Chinese Medicine: Starting with Daily Intelligence-Chapter 241: Hope

Zhouzhuang.

The autumn sun was gentle, not scorching.

In the fields, the late-season rice had already been harvested, leaving only golden stubble.

A Japanese man in a trench coat, pulling a suitcase, appeared at the village entrance, looking completely out of place.

His name was Yoshida, an employee in the China liaison department of Japan's Ryukakusan Co., Ltd.

This time, he was on a secret mission to Dragon Country to investigate a competitor—Ding's Pharmaceutical Factory and its unexpectedly successful "Watermelon Frost."

When he first arrived, his luck was good.

In a Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, he ran into the inventor of Watermelon Frost.

Unfortunately, the man didn't know what was good for him and rejected their acquisition offer.

But Yoshida didn't give up.

After making inquiries in various places, Yoshida finally found the source of the raw materials for Ding's Watermelon Frost: a small village called Zhouzhuang.

He went to the village committee office and, in relatively fluent Chinese, began asking the Village Chief for information.

"Hello, I'm here to inspect some agricultural projects," Yoshida said politely, handing over his business card. "I've heard that the watermelons produced in your esteemed village are of excellent quality. Is that true?"

Village Chief Zhou took the card and glanced at it. Hearing that this "foreign guest" was here on an inspection, he became a bit more enthusiastic.

"That's right! The watermelons from our Zhouzhuang are famous far and wide!" Village Chief Zhou said proudly. "Especially the ones grown on that sandy patch of land in our village. They're huge and sweet. This summer, Ding's Pharmaceutical Factory even sent people specifically to buy out all the watermelons from that plot. They said they were going to make some kind of Watermelon Frost!"

'Ding's Pharmaceutical Factory!' A thought flashed through Yoshida's mind. He knew he'd come to the right place.

He nonchalantly continued, "Then... does the ownership of that land belong to the village collective?"

"Of course," Village Chief Zhou nodded, then his tone shifted. "But nowadays, most of the land in our village has been transferred. Part of it was contracted out to the Harvest Farm Cooperative, and a smaller portion was contracted by Sanjin Pharmaceutical Factory."

Yoshida committed each piece of information to memory.

'Harvest Farm Cooperative!'

He immediately looked it up on a corporate information network.

He discovered that the largest shareholder behind this cooperative was none other than the Ding Group!

This formed a perfect chain of evidence, indirectly proving that the watermelons produced on Zhouzhuang's land were indeed of extraordinary quality and perfectly suited for making high-grade Watermelon Frost.

"So... is it still possible to find any watermelons from this summer? I'd like to buy some samples to take back for my superior to see," Yoshida asked.

"Ha! You're too late, sir!" Village Chief Zhou threw up his hands and chuckled. "It's already late autumn. The fields were planted with other crops long ago. Where would you find watermelons? That stuff doesn't keep. Once summer's over, nobody stores them."

Although Yoshida was a bit disappointed that he couldn't get samples for verification, the main purpose of his trip had already been achieved.

That evening, from his hotel room in the county town, he called President Fujimoto all the way in Japan and gave him a detailed report of his findings.

"President, the situation is more or less confirmed. The raw materials for Ding's Watermelon Frost do indeed come from this place called Zhouzhuang. Moreover, most of the land there is already controlled by the Ding Group and another pharmaceutical company. It will be difficult for us to interfere."

On the other end of the line, President Fujimoto pondered for a moment.

As the Sect Leader of Ryukakusan Co., Ltd., he was well aware of how crucial high-quality raw materials were for a product.

The rise of Ding's Watermelon Frost already posed a serious threat to their position in the Dragon Country market.

"Yoshida-kun, you've done well." President Fujimoto's voice was steady and firm. "Since that's the case, we certainly can't sit back and do nothing. However, don't make any rash moves for now, lest we alert the enemy.

Wait until next summer when the watermelons are ripe, then go and verify their quality.

If the quality is truly exceptional, then we'll initiate Plan B—at any cost, we will offer several times the market price to contract the land directly from the local farmers!

We must obtain the high-quality watermelons from the source!"

"I understand, President!" Yoshida replied respectfully.

"Also," President Fujimoto's tone changed as he continued, "don't be in a hurry to come back. Our general agent for Dragon Horn Powder in Dragon Country, a Mr. Sun Qingshuang—you remember him, don't you?

I heard that his daughter unfortunately had an accident some time ago and was seriously injured. She's currently receiving treatment at the Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Since you're in Dragon Country, go and pay him a visit on behalf of the company.

Mr. Sun is a very important partner to us. At a time like this, we ought to show our concern."

President Fujimoto added with a sigh, "Back in the day, our Dragon Horn Powder couldn't enter this massive market because of Dragon Country's strict regulations on imported medicine.

A few years ago, we managed to open a small breach through online cross-border e-commerce channels.

Later, it was precisely through Mr. Sun Qingshuang's powerful distribution network that our product was able to enter Dragon Country's major pharmacy chains and supermarkets.

Now, Dragon Horn Powder is sold in over one hundred thousand stores in Dragon Country, and Mr. Sun's contribution has been indispensable. We must maintain this relationship."

"Yes, sir! I'll set out for the provincial capital tomorrow," Yoshida agreed.

...

Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

After a course of treatment, Sun Haiqing had long since been moved from the intensive care unit to a private, high-end ward.

The first An Gong Bezoar Pill had completely suppressed her life-threateningly high fever.

Under the effect of the second pill, her vital signs had miraculously stabilized from a state of decline, and her bodily functions had begun a slow but steady recovery.

Today was the day she was to take the third pill.

The head nurse came in person and, ever so carefully, dissolved the shimmering golden pill and slowly administered it to Sun Haiqing through a nasogastric tube.

Sun Qingshuang and his wife stood guard by the hospital bed. Compared to a week ago, the despair on their faces had been replaced by overwhelming anticipation.

They had witnessed with their own eyes the miracle created by the An Gong Bezoar Pill.

Each time she took the medicine, their daughter's condition would make a qualitative leap forward.

They firmly believed that this final pill would surely bring an even better result.

After taking the medicine, Sun Haiqing showed no immediate, special changes. She just slept quietly, her breathing even and deep.

The night deepened.

Sun Qingshuang had his wife go rest while he kept watch from the chair by the bed, not daring to close his eyes all night.

Outside the window, moonlight, like water, spilled silently into the hospital room.

Around three in the morning, when all was still, Sun Haiqing's long, thick eyelashes suddenly fluttered, ever so slightly, like the wings of a butterfly!

Sun Qingshuang, exhausted from staying up all night, was nodding off.

He inadvertently glanced up.

And caught that very sight.