Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 1159 The same car driven by the East German leaders? Forty positions? Five, I guess! (Two chapters combined)
Lao Fang and Lao Zhu had heard about the standards for excellence for other people's children at their workplace.

For those who are married, it's already quite good if they can buy a couple of ounces of meat, a few pounds of flour, and a few pounds of cooking oil to visit their parents on the weekend.

My family is very proud to tell them.

This shows that their children not only take good care of their own family, but also take care of their parents, which means they are living a fulfilling life.

Looking at Fang Yan and Zhu Lin, they never lack food. They can always come over and have a good meal. What others can brag about at home is just everyday food for them.

There's not much to say about that, it's just that Fang Yan's family visits more frequently, so there's no real difference. But things are different now, Fang Yan and Zhu Lin are directly offering to buy them a car.

Zhu Lin buying a motorcycle is understandable; it's not expensive.

The fact that Fang Yan was directly offering to buy a car for his father-in-law was something he had never heard of from his other colleagues.

"Isn't that a bit inappropriate? Motorcycles are fine, but isn't a sedan a bit too high-profile?" Zhu Guangnan said to Fang Yan.

Fang Yan said to him:
"I'm not flashy; the style I bought is very understated."

Having said that, he pointed at Hu Daohu:

"If you don't believe me, you can ask Lao Hu; he knows a lot about cars."

Upon hearing the dialect, Old Hu immediately started talking and said:
"Indeed, the Volvo 264... is indeed very understated. The design of this car was specifically created for Erich Honecker in East Germany."

"Erich Onnac drove a special custom version of this car. It's square and proper, not flashy at all. You'll see when you see it."

Upon hearing that it was the same car used by foreign leaders, the father-in-law almost jumped up. He didn't care about its understated design; it was still too ostentatious!

And how can you tell just by looking? Has it already been purchased?

But at that moment, Fang Yan corrected him:
“The basic model and the customized model are not the same. Just like the radar you are researching, although the names are similar, the performance of the basic model is definitely completely different from that of the customized model.”

He could also tell that his father-in-law was a little nervous.

Old Hu immediately understood and added:

"Yes, yes, the customized version requires bulletproof and gas-proof features, while the basic version meets general usage requirements. Apart from the same name, the specifications are different in other aspects. In short, it is very low-key."

Zhu Lin, standing to the side, looked at his father's expression and said:

"Anyway, the telegram has already been sent to Hong Kong. If you don't want it when it comes back, just donate it to the school!"

Upon hearing her daughter's words, Zhu Guangnan said:

"That won't do! My son-in-law bought it, what kind of logic is it to donate it to the school?"

Comrade Old Zhu isn't that enlightened. This car cost him a lot of his salary, and he even bought it with foreign exchange. Donate it? Let the school leaders drive it? Has he gone mad?!

After saying that, he explained:

"Oh, you don't understand. I'm just afraid of being too high-profile and attracting attention."

"If you ask me, I'd be lucky to have a green Jeep. As for a sedan... I'm not a boss..."

Comrade Zhu felt a deep sense of unworthiness, as if driving a car was a violation of some fundamental law.

Zhu Lin said:

"This is all money we earned ourselves, and it's all aboveboard and can withstand scrutiny. So don't overthink it. If you feel it's too high-profile, just park your car further away."

Fangyan was also left speechless and exasperated by his father-in-law.

But that makes sense. His driving was approved by Director Liao, and even the leaders of the Ministry of Health knew about it. The health department and the foreign affairs department, two top-level departments, had no objections.

In addition, this car was a gift from Lao Hu.

Who dares to say that people who speak in a dialect are not qualified to drive a car?

But his father-in-law doesn't have such a strong backing. If someone were to say that he has questionable conduct, his father-in-law would be in a bad mood.

But then again, the car was a gift from Fangyan. If he says the father-in-law has a problem with his conduct, then he's saying Fangyan has a problem. In the current situation, who would be so bored as to target Fangyan?

Zhu Weiguo was worried about not being able to find an accomplice for Huang Qiming online.

If someone steps forward at this point, Zhu Guangnan will definitely be fine, but the person who steps forward will probably be thoroughly investigated.

The funds for the car purchase were legal, and the gifting was procedurally sound, so the father-in-law really didn't need to be afraid.

