Surgery Godfather-Chapter 478 - 435: The Anxious President Huang

"Synthes, an AO internal fixation device manufacturer, was acquired by Johnson & Johnson.

Johnson & Johnson further consolidated the acquired Depuy, significantly strengthening its position. They became the leader in the global orthopedic device industry, followed closely by Jiemai Bonmei.

Jiemai Bonmei itself was a federation of two companies, following the merger it became the world’s second-largest orthopedic device company.

At this time, a regular meeting was underway at a Synthes research institute in Switzerland.

Johnson & Johnson’s China subsidiary submitted a document to its U.S. headquarters, which was then forwarded to the Swiss research institute.

Among all of Synthes’ global research centers, the Swiss one is technically the most superior.

The document mentioned an external fixation frame for the spine, derived from the external frame of traumatic orthopedics, Synthes’ area of greatest expertise. Thus, it made the most sense to let them evaluate it.

The headquarters hoped they could evaluate the technology recorded in the document to ascertain its value for potential investment and collaboration.

"This apparatus hasn’t even entered animal testing yet, there’s no preliminary data. Suggesting to pour a huge investment into collaboration? The proposer must be mad, wasting our time."

Chandler, the Chief Engineer of Synthes’s Swiss research institute, tapped a thick stack of data.

"Who else is interested in participating in the company?" Chandler asked.

"Aside from us, there is a small Chinese company. I can’t recall the name." The secretary answered.

"The CEO of the China branch decided to cooperate with this Doctor Yang in private, defying the company’s procedure; their Chinese company also strongly opposed. Apparently, this proposal came from a sales manager. Within the Chinese research institute, only one engineer agreed, the rest opposed." The secretary added.

"Have we fallen to the point that we have to compete for a project with an obscure small company?" Chandler was still angry.

"I’ve scrutinized this document; it looks impressive, but many critical aspects simply don’t comply with biological and physical principles. There hasn’t even been any animal testing; it’s all talk and no action," another engineer also spoke bluntly.

"Let’s vote, they’re awaiting our conclusion."

"We’re all engineers, specializing in orthopedic trauma devices for decades, and we’ve never seen such a humorous technical document. There hasn’t even been any animal testing and they talk as if they know it all, it’s just full of grandstand statements."

"Are there any other opinions? If not, we move on to the next step—the vote. The gentlemen at American headquarters are awaiting our report to deal with that Chinese CEO." Chandler smacked the conference table.

A young bald engineer, after everyone else had finished their discussion, spoke leisurely: "I disagree with everyone. This document is camouflaged. I’ll bluntly tell you all, none of you present can write such a technical document. It’s crafted in such a way that one can perceive the contours of the technology and even some details, yet you can’t take it directly to production. All the key technology has been disguised. This is a highly sophisticated technical document camouflage technique, which is often used in patent applications."

"It can explicitly protect patents from infringement, yet make it impossible for competitors to replicate the technology even if they were to acquire detailed patent information. To replicate it, they must break through numerous layers of disguises, constantly trial and error. If they’re lucky and eventually see the real truth, it would be years later and a new generation of technology would’ve been developed."

"You see, if I’m not mistaken, these one hundred-twenty drawings will soon appear in the patent document, and the real drawings are in some reassembled part of these one hundred-twenty drawings. Think about it, this is a huge amount of information. It cleverly protects the intellectual property, dismantles the technology, disrupts and reassembles it, making it impossible to replicate."

"If I may say something impolite, this young doctor’s ability to design equipment surpasses everyone here. His technical implementation ability is astounding."

The bald engineer spoke in a languid tone tinged with arrogance.

"Silo, what do you mean by ’technical implementation ability’?" someone asked.

"A typical person designing a product needs to undergo simulation experiments, animal tests, human tests, rely on test data to make improvements, repeatedly many times, before the product can mature. The impression this product gives me is that it’s matured upon launch. Either the designer possesses remarkable computer simulation technology, or his ability to bridge theory and practice in technology is impressive. He can directly see the future evolution of the technology, the problems occurring in the evolution process, and resolves issues at the theoretical level." Facing everyone’s questioning, the bald engineer, Silo, remained completely calm.

"Are you serious in reviewing this with us?" Chandler had always disliked this guy. He hadn’t been here for long and already acted as if he knew everything.

"I’m serious, very serious. My recommendation: accept the trial production of this device and acquire preferential exclusive patent licensing. In the future, in the field of spinal surgery, we can dominate for at least twenty years. Look here, the opinion of this young Chinese engineer is clearly written. His foresight exceeds most of us here. I suggest we bring this Chinese engineer into the Swiss Research and Development headquarters, or immediately promote him to be the Chief Engineer of the Chinese research institute."

Silo shrugged his shoulders. "I’ve said my piece, you may do as you please."

"Your tone is much like a Chief Engineer’s, unfortunately, you’re not," the secretary mocked.

"That’s right, I’m not. So, we’re about to fall behind our peers. Thankfully, Jiemai Bonmei, Stryker, Medtronic, even Shi Lehui don’t stir, even Medtronic isn’t moving. I can only say: a group of good-for-nothings." Silo didn’t mind the secretary’s mockery at all.

