Chapter 608: The Suffering Due Is Not A Bit Less

Where does the problem lie?

Lin Jiuze was stunned.

Being able to go to Massachusetts General Hospital and have one's own medical team is likely the brightest future for 99.99% of doctors in the country.

And he had even mentioned the matter of a Lifetime Professor position.

Although the probability is low, for domestic doctors, this is a massive pie in the sky. Isn't going abroad to earn big money better than staying in the country?

Lin Jiuze could not fathom the reason for Ji Xiang's refusal no matter how he thought about it.

"Doctor Ji Xiang, do you know what a Lifetime Professor is?" Lin Jiuze asked tentatively.

He felt that Ji Xiang had misunderstood the concept, and after hesitating for a few seconds, he finally asked.

"I know," Ji Xiang said quite firmly. "The Lifetime Professor system means that once appointed, the term can extend until retirement, without being subject to the school's various periodic teaching and research workload assessments, and there is no pressure of being dismissed. At the same time, they also enjoy the Lifetime Professor allowance issued by the school."

"People in the country say there is an 'iron rice bowl,' but a Lifetime Professor is the true iron rice bowl."

"..." Lin Jiuze looked at Ji Xiang with a somewhat complex expression.

He thought for a moment, "Doctor Ji Xiang, are you worried about not being able to be appointed as a Lifetime Professor? Based on my understanding of Massachusetts General Hospital, in 5... no, within 3 years, you will definitely be able to receive an offer."

"It's not that I don't have confidence in you or myself, but that I have no interest," Ji Xiang revealed a sincere smile.

Lin Jiuze was suddenly speechless, not knowing how to continue the conversation.

"If there's nothing else, I'll be going," Ji Xiang said.

"Wait, there is one more thing, see if this is feasible," Lin Jiuze said.

"What is it?"

"It's like this, the Celtics of the NBA have a French star player named Wembanyama, and he has a torn knee ligament and wants to have surgery." Lin Jiuze did not hide anything and briefly described the situation of Zhao Dali and Wembanyama to Ji Xiang.

"I watched the highlights of Zhao Dali's recent games; it's hard to believe that he just underwent surgery not long ago."

"Oh? Is everything going smoothly for Dali over there?" Ji Xiang suddenly became interested.

"You... didn't know?"

"I've been participating in a program recently, so I haven't been in much contact with Dali," Ji Xiang said. "Can you send me a copy of the edited footage?"

Only then did Ji Xiang's attitude toward Lin Jiuze soften slightly.

Lin Jiuze certainly wouldn't think of terms like Ji Xiang being arrogant, so he nodded and said earnestly, "If you agree, I will contact Massachusetts and strongly recommend you to lead the surgery."

Regarding the unyielding Ji Xiang, Lin Jiuze used his words very carefully, even using vocabulary beyond the scope like 'supporting the surgery.'

There is no shortage of infighting at Massachusetts General Hospital, and Lin Jiuze was under immense pressure when he said this.

"Wembanyama... I remember the Spurs were tanking for Wembanyama back in the day," Ji Xiang changed the subject. "Did he go to the Boston Celtics now?"

"That year, the Celtics lost to the Warriors in the finals again, but their luck was off the charts during the draft lottery, and they drew Wembanyama with a 0.62% probability," Lin Jiuze explained helplessly.

"Ha, 0.62%, the Green Celtics' luck is truly good."

"Doctor Ji Xiang, if you want to wait until the program ends, that's fine too, but please do me the honor of coming..."

"Doctor Lin," Ji Xiang interrupted Lin Jiuze in a deep voice. "If you can bring the Patient here, I would be very welcome, but if you want me to go there, then forget it."

Lin Jiuze was stunned.

Did Ji Xiang not know how much benefit it would bring him if he performed surgery on Wembanyama and the surgery was successful?

He must know!

Yet Ji Xiang refused his invitation without even thinking, without the slightest hesitation.

Why!

"Doctor Ji Xiang, I ask you to reconsider," Lin Jiuze said earnestly.

"I've considered it, and I know the gap," Ji Xiang shrugged. "A few years ago when I first started school, there was a senior student doing basic experiments. At that time, Eppendorf, NEB, Agilent, and Thermo Fisher were under embargo, and we could only use domestic materials."

"How should I put it? The experimental data produced made one think the laboratory had been blocked by the Sophons from *The Three-Body Problem*. Damn it, the materials had the same labels, but the data produced was truly indescribable."

"..."

"I've said too much, sorry. I think the medical level at Massachusetts General Hospital must be very high, and I would like to go," Ji Xiang said with a hint of regret. "Even if it's just to take a look."

"Then..."

"Hey," Ji Xiang shook his head. "Doctor Lin, I look forward to working with you. To be honest, your surgery is the second best I have ever seen."

"Who is the first?" Lin Jiuze blurted out.

Ji Xiang didn't explain, but said with a smile, "If Wembanyama can come to the Medical University to have the surgery, then I would be very welcome."

"If there's nothing else, I'll head back first; I still have Medical Records to write."

After saying this, Ji Xiang smiled, bowed, and left politely.

Lin Jiuze looked at Ji Xiang's back, feeling somewhat at a loss.

Companies like Eppendorf, NEB, Agilent, and Thermo Fisher are not things an average person would know, yet Ji Xiang knew them like the back of his hand and understood the difference in strength between them and domestic reagent companies.

Why!

Lin Jiuze stood frozen, thinking for a long time without finding an answer.

Time was running out, so Lin Jiuze simply flew back to Boston directly.

After getting off the plane and leaving the Airport, Lin Jiuze saw his teacher standing at the exit wearing a black coat.

"Teacher, why are you here?"

Tang Chenghua smiled kindly. "Jiuze, this trip back home didn't go smoothly, did it?"

"Teacher, you watched the program, right?"

"I watched it; that young man is ridiculously strong," Tang Chenghua said. "You didn't succeed in inviting him? Does he not know the technical level over here?"

"No, Teacher, I can sense that Doctor Ji Xiang knows everything," Lin Jiuze said very honestly. "There's no way; he refused very firmly."

"Oh, it doesn't matter," Tang Chenghua smiled. "I heard a story—a cow thief was caught, and the county magistrate gave him a few choices. One was to be fined ten taels of silver, two was to receive twenty strokes of the cane, and three was to eat two catties of cow dung."

Lin Jiuze knew his teacher liked to tell little stories, so he listened quietly.

"The thief was heartbroken over the money, yet found the dung too foul; relying on being young and strong, he chose the caning, but halfway through he couldn't take it anymore and switched to eating cow dung. After two bites, he vomited it all up and couldn't eat any more, so in the end, he still paid the ten taels of silver."

"What a foolish thief," Lin Jiuze laughed.

"Ji Xiang is the same; he won't be spared a single bit of the suffering he's due, and in the end, he will still have to make the same choice as us," Tang Chenghua said. "No need to rush."

"Are you going back to rest, or will you look at the video materials first?" Tang Chenghua asked.

"I'll go straight to the hospital; I want to see Wembanyama."

"There has never been a surgical procedure like the one Ji Xiang uses, but judging by that kid playing soccer in Europe, the post-operative results are excellent. Wembanyama's agent team is very eager for the same treatment results."

"I will do my best," Lin Jiuze said cautiously.

(End of this chapter)