Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 878 The Big Boss Behind the Big Boss in Macau: A Predicament That Only Treats the Symptoms, Not the Root Cause (Two Chapters Combined)
Fang Yan looked at the person in front of him and felt that he looked somewhat familiar, but he was certain that he had never seen the person before.

It was the same even in the TV news of my past life.

It's probably just that she looks somewhat like someone.

Seeing the somewhat confused look on Fang Yan's face, the middle-aged man said:

"My surname is Ma, my given name is Youxin, I am from Haojiang, and I am the third child in my family."

Ma Youxin?
Fang Yan was slightly taken aback when he heard the name; at first, he thought the other person's surname was He.

So... his surname is Ma?
Fang Yan thought for a moment, then tentatively asked:

"Then who is Chairman Ma of the Macau Chinese Chamber of Commerce...?"

“It is my father,” Ma Youxin said.

Fang Yan immediately confirmed the other person's identity and said:
"Nice to meet you!"

The man in front of us, Ma Laosan, isn't particularly famous. The famous one in his family is his father, Chairman Ma, also known as Ma Wanqi.

Mr. Ho of the Ho family in Haojiang was a patriotic businessman and social activist with significant influence in modern Chinese history, and was hailed as the "leader of the Chinese community in Haojiang". This Mr. Ma Wanqi, the chairman, can be considered Mr. Ho's mentor and investor, the uncrowned king of Haojiang.

He was born on October 21, 1919, in Nanhai County, Guangdong Province.

He is fifty-nine years old this year.

His father owned the Guangda Sugar Factory in Guangzhou and was a wealthy businessman in the area.

He studied at the Nanhai Academy in Guangzhou in his early years.

His father passed away when he was 15. Two years later, he took over the family business and became the "head of the family" to inherit his father's business. He officially entered the business world and soon began to show his talent.

In 1938, he moved to Hong Kong and established trading companies such as Tai Sang Hong and Wing Yu Cheong.

He later co-founded Heng Fung Yu Hang, Wo Sang Hang, Tai Fung Bank, Heng Kee Company, and New China Bank in Macau.

The predecessor of the He family's later Tai Fung Bank was founded by him.

In October 1938, when Guangzhou fell to the Japanese, Mr. He, who was not yet 30 years old, went to Hong Kong to start a business.

In December 1941, Mr. Ho moved to Haojiang to develop his business. When Mr. Ho first arrived in Haojiang, Ma Wanqi, who was 12 years old, was already a wealthy man. As the president of the Haojiang Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, he recruited Mr. Ho to work as the manager of Dafeng Bank.

At this time, Ma Wanqi needed to rest due to lung disease, so Mr. He was able to take full control of the bank's affairs.

With the delegation of authority, Mr. Ho led Tai Fung Bank to resolve the wartime currency crisis by issuing more Australian dollars, thus establishing financial autonomy in Macau.

This move also propelled Mr. He into the core circle of the Macau business community, where he was hailed as a "Macau financial prodigy."

Later, Ma Wanqi used his connections to introduce Mr. Ho to Luo Bao, the then Director of the Economic Bureau and a key figure in the Portuguese government of Macau, which enabled Mr. Ho to become the Chinese representative at the Macau Government Conference in 1955.

By this time, Mr. Ma Wanqi had already established contact with Yan'an in mainland China.

In the same year, through Ma Man-kei's introduction, Mr. Ho also met Dr. Ko Lin, an underground member of the Communist Party, and together they reorganized Kiang Wu Hospital into a patriotic medical base. This became the starting point for Mr. Ho's connection with the mainland.

Between 1946 and 1956, Ma Wanqi, in collusion with Mr. He, monopolized the local underground gold trade. Through a closed-loop model of gold smuggling, foreign exchange exchange, and bank laundering, they accumulated initial capital over a decade.

He also founded a hospital, mainly to provide free medical assistance. By 1978, Kiang Wu Hospital had developed into the largest charitable medical system in Hao Kong.

He also donated funds to build Haojiang Middle School and promoted patriotic education.

He founded the Haojiang Daily to spread the concept of reform and opening up, and became a public opinion leader.

The two families jointly invested in public transportation, water supply, oil and other sectors related to people's livelihoods, forming a pattern of "the Ma family in charge of administration and the He family in charge of business".

