Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 1188 A Gathering of Talented Individuals in the Courtyard Study: Old Hu Discusses the Grand Vision of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Two Chapters Combined)
Old Hu's car was in the lead, followed by his father-in-law's car, and finally Fang Yan's car.

The sight of three top-of-the-line luxury cars driving on the road still attracted a lot of attention.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Shen Huaimin said to Fang Yan:

"This is just like the motorcade you had when you got off the plane in Guangzhou."

"Back then, I was thinking that I wished I could sit on it someday, and I never thought my wish would come true so soon, haha..."

Fang Yan said to Shen Huaimin:
“Ours can’t compare to the Hongqi motorcade; it’s more like a simplified version! Once you’ve established a medical system in southern Xinjiang, you’ll definitely have a motorcade to pick you up when you go to other places.”

Shen Huaimin said:
"Actually, when we came to Beijing, we were also picked up by a fleet of vehicles, but they were jeeps, and they weren't as comfortable as your sedans. Look at these leather seats, and they even have air conditioning coming out of them. It's obviously a high-end car. Doctors in Beijing are indeed different."

Fang Yan turned the steering wheel and followed the turn onto a main road leading to the city center, saying at the same time:
"Mine was a gift from someone."

"It's not cheap, is it?" Shen Huaimin asked.

He said in dialect:

"Actually, it's not too bad. If you want, after investing your technology, it shouldn't be a problem to get one a year."

Shen Huaimin said, his heart stirred:

"Wow, you can buy one in a year?"

He could hardly believe it; those words were truly tempting.

At this moment, Deng Tietao, who was sitting in the back row, said:
"But you have to make a contribution first. If you're going to invest technology, you have to come up with technology that can help the country earn foreign exchange."

Shen Huaimin then came to his senses and said to those behind him:

“Master is right, that’s for sure.”

At this point, Deng Tietao changed the subject and said to Fang Yan:

"By the way, some time ago, our students from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital who came to Beijing to take the postgraduate entrance exam said that you took good care of them and provided them with a lot of help with the exam. They all praised you when they came back!"

Upon hearing this, Fang Yan responded:
"Hey, when I went to Guangzhou, you treated me just as warmly. I even asked everyone to bring out all our best skills to make a manual. If it were anywhere else, they would probably have kicked me out right away. Only you guys did it without saying a word and produced the manual on the same day."

Deng Tietao patted the medal on his chest and said:
"Isn't that good for us too? Look at this medal!"

Fang Yan smiled and shook his head:
"Who knew there would be any benefits back then? It was all thanks to everyone's high moral character!"

At the time, nobody really thought about this. When they heard Fang Yan talk about the border guards' hygiene conditions, they agreed to Fang Yan's suggestion without hesitation. They hadn't even considered the benefits that would follow.

At the time, I thought it was just a collection of simple methods, so how much influence could it have?

But things are interesting because, coincidentally, the higher-ups were paying great attention to combat and survival in the mountainous jungles of southern Xinjiang, and their manual just happened to come to the attention of the leaders.

It all started with a good idea that led them to this glory today.

Other school teachers who were unable to attend also received award certificates.

No one was an exception, as long as their name was written in the notebook at the time.

This is probably what they mean by good deeds being rewarded.
……

Once the three cars entered the main urban area, their speed decreased. Looking at the scenery outside, Deng Tietao remarked that it hadn't changed much from a few years ago; in fact, Guangzhou seemed to have seen a lot of development. Fang Yan, upon hearing this, said to Deng Tietao:
"The main urban area has indeed not changed much, but there are many newly built factories on the outskirts of the city. They are all invested by overseas Chinese businessmen who have returned from abroad, just like the two factories built by Lao Hu, one in Dongba, Chaoyang District, and the other in Shahe area, Changping District."

Deng Tietao said in surprise:

"Wow, those are all incredibly far away. It takes more than an hour to drive from Changping, right?"

Fang Yan nodded and said:

"Yes, it is quite far. He himself rarely goes there. However, it is close to the train station, and many logistics are shipped from there to Guangzhou, so it is quite convenient."

He paused, then complained:

"To be honest, I've never been there myself. I can take you there to see it when I have some free time these days."

