Merchant and doctor

Chapter 2018 One School, Three Styles

The father and son were eating when a middle-aged woman who looked quite refined walked gracefully to the table and gave Bian Mu a polite smile, albeit with a slightly reserved air.

"Dr. Bian, right? My surname is Guan. I was your former colleague at 'Huikang'. When you were working there, I happened to be doing my studies in Beiqi, so... I know you but you don't know I exist, haha..." The woman introduced herself very politely.

"Oh! Dr. Guan! My apologies! Let me introduce you, this is Elder Liang, my elder!" Bian Mu said, quickly standing up and exchanging a few polite words.

Old Liang, the forest ranger, nodded politely to the doctor without saying a word.

Traditional hot pot doesn't mind waiting. As long as the charcoal is burning, the servers who patrol back and forth will add some broth and clear ingredients to the hot pot from time to time. As long as the diners have a big enough appetite, it doesn't matter how long they eat.

Seeing that Old Liang had no intention of exchanging a few pleasantries with that Dr. Guan, Bian Mu very politely invited Dr. Guan to chat for a few minutes under the windowsill.

"Are you also from our TCM practice?" Bian Mu asked with a smile.

“Yes! I used to work with Professor Ouyang, Ouyang Ziye! He worked in the morning and I worked in the afternoon, and vice versa!” Dr. Guan replied with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Bian Mu immediately realized that the female colleague in front of him was probably not simple.

Objectively speaking, Ouyang Ziye's medical skills are actually quite good, but he has gone a little astray in some aspects. As of now, I heard that he has been transferred to the Provincial Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine. If nothing unexpected happens, Ouyang Ziye will most likely retire there with a senior professional title.

Since this Dr. Guan in front of me was on equal footing with Ouyang Ziye a few years ago, regardless of his medical skills, his status must not be much lower.

"Really? Does that mean Teacher Guan is returning to take over Teacher Lu's class?" Bian Mu asked casually.

"That was the original plan of the board of directors. Alas! Things haven't been going well lately. 'Huikang' has been declining too quickly recently. To be honest, I'm not really used to it. So... I didn't take over Director Lu's affairs. Now it's almost the end of the year! There are some things that I really can't get out of there. I'll help take care of them. I'll be officially transferred to Beiqi next March. My wife runs a branch company there, so it's kind of a family relocation. My mother will also be living with me for a while. I didn't expect to run into you here. No other reason than to say hello."

"You're too kind! With you leaving, Director Lu will probably have found another job, so... won't our Traditional Chinese Medicine department be... well, you know?!" Bian Mu exclaimed with slight surprise.

"That's not something I should be thinking about! Sigh! You know, deep-rooted problems are hard to reverse. Perhaps some people are right... It developed too perfectly back then?! I don't like to meddle in other people's business, and there are some things I can't quite explain, but... I've seen similar situations in Beiqi. Some have evolved into high-end medical check-up centers, some have been directly converted into medical and elderly care centers that specialize in treating elderly patients, and the fees are quite high. Some have simply gone out of business. The doctors aren't worried about finding a place to retire, but it's tough on those PhDs who don't have much money and are in their mid-forties. Anyway, I won't say anymore. You should go and have dinner with the old man! If you don't mind, can I get his contact information?"

"Then I'll be honored to have your help!" After saying this politely, Bian Mu took out his phone and added Dr. Guan's contact information to his contacts.

Dr. Guan seemed much more magnanimous. Although it was their first meeting, Bian Mu had a good impression of her and naturally insisted on seeing her out politely. When they arrived at the door, they discovered that Dr. Guan had seven or eight guests waiting for her on the street.

Waving goodbye, and watching the group head towards the nearby paid parking lot, Bian Mu realized that "Huikang" Hospital might truly be facing its end, or even beginning its countdown! ...

"Hearing what she said... why don't you guess, did she go to Beiqi for further studies just to improve her professional skills?" Old Liang asked after listening to Bian Mu's brief report on Dr. Guan's background.

"You mean... 'Huikang' started to decline a few years ago?" Bian Mu replied, slightly surprised.

Old Liang nodded slightly.

"Most doctors like that have some connections. For example, her husband is probably not an ordinary businessman; he has extensive connections. Unlike you, who was reluctant to leave when you resigned, thinking you missed out on such an ideal big hospital. You were young! Back then, we weren't as good as you. If we weren't careful, we might have really gone hungry! It's much better now. You can easily turn your life around by doing delivery work or working in a pharmaceutical factory. That's why you have to respect the times and the context! Let's get back to our topic. People like Guan don't have to rely on their medical skills to make a living. You can't compare to them."

“I know, I know! You just said… I’ll contact Dr. Sun Zhengting, and he can contact other former colleagues who don’t have good prospects. I’ll coordinate with them to set up another clinic, which will be our fourth branch, to spread the clinically proven knowledge of the ‘Digital Medicine’ school as much as possible?” Bian Mu guessed with a smile.

"Hehe... If you really do that, you'll be buried with Sun Zhengting and the others in less than three months! It's really better for them to go their separate ways, find relatives and friends, and earn a meager living until retirement!" Old Liang laughed at Bian Mu without any politeness.

Bian Mu was a little embarrassed. He scratched the back of his head and didn't know how to continue the conversation.

"You can't rush to do good deeds in this kind of world, it's taboo! Just sit and wait. After hearing what that guy surnamed Guan said today, the actual situation of 'Huikang' is far worse than we imagined. No wonder Qian Xiaotong is so anxious. He's... much more cunning than you. He doesn't tell the truth about many things, at least he doesn't bring them up. At this rate, you don't need to feel guilty for offending him. In less than a year, even he will have to come to you for help! Let's just wait for them to come to us for help, and don't bother with anything else."

"Alright! What do you say? Then... how about Gu Yuefeng take charge of the third branch?"

"You can try him out for a year first. This time you finally got it right. Don't let Gu's mediocre medical skills fool you; his coordination is pretty good. Remember that unreasonable male patient he had? Such a difficult guy, but Gu still strictly followed your instructions and sent him to the right hospital. He also successfully arranged for him to work under the doctor you specified. As for that doctor Han, although he's diligent, his medical skills are so-so. He'll quickly become a muddle-headed fool once he's in charge. Gu Yuefeng, right? Don't underestimate him; he'll be a great help to you in the future!"

Hearing this, Bian Mu nodded repeatedly. However, to be honest, he was still a little unconvinced by Old Liang's certainty. He felt that Gu Yuefeng was just average in every way, with decent interpersonal relationships. How could he possibly be of any help to him in the future? Old Liang was getting on in years, so he could only listen to his opinions and let them go.

"Then... if the fourth branch is established smoothly, just like we expected, who would be suitable to be in charge?" Bian Mu asked curiously.

"Teng Daili!"

"Her?! No way, Dr. Teng is completely clueless about everything—business, internal management, finance." This time, Bian Mu didn't hesitate and immediately expressed her disbelief.

"Eat your food first, there'll be plenty of time to think about it later!" Old Liang said with a smile, urging Bian Mu to eat well. Life is unpredictable, and who can guarantee that the future will be without any problems? Sometimes, when a grown man does things, all he needs is a broad, general outline and a basic framework.

Chatting and laughing, the father and son ate very comfortably, and just like that, the basic framework of the "New Concept" Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic was verbally established.