Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 1162 Business Principles and Devastating Strike: Gods Fight, Mortals Watch (Two-in-One Chapter)
As soon as the dialect was spoken, the tense atmosphere in the conference room suddenly relaxed.

Vice Minister Qiu immediately resumed his signature smiling expression.

He tapped his fingers lightly on the table twice, smoothing out the wrinkles on his round face, and clapped his hands, saying, "Good! Excellent! Young people should have this kind of sense of responsibility!"

"Old Sun, you see, I told you before the meeting that Comrade Xiao Fang has guts!"

He quickly tried to smooth things over, saying that since things had come to this point, they had no choice but to make themselves appear less repulsive.

However, Director Sun's serious expression did not completely disappear. He still had to handle the matter of the thirty people, and there would be no shortage of disputes. But since Director Liao had spoken up and Fang Yan had agreed to his conditions, his defiant spirit had been gone.

He stared at Fang Yan, his tone still carrying a businesslike caution:
"Alright, Comrade Fang Yan, since you've agreed, it's settled then. The Ministry's Science and Technology Department will draft the specific terms of the responsibility agreement for you to sign as soon as possible."

"And the compensation, Secretary Huang..." He turned to Secretary Huang, who was taking notes at the meeting, "We need to make sure the follow-up arrangements with the institute's finance department are clear, not a single penny can be overlooked."

Vice Minister Li visibly relaxed, a relieved smile appearing on his face as if he had achieved his goal. He leaned back slightly, taking over the reins of the meeting: "Director Sun's requirements are clear, that's excellent! The project is demanding, and with the rules in place, everyone can rest assured. Comrade Fang Yan..." He looked at Fang Yan, his tone becoming encouraging, "The responsibility agreement is both a pressure and a driving force. The Ministry of Health will fully support your efforts. The Ministry will issue a joint letter as soon as possible regarding the personnel list and transfer procedures, prioritizing the needs of your core positions."

Director Liao didn't say anything more, but nodded approvingly at Fang Yan, his eyes showing affirmation that "you did a good job."

His previous statement of "taking responsibility and reflecting" had successfully broken the deadlock, so there was no need for further words. The two had known each other for so long and had even been to Hong Kong together; a single glance was enough to convey everything.

Old Hu glanced around at everyone present and added:

"Please rest assured, leaders. The investment intentions from Europe are very clear. We have already drafted the agreement. As long as the new drug meets the standards, we will immediately start the construction of the laboratory with two million US dollars! Fang Yan will sign a letter of responsibility, and our company will also do its best to ensure the timely arrival of R&D funds and will never let the project be held back."

He reiterated the reliability of the funds and the urgency of the project, providing solid insurance for Fang Yan's promise: two million US dollars. Even if the European side couldn't provide it, he could come up with the funds by simply talking to his partner.

The Huo family in Hong Kong, the Wang family in Singapore, and the Zhou family in Malaysia are all capable of producing such families.

There are quite a few people who appreciate dialects.

Two million may sound like a lot, but with sufficient commercial value, the dialect is definitely worth that amount of investment.

Fang Yan faced the gazes of the crowd with a calm expression, though there was still a hint of solemnity after completing a crucial negotiation.

Of course, he was acting...

Today's negotiations have basically achieved his goals. He appeared solemn firstly, as a formal gesture of accepting such a significant responsibility, and secondly, because if he were to laugh now, Vice Minister Qiu and Director Sun would probably hold a grudge against him.

He responded to Director Sun and Vice Minister Li respectively, using a dialectal style:
"I will carefully review the letter of responsibility and sign it if there are no problems. I also thank the department and all the leaders for their trust and support, and I will certainly live up to their expectations."

Upon hearing Fang Yan's reply, everyone present nodded.

Next came the drafting of the document. Director Sun watched Secretary Huang draft it, carefully choosing each word to clearly state the responsibilities and requirements.

After finishing writing, Director Sun checked it word by word. His finger lingered on the line "accountability for technical failures" for a long time before he added, "If the delay is caused by management oversight, the same accountability will be pursued."

Then, Director Sun personally pushed the repeatedly verified letter of responsibility in front of Fang Yan.

Secretary Huang had already prepared dark red ink and placed it next to the document.

Fang Yan carefully read the contents and, after confirming that there were no hidden tricks, signed his name.

His expression was calm and composed, showing no signs of emotion, which made him appear very confident.

Director Sun stared intently as Fang Yan pressed his fingerprint on the document before barely relaxing his shoulders and neck.

He tapped the compensation clause with his finger and instructed Secretary Huang:
"Archive this original document, with the financial clauses marked separately, and send the document to the Huaxia Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine tomorrow."

Secretary Huang glanced at Vice Minister Li before nodding.

Vice Minister Qiu broke the silence with a chuckle: "Comrade Fang, you signed that quickly! Old Sun, the responsibility agreement is one thing, but the support our ministry should provide can't be delayed for a moment!" He then turned to Vice Minister Li and urged him:

"Old Li, we need to hurry up with the joint letter. The sooner the thirty key personnel are in place, the sooner that two million dollars from Europe will be in our pockets!"

I could tell from the dialect that he was putting pressure on himself.

Vice Minister Li immediately stated:
"The list will be finalized within three days! Appointment letters for personnel transferred from each institute will be processed expedited simultaneously." He nodded to Fang Yan, his tone shifting to one of concrete support.

"For any institutes or departments that need coordination with Comrade Fang Yan, please have the project team contact my office directly."

"Besides top talent, just let me know if you need any other personnel, and I will definitely assemble the team for you."

Upon hearing the last sentence, Vice Minister Qiu's smile seemed to be paused, and the smile in his eyes quickly faded, replaced by a hint of vigilance and disbelief.

His heart skipped a beat:
"You old Li! You're playing word games! 'Top talents' are thirty fixed quotas coordinated by the ministry, but 'other personnel' is just a loophole you created yourself!"

"So all that arguing about those thirty was just an appetizer, and the main course is only just starting to arrive?!"

"Isn't this blatantly an attempt to circumvent staffing restrictions and allow Fang Yan to inflate the team size?!"

He looked at Director Liao, his facial muscles twitching slightly as he suppressed his astonishment and displeasure. Vice Minister Li had just mentioned this as well; forty top talents weren't enough, and Fang Yan was to handle the rest himself. But the solution was different from what he had envisioned!

Fang Yan overheard the leader's words and, being quick-witted, almost immediately grasped the deeper meaning behind Vice Minister Li's words.

This is not just a simple commitment of support, but an extra "backdoor" to supplement manpower outside the framework of the 30-person "core staffing", giving him great flexibility and initiative.

He inwardly praised Vice Minister Li's brilliant strategy, but outwardly remained calm and composed, giving Vice Minister Li a slight nod, his words clear and restrained:
"Thank you for your trust and support, Minister Li. With your words, I have more confidence in building the team. If we encounter any shortage of key personnel or special skill requirements in the future, we will definitely apply to you and the ministry for assistance and coordination in a timely manner."

His words were actually quite sophisticated, perfectly worded. He expressed his gratitude for the support, clarified the boundaries of the "application," and firmly held the initiative in his own hands without showing any smugness or greed, thus avoiding further provoking Qiu and Sun's side.

Moreover, if he were to make any moves, he would target the people in the club, who are all from Peking Union Medical College Hospital or research institutes. Fang Yan's idea is to find them to do work, pay them after they finish, and then they would remain in their original units.

It's not just Peking Union Medical College Hospital or research institutes; they all definitely only support doing this for dialects.

The club staff would definitely be happy to accept it.

Hearing the answer in dialect, Vice Minister Li was quite satisfied.

Fang Yan accurately understood the intention and made a mature and appropriate statement, which made him feel much more at ease about the execution of the project.

