Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 1184 "Forward, Forward, Forward!!!" (Bonus chapter for monthly votes)

Fang Yan looked around and noticed that there was also a letter on Deng Tietao's spot.

The envelope wasn't sealed; you could see what was inside by squeezing it open.

Deng Tietao had already opened the letter inside. There was a letter paper inside, and Shen Huaimin said after seeing it:

"It is a letter of intent to advance the pilot program of medical teams."

Then the others looked at Fang Yan and asked him:
"What is that thing of yours?"

Fang Yan listened to his question, and then opened the envelope amidst everyone's curious gazes. It was a little different from Deng Tietao's; there were two letter sheets inside.

The first thing that catches the eye after opening the first page is:

"On the occasion of the 51st anniversary of the founding of the army, I would like to pay my highest respects to all my colleagues at the Huaxia Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine!"

After reading it, Fang Yan discovered it was a thank-you letter.

Upon opening the second document, Fang Yan saw:

"The logistics department hereby confirms the following strategic cooperation agreement with the Huaxia Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine regarding practical details of the cooperation..."

This is a confirmation letter for a collaborative project.

Soon, Fang Yan discovered that the two documents were signed by different entities.

The letter of thanks was to all colleagues at the Huaxia Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and it was sent by the Military Commission.

The confirmation letter for the collaborative project was for ordering "Nanyang Bencao Tongquan" from the research institute and coordinating medical personnel to support southern Xinjiang. The issuing body of the letter was the General Logistics Department of the People's Liberation Army.

The first is the military's decision-making and command level; letters from this department have a comprehensive and authoritative scope.

This letter is the highest recognition of the strategic value of the "Comprehensive Treatise on Materia Medica of Nanyang" project.

The second is the functional department that is in charge of military logistics support, and it is also the main department that invited Fang Yan to participate. They are in charge of practical matters such as material allocation and medical support.

The department's letter focused on specific cooperation implementation, such as ordering books and dispatching medical teams, which translates into concrete implementation arrangements at the operational level.

Seeing the two sheets of paper in Fang Yan's hand, Deng Tietao said to Fang Yan:

"This letter is sent at a very high level!"

Shen Huaimin also said:

“Ours is still just a letter of intent, while yours has already been finalized.”

He said in dialect:

"What do you mean 'yours' and 'mine'? This is a treasure shared by all of us in traditional Chinese medicine."

The moment the dialect was uttered, the overall tone shifted dramatically.

The other professors nodded in agreement.

Indeed, although they are from different departments, they are completely open and honest in their dealings with each other, and they do not try to take credit for others' work.

Even the signatures of all the original manuals were required by the local dialect.

Deng Tietao said:
"That's right, no matter what, this is a sign that the military recognizes us."

Professor Liu Shichang also said:

"Yes, as long as we don't distinguish between 'yours' and 'mine' and stick together as one, from the outside, we will only be seen as one group of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners."

Shen Huaimin said somewhat awkwardly:

"Slip of the tongue, slip of the tongue!"

Just then, a clear electrical hum suddenly came from the loudspeaker, like an invisible thread instantly tightening the entire auditorium.

Everyone was taken aback. Fang Yan was the first to react and said to everyone:

"The meeting is about to begin."

Everyone then came to their senses and quickly found their seats. At this moment, the people around them who had been talking in hushed tones all fell silent and began to sit down as well.

Even the sound of turning over documents stopped abruptly, and more than a thousand eyes turned to the podium.

Suddenly, military songs rang out, and the curtain on the platform slowly opened, revealing the large gold-plated characters that read "Celebrating the 51st Anniversary of the Founding of the Army." The background was a bright red military flag, which gleamed heavily under the overhead lights.

Several officers in military uniforms entered through a side door.

Then one of them walked to the microphone, adjusted its height, and his voice rang out through the loudspeaker: "Now, I declare the celebration of the 51st anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army officially open! First item on the agenda: everyone stand and sing the military song!"

A moment of silence fell over everyone. "Forward! Forward! Forward!!!"

When the melody exploded like thunder, the entire auditorium seemed to be lifted up by an invisible force.

As Fang Yan stood up, he heard a "click" sound behind him. It was the cadres in the row behind him who had knocked over their pens in their haste, but they didn't bother to pick them up. Their hands were pressed tightly against their trouser seams, and their backs were as straight as steel plates.

The old soldiers opposite them were looking up at the military flag above the rostrum, their Adam's apples bobbing violently with the melody.

The white hair at their temples was tossed about by the air currents, and their eyes were now burning with starlight as they roared silently to the rhythm.

The middle-aged soldiers in the back row had flushed faces and were staring intently at the military flag in front of them.

The military music made the loudspeaker tremble slightly, and the sound waves bounced off the gray brick wall, creating a deep resonance with the chorus of more than a thousand people.

