Chapter 593 - 608: Luring the Enemy into the Trap

Under Jiang Xia’s invisible control, the buzz around Luo’s Pharmaceutical grew more and more intense.

All sorts of interested parties got their hands on what they believed was exclusive inside information.

But people in the business world were no fools. Although Luo’s Pharmaceutical was an industry titan, they adopted a wait-and-see attitude regarding the new blood medication’s effectiveness.

While they made their preparations, they also kept a close eye on developments at the hospitals.

They watched to see when Luo’s Pharmaceutical’s drugs would be delivered, whether anyone would actually use them, and if their effects were as miraculous as the company claimed.

The affair surrounding Luo’s Pharmaceutical was the talk of the town for a month, and the number of people paying attention didn’t dwindle; in fact, it only grew.

Major news outlets and newspapers even began running follow-up reports on Luo’s Pharmaceutical’s new drug.

Ten days after the press conference, a patient used the new drug from Luo’s Pharmaceutical.

Fifteen days later, the drug began showing its advertised effects.

Twenty days later, the patient’s condition had shown significant improvement. Thirty days later, the first stage of their treatment was complete, and they felt like they had been given a new lease on life.

This outcome left too many people antsy. Who wouldn’t want a piece of that pie?

It wasn’t just the pharmaceutical sector; people from various investment industries began approaching Luo’s Pharmaceutical, offering funds to support the Luo Family’s research. However, Luo’s Pharmaceutical refused them all.

This time, they stated with great resolve: We don’t need the money.

Regardless of the attempts at persuasion, Luo’s Pharmaceutical insisted on not going public, not accepting any investments, and maintaining its original research and manufacturing model, advancing at a steady pace.

Nothing would be allowed to affect their passion for research, nor would it affect the price of their finished medications.

With the media coverage and the drug’s remarkable effectiveness, sales for Luo’s Pharmaceutical—already an industry leader—soared to new heights.

Previously, some doctors would often avoid prescribing drugs from Luo’s Pharmaceutical, primarily because their prices were too low.

But since the launch of the blood medication, their standing had completely changed.

Many hospitals were now clamoring to purchase their drugs, but Luo’s Pharmaceutical consistently claimed they had no stock, stating they were building a new Chinese medicine factory and needed to prioritize supplying their early hospital partners.

By "early partners," they actually meant the hospitals that were willing to prescribe affordable medicine to ordinary people.

The rise of Luo’s Pharmaceutical changed not only the attitudes of hospitals, but also those of the general public.

Oftentimes, people didn’t know if a medicine was good or not; some simply defaulted to wanting the more expensive option.

But now, everyone wanted drugs from Luo’s Pharmaceutical.

The shifts in the pharmaceutical industry made competitors whose interests were threatened antsy, but with a formidable figure like An Ning backing the company, most didn’t dare make any rash moves.

After the press conference, many people investigated Luo’s Pharmaceutical, and An Ning as well. Of course, they only found what they were meant to find.

For example, An Ning was a top academic prodigy—a genius who had completed both master’s and doctoral degrees in under four years and had successfully solved two major mathematical conundrums.

After the new patent laws were enacted, this genius was raking in so much from patent royalties each year it was almost absurd.

This was pure profit, with no inflated numbers.

No wonder Luo’s Pharmaceutical was so adamant about not accepting any investments.

Attacking Luo’s Pharmaceutical or An Ning directly were both dead ends, so the planned Chinese medicine factory became the primary target.

A month after the press conference, Luo’s Pharmaceutical announced the eligibility requirements for its new Chinese medicine factory. Any company that met the criteria could submit a bid.

Luo’s Pharmaceutical released a thick stack of documents outlining the requirements.

From the soil’s humidity, temperature, and pH levels to the fluctuations in the local climate, from cultivation conditions to harvesting techniques—everything was subject to rigorous standards.

These standards immediately disqualified seventy to eighty percent of the potential bidders.

The few that remained were, at best, barely qualified.

These factories submitted their documents for review by Luo’s Pharmaceutical. While on the surface it was a waiting game, behind the scenes, every company was making moves.

They couldn’t bribe the Luo Family, so they went after their competitors instead.

An amusing spectacle began to unfold. A total of eight factories had submitted bids. On the very first day of the review, one was disqualified due to a report of "inconsistent production specifications between batches."

On the second day, the CEO of another factory was suddenly embroiled in a family scandal. Although the factory itself stood strong, the incident left a bad impression.

The third day seemed to pass quietly.

On the fourth day, during reporter interviews at the workshops of two different factories, fresh rat droppings were found at one, and a cockroach nest was discovered at the other.

The fifth and sixth days passed uneventfully.

On the seventh day, the final day of the review period, a fire broke out at yet another factory due to mismanagement. Fortunately, there were no casualties.

One week after the standards were announced, the highly anticipated bidding presentation began.

By then, only three factories that met the standards were left in the running.

Backstage, An Ning held a file and stared intently at the documents for the Red Sun Chinese Medicine Factory, nodding repeatedly.

’Two months... This is what you call a complete makeover. Who would have thought that two months ago, this was just a small, village-style workshop.’

Mrs. Luo nodded and handed a file to An Ning. "This documents their every move."

An Ning took the file and flipped through it, a mocking smile touching her lips.

"Ruthless enough, and rich enough."

An Ning snapped the file shut. "Let’s go," she said to Mrs. Luo with a slight smile. "The trap is set. Time to finish the final step."

The two of them went out to the press conference together, their manner as decisive as ever.

Without wasting a single word, Mrs. Luo announced on the spot that Red Sun Chinese Medicine Factory had been selected as the partner for Luo’s Pharmaceutical. She then read out the responsibilities and obligations of both parties during the partnership, as well as the relevant laws and regulations they must adhere to.

With lawyers as witnesses, Red Sun Chinese Medicine Factory and Luo’s Pharmaceutical signed the partnership agreement.

The other party’s representative extended his hand, and Mrs. Luo extended hers.

"To a pleasant partnership."

"I’m sure *I* will find it very pleasant," Mrs. Luo said, releasing his hand and turning to leave.

And with that, the press conference concluded. The other two factories were sore losers, but the outcome was decided, and there was nothing they could do.

It seemed the matter was settled. A piece of the pie had been snatched up by a brand-new factory.

When the news reached the village chief and the true controllers behind him, they were simply pleased with their apparent success.

Soon after, representatives from Luo’s Pharmaceutical arrived at the completely transformed village.

When the village chief went to greet them, he was surprised to see a familiar face: Cheng Jun.

The two had a pleasant chat. That night, they drank together, reminiscing and catching up like long-lost family.

Cheng Jun successfully arranged to stay in the village to oversee the factory’s setup. As his relationship with the village chief grew closer, the factory quickly went into production.

Everything was proceeding perfectly, exactly according to both parties’ plans.