Chapter 610: I Cannot Go Abroad, Sorry

"Doctor Lin, please go ahead."

"Given how low the level of effort is for most people, it doesn't even reach the point of needing to rely on talent," Lin Jiuze said. "This saying is old, but it makes sense."

"The income of doctors in this country is too low. You probably don't know how much money one can make performing surgery on sports stars like Wembanyama."

"Money is one aspect. If you can succeed, you could possess immense fame and earn countless amounts of money in the future."

As Lin Jiuze spoke, a hint of ferocity appeared on his harmless-looking face.

However, his tone remained unchanged, as gentle as before, making one feel secure inside and unable to muster even a shred of hostility.

"Doctor Xiao Ji, I know what you are thinking. Whether it is talent or money, both have the law of diminishing marginal utility. Given how low the income of doctors in this country is, it doesn't even reach the point where diminishing marginal utility comes into play."

"But at the same time, the lack of ability for domestic doctors to improve their own income and the constraints of reality make them desperately need psychological comfort like 'money doesn't make people happy,' 'there are many other things that make people happy,' and 'many rich people are also unhappy.'"

"You can't experience the happiness of the rich, Doctor Lin, is that what you want to say?" Ji Xiang's voice came through.

"Yes." Lin Jiuze felt that Ji Xiang had stepped, step by step, into the battlefield he had laid out, and his tone became a bit more peaceful and warm. "The suffering of the vast majority of people, including myself, can be solved by money, and once the suffering is resolved, one is naturally happy."

"Earning money is very important. If you think about it from a doctor's perspective..."

"Wait a moment, Doctor Lin." Ji Xiang interrupted Lin Jiuze's lecture and said calmly, "This isn't showing off wealth, but honestly, when I was born, I had already reached the level of diminishing marginal utility regarding money."

"And having reached the limit, earning money is truly uninteresting to me."

"..."

Lin Jiuze never expected that he would receive such an inconceivable answer.

"Although it isn't my money, money has no meaning to me," Ji Xiang said.

"Then what has meaning?" Lin Jiuze blurted out one of the most profound questions in the history of philosophy.

"When I was a child, I was playing in my great-uncle's study, and my great-uncle said that only the stars and the sea have meaning."

Lin Jiuze raised his hand to throw his phone, but at the moment it left his hand, he forcibly restrained himself.

The stars and the sea, screw the stars and the sea!

"Your great-uncle..." Lin Jiuze suppressed the grumbling in his heart and asked respectfully.

"Oh, he's just an ordinary old man," Ji Xiang said with a chuckle. "Whether I earn money or have fame isn't very important to me, but I cannot go abroad."

"Haha, is it a language barrier?" Lin Jiuze forcibly brought his train of thought back and laughed. "Don't worry, after you come to Massachusetts, I will be your translator. You will have enough time to get used to it and adapt."

"My English level is fine, so I won't trouble you. I also know some other languages; I wouldn't say I'm proficient, but normal communication or writing papers is no problem," Ji Xiang said.

Writing papers is no problem—Lin Jiuze felt that Ji Xiang was showing off to him.

"It's because of some family reasons that I cannot go abroad. If Wembanyama can come to the Affiliated Hospital for surgery..."

As he was speaking, Ji Xiang paused, and the faint sound of whispering came through the phone.

Who is Ji Xiang with? Lin Jiuze realized in a flash that the person speaking nearby should be Fan Dao.

Really...

He didn't know how to describe his mood.

On one side is Wembanyama, a super traffic-generating star in the sports world and a top-tier bigwig in future Sports Medicine.

And on the other side is just an ordinary variety show; even if it could become a so-called phenomenal work, the level is still too low.

Does Ji Xiang actually not know which side is more important?

Lin Jiuze was speechless. Is something wrong with Ji Xiang's brain? He even blamed his inability to go abroad on family reasons.

What kind of family could he possibly have that he dares not go abroad?

It must be that his family conditions are so poor that his vision is too narrow, and he just found a random excuse to brush him off.

"Xiao Ji, take my advice."

"I really don't need it, Doctor Lin," Ji Xiang said. "You can persuade Wembanyama to come to the Affiliated Hospital for surgery. I have an 80% probability of guaranteeing the surgery's success."

"As for the surgical outcome, wait until I finish watching Zhao Dali's recording. As for going abroad, let's not mention that again."

Lin Jiuze frowned and focused; the harmless expression on his face vanished completely, his canine teeth seemed to be bared, and he pressed his lips together tightly.

"If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up, Doctor Lin," Ji Xiang said. "The difficulty of the surgery really isn't very high for me. If you want to learn, I can tell you information regarding Interventional Surgery, but I truly cannot go abroad. As for Wembanyama, if his team is willing to accept the consequence of a future decline in athletic ability of about 30%, then I have nothing more to say."

Lin Jiuze was silent.

"Then, goodbye?"

Lin Jiuze remained silent.

Beep, beep, beep~ Ji Xiang hung up the phone.

Lin Jiuze thought for a long time in the bathroom; he couldn't understand why Ji Xiang was so stubborn.

It definitely wouldn't be because of the legend that if you rely on your own strength to get a job at Massachusetts and then want to return to the country, you will definitely be shot eight times and commit suicide; a doctor simply doesn't have that "treatment."

Then what is it because of?

Ji Xiang hung up the phone, and Zhao Zhe picked up his jaw that had fallen to the floor, put it back in place, and tentatively moved it around.

It's fine, it still works.

"Xiao Ji, did Doctor Lin invite you to Massachusetts?"

"He was joking; if you take it seriously, you've been fooled," Ji Xiang said very casually.

"Then was he also joking about the Lifetime Professor position at Massachusetts General Hospital?" Zhao Zhe asked again.

"Do you see me being able to be appointed to that position?"

"I think you can."

"Don't talk nonsense, it's impossible, at the very least it's impossible within 3 years," Ji Xiang said.

Zhao Zhe listened to Ji Xiang's extremely humble-bragging words and sighed, "Xiao Ji, why can't you go abroad?"

Ji Xiang smiled and didn't speak.

Zhao Zhe also knew this belonged to Ji Xiang's secret; he didn't ask further, as some things definitely shouldn't be asked about too much.

"Xiao Ji, I used to watch the NBA some years ago, but I haven't followed it since the Warriors dynasty quietly crumbled, though Wembanyama's draft that year was quite a sensation."

"It was alright," Ji Xiang said.

"Do you think their medical team would agree to come over here to perform the surgery?"

Zhao Zhe had already determined in his heart that Ji Xiang would definitely not go abroad, and that the surgery's success rate was extremely high. Regarding his trust in Ji Xiang, Zhao Zhe held nothing back.

As an old Attending Physician, if one's eyes were dim and lacked vision, one deserved to be stepped on for a lifetime. But Zhao Zhe certainly didn't belong to that type; he just hadn't encountered an opportunity before.

"I don't know. Our program here is about to finish recording; I reckon even if Wembanyama could come, his surgery would still have to be done back at the Second Affiliated Hospital. But, I think the possibility is not high."

"Right!" Zhao Zhe slapped his thigh, "The people with the worst medical compliance are actually the Experts."

(End of this chapter)