Chapter 470 - 469: An Unexpected Invitation

Chapter 470: Chapter 469: An Unexpected Invitation

Rainy days are for sleeping!

Some natural sounds, like the pitter-patter of rain, the soft fall of snow, the whistling of wind, or the crash of ocean waves, can help induce sleep. According to some scholars, the main reason is that humans have developed a physiological response akin to a conditioned reflex over the long course of their evolution.

During such bad weather, early humans would rarely venture out for activities like gathering, hunting, or fishing. Instead, they would stay cooped up in their shelters.

To conserve energy, sleeping became the primary option.

Furthermore, these natural sounds possess a certain rhythm and cadence, which have a hypnotic effect and can make people feel peaceful in both body and mind.

However, the soft patter of rain from Wang Chuan’s phone made Yan Feifan feel drowsy in a very short time.

For the effect to be so pronounced, there was clearly another reason at play.

The human body has more than one sleep center; three of them are particularly important.

The first is the ascending reticular activating system in the brainstem.

This is the most critical system, as it is responsible for maintaining the cerebral cortex’s state of wakefulness.

If this area is damaged, the patient cannot maintain normal consciousness and will fall into a coma.

This system regulates sleep by acting below the cerebral cortex.

If the cerebral cortex sends inhibitory impulses to it, the person will enter a state of sleep.

The second is in the hypothalamus.

This area not only regulates sleep but is also involved in the body’s endocrine system.

If a patient’s sleep is affected, leading to insomnia or sleep deprivation, it can cause a series of endocrine changes. A typical example is an increase in appetite, which raises the risk of obesity.

The third is located at the caudal end of the brainstem.

This is where the body’s important respiratory and cardiac centers are located.

Part of the sleep regulation center is in this area. It can increase the arousal activity of the cerebral cortex and shorten a person’s sleep duration.

If this area is interfered with, a person can be made to fall asleep quickly.

To test his theory, Yan Feifan listened once more to the sound of pattering rain from Mr. Wang’s phone.

In less than a minute, he once again felt a strong sense of drowsiness.

Yan Feifan therefore speculated that this pattering rain sound might, in some way, directly affect the caudal end of the brainstem, thus rapidly inducing sleepiness in him.

This speculation intrigued Yan Feifan.

Having focused on the field of plastic surgery for so many years, Wang Chuan’s knowledge of the brain was far less extensive than Yan Feifan’s.

It could be said that the gap between the two in this field was not small in the slightest.

After they discussed it for a few sentences, Wang Chuan couldn’t keep up with Yan Feifan’s pace and quickly bowed out, "Feifan, you’ll have to figure out how to research the reason this rain sound makes you fall asleep so quickly on your own."

"If you make a major discovery, it could be a godsend for the vast number of insomnia sufferers and help those who have trouble falling asleep break their dependence on sleeping pills."

Yan Feifan chuckled and asked, "Mr. Wang, you’re not going to research it with me?"

"If we get real results, the market potential would be enormous. The money would just keep rolling in."

Seeing Yan Feifan make a money-counting gesture like a greedy miser, Wang Chuan laughed. "I won’t fight you for it!"

"Besides, I’m a major shareholder in Extraordinary Medical Technology. If you make money, I’ll get my share."

He then added with a sigh, "This pattering rain sound has been helping me sleep for seven or eight years now."

"I never once thought about looking into it or researching it, but you had the idea as soon as you heard it."

"This shows that it’s fated to be with you. The discovery should be yours."

Wang Chuan then said with mock regret, "Discovery comes from daily life. Sigh, people like me just lack a discerning eye."

Yan Feifan chuckled again and said, "Mr. Wang, you said you’ve recommended this rain sound to many people."

"And it didn’t have much of an effect on them."

"There’s a good chance that the two of us are just special cases, and we won’t be able to find anything of value from this research."

Wang Chuan laughed. "Feifan, you rascal, don’t try to fool me. I know full well that if it’s a special case, the cause will naturally be easier to pinpoint."

