"Director Luo, an island certainly cannot compare with the capital. Just as you said, the daily output of the capital's pharmaceutical factory might equal our factory's output for a whole year."
Lin Zhilan's voice was unhurried. "You are looking at this from a leader's perspective. Increasing production to benefit more patients—I understand this principle, and I raise both hands in agreement."
Luo Hua looked serious; that was exactly what he meant.
Lin Zhilan's gaze fell on the desk. "You haven't been to the island. Most of our islanders make a living by going out to sea, depending on the weather to eat. If they run into a typhoon, heavy winds and waves, or a poor fishing season, they have to tighten their belts.
Aside from the military troops, the permanent population on the island is less than twenty thousand, which is about the total number of workers in three pharmaceutical factories combined. But for these twenty thousand people, the only way to become a factory worker is through our pharmaceutical factory."
In this era, being a worker was considered a profession with a relatively high social status and was quite highly sought after.
It meant eating commodity grain, having an iron rice bowl, earning a stable salary, and enjoying various benefits. It was the best way out that an ordinary person could reach.
The local leaders of the island had also thought about setting up factories in the past.
Living by the sea, seafood had a natural advantage.
The local authorities once considered building an oyster factory and a canned fish factory.
However, such factories had already been built in many nearby places, and their technology and sales channels were maturing. The island could only serve as a supplier and had no way to establish its own brand.
Lin Zhilan continued, "Our factory has less than two hundred people in total, including technical staff and frontline workers. It's not worth mentioning compared to the capital's pharmaceutical factory. What you and Director Luan just said is correct; the capital has many opportunities, but the island is different."
Luo Hua's eyebrows twitched slightly.
He understood what Lin Zhilan meant.
These few medicines were good, but the capital's pharmaceutical factory did not lack these kinds of prescriptions.
The existing production scale was more than enough to support the survival of the capital's pharmaceutical factory.
But the island pharmaceutical factory could not.
Once production was transferred to other factories, the island pharmaceutical factory would lose its core competitiveness and would only get worse.
Director Luan saw that this was not something he could intervene in, so he sat back down on the sofa.
Luo Hua tapped his fingers lightly on his knee twice, sighed, and spoke with a complex emotion in his tone.
"I really haven't thought about what you said. I look at output, efficiency, and coverage; these are all numbers. You reminded me that behind the numbers are people."
Lin Zhilan said no more.
She had made her point. Luo Hua was a leader, not an enemy.
Director Luan was just about to say something to ease the tension when a knock suddenly came from the door.
Lin Zhilan's eyes lit up, guessing who had arrived.
"Please come in."
The door was pushed open, and the first to walk in was Su Lang.
He stepped sideways, revealing the figure of Qian Changling.
Qian Changling looked much more disheveled than him.
Looking as if he had just run over, his face was flushed red, his forehead was covered in sweat, and he was panting heavily.
"Manager Qian, you're finally here."
Qian Changling waved his hand. He was getting old, and having been too anxious just now, running for a while left him out of breath.
Su Lang pulled a chair over from the side.
He didn't stand on ceremony, plopping down and taking a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his sweat.
"I heard..." Qian Changling caught his breath a bit, though his voice was still somewhat intermittent, "I heard... Director Luo has important matters to discuss with our pharmaceutical factory. I am the manager; you can talk to me."
Qian Changling was also worried sick.
The manager of the capital's pharmaceutical factory was his sworn enemy.
Now that the island pharmaceutical factory was just getting on track, Qian Changling wanted to eliminate all potential threats.
First, Lin Zhilan could not be poached by anyone.
Second, the lifeblood of the pharmaceutical factory—the prescriptions—could not be known by other factories.
When Lin Zhilan was called to the office by the director and Luo Hua, she had asked Su Lang to call Qian Changling in advance.
As soon as Qian Changling received the call, he rushed over without stopping.
Having just heard Lin Zhilan's words, Luo Hua was already feeling a bit embarrassed.
"Manager Qian, don't worry just yet. It's not what you think."
"Right," Lin Zhilan had a flash of inspiration and chimed in, "Director Luo doesn't want our prescriptions. He just feels that our pharmaceutical factory's output is too low."
Qian Changling was taken aback and said worriedly, "It is low, but..."
"So I am discussing with Director Luo," Lin Zhilan interrupted him, "if we want to increase production, whether we can add equipment locally, recruit workers, and expand the scale. This can solve both the capacity issue and the employment problem on the island."
Qian Changling's eyes widened. He stood up excitedly and grasped Luo Hua's hands, "That's wonderful! Director Luo, thank you. I thank you on behalf of all the island's people!"
Luo Hua hadn't said a single word, yet he felt as if he had just fallen for a trick.
Lin Zhilan spoke off the cuff, and Qian Changling immediately followed suit.
He couldn't even bring himself to say a word of refusal.
"Manager Qian, I definitely support your desire to expand the scale, but it all requires submitting reports and going through the proper procedures. I can help push it forward for you, but the key is that you have to make a solid proposal yourselves."
"You mean...?"
Luo Hua shook his head helplessly, "I mean, go back and write a thorough proposal. Write down clearly what equipment you need, how much funding you require, and how much you expect to increase production."
Luo Hua paused and added, "As long as your factory's medicine is effective and the quality doesn't drop, submit it to the ministry, and I will definitely help you keep an eye on it."
"Good, good, good," Qian Changling said hastily. "I'll go back and write the report today!"
"No rush. During the New Year, no one will be at work in the units anyway."
He wasn't in a rush, but Qian Changling was.
"It's fine, it's fine. I know where you live. I'll bring it to you when I go pay you a New Year visit."
Qian Changling was the type to bite the green mountain and not let go. With Luo Hua's words, he wished he could finalize it immediately.
Luo Hua pulled him aside and whispered, "Don't go shouting about it every day. If you ask for too much, I won't have anywhere to get it for you."
"Rest assured, I understand!"
Only by casting a long line could one catch a big fish.
Take it slowly.
The local authorities would definitely give their full support.
As for the capital, now that this opening with Luo Hua had been made, as long as the island pharmaceutical factory produced results, the path ahead would be much easier.
Qian Changling was grinning from ear to ear.
However, he hadn't forgotten there was one more thing.
Right before leaving, Qian Changling asked, "Director Luo, about the island pharmaceutical factory... did someone say something in your ear?"
Qian Changling actually already had an answer in his heart.
After all, Luo Hua was a director in the Ministry of Health.
The island pharmaceutical factory was merely a newly grown seedling.
With so many pharmaceutical factories across the country, even if the medicine produced on the island was highly effective, it shouldn't warrant this much attention from Luo Hua.
Especially since the island pharmaceutical factory had only produced five medicines in total.
Compared to pharmaceutical factories in other places, it was simply a drop in the bucket.
For Luo Hua to pay attention here, someone must have said something in front of him.
Luo Hua had actually realized this as well.