Deng Tietao said:
"Haha, sure, but we can't stay for more than a few days. Now that the mission has been assigned, we have to get right into it. We'll have to go back the day after tomorrow at the latest."

The dialect response was:

"Yes, I understand. A group of experts will be arriving at my research institute soon, and there will be a lot of things to do then. Let's try to get things settled today, and I'll show you our production line tomorrow."

"Okay." Deng Tietao nodded.

Then he paused and asked:
"By the way, Chengzhi told me... someone donated two buildings at Peking Union Medical College Hospital in your name? They're probably finished by now, right?"

He said in dialect:

"It's still under repair! You'll see it when it arrives."

Shen Huaimin, standing to the side, said with some envy:

"That's really great! These two buildings will definitely become quite famous in the future."

Deng Tietao echoed:
"That's right, the mere fact that it's a donation from overseas Chinese businessmen is enough to attract a lot of people."

Fang Yan smiled upon hearing their words and changed the subject, asking:

"By the way, I'll call Xiao Chengzhi over later. It's been a long time since you two have seen each other, so let's have dinner together tonight."

Shen Huaimin was the first to agree:
"Okay!"

Deng Tietao thought for a moment and said, "I just don't know if he'll be available."

He laughed in dialect:

"He's the one who's been the most idle lately."

……

When the car reached the vicinity of Xiehe, Deng Tietao and his group finally saw the building under construction in Xiehe. Banners were hanging on the construction site under the blazing sun, and many workers were working hard under the hot sun.

The banner read "rush to meet deadlines and ensure quality," which is all the rage these days. What shocked Deng Tietao and his team the most was that the two buildings seemed unusually large, almost exceeding the size of the current outpatient and inpatient departments of Peking Union Medical College Hospital.

If this is fixed, Peking Union Medical College Hospital could be renamed Peking Union Medical College Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Next, the convoy parked in the Concorde parking lot, and everyone got out of the cars.

"How did you end up at Xiehe?" Shen Huaimin asked.

Fang Yan pointed to the other side of the street and said:
“My home is over there, and parking is difficult in front of the gate. It’s easier to park near Xiehe.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Huaimin suddenly realized what was going on.

Then, in a dialect, he invited the professors who had just gotten off the bus:
"Professors, please!"

The group followed Fang Yan and his companions across the street to the entrance of the courtyard house. There was nothing particularly noteworthy about the outside, and even before entering, everyone was somewhat skeptical about whether Fang Yan's house could accommodate so many people.

However, once they entered the courtyard, everyone was surprised. The gate looked small, but the further they went in, the more spacious it became.

The front yard was already quite large, and it became even larger once you crossed it to reach the main yard.

Everyone sighed:

"This is a hidden paradise!"

"A quiet oasis amidst the hustle and bustle, not bad at all! You can barely hear any noise from outside here!"

"So this is a traditional courtyard house in Beijing? It's quite interesting..."

"Everyone, please come to the study and sit down. I'll go make you some tea." Fang Yan led everyone towards the study.

However, by this time, the eldest sister and the others had already prepared hot water. Upon seeing Fang Yan, they immediately invited him to the study. When Fang Yan entered, chairs had already been set out, and even tea and snacks had been prepared. All Fang Yan needed to do was brew tea for everyone.

Pushing open the carved wooden door, a cool breeze wafted out of the study, followed by a faint scent of ink and honey.

This is the smell emanating from the wood in the room.

As soon as everyone stepped across the threshold, their eyes were drawn to the rows of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves in front of them. The dark brown wood was neatly stacked with thread-bound ancient books and hardcover medical books, with some gaps deliberately left in the middle to display a few antiques that looked like they couldn't afford them.

"Please sit down, don't be shy." Fang Yan gestured to lead them into the room. By the window was a large pear wood desk, surrounded by armchairs and benches. The cushions were made of coarse indigo cloth, simple yet resilient.

Deng Tietao walked up to the bookshelf, his eyes filled with barely concealed shock. This room was filled with far more books than his own study.

The others were equally astonished, but what shocked them even more was the sheer size of the study; behind a screen, there was even room for a bed and several large trunks.

