Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 1171 Gathering Manpower to Build Strength in Southern Xinjiang, Returning Experts (Two-in-One Chapter)
After finishing the exam that afternoon, Fang Yan drove to the research institute.

I finally met Vice President Zhao Xiwu, whom I hadn't seen yesterday.

"You couldn't resist asking about the results anymore?"

“But I can’t find out about this from here; you’ll have to ask Professor Yue Meizhong,” Vice Dean Zhao Xiwu joked with Fang Yan after they met.

Fang Yan responded to him:

"I didn't come here to inquire about my exam results."

As he spoke, he took out the catalog of ancient books from Southeast Asia that he had compiled.

Then he handed it to Vice Dean Zhao Xiwu and said:

"This is why I came here."

When Vice President Zhao Xiwu saw it, he realized that Fang Yan had mentioned it to him once before when he returned from Hong Kong. At that time, a professor from Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine and Fang Yan spent time creating a version that used the simplest local method to treat various diseases in the tropical regions of southern Xinjiang without using any processed medicinal materials.

After that document was returned, it was sorted out and revised before being handed over. It was recently transferred to the military and distributed to the Southern Military Region.

As far as he knew, the response was quite good; the book was no longer just a medical manual, but was also known as a jungle survival manual.

The experience and techniques involved are not something that ordinary people can know. Many things can only be understood after participating in in-depth local investigations.

This time, the plan is to create a professional version of the dialect for doctors in the southern region. The reference is ancient books donated by the overseas Chinese TCM community that Lin Wenfeng brought back from Malaysia.

"The last version from Guangzhou was reported by the military as a 'lifesaving manual' for the rainforest, where there was a shortage of medicine and medical supplies, and people relied entirely on the folk remedies in it for emergencies. Is this professional version going to be more in-depth?" Dean Zhao Xiwu asked Fang Yan after putting down the catalog in his hand.

Nodding in dialect:

"The comrades in the Southern Military Region actually had many other needs before, such as the traditional Chinese medicine wet compress method for tropical ulcers and the herbal compatibility for malaria prevention. These all had to be based on ancient books."

He pointed to the section on "Chinese Medical Cases in Borneo" and said, "Of the ancient books that Lin Wenfeng brought back, 30% were written by overseas Chinese doctors during the Qing Dynasty. They specifically discuss physical conditioning under the Southeast Asian climate, and many of the prescriptions are not recorded in the ancient books that can be found in the South."

Zhao Xiwu stroked his beard and pondered, "How do you plan to divide the work? You led the effort in Guangzhou last time, who do you want to transfer this time?"

“There are many people we would like to invite, the more the better. It would be best if everyone could come, even professors who are busy can help with the proofreading and their names can be added later,” Fang Yan said with a smile.

Zhao Xiwu was taken aback, but then he understood Fang Yan's thoughts.

At this point, Fang Yan continued:

“I have broken down the framework into three parts: first, the original text of the ancient book is collated and annotated; second, the pharmacological analysis is conducted; and third, the clinical adaptation plan is prepared. For example, the dosage of the herbal medicine should be clearly marked for malaria and dengue fever, which correspond to ‘miasma disease’. It would be best to have several alternative plans.”

The old dean pointed his fingertip at the four characters "August 1st Gift":
"Are you rushing to this point to get the military to give you another push?"

“It’s not just the military,” Fang Yan frankly admitted. “After this year, the southern ports will become increasingly busy, and clinics dealing with foreign patients will inevitably have to deal with tropical diseases. The sooner this book comes out, the more confident grassroots doctors will be. Besides…” He paused, “The last Guangzhou version was too rudimentary. This time, we’ve used ancient texts as a foundation, which can be considered as giving traditional Chinese medicine a proper reputation. We can not only respond to emergencies, but also conduct in-depth research.”

Zhao Xiwu suddenly laughed: "Your thoughts..."

He hesitated, then slapped his thigh and said:
"Okay, I'll help you coordinate. But let me make this clear from the start: having just finished their postgraduate entrance exams, Mr. Yue and the others will probably need to rest for a couple of days first."

"I've already put together the first draft framework," Fang Yan said, handing over another stack of papers.

“While they are resting, I mark the corresponding symptoms so that they can directly access the ancient books once they get started.”

"By the way, could the department coordinate to assign two young assistants to the senior professors who are involved? They can handle the transcription and verification work without tiring them out."

