Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 1285 I'll Fall for Your Open Scheme: Calculations from the Internet Age (Two Chapters Combined)
“Very good. Actually, I don’t think their conditions are unacceptable. Our biggest opponent right now is still the old forces behind Tsumura. The vote on the ‘Pharmaceutical Fair Competition Regulation’ is the first blow to break Tsumura’s shackles. Your decision to use the factory as collateral is good… but the Chinese aren’t stupid. That young genius doctor sensed the risk, which is why he asked those three questions.”

“Sometimes we can’t think about winning everywhere. Giving our allies some benefits is also a way to better solidify our relationship.”

The powerful figure behind Kobayashi Ichiya said calmly.

He was even more proactive than Kobayashi Kazumasa in preparing for the upcoming negotiations.

Kobayashi Kazuya was still trying to secure some benefits, but this bigwig wanted to get things started as soon as possible; the longer the dragging on, the more difficult things would become.

Kobayashi Kazuya thought for a moment and said:

"Sir, you are wise. This act of mortgaging the property is not only a pledge of allegiance to the Chinese side, but also a demonstration to the Party that Kobayashi Pharmaceutical is prepared to fight to the bitter end!"

"But... Tokyo Port is dominated by your reformist faction's distribution reforms, and with GMP factories backed by the port, Tsumura has absolutely no chance of filling Tokyo pharmacies with Kampo medicine, while we can! This is the fatal point that will shatter their channel hegemony!"

"However, I still want to try to negotiate on the matter of mortgaging it to the Chinese side, since the amount is too large."

The item being mortgaged didn't belong to the big boss, but to Kobayashi Ichiya. He was still a little unhappy about having to mortgage it to get this done.

Fortunately, the big shot was reasonable and nodded at him.
"Sure, you decide!"

Then the big shot said:
"The old forces behind Tsumura are doing everything they can to obstruct the amendment... They denounce it as 'shaking the foundation of the nation'."

"Little do they know, the true foundation of the nation is the people's livelihood! Monopolies have led to exorbitant drug prices, causing widespread public discontent... This is the 'great cause' that the reformists are pushing for!"

After he finished speaking, he reminded:
"If we succeed in this, both of us will be remembered!"

Kobayashi Ichiya nodded. The boss was telling him not to be stingy with money.

He wiped his sweat and then asked:
"The Chinese side knows about my connections with your shareholders. They're demanding channel data and a weekly congressional report, and they also need your signature and that of fifty people from your party. Should we do that?"

This hasn't been done yet!

It involves big shots and the people behind them. They say he wouldn't mind being given money, but I wonder how he will react to this.
I thought that when you touch a big shot, they would hold back, but the big shot said:

"Go ahead and do it! I'll have someone come and sign right away. These are all things that don't require much effort. Shareholder status is an open weapon to deter Tsumura. Kobayashi Pharmaceutical is a 'model' supported by the reform policy! Breaking the monopoly, lowering drug prices, and benefiting the people—this is 'political correctness' that no political party dares to deny! As long as you start implementing it, Tsumura will lose its channel binding rights, and the raw materials it has stockpiled will be the stone that breaks its back."

Hearing the big shot say that, Xiao Lin immediately chimed in:
"Yes, at that time, Huaxia TCM's 'flagship product' will sweep Japan through Kobayashi's channels! Tsumura's market share will be a 'certificate of merit' for your reformist approach! However... Fang Yan requested 'written support' from the ruling party's reformists, and we just gave it to them like that?"

The big shot said:

“Tell them… the result of the parliamentary vote is the most powerful ‘written commitment’! As soon as the cooperation begins, I will personally cut the ribbon for the factory jointly built by Kobayashi Pharmaceutical and the Chinese side! Let them see clearly: cooperating with Kobayashi is cooperating with the future of Japan!”

Kobayashi Ichiya saw that the party bigwigs behind him had already started to gamble everything, so he didn't say anything.

Immediately state your position:

“I understand. When I go to China for negotiations, I will try my best to secure their interests. If they insist, I will relax the conditions to facilitate our cooperation.”

The big boss nodded:

"Okay, I'll do as you say."