"Was this once a prince's residence?" Zhao Sijing asked Fang Yan.

He said in a dialect, "No, the Prince's mansion is much bigger than mine."

"The Prince Gong Mansion is big enough to open a school."

Upon hearing the dialect, Deng Tietao, who had been in shock just moments before, suddenly burst out laughing:
"Your study is even more organized than our school's archives, it even has a copy of 'Treatise on Malaria' from the Ming Dynasty?"

He said in dialect:

“That’s a copy from the Republican era. Most of the books here were given to me by my master, and some were given by overseas Chinese who returned to China.”

After saying that, he pointed to the cabinet:
“Look here, these are the books that were sent over by the overseas Chinese TCM practitioners from Malaysia.”

Upon seeing the pile of books in that spot, everyone's eyes widened in astonishment.
"Goodness, so much? If you condense it all into one book, can you even write it all down?"

Shaking his head in dialect:

"Of course not, there's no time constraint. We're mainly targeting specific areas in the south, so we don't need to condense it all."

At this moment, Professor Liu Shichang saw a book and was surprised:

"There are rare copies here?"

Fang Yan glanced at his location, the spot he had specifically designated for storing rare books, and then said:
"Yes, Mrs. Huo bought it from the auction house and sent it over."

"That Huo from Hong Kong?" Professor Liu Shichang asked.

Fang Yan nodded.

Everyone then realized that the things in this room were indeed very precious.

Next, Fang Yan poured tea for everyone and then greeted Lao Hu.

Today, this is his home turf.

I can just stand by and encourage him.

After everyone sat down, Fang Yan began to introduce the people present to Lao Hu, gesturing towards the key figure in the room:
"Old Hu, let me formally introduce you to all the distinguished guests who have come today. These are the pillars of our Lingnan Traditional Chinese Medicine community!"

His tone was sincere and earnest, pointing to Professor Deng Tietang at the head of the table:

"This Professor Deng Tietao is the leading figure of traditional Chinese medicine in Lingnan..."

Upon hearing this, Deng Tietao interrupted directly:
"Oh dear, that's too much! I wouldn't dare accept such a title!"

Fang Yan said with a smile:

"He is also the undisputed core figure of 'Nanyang Materia Medica' and the previous life-saving manual! In Guangzhou, thanks to Mr. Deng's strong support, a single call brought together a group of wise men, which turned our ideas into a life-saving treasure in just one day."

He deliberately used "we" to emphasize the collective achievement.

Old Hu stepped forward and shook hands with Deng Tietao; he had heard of him before.

Then, Fang Yan introduced the professors standing next to him, each with a different expression but all exuding an air of scholarship:

"This is Professor Huang Yaoshen, the director of the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine Surgery, and a leading figure in the Lingnan Huang Family Surgical School. He is especially skilled in treating acute abdominal conditions, providing first aid for external injuries, and treating snake bites—skills that are practical on the battlefield. Most of the amazing techniques in the manual that allow for quick treatment of external injuries using readily available materials are Professor Huang's most treasured experiences!"

"This is Professor Liu Shichang, a lifelong professor! A top expert in the study of febrile diseases, he is in charge of the national-level research project 'The Pattern of Diagnosis and Treatment of Damp Febrile Diseases in Lingnan'. He is a walking encyclopedia of how to prevent and treat the damp and hot miasma in the south. The manual on preventing heatstroke and dampness and differentiating the transmission of heat evil is all thanks to Professor Liu's solid skills."

"And this one, Elder Liang Naijin, a leading authority on spleen and stomach diseases! He used to be the president of the GD Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Southern diseases may appear to be caused by heat on the surface, but the root cause is often dampness in the spleen and stomach. Elder Liang's insights on how to 'protect the stomach qi and preserve body fluids' and how to use medicine without harming the root cause are crucial!"

"This is Professor Situ Ling, a renowned acupuncturist! His 'Midnight Flow Theory' combined with the special type of long needle penetration technique is simply a powerful tool for quickly relieving pain and stimulating self-healing power on the battlefield. If the manual requires combining acupuncture techniques for emergency situations, Professor Situ is the stabilizing force."

