Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 1136 The Overt Scheme of Dialects, A Beautiful Handwriting (Two Chapters Combined)
As the saying goes, he who strikes first gains strength, and he who strikes last suffers.

In situations like this, it's crucial to strike first and take the initiative.

As expected, He You was completely dumbfounded by Fang Yan's question, and it took him several seconds to react with his mouth agape.

At this moment, Fang Yan's eyes were sharp as knives as he stared at He You, his tone utterly devoid of politeness:
"Stop playing dumb, just tell me, what tricks are you trying to pull?"

He You's usual gentle, elder-like demeanor almost crumbled:

"Fang...Fang Yan, what are you talking about? What kind of trick are you playing? I've come here genuinely to invite my family..."

"Sincerely?" Fang Yan scoffed.

Taking a half-step closer, his eyes fixed on He You, the old man felt an invisible pressure emanating from the young man and instantly filling the small study.

Fang Yan lowered his voice, but his tone was anything but polite as he pointed at He You and said:

“Your son He Jingwei! Your grandson He Dong! They told me the truth three days ago! Aren’t they pawns you sent to test me? Would they really say such ‘heartfelt’ things behind your back, like ‘we’ll find a way to get you out of the country’ or ‘we want your secret formula’? Stop pretending in front of me, Uncle! Grandfather!!” The last three words were enunciated in dialect, each syllable distinct and clear, full of sarcasm.

He You's breath hitched; he hadn't expected Fang Yan to be so assertive "after removing the disguise."

Feeling somewhat disrespected, his expression instantly turned rather unpleasant.

However, Fang Yan did speak quite well. He Jingwei and He Dong went back and reported the matter to Huang Qiming. At first, Huang Qiming was quite happy, but later he realized that he had revealed all his secrets to Fang Yan.

After giving He Jingwei and his son a good scolding, they finally started to get things going.

After working for a long time, it took three days to get half of the work done.

They definitely had to find a way to fulfill Fang Yan's request, because the secret recipe Fang Yan possessed was extremely valuable, and once Fang Yan arrived abroad, he would quickly become Huang Qiming's most capable subordinate thanks to his abilities.

He You simply can't afford to offend this kind of person now.

Feeling he was seeing the "true side" of Fang Yan, He Youqiang forced a smile and said to Fang Yan:
“We’re all family, we can talk things out calmly, there’s no need for this. Your great-uncle also wants what’s best for you…”

"A family?" Fang Yan interrupted sharply, his voice not loud, but cold.

“Three days! I gave you, father, son, grandfather, and grandson, a full three days! I’ve made my demands very clear! Now, it’s time for you to give me a clear and definite answer!” He approached He You, his gaze intense, his tone increasingly impolite.

"Do you think I'm doing small business with you? Haggling over prices? I'm risking my life to negotiate a deal with you! If you don't give me a satisfactory answer, your whole family, get back to England right now, immediately, and never show your face in front of me again, and don't try to disgust me with that pathetic 'relative' title again!"

A barrage of questions and the final, blunt "Get out!" struck He You's heart like a hammer blow.

The vein on his forehead throbbed.

Where was the slightest trace of the warm and gentle doctor from the clinic before? He was now a negotiating opponent who was in control and could overturn the table at any moment. There was no respect for his elders in his eyes, only cold scrutiny and unquestionable dominance.

He You finally dropped all pretense of being an elder, his face plastered with an eager yet ingratiating smile, and he subconsciously wiped away non-existent sweat from his forehead:
"Oh dear, dialect! Calm down! Calm down!"

"Misunderstanding! It must be a misunderstanding! Those two good-for-nothings! They must be talking nonsense and have misunderstood me!"

"Why would I play tricks? Inviting my family to dinner is purely to thank you for saving my life!"

"Of course! Of course! Your request...your demands...we have been...we have been considering them very, very carefully!"

He You spoke very quickly, his tone full of reassurance and urgency.