……

In fact, Fang Yan and his team were not idle either. Before Kobayashi Ichiya arrived, they not only formulated plans in China, but also investigated the movements in Japan.

Next up is the negotiation and bargaining on September 1st.

On September 1st, the eldest sister, younger brother, sister-in-law, father, father-in-law, and even Zhengyi, Mingzhu, and Zeng Yuxun who usually lived here, all ended their summer vacation and began their new school life.

My father and father-in-law drove their new car back to the school, while my older sister and her family were driven to Peking University by Sofia.

Today's school opening was also a lively occasion, with a new batch of students who applied to the Capital University of Chinese Medicine arriving at the school.

The scale is even larger than that of Fang Yan's class. The reason is simple: Fang Yan, who scored the highest in the national college entrance examination last year, applied to this school, so his name became known to more people.

Moreover, according to reports about the dialect, others also realized that this school had so many connections and relationships with so many departments. The school, which was previously considered quite unpopular, has become a hot school because the dialect is frequently featured in newspapers and news.

So there are a lot more people this year, and the number of people who know the dialect is definitely much higher than in previous years.

Of course, this is a good thing.

The more people learn Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the larger the market for TCM will become due to the increasing number of TCM practitioners.

These days are different from the future; today's college students are in high demand by society.

With all sectors in dire need of revitalization, the fields of education, science and technology, and health urgently require a surge of highly qualified personnel to inject fresh blood and propel these undertakings back on track and toward vigorous development.

In the field of traditional Chinese medicine, the damage has been particularly severe.

从方言在研究院统计的全国中医人员数量来看，1959年全国中医有36万多人，到1977年锐减至24万人；中医医院数量也从1966年的371所，急剧减少到1978年的171所。

A large number of TCM practitioners were forced to leave their posts, TCM hospitals were dismantled and renovated, TCM theory and practice were criticized, and traditional TCM faced the predicament of being severely Westernized.

Against this backdrop, it is urgent to cultivate more professional TCM talents. Every college student who devotes themselves to the study of TCM may become a key force in revitalizing the TCM cause.

The butterfly effect began when Fang Yan achieved the highest score in the national college entrance examination and applied to the Capital University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. This event, after being reported by the media, successfully attracted the attention of all sectors of society.

People discovered that this school held many development opportunities and had close ties with multiple departments.

Traditional Chinese medicine, once considered an unpopular major, has suddenly become a popular choice due to the frequent appearance of dialects in newspapers and news.

More students applying means that schools can select higher-quality students and cultivate batches of high-level professionals for the field of traditional Chinese medicine.

In time, these new forces will enter society and devote themselves to various fields such as clinical practice, scientific research, and education in traditional Chinese medicine, which will surely continue to expand the ranks of practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine and improve their overall quality.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, Fang Yan anticipates that these individuals will be able to apply their knowledge in practice, inherit and innovate TCM theories and techniques, further expand the application scope and influence of TCM, promote the continued expansion of the TCM market, and help the TCM cause increase its influence in the upcoming reform and opening up.

Some things in the world are really strange. When people start to enter an industry on a large scale, more people will notice that industry, and then the attraction is like a spiral, with more people paying attention to it, and that's how traffic is generated.

If you add some other factors to fuel the fire and then get the media to report it, the impact will be even greater.

So today, at the entrance of Capital University of Chinese Medicine, in addition to banners welcoming new students, there was also a banner that read, "Warmly welcome Kobayashi Pharmaceutical of Japan to discuss cooperation in traditional Chinese medicine."

This was also a trick devised by the dialect.

Hanging a welcome banner in the most prominent place on campus, making the business negotiations public and politicized, attracts the attention of freshmen, parents, and the media.

By leveraging Kobayashi Pharmaceutical's "high-profile" visit to China, they can force the other party to restrain its scheming under public scrutiny, otherwise it may trigger a backlash from public opinion.

At the same time, the banner is also subtly sending a clear signal:
The collaboration with Kobayashi Pharmaceutical is a nationally-backed project, implying that Japan's unpredictable actions will damage its international reputation.

