At that ti, he didn’t quite understand this sentence, but later he slowly realized that it wasn’t humility; it was the truth.
The more you do, the more you think; the more you think, the better you do.
This is the whole secret.
During those three months, he perford many surgeries with Professor Yang, discussed many cases, and drank tea many tis. Yang Ping didn’t talk much, but every word hit the point. Sotis, when he asked a question, Yang Ping would be silent for a long ti, and then say sothing that suddenly enlightened him.
After returning from China, August’s surgical style changed—more ticulous, more ingenious, and more daring in doing things others wouldn’t. He boldly adopted Yang’s Osteotomy Technique for Spinal Scoliosis Surgery, which initially caused a stir of opposition in Europe.
Two years later, he published his paper on complex spinal deformities, which created a sensation in the European spinal surgery community. Another year passed, and he was elected as the president of the European Spinal Surgery Association. And Milton, his rival for twenty years, finally lowered his head before him.
The phone rang; it was a ssage from Professor Yang in the international academic group. He clicked to see, it was Robert causing a stir again, sharing a photo of him with Jack Sullivan, captioned, "Guess what surgery I did for him?"
The group instantly beca lively.
This Robert, always so high-profile, yet he had to admit, Robert was right. No matter who they were, they couldn’t have got to where they were without Professor Yang.
He thought for a mont and sent a ssage: "Milton officially acknowledged to three days ago that he’s not as good as ."
There was a few seconds of silence in the group, and then it exploded.
Robert was the first to reply: "Really? That British guy? Hasn’t he been arguing with you for twenty years?"
Woodhead sent a row of exclamation marks: "August, you finally waited for this day!"
Takahashi sent a clapping emoji: "Congratulations."
August looked at those ssages, thought for a mont, and replied: "He said he saw my paper and surgery video, and he couldn’t do it; he couldn’t catch up with anymore."
After sending this ssage, he suddenly felt a bit sentintal.
Twenty years of debate, twenty years of competition, ended with this simple statent. No boasting from the winner, no regret from the loser, just a candid acknowledgnt from an old rival.
Robert sent another ssage: "Whom should you thank?"
August looked at that line, silent for a while.
Then he replied: "Thanks to our teacher."
He didn’t say much, but he knew everyone in the group understood.
After a few minutes, Professor Yang’s ssage appeared in the group. Very simple, just two words:
"Keep going!"
"Dinner’s ready," Anna knocked on the door, "I’ve made the pig knuckles you like today."
He stood up and walked out of the study. The al was already laid out on the dining table, along with a glass of chilled beer.
During dinner, Anna suddenly asked, "What were you laughing about in the study just now? So loudly?"
He was stunned for a mont: "Was I?"
Anna said: "Yes, you seed really happy."
He thought for a mont and said: "I just rembered so things."
Anna didn’t ask further; she just looked at him with a gentle understanding in her eyes.
After dinner, he returned to the study and read for a while. Outside the window, the sky gradually darkened, and the lights along the Rhine River began to illuminate.
He suddenly thought of a question; what’s Milton thinking now?
That British man, sowhere in London today, might he be recalling each issue they debated and every position they competed for over the years?
He knew that from now on, his relationship with Milton wouldn’t be the sa as before. No longer rivals, no longer enemies. They were friends; in fact, they were always friends—friends who quarreled whenever they t.
The door was knocked again; it was his younger son, Max.
"Dad, can you help with this problem?"
He nodded and took the workbook his son handed over—a math problem about function graphs.
He looked at it for a while and suddenly thought of a question; if life were a function curve, what would his graph look like?
Rising steadily in youth, hitting a bottleneck in middle age, then three years ago, the curve jumped upward again.
He picked up a pen, drew a diagram for his son on scratch paper, and explained step by step. Max understood and happily said thank you.
He patted his son’s head and said, "No need to thank ; ask anyti when you don’t understand sothing."
After his son left, he sat alone in the study, looking at the night outside the window.
The phone rang again; it was a private ssage from Milton.
"About what happened a few days ago, I don’t want many people to know, but every word I said was sincere."
He looked at that line, silent for a while.
Then he replied, "I know, thank you."
After sending, he placed the phone aside, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes.
A sense of indescribable tranquility arose in his heart.
He recalled Yang Ping’s words: "There is no end to dicine; all you can do is keep moving forward."
But he also knew that he could go further because soone was leading him ahead.
The next day, August went to work at the hospital as usual.
During the morning eting, a young doctor asked him a question about choosing the surgical approach for spinal scoliosis. He thought for a mont, clarified the advantages and disadvantages of several approaches, and then said, "This patient’s situation is special and can’t use conventional thods; I suggest using Yang’s Osteotomy Technique."
The young doctor asked, "Yang’s Osteotomy Technique?"
August nodded: "Yes, starting today, I will systemically teach you Yang’s Osteotomy Technique for treating severe spinal scoliosis."
The young doctor nodded, jotting down notes in his notebook.
He looked at the young man and suddenly rembered himself many years ago. Back then, he was like that, chasing after his teacher with questions, desperately trying to cram all the knowledge into his brain.
Other doctors imdiately beca excited because Yang’s Osteotomy Technique is particularly suited for very severe spinal scoliosis, yet due to the high threshold of scoliosis surgery, August had not taught them until now. The sudden announcent made everyone very happy.
"Markus, you’ve been my assistant for several years, now I’m letting you begin as chief surgeon, while the others will accumulate clinical experience," August announced.
"Thank you, sir, I will definitely work hard," Markus had finally waited for this day.
"Everyone should continue working hard to learn Chinese because many of Professor Yang’s papers are published in Chinese. To access the most advanced spinal surgery knowledge, you must learn Chinese in order to read the original papers," August emphasized.
Everyone confidently nodded: "I’ve been learning."
Yes, they’ve always been learning Chinese because each of them hopes to understand the dical Journal, which contains the most advanced dical knowledge in the world today.
At noon, August received a phone call. It was the secretary of the European Spinal Surgery Society, saying there was an invitation to give a keynote report at an international academic conference, scheduled for next spring.
He asked, "Where?"
The secretary said: "China, Nandu."
"Alright, I’ll go." He didn’t hesitate.
Nandu Provincial City, the city where he stayed for three months, the city that changed his life.
He’s going back.
This ti, he’s not going to learn, but to report. But he knows, no matter what he reports, no matter how well he speaks, in that city, before that person, he will always be a student.
He rembered Robert frequently saying in the group: "I am Professor Yang Ping’s first North Arican student."
August now positioned himself: Professor Yang Ping’s first European student.
He himself will also teach the things learned from Yang Ping to these young students, bit by bit.
Just like Yang Ping did for them.
This is a legacy.
He picked up his phone and sent Yang Ping a ssage: "Professor, see you next year in Guangzhou."
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