He tried to make Fang Yan understand their situation, saying:
"It's just that... this matter involves too many aspects! There are too many places that need to be coordinated and connected, and Professor Huang's side also needs to ensure that everything goes perfectly, so we can't let you take any risks! That's why we..."

"So you've only dragged this out for three days without saying a word?" Fang Yan coldly interrupted him, her eyes still sharp.

"I don't have time to listen to your tai chi. Is it okay or not? Is there a way or not? Give me a straight answer!"

He You's breathing quickened as he was forced to do so. He should have known better than to have that bastard Huang Qiming come along and get scolded too.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. Knowing that he wouldn't get through today without presenting something substantial, he quickly said:
"Yes! There's a way! It's already being arranged! Our people are already... are already doing their best to smooth things over!"

"But... these specific details, how to safely and quickly send such an important 'talent' like you out, as well as your identity, route, and final destination after you leave, all require extremely meticulous planning! We are even more unwilling to cause any unforeseen complications than you are!"

He You stretched out his hands slightly, making a gesture of "please calm down," and said in an almost pleading tone, "Fang Yan, don't worry! As long as your great-uncle is still alive, I will make sure you drive this road safely! I promise you! We're all in this together. If anything happens to you, our entire He family and Professor Huang's side will be implicated!"

He adopted an extremely humble posture, looking at Fang Yan with earnest eyes:

“Could you…be a little more patient? The matter is already being handled, at most…at most two days! I will definitely come over in person and give you a clear plan that you can agree to! What do you think?” he asked tentatively, his heart pounding in his chest, afraid that Fang Yan would utter another “get lost”.

Fang Yan narrowed his eyes, his mind racing.

Some information could be gleaned from He You's words, but Fang Yan felt that there were still some things they hadn't said.

He didn't hesitate for long, but stared at He You for several seconds, his gaze seemingly trying to pierce through his heart.

The only sound in the study seemed to be He You's breathing.

Finally, Fang Yan slowly withdrew his extremely oppressive gaze and let out a soft snort through his nose:
"Hmph, two days?"

He casually picked up the paperweight from the desk, slammed it on the table, and spoke in a cold, hard tone:

“Alright. Grandfather, remember your words. Two days from now, right here. What I want to hear isn't a plan, but a detailed roadmap with clear steps and guarantees. If you try to fob me off with these empty words again…”

He paused for a moment, then lightly slammed the paperweight onto the table with a "snap," and said:

"...Then don't blame me for turning my back on you in Fangyan and ending this 'family game' ahead of time."

The soft sound sent a shiver down He You's spine. His face immediately lit up with a smile, and he nodded repeatedly, his tone filled with obvious relief.
"Okay! Okay! Okay! Don't worry! It's a deal! I'll definitely come in person! Bringing you my sincerity! I guarantee you'll be satisfied! I guarantee you'll be satisfied!" He knew in his heart that these two days of buffer time were his last chance.

But as soon as he finished speaking, Fang Yan asked again:
"Since we won't have a result for another two days, what's the point of you treating us to dinner today?"

He You said:

"Didn't we say before that I would treat you to a meal? I even talked to the Ministry of Health and the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office about it. And it's been three days since I last contacted you. You're probably worried, so I had to get in touch with you eventually..."

Just now, Fang Yan looked like she was going to devour him. If a few more days passed, He You wondered what Fang Yan's attitude would be if he came back.

He paused after speaking, then, hearing voices outside, as if someone had come to Fang Yan's house again, he lowered his voice and continued to Fang Yan:

"Finally, this is also an opportunity for you to meet Professor Huang and have a chat with him. He has some things to say."

Fang Yan narrowed his eyes:

"Oh? There are quite a few people here tonight. Does he have something to say to me?"

He You rubbed his hands together and lowered his head to say:

"Professor Huang certainly wanted to show his sincerity."

Fang Yan suddenly thought of the relationship between He You and Huang Qiming and said:
"Grandpa, aren't you friends with Huang Qiming? Why do you look more like someone working for him now?"

