Merchant and doctor

Chapter 2191 A Leap Forward Through a Meal

The vegetarian fish floss was indeed a classic, and Bian Mu couldn't help but take a few bites.

"Actually, I've been thinking about that for a long time. I'm just worried that if we cut their benefits again when the company's profits decline, wouldn't that just make them resentful? Oh, right, I just remembered something. Outsiders see things more clearly. Tell me, what's the difference between me and my other colleagues, including Mr. Liang? Are we colleagues or mentors? In other words, judging from a purely business perspective, are we just ordinary colleagues?" Bian Mu suddenly asked this question after putting down her chopsticks.

Upon hearing this, Su Linwen was taken aback. After a few seconds of stunned silence, her mind finally began to process what she was hearing.

"In terms of professional skills alone, they are indeed far inferior to you, even Grandpa Liang... We're laymen! We can only compare them directly in terms of registration difficulty, success rates, cure rates, and reputation... They're really not qualified to be your colleagues. That's all I can say here! Now that you mention it, it's clear that you two are indeed master and apprentice." Intentionally or unintentionally, Su Linwen unconsciously sided with Bian Mu whenever something happened, and this time was no exception.

"Old Chinese medicine doctor, old Chinese medicine doctor! Old Liang's seniority speaks for itself! Plus, he's a top student of Situ Jianqing, which adds to his prestige. Actually, the traditional Chinese medicine he's mastered is somewhat outdated in certain aspects. Luckily, Old Liang isn't seeking fame or fortune at his clinic, and he's quite selective in his patients, only accepting those he feels absolutely certain of success. This might also be related to the man who wielded the knife last time; Old Liang has politely declined many patients outright. Furthermore, the nurse we assigned to him is quite skilled; many appointments are intercepted by her and referred to Dian Shuhua. Frankly speaking, Old Liang is quite far behind the latest version of traditional Chinese medicine. I'm more than two generations behind him, and I wouldn't dare say that outright. So… think about it! They're all so far behind me; if this continues, do you believe our relationship won't develop into something due to these real differences?"

Hearing this, Su Linwen fell silent.

After thinking for a moment, Su Linwen replied with a somewhat serious expression, "I've never really thought about this before, being so busy. Take our profession, for example. My professional level in our company is considered above average, and I'm not the kind of person who's particularly ambitious. But then I met you, and I gradually realized that math is everywhere in life. I've learned a lot of real applied mathematics from you, and unexpectedly, I became more and more addicted to it. I bought a lot of books on this subject. After that, I didn't really feel anything special. But my boss gradually noticed that the manuscripts I translated, especially the international ones, were almost all approved on the first try. Several high-ranking leaders from higher-level units even specifically asked my boss about me. I never really paid much attention to it, but now..." "Hearing what you said, I suddenly realized that my relationship with my boss, team leader, and other colleagues has indeed been a bit delicate over the past six months. I don't know if it's for good or bad, but one thing I'm pretty sure of now is that our relationship will never be the same again. So... you want to use rewards to gradually improve their medical knowledge. Otherwise, if you keep introducing new measures, they definitely won't understand them one by one, and it will easily breed various resentments. You're just one person, but they're a group. If outsiders stir things up behind your back, won't things fall apart?" "That makes sense, I understand. This money is well spent! Extremely cost-effective! I agree!"

In such a short time, Su Linwen almost instantly understood Bian Mu's intentions. Surprised, Bian Mu felt that he and Su Linwen had become even closer.

“Then let’s quickly talk to Sister Ye and implement it as a formal system immediately. By the way, those two stocks we have are doing really well. You haven’t sold them yet, have you?” Bian Mu suddenly brought up the two stocks he had.

Upon hearing this, Su Linwen was momentarily stunned.

"Let's not talk about stocks! Your contradictory statements are giving me a headache! You mean... you're planning to use stock dividends to subsidize the clinic?! Something doesn't sound right to me."

