On the following Tuesday morning, while on his way to the Affiliated Hospital, Lin Jie received a call from Maxwell.

"Dr. Lin Jie, I have posted the cranial CT scans of Guo Ruibao and Mr. Elroy on my personal website as well as on my Facebook page for interested colleagues to view."

"Additionally, I have sent the detailed medical records and physical examination data of Elroy to your email."

Lin Jie responded with a light hum, saying, "Okay, I will review them carefully."

He then asked, "Dr. Maxwell, when will Mr. Elroy be able to come here?"

Maxwell gave an affirmative answer, "A flight to China Binhai has been booked for him, departing tomorrow morning. Please arrange for his reception accordingly."

"Dr. Lin Jie, is a week's preparation time sufficient?"

Lin Jie considered his schedule over the next few days and said, "No problem."

"By the way, due to the time difference, Dr. Maxwell, should we start the surgery simultaneously or stagger the times?"

"Well..."

The other party was evidently considering this for the first time and after a moment of silence, responded, "Let's start the surgery simultaneously."

"Once we each finalize the surgical plan, we can determine a surgery time that suits us both."

After hanging up, Lin Jie inquired, "Lanruo, are you familiar with this Dr. Maxwell?"

"He seems quite polite and gentlemanly!"

In his mind, Shen Lanruo let out a slight hum and said, "Doctors like Maxwell are considered social elites in the United States and often attend high-end gatherings and receptions."

"Most of the patients he interacts with are either affluent or influential."

She sighed, "In such an environment, even the most boorish people can develop a touch of gentlemanly demeanor."

"However, whether he's a devil or angel privately, no one knows for sure."

Shen Lanruo cynically said, "In the United States, as long as there's money involved, no matter how absurd, someone will be willing to entertain the notion."

"As for Dr. Maxwell as a person, I work in a different research field and have no professional overlap with him, so I only know his name, with very little other information."

Lin Jie made an "oh" sound, then recalled something and asked, "Lanruo, I seem to remember that you once received a nomination in the field of cardiothoracic medicine for the Jefferson Medical Prize?"

Shen Lanruo replied quietly, "Yes, I was nominated once. Are you interested in this medical prize?"

Before Lin Jie could respond, she continued, "Although America talks about human rights and opposes discrimination all the time, in reality, it is one of the countries where discrimination, particularly implicit discrimination, is most severe."

"Ah Jie, in your situation, although your skills are sufficient, winning the Jefferson Medical Prize is exceptionally challenging."

"Is it because I am Chinese?" Lin Jie asked!

"That's just one of the reasons. You are too young and lack enough seniority."

"More importantly, you practice medicine in China, far away from the mainstream medical circles in Europe and America, and they rarely acknowledge your medical achievements."

"Unless..."

Intrigued, Lin Jie asked, "Unless what?"

"Unless your achievements are significant enough that they've gained consensus within the medical community."

"Under such major circumstances, the Jefferson Medical Prize, in order to maintain so-called fairness and impartiality, would award you."

Shen Lanruo chuckled softly and said, "To put it plainly, it's about reputation."

"This opportunity to compare medical skills with Maxwell is a great chance for you to make a name for yourself."

"Ah Jie, make a good impression."

"Once your medical skills are recognized and accepted at that level, your life will enter a new phase."

Lin Jie couldn't help but ask, "For example, what kind of changes?"

Shen Lanruo laughed, "I can tell you from experience."

"After being nominated for the Jefferson Medical Prize, I suddenly found that I didn't need to make reservations to eat at many restaurants."

"When flying or staying at hotels, upgrades, welcome champagne, and personal greetings from the manager became the norm."

"Additionally, I frequently received invitations to high-level receptions attended by politicians, business elites, and other prominent figures."

Lin Jie understood well, saying, "In other words, it's equivalent to gaining opportunities to interact with high society."

Shen Lanruo sighed gently, "Societal classes always exist. When your status is insufficient, it's challenging to integrate into that circle."

"The prince marrying a common girl is just a fairy tale."

"For instance, without your medical skills saving An Weize, no matter how handsome you are, An Kexin wouldn't have joined you."

Lin Jie understood that Shen Lanruo was speaking the truth.

Previously, the people he interacted with most were the neighbors and acquaintances from Huayuan Yicun, but now his interactions with most of them were limited to Zhang Xiaoxiao delivering some gifts on his behalf whenever there were various occasions.

Upon arriving at the Affiliated Hospital, Lin Jie headed directly to the orthopedics department and entered Lei Jun's office.

