"What…"
As Wan Yunting spoke, everyone present was in an uproar.
Gu Yuanbai and Liu He beside him froze, neither expecting Wan Yunting to voluntarily resign as chairman and propose Gu Yuanbai to take over. This caused Liu He to frown, his heart sinking further!
"Little Wan…"
Gu Yuanbai, finally reacting, stood up, but Wan Yunting smiled and shook his head, saying, "Elder Gu, you don't need to persuade me. This is a decision I've made after careful consideration."
"I am indeed not a qualified chairman, but I believe that after you, Elder Gu, take over as chairman, you will surely lead our Traditional Chinese Medicine Association towards revival and prosperity."
In fact, after Wan Yunting had a conversation with Gu Yuanbai at noon about this matter, he also saw that Elder Gu seemed unable to stop those people from impeaching him as chairman. Therefore, after careful consideration, Wan Yunting decided to resign himself and first propose Gu Yuanbai to take over as chairman. His purpose in doing so was to prevent those people from proposing Liu He to succeed the chairman position!
Wan Yunting still recognized Liu He's personal ability, but he still felt it was inappropriate for him to take the position of chairman!
After all, he did not understand Liu He's personal background well enough. Liu He was calculating and his thoughts were hard to fathom. He could not be sure if Liu He would lead things astray after becoming chairman.
But Gu Yuanbai was different. He had been contributing to the path of TCM revival, and the position of TCM Association chairman originally belonged to Gu Yuanbai.
Wan Yunting's election in the first place was due to Gu Yuanbai's recommendation, as well as Kong Jingguo and the support of everyone.
"Everyone, Elder Gu taking over as chairman is most appropriate. I believe that the colleagues present should not refuse, right?"
Facing the more than a hundred presidents and colleagues from associations across the country in the conference room, Wan Yunting held the microphone, turned his head to look at Gu Yuanbai sitting on his right, and said with a smile, "When I was elected chairman, Elder Gu had always supported and recommended me, giving me great hope. However, I have disappointed everyone."
As he spoke, Wan Yunting's eyes reddened slightly. His expression was sincere as he bowed ninety degrees to Gu Yuanbai: "I apologize to Elder Gu here. I have failed your hopes."
Faced with Wan Yunting's sincere apology, everyone present was moved, especially Jiang Yichun, Li Chengde, and a group of people. They trusted Wan Yunting's character the most.
If it weren't for this incident, the outside world's influence on Wan Yunting would have been so great that it wouldn't have forced him to give up his chairman position.
Gu Yuanbai stood up, cupped Wan Yunting's hands, and helped him up. His old face showed emotion. He turned to face the colleagues present and said, "Many people here have worked with me and Little Wan, and they know what kind of person he is. However, Little Wan, no matter how the outside world evaluates you, I believe you will return in the future!"
Wan Yunting's expression was agitated, and his heart was even more moved. He nodded solemnly at Gu Yuanbai…
Liu He, sitting beside him, although he appeared calm and docile, leading everyone to applaud and support Wan Yunting, he was inwardly gloomy about Gu Yuanbai taking over as the association's chairman.
After the meeting, Wan Yunting and Gu Yuanbai, along with Jiang Yichun and Li Chengde, Shen Tonghe and Wei Datong, Ding Huixiang and Meng Kang, and others, as well as Song Sinan and Zhang Xiaoyu, Huang Jingshan and Shen Yingrui, and Miao Yanzheng, returned directly to Gu Yuanbai's courtyard house in the capital.
As for the others, Gu Yuanbai instructed Liu He and Xue Xialan to take the other presidents to dinner at a restaurant next door…
Although Liu He did not outwardly show anything about Wan Yunting letting Gu Yuanbai take over as chairman, Li Tiangui, Xue Dongshan, Liu Pingyi, and others were also very heavy-hearted.
Liu He asked Lu Dashun and others to entertain the presidents, while he returned to the private room. Li Tiangui, Xue Dongshan, Liu Pingyi, Chen Jiadong, and several other famous TCM doctors and professors in the capital were gathered around a table, drinking silently…
Liu He walked in, and Xue Dongshan sighed, "We had hoped that young Liu would succeed Chairman Wan, but I didn't expect him to propose Gu Yuanbai to take over. This is probably a done deal!"
"Yes."
Li Tiangui nodded and said, "After all, with Wan Yunting's relationship with the Ouyang family, as long as he makes a call, Gu Yuanbai can successfully become the chairman."
An old TCM doctor named Chen Tianhua said, "How about we try to fight for it again?"
Liu Pingyi waved his hand to stop him, smiling and saying, "It's actually quite good for Gu Yuanbai to take over as chairman. After all, Yuanbai's contributions to TCM are even greater than Wan Yunting's. We should support him."
Li Tiangui, Xue Dongshan, Chen Jiadong, and Chen Tianhua looked at each other. Liu Pingyi pointed to Liu He sitting beside him and said with a smile, "Besides, Liu He is still young. He is now the vice-chairman, and there will be plenty of opportunities for him to become the chairman in the future."
Liu He also nodded, looking at everyone and smiling, "What my grandfather said is right. I'm still young and should learn from Chairman Gu for a few more years. This is quite good."
"Well, young Liu has high awareness."
