Tang Yu said, "This plan should be implemented. The Tianyitang Famous Doctors Training Institute should also be included as a key part of our work. Traditional Chinese medicine is currently lacking successors, so let Tianyitang start cultivating real reserve forces. When the time is right, we can establish the Tianyitang College of Traditional Chinese Medicine. This is also Song Hao's wish. The Tianyitang Famous Doctors Training Institute should become the predecessor of the future Tianyitang College of Traditional Chinese Medicine."
Luo Feiying laughed and said, "Song Hao, your comprehensive approach to developing traditional Chinese medicine is so thorough that you will surely build our Tianyi Hall into a traditional Chinese medicine empire that includes education and various traditional Chinese medicine industries in the future."
Song Hao laughed and said, "That was an era I once envisioned, an era of great traditional Chinese medicine. Let us create and welcome the arrival of this great era of traditional Chinese medicine!"
The development of Tianyitang was booming, attracting attention from all sides. On this day, a manager from the advertising department of a provincial television station came to visit him personally and met Song Hao directly through Jiang He's connections.
"My surname is Li, and I am the manager of the provincial television advertising department. I have heard that Tianyitang's business is booming, so I have come to discuss advertising opportunities," Manager Li said bluntly, handing over his business card.
Song Hao politely accepted the business card, glanced at it, and smiled, "I might have to disappoint Manager Li."
"What? Tianyitang has already contacted other advertising companies for business? Actually, most of those companies are just intermediaries. If you contact our TV station directly, you can save a lot of money. We also have professional advertising planners who can satisfy you in every way," Manager Li said somewhat eagerly.
Song Hao shook his head and said, "Tianyitang does not have any business dealings with any advertising companies at the moment because we at Tianyitang do not advertise."
Manager Li breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "This is the age of information. Even the best wine needs advertising. Advertising can definitely increase Tianyitang's brand awareness. Besides, I came here today to talk about advertising for Tianyitang Pharmaceutical. I've heard that several of the medicines your factory produces are quite effective. If you combine that with advertising, they'll definitely be in high demand."
Song Hao smiled and said, "Manager Li is right. This is indeed an age of information overload, and it's understandable to try every means to promote one's products. However, the pharmaceutical industry, especially Tianyitang, is a special one. Everything else in the world can be advertised, but pharmaceuticals cannot, because they have their own method of promotion: word-of-mouth. Word-of-mouth among patients is the best advertising. Manager Li, haven't you heard about the medicines produced by Tianyitang? It's not that I'm biased, but I believe in the special nature of medicine—saving lives—and it cannot tolerate any falsehoods. A few years ago..." Several drug advertisements were everywhere, practically household names, known to young and old alike. And what happened now? They've all disappeared! Such hype-driven advertising only brings temporary gain to some; it can't withstand the test of time. Medicines, once advertised, are inherently tainted, and eventually become false. Even though we have great confidence in the medicines produced by Tianyitang Pharmaceutical Factory, as a prepared medicine, it's not suitable for all ailments. There can be discrepancies even between similar symptoms, requiring accurate diagnosis for comprehensive correction to ensure complete effectiveness. The doctors at Tianyitang will do just that.
"This applies to medicines, and even more so to doctors!" Song Hao continued, "A good doctor doesn't have time to advertise themselves! Patient approval is the best advertisement. Word-of-mouth, while not the most powerful, is the best. Tianyitang's approach to treatment is to achieve accurate and effective results on a case-by-case basis, not an assembly-line approach. While that may bring profits, it diminishes effectiveness. That's not what Tianyitang strives for. This approach might temporarily affect the distribution of Tianyitang's medicines, but it won't hinder Tianyitang's development. We are engaged in a special kind of business. The success of a business might be measured by ever-increasing profit figures, but the success of our business is measured by the effectiveness of curing diseases and truly relieving patients' suffering—that is our success."
"President Song!" Manager Li was deeply moved upon hearing this and exclaimed, "Thank you for giving me such a valuable lesson. Tianyitang, which doesn't advertise, is the real Tianyitang!"
After returning home, Manager Li was deeply moved. Although he didn't manage to advertise Tianyitang, he produced a documentary called "Tianyitang Without Advertising." After it aired, it had a significant impact, effectively advertising for Tianyitang, which doesn't advertise.
As expected, Tianyitang never advertised its medicines or clinics, yet the media frequently reported on its legendary cures of difficult and complicated diseases. Tianyitang's medicines naturally became known as panaceas for relieving suffering. This was a miraculous effect of advertising without advertising itself. Of course, Tianyitang's pharmaceutical products have stood the test of time; each product has remained popular for centuries.
