Chapter 113 - 112: Relative Importance

Chapter 113: Chapter 112: Relative Importance

At 7:25 PM, Li Yao, the director of Huashan Hospital, walked into a small, unassuming restaurant on Chunshui Road.

He headed straight into a small private room and plopped down in the seat across the table from Qi Yue.

"Old Qi, what you have to say had better be the kind of major event that goes down in medical history. Dinner was just served at my house, and I didn’t even get a single bite."

Li Yao said, full of complaint, "This is the first time in days I’ve had a chance to eat dinner at home."

"When I left, my wife was none too pleased to see me go."

Qi Yue chuckled. "Dean Li, am I the kind of person to be unreliable?"

"If I say it’s a major event, then it’s a major event."

He picked up his chopsticks. "Dean, eat first."

"This little place may not look like much, but the food is excellent. It’s a personal favorite of mine; I don’t bring just anyone here."

Although Li Yao was anxious to hear about the "major event" Qi Yue had mentioned, as the head of a hospital, he still had some patience.

Besides, he really was hungry.

Li Yao picked up his chopsticks and tried the seemingly ordinary home-style dishes on the table. His eyes lit up.

"Not bad. Not bad at all."

"They’re home-style dishes, but the flavor is anything but ordinary. Fresh, fragrant, and so delicious you can’t stop eating. This place is worth coming back to."

He then proceeded to eat a bowl of rice with the savory dishes, eating just enough to take the edge off his hunger.

Li Yao then picked up his soup bowl, finished the remaining half, and set it down gently on the table.

"Old Qi, you can talk now."

Qi Yue picked up a napkin, wiped his mouth, and said slowly, "Dean, my student, Zhiming, can easily detect a person’s early-stage cancer."

"You’re already aware of this, right?"

Li Yao suppressed his irritation and urged impatiently, "Director Qi Yue, get to the point. Stop beating around the bush."

Qi Yue picked up his teacup again, took a small sip, and then, under Li Yao’s displeased gaze, slowly and deliberately set the cup back down.

"This ability to perceive and detect cancer is that kid Zhiming’s innate talent. It’s not something others can learn."

"What if, Dean—and I’m just speaking hypothetically..."

Qi Yue leaned forward slightly and raised his voice a bit. "What if Zhiming were to identify one hundred patients with early-stage liver cancer?"

"And what if we were to perform detailed examinations on each of these one hundred early-stage liver cancer patients and, from that, identify several key, common physiological markers..."

As he spoke, Qi Yue noticed that a fire had been lit in Li Yao’s eyes, burning with a scorching intensity.

He knew the Dean now understood the crucial implication.

"Dean, if these key data points could be extrapolated and used for mass screening of early-stage liver cancer patients..."

"Wouldn’t that count as a major event in medical history?"

Li Yao stared at Qi Yue with a piercing gaze and said thoughtfully, "Accomplishing something like that won’t be easy, will it?"

Qi Yue nodded. "It certainly won’t be. First, accumulating enough experimental samples will be difficult."

"It would require Zhiming’s tireless, continuous effort, and it would take a significant amount of time to slowly accumulate the data. Even a few years would be on the short side."

"Second, these comprehensive physical exams and tests on cancerous organs are incredibly expensive—or rather, enormous."

"The examination fee for a single person is hundreds of thousands. Multiply that by dozens, or hundreds, of people, and the cost becomes astronomical."

"Third, the probability of failure is also very high."

"It’s quite possible that in the end, it will all be for nothing, and we won’t find any universally applicable key indicator data at all."

"But..."

Qi Yue spoke slowly, emphasizing each word, "Once we succeed, once we find a screening method for the earliest stages of a certain cancer..."

"Dean, with our current medical technology, it would not be an exaggeration to say we had conquered that type of cancer."

TAP... TAP...

Li Yao tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table, his expression serious. "This is a monumental undertaking for the good of the nation and its people. Even if the odds of success are less than one in a hundred, it’s worth our full commitment."

"Tomorrow, I will convene an ad-hoc administrative meeting."

"Old Qi, you will attend as well."

Li Yao said methodically, "First, we’ll get everyone on the same page. Once we have a preliminary decision, I’ll go to the Ministry of Health and the responsible Vice Mayor to ask for their full support."

Qi Yue smiled faintly. "Dean, as you can imagine, this will be a major investment project lasting several years, perhaps even more than a decade. It will be a heavy burden for Huashan Hospital to bear alone."

