At three in the morning, at the Qu Group.
The pharmaceutical department’s punching machine made a ding sound as Qu Zhen dragged her exhausted body out of the laboratory. She hung her protective clothing in the closet and patted her face to keep herself awake as she walked into the parking lot.
Ling Chi saw her figure and threw the cigarette butt on the ground.
Qu Zhen sat in the front passenger seat with her eyes closed. Ling Chi held the steering wheel and secretly observed her condition. He sounded her out, “The new drug research is nearing its end, right? When will it be released for clinical trials?”
“It’s around the weekend.”
!!
Qu Zhen answered vaguely. Ling Chi nodded. He saw the red light at the intersection and stepped on the emergency brake.
The violent inertia made Qu Zhen lean forward and almost hit the windshield in front of her. She stared at Ling Chi with slightly sober eyes and asked, “Why? You seem to have something on your mind.” Ling Chi remembered Qu Qi’s urging and forced out a smile. “I’m just worried about your body.”
“Has the composition of the new drug been determined? I heard from a friend that there are two new prescription herbs recently. The prices are low, but the medicinal effects are the same. Why don’t you try replacing them? It might bring better profits to the group, and the pricing of the new drug will also be lower.”
Ling Chi was a layman. Qu Zhen smiled gently and patiently explained the differences between the Chinese medicines to him.
“The effects and side effects of different herbs are different. The products and symptoms they produce are also different.”
“This is the third time you’ve mentioned those herbs to me. I’ve done a very detailed investigation, and they are not suitable for developing the new drug.”
Qu Zhen gently held Ling Chi’s hand and patted it in a comforting manner. “I’ll use them when I have the chance.”
She thought Ling Chi was trying so hard to recommend her because he could get a commission, so she apologetically rejected him.
Ling Chi furrowed his brows tightly and took a deep breath to barely raise the corners of his mouth.
The red light suddenly changed, but Ling Chi did not notice it. It was not until the car behind him honked impatiently that he let go of the brake and drove a few meters away. Qu Zhen stared at his side profile and felt that something was wrong, but she couldn’t figure out the problem.
That night, Qu Qi called Ling Chi and asked in a dissatisfied tone, “Did you get it?”
Ling Chi hesitated. “Shall we forget about it? After all, it’s a matter of life and death. If this were blown out of proportion, I’m afraid we won’t be able to end it.”
Qu Qi gritted her teeth fiercely, and her pitch inevitably became a little higher. “You want to retreat now?”
“Then all the preparations we made earlier were in vain! Do you want to see Qu Xiao continue to step over us?”
“As long as you replace the information, I will handle the internal affairs of the Qu Group!”
“Follow up on the post-clinical situation of the drugs put through the clinical trial! We will definitely be able to take down Qu Xiao and make it impossible for her to stand up again. Don’t you want to see that day come?”
Qu Qi’s voice was bewitching. Ling Chi frowned and thought for a moment. He still clicked the mouse and typed on the keyboard to send the information.
On the weekend, Ling Chi accompanied Qu Zhen to the hospital and saw the patients who were undergoing the clinical trial.
After Qu Zhen understood the situation with the doctor, she returned to the laboratory to make adjustments. Meanwhile, Ling Chi found the family members of the patients and stuffed a stack of pink bills into their hands. He warned them in a low voice, “You must remember what I said. You must not tell the doctor about their true condition.”
“These medicines are used to treat illnesses. If the reaction of the patients is strong, they will be conservative and stop the medicine.”
Most of the patients lying in the intensive care unit were severely ill and poor families who could not rely on themselves to pay for the treatment.
When they heard Ling Chi’s words, they firmly believed him and nodded their heads in agreement, “My husband vomited three times last night. He has a slight fever, but his other conditions are very stable. He’s much better than before he took the medicine. Will he recover soon?”
Ling Chi looked at the patient’s hopeful eyes and frowned as his conscience was reprimanded. He nodded his head in a perfunctory manner.
Walking out of the hospital, Ling Chi received a text message from Qu Zhen.
[The new drug will be promoted in the market next month. We must find a place to celebrate!]
The research and development of the Qu Group’s new drug had already stirred up a lot of discussion. People on the streets praised the Qu Group as a group with empathy. Ling Chi saw the netizens posting about the situations they were facing and saw them talking about the helplessness and pain when they were sick.
Ling Chi struggled and struggled. He tried to call Qu Qi but ended the call before it was picked up.
Then, Ling Chi entered a string of numbers on his phone and nervously put it to his ear. When he heard the beeping sound, he said with a hoarse voice, “Hello? I want to report the quality issues of the Qu Group’s new drug.”
“It doesn’t meet the listing standards. I want to thoroughly investigate the Qu group and seek justice for the patients who don’t know the truth.”
Ling Chi hung up the phone and let out a sigh of relief as he collapsed on the sofa. He rubbed his forehead with his fingers. Regardless of whether it was right or wrong, he felt as if he had been relieved of an extremely heavy burden.