Moreover, once the reforms begin in a few months, the number of cars in Beijing will increase rapidly.

However, he still had to offer some advice, so he said to his father-in-law:
“Dad, think about it. To put it bluntly, a car is just a means of transportation. Look how miserable it is to go out in the wind and rain. With a car, you can suffer less. Isn’t that better than anything else?”

"We need to keep moving forward in the future. We'll improve our lives with the money we earn ourselves. We're not stealing or robbing, so what's there to be afraid of? Look at me and Lao Hu, aren't we driving around every day?"

"From now on, there will only be more and more cars on the streets. They look novel now, but in two years they will be commonplace."

“You’re an expert in radar research, how many urgent matters at your unit need your attention? Having a car will save you so much travel time. This isn’t about showing off; it’s about having a helper for your work.”

"If anyone goesssips, just say it's because I, as your son-in-law, feel sorry for you as you get older and want to make you suffer less. What younger generation is being filial to their elders? How could anyone say anything wrong about that?"

"Your health is more important than anything else. This car is for convenience and peace of mind, not for showing off. If anyone goesssips, let them come and ask me. I have all the invoices and contracts here, and every penny I paid for is clean. If they can find a fault with me, I'll argue with them."

Hearing Fang Yan's words, the father-in-law felt a surge of confidence, but he still said, "I'm just afraid of causing you trouble..."

"Of course not," Fang Yan said with a smile.

"Don't worry about using it. If anything happens, I'll take care of it. You should focus on using this car to make more research results. That's more important than anything else. That's the real thing you should be concerned about."

The dialect even included a final mention of "hoping one's father becomes a dragon" (a Chinese idiom meaning to wish one's father success).

After saying that, Fang Yan said to his father:

"Dad, you're the same!"

When the old man heard the dialect, he smiled and said:

"You don't need to worry about me!"

Fang Yan was taken aback, then realized that his father's experience was much more intense than his father-in-law's.

He has a clearer sense of boundaries here, and he collects motorcycles, which is much more low-key.

"My daughter-in-law bought me a car, I'm overjoyed!" the old man said with a smile.

Seeing Lao Fang's attitude, Comrade Zhu relaxed.

Instead, she felt proud that her daughter had married a good husband.

What a wonderful son-in-law!

Several colleagues at work always complain about how filial their sons are, bringing home two pounds of meat on weekends. Now, their sons-in-law have bought them cars. If word got out, they'd be astonished.

Fang Yan is not only honest in his words, but also sincere in his actions. He knows how hard it is for him to travel to the research institute, braving wind and rain.

Professor Zhu was still a little dazed, as if he were walking on cotton. He had lived most of his life and never dreamed that he could ride in his own family's car. It was his son-in-law who earned it through hard work, not by taking advantage of any crooked means.

He secretly glanced at Lao Fang next to him and saw that Lao Fang looked completely at ease. The knot in his heart that he felt "unworthy" slowly untied.

That's true. My daughter has good taste; she married a capable and sensible man. This isn't about marrying up; it's a blessing that my daughter earned herself.

Besides, the dialect makes sense. Life has to move forward, and we can't keep living with old ideas forever.

Thinking of this, he touched the stubble on his chin, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up.

When the car finally comes back, I'll drive it to the research institute to show it off. It's not to show off, but to let those old friends see how caring their son-in-law is.

From now on, if I work late, I won't have to wait for that slow bus anymore. I can just step on the gas and get here. The time saved can be used to draw a couple more blueprints, and maybe I can get that new radar working sooner.

Thinking about it this way, my previous concerns about it being "too high-profile" have faded considerably.

The car is a good car, the person is a good person, and my daughter made the right choice in marrying him.

While eating at the same table, Song Jian listened to what Fang Yan and his wife were saying and was somewhat surprised by the amount of gifts they had given.

While playing mahjong today, she basically learned about Fang Yan and his wife's situation. Fang Yan treats the illnesses of overseas Chinese businessmen who have returned to China, helps the country attract investment, and also opened a pharmaceutical company with Lao Hu, another overseas Chinese businessman, earning foreign exchange from abroad.

Moreover, Zhu Lin is no ordinary person. Despite being heavily pregnant and spending her days idly at home, her books are published in several countries abroad and are quite popular.

