Chapter 51: Broker
The next morning, at the headquarters of Zhong Pharmaceutical Group, Zhong Hai rarely appeared during working hours. Aside from the administrative center that received the notice, many group employees coming in and out of the headquarters showed surprised expressions.
As a nationwide large pharmaceutical enterprise with vast overseas operations, Zhong Hai, the head of Zhong Pharmaceutical Group, was mostly out of the office year-round, with only a few instances each month where he would appear at headquarters, let alone during regular working hours.
“Chairman, the representatives from Huayao Group have arrived. Should I arrange for them to meet in the reception room, or invite them to your office?”
The female secretary at the front desk quickly approached him, though she was no longer the previous Assistant Tian.
“Please bring them to my office. Also, during my conversation with the guests, no one is allowed to interrupt!”
Zhong Hai thought for a moment and decided it was better to talk to the representatives from Huayao Group in a more private setting.
…
In the chairman’s office, Zhong Hai unusually sat at the tea table, brewing tea, while anxiously guessing who Huayao Group would send this time.
As the door opened, the female secretary brought in a middle-aged man in his forties. At a glance, the hand-crafted tea set made by Zhong Hai trembled slightly.
“Mr. Zhong, long time no see.”
The middle-aged man stood in the center of the office with a smile, nodding slightly at Zhong Hai, who was at the tea table.
“It’s Mr. Han… Oh, the leader personally came!”
Zhong Hai quickly set the tea set down and rushed over to the middle-aged man, extending his hands willingly.
For a well-known entrepreneur over sixty, to actively curry favor with someone ten years younger was something that had not occurred to Zhong Hai in a long time.
Han Guoping, the executive vice president of Huayao Group, was the one with the most power among all the vice presidents, in charge of drug production and sales.
“Mr. Zhong, you are the senior, there is no need for formalities.”
Han Guoping politely shook Zhong Hai’s hand and invited him to take a seat first.
“Is there any instruction from the leadership during this visit?”
Zhong Hai only sat on half of the sofa, his demeanor completely lacking that of a seasoned entrepreneur or industry leader; instead, he appeared more like a minor official within the system.
“Not really an instruction, but it’s all good news for you, Mr. Zhong… This tea is excellent, your tea skills have improved quite a bit.”
Han Guoping smiled as he accepted Zhong Hai’s tea, carefully blowing on it before taking a sip, revealing a satisfied smile: “First off, several domestically produced medicines from Zhong Pharmaceutical Group have completed clinical trials and are receiving attention from the upper echelons, preparing to be recommended for inclusion in the medical insurance catalog. The relevant departments will contact you next month at the earliest, seize the opportunity!”
Zhong Hai was initially taken aback, then couldn’t help but show great joy. In this country, what could make a pharmaceutical company happier than being included in the medical insurance catalog?
The large domestic pharmaceutical market from Huayao and the gradually maturing mid-to-high-end family sector greatly increased the demand for high-end medicines every year. The policy favoring domestically produced medicines would also allow Zhong Pharmaceutical Group to capture the biggest share of the cake.
“Secondly, several special controlled drug raw materials are also prepared to be prioritized for supply here at Zhong Pharmaceutical, based on relevant industry support policies. Lastly, Zhong Pharmaceutical Group could also vie for the first batch of national-level biopharmaceutical collaborative research projects.
Some connections have been facilitated by a few group leaders; it all depends on whether you still have the ambition, Mr. Zhong? Haha, this can’t be settled over just a cup of tea!”
Going from joy to excitement, then to a serious expression, Zhong Hai felt overwhelmed by the three consecutive pieces of good news. Nonetheless, decades of experience allowed him to rapidly regain his composure.
In the spacious chairman’s office, a strange silence suddenly fell, with only the occasional sound of Han Guoping sipping tea, while Zhong Hai sat there, staring blankly at the tea table in silence.
“Alright, we’ve covered the obvious matters; now let’s talk about the hidden ones…”
After finishing the last sip, Han Guoping’s demeanor suddenly changed dramatically. His sharp, keen eyes pierced into Zhong Hai’s, who was still in a daze.
“Oh… if there are any instructions, please, leader, go on!”
Zhong Hai regained his senses and quickly lowered his gaze, speaking in a docile tone.
“These are some overseas special pharmaceutical raw materials we urgently need; we hope that Zhong Pharmaceutical can assist in finding external channels for supply. Price and customs are not issues—we won’t shortchange you for your contributions on the special front.”
Han Guoping pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and placed it on the tea table, observing Zhong Hai’s expression as he did so.
“We hope Zhong Pharmaceutical can increase production of this drug, and as for the technical process of the raw material formula, we’d like to see if Mr. Zhong can find a way to obtain it.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, a layer of fine sweat appeared on Zhong Hai’s forehead, and his expression became more uncomfortable.
“Leader, over the years, Zhong Pharmaceutical has been working hard to expand production capacity, but you surely know that the key raw materials for producing Yiwende all come from ‘that side’. If it’s about obtaining the technical process, it’s exceptionally hard… I wouldn’t even dare to mention it.”