Zhao Xiwu took the draft and, seeing that even the sources of the references were clearly marked, couldn't help but nod in approval:
"Haha, if you ask me, your preparations are even more thorough than those of a test taker."

"I'll arrange the assistant's affairs, but there's one condition: after the book is published, you have to reserve ten hardcover copies for the research institute, which I'll send to the library for future use."

Fang Yan said with a smile:

"Don't even mention ten copies, once they're printed, you can keep as many copies as you want."

"This book is not only for the military. I think it would be best if our People's Medical Publishing House could participate in the printing, preferably in a color version, just like my previous book, 'The Processing of Traditional Chinese Medicine'."

Zhao Xiwu instantly understood:
"Going for a high-end, boutique approach?"

Nodding in dialect:

"Well, since the goal is optimization, the more refined the better, but I don't know if there's enough time."

Zhao Xiwu glanced at the calendar and said:

"There are still more than ten days left. If we have enough manpower, we can make it in time."

"I'll contact someone this afternoon, you can come here tomorrow morning."

Fang Yan nodded; Dean Zhao Xiwu was quite efficient.

Just as he was about to leave, he remembered the matter of grading the papers, so he asked:

"By the way, how many of them need to participate in grading?"

If more people participate in grading, the dialect should be slowed down appropriately to give them a chance to sign as well. The book's practicality is one of its purposes, but winning people over is also one of them.

Dean Zhao Xiwu said:
"The people grading the papers have already been arranged. Since your exams are in batches, they are working every day. So the workload isn't too heavy. They can come and participate once they finish their work."

"I understand." Fang Yan suddenly realized, and then he said to Dean Zhao Xiwu:
"Then I'll leave the task of gathering manpower to you."

Zhao Xiwu waved his hand:
"Why are you being so polite with me? What you've done is a great honor for traditional Chinese medicine. Everyone in the hospital should lend a hand."

After pausing, he continued:

"Oh, right, there are some people you'll probably have to personally call upon?"

Fang Yan was taken aback, a little confused.

"You should also invite your masters!"

Fang Yan then realized that it was indeed inappropriate to have someone else call his three masters.

So Fang Yan quickly said goodbye to Dean Zhao Xiwu and then went to find Lu Donghua, Jiao Shude, and Luo Youming.

The most recent one was Jiao Shude from the Central Health Care Group, who was also the youngest member. After Fang Yan approached him about this matter, he suggested that the members of the Central Health Care Group should also be involved, such as Fang Heqian, Qin Bowei, Wang Mianzhi, Guan Youbo, Liu Bichen, Shen Zhitang, and Liu Fengwu (most of whom were Li Zhengji's mentors and also friends of Jiao Shude).
Of course, he readily agreed.

The addition of the Imperial Medical Academy's TCM team was a pleasant surprise.

Fang Yan then went to see Lu Donghua. When the old man heard about this, he was a little embarrassed to get involved, since he couldn't help anymore. However, Fang Yan hadn't asked him to help in the first place.

We insisted on having him participate.

The old man remained silent for a long time before finally relenting: "Alright, I'll go join in the fun. But it's agreed, don't assign me any work, I'm just going to listen."

Fang Yan immediately agreed: "Don't worry, I've prepared tea for you. I'm just waiting for you to be the 'pillar of stability'." He knew in his heart that the old man wasn't afraid of causing trouble, but rather that he was afraid of falling behind.

Fang Yan then went to see Grandma Luo in Shuangqiao, but unexpectedly, the old lady had gone to her hometown for a free clinic during the summer vacation, and it was difficult to contact her for a while, let alone come back.

Fang Yan had no choice but to give up. After telling his fellow students about it, he went home.

……

Time flew by and the next day arrived, July 16th.

Today is not only the day to start revising the book, but also the day when Director Sun of the Ministry of Health issues a document.

"Today is the third day. According to what Director Sun said before, they will issue documents to various places today. I wonder if he has compiled the list of personnel in the Northwest yet." Old Hu said to Fang Yan while eating breakfast this morning.

Fang Yan was eating an egg, and he waved his hand without answering.

Old Hu put down his chopsticks, picked up a fried dough stick from the table, and said:

"I always felt that Director Sun was... not very reliable."

"Didn't he make excuses not to prepare the list for the Northwest yesterday? How could he have contacted them in such a short time today, or did he just conjure them up out of thin air? I don't think he's just making up a couple of names to fill the quota, otherwise we'll suffer a huge loss."

