Surgery Godfather

Chapter 2147: Chapter 1796: Flattering (Part 3)

He looked at Yang Ping.

Yang Ping nodded: "This discovery is important. When responding to the reviewers, include it. Honestly state the problem, honestly analyze the reasons, honestly propose improvements. Honesty is the foremost quality in science."

On the sixth day, Yang Ping completed the theoretical framework. He didn’t send it to Manstein; instead, he printed it out and walked to the laboratory on the west side of the institute, placing it on Manstein’s desk.

Manstein picked it up, read the first paragraph, then looked up at Yang Ping. After reading the second paragraph, he put the paper down, took off his glasses, and rubbed his eyes.

"Professor, did you study literature before?"

"I studied medicine."

"You shouldn’t have studied medicine; you should have studied literature. This theoretical framework of yours is ten times more beautiful than anything I’ve written."

"Have you learned to flatter?" Yang Ping said, "I need you to tell me if there’s anything wrong."

Manstein put his glasses back on and read it again from beginning to end. After finishing, he put the paper back on the desk and looked at Yang Ping.

"Nothing is wrong; every word is correct. Not only correct; I don’t know how to describe it... it’s that feeling of ’it should be this way.’ It feels like the theory itself is speaking, not you writing."

Yang Ping leaned back in his chair: "Enough with the flattery!" fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

"I’m just speaking the truth, don’t even know what flattery is," Manstein shrugged.

On the seventh day, the response letter was completed.

Forty-seven pages, longer than the paper itself. Addressing each of the reviewers’ questions line by line, with supplementary experimental data, new analysis results, and revised charts. The tone was neither servile nor overbearing; admitting where appropriate, arguing where necessary, supplementing where needed.

On the last page of the response letter, Manstein added a sentence:

"We thank the reviewers for their thoughtful and constructive comments, which significantly enhanced the quality of this paper. Notably, the request to clarify the connection between the three-dimensional guidance gene theory and the experimental results prompted us for a deeper, more rigorous elaboration of the theoretical framework. We believe the revised paper now more clearly and powerfully demonstrates how guided axon regeneration is achieved in the primate spinal cord."

Reading this paragraph, the corners of Yang Ping’s mouth slightly lifted. This section was written by Manstein himself and hadn’t been shown to Yang Ping. He was saying "thank you reviewers," but in truth, he was saying "you were right, we improved, and now it’s better." It’s an old-fashioned, European style of politeness, with confidence beneath the courtesy.

Yang Ping said: "It’s ready, submit it!"

Manstein held the mouse, the cursor hovering over the "Submit" button, but he didn’t click.

"Professor, you said Nature Medicine has already accepted it, and it will be published soon. Medical is still undergoing major revisions. Could it be that the derivative paper gets published first, with the main paper coming later?"

"It could!"

"Wouldn’t people find it strange? Why would more significant results be published in a journal with less impact?"

Yang Ping looked at him.

"What do you think?"

Manstein said: "It doesn’t matter; what’s important is that the right journal publishes the right paper. Impact factor and such, time will provide the answer."

He clicked "Submit."

A green check mark appeared on the screen, with the words below: "Your revision has been submitted successfully."

Manstein leaned back in his chair as well, letting out a long breath.

"Professor, you know, this is the craziest academic decision I’ve ever made."

"Submitting the main paper to Medical?"

"No!" Manstein said, "It’s not asking you to revise the theoretical framework before submission; your first version was already the final version."

Yang Ping laughed, not a polite laugh, but genuinely amused.

"You’ve really learned to flatter, but that’s not a good thing, is it?"

"I still don’t know what flattery is."

The two exchanged a glance and both laughed.