A bold idea suddenly occurred to Liu Beiming.

Could it be? Is Xu Lai the director of some medical association? No, that can't be right. My teacher has met all sorts of people; he's even met quite a few national leaders. Besides, getting this group of proud old-timers to bow their heads to a young man all at once… that's even more impossible.

Liu Beiming was baffled.

He said cautiously, "Teacher, Seniors, Xu Lai is just a school doctor. I should be the one serving you tea first."

Li Shouzhong interrupted Liu Beiming, sighing with regret, "Sigh, he's a lost cause."

Yan Gui frowned. "Lin Qiu, when you have a moment, check this student of mine's head and see if he's got a screw loose."

"..." Liu Beiming.

Lin Qiu snorted. "Give me the on-call night doctor position in the school clinic, and I won't just examine your student; I'll check you out, too."

"Give the position to you? Then I'd be the one with a screw loose!" Yan Gui retorted.

Liu Beiming was dumbstruck.

Yan Gui was a professor at a major 211 Project university in the west and a board member of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Association. He held a vital position, so why would he be willing to serve as a mere night-shift doctor? And in a school clinic, of all places!

"Teacher, with your status and medical expertise, you should have much better prospects!" Liu Beiming urged, becoming anxious.

Lin Qiu nodded emphatically. "Exactly! I think your student is right. Yan Gui, you should hurry up and step down."

"You old woman, for someone so ugly, you sure have beautiful dreams," Yan Gui huffed.

And with that, the two elders started bickering.

"Enough!" Li Shouzhong shouted. "Don't forget why we came to see Director Xu today."

The doctors all held their breath, their eyes gradually growing fervent.

Following Xu Lai's medical theories, they had already achieved a monumental breakthrough in brain research. Their findings could awaken comatose patients in a matter of days, requiring only a belief in science, not a miracle. And this was merely the most superficial part of their work. Every single remaining aspect of the research was enough to shock the world; the Nobel Prize in Medicine was practically in the bag.

However, they needed Xu Lai's consent to publish their findings, since he was the one who had taught them everything.

Ruan Tang and Xu Yaoyao silently shuffled backward. Both of them had the distinct feeling that if not for the doctors' rational self-control, the group would have pounced on Xu Lai by now.

"Director Xu, we came today because there's something we'd like to discuss with you," Li Shouzhong began, finally voicing the words he had rehearsed countless times. He and the fifteen other doctors, including Yan Gui and Lin Qiu, waited nervously for a response—either an agreement or a rejection.

But Xu Lai merely glanced at him and said nothing.

Li Shouzhong and the others felt their brows twitch. This is bad! Director Xu is unhappy.

Yan Gui hastily added, "Director Xu, we have no intention of taking the credit. All the glory belongs to you. We were just hoping that, if possible, research labs and hospitals in Hua Country could be prioritized for any subsequent collaborations."

Xu Lai turned his gaze to Yan Gui, still silent. A chill went through everyone's hearts once again.

They all sighed inwardly. Although international cooperation is the current trend, for a result of this magnitude—one that could shock and change the world—to not be entirely managed by Hua Country… what an immense regret!

Thinking of the arduous history of Hua Country's medical development, and of this nearly attainable glory that now had to be largely given away, the old doctors' straight backs slumped. The eyes of a few of the traditional Chinese medical practitioners reddened, but they fought hard to hold back their tears.

Everyone had the right to choose, and that naturally included Xu Lai. They didn't understand his decision, but they chose to respect it.

「On the other side.」

Liu Beiming felt like his brain was short-circuiting. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. Xu Lai… Xu Yaoyao's best friend Ruan Tang's husband. The man who had made Ruan Tang "infamous" in the East Sea five years ago. A mere director of a school clinic. And his medical skills were so advanced… that he was on the verge of winning a Nobel Prize in Medicine? And I… just a moment ago, I actually mocked him, saying that a school doctor only knows how to hand out bandages and isn't a real doctor! Liu Beiming's face burned, as if it were being slapped repeatedly. The humiliation was unbearable.

But he was a doctor, too. He was a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine who had vowed to heal the sick and dedicate his life to Hua Country and its people! He naturally took the honor and shame of Hua Country's medical community very seriously.

He couldn't stop himself from shouting, "Xu Lai, are you even a citizen of Hua Country? Do you have a conscience? This is the best chance in a century for Hua Country's medical field to stand at the pinnacle of the world, and you just refused it!?"

Liu Beiming pointed at his teacher, Yan Gui, then at Li Shouzhong, Lin Qiu, and the others. He slammed his hand on the table and cried out in anguish, "They are all doctors! They spend their lives tackling difficult medical problems, treating patients in critical posts! They've studied for a lifetime and given a lifetime of service!

"Do you know why?

"Because their love for this land runs deep!

"But what about you?" Liu Beiming bellowed. "Do you have any conscience left? Do you even remember that you're from Hua Country?"

Xu Lai still didn't speak.

Liu Beiming sneered, "What's wrong? Did I strike a nerve?"

"Weren't you the one who told me to speak less?" Xu Lai said calmly. "You were afraid that Ruan Tang and I would offend your eccentric teacher."

Yan Gui: ???

Lin Qiu: ???

Li Shouzhong: ???

Everyone shot Liu Beiming questioning looks.

Liu Beiming was utterly stunned. He really did say that, didn't he… Under the icy gazes of his seniors, he didn't dare utter another word. His previous bravado vanished in an instant. Head bowed, he retreated silently to a corner.

"Director Xu, about what we were discussing… do you have an opinion?" Yan Gui asked cautiously.

"No opinion at all. You can do as you please." Xu Lai suddenly clapped his hands. "Oh, right!"

Yan Gui and the others straightened up, their expressions turning solemn as they prepared to hear Xu Lai's conditions.

"Whether you publish papers or announce the findings, just make sure you absolutely, under no circumstances, add my name," Xu Lai said seriously. "That is my only condition."

"..."

The sixteen doctors stared at each other in stunned silence. For a discovery this major, doctors were usually afraid their names *wouldn't* be included. Who on earth specifically requests to be left out?

"Director Xu, that's… not a very funny joke," Yan Gui said with a dry laugh.

"It's not a joke." Xu Lai shrugged. "I'm a man of simple tastes. I just want to be a lazy 'salted fish' and quietly watch my daughter grow up."

"So, take it or leave it. If you can accept this condition, fine. If not, then there's nothing more to discuss."

"We can accept! We can definitely accept!" the doctors all said in a rush.

Only Lin Qiu remained cautious. "Director Xu, you should at least take some credit. You have to consider Dongli University's reputation as well."

"That's true." Xu Lai nodded. "Alright, list Zhou Feng and Liu Nanwei as the second and third authors. You can decide on the first author and all other matters."

Who? Liu Nanwei!?

Liu Beiming froze.

"Yes, yes, of course!" The doctors were moved to tears. In the face of glory for Hua Country, did the author's name really matter? Not at all! As long as they were a patriot from Hua Country, that was enough.

"On behalf of Hua Country, on behalf of the people, and on behalf of the countless medical researchers in neuroscience, I, Lin Qiu, a doctoral advisor in neuroscience at Dong University, thank you!" With a head of white hair and tears streaming down her face, Lin Qiu suddenly bowed deeply, shouting as if pouring every last ounce of her strength into the words.

"Thank you, Xu Lai…" Lin Qiu choked out, whispering his name again, but this time, it was a personal thanks, not a formal one.

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