Professor Gao said he had posted his opinion on his personal social dia account.
Li Xu was stunned. "Professor, you posted sothing? How co I didn’t see it?"
"Heh..."
Gao Guanghui gave a helpless laugh. "Not long after I posted it, I got a notification from the platform. It was restricted for violating their rules."
"You see? We spoke out, but no one saw it. That’s the power of big money for you. They can easily push the information they want people to see into every corner of the world, while completely silencing ’dissenting voices’ like ours. So, it’s not that we don’t want to stop it... it’s that we can’t."
’So that’s how it is.’
A wave of helplessness washed over Li Xu.
He fell silent, not knowing what to say.
He knew Professor Gao was telling the truth. In a public sphere manipulated by corporate interests, the voice of a small fry like him, or even an authority like Professor Gao, was utterly insignificant.
He didn’t ask Professor Gao to try speaking out again.
’It would be useless.’
But Li Xu was still furious.
After a mont’s thought, he found Zhang Yanquan’s number and dialed it.
Zhang Yanquan was the dean of the Southern University of Chinese dicine, an heir to the Chengjiang School, and the secretary-general of the Acupuncture Association. He ought to have more influence.
’Maybe there’s a way.’
After the call connected,
after hearing Li Xu out, Dean Zhang’s response was identical to Professor Gao’s.
His words were filled with weariness and apprehension toward corporate power, and he said that he had also tried to speak out, but to little effect.
Hanging up the phone, Li Xu slumped dejectedly into his chair.
His spirits plumted.
He possessed an excellent formula that could treat the current Type A flu, yet he was powerless to fight the torrent of corporate greed that was sweeping up public health in its wake.
Watching the public be misled, watching the reputation of Traditional Chinese dicine be chipped away—it felt worse than being sick himself.
Just then, his phone rang.
Li Xu’s spirits lifted.
’Could it be that Professor Gao or Dean Zhang found a way?’
He picked up his phone. It wasn’t them. It was Ding Kaifang.
"Doctor Li, good news!"
Ding Kaifang said excitedly, "Our Sour Jujube Seed dicine will get its final approval this afternoon! The production line is ready to go, we can start formal production tomorrow, and the first batch should arrive at your clinic the day after."
Ding Kaifang didn’t know about Jide Pharmaceutical’s "praise-to-kill" strategy; he was simply happy about the new dicine’s launch.
"With the Type A flu running rampant, our Sour Jujube Seed dicine is sure to make a huge impact and benefit the people!"
Ding Kaifang declared with great enthusiasm.
Li Xu’s low mood lifted considerably at the good news.
At the sa ti, a bold and brilliant idea surfaced in his mind.
’The core of Jide Pharmaceutical’s "praise-to-kill" strategy is to prop up an ineffective traditional Chinese dicine, let it co crashing down, and use the fallout to completely discredit Traditional Chinese dicine as a whole.’
’But...’
’What if... what if a truly effective traditional Chinese dicine could ride this wave of "praise," successfully enter the public eye, and be proven to have outstanding efficacy?’
’Then, the so-called "praise-to-kill" would beco just "praise," with no "kill" at all!’
’This would completely foil Jide Pharmaceutical’s plot. It might even do the opposite, allowing a genuinely excellent traditional Chinese dicine to gain unprecedented attention and recognition.’
’And which traditional Chinese dicine could take on this important task?’
’Their soon-to-be-launched Sour Jujube Seed dicine, of course.’
’But the na needs to be changed.’
’That’s the only way to ride the montum.’
"President Ding, I have a proposal."
Li Xu’s mood had improved so much that his voice was cheerful. "The na of the Sour Jujube Seed dicine needs to be changed. I suggest we call it... Lianhua Suanzaoren Granules!"
Ding Kaifang was dumbfounded on the other end of the line. "What? Lianhua... Suanzaoren Granules? Doctor Li, you can’t be serious! Our main ingredient is Sour Jujube Seed, so why add ’Lianhua’ to the na? Won’t that make it look like a knockoff? The approval process is already finished. Changing the na is no small matter!"
"President Ding, let explain."
Li Xu thought for a mont.
’I can’t reveal anything about the intelligence system.’
’But I can explain it from another angle.’ "Right now, the ’Lianhua’ series of products is incredibly popular on the market. It’s practically beco synonymous with anti-flu traditional Chinese dicine. The public has developed a high degree of recognition and trust for the na ’Lianhua’."
"Even though the main ingredient in our Sour Jujube Seed dicine is Sour Jujube Seeds, the formula also contains small amounts of Forsythia Suspensa and Honeysuckle. These are common ingredients in the ’Lianhua’ series.
"The amounts aren’t large, but it’s enough to justify using the na. At least it won’t be false advertising.
"We can market it as an enhanced or brand-new, upgraded version of the ’Lianhua’ series, one that specifically targets the unique pathology of this Type A flu."
"Most importantly, experts, including Academician Zhang Lin, are all heavily recomnding Lianhua Granules right now.
"But based on my observations recently, Lianhua Granules aren’t very effective against this particular Type A flu.
"If this marketing campaign is allowed to continue, once the public realizes it’s not as miraculous as advertised, they’ll grow to resent and reject all traditional Chinese patent dicines.
"When that happens, even if our Sour Jujube Seed dicine is excellent, no one will want to touch it."
"So, we have to ride the popularity of ’Lianhua’ and get a truly effective dicine into the market under the ’Lianhua’ na.
"We need to let the public restore their faith in traditional Chinese patent dicines by taking the genuinely effective ’Lianhua Suanzaoren Granules’.
"That’s the only way to foil our opponent’s plot."
Li Xu had laid it all out with perfect clarity.
Ding Kaifang had never considered that there were so many complex twists and turns involved.
He thought that just producing the Sour Jujube Seed dicine would be enough for it to sell well.
After Li Xu’s explanation,
his business instincts kicked in. "Doctor Li, are you saying... soone is maliciously slandering Traditional Chinese dicine and deliberately manipulating public opinion?"
Li Xu didn’t answer directly, only saying in a serious tone, "President Ding, now is not the ti to ask for details. Changing the na will be a hassle, but if it can protect the reputation of Traditional Chinese dicine and prevent a greater crisis, it’s a price worth paying. Trust ."
Ding Kaifang nodded. "No problem. I trust you. Changing the na is a pain, but this is an ergency. I’ll handle it personally and go through the fast-track channels. Since the dicine’s safety and compliance don’t need to be re-audited, it should only delay us by a day or two at most."
"Then I’ll leave it to you, President Ding. The sooner, the better."
Li Xu let out a long sigh of relief.
True to his decisive nature, Ding Kaifang imdiately sprang into action.
He mobilized his connections and resources, personally went to the drug administration departnt, and rushed the approval process for the na change to Lianhua Suanzaoren Granules.
Although he encountered so obstacles along the way, thanks to Ding Kaifang’s persistence and maneuvering, he ultimately secured the approval in the fastest ti possible.
Just two days later, brand-new boxes of "Lianhua Suanzaoren Granules" were rolling off the production line at Ding’s Pharmaceutical Factory.
The packaging style of these boxes was sowhat similar to the popular "Lianhua" series products on the market.
Only the "Ding’s Pharmaceutical" logo printed in the bottom-left corner distinguished it from other pharmaceutical companies.
The first batch of Lianhua Suanzaoren Granules to co off the line was sent to Li’s Traditional Chinese dicine Clinic that very day to be put into use imdiately.
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