Fang Yan picked up the Zhu Liangchun health porridge next to him, took a sip, and spoke in a calm tone:

“Since Director Liao has stepped in, he will definitely provide the list. As for the quality of the candidates…” He paused, unconsciously tapping the table with the end of his chopsticks:
"It depends on the specific location and institute."

"I hope he can act like a decent person and not just fill the positions with people who have qualifications but no real skills, so I don't have to fire them later."

As we were talking, the telephone in the study rang abruptly.

“Dingle bell…Dingle bell…”

My little brother had just finished eating and was about to get more rice when he suddenly stood up:
"I'll pick it up!"

He ran a few steps to the next room, picked up the receiver, and asked, "Hello? Who is this?"

"Looking for Director Fang? Third Brother! Call!" The younger brother shouted to Fang Yan, covering the mouthpiece.

Fang Yan had a sudden thought, gave Lao Hu a wink, and quickly went to the study next door to take the phone:
"Hello? Who is this? This is Fang Yan."

On the other end of the phone came Director Sun's signature, somewhat rigid and serious official tone; even through the receiver, one could imagine his furrowed brows.

"Director Fang, I am Sun Lian."

The dialect responded:
"Good morning, Director Sun!"

The other party didn't respond with a greeting, but coldly said:
"Just letting you know that the matter of recommending candidates from the Northwest region has been completed. The documents will be sent out immediately. There are two positions available: one from the provincial research institute and the other for a senior researcher from a university-affiliated hospital in Xi'an. The detailed list and information will be copied to your unit and research institute later."

Fang Yan didn't try to win him over; he responded immediately, his tone becoming calm and formal.
"Okay, thank you for your trouble in coordinating, Director Sun! Once I receive the list, I will arrange for the institute to follow up on the personnel reception and resettlement procedures as soon as possible to ensure that they meet the requirements of the documents."

He didn't ask for details about the candidate. Since Director Sun said he was a "senior researcher," his qualifications, at least on the surface, wouldn't be lacking. As for his abilities, he'd have to wait and see when the person arrived.

Director Sun seemed satisfied with this official and bureaucratic approach, and then added:
"Well, but I still need to remind you, Director Fang, that local units are generally short-staffed right now, and there's a lot of resistance to transferring core personnel. The follow-up compensation must be implemented without any ambiguity or delay! It must be strictly executed according to the terms agreed in the responsibility agreement from the day before yesterday! You signed it, so I'm taking responsibility." The last sentence was emphasized, reminding Fang Yan of the "contract of servitude" he had signed.

Fang Yan naturally understood what he meant; this was putting pressure on him. He said:
"Director Sun, please rest assured that the institute's accounts are always clear. I will keep a close eye on this payment to ensure that it is paid on time and in full, and that it will not cause any trouble for the ministry or local units."

Since the other party wanted to handle things officially, Fang Yan was happy to relax.

"That's good. That's all for the document." Director Sun seemed to have no intention of exchanging pleasantries; he finished discussing business and prepared to hang up.

"Understood, thank you for your hard work, Director Sun," Fang Yan replied.

The phone call had barely ended when Lao Hu, who had been listening intently, came over:

"How's it going? Did they really give you the list?"

"Yes, they were given to us." Fang Yan replied briefly, his expression flat. "Two, one from the provincial research institute, and one from an affiliated hospital in Xi'an. We'll wait for the official documents to find out who they are."

Old Hu clicked his tongue, a hint of amusement mixed with unease:
"The people personally selected by Director Sun... hopefully they aren't the kind of senior officials who only know how to follow seniority and whose actual abilities have been passed down to their advisors, right?"

“It’s no use talking about it now,” Fang Yan said, taking it all in stride. He then walked back to the table in the main hall and sat down.
"Whether it's a mule or a horse, we'll know once we take it out for a spin. But..." He changed the subject, looking at Old Hu,

"What I'm really interested in is Editor-in-Chief Xia's 'Complete Collection of Unlucky People.' That's our 'reserve force pool.'"

Old Hu was taken aback when he heard the dialect.

Then it dawned on me that they were referring to the experts who were originally from Beijing and were waiting to return.

Old Hu's eyes lit up:
"Yes! Those people are all truly talented individuals who are eager to prove themselves! As long as their character is sound, their abilities are definitely top-notch. Give Director Liao a call and ask when things can be finalized. Once that's done, we'll get in touch with them as soon as possible."

"If the people Director Sun provides are not up to par or are insufficient, we have backup options to ensure a seamless transition! We cannot allow a few unqualified individuals to slow down the project's progress."