"That's true! To be honest, nothing lasts forever. The more successful the clinic seems, the more uncertain I feel. Maybe it's because I come from a humble background! Don't laugh! Really! We come from different backgrounds, and suddenly having the fate of so many colleagues in such a short time makes me uneasy! I worry from time to time, thinking that one day, suddenly, the clinic will go under. Stock market trends do have a lot in common with pulse diagnosis. I'm getting better at it now, and having some stock dividends makes me feel much more at ease. If the clinic is having some financial difficulties, it's okay to temporarily withdraw some stock dividends to make up for it!" Bian Mu replied with a smile, not taking it too seriously.

"Hey! Maybe it's true that different professions are like different worlds! Let's talk about our boss first! Don't let his average professional skills fool you, his mind is absolutely brilliant. I heard him discuss something similar before, I don't remember the exact words, but the gist was this: public is public, private is private. As the person in charge, you must keep public and private matters absolutely separate. Your idea just now was a bit naive! Let me give you some advice based on our boss's perspective! I'm serious! If you really do that, the outcome will definitely not be good. We've all witnessed your exceptional abilities, and you can apply that knowledge to things like pulse diagnosis and stocks." The K-line trends are organically linked. As long as you pay attention, you basically won't lose money buying stocks—that's your skill! It has absolutely nothing to do with the clinic, really! Insisting on mixing them actually reveals quite a few psychological weaknesses… like, being too concerned with saving face! Being in charge for a long time can sometimes cause a sense of responsibility to crumble into a desire to save face, really! Our boss is particularly adept at this! Listen to me, stock dividends absolutely cannot be linked to the clinic's profits. They are completely different accounts, and once mixed together, the future outcome will definitely be bad! Trust me!" Hearing this, Bian Mu was secretly taken aback!
Su Linwen usually acts very carefree, and in many ways she is similar to Nie Yawen. She always says surprising things at crucial moments, which Bian Mu admires.

“That makes sense… My colleagues and I are business partners. Just because I’m much more capable than them doesn’t mean they should take on all the responsibilities that should be shared by them. If this continues, it will eventually break my back, right?”

"That's right! That's exactly what I mean! You're naturally kind-hearted, but it depends on who you're dealing with! Our boss has a saying: 'Anyone who talks about friendship with colleagues is still in kindergarten!' That saying is quite fitting for you, really! As soon as there's a hint of risk at the clinic, you worry about this and that, and secretly start taking precautions. I rarely hear you call a meeting to discuss things, and you never formally ask them to share the burden for you. As the clinic becomes more and more successful, you get happy and want to give everyone this and that, and the related benefits only increase without ever decreasing. In the future, as the business expands, this approach will definitely not work, and it might even drag you into bankruptcy, believe it or not?"

Upon hearing this, a fine layer of sweat gradually appeared on Bian Mu's back.

Well! Su Linwen was right all along.

“Our boss always says, ‘A kind heart can’t run a household!’ You’re a doctor, and a famous one at that. Doctors are supposed to be compassionate, but if that compassion isn’t handled properly, it can easily slip into ‘being too soft-hearted.’ It’s not that I’m more knowledgeable than you in this regard; on the contrary, I’ve heard too many stories about the rotten things at their workplace from my parents. Besides, our translation company seems pretty simple, right? Wrong! It’s an international company! We’re a legitimate international company! The interpersonal relationships are complicated! This trend of yours is really dangerous; you need to be careful in the future!”

"You're absolutely right! I've blurred many boundaries, and I'm sure I won't go far this way! No wonder family businesses have a hard time going public. I've finally figured it out. I'm the owner, not some patriarch! Also, I really should raise my personal consultation fees, and it should only be for me. I need to make it clear to my colleagues and peers that it's not about the money, but simply about setting a new benchmark to inspire others who are dedicated to the cause of modern Chinese medicine. What do you think?"

"Yes! This meal was definitely worth it, I wholeheartedly agree! Many of the so-called rules in your TCM practice are actually quite outdated, yet you treat them as gospel and carry them with you obediently. Sooner or later, they'll weigh you down so much you can't stand up straight. Let's toast you with tea instead of wine!"

"Hehe... Thank you for the pointer, Miss Su!"

Hahaha……

Amidst laughter, both men felt that today's meal was indeed of exceptional quality.