This couple is truly amazing. Song Jian felt like she was witnessing a completely different path in life, it was simply incredible.

But for now, she could only bury herself in her food.

……

After lunch, Fang Yan resumed her work of organizing ancient books. At 4:30 p.m., the phone rang at home. Fang Yan answered the phone and found it was the Ministry of Health calling.

On the other end of the phone was Secretary Huang, who spoke to Fang Yan:

"We've already arranged a time, 7:30 pm at the Ministry of Health. Director Fang and Mr. Hu, please be on time."

After hearing this, Fang Yan glanced at his watch and said:

"7:30, okay! We'll be there on time."

However, he did not expect that the other party would also ask Lao Hu to go over.

But thinking about it, it makes sense. Hu Daohu was a key figure in this, and his presence would make things much easier.

Next, Fang Yan called Lao Hu over and told his family that he wouldn't be having dinner at home tonight, and that he would be driving off at 6:30.

"Then I'll save some food for you," the older sister said to Fang Yan.

Fang Yan thought for a moment and nodded, saying:

"Okay, hold the meeting at that time. Maybe the leaders will have already eaten by then."

He originally planned to have dinner after the meeting, but he doesn't go to the Ministry of Health often, so who knows if he'll be able to have dinner there.

If everyone else eats, won't Lao Hu and I go hungry?

Tonight, all the leaders were going to a meeting. Fang Yan washed up, changed into a new outfit, and then drove the car to the Xiehe parking lot. After that, he and Lao Hu headed towards the Xicheng District Health Department.

At 6:30 in Beijing, the sun was sinking towards the western horizon, casting its last golden-red glow on the gray tiles of the alleyways.

The old locust trees by the roadside cast shadows, and the cicadas' chirping hadn't stopped, mixed with the crisp "ding-a-ling" of bicycle bells.

There's a special kind of lazy feeling that comes with summer.

Just past the evening rush hour, the number of bicycles on the road had thinned out, and occasionally a green bus would slowly pass by.

A middle-aged woman riding a bicycle with a child on the back was pedaling hard. The child on the back was licking a nearly melted popsicle with his tongue. When he saw Fang Yan's car, he looked at Fang Yan and Lao Hu with curious eyes.

Fang Yan smiled at the child, and the other person smiled back at him.

When Fang Yan arrived at No. 1 Xizhimenwai South Road in Xicheng District, where the Ministry of Health is located, he parked his car in the same old spot and walked towards the entrance of the Ministry of Health. It was already past closing time for ordinary workplaces, but the entrance here was still open.

People were still coming and going. Fang Yan went in, wondering whether to wait downstairs for a while or go directly to the Vice Minister of Health. He wondered if Director Liao and the others had arrived yet. Just as he was thinking, he saw a familiar figure. It was Aunt Wang, who had arranged for him to work at Tongrentang when he returned last year.

She should be getting ready to leave work right now, coming downstairs and walking outside.

Fang Yan told Lao Hu to wait a moment, and he called out loudly:
"Aunt Wang!" (See Chapter 5.)
Upon hearing the voice, Wang Huiyuan was startled. Seeing the dialect, she exclaimed in surprise:
"Oh dear, this... this isn't a dialect!"

"Aunt Wang, it's been a long time!" Fang Yan replied.

Wang Huiyuan smiled and nodded repeatedly, saying to him:
“You’ve really made something of yourself. You’ve been back for just one year and you’re already a renowned doctor in the capital.”

He said in dialect:

"Hey, you flatter me. You were the one who helped me get this job back then, and I haven't even thanked you yet!"

Aunt Wang said:
"Oh, don't be so formal. Your mother and I are good friends, and you even treated our relative's illness last time, didn't you?"

Fang Yan remembered that she was Aunt Wang Huiyuan's niece; she had come looking for him before. (See Chapter 545)
Wang Huiyuan asked in dialect:

"By the way, what are you doing here?"

He said in dialect:

"There's a meeting at 7:30."

Wang Huiyuan said with some surprise:

"7:30? Isn't it 7:30 that the vice minister and the others have a meeting?"

she asked:
"You want to participate too!"

He said in dialect:

"I don't know if it's the same meeting you mentioned."

