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Chapter 624: Chapter 528: In the Teeth of the Storm (Please Subscribe!)_1
Thailand.
Bangkok.
Tang Kai’s office.
In just a few hours, the exhilaration from the afternoon had completely vanished. Tang Kai, wearing a worried expression, was pacing back and forth in his office like an ant on a hot pan. The shift in the opinion of the Western media had happened too quickly, catching them all off guard.
He had also learned from Wangsa who was pulling the strings behind the scenes.
It was none other than the entire industrial chain aiming to go full throttle, ready to kill their fruit wine sales off with a single blow. Wangsa didn’t have any good countermeasures either and could only suggest waiting and seeing how things would evolve while suspending all global sales of their fruit wine for the time being.
They were well aware.
Behind the tide of public opinion were tugs-of-war among various interest parties. Whether it was the media, research institutions, or even public outcry, they were all just pawns and tools. To win, they had to depend on the unseen efforts behind the scenes.
This time, it was Leader Ling fighting with the big shots of the industrial chain. They, as mere mortals, didn’t have either the qualifications or the ability, let alone the daring, to interfere. They could only wait for news from Ling.
Earlier on this matter, Tang Kai had already called Ling to ask whether their fruit wine really had such severe side effects. Although he didn’t believe it, he still needed Ling to deliver a conclusion.
And Ling had said that he would get back to him later.
Now.
Over half an hour had passed.
Tang Kai was getting a bit anxious. He had rerouted all calls from other people to his secretary. Except for Ling’s, he didn’t want to explain so much to anyone else before receiving a response from Ling.
"Ding ding ding..."
The phone suddenly rang. Seeing that it was Ling, Tang Kai quickly picked it up.
"Leader Ling, what’s the result?" Tang Kai asked anxiously.
Ling, still in his calm and unhurried tone, said, "Don’t worry, Boss Tang. There’s nothing wrong with the fruit wine. It only inhibits the overstimulating drugs that were commonly used at the time. It has no inhibitory effects on other drugs. In other words, as long as you don’t drink our wine three days before and after using neuroexcitatory drugs, there will be no effect.
With so many synthetic drugs available today, heroin is no longer even considered among anesthetic drugs, so there’s no need for you to worry. We will soon send you detailed experimental data and conclusions about the fruit wine for you to release jointly."
After hearing Ling’s words.
Tang Kai finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Although it still had side effects, upon further thought they barely matter. As long as one refrains from using other sedatives and stimulants within three days, everything should be fine. If someone were to try all sorts of stimulants and drink at the same time, it would be like jumping off a building every day; if someone wanted to die, who the hell could stop them?
It’s like eating too much rice oblivious to the actual situation and getting choked, would you blame the farmers who grew the rice?
Absurd.
"That’s great. We’ll release the statement as soon as possible. Also, Ling, be careful. I heard that quite a few people are planning to deal with you, after all, our fruit wine has cut off a lot of people’s money sources."
Tang Kai voiced his worries. He and Ling were now partners on the same boat. He hoped Ling could stay safe and out of trouble.
If something happened to Ling.
He wasn’t sure if Ling’s territory would fall into chaos, but he knew his own business would certainly run into trouble overnight, as his business was currently entirely dependent on Ling staying out of trouble.
"Thanks for your concern, don’t worry. Since we dare to sell, we are not afraid of being targeted." Ling replied indifferently. A robot might not fear anything, when they encounter an opponent, the solution is to eliminate it.
Hearing Ling’s reassured and preparedness, Tang Kai finally let go of his worries. He was afraid that Ling would take things lightly and reminded him, "Leader Ling, their joint force is formidable. Be especially careful of hidden plots and assassins. Also, I am concerned about the possibility of local countries banning imports."
In addition to underhanded tactics, Tang Kai also feared that countries, pressured by public opinion shaped by the media campaign, would ban the sale of the fruit wine and so forth. If it were just the sale of alcoholic beverages, there would not be many restrictions. However, now that drug rehabilitation was involved, even with a modicum of medicinal effects, it would complicate matters.
Even for many countries, including Huaxia, when faced with such a situation, if the results of drug rehabilitation experiments were proven, they would likely be subject to scrutiny and testing, requiring re-examination before being allowed on the market. This would prolong the process, because the market release procedures for food and pharmaceuticals are completely different.
