Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 1160 A Battle of Wits, a Broken Bonus Chapter for Monthly Tickets
Forty people bargained down to five, almost to the point of "rounding down" the price.

Vice Minister Qiu, who was all smiles, seemed to be trying to mediate the situation, but everyone knew that if things were done his way, there would be no need for this meeting at all.

Vice Minister Li can approve things directly.

Inside the meeting room, after Vice Minister Qiu made his "five" proposals, the air seemed to freeze for a moment.

Five?

Director Liao and Vice Minister Li frowned slightly as they glanced at Vice Minister Qiu. Was this guy joking?
The report clearly states that people are needed in all aspects. The dialect team needs more than five positions; five people cannot even cover one person per position.

This is far from meeting the research institute's urgent need to conduct research on standards across multiple product lines and fields.

Didn't you read the report?

Was it intentional?
They glanced at Director Sun beside them and immediately understood.

This was planned before the meeting; they were prepared to drastically lower the price!
At this moment, Fang Yan took a deep breath, leaned forward slightly, and looked intently at Vice Minister Qiu and Director Sun, maintaining a sincere and firm expression on his face.

"Thank you for your guidance, Vice Minister Qiu and Director Sun," Fang Yan said, his voice calm and steady. "You two are absolutely right. We have to take into account the tight staffing situation and the local sentiments, and ultimately, the breakthrough really depends on the core backbone."

He changed the subject, pointing precisely at the name of the key department in the report:

"However, leaders, the current situation is that we are not facing a single product challenge, but a systemic breakthrough in the entire compound Chinese medicine system! Just like launching a group charge on the front line, relying on just a few machine gunners is not enough. We need a whole squad and platoon to coordinate operations to build fortifications, transport ammunition, and clear the surrounding obstacles. That is, it is the cooperation of these professionals."

Director Sun nodded: "We understand the demand, but that being said, forty positions are indeed too many, and five people are not a small number either. They have three of us in Guangzhou..."

The dialect immediately cut off the conversation, the speaking speed increased but the logic remained clear:

"Director Sun, the international situation is not good right now. Although everyone is polite on the surface, European regulations are high barriers and Japan is eyeing us covetously. This is not a test, but a battle for international discourse power for traditional Chinese medicine! We have established channels at the beginning, which is like building a bridgehead. But if the subsequent personnel and supplies cannot keep up, not only will we not be able to hold the position, but the initial investment will also become a sunk cost! The channels in Europe and the trust network established in Southeast Asia need to be consolidated with subsequent results!"

Director Liao nodded at the opportune moment and said in a deep voice:

"Comrade Fang's concerns are not without merit. The international market is constantly changing, and opportunities wait for no one. The cooperation we have worked so hard to achieve needs strong support from the rear to consolidate and expand our gains."

"If we give up, Japan will be waiting for its chance. We're in a situation where there's no turning back now. If we back down even a little, they'll take over the market. We're competing with them for the market now."

Vice Minister Li frowned slightly, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, his eyes fixed on Vice Minister Qiu, waiting for him to speak.

Director Sun waved his hand:

"Comrade Liao, please don't get agitated!"

He said with a look of agreement:

“I completely understand what you’re saying, but we still need to consider other organizations. Everyone says their own work is important, but there’s only so much talent. If Fang Yan’s research institute wants him, will other organizations still want him?”

"Vice Minister Qiu!" Suddenly, Vice Minister Li turned to him and called out.

Vice Minister Qiu, who hadn't been planning to speak, was startled when called upon. Vice Minister Li said:

“You are a veteran in the pharmaceutical research system and know best what major pharmaceutical companies and research institutes lack most. You mentioned before that local pharmaceutical companies lack ‘technology transfer capabilities,’ which requires the coordinated support of the entire chain to make up for it! We fully understand the difficulty of coordinating these five core top backbone positions you proposed. These five positions are indeed the backbone of fighting tough battles and require many people.”

"Forty is too many, but five is too few. How about thirty? Thirty people would be about right. Let's all compromise!"

"I'll let Fang Yan and the others handle the ten empty positions themselves."

Upon hearing this, Vice Minister Qiu's smile faded slightly, and he lightly traced circles on the table with his finger.
"Thirty?... Old Li, this isn't about each side making concessions, it's about setting up artillery on my side."

He looked up at Director Sun and said, "Which local Chinese medicine research institute isn't eyeing the quota? Last year, the Shanghai Institute of Pharmaceutical Research applied for twenty positions, and only eight were approved, which were even distributed over two years."

Director Sun immediately replied:
“Vice Minister Qiu is right. Thirty positions mean we have to draw key personnel from at least six or seven provinces and cities. We’ll have to send out a whole stack of coordination letters. Local governments will definitely have objections. We can’t just break the balance of the national pharmaceutical research system for the sake of one project, can we?”

He paused, then shifted his tone to dialect:

"Comrade Xiao Fang, can your research institute's facilities and equipment accommodate thirty people at once? What if there aren't enough labs when people arrive? Wouldn't that be a waste of resources?"

Before the dialect could be picked up, Vice Minister Li said:

"Don't worry about that. I approved their research institute plan. It can accommodate not only thirty people, but three hundred people. If that's not enough, I can expand it immediately."

Old Hu, who was standing to the side, finally understood that Vice Minister Qiu and Director Sun were in cahoots.

They are a different group.

At this moment, Lao Hu also said:
"Our European partners said that if we can come up with three new drugs that meet the standards, they are willing to invest an additional two million US dollars to build an internationally certified laboratory. These thirty people are actually earning a laboratory for the country."

Vice Minister Qiu and Director Sun were caught off guard by Hu's sudden attack. They were both stunned:
Two million dollars?

Vice Minister Li said:

"Comrades, these thirty people are not simply 'wasting resources,' but can generate revenue and technology. Here's what I'll do: I'll have the Ministry of Health take the lead in sending a joint letter to the local authorities, explaining that this is a key national project, and that the personnel transferred will be considered 'supporting national construction,' and they will receive bonus points in the year-end performance evaluation. Surely the local authorities will cooperate then?"

Vice Minister Qiu stroked the rim of his teacup, not immediately expressing his opinion.

Director Sun frowned, his expression softening slightly, and finally he said:

"Thirty is still too many... how about fifteen?"

Discount?
He said in dialect:

“Leader, the internationalization of traditional Chinese medicine requires passing three hurdles: component testing, efficacy verification, and dosage form modification. Each hurdle requires at least a team of five people, and thirty is just enough to form a special task force. Even one more would be too much. Look at Tsumura Pharmaceuticals in Japan; their Kampo medicine standards research laboratory alone has fifty people. We have already compressed our resources to the bare minimum.”

PS: I've finished updating this chapter and my debts are paid off.

(End of this chapter)