Chapter 142 Let's all joke around...
Upon hearing this, Team Leader Zhao wholeheartedly agreed, saying, "That's right, if you want to blame someone, blame her. Director Cao didn't have his eye on me, so what does it have to do with me!"
A female colleague, not quite aware of the background, asked in confusion, "What's wrong with Comrade Lin Yuanshu? Is it because she's too capable at work, which is why she gained Director Cao's favor? The way you talk is quite amusing."
Team Leader Zhao was speechless, struggling to think of a way to refute the woman's words.
Upon seeing this, the members of the discussion group, who were initially dissatisfied, instantly turned into anger.
They angrily said to Team Leader Zhao, "That's enough! You've really gone too far! You weren't satisfied with just playing us, and now you're teaming up with Comrade Lin Yuanshu to play us like this. On the surface, you're blaming Comrade Lin Yuanshu, but in reality, you're just praising him in a roundabout way while belittling us! Do we look that stupid that we can't even understand this hidden meaning?"
Lin Yuanshu casually explained from the side, "You've misunderstood. Team Leader Zhao isn't that kind of person."
After saying that, she didn't continue. After all, she didn't really want to explain for Team Leader Zhao, who was not without hostility towards her!
Helping the enemy is tantamount to harming yourself.
Seeing that Lin Yuanshu's explanation was essentially meaningless, Team Leader Zhao quickly interjected, "I never thought that way. I've always treated you all as friends..."
Before Group Leader Zhao could finish speaking, the members of the discussion group stormed out of the banquet hall. After all, more and more people were watching, and they didn't want to become the subject of gossip.
Friends, they must have had the worst luck in eight lifetimes to become Team Leader Zhao's friends.
Before leaving, they glanced at Lin Yuanshu again, but ultimately refrained from speaking ill of him, swallowing back what they wanted to say.
Team Leader Zhao was quite speechless. He wasn't the one who benefited, so why shouldn't he be given a chance to explain?
What's the point of getting angry at him? If you're so capable, go ahead and get angry at Lin Yuanshu!
Lin Yuanshu was the one who enjoyed the benefits, while he was the one who suffered. It was truly an undeserved disaster.
Lin Yuanshu was somewhat surprised by Team Leader Zhao's situation, but it wasn't entirely incomprehensible. After all, she didn't know these people, so they were more willing to vent their anger on Team Leader Zhao, an acquaintance, than on her, a complete stranger.
Furthermore, Director Cao will select two comrades to join the schistosomiasis prevention medical team. Director Cao has only confirmed one spot for her now; they still have another opportunity.
If they offend her and she speaks ill of them to Team Leader Cao, they won't even get another chance.
Even a fool knows to pick on the softest persimmon, let alone these smart people!
Therefore, one should be a little tougher.
Team Leader Lü, who was watching the scene unfold, looked puzzled. He whispered to Team Leader Bai, "What are they making a fuss about? It's just that Comrade Lin Yuanshu has gained Director Cao's favor! What's there to be angry about? Director Cao isn't from Beijing, so getting his favor won't bring him any benefits!"
He didn't want to talk to Team Leader Bai, but unfortunately, Team Leader Bai was the only acquaintance he had; he didn't know anyone else.
Team Leader Bai rolled his eyes and said irritably, "If you don't know, how could I possibly know!"
Team Leader Lü suddenly realized and said, "I understand. Maybe they are just as jealous as you are, and they can't stand seeing younger comrades being more capable than them."
Team Leader Bai took a deep breath and gritted his teeth, saying, "You only think quickly when you're being sarcastic towards me. If you put the same effort into your work, you would be the deputy director by now."
Team Leader Lü wasn't angry at Team Leader Bai's words. Instead, he smiled and said, "I didn't expect you to think so highly of me! I'm truly flattered."
Team Leader Bai: "..."
The two parted on bad terms once again.
On the other side, after Director Cao walked out of the Sijiu City People's Hotel, he and the Vice Minister of Health took a car back to the Ministry of Health.
The deputy minister asked curiously, "Did you have any comrades you've got your eye on today?"
Director Cao replied, "Yes."
The deputy minister waited for several minutes, and when Director Cao did not continue, the smile on his face instantly froze. He forced himself to ask, "Then can you tell me which comrades you have your eye on? Let me see if I know them, maybe I can give a different opinion."
