Chapter 147 Meeting Colleagues
He pursed his lips, remained silent for a moment, and then stammered, "Well... rather than going to the archives to look at information about schistosomiasis, I'd rather stay by your side and learn how you handle things. I feel that my knowledge in this area is still quite lacking. As for the relevant knowledge about schistosomiasis, I already have a general understanding, and I can discuss it with other group members later, so there's no rush."
Director Cao stroked his chin and thought for a moment. This really presented him with a big dilemma. Agreeing was not an option, nor was refusing. He was caught in a dilemma.
If he refuses, Qu Zhigang will be stuck in the guesthouse doing nothing. One of them is studying in the archives while the other is idling in the guesthouse. Wouldn't that make it seem like he's treating them differently?
If he agrees, then Qu Zhigang will have to stay by his side for the next two days. He doesn't like being followed by others, having a clueless little tail following him around.
When Qu Zhigang saw that Director Cao remained silent for a long time, he immediately realized that this matter was causing Director Cao a dilemma. He quickly tried to make amends, saying, "I just had this idea. It's okay if it doesn't work out. Anyway, we'll have plenty of time to get to know each other in the future! I don't lack opportunities to learn from you."
One should know when to stop and not keep putting one's superiors in a difficult position.
When Director Cao heard Qu Zhigang say that, he didn't breathe a sigh of relief. Instead, he made up his mind and said, "It's not impossible. You can learn from me. Come to the research institute with Comrade Lin Yuanshu later, and I'll get you a temporary work permit."
He didn't want anyone to report him for being treated differently. Anyway, he could just assign Qu Zhigang some work, and Qu Zhigang wouldn't have time to bother him. It would also be a good opportunity for him to see how capable Qu Zhigang was, which would make it easier to arrange work for him in the future. It was a win-win situation.
As for Lin Yuanshu, he didn't need to look at her, because Lin Yuanshu's work ability was very strong, that was beyond doubt. She was a female comrade who could complete the penicillin project improvement task, how could she not have some skills!
Qu Zhigang didn't know what Director Cao was thinking. He only knew that Director Cao had agreed to his request. He excitedly replied, "Okay, thank you Director Cao for giving me this opportunity. I will definitely study hard and not slack off, so as not to let you down."
Seeing this, Director Cao nodded in satisfaction, patted Qu Zhigang on the shoulder, said a few words of encouragement to Qu Zhigang, and then left the guesthouse.
After seeing Director Cao leave, Qu Zhigang had a smug look on his face and was about to show off to Lin Yuanshu when he turned around and found that Lin Yuanshu was nowhere to be seen. He didn't know when she had left.
He took a deep breath. It wasn't a big problem. He would show off when they went to Director Cao's office together.
After returning to his room, Lin Yuanshu packed his luggage and then lay half-reclined on the bed, reading and resting at the same time.
Liu Lan looked at Lin Yuanshu with immense admiration. No wonder Lin Yuanshu was able to get a job at the research institute even though he hadn't gone to university!
During the time they spent together, Lin Yuanshu was always reading and studying. She had no objection to someone like Lin Yuanshu working in the research institute.
Because in her heart, she felt nothing but admiration; all she wanted to do while reading was sleep, and she couldn't concentrate on studying at all.
Liu Lan gave Lin Yuanshu a kind smile and took the initiative to start a conversation: "The facilities in this room are quite complete. There is not only a table but also chairs. The living environment is much better than in the epidemic area. I have been to the epidemic area a few times before. Once I stayed in a temporary health center near the lake. Life there was really bad. The beds were made of desks pieced together, and the toilets were unacceptable..."
Lin Yuanshu put down her book and listened intently. She hadn't expected the environment in the epidemic area to be even more difficult than she had imagined. She hoped that the living conditions at this temporary research site would be better.
As soon as Liu Lan finished speaking, Lin Yuanshu began to ask her about the epidemic area.
As the saying goes, "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win every battle." The more you know, the less flustered you will be when you arrive in the epidemic area. Liu Lan's words are all valuable pieces of experience.
Seeing that Lin Yuanshu was listening attentively and that his questions were not random but rather carefully considered, Liu Lan noticed that Lin Yuanshu was not asking random questions but rather asking questions after careful consideration.
