"Zhou Dafu, you’d better grow these well. If the Watermelon Frost we make from them is effective, I can raise the price for you again next year."

Ji Qinglian was painting a pretty picture.

Zhou Dafu puffed out his chest and guaranteed, "Manager Ji, don’t you worry. This is all good land. The Golden Beauty watermelons I grew before did great, so growing traditional black-rind watermelons will be no problem at all."

Ji Qinglian gazed at the watermelon field before him, his mind filled with grand visions.

He could almost see it: the Sanjin Watermelon Frost produced this fall would make a huge splash in the market, becoming a bestseller both at home and abroad.

When that time came, the company would surely reward him. A promotion and a raise were just around the corner!

...

Sophie Company Headquarters.

The atmosphere in the general manager’s office was heavy.

Ishii sat in his chair, his expression exceptionally grim as he stared intently at the sales report in front of him.

"It’s been a whole month..."

Ishii slammed the report down on the table. "Not only have sanitary napkin sales not slowed their decline, they’re getting even worse! What’s going on?"

According to his original estimates, even if their reputation took a hit, it should have only lasted half a month at most.

Once that time passed, consumers would forget their initial grievances and go back to buying their products.

The marketing manager stood to the side, beads of sweat on his forehead, and reported cautiously, "Recently, a product called ’Ding’s Sanitary Napkin’ appeared on the Dragon Country market. It’s gaining a lot of traction, and its sales are climbing steadily. It has already taken a significant portion of our Sophie sanitary napkins’ market share. I had someone buy some for the technical department to analyze."

He paused, his voice growing even quieter. "The feedback from the technical department is... Ding’s Sanitary Napkin is indeed very effective, and its price is also relatively cheap. It’s very difficult for us to compete with them on either price or quality."

Ishii’s face turned ashen with anger. He snorted and muttered, "A pharmaceutical factory should be honestly producing medicine, not branching out into sanitary napkins. It’s a complete deviation from their business."

He waved his hand dismissively. "Alright, that’s enough. You may leave. I need to think of a solution."

The marketing manager, as if granted amnesty, hurriedly retreated from the office.

Ishii was left alone, lost in deep thought.

Although the technology for sanitary napkins wasn’t complex, once consumer word-of-mouth exploded, especially with other local manufacturers fanning the flames, it would be exceptionally difficult for a foreign brand like Sophie to make a comeback.

He thought and thought to no avail, rubbing his temples in frustration.

Just then, his phone rang. It was his good friend, Fujiwara Takayuki.

"Mr. Ishii, are you free tonight? A few of us old friends are getting together?"

Fujiwara Takayuki asked.

Ishii was feeling miserable and needed someone to vent to, so he agreed.

That evening, in a private room at a Japanese-style izakaya, Ishii and Fujiwara Takayuki sat across from each other.

Besides the two of them, there was also a middle-aged man with a refined and scholarly air—the famous Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner from Japan, Yamada.

After a few rounds of drinks, Fujiwara Takayuki noticed Ishii’s gloomy expression and asked with concern, "Mr. Ishii, you look troubled today. Is something bothering you?"

Ishii sighed and laid bare his predicament: how Sophie sanitary napkins were getting hammered by Ding’s Sanitary Napkin in the Dragon Country market, leading to a sharp decline in sales.

After listening, Fujiwara Takayuki was stunned for a moment. Then, as if he’d found a kindred spirit in misery, he slapped his thigh and began to pour out his own grievances. "Mr. Ishii, I never expected we’d share the same troubles! Our Ryukakusan Company is also being suffocated by this Ding’s Pharmaceutical Factory."

"What do you mean?"

Ishii asked hurriedly.

Fujiwara Takayuki sighed. "You have no idea. The products from their Ding’s Pharmaceutical Factory, like Watermelon Frost and Dragon Bone Powder, have completely swept the market. Last year, our Dragon Horn Powder sales dropped by thirty percent. It was even worse in the international market, where they fell by fifty percent, and this downward trend is continuing."

The more Fujiwara Takayuki spoke, the more agitated he became, his tone filled with resentment.

Ishii and Fujiwara Takayuki went back and forth, venting their frustrations, and the private room filled with resentment toward "Ding’s Pharmaceutical Factory."

Dr. Yamada, listening from the side, grew curious. He set down his cup and asked, "Gentlemen, from what you’re saying, this Ding’s Pharmaceutical Factory sounds quite extraordinary. How could a pharmaceutical factory suddenly become so formidable?"

Fujiwara Takayuki took a sip of sake. "Mr. Yamada, you may not be aware, but according to our intelligence department’s investigation, this Ding’s Pharmaceutical Factory was originally just a small, obscure factory. But everything changed after they hired a young doctor from Dragon Country. That doctor’s name is Li Xu. I hear he’s incredibly skilled. Despite his young age, he has already cured several difficult and complex cases and has a bit of a name for himself in Dragon Country."

Hearing this, Dr. Yamada frowned slightly, a little disbelieving. "A young practitioner of Chinese medicine? That’s probably fake. Chinese medicine emphasizes experience and the accumulation of knowledge over time. How skilled could a young doctor possibly be?"

Fujiwara Takayuki shook his head and said seriously, "Mr. Yamada, our intelligence is not wrong. This Li Xu is truly a prodigy. The Chinese patent medicines he developed are remarkably effective. They have completely changed the landscape of the Chinese patent medicine market in Dragon Country and are even starting to impact the international market."

A flicker of interest appeared in Dr. Yamada’s eyes.

He had recently been planning to go to Dragon Country for a medical exchange but hadn’t decided on a specific city yet.

’In that case, perhaps a trip to Feng City would be a good choice.’

"Mr. Fujiwara, Mr. Ishii, I’ve been planning a trip to Dragon Country for a Traditional Chinese Medicine exchange. Since this Ding’s Pharmaceutical Factory and that Dr. Li Xu are so special, I’ll choose Feng City as the location for the exchange."

Yamada said.

Fujiwara Takayuki was overjoyed to hear this. "That’s wonderful! We can ask you to help us scout them out, Mr. Yamada."

Ishii quickly chimed in, "Yes, Mr. Yamada, you must help us find out what secrets this Ding’s Pharmaceutical Factory has, and why their products are so effective."

The three continued toasting and drinking, the atmosphere lightening slightly.

Fujiwara and Ishii, in particular, placed great hope in Yamada’s upcoming trip.

...

Feng City Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Dean Song had just received a notice from the Municipal Health Bureau stating that an international medical exchange delegation would soon arrive in Feng City, including the renowned Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner from Japan, Professor Yamada, as well as experts from other countries.

They would be conducting a multi-day academic exchange at the Feng City Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

In recent years, similar international medical exchange events had become more and more frequent.

With the acceleration of globalization, the saying "medicine knows no borders" was also being heard more and more loudly.

Cooperation and exchange between the medical communities of various countries—learning from one another to make up for deficiencies—had also become a major focus for the World Health Organization.

But this time, the delegation’s choice of the Feng City Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine came as a bit of a surprise to Dean Song.

After all, similar international exchanges in the past had always chosen the Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the provincial capital. As a third-tier city, Feng City wasn’t particularly prominent on a national scale.