Chapter 68
After saying that, Director Li hung up the phone.
Xie Xubai was filled with many doubts in an instant, but he didn't have time to ask them.
No matter how much the old man tried to suppress his tone, the subtle resentment and anger still came through his unconscious enunciation and emphasis.
Xie Xubai had a gut feeling that there were undercurrents beneath this hospital, and that it hid many unspeakable secrets. After pondering for a moment, he asked Lü Xiangcai to help him check the information of the former hospital director.
Lu Xiangcai agreed quickly, and then nervously asked at the end: "Are you still angry?"
After reading the message, Xie Xubai calmly finished organizing the diagnosis reports in his hand before replying without changing his expression.
At the same time, in the conference room of Shengtian Group.
Lu Xiangcai, sitting in the decision-making seat, had a dark and gloomy face. The air in the room seemed to freeze, making people tremble with fear.
When the "ding-dong" message notification sounded, Lü Xiangcai instantly sat up straight as if electrocuted, startling the employee who was reporting on the quarterly work progress.
All eyes in the room turned to him.
Lü Xiangcai knew he had overreacted, so he coughed twice to cover it up: "It's okay, you guys continue, I'm listening."
The reporting staff member nodded.
He glanced discreetly at the positions of the board members and executives.
Several board members noticed that Lü Xiangcai's mood had brightened, as if he had found an opportunity to strike. They exchanged glances, nodded slightly, and concealed the cunning in their eyes.
Since Yan Shuo was away on a business trip and not in the company recently, all decision-making and related arrangements were handed over to Lü Xiangcai. When they heard this good news, they almost cried tears of joy.
Whether Yan Shuo was a reincarnated jinx or had an evil face that inspired fear, whenever they faced Yan Shuo, they felt a sense of horror as if they had been killed countless times, and they couldn't help but tremble from the bottom of their hearts.
Like a mouse seeing a cat, it is afraid every time it sees it, and even more afraid when it sees it again. Even hearing about doubled wages or stock options cannot dispel its fear.
In short, it's extremely bizarre.
Under such intense pressure, they could only suppress any evil intentions they might have.
Now that Yan Shuo is on a business trip, a once-in-a-century opportunity, and Lü Xiangcai has taken over the reins, everyone's eyes gleam with excitement, because they know that this is a great opportunity to show their skills!
If you were to ask whether Lü Xiangcai, as Yan Shuo's only confidant, was afraid of the other party, the answer would be—of course they were.
The other person had a profound and enigmatic aura, and always seemed unfathomable. He also carried an inescapable stench of blood, and when he smiled, he looked especially like a refined scoundrel on the run with hundreds of drugs on his hands.
But the board members knew that Lu Xiangcai's apparent devotion to Yan Shuo was all an act; Yan Shuo's heart was definitely with them!
Countless times, Lu Xiangcai intentionally or unintentionally revealed to other senior executives: "We are all water ghosts in the same river, what's the difference between us?", "We are all people struggling for our lives", "If you want to live, behave yourself and don't anger Yan Shuo. Everyone is the same."
During crucial periods like the end of the year and the end of the season, Lü Xiangcai's eyes would always be filled with indescribable pity and sympathy when he looked at them.
Even when someone outwardly complies with him but inwardly disagrees, he turns a blind eye and ignores it.
With such tolerance and generosity, if they still don't understand Secretary Lü's earnest concern, then they are truly foolish.
They wanted to use this quarterly meeting as a cover, and the more distracted or in a good mood Lü Xiangcai was, the better it would be for them to get away with it.
Seeing Lu Xiangcai's lips curl into a smile, the executives gave the reporter a look. The reporter understood immediately, flicked the top page of the report with his thumb, and secretly shifted his gaze to the "slightly polished" pages below.
The presenter cleared his throat and said with great enthusiasm, "Recently, we plan to continue our cooperation with Blue Ocean Company."
Considering the extremely high costs of the newly developed project, the business representative reached an agreement with the Blue Ocean representative, who was willing to cover the price difference in basic materials. However, the profit margin for our side would be slightly reduced, initially set at 13%—”
Ding-dong.
Xie Xubai: [Secretary Lü is joking. How could I be angry?]
Staring at the words "Secretary Lü," Lü Xiangcai's vision went black and his hair stood on end.
He thought to himself that this was a big problem. Xie Xubai was not only angry, but extremely angry. The tonic soup he had that day was indeed a punishment for him!
But no matter how hard Lu Xiangcai racked his brains, he couldn't figure out what he had done to offend Xie Xubai.
Listing everything in detail, his attention to Xie Xubai included, but was not limited to: replying to messages instantly, giving him things on the same day he asked for them, no, within half a day, and all the equipment he received was top-of-the-line and worth a fortune (but he didn't dare tell the other party, for fear that the other party wouldn't want it), and making hundreds of phone calls around the world to hire professional teams as external help.