Fang Yan nodded; this was exactly what he was thinking.
“That’s right. I’ll contact Director Liao after dinner. Also, I need to have Editor-in-Chief Xia give those people a heads-up and gauge their willingness to come back. Once we have a clear list and the gaps, it will be easier for Director Liao to coordinate the transfers.”

"Speed ​​is of the essence in war!" Old Hu tapped the table, his face revealing the decisiveness typical of a businessman.
"Call Director Liao after you finish eating. Once you confirm the news, I'll immediately send someone to the publishing house to see if Editor-in-Chief Xia is there, or we can arrange to meet him again this afternoon! These things should be done sooner rather than later." He stood up as he spoke, seemingly genuinely ready to take immediate action.

Fang Yan quickly finished his meal, rinsed his mouth, got up and went to his study, then skillfully dialed Director Liao's office number.

The phone was answered; it was Director Liao's secretary.

"This is Fang Yan. Please have Director Liao answer the phone," Fang Yan said calmly.

"Okay, Director Fang, please wait a moment." The other party was very polite.

A moment later, Director Liao's highly recognizable accent rang out: "So early with dialects?"

"Any results from Sun Lian's side?"

"Yes, Director Liao can't hide anything from you!" Fang Yan immediately cut to the chase: "Director Sun just called me. Two people have been selected for the Northwest region. One is from the Provincial Research Institute, and the other is a researcher affiliated with a hospital in Xi'an. The documents should be issued today."

"Oh? Not slow at all." Director Liao's voice was devoid of emotion. Fang Yan heard the clinking of his cups, indicating he was stirring something with a spoon. He paused, then asked:

"...Only two were ordered? And both are affiliated with research institutes and hospitals?"

“Yes, that’s what he said on the phone.” Fang Yan repeated the name of the unit that Director Sun mentioned.

"Hmph," Director Liao chuckled softly on the other end of the phone, a hint of understanding mixed with slight displeasure:
"He certainly knows how to 'avoid the important issues'! One of these two places is a provincial research institute, which would face the least resistance from his ministry in transferring him, and it basically has nothing to do with the local grassroots level; the other is a research position in a university-affiliated hospital, which, strictly speaking, isn't exactly a 'favorite' position in the local health system. It's completely different from what he emphasized about 'great local backlash.' He hasn't reported a single one of the real backbone talents from the grassroots county and city, or the regional TCM hospitals!"

Fang Yan was slightly taken aback when he heard Director Liao take a sip of something and then say to him:
"The biggest feature of this list is its convenience; as for its practicality and coverage, well, let's just say it's not great."

Fang Yan understood Director Liao's subtext:
Director Sun still compromised, choosing the option with the least resistance and the easiest operation, but it is likely not the type of talent that the grassroots level needs the most "compensation" for, nor is it necessarily the type of talent that dialects need to access specific grassroots resources.

This list is a product of Director Sun completing his "task," rather than a result of truly considering the project's needs.

“I understand,” Fang Yan replied understandingly, which was perfectly normal.

If he didn't do that, Fang Yan would feel something was off.

Fang Yan thought for a moment and asked:
"Director Liao, Director Sun mentioned that there are aid missions to Xinjiang in several places in the Northwest. Have you verified this reason?"

"That?" Director Liao's answer was crisp and decisive, tinged with a hint of unintentional contempt: "He's trying to dodge my questions! Which document stipulates that all medical resources in the Northwest region must be prioritized for aid to Xinjiang?"

"It's true that cities with specific tasks need to concentrate their resources, but that doesn't mean that medical professionals in other places are completely unavailable. Besides, isn't transferring personnel to your research institute a national mission?"

He then sighed:

"Hey, I'm telling you this because I'm a tech guy, and it's making you upset."

Then, after calming himself down, he said:

"Alright, don't worry about this, I'll handle it. I think I was too lenient with him last time, he didn't understand my attitude. I told him to send letters directly to the units in the Northwest that can transfer real talent, and to get two more people who really meet the requirements for you. The list must be filled to thirty! Does he really think I have no temper?"

You can tell from the dialect that the leader is angry.

Director Liao mentioned last time that he would speak to the higher-ups, but now, although Director Sun has gotten the job done, he has done a terrible job of it.

This is clearly within our capabilities, aiming to do things as badly as possible without crossing the line.

He didn't know what benefit dialects brought him.
"Then...doesn't Director Sun's list exceed the limit? Including the additional ones, there will be four in the Northwest?" Fang Yan cautiously confirmed, thinking that he couldn't give Director Sun anything to say.