Of course, on the surface, it also aims to boost confidence in the TCM industry, send a signal of industry recovery, and tell everyone that TCM can not only save the country, but also "go global" to compete with international giants, attracting more talents to devote themselves to TCM.

Internally, it aims to motivate new students to participate in international cooperation and enhance their sense of mission in learning.

Externally, it serves to showcase the achievements of modernizing traditional Chinese medicine and to build momentum for future market expansion.

This was a carefully planned conspiracy that was orchestrated even before Kobayashi Kazumasa arrived.

Kobayashi wanted to play the "Sniper on the First Day of School" game, and this is his response.

A flurry of moves, a combination of slashing and striking!
The students and parents at the scene, seeing the banner and the media photographers who had been invited, felt that the TCM school was indeed the right choice.

Parents carrying printed cloth bags and enamel mugs gathered under a banner that read "Warmly Welcome Kobayashi Pharmaceutical of Japan to Discuss Cooperation in Traditional Chinese Medicine," pointing to the words "Japan" and "cooperation," their voices filled with surprise and disbelief. "A Japanese pharmaceutical company is coming to our school to discuss cooperation?" A father in a Zhongshan suit, his hair neatly combed, tugged at his son's sleeve, his voice trembling with excitement. "I knew we made the right choice choosing this school! Look, studying Traditional Chinese Medicine not only allows us to treat illnesses domestically, but also lets us interact with foreigners. Who knows, maybe we can even sell our Chinese medicine abroad someday!"

His son, a newly admitted student, was clutching his acceptance letter. He had been feeling down because he hadn't been selected for the popular engineering major, but now his eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but lean closer to the banner to carefully examine the words on it.

Several mothers nearby gathered to discuss the matter, one of whom was holding a newly purchased textbook on "Basic Theories of Traditional Chinese Medicine": "I was worried because I'd heard that TCM was an unpopular field and it was hard to find a job. But now it seems that TCM is really going to expand! Even the Japanese are asking for cooperation. After our children graduate, will we still have to worry about their career prospects?"

Another mother nodded repeatedly, pointing to a reporter carrying a camera not far away: "Look, there are reporters here to take pictures. This will definitely make the newspapers, and then the whole country will know that our University of Traditional Chinese Medicine is capable!"

Several senior student council members wearing school badges were also surrounded in the crowd.

"Are Japanese pharmaceutical companies really going to cooperate with us? Are they going to sell the drugs our school develops to Japan?" a freshman girl with braided pigtails asked with wide eyes. The senior student smiled and nodded: "It's not just selling drugs, I heard they're also going to cooperate on research and development! Our senior, Fang Yan, who was last year's top scorer in the college entrance examination, even discussed the technical details with them!"

These words excited the surrounding freshmen even more. One boy muttered, "I want to be like my senior and do research on traditional Chinese medicine so that foreigners will also recognize our TCM!"

Among the crowd were several elderly traditional Chinese medicine doctors from the countryside with gray hair, who had come to register with their grandsons.

They looked at the banner, their eyes filled with emotion.

An elderly traditional Chinese medicine doctor, leaning on a cane, said:

"Back then, traditional Chinese medicine was criticized so harshly that hospitals almost went out of business. Now things are much better. Young people are willing to learn it, and foreigners are coming to collaborate. Our traditional Chinese medicine is finally saved!"

The old Chinese medicine doctor next to him nodded repeatedly:
"This banner is well hung up! It not only welcomes the Japanese, but also boosts the morale of us practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine! From now on, our Chinese medicine will no longer be limited to small-scale operations within the domestic market!"

Looking down at the bustling scene of banners and crowds, Zhao Xiwu gently shook the enamel mug in his hand at the entrance of the research institute next door.

He spoke to Fang Yan, who was also waiting for Kobayashi Ichiya to arrive:

"You little rascal, you're always full of tricks!"

Zhao Xiwu reached out and patted Fang Yan on the shoulder:

"When I saw the banner up this morning, I wondered if it was too ostentatious. But now it seems like a brilliant move!"