Her enthusiasm for answering questions also increased. She wouldn't be willing to answer Lin Yuanshu's questions if he was indifferent!
An hour later, Qu Zhigang knocked on Lin Yuanshu's door and shouted, "Comrade Lin Yuanshu, we can go see Director Cao now. Come out quickly."
Lin Yuanshu ended her conversation with Liu Lan and whispered to her, "Let's talk again when I get back."
"Okay," Liu Lan readily agreed. She knew Lin Yuanshu was going to take care of important business, so she didn't ask any questions.
Afterwards, Lin Yuanshu left the room and went to the research institute with Qu Zhigang.
On the way, Qu Zhigang said smugly, "I can learn from Director Cao these two days. It's a pity you can only look at the materials in the archives. If you envy me, I can put in a good word for you with Director Cao so you can also learn from him. We are both from Beijing, and I can't stand idly by. Only if we join forces can we fight against the people from Xiangcheng Research Institute."
Lin Yuanshu paused for a moment, then refused without hesitation: "I'm not envious. What do I envy about you? Do I envy that you can start work early? We're all on the same medical team. There's no need for you to put them on the opposite side. Cooperation is the only way to achieve a win-win situation."
Qu Zhigang sneered, his face full of disdain, and said, "You are really naive. You think about win-win cooperation, but others will only think about how to suppress you. Without us, this medical team would only have people from the Xiangcheng Medical Research Institute. You don't know what our participation means, do you?"
He hadn't expected Lin Yuanshu's idea to be so naive. It seemed that Director Huang had put in a lot of effort to get her into the associate researcher position!
Lin Yuanshu raised an eyebrow and said softly, "I'm not naive, but I'm prioritizing the mission. You've gone astray. The most important thing should be your ability, not your relationship with Director Cao."
Director Cao's schistosomiasis control research team has fewer than ten researchers in total, and each person has different responsibilities, so what's there to argue about! Besides, it won't be so easy to suppress her.
If they make things difficult for her, she will naturally retaliate, but since she hasn't even met them yet, there's no need to label them as adversaries from the outset.
Although their arrival has displaced some people, it doesn't mean that everyone at the Xiangcheng Medical Research Institute will target them, and Director Cao wouldn't be happy to see them banding together.
Ultimately, completing this mission is more important.
Qu Zhigang already thought Lin Yuanshu was naive. After hearing Lin Yuanshu's words about prioritizing the mission, he found Lin Yuanshu ridiculously foolish. It was hard to imagine that such a foolish person could be more capable than most of the researchers in Beijing.
If Lin Yuanshu had joined his research institute, he would have been relegated to cleaning duties long ago, and would never have had the opportunity to make a name for himself.
They were different from the start. Lin Yuanshu was able to join the schistosomiasis prevention medical team because she was capable enough, while he was only there because the team needed a researcher who understood traditional Chinese medicine.
Although Qu Zhigang did not speak, his expression said it all.
Lin Yuanshu did not continue to persuade Qu Zhigang. After all, it's hard to persuade a damned ghost with kind words. She had already done everything she could.
Before long, Lin Yuanshu and Qu Zhigang arrived at the door of Director Cao's office, and the secretary led them inside.
As soon as Lin Yuanshu entered the room, he saw not only Director Cao sitting at his desk, but also several female and male colleagues standing in the center of the office.
Director Cao smiled slightly, stood up, and introduced them: "They are also members of the schistosomiasis prevention medical team. Comrade Wang Daniu and Comrade Li Lin have been to the epidemic area before. If you encounter any problems you don't understand in the future, you can ask these two comrades..."
Lin Yuanshu gave a friendly smile, greeted everyone, and introduced herself to all of them.
Qu Zhigang wasn't stupid; he wouldn't show his dissatisfaction with the other members of the schistosomiasis prevention medical team in front of Director Cao. So, he followed Lin Yuanshu's example and greeted them in a friendly manner.
Wang Daniu, Li Lin, and the others had a good impression of Lin Yuanshu and Qu Zhigang. After all, they didn't seem like difficult people to please, and they didn't act superior just because they came from Beijing.