Could it be that he was worried about Xie Xubai's safety and his plan to have a dozen mercenaries disguised as patients and temporary workers infiltrate the hospital was exposed?
Or was it because I was flustered when I learned that Yan Shuo was missing this morning that I didn't send the young man a "good morning" message in time?
Lu Xiangcai grimaced and grabbed his hair, his expression slightly ferocious: "Tsk, something must be wrong!"
The reporter shuddered, reacting swiftly to a sudden change in tone: "But how could that be acceptable?! Our sales representative argued forcefully and ultimately secured a 28% profit..."
When the board members saw that Lü Xiangcai's eyes were still glued to his phone, they knew they had made a mistake and quickly coughed casually.
The reporter looked up at Lü Xiangcai, his heart easing with relief: "But the other company's representative felt the profit margin was too high! Considering our past relationship and to ensure continued cooperation, we renegotiated and set the profit margin at 17%..."
Ding-dong.
Xie Xubai: [Are you and Fu Zong on good terms?]
Lu Xiangcai suddenly remembered his secret deal with Fu Zong, and alarm bells rang in his mind.
Lü Xiangcai: [He's just average. Why did you suddenly bring this up? Did he do something to you?]
In reality, Lü Xiangcai gritted his teeth and cursed, "He even talked about our relationship (with Xie Xubai). What does that have to do with him?!"
The reporter's hands began to tremble: "Yes, what kind of relationship do we have? Our representative firmly disagrees, insisting on 26%—"
Ding-dong.
Xie Xubai: [No, he took good care of me. I thought you were the one coordinating things behind the scenes.]
Lu Xiangcai's expression immediately relaxed.
The board member coughed again, and the reporter, forcing a smile, said, "So the other company changed their offer to 19%—"
Ding-dong.
Xie Xubai: [Then he told me a little about you guys.]
Lü Xiangcai: "Damn it!"
The reporter's heart leaped into his throat again: "How could we possibly accept that? We'll stick to 24%!"
Ding-dong.
Xie Xubai: [For example, how did you two first meet?]
The reporter managed to catch his breath: "The other party is demanding 20%."
Ding-dong.
Xie Xubai: [And some recent events.]
The reporter's face turned ashen: "No, we disagree! 25% is our bottom line! It's about the reputation of Shengtian Group!"
Lü Xiangcai: [You knew all along?]
Xie Xubai: [What do you know?]
The reporter's face paled again: "But considering that the other company also had its difficulties, and even compensated us for the difference in material costs, the final price was set at 23%, which is a very fair price..."
Ding-dong.
Xie Xubai: [Do you know the details of your transaction?]
The reporter's face turned pale again: "No matter how difficult things are, it won't work. Does Shengtian Group not have any difficulties? Business is not charity. We've decided on a 25% discount, no bargaining!"
Ding-dong.
Xie Xubai: [No, he didn't tell me.]
Reporter: "22%—"
Ding-dong.
Xie Xubai: [At least they didn't tell me everything.]
The reporter's face turned deathly pale once again: "29%—"
Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong...
A meeting.
The board members coughed so hard they nearly had an asthma attack.
The reporter's face was like a spilled paint bottle, changing color unpredictably, sometimes green, sometimes white.
The other high-ranking officials, unaware of the truth, exchanged bewildered glances. They raised their hands but then withdrew them, frightened by the tense atmosphere, hesitant to speak, yet still wanting to speak.
Sitting in the decision-making position, Lü Xiangcai gritted his teeth, stomped his feet, and slammed his fist on the table.
Finally, hearing the incessant message notifications, everyone below was so engrossed they were practically dying of excitement, tears streaming down their faces: "My ancestors, enough already! What are you all talking about?!"
Xie Xubai could roughly judge Lü Xiangcai's mood from the intervals between his replies.
But he felt no joy, only helplessness and bitterness: "Lu Xiangcai, did you feel it? That's how I felt back then."
Xie Xubai typed earnestly: "I was really angry at the time. But after thinking about it, you made that cruel deal with Fu Zong behind my back, and I, knowing the truth, kept it from you and endured the bitterness alone. Both of us lacked honesty, which ultimately led to the other getting hurt—we're both equally guilty, and neither of us can blame the other."
Xie Xubai: [Continuing to hide this might lead to a dead end, so I've decided to take this step and lay everything out in the open. I will do everything in my power to get your things back, and you also have to do everything in your power to help me.]
Xie Xubai: [My break is almost over, let's chat later. [Dog pats head] [Cat pats shoulder]]
Lu Xiangcai sat in his seat and only moved his finger once in nearly ten minutes: he turned on his phone screen just before it was about to go dark.