Director Liao immediately replied:
"Don't worry about that. As I told you before, the list he drafted was incomplete! It didn't even cover the regions and types that you emphasized in your report that needed to be supplemented."

“Not a single one of the thirty slots can be missing. Whatever field or region is lacking talent, I will fill that field or region! The other slots originally scheduled for transfer will remain unchanged; he cannot be moved.”

"If you do your job well, he won't find fault with your coordination work with these people!"

Hearing Director Liao's clear and assertive attitude, Fang Yan felt relieved.

That's the right attitude!

Then, he took the opportunity to bring up the second matter:
"Oh, by the way, Director Liao, there's something else I'd like to ask you about. I called you yesterday and mentioned Editor-in-Chief Xia. After you agreed, Lao Hu, Editor-in-Chief Xia, and I discussed it and compiled a list. The candidates that Director Sun has coordinated might not be able to fully meet our needs in terms of quality or coverage. Editor-in-Chief Xia has a list of recommended candidates, all of whom are 'returning experts' who have experienced hardship. As you said, many of these comrades are eager to prove themselves and get things done. When would you like to start contacting them..."

Before he could finish speaking in dialect, Director Liao immediately understood his intention, and his tone on the other end of the phone became more relaxed, even tinged with appreciation:
"Oh! I remember now, those people are exactly the kind of people that the current policy is supposed to actively support. You want to make connections privately, communicate with suitable people first, and then go through the formal transfer process to fill the gaps, right?"

“Yes!” Fang Yan quickly affirmed.

"Feasible! This is a great idea; it doesn't violate regulations and can quickly and flexibly fill critical gaps—it's a good thing!" Director Liao gave explicit support and directly instructed:
"Now that the list is ready, let Editor-in-Chief Xia go ahead and make the contacts. Make sure he selects people with excellent character and whose expertise is a perfect match. Once both sides have agreed, compile a list of candidates and their details as soon as possible and submit it to me. I will then forward it to Lao Li so that his people can handle the transfer procedures and subsequent arrangements."

"Remember, be quick! These people are also an important source of reinforcements!"

Hearing this, Fang Yan felt a huge weight lifted from her heart, and her voice lightened considerably:
"That's great! Thank you so much, Director Liao! You've really solved a big problem for us!" Director Liao's instruction was equivalent to giving Editor-in-Chief Xia full trust and room to maneuver, while also ensuring a seamless transition to subsequent official procedures.

This is also what Editor-in-Chief Xia wanted.

"No need to thank me," Director Liao changed the subject, his tone carrying a hint of serious expectation:

"It's better for you to set up the research institute's framework and achieve results as soon as possible than to say anything else."

"Yes, Director Liao! I will certainly live up to your trust and arrangements!" Fang Yan replied solemnly.

"Alright," Director Liao seemed to have other plans in mind:

"You guys finalize the list with Editor-in-Chief Xia first, and get the people working together as soon as they arrive. I have to go to a meeting."

"Okay! You're busy!" Fang Yan replied, and only hung up slowly after hearing the busy tone on the other end of the phone.

He walked out of the study and smiled easily at Lao Hu, who was pacing and waiting in the living room.

"How is it?" Old Hu asked.

“It’s all set!” Fang Yan said.

Old Hu's eyes lit up:
"How to say?"

He said in dialect:

"In the Northwest, Director Sun's list was criticized by Director Liao as avoiding the important issues and consisting entirely of easily transferable directly subordinate units. Director Liao instructed him to add at least two more candidates who are genuinely from local grassroots levels and have relevant expertise, in accordance with our requirements. In any case, the total number must be at least thirty without any reduction!"

Lao Hu said:

"What about the experts who returned to their hometowns?"

He said in dialect:

"no problem."

"Director Liao said to let Editor-in-Chief Xia get to work! Once the candidates are confirmed, submit the list to him, and he'll directly forward it to Vice Minister Li for the formalities! With two lines of work running simultaneously, the personnel issue is basically resolved!"

Old Hu slapped his thigh: "Excellent! That's what you call getting things done! I'll contact Editor-in-Chief Xia right away!"

Fang Yan said to him:
"Don't run around, just call them directly."

Old Hu waved his hand:

"No, no, we have to send something! It's never a bad thing to be a good gift!"

He said seriously:

"He's helping us with our affairs, so we have to be careful about how we handle it."

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

(End of this chapter)