"It's not too late now, the conflict hasn't escalated yet. As long as you act prudently in the future, Minhong will definitely grow rapidly."
The Prime Minister leaned over and patted the shoulder of a young man he admired, saying, "Uncle is waiting to see your glory, haha."
That's it? Is that all?
Why was I called over, and all I said besides telling them to start helping the leader improve his health?
Everything he did was his family's fault. He was unwilling to listen to, much less act on, the advice to change his and his family's mindset and conform to societal rules.
"uncle."
Lin Yao cleared his throat, sat up straight, and looked at the Premier with a serious expression and sincere attitude. "Thank you for your concern. So far, only you have considered the people's interests so much. On behalf of my parents, I thank you!"
"As for what you said, please forgive us for not being able to comply."
The Premier, who had just shown a relieved smile, froze, his eyes widening slowly. He hadn't expected that his personal persuasion would still fail to change the stubborn young man's mind, nor could it persuade Lin Yao's parents and the entire Minhong Pharmaceutical Group to reorganize their plans. He felt somewhat defeated.
"Our five thousand years of civilization is the pride of our country, but three thousand years of feudal society is also the root of many bad customs and backward ideas."
Lin Yao stood up from his chair, and at that moment the Prime Minister suddenly realized that the young man he admired had become even taller.
"This is a country where 'officialdom is paramount,' and social values are defined by 'official rank.' Higher-ranking officials have higher social value, while lower-ranking officials naturally have lower social value. Professions unrelated to officialdom are valued by comparing themselves to officials."
Lin Yao's voice became low, and he frowned. "Clearly, this kind of thinking has been deeply rooted in everyone's soul. Even if they are unwilling to accept it, they have to admit its existence and think and act in this way."
"But... I don't like it."
Lin Yao suddenly raised his voice, "Many smart, capable, or outstanding people are scrambling to get into officialdom, or using this mindset to strive for their future in other industries. There are indeed many respectable and admirable people among them. They have done a lot of practical things for this country and for the people. Officials make the people happier, and business people and researchers create more wealth for society while gaining fame and status. These are all good things."
"But there are also bad people and things. As the saying goes, 'one rotten apple spoils the whole barrel.' How much national and people's interests have these corrupt officials and unscrupulous businessmen damaged? Yet, these are the people who get promoted or make money faster than ordinary people because they are better at scheming and because they use the most powerful weapons—money and interests."
"Uncle, I'm just an ordinary doctor. My parents also graduated from military medical school. We're just ordinary people. We don't have any other thoughts. We just want to contribute more to this country and do something for ordinary people."
"So in our eyes, whether they are officials, businessmen, researchers, shoeshine men, or manual laborers, they are all people of equal status and position, and we treat them all the same."
"Uncle, I'll be frank with you today. Whether you want to go against Minhong through legitimate channels or underhanded means, we will never compromise and we will fight to the end. We will deal with whatever tricks they come up with. Although none of my family has any intention of harming anyone, if we provoke Minhong, we are not pushovers and we will not let anyone bully us!"
After Lin Yao finished speaking, he calmly stared at the Premier for more than ten seconds. Only after the Premier blinked did he sit back down in his chair and turn to wait for a response.
"Sigh... Kobayashi..."
Before speaking, the Prime Minister sighed, as if a huge boulder was pressing on his heart, making it hard to breathe.
He understood the issue of "officialdom first" better than anyone else, and he even knew some of the real-world reasons that Lin Yao was unaware of.
Lin Yao is right. Three thousand years of feudal history is the origin of "officialdom-oriented" thinking, but since modern times, this root has changed.
In the early days of the People's Republic of China and in the preceding stages of development, the planned economy was the socio-economic root of the "official-centric" system, while the current cadre management system is the institutional root of the "official-centric" system.
The vertical appointment system inherited from the planned economy has created the institutional soil and conditions for strengthening the "official-centric" mentality. This includes privileges and interests that are subject to the will of officials; a system of "obeying superiors blindly"; a value orientation centered on officials; and evaluating social status based on whether one is an official and the size of one's official position, among other things. These fundamental characteristics have both positive aspects and more negative ones, and they cannot be changed overnight.
The central government is currently carrying out in-depth reforms of the cadre system in order to change this situation, but the Premier does not intend to discuss these matters with Lin Yaoshen. It is estimated that the young man in front of him is also unwilling to listen. Even if he were to explain, he probably wouldn't understand much, since these things involve profound sociological knowledge. It is impossible for a genius-level medical skill to be understood and mastered by everyone.