He nodded with an encouraging smile on his face and said:
"Yes, just let us know whenever you need to! The Ministry of Health is the project's support team, so you don't need to worry about coordination."

Director Sun's brows furrowed even more deeply, almost imperceptibly.

Vice Minister Li's words were tantamount to tearing open another hole in the established rules, making him feel that the binding force of the previous restrictive clauses, liability agreements, and compensation payments had been reduced.

He subconsciously glanced again at the original liability agreement he had just signed, tapped his hand on the table, and spoke with a hint of displeasure and a reiteration of the binding agreement:
"Minister Li's coordination and support are necessary, but the foundation is still this core team of thirty people! The responsibility agreement has been signed, and that's an ironclad rule! The task objectives, personnel structure, and compensation standards must all be stated in black and white in the document, and no one can be ambiguous about it!"

His sharp gaze swept over Fang Yan and Vice Minister Li, finally settling on Secretary Huang:

"Secretary Huang! All attachments, especially the basic framework reached at today's meetings, including the thirty staff lists, the clauses of the responsibility agreements, and the details of the compensation, must be written into the final ministry letter word for word! Tomorrow, along with the project approval document, it must be sent to the Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Department of Science and Technology for filing, and copied to all relevant units! Don't leave any ambiguity; clearly state whose responsibility it is!"

There's nothing wrong with what he said, but saying it at this moment makes him seem a bit vulnerable.

Vice Minister Qiu quickly adjusted his expression and put on a professional smile again.

Vice Minister Li had already spoken, and it would be unwise to directly refute him, so he chose to "shift the blame":
"Oh dear, that's just how Old Sun talks. It might not be pleasant to hear, but there's nothing wrong with it. Once the rules are set, you have to follow them!"

He turned his attention to Vice Minister Li, half-jokingly and half-seriously "shirking" responsibility:

"Old Li, now that you've said that, if the local units complain again when Comrade Fang needs other personnel, I, as the coordinating deputy minister, will have to bring them to your office! You'll have to personally handle things then!"

Vice Minister Qiu is implying that Vice Minister Li is solely responsible for the additional personnel coordination promised.

"No problem!" Vice Minister Li readily agreed.
"Anyone who contributes to the project, whether it's my office or my home, I'll chat with them over tea!"

He looked at Fang Yan:

"Comrade Fang, remember this: whether you're a top talent or just anyone, as long as you're doing the work, you're considered part of the project's workforce. Having enough personnel and being able to win the battle are the real issues. As for what the locals think..."

He abruptly changed the subject, his tone becoming more assertive:
“My office door is always open. If anyone has a problem, tell them to bring a roster and we’ll go over it point by point: Which position is redundant? Which person shouldn’t be here? If they can give a reason, I’ll transfer them immediately; if they can’t, then they shouldn’t be delaying the country from making money!”

The last sentence, "The country makes money," was spoken with particular emphasis.

After saying that, he picked up his teacup, took a slow sip, and the lid made a crisp sound as it touched the rim of the cup.

Vice Minister Li, representing the interests of the Ministry of Health and the reformists, saw the dialect project as a key move to overcome resistance from conservatives and propel the pharmaceutical industry towards internationalization.

Vice Minister Qiu wanted to shift the blame and push all the trouble of coordinating "other personnel" onto Vice Minister Li, which, to put it bluntly, was to weaken his control over the project.

Vice Minister Li's strong response was a direct rebuttal to this political probing, clearly stating, "I'm in charge of this project, and nobody can interfere."

In fact, he was telling Fang Yan, "As long as the people you find are reliable, I will block all the messy interference from the locals," so that he could freely form a team.

Furthermore, his constant mentions of "fighting" and "whether there are enough soldiers" were also a veiled criticism of Qiu and Sun for engaging in internal strife instead of sending support to the front lines. Many of those present were veterans of the war, and everyone understood the implication of his words.

