Chapter 83

When John returned from the Bristow family's home, he felt very satisfied. Although he hadn't been able to speak much with Anna due to the presence of Mr. and Mrs. Bristow, and hadn't even had the chance for a private chat, their strong interest in the bicycle and building block business was enough to make him feel that the trip was worthwhile.

After all, if the cooperation was successful, would there be a lack of opportunities in the future?

Upon returning home, John immediately wrote two letters to Joshua and Steve. The final decision would be up to them. However, the building block business was a strong point for the Bristow family, and John was very optimistic about it. If Steve was unwilling to invest, he would have to collaborate with the Bristows alone.

"But finally, I can rest easy."

That night, lying in bed, John felt particularly relaxed. These business matters were not easy for him, but now that he had a solution, he felt he had fulfilled his duty to Joshua...

John had agreed with the Bristows to give them a month to prepare. Therefore, over the next two weeks, he focused all his energy on passing Professor Bergmann's exams, taking one exam per day on average. He received excellent grades in almost all of them, except for a few.

This result delighted Professor Bergmann and also made John quite satisfied. Don't think that just because he came from the future, he could pass easily. Without the year of hard work, many questions would have been difficult for John to answer correctly. After all, there was a time difference of over a hundred years, and many views that were widely accepted now were proven wrong in the future. If John had given the correct answers directly, he might not have passed.

"Congratulations, John."

During the final test, Professor Bergmann was present. After the test, he immediately approached and smiled, "Once you complete the required clinical training, you will have finished your studies at the University of Berlin!"

"Thank you, Professor Bergmann."

John was also very happy, as this meant that from a theoretical standpoint, he could now obtain a medical doctorate from the University of Berlin. The remaining part was just like a clinical internship.

Although German medical schools had started to implement clinical internships, the duration was not long compared to the future, where it could take a year or more. However, since John planned to "learn" current surgical techniques from Professor Bergmann, he would need to spend another one to two years as a good student. Bergmann's surgical skills were not the focus, but as a professor of surgery at the University of Berlin, his connections in the medical community in Germany and throughout Europe were something John had long coveted!

Medicine, especially surgery, is different from other sciences, and the importance of professional connections cannot be overstated.

Returning to this era to become a surgeon again, John couldn't be satisfied with the "high" fees of a hundred dollars for a complex surgery. At this stage, what he needed was prestige!

With prestige, he could more easily promote his academic ideas.

In the field of surgery, gaining prestige would not be as easy as it was for Koch and others, at least not in this era. Otherwise, Lister wouldn't have spent over a decade promoting his sterilization techniques, even traveling to the United States to lecture and facing rejection. Only when a significant number of surgeons adopted his new techniques and made a substantial impact would they gain recognition and respect. Therefore, gaining as many supporters and friends as possible was the focus of John's stay in Europe for the next few years!

After all, this was the center of world medicine.

As a professor at the University of Berlin, Bergmann's prestige and connections were undoubtedly the power John needed. Otherwise, it would be too difficult and time-consuming for an unknown surgeon to accumulate such resources...

Thinking of this, John felt elated and couldn't help but ask, "Professor, can I start learning with you next?"

"Of course!" Bergmann laughed heartily. "I teach on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and see patients or perform surgeries on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. You can attend my lectures at any time and choose two days to assist me..."

...

On the last weekend of September, John's rented house was bustling with over forty guests, filling the not-so-large space. Hans had to hire six experienced service staff to avoid any rudeness to the guests.

Fine wine, delicious food, and laughter filled the air.

Except for the lack of the eye-catching beauties that would be present at a modern party, everything about the family gathering John organized in 1884 seemed perfect, except for...

"Is this true?!"

After John finished explaining his decision, Pick jumped up in surprise and exclaimed.

John's other close friend, Luther, was not to be outdone. He stared with wide gray eyes and asked in disbelief, "John, you mean... you can graduate after completing your studies with Professor Bergmann and get a doctorate from the University of Berlin?"

"Ha ha, I suppose so... well, maybe I'll need a doctoral thesis."

John had anticipated their reactions, so he was not surprised. He just smiled calmly.

The atmosphere around the host suddenly became quiet, and as more guests noticed the situation, they also fell silent. They slowly gathered around John, all looking at him with a strange expression, making him the center of attention for the first time that day!

The shock in the eyes of the dozen or so Germans was evident, as they found it hard to imagine that John had reached this level after just one year of study. For them, it was normal to spend four to six years in university to obtain a doctorate. For the twenty or so American students, there was more envy in their eyes. Most of them had already graduated from American medical schools before coming to Germany, and their goal was to advance their skills. Some studied for three to four years, while others studied for one to two years. In the United States, many medical schools required only a short time to obtain a doctorate, so they didn't find it strange.

Therefore, without knowing John's background, the American students were more envious of his opportunity to study with Bergmann, who was like an academician in the future, a top figure in their eyes!

"Will you still take classes with us?"

After a while, Pick slowly came to his senses and asked a question that many were concerned about.

"Probably not."

John hesitated for a moment and regretfully shook his head. "I have been given permission to study surgery with Professor Bergmann and conduct some research of my own, so..."

Without finishing, everyone understood what John meant.

Seeing the guests' spirits seem to dampen, John was somewhat amused. After all, he was just not taking classes with them; why did the atmosphere feel so heavy as if he were returning to America? And he had invited so many people not just to share this news, but also to ask for their help...

"Wait, that's not right!"

It took John just a few seconds to realize: these competitive guys were probably not sad because of this issue.

A moment later, it was John's best friend, Luther, who stood up first. He waved to a nearby service staff, picked up a glass of red wine, and said loudly, "Ladies and gentlemen, although it's a pity that we can't take classes with John anymore, this is the result of his hard work..."

As Luther spoke, the service staff circled around, ensuring each guest had a glass of wine, even John, who rarely drank.

Luther raised his glass to John and smiled, "Congratulations, John, cheers!"

"Cheers!"

John gently raised his glass in response, feeling very grateful.

"Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

...

After a brief silence, the living room erupted in a chorus of toasts.