Chapter 288 - 193: Letter of Challenge

Chapter 288: Chapter 193: Letter of Challenge

The conference was about to begin.

Everyone filed into the hall.

A banner hung behind the main stage, its table draped in deep red velvet and set with white porcelain teacups.

The classic style lent the occasion an air of solemn gravity.

The young members of Jiang He’s team, seated behind him, all maintained stern expressions and sat bolt upright, terrified of making a mistake...

Below the stage, representatives from the provincial medical system, hospital deans, and department heads from across the province were seated according to rank.

Meanwhile, the back and sides of the auditorium bristled with the telephoto lenses of professional cameras.

In addition to the province’s mainstream newspapers and television stations, reporters from Xinhua News Agency, Reuters, and the Associated Press’s China bureaus were also in position.

Minister Lin Zhenhua emerged from backstage right on time and took his seat.

After the standard opening procedures, he began:

"Today’s conference has two main items on the agenda. The first is to commend and award the individuals and groups who demonstrated outstanding performance during the recent public health emergency."

"In this battle, our medical and disease control systems responded swiftly. Therefore, I would like to extend a special provincial commendation to the following individuals: Researcher Shu Yuelong of the National Disease Control Center; Zhao Min of the Provincial CDC’s Virus Isolation Division; Liu Weiguo of the Yangcheng Health Inspection Department; Yang Xu of the Hepatobiliary Surgery Department at Southern Medical University First Affiliated Hospital; and... Jiang He, also from the Southern Medical University First Affiliated Hospital."

As their names were called, they walked up to the main stage one by one.

The five of them stood in a line as a staff member from the provincial department carried over a tray holding bright red certificates of honor.

Lin Zhenhua personally rose and presented the certificates to each of them.

When he reached Jiang He, Lin Zhenhua handed him the certificate, and the two men shook hands.

"Well done," Lin Zhenhua said with a slight nod.

"Thank you, Minister Lin," Jiang He replied calmly.

In the audience, Chen Hao clapped vigorously.

Cheng Xiyao, Lu Xiaolin, and the others also watched the stage, feeling a shared sense of pride.

After the awards were presented, the five returned to their seats.

Lin Zhenhua continued, "In our work this time, there is one more special individual who deserves a particular mention."

"In the earliest stages of the virus outbreak, this individual, relying on their exceptional professional expertise, quickly drafted a practical and effective rescue protocol. This protocol secured a precious chance at survival for severely infected patients across the province and even the entire nation. Before this conference, the provincial department sought his opinion and invited him to attend today’s award ceremony. However, he stated that he is just an ordinary medical professional and would rather focus his energy on research behind the scenes, and thus declined to attend."

"However, official recognition will not be absent. In light of Zhiyu’s indelible contributions during this incident, the Provincial Health Department has already reported his deeds to the national authorities. The associated honors and rewards will be distributed to him directly through internal channels. Let us give a round of applause in tribute to this medical practitioner who prefers to remain unseen."

Thunderous applause erupted.

Once the applause died down, Lin Zhenhua looked down and opened a second document.

"Next, we move to the second item on the agenda."

"This is a report on the implementation of a major clinical auxiliary diagnostic standard within the province."

"Following a joint evaluation by the Provincial Health Department’s Medical Quality Control Center and the Provincial Expert Committee on Critical Care Medicine, the early multi-biomarker prediction model for Severe Acute Pancreatitis (SAP), developed under the leadership of the Southern Medical University First Affiliated Hospital, has demonstrated exceptionally high value for clinical application in multi-center retrospective validations and initial in-hospital trials."

"Effective immediately, the Provincial Health Department officially approves this prediction model as a routine clinical auxiliary diagnostic standard for emergency departments and critical care medicine departments in all medical institutions across the province, to be comprehensively promoted and applied."

In the medical world, the right to establish the international standard for a technology often depends on who publishes first in a top-tier journal.

But there was another, more forceful way:

To directly incorporate it into the official clinical guidelines.

On stage, Lin Zhenhua was announcing something to the whole world:

This model is ours—China’s—and as of today, we are already using it!

The young members of Jiang He’s team were beside themselves with excitement.

They never imagined that in the wake of the plagiarism incident, the government itself would step up to back them.

What else could be said?

’This is loyalty!’

Lin Zhenhua said, "The implementation of this model will significantly reduce the early misdiagnosis rate of Severe Acute Pancreatitis. Now, I would like to invite the representative of the project’s core creative team, Jiang He from the Hepatobiliary Surgery Department of Southern Medical University First Affiliated Hospital, to the stage to speak."

The hall once again filled with applause.

Jiang He calmly walked to the microphone and stood still.

He decided to speak off-the-cuff.

’After all, this wasn’t the first time I’ve given a speech here.’

Naturally, he first went through the proper words of gratitude, thanking everyone he possibly could.

Then, Jiang He said:

"To be honest, when we were creating this early prediction model for SAP, our initial goal was simple. In the emergency room, the initial presentation of Severe Acute Pancreatitis is far too deceptive. Many patients miss the initial window for intervention and end up suffering multi-organ failure. We just wanted to find a tool that could pull patients back from the brink of death, one step ahead of the disease."

