Chapter 92: The Tea House

Yu Li, after all, had not yet made her relationship with Lu Qi public. She was very considerate of Lu Qi's feelings, saying that she and Lu Qi were just part of the close relationship between the police and the people.

Li Zhong said, "Since we're all part of the same family, there's no need to talk about it."

Yu Li's face turned red, and Lu Qi stepped in to defend her: "Don't always joke about us. Isn't today's theme a thank-you banquet? The main person is Xu Chunliang."

This time, they finally managed to shift the focus to Xu Chunliang.

Yu Mo expressed her gratitude to Xu Chunliang in front of everyone. If it weren't for Xu Chunliang, she might have already had a mental breakdown. This incident made Yu Li feel a lot. Clinical work nowadays is very challenging, with high pressure and heavy responsibilities. A slight mistake could lead to legal trouble. She also reflected on her own issues, being overly reliant on auxiliary examination results.

Li Lingyun believed that this was a common problem in the current medical field. Medical equipment has become increasingly advanced, and doctors have become more dependent on it. In the early 1990s, the entire Dongzhou region had only one CT machine, but now even small town hospitals have them.

Due to the centralized procurement of medicines, the profit margin for drugs has been continuously reduced. To increase revenue, hospitals have had to focus on examination fees and surgical treatment fees. The medical industry has entered a vicious cycle. The government has repeatedly emphasized the need to make healthcare affordable for the people and has introduced various measures, but the actual burden of medical expenses for the people has not significantly decreased. Lu Qi, though not an expert in medicine, was influenced by his parents' belief in traditional Chinese medicine. He always thought that Western medicine was too harmful to the human body and that all Western drugs had side effects. Traditional Chinese medicine, on the other hand, was much gentler, and its terminology was more profound and artistic, reflecting the depth and breadth of Chinese culture. It was more vivid compared to the cold and dry terms used in Western medicine.

Yu Mo had a different view: "Good medicine tastes bitter but is beneficial to the body. Our ancestors knew this. While traditional Chinese medicine has its strengths, it also has significant limitations and can sometimes be overly idealistic. In treating and saving lives, Western medicine is more effective and direct."

After saying this, she remembered that Xu Chunliang was the young master of Huichuntang and smiled, saying, "Xiao Xu, I'm just expressing my personal opinion, not targeting you."

Xu Chunliang smiled and said she could say whatever she wanted. He wasn't a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, and in this era, traditional Chinese medicine had lost its former influence. Many people lacked knowledge and trust in it, and it would be difficult to change their perceptions. He didn't want to waste energy arguing about it.

Li Lingyun then talked about the news from Changxing. There were rumors that Changxing had secured the land for the new hospital in the high-tech zone, and it was said that they would cooperate with the high-tech zone to build a modern comprehensive hospital.

Yu Mo had also heard about this. She believed that if it were true, it would prove that the new dean was very ambitious. If things continued this way, Changxing might catch up with other hospitals and even experience a revival.

However, Li Lingyun had a different view. The reason was that Changxing simply didn't have enough money. Unless the government provided funding, the high-tech zone, which was still underdeveloped with a small population, couldn't support such a large hospital.

Other hospitals had similar examples. The Dongzhou Medical University Affiliated Hospital and the city center hospital had both built branch hospitals in new areas. The former was in the high-speed rail business district, and the latter was in the new urban area. These branch hospitals were all located in emerging areas that were still developing and not yet mature, so they all faced the problem of insufficient patients. None of these branch hospitals had achieved profitability.

Changxing, in terms of strength, couldn't compare to these two hospitals. The high-tech zone was primarily industrial, with a significant shortage of residents. Geographically, it had no advantages. Li Lingyun believed that even if Changxing built a new hospital, the prospects were not optimistic.

Yu Mo said that such matters were not something they could worry about. As medical personnel, they only needed to focus on treating patients. The planning and development of Changxing were the responsibility of the hospital leadership. If the current dean couldn't complete the task, the next dean might, and so on. In short, each generation would have its capable people, leading the way for hundreds of years.

Li Lingyun smiled and encouraged Xu Chunliang: "Xu Director, work hard. We all have high hopes for you." In reality, she didn't think it was possible. Hospitals nowadays placed a high emphasis on academic qualifications. How could a high school graduate possibly become a dean? Some things could be achieved through effort, but others were beyond reach no matter how hard you tried. If Xu Chunliang didn't continue his education and obtain a solid degree, he probably wouldn't even be able to advance to a department-level position.

Xu Chunliang humbly said he had no hope and was very clear that what they were saying was just flattery. Given his current conditions, it was impossible for him to become a dean. Besides, he didn't even care about the position. Changxing Hospital, with over 1,800 employees, was considered a large hospital in the province, but it couldn't compare to the Wudu Sect. When he led the Wudu Sect, there were over 100,000 official members.

