Chapter 349: Chapter 349: The Winds Have Changed

Southern Hospital.

Zhang Lin was in his office.

At his current status, he didn’t need to see patients every day.

Sometimes, he wouldn’t even hold a clinic session once a week.

So, most of the time, he wasn’t that busy.

Right now, he was looking at his computer.

On the screen, pages from social media and news forums were spread out before him.

Ever since Tamiflu Granules officially entered the Dragon Country market...

...public opinion online had been a scene of "thriving prosperity."

"Tamiflu Granules really work. I took them for two days, and my fever went away."

"It doesn’t work instantly like the ads claim, but it’s much more effective than the Lianhua Granules I took before."

"Finally, a medicine that can treat Influenza A! It’s all thanks to Academician Zhang’s recommendation."

Comments like these dominated the conversation.

Zhang Lin watched these positive reviews with satisfaction, calculating in his head how Jide Pharmaceutical’s stock price was bound to rise again.

Of course, he also noticed some discordant voices.

"Aren’t Tamiflu Granules too expensive? Over forty yuan for a box, and there’s so little in it. It’s gone in a day. What normal family can afford that?"

"Yeah, it’s effective, but the price is a real turn-off. Can’t they release a more affordable medicine?"

Zhang Lin just scoffed at these complaints.

’Expensive?’

’Of course it has to be expensive.’

’Only by selling it at a high price can there be hefty profits.’

’Only then can I get a bigger cut from Jide Pharmaceutical.’

Every extra box of Tamiflu Granules sold made the numbers in his bank account jump. This was the goal he had schemed and spared no expense to achieve.

"Academician Zhang, these are the latest medical journals. I’ve placed them on your desk."

Just then, his assistant carefully pushed the door open, entered with several thick medical journals in his arms, and gently placed them on Zhang Lin’s desk.

Although Zhang Lin’s intentions were corrupt, as an "expert" who had navigated the medical world for many years, he knew the importance of staying informed on the latest international medical information.

He habitually picked up the top one, the Journal of the American Medical Association, and quickly flipped through it.

It was mostly filled with conventional studies, with no breakthrough technologies or discoveries, which he found rather dull.

Then, he picked up the next one—the Lancet.

As his eyes scanned the table of contents for the current issue, he suddenly froze.

"Clinical Efficacy and Mechanism of Lianhua Suanzaoren Granules in the Treatment of Influenza A... Author: Li Xu."

The conspicuous title and author’s name made his face turn ashen.

"What... What is going on?"

He was furious.

’Li Xu?’

’That young doctor he had publicly denounced on television for "passing off fakes as genuine"?’

’He actually published a paper in the Lancet?’

’And it’s about Lianhua Suanzaoren Granules, no less.’

Beyond his anger, Zhang Lin also felt a surge of panic.

’What the hell is going on over in America?’

’Why didn’t that idiot James tell me?’

’Why didn’t he stop this paper from being published?’

’The Lancet is world-renowned. A paper published in it might not be 100% correct, but in the public eye, it might as well be. And his previous statements... make him look like a total clown!’

Fuming, Zhang Lin snatched up his phone. Forgetting all about secrecy, he directly dialed James Oliver’s private number.

"James, what the hell happened? What’s with that paper in the Lancet? Didn’t you say you’d handle everything? Why was Li Xu’s paper on Lianhua Suanzaoren Granules published?"

Zhang Lin was practically roaring. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

James, on the other end of the line, was clearly in a bad mood as well.

He snorted and retorted, "Zhang Lin, you have the audacity to ask me? The ’praise-to-kill’ strategy I came up with was so horribly executed by you that not only did it fail, it actually helped that Li Xu launch Lianhua Suanzaoren Granules onto the international stage. Let me tell you, my losses on this side are far greater than yours. Davis himself stepped in to get the paper published. What was I supposed to do? And you! You’re the one who swore up and down that Chinese medicine had no scientific basis. And now? Hmph..."

James’s rebuttal was like pouring fuel on the fire, enraging Zhang Lin even more.

After a fierce back-and-forth argument, the two parted on bad terms, each hanging up in a fit of rage.

Zhang Lin slumped into his chair, stunned for a long moment.

Then, he typed "Lianhua Suanzaoren Granules" into the search bar.

Sure enough, an avalanche of news and discussions instantly popped up.

"Lancet Bombshell: Dragon Country’s Chinese Patent Medicine, Lianhua Suanzaoren Granules, Shows Significant Efficacy Against Influenza A."

"New Breakthrough in Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine: Lianhua Suanzaoren Granules May Be the New Hope for Treating Influenza A."

"Backed by a Prestigious Journal, Does Lianhua Suanzaoren Granules Really Have Miraculous Effects?"

All sorts of headlines dominated the front pages of major media outlets, and an unprecedented wave of discussion swept through social media.

"Even the Lancet is endorsing it. Looks like this medicine is the real deal."

"I remember hearing Academician Zhang say that all Chinese medicine was fake. Now it looks like we know who was really lying."

"Yeah, wasn’t there something wrong with Academician Zhang’s previous assessment of Lianhua Suanzaoren Granules?"

Voices questioning Zhang Lin began to appear, and their numbers were growing.

People’s perceptions were quietly shifting.

After all, the authority of the Lancet was unquestionable. A paper published in it was enough to change public perception.

Just as the tide of public opinion was beginning to turn,

another bombshell piece of news detonated online: Beijing News Press reporter Li Yang released an exclusive video interview with Li Xu.

In the video, Li Xu explained the pharmacology and efficacy of Lianhua Suanzaoren Granules in detail and pointed out, with sound reasoning, why Lianhua Granules were not the correct treatment for Influenza A.

When Li Yang asked for his opinion of Academician Zhang Lin, Li Xu shot back without holding anything back: "With Academician Zhang Lin’s level of expertise, he couldn’t possibly be unaware that Lianhua Granules are the wrong treatment for Influenza A. To know this and still promote them so heavily, using it as an opportunity to discredit all Chinese patent medