door is opened at Mayo Clinic, China's standards will not only be recognized in Europe, but will become clinical guidelines that cannot be bypassed globally."

"More children will be saved because of this in the future."

Grandpa Gu fell silent.

On the radio, a long, drawn-out aria from Peking Opera played.

Grandma Gu put down the celery in her hand and spoke softly.

"Old man."

"This child, Xiao Ye, has the patients on her mind."

"But if she can really teach more people how to save children, that would be a great thing."

Grandpa Gu looked up at Vice Minister Li.

"Xiao Ye's refusal to go is not because she lacks responsibility."

"You guys handled things too carelessly."

Vice Minister Li immediately sat up straight.

"Old Chief, please speak."

"First, we cannot delay any of the critically ill children who have been scheduled for treatment at the hospital."

"Your Ministry of Health needs to come up with a concrete plan, specifying who will take over, how they will take over, and who will be responsible if problems arise after the surgery. All of this needs to be clearly stated."

"Secondly, Ye Zhen can only leave for a maximum of a few days, which is up to her."

"Third, since Mayo hired someone, he can't just let her stand on the stage and be questioned."

Old Master Gu paused, his voice turning somber.

"We shouldn't be too soft; Zhen isn't going to beg them for recognition."

"She went to show them what truly world-leading technology is."

Vice Minister Li felt a sudden shock.

"Old commander, I understand."

Grandpa Gu waved his hand.

"Take care of these things."

"I'll go and persuade her."