Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 1236 The panicked second group pulled out their family heirloom, marking the start of the mid-year conference (two chapters combined).
After Fang Yan finished speaking, Old Zhu nodded and said:

"Does that mean... we can supply the troops now?"

“I heard in Nantong that you customized a special manual for the military in the south.”

“Injuries and bruises are inevitable during military training and exercises. If this plaster can pass the military inspection, it will be much more convenient than carrying a big bag of herbs.”

Fang Yan said with a smile:

"Once the final verification is passed, I will go and talk to Comrade Qin from the General Logistics Department of the PLA."

Old Zhu nodded.

He didn't go into the details of the matter, as it involved some secrets that it wouldn't be appropriate to tell him in his dialect.

The old man simply stopped asking.

He had rested for a while and had recovered, so he followed Fang Yan into the main hall to drink tea and chat about his recent treatment in Nantong.

He is still seeking treatment while searching for renowned doctors everywhere.

He did find a few more, but none of them planned to go to the hospital; they just gave him the secret recipe they had.

Hearing the dialect, I was truly amazed that such a thing could happen.

Of all these doctors, Fang Yan had only ever heard of Dr. Zhu's skill.

Of course, he actually has some too.

He just didn't realize it.

The story of Fang Yan is not as convoluted as Zhu Lao's; people just handed it to him directly.

For example, look at Dean Ouyang's medical case; the iron box there is clearly not something an ordinary person could see.

After chatting for a while, Meng Jimin came over.

Before even reaching the main hall, he shouted into the dialect:

"Old Fang, Old Fang!"

"Let me tell you, we've got results!"

He said impatiently as soon as he entered the door:

"I haven't even gone home yet, I'm already here to give you good news. The new Professor Zeng Wanli is truly amazing!"

"The bone injury patch is done!"

“I already knew,” Fang Yan replied to Meng Jimin with a smile.

Meng Jimin was taken aback:
"Huh? You already knew? How did you know?"

Dialect reminder:

"Brother, I have a phone here!"

Meng Jimin then realized what was happening, slapped his thigh, and said:
"Oh dear, I completely forgot about that!"

After saying that, he spoke in dialect:

"Right now, those experts are still contacting hospitals to conduct clinical trials."

Nodding in dialect:

"Yes, the clinical trials were arranged by me."

Meng Jimin opened his mouth and said:
"Fine, I'll take it back that I didn't say anything."

Although Meng Jimin was the deputy director, he was also involved in the experiments and had no idea that Zeng Luquan had already reported to Fang Yan.

He excitedly ran over to inform Fang Yan, only to find that Fang Yan already knew the news, which was quite embarrassing.

Fang Yan smiled and comforted him:
"It's alright. You've done your job as deputy director. Call me directly next time, or discuss it with Lao Zeng."

Meng Jimin waved his hand:

"Hey, I only got this deputy director position because of you. In reality, nobody really respects me."

Fang Yan knew this guy was in a bad mood, so she comforted him:

"Who said that?"

“You are a veteran cadre who has always worked on the front line with researchers.”

"This is a good comrade we should admire and praise!"

Hearing this from the dialect made Meng Jimin feel much better.

He said:
"You're the only one who remembers the good things about me!"

"You asked me to manage personnel? I don't even know what I'm in charge of right now. Compared to Lao Zeng and Huang Li, I'm still too green."

He said in dialect:

"Take your time learning, you're not stupid."

Seeing his apprentice Meng Jimin like this, Zhu Liangchun couldn't help but complain:
"I think you're just being dramatic!"

He turned to Fang Yan and said:

"Don't try to persuade him, he'll only get more excited the more you try to persuade him."

Meng Jimin's face turned red after being silenced by Old Zhu's words. He scratched his head and chuckled.
"Master, you're really bringing up a sore subject... I'm just afraid I won't do a good job."

"If you're afraid, learn more." Old Zhu picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"Back then, you followed me to copy prescriptions, and you couldn't even accurately feel someone's pulse, but you still made it through, didn't you? Now that I'm putting you in charge of personnel, it's simply a matter of recognizing people, using people, and tolerating people, which is easier than feeling someone's pulse."

