Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 1194 US Dollars: A Sign of Sincerity, The Tumultuous August of 1978 (Two Chapters Combined)
After visiting Chaoyang Dongba, Fang Yan and his group immediately went to the Shahe area of ​​Changping. This place is quite far away, so even Lao Hu doesn't come here often.

There are actually more people working in the factories here. The products produced in the workshops are all destined for Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Because it is very close to the train station, transportation is relatively convenient.

When Fang Yan and his group arrived, the shipment was being prepared.

Batel, whom Lao Hu recruited last time, is here.

Originally, this person was supposed to be a bodyguard, but Lao Hu changed his mind and made him the person in charge of escorting the vehicles and managing the transportation work here.

Batel won't have any objections. He'll be getting a high salary anyway, so it doesn't matter what he does. It's definitely not as tiring as working on the grasslands.

He is very satisfied with his current job.

After the tour, we had a simple meal at the factory canteen.

The factory canteen maintains the same facilities as the Xiehe canteen, where all employees can eat for free. The profit margin is high enough to support such benefits.

Therefore, the employees here work very hard.

After visiting the two large-scale factory areas of Chaoyang Dongba and Changping Shahe, and enjoying a sumptuous free lunch at the Shahe factory, Fang Yan and his group drove Professor Deng Tietao and others back to their accommodation at the Haidian Jingxi Hotel.

As we parted, at the door, Lao Hu, with a sincere yet slightly boastful smile on his face, magically pulled a thick stack of red envelopes bearing the company's special logo from his briefcase.

"Professors, you've worked so hard! This trip to Beijing has been non-stop, with signing contracts, visiting factories, discussing plans, and even squeezing in time to tour our underground fortress..." Old Hu's tone was warm and respectful. "According to our company's rules, this is just a small token of our appreciation. We welcome you all to officially become our 'core technology shareholders'! Please accept this!"

As he spoke, he began handing out red envelopes to Deng Tietao, Huang Yaoshen, Liu Shichang, Liang Naijin, Situ Ling, Jin Rui, Zhao Sijing, and Shen Huaimin.

Deng Tietao subconsciously took the bulging red envelope, and his fingers immediately felt the unusual weight of the envelope and the stiff outline of the paper inside.

He paused slightly, then opened the envelope with a puzzled look... It wasn't the brand-new "Great Unity" letter he had expected!

What immediately caught the eye were several dark green hundred-dollar bills with Franklin's portrait on them!

"This...this is US dollars?!" Shen Huaimin, the apprentice beside him, exclaimed in obvious shock, his fingers even forgetting to remove them from the envelope.

Deng Tietao had seen US dollars before and knew their value well. Just yesterday at lunch, they were still incredibly shocked by Lao Hu's revelation of the "12 US dollars in 19 days" sales figures in Malaysia.

At this moment, this "gift" equivalent to a huge amount of foreign currency was simply stuffed into his hands, and the impact was even more real and direct than when he heard the number yesterday.

Although his monthly salary was not small, it was still far less than the "weight" of this envelope.

He looked up at Lao Hu, his eyes filled with disbelief:
"Mr. Hu, this is..."

Lao Hu said:

"It's an old rule in our company. Every shareholder gets one. You can ask your apprentice if you don't believe me." He then pointed at Xiao Chengzhi.

Xiao Chengzhi nodded to his master.

"It's really US dollars?!" Professor Jin Rui next to him reacted even more directly. He almost shouted out loud, his wide eyes staring intently at the corner of the US dollar bill peeking out of the envelope in his hand. The nasolabial folds on his face seemed to be stretched open by this unexpected generous gift.

Yesterday he was still shocked by the expensive imported machinery in the factory, and today he is somewhat at a loss for words after being shocked by this US dollar red envelope.

He was young and not as wealthy as the other older professors, so this money was a pleasant surprise for him.

The oldest man, Mr. Zhao Sijing, accepted the red envelope, habitually weighed it in his hand, and then carefully opened it. "Oh my goodness...this is incredible, Mr. Hu!"

The over-eighty-year-old "living encyclopedia of herbal medicine" had a slightly trembling voice:

"At my age, I've gone from gathering herbs to treat wounds in the mountains to working for the government... This is the first time I've ever personally received so much... such solid 'cash'..."

Hearing "120,000 US dollars" yesterday was shocking, but now, holding real US dollar cash in my hand is an even more impactful and tangible feeling.

Professor Situ Ling, usually composed and elegant, couldn't help but push up her glasses and lean closer to the envelope to carefully check the denomination and currency of the banknotes. A rare expression of surprise and confusion appeared on her face.

One hundred US dollars? In China, its purchasing power and scarcity far exceed expectations.

She subconsciously whispered, "This red envelope... is too heavy..." Yesterday she was still shocked by Lao Hu's promise of a "garden villa," and today's cash red envelope directly elevated the "realism" of this promise to a new level.