"This Professor Jin Rui over here, although relatively young, is a future leader in acupuncture! He's already a professor, and he's deeply involved in grassroots research, collecting a wealth of firsthand experience in rural southern China. His unique 'Jin Three Needles' therapy is renowned and a quick fix for common battlefield ailments!"

Upon hearing the introduction in dialect, everyone said they were unworthy of such praise!

He paused, then turned his gaze to the oldest man, with particular admiration:
"And this old Zhao Sijing is incredible! He's a veritable 'living encyclopedia of Lingnan herbs'! In our manual, and in the Tongquan, there are those life-saving herbs that can be easily found in the mountains and forests of the south. Which leaves treat external injuries, which roots can reduce fever, how to quickly identify them, and how to simplify the processing... Old Zhao is a master guide. Without his ability to 'identify hundreds of herbs from pictures and find true gold by bending down,' our core concept of using local materials and adapting to local conditions would be greatly diminished!" Fang Yan used the praise of "finding true gold by bending down" to highlight the other party's core value.

The reason why Fang Yan is described in such detail here is to remind Lao Hu that this person is also a heavyweight, especially in the field of drug production.

Finally, he added:
"This is Professor Deng Tietao's apprentice, Brother Shen, Shen Huaimin. We even saved someone together on the plane last time. He's a real expert."

When Shen Huaimin heard Fang Yan's introduction of him, he smiled and scratched his head. He never expected that one day he would be introduced to his master and a group of experts.

After introducing these impressive names, Fang Yan's tone softened, tinged with a touch of emotion: "Old Hu, back in Guangzhou, I just wanted to get Deng Lao's autograph to boost my reputation, but..." He spread his hands and said with a smile, "But Deng Lao directly 'gathered' people for me, bringing together the most top-notch 'dream team' in Lingnan, covering internal medicine, surgery, gynecology, pediatrics, acupuncture, and herbal medicine! These are the people right here! Add to that group of experts from their school, and they finished that manual in just one day. These are all true experts; their skills are absolutely genuine!"

Fang Yan's last words seemed a bit superfluous to Lao Hu. He had originally planned to recruit them all into the company, and Fang Yan's special mention made it seem like he would be favoring one over the other.

But after thinking about it carefully, he immediately understood what Fang Yan was trying to do.

He was reminding himself that the team had efficient collaboration capabilities, that these experts could get things done and produce results quickly, and that the collaboration had low risk and a short production cycle.

Moreover, these experts possess highly valuable skills, and investing in them will inevitably bring considerable returns. In particular, the final mention of Zhao Lao "bending down to see real gold" is an allusion to his skills being able to "dig out real gold and silver."

In saying this, Fang Yan was essentially shifting his identity to that of a middleman, rather than a senior executive of the company who was trying to recruit others to invest.

Ultimately, every word in a dialect is "paving the way":
This allowed Lao Hu to see the investment value, made the professors feel respected and sincere, and made both sides realize that this was not a simple "technology transaction," but the beginning of a group of people moving towards the common goal of "transforming the hard power of traditional Chinese medicine."

Next, Fang Yan left the stage to Lao Hu.

He went to the side and made a phone call to Xiao Chengzhi. Sure enough, the guy was bored out of his mind in the house. When he heard Fang Yan tell him that Deng Tietao had arrived, he was also surprised.

Then he was coming over right away, and Fang Yan told him to also inform Deng Nanxing and his grandfather.

Old Deng is Deng Tietao's uncle, so it's perfectly reasonable for him to inform him.

Xiao Chengzhi immediately agreed.

After Fang Yan finished his call, Lao Hu had already taken out the contract and was explaining the company's business in this area to everyone, as well as the tasks that their technical staff needed to perform.

The company gave a brief overview of its various businesses, and the mention of its global sales network still left everyone somewhat astonished.

Old Hu, holding the contract, said:

“Dr. Fang has always emphasized to me that for traditional Chinese medicine to be revitalized, it must take root and flourish! We must transform the wisdom of our ancestors into tangible strengths that benefit the country and its people, save lives, and secure better development for us practitioners! I wholeheartedly agree with this. No matter how much skill one possesses, without a good platform to promote it, sufficient financial support, and smooth channels for transformation, ultimately, even heroes cannot fully realize their potential… This is precisely our original intention in promoting ‘technology as equity’!” His voice grew louder as he lightly tapped the document cover:

"Simply put, it's a charter of 'shared benefits, shared risks, and joint efforts to develop medicine'!"