"This banner isn't welcoming the Japanese at all; it's clearly boosting the morale of our entire TCM community! It lets those who are still hesitant about whether to learn or believe in TCM see that our methods can not only cure diseases, but also attract foreigners to come to us for cooperation!"

"What's even more ingenious is your 'public' intention. We all know what Kobayashi Kazumasa was planning by coming here today—he wanted to take advantage of the chaos of the start of the school year to find a loophole in our terms and conditions. But once you put up the banner, invited the reporters, and brought the negotiations into the open, would he still dare to play tricks?"

He pointed to a reporter who was adjusting his camera not far away: "If he dares to offer even half a 'discount,' it will be published in the newspapers tomorrow, and the reputation of 'Japanese pharmaceutical companies lacking sincerity in negotiating cooperation' will spread. The reformists behind him want a good reputation for 'breaking the monopoly,' and they are most afraid of this kind of backlash from public opinion. Your move has hit their weak spot!"

Fang Yan smiled and waved his hand, saying:
"It wasn't entirely my idea; Professor Tamagawa also contributed."

Professor Yue Meizhong from the graduate program was also present. He spoke to Fang Yan:

“We originally thought that when recruiting new students this year, we would have to painstakingly explain that ‘traditional Chinese medicine has a promising future.’ But now we don’t need to. A banner and a public negotiation are more effective than a hundred words. With these students and parents having something to look forward to, we can gradually rebuild the foundation of traditional Chinese medicine.”

"That was a brilliant move. I have to admit, you're really smart."

Fang Yan smiled and said, "Isn't this just the basic operation for generating traffic in the internet age?"
By leveraging the existing attention given to specific scenarios and aligning with core objectives, value can be amplified.

Although modern concepts such as "traffic" and "exposure" did not exist in 1978, the value logic of "attention" has never changed: the start of school for new students is the focus of the campus and even society. In particular, the Capital University of Traditional Chinese Medicine became a "hot school" because of its dialect, which naturally generated buzz and was a natural traffic-generating scenario.

The visit and collaboration with Japanese pharmaceutical companies is a rare international topic. By linking the two, it not only gives new students and their parents a direct understanding of the promising future of studying traditional Chinese medicine, thus solving the "trust" problem of the TCM major, but also amplifies the signal that "TCM is internationally recognized" by leveraging the lively scene of the start of the school year. It even attracts media to actively follow up and report. This is completely consistent with the modern traffic-driving strategy of "borrowing hot topics, creating topics, and expanding influence".

They chatted casually for a while until 10 a.m. when Kobayashi Ichiya's convoy finally arrived from a distance.

Kobayashi Ichiya landed at Beijing Capital International Airport last night and was received by the Ministry of Health. His Hongqi sedan slowly drove into the gate of the Capital University of Chinese Medicine. He was looking down and checking the core terms of the negotiation with his assistant, but his peripheral vision caught the two banners hanging at the school gate.

The red banner on the left that read "Warmly welcome the new students of the Class of 1978" was expected, but the banner on the right that read "Warmly welcome Kobayashi Pharmaceutical of Japan to discuss cooperation in traditional Chinese medicine" made him pause abruptly, and his hand holding the pen tightened involuntarily.

"President, this..." The assistant also saw the banner, his tone full of surprise, "Wasn't this supposed to be a meeting at the research institute? Why is there a banner like this hanging at the school gate?"

Xiaolin did not answer immediately, her brows furrowed tightly.

He carefully observed through the car window that the banner was surrounded by new students and their parents carrying luggage. Many people were pointing at the words "Kobayashi Pharmaceutical" and whispering among themselves. There were also three reporters with cameras on their shoulders adjusting their lenses in front of the banner, clearly having come prepared in advance.

This clearly shows that the Chinese side is treating his visit as a major public event.

Is this right?
"wrong."

Kobayashi's voice turned somber as he tapped his fingertips lightly on the edge of his briefcase. "They did it on purpose." This guy was a shrewd old fox; he instantly understood the situation.

He chose to come on September 1st, the start of the school year, hoping to take advantage of the chaos caused by the Chinese side's busy welcoming of new students and gain the upper hand in the negotiations. However, the Chinese side turned the tables on him by linking his visit with the start of the new semester, thus eliminating any possibility of him "playing tricks" through a public setting.