Shen Huaimin held the envelope, his fingers unconsciously squeezing it, feeling the thickness of the envelope, which far exceeded his monthly salary. He looked at his mentor, Deng Tietao, then at the grinning Old Hu, and after a long pause, he could only mutter, "This... so many US dollars? This is equivalent to so many months of my salary..."

He remembered clearly yesterday's heart-pounding sales figure of "19 days, $12".

The portion I have now is one of the real "dividends" from that huge sum.

What was once thought to be a distant "dream of wealth" has now become tangible and exciting with the heavy stack of US dollars in my hand.

Although relatively young, he had never handled such a large sum of US dollars as a personal reward before. His face was filled with astonishment, and his eyes kept switching back and forth between the envelope and Lao Hu, as if to confirm that this was not a hallucination.

Liang Naijin stood there stunned for a long time, holding the envelope, before slowly exhaling, shaking his head, and saying with emotion, "Mr. Hu, this... is not just a token of your appreciation, but a profound gift! It has opened the eyes of us old folks who have spent our whole lives studying."

Yesterday's visit showcased Hu Jintao's financial strength and the factory's modernization, which was already impressive. But today's US dollar cash red envelopes had an even more profound visual and psychological impact, vividly illustrating what Hu Jintao's vision of "earning foreign exchange, sailing big ships, and building a gold mine" truly meant.

Seeing the varied expressions of shock on the professors' faces, Lao Hu's smile widened. He patted his bulging briefcase and said loudly:

"Not heavy at all! Your hidden talents are real money, and this small token is the beginning of our new cooperation! In the future, let's work hard and promote traditional Chinese medicine. This kind of cooperation will only become more significant!"

He looked around at everyone:
"We've officially launched our foreign exchange earning business! This red envelope is just for good luck; wishing everyone great fortune!"

After speaking, he cupped his hands in a respectful gesture to the crowd.

After Lao Hu finished distributing his money, Fang Yan and the others said goodbye to Deng Lao and the others.

"Contact us by telegram when you get back!" Fang Yan told them.

The group readily agreed.

"Okay! Contact us if you have any new information when we get back!" Deng Tietao said to Fang Yan and the others.

Then they returned home.

After returning home, all of my sister-in-law's photos were printed out as requested, a total of more than ten. Fang Yan selected one to enlarge, which will be posted in the research institute later.

Next, Fang Yan went to the publishing house again. Several versions need to be completed, and Fang Yan needs to discuss them with Editor-in-Chief Xia.

Editor-in-Chief Xia was also somewhat perplexed by these requirements regarding dialects.

Each revision of these versions requires a complete re-formatting, and the deadlines are usually quite tight.

At that time, the mainstream printing technology in China was still mainly based on lead type typesetting and printing, with a low degree of automation. The typesetting, proofreading and printing process was cumbersome, and due to the limitations of equipment precision and materials, the modification of the version required recasting and retypesetting, which took a long time. Fang Yan was aware of these problems, but there was nothing he could do. The main reason was that the army needed it urgently, and time was of the essence.

The work is scheduled to begin at the end of the year. The sooner they develop the dialect, the more familiar the soldiers will be with it, increasing their chances of survival.

So when the dialect team came, Editor-in-Chief Xia started making frantic phone calls, insisting that other publishing houses also help.

Fortunately, the People's Medical Publishing House still had some influence, and when they heard that the task was to supply the military, other publishing houses did not refuse.

This time, we used Editor-in-Chief Xia's personal connections, and we have to thank him properly after the matter is settled.

As for now, we're just getting all the versions the military needs.

After finishing things here, it was almost time, so Fang Yan asked Editor-in-Chief Xia to hurry up and then drove home.

With the addition of personnel from Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Lao Hu felt that the company's technical personnel reserves were now quite good. He had previously planned to shift the focus of his work to China, and after today, he will officially begin to accelerate the process.

When Fang Yan arrived home, Lao Hu was discussing his plans with his wife, Huang Huijie.

He now plans to send a telegram to Chu Bin in Hong Kong, asking him to personally go to Guangzhou and Luohu to discuss the repair of the factory, research institute, and villa.

With technical support from there, Fang Yan and his team no longer need to worry about many things. They can start working directly from there. They only need to keep an eye on the general direction, and the technical aspects can be handled by the people in Guangzhou.

Even though they haven't gone back yet, he's already figured out what to do.

He asked in dialect:

"I was planning to go see them off at the airport tomorrow morning, but I don't know if that's okay?"

He said in dialect:

"They're going back by military plane tomorrow. If you want to see them off, I'll have to call Mr. Xie first to ask."

Upon hearing this from the dialect, Lao Hu said:

"Never mind, no need to bother."