He remained calm, but his subordinates were going crazy. Several board members slammed their fists on the table and stood up: "Secretary Lü! Do you even know we're still in a meeting?! Not only did you not silence your phone, but you were completely distracted the entire time. Is this how you usually talk to President Yan—"
"A meeting?" Lu Xiangcai glanced at them lazily, a smile playing on his lips, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "The quotes are like a rollercoaster ride. I thought we were in kindergarten, playing house."
"And those of you over there who keep coughing, coughing like that shows your strong will despite your disabilities. Why don't you just hand over all the work to the staff below? We can't let others laugh at our Shengtian Group for exploiting patients."
The board member paused, a chill running down his spine: "You don't have this..."
"Are you trying to say I don't have that right?" Lü Xiangcai smirked.
The air suddenly became very cold, as if the temperature had plummeted by more than twenty degrees.
The board members felt as if an invisible hand had gripped their throats, suddenly unable to utter a word, only able to stare at him in terror.
Lu Xiangcai tilted his head to look at them, and gave a genuine chuckle: "Fine, I'm in a good mood today, I won't argue with you. Redo the work report and get it on my desk before tonight. Meeting adjourned."
As the last word faded, the suffocating tension eased.
Everyone in the audience watched as Lü Xiangcai strode away, choking back tears, and collapsed into their seats, feeling a sense of relief.
Xie Xubai had just put down his phone when Fu Zong's message popped up on his screen.
Give the diagnosis report to the physician's assistant so he can enter it into the system; there's no need to show it to me specifically.
Fu Zong: [Also, Director Zhou encountered some family troubles and just told me he was resigning. He's been in a bad mood lately and needs some time alone. Don't go looking for trouble. I'll have security escort him out of the hospital in a bit.]
Fu Zong didn't mention the proposal, firstly to avoid leaving any information, and secondly because he planned to take a good look at it.
As a hospital administrator, I naturally have some knowledge of finance and economics.
He could tell that Xie Xubai had put a lot of effort into this project proposal and was probably waiting for an opportunity to bring up the collaboration. As for Director Zhou, perhaps it was because the other party just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
As the king of ghosts in this area, Fu Zong can sense events big and small happening in the hospital in time, but he is not strong enough to know all the gossip.
He used to find this power tiresome, since he couldn't possibly split his body into eight pieces to put out a fire.
Coupled with the strict rules that restrict his actions, he can only sit in his office and stare blankly at the tragedies that seem to be avertable, drinking tea and doing nothing.
Now, Fu Zong couldn't help but feel a little curious, wanting to know what Director Zhou had done to force the good-tempered Xie Xubai to take such drastic measures against him.
Xie Xubai, on the other side, was equally puzzled.
Healthcare is a basic necessity for people's livelihood and is related to the safety of people's lives. Therefore, hospitals must be strictly managed to avoid disrupting their foundation.
Director Zhou, who enjoys sowing discord behind people's backs, is undoubtedly a ticking time bomb. The fact that the other party even dared to criticize the management in front of patients and other medical staff is outrageous anywhere and will inevitably cause serious trouble if left unchecked.
Why did Fu Zong still keep the person behind?
Xie Xubai knew that he would not get an answer by asking Fu Zong directly, so he could only suppress his doubts for the time being.
Around 4 p.m., the Human Resources Department notified all medical staff that Director Zhou had officially resigned for personal reasons and that Director Zhao would take over his position.
Xie Xubai was already prepared to go with Director Li to meet the legendary S-level patient. Naturally, he needed to conserve his energy and end the consultation after the scheduled consultation time.
Just then, Director Zhao came over to say hello.
The other person was a robust man in his thirties, wearing glasses and somewhat refined, with a shy smile, speaking in a gentle manner, and with freckles on his face.
Xie Xubai treated him with friendliness, and Director Zhao was courteous and proper.
As they chatted, even if they didn't talk about anything particularly interesting, the initial awkwardness had disappeared, and both sides became more relaxed.
Upon hearing that Director Zhao also kept cats at home, Xie Xubai smiled with delight. Just as he was about to pull out photos of the little guys from his phone to show them, he suddenly heard the other person hesitate and say, "Director Xie, I heard from others that the dean seems to have a problem with you?"
Xie Xubai paused, then frowned in surprise.
Xie Xubai: "Who told you that?"
Director Zhao: "It's causing quite a stir in the hospital, can't we hear about it anywhere?"
Director Zhao looked worried, but pretended to be concerned for his well-being: "Perhaps I'm overthinking it. In any case, you should be careful not to become too powerful and overshadow your superiors!"
The room fell into an eerie silence.
Director Zhao appeared very worried, but his eyes darted around as if he had something else on his mind.
The curves of her eyebrows and eyes, and the arc of her mouth, are perfectly balanced, like a painted face.
"..." Xie Xubai turned off his phone's photo album and looked up to carefully examine the other person's face.
—Even though they have different appearances, different temperaments and ways of speaking, he felt as if he were seeing another Director Zhou.
Author's Note:
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