Surgery Godfather-Chapter 1933 - 1238: Really, Are We Going?
At four o’clock in the afternoon Stockholm time, the sun began to set in the west. The staff of the Nobel Committee were organizing today’s materials in preparation for the awards ceremony in December.
On the first morning after winning the award, Yang Ping got up at seven as usual.
The first time winning did not cause much disturbance, and the second time even less so.
Xiao Shu was still asleep, Xiao Su had already prepared breakfast. The news was replaying last night’s Nobel report, and Yang Ping’s photo flashed across the screen. Xiao Su glanced at her husband and silently turned off the TV.
After breakfast, the driver deliberately took the back door of the community to avoid the media waiting at the main entrance.
When the car entered the institute, there were already many people gathered at the entrance. Apart from the media, there were citizens holding up phones to take photos, and even a few who looked like investors or corporate representatives trying to negotiate with security.
Because Manager Qiu specially changed the car for Yang Ping, the reporters did not recognize it. The driver successfully avoided the reporters and brought Yang Ping to the institute.
Some people like being famous, but some consider fame a burden, and Yang Ping was the latter.
The atmosphere in the institute was also somewhat different; usually at this time, everyone was still having breakfast or had just entered the laboratory, but today quite a few were standing by the windows or in the corridors, looking outside.
In the first-floor lobby, Tang Shun and Song Zimo were already waiting for Yang Ping.
"Professor," Tang Shun and Song Zimo greeted simultaneously.
Tang Shun said, "This morning, we received 87 emails, including 36 international cooperation invitations from top institutions, 21 media interview requests, and the rest..."
"Handle everything according to procedure," Yang Ping interrupted him, "Transfer cooperation invitations to the academic committee, media requests to the publicity department..."
Song Zimo reported, "There’s a special case transferred from another place, requesting you to take a look this morning."
"Send the case data to my email, I’ll go to the laboratory first," Yang Ping said as he walked.
Song Zimo nodded.
Yang Ping headed straight to the laboratory area and went to the laboratory managed by Jiang Jitong’s team, where four young people were gathered in front of a computer with serious expressions.
"Professor," Chu Xiaoxiao raised her head, her eyes a bit red, looking like she had stayed up late, "The new data is somewhat strange. Most of the 15% mice responded well after using the new enhancer-carrying vaccine, but two had a strong immune response, far exceeding expected intensity and duration."
"Let me see the data." Yang Ping walked to the computer.
The screen displayed complex immune response data; the data of the two abnormal mice appeared as two abrupt peaks, incongruous with the overall trend.
"Have you repeated the experiment?"
"It’s underway, but we need more animals, and..." Jiang Jitong took over, hesitating a moment, "We might need to adjust the experimental plan; this intense response may indicate that our enhancer poses a high risk in certain cases."
Yang Ping pondered for a moment: "Pause new experiments, conduct the most thorough analysis of all data from those two abnormal mice, from genotype to microbiome; sometimes, anomalies aren’t errors, but a deeper pattern knocking."
"Okay!" Jiang Jitong and everyone regained their spirits.
After leaving the laboratory, Yang Ping returned to his office, where he had already received the special case data on his computer.
The patient was a nine-year-old boy named Lele, suffering from the extremely rare autoinflammatory disease—STING-associated vasculopathy with onset in infancy (SAVI). This disease is caused by a gain-of-function mutation of the STING gene, causing the patient’s immune system to remain excessively activated, leading to systemic vasculitis, skin damage, joint pain, and life-threatening conditions.
Current treatments had limited effect on Lele. Large doses of steroids controlled acute episodes but brought severe side effects: osteoporosis, growth inhibition, and weakened immunity. New biological agents were tried, with unsatisfactory outcomes. The child’s parents were referred and found their way to Sanbo Research Institute.
The case data included a photo: a thin boy with typical butterfly-shaped rashes of vasculitis on his face, but bright eyes, smiling hard at the camera.
Yang Ping glanced at the appointment time: ten in the morning, one hour left.
He opened his email and began to process necessary work emails. After handling the emails, Yang Ping stood by the window for fresh air. Outside, part of the crowd at the institute entrance began to disperse, but a few patient media outlets remained waiting.
At nine sharp, Tang Shun knocked and entered: "Professor, Minister Liu from the publicity department wants to meet regarding subsequent media arrangements and public image..."
"Leave those matters entirely to them; I don’t need any publicity. Tell them I just need to work quietly, to be a quiet worker out of media sight, I need to be invisible, and all publicity work revolves around this goal." Yang Ping stated clearly.
Tang Shun understood the professor’s thoughts; he responded and left the office.
...
At ten sharp, Yang Ping appeared on time at the outpatient clinic of Sanbo Research Institute.
Lele and his parents were already waiting there. The child seemed even smaller than in the photo, sitting in a wheelchair with a sketchbook on his lap. The mother appeared very haggard, while the father tried to keep his spirits up.
"Professor Yang, thank you for seeing our Lele." The father stood up, his voice somewhat trembling.
"Please sit and speak slowly." Yang Ping sat down opposite them, first looking at the child, "Hello Lele, I’m Doctor Yang. I heard you like drawing?"