In 1952, a joint venture was established to form the Haojiang Public Bus Company, with Mr. He holding 51% of the shares with the help of Chairman Ma.

Mr. He once publicly stated:

"Without Ma Gong's help, I would just be a refugee vendor on the street."

Ma Wanqi's support for Mr. Ho spanned three dimensions: financial empowerment, political introduction, and business synergy, making him a key driving force in the construction of Mr. Ho's business empire in Macau.

This kind of "benefactor" relationship not only changed personal destinies, but also profoundly shaped the modern economic and political landscape of Haojiang.

By the 1950s, Ma Man-kei had risen to the top echelons of the business community in Macau, controlling core industries such as finance and trade. He discovered and nurtured Mr. Ho to become a leader among the Chinese community in Macau, helping him take charge of Tai Fung Bank and establishing Macau's financial autonomy.

Later, after the reform and opening up, he spearheaded the expansion of the Guangzhou-Zhuhai Expressway and the construction of four new cross-river bridges, opening up the economic artery of the Pearl River Delta.

He was highly respected and was known as "the number one tycoon in Macau," with a reputation that surpassed that of later famous figures such as Stanley Ho.

So when the Ministry of Health leaders said "this family is similar to the Huo and Situ families" when they came before, they were absolutely right.

It's just that the dialect made me assume the people who came were from the He family.

After all, in the past, the most famous family in Haojiang was the He family, and both He families were quite famous.

On the contrary, the Ma family is not mentioned much in Haojiang.

This is certainly related to these descendants as well.

Looking at Mr. Ma Youxin in front of her, Fang Yan really had no impression of him at all.

But that's not important; Fang Yan is here to treat people now.

Fang Yan was very curious about what kind of mental problem it was that required someone to fly all the way from the south overnight to seek treatment from him.

If I'm not mistaken, it's probably been seen by doctors in the south who couldn't cure it before sending it here.

Lingnan Selection... This one might be a bit too difficult.

Just like Ms. Lü before, it was a problem that Western medicine couldn't cure and traditional Chinese medicine couldn't help either, so she specifically brought her back to try her luck with Fang Yan.

"Where is the patient located?" Fang Yan asked Ma Youxin.

“Oh, it’s right next door.” Ma Youxin pointed to a room on the side.

After saying that, he gestured for them to proceed and led the way.
"plz follow me."

Fang Yan glanced at the people around him. Apart from Xiao Chengzhi and Ren Yingqiu, who knew who this person was, the other three were completely bewildered and had no idea who he was.

He greeted them in dialect:

"Walk."

Then he took the lead and went into the room next door.

Next door is a master bedroom with large windows that ensure ample natural light, allowing guests to enjoy the beautiful views of Beijing outside.

A view of Beijing from the 16th floor is something you can't find just anywhere.

A comfortable sofa and coffee table are placed by the window. The sofa is made of high-quality fabric and the colors are well-matched. An exquisite vase is placed on the coffee table, filled with fresh and beautiful flowers that emit a fragrant aroma, adding a touch of warmth and romance to the room.

The room's lighting design is also extremely sophisticated, with a magnificent crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The light shines through the crystals, emitting colorful rays and creating a dreamlike atmosphere.

In addition, there are various wall lamps, table lamps and floor lamps, providing multi-level lighting for the room and meeting the different needs of guests.

Luxury and refinement are further evident in the details. For example, the decorative paintings and ornaments in the rooms have all been carefully selected, each with unique artistic value, reflecting the hotel's ultimate pursuit of quality and detail. Those who can stay here must be of extraordinary status.

Just seeing this room made Xiao Chengzhi and his group feel pressured.

Even Mr. Ren probably had never seen such a place before, and couldn't help but look around.

Only someone like Fang Yan, who has been through the baptism of the internet age, could remain calm and quickly fix his gaze on a woman with a shaved head in the room.

This woman looked to be in her early twenties. She was very beautiful, and even with her head shaved, she still looked stunning.

She wasn't wearing makeup; she would have been even prettier with it on.

Unlike the dignified and elegant queen at home, this woman possessed a delicate and exquisite quality, like a porcelain doll.

With deep-set features, and if I'm not mistaken about the dialect, he probably has foreign ancestry.

The appearance of Ma Youxin and Fang Yan did not affect her.