Director Cao was very satisfied with the harmonious scene. With everyone working together towards the same goal, how could the mission not be accomplished!
After everyone got to know each other, Lin Yuanshu received his temporary work permit from Director Cao.
Director Cao glanced at Wang Daniu and Li Lin, then said to Li Lin, "Comrade Lin Yuanshu plans to spend the next two days in the institute's archives looking at materials on schistosomiasis. Take her there, and while you're at it, tell Old Zhang in the archives not to disturb Comrade Lin Yuanshu's studies."
Li Lin nodded, indicating that she understood.
Wang Daniu glanced at Qu Zhigang and tentatively asked, "Comrade Qu Zhigang, aren't you going?"
Without much thought, Director Cao replied truthfully, "He's not going; he'll be staying with me for the next couple of days."
Wang Daniu smiled憨厚ly and said seriously, "I see! That's good. With Comrade Qu Zhigang's help, your workload will definitely be reduced, allowing you to have more time to rest."
Director Cao didn't reply, but waved his hand, signaling them to leave the office; he needed to continue working.
To be fair, he has had a lot of work to do these past few days. He needs to discuss the institute's work arrangements with the deputy director, since he will be away from the institute for a long time. He also needs to contact the head of the temporary research institute in the epidemic area to ensure that his team can carry out research smoothly after they arrive.
Lin Yuanshu and his group left Director Cao's office. Wang Daniu and Li Lin exchanged glances. Having worked together for so many years, they had developed a deep understanding of each other, and they understood each other's meaning with just a glance.
They all left the office, except for Qu Zhigang, the significance of which is self-evident.
Qu Zhigang was highly regarded by Director Cao, and was even about to surpass them, which made them very uncomfortable. They suspected that Qu Zhigang had ulterior motives, such as wanting to work at their research institute after the epidemic subsided.
Otherwise, why would Director Cao have specifically kept Qu Zhigang by his side to work? It's obvious that he was paving the way for Qu Zhigang's future arrival.
Because of this incident, they were wary of Qu Zhigang from the bottom of their hearts. They couldn't just stand by and watch Director Cao be won over by Qu Zhigang.
Wang Daniu nodded slightly to Li Lin. Then, Li Lin cleared her throat and asked Lin Yuanshu, "Comrade Qu Zhigang must be very capable, otherwise he wouldn't have been kept by Director Cao. By the way, are you and Comrade Qu Zhigang from the same research institute?"
Lin Yuanshu raised an eyebrow and pretended to be stupid, saying, "No, I'm from the Dongfanghong Research Institute. I'm not familiar with Comrade Qu Zhigang, and I don't know much about him."
She didn't want these people to keep asking her about Qu Zhigang, but she didn't lie. She did say she didn't know anything about Qu Zhigang. Their second meeting was on the train, the first meeting was at a technical exchange conference.
Although Li Lin was somewhat disappointed, she didn't show it on her face. She smiled and said, "It doesn't matter if you don't understand. We'll have plenty of time to get to know each other in the future. There's no rush. Would you like me to show you around the research institute?"
Lin Yuanshu shook his head and refused, saying, "No need, I just want to go to the archives to look at the documents right now."
She didn't have much time to spare at the Xiangcheng Research Institute, and she just wanted to make the most of every minute to read up on the information about nitrate thiocyanate, because she didn't know much about it.
"Okay, I'll take you there right away." Li Lin said with a smile. Compared to Qu Zhigang, Lin Yuanshu was indeed more likable.
After leaving the office building, they went their separate ways. Lin Yuanshu and Li Lin went to the archives, while Wang Daniu and the others returned to the laboratory to complete the handover. After all, they only found out that they had been assigned to the schistosomiasis prevention medical team and were going to work in the epidemic area after Director Cao returned to the institute.
In the office, Director Cao looked at Qu Zhigang, who was standing still, and questioned him, "Why aren't you leaving yet?"
Qu Zhigang said excitedly, "I'm different from them. I want to learn from you."
Director Cao: "..."
It felt like he had gotten himself into big trouble. It was a bit different. Lin Yuanshu and the others didn't have the same thick skin as Qu Zhigang. He didn't know if Qu Zhigang was pretending to be stupid or if he really didn't understand.