"You are the manager of Baohetang in London's Chinatown, and to be honest, I'm starting to have some doubts about your family's situation."

Upon hearing this, He You looked embarrassed. He paused, then whispered a reply to Fang Yan:
"Well... actually, Baohetang is a joint venture between me and Huang Qiming."

“He owns a larger share. I’m getting old now and I need to think about my descendants. Professor Huang has the ability to help our family reach new heights.”

Fang Yan smiled and said:
"It sounds like you're being severely hampered by Huang Qiming. Does that mean... once I get out, I'll just be his subordinate too?"

Hearing about the dialect issue, He You hesitated for a moment:

"This one……"

He really didn't know how to answer, because he was indeed speaking the correct dialect.

He You realized that Fang Yan was too clever for his brilliance. The more information he revealed, the more information Fang Yan could deduce. He had already figured out that Huang Qiming was the mastermind behind this, all because of what Fang Yan had revealed earlier.

But just as he was pondering how to respond, Fang Yan spoke directly:

“I don’t like Huang Qiming, and I don’t want to be his dog. I can choose to cooperate with him, and I can choose someone else. If you can directly contact the person behind Huang Qiming, you can take this opportunity to get rid of him, so I won’t have to deal with him as a middleman.”

He stared into He You's eyes and emphasized, "You understand what I mean, right?"

He You looked thoughtful. Fang Yan continued:

"I'm only thinking of helping you out of kinship. Let me be frank with you: even if I were to do this deal with Huang Qiming, I would only be dealing with the people behind him. He's just a gofer at best, he's not qualified to ride roughshod over me."

"I...I understand." He You nodded, and at this moment, some ideas had already formed in his mind.

The reason Fang Yan told He You was actually to create discord between him and Huang Qiming, to divide them from within the enemy ranks, and to get them caught up in internal strife so that they wouldn't have much opportunity to pay attention to what was happening outside.

Of course, Fang Yan knew that He You would definitely see through Fang Yan's little scheme, but it was useless. It was an open plot that precisely hit his sore spot. Even if He You knew that Fang Yan wanted to sow discord, he would definitely be tempted. After all, no one would be willing to be subordinate to someone, especially someone who treats them badly.

In addition, Fang Yan had other plans. He also wanted to take this opportunity to prevent them from targeting his family. He knew that once He You had something on his mind, he would definitely not have the mind to target Fang Yan's family.

Moreover, Fang Yan didn't plan to send everyone this time; just him and his mother would be fine.

There's no need for others to get involved; if things go smoothly, they won't see each other again after today's meal.

Just then, people arrived outside, and Fang Yan said to He You:

"That's settled then. My mom will be there on time tonight."

He You was taken aback and asked:

"Huh? Just the two of you are going?"

Fang Yan said to him:
"There are so many leaders here, I don't want them to say too much. They're all seasoned veterans, and if they accidentally let something slip, we'll all be in big trouble."

"I understand." He You nodded, and Fang Yan's words did indeed make sense.

Next, Fang Yan pushed open the door, immediately changed his expression, and greeted He You with a smile:
"Uncle, it's a promise, we'll see each other again tonight." He You was still a little unaccustomed to Fang Yan's quick change of expression, and after a moment of stunned silence, he nodded repeatedly.

"well!"

"It's a promise, it's a promise..."

At this moment, I felt that the young man in front of me was really scary. This guy could change his attitude as easily as turning the pages of a book.

When He You followed Fang Yan out of the study, a damp patch had already appeared on the back of his shirt.

Just now in the study, Fang Yan's eyes were like ice-cold knives, almost as if they could cut open his internal organs. He had lived most of his life, dealing with all sorts of people in London's Chinatown, and had seen ruthless, cunning, and reckless individuals, but he had never been forced into such a sorry state by a junior.

"This kid... he's not a doctor at all. He's clearly a trained hunter." He You thought to himself in surprise.