These two were dragging their feet and making excuses. They finally got the project settled, but now they're trying to trip up Fang Yan by asking "who will manage the other staff?" This is crossing a line.

Fang Yan is at least one of his people, and Director Sun's words were one thing, but is this never going to end? Does he really think he can take advantage of a little kindness?
Vice Minister Qiu coughed lightly and smiled somewhat awkwardly.

Director Liao then raised his hand to check the time and said:
"It's getting late. We've completed all the core agenda items for the project initiation, and the documents have been signed. If there's nothing else, shall we call it a day?"

Seeing that Vice Minister Qiu had stopped speaking, Vice Minister Li stood up and gave a summary:

"Alright! It's settled then! Meeting adjourned!"

Director Sun immediately organized the documents in front of him, his expression remaining serious.

Vice Minister Qiu also stood up. Although he was displeased, he still put on a show and smiled at Fang Yan and Lao Hu: "Comrade Fang, Mr. Hu, it's up to you two! Hurry up!"

Old Hu readily agreed, "Don't worry, leaders, we'll race against time!"

Fang Yan responded, "I will do my best."

Director Liao put down his teacup and stood up as well.

Upon seeing this, Secretary Huang immediately stepped forward and quickly gathered and filed the materials.

Then, each person left the meeting room in turn, their thoughts varied. Vice Minister Li said he was seeing Director Liao and Fang Yan out, so he went downstairs with them.

It was already dark outside, and after seeing that there was no one else around, Vice Minister Li spoke first:
"Old Liao, we've finally broken the ice today. They'll probably be keeping a close eye on the project and finding fault with it. Keep an eye on your international channels. If there are any new developments in European regulations, let Fang Yan know in advance."

Director Liao smiled and said:

"Don't worry, I'll just have someone say something to him later, and he'll shut up."

Hearing Director Liao's words, everyone was taken aback.

Well, they're not even fighting; they're just going to use a dimensional reduction attack.

In all calculations, Director Liao certainly has the ability.

Just now, Vice Minister Li was brainstorming, thinking about how to deal with the other side's subsequent moves.

As a result, Director Liao decided to deal with it simply and brutally.

“It didn’t have to be like this. You know my temper; I don’t like doing this kind of thing. If we could have reached an agreement today, then we would have let it go. But what he said afterwards made me a little uncomfortable,” Director Liao said.

Vice Minister Li was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled: "You're still as direct as ever."

He glanced at the lights in the office building behind him and said:
"That works too, it'll save us a lot of trouble."

Upon hearing this, neither Fang Yan nor Lao Hu remained silent.

They then realized that this was a battle of gods.

Director Liao glanced at his watch: "Alright, it's getting late, you should all head back now."

"Okay!" Everyone nodded.

Next, Fang Yan and Lao Hu went across the street to get their car, started it, and headed home.

After getting into the car, Fang Yan couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief:

"call……"

This was the first time he had ever held a meeting of this scale.

"How are you? Are you alright?" Old Hu asked Fang Yan.

Fang Yan smiled and said:
"Fortunately."

He loosened his grip on the steering wheel, and seeing the Ministry of Health building receding into the distance in the rearview mirror, he let out a sneer.
"What Director Liao said just now was like a thunderbolt. I understand now. When it really comes down to it, there's no need to argue with them about the staffing regulations. Just cheat them out of it."

"With Director Liao around, we have the leverage to cheat!"

"That's because of the different levels."

Old Hu nodded and responded in dialect:
"I've attended quite a few meetings since I came back, but this is the first time I've encountered a meeting like this. The two sides are at loggerheads, engaging in a battle of wits both overtly and covertly."

Fang Yan asked him:
"Aren't you in business? Isn't this how you talk business with people?"

Lao Hu said:

"It's different. In business, at most, if you can't reach an agreement, you part ways. This is different..."

He asked in dialect:

"What's the difference?"

Hu responded:
"If you're not careful, you could end up being unfairly blamed."

