"Same here, I actually thought the same way back then."
When Lu Xuan first came to the Health Center, although Hu Meiqiao didn't say anything, she actually thought to herself that a young person, especially one studying traditional Chinese medicine, wouldn't have much ability.
The reason Lu Xuan was put in charge of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Department was mainly because it was already at a standstill, plus Lu was the only one at the Health Center with a background in traditional Chinese medicine, so the position naturally fell to him.
Surely, they couldn't let someone without a traditional Chinese medicine background take that position, right?
This is why when it was proposed to make Lu Xuan the head of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Department, no one opposed it.
There was also the view that it wouldn't matter even if Lu Xuan took over as head.
After all, not many people came to the Health Center, and practically none would visit for traditional Chinese medicine.
The precedent was there: when the Traditional Chinese Medicine Department was open before, there were fewer than one or two people seen in a week, and because the doctors there didn't have much skill, the number of patients dwindled.
Eventually, there wouldn't be a single person for half a month.
Later, that person used connections to transfer to the District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
But who would have thought that Lu Xuan, who had just graduated from Zhijiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, would be completely different from what she imagined.
This young man was capable, and exceptionally so.
He used his medical skills to astonish everyone.
Seeing the growing number of patients registering for the Traditional Chinese Medicine Department and Lu Xuan's willingness to mentor others, Hu Meiqiao conceived the idea of making the department a highlight of the Health Center.
However, she previously hesitated.
Whether establishing a studio or introducing Lu Xuan to the United South Chinese Medicine Association, it wasn't easy.
The latter was simpler since Lu Xuan's ability was evident, and her old classmate, Shen Congli, was a deputy in the neighboring district; as long as she asked, it wouldn't be a problem to get Lu into United South.
The former was the real challenge.
Starting a traditional Chinese medicine studio in the rear building wasn't hard.
After all, using the building required not only the space but also supporting hardware facilities and more recruitments, potentially needing additional posts; otherwise, why would anyone work at the Health Center?
This involved considerable expense, which the Health Center alone couldn't bear, requiring additional funding.
It involved a substantial budget; even recruiting a team of competent traditional Chinese medicine practitioners would be necessary, making the establishment of a studio even more challenging.
Whenever she thought of these complexities, Hu Meiqiao found it nerve-wracking and often considered giving up.
But she also felt reluctant to let go.
Lu Xuan's ability represented a hope, a hope for the Health Center to thrive and expand.
As the director, there's no way Hu Meiqiao would easily let it slip by.
After contemplating for several days and finally biting the bullet, she decided, which prompted the call she made to Shen Congli yesterday.
Hu Meiqiao didn't speak much with Shen Congli; after agreeing to meet over the weekend, both hung up.
She closed the application she was drafting on her computer and called Lu Xuan to come to her office.
On Lu Xuan's end, seeing Su Kenan had arrived, he was about to start work when he received the call from Hu Meiqiao, prompting him to temporarily put his work aside, telling them he'd be right back, then heading to the fourth floor.
"Director."
Lu Xuan knocked on Hu Meiqiao's door standing at the entrance.
"Lu, come in, have a seat," Hu Meiqiao warmly poured a cup of tea for Lu Xuan, making him feel a bit uncomfortable.
Taking the cup, Lu Xuan didn't drink it; instead, he set it aside gently and looked at Hu Meiqiao, "Director, is there something you need me for?"
"Oh, you make it sound like I can't call you up just to chat," Hu Meiqiao teased slightly, "You're now a star of our health center; as the director, I must pay attention."
Lu Xuan awkwardly smiled, unsure what her intention was.
In his view, if she called him up, there must be a reason; it was hard to believe she'd do so when work was about to start without cause.
Moreover, everyone knew he'd start calling numbers early, including her, so if there was no reason, he wouldn't believe it.
Since she hadn't mentioned it, he couldn't push any further, and instead went along with her conversation.
Fortunately, it wasn't long before her expression turned serious: "Lu, I actually called you up for your opinion on something."
Hearing this, Lu Xuan sighed in relief.
After such a long casual family chat, which he found creepy, he feared something strange; his mind was a mess, even contemplating an excuse to leave.
Though he knew she wouldn't make peculiar requests, his heart couldn't stay calm.
Luckily, everything was normal.
"Director, please go ahead. I'm listening," Lu Xuan quickly adjusted his posture, sitting up straight.
Hu Meiqiao went straight to the point: "I wanted to ask, there's an opportunity to sit in at the United South Chinese Medicine Association. Do you want to go? If so, I'll submit your name, and someone from United South should reach out for discussion on your sit-in details either this afternoon or tomorrow."
Initially thinking they'd discuss the Traditional Chinese Medicine Department, Lu Xuan hadn't overthought it. Hearing her invite to sit in at United South now visibly startled him, staring at her in disbelief.