Chapter 126: The American Cancer Conference (2)

There were four medals that the Swedish monarch gave: the Seraphim medal, the medal of the Sword, the Polar Star medal, and the Vasa medal. The monarch began awarding medals to several important figures from the mid-eighteenth century. The Order of the Vasa was the lowest, and the Royal Order of the Seraphim was the highest. The Royal Order of the Seraphim was only awarded to foreign heads of state or to the Swedish Royal family, so it was very unusual for a foreign individual who had nothing to do with state affairs.

...

Young-Joon froze as he had not expected this at all.

I am only announcing this since today is for presenting the Nobel Prize. We will make a separate arrangement to award Doctor Ryu Young-Joon the Royal Order of the Seraphim, said Hubertus.

* * *

A few days later, Young-Joon received the Royal Order of the Seraphim at the royal palace. It was two days before his flight out.

The medal was a beautiful and carefully crafted object that lived up to its reputation. The chains on the medal were made of gold, and it was composed of eleven blue Eastern Orthodox crosses and eleven seraphim. The badge of the medal was a cross plated with enamel. Four seraphim and IHS were attached to the cross, and a crown was at the top.

Hubertus wrapped a sash around Young-Joons right shoulder and hung the chain on his neck.

The knights of the Royal Order of the Seraphim were given the duty of overseeing large Swedish hospitals, including the Seraphim Hospital in Stockholm in the eighteenth century, she said. Now, it's done by doctors, of course. However, looking back on that tradition, you can say that it means a lot in medicine. It is an honor to present such a medal to Doctor Ryu.

The photos of the ceremony were soon published in the news as breaking news. It was obvious for everyone to wonder how Young-Joon received such a major medal. And naturally, news about how Forsbergs lung cancer occurred and how it was treated was published as well.

There were more voices from the academic community that asked for objective data on the dendritic cell-bypassed immunotherapy. Samuel, the chief editor of

Science

, quietly revealed Young-Joons paper in advance when it was still in peer review.

By first reporting the most powerful treatments that have the potential to cure extreme cases of cancer, we attempt to improve the possibility of treatment for end-stage cancer patients who may lose their chance

However, everyone could tell that Samuel was making excuses; he was just striking while the iron was still hot, since everything would have died down when the paper was released after the normal process.

Media around the world, including CNN and Fox News, were releasing news articles with Forsbergs name embedded in the title.

[The Cancer Conqueror: Doctor Ryu]

That was the headline for CNN. They wrote big, provocative titles like this and put Young-Joons photo on the front cover.

Damn

Young-Joon felt a lot of pressure as he watched the news at a hole in Solna, Sweden, late at night.

Im not even close to conquering cancer.

However, a scientists perspective and the expectations of the public were different. Lung cancer and pancreatic cancer were both very difficult to treat, but Young-Joon had managed to cure end-stage lung cancer in a ninety year old patient when hyperprogression had occurred. From the perspective of regular people, it looked like no one would die from cancer in just a few months.

Wow, this is crazy.

Hes on another level.

Honestly, isnt Sweden getting on the Ryu Young-Joon gravy train? Giving him citizenship and stuff.

He went to Sweden for a conference, borrowed their lab at their university, and then made a new technology there? In two weeks? Wow, is he human?

???: Dont people just easily write papers for

Science

during vacation? One every week?

The Seraphim medal was awarded to President Lim Yeon-Hoo once as well.

Dont call him a genius anymore. Maybe super-genius or ultra-genius?[1]

If you look at the Swedish Kings speech, it seems like its a given that hell get the Nobel Prize in the future.

Nothing is probably finalized now since its a year later. But theres probably a high possibility if Ryu Young-Joon did that much.

If he conquers cancer, theyre going to have to make a Nobel Prize by hand and give it to him.

...

Young-Joon turned off his phone and put it on the table.

The airport is probably going to be full of reporters, right?

Rosaline asked.

I would think so, Young-Joon replied dryly as he got ready to go to bed.

Are you nervous?

The most nervous Ive been in my life is when I used the chimeric immunotherapy and Cellicure on Lee Yoon-Ah without you. Back then, I seriously felt like I was going to vomit every time I ate for weeks, but after that, I dont feel very nervous no matter what I do.

Then, its alright.

But I am a little worried. I wonder what it will be like this time since Korea always makes such a huge deal when something good happens that its pressuring.

Rosaline popped out of Young-Joons body. With her red hair flowing in the air like waves, Rosaline walked up to the hotel room window. Then, she quickly turned to look at Young-Joon.

Can I go out for a bit?

This late?

Morning and night mean little to me.

I guess. Do what you want.

Thank you. I want to take in more of this city before we go back.

Rosaline jumped off the window.

* * *

On the afternoon of the next day, Young-Joon, who arrived at Incheon Airport, faced a huge number of reporters as expected. He answered as politely as possible as questions poured in with the flood of camera flashes, but it seemed like it wasnt going to stop soon.

I think were going to have to go now, Young-Joon said to the reporters.

Lets go.

The K-Cops security team opened the way for him. Young-Joon quietly followed Kim Chul-Kwons muscular back and escaped the swarm of reporters.

He climbed onto the back of the car and massaged his eyes, which were full of exhaustion.

I would rather develop new technology and write papers. I dont know what to say in interviews, and my eyes hurt from the camera flashes.

Should I drive to your house? Kim Chul-Kwon asked.

It was already Friday afternoon. Even if he went to the company right now, it would be the end of day when he arrived.

