Chen Junnan held a German-style sausage, made four or five cuts in it with a knife, stuffed a few slices of pickled cucumber into the slits, and pointed at this prop, saying, "Humans are upright-walking animals. Whether you're standing or sitting, the weight of your upper body inevitably presses down on your spine. Even if traction therapy stretches your body a bit and the herniated disc retracts, there's no guarantee it won't grow back. But as soon as you stand up, this body weight still accumulates on the spine, and within a few days, it will squeeze the disc out again. Once it herniates, it will still compress the spinal cord. That's why the cure rate for this condition is so low, no matter how you treat it."
As he spoke, he stretched the sausage, comparing it to the spine and the pickled cucumber slices sandwiched in between to the intervertebral discs. When he squeezed the sausage, the pickled cucumber was forced out.
Chen Junnan then asked, "Let me ask you another question. Why do you think the proportion of people with cervical spondylosis is high in their forties and fifties, while it's much lower for those in their seventies and eighties?"
Che Mingming shook his head, and Chen Junnan continued, "That's because people in their forties and fifties have significant changes in hormone levels compared to their twenties and thirties. If they don't exercise much or follow a structured training regimen, muscle mass generally decreases. When the muscles weaken, the body weight is entirely supported by the bones. They still feel young and don't consider themselves old, so if they're not careful during exercise—crack—they get hit. On the other hand, elderly people in their seventies and eighties know they're old and move cautiously. You don't see an eighty-year-old man carrying a hundred pounds of rice up six flights of stairs. People of that age are actually less likely to develop cervical spondylosis."
Che Mingming asked, "So how does Professor Du's theory treat it?"
Chen Junnan said, "What makes Professor Du remarkable is that he believes external treatments can't change the pressure on the spine. There's only one method: through exercise, strengthening the neck muscles and ligaments to restore their strength."
Che Mingming asked again, "Neck muscle training? But there are so many neck muscles. Our necks aren't much different from duck necks—they're all made up of small muscles like the splenius capitis, trapezius, sternocleidomastoid, middle scalene, posterior scalene, and levator scapulae. They vary in size, shape, and direction. You can't lift weights like in a gym, and no one uses their neck to bench press—you might accidentally hang yourself."
Chen Junnan laughed and praised, "Smart kid. That's why many people with this condition can't use traditional anaerobic exercises to build muscle. Gyms don't have the equipment for it. But Professor Du's invention can."
Chen Junnan took out a tablet and showed it to Che Mingming. On the screen, a model tilted their head back, with a contact point pressing against the back of their head and a support frame below resting against their lower back. The model used their head to press against the contact point, which provided resistance, helping the neck muscles perform anaerobic resistance exercises.Chen Junnan said, "With this resistance training, as long as you persist for a month, it can strengthen both the superficial and deep muscles of the neck. Once the muscles and ligaments are strengthened, they can work together with the bones to support the body. This way, the pressure on the bones is distributed, and the intervertebral discs won't be squeezed out. As Professor Du puts it, this is called the suspension bridge theory. A suspension bridge can't rely solely on its structural framework to stay stable; it needs steel cables for tension and reinforced concrete for support to maintain stability."
Che Mingming nodded, seeming to understand. She asked, "So, you want to sell Professor Du's product?"
Chen Junnan said, "His product has been available on Taobao for a long time, but the sales are abysmal—only a few dozen units a month. Guess why?"
Che Mingming shook her head again.
Chen Junnan continued, "Because it's too cheap, just over a hundred yuan. When it comes to medical products, consumers see the price tag of a little over a hundred yuan and immediately hesitate. They don't believe there's any technological sophistication in something so inexpensive. They assume it's just made of plastic and springs and must be useless. How would ordinary people know that even though our product looks simple, it can effectively exercise all the deep muscles around the neck and spine? That's science. Which vertebra serves as the pivot point for movement, which bone provides support, which muscle exerts force—these are things that have been researched for decades. The product is designed using the simplest methods and sold at the lowest price, yet no one buys it. What are people thinking? On the market, any device labeled as a cervical spondylosis treatment device costs several thousand yuan, with features like infrared electromagnetic massage. I don't know if those products work, but I'd have serious doubts about whether yours does. Even if I were desperate and ready to be scammed, I'd rather be scammed by a product priced at several thousand yuan than one priced at just over a hundred. If I got scammed by a hundred-yuan product, people would laugh at me. That's the mindset of the average person. You could bring them the best experts, use the best theories, and create the simplest, cheapest product, but they won't accept it. It's not just Chinese people; it's the same everywhere in the world. That's consumer psychology."
Che Mingming thought Chen Junnan made sense and quickly asked, "So, what do you plan to do?"
