Chapter 127 – Deeply Shocked

“It seems that young man really has a strong sense of public service. Remarkable!” Elder Dong praised.

Chen Baishu nodded. “Yes! Not long ago, he was even commended and featured in the newspaper for inventing a hand pump well. After that, he invented a solar stove. Each invention addresses the needs of the people.”

Elder Dong’s eyes widened slightly. That young man is from their Factory? He also came up with the idea to compile a medical book that even literate laypeople could study on their own?

Now that was truly interesting.

Dong Chunhua had also heard about the hand pump well and the solar stove. He too believed those were two innovations that greatly benefitted the country and the people, especially in rural areas.

But he hadn’t expected that the same person was behind both of them—and this incredible new idea as well.

Now that he thought about it, those two inventions really did reflect that kind of thinking.

“He’s from your Factory?”

It wasn’t just Elder Dong who was surprised. The others present all exchanged looks, finding it hard to believe.

Chen Baishu nodded again. “Yes! I think he once said two things that were spot on.”

“Oh? Let’s hear them.” Dong Chunhua was intrigued, curious about these two statements.

Chen Baishu repeated what Zhou Yimin had said to him. Back then, he had been deeply shaken when he heard it.

And when he finished quoting it now, several people at the scene had their mouths slightly open in astonishment. Their expressions were nearly identical to Chen Baishu’s reaction at the time.

“Good, very good! Wonderfully said!” Dong Chunhua immediately clapped his hands. He was deeply impressed by the quote and suddenly became very interested in the young man from Chen Baishu’s Factory.

The others quickly joined in the applause.

That line had truly struck a chord with many people.

“What about the second quote?” someone asked eagerly.

Chen Baishu felt quite proud. Even though he wasn’t the one who said it, he couldn’t help but bask in the shared glory.

Then he dropped another thunderous quote.

That, too, was something Zhou Yimin had picked up in the future. Back then, it had become something of a meme on the internet. But in this era, it landed like a bombshell.

Dong Chunhua opened his mouth but couldn’t speak for a long moment.

Very soon, Chen Baishu became the focal point of the entire group.

It was truly his moment in the spotlight—he had never received this much attention before. Deep down, he felt incredibly grateful to Zhou Yimin.

He never imagined he would be the center of attention, with so many eyes on him. And he knew clearly this was all thanks to Zhou Yimin. Right then and there, he began thinking about how he could repay him in the future.

After the meeting ended, the crowd gradually dispersed. Elder Dong made a point to ask Chen Baishu to stay behind.

A few other promising young people he had high hopes for were also asked to stay.

Among them was Ms. Zhang from Jiangyin. At this point, she had already begun to stand out and had big ambitions—she was working on developing a traditional Chinese medicine granule drink. If successful, it would be the first such product in the country.

Elder Dong was well aware of this and greatly admired this capable and driven woman.

The purpose of keeping them back was to give them a little extra—some special attention and guidance for the outstanding. It was only human nature.

Chen Baishu, however, was now feeling a little conflicted—about the heart-saving pill.

On one hand, he hoped to develop it entirely on his own and enjoy the honor; on the other hand, he was self-aware enough to know that if he relied on just himself, it could take forever.

“Comrade Chen Baishu, do you have something on your mind? Why not tell us? Maybe we can help,” Ms. Zhang asked, noticing his expression.

All eyes turned toward him at once, and the pressure immediately mounted.

After a moment of thought, he decided to speak. “Have any of you heard of a pill called ‘Jiuxin Wan’—a Heart-Saving pill ? It’s mainly used to treat…”

He brought up the subject of the Heart-Saving pill .

“There’s such an ancient formula? And the young man from your Factory said he saw records of it in ancient texts?” Elder Dong and the others were astonished and also somewhat expectant.

As doctors, they all knew how precious it would be to have a medicine that could effectively and quickly ease the symptoms of coronary heart disease.

Coronary heart disease remained a major challenge around the world. Western medicine liked to boast of its advancements, but even it had little to offer against this condition.

In contrast, traditional Chinese medicine—through steady, gradual treatment—offered some hope of improvement.

Still, they had to admit that a major shortcoming of Chinese medicine was its slow onset of efficacy.

What surprised them even more was that the idea came from that same young man—Zhou Yimin.

Since he had already mentioned it, Chen Baishu decided to go all in and nodded. “Yes! He also told me that he vaguely remembered the key ingredients from the ancient formula: Chuanxiong and Borneol. Pharmacologically, it makes sense.”

Ms. Zhang’s heart skipped a beat.

The idea of a Heart-Saving pill had occurred to her too. She had even considered developing one. But it wasn’t something that could be done overnight, so she had put the thought on hold.

Besides, her current focus was on the herbal granule drink—Banlangen dry syrup.

She was using a chicken embryo screening method to test various traditional medicines against the mumps virus. Things had reached a critical stage.

“This medicine is extremely important—especially for traditional Chinese medicine. I hope all of you can join in, contribute your ideas, and work together to bring the Heart-Saving pill to life. If there are any difficulties, let me know—I’ll provide any help I can.” Dong Chunhua said solemnly.

He also planned to contribute his own insights to support the development of the Heart-Saving pill .

Everyone present immediately expressed their willingness to contribute to the research and development.

Not long after, Dong Chunhua hurried off—he needed to report the Heart-Saving pill project to higher authorities so it could receive the proper attention and become an officially approved research initiative.

“Comrade Chen Baishu, I’d like to meet the young man from your Factory. Can you introduce me?” Ms. Zhang suddenly approached and said straightforwardly.

Chen Baishu blinked in surprise but quickly nodded. “No problem! Come on, I was just about to head back anyway.”

With that, he led Ms. Zhang toward Courtyard No. 56.

When Zhou Yimin saw Ms. Zhang and learned her real name, he was stunned and a little dazed.

After all the twists and turns, the mission of developing the Heart-Saving pill had still landed in the hands of this nationally renowned figure.

But maybe that was for the best—at least he wouldn’t have to carry the guilt anymore. Since the research and development would ultimately be in Ms. Zhang’s hands, and the pill’s progress and release would be sped up, all the better!

“You two go ahead and chat. Lunch is at my place—you’re both staying, no excuses!” Chen Baishu said to Ms. Zhang and Zhou Yimin.

This meal had to be a feast. He planned to ask his wife to bring out all the best food they had at home.

On one hand, he was simply happy and wanted to celebrate; on the other, he wanted to properly host these two very important guests—especially Zhou Yimin.
(End of Chapter)