Chapter 117 The Great Hero
Lin Yuanshu stayed at her parents' home for three days. On the day she left, she carried large and small bags filled with dried vegetables prepared by her parents. If it weren't for the fact that fresh vegetables were too heavy, they would have wanted Lin Yuanshu to take some fresh vegetables home with her.
She looked at Lin's parents with reluctance and said, "Dad, Mom, why don't you go live in Beijing too? I can help you find a job, so we won't only see each other a few times a year."
She couldn't stay in the city enjoying life while her parents continued to farm in the production team, nor could she be incapable of arranging city jobs for all three of them.
Hearing this, Lin's mother didn't seem particularly happy. Instead, she firmly refused, saying, "I don't like living in the city. Living in such a small house, we can't even grow vegetables or raise chickens. We have to buy everything we eat. It's not as good as the countryside."
Lin's father quickly nodded in agreement, saying, "Your mother is right. If we leave the production team, we'll lose our private plot. What a pity! Besides, I've finally gotten used to working at the mosquito coil factory. I can't do city work."
Seeing that the two were so determined, Lin Yuanshu did not continue to persuade them. After all, some people just like living in the countryside, and there was no need to force Lin's parents to move to the city.
"Alright! Then you can continue to stay in the production team. If you encounter any problems that you can't solve, go to the brigade leader. He will help you. If he can't solve it, he will try to contact me." Lin Yuanshu whispered his instructions.
She also contributed a lot to the sales of mosquito coils for the production team. The mugwort mosquito coils produced by the production team are now among the heatstroke prevention supplies distributed by Hongguang Pharmaceutical Factory in the summer. However, without her help, the mosquito coil factory of the production team could not have developed so well.
Lin's parents nodded in unison to indicate that they understood. They saw Lin Yuanshu off onto the oxcart and watched his figure grow smaller and smaller as he disappeared into the distance.
It wasn't that they didn't want to live in the city, but rather that they didn't want to disturb Lin Yuanshu's peaceful life. Although his younger sister looked like a normal person, her IQ was still a little lower than that of a normal person.
If they get into a fight with city people, they'll ultimately have to rely on Lin Yuanshu, the older sister, to resolve it. They're unfamiliar with the area and won't know what to say to each other.
It's different in the production team. Everyone there is a neighbor who sees each other all the time. They know each other well, and no one would deliberately provoke Xiaomei. Even if they fight, they would just apologize and that would be the end of it. After all, they are all neighbors and wouldn't hold a grudge over such a small matter.
It's not easy for Lin Yuanshu to struggle alone in the city. As his parents, they can't offer much help, but they can't add to his burden!
Therefore, it's better for them to live in the production team with their younger sister. Lin Yuanshu won't have to worry about them, and they can be more at ease. Staying in the city always feels restrictive.
Lin Yuanshu arrived in Beijing before dark, where Zhou Xiangyang was waiting for him at the station entrance.
After the two met, they tied the large and small burlap sacks to both sides of the bicycle's back seat, and Lin Yuanshu sat on the front crossbar of the bicycle.
In those days, the front beam was usually for children to sit on, so Lin Yuanshu felt a bit cramped sitting on it, and her legs couldn't stretch out very well. Although she was a little uncomfortable, fortunately, her home wasn't far from the station, and she would be able to go home soon.
As Zhou Xiangyang rode his bicycle, he earnestly asked, "How are Mom and Dad's health?"
He originally wanted to go back to the production team with his wife, but unfortunately he was unable to get leave.
Lin Yuanshu replied with a smile, "It's great. You can eat and sleep well. They even prepared chicken soup for you. It's a pity you couldn't go back to the production team, but it's okay. I brought back a live chicken, so you can still have chicken soup."
Zhou Xiangyang was overjoyed and said, "Great!"
He was happy not because he could drink chicken soup, but because he liked the feeling of being cared for.
Ministry of Health of Beijing
Knowing that Lin Yuanshu was about to return to work at the Dongfanghong Research Institute, the minister worried that Director Huang would assign her new research projects, so he specially convened a meeting at the Ministry of Health and also called Director Huang over.