Chen Youqing chimed in from the side:
“Master is right. You spend all your time in the lab, you know better than anyone who works diligently and who has innovative ideas. That’s your advantage, so what’s so difficult about it?”

Meng Jimin's eyes lit up. He suddenly remembered that his senior brother, Chen Youqing, had spent a few years helping their master manage personnel at the Nantong Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital. He immediately said:
"Senior brother, I need to ask you for advice on this matter!"

Chen Youqing said:
"I wouldn't call it seeking advice; I was just figuring things out as I went along. But there's a simple method: you might try keeping a small notebook and writing down everyone's personality and strengths."

Upon hearing this, Meng Jimin nodded repeatedly.

A bad pen is worse than a good memory, that's what he's best at.

So he started asking questions, and Fang Yan was happy to see Meng Jimin improve.

That evening, Fang Yan wanted Meng Jimin to stay for dinner, but he declined, saying he had to go home because someone was waiting for him.

Fang Yan didn't try to keep him, but gave him some candy from home to take to his child.

……

Time flew by and the next day arrived.

Fang Yan finished his rounds early in the morning. After that, he handed over the medical records from yesterday's consultation with Old Zhu. He figured that someone would be coming later, so he had them write it down in the handover log so he could review it whenever they came.

After finishing their business here, Fang Yan drove Old Zhu and the others to Dongzhimen Hospital.

Today, Zhengyi didn't come along. It wasn't that he didn't want to go, but there were too many people there, and with just a little kid like him, Old Zhu and the others didn't have time to take care of him.

Sometimes he wanted to ask questions, but Mr. Zhu didn't have time to answer them.

Let him stay at home.

As for Anton, he will stay with Fang Yan today. Dean Ouyang will arrange the personnel for Elder Zhu. Starting today, he will become Fang Yan's assistant.

He was the one driving, but Fang Yan still needs to complete his onboarding procedures.

Anton's background is known to many people; his father, Bachukaev, is a rocket builder, a fact known to many insiders. His political background check is definitely not a problem, and being Fang Yan's assistant is even less of a problem.

It's time to assign Fangyan an assistant.

This is the first time the research institute has ever appointed a Russian as an assistant.

The sight of this blond-haired, blue-eyed Russian speaking fluent Beijing dialect and handling affairs with someone who speaks the local dialect is quite a spectacle.

After Fang Yan quickly processed Anton's documents, he took him to the research institute.

He's been here before, and he knows most of the people here.

He quickly got into character.

In the courtyard of the research institute, Anton followed behind Fang Yan, his blond hair dazzling in the sunlight.

Zhao Xiwu, who was called in today to see the research team's results, heard An Dong reporting to Fang Yan that everything was ready inside. He said to Fang Yan, "Your apprentice speaks quite fluently, not at all like a foreigner..."

Fang Yan said with a smile:

"It wasn't standard a year ago, but it improved quite quickly, and now it's indistinguishable."

Anton heard this, grinned at them, revealing two rows of white teeth: "My dad taught me that! He said if you want to put down roots in China, you have to straighten your tongue first!"

Zhao Xiwu smiled and said to Fang Yan:

"That's a good awareness!"

Next, Fang Yan led Zhao Xiwu to the office, where Huang Mingcan and Zeng Wanli were already prepared to give their reports.

In the office, Huang Mingcan was comparing a plaster sample with a ruler when he saw Fang Yan and Zhao Xiwu enter. He quickly put what he was holding on the table.
"Dean Zhao, Director Fang, this is the improved bone injury patch. Feel the stickiness... Professor Zeng thought of adding gum arabic today, making it much more stable than yesterday's."

After hearing this, Fang Yan asked:

"Have you guys not rested?"

Zeng Wanli said:
"I've rested, I've rested. I just woke up early this morning and came over. I added in any ideas that came to mind right away!"

Fang Yan looked at the bloodshot eyes and was somewhat incredulous.

Huang Mingcan said:
“At three o’clock in the morning, Lao Zeng dragged me to change the formula. He said that he dreamed that gum arabic and beeswax were dancing in the pot. When he woke up, he insisted on trying the new ratio.”

The dialect is both funny and exasperating; this works too.

