Today's ninth-grade reunion is the first after the holiday. Apart from Lu Kaicheng and Chen Lili arriving early to prepare the dinner, Du Feixue and Chen Qiuhua also came a bit earlier than usual.

"Lu Kaicheng, these are two wild pheasants, a gift from a student to my grandfather. I brought them over for you to prepare."

"Sure thing!"

Lu Kaicheng took the two prepared pheasants from Du Feixue's hands, which were noticeably smaller than domesticated chickens, and said regretfully, "Seeing all the wild delicacies you guys shared on WeChat during the New Year, I regret going home for the holiday."

"If I had known earlier..."

"Known what earlier?" Chen Lili interrupted him fiercely from the side.

Lu Kaicheng pulled his head back, submissively saying, "Nothing, nothing, I'll go handle the pheasants now."

Watching him turn and go into the kitchen, Lin Jie asked with a smile, "Lili, does this New Year hold any special meaning for you guys?"

Chen Lili blushed slightly, a bit bashfully saying, "Not really, just that both sides' parents and relatives gathered for a meal and confirmed our relationship."

"So, you've gotten engaged. Congratulations! Congratulations!"

Lin Jie, Lin Miao, Du Feixue, Chen Qiuhua, Yu Momo, Guan Muhua, and others offered their sincere congratulations.

After finishing her congratulations, Du Feixue turned her gaze to Lin Jie and said with a smile, "There's another piece of good news we haven't celebrated yet!"

"Lin Jie, congratulations on becoming Binhai's youngest ten outstanding young people in history!"

"I'm just a nominee for now!" Lin Jie modestly added.

Today, the government of Binhai and websites like the Communist Youth League released the profiles of the nominees for the annual ten outstanding youths.

There are a total of thirty people for the citizens to vote for.

Most of these thirty nominees are scholars and entrepreneurs, mingled with elites from various industries, some engaged in charity and volunteer social activism, and a few grassroots workers.

Among the nominees, only three are under thirty, with most between the ages of thirty-five and forty.

Lin Jie, at less than twenty-two, became the youngest nominee this year.

If selected, it would break a record, making him Binhai's youngest outstanding youth.

Chen Qiuhua laughed, "Lin Jie, given your profession and the reputation you've built over the past year or two, citizen voting should be no problem."

"Before coming here, I took a look at the voting; the combined votes of the other twenty-nine haven't even surpassed yours."

Having already obtained some insider information from Cheng Xingguang, Lin Jie, who was in the know, smiled and said, "According to the rules, the citizens' vote is just a reference, the most important is still the selection by the government's review panel."

Du Feixue snorted and said, "With your far superior number of votes, if you win first place, they wouldn't dare to blatantly snub you."

"This year's outstanding youth, you've got it in the bag."

Lin Jie, at the right moment, changed the subject, asking, "Du Feixue, your film project is already heading into auditions; you must be busy! How come you arrived earlier today instead?"

Du Feixue, with a relaxed expression, said, "The script is revised, the producer and director are chosen, and the auditioning actors have been informed."

"My busiest time is over, so I can take a break."

"Who's the director?" Lin Jie asked out of curiosity.

Next to him, Yu Momo also perked up her ears, listening intently.

Du Feixue glanced at Yu Momo and said mysteriously, "It's a director you definitely wouldn't expect, not from within the country."

"Hollywood?"

Lin Jie pressed further, then questioned, "Those big directors, not to mention whether you can afford them, even if you're willing to pay, they might not be willing to come."

"For an unknown director, can you really trust them?"

Du Feixue huffed and said, "The director is an Asian, and we've naturally assessed his abilities."

"He's worked as an associate director on several major productions in the United States and has independently directed over a dozen episodes of a television series."

"He needs the experience and credentials of directing a solo film; our commercial disaster film needs Hollywood's mature production system, so it's a perfect match."

She earnestly and confidently stated, "Lin Jie, this film is a 150 million investment. If it flops, my newly founded film company could shut down."

"We've done thorough assessments and confirmations of this director's capability."

Thinking about how Du Feixue queued for hours to burn the first incense for this film project on New Year's Eve, Lin Jie knew how much she valued the film.

"I wish this film project of yours a fantastic start!"

"Thank you!"

Du Feixue, with a grin, said, "Actually, my requirements for this film aren't particularly high; as long as the box office figures are decent, it's fine, even if it doesn't profit, a smaller loss is okay."

"But the word of mouth must be decent, at least passable."

"Of course, good word of mouth and box office success would be even better."

She then shifted her gaze, sweetly saying, "Lin Jie, I happen to know that the celebrity Dwayne Johnson is currently undergoing your treatment, could you ask him to make a cameo appearance in a few scenes?"

"We could shoot them right now; all we'd need is a green screen for a couple of shots."

Lin Jie directly refused, "For things like photos or autographs, such trivial matters, I can certainly arrange."

"But for cameos, that's beyond my reach, though I can mention it to him and introduce you."