As he spoke, Zhong Hai’s face began to turn pale, and he lowered his head significantly.
Yiwende is a patented medication that Zhong Pharmaceutical Group imported heavily from Japan twenty years ago. It is a long-acting injection used to treat malignant hematologic tumors, showing great clinical efficacy for various types of leukemia, albeit at a ridiculously high price.
The known side effect is that it can cause an increase in the patient’s body temperature, hence the dosage is highly controlled; typically, a patient only needs an injection once a quarter.
However, in another secret field, Yiwende also has another official name—anti-blood immune agent. When the single dose exceeds five milliliters, it becomes a crucial strategic resource for various countries’ secret agencies against blood clans.
Unfortunately, the special raw materials required for producing Yiwende cannot be acquired tech-wise, necessitating reliance on imports. This means that even if Zhong Pharmaceutical is the only company in the world that can produce Yiwende, it cannot achieve complete domestication.
Han Guoping sighed slightly, his expression returning to normal, and his tone softened considerably: “Comrade Zhong Hai, as long as the war has not ended, the higher-ups need someone like you who can stand from the perspective of the country and the people. There are no other ways. If you can proactively seek out useful information, we will also offer generous rewards.”
Upon hearing this, Zhong Hai was deeply moved, expressing gratitude repeatedly, yet beads of sweat on his forehead were notably forming.
However, I also know that Comrade Zhong Hai is constantly being tempted by ‘that side.’ I hope Comrade Zhong Hai can, on critical issues, not sell the interests of the country and the people to ‘that side.’ If you need money, come to me; for everything else, choose wisely.
After finishing, Han Guoping stood up, voluntarily extended his hand, and showed a posture of taking his leave.
Zhong Hai quickly stood up, grasping the other’s hand and nodding repeatedly.
Broker is the label Zhong Hai has assigned to himself.
Although this time Han Guoping has brought him numerous benefits, Zhong Hai can also feel the pressure from above. He even believes that the arrival of the elite from Tsurumi has drawn the attention of some significant figures.
However, as the pharmaceutical company in Huaguo most closely linked to the overseas blood clan families, Zhong Hai also has enough confidence and backing to navigate smoothly between the two worlds. This is also the key reason he can simultaneously receive support from upper echelons.
Once Han Guoping left, Zhong Hai’s emotions slowly settled, and his expression returned to normal. He brewed himself a new pot of tea, sipping leisurely, the previous humility and caution swept away.
Once, Zhong Hai was just an insignificant gatekeeper in the city, relying on the first bucket of gold earned through speculation along the coast to start a small enterprise producing pharmaceutical intermediates in his hometown, City C.
In an era of scarce resources, Zhong Hai’s small workshop, although not wealthy, thrived reasonably well, with some business even turning into exports. It wasn’t until thirty years ago, when a female college student walked into Zhong Hai’s sights, that his life began to undergo a dramatic change.
The female college student was named Meng Xiang—beautiful, gentle, and with a pleasing demeanor. Zhong Hai’s unwavering spirit of struggle was almost lethally tempting for him, who only had a middle school education.
Their passionate romance lasted a year, and only when they began to become intimate in that conservative era did Zhong Hai realize that she was actually an international student from Japan and was a child of the prominent Tsurumi Foundation.
Massive overseas investments, like pies falling from the sky, landed in Zhong Hai’s career. Along with it came various high-end patented drugs from abroad, entering Zhong Pharmaceutical’s production line.
In an era where attracting investment was a national policy, Zhong Pharmaceutical, receiving stake investments from Japan’s Tsurumi Foundation, was highly praised and vigorously supported by the local government. It seemed that overnight, Zhong Hai had become a model for the development of the private economy in the reform and opening-up era.
Meng Xiang’s support for Zhong Hai had long surpassed that of an ardently romantic girlfriend, leading him to fantasize about the feasibility of a multinational marriage.
But unexpectedly, Meng Xiang became pregnant and then mysteriously disappeared without a word.
Meng Xiang, like a petal that arrives with the wind and lands on the sleeve, leaving a fragrance behind before vanishing with the breeze. The process of searching for her was like flowers blooming and wilting, both forgotten.
Years later, when Zhong Hai had established his own family and gradually forgotten, a businessman claiming to be from Huayao Group and a mysterious soldier visited. It was then Zhong Hai realized he had fallen into a strange world that ordinary people cannot comprehend.
A small boy, resembling Meng Xiang, was brought before Zhong Hai. The boy had his own name—Meng Di—both strange and familiar, the last flicker of memory left to Zhong Hai after Meng Xiang’s passing.
That year, the relevant departments of Huaguo approved the Tsurumi Foundation’s application for further investment into Zhong Pharmaceutical Group. Subsequently, multiple state-owned financial institutions also invested in Zhong Pharmaceutical Group and joined the shareholders’ ranks.
Zhong Hai once again became a dazzling new star on the capital market, basking in glory as Zhong Pharmaceutical Group commenced its grandiose second expansion journey.