Tianyitang has developed a unique business model: patients who purchase Tianyitang medicines can take them for self-treatment. If they recover, that's fine; if not, they can bring the packaging of the medicines to Tianyitang for diagnosis and treatment by renowned doctors, and the cost of the medicines will be waived.
Song Zihe and Lin Fengyi selected a formula from *Qi Fang Yan Chao* (奇方验抄), named "Skin Diseases Sweeped Away," which was remarkably effective in treating various skin diseases such as rashes and measles caused by external wind-evil. It was divided into two formulas: one for internal use and one for external washing. The external washing formula heavily used realgar and sulfur, which were effective immediately upon washing away various skin rashes, with a sweeping effect. After some improvements, it was immediately put into mass production.
Regarding Tianyitang Pharmaceutical's products, Song Hao strictly adheres to the national price standards, especially at the retail level. Once Tianyitang sets its prices according to national standards, retailers are not allowed to exceed them by even a penny; otherwise, their sales licenses will be revoked. This is to prevent pharmaceutical companies from profiting excessively by hyping up certain products. The shady profiteering practices in the pharmaceutical industry are frequently reported in the media, and the only ones who truly suffer are the patients who purchase these kinds of drugs.
A pharmaceutical merchant approached Tianyitang, requesting the nationwide sales rights for "Skin Disease Elimination," offering an annual agency fee of three million yuan. However, he had one condition: he would handle all advertising and set the retail price, drastically increasing Tianyitang's fixed price of 28 yuan per box to 148 yuan, and guaranteeing annual sales of one million boxes. Song Hao flatly refused, solemnly telling the merchant that Tianyitang was operating a special cause responsible to patients, not just a business. The pharmaceutical merchant left disappointed.
Tianyitang Pharmaceutical's products are inexpensive and effective, which is why they are often in short supply.
After Shui Mingyang arrived at Tianyitang, he successfully performed over a dozen complex and large-scale thoracic and neurosurgical operations. His skillful surgical technique was like a beautiful art form, leaving Song Hao, Wu Qiguang, and others in awe and admiration. With the addition of this surgical expert, Tianyitang, which primarily focused on traditional Chinese medicine, gained even more prestige and its reputation as a "miracle surgeon." It could be said that no disease was beyond its reach.
A patient who was on the verge of death after a car accident survived thanks to Shui Mingyang's rescue efforts, which made him famous. It also made people realize that Tianyitang actually had one of the world's top surgeons.
In several surgeries performed by Shui Mingyang, Song Hao and Wu Qiguang, with his consent, used their newly developed "acupuncture anesthesia" technique for auxiliary local acupuncture anesthesia, which greatly surprised Shui Mingyang. What surprised him even more was that several patients he diagnosed who required surgery recovered completely after receiving "conservative treatment" in traditional Chinese medicine, as the power of the medicine miraculously eliminated the lesions in their bodies.
Once, a patient with a comminuted fracture of the leg was brought to Tianyitang Hospital to consult with Ye Chengshun, an orthopedic surgeon. Shui Mingyang, who was present, believed that such a severe case required surgery to save the leg. However, after Ye Chengshun's skillful manipulation and immobilization with a small splint, an X-ray revealed that the five broken bone fragments had miraculously set. After taking Ye's Bone-Setting Pill, the patient was able to walk again within a month. This case deeply shocked Shui Mingyang; it was something Western medicine could never achieve.
Ye Chengshun once jokingly said to Shui Mingyang, "What draws blood is yours, what doesn't is mine. Don't fight over it!"
After several treatments, Shui Mingyang exclaimed, "In most cases where Western medicine diagnoses surgery as the only option, patients recover through traditional Chinese medicine treatment. This remarkable achievement is something I haven't seen overseas for decades!" His interest in traditional Chinese medicine grew even stronger. He humbly considered all the doctors at Tianyitang as his teachers, and felt a renewed enthusiasm for learning.
Song Hao told Shui Mingyang that ancient texts record that thousands of years ago, some practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine were already capable of performing highly complex surgeries. The well-known Hua Tuo was one such example. He further stated that Hua Tuo's miraculous remedy, "Mafeisan" (麻沸散), might still exist. This greatly surprised Shui Mingyang, who exclaimed, "If there is an afterlife, I will study traditional Chinese medicine!"
Song Hao laughed and said, "It's not too late to learn now. The famous doctors in Tianyi Hall can save Mr. Shui thirty years of effort."