A hint of surprise flashed across Wang Huiyuan's face as she said:

"That must be it. I was just setting up the meeting room."

Fang Yan said to Wang Huiyuan:
"Thank you for your hard work!"

Wang Huiyuan twitched the corners of her mouth, feeling somewhat incredulous. A year ago, the young man who was still looking for her to arrange a job was now here waiting to have a meeting with several leaders from the Ministry of Health and other departments.

It was like a dream to her.

In the blink of an eye, He Huiru's son, who used to beg her to arrange a job, has fallen to this state.

"Sister Wang, what are you chatting about? Aren't you off work yet?" Someone called out to Wang Huiyuan from behind.

"I ran into a friend's child," Wang Huiyuan said, turning around.

The other person was also a woman, and upon closer inspection of the young man in front of Wang Huiyuan, she exclaimed in surprise:

"Oh, this is... a dialect!"

After seeing Fang Yan's face, she said:
"It really is!"

"Hello, Comrade Fang Yan!" The woman came up and greeted Fang Yan.

Fang Yan responded briefly, and then the other person asked Wang Huiyuan:
"Sister Wang, you even know dialects?"

“His mother and I are friends!” Wang Huiyuan said.

Upon hearing this, the woman gave a thumbs-up and sincerely praised:
"Wow, Sister Wang has quite the connections!"

Wang Huiyuan was both amused and exasperated. Back when He Huiru first met her, other people had said the same thing about her, but now the tables had turned.

Just as everyone was about to start chatting, another voice rang out:
"Fang Yan! Mr. Hu!"

Fang Yan turned around and saw that it was Director Liao coming over.

Wang Huiyuan and the woman quickly stepped aside, making way for Fang Yan and Director Liao's group.

"Director Liao!"

"Director Liao, you've arrived." Fang Yan and Lao Hu greeted Director Liao.

Director Liao nodded and said to Fang Yan:
"You need to have a meeting about your project approval, so I took some time out of my schedule to come today."

Fang Yan cupped his hands in greeting and said repeatedly:
"You have worked hard."

Old Hu also went up and shook hands with him.

Director Liao waved his hand:

"By the way, the 'Once Upon a Time in China' movie you guys made was pretty good. If it's suitable, you could find the original cast and make a sequel."

"You watch movies too?" Old Hu asked in surprise.

Director Liao said:
"Of course I watched it! The movie was so interesting!"

After saying that, he beckoned to them:

"Come on, let's go up to the office and talk about it slowly."

Then they walked upstairs to the office.

"Aunt Wang, I have to go now, goodbye!" Fang Yan didn't forget to say goodbye to Wang Huiyuan.

Wang Huiyuan waved her hand, only then realizing that the topic of tonight's meeting was actually a meeting on the establishment of a dialect project. She had thought he was just there to sit in, but it turned out he was the main person in charge today.

Moreover, according to Director Liao, the movie "Once Upon a Time in China" is related to dialects?
Good grief, what's going on here?

She was stunned for a moment.

I feel like I know too little about the dialect. This child seems to be not only skilled in medicine, but also developing exceptionally well in other areas.

I need to go and have a good talk with He Huiru later.

……

Fang Yan, Lao Hu, and Director Liao went upstairs to their office. The Vice Minister of Health was on the phone at that moment. When he saw Fang Yan and Director Liao arrive, he told his secretary to make tea.

Secretary Huang quickly went to serve tea and water.

After a while, the deputy minister finished his call and said to Fang Yan and the others:

"It's almost time, shall we go to the conference room?"

Fang Yan checked the time and realized it was almost 7:30.

So he stood up, called Lao Hu, and then went to the conference room with the two leaders.

The leader in charge of science and technology and foreign cooperation also arrived at this moment.

This was also Lao Hu's first time attending such a meeting, but he wasn't nervous at all.

After entering the conference room, Vice Minister Li from the Ministry of Health, who had brought them in, first introduced them to everyone.

Vice Minister Qiu, one of the several vice ministers of the Ministry of Health.

There's also Director Sun from the Science and Technology Department.

Vice Minister Qiu had met Fang Yan once before. He was probably in his fifties, with a round face and a perpetually smiling expression.

Director Sun, on the other hand, was the opposite extreme. He was thin, looked serious, and appeared to be in his forties.