Every word Fang Yan uttered was like a precise hook, first tearing through his disguise, then forcing him to reveal his hand, and finally planting a thorn in his side. The phrase "contact the person behind Huang Qiming" was like throwing a spark between him and Huang Qiming.

He had considered getting rid of Huang Qiming.

Over the years at Baohetang, it was ostensibly a partnership, but in reality, we had to be mindful of each other's feelings at every turn.

Huang Qiming was ostensibly his old friend, but in reality, he was more like his superior, and Huang Qiming depended on him for everything.

Huang Qiming held the lion's share and also possessed the prescription that he had handed over years ago, which meant he had his Achilles' heel.

The He family descendants had to make a living under someone else's control, and even his son He Jingwei had to bow and scrape. He had swallowed this humiliation for almost twenty years.

But the dialect, though it sounds tempting, is more like a trap.

Would someone who could outwit He Jingwei and his son, making him look foolish with just a few words, really be willing to lend him a hand?
He You felt a chill run down his spine as he thought about it.
"He wants me to fight with Huang Qiming so he can reap the benefits!"

But then he couldn't help but waver. What if... what if what Fang Yan said was true? Fang Yan was undeniably capable of making that connection, and if he could ride this wave back, could he regain control of Baohetang? He Dong was still young; the He family couldn't remain subservient forever...

This seemed to be a very rare opportunity in his life. If he missed it, he would have to continue to be Huang Qiming's dog, and even his son and grandson would have to be dogs forever with no chance of ever turning things around.

"Two days...only two days left." He You clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. He hadn't made up his mind yet and decided to go back and have his fortune told.

He was both hoping these two days would pass quickly so he could come up with a solution that would satisfy Fang Yan, and also fearing that something might change during these two days. For example, if Huang Qiming found out that he had the idea of ​​"bypassing" the plan, the consequences would be unimaginable.

But if they don't seize the "rope" that dialect offers, the He family will probably be suppressed by Huang Qiming for the rest of their lives.

It was still very hot in the late afternoon of June, but when the wind blew in the yard, He You shivered and realized that the sweat on his forehead had already cooled down.

He composed himself, forced a smile at Zhu Lin who came out to greet him, exchanged a few pleasantries, apologized to his mother He Huiru, who spoke in dialect, and then hurriedly left.

Everyone noticed that the old man was walking rather quickly, as if something was chasing him from behind.

"What were you talking about just now? Why were you running so fast?" Zhu Lin asked Fang Yan curiously.

Fang Yan said with a smile:

"They used a carrot and stick approach on this great-uncle."

Zhu Lin was taken aback, not yet understanding what Fang Yan meant, when Fang Yan added:

"Also, if you're not going tonight, Mom and I will go."

Upon hearing Fang Yan's words, Zhu Lin said:
"That's perfect. Old Hu and his wife came today. I was just saying that no one would be there to entertain them after they left home."

Fang Yan had just heard that Lao Hu had arrived with his wife, and now he walked into the main hall and greeted him.

Old Hu said to Fang Yan:

"We finalized the deal with Isabella DuPont today and just signed the contract. The deposit from the European Rhine Pharmaceuticals Group should arrive in the Hong Kong company account in the next day or two."

Fang Yan said with some surprise:
"That went very smoothly. When should we treat them to a meal?"

Old Hu shook his head and said:
"Then there's no chance. Their flight to Hong Kong is tomorrow afternoon, and they'll be staying there for about a week. We'll have Chu Bin in Hong Kong make the arrangements for them."

"Also, I was thinking about what gifts to prepare for Isabella DuPont and Li Chengzhu..."

Fang Yan nodded:

"We should definitely send some souvenirs."

The fact that things went so smoothly this time, and that they barely even considered contacting each other in terms of dialects and focused entirely on discussing products with Lao Hu, indicates that they are not on the same side as Huang Qiming and his group.

Since they're here to do business normally, it's quite normal to give them a small gift as a token of appreciation.

