The next day, early in the morning.
Xiuluo drove and brought Lu Ming to the entrance of Ren Zhi Pharmacy. He parked the car across the street.
Through the window, Lu Ming witnessed the ‘big news’ unfolding.
Just as described in the email, as expected, a major incident had indeed occurred at Ren Zhi Pharmacy today. A large crowd had blocked the entire road, making it impassable.
The patients’ families held up banners with a single line of text: Black-hearted merchants, go bankrupt quickly!
A large group of people surrounded Ren Zhi Pharmacy.
Some were crying, some were shouting, some were making a fuss, and the scene was chaotic.
Looking inside through the crowd.
Young madam Qiao Ling stood on the steps, doing her best to appease the agitated public, repeatedly speaking in pleasant tones.
But it was useless.
The crowd continued to roar in anger.
Lu Ming frowned, listening for a long time before he vaguely understood what had happened.
It turned out.
All the people causing trouble were patients and their families who had purchased medication from Ren Zhi Pharmacy. After taking the medicine, their illnesses did not improve but worsened!
Everyone unanimously believed that the medicine from Ren Zhi Pharmacy was problematic.
Qiao Ling shouted, “Everyone, please be quiet and patient. Regarding the issue with the medicine, Ren Zhi Pharmacy will investigate it to the best of our ability. If it is confirmed that there is a problem with our pharmacy’s medicine, we will absolutely make amends and cover all expenses.”
But no matter how loudly she spoke, no one listened.
Subsequently.
A law enforcement vehicle drove over.
The door opened, and several law enforcement officers stepped out. Leading them was Liang Youde, the deputy director of the Pharmaceutical Regulatory Bureau.
The crowd parted, and Liang Youde walked through to Qiao Ling.
He began by saying, “Dr. Qiao, our bureau received a public complaint stating that your Ren Zhi Pharmacy sold counterfeit drugs. To ascertain the truth, we have come to investigate. We request your cooperation.”
Qiao Ling was stunned.
The Regulatory Bureau had arrived so quickly?
She had intended to downplay the matter, but with the arrival of the Regulatory Bureau, it could no longer be resolved.
Helpless, Qiao Ling had to cooperate with Liang Youde’s investigation.
At the same time, seven or eight more vehicles arrived, all belonging to various television stations. Outdoor reporters scrambled to cover the news about Ren Zhi Pharmacy.
Cameras aggressively panned and shot the crowd.
Inside the car across the street.
Xiuluo shook his head and said, “The Regulatory Bureau and the television stations arrived too quickly. As soon as someone started causing trouble here, they immediately rushed over, as if it were prearranged.”
Indeed, the speed of their arrival was too fast.
Moreover, Lu Ming caught another detail – he saw Catherine, the president of the Western Medicine Association!
At that moment, Catherine was sitting in a coffee shop by the street, sipping coffee while enjoying the spectacle at Ren Zhi Pharmacy.
This further confirmed Lu Ming’s suspicion: this incident was planned by Catherine in advance.
Xiuluo looked at Lu Ming and asked, “Warlord, do you need me to step in and protect Ren Zhi Pharmacy?”
Lu Ming shook his head, “No. Forcibly protecting Ren Zhi Pharmacy will only complicate matters. People will feel it’s unfair and suspect foul play. Even if Ren Zhi Pharmacy is innocent, it will be difficult to clear their name. Let’s not rush to protect them yet. Let’s see how Catherine plans to play this out?”
Over the next two hours, Liang Youde, accompanied by his assistants, inspected all the medicines in Ren Zhi Pharmacy.
It was certain that Ren Zhi Pharmacy, as a century-old establishment, had meticulously selected its medicines, and their quality was very good.
Only one type of medicine had a problem.
Gecko!
Gecko is the name of the medicine; in everyday life, it is commonly known as a ‘big lizard.’
During the inspection of the geckos, Liang Youde was surprised to find that although all the geckos appeared normal, when cut open, they had already begun to mold!
It was no wonder problems arose when moldy geckos were given to patients.
Liang Youde brought the moldy geckos to Qiao Ling. “Dr. Qiao, your pharmacy’s medicine indeed has a problem.”
Looking at the moldy geckos, Qiao Ling was stunned.
How could this be?
All the medicines had been strictly screened, so they shouldn't have had problems.
Liang Youde said, “There have been many rainy and humid days in Jinling recently, which easily causes mold to grow in medicines. Geckos are one of the medications most prone to mold, so this incident is not entirely unexpected. It can only be said that Ren Zhi Pharmacy’s quality control is insufficient, and their inspection of medicines is far from adequate.”
Qiao Ling was rendered speechless.
The moldy geckos were right in front of her; she had no way to argue.
Liang Youde continued, “I’m sorry, Dr. Qiao, but your pharmacy’s medicine does have a problem. According to regulations, I must impose a penalty on your establishment.”
“What… penalty?” Qiao Ling asked.
“It’s not severe, mainly in two parts. The first part is compensation to the patients who purchased the geckos, with the specific amount determined by the severity of the incident.”
Qiao Ling nodded. “And the second part?”
Liang Youde casually uttered a sentence that shocked Qiao Ling. “The second part is to suspend operations for rectification and self-inspection. The suspension period is not long, about six months.”
Upon hearing this penalty, Qiao Ling was completely dumbfounded.
“Six months?” Qiao Ling said disbelievingly, “Does it need to be suspended for half a year? Can I reduce the suspension period by paying more fines?”
A six-month suspension was indeed something Qiao Ling could not afford.
Few companies in the world could withstand a six-month suspension, especially a century-old establishment like Ren Zhi Pharmacy.
A six-month suspension would result in devastating losses.
Their reputation would also be severely damaged.
Within six months, at least eighty percent of their customers would be lost! By the time they reopened, it would be too late.
A six-month suspension was practically equivalent to a permanent ban.
However.
Liang Youde simply chuckled and said very casually, “I’m sorry, Dr. Qiao, this is not a matter of money. I am acting strictly in accordance with regulations. If you have any questions, you are welcome to file a complaint with the Regulatory Bureau.”
Would complaining help?
Qiao Ling stood frozen.
However, the crowd present was very satisfied with the outcome of the penalty, cheering loudly.
They received monetary compensation and saw the ‘bad guys’ punished, feeling very pleased.
Except for Qiao Ling and the employees of Ren Zhi Pharmacy, everyone else was quite satisfied with the handling of the incident, and Qiao Ling herself could not find any fault.
After all, their medicine did have a problem.
“It’s over, everything is over,” Qiao Ling slumped to the ground, unable to accept this reality.
Liang Youde issued the penalty notice to Qiao Ling, completed the procedures, and then got back into his car and left.
As he departed, an inconspicuous yet significant gesture was keenly noticed by Lu Ming across the street.
Lu Ming saw Liang Youde make an ‘okay’ gesture towards Catherine in the coffee shop!