Director Huang was suddenly summoned to the Ministry of Health's conference room by the minister. He was a little confused, since the institute hadn't produced any results that needed to be reported recently, so he shouldn't have had the opportunity to attend the Ministry of Health's meeting!
He casually found a seat and asked the person next to him in a low voice, "Do you know what the meeting is about today?"
The comrade next to him squinted at Director Huang and guessed seriously, "I don't know the purpose of the minister's sudden meeting, but seeing you just now, I suspect that this meeting is probably related to the research institute."
Director Huang stroked his chin, somewhat agreeing with what the comrade said. It was obvious that among everyone present, he was the only one who was not a staff member of the Ministry of Health, and the reason he was able to attend this meeting must be because he was related to the content of the meeting.
Not long after, Director Huang walked into the conference room with his notebook, sat down at the conference table, and began to chair the meeting, getting straight to the point: "After my evaluation, I believe Comrade Lin Yuanshu is exceptionally capable, so I plan to put her in charge of improving the penicillin production process. I believe she can shoulder this responsibility..."
Everyone present was stunned by these words.
The vice minister, regaining his composure, immediately objected: "Although Comrade Lin Yuanshu is very capable, improving the penicillin production process is, after all, an extremely important task. Is it too hasty to simply hand it over to Comrade Lin Yuanshu? We should treat it with greater caution."
The minister really dropped a bombshell without warning. If he had revealed his thoughts earlier, they might have stopped him from holding the meeting.
Half of the cadres agreed with the vice minister's words, believing that this matter needed to be considered in a longer period of time and that the person in charge should not be appointed so hastily.
The other half of the cadres simply watched from the sidelines, offering no opinions and seemingly unconcerned about the matter.
Director Huang was naturally not going to stand by and watch the pie fall from the sky. He said with a serious expression, "I think that Comrade Lin Yuanshu is the only one who can be in charge of this project. Among the young assistant researchers in Beijing, Comrade Lin Yuanshu has the strongest work ability. If you choose someone else, wouldn't you be throwing away the watermelon to pick up a sesame seed? No one can do such a stupid thing unless he is not a citizen of our country."
If such an important project is handled by someone from their research institute, he can secure more resources for the institute and ensure its successful completion. This would make their institute famous in the pharmaceutical industry and gain the attention of higher-ups.
Even if it offends all the cadres present today, he will fight for this opportunity for Lin Yuanshu. After all, this opportunity will be gone if it is missed, but if he offends the cadres, there is still a chance to shake hands and make peace.
The deputy minister took a deep breath, feeling somewhat resentful that the minister had called Director Huang over. Sigh, Director Huang was really difficult to deal with; he immediately started accusing them of serious wrongdoing.
"Comrade Lin Yuanshu still lacks work experience. I'm worried she might not be able to handle such an important project. We can't let such an important project fail on Comrade Lin Yuanshu. Our intentions are good, but we also need to consider whether Comrade Lin Yuanshu can handle it," the deputy minister said emphatically.
Director Huang immediately retorted, "You don't need to worry about that. If Comrade Lin Yuanshu isn't up to the task, then there's me, the director. I can't just stand by and ignore the projects she's in charge of. With me helping her, you should be at ease. Besides, I remember that Team Leader Lü from the First Research Institute is also researching penicillin. He's been researching it for several years without any results. He has plenty of work experience, right? So, sometimes having a lot of work experience doesn't mean everything."
minister:"……"
After listening to the two sides arguing back and forth, the minister finally spoke up to stop them, saying, "Alright, stop arguing. Since the vice minister doesn't agree with letting Comrade Lin Yuanshu take charge of this project, I'll compromise. If you can find a comrade who can improve the production process of two drugs within a year, I'll change my mind."
The deputy minister instinctively retorted, "How could anyone possibly meet that requirement?"
When Director Huang heard the minister say to take a step back, he was initially flustered, but after listening to the rest, he was no longer flustered at all. This was not a step back at all, but a step forward!
The minister raised an eyebrow and said seriously, "Didn't Comrade Lin Yuanshu do just that? She improved the production process of sulfadiazine and acetaminophen, and also completed pilot projects at three pharmaceutical factories. Although she doesn't have much work experience, she has achieved quite a lot..."
After hearing the minister's words, the vice minister couldn't find a reason to refute him, and his attitude softened. "It's not impossible for Comrade Lin Yuanshu to be in charge, but we need to arrange someone with rich work experience to assist him. I think Comrade Zhang Xin is quite good."
The minister raised an eyebrow and asked, "Who is this Comrade Zhang Xin that you praise?"
The deputy minister explained in a low voice, "He worked at a research institute in Shanghai for more than ten years. Commander, no, his grandfather is sick, so he was recently transferred back to Beijing. I think he is quite suitable to join Comrade Lin Yuanshu's team. He will definitely shine in this team."
He and Zhang Xin were related in some way. He originally planned to put Zhang Xin in charge of the project, but the minister was unwilling to back down, so he had to step back and let Zhang Xin join the project.
How much benefit Zhang Xin gets depends on his abilities.
Upon hearing the words "Commander-in-Chief," the minister's expression became subtle as he said, "Are you sure he'll agree to join this project? If he doesn't get along with Comrade Lin Yuanshu and they argue all the time, we'll be the ones who suffer in the end."
One has a powerful background, the other is highly capable; when the two argue, they are the ones who suffer.
The deputy minister patted his chest and assured him, "He has a very honest personality and is not good at arguing with people."
He wasn't exactly lying, because he genuinely had never heard of Zhang Xin arguing with anyone.
The minister sighed inwardly. Even if he didn't care about the deputy minister, he had to consider the commander-in-chief's feelings. "Alright, then the task of improving the penicillin production process will be handled by Comrade Lin Yuanshu, with Comrade Zhang Xin assisting. The other participants will be decided by your research institute. We won't interfere any further."
Director Huang said cheerfully, "No problem, I guarantee I'll complete the mission."
He would accept having more than one participant, as long as the task was assigned to the Dongfanghong Research Institute.
Afterwards, everyone reached a consensus and discussed the specific details of the task before concluding today's meeting.
After the meeting, the deputy minister followed behind Director Huang and, in an attempt to ease tensions, casually praised him, saying, "Director Huang, you have excellent foresight. You transferred Comrade Lin Yuanshu to the Dongfanghong Research Institute ahead of time. Otherwise, the Dongfanghong Research Institute wouldn't have been able to gain the attention of the leaders so smoothly."
"I wouldn't say I have a good eye; I've always admired talented comrades and wanted to give them an opportunity. I never expected that things would turn out so well, allowing Comrade Lin Yuanshu to shine." Director Huang's face was beaming with an irrepressible smile.
As the saying goes, there are no permanent enemies, only permanent interests. He doesn't need to ruin his relationship with the vice minister over what happened at the meeting. Sometimes, he should learn to turn a blind eye.
The deputy minister listened to Director Huang's endless praise of Lin Yuanshu all the way until the two parted ways, and only then did his ears get a rest. He hadn't expected Director Huang to be so talkative.
It wasn't that Director Huang was talkative; rather, he was so eager to share such a joyous occasion with others, and since the deputy minister came to chat with him, he ended up talking a little more.
Lin Yuanshu knew nothing about what was happening at the Ministry of Health. After all, she wasn't powerful enough to plant spies in the Ministry of Health to gather information. At this moment, she was eating egg noodles with Zhou Xiangyang.
The next morning, Lin Yuanshu went to the research institute and happened to run into the team leaders of other project groups at the entrance.
The team leader asked with a kind smile, "Comrade Lin Yuanshu, congratulations on completing the Ministry of Health's mission. You can finally return to the research institute to work properly. In my opinion, the Ministry of Health's mission is not very meaningful. The research results you have produced are what truly matter."
Lin Yuanshu smiled and agreed, "You're right."
The team leader cleared his throat and, with a thick skin, asked, "What are your work arrangements for the future? Is there any project you particularly want to research? If not, you can consider joining my project team to assist. Whatever Team Leader Ye gives you, I'll give you double..."
Lin Yuanshu was stunned for a moment. Before she could answer, another project leader walked up to the two of them and laughed loudly, "Old Qiao, that's a bit unethical of you. Didn't we agree that we can't secretly try to win over Comrade Lin Yuanshu? We have to let Comrade Lin Yuanshu choose the project team he wants to join fairly and justly?"