Director Cao thought for a moment and then decisively refused, saying, "I will naturally say it when I am in front of the Minister of Health. If I say it now, I will have to say it again later. There is no need to make it so troublesome. It is better to take a good rest now so that I will have the energy to deal with work later."
His body wasn't as resilient as a young person's. Although the technical exchange conference's procedures weren't complicated, going through all of it still left him feeling a bit tired.
Rather than discussing work-related matters with the deputy minister, he would rather have a good rest.
The deputy minister was very understanding. "Then you should rest well. I'll wake you up when we get to the Ministry of Health."
Although he spoke so kindly, he was inwardly cursing Director Cao for being tactless, looking down on him as the deputy minister, and only wanting to curry favor with the minister. He was truly a sycophantic and petty person.
Director Cao didn't think much of it. Seeing that the deputy minister had said so, he closed his eyes and rested.
Meanwhile, inside the van at the Dongfanghong Research Institute, the atmosphere between Lin Yuanshu and Team Leader Zhao was far less harmonious than it had been that morning.
Team Leader Zhao was truly furious. Because of Lin Yuanshu's matter, he was being blamed, and all the relationships he had painstakingly built with others were now ruined.
He suffered so much because of Lin Yuanshu, but Lin Yuanshu acted as if nothing had happened, doing whatever he wanted without affecting him at all. She didn't even apologize to him. It seems that he was the only one who was unlucky.
What's even more frustrating is that he can't afford to break ties with Lin Yuanshu right now; he needs to get information from Lin Yuanshu.
Team Leader Zhao couldn't believe that Lin Yuanshu could be so lucky as to accidentally gain Director Cao's favor.
He suspected that Lin Yuanshu already knew about Director Cao's affairs and had been on guard against him, which was why he was able to act perfectly when Lin Yuanshu tested him.
"Comrade Lin Yuanshu, I really didn't expect you to know so much about nitrate cyanamide. Where did you find this knowledge? I didn't see any information about nitrate cyanamide at the Dongfanghong Research Institute," Team Leader Zhao asked tentatively.
Lin Yuanshu explained with a smile, "You can't find any information about nitrate cyanamide in Beijing, but that doesn't mean you can't find it in other provinces. There are quite a few reports about nitrate cyanamide in places like Xiangcheng and Yueyang. If you filter it, you can still find useful information. As you know, I just finished the task assigned by the Ministry of Health and I don't have any new tasks on hand. I'm also concerned about the epidemic area, so I specifically looked into this drug, nitrate cyanamide. I didn't expect it to come in handy today."
She was telling the truth. She did indeed find out about nitrile cyanamide in this way. As the saying goes, where there's a will, there's a way.
Team Leader Zhao was skeptical of Lin Yuanshu's statement, but there seemed to be no more reasonable explanation.
His eyes lit up with a better idea. He smiled and advised, "Congratulations on being chosen by Director Cao. If you are really interested in nitrosamine, you can consider working at the Xiangcheng Pharmaceutical Industry Research Institute. Even if Director Huang knows about this, he probably won't blame you. After all, your starting point is to hope that the comrades in the epidemic area can survive."
If Lin Yuanshu is really willing to work at the Xiangcheng Pharmaceutical Industry Research Institute, it would be a good thing for him and Deputy Director Liu.
Looking at the ill-intentioned Team Leader Zhao, Lin Yuanshu decisively refused, saying, "Researching nitrate cyanamide doesn't necessarily require working at the Xiangcheng Pharmaceutical Industry Research Institute. Going to the epidemic area to carry out the work is also entirely feasible. Director Cao has already promised me that he will find a way to arrange for me to go to the epidemic area to do this research."
It would have been better if he hadn't said those words. As soon as he did, Team Leader Zhao was a little defensive. He had clearly gained Director Cao's favor before the group discussion, but then Lin Yuanshu appeared, causing him to miss his chance.
He couldn't help but say sarcastically, "You really stole the show today! I was worried you wouldn't be able to expand your network, but it seems I was overthinking it. No wonder you were noticed by Director Huang and the Minister of Health. Your flattery skills are beyond my reach."
