Chapter 414: Lunch at Women's University
At 9 a.m. on October 12, the fourth year in Shangzhou, I received a call from Mr. Deng. He had arrived in the city and had booked room 2908 at the Sheraton Hotel. He asked me to rush over to meet him.
I left from Xuri and arrived in half an hour. I made a phone call in the underground garage.
Mr. Deng said, "I'm here already. Please come up."
When we got to the 29th floor and just got out of the elevator, Xiao Liming was standing in the aisle. He smiled and said, "I'm waiting for you, Master."
We bowed to each other.
He led me into the room, President Deng stood up, and we bowed to each other.
Xiao Liming made tea, filled Mr. Deng's special cup with water, brought it over and placed it in front of Mr. Deng, then sat at the other end of the sofa.
I said, "Why don't you stay at Rising Sun? Are you worried that it will cost me money?"
Mr. Deng smiled and said, "This place is good. If you want to live here, live higher up. Step by step, happiness, come, climb up."
I burst out laughing. "No wonder rich people like to live on the upper floors of the Sheraton."
Mr. Deng said, "I'm just kidding. Last time I attended your wedding, I gave a speech on the stage. People might not remember what others said, but they remember my image instantly.
If I meet your Mr. Chen again, he will be polite and treat me to a meal, which will waste my time.
I came here today mainly to talk to you. Let's find a hotel where no one knows us and have a good chat."
I smiled and said, “Not only does Mr. Chen know you, but some people in the company were also deeply impressed by your speech.
When you meet them, they nod in greeting. Your neck will probably get sore from responding all the time.”
Mr. Deng pointed at me and said, "Shanhong, I'm not that well-known, and I'm not Fan Wei. Don't try to fool me. Tell me what good ideas you have."
I said, "This is a long story. You won't believe it when I tell you, but it really happened."
"Don't be defensive. I believe everything you say."
I said, "Listen to this story first. I summarized it and divided it into the following chapters:
Chapter 1: I met President Zheng by chance on the plane, and we met again by chance in life.
Chapter 2: If the doctor hadn’t had any special tricks, Shanhong would have gone to Hongmen alone.
Chapter 3: Traditional Chinese medicine acupuncture and qigong cure a strange disease.
Chapter 4: The patient’s family is very wealthy and they invited me to go abroad to work as a doctor.
Chapter 5: It’s too lonely to work alone, so I specially invite Mr. Deng to join us.
When I said these rhymes I had thought of in the car, Mr. Deng and Xiao Liming burst into laughter.
Mr. Deng said, "I like the chapter-by-chapter format."
So, I began to narrate slowly. From meeting Mr. Dong in Jiangxi, to Mr. Dong giving me the secret recipe in Mohan;
From meeting President Zheng on the plane to reuniting in Shangzhou to doing fortune telling for President Zheng’s friend;
From the time President Zheng invited me to treat Cruz, to the time Cruz recovered;
From when I devoted myself to studying acupuncture to when Cruz invited me to open a hospital.
I explained everything except how much money I made. It took me forty minutes to get it all out. During that time, Xiao Liming refilled my tea twice.
Xiao Liming was stunned by this story, but President Deng was not that surprised.
After I finished speaking, President Deng posed his first question: "The Philippines isn't wealthy, so is there money to be made in opening a hospital?"
I said, "As long as you have good medical skills, you can make money even if you open a clinic in the mountains where I live."
He nodded and said, "That's a good analogy."
Then he threw out a second question: "The Cruz family you mentioned is so rich, will they want me to invest?"
"I want to invest. I can't just provide the technology and let him make money."
Mr. Deng stood up and paced around the room.
I once again apologize to the directors. In the past, when I watched movies, every time I saw the bald "Chiang Kai-shek" pacing back and forth in the room before the decisive battle, I would scold the directors for being at their wit's end and only being able to use this shot to express their thoughts.
Now, I see President Deng also pacing back and forth. I realize this is an unconscious behavior that everyone does before making a major decision.
Mr. Deng suddenly stopped and asked me, "But I don't have enough talent. Who will help me manage the hospital? From top to bottom, everyone only knows how to lay bricks."
I laughed out loud.
He asked, “Recruitment?”
I said, "It's Xiao Liming."
President Deng showed no mercy to Xiao Liming, saying, "He? He's never even been abroad, and he doesn't even speak English."
I said, "You were a country boy who had never been to the city and didn't understand real estate, but you became the richest man in Wu Township, didn't you?"
This time it was Mr. Deng's turn to feel embarrassed. He said to Xiao Liming, "I didn't mean anything else. There is still a difference between China and abroad."
I said, "Since you don't speak English, you should first find a translator. Just don't make the translator too fancy. After you've lived there for a year, you can ditch the translator. As for management, you'll learn it slowly."
Xiao Liming stared at me, then smiled at Mr. Deng and said, "As long as you let me go out, I'll have a male translator. I'm willing to learn, and I'd rather go out and try my luck."
Mr. Deng said, "Shanhong, that's a great idea. Let's negotiate with them first to see how much equity we can acquire. I support this. If it succeeds, we can expand into other countries."
I said, "As long as President Deng supports me, I also want to spread Chinese medicine further. Once I have a firm foothold, I can recruit some Chinese medicine practitioners to provide services."
Mr. Deng looked at his watch and said, "It's eleven o'clock. Let's go find a restaurant outside and have a meal together."
Just as I got up, Zuo Qingfen called me and said, "Teacher Wan, you watched my Douyin, what do you think?"
"very good."
She said, "I want to invite you to have Chinese food together. Isn't it too late to invite you now?"
"It's not too late. There are three of us and we're just about to find a restaurant."
She said excitedly, "That's great! I just finished teaching a body shape class at the Women's University, and there are two female students here. We're going out to eat."
I asked, "You still have a part-time job outside?"
"I've been doing this part-time for two years."
"Okay, so that you don't have to run around, let's go to Songyuan No. 1 near the Women's University. I've eaten there before. You can book a private room there first."
After the call, I told Mr. Deng.
He laughed and said, "Female fans are all over the state. It's an eye-opener for us country folk. Good, very good."
I said, "This Xiao Zuo is truly elegant and refined. I suggested she start a Douyin account and recite ancient poetry. Now her followers have skyrocketed. Since I gave her such a great idea, it's only right that I treat her to a meal."
"Yes, I should." He turned to Xiao Liming and said, "From now on, we should learn from the master. In the future, there will be more women than men in managing the hospital."
Xiao Liming said, "Some things can't be learned. They're innate. I follow you every day. Have I learned your leadership style and leadership skills?"
I burst out laughing and said to Xiao Liming, "Following President Deng, you're almost a grown-up."
The car stopped and started, and Zuo Qingfen kept urging it on.
I said, "Comrade Xiao Zuo, please don't keep pushing me. I guarantee those two female students will be grateful to you forever. They said, 'Teacher Zuo, you gave us the most delicious meal ever.'"
She asked, "Why are you so judgmental? They are so hungry that their stomachs are growling."
I say, "Hunger is the best spice in the world."
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