Six people were sitting around the oval table.

Vice Minister Li of the Ministry of Health was in the center, with Director Liao on his left and Vice Minister Qiu of the Ministry of Health and Director Sun of the Science and Technology Department on his right. Fang Yan and Lao Hu sat opposite him.

Secretary Huang was distributing the revised project proposal to everyone.

Vice Minister Li adjusted his glasses and got straight to the point:
"Today's main discussion will focus on Comrade Fang Yan's project on tackling key technological challenges in the internationalization of traditional Chinese medicine. I have read the report, and its direction aligns with national strategy, but there are a few key issues that need clarification."

He turned to Director Liao:

"Old Liao, you know best the foundation of cooperation in Southeast Asia, why don't you tell me first?"

Director Liao nodded, opened the report, and pointed to the data column:
"The data from the Southeast Asian market is very solid. The digestive patch has been registered as a traditional medicine in Malaysia, and the calming sachet has been filed with the Singapore Department of Health. In the first nineteen days after its launch, the average monthly sales amounted to US$12."

"More importantly, the Lim family in Malaysia has signed a letter of intent for cooperation. In addition, the European channel was also finalized by Isabella DuPont, the vice president of the European Rhine Pharmaceuticals Group, some time ago. Mr. Hu was in charge of the negotiations, and I am basically aware of the progress. The detailed report is here, which shows that the project has a commercially viable prospect."

"We need to develop more products to enrich our product line and expand our market."

After listening, Vice Minister Qiu of the Ministry of Health nodded.

Seeing that he had no objections, Vice Minister Li said:
"The channel communication and Mr. Hu have already been established. Now all we need to do is expand the product line. In fact, we have already solved a very big problem."

At this moment, Director Sun of the Science and Technology Department suddenly interjected, tapping on the "Talent Recruitment" section with his finger, and said:
"Let's put aside your channel for now... but 40 professional positions? No pharmaceutical research institute in the country is expanding that many positions at once! Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine applied for three new toxicology analysis positions at the beginning of the year, and they still haven't been approved!"

After saying that, he turned his head and said to Fang Yan:

"Comrade Fang Yan, as far as I know, your research institute isn't that big. How can you possibly accommodate so many people at once? Can your management keep up?"

“Every unit needs talent these days. You’re asking for forty people at once. I’m not saying this, but it’s really too much. And you’re targeting top talent from all over the country. You… I really don’t dare to give them to you. I’ve already promised them, but the local governments can’t agree to it.”

As soon as Director Sun finished speaking, the air in the conference room suddenly froze.

The sound of Secretary Huang adding tea was exceptionally clear. Just as Fang Yan was about to speak, Director Liao coughed lightly and spoke first:

"Director Sun's concerns are reasonable, and the staffing is indeed tight. But let's do the math. Last year, Guangzhou Pharmaceutical University needed 3 positions for basic teaching, while the dialect team of 40 people is directly involved in international standard verification! The $120,000 monthly revenue from the Southeast Asian market in 19 days is right there. If we enrich the product line and open up European channels, the potential for foreign exchange earnings will increase more than tenfold."

Vice Minister Li then picked up the conversation, saying:

"The talent shortage does need to be addressed, but Director Sun's concerns should also be taken seriously."

He suddenly turned to Vice Minister Qiu:
"Old Qiu, you used to manage pharmaceutical factories in local areas. Tell me, what do pharmaceutical companies lack most right now?"

With a smile, Vice Minister Qiu pondered for a moment and said:

"We lack the ability to commercialize technology! Last year, the Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Factory's 'Jiuxin Dan' (a traditional Chinese medicine) was stuck at customs because it couldn't pass the purity test."

He glanced at Director Sun, his tone subtly shifting:
"But Comrade Xiao Fang, if the staffing quota of 40 people is reduced all at once, local colleges and universities might be in for an earthquake!"

He paused, glanced at Director Sun, and then said with a smile:

"I think five is fine!"

He stretched out his hand and said to Fang Yan:

"Gathering five top talents from several places should be enough! We don't need that many people for product research. In fact, only a few people will ultimately achieve results, so this way everyone can be accountable!"

PS: The basic chapter of 6000 words has been updated.

(End of this chapter)