Surgery Godfather-Chapter 1845 - 1291: Universal Access Plan

"Has the immune response been controlled?" Yang Ping asked.

"The corticosteroids have been reduced to a maintenance dose, and the body temperature is stable below 37.8 degrees." Song Zimo reported, "But the EEG shows abnormal discharges in certain brain tissues."

"Local irritation caused by tumor necrosis, continue to use anticonvulsants for prevention." Yang Ping’s fingers swiped over the virtual image, enlarging the tumor area.

In the observation room, Dr. John Ansen had been sleeping only four hours a day for three consecutive days. His notebook was densely packed with observation records and technical questions, and he cherished this learning opportunity.

"Professor Yang," John Ansen asked through the internal communication system, "we noticed a significant reduction in immune side effects during the second treatment. Is this by design or a natural process?"

Yang Ping pondered slightly: "Your observations are meticulous. This is both a biological reality and a design consideration. The gene carried by our viral vector indeed has an immune response attenuation program. Thus, even if encountered by a completely new individual, it will only trigger a strong immune response in the first treatment. From the second treatment onward, it adjusts itself, meaning the initial batch of patients will experience strong immune reactions, and afterward, while ensuring therapeutic effects, the side effects will gradually diminish."

"So this is actually part of a safety mechanism?"

"Yes, this is the basic technology that gives us the confidence to apply it on a large scale. Without this technology, it could easily lead to catastrophic consequences."

John Ansen quickly took notes, feeling astonished. The complexity of K treatment technology was overwhelming. In these few weeks of observation, the technical details he saw surpassed all the gene therapy research he had encountered in the past five years in the United States. The technological gap was not just slight, but a comprehensive surpassing of entire concepts and implementation paths.

The gene and immunology knowledge involved in this mechanism of gradually reducing immune responses that Professor Yang just mentioned is very cutting-edge and complex.

In the next-door ward, Li Gaoyang was experiencing the most relaxed period since the treatment began. The ventilator had been switched to an intermittent assist mode, and he could breathe on his own for several hours. Rolf sat by the bed, showing him the company’s latest reports on a tablet.

"The stock price has rebounded by 42%," Rolf said softly. "Analysts on Wall Street are starting to adjust their expectations, and their confidence in several BG Group subsidiaries is recovering."

Li Gaoyang blinked, indicating he was listening.

"But the pressure is greater too." Rolf continued, "The White House hopes we share more technical details, and the FDA hinted that if the data is sufficient, they might start the formal approval process within three months. Delegations from Europe and Japan have been contacting us, hoping to exchange experiences..."

He paused, looking at Li Gaoyang: "Everyone is watching you, watching the outcome of this treatment."

Li Gaoyang slowly raised his left hand, which he could still move, and with trembling fingers, wrote a few words on the tablet’s memo page: "What did Professor Yang... say?"

Rolf read it out loud and answered: "Professor Yang said a comprehensive evaluation is needed after the third phase. If the tumor residue is less than 10%, it is considered a clinical success. But to achieve complete remission, further maintenance treatment may be needed."

Li Gaoyang was silent for a while, then wrote: "Pain... worth it."

"What did you say?" Rolf did not understand.

Li Gaoyang closed his eyes, gathered strength, then opened them again, slowly moving his fingers: "This pain... if it can prevent more people... from experiencing it... it’s worth it."

Rolf was stunned, and his eyes suddenly became moist. He had followed Li Gaoyang for more than twenty years, witnessing this man’s ruthlessness, scheming, and relentless battles in the business world. But at this moment, at the edge of life and death, Li Gaoyang said "worth it" for the first time, and it was for "more people."

"I will relay this to Professor Yang," Rolf said, his voice somewhat choked.

Li Gaoyang nodded, then turned his gaze to the window. After experiencing life and death, he seemed to have changed.

...

While Li Gaoyang was fighting against the disease, in a top-floor suite of a five-star hotel in Nandu Provincial City, representatives of the six giants were holding an informal secret meeting.

There were no meeting minutes, no lawyers present, and even the waitstaff were instructed not to enter. There were only six people in the room—each company’s chief negotiator.

"Let’s speak frankly," Schneider was the first to speak, "we can’t continue fighting on our own like this. Huang Jiacai is clearly playing a divide-and-conquer strategy, making us bid against each other while he reaps the benefits."

Thompson from the United States sneered, "Realizing this only now? I mentioned a month ago that the united front must not break. But who was it back then who said ’differentiated competition is more advantageous’?" 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"The situation was different then," Sato from Japan said calmly. "At that time, we still had doubts about the authenticity and feasibility of the technology. Now, with Li Gaoyang’s treatment data, the technology is real, and the efficacy is real. This means whoever first obtains the cooperation qualification will have the first-mover advantage in the tumor treatment market for the next decade."

"So should we reunite?" Dupont from France asked.

"Not just a formal reunion, but strategic coordination," Schneider pulled up an analysis chart on the tablet. "Look here, the assessment criteria for Ruixing’s cooperation partners: technical capacity accounts for 30%, production quality control for 25%, market coverage ability for 20%, pricing and accessibility commitment for 15%, and ethics and social responsibility records for 10%."

He looked around the room: "Our six companies each have their strengths."