Lin Yuanshu was stunned for a moment. She didn't expect Team Leader Zhao to be so short-tempered and choose to confront her in the car. However, she didn't need to indulge Team Leader Zhao. She retorted in a firm tone, "Team Leader Zhao, why have you been talking nonsense all day? This isn't flattery; it's real work ability. If you're not good enough, don't blame me for being too capable."
Lin Yuanshu's retort made Team Leader Zhao even angrier. His expression turned very ugly, and he said coldly, "Don't think that you can do whatever you want just because Director Huang is protecting you. You won't be arrogant for long."
Lin Yuanshu smiled slightly and said softly, "I never thought that way. No matter how arrogant I am, I'm not as arrogant as you. Team Leader Zhao, you can't act like an old man in front of me just because I'm young. Do you know who my backers are?"
She paused for a moment, looked at Team Leader Zhao's nervous expression, gave him a playful look, and said softly, "I am a flower of the motherland!"
Team Leader Zhao: "..."
He was initially quite nervous, but after hearing Lin Yuanshu's words, he was left speechless.
Team Leader Zhao didn't laugh, but the driver couldn't help but chuckle. He found Comrade Lin Yuanshu's words quite amusing.
When Team Leader Zhao heard the laughter, he realized that there were other people in the car. The thought that his conversation with Lin Yuanshu might be revealed by others immediately extinguished his anger.
He pretended nothing had happened and said with a smile, "I was just joking with you, so please don't take it to heart."
Lin Yuanshu raised an eyebrow. Instead of trying to smooth things over, she said, word by word, "I'm the kind of person who holds grudges the most."
Team Leader Zhao was taken aback for a moment, then quickly asked, "What do you mean by that? Are you going to get angry with me over such a small matter? I haven't caused you any losses, so why make things unpleasant? If we both take a step back and restore our previous peaceful relationship, that's the best outcome for everyone. There are no black and white things in this world; you have to learn to compromise..."
Lin Yuanshu completely ignored Team Leader Zhao's long speech, and although he had a smile on his face, he didn't say a word.
She climbed up with great effort, not so that, after being wronged, she could still weigh the pros and cons and choose to compromise.
When Team Leader Zhao saw that Lin Yuanshu was ignoring him, he went from being angry with Lin Yuanshu at the beginning to feeling uneasy now, worried that Lin Yuanshu would retaliate against him.
He didn't expect Lin Yuanshu to be acting like he was sick. The two of them had only had a few verbal arguments, but he had to escalate it to the point of holding a grudge.
In this oppressive atmosphere, the van pulled up in front of the Dongfanghong Research Institute.
Lin Yuanshu got out of the car first. She turned to look at Team Leader Zhao inside the car and said expressionlessly, "I was just joking with you. Please don't take it to heart."
Team Leader Zhao froze for a moment, his face turning red with anger. A sharp pain shot through his heart, and he felt like he couldn't breathe. He pointed at Lin Yuanshu and cursed, "Are you crazy? Is it fun to tease me like this...?"
Lin Yuanshu raised an eyebrow and said casually, "Team Leader Zhao, you should learn from Team Leader Qiao. He's very magnanimous and doesn't get angry over jokes. This is just a small matter, why are you so angry? I think what you advised me before was quite right. We both need to compromise. I still need to report to Director Huang on today's exchange meeting, so I won't chat with you any longer. Don't forget to stay rational!"
Team Leader Zhao was so angry that he clenched his fist and slammed it hard on the seat in the car. Lin Yuanshu was obviously making a fool of him, and seeing his uneasy look, she must have been secretly very pleased with herself.
He was actually led by the nose by Lin Yuanshu like an ox; it was a disgrace!
Seeing this, the driver quickly stopped Team Leader Zhao from continuing, exclaiming, "You can't do this! If you break it, you won't be able to afford to pay for it!"
Upon hearing this, Team Leader Zhao turned his gaze to the driver. He now disliked the driver as well, since the driver knew about his affair with Lin Yuanshu and was probably just like Lin Yuanshu, secretly mocking his foolishness.
He threatened, "If you dare to tell anyone about my affair with Comrade Lin Yuanshu, I won't let you get away with it."
The driver looked at Team Leader Zhao with a bewildered expression and subconsciously replied, "I won't go around saying it."