"We collected cryopreserved serum from 2003 to 2008, collaborated with data centers at top domestic hospitals, and conducted multi-center retrospective validations. In the end, we produced a model with an AUC as high as 0.915."

"We submitted these findings, full of respect, to the New England Journal of Medicine."

Hearing this, Lin Zhenhua and Yang Xu exchanged a glance.

Their original plan was to only mention the implementation today, not the rejection of their paper, to avoid any unnecessary complications.

But Jiang He clearly had his own ideas.

"And then, our paper was rejected."

The reporters in the back rows immediately began taking notes.

David from Reuters felt his eyes light up. He could smell a big story.

"The reason for the rejection was the potential risk that our data had not undergone proper ethical approval, and that a single Asian cohort lacked generalizability."

"I accept academic rigor. A finding that could change international guidelines deserves the most stringent scrutiny. If they had simply rejected it and asked for more data, my team and I would have immediately returned to the lab to prove our conclusions with more solid evidence."

"But."

"When I learned that the reviewer responsible for this paper happened to be a researcher in a related field at a top medical school in the United States, and that after this rejection, he requested access to his local serum bank to re-run the data according to the variable screening logic provided in our paper..."

"I cannot accept that."

A murmur rippled through the hall.

The venue instantly erupted into low-voiced discussions.

The implication of Jiang He’s words, pieced together, was clear:

An accusation of academic plagiarism!

Sitting in the audience, Yang Xu was somewhat stunned.

’Jiang He is only twenty-one, how can he be so bold?’

’No, it’s precisely because he’s twenty-one that he’s this bold!’

Jiang He, however, felt surprisingly calm.

He knew that his four mentors were all working hard for his sake.

’If I just hid in the back doing research, wouldn’t that be letting them down?’

’Since I’ve been reborn, since I hold future technology in my hands, why should I have to beg others for justice?’

"Today, I stand here wanting to say just one thing."

"Fairness, fairness, and still more fairness."

"Medicine knows no borders, but medical achievements have their owners. We welcome any extended research based on our algorithmic foundation, but we will never accept thuggish behavior that exploits the privileges of peer review."

Jiang He looked at the cameras in the media section and said:

"Regarding our SAP prediction model, if any authoritative institution believes our data is flawed, that our Asian cohort lacks generalizability, or that our underlying logic is unsound..."

"...then I, Jiang He, on behalf of the project team at Southern Medical University First Affiliated Hospital, am willing to accept any form of public inquiry."

"I hear the reviewer’s institution is Johns Hopkins University. Well, if possible, I would hope for an opportunity to personally visit Baltimore."

The entire hall was astonished.

Everyone was stunned by the young man’s audacity and confidence.

Go to Johns Hopkins University?

Was he issuing a formal challenge?

To one of the highest temples of modern medicine in the world, to challenge them on their own turf?

"I am willing to hold a public symposium at Hopkins University."

"Whether it’s about the data construction of the prediction model, the ethical review process, or any extreme complications this technology might encounter in clinical practice, I am willing to answer everyone’s questions face-to-face."

"Science is advanced through debate. If you’re not convinced, come on, let’s talk face-to-face. Wouldn’t that make everything clear?"

Such arrogance. Utterly arrogant.

As arrogant as the Brother Bin of a future generation!

David from Reuters hammered away at his keyboard.

This was an open declaration of war from a young Chinese doctor!

[CHINA’S RISING MEDICAL STAR CHALLENGES HOPKINS: DEBATE ME FACE-TO-FACE IF YOU DISAGREE!]

David had already drafted the headline in his mind.

Below the stage, Vice Dean Zhang Sui was too surprised to know how to react.

He had done his doctorate at Hopkins; he knew all too well how arrogant the academic atmosphere there could be.

’With the level of academic skill Jiang He has shown, if he went there to hold a symposium... what would happen?’

Zhang Sui suddenly found himself looking forward to that day.

Down in the audience, Chen Hao’s face was flushed with excitement.

Cheng Xiyao’s eyes were shining even brighter.

’If it weren’t for Jiang He and Teacher Shen, I’d really be falling for him. So handsome, and so cathartic!’

But Jiang He, still on stage, was already calculating a much larger game in his mind.

Going to Hopkins to throw down the gauntlet wasn’t just to vindicate the SAP model, but also for miRNA early screening.

Since things had already blown up to this scale and attention was at its peak...

...why not ride the storm of public opinion and set the stage in advance?

It seemed like he was being forced to counter-attack after being plagiarized.

In reality, Jiang He was turning this entire situation into a ladder for his own ascent.

’Chaos is a ladder.’

So says Littlefinger, in the Game of Thrones.

"Everyone."

"The progress of medicine is meant to allow more lives to continue, not to satisfy the vanity on certain people’s résumés."

"Our standard has already been implemented in China. Time will prove everything."

Jiang He gave a slight bow.

"Thank you."

After a moment of silence,

The auditorium erupted in thunderous applause.

Sitting on the stage, Lin Zhenhua watched Jiang He walk down, and he could barely keep a straight face.

’This kid has even more guts than I imagined!’

Camera flashes flickered madly from the back of the hall.

Jiang He returned to his seat, his expression serene.

’You pathetic clowns on the other side of the ocean.’

’I’ve issued my challenge.’

’Do you dare to accept it?’

’Speak!’