Merchant and doctor

Chapter 1850 One Door Missing

With Huang Boxi's approval, the subsequent implementation of the "detoxifying ointment" went much more smoothly. Bian Mu transferred 1 yuan to Sanqiangzi and "Dao Tiao Lian" respectively, arranging for them to visit Hongyang Pharmaceutical Company from time to time to coordinate with the relevant personnel there. Once everything was in order, the quality inspection and supervision would be mainly entrusted to the two of them in the future.

Given the critical condition of the young boy with cerebral infarction, Bian Mu insisted on spending one to two hours every day to treat the child. Unlike other famous doctors, Bian Mu was not in a hurry to control the condition, but secretly carried out a series of comprehensive conditioning treatments for the child.

The little boy's father was on a business trip overseas and wouldn't be back for a while. Bian Mu didn't seem to be in a hurry. He would just let things take their course. In his opinion, some things could only be left to fate, and worrying about them was useless.

The little boy's mother arranged for a female nanny to interview at the clinic. Bian Mu finally settled on a nanny who was thirty-five or thirty-six years old. She was from Changling County and had previously worked as a teacher at a village primary school. Later, the school was merged into the town, so she chose to work in the city.

After a few days of trial use, the female caregiver proved to be quite competent, which put Bian Mu and the patient's family at ease.

Bian Mu intended to train Dr. Gong to become a skilled pediatrician, so that she might be able to work independently in the future. He would take her with him every time he went to the provincial children's hospital for treatment. Dr. Gong naturally understood his intention and devoted herself to learning at all times. Whenever she encountered something she didn't understand, she would ask Bian Mu for advice. Her daily learning was almost equivalent to a year of intensive study for other colleagues.

……

That noon, Bian Mu was sitting by the window, deep in thought, when Tao Wenjie arrived uninvited.

"You only care about making your own money, why don't you go to the construction site and keep an eye on things for me? You're so disloyal!" Tao Wenjie joked with a smile.

"What do I know about engineering matters? I'd only cause trouble if I went." After a few words of banter, Bian Mu got up and made Tao Wenjie a cup of good tea.

"Come on! I know a couple of people at 'Hongyang' too. With your transformation of the key workshop... the cost is extremely low and the efficiency has doubled all at once. Don't you understand?! Who are you trying to fool!" Tao Wenjie said with a smile.

"You're joking. Speaking of this, I've always felt a bit guilty towards President An and the others! On the surface... efficiency seems to have improved, but soon problems arose. If the 'detoxifying plaster' sells well, everyone can accept it, but what if it flops?! Given the current state of the workshops we led the renovation of, unless they continue to cooperate with us, they might not lose money. But if President An and the others find that our approach isn't very effective and give up on continuing the cooperation, then it will be difficult for them to start producing other types of traditional Chinese medicine in the future. They will most likely have to carry out another round of technical upgrades. Who will pay for that?! They can't just hold me accountable later!" Bian Mu told the truth.

Upon hearing this, Tao Wenjie smiled knowingly, her expression showing no surprise whatsoever.

"Luckily you're a gentleman and your skills are up to par, otherwise, you really would have outsmarted Anderlin, haha... By the way! I've roughly estimated that you can start production soon, so why hasn't 'Hongyang' made any progress?! Did something go wrong? Do you need my help?" Tao Wenjie's words were somewhat meaningful.

"No rush! The ointment I made is too perfect. I feel like something is not quite right. That matter involves the vital interests of many people. If we lose money in the future, it will harm a lot of people! Maybe... 'Hongyang' Pharmaceutical Company might really be ruined because of this! I need to think about it some more."

Hearing this, Tao Wenjie was a little puzzled.

For a long time, Tao Wenjie couldn't figure out Bian Mu. She thought he had a bit of an alien vibe, and he would often surprise her with something unexpected, making her rack her brains and have to figure him out for a while.

Dealing with Bian Mu always felt a bit tiring for Tao Wenjie. "What do you mean?! Perfect?! Tell me!" Tao Wenjie replied casually, without changing her expression.

"I saw a few more patients with bone-setting this morning, and they're starving by now. Let's go out and get something to eat while we chat." With that, Bian Mu accompanied Tao Wenjie out of the clinic and headed southeast.

……

It's a mid-to-high-end restaurant specializing in Suzhou cuisine. A meal for two would easily cost over two thousand yuan. As the host, Bian Mu naturally treated them.

The waiter served the food quickly, and the two chatted as they ate.

“The Lu Ban Book has another name, do you remember?” Bian Mu suddenly asked.

Tao Wenjie was taken aback for a moment, then casually replied, "One subject is missing?!"

“That’s right! Then tell me, what are the usual customs and traditions for the disciples of Master Lu Ban, who are personally taught by him, when they go down the mountain to work for others after completing their apprenticeship?” Bian Mu asked with a smile.

"Holding back a trick?! That sounds a bit mystical. After the project is completed, before they leave, they usually put a curse or plant a hidden trap in the carpentry work, saying it's for their own protection, just in case. Could it be... that you're being wary of your other partners? You wouldn't have deliberately left some kind of technical bug in the formula, would you?!" Thinking of this, Tao Wenjie suddenly felt a bit surprised.

Lately, Tao Wenjie has found Bian Mu increasingly difficult to understand.

"You're overthinking it! Lacking a skill is actually a very complex form of self-preservation among artisans, and also a rather sophisticated philosophical concept. We're discussing the latter today." Saying this, Bian Mu picked up two crispy yellow croakers and chewed them with relish. Mmm! Traditional craftsmanship, delicious!
Hearing this, Tao Wenjie's mind went a little blank.

"I don't understand. Tell me about it!"

“Nothing in the world can be perfect, and this applies to every profession! Rather than waiting for a major technical accident to occur in the future, it’s better to cut off a branch of technology in advance and deliberately leave a technical gap. Of course, it must be a gap that doesn’t harm the overall situation and has almost no impact on patients, investors, or partners. If we operate in this way… perhaps we can achieve long-term benefits in the future!” Bian Mu explained with a smile.

Tao Wenjie listened with a mixture of understanding and confusion.

"Go on!" As she spoke, Tao Wenjie ladled herself a bowl of winter melon soup and took a couple of sips.

“Our partners and I have considered almost everything we could think of. On the surface, it seems almost perfect. However, this is the biggest taboo in the preparation of traditional Chinese medicine. Being too perfect is actually a kind of rigidity. Technically, it is a kind of self-enclosure. Once we encounter a special trauma patient, the plaster may act like a super-intelligent robot to eliminate all possible infections. On the surface, it sounds good. It is a good medicine and easy to see results. However, in this way, the efficacy of the medicine will be killed. If it is not very effective, we can only keep increasing the dosage. In that case... won't my new medicine become more and more like that thing..." Bian Mu stopped there and ultimately did not say the Western medical name.

"I see! Increasing the dosage or upgrading the drug grade, even to the highest level, still didn't work. The market life of this ointment you developed is coming to an end... I never expected you to be so shrewd. Impressive!" As she spoke, Tao Wenjie couldn't help but give Bian Mu a big thumbs up!
With a smile, Bian Mu picked up the rice on the table and ate a few mouthfuls.