"Drawing inferences is your strong suit, after all."

"I’m looking forward to you producing another major research and development breakthrough..."

Just then, a knock came from the door.

Yan Feifan went to open it and found a delivery guy with their takeout.

He had just finished setting the food on the coffee table when Yan Ziruo and Yu Suye arrived hand in hand.

The four of them sat down together and began to eat.

They chatted as they ate, and Yan Feifan brought up the matter of co-developing the robotic surgical arm with Baining Medical Technology.

Wang Chuan asked for the details, then shook his head and sighed. "Feifan, oh, Feifan, you’ve been seriously duped by that Mr. Yu."

"What does this incredibly flexible surgical arm represent?"

"It means that minimally invasive surgeries, like laparoscopies, have taken another huge step forward."

"We all know that the surgical instruments used in minimally invasive surgery today are mostly straight-shafted. They can’t be used for some complex operations, leaving open-abdominal or open-chest surgery as the only options."

"If the instruments inside the body could bend and turn flexibly in response to our manipulations, then many more operations could be performed as minimally invasive procedures."

"For your surgical arm design, Mr. Yu should have given you a six-million-yuan design fee, not tricked you into doing free labor as a publicity stunt."

Yan Feifan scratched his head and said sheepishly, "The collaboration with Baining Medical Technology has always been good, so I didn’t think too much about it."

Wang Chuan chuckled lightly and said, "Don’t worry too much about it."

"Leading a company to long-term success can never rely on swindling and deceit. Mr. Yu is definitely clear on this point."

"Besides, Feifan, you’re a gold mine of limitless potential. Mr. Yu isn’t one to lose a fortune for a trifle."

"I imagine she’ll offer some other form of appreciation or compensation."

After a pause, Wang Chuan reminded him, "Feifan, consider this a lesson learned."

"In the future, when similar collaborations come up, don’t agree so hastily. Think it over yourself, or consult with professionals from other industries."

Yan Feifan grunted in acknowledgment, taking the advice to heart.

Yan Ziruo pulled out a napkin, wiped some oil she had accidentally gotten on her hand, and said, "With little experience, limited exposure, and no elders to guide him, it’s inevitable that he’ll be deceived and taken advantage of."

"Mr. Wang, please look out for him more in the future."

Wang Chuan chuckled and said, "Ziruo, you’re worrying too much. Feifan doesn’t need me to look out for him."

"At most, people will take some small advantage of him. No one would dare to go too far."

Wang Chuan elaborated, "Feifan is destined to become a great and famous doctor of his generation. His network of connections will surely be vast."

"If anyone is blind enough to bully Feifan, plenty of people will voluntarily step up to fight back on his behalf."

Yan Ziruo said gleefully, "As Feifan’s older sister, does this mean I can walk sideways from now on?"

"Are you a crab? You want to walk sideways?" Yan Feifan teased.

Yan Ziruo immediately glared at him and threatened, "Feifan, don’t you get a big head."

"Outsiders might not dare to bully you, but if I bully you, no one will dare to stand up for you."

"Who says no one will?"

Yu Suye chimed in with a grin, "Sis, I’ll protect Feifan from now on."

Yan Ziruo glanced at Yu Suye, then at Yan Feifan who was deliberately leaning against her, and huffed twice.

"Don’t get cocky. I’ll find a boxing coach for a husband..."

Amid the talk and laughter, the four of them finished their lunch.

At nearly three-thirty in the afternoon, Yan Feifan received a call from an unknown number.

As soon as he answered, a middle-aged man’s voice came through.

"Mr. Yan, hello. I’m Zhou Xian, a doctor from cardiac surgery."

Hearing this, Yan Feifan was a little surprised. ’Why would Zhou Xian, famous for his atrial and ventricular septal defect repair surgeries, be calling me?’

"Mr. Yan, are you free tonight? I’d like to treat you to dinner!"

At this, Yan Feifan was even more surprised.

’Not long ago, we had a rather unpleasant falling-out.’

’This sudden dinner invitation... it can’t be a trap, can it?’