Surgery Godfather-Chapter 1987 - 1348: Professor Su’s Pride

Nandu Medical University, President’s Office.

Su Qingyun had been sitting at his desk for twenty minutes, with the summary of Yang Ping’s nomination materials spread out in front of him.

This was not his usual practice. As a university president and an academician of the China Academy of Engineering, his schedule was precise to the quarter hour, never delaying paperwork, never late for meetings. But at this moment, he made an exception.

Looking at these materials, he recalled the first meeting with Yang Ping. A few years ago, he had taken Su Nanchen to Sanbo Hospital for a consultation.

Su Qingyun remembered clearly. That young man was sitting in the most inconspicuous corner of the meeting table, wearing a slightly old dark blue shirt under his white gown, his sleeves rolled up neatly. His speech caught Su Qingyun’s attention.

He didn’t expect that this young man would later become his son-in-law.

Fate is sometimes really hard to explain. His daughter Xiao Su had always been quiet and assertive since childhood. Su Qingyun and his wife were most worried about Xiao Su’s marriage, having introduced several outstanding young men to her, but Xiao Su didn’t fancy any of them.

In the end? Her standards were indeed high.

Su Qingyun drew back his thoughts and looked down at the two documents side by side on the table.

On the left was the ’Preliminary Summary of Materials for Recommending Comrade Yang Ping for Nomination as an Academician of the China Academy of Engineering,’ and on the right was the ’Preliminary Summary of Materials for Recommending Comrade Yang for Nomination as an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.’ The covers of the two documents, one white and one blue.

Nominations for academicians in both academies started simultaneously.

This was not his decision, nor even the university’s decision. It was an instruction from a higher level.

Last Friday, when he received that phone call, he was presiding over a school affairs meeting. The secretary handed him a note, he glanced at it, and got up to move to the small reception room next door.

The voice on the other end was old yet familiar.

"Qingyun, what’s going on with Yang Ping’s nomination for academician at your school? Why hasn’t there been any movement?"

It was Elder Chen. Su Qingyun immediately stood up straight, speaking with utmost respect. Elder Chen actually called him personally to inquire about this matter.

"Elder Chen, we are in the process of preparing..." Su Qingyun weighed his words.

"Preparing? Just starting to prepare now? Qingyun, let me tell you, speed it up..." Elder Chen’s voice softened a little.

"Elder Chen, I understand."

"As long as you understand. You’re his president; it’s proper for you to handle this." Elder Chen paused, with a hint of amusement in his voice, "Besides, a father-in-law and son-in-law both being academicians, that’s a remarkable story in the academic world. Qingyun, I’m happy for you, and for your father. The Su Family has produced talents across generations."

At this moment, there was a gentle knock on the door.

"Please come in."

The door opened a crack, and the secretary peered halfway inside: "President Su, everyone has arrived. The meeting starts in five minutes."

"Alright, I’ll be right there." Su Qingyun stood up, adjusted his suit collar, and took a pair of glasses from the drawer.

The meeting room was at the end of the corridor, and when he pushed open the door, both sides of the long table were already filled with people.

Vice President Zhou, in charge of scientific research, the Director of the Human Resources Office, the Director of the Department of Science and Education, the Secretary-General of the School Academic Committee, the Dean of the Clinical Medical College, the Dean of the Basic Medical College, the administrative representative of Sanbo Research Institute, and two guests who had specially come from Beijing—Director Liu of the Academician Work Office and Consulting Academician Sun.

As he entered, everyone stood up one after another.

"President Su."

"President."

Su Qingyun shook hands with Director Liu and Academician Sun and nodded to several colleagues before taking his seat at the head of the table.

He didn’t start speaking immediately but instead removed his glasses, slowly wiping the lenses with a glasses cloth. At this moment, he felt uneasy—not due to nervousness, but because of an overwhelming emotion that needed soothing through this simple action.

"I’ve read the initial draft of Professor Yang Ping’s academician application materials." He began, his voice steady. "Overall, it’s very solid, with nothing needing major changes."

He paused, looking at the Dean of the Clinical Medical College: "In the clinical case section, don’t just list the successes. Include the challenges encountered during the treatment of the Heidelberg case, as a core case under the subheading ’Risk Management and Dynamic Optimization of Complex System Interventions.’ Complete data, including initial misjudgments, is required."

The Dean of the Medical College raised his head, his gaze carrying a trace of surprise. Typically, academician application materials emphasize glorious achievements, rarely mentioning setbacks. But he quickly understood, nodding: "President, this approach is excellent. It reflects a mature, honest research culture, aligning with the trend of international cutting-edge academic evaluation."

Director Liu put down his teacup and spoke slowly: "President Su, this detail is well-handled. A true scientist isn’t always right but always faces reality."

With extensive experience in the Academician Work Office, having participated in over twenty selection processes, he was well-versed in the review styles of various departments. At this moment, he tapped his finger lightly on the desktop:

"Let me add a few points. Professor Yang Ping’s situation is unprecedented in the history of the two academies, never has there been such a young candidate. Youth is not a problem; it’s an advantage, but we must make the material impeccable."

He looked around at everyone present: "First, the international evaluation must be thoroughly addressed. The Nobel Prize is, of course, the firmest backing, but just having a Nobel Prize is not enough. We should organize the international academic community’s tracking research, validation studies, and applied research on the three-dimensional guidance gene theory and system regulation theory. It’s not about listing citation counts; we need solid evidence of which top laboratories have followed up for verification, which international guidelines have been adopted, and which multinational collaborations have been implemented. This section must be as comprehensive as a Ph.D. dissertation literature review."