There, he saw Tang You and Zhai Siying, who had arrived earlier and were conversing with Lei Jun.

Seeing Lei Jun introducing a set of exoskeleton systems made from carbon fiber, Lin Jie gestured for him to continue.

The so-called exoskeleton system is essentially a support structure built with strong components and simple joints, based on biomechanics and ergonomics.

In medical applications, it can correct posture and assist patients in completing basic activities such as sitting, lying, and walking.

"This exoskeleton system originated from military research and was initially designed to help soldiers carry loads and perform high-intensity maneuvers. Now, it is widely used in medical applications for anatomical correction and physical rehabilitation."

Pointing to a half-body exoskeleton system as tall as a person, Lei Jun introduced, "We will suitably modify this system based on Tang You's physical data."

"Once wearing this exoskeleton system, Tang You's spine will be forcefully corrected, as well as the hip joint and the left knee joint. Most importantly..."

He pointed to the ankle part of the exoskeleton and said, "After using this exoskeleton system, the pressure on Tang You's ankle joint during normal walking will be less than one fifth of the normal pressure."

"In this situation, it facilitates the recovery of the ankle joint and prevents excessive pressure from causing further damage to the fragile ankle joint."

At this point, Lei Jun looked at Lin Jie and said, "Expert Lin, why don't you say something?"

Lin Jie took over the discussion and said, "During this period, I've been pondering how to perfectly repair the ankle joint, allowing Tang You to walk, run, and jump like a normal person."

"But after thinking of several repair models, I always felt they were less than perfect."

"Later, I realized I had entered a misconception."

He looked at Tang You and said, "Because of the deformity in your leg and foot, your spine, hip joint, and knee joint have experienced some deformations, along with the walking habits you've developed over time."

"Even if I performed a perfect repair on your left leg and foot, the other deformations in your body, and your walking habits, would still lead to severe damage to your left ankle joint in the future."

Under the inquisitive gaze of Zhai Siying and Tang You, Lin Jie further explained, "In such cases, correcting your spine, hip joint, and knee joint becomes necessary."

"Fortunately, we now have this exoskeleton system, which allows us to address both issues simultaneously."

"We will perform surgery to correct Tang You's left leg and foot, and perform an initial correction on your ankle joint."

"Afterward, in your recovery and daily life, you will need to wear this exoskeleton system until your spine, hip joint, and knee joint are effectively corrected and new walking habits are formed."

"By then, I will conduct a second repair surgery based on your new walking habits and the wear level inside your ankle joint."

Zhai Siying exclaimed, "So, does this mean Youyou's ankle joint needs two surgeries?"

Lin Jie confirmed, "Yes, two surgeries."

"You could say that the first one is a rough repair, and the second one is a fine tuning."

Lei Jun added, "You might not know, but Expert Lin has used ten 3D-printed ankle joint models to study Tang You's surgical plan."

"I finally understand why Expert Lin can complete highly difficult surgeries without any failures."

"It's this extreme level of preparation that has led to Expert Lin's success today."

Though feeling somewhat embarrassed to hear such praise in front of patients, Lin Jie coughed lightly and pretended not to hear, saying to Tang You, "I need to give you a solemn reminder."

"Wearing this exoskeleton system will be necessary for at least six months, and possibly more than a year."

"Correcting the physical deformations that developed over ten to twenty years is an extremely painful process, and you might find it hard to sleep day and night from the discomfort."

"Your temper might become irritable, and your appetite could be greatly affected."

"In short, you will be forcibly removed from your comfort zone; this requires immense endurance and self-control."

"If you give up halfway, all previous efforts could be in vain."

Tang You nodded gently, saying earnestly, "Dr. Lin, I won't give up, absolutely not."

Seeing her determination, with no objections from Zhai Siying, Lin Jie decided, "Then, the surgery is scheduled for this Friday. You should come to the hospital early on Thursday to go through hospitalization procedures."

He reminded again, "Tang You, in the next two days, eat and drink what you want, play if you want."

"Because after the surgery, your painstaking ordeal will begin..."

After Zhai Siying and Tang You left, Lei Jun asked puzzledly, "Expert Lin, why not postpone the surgery a bit longer?"

"You need more time to prepare for the surgery where you will compete with Dr. Maxwell!"

Lin Jie confidently replied, "There's no need for excessive preparation; it's enough to handle that surgery in a usual state..."

Leaving the hospital building, Lin Jie got into the Phaeton and told the driver, Guan Muhua, "To the Binhai Armed Police General Hospital..."

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