Surgery Godfather

Chapter 2207: Chapter 1443: The Gap Between Monkey and Man (Part 2)

Weber nodded.

"I’ve been pondering a question: Professor Yang has won the Nobel Prize twice, and published so many significant papers. Such achievements would be a lifetime’s pride for anyone, yet he seems completely unfazed. It’s hard for me to comprehend—what does he want?"

Weber put his glasses back on, looking at M7, who was lying inside the cage, kicking the red soccer ball with its hind legs, intently, over and over.

"Perhaps it’s a different realm of understanding. Those things you mentioned might appear ordinary in his eyes, just like the objects monkeys adore hold no allure for humans." Fritz thought for a moment and replied seriously.

Weber’s eyebrows immediately furrowed: "Fritz, are you implying that I’m the monkey and Professor Yang is the human?"

Fritz immediately realized that his words inadvertently seemed to insult Professor Weber and quickly corrected himself: "No, Professor Weber, you’ve misunderstood; that wasn’t my intention, I was merely using a metaphor."

Weber waved his hand: "Fritz, you don’t need to explain..."

"No, Professor Weber!..."

"No, Fritz..."

After several rounds of such exchange, silence fell between them, giving Weber the chance to finish his thoughts: "Fritz, don’t worry. I find your analogy quite apt. I’ve been puzzled by this for a while, but through your analogy, I’ve come to a complete understanding. Thank you, Fritz."

After Weber finished speaking, he walked away satisfied, though beneath his satisfaction lay a hint of melancholy.

He wasn’t angry? Fritz was perplexed. He clearly had unintentionally insulted him, but why wasn’t he angry.

Weber stayed in Nandu for five days.

During these five days, he went to the institute every day, discussing project details with Yang Ping, watching M7’s training footage, and reviewing Chen Jianguo’s gait data. He noticed Yang Ping’s daily work rhythm was quite routine: arriving at the office at eight in the morning, processing emails and documents, analyzing data in the morning, attending group meetings or writing papers in the afternoon... and then, finishing work.

One time, Weber couldn’t resist asking Tang Shun: "Does he do this every day?"

Tang Shun nodded: "Every day."

Weber shook his head: "When I was in Heidelberg, I never canceled meetings just to finish work. I always considered work as paramount."

"And now?" Tang Shun asked.

Weber pondered for a moment.

"Now I think maybe he’s right. Those cancelled meetings, whether they took place or not, don’t really make much difference. But the fact that he doesn’t overtime every day, I’ve been thinking about it for a long time."

"Director Tang," Weber said, "I’ve changed my mind."

"Changed about what?"

"I won’t be doing phase two in Heidelberg; I’ll do it in Nandu, for three years, all in Nandu."

Tang Shun turned around, looking at Weber in amazement.

"Are you serious?"

"Serious, I’ll hand over my Heidelberg laboratory to Hanna, focus my main efforts here, with you all for three years."

Tang Shun looked at Weber, silent for a long time.

"Professor Weber, have you thought it through?"

"I’ve thought it through; I’m almost eighty, don’t have much time to waste anymore. If these three years are my last, I hope to spend them here, with Professor Yang Ping."

Tang Shun’s eyes reddened a bit. He extended his hand, and Weber grasped it.

"Professor Weber, welcome to join us—a long-term, non-exiting kind of involvement."

Weber smiled.

"A non-exiting kind, I promise."

On the fifth day of Weber’s stay in Nandu, he made a phone call to Alina.

When the call connected, Alina was in their Heidelberg home, tidying up the garden. She answered the phone while pulling out weeds, slightly out of breath.

"Carl, how long are you going to stay there?"

"Alina, I want to discuss something with you."

Alina paused her work.

"What is it?"

"I want to stay in Nandu for three years, finish the phase two project, and then return."

There was silence on the other end of the line.

"Alina, are you listening?"

"I am listening," Alina’s voice was calm, "Are you certain?"

"Certain."

"Then I’ll come too. Is there a garden in Nandu? I want to plant flowers."

Weber was silent for a few seconds, then smiled.

"There should be."

"That’s enough; I’ll come next week. You help me buy a hoe and flower seeds—anything will do, as long as they bloom."

Weber hung up the phone, stood by the window, looking at the roses in the yard. Those flowers had been blooming for a full spring—red, pink, yellow, and white, squeezed together like a chirping crowd of children.

He softly spoke a word in German.

"Danke."

Thank you, unsure of whom to thank. Perhaps Yang Ping, perhaps M7, perhaps the woman still packing her suitcase in Heidelberg.

But after the gratitude, he felt his heart was full.

Alina arrived in Nandu on the first weekend of May.

Weber went to the airport to meet her. She emerged, pushing two large suitcases—one filled with clothes, the other with flower seeds. Weber took the suitcases, looked at her, and said, "You’ve slimmed down."

"No," Alina said, "it’s your eyesight that’s failing."

The two of them got into a taxi, heading from the airport to downtown. Alina looked out the window at Nandu; the plane trees lining the streets had grown thick with leaves, and sunlight filtered through, casting moving spots of light on the car window.

"Carl, this city isn’t as beautiful as Heidelberg."

"No."

"But it’s livelier than Heidelberg."

"Much livelier."

Alina was silent for a while, then said something that left Weber stunned.

"Liveliness is good; liveliness indicates life happening."

Weber turned to look at his wife; her white hair had grown more since their last meeting, glowing silver in the sunlight. The wrinkles around her eyes were deeper, but her eyes were still bright, as bright as the first time they met.

"Alina, do you regret?"

"Regret what?"

"Coming with me to China, leaving Heidelberg, leaving our house, leaving your garden, leaving your friends."

Alina extended her hand, holding Weber’s hand.

"Carl, when you left Heidelberg, I wasn’t in your suitcase. But now you’re here, I’m not in your suitcase either. You’re here, I’m here too—this is our home."

Weber’s eyes reddened; he didn’t speak, only held his wife’s hand a little tighter.

Weber rented a villa in the suburbs, with a garden at the back.

Alina stood in the middle of the garden’s open space, looking around, then took out a piece of paper from her pocket, which showed her pre-designed garden layout.

"Plant roses here," she pointed to the side by the wall, "lavender here, rosemary here, plant a climbing rose at the corner by the wall, let it climb up the wall."

Weber busily cleared away the weeds, crouched on the ground, pulling them out with dedication, like conducting a meticulous experiment.

"I plan to spend the rest of my life in this city, with Professor Yang. Fortunately, he doesn’t mind my age."

Alina watched Weber clearing the weeds: "Carl, can you tell me why you made this decision? Of course, regardless of the reason, I will support you and stay by your side."

Weber straightened up, brushing the soil from his hands: "Promise you won’t laugh when I say it."

Alina didn’t understand the meaning behind her husband’s words but nodded anyway, "I promise not to laugh."

"Alina, I don’t want to be a monkey, I want to be a human."

Alina was very surprised upon hearing this; she couldn’t understand what her husband was saying.

"Alina, what I mean is, after years of research, I’ve suddenly realized that when it comes to scientific research, the gap between myself and Professor Yang is like that between a monkey and a human. I want to experience another realm in my remaining years, a realm that I personally cannot reach." Weber explained earnestly.

Alina slowly nodded: "I understand, Carl, you’ll do it without regret; you’re capable of that."

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