"Hahaha!" Fang Yan laughed.

Hearing Fang Yan laughing, Lao Hu said:

"If you ask me, there's absolutely no need to sign that thing. It's like a contract of servitude. Even if we don't agree, Director Liao will definitely speak up for us."

He said in dialect:

"If we're going to sign, Director Liao won't act unless we're pushed to the limit. Besides, their demands aren't unreasonable, so I have to make my stance clear."

Lao Hu said:

"Actually, I was just thinking that if all else fails, we can set up a research institute in Malaysia or Hong Kong. We can find a lot of talent there too. Their excuses are making it seem like we owe them money."

He said in dialect:

"That's the worst possible strategy. If we operate in an unregulated area, it becomes our own company, completely bypassing the domestic authorities. If people accuse us of betraying our country, it will be difficult to explain."

Old Hu nodded. Fang Yan's words made sense, which was why he said he only used this plan out of necessity.

It only provided a Plan B.

Then he asked in dialect:

"By the way, with these personnel being transferred here, will the local authorities do anything about it?"

He said in dialect:

“There will definitely be some considerations in the selection process, but we have a record of top talents. What we want are the top people in each field. Even if we have to make moves, we can only select from within one circle.”

"It's like when the higher-ups order two people from our class to go out and see patients, and they have to be from the Wenbing school of thought. So there are only a few people we can choose from. Even if we choose someone who is slightly less capable, they can't be that bad."

Old Hu nodded:

"I understand what you mean..."

Then he asked:
"By the way, they'll provide the thirty people, but you can choose the rest yourself. Have you decided who you want to choose?"

"Do you remember the club we set up before?" Fang Yan asked rhetorically.

Old Hu was taken aback, and after thinking for a moment, he asked:

"The Peking Union Medical College Hospital one? The China Medical Frontier Club?"

Nodding in dialect:

"Yes, not only them, but there is also a club at the Huaxia Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine. I plan to temporarily borrow these people from them. When needed, they will work at the institute, and after that, they will return directly to their original units."

"All we need to do is pay."

Old Hu said to the dialect:

"Just like you."

He laughed in dialect:

"Yes."

Fang Yan is indeed often seconded to other places for work, but the only difference is that he is a core person who takes the lead in the work, and those who are seconded are the main persons in charge.

They are the kind of people who can't work without him.

It was similar to the work done on the Imperial Medical Prescriptions Collection at that time.

Old Hu thought about it and realized it was a good idea.

The only downside is that these people seem unstable and they might be more prone to leaking information.

Of course, this will definitely be taken into consideration when selecting people.

The two then returned home.

The family had already eaten dinner and were all doing their own things—chatting, playing games, watching TV, and playing mahjong.

Upon seeing Fang Yan and the others return, everyone greeted them. Old Hu's wife asked him:
"Why are you so late? Were you drinking outside?"

Lao Hu said:

"During the meeting, we only talked and didn't eat anything."

"You haven't eaten yet? That's perfect! I'll bring it over for you right away!" the older sister said immediately upon hearing this.

Amidst the clinking of enamel bowls, the eldest sister brought the braised pork, still warm on the coal stove, to the table, the oil droplets gently trembling in the dark brown broth.

"I just stewed it this afternoon. I know you two are busy, so I specially left most of the pot."

The older sister had already predicted that they would have no food when they arrived.

She quickly ladled out two bowls of white rice.

Fang Yan took a bite of rice, and the chunks of meat with alternating layers of fat and lean meat melted in his mouth. Only then did he feel his nerves, which had been tense all night, truly relax.

"It sounds like the project isn't going well?" Zhu Lin walked over and asked Fang Yan and Lao Hu.

Old Hu was gnawing on a piece of pork rib when he mumbled incoherently:
"It went smoothly, but the process was a bit tortuous."

"After the meeting, the two of us were left with a debt of two million US dollars."

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

(End of this chapter)