Chapter Ninety-Eight: A Major Management Shakeup

According to today’s competition rules, once a contestant successfully treats three patients, the organizers will send staff to escort the remaining patients out. Yet this was a contest limited to two hours, and barely ten minutes had passed when one contestant had already finished. The staff had not even had time to get into position, while the patients, seeing hope appear only to slip away again, grew frantic. The terms of the agreement had long since been cast aside, and that was how the situation had come to this.

As the middle-aged woman fell to her knees, the staff who had been a beat too slow in rushing up to clean up the situation and help Hong Chen out hesitated. After all, no matter how important the rules of the competition were, they could never outweigh the physician’s first principle: to heal the sick and save lives.

If, under such circumstances, they forcibly dragged the patients away, it would create a tremendous negative impact not only on the contest itself, but on Hong Chen as well.

The commotion was not only laid bare before the spectators’ eyes; the patients waiting in the nearby areas for the other contestants also noticed. Many of them had glimmers in their eyes, as though they were ready to act.

On the judges’ bench, the three assessors exchanged a few quick words. In the end, each of them shook his head. At a time like this, no one wanted to make an unauthorized decision. The power to decide rested with Hong Chen alone.

Caught in that dilemma, Hong Chen made his choice without delay. He knew he could not keep hesitating. He stepped forward, helped the middle-aged woman to her feet, and said, “Ma’am, your illness can be treated.”

Then he swept his gaze across the other patients and said, “All of your conditions can be treated.”

After giving them that assurance, he changed tone at once. “But you cannot stay here and affect the competition. Go to Wellness Hall Branch One later. I’ll be there seeing patients all day today.”

Upon hearing that their illnesses had a cure, the patients were overjoyed. But when they learned they would have to go to Wellness Hall instead of receiving treatment immediately, concern could not help but show on their faces.

Hong Chen’s expression turned solemn, his tone as firm as iron. “I give you my word. I am here representing Wellness Hall in the Sage Healer Competition. If I go back on my promise, you are welcome to smash Wellness Hall to pieces!”

With that, he turned and left. The patients looked at one another, and in the end none of them forced the issue any further.

He exited the hall through the contestant-only passage. He did not go to the changing room to change clothes, nor did he get into his own GTR again. Instead, he got directly into Qi Gang’s car.

“Brother Chen, now Wellness Hall is going to become famous whether it wants to or not,” Qi Gang said as he drove back to Wellness Hall Branch One, excitement flickering in his eyes. Even his hands on the steering wheel were trembling faintly.

“The whole purpose of entering the Sage Healer Competition was to make a name for ourselves, but this is only the first round. We showed our edge a little too early,” Hong Chen said. He did not use any lofty words to dampen the man’s spirits. In this world, who did not live on the five grains of the earth? So long as one refused to settle for mediocrity, one could not escape the two words fame and profit. Hong Chen was no exception. However, everything had two sides. When fame and profit came too quickly and too fiercely, the trouble that followed would inevitably intensify as well.

Qi Gang understood what Hong Chen meant and nodded silently. After thinking for a moment, he said, “There are more than twenty medical institutions competing in Qing City. Even the two provincial hospitals and four municipal hospitals each have their own sponsors, and there’s no need to mention the private pharmacies and clinics. The only exception is us, standing alone. I think it’s time to consider finding a strong partner. The Liu family reached out before, but I neither accepted nor refused...”

As he spoke, Qi Gang watched Hong Chen’s expression. Since Hong Chen had decided to return the one percent stake that Old Master Liu had once offered, that amounted to a clear separation between Wellness Hall and the Liu family. Qi Gang did not know the inside story. Since Hong Chen would not explain, he could not probe too deeply. But from the bottom of his heart, he wanted to play mediator. After all, his grandfather and Old Master Liu had been close friends for many years.

Hong Chen glanced at him and said lightly, “The Liu family is unnecessary. I already have a candidate in mind for a partner. There’s no rush. Let’s first see how things develop.”

A flicker passed through Qi Gang’s eyes. He seemed about to speak, then held back. In the end, he simply acknowledged the order.

...

