On the 19th of October 2011, at the cancer conference held in Macau, famed academician Wang Zhenyi said, “Life comes first, we must look to new ideas to challenge cancer. In Fuda Cancer Hospital, I saw many considered ‘incurable’ cancer patients survive, because they insist on the supremacy of life and innovation.”(Figure 49)

One morning in early February 2012, I came to Shanghai Ruijin Hospital. That day the temperature dropped to -1 ºC in Shanghai, I went directly towards the twelfth building, the research building of the largest hospital in Shanghai, which hosts dozens of research organizations. I suddenly felt warm as in spring. I climbed up to the seventh floor, arrived in front of a door on my right, pressed the bell, no one answered, I knocked on the door and still no one answered. 

A few days ago, I called academician Wang Zhenyi in Guangzhou about his latest condition. He told me that the Minister Chen Zhu and he were honored with a big prize in the US, so I made an appointment to visit him in Shanghai to extend my New Year's greetings to him. I felt puzzled as Mr. Wang never failed to keep his appointments! 

I found his secretary who told me that, “Dr. Wang has never broken his appointments. Today is Thursday, he is making the ward rounds. Certainly you made a mistake”. She looked at me carefully for a while, then grudgingly called Mr. Wang and then handed the phone to me. Mr. Wang said with a smile on the phone, “My big expert, your memory is not as good as mine! Yes we made it on Friday…”

The secretary opened the office. Actually I was happy because I could quietly observe the master’s office. The office was not big and you could see all kinds of books and magazines. The computer was on. Four hundred years ago, an apple fell onto Newton’s head, ‘gravity’ was discovered. Mr. Wang applied ‘Induced Differentiation Therapy’ for leukaemia, what had fallen on his head?

At 11:30 am, Mr. Wang hurried back to his office and said, “I’m sorry, I have insisted on visiting patients every Thursday for decades”. I invited him to attend the International Cancer Forum and give a speech this May in Guangzhou. He asked me what he can talk about, I replied to him, “Innovative research challenging cancer.” “Can I do that?” he asked. “You are better than I am, I couldn’t even remember the exact appointment time with you.” I asked him to make a record of the date of the Cancer Forum in Guangzhou and said, “This is more important than your ward rounds! Do attend the conference, please!” Mr. Wang laughed. He did not seem eighty-eight years. He said that he needs to prepare before each ward round, searching the literature to understand the latest and innovative developments, so that he can better solve clinical problems.

When the time to say goodbye arrived, Mr. Wang turned and earnestly said to me, “Last year when I went to your hospital and saw the minimally invasive individualized treatments which have been applied, many patients have had good results, which is what I fully agree with. The treatment of advanced cancers is a very difficult task, and we must adhere to innovation, so that a new treatment path can be put forward”.