Zeng Wanli was a little embarrassed:
"It was mainly a sudden whim; if I hadn't written it down, I might have forgotten it... Look at this elasticity," he said, picking up the plaster and gently stretching it, adding:

"After adding gum arabic, the elasticity is improved by 30%, and it is less likely to wrinkle when applied to active areas such as the knees and ankles."

Zhao Xiwu took the plaster, applied it to his wrist, and bent his arm back and forth a few times:

"Yes, it fits better than the ones on the market."

"How long does the effect of your plaster last?"

"Without major modifications to the formula, minor adjustments to the ingredients have little impact. It can be stored at room temperature for two years, and the effects last for twelve hours when applied to the body." Huang Mingshen handed over the inspection report, which they had tested previously. Zeng Wanli continued:
"We are now conducting accelerated aging tests to simulate the state two years from now, hoping that the retention rate of effective ingredients can be maintained at more than 80%."

"We plan to print time markings on the back of the plaster, so that a mark is made when it is applied, making it easy for users to know when to replace it, thus making it more convenient for them."

Zhao Xiwu nodded:
"You've thought it through quite thoroughly."

Fang Yan then said:
"By the way, could you improve the smell of this medicine and make a military version? In the current situation, if it's used in the military, a strong smell will easily give away our position."

“As long as international standards are not required, this problem is easy to solve,” Zeng Wanli said.

Nodding in dialect:

"Well, this doesn't need to meet international standards."

At this moment, Zhao Xiwu said:

"I remember someone did something similar before, using essential oils extracted from peppermint and agastache, adding a little bit to the plaster base. This not only masks the fishy smell of the herbs but also gives it a refreshing and cool scent, making it comfortable to apply in the summer. The key is that the scent dissipates quickly; if you stick it inside your clothes, you can't smell it from two meters away, which is specifically designed for privacy."

Upon hearing Zhao Xiwu's words, Zeng Wanli and Huang Mingcan exchanged a glance:
"Then let's try it as Dean Zhao suggested!"

Hearing that Zhao Xiwu had experience, Fang Yan simply switched to freebie mode and asked:
"Then, Dean, do you see any details about this military version that need adjustment?"

To be honest, Zhao Xiwu actually had an idea. He said:

"The lettering on the packaging should be printed with fluorescent ink so that the instructions can be read clearly even in emergencies at night. Also, could you add a small interlayer to hold a piece of sterile cotton? Sometimes we need to clean the wound before applying a plaster."

After saying that Fang Yan was good, he nodded and gave Huang Ming, the envoy, a meaningful look.

"That's easy!" Huang Mingcan immediately understood, wrote it down in his notebook, and said:
"The disinfectant cotton is individually packaged and soaked in diluted iodine solution, which only adds a few cents to the cost."

Hearing that his opinion had been recorded, Zhao Xiwu didn't seem to mind having his creative ideas taken advantage of in dialect, and simply continued:
"The military version has a stronger adhesive. The regular version is for those who are allergic, so the adhesive is milder; the military version can have a small amount of natural rubber added, so it can stick firmly even after rolling in mud or being soaked in sweat. Anyway, the soldiers will change it in time after training, so there is no need to worry about allergies when wearing it for a short period of time."

Upon hearing his idea, Huang Mingcan and Zeng Wanli nodded repeatedly, realizing that this man was also an expert.

Fang Yan said to them:

"Make a batch of samples as soon as possible. I'll take you to the General Logistics Department's Health Department next week to demonstrate it directly to Minister Qin. If it passes the test, we'll first equip the border troops with them."

“Okay!” Huang Mingcan and Zeng Wanli nodded in agreement.

At this moment, Zeng Luquan, who had been silent all along, spoke up:

"We just finished inventorying the medicinal herbs. We have enough Drynaria fortunei and Dipsacus asper to make 5,000 doses, but Dragon Bone is in short supply. Should we request a second batch?"

"Transfer!" Fang Yan said without hesitation, just as Zhao Xiwu happened to be there.

Zhao Xiwu also said to Zeng Luquan:
"Just send me the application."

Zeng Luquan nodded and then went to write the application. After he finished writing it, Fang Yan signed it, and then Zhao Xiwu signed it. He then handed it to his assistant and told him to process it immediately.

Next, Fang Yan asked Huang Mingcan and Zeng Wanli to get busy, while he asked Zeng Luquan about the situation of another group.