It had been less than fifteen minutes since Hong Chen and Qi Gang returned to Wellness Hall Branch One when one of the organizer’s vehicles arrived to deliver Hong Chen’s patients. That was not all; several additional patients were also added.

As a result, a line ten people long formed outside the pharmacy. Hong Chen sat down behind the treatment counter and began, for the first time since Wellness Hall’s reorganization, to see patients personally.

At the same time, in the conference room of Linfeng Trading, a meeting was underway that would determine the company’s future direction and the reshuffling of its management.

Kang Xiao, director of the Comprehensive Administration Department of the Hongcheng Group, was seated in the main chair that usually belonged to Lin Yuxin, presiding over today’s meeting on behalf of Hongcheng Group. On his left sat the former senior executives of Linfeng Trading, led by Lin Yuxin. On his right sat the Hongcheng employees who had come with him.

As Kang Xiao announced that Hongcheng Group would inject ten million into Linfeng Trading, provide a thirty million cooperation project, add more than two departments, and expand the scope of business accordingly...

The hearts of Zhao Ruiya and the old guard from the former company began to beat faster without them realizing it. The degree of support Hongcheng Group was giving Linfeng Trading exceeded what they had previously heard or expected. This meant that their personal salaries, authority, and social standing would all rise with the tide.

Of course, that was only if they could keep their positions. On this point, Zhao Ruiya had already represented them in advance and communicated with the Comprehensive Administration Department, securing a basic verbal assurance.

The only one whose thoughts remained heavy was Lin Yuxin. The more resources Hongcheng Group poured into Linfeng Trading, the greater its expectations would become, and the smaller her chances of remaining as the former president. As for the exact information Hong Chen had revealed, it obviously could not be taken seriously.

Setting everything else aside, after spending three days and nights fighting side by side with Hong Chen in the game, she had already concluded that Hong Chen had returned to his jobless state. If a driver who had resigned was personally confirmed by his former employer to be involved in the appointment of company executives, ninety-nine out of a hundred people would not believe it. Lin Yuxin very much wanted to be that one believer, but unfortunately her intelligence would not permit it.

“This is the report compiled from Monday’s main points when Vice President Zhao represented Linfeng Trading in briefing the group. Some of the contents were also confirmed by phone with the various directors, including Vice President Cao. Miss Lin, please take a look and see whether anything is inaccurate.”

After finishing his remarks on Linfeng Trading’s future direction, Kang Xiao casually handed Lin Yuxin a stack of six or seven pages. His action completely exceeded Zhao Ruiya’s expectations. Her expression stiffened, and panic flashed through her eyes, but after only a moment she returned to normal.

The two directors under her supervision were clearly not as steady as she was. Nervousness and unease were written all over their faces, their eyes flickering uncertainly.

Lin Yuxin read in silence. As her gaze moved across the pages, the fire in her heart rose higher and higher. Zhao Ruiya had not merely shifted all the marginal and noncompliant practices from this cooperation proposal with Hongcheng Group onto her shoulders; she had also added several baseless charges. Meanwhile, Zhao Ruiya herself did not pick up so much as a speck of mud. On top of that, she had claimed for herself the two highlights in the proposal that Lin Yuxin had originally conceived and personally overseen. What was more, the two department heads under Zhao Ruiya’s supervision, along with Lin Yuxin’s assistant Tao Yan, had all provided testimony on Zhao Ruiya’s behalf. It was obvious they had been thoroughly bought over by Zhao Ruiya and had defected to her side without regard for principle.

Watching Lin Yuxin’s face grow colder by the second, Zhao Ruiya knew that the anger in the other woman’s heart had already accumulated to a terrifying degree. After briefly weighing her words, she suddenly said, “President Lin, over these past two days I also sorted through some materials regarding the company’s original finance, planning, and business operations. Director Ma, Deputy Director Zhang, Deputy Director Shao, and Vice President Cao also added some points. Please review them after the meeting. If there’s no problem, we should fax a copy to the group’s Comprehensive Administration Department.”

Flash.