"Why not find a few partners..."

Qi Yue met Li Yao’s gaze and elaborated.

"For example, our hospital has a relative advantage in liver cancer and liver disease research. We can focus on early-stage liver cancer."

"For something like breast cancer, we could cooperate with Jiaoda Affiliated Hospital."

"This way, we can spread the risk and financial pressure. Besides, Zhiming is one of us."

"No matter which hospital produces the results, Huashan Hospital’s contribution will be impossible to ignore."

Li Yao nodded in agreement.

Qi Yue continued, "Zhiming’s energy is limited. He can’t possibly focus all his efforts on examining patients."

"Therefore, it’s best to limit our partners to one or two."

Li Yao nodded again. "We must protect Dr. Yu’s growth and well-being. A maximum of two partner institutions."

"Jiaoda Affiliated Hospital is practically family to us. They’ll definitely get a piece of the pie."

Li Yao understood this in his heart.

The Jiaoda Gang was a powerful faction within Huashan Hospital. Rather than being forced to concede benefits in the end, it was better to be proactive and show a little magnanimity.

He looked at his empty rice bowl and said with a sigh of regret, "A discussion this important should be accompanied by fine wine!"

"But all we can do is have another couple bowls of rice."

Qi Yue laughed heartily. "Fine wine? We have some."

As he spoke, he bent down and pulled out a bottle of red wine and two stemware glasses from under the table.

"This is one of the best red wines from my personal collection. It’s already had time to breathe. Let’s have a taste!"

Qi Yue poured a glass of red wine and handed it to Li Yao. Seeing the reproachful look on his face, he chuckled.

"Drinking after a meal is good for your health!"

Li Yao gave a soft "tch," clinked his glass lightly against Qi Yue’s, took a small sip of the red wine, and savored it.

"Rich, smooth, with a lingering finish. An absolutely fine vintage!"

Just as Li Yao finished his appraisal, he heard Qi Yue suddenly ask, "That group of young doctors we sent for advanced training last year, they should be coming back soon, right?"

Li Yao grunted in affirmation. "They’ve already been trickling back. We sent out eleven, and it’s confirmed that two of them aren’t returning."

He sighed softly. "It’s the same every time. We send people out for training, and there are always some who don’t want to come back."

"Is it really that great overseas?"

Li Yao suddenly asked with alarm, "Old Qi, you’re not thinking of sending Dr. Yu abroad for training, are you?"

"Of course not."

Qi Yue swallowed the wine in his mouth and continued, "He’s still in the stage of solidifying his foundations. There’s no need for him to go elsewhere for training."

"Once he hits a developmental plateau, then I’ll arrange for advanced training. Of course, it’s still necessary for him to attend some medical conferences to broaden his horizons."

Li Yao chuckled with satisfaction. "I knew it. Old Qi, you may seem to act recklessly, but deep down, you’re the most strategic one of all."

"With you looking after Dr. Yu, I can rest easy!"

Qi Yue smiled again and asked, as if casually, "That prominent young star from before, Qiu Yi, he’ll be coming back too, right?"

"His roots are here at Huashan. Why wouldn’t he come back?"

Li Yao replied offhandedly, then added with self-satisfaction, "We have Qiu Yi, and now we have the even more brilliant Yu Zhiming."

"With these two gems in our hands, Huashan Hospital has a promising future. This is a sign of great things to come."

Qi Yue let out a soft, dry laugh, raining on his parade. "Director Li, don’t be so quick to celebrate. You seem to have forgotten something."

"Qiu Yi’s mother is a major shareholder and director at Yaoming Pharmaceutical."

As the director of a major hospital, Li Yao’s political acumen was sharp. He immediately caught Qi Yue’s unspoken implication.

"That incident... it was Qiu Yi?"

Qi Yue shook his head. "There’s no proof!"

After a moment’s pause, he added slowly, "Zhiming, that fellow, while a bit coddled and not the most astute in his dealings, is soft-hearted and kind. He truly embodies the spirit of a benevolent healer."

"But Qiu Yi..."

Qi Yue assessed in a low voice, "He’s been at the top of his class his whole life. He appears gentle and kind, but in reality, he looks down on everyone."

"He’s not likely to accept being second to anyone."

Li Yao drained his wine glass in one gulp and said in a heavy voice, "Without proof, we’ll just have to wait and see how things develop."

"If a conflict really does arise, I know full well who is more important..."