"We are well-prepared. You just focus on your sales." Ling replied, still in his same calm tone.
Tang Kai hesitated for a moment, intending to mention the difference between food and medicine, but he realized that Ling might already know this, so he only replied, "Alright then. You’re busy, if there’s danger, run immediately."
"Alright, goodbye Boss Tang, I will notify the others." Ling hung up after finishing his sentence.
After hanging up the phone, Tang Kai sat in his chair, poured himself a glass of fruit wine and took a sip. He still found it very delicious, but he knew he couldn’t just sit idly, waiting for Ling to sort out the troubles.
If Ling couldn’t pass this hurdle,
There might be real problems down the line, and he would also face considerable trouble.
Next.
Tang Kai took out his phone and pressed it.
"Governor Wangsa, are you in Bangkok? I’ll be coming to come over to your house." What Tang Kai feared most was these people persuading the American Empire, then pressuring the Thai government to ban the export of fruit wine. This would complicate matters.
Secret attacks are sometimes easy to dodge.
But it was genuinely tricky to counter open moves.
He had to consult the local big shot Wangsa. Even though this hadn’t happened yet, he needed to take precautions. If he wanted to deal with the Thai government, starting with Wangsa was the only approach now.
Just as he ended the call.
An email arrived in Tang Kai’s inbox.
He subsequently forwarded it to the relevant departments in the company. 𝘯𝘰𝑣𝘱𝑢𝘣.𝑐𝑜𝑚
Twenty minutes later.
All the fruit wine distributors jointly issued a statement explaining their effectiveness and mechanisms. Interestingly, the online response was mixed. Praises came from those wishing to quit drugs, and curses from various addicts. Fortunately, there are many types of anesthetics, and only a few have developed drug resistance.
It was still acceptable.
However, the means of capital would not let such harmony happen.
As expected.
The media’s attention immediately shifted to the major debate whether fruit wine should be classified as a beverage or a pharmaceutical. It also questioned whether there were any other side effects, or whether it was a form of deception to not disclose its effects initially.
They believed if fruit wine was categorised as a drug, it would be forced off the shelves in western markets and had to go through the drug approval process all over again, with the clinical and experimental data mess could result in delays for several years.
They could drag this on for years.
...
Half an hour later.
At Wangsa’s house.
Tang Kai and Wangsa sat in the living room, with two cups of hot tea steaming on the coffee table. All the servants had left.
"Governor Wangsa, what’s the stance of Thailand?" Tang Kai asked with a frown.
The expression on Wangsa’s face wasn’t good, as he was also a fruit wine distributor. He slowly said, "I’ve given the report to my father. He is actively working on this. Although many countries have not explicitly stated they would pull down, there is still public concern. If things escalate and it’s categorised as a drug, it’s very likely it would need to reapply for approval before being relisted."
"Do you think your father can persuade the upper echelons in Thailand to withstand this pressure?" asked Tang Kai.
Wangsa shook his head and said, "I’m not sure, we can only try our best. Thailand is not just the government and the military, the royal family also plays a part. If the wine faces prohibition from a large number of countries, persuading them with Ling’s data might not work, unless they see tangible benefits."
"Troublesome. I didn’t expect it to provoke such a huge response," Tang Kai leaned back on the sofa, rubbing his face.
This was back to the beginning. It was all about Ling’s game with the opponent. This was the most critical part. Once this hurdle was cleared, relaunching the fruit wine, or the banning by any country would seem like minor issues.
If fruit wine could really detoxify, such a good product would never worry about sales. If you don’t let me sell, I can do it in my own territory or other ’neutral camps’, without paying taxes, or even let it flow through the black market, no country would do such stupid things.
But the premise was for Ling to win this round.
But could Ling survive?
Ling’s peripheral forces.
The big shots on the global industrial chain.
The government of Myanmar.
Other predators.
With the combination of these four forces, he felt the trouble brewing for Ling was significant. Only those on the industrial chain were making moves now, and the other three were largely on the sidelines.
If they started to intervene.
Tang Kai didn’t dare to contemplate the consequences.