Chapter Three: Doubt
Upon hearing this, Shui Mingyang readily agreed. Even within the Tianyi Hall, he dared not presume to be a renowned expert, for he knew it was a place teeming with hidden masters. Some of the illnesses he considered serious, even incurable, often showed rapid improvement and even complete recovery after treatment by those famous doctors. At the Tianyi Hall, he finally witnessed firsthand what true traditional Chinese medicine, herbal remedies, and the miraculous techniques of acupuncture were. It opened up a whole new world of medicine for him.
Based on his personal experiences and observations, Shui Mingyang wrote several articles on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which were published in several important overseas medical journals, causing quite a stir and giving the world a new understanding of TCM. He also made the world medical community aware of the existence of Tianyitang in China, a place that gathers some of the world's most outstanding TCM doctors.
The renowned pediatrician Zhang Jiafang also had an outstanding track record. Upon arriving at Tianyitang, he contributed two pediatric prescriptions: a "Quick-Acting Fever-Reducing and Convulsion-Relieving Powder" and a "Miraculous Antidiarrheal Formula for Children," both remarkably effective. High fever and diarrhea are among the most anxiety-inducing and troublesome illnesses in children. These two prescriptions, combined with over-the-counter medications, were readily available and effective even after home administration. Young parents considered them invaluable treasures for their children, essential medicines for every household. Later, these became two of Tianyitang Pharmaceutical Factory's flagship products.
That day, Song Hao invited Liu Tian, Zhang Baolun, and Ma Ji to dinner at the Laibin Restaurant in Baihe Town. After a few rounds of drinks, Song Hao gestured to Tang Yu, who was sitting next to him, to bring out three documents.
"The board of directors of Tianyitang has made a decision to allocate 10% of the shares of Tianyitang Pharmaceutical to each of you in recognition of your significant contributions to the development of Tianyitang. This is the document, which will take effect once you three sign it. As for the more than 40 million yuan you previously invested in the Tianyitang Pharmacy and the Wansongling Herb Garden base, I will repay it to you within two years," Song Hao said solemnly, expressing his gratitude.
Liu Tian, Zhang Baolun, and Ma Ji were quite surprised to hear this.
Liu Tian laughed and said, "Song Hao, you're so generous! It's really touching! But we can't accept your kindness. And don't rush to pay back the 40 million; we're not short of money."
Song Hao said, "This is my way of expressing my gratitude to the three of you, and it is also a token of Tianyi Hall's sincerity. Without your help, Tianyi Hall would not have achieved its current scale and prestige. You have essentially fulfilled this dream for me ahead of time. It is only right and proper for you to receive this reward, and I hope you will not refuse it."
Liu Tian scratched his head and laughed, "Helping you build Tianyi Hall is what we should do. After all, we're brothers. It's really unfair of us to be given so many shares! Song Hao, we're just doing what we can. We appreciate the sentiment, but we absolutely cannot accept the good intentions."
“Yes!” Maji said, “It is only right for us to help you. It would be too formal for us to do this. Think about it, since you returned to Baihe Town and built Tianyitang, our relatives and friends have benefited a lot from Tianyitang. Protecting our health is the greatest reward for us.”
Zhang Baolun chuckled and said, "That's right, we're all brothers, so there's no need to be so polite. We're happy to see you run Tianyitang well. Thank you for your generosity, but we really can't accept the shares in Tianyitang Pharmaceutical; they represent your hard work and dedication."
Seeing the three refuse in unison, Song Hao was slightly surprised and quickly said, "The three of you have made great contributions. Moreover, the Heavenly Medicine Hall's offer to you is not enough to truly reward your efforts. You could say that without your help, the Heavenly Medicine Hall would probably still be just a small hospital. As for rewards, you deserve them."
Liu Tian, Ma Ji, and Zhang Baolun simply shook their heads in response. Tang Yu, sitting to the side, noticed their expressions and their silence, and seemed to understand something.
After a hearty meal and drinks, Liu Tian, Ma Ji, and Zhang Baolun went off laughing and joking.
"What's wrong with these three guys? Why won't they accept the shares of Tianyitang Pharmaceutical?" Song Hao sighed as he sat there.
“They must have their reasons for refusing your offer. Let’s put this matter aside for now and discuss it again later,” Tang Yu said.
Song Hao nodded and said, "Alright, we can return their share to them later."
“Song Hao…” Tang Yu hesitated before speaking.
"What?" Song Hao looked at Tang Yu and asked, "Do you have something to say?"
"Oh! No!" Tang Yu shook her head and smiled.
“Alright then, drive me to Wansongling Herb Garden. Cheng Wei told me this morning that the workers dug up a rare human-shaped Polygonum multiflorum in the mountains. I’ll go take a look and visit Cheng Ru while I’m at it,” Song Hao said.
"I still have things to take care of with Dean Jiang, so let Yingying go with you," Tang Yu said.