Fang Yan felt his chest fill with this power, as if he could hear the sound of blood surging, a vibration in sync with the war drums, an excitement resonating with the bugle calls.

When the line "Our troops march towards the sun" reached its highest point, those usually stern and unsmiling veterans roared with all their might, as if they wanted to knead all 51 years of glorious years into these few short lyrics.

As the last note struck the air, the aftershocks still reverberated in the auditorium, and the sound of thousands of people taking their seats at the same time was as orderly as the receding tide.

When Fang Yan sat down, he found his palms were sweaty.

Next comes the opening.

The leader raised his hand to signal for quiet, pressed his palm down three times, and the aftershocks of applause receded like a tide.

"The second item on the agenda," his voice was eight octaves deeper than when he sang the military song, "is to have Comrade XX deliver a work report on the 51st anniversary of the founding of the army."

When the leader in the center of the front row stood up, the rustling sound of his military trousers rubbing together was particularly clear.

He didn't look at his notes, but scanned the entire room before saying:
"For fifty-one years, we have come this far from the millet and rifles we have been using..."

Fang Yan and his group listened to the leader's speech from below the stage. Several rounds of people took turns speaking, and applause rose and fell.

Around 9:40, it was the General Staff's turn to give a defense report. A topographical map of southern Xinjiang was displayed on the big screen, with red and blue arrows intersecting in the tropical jungle area.

Anyone with eyes can tell what the important part is next.

During the speech, Fang Yan noticed that whenever the "logistics support" section was mentioned, the leader from the General Logistics Department would always glance in their direction.

When it was the General Logistics Department's turn to speak, someone quietly came around from the back row and slipped a note into Fang Yan and Deng Tietao's hands.

Then he lowered his voice and said to the two of them:

"The Traditional Chinese Medicine session will start at 10:00 AM and will last for half an hour. You can discuss and decide on your own speaking time."

Fang Yan and Deng Tietao nodded.

Then the two began to discuss it in hushed tones.

Fang Yan is the chief person in charge of the "Comprehensive Explanation of Nanyang Materia Medica" project. The book integrates his experience as a Chinese medicine practitioner who returned from Nanyang, the results of ancient book restoration, battlefield first aid techniques (pulse-cutting acupuncture), and Taoist massage techniques. His systematic exposition of the book's wartime value is the most convincing.

The two official documents in his hand were direct recognition of his achievements, and his speech naturally led to the strategic positioning of traditional Chinese medicine in the military medical system.

The leadership had already reviewed the book and raised practical questions, and Fang Yan, as the core contact person, was more suitable to respond.

Deng Tietao's team submitted a "Letter of Intent for Pilot Medical Team Project," and their presentations were to focus on practical aspects, such as the pilot experience of field hospitals and the details of implementing tropical disease prevention and control.

As a representative of Lingnan traditional Chinese medicine, he needs to emphasize regional collaboration, which complements the overall explanation of dialects in a "strategy to tactics" manner.

After a brief discussion, the two decided:
Fang Yan, as the main presenter, spoke for 20 minutes, followed by Deng Tietao's supplementary remarks for 10 minutes.

After the discussion was completed, it was almost time.
The leader of the General Logistics Department adjusted the microphone, his voice carrying a metallic quality as it came through the loudspeaker:

"The incidence of heatstroke among troops in southern Xinjiang decreased by 30% year-on-year last month—this is not just a cold statistic, but a reflection of the less suffering the soldiers endure and the less damage to their combat effectiveness!"

He suddenly raised his voice and tapped his fingertips heavily on the podium:
"Where does the root of the problem lie? It lies in the 'Survival Manual for Tropical Jungle Warfare' compiled by our comrades in Traditional Chinese Medicine! Modern warfare is all about logistics, but there are no Western pharmacies in the jungle, yet life-saving herbs are everywhere. Who can teach the soldiers to turn banana leaves into tourniquets? Or artemisia stalks into antipyretics?"

A murmur of discussion arose from the audience, but he abruptly changed the subject:
"This is the confidence behind the General Logistics Department's decision to establish a 'Traditional Chinese Medicine Wartime Medical Department'!"

The last sentence abruptly slowed down, his gaze sweeping over the panel of experts where Fang Yan and his group were located, and he raised his hand in an inviting gesture: "How exactly will this be implemented? Now, let's invite the comrades who created these miracles to the stage."

Then, enthusiastic applause erupted from the audience.

Fang Yan stood up amidst applause and composed himself.

Then, he strode towards the stage.

PS: I've gained another 300 monthly tickets, so I owe you all another 6000 words. After finishing this chapter, I currently owe you 18000 words.

That's all for today, please come early tomorrow.

(End of this chapter)