"In that case, both you and Minhong Pharmaceutical will encounter more and more obstacles and difficulties in the future."
The Premier spoke, his face full of regret, "A lot has happened, and it's not convenient for me to directly intervene, so the help I can give you is limited. After all, in this position, balancing and maintaining social harmony and progress is the most important responsibility, and it will be even more difficult for you in the future."
"In fact, if you act in accordance with the current social rules, you will definitely be able to pay more attention to the people. Have you considered this?"
Lin Yao smiled, feeling quite gratified. He felt he hadn't misjudged the person and admired this respectable leader even more.
"Uncle, actually, our family has known for a long time that no matter how many hospitals and clinics we open, or how many special drugs we produce, the help to this country and this nation will be limited. So we no longer put treating patients and saving lives first. Our goal is to heal this society and reverse the bad trends and habits in society."
"Of course, this goal is more difficult, and we are well aware of that. So we just hope that through the efforts of Minhong, the public can gradually develop a good moral atmosphere, whether it is their own wish or because they are worried about social supervision and exposure when they want to become members of Minhong. At least we can make social morality more positive and progressive. Through the efforts of one or two generations, children born in the future will have better moral character under the influence of a good social atmosphere."
"We want to influence the next generation, and that is Minhong's goal."
The Premier was stunned. Such a massive plan and a long period before it would take effect left this usually calm, composed, and confident leader astonished.
For a company whose core business is medicine, and for a few ordinary people to abandon the medical mission of healing and saving lives, and instead attempt to change the entire society and reverse its moral standards, is undoubtedly an extremely difficult undertaking.
But who can say that this ideal and goal shouldn't exist? Who can scoff and make sarcastic remarks? The Premier can't, and I doubt any person with a conscience could do that.
"Children, I understand. Take care of yourselves..."
The Prime Minister acknowledged the family's efforts but inwardly sighed, feeling guilty for not being able to offer assistance. He was helpless, as even a prime minister is not omnipotent; he has his responsibilities, his stance, and his principles. He could only offer his blessings to the family.
"Thank you for understanding, Uncle! I'm just glad you won't scold me, haha."
Lin Yao felt relieved and instantly relaxed. Seeing the Premier now, he no longer felt any pressure or tension, as if he were sitting next to a kind elder, communicating and exchanging ideas on an equal footing.
"Xiao Lin, I've heard about your special clinic in Nanchang. Can it really restore mobility to a severed limb immediately after replantation? Can't this kind of medical skill treat those so-called officials in your eyes?"
The Premier stopped discussing general matters with Lin Yao and began inquiring about the details, as he was very interested in learning about this mysterious and unpredictable medical skill.
"Yes, Uncle. My medical skills are really amazing. Of course, I'm better than ordinary doctors at setting up severed limbs. Otherwise, how could I show off my medical skills? Hehe."
Lin Yao boasted without any restraint, "However, Minhong's special treatment principle will not be adjusted. Currently, special treatment is provided to people who act bravely and righteously, because I am too busy to handle it myself. This time I went back to Beijing to help foreign patients. The pressure of repaying loans is too great, so I don't have the energy to treat any officials. We are all human beings. Why should I treat officials and not street sweepers or bicycle repairmen?!"
“But the more you do this, the more trouble you will cause. Just as you said, there is such a thing as ‘officialdom first’. Some people who have become minor officials will think that their illness is more important than someone who is fighting against a criminal. So they will use their power to cause trouble for Minhong. If there are too many people like this, you will have a lot of trouble to deal with.”
The Prime Minister abandoned his official position and discussed the matter with Lin Yao from the perspective of an ordinary person.
"It's okay. As long as they don't go too far, we'll ignore them. We're not afraid to follow the rules. Minhong has recruited several thousand law students. If it really doesn't work, we can recruit more. It's a contribution to college graduates' employment."
Lin Yao's playful tone made the Premier laugh. "Besides, I can get more than ten million US dollars for saving a foreigner. Do any domestic officials have 100 million RMB to treat patients? Even if they have the money, would they dare to take it out?"
“But Minhong is short of money. Even though there are nearly two thousand hospitals and clinics across the country, none of them truly belong to Minhong. They all rely on loans to stay afloat. If he didn’t take out loans, Minhong would only be able to manage three hundred hospitals at most. Uncle, you know how expensive houses are these days. Buying one costs tens of millions or even one or two hundred million!”