She lay motionless on the bed, covered by the blanket with only her face showing.

“This is the patient,” Ma Youxin said, pointing to the woman on the bed.

Fang Yan said to Ma Youxin:
"What's her situation now?"

Ma Youxin said:
"Western medicine diagnosed it as dissociative catatonia with manic psychosis, and he is currently in the depressive phase."

"Have you seen a traditional Chinese medicine doctor?" Fang Yan asked.

Ma Youxin shook his head and said:

"I had a secret consultation at a hospital in Guangzhou and received treatment for about a month, but the effect was not obvious."

“Yesterday we received a call from Director Liao saying that a similar patient had been treated by you, and asked if we wanted to give it a try, so we came here.”

"Did Director Liao send you here?" Fang Yan asked, frowning slightly.

Ma Youxin nodded:

"Correct."

"He said you recently treated one patient, and now the patient can have normal conversations."

Fang Yan was a little confused. When did he treat dissociative catatonia with manic psychosis?

At this moment, Old Ren, who was standing to the side, seemed to notice Fang Yan's question and said in a low voice:
"What Director Liao is referring to is probably Situ Chi's hysterical stupor."

Upon hearing this, Fang Yan suddenly realized what was going on.

Okay, Director Liao knows how to focus on the key points.

Dissociative disorder is characterized by decreased clarity of consciousness and unresponsiveness to external stimuli, as if the patient is lying motionless. It is often accompanied by periodic manic episodes such as sudden outbursts of rage or self-harm. This is called dissociative stupor with manic psychosis.

Situ Chi's hysterical stupor belongs to conversion disorder, also known as hysteria, which is mainly characterized by loss of motor function, such as paralysis, aphasia, confusion, insomnia with eyes open, and muscle rigidity.

In traditional Chinese medicine, Situ Chi is classified as having "epilepsy," while the person in front of us is classified as having "mania."

The two diseases belong to different disease spectrums, but their symptoms overlap, which is a manifestation of stupor.

Of course, Director Liao's statement is not wrong. Although the classification is not rigorous, they still belong to the same major category.

Just like mental illness and neurosis, they are not strictly the same disease, but they can be treated together under a different name in a specific context.

"How did the illness begin?" Fang Yan asked Ma Youxin.

Ma Youxin said:
"That's a long story. Her name is Ma Wenying, and she's my... cousin."

Fang Yan paused for a moment, then said, "Okay, cousin it is then."

“His mother is Portuguese, so he has mixed-race features. He received a foreign education system from a young age, and his personality was very boyish when he was young. He was quite strong and competitive in everything he did, so he had some problems such as overworking his brain, irregular lifestyle, and excessive mental stress in his early years.”

“Over the years, I’ve had headaches, dizziness, insomnia, irritability, and memory loss,” Ma Youxin said.

Fang Yan took out paper and pen and began to record the medical cases.

Seeing this, Ma Youxin was about to say something when Fang Yan spoke to him:
"Don't worry, this is a secret."

Ma Youxin thought for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Please continue," Fang Yan said.

Ma Youxin cleared his throat, glanced at the group of people following Fang Yan, and then said:
"The cause was three months ago when she suddenly developed a mental disorder due to pressure from an arranged marriage within her family."

“At first, she was in the ancestral hall when she suddenly became manic, smashed six Ming and Qing dynasty porcelain vases in the family ancestral hall, and even used the broken porcelain pieces to carve the word ‘freedom’ on her arm.”

Recalling the scene at that time, Ma Youxin's brows furrowed deeply.

It must have left a very deep impression.

He paused, then thought for a moment before saying:

"She was given an injection of Chlorpromazine by a Western doctor, which calmed her down."

Fang Yan nodded. Chlorpromazine is indeed chlorpromazine.

It's the same old three-pronged approach to mental illness.

I've seen it many times before.

Chlorpromazine is a typical antipsychotic drug, mainly used for schizophrenia, mania, and toxic psychosis.

It can also be used as a pre-anesthetic medication or as a component of artificial hibernation mixtures.

Ma Youxin continued:
"After she woke up, she didn't remember anything and was somewhat mentally confused, talking nonsense, not recognizing people, and kept saying that we were going to harm her."

"Later, her insomnia worsened, and she would sometimes not be able to sleep for entire nights. She also became irritable, aggressive, and suspicious. She began to suspect that everyone wanted to harm her. She demanded that a lock be added to her door and that she lock it herself every night before she could sleep. Later, she complained that the room was too big and had too many windows, so she locked herself in the basement."

“The family started looking for doctors to treat her, but her condition did not improve after the treatment. She experienced auditory hallucinations, confusion, and memory loss. She would forget what she had just done. She stopped eating and drinking, did not go to the toilet for several days, denied that she was sick, attacked the doctors, and refused to take her medication.”

"Then she ended up in this state, lying motionless on the bed or in a chair."

"We found a traditional Chinese medicine doctor to start acupuncture on her, the famous 'Thirteen Ghost Needles'!"

Fang Yan was taken aback.

He was already thinking about the Thirteen Ghost Needles, but Ma Youxin said it had already been used?
"Not cured?" Fang Yan asked.

Ma Youxin shook his head:

"No, the doctor who performed the acupuncture was injured by her suddenly appearing personality. Our family paid compensation, but the doctor refused to perform the acupuncture no matter what."

The feelings never really took hold.

But he became even more curious and asked:

"You mean... a personality that suddenly appeared?"

Ma Youxin slapped his thigh:
"Hey, it's possession by a ghost. In Western medicine, it's called alternating personality disorder. During the day, she's in a catatonic state like the current symptoms, and at night she transforms into the 'Matilda' personality, writing revolutionary poems in French and wanting to set fire to the marriage certificate."

"Luckily, we had someone watching her at all times, otherwise she might have burned herself to death in the room."

Matilda?

Most people were a bit confused when Ma Youxin got to this point.

This is absolutely insane.

He's much more eccentric than the Situ Chi I've met before in the dialect.

Fang Yan glanced at the quiet Ma Wenying on the bed and continued writing the medical records in his hand.

Ma Youxin continued:
"Later we sent her to Guangzhou for treatment. We tried traditional Chinese medicine and incantations, but nothing worked. Moreover, Matilda appeared more and more frequently. Sometimes she would smash things around her, sometimes she would hurt herself, and sometimes she would yell at someone in the air."

"She shaved her hair off herself with an eyebrow trimmer back then."

That's a ruthless person.

The woman shaved her head, even shaving it completely bald.

Fang Yan had initially thought it was done by a doctor, since the shave was quite neat, but now she realized that Fang Yan did it herself. However, leaving this sharp tool next to her was indeed a bit of a dereliction of duty.

If he accidentally kills himself or stabs someone else, things could get really interesting.

Fang Yan asked Ma Youxin:

"So how do you control her at night?"

You should know that this girl is a ticking time bomb; she starts acting up every night.

They arrived last night, so did she behave herself again?
“A shackle,” Ma Youxin said to Fang Yan.

After saying that, he walked to the bedside and pulled back the covers.

Ma Wenying was bound by the kind of straitjacket worn by mental patients, making her completely unable to move.

This long-sleeved top style is similar to a trench coat or jacket.

Its special feature is that it has multiple adjustable restraint straps distributed in the cuffs, waist, hem and other parts of the garment.

The restraint straps are made of nylon and are about the width of a hand. They can effectively restrict the patient's limb movement without causing strangulation due to being too narrow.

Of course, she didn't struggle; she remained in a daze.

“With this, we can completely control her at night; otherwise, she could smash the whole house to pieces,” Ma Youxin said.

Fang Yan nodded. This young lady is quite persuasive.

After finishing writing the medical case notes, Ma Youxin asked Fang Yan:

"Dr. Fang, do you think you can cure this?"

Before the dialect could answer, he continued:

“I know this disease is quite difficult to treat, but after all, she is my cousin. It is our family’s wish that we try as long as there is hope.”

"Of course, we are prepared if it is indeed incurable, and this meeting will be kept completely confidential so that no one else will know about it."

"Yes, I understand." Fang Yan nodded. Ma Youxin was indeed thoughtful, or rather, Director Liao was thoughtful.

He paused slightly, then said:
"Mr. Ma, before the treatment, I have a question to ask."

“Please speak,” Ma Youxin said, assuming that the dialect meant to discuss conditions and compensation.

As a result, the dialect asked:

"After she recovers, will they still send her to an arranged marriage?"

