The meeting room quieted down, and several young researchers nodded.
Yang Ping looked at these young faces, reminiscent of himself many years ago, when he too wondered if such persistence was worthwhile.
"I understand," he said slowly, "but what I want to tell you is: external validation will come and go. What truly sustains you on the long research journey is internal validation, the joy when you solve a small puzzle, the fulfillment when your discovery may help a patient, the sense of connection exploring the unknown with like-minded people."
He stood up and walked to the whiteboard, drawing a simple diagram: "The Nobel Prize is like this point." He tapped at the top of the diagram, "It's bright, very attention-grabbing. But what truly matters is this line—" he drew a winding upward curve, "It's the daily research work, the countless ordinary days, the failures, and retries. This line may not be visible to others, but it is the true scientific process."
