Chapter 256: Trials and Tribulations (Part 5 of 5)
“Sir, the breakfast time is over,” the waiter whispered into Professor Rudolf Wagner’s ear.
Ah… the reminder finally snapped him out of his thoughts.
Looking at his cold, untouched food on the table, he shook his head helplessly and stood to leave.
What an elegant surgery. With his understanding of prostate interventional surgery, the operation he just saw could be considered a miracle!
Each step was extremely precise.
Each choice made was on point.
There were a total of six embolizations performed within the vascular network made up of different branches of the arteries supplying blood to the prostate.
Professor Rudolf Wagner was very impressed but also curious: who had performed the surgery?
Twenty years ago, he was certain he could take on this challenge. As one of the original pioneers of interventional surgery, such things were a piece of cake.
However, he did not stand a chance now.
News spread like wildfire in the current day and age thanks to the internet. Many people had been made aware of the surgery before he did.
He knew enough to recognize when he had been surpassed.
And if he could not beat them, he could only join them.
He had to get on Professor Mehar’s good side, after all. A Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was still on the table as long as Professor Mehar drew breath.
António Egas Moniz had introduced a method of treating mental illness known as lobotomy, conducted via incising the prefrontal lobe of the brain, which earned him a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1949.
However, throughout the next decade, side effects started to arise. The patients who had had their prefrontal lobe severed also lost their own personalities.
Even though the brain was the most important organ of the human body, little remained known about it.
The procedure was later proven to be a failure.
Since then, new surgical procedures were rarely nominated for, let alone awarded, the Nobel Prize of Physiology or Medicine.
Its recipients mostly dabbled in theoretical research.
Professor Rudolf Wagner knew that if he could cure… no, he did not even need a cure. All he needed to do was to get rid of Professor Mehar’s horrid urinary tube and allow the man a normal life, one where flirting with pretty Cuban girls was not a distant dream. If he succeeded, he could expect to be nominated for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, or even better, win one.
However, someone had appeared out of nowhere and outdone him by a mile in that exact surgery. The gulf between himself and the surgeon in that video was blatantly obvious from watching the recording alone.
He had to grab a hold of this young man! He had to!
Professor Rudolf Wagner decided to take the next available flight to China after the award ceremony.
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“What did that deputy director offer you?” Su Yun asked Zheng Ren midway through dinner. It was a few hours after the surgery.
“I think it’s 1.5 million after tax,” Zheng Ren recalled.
“What a scrooge.” Su Yun selected a piece of meat with his chopsticks and devoured it, continuing through a full mouth, “Two years ago, a private hospital tried to recruit me by offering me an annual pay of 1.2 million yuan.”
“Hmm? And what made them think so highly of you?” Zheng Ren was curious.
“Hey, boss, I’m the expert who successfully did a heart transplant! Don’t tell me you don’t know how difficult that is,” Su Yun shot back, feeling insulted.
“Why didn’t you accept it?”
“It was meaningless,” Su Yun said, “Ever since my teacher retired to his hometown after getting ill, none of these trappings have any value to me.”
“Okay.” Zheng Ren didn’t press the matter.
Su Yun continued to pry. “Did you really not even consider leaving?”
“Where could I go?” Zheng Ren shook his head. “Old Chief Physician Pan is like a mentor to me. Since his dream is to set up the emergency ward, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I leave now.”
“Tsk tsk. I just praised you a few days ago for not being a saint, but it seems I was mistaken,” Su Yun said disdainfully. “Let me ask you one thing.”
“Go ahead.”
“What would you say if you went over to Xie Yiren’s house to ask her parents for her hand in marriage and her father asked you how much you earned a month?”
“…”
“What if Xie Yiren’s mum asked if you own a car or a house? How will you answer her?”
“…” Zheng Ren’s expression turned serious and worried, which was a rare sight to behold.
Su Yun smirked at him and continued smugly, “You can’t just go there empty-handed and say that you have neither car nor house and only earn 4,000 yuan a month, but you love their daughter with all your heart. Oh, and please don’t reveal the fact that you turned down an offer of 1.5 million yuan annually from a private hospital. If Xie Yiren’s parents found out about it, you two will never work out.”
“…” Zheng Ren was lost for words even though he already knew what Su Yun would say.
“They probably wouldn’t mind whoever their son-in-law was as long as Xie Yiren was happy. However, nobody would want their son-in-law to be a fool.” Su Yun smiled cunningly.
Zheng Ren’s fears were written all over his face. How would he face Xie Yiren’s parents?
He had some savings of fifty to sixty thousand yuan.
However, he knew that Xie Yiren’s family owned a few properties in the central business district of Sea City… He could not even afford a decent house.
The self-confidence he had gained during the surgery left him like a deflating balloon.
Su Yun smelled blood as he watched Zheng Ren panic and went on the offensive. “Let me tell you, young man, it’s always a dilemma between loyalty and filial piety. Are you trying to emulate the Buddha? Stop dreaming. Since Xie Yiren’s parents are still traveling the world, take this time to think about it.”
“…” Zheng Ren lowered his head like Su Yun usually did. The only difference was that his fringe was not swaying in front of his forehead. His heart was in shambles.
Life was much more complicated than surgery.
Even without support from the System, Zheng Ren still felt that surgery was easier.
“Right, before this, I had told you to buy something back for Little Yiren. Have you thought about it at all? You’d better not get a huge bouquet of flowers. That would be extremely tacky.” Su Yun did not let up, knowing Zheng Ren’s weak points.
“I bought one already,” Zheng Ren said quietly while he racked his brains for a solution.
“Oh? Are you getting the hang of it? Tell me, what did you get her?” Su Yun asked, curious.
“I’m not telling you.” Zheng Ren’s refusal was final.
“That’s the spirit. I’ll tell you this: you’ve got to stay mysterious when you’re courting someone. Also, don’t buy any necklaces or rings. Xie Yiren’s collections of jewelry are all globally limited editions. If you buy something ordinary, it’ll be difficult for her to match it with her clothes. You can’t just wear a ring that costs a few hundred while you’re wearing clothes that cost a few hundred thousand,” Su Yun prattled on.
In the middle of their conversation, Su Yun’s phone rang.
“Zhao Yunlong? Why is he looking for me?” Su Yun answered the call, “Old Zhao, what’s up?
“Oh, alright.
“Let me ask him.” Su Yun covered his phone before asking Zheng Ren, “It’s a dinner invitation, do you want to go?”
Zheng Ren shook his head.
…
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I had thought about what to give Little Yiren for many days since the day I uploaded the chapter. I’m quite satisfied with the gift idea, hopefully, you guys will like it as well. Most importantly, Xie Yiren will be pleased.