American Medicine God: Starting by Inheriting a Pharmaceutical Company and Selling Medicine

Victor looked at the screen, a satisfied smile appearing on his lips.

“Look, Saul. This is politics.” Victor pointed to the screen, which was showing footage of police raids on an underground pharmaceutical factory. “We don’t need to explain anything. We just need to establish a common enemy—the ‘other’ who breaks the rules and brings chaos. When the public feels unsafe, they instinctively gravitate towards the strong.”

"And we are the strong ones who can provide that sense of security," Saul added, as he carefully examined a two-hundred-page "Industry Compliance White Paper."

"Not only that." Victor stood up, walked to the map, and traced his finger across several key logistics nodes on the East Coast. "Taking advantage of this crackdown on counterfeit drugs, we can smoothly eliminate those small distributors who have been operating in this gray area. They will either accept Walter's 'safety certification system' and become our regular force, or they will be labeled as 'potential criminal accomplices' and eliminated by the market."

"This certification system is simply a genius design." Saul put down the documents, took off his glasses and wiped them, his tone full of admiration. "We're not just selling drugs; we're defining 'what a drug is.' According to this standard, any drug that hasn't been scanned by Walter's 'Triple Holographic Anti-counterfeiting Spectrum' is legally defined as a 'compound of questionable ingredients.' This gives the FDA a legal basis for seizures. Under Section 505 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, we've effectively obtained 'privatized enforcement power.'"

"Killing two birds with one stone." Saul put his glasses back on, his eyes lighting up. "It diverted public pressure and cleaned up the supply channels. Those community pharmacies that used to only get their supplies from low-price channels now have to sign our exclusive supply agreements to avoid having their licenses revoked. Although our wholesale price is 40% higher than the black market price, they are willing to pay this price compared to jail time."

"This is the price of 'order'." Victor turned around, his eyes deep. "Sometimes, to establish true order, you need a controlled chaos."

Just then, the phone rang. It was Dr. Raymond Sterling.

"Victor, good news." The doctor's voice was filled with joy, and the low hum of a centrifuge could be heard in the background. "Because of the crackdown on those counterfeit brain-boosting drugs with unknown ingredients, many patients have returned to regular hospitals. Consultations for our 'Memory Restoration Program' have tripled. Doctors say that patients now only trust drugs with the Water anti-counterfeiting label."

"What are the specific data?" Victor asked, walking to his desk and turning on speakerphone.

"It's astonishing. In the past 48 hours, sales of our 'Neuron Activity Detection Kit' have surged by 200%." ​​Raymond was clearly flipping through data reports; the sound of pages turning was clearly audible. "Furthermore, as you requested, we emphasized the concept of 'purity' in our advertising. Patients today not only demand efficacy but also have an almost obsessive-compulsive obsession with the 'molecular-level purity' of drugs. They'd rather spend three times the money to buy batches bearing the Waters 'Golden Shield' logo."

"Very good, Raymond," Victor smiled. "Maintain the supply. Tell the production department to open two more production lines. We must ensure that every patient seeking help receives the purest and safest treatment. Also, have the public relations department work with the medical liaison officer to release a research report titled 'Irreversible Damage to the Frontal Cortex from Long-Term Use of Non-Standard Drugs,' using data to make the fear more concrete."

"Understood, I will arrange it."

After hanging up the phone, Victor looked out at the night sky. The faint sound of police sirens could be heard in the distance, but on the top floor of the Water Tower, everything seemed so peaceful and orderly.

"Make sure that donation to the police union is settled," Victor instructed, his tone as casual as if he were ordering food. "Also, send a banner to the detective who solved the case and invite him to our annual charity gala. We want the whole of America to know that Walter stands with justice. Remember, the donation must be processed through the Community Safety Foundation, not in cash. We want the honor of being recognized as a 'model of police-community cooperation'."

"Yes, boss." Saul quickly took notes. "I will have the compliance department review the donation agreement first to ensure that every clause complies with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and local ethical guidelines."

Amidst the torrent of public opinion, Walter once again skillfully adjusted his course. He was not a profit-driven businessman, but a knight wielding a sharp sword to protect his homeland. Although this knight's sword was stained with the blood of his competitors, in the eyes of the public, it was the shining light of justice.

.......

The incessant autumn rain in Boston seemed to be washing away the city's gloom into the Charles River.

Victor sat in the private screening room at GVN headquarters, watching a slightly haggard face on the screen. It was Linda Carter, 34, a former textile factory worker, whose wrinkles around her eyes made her look ten years older than she actually was.

"Is this the plaintiff who sued us?" Victor asked calmly.

“Yes, boss.” Saul, his brow furrowed, was organizing documents. He pulled a blue folder from his briefcase. “Her story has been exploited by competitors. A law firm called ‘Shield of Justice’—which is actually funded by a short-selling firm—has approached her. They claim she had an adverse reaction after using our drug and are trying to file a class-action lawsuit.”

“This law firm has a very interesting background.” Saul flipped through the documents, pointing to a complex shareholding structure diagram. “They specialize in monitoring the stock price fluctuations of listed companies. Once they launch a class-action lawsuit, coupled with a short-selling report, they can reap profits in the secondary market. They don’t care whether Linda wins or not; as long as the case is filed, even if it is eventually settled, their short positions will have already been closed out and they will have made a profit. To them, Linda is just a ‘litigation bait.’”

"What is the truth?" Victor didn't look at Thor; his gaze remained fixed on Linda's helpless eyes on the screen.

"The truth is infuriating, but also typical." Barry Hines emerged from the shadows, holding an investigative report. He wasn't wearing an extravagant suit today, but rather a dark gray turtleneck sweater, which made him look particularly stern.

“Linda was actually a victim. She was a victim of telecom fraud, swindled out of her savings by a fake ‘high-paying overseas labor agency.’” Barry slid several photos in front of Victor, showing a shabby underground clinic and cheap medicine bottles. “The agency told her that to work abroad, she had to pass a rigorous medical examination, especially a ‘mental stress test.’ They induced her to take a so-called ‘miracle drug’ that would guarantee she passed the medical exam. Our lab tests showed that the main ingredient of that drug was industrial starch mixed with an excessive amount of pseudoephedrine, and trace amounts of expired antidepressants produced by our competitors.”

"That's what caused her physical damage," Barry said in a low voice. "Severe liver and kidney damage, and neurasthenia caused by drug abuse. That law firm took advantage of her desperation, promising to pay off her debts and even help her get back the money she was swindled out of if she insisted it was Walter's drugs."

Victor remained silent for a moment, and the only sound in the room was the faint hum of the projector fan.

"The usual PR approach is to expose her lies, brand her with shame, and ruin her reputation," Barry said tentatively, a cold glint in his eyes. "We have evidence that she was scammed, as well as the 'profit-sharing agreement' she signed with that law firm. I've drafted a media plan. The first step is to expose her 'fraud victim' status on social media, portraying her as a 'scammer' who will stop at nothing for money; the second step is to guide public opinion to question her mental state, implying that her accusations are delusional. Once it's exposed, she's finished, and the lawsuit will automatically be dropped."

Barry paused, then added, "The cost is less than $50,000, and the efficiency is extremely high."

"No," Victor suddenly interrupted him, "By doing that, we might win the case, but we'd lose the overall picture."

He turned around and looked at his two capable assistants.

“Linda is just a mother with nowhere else to turn. She was used by con artists, and now we’re going to destroy her too? No, that’s not Walter’s way.” Victor’s eyes hardened. “We’re going to save her.”