The second group was the Nanjing-Tianjin combination, led by Jiang Yansheng. Apart from him, Cui Jingzhou was the only other top expert in this group, so it's normal that their progress was relatively slow.

They mainly focus on Sanhuang Qingwen capsules, which are something that needs to be put into the stomach, making them relatively more difficult to prepare.

Zeng Luquan said:
"They are still working hard and are very confident, but seeing the results that Huang Mingcan and his team have achieved, they inevitably feel some pressure."

He said in dialect:

"Pressure is a good thing, but don't let it become a burden. I'll go to the second group later and have a chat with them." Jiang Yansheng had previously stood up to disagree, acting somewhat arrogantly, but now he's finally back to his old ways.

Zeng Luquan said:
"They are currently using a 'double extraction' method—first extracting the volatile oil, encapsulating it with cyclodextrin, and then mixing it with the medicine powder and encapsulating it. This method preserves the volatile components without affecting the absorption rate, and we are currently trying it out."

Upon hearing this, Fang Yan said:
"The process is somewhat complex, and mass production is quite difficult."

"I need to remind them that it's not just about meeting the standards, but also about considering our own equipment."

Zeng Luquan nodded and said:
“I’ve said this before, but they said there’s a way to solve it.”

"Huh?" Fang Yan was taken aback.

Zhao Xiwu said from the side:
"This place is full of hidden talents; it seems you have some skills up your sleeve."

Upon hearing this, Fang Yan simply said:
"Then let's go down and take a look, and have a chat with those two."

Zhao Xiwu glanced at his watch and said:

"I won't go, I have a meeting later."

Fang Yan didn't press him further, saying:

"Okay, then you go ahead with your work."

Fang Yan then escorted Zhao Xiwu out of the research institute, and he and Zeng Luquan took Xiao Maozi down to the underground research room.

This time, we entered through the office.

I took the elevator down in one go, following the same route as last time.

After Fang Yan went inside, he found that it was still bustling with activity.

Zeng Luquan called the people over. When Jiang Yansheng saw Fang Yan arrive, he thought she was there to put pressure on them, so he quickly said:

"Director Fang, you've come at the perfect time. We just calculated the new extraction rate data..."

"Don't rush to talk about the data." Fang Yan waved his hand, his gaze sweeping over the workbench, where three glass jars were labeled "Scutellaria baicalensis volatile oil," "Forsythoside solution," and "Cyclodextrin inclusion complex," respectively. The centrifuge next to them was still humming. "I heard you have a way to solve the mass production problem of the dual extraction method?"

Jiang Yansheng was taken aback. He hadn't expected Fang Yan to come for this. His tense expression relaxed a bit, and he turned to give Cui Jingzhou a wink.

Cui Jingzhou pushed up his glasses, took out a tin box from the drawer, and opened it to reveal a palm-sized brass instrument that looked like a mini press.

“This is the ‘three-impact jar’ passed down from my grandfather.” Cui Jingzhou picked up the instrument to demonstrate. “Director Fang, you can see that the bottom of these three jars has sieves with different aperture sizes. The first impact presses out the coarse juice, the second impact filters out impurities, and the third impact directly separates the volatile oil and the dregs. It is 30% faster than the current distillation method, and it does not require high temperature, so the volatile components are preserved more completely.”

He then pointed to a modified mixer next to him:

"We had the machine repair team connect this tank to the electric mixer. Now it can process five kilograms of medicinal herbs at a time. Although it can't compare to the assembly line of a large factory, it's enough for small-batch production. Once the process is finalized, we can have the machinery factory scale it up according to this principle."

Fang Yan picked up the brass jar and weighed it in his hand. The jar was engraved with fine lines, and its surface had a warm, smooth patina.
"This old object is quite interesting; it looks like it was made during the Qing Dynasty."

“It’s from the Daoguang era,” Cui Jingzhou replied, her tone tinged with pride. “Back then, my grandfather was on duty at the Imperial Hospital, and he used this jar to extract the volatile oil from emergency medicines. He said it was even cleaner than refining silver.”

Anton watched with curiosity and reached out to touch it, but then remembered the rules and immediately withdrew his hand.

