Two days passed.
Chen Jinzhao did not receive the triumphant news from Qian Deshui. Instead, he received bad news from Yu Mengzhi—
Several people had died from consuming painkillers produced by Gouchen. It was reported that after the drugs were sent for inspection, fatal cyanide was discovered. This cyanide, when absorbed by the human body, impedes normal cell respiration, leading to suffocation.
The incident quickly spread nationwide, and Gouchen Pharmaceutical instantly became the target of public anger.
On the phone, Yu Mengzhi was on the verge of tears.
She was facing immense pressure, with almost everyone pointing fingers at her.
Chen Jinzhao, not yet fully understanding the situation, said in a deep voice, "Don't go anywhere in the company for now. I'll come to you."
"Mmm..."
Chen Jinzhao immediately rushed to Gouchen Group.
Returning to the familiar place, Chen Jinzhao saw hundreds of protesters gathered at the company entrance from afar. White banners with black characters were glaring and heavy.
In addition,
numerous police officers were maintaining order.
Chen Jinzhao observed from a distance as the crowd of protesters grew, with some people bringing white chrysanthemums to the company entrance to mourn the patients who had died in this incident.
He sighed, walked past the crowd, and approached the blockade line.
Tao Qiyue's figure caught his eye.
Tao Qiyue also saw Chen Jinzhao. After giving some instructions to those around her, she walked up to him and led him to a quiet corner, frowning as she asked, "Why are you here?"
Chen Jinzhao countered, "When did you get back?"
"Quite a while ago. I just didn't want to bother you. Life has to go on," Tao Qiyue said. After her trip to the Northwest, her negative emotions had returned to nature, and she was determined to pick herself up and stick to her path.
Chen Jinzhao nodded.
Then he said, "I'm here to see what exactly happened. If I can help, that would be even better."
Tao Qiyue glanced at Chen Jinzhao and said softly, "As a friend, I have to warn you that this matter might be Gouchen Pharmaceutical's own problem. If you get involved rashly, you might not be able to get out."
"I know, but I have to do this," Chen Jinzhao replied.
Tao Qiyue no longer insisted. "Alright, then. Please convey a message to Yu Mengzhi for me: tell her not to resist the investigation. If there are any clues or directions, she can contact me immediately."
"Okay, thank you!"
Chen Jinzhao crossed the blockade line and headed towards Yu Mengzhi's office.
Tao Qiyue watched Chen Jinzhao's departing back for a long time before retracting her gaze and continuing with her work.
Inside the office,
Yu Mengzhi was pacing nervously. The ringing of the phone felt like a death knell to her; she hardly dared to answer any calls.
Creak—
Chen Jinzhao pushed the door open and entered the office.
The moment Yu Mengzhi saw him, her emotional defenses instantly collapsed. She rushed into his arms and sobbed softly.
After comforting her, Chen Jinzhao gently wiped the tears from her eyes and said warmly, "Don't be afraid. Aren't I here? What you need to do now is not to evade, but to face the facts. If the problem truly lies with Gouchen itself, then do what needs to be done. Don't hold onto any illusions. If the problem is not with us, then that's even better."
"Mmm, I know..." Yu Mengzhi replied, her eyes red.
"Even so, I still feel incredibly distressed. I can't get over this hurdle. Why did the painkillers we produced contain cyanide? I still haven't figured this out."
"Have you seen the comments online?"
Chen Jinzhao nodded.
The people online were already attacking Yu Mengzhi personally, with comments that were as vicious as could be. There were very few objective comments.
The more this was the case, the more Yu Mengzhi should have remained calm.
Chen Jinzhao pondered for a moment and then said, "I think you should do two things now. First, immediately hold a press conference to inform the media and the public of all the progress you've made. Moreover, for any new developments, it's best to hold press conferences promptly to make them public. Second, recall this batch of painkillers, even if it incurs a sky-high loss for the group."
Yu Mengzhi silently took note.
Chen Jinzhao was her anchor. Yu Mengzhi would not resist anything that was beneficial to the current situation.
Ring ring!
The phone on the desk suddenly rang frantically, making Yu Mengzhi's face even paler. Seeing this, Chen Jinzhao said, "How about I answer the phone for you?"
Yu Mengzhi took a deep breath. "No, I'll do it."
She didn't want to drag Chen Jinzhao into this terrible vortex.
Picking up the phone, Yu Mengzhi hadn't said anything yet when the other party spoke at length. After processing what was said, Yu Mengzhi turned to look at Chen Jinzhao and then said, "Mr. Li, I'm listening. Please, go ahead."
"Okay, I've noted it down."
"Mmm-hmm!"
"If there are any developments, I will inform you immediately."
"Would you like to say a few words to Jinzhao? He's in my office right now..."
"Mmm, I understand."
After hanging up the phone,
Chen Jinzhao hesitated and asked, "Li Qiutao?"
"Mmm, the chairman of Qiushui Group, and also one of the directors of Gouchen Group," Yu Mengzhi replied.
Chen Jinzhao couldn't help but feel a strange sense of unease. Why did this uncle always avoid him? He didn't even have time for a phone call? Yu Mengzhi also found it strange but didn't voice it.
"What did he say?" Chen Jinzhao asked.
"You might not believe it when I tell you. Mr. Li offered me three suggestions. The first two completely aligned with the two you mentioned. The third was to let me open the pharmaceutical factory to the public at an opportune moment, proving in this way that the drugs produced in our factory strictly followed the procedures." Yu Mengzhi looked at Chen Jinzhao, surprised that Li Qiutao's thoughts were so consistent with Chen Jinzhao's.
Chen Jinzhao pondered, "Then let's do that."
"What did Uncle Yu say?"
Yu Mengzhi replied, "After the incident, my father went to the provincial capital to pay his respects to important figures, hoping to mitigate some of the impact."
Chen Jinzhao knew that the impact of this matter was significant. If handled improperly, it could affect Gouchen's prospects in its joint laboratory with the state. Once it lost Wen Fului, Gouchen Pharmaceutical would become just another company.
"My father also said that someone might be fanning the flames, considering how rapidly Gouchen has grown in the past six months," Yu Mengzhi added.
Chen Jinzhao nodded; he couldn't rule out that possibility either.
Knock knock knock!
Someone knocked on the office door. It was the production manager of the group, holding several inspection reports. He came into the office and informed Yu Mengzhi of the latest situation.
The company had already recalled the painkillers from all sales channels. However, no traces of cyanide were found on those returned drugs, only in the few bottles consumed by the patients.
Chen Jinzhao and Yu Mengzhi exchanged a look. This detail made them instantly understand.
Someone was working behind the scenes!