Chapter 410 - 410: The Board of Education Meeting
This side, Ye Qing had sent Lin Tianyou down to rest, while Gu Xianping hurriedly ran into the ward.
Gu Yaqing was still in a coma, but her breathing had stabilized quite a bit, and the heart rate monitor beside her proved she was now very healthy.
Chen Weimin and Zhou Bufan were also following by the side, seeing Gu Yaqing's current state, they were also filled with emotion. They had never taken notice of the younger generation before, but today, they were thoroughly convinced. Not to mention anything else, just talking about Lin Tianyou's expertise in neurology, it was absolutely superior to theirs.
"It really confirms that old saying, 'heroes emerge from the youth,'" Chen Weimin sighed.
Zhou Bufan also slowly nodded. After a moment of silence, he said, "This young man is quite good, modest and cautious in his actions. Ah, if he had come a few years earlier, there would have been a spot for him in the Capital, and that elder wouldn't have ended up in today's predicament."
Chen Weimin glanced at Zhou Bufan and said in a low voice, "That elder, now... is he still lying on the hospital bed?"
"Yes!" Zhou Bufan sighed, "Almost a vegetable, only being kept alive by machines. Many doctors come from all over the world every year, but there is no cure. If we had such a young man a few years earlier, that operation wouldn't have ended in failure!"
Chen Weimin also sighed, bringing up that elder, how many people in Huaxia were not sincerely respectful from the bottom of their hearts?
Old Fifth Yang didn't go to the hospital, but he learned about the situation there from his younger brothers and about Lin Tianyou's astounding medical skills. That guy went all out in treating Lin Tianyou, not much different from the standards of entertaining Xu Changzhi.
Here, Ye Qing had just sent Lin Tianyou to Old Fifth Yang's villa when he received a call from Lin Changlu. It was then that Ye Qing remembered the matter of organizing Teacher Gu's return conference.
Lin Changlu had already arranged everything on his side, sending invitations to the leaders in the county, and even mentioned in the invitation that Ye Qing would personally be at the event.
With such a big incident happening in the county town, all the leaders knew about Huang Feiming's arrival from the city bureau, and Ye Qing's name had already resounded in the ears of all the leaders. Among these people, only a very few knew the relationship between Ye Qing and Huang Feiming, most of them thought Ye Qing and Huang Feiming were good friends, so they all wanted to meet Huang Feiming through Ye Qing.
Yet, Ye Qing seemed to be busy, and these leaders lined up without the chance to meet him. Now that Lin Changlu had invited Ye Qing, the leaders who had previously scorned the Education Bureau were immediately intrigued. Thus, before the meeting even started, several key leaders from the county had already arrived at the Education Bureau, and other critical bureau cadres had also shown up. Teacher Gu's return conference was yet to begin, but it was already very lively.
Lin Changlu was extremely happy, but as the time of the meeting approached and he waited left and right without Ye Qing's arrival, the situation became very awkward for him. If Ye Qing did not show up, not only would it be unnecessary to hold the meeting, but he would also lose all face, and he could forget about any promotions in the future.
Therefore, almost with a sobbing tone, Lin Changlu called Ye Qing, inquiring when he could arrive. In his speech, there was a near plea for Ye Qing to hurry over, as he couldn't hold on any longer.
Only then did Ye Qing remember the matter, recalling his promise to Lin Changlu, and he didn't feel right declining. So, he immediately contacted Xu Changzhi, asking him to come with him, because he knew Lin Changlu's real motive. By giving Lin Changlu enough face this time, he could expect Lin to treat Teacher Gu better in the future.
Xu Changzhi had wanted to talk to Lin Tianyou, but after receiving Ye Qing's call, he gave up the idea and rushed to the Education Bureau. Huang Feiming naturally followed Xu Changzhi and also went to the Education Bureau.
At the Education Bureau, Lin Changlu was extending his neck at the main entrance, eagerly waiting for Ye Qing's arrival. Finally, before Ye Qing arrived, he ended up waiting for Xu Changzhi and Huang Feiming, which was a surprise to him.
Lin Changlu hurriedly led Xu Changzhi and Huang Feiming into the conference room. Approaching the outer conference room, he could hear the voices of dissatisfaction from the people inside. Lin Changlu was sweating profusely, without Huang Feiming's arrival, he would have had no way to explain to those leaders.
As soon as Lin Changlu brought Huang Feiming into the conference room, those voices of discussion and complaint abruptly stopped. All the leaders stood up in a panic, no longer having any grievances, feeling that their long wait was worthwhile. Meeting Huang Feiming was their ultimate goal, after all!
Ten minutes later, Ye Qing and Teacher Gu also arrived at the venue. As soon as Teacher Gu entered, Xu Changzhi led the way in standing up and applauding. As he stood up, Huang Feiming naturally did the same, causing everyone to stand as well. These leaders, who usually had great power in the county, were now applauding an ordinary teacher, a scene that looked quite odd.
After much refusal, Teacher Gu was finally seated in the main seat. This position was originally intended for Huang Feiming, but Huang wanted Xu Changzhi to take it, who in turn insisted it should be Teacher Gu, so the seat was arranged in this way.
