Chapter 51

On April 17, 1882, the Hunter family's home was as lively as it had been in the past two years.

Of course, no one would overlook Mr. John Hunter's fourteenth birthday. Many friends, with their parents' encouragement, had prepared gifts well in advance. Close friends like the Joshua siblings and Funk Mendes arrived at the Hunter residence as soon as John finished breakfast.

Although John had not made many friends in the two and a half years since he arrived in New York, and only about seven or eight of them regularly gathered, his status had changed significantly compared to two years ago, thanks to the popularity of bicycles and Swiss Army knives. Moreover, with the boost from these two products, the elder Hunter's trading company had grown rapidly, and as the sole heir, John naturally gained more attention.

What was supposed to be a simple birthday party turned into a great opportunity for the young people to get closer to him...

"The time is about right."

The elder Hunter checked his pocket watch and said to his grandson, "I'll go take care of some business and should be back in about two hours... Yes, I've asked Hans to invite some people to help out today, so you can just focus on entertaining your friends."

"Okay, Grandpa."

John nodded and escorted his grandfather to the door.

Although John vaguely indicated that he did not want to invite the elders from various families, the number of attendees still far exceeded last year's. With only a few family members, it was impossible to manage everything, so Hans had to invite additional help.

The moment the stern elder Hunter left, the house immediately became lively. Little Emma, in particular, felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders. The elder Hunter was a very traditional man with high standards for those around him. Whenever he was present, the lively and energetic Emma would feel very uncomfortable and could only relax after he left.

She quickly approached the birthday boy and asked with a frown, "John, are you really going to study abroad in Europe soon?"

Hearing this question, the others also gathered around, looking at John with concern.

"Everyone knows about this?"

John looked at Emma with some surprise and chuckled, nodding, "Yes, the plan is to leave for Europe at the end of May, so I'll still be in New York for about another month."

Upon receiving a definitive answer, the room erupted in a flurry of reactions.

Joshua was the first to nod, supporting his friend, "Studying in Europe is a good thing. After all, that's the center of the world, and it's always beneficial to broaden your horizons."

Americans of this era were far from the confident people of the future. It would take several more decades for them to become the world's leaders. For someone like Joshua, who had studied in London, spending a few years in Europe would be extremely beneficial for his future.

However, there were also those with different opinions, like Emma, who pouted and objected, "You're only 14, why are you in such a hurry to study abroad? And why Europe? There are many excellent universities in America, like Harvard, Yale, and Columbia..."

Many others nodded in agreement with Emma.

In most people's eyes, while European top universities were indeed very attractive, traveling thousands of miles and spending several years there was not worth it. Moreover, given John's already enviable business, it seemed unnecessary to endure such hardship. The American universities, especially those like Harvard, Yale, and Columbia, were also excellent, and John could easily get into them. His reputation as a prodigy had long spread, and everyone knew he had already gone through three tutors, each resigning because they felt their knowledge was too shallow to teach him anything more.

Before Joshua, the "returnee," could object, John waved his hand and smiled, "Thank you all for your concern, but the decision to study in Europe is final and cannot be changed... Ha ha, I think it will be just a few years, and we'll meet again soon."

From any perspective, John could not choose an American university.

While many American universities had begun reforms and were moving towards becoming research institutions, they were still far behind Europe. Otherwise, they wouldn't be mockingly referred to as "universities by the coffee table." After more than a year of careful consideration, John had decided to become a physician again. Studying at an American medical school, even one like Harvard, which had undergone teaching reforms, would not meet his needs.

In his mind, he possessed medical knowledge far beyond his time, and he needed the technology and platform to bring this knowledge to life, which American universities lacked.

Europe was the ideal place!

As for his young age, John, a psychological adult, did not care. As long as the elder Hunter did not object, he would simply add a few years to his age when he went to Europe, which was not a problem given his nearly six-foot height.

John's firm statement left Emma still pouting and persisting in her objections, but the others mostly stopped commenting. Ultimately, this was John's decision, and only the elder Hunter had the power to oppose it; others could not interfere.

With Joshua's help, John steered the conversation to other topics, and the group of young people enthusiastically chatted, making the house lively. With nearly twenty people, it was unrealistic for everyone to chat together, and with their own preferred topics, they quickly formed several small groups, keeping the servants busy.

Around John, there was also a small group of his core friends.

Joshua and Funk were both shareholders in the factory and John's closest friends. There were also two young men he had met last year: Steve Zola, whose family was in real estate, and Tare Brown, whose family ran a machinery factory. Along with Emma, who always followed her brother, the six of them chatted casually.

"John, have you decided where you want to study?"

As they chatted, Joshua brought up the topic again, enthusiastically suggesting, "I strongly recommend London. Cambridge and Oxford are among the world's top universities, and I think you would be easily accepted with your abilities!"

As a descendant of British immigrants, Joshua had a natural fondness for London. Moreover, these two universities were indeed outstanding and always had a strong appeal to young people. Given that Britain was the world's dominant power and held a special place in the hearts of Americans, Joshua naturally believed London was the best choice.

John smiled and nodded, "Of course, they are excellent universities, and I will seriously consider them! However, for now, I might travel through England, France, and Germany before making a decision."

Out of respect for his friend, John did not directly reveal his choice, but he had already made up his mind.

In the 18th century, American physicians preferred to study in Britain, with Edinburgh Medical School being their holy land. In the first half of the 19th century, the destination shifted to France, with Paris becoming a hub for American students. However, it was now 1882, and if one were to choose a country to study medicine in the late 19th century, Germany was undoubtedly the best choice!

The rise of American higher education in the late 19th century was largely modeled after the German system, especially in the medical field. The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, which would later revolutionize American medical education, was a direct descendant and development of the German model.

While John did not need to learn new medical theories, he needed to figure out how to apply the wealth of knowledge in his mind. Without X-rays, blood tests, MRI machines, or even reliable blood pressure monitors, John had to learn how to diagnose diseases in the present. Without various biological and chemical drugs, let alone antibiotics, he also needed to learn the medical knowledge of this era.

More importantly, John needed to see the most advanced medical laboratories of this time.

Since he had been reborn in this era and decided to recommit to modern medicine, John could not simply be content with becoming a surgeon. His mind was filled with countless advanced theories and molecular formulas. Why not bring them to this world earlier?

The quality of American medical schools in the late 19th century was so poor that it is hard for those unfamiliar with this history to imagine.

For example, Harvard Medical School, one of the best in America, had illiterate students just ten years ago, and their so-called medical professors openly admitted they had never used or even knew how to use a microscope!

Therefore, Germany was undoubtedly the best choice!

With his decision made, John did not want to dwell on the topic. He raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Everyone, I'm leaving New York next month, but I've had some new ideas recently. Are you interested?"

"New ideas?"

Funk put down his coffee and straightened up.

Everyone's spirits were also excited, as the success of bicycles and Swiss Army knives over the past two years had shown the power of John's "ideas." Funk and Tare Brown, in particular, looked at John with bright eyes, eagerly awaiting his next words.

"Yes, new ideas."

John chuckled and nodded, "If you're interested, I think we need to build one or two new factories and order some new equipment. Of course, Steve, I might need your help to purchase a few plots of land..."