"We've done what we were supposed to do."

Fang Yan nodded. Deng Lao and the others didn't care too much about such formalities. Besides, even if Fang Yan called to ask, they might not agree. Especially since there might be other people on the military plane, according to certain regulations, it was unlikely that the exact takeoff time would be revealed.

Lao Hu said:

"This matter has finally taken root! With the influence of Deng Lao and his group, plus the elite personnel of our research institute, we can now truly build a regular army."

"The technology, platform, channels, and relationships with the military—the framework is now in place!"

Fang Yan said to Lao Hu:

"And this red envelope you gave us today is also a signal, letting them see it in a tangible way, so they can work with us and see and touch the real money."

Lao Hu said:

"It's not just about the money. The tour of our underground fortress and modern factory, the US dollar bonus, plus the company plans shown earlier—these strong measures have completely won over these 'national treasure' old men. Hopefully, when Elder Deng and his team return, they can quickly organize a team and come up with a solution!"

Fang Yan shook his head:
"It's not very realistic for them to go back and organize a team; there's also the matter of helping the Southern army establish a traditional Chinese medicine team."

Then he paused and changed the subject:
"However, it shouldn't take too long. We need to keep a close eye on the next few key milestones. The most urgent task is Shenzhen, which is what you're doing now. First, we need to get the research institute and factory built. Site surveys, initial design drafts, civil engineering bidding... we need Director Liao to give us the green light and speed up the process!"

Old Hu immediately chimed in, his eyes sharp:
"Yes, go for the highest standards! The main research institute, the supporting villa area for top experts, the modern factory buildings near the port... I'll have Chu Bin bring the full budget! He'll personally oversee the design institute's drawings, with only one requirement: speed! But no skimping on materials! That villa area will be a living advertisement to attract Chinese TCM practitioners from all over the world in the future."

He said in dialect:

"The pressure is even greater at the research institute."

"The Ministry of Health has assigned experts, and together with the returning experts we just arrived, we must obtain the information on the core secret formulas that Elder Deng and his team have initially selected as soon as possible."

He paused and said:

"Give them a firm order: within a month, they must come up with preliminary international standard development plans for at least two formulas. They can't just come back with fame and benefits; they must also produce results!"

Old Hu's eyes lit up:
“Yes! Choose the one that is easiest to produce results and quickest to see! Make it into a sample product so that Director Liao and the others can see and touch the results with their own eyes and let them know that the expansion of your research institute has real value.”

Nodding in dialect:

"Well, if they can't produce it, I'll have to hand over my results. But as for those who come back, I can't support them anymore. They'll have to return the goods when the time comes."

Old Hu had no objection to the arrangement regarding dialects; he said:
"My market analysis team has been launched simultaneously, targeting the high-end pain management market in Europe and the outdoor first aid needs in Southeast Asia. This is what Lin Wenfeng told me. I'll have someone investigate."

He said in dialect:

"Well, it's our first time working together, so it's best to be careful."

Although Lin Wenfeng is currently behaving normally, Fang Yan is still worried that he might set a trap. Better safe than sorry. Even though he gave her the book, Fang Yan and the others still can't slack off on their responsibilities.

Fang Yan continued:

"Don't let Xiao Chengzhi, Deng Nanxing, and this core team we've trained ourselves be idle. Once the research institute starts working, we also need to give them tasks."

Old Hu nodded:

"Makes sense!"

Then he slapped his forehead:

"Three months before the main structure of those two new buildings at Union Hospital is almost completed, I will personally fly to Hong Kong to have Mr. Zhou and his family start building momentum..."

Dialectal wave:
"There's no rush. At the current pace, it'll be finished a long time from now."

“That’s true…” Old Hu nodded.

The work arrangements for the next stage have been basically finalized. Lao Hu will still be in charge of the market and spending, while Fang Yan will be in charge of technology and personnel.

They arranged the schedule, and then they just had to follow the plan.

……

The next day, August 3rd, arrived.

That morning, just after finishing his rounds, Fang Yan was about to go to the research institute when he received a call from Director Liao.

The first thing he asked was about myocardial infarction.

Fang Yan immediately became nervous and asked Director Liao if he was feeling unwell.

As it turned out, Director Liao said it wasn't that he was feeling unwell; rather, a friend of his had passed away from a sudden heart attack a little over fourteen hours after undergoing leg surgery abroad.

Fang Yan seemed a bit surprised. "A friend of Director Liao? He passed away abroad?"
However, based on the information provided by Director Liao, he still expressed his own guess.

His friend had been suffering from a leg ailment for many years. In order to be able to work better, he decided to go abroad for surgery after learning that the relevant treatment technology was more advanced overseas.