Chen Junnan said excitedly, "I plan to use both effective methods and deceptive ones. Aren't people obsessed with infrared irradiation? I'll add that feature. Aren't they obsessed with electric massage? I'll install a small motor. Don't they love electromagnetic therapy? I'll put some magnets inside and add weights to make it feel more substantial. If they think spring plates lack a technological feel, I'll replace them with hydraulic ones. I'll also add an LED display and sell it for two thousand yuan apiece, the same price as those imported Korean massagers. The Korean infrared therapy device at best improves blood circulation, but mine actually treats the condition. Let me tell you, this is how you do business. If you're straightforward and honest, consumers won't appreciate it."
Che Mingming asked again, "So, are you planning to start your own business? Not going to keep working at the Second Hospital?"Chen Junnan said, "Ever since Liu Zhengliang returned to Fushun, I've come to realize that I don't have much talent in our field. Just look at me—even performing a ventricul puncture scares me half to death. This profession requires both experience and innate ability. In terms of experience, my education isn't great, and I haven't studied hard during all these years at the hospital. As for talent, I can't compare to Liu Zhengliang. If there's someone who's been your childhood shadow since you were young, with your parents constantly comparing you to them—'look at how good they are'—and even after turning thirty, the situation hasn't changed at all, doesn't that make life feel suffocating? Besides, with my education and skills, my upward mobility in the hospital is limited. Why can't I forge a new path and make some noise on my own? I need to discuss this with Liu Zhengliang when I get back—head south, find a venture capitalist to invest even just two million, and I can get this thing off the ground. Remember those TV ads from a few years ago, like 'Beibei Jia'? Those were just scams preying on people's lack of knowledge. What we have is real—no 'ignorance tax'—I refuse to believe this product won't sell like hotcakes."
Che Mingming felt somewhat disheartened. Although she quite liked Chen Junnan's unconventional approach, she and Ai Chen faced the same issue—doubting their ability to manage such a man. Che Mingming asked Chen Junnan, "Have you been thinking about this for a long time?"
After returning from advanced training in Dalian, Chen Junnan seemed like a changed person. He first took leave to go to Beijing and seek out Professor Du to purchase a patent. Chen Junnan didn't even know the professor personally—he rushed to Beijing by overnight train, transferred three or four times on the subway after arriving at Beijing Station, and finally made it to China Rehabilitation Center.
When Chen Junnan went during the day, dozens of people were lined up outside seeking medical treatment. By noon, he thought he might squeeze in for a quick word, but the office door was closed with a small sign hanging outside: "Lunch break, please do not disturb."
He went again after work in the afternoon, but the nurse said Professor Du had just gone to the cafeteria and would probably head home after eating.
Chen Junnan rushed to the cafeteria entrance and scanned the room for an elderly man with white hair and youthful complexion. Instead, a middle-aged man in his forties glided past on a somatosensory balancing vehicle, which Chen Junnan paid no attention to. When he asked who Professor Du was, people at the dining tables said the man who just left was him.
Chen Junnan chased after him, while Professor Du moved ahead effortlessly. He finally caught up at a crossroad.
Professor Du asked, "Is there something you need?"
Gasping for breath, Chen Junnan said, "I'd like to discuss your 'Top Notch' invention with you."
Professor Du's invention was not only dismissed by patients but also considered unorthodox by many experts in the field. Hearing that this young man was a fan convinced by his theories, a sense of mutual admiration between kindred spirits spontaneously arose in him.
The two found a random KFC at the intersection and sat down.
Chen Junnan said, "I want to buy your patent."
Professor Du asked, "How much money do you have?"
Chen Junnan replied, "My savings are only a few hundred thousand."
Old Du said, "If you spend all that on me, how will you fund the product development later?"
Chen Junnan was left speechless by Old Du's question.Professor Du said, "I don't need money. With my State Council allowance and allocated three-bedroom apartment, I'm quite content. I have no interest in money. Young man, if you have confidence in my invention, I'll entrust you with the patent for my Top Notch invention. Do it well, and if it benefits patients in the future, that would make me very happy. People often say the happiest moments in life are 'the wedding night and seeing one's name on the gold list.' But let me tell you, my greatest joy comes from 'surpassing ancient talents with unique prowess, letting virtue illuminate neighbors like lingering ripples.'"
Chen Junnan responded, "I understand. You enjoy shining brilliantly, while we sunflowers simply revolve around you to absorb energy. When has the sun ever kept accounts with the Earth? It's all one-way giving without seeking returns—just remember me kindly."
Professor Du asked, "Are you planning to take my patent and then go fool investors? This sounds like getting something for nothing. It's like telling Buffett you're Bill Gates' deputy and want to marry his daughter, then turning to Masayoshi Son claiming you're Buffett's son-in-law seeking collaboration, and finally approaching Bill Gates as Masayoshi Son's partner and Buffett's son-in-law asking for a vice president position. I understand you entrepreneurs—some target consumers, others businesses, but most of those fancy speeches are really aimed at VCs, all chasing funding with few genuinely focused on real work. You need to give me some assurance before I hand over my patent. Don't use my invention to raise funds and then leave me stranded in a pit."
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