Team Leader Qiao said somewhat awkwardly, "I'm not trying to win them over secretly, I'm doing it openly and honestly."
He was really envious of Lin Yuanshu's work ability. He knew very well how capable Team Leader Ye was. If it weren't for Lin Yuanshu's assistance, how could Team Leader Ye have achieved such good research results?
That's why he hoped Lin Yuanshu could help him complete the project. If Lin Yuanshu didn't want to help, he could join his project team.
The project leader turned his gaze to Lin Yuanshu and said in a serious tone, "Comrade Lin Yuanshu, don't believe Team Leader Qiao's sweet talk. He loves to exaggerate. You must be careful when choosing a project team. Don't just look at the immediate gains and losses, but also consider the long-term benefits. Like my project, once it is successfully completed, the benefits it will bring are countless..."
A hint of disdain flashed in Team Leader Qiao's eyes, and he said somewhat speechlessly, "We're about the same, you're not much better than me."
Seeing that the two were about to start arguing, Lin Yuanshu quickly stopped them, saying, "I don't even know what the work arrangements are for next. I'll have to meet Director Huang to find out. I'm very grateful for your high regard for me, but I'd rather lead a project on my own."
Team Leader Qiao frowned and said, "Would Director Huang agree to let you lead a project team by yourself?"
Lin Yuanshu gave a helpless smile and said softly, "I don't know either, but I'll try my best! If it doesn't work out, then so be it."
She knew they were unaware of her agreement with Director Huang, which was why they had such doubts. However, she didn't let her guard down and reveal her agreement with Director Huang. The fewer people who knew about such a private agreement, the safer it was.
The project leader quickly said, "If that doesn't work out, you can join my project team. I don't mind being your backup option."
Although Team Leader Qiao was a step behind, he replied without hesitation, "I don't mind either."
Upon hearing what Team Leader Qiao said, the project leader rolled his eyes repeatedly, thinking, "What a copycat!"
Team Leader Qiao also disliked the project team leader, as he was always trying to steal people from him.
When she reached the office building, Lin Yuanshu parted ways with the two project leaders. Fortunately, she only encountered two project leaders today. If she had met more, she wouldn't have been able to leave so easily. She chatted with each of them for a moment, and the day passed just like that.
Lin Yuanshu took a deep breath and walked straight to Director Huang's office.
When Director Huang saw Lin Yuanshu walk into his office, he stood up with a smile to greet him. After the two sat on the sofa, Director Huang slowly said, "My great hero, you're finally back at the research institute. I've been waiting for you for so long."
Lin Yuanshu looked at Director Huang with some doubt. When she completed the task of improving the acetaminophen production process, Director Huang did not say that she was a great contributor. Why did he suddenly bring it up today? Could this be the surprise that Team Leader Ye mentioned?
"What good news has happened? What makes you so happy, Director Huang?"
Director Huang patted his chubby belly and said proudly, "This is not only my good news, but also yours. The Minister of Health has entrusted you with the task of improving the penicillin production process. You must not let the Minister of Health down. He went against all odds for your sake."
Lin Yuanshu was overjoyed, almost incredulous. "Penicillin? Can such an important task really be entrusted to me?"
She is currently an assistant researcher. If she can successfully complete this task, becoming an associate researcher will be no problem; it will be like achieving instant success.
Director Huang nodded, somewhat embarrassed: "The Ministry of Health not only assigned this task to you, but also arranged for Comrade Zhang Xin to assist you. His grandfather is a commander. I investigated this Comrade Zhang Xin last night. He is not the kind of person who bullies others, but his work ability is a bit poor. If it weren't for his grandfather, he wouldn't even be able to become an assistant researcher."
Lin Yuanshu instantly understood what Director Huang meant. She said he was there to assist her, but in reality, she still needed her to carry her. As far as she was concerned, it didn't matter if he was bad at cooking, as long as he could understand human language. Anyway, she saw Zhang Xin as someone who just coasted along.
Zhang Xin isn't without merit; at least he has a grandfather who is a commander. With this connection, any applications their group submits in the future will likely be approved quickly.
She hates those incompetent people who are connected to the system but are also incompetent and love to show off their abilities. They know nothing but insist on giving orders. After all, she had enough of that kind of leader in her past life.
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