Lin Yuxin lifted her head abruptly, two frosty beams of light shooting toward Zhao Ruiya. Zhao Ruiya was threatening her with the future of Ma and the other three. The implication was clear: if Lin Yuxin dared to overturn Zhao Ruiya’s report, Zhao Ruiya would drag the four of them down with her. If that happened, then none of Linfeng Trading’s former senior managers would likely be able to keep their posts.

Zhao Ruiya did not avoid her gaze. In her eyes was a viciousness that suggested both sides would perish together. Yet her tone carried helplessness, along with a hint of a sigh, as she went on, “President Lin, as your deputy, I may not agree with some of your methods, but I do understand the difficulties you face as the company’s president. I have always remembered what the president of the former parent company, the Lin Group, said about you: that your temperament is very much like your father’s, and that you are both people who understand the larger picture.”

Understand the larger picture again.

No one else understood what those words meant, but Lin Yuxin knew perfectly well. This was a veiled threat involving her uncle. If she did not “understand the larger picture,” then her father’s position in the Lin Group would also be lost.

Lin Yuxin was furious beyond measure, yet she still forced herself to endure it with her powerful self-restraint. Silently withdrawing her gaze, she looked down at the papers in her hand a while longer. At last, when she slowly shook her head at Kang Xiao, a wave of hatred and sorrow rose within her toward herself.

She, too, had once been straightforward and willful in her student days. But after stepping into society and entering the business world, too many things were beyond her control, too many considerations and trade-offs forced her to give up that innocence and become the sort of person who knew how to “understand the larger picture,” the kind she despised from the bottom of her heart.

Zhao Ruiya secretly let out a breath of relief, a trace of victor’s pride flashing through her eyes.

The two department heads under her supervision also loosened the tightly drawn strings of their nerves.

As for Vice President Cao and Director Ma, they more or less picked up on the subtext in Zhao Ruiya’s words, and more or less guessed at the concerns behind Lin Yuxin’s tacit acceptance. That left a trace of guilt in their hearts, and at that moment they lowered their eyes and remained silent, their expressions complicated.

Kang Xiao merely smiled faintly. “President Lin is indeed someone who understands the larger picture.”

Then he changed the subject. “Because Linfeng Trading’s scale will expand significantly from now on, the management team will require a major personnel adjustment...”

He raised a hand and pointed to the last male employee on his right. “Ma Jian, formerly deputy director of the group’s Planning Department. It is now proposed that he serve as director of Linfeng Trading’s Planning Department, or as vice president.”

Then he pointed to the second-to-last female employee. “Qiu Susu, formerly deputy director of the group’s Comprehensive Administration Department. It is now proposed that she serve as vice president of Linfeng Trading, or as executive president.”

Then he pointed to the third-to-last female employee. “Huang Wen, formerly an assistant director in the group’s Finance Department. It is now proposed that she serve as deputy director of Linfeng Trading’s Finance Department.”

Then he pointed to the fourth-to-last male employee. “Xiao Qiang, formerly a reserve cadre of the group. It is now proposed that he serve as director of the Business Department, or as vice president.”

Having said that, he swept his gaze over Zhao Ruiya and the others. “As for the former department heads of Linfeng Trading, including Vice President Zhao and Vice President Cao, they will, in principle, remain in their posts at the same rank or one-half rank lower.”

Zhao Ruiya and the others’ eyes lit up, and a surge of excitement rose in their hearts. As expected, they all kept their positions. Even if they were lowered by half a rank, the company’s scale was expanding severalfold compared to before. In practical terms, they were still benefiting greatly. If they remained at the same level, then they would be taking a solid leap upward. Their future would be bright beyond measure.

However, before their excitement could fully take shape, Kang Xiao’s next sentence turned them all to stone on the spot.

“Miss Lin Yuxin will remain president of Linfeng Trading. In addition, what I just mentioned regarding management personnel adjustment is only a proposal. The final power of appointment and dismissal will be entirely left to President Lin alone.”

“Furthermore, the entire management team will have an incentive allocation of fifty-five percent of the dormant equity. President Lin will personally hold thirty-five percent, and the decision-making power over the remaining twenty percent will also belong solely to President Lin.”