Ma Youxin was taken aback.

Fang Yan continued:

“I’m not interfering in your family’s internal affairs, because as you said, the cause of her illness is related to her personality and the family’s arranged marriage. If you still want her to go through with the arranged marriage after she’s cured, then I think even if she’s cured, she’ll relapse.”

"This is a very crucial issue," Fang Yan emphasized again.

“There is a saying in the classic Chinese medicine text, Suwen: “All diseases arise from qi.” Her long-term emotional depression caused by the pressure of marriage is the core pathogenesis. If the source of stress is not relieved, even if she is temporarily cured, she will still “cause depression to cause illness, and illness to cause depression,” forming a vicious cycle.

Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes treating the root cause of disease, adhering to the principle of diagnosis and treatment based on etiology, and breaking the chain of emotional factors that lead to illness. When treating these emotional disorders, it is important to focus on the unity of body and mind. Zhang Jiebin of the Ming Dynasty pointed out in his book "Classified Canon" that "the spirit can control the body, so how can disease come about?" We should not only treat physical symptoms, but also pay attention to spiritual freedom.

Considering the other person was from Haojiang and had received a Western education, he added in dialect:

"Moreover, there is a similar view in Western medicine. Data from the book 'The Lancet Psychiatry' shows that the relapse rate of mental illnesses within one year is as high as 60%-70% when the stressor is not relieved, but it can be reduced to below 20% if the environment is improved. This is a combination of biological treatment and social intervention, and a combination of modern biological, psychological and social medical models."

Hearing all that was said in dialect, Ma Youxin smiled wryly and said:

"Dr. Fang, I really can't make that decision."

"From my perspective, I would naturally like to end this here, but at home... well, it's a complicated matter that can't be explained in just a few words."

Fang Yan asked in bewilderment:
Even if she's like this, will the other person still accept her?

Ma Youxin said:
"Of course not, but it's possible he'll be cured."

"..." Fang Yan and everyone else present were speechless.

At this moment, Fang Yan suddenly thought of the doctor who had decided not to treat patients with the Thirteen Ghost Needles.

I'm afraid he didn't decide to stop treatment because he was beaten by the patient, but because he thought that even if he was cured, he would still get the disease again.

There are also doctors from Lingnan.

This is very likely the reason why it cannot be cured.

The doctors from Lingnan were not less skilled, but they saw through the predicament of treating the symptoms but not the root cause.

At that moment, Fang Yan suddenly felt that he had understood.

So that's how it is!

“However… if Doctor Fang could keep my cousin in the capital for six months to a year to treat her… then this matter would be considered over.” At this moment, Ma Youxin suddenly said this.

"Huh?" Fang Yan was taken aback.

Ma Youxin said:
"Family marriages involve the restructuring of business empires or political alliances, and usually have a negotiation period of six months to a year. If my cousin continues her 'treatment,' the other family will definitely abandon the marriage plan due to the time cost."

"Besides, in the capital, where the emperor is far away, isn't it you who decides the condition of the patients here?"

Fang Yan understood; this was essentially using the guise of medical treatment to create a cooling-off period, which was then used to dismantle the marriage alliance.

Then Ma Youxin added:

"Moreover, long-term treatment in Beijing can give the Ma family political capital for cross-border medical cooperation."

“I know there will be big moves in mainland China this year. This case can be declared as a ‘Patriotic Businessman’s Medical Assistance Model’ to enhance the family’s united front value. As long as there is profit to be made, I believe the elders in the family will let my cousin off the hook.”

Fang Yan looked at Ma Youxin and had to admit, he was a talented person.

Mingxiu plank road, dark Chencang.

But this kid is really bold. If this gets out, he'll probably get a beating from his family.

But looking back, it seems to be the only way.

This at least proves that Ma Youxin, as the older brother, did make an effort.

At this moment, Ma Youxin said earnestly to Fang Yan:
"Dr. Fang, this is the best I can do."

"If you still have concerns, I can actually understand."

However, Fang Yan waved his hand and said:
“What concerns could I possibly have? Since you’re so sincere, I’ll give it a try.”

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

I've gained another 100 monthly votes, so I still owe you 40000 words after finishing this chapter.

There will be an extra chapter later.

(End of this chapter)