Chapter 47: The Highest Standard

Upon arriving at the Health Department, Feng Yuqin, who had originally planned to go down for an inspection, decided to hold a meeting when she heard that a plan for the location of the health care base had been proposed. The inspection was naturally postponed.

The staff quickly arranged the meeting room and notified the health bureaus of various districts that the inspection for the day was canceled. In this regard, the leader had absolute autonomy, and everyone below could only adjust their actions according to the leader's decisions. Otherwise, would you dare to question the leader's credibility? How could you say you would come and then not show up?

Zeng Yi sighed when he heard this arrangement. This time, he was actually grateful to Chen Long; otherwise, he would have had to go through more trouble to get back the clinic's license.

In the meeting room, Guo Penghui introduced the proposed locations to Feng Yuqin one by one, emphasizing the reasons why each place was selected.

Feng Yuqin sat there, listening to the report with no expression on her face, not even nodding or frowning. This made Guo Penghui very uneasy. Could it be that Director Feng was dissatisfied with all ten proposed locations?

"These are the preliminary location plans formed after considering the opinions of all the preparatory group members," Guo Penghui concluded, picked up the large teacup in front of him, took a few sips to moisten his throat, and then waited for Feng Yuqin to speak.

Feng Yuqin looked at Zeng Yi, who was sitting farthest away, and asked, "Zeng Yi, have you studied these plans before?"

Zeng Yi nodded, "Director Guo has already communicated with me!"

"Then share your opinion. Which plan do you prefer?" Feng Yuqin gently placed the teacup back on the table.

Guo Penghui silently confirmed his guess. Director Feng trusted Zeng Yi more than anyone else. She asked Zeng Yi specifically, and it was fortunate that he had made a trip in advance. Otherwise, if Zeng Yi had said, "I don't know, I just learned about this plan," he would have been in a passive position. The old saying is right: "Caution is the best policy."

In the past, Zeng Yi would have been polite, saying he was not an expert and had no opinion, or even agreeing with the other members. However, the recent events involving Guo Sanliang made Zeng Yi realize that power is something you must seize when the opportunity arises. If you don't, it will fall into the hands of people like Guo Sanliang, and you will be the one to suffer.

As a member of the preparatory group, no matter how high-minded you are, others will still see you as a rival for power. This is not something you can control. Moreover, as a member of the preparatory group, you should take responsibility and not be perfunctory.

Zeng Yi cleared his throat and, for the first time as a member of the preparatory group, solemnly expressed his opinion: "All ten places are excellent, with beautiful scenery and pleasant climates. From a health perspective, living in these places would greatly benefit one's physical and mental health. Apart from their different geographical locations, the conditions of these places are quite similar. Any of them would be suitable. However..."

The people in the meeting room, who had been indifferent, suddenly looked at Zeng Yi when they heard the word "however." They were surprised that an expert with no official position would also say "however."

Zeng Yi paused, feeling uncomfortable under the others' gazes. He adjusted his emotions and continued, "I believe that beautiful scenery and pleasant climate should not be the only criteria for selecting the location of the health care base. If we only use these as standards, I think there are far more than ten places in Nanjiang Province that meet the criteria, perhaps twenty, thirty, or even a hundred."

This was true. Nanjiang Province was a major tourist destination, with most of its scenic areas being natural landscapes. Finding places with beautiful scenery was not difficult.

Feng Yuqin's face remained expressionless, but she was a bit surprised. She had expected Zeng Yi to suggest one or two places, or none at all, but she did not expect him to reject all the proposed locations. This was different from the Zeng Yi she knew. She asked, "According to your idea, what should be the standard for selecting the location of the health care base?"

"The highest standard should be the purpose of establishing the health care base," Zeng Yi said without reservation. "Different purposes require different construction plans and different conditions. For example, if the base is mainly for treatment and post-surgery recovery, it doesn't need to be very large, and it should not be far from a large hospital. It should also have convenient transportation, and its location should be limited to the surrounding areas of Rongcheng. If the base is mainly for the care of retired cadres, it should focus on a suitable living environment, with a design that emphasizes a leisurely and comfortable lifestyle. The surrounding living facilities should be well-developed, and it should have a lively atmosphere. A hospital of at least Grade A should also be built alongside the base."

Feng Yuqin's eyes brightened. She had a reason for building this health care base. Apart from the surface reasons mentioned at the previous meeting, there was another important reason, which was a rather awkward issue for the Nanjiang Provincial Party Committee.

