Chapter 68 Trouble at BH Pharmaceuticals
The turmoil caused by the forced sale of medicinal materials ultimately ended with Alexis and his gang being reduced to manual labor.
James did not expend much energy on these matters. He monitored the renovation progress while also taking time to treat Jared's illness.
After several treatments, Jared regained his fertility, for which he was immensely grateful to James.
Daniel also actively attended to patients.
Under James's guidance, Daniel's medical skills improved significantly, enabling him to handle the neighborhood patients on his own.
He was exceedingly enthusiastic towards James, addressing him as master and frequently offering coffee and water.
Knowing that even his grandfather and Bradley wanted to apprentice under James, Daniel was well aware of James's value.
James imparted some of his experience to him and treated over a dozen patients as demonstrations, greatly inspiring Daniel.
As he finished seeing his last patient and was about to have lunch, he saw Samuel rushing over:
Samuel said, "James, something has happened at BH Pharmaceuticals."
Not long after, Patrick and Skylar also appeared.
James ushered the trio into his still-under-renovation backyard, going the extra mile to prepare a few cups of coffee for their enjoyment.
James asked, "Why do you all look so distressed? What happened?"
Samuel dropped to his knees with a thud. "James, I have wronged you."
James quickly helped him up and asked again, "What exactly happened?"
"This isn't Samuel's fault. I employeed the wrong person." The always dignified and elegant Skylar managed a wry smile as she spoke, "After BH Pharmaceuticals fired Ella, she sold all the procurement data to our competitors. As a result, several of our peers adjusted their pricing strategies, forcing our flagship product, BH Beauty Cream, into an awkward position. Of course, this is not fatal. What's most infuriating is that Ella had previously entangled herself with a key member of our R&D department and got her hands on the secret formula for which I had paid a high price."
Skylar looked at James. "Now, Ella has sold BH Pharmaceuticals' three products—beauty, health, and scar removal—to Overlord Pharmaceutical."
Patrick added. "Overlord Pharmaceutical is our biggest competitor at the same price point, and its head, Harry, is the son of Tommy Jones from BH Bank. Harry has always wanted to take us over, but Skylar has always kept him at bay. He once plotted against BH Pharmaceuticals, but I saw through it and warned him, which made him behave for a while. But this time, he has directly undermined us through Ella."
A glint of light flickered in Patrick's eyes. "Skylar reviewed the process and concluded that he had long been scheming to steal the secret formula."
James noted the name 'Harry.'
Skylar turned to James, her expression grave. "The rumor is that Overlord Pharmaceutical is ramping up production and planning to sell at half our price, aiming to obliterate us in one swift move. While we can maneuver with Hundred Flowers Bank's help and file a lawsuit, if BH Pharmaceuticals can't make a breakthrough with new products, our next quarter will be hit hard. We won't just be dealing with unsold products. Overlord Pharmaceutical could swallow up our entire customer base."
Patrick chuckled lightly. "Skylar is so worried about this that she can't even eat. She says she's sorry for leaving you with such a mess."
He and Skylar weren't short on funds, but they were unwilling to suffer a blow to their pride. Given their years-long rivalry, it was only natural that Patrick was loath to see Harry gain the upper hand over Skylar.
James squinted slightly and said, "It seems I've been too lenient."
"James, I'll go find Ella. I'll dig her out from wherever she is and make her give everyone an explanation." Samuel stood up abruptly. "As long as we get her, we'll have a witness and can stop Overlord Pharmaceutical's production."
James shook his head, "She's probably taken the money and disappeared by now. Besides, you don't need to worry about this. I can bring Stephen into the picture. Moreover, even if Overlord Pharmaceutical can't get their production up to speed, they could still leak the formula to smaller outfits, which would still harm us indirectly."
He took a sip of coffee. "What I want to know now is how to resolve this crisis and save BH Pharmaceuticals.
Even though the company was a gift, it was still his business. James certainly didn't want to see it go bust before he truly had a chance to get it off the ground.
"Plan A is to halt production in Overlord Pharmaceutical, obliterate the formula, and simultaneously employ a legal team to monitor the market vigilantly, severely tackling any counterfeit production from small factories." Skylar's fingers traced the rim of her coffee cup, "But this path is nearly impossible. Harry wouldn't miss an opportunity, and our time and energy won't allow it."
Skylar added, "Plan B is to completely withdraw our original products from the market in the next quarter and replace them with more effective, high-end products. This would render our competitors' attacks futile and even cause them a loss. For instance, if our current beauty products make users look three years younger, just by replacing them with products that make users look five years or more younger, we could turn around the company's future predicament. This plan seems straightforward, but it's also highly challenging. We don't have time for research and development, and the idea of purchasing a formula is even more far-fetched. Who would hand us the proverbial goose that lays golden eggs?"
Skylar said, "The fact that I managed to secure three formulas initially was purely a stroke of luck."
She rubbed her temples, looking quite annoyed. "We could also act as agents for big-name products from other countries, but that's practically working for them. Their terms usually stipulate that they take 90% of the profits."
"New products?" James mused. "Beauty? Health? Scar removal?"
"Yes, any new product, as long as its effects surpass our previous ones, would help BH Pharmaceuticals survive." Skylar crossed her long legs. "It's a pity you can't just prescribe it like medicine; otherwise, you could just write a few prescriptions."
"Prescribe it?" James squinted his eyes, and suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him.
James said, "Maybe I really can."
He suddenly remembered that his vast knowledge included many ancient formulas, some of which might be used for beauty treatments rather than just curing illnesses.
Thinking of this, James quickly searched his mind, and soon, his eyes lit up.
James said, "Samuel, give me a pen."
James gestured for Samuel to bring him a pen, then grabbed a napkin and started writing swiftly.
Soon, he had written down a beauty formula and added a name to it: [Bashful Flower.]
"Skylar, this is a beauty formula. Take it to the R&D department and have them look at it." James handed the formula to Skylar. "Its effects surpass all the beauty products on the market, much better than the ones that make you look three years younger."
Looking at the formula, Patrick chuckled. Although James was skilled in medicine, Patrick believed he could only achieve a little in the realm of beauty formulas.
Each field had its vast differences, and beauty products were particularly complex.
But Patrick couldn't be too blunt about it.
He spoke tactfully, "Sweeping the market's products, huh?"
James nodded lightly. "It can make you look about ten years younger."
Ten years younger?
Patrick smiled wryly at this. Hearing that, he knew the formula was completely unreliable.
Patrick thought, 'A formula that shaves off three years of age is already a rare gem in this world. A concoction that takes off ten years, well, that's unheard of.'
"Bashful Flower? Nice name." Skylar was also slightly taken aback, then smiled dismissively.
Like Patrick, she thought James was exaggerating.
The best products abroad only make you look about six years younger, and James claimed Bashful Flower could make you look ten years younger. That was too much to believe.
Skylar felt somewhat disappointed. She had come to discuss with James, hoping he would use The Clark family's connections, but he handed her a formula instead.
Of course, Skylar didn't want to discourage James, so she softly said:
"Alright, I'll ask the R&D department about it later." Skylar folded the napkin and slipped it into her pocket.
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