"Watch your behavior and please maintain basic manners." Chandler pounded the table.

"Weakness and ignorance are not barriers to survival, but arrogance is! This small Chinese company is called Ruixing, remember its name. It will be your biggest enemy in the future." Silo warned them.

"Ha ha---" Someone couldn’t help but laugh.

"Don’t you know that this company is being ravaged by Johnson & Johnson? We can destroy them at any time, they are infringing our patents, we can shut them down forever if we wish." The secretary looked pleased to provide Silo with the latest intel.

"Weakness and ignorance are not obstacles to survival, arrogance is! I reiterate this point, I suggest you read this book, I’ve read it three times, it’s written by a Chinese person, ’The Three-Body Problem’, do you know what dropping into a lower dimension means? You will understand in the near future, oh, not understand, but experience." Silo pulled out a book.

This guy reads novels during meetings, which infuriated Chandler even more.

"Makers of panic, I wish I could ban you from speaking, but I don’t have that power, your expressions will be recorded, you have a vote against it, but it won’t change anything, we won’t invest this much capital in an obscure technology, external fixation frame to treat scoliosis, do you know how difficult it is to implement?" Chandler maintained his composure.

"I know, just because we can’t do it, doesn’t mean others can’t, you’re stuck in a mindset!" Silo started reading again after he finished speaking.

"This is a trap, they want to use this partnership to obtain our key technology and processes, we can’t fall into the Chinese’s trap."

"The project we should be considering for our current investment is Dr. Mitsui Tasuku’s project affiliated with Tokyo University."

"To be honest, I abstain. I don’t understand it."

"Alright, let’s vote!"

"One vote in favor, one abstain, the rest against. If no one has any objections, please check your speeches, sign above them, the record of our meeting will be attached to the report, and our conclusion will be sent to our headquarters in the U.S. as the basis for their decision."

Mr. Chandler ended the meeting, not forgetting to glare at Silo, who was quietly reading his book.

---

Huang Jiacai bought a plane ticket to Chengdu, Sichuan, and then rented a car to go to Fengyi Gan’s hometown. For some reason, he had never worried about anyone else as much as he did about his own sister.

Something must have happened to Gan Fengyi, this strong woman shed tears in her office, it was not a small matter, but what exactly was it? She wasn’t answering her phone or responding to messages.

The ordinarily rational and composed Huang Jiacai felt very impulsive rushing to Gan Fengyi’s hometown like this, he might even be laughed at, but he couldn’t help it, the situation seemed to be controlling his brain now.

He rented a car from Chengdu to Pujiang County, then went down to the township and headed straight for Gan Fengyi’s village.

It was a small village. Huang Jiacai, based on the address he had gathered, urged the driver to hurry. As soon as they arrived at the entrance of the village, there was a household where a woman in her fifties was washing vegetables at the door.

Huang Jiacai asked the driver to stop, introduced himself as Gan Fengyi’s colleague, and asked about her. The old woman was wary at first, but when she heard he was asking about Gan Fengyi, she immediately smiled and invited Huang Jiacai into the house for tea.

The woman obviously respected Fengyi Gan’s family and was warm and polite when she heard that the visitor came for her: "So you’re our Feng’s colleague?"

"Yes, we are colleagues. I’m passing through Chengdu on a business trip and the company asked me to give her something. I couldn’t reach her via phone so I decided to drop by directly. Here’s my ID card so you don’t misunderstand," Huang Jiacai was afraid they would misunderstand.

The woman glanced at it but didn’t look closely: "You look like a well-mannered and talented person, not like a swindler. Ah, a few days ago, Gan’s mother fell ill and was hospitalized. It seems serious, she’s in the county hospital. When Feng heard the news, she immediately rushed back. She’s such a loyal girl."

"Do you see that school there? Feng built it with her own money. Several villagers have gone to college thanks to her funding. Every year she comes back and gives presents to every household in the village. She also gives red envelopes to the elderly. She’s so caring, never forgetting her roots."

"Feng’s father died early, more than twenty years ago during a flood in the village. Her father was the village party secretary and drowned trying to save people. He saved half of the people in the village but was exhausted himself and was washed away. Gan’s mother single-handedly raised the sister and brother. Feng has been sensible since she was a child."

The woman even teared up as she spoke.

"Why am I telling you all this?"

"Actually, auntie, I’m here on behalf of President Gan’s company to visit Gan’s mother. I’ve been anxious because I couldn’t reach President Gan," Huang Jiacai went along with the conversation.

"Oh, that’s good, you can go with me. I was just about to clean up the house and go to the county to take care of Gan’s mother."

The woman hurriedly made a phone call, seemingly to order a car.

"Auntie, don’t bother ordering a car, I’ve rented one. Shall we go together?"

"Alright, just wait for me, I need to tidy up a bit."

At this, Huang Jiacai again felt a heartache for no clear reason. Something had indeed happened to this woman.