I dont have to go right now since Ill only be pressuring everyone.

Young-Joon nodded.

Please drive to my house.

He spent nearly a month in Sweden as he attended the conference, conducted experiments, and reviewed the Nobel Prize nominees. His house, which he hadnt been to in a long time, was the same as before, but it somehow became unfamiliar in just a month.

Hey!

Ryu Ji-Won, who was on her computer in her room, popped out into the living room.

Yeah, Im back, Young-Joon said as he threw his bag on the living room couch.

Show me the medal.

Is that the first thing youre going to say to me?

Is it real gold?

I dont know. Bite it and see for yourself.

Young-Joon took out the medal case from his bag and gave it to her.

Ji-Won, wheres Mom and Dad? he asked.

Theyre on a trip.

A trip?

They went to Jeju Island.

Ryu Ji-Won put the medal around her neck and played around, looking in the mirror and taking selfies.

Oh, right, she said all of a sudden. She ran to sit beside Young-Joon and opened her phone.

Do you know about this?

I dont, but do I have to know? Young-Joon replied while laying down on the couch like he didnt care.

Look at this. The Blue House is thinking of awarding you with a medal.

Kek!

Young-Joon coughed.

What are you talking about? Agh, that makes me exhausted already.

The idea is being criticized by the public already. Theyre saying that its just a free gift that they give to public officials when they retire. They shouldnt be proud when they are giving you something that is given out as an annual event to high-ranking officials, how they are so slow in giving you a medal when you have done so much that they are imitating Sweden, just dont do anything since its so embarrassing

Young-Joon covered his forehead with his hand like he was getting a headache.

Theyre not going to make me come to the Blue House to get that, right?

Why, are you too lazy?

To be honest, I was too lazy to get the Seraphim medal, too. I had to stay there two more days because of that.

Well, I guess you wouldnt care about a medal since youre a workaholic who doesnt date anyone or meet his friends.

... Its not like youre dating anyone. Its been a while since you went to university, but youve still never dated anyone.

Me? Ha, man. Young-Joon scoffed like she was baffled. Youre belittling me, huh? Hey, Im Jungyoon Universitys scandal maker. Of course, Im single now, but

...

Youre getting to an age where you should be thinking of settling down, but Im worried that you will miss all the good opportunities because of your work.

Aw, worrying about your brother and all; how much youve grown. I raised you well.

A lot of my sunbaes are fans of you. Do you want me to set you up?

If they are your sunbaes, theyre in their mid-twenties at most. Werent they freshmans when I was a TA?

There are some people who are older than you because of the extreme lack of jobs. They are the fossils among the fossils[2]. Since minors who graduated high school early are a crime, they are off limits. We have various age groups prepared for you, from the age of twenty to early thirties. Do you have any preferences, sir?

My preference is a thousand microliter pipette.

What is that?

A lab tool.

Man, you are no fun Oh.

Ryu Ji-Wons eyes widened like she thought of something.

Or Do you have someone you are dating right now? That person? Um, what was it Doctor Song Ji-Hyun?

No.

Young-Joon denied it, but Ryu Ji-Won squinted and smiled creepily.

Anyways, are you going to take it if the Blue House gives it to you?

I dont care, but how are they going to look if I decline? I have to take it anyway. But Im going to America soon.

America?

In two weeks. I have to attend the American Cancer Conference. Im going to Pennsylvania.

Wow.

Ryu Ji-Wons eyes shone in admiration.

You keep going to conferences.

I got an invitation email yesterday.

* * *

The American Cancer Conference was a conference that was held annually by the American Association for Cancer Research, the AACR. It was the largest conference in cancer research, and there was particularly more important content this year.

First of all, the A-Bio Cancer Lab was finished. The U.S. government also rushed the process a little and finished it a week earlier. Of course, Young-Joon was the reason. The U.S. government had decided that it would be better to report on the launch of a cancer lab at the cancer conference if possible and use Young-Joon to announce what kind of research would be conducted there in the future.

Second, a grand debate was going to be held on the life or death of the immune checkpoint inhibitor, which was the best hope for cancer treatment. This drug seemed dangerous in patients who had EGFR mutations. Then, how would it behave with other gene mutations? Should this drug be discarded now? Or could it be used in the future if it was controlled strictly?

Jamie Anderson, who was utterly humiliated in Sweden, was probably going to prepare the big guns. The Cold Spring Laboratory was going to mobilize all the data possible to protect the immune checkpoint inhibitors. This was an important point of focus.

And the third, most important reason was that Young-Joon was coming. He was the person who invented the first treatmenta treatment with incredible efficacyfor pancreatic cancer, one of the worst diseases of mankind. He was the one who worked with Song Ji-Hyun to develop Cellicure, the liver cancer cure of the century, and cured end-stage liver cancer that had metastasized to the bones. He was also the one who used dendritic cell-bypass immunity promotion to cure hyperprogressing end-stage lung cancer in an eighty-eight year old elderly patient.

The title of Cancer Conqueror that CNN gave Young-Joon seemed a bit much, but it wasnt wrong as he was actually conquering cancer.

There were much more registrations for lectures than usual.

1. The original joke is Dont call him

cheonjae

anymore. Maybe

manjae

or

ukjae

?

Cheonjae

is Korean for genius, but

cheon

also means one thousand.

Man

and

uk

are ten thousand and one hundred thousand respectively. The author is making a joke that he is ten times, a hundred times, smarter than genius.

2. people who have stayed in school longer than they should have are called fossils