Merchant and doctor

Chapter 2008 Debt First
If Dean Zheng had genuinely visited the "New Concept" Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic with a negotiation team to formally discuss cooperation, Bian Mu might have believed him to some extent. However, with Wen Boyong's interference today, and Bian Mu's constant observation, his vigilance gradually rose. He had already made up his mind that no matter how eloquently these two industry veterans spoke, he would absolutely not discuss any form of cooperation with this so-called Dean Zheng!
no way!

In the Lijiang Traditional Chinese Medicine community, Bian Mu is currently the most skilled at "observing the heart's signs." Talent is insignificant; what matters more is the repeated practice, innovation, and continuous supplementation through clinical practice, which can be done in countless ways. In this regard, Bian Mu has already developed a pair of "eagle eyes"!
In the short time it took to eat half a meal, Dean Wen Boyong was alright, his actions were a mix of truth and falsehood, and he didn't stray too far from the mark. Dean Zheng, on the other hand, was different. His inner spirit kept flickering beneath his outward expression. Ordinary TCM experts couldn't see through it, but Bian Mu saw it all clearly.

Clearly, this Mr. Zheng is no honest man.

When Pei Songzhi annotated the *Records of the Three Kingdoms*, he quoted a passage from the *Wei Lue*, which states: "...Xiahou Mao was appointed General Who Pacifies the West and stationed in Chang'an. Zhuge Liang discussed matters with his subordinates in Nanzheng. Yan said, 'I have heard that Xiahou Mao is young, the son-in-law of the emperor, timid and without strategy. Now, if I were given 5,000 elite troops and 5,000 provisions, I could march directly from Baozhong, follow the Qinling Mountains eastward, and then northward at Ziwu. It would take no more than ten days to reach Chang'an. When Mao hears of my sudden arrival, he will surely flee by boat. In Chang'an, there are only the Imperial Censor and the Prefect of Jingzhao. The grain from the gates, the mansions, and the common people is sufficient to feed them. It will still take about twenty days for the eastern forces to gather, and by the time you arrive from Xiegu, it will be enough to reach us. In this way, we can pacify the area west of Xianyang in one fell swoop.' Zhuge Liang thought this county was dangerous and that it would be better to take the easy route, which would allow us to easily conquer Longyou. We would be certain of victory without any worries. Therefore, he did not heed Yan's plan..."

This passage records the ingenious strategy employed by Wei Yan, a famous general of the Shu Han state, to "take a risky tactic, break through the Ziwu Valley, and launch a surprise attack on Chang'an City," thus securing peace for the country.

The painful lessons of later generations proved that Wei Yan's so-called super strategic-level combat plan was unworkable.

The reason is very simple: throughout history, for any event, big or small, to ultimately succeed, at least one basic condition must be met: all logical chains involved in the entire event must be guaranteed to be error-free by at least 73.5%, and this accuracy must be continuous, without any artificial "logical gaps" in between, and must be absolutely solid!

however……

Even today, many so-called "shrewd people" with special skills and minor competitive advantages still yearn to achieve "Wei Yan-style transcendence" in their niche areas of expertise! This exists in all walks of life and is constantly emerging.

Bi Shaoxiong tried to pull off a scheme a few days ago.

Luo Jiaming has always followed this path.

Chen Yueqing's situation is relatively better; deep down, he also plays this kind of game.

Bian Mu remained unconvinced and unwilling to follow in their footsteps.

Today, I unexpectedly bumped into another one, Dean Zheng! Moreover, judging from his words, this Dean Zheng is even more "unorthodox" than Bi Shaoxiong and others, and he was full of lies from the very first meeting!
It’s just that!

Even if you've never eaten pork, you've at least seen pigs run, right?! Bian Mu deals with all sorts of people in the pharmaceutical industry every day; the underlying logic of running a company is the same everywhere. How difficult could it be?! Just because Bian Mu hasn't been able to officially open a specialized hospital yet doesn't mean he's so young and ignorant that he's easily fooled, does it?!

Misattributing facts, changing concepts, distorting the truth, downplaying the seriousness, exaggerating and concealing... Dean Zheng used all the tricks that charlatans usually employ on Bian Mu.

Instead of being angry, Bian Mu found it amusing and even laughed.