He said in dialect:

"Is this jar really better than distillation?"

“Each has its own merits.” Cui Jingzhou smiled. “The distillation method is suitable for large-scale production, but our three-stage jar method is superior because of its ingenuity… Look at the mesh size of this sieve. It is calculated according to the coarseness of the medicinal fiber. For Scutellaria baicalensis, we use 0.3 mm, and for Forsythia suspensa, we use 0.5 mm. Even a slight difference will not work.”

Fang Yan looked at the logbook on the control panel, which was filled with data such as "three-stage collision tank rotation speed 50 rpm" and "cyclodextrin ratio 1:6". At the end, there was Jiang Yansheng's annotation: "On the seventh day of the third month, try adding honey to adjust the mixture. The stability of the inclusion complex increased by 12%".

"It seems you've really put in the effort." Fang Yan closed the booklet, his attitude softening considerably, and said:

"Don't put too much pressure on us. Huang's bone injury patch is for external use, while your capsules are for internal use. The standards are different. But I have to say something upfront: the research institute can apply for funding for mass production equipment, but we need to thoroughly understand the principles and write them into a report. We can't just rely on old equipment."

A relieved smile appeared on Jiang Yansheng's face, and his previously tense shoulders completely relaxed.

"Don't worry, Director Fang, we've already drawn up the blueprints. I've modified the three-stage collision principle of Old Cui's family three times by combining it with modern separation technology, ensuring that it can both preserve the essence of the old craft and be mass-produced by machine."

He turned and took a roll of blueprints from the cabinet. When he unfolded it, it depicted a multi-layered stainless steel device, which combined the tiered structure of a traditional three-stage mortar with added temperature control and pressure valves.

"Look, this is our 'improved three-impact extraction tank' design. The machine factory said that as long as we have the blueprints, we can build a prototype in three months."

After seeing this, Fang Yan said:

"Alright, don't give this to the machine factory. I'll find someone to make it for me and get it done as soon as possible. If it's really as good as you say, I'll give you credit!"

The dialect indicates that they are planning to find their father or father-in-law; they are definitely more professional.

The factory over there is also making great progress.

Sometimes you have to coordinate resources from multiple sources, and that's part of leadership skills.

Fang Yan has the backing of his father and father-in-law, so there's no reason for him not to use those connections. Besides, it's not like he's not getting paid; it's all real money.

Hearing Fang Yan's attitude, Jiang Yansheng secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worried that Fang Yan would make things difficult for him, especially after the other group produced their results yesterday, which had made him extremely anxious. Now, a genuine smile finally appeared on his face.
"That's really... thank you so much, Director Fang. We were worried that the machinery factory was rushing to meet the deadline, which might delay the clinical trials."

As they were talking, the centrifuge on the control panel stopped, and the people in the lab called Cui Jingzhou over.

Fang Yan, having seen enough, said:

"Alright, you guys get on with your work, I won't bother you any longer. I wish you the best of luck in achieving your goals soon!"

The two agreed and then went back to their work.

Next, Fang Yan handed the blueprints to Anton, telling him to take them back with him.

Anton immediately took the blueprints and wrote them down in a notebook.

……

A few more days passed.

The time for the Ministry of Health's mid-year conference has finally arrived.

Early that morning, Fang Yan had just finished checking the rooms and was going downstairs when Lao Hu was already waiting for him in the parking lot. Lao Hu was one of the people invited this year.

The company has earned a lot of foreign exchange for the country through traditional Chinese medicine recently, so he is someone we need to hire.

In addition, the president of Peking Union Medical College Hospital has also returned.

The old man only returned from out of town last night.

Fang Yan only learned about this matter this morning when Vice Dean Gu, who was off duty at night, mentioned it.

He should also be attending the mid-year meeting today.

Just as Fang Yan and Lao Hu were about to leave, they saw the old man and his secretary arrive at the parking lot.

He and Lao Hu quickly greeted the old man.

"Where have you gone?" Fang Yan asked him.

The dean smiled wryly and said in a low voice:
West Germany!

Fang Yan suddenly realized that it was indeed related to the deceased.

After speaking in dialect, he asked again:
"By the way, I heard you're getting a promotion!?"

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

(End of this chapter)