Li Tiangui, Xue Dongshan, and others nodded and praised Liu He. Chen Jiadong lamented, "What a pity for Chairman Wan. In terms of ability, medical skills, and knowledge, he is definitely a leader among the younger generation and the future of our Chinese TCM. But why did such a thing happen?"
Chen Tianhua smiled and said, "In the final analysis, he was just too impetuous. Let him go down and reflect. Perhaps he can return to help the TCM Association after he changes in the future."
Liu Pingyi and the others nodded with smiles, picked up their wine glasses, and drank, no longer discussing the matter…
After entertaining everyone, Liu Pingyi and Liu He, grandfather and grandson, drove home together. Liu Pingyi said, "Xiao Liu, are you unwilling to let Gu Yuanbai replace Wan Yunting?"
Liu He turned his head to look at his grandfather. Since there were no outsiders, there was no need for him to pretend. He nodded.
Liu Pingyi also stopped pretending, because he also wanted his grandson Liu He to become the chairman of the Chinese TCM Association, but he did not expect Wan Yunting to get ahead and support Gu Yuanbai to take over as chairman.
"Although many people support me, relatively speaking, Gu Yuanbai has the highest prestige in our national TCM circles. Even Grandpa, Old Li, and Old Xue cannot match him."
Liu Pingyi was also unwilling, but he could only sigh helplessly. "Therefore, we did not propose your succession to Chairman Wan at the afternoon meeting. After all, the presidents from all over the country are more inclined towards Gu Yuanbai."
"Grandpa, I understand."
Liu He nodded. Of course, he understood the prestige and power Gu Yuanbai held in the TCM Association. Let alone himself, even Wan Yunting could not compare.
Therefore, when Wan Yunting proposed Gu Yuanbai to take over as chairman at the meeting, everyone expressed their support.
Liu Pingyi knew that his grandson Liu He was a strong-willed person. He patted his shoulder, comforted him, and smiled, "It's okay. Now Wan Yunting is gone, and Gu Yuanbai cannot be chairman for many years. Looking at all the young people in the entire TCM Association, only you have the ability to succeed him as chairman."
"So, follow Gu Yuanbai and learn for a few years, and strive to succeed him in the future!"
"Yes, I understand, Grandpa."
Liu He nodded with a smile, but he had another idea in mind…
At Gu Yuanbai's home.
"Come, Old Shen, let's all toast Old Gu…"
In the courtyard of the siheyuan, two tables of banquets were set up, illuminated by bright lights. Shen Tonghe and Wei Datong, Jiang Yichun and Zhang Fenglin sat at one table, while Wan Yunting, Gu Luotang, Qi Miaomiao and Zhang Xiaoyu, Song Sinan and Shen Yingrui, and other young people sat at another table, drinking and chatting about other topics with laughter…
"Let's go toast Old Gu too."
Wan Yunting also picked up his wine glass, beckoning Huang Jingshan and the others to come over, and said to Gu Yuanbai and the others with a smile, "Chairman Gu, we juniors would like to toast you…"
"Good…"
Gu Yuanbai stood up, holding his wine glass, and drank a toast with these young people with a smile. Then he beckoned Wan Yunting to stay at this table. Wan Yunting knew what they were going to discuss, so he sat next to Jiang Yichun. Ding Huixiang asked, "Xiao Wan, are you really leaving the TCM Association?"
Immediately, Jiang Yichun, Li Chengde, Shen Tonghe, and Meng Kang, who were present, all looked at Wan Yunting. This made him show a wry smile and say, "Now people outside are calling me, Wan Yunting, a heretic, unworthy of being a TCM doctor."
"In the meeting this afternoon, most people in the association were just considering my Ouyang family background, so those people did not openly embarrass me!"
Indeed, with the incident involving Wan Yunting, many people in the Chinese TCM Association had openly declared that Wan Yunting was a crooked path and was not qualified to continue as chairman of the TCM Association, and even restricted his medical practice qualifications.
"Hmph, those people are just spreading rumors and don't understand anything." Ding Huixiang slammed the table in anger.
"Exactly, don't we know your character?" Everyone present knew Wan Yunting's character best.
"How about this, Xiao Wan, you don't have to leave completely. Just stay in the TCM Association and do some other things," Shen Tonghe suggested.
Others chimed in, thinking it would be a pity if Wan Yunting truly withdrew from the TCM Association and stopped being involved.
But Wan Yunting shook his head and said, "Actually, I don't care about the rumors outside. The reason I chose to withdraw is because of the Heavenly Eye Divine Lord Cult!"
"Heavenly Eye Divine Lord Cult?"
This time, Jiang Yichun, Wei Datong, and others looked surprised, exchanged glances, and Gu Yuanbai said, "Xiao Wan is afraid of implicating our TCM Association, so he chose to comply with those people and withdraw from the TCM Association."
Wan Yunting nodded and said to Jiang Yichun and the others, "The Thirteen Needles of Ghost Gate are indeed a divine needle technique of the Heavenly Eye Divine Lord Cult, and this matter was actually secretly instigated by people from the Heavenly Eye Divine Lord Cult."
"Therefore, my choice to withdraw from the TCM Association is to prevent people from the Heavenly Eye Divine Lord Cult from interfering and disrupting our recently developed TCM cause."
This time, Jiang Yichun and Li Chengde nodded, "So that's how it is…"