"I see... I wonder how Dean Zheng plans to cooperate with me?" Bian Mu asked with a smile.

Upon hearing this, the two industry veterans exchanged surprised glances for a few seconds, then turned their eager gazes to Bian Mu.

"Right now in Lijin City, if we're talking about traditional Chinese medicine bone setting, you absolutely hold the top spot! No doubt about it! If Dr. Bian is interested in a collaboration... I'll hand over my traditional Chinese medicine bone setting hospital entirely to you. If the medical staff are suitable, you can keep them; if not, fire them all. I'll play the villain! You don't have to worry about anything! For the first three years, as a partner, I won't take a single penny of profit. In the fourth year, we'll discuss profit sharing. During these three years, you can renovate it however you like; I won't interfere at all!"

At first glance, these conditions seem quite attractive, right?!

"Well... Dean Zheng, let's not just talk about the good things. What if, and I mean what if, that hospital gets some debt or something? Who's going to pay for it?!" Bian Mu casually pointed at Dean Zheng.

"Debt?! Do you have any? Old Zheng! I haven't heard you mention this kind of trouble much before!" Wen Boyong pretended to be unaware, and emphasized it as if he was concerned about Bian Mu.

"Hehe... What private hospital doesn't have some debt? However, it's all short-term debt, and the amount isn't much. Moreover, all the creditors are our own people; there isn't a single outsider. You can rest assured about that, Master Bian!" Hey! That Dean Zheng started to dodge the question.

“Tell me more specifically, no! If Dean Zheng is truly sincere about cooperating… please send someone to meet with our accountant so we can clear up all the debts first, even the small debt disputes under ten thousand yuan, going through them several times. Moreover, I need to meet and have a good talk with all the medical staff, logistics management personnel, and even all the security guards and cleaners still on duty at your hospital. Once all these procedures are completed, we can schedule another time to discuss this further!” Bian Mu raised his voice two octaves at the end.

Upon hearing this, the expressions on the faces of the two industry veterans changed drastically.

"Old Zheng! I knew that Master Bian was a promising young man who never tolerated any wrongdoing. Now you've seen it for yourself! Shall we schedule another time for the accounting staff from both sides to have a meeting first?"

"No problem! Everything on our end is transparent, we're all family here! No problem, no problem! It's already autumn, why is it so hot?" Well! Dean Zheng was getting a little restless.

Regardless, these two are industry veterans, and Bian Mu believes that the three hospitals were once quite reputable, with solid medical facilities. However, these three hospitals may have been facing numerous problems, or even be on the verge of bankruptcy. Who can guarantee that these two aren't just asking Bian Mu to bail them out?
Bian Mu skillfully chuckled a few times and smoothly moved on from the matter. Afterward, the three of them chatted about other things for a while, and then Bian Mu took the initiative to ring the bell to call a waiter to settle the bill. Since the two were seniors and the restaurant where the three of them were located was the closest to the clinic, it was natural for Bian Mu to pay for the meal.

It was quite interesting. When Dean Zheng saw that Bian Mu wasn't going to follow their lead at all and didn't offer any courtesy, he just sat there drinking his soup.

Wen Boyong was polite for a few words, but then stopped insisting and watched as Bian Mu paid for the meal on his phone.

……

The next morning, just as breakfast was almost ready, Bian Mu finished practicing her "Dragon Embroidery Skill" on the south-facing balcony and slowly returned to the kitchen. She was about to lift the lid of the steamer to take out the steamed buns when her phone rang.

He went back to the living room, picked up his phone, and saw it was a call from Qi Yuewei.

The two met again some time ago, and Bian Mu immediately felt a strong sense of warmth, as he had really missed her during this period.

"You're back from your business trip?"

"I got back yesterday afternoon and slept until now. I suddenly feel like I'm having a change of pace. I'd like to try Old Zhang's seafood noodles. Can you come pick me up?"

"Huh?! You ate a whole bunch of high-carb food first thing in the morning?"

"We only get to eat this once a year, hurry up!"

"Okay! I'll be right there!" Although eating noodles so early in the morning was a bit out of Bian Mu's usual habit, he was still very happy to be summoned by his girlfriend. So what if it's noodles?
Whistling, Bian Mu quickly changed into her everyday clothes, hailed a taxi in the open-air parking lot, and sped off towards the Qi family's residential area.