Team Leader Zhao is really inexplicable. What's there to say? It's just that Team Leader Zhao and Comrade Lin Yuanshu had an argument!
Their argument was so polite that it wasn't even interesting to talk about; it wasn't as entertaining as the arguments of the older women in his courtyard.
However, Comrade Lin Yuanshu was right. Team Leader Zhao was too petty. He threatened him over such a small matter. It seems that he should stay away from Team Leader Zhao in the future to avoid suffering such an undeserved disaster again.
Hearing the driver's reply, Team Leader Zhao felt a little better, but he walked into the research institute with a gloomy face.
Meanwhile, in the Minister of Health's office, Director Cao chatted with the Minister for a while before getting down to business. "The research institutes in Beijing are truly full of talent. I'm almost overwhelmed by the choices. There are just too many outstanding people. I would feel regret no matter who I choose."
The minister gave a smug smile and said in a serious tone, "I am very concerned about the training of researchers. I have always respected knowledge and talent. By the way, have you decided on the candidates to join the schistosomiasis prevention medical team?"
Things aren't as tough at the research institute as they used to be. The higher-ups have started to pay more attention to research, and I've heard that many research projects that were forced to stop are preparing to restart. Things will definitely get better and better in the future.
Director Cao nodded firmly and said with a smile, "You do a better job than me in this respect. I can only focus on myself and haven't really put much effort into training researchers. It seems that I have to learn more from you in this regard. Based on my observations at the skills exchange conference, I think Comrade Lin Yuanshu from the Dongfanghong Research Institute and Comrade Qu Zhigang from the Sijiucheng Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Institute are both quite good."
The minister hesitated for a moment, then refused without hesitation: "Comrade Qu Zhigang is fine, but Comrade Lin Yuanshu is not."
Director Cao's expression changed from calm to anxious as he asked, "Why not? Is there something wrong with Comrade Lin Yuanshu?"
He preferred Comrade Lin Yuanshu to Comrade Qu Zhigang, believing that Comrade Lin Yuanshu would bring new ideas to the research on nitrothiocyanate.
The minister cleared his throat, his expression complex, and said, "There's nothing wrong with it, but the Ministry of Health has arranged follow-up project tasks for Comrade Lin Yuanshu. If you take Comrade Lin Yuanshu to the epidemic area, the project will be leaderless. Moreover, the promotion of the improved penicillin production process will most likely require Comrade Lin Yuanshu's help."
Director Cao stood up abruptly, looking somewhat angry. He said in a firm tone, "Minister, you can't be so selfish. The patients in the epidemic area are still waiting for Comrade Lin Yuanshu to save their lives! As for the Ministry of Health's project, I don't believe that in such a large city as Beijing, there isn't another researcher who can take on the project besides Comrade Lin Yuanshu."
Faced with Director Cao's insistence on upholding justice, the minister suddenly lost his confidence. He forced himself to say, "Comrade Lin Yuanshu's improved penicillin production process is still being promoted in pilot units. They can't do without Comrade Lin Yuanshu there. Patients in the epidemic area are important, and the promotion of penicillin is equally important. Both are life-saving jobs, and there's no question of which is better."
Director Cao stared intently at the minister and retorted bluntly, "I heard that you had already assigned the task of the penicillin pilot unit to two comrades from the Dongfanghong Research Institute. I suppose whether Comrade Lin Yuanshu is there or not, the impact won't be too great!"
The minister pursed his lips and said irritably, "You really know a lot about the promotion of penicillin! Who's so talkative? Telling you everything."
Director Cao subconsciously looked at the deputy minister, who had told him a lot about the penicillin improvement project. It was also from the deputy minister that he learned about Comrade Lin Yuanshu.
When the deputy minister saw the look in Director Cao's eyes, he knew something was wrong. It was true that good things never happened to him, but bad things always came to him.
He gave the minister an innocent look. At this moment, he didn't want to be mentioned at all. He told Director Cao about the penicillin improvement project to show off the achievements of the Sijiu City Research Institute, not to make it easier for Director Cao to poach his staff!
The vice minister tried to save face, saying, "I didn't reveal much. I just happened to mention that two comrades from the Dongfanghong Research Institute were in charge of advancing the penicillin pilot project."