"Director Liao, the situation you described is actually not uncommon in clinical practice." Fang Yan held the receiver, her tone much heavier. "Leg surgery and heart attacks seem unrelated, but they can actually be connected in several ways. Since it was surgery, I'll explain it to you from a Western medical perspective..."

Director Liao responded with an "Mmm" on the other end.
“Tell me in detail, I’ve been having this question in my mind.”

"First, there's the stress response from the surgery itself," Fang Yan explained clearly. "No matter what kind of surgery it is, it's traumatic to the body. When the sympathetic nervous system is excited, adrenaline surges, the heart rate increases, blood pressure rises, and the burden on the heart becomes heavier. In addition, blood vessels constrict and the blood thickens. If the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart spasm or become blocked by a blood clot, a myocardial infarction is more likely to occur."

He paused, heard Director Liao gasp on the other end, and then continued:
"Another issue is postoperative bed rest. With legs immobile and prolonged lying down, blood flow in the lower limbs slows, increasing the risk of deep vein thrombosis. If this thrombus breaks off and travels down the bloodstream to block the pulmonary artery, it causes a pulmonary embolism. This puts excessive strain on the right heart, affecting the function of the left heart, and in severe cases, can induce myocardial ischemia or even a heart attack. Furthermore, thrombosis itself activates the body's coagulation system, increasing the risk of thrombosis in the coronary arteries."

“There’s another possibility,” Fang Yan’s voice deepened, “Your friend has been suffering from leg problems for many years. Could he have underlying conditions? Such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes? These are the root causes of coronary heart disease. His coronary arteries may have already been narrowed or hardened. The surgery was like a fuse, igniting the cardiovascular system that was barely holding on, causing it to decompensate all at once.”

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone before Director Liao's hoarse voice came through:
"Now that you mention it, there's quite a bit to it... My friend does indeed take blood pressure medication regularly."

“So,” Fang Yan sighed, “the surgery may be on the leg, but the impact can affect the heart. Especially for older people or those with underlying medical conditions, these postoperative risks need to be carefully considered.”

After saying that, he didn't forget to remind Director Liao:
Please accept my condolences.

Director Liao said:
"I should have let you see him. He just left the country in the middle of last month, what a pity..."

Fang Yan was silent. In the middle of last month, he should have just finished his postgraduate entrance examination and was working on "A Comprehensive Explanation of Materia Medica of Southern Xinjiang".

"Oh well, why am I telling you all this? Everyone has their own destiny!" Director Liao said on the other end of the phone.

Fang Yan gripped the receiver, her fingers tightening slightly. After a moment of silence, her voice softened further:

"Director Liao, please don't be too sad. These kinds of postoperative complications are sometimes like unpredictable events, something no one can control in advance. Your friend was thinking about working better despite his leg injury; that kind of spirit is admirable enough. When he passed away, he must have been clear-headed, knowing that he had the surgery to move forward."

"As you know, there are always some things about medicine that are beyond our understanding. What we can do is write down the lessons we've figured out today, so that we can be more vigilant and protect more people when we encounter similar situations in the future."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, then Director Liao's slightly relieved voice finally came through:

"You're right... Okay, I understand."

After hanging up the phone, Fang Yan went to ask the dean again, wanting to know who had passed away and if there was any news.

There was no news from the dean either, and he was still a bit confused when he heard Fang Yan's words.

However, after learning that it was about someone going abroad for medical treatment, he understood and told Fang Yan not to ask too many questions, as it would definitely be in the newspapers in a few days.

He recognized the dialect immediately and readily agreed without asking any further questions.

The next thing Fang Yan did was go to see Editor-in-Chief Xia at the publishing house and urge him to catch up on the progress.

By the end of the day, a batch of finished products had finally come out. Fang Yan looked at them, confirmed they were suitable, and then began large-scale printing.

Over the next few days, the printed materials were delivered to the General Logistics Department of the People's Liberation Army. They were quite satisfied with the materials and then began preparations to transport them to the south for distribution.

On August 8th, Fang Yan received several messages.

The first one is the invitation letter for the Ministry of Health's mid-month meeting, dated August 17th.

The second piece of news is that on August 10th, a Japanese delegation visited China again, accompanied by people from Kyoto University.

The third piece of news is that all the experts who returned from the research institute have arrived, and some of the 30 top experts from across the country selected by the Ministry of Health have also arrived. Today, Huang Li informed Fang Yan that he can start his work and asked him to go over and meet with everyone, and to give them a briefing and assign tasks.

In addition, there is a fourth piece of news: the research institute project at the Luohu Port in Shenzhen has begun to be implemented under the arrangement of Director Liao and the leaders in Guangzhou, and construction is expected to start around mid-August.

The most urgent task for Fang Yan is to address the issue of starting construction on the research institute.

PS: The basic chapter of 6000 words has been updated, and there will be an extra chapter.

(End of this chapter)