Director Cao remained silent for a while before pulling a file from the pile of documents on the table. He handed it to Qu Zhigang and said, "Take this file to the deputy director, and then the deputy director will give you instructions."
Qu Zhigang was stunned for a moment; he hadn't expected to be sent to work next to the deputy director.
Seeing that Qu Zhigang was hesitant to answer, Director Cao asked, "Are you lost? Or is there some problem?"
Qu Zhigang quickly shook his head, took the document, and replied, "No problem, I'll go right away."
Director Cao nodded in satisfaction; he could finally work in peace.
Li Lin and the others later learned that Qu Zhigang had gone to work for the deputy director. They did not think that this was a way for Director Cao to get rid of Qu Zhigang, but rather that Director Cao was using this method to let Qu Zhigang come into contact with the leaders of Xiangcheng Research Institute.
Meanwhile, inside the First Research Institute, Director Yu handed today's newspaper to Team Leaders Bai and Lü, asking them to take a good look at the contents. Director Cao had attended the technical exchange conference, and he needed to understand the situation of the conference and why they hadn't been selected.
Team Leader Bai and Team Leader Lü looked at the newspaper with confusion. After reading it, Team Leader Lü said excitedly, "So that's how it is! No wonder they argued with Team Leader Zhao about Director Cao at the technical exchange conference. It turns out that Director Cao is the important person. It's a pity that we missed the opportunity."
Upon hearing this, Director Yu immediately asked, "What happened at the technical exchange conference? Tell me in detail."
Before Team Leader Lü could speak, Team Leader Bai preemptively answered, recounting in detail what had happened that day.
After hearing what Team Leader Bai said, Director Yu's face turned very ugly. He frowned and said, "It seems that our information is still behind. It is obvious that the Dongfanghong Research Institute already knew about this matter. That's why Team Leader Zhao helped Comrade Lin Yuanshu deal with the others, just so that Comrade Lin Yuanshu could successfully catch Director Cao's eye and join the schistosomiasis prevention medical team."
Team Leader Bai was heartbroken. If he had gotten the chance to join the schistosomiasis prevention medical team, turning his life around would have been a piece of cake. Going to the epidemic area would have been like getting a gold medal!
Team Leader Lü's expression was also very unpleasant, not because of Lin Yuanshu's matter, but because Team Leader Bai had interrupted him. He was not going to just watch Team Leader Bai stand up again.
"The people at the Dongfanghong Research Institute are utterly shameless," Team Leader Bai said indignantly.
Director Yu couldn't help but vent his anger, saying, "You have the nerve to say that? It's all your doing! If it weren't for you, Comrade Lin Yuanshu would have joined our research institute long ago. We wouldn't have had to watch the Dongfanghong Research Institute thrive and even get information that we couldn't get..."
Team Leader Lü nodded in agreement, secretly pleased. It seemed that as long as Comrade Lin Yuanshu was around, Team Leader Bai would have a hard time getting back on his feet. He liked the way Director Yu brought up old matters again.
Team Leader Bai was in the wrong and dared not refute Director Yu, so he could only let the director scold him.
Director Yu took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He was annoyed by the sight of Team Leader Bai, so he said to her, "Go and call all the team leaders in the institute now and have them go to the conference room for a meeting. I'll be there shortly."
Upon hearing this, Team Leader Bai immediately stood up and left the office without looking back; he didn't want to stay and continue to be scolded.
After Team Leader Bai left, Director Yu couldn't help but sigh, looking worried. "I hope you can all complete the project quickly so that the First Research Institute can regain the trust of the Minister of Health. Otherwise, we will be surpassed by the Dongfanghong Research Institute sooner or later."
Director Cao was going to select members for the schistosomiasis prevention medical team at the technical exchange conference. He hadn't heard a word about such an important news, while Director Huang had already made preparations in advance.
This already says a lot, and he dared not think about it in detail.
Team Leader Lü dared not express his opinion, because he was also afraid of incurring Director Yu's wrath, which would cause their institute to lose the trust of the Minister of Health, and he would have to take half the blame.
His thinking has changed; he no longer likes to bring up old issues.
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