He stared wide-eyed at Director Cao, hinting that Director Cao would say a few words in agreement to smooth things over and avoid being criticized by the minister after Director Cao left.
Director Cao and the deputy minister had not yet developed a tacit understanding, so Director Cao did not receive the deputy minister's hint.
He said in a serious tone, "Let's leave aside the digressions here, Minister. Let's be frank and tell me the truth! Why don't you want Comrade Lin Yuanshu to join the schistosomiasis prevention medical team? This decision you made is definitely not what Comrade Lin Yuanshu wanted, because I've talked to her, and she doesn't object to working in the epidemic area. This can only be your idea."
The minister sighed and said in a heavy tone, "I am worried that Comrade Lin Yuanshu might encounter danger in the epidemic area. There are so many medical staff in the epidemic area, it doesn't need Comrade Lin Yuanshu. But the research institute in Beijing cannot lose such a talented comrade. She has only worked for a few years and has already achieved so much. She is still young and has unlimited potential. If something unfortunate happens to her in the epidemic area, it will not only be a loss for Beijing, but also a loss for the country!"
He didn't want to gamble on the possibility of something going wrong, because he couldn't afford the consequences. If Comrade Lin Yuanshu hadn't completed the task of improving penicillin, he wouldn't have valued her so much.
But the problem is that Comrade Lin Yuanshu has already completed it! He has to take her seriously, because from the beginning he couldn't accept that Comrade Lin Yuanshu went to such a dangerous place as the epidemic area.
The vice minister hadn't expected the minister to value Comrade Lin Yuanshu so much, but then he thought about it and realized that the Ministry of Health's major tasks over the past two years were all related to Comrade Lin Yuanshu. If he were the minister, he wouldn't feel comfortable letting Comrade Lin Yuanshu run around in the epidemic area!
Director Cao was silent for a moment, then patted his chest and assured her, "I will guarantee Comrade Lin Yuanshu's safety and will absolutely not let anything happen to her."
The minister was not reassured by Director Cao's assurance. He said softly, "What guarantee do you have? Your mouth?"
Director Cao took a deep breath. He hadn't expected that the difficult one wasn't Comrade Lin Yuanshu, but rather the Minister of Health. Comrade Lin Yuanshu was really lucky to have met such a caring leader.
He said righteously and sternly, "I understand your high regard and concern for Comrade Lin Yuanshu, but you can really try to trust me. This is not the first time I have led a schistosomiasis prevention medical team into the epidemic area. I have led teams there before without any accidents. The number of people who went there was the same number who came back. I know the importance of life and I will not joke about other people's lives."
Seeing that the minister's expression had softened and his attitude was no longer as resolute as before, he pressed on while the iron was hot, saying, "A fledgling eagle needs to be trained before it can soar into the sky. If Comrade Lin Yuanshu is protected too much by you, she will not be able to grow. You should respect Comrade Lin Yuanshu's wishes. She wants to go to the epidemic area to work and to help those who need help. Since Comrade Lin Yuanshu has the ability to come to you and be seen by you, it means that she is not someone who needs to be protected. She is capable of facing these things."
The minister eventually gave in and made a deal with Director Cao: "I hope you can protect Comrade Lin Yuanshu as much as possible in the epidemic area. I don't ask for much preferential treatment, but you can't ignore her existence. If Comrade Lin Yuanshu wants to leave the epidemic area and return to Beijing, you can't stop her for any reason."
Given Director Cao's resolute attitude, he had no choice but to back down. If Director Cao insisted on Lin Yuanshu joining the schistosomiasis prevention medical team, he couldn't stop him. After all, Director Cao could directly submit the list of the schistosomiasis prevention medical team to the higher-ups without needing his approval.
He originally wanted to dissuade Director Cao from his idea by trying to stop him, but he didn't expect Director Cao to be so stubborn. Even after he had said all that, Director Cao still refused to give up.
Then he could only try to get more benefits for Lin Yuanshu. As for Qu Zhigang, he had long forgotten about him because he didn't know Qu Zhigang.
Director Cao hadn't originally intended to insist on Lin Yuanshu, but when the Minister of Health intervened, he instantly felt that he would definitely regret missing out on Lin Yuanshu. He always trusted his intuition; a person so highly regarded by the Minister of Health must have something extraordinary about them.
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