Teacher Gu was flanked on the left and right by Xu Changzhi and Ye Qing, however, most people were unaware of Xu Changzhi's identity. It was understandable for Ye Qing to be seated there, but what about Xu Changzhi? Moreover, with Huang Feiming sitting next to him, the situation seemed even more mysterious.
All these people at the scene were old foxes, so they immediately began to speculate about Xu Changzhi's identity after seeing the seating arrangements and Huang Feiming's attitude toward him. There were only two people at the scene who knew what was going on—one was Wang Yuanbo, and the other was Chen Jia'an. Everyone else was completely in the dark and quietly inquiring about Xu Changzhi's identity.
Such a homecoming conference actually didn't carry much significance; the main purpose was just for Lin Changlu to make an appearance in front of the leaders in the county. And he did indeed achieve that, with Chen Jia'an nodding at him frequently. This made him quite excited, as the position of director seemed to be secured.
The meeting lasted for two hours, and in the end, everyone unanimously invited Huang Feiming to speak. Huang Feiming couldn't decline and stood up to say a few perfunctory words. Then, suddenly changing his tone, he said, "I haven't known Teacher Gu for long, but I hold Teacher Gu in high regard. I don't know what exactly is going on in Jiuchuan County and why such a respected old teacher has to suffer this wrongful treatment. However, what I do hope is that there will be no repetition of such incidents in the future, nor will they be allowed to happen again. After returning to the city, I will report this matter, and a citywide investigation will be launched to thoroughly look into any similar cases, ensuring that our older comrades do not suffer unjust accusations!"
While Huang Feiming's remark was abrupt, everyone could sense the threatening tone in his words. He was warning the people present that Teacher Gu was someone Huang Feiming respected and that no one was allowed to disrespect Teacher Gu from then on.
Because of Gu Xianping's incident, the Secretary of the County Political and Legal Committee; Hong Tianxiang, had already been sent to the city for an investigation. Two deputy directors of the County Police Bureau were taken away alongside Hong Tianxiang, and it looked like they were in trouble too. Furthermore, the County's Education Bureau and the County High School, including several key leaders, were purged, resulting in a major earthquake in Jiuchuan County's officialdom with far-reaching effects. People were already panicking about Gu Xianping, and now, after hearing Huang Feiming's words, it became even clearer that no matter whom they crossed, they must never offend Gu Xianping!
After the meeting, Gu Xianping stayed behind. Lin Changlu and the acting principal of the County High School arranged the upcoming work materials for him. Meanwhile, several main leaders of the county invited Huang Feiming for a meal, insisting he join them no matter what.
Huang Feiming couldn't resist any longer and could only agree to go. Xu Changzhi was also urged by many, but he did not want to participate in such an event, so he didn't go with them. Instead, he returned to Old Fifth Yang's villa with Ye Qing.
The two arrived back at the villa and from afar, they saw Old Fifth Yang sitting in front of Lin Tianyou with his right arm bare, as if he was having his blood pressure taken.
"Fifth Brother, what's wrong?" Ye Qing asked in surprise.
Old Fifth Yang, holding his head in one hand and adopting a sickly appearance, said, "Ah, I've been feeling weak and unwell lately. Now that Divine Doctor Lin is here, I thought it was a good opportunity to have him take a look at me."
"Is that so? You seem quite lively most days. Didn't you injure your kidneys, did you?" Ye Qing joked with a laugh.
"Don't talk nonsense; let the doctor focus on treating the illness," Old Fifth Yang waved his hand and asked, "How about you? Have you eaten yet?"
Ye Qing and Xu Changzhi sat down to the side, and Xu Changzhi gestured with his hand, saying, "Haven't eaten yet."
Old Fifth Yang laughed and said, "Oh, has the Education Bureau become so stingy? Inviting people over without even arranging dinner?"
"That's not it," Xu Changzhi shook his head and said, "Eating with those people makes me feel uncomfortable."
Old Fifth Yang couldn't help but feel pleased. Xu Changzhi's words clearly meant that eating here was more comfortable for him. In other words, Xu Changzhi was beginning to acknowledge Old Fifth Yang as a friend.
"Yeah, those fellows, always talking politics, politics, as if there's so much to talk about," Old Fifth Yang said. "Wait a minute. Once my examination is over, let's go out and eat something. I know a small stall that's really good. Though it's not a big scene, the food is quite nice."
"Sounds good!" Xu Changzhi immediately perked up and sat upright.
Lin Tianyou took measurements for a while and then placed the stethoscope on Old Fifth Yang's chest to listen to his heartbeat for a moment. His brow furrowed slightly.
Lin Tianyou put down the stethoscope and asked, "Boss Yang, have you experienced symptoms of physical weakness and excessive sweating lately? Do you occasionally feel pain in the waist when sitting, and do you have unexplained bleeding from the mouth and nose?"
"How did you know that?" Old Fifth Yang said. "That pain in the waist when sitting has persisted for a year or two, flaring up occasionally. But it only lasts a few seconds and doesn't continue for long. Moreover, I've been finding blood in my mouth when I brush my teeth and spit, and my nose also bleeds from time to time. What's going on?"
(I recommend my friend's book, "Xianyuan Jiuqu," for those who are interested.)