If it were in a closed meeting room, he could negotiate with the Chinese side on terms such as technology integration and supply volume, and even ask for "discounts"; but now, with so many parents, students and reporters watching, if he shows the slightest hesitation or harshness on the terms, tomorrow's newspapers may well have reports of "Japanese pharmaceutical companies lacking sincerity in discussing cooperation".

This will not only damage Kobayashi Pharmaceutical's reputation, but also tarnish the image of the reformists behind it who "support private enterprises and break monopolies," directly hitting his weak spot.

Baka! Who came up with this idea?

Kobayashi Ichiya was already cursing inwardly when her assistant asked:
"The club president? Do they want us to go to the school to talk?"

Seeing her assistant's somewhat naive expression, Kobayashi Ichiya shook her head and said:
"No...they're setting me up. There's a mastermind behind this banner!"

The assistant was bewildered, not understanding what Kobayashi Ichiya meant by that. What kind of expert was he?
It's just a banner.
It was hung in the wrong place!

He took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and straightened his suit collar:

"We can only deal with things as they come. Remember, at the negotiating table later, we must not compromise on our bottom line regarding the terms, but we must soften our stance so that the reporters don't find any fault with us."

As they were talking, the car arrived at the entrance of the research institute, where the cameramen and the children presenting flowers were already ready.

Firecrackers were set off all around, creating a lively and exciting atmosphere.

It immediately attracted the attention of people at the gate of the neighboring school.

Zhao Xiwu and Professor Yue Meizhong stood at the front, their faces displaying just the right amount of enthusiasm. Kobayashi Ichiya opened the car door, his gaze sweeping over the two people in front of him, and then looking behind them. He didn't see Professor Wang Yuchuan, whom he feared the most, but the young and talented TCM doctor Fang Yan was in the group.

The children who were presenting flowers had already come up.

Two little girls with pigtails and wearing floral dresses stood at the front, holding bouquets of sunflowers wrapped in cellophane, their eyes sparkling as they stared at the Hongqi sedan that had just stopped.

Zhao Xiwu stepped forward first, a gentle smile on his face. Yue Meizhong followed beside him, while Fang Yan stood in the middle of the group, his gaze calmly fixed on the car door. Upon seeing this, the surrounding reporters immediately swarmed around, their cameras clicking incessantly. Many new students and their parents also squeezed behind the crowd, peering out to see what this "boss from Japan who came to discuss cooperation" looked like.

Kobayashi Kazuya first straightened the hem of his suit before slowly walking down.

He immediately put on a standard business smile, and two little girls stepped forward, handed the bouquet to Kobayashi, and said in their cheerful voices, "Welcome, Uncle Japan!"

Kobayashi bent down to take the bouquet, her smile becoming even more genuine. She even reached out and patted one of the children on the head, saying in broken Chinese, "Thank you, little friend, the flowers are beautiful."

But only he knew that this seemingly heartwarming scene was seen by reporters and parents as proof of "friendly and pleasant cooperation between China and Japan." If he were to refuse to cooperate in the slightest, he would appear petty.

He bowed slightly to Zhao Xiwu: "Dean Zhao, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. Thank you for your warm hospitality; I am truly flattered."

"President Kobayashi has come from afar, so we should extend our hospitality." Zhao Xiwu reached out to shake his hand, his tone sincere. "Today happens to be our school's welcome day, so it's a bit lively. Please don't mind." As he spoke, he stepped aside and pointed in the direction of the school next door.

Yue Meizhong then stepped forward to exchange pleasantries: "President Kobayashi, I am Yue Meizhong. It is a great honor to have the opportunity to communicate with you in person today."

"Professor Yue, you're too kind. The profound heritage of traditional Chinese medicine in your country is the focus of our study here." Xiao Lin said politely, but his eyes subtly swept over the crowd, especially the reporters holding cameras. He sighed inwardly: The Chinese side's "leveraging" was too ruthless. They even used children and firecrackers to arrange his "public appearance" so clearly, leaving him no way out.

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

(End of this chapter)