Brooklyn, New York.
Inside a pharmaceutical laboratory, the lights shone exceptionally bright.
Standing before the floor-to-ceiling window and looking down at the researchers conducting experiments below, Liu Ren held a cigar between his fingers and asked, "Any progress so far?"
"I'm sorry, sir. None of the drugs we've designed can be qualified for production because the risks involved are far too great!"
Explaining to Liu Ren, the pharmaceutical director standing beside him looked thoroughly plagued by a headache.
Hearing his response, Liu Ren narrowed his eyes. "Are you telling me that after investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in you people, all I get in return are these excuses to swindle me?"
Sensing the sudden stifling tension in the room, the assistant standing nearby hurried forward. "Sir, we've actually succeeded in developing a painkiller. However, it's highly addictive!"
Yet before the assistant could finish speaking, the pharmaceutical director snapped in a furious rebuke, "Kane, shut up! Do you even know what you're saying?"
Watching the director's mortified rage, Liu Ren's expression turned playful.
It seemed this man was still keeping quite a few secrets from him!
Back when he invested in the pharmaceutical industry, his goal was to gain control over healthcare—and even develop into a terrifying "medical-industrial complex" like Pfizer in the future!
Yet by now, Liu Ren had already poured no less than six hundred thousand dollars into the venture without seeing any results, which couldn't help but make him question whether this director was truly of any use.
He had hardly expected that coming here today would yield such startling news.
They had actually formulated the very "medicine" he wanted—it just had a negligible little flaw!
To Liu Ren, that wasn't a problem at all.
After all, how could relieving pain be so simple? How could anyone expect results without paying a price?
Fixing a sharp gaze on the pharmaceutical director, Liu Ren curled his lips into a smile. "I'm very interested in that painkiller."
"Sir, that drug is indeed remarkably effective, but its source is derived from..."
Just as the director was about to explain, Liu Ren cut him off with a chilling stare. "Do you know what a doctor's most important duty is?"
The pharmaceutical director didn't answer. He knew all too well what the man intended to do: unleash this drug straight from hell.
Yet as a doctor, his conscience wouldn't permit it! That was signing a contract with Satan!
"It seems you understand very well: a doctor's foremost duty is to cure diseases and save lives!"
Raising a single finger, Liu Ren shouted sternly, "Since you see human suffering, why force these poor, innocent people to endure agonizing pain? You are in the wrong, do you understand? You are thoroughly immoral!"
Hearing Liu Ren's berating, the director immediately responded with gravity, "That drug may stop pain, but patients will become permanently dependent on it!"
"Only the living can feel pain. Once a person is dead, there's nothing left!"
Staring at him coldly, Liu Ren turned his head and said, "Your name is Kane, right? Tell me all about that drug!"
Arriving in the lab, Liu Ren looked at a tiny pill resting inside a glass vial, his brows furrowing slightly. It appeared to be an opioid.
Now he finally understood why the director had objected so fiercely—drugs of this class truly were dangerous, carrying horrifying aftereffects!
Yet where was he? He was across the ocean in America!
Liu Ren turned around, raising an eyebrow. "Have all the data on this drug delivered to my office tomorrow. I'll find a way to handle the healthcare system."
"Yes, sir! I'll follow your instructions to the letter!"
Looking at Liu Ren with deference, Kane's eyes shone with excitement.
He knew that from this day forward, he would no longer be just a lowly assistant.
Seeing the young man's smile, Liu Ren patted his shoulder and said, "You know, there are many things in this world that are very important, like conscience..."
Hearing Liu Ren's words, Kane's smile instantly froze, thinking he was being reprimanded.
Catching the unspoken implication, Kane beamed at Liu Ren and hurried to reply, "Yes, sir, I understand!"
"Very good, Kane. You're a smart young man. It wasn't in vain that I poached you from the Yale School of Medicine!"
Addressing Kane, Liu Ren was full of appreciation.
After all, what was the most precious commodity these days? Talent, of course!
As for the former pharmaceutical director, if he knew what was good for him, he would learn to keep his mouth shut. Otherwise, Liu Ren wouldn't mind providing the Hudson River with another snack for the sharks!
Speaking of the glory days of opioids, one couldn't avoid mentioning a certain pharmaceutical giant: Purdue Pharma.
In the future, the opioids they produced concealed their addictive nature, plunging the entire nation across the ocean into popping painkillers for every minor ache!
Naturally, that company's ultimate fate was miserable, ending in total expulsion from the pharmaceutical industry.
Yet what era was it now? The 1920s!
Never mind Liu Ren concealing the adverse effects—even if real problems arose, could anyone actually drag him to court?
What a joke. If anyone dared to investigate, Liu Ren would make them understand that his Silver Rock Group didn't just manufacture heavy machine guns—it could also send men with heavy machine guns to wipe out your entire family!
Did anyone really think people in the arms industry these days were saints? Just ask the Mafia if they dared to collect "street cleaning fees" from the New York Syndicate in Manhattan!
Mafia: Do you even hear yourself right now?
Leaving the procedural paperwork to Robert, Liu Ren soon became completely hands-off.
After all, nobody would pay attention to the Silver Rock Group establishing a small pharmaceutical manufacturing company.
Its scale was simply too small to draw any notice.
Yet no one realized that while Silver Rock Arms bided its time to strike, this Mercy Pharmaceuticals would become the true American-dollar harvester!
After all, compared to the tactics Purdue Pharma pulled back in the day, Liu Ren played an even wilder game.
Insane profits, enter Satan!
Yet just as everything was proceeding in an orderly fashion, a sudden phone call interrupted Liu Ren's thoughts.
Looking at the incoming call, Liu Ren frowned in annoyance. "What the hell? Fuck, call Vito and tell him to get that damn Shanggelaite to come see me right now! Immediately, understand?"
"Yes, Boss, right away!"
Hanging up the phone, the man broke into a cold sweat. "Call the Corleone Family! The boss wants to see Shanggelaite!"
As the transferred call reached the Corleone Family...
Vito was currently celebrating the birth of his son. Clemenza, however, hurried in, his voice taut with nerves. "Vito, step outside for a second. Phone call!"
"From who?"
Looking at Clemenza with suspicion, Vito was puzzled. Who would bother him at a time like this?
"Liu!"
Uttering the name slowly, Clemenza wiped away his cold sweat.
Under normal circumstances, Liu never issued orders directly; everything went through Gatsby. But now, he had called personally, which meant something was terribly wrong!
Hearing that name, Vito hurriedly set Michael down!
Chapter 46