He explained in detail:
"I'll take care of the platform and the funding. My business, combined with Dr. Fang's wisdom and influence, and the resources of the other overseas Chinese shareholders, will jointly build this platform for 'revitalizing traditional Chinese medicine.' We'll handle all the essentials: the venue, equipment, initial start-up capital, product production lines, and establishing domestic and international sales channels!"

"Everyone! Your secret skills, the precious prescriptions accumulated over decades or even generations, the wisdom condensed in those manuals and comprehensive explanations, and the innovative prescriptions, unique methods, and practical techniques that you will continue to develop in the future... this is the real 'hard technology' that is worth its weight in gold! We do not take the technology itself! The technology will always be the crystallization of your hard work and belong to you and your team!"

"However, once these technologies are transformed into actual products, services, or even new combat medical solutions through our platform! For example, turning the herbs identified by Zhao Lao into highly effective medicines, developing Situ Lao's acupuncture techniques into a simple battlefield first aid kit, turning Professor Liu's research on damp-heat diseases into a military health management manual, and turning Huang Lao's locally sourced external injury prescriptions into highly effective ointments..."

"Then we'll distribute the resulting economic benefits according to our share! Profits will be distributed according to the pre-agreed share ratio!"

"The shareholding ratio is the same at the beginning. Later, it depends on the value of the core technology you or your team provide and your contribution to the project. We'll sit down and discuss it in detail, and write it all down in black and white in the contract. We'll be fair and transparent!"

"In the initial stage, to ensure that everyone can invest with peace of mind and not worry about not getting returns in the short term, we also set up a 'guaranteed dividend' mechanism... The details are all written in the contract."

"This is not only to ensure that everyone's hard work in research and development is rewarded in a tangible way, but also to raise more funds to support us in conducting deeper and more practical research!"

"Think about it, with ample funding, advanced equipment, and well-built laboratories, wouldn't our research in traditional Chinese medicine reach new heights? Wouldn't we be able to develop more life-saving drugs and better treatments? This is truly a great undertaking! It serves both the military and civilians, helps the country earn valuable foreign exchange, and allows the brilliance of traditional Chinese medicine to shine far and wide!"

After saying this, he paused, glanced at Fang Yan, and then continued:
"Fang Yan often tells me that soon, the era of TCM relying on hard power will arrive. It will be a competition with foreign capital and with Western medicine in saving lives. I know that these things require real skills."

“And these are the kinds of people we are. When we come together, it’s not as simple as one plus one equals two. I hope that through this platform, we can gather the wisdom of traditional Chinese medicine and not be afraid of the coming era…”

Old Hu spoke eloquently to the crowd, sharing his understanding as well as some of the original words he had mentioned in a previous conversation with Fang Yan. His words drew nods of agreement from everyone around him.

The experts focused on the core technology, while he was responsible for resolving concerns about funding, production, distribution channels, and other related issues. Ultimately, everyone shared the benefits of development and worked together to push traditional Chinese medicine to higher and broader application areas.

This explanation not only echoed the "expert value" provided by the dialect, but also highlighted his resources and capabilities as an investor, and more clearly outlined the tangible benefits and prospects for cooperation under the unfamiliar model of "technology as equity".

After he finished speaking, the room fell silent as the experts fell into deep thought, the only sound being the rustling of turning the pages of documents.

They could sense that what Lao Hu said was very sincere, and it addressed their concerns. Moreover, in general, it was entirely correct.

However, this was something they had never encountered before, and for a moment they were unsure whether they should agree.

After a long while, Deng Tietao looked at everyone before asking Lao Hu:

"Mr. Hu, is there anything you'd like us to do first?"

P.S.: I've gained 300 more monthly votes, so I owe you all another 6000 words.

I owe everyone a total of 39000 words.

The basic chapter of 6000 words has been updated. There will be an extra chapter later.

(End of this chapter)