He could manage the Wudu Sect efficiently and unite everyone. What was a small Changxing Hospital compared to that?

Yu Li mentioned the theft case at the business hall. Lu Qi told her that the case was getting deeper. They had discovered that Han Tianchi was part of an organized theft gang, and many theft cases in Dongzhou over the past two years were related to them. The higher-ups had decided to thoroughly investigate this theft gang, not letting any criminals escape, and to resolutely capture them all.

As Lu Qi spoke, Yu Li stared at him intently, clearly focused on him.

Li Lingyun, who loved matchmaking, told Xu Chunliang that a very beautiful nurse had just joined their department and offered to help set them up.

Xu Chunliang politely declined her offer. Li Lingyun repeatedly emphasized that the nurse was really beautiful, with both parents being teachers and a good family background. It would be a pity to miss out.

Yu Mo saw that Xu Chunliang didn't like this kind of arranged dating and helped defuse the situation by saying that he might already have a girlfriend and that Li Lingyun shouldn't be too enthusiastic.

At this moment, Pei Lin called. She had rushed back from Haizhou due to the Tingmei breast enhancement issue. After understanding the situation, she immediately contacted Xu Chunliang. Pei Yu suspected that this crisis was related to Huichuntang but had no evidence. After the incident, she had contacted the headquarters and confirmed that no other franchisees had experienced similar issues before them. The breast enhancement cream could not cause allergies, and it was too coincidental that customers who developed allergic reactions couldn't be cured by hospitals but were cured by Huichuntang. There must be some unknown connection.

Although Pei Lin also found the situation suspicious, she couldn't make wild guesses without evidence, especially since they owed Xu Chunliang a favor. Pei Lin, though Pei Yu's cousin, was more flexible in business, which was why her pharmaceutical business was thriving.

Pei Lin decided to have a serious talk with Xu Chunliang. This was an unprecedented crisis for Tingmei breast enhancement, and if not handled properly, it could have severe consequences.

The breast enhancement cream's test report was crucial. First, they needed to determine if it contained any allergens. The cream was not a drug but had obtained a (Health) approval number, essentially making it a health supplement. With years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, Pei Lin considered all aspects thoroughly. The franchise contract they signed included a clause stating that if a product quality issue caused bodily harm to a customer, the headquarters would assume all responsibility and provide triple compensation, which would be given to the franchisee.

Based on this compensation clause, Pei Yu had promised customers that if the test results showed a problem with the cream, they would provide double compensation.

Pei Lin believed that Pei Yu shouldn't have made such a promise so early. Making such a commitment without knowing the results was extremely risky. If the cream was found to be problem-free, the headquarters would likely deny responsibility, and all the pressure would fall back on them. Customers wouldn't care if the cream was problematic; they would blame Tingmei and demand compensation.

Xu Chunliang was annoyed by Li Lingyun's excessive enthusiasm and took this opportunity to leave, asking Pei Lin to pick him up at Yipinju.

Pei Lin, who needed his help, had no objections and appeared at the door of Yipinju ten minutes later.

Xu Chunliang found an excuse to leave early. Li Lingyun, seeing the Porsche Macan outside and the silhouette of a woman in the car, recalled how Xu Chunliang had been evasive earlier. It seemed he really had a girlfriend.

Yu Mo recognized the car. Pei Lin, who did business in Changxing, often dealt with important department heads, and her car frequently appeared in the Changxing parking lot. Yu Mo had also considered buying the same model and had consulted Pei Lin, so she remembered it well. She checked the license plate and confirmed it was Pei Lin's car. She was puzzled. Could Xu Chunliang be with Pei Lin? Thinking of the various rumors about Pei Lin in Changxing, Yu Mo frowned.

Xu Chunliang opened the car door and sat in the passenger seat. Pei Lin was wearing makeup and perfume, and her scent was quite strong. She smiled charmingly and said, "Xu Director, I'm sorry to disturb your meal."

"There's no problem. I should thank you for helping me out."

Pei Lin suggested going to a nearby tea house to talk while having tea.

Xu Chunliang looked at the time and agreed to follow her arrangement.

Pei Lin drove to Nanshan Nan Tea House, which was only a few hundred meters from Yipinju. Xu Chunliang noticed that most tea houses nowadays had a Japanese style, with gardens designed in the Japanese dry landscape style. This layout was rich in Zen meaning, aligning with the pursuit of tea and Zen.

Pei Lin had a wide circle of friends and had connections here. They were seated in a quiet private room with a view of the garden outside.

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