"But for specifics, you'll have to discuss with his agent and himself."

Du Feixue sighed and said, "I know, it's just a pipe dream. Lin Jie, please give it a try, even if it's treating a dead horse as if it were alive."

"Hey, there's one thing, Lin Jie, that you simply cannot refuse!"

"What is it? Don't make any excessive demands!" Lin Jie asked cautiously, afraid she'd ask for something difficult.

Du Feixue harrumphed, "What do you mean by excessive?"

"The protagonist of the movie is a surgeon. There will be scenes of operating and stitching wounds during a disaster, and we need you, the renowned doctor, as a stand-in to perform some exquisite surgical skills."

Lin Jie chuckled, "That's no problem. I can also play an extra, or even a speaking role."

Du Feixue glanced at Lin Jie disdainfully, "We'll see about that then..."

As time went on, Qin Gang, Yang Leyi, An Kemeng, An Kexin, Ling Mengjiao, Zou Manqing, and others arrived one after another.

Surprisingly, Fu Xiuyuan also came.

He brought a fine bottle of red wine and a case of twenty-year-old Moutai.

Just as the food was set and everyone was about to take their seats, Yao Siyuan finally showed up late.

He hurriedly apologized, "Sorry, I'm late. The hospital had an impromptu meeting, which delayed me a bit."

After sitting down and as they poured their drinks, Yao Siyuan spoke again, "At the meeting, the hospital leadership emphatically announced plans for a salary and benefits reform, aiming to significantly improve our treatment."

An Kexin asked with concern, "Did Donghua Hospital's leadership suddenly have a revelation? Is there a concrete plan yet?"

"There's no specific plan yet."

"The leadership just said that the board has passed a resolution to reform salary and benefits. It was basically just a meeting to let off steam without any substantive content."

Yao Siyuan said mockingly, "By the time the draft for salary and benefits is out, discussed, rediscussed, reviewed, and modified, finalized and approved, the cucumber and vegetables will probably have gone cold."

He then jokingly added, "You'd never guess why the hospital leadership suddenly decided on a salary and benefits reform!"

Lin Jie chimed in, "And what's that reason?"

"Fewer people are giving gifts!"

Yao Siyuan taunted, "It's said that when a few leaders got together and exchanged notes, they realized that this Chinese New Year, there were significantly fewer doctors, medical technicians, nurses, and other staff coming to pay respects and give gifts."

"A substantial decrease indeed."

"This panicked them because they know what it means."

"These people have found new opportunities, paved their way, and naturally no longer need to butter them up."

He looked at An Kexin and asked with a smile, "President An, I suppose quite a few people are joining our Anlin Hospital, right?"

An Kexin nodded, "We're mainly recruiting experienced and skilled nurses and caregivers, and we've already signed some. In the coming days, we'll confirm again to prevent anyone from changing their minds because of this."

Yao Siyuan sighed, "Don't worry, President An."

"Donghua Hospital is rotten to the core, and without thorough reform, it's impossible to win back people's hearts."

At this time, Lin Jie tapped his wine glass, drawing everyone's attention, and said, "Today is our first gathering after the holiday. In the new year, may everyone experience new growth and achievements."

"For this first toast, let's all celebrate the engagement of Lu Kaicheng and Chen Lili..."

The dinner ended on a joyful note around eight o'clock.

Afterward, the group split into two cliques.

Chen Qiuhua, Lu Kaicheng, Yao Siyuan, and Fu Xiuyuan gathered around Lin Jie, discussing some medical issues.

"Lin Jie, can you do some cosmetic surgery for me?"

Yao Siyuan's sudden question surprised them.

Lu Kaicheng laughed and asked, "Did the sun rise from the west today?"

"Yao Siyuan, haven't you always upheld the belief that 'Your body, hair, and skin are gifts from your parents and shouldn't be harmed'?"

Yao Siyuan chuckled, "But there's also the notion of parental orders that can't be disobeyed."

"This New Year, my parents were very concerned about my lifelong happiness, so I told them that girls think I'm ugly and don't like me."

"My parents got anxious and finally agreed to let me get cosmetic surgery."

He pointed to the scars on his face and nose, "Lin Jie, I just need these scars and my nose fixed."

"If it's too much, my parents will definitely break my legs."

Lin Jie laughed heartily, "It should have been done sooner. As a cosmetic surgeon, your face really hurts the brand!"

He thought for a moment and said, "I should have some time this weekend!"

Then, they talked about Lin Jie's cranial separation surgery for conjoined twins...

Around nine, Lin Jie noticed Fu Xiuyuan hinting, so he took him into the study room.

"We've done it!"

Fu Xiuyuan couldn't conceal his excitement, "The Mabthera generics produced on the production line have a consistency in efficacy, and after our strict testing, they've reached 97.6%!"

"On March 16th, when Mabthera's patent protection expires, we'll immediately file an application, and it's expected that we can get approval and enter the market in mid to late April."

"Lin Jie, we've succeeded!"

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