Nanjiang Province, with its beautiful mountains and rivers and pleasant climate, was one of the best places to live in the country. Therefore, the Nanjiang Provincial Party Committee had always tried to invite many retired national leaders to settle in Nanjiang and enjoy their retirement. Unfortunately, these leaders all left after a short stay.

Like the local officials, Feng Yuqin had political motives for building this base. The Nanjiang Provincial Party Committee also needed the support of leaders from the central government.

At a certain level, the importance of political achievements and personal ability in career advancement decreases, and the ability to gain the support of influential leaders becomes more crucial. Whoever can secure more support has a better chance of rising to the top of the power pyramid.

The Nanjiang Provincial Party Committee had reflected on the issue of not being able to retain the leaders. Some believed it was due to software constraints, while others thought it was due to hardware deficiencies. Despite significant investments in both, the situation did not improve.

This time, the Nanjiang Provincial Party Committee gave high priority to the construction of a new health care base led by Feng Yuqin but did not specify concrete standards or requirements for software and hardware. They hoped that Feng Yuqin would use this opportunity to explore and boldly reform, identifying and solving the root of the problem.

As long as the problem could be solved and the situation improved, the Nanjiang Provincial Party Committee would provide full support, whether in terms of funding or personnel.

Assigning Zeng Yi to the preparatory group was only a small part of Feng Yuqin's consideration. She had a larger goal: to use Zeng Yi's expertise to identify and solve the root of the problem, a step that previous Nanjiang Provincial Party Committees had overlooked.

Zeng Yi's speech, though brief, made Feng Yuqin see him in a new light. Previously, she had seen him as a skilled doctor, but his ability to consider the purpose of the base made her realize he was extraordinary. None of the other members had such insight.

"Zeng Yi's points are very reasonable. I think we have been too limited in our thinking. Building a health care base is a comprehensive project. We cannot consider it from just one aspect or solve one problem at a time. We need a holistic approach," Feng Yuqin said, succinctly summarizing Zeng Yi's views and elevating the discussion to a new level.

Guo Penghui immediately agreed, "I agree with Director Feng. We need a comprehensive understanding and cannot be shortsighted."

The others also chimed in, expressing their agreement.

Feng Yuqin's face remained serious. She was dissatisfied with these people. Without Zeng Yi's input, they only considered the location. Now that he mentioned it, they all claimed to have a comprehensive view. It seemed that relying on these people to solve the problem of retaining the leaders was not feasible.

"Since everyone agrees, let's start over. We need to develop comprehensive plans based on various considerations and then select the best one," Feng Yuqin stood up. "Meeting adjourned! Zeng Yi, come with me."

Guo Penghui watched enviously as Zeng Yi entered Feng Yuqin's office. He thought Zeng Yi was highly favored by Director Feng. Whatever Zeng Yi said, Director Feng followed. He realized he needed to be more proactive and warm up to Zeng Yi.

Others, who might not have thought of this before, now had the same idea after the meeting. They all planned to warm up to Zeng Yi, who was no longer considered a cold fish.

"Feel free to sit down. You don't need to be formal here," Feng Yuqin said politely, sitting behind her desk.

Without others around, Zeng Yi still called Feng Yuqin "Auntie." "Was there something wrong with my speech?"

"You did a great job!" Feng Yuqin smiled. "I'm curious, where did your views on the health care base come from?"

Zeng Yi smiled, "When I was in school, I traveled a lot and saw various health care bases while treating patients."

Feng Yuqin felt reassured. She had not made a mistake in choosing Zeng Yi for the preparatory group. She needed someone who could compare and identify problems. "I hope you will focus more of your energy on the preparatory group," Feng Yuqin said, looking at Zeng Yi meaningfully.

Zeng Yi hesitated for a moment and understood Feng Yuqin's meaning. She was dissatisfied with his recent focus on the clinic. He felt a bit embarrassed. Feng Yuqin had appointed him to the preparatory group, and his performance had not lived up to her expectations. He said sincerely, "Auntie Feng, I've been idle for a long time and have many shortcomings. I need your guidance and criticism. From now on, I will focus my energy on the preparatory group."

Feng Yuqin smiled and nodded. She appreciated Zeng Yi's high intelligence and broad perspective. It was a pity he had chosen medicine; otherwise, he would have been a good fit for politics.

"I have another meeting to chair. You can go back to work," Feng Yuqin waved her hand, smiling. She did not expect to change Zeng Yi's mindset immediately. There was a significant difference between experts and officials.

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