Lao Hu said:

"They want to travel by plane, so it's more convenient and easier to get through customs."

Actually, Lao Hu originally planned to send some medicine.

But before he could speak, he heard someone in dialect say:

"Then shall I write a couple of calligraphy pieces for them?" Aside from writing Spring Festival couplets for his neighbors during the Lunar New Year, Fang Yan had only ever written one piece of calligraphy for Le Miao. Now, having read so many ancient books and seen so many fine characters, plus the system's support, Fang Yan's calligraphy was absolutely top-notch. (See Chapter 432)
"You can do this too?" Old Hu asked, somewhat surprised.

Fang Yan smiled modestly and said:

"Understood."

Lao Hu said:

"Then go and try writing two."

Fang Yan nodded and led Lao Hu to the study. When the others heard that Fang Yan was going to write a calligraphy piece as a gift, they also came to join in the fun. This was the first time they had heard that Fang Yan had this skill.

Fang Yan pulled out a stack of gold-flecked Xuan paper from the bottom shelf of the bookcase. It was a gift from a patient in the calligraphy world. The paper was soft and resilient, and had a faint sandalwood scent when spread out.

He then took the inkstone that Lao Fan had given him, poured in water, picked up the ink stick, and slowly ground it. The fragrance of ink gradually spread as he ground it.

"What should we write?" Old Hu leaned closer, looking at the subtle cloud pattern on the rice paper, and asked in his local dialect:

"Write something with a Chinese feel for Isabella DuPont?"

Fang Yan picked up a pen, his wrist hovering in mid-air, and thought for a moment: "She works for a pharmaceutical group, so why not write 'Benevolence and Compassion for the World'? It suits her profession and also reflects the duty of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners."

Old Hu clapped his hands: "Great! How about Li Chengzhu? She's the matchmaker for us, so we need to be honest with her."

“Let’s write ‘Trustworthiness Spreads Throughout the World’,” Fang Yan said, dipping his brush in ink and lightly scraping the edge of the inkstone twice. “In business, trust comes first.”

Next, the dialect was quickly written down, two pieces of calligraphy.

"Wow! This calligraphy is quite interesting!" Old Hu couldn't help but exclaim. He didn't understand calligraphy, but looking at the tension between the strokes, he felt that it was no less impressive than those "masterpieces" hanging in the gallery. There was no deliberate distortion, but it exuded a calm and confident aura.

The others nodded in agreement, surprised that Fang Yan had this skill.

"When did you start practicing?" Old Hu asked Fang Yan.

Fang Yan smiled at him and said:

"I had to write things for my neighbors during the Chinese New Year, so I practiced writing them secretly back then."

"How's it going? Is it okay?"

"That's great!" Old Hu rubbed his hands together.

He asked in dialect:

"Then sign your name again?"

Zhu Lin, who was standing to the side, said:

"Does this need to be stamped?"

The dialect does have a seal, but it's the kind of seal with a private name, smaller than a fingernail. If you were to use it for such a large character, it would look too comical.

"Since there's no stamp, I can only write the date of the gift and the recipient's name."

Then Fang Yan picked up a pen and wrote on it:

"Presented to Ms. Isabella DuPont in remembrance of the summer of the year Wuwu"

Final name:
Dialect Book

Li Chengzhu also has a similar signature.

After writing it, all you need to do is find someone to frame it. I haven't learned this craft, but I can go to an antique shop. Of course, I have a better option: I just called Mr. Ji at the Palace Museum and asked him to send someone with the necessary tools to frame it.

After finishing things here, it was almost time to go to the banquet.

The Ministry of Health leaders and the hospital director have come to find him and went over there together.

Fang Yan called out to his mother and Yan Yifan, and they got into two separate cars.

Then they headed towards the Yanjing Hotel.

On the way, Fang Yan also told the leaders of the Ministry of Health about what happened that day.

PS: The basic chapter of 6000 words is now complete. There will be an extra chapter later.

(End of this chapter)