Mr. Long wore a polite smile as he made his request—there was not a hint of coercion in his tone.
After all, Xiang Hua had never valued the traditional medicine clinic. It wouldn't be surprising if he shut it down entirely once he assumed office.
Xiang Hua, however, felt a twinge of suspicion. He couldn't quite grasp what Mr. Long was plotting.
Once Mr. Long retired, he'd lose certain powers. Even with his unshakable standing in the medical field, he'd no longer have a say in hospital affairs.
Collaborating with the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital wasn't out of the question. At worst, it would cost some manpower, resources, and funding. If the project bore no fruit, Xiang Hua would have a valid reason to shut it down.
Even better, it could chip away at Long Xingyue's influence.
Still, if he agreed too readily, it would look like he was sucking up to Mr. Long just to secure the hospital director position.
And that was something Xiang Hua wanted to avoid.
He nodded solemnly.
"I'll give this serious thought and let Mr. Long know after the New Year. Director Long has always been one of our hospital's top talents—I certainly wouldn't want to see him go."
If he felt that way, why not just agree right away? What's there to consider?
Such hypocrisy.
Shu Lanzhou pressed her lips together, grateful she hadn't foolishly accepted Xiao Anning's offer after all.
After they left with the handover materials, Mu Yaning and Shu Lanzhou also prepared to take their leave.
"No rush." Mr. Long gestured to the chair beside his bed. "Sit for a bit and chat with this old man."
Mu Yaning, always patient with her patients, didn't insist on leaving.
"I'll get more tea," Shu Lanzhou said, refilling the empty cups.
Mr. Long watched her with a look of approval and satisfaction.
"Shu Lanzhou's handling just now wasn't like someone who's only been studying acupuncture for a few months. Yaning, you've got yourself a fine student!"
"Just picked her up along the way," Mu Yaning replied with a smile. "I was lucky."
Mr. Long burst into hearty laughter.
"Teacher, that's not true!" Shu Lanzhou stuck out her tongue. "It's me who's lucky. I switched majors in my senior year and still found a mentor willing to guide me step by step!"
"Mutual effort, then," Mr. Long smiled even more deeply. "That's even better."
"…"
That sounded… a little off.
But before they could dwell on it, Mr. Long's smile faded slightly.
"I heard the Central Research Institute recently made a big move—rented out the building next door. Is that for your research?"
Neither Mu Yaning nor her student had heard about this.
But they had known that the research institute was running out of space. It seemed the director had no other choice but to invest heavily to avoid offending either party.
Mu Yaning shook her head. "Not sure. But the space has been tight. We've got three research teams, quite a few people."
"If I let Xingyue join, would that put extra strain on your team?" Mr. Long asked gently. He didn't want to force the matter.
Mu Yaning shook her head again. "Not at all—it'd actually be a great help. We're in need of skilled pharmacology researchers. Director Long would be a perfect fit."
It wasn't that Long Xingyue lacked ability; his research focused on traditional herbs and had long been suppressed by Xiang Hua. That's why it hadn't flourished—something Mu Yaning understood clearly.
"Good," Mr. Long said with relief. "Then I'll shamelessly ask for one more favor—can Dr. Qin join your research group as well?"
"Qin Dongming?" Mu Yaning blinked.
Mr. Long nodded. "Yes, him."
At that moment, Qin Dongming stepped out from the inner room where he'd been helping prepare medicine.
"Yes, yes, that's me. After helping Mr. Long with his illness, I realized I need to learn more about traditional Chinese medicine—especially acupuncture. I'd really love to collaborate with you."
He extended a hand toward Mu Yaning.
Mu Yaning hesitated. "But as far as I know, your hospital doesn't even have a traditional medicine clinic. And on what basis would you be working with me?"
"Right now, the TCM department has a contract with the Central Research Institute. Adding a national hospital is just a joint research effort at most. But your hospital—what about it?"
Qin Dongming looked troubled.
"I'll try to negotiate a joint research deal with my hospital. If it doesn't work, I'll resign and join your team independently. Would that be okay?"
He was being remarkably humble—something that surprised Shu Lanzhou. Compared to Xiang Hua and Xiao Anning, this was night and day.
"That won't be necessary." Mu Yaning waved her hand.
"Our research might not yield any results—it's a niche field. Acupuncture is slow to show effects, and the research cycle is long…"
"Compared to other teams, our paper output and eventual results might not bring you any recognition."
"I'm not in it for recognition," Qin Dongming cut in quickly. "If I wanted glory, I'd quit being a doctor and go into full-time research. I just want to heal people and solve more medical problems."
A true healer's heart. Compared to Han Weicheng's selfish ambition, Qin Dongming instantly gained Shu Lanzhou's respect.
"Alright then. Dr. Qin is welcome to join us anytime!"
With that settled, the teacher and student didn't linger. They confirmed the next visit schedule and left the hospital.
But just before they exited the grounds, Han Weicheng and Lin Jiayi intercepted Mr. Xiang and his assistant at the hospital gate!
Upon seeing them, Xiao Anning—still brimming with anger—finally had a target to vent on.
"You two aren't young anymore. Don't you understand plain speech? I already said Mr. Xiang isn't—"
"Anning!" Xiang Hua cut him off with a glance, signaling him to stop.
"Don't take it personally," he said to the pair. "We just received a lot of materials from Mr. Long, and time is tight. Anning didn't want to waste any of it. But since you're this insistent, let's talk."
Han Weicheng and Lin Jiayi lit up and followed them into the car.
When they stepped out again, Han Weicheng was in high spirits. "With Mr. Xiang's support, there's no way my research won't succeed!"
"Right? I still can't believe he agreed to provide technical support and offered us a research team," Lin Jiayi said, clearly surprised.
They'd been stonewalled just an hour ago—had Mr. Long changed their minds?
"But, Weicheng…" Lin Jiayi hesitated. "What if they're interested in your research? What if Mr. Long's trying to snatch it for himself?"
Han Weicheng waved dismissively. "No way. I'll tell you what's really going on…"
He lowered his voice. "Mr. Long's retiring. Mr. Xiang is about to become hospital director!"
He'd known it all along—once Xiang Hua took charge, his time would come. All those research proposals he'd submitted would finally be approved!
Xiang Hua's earlier rejections were just for show—out of respect for Mr. Long!
Ha! Mu Yaning wanted to challenge him? Not a chance. And that Shu Lanzhou girl—thinks she's grown wings now?
Just wait—he'd be the one to clip those wings.
Watching Han Weicheng's smug expression, Lin Jiayi felt just as pleased. The Long family's influence was finally on the decline. The Lin family's time was coming.
But…
She tugged Han Weicheng's sleeve.
"Weicheng, we really owe Mù Yáo for the lab space this time. You know the director wasn't happy your project only got third place."
"I spent days negotiating with He Xin to stop him from handing the space to another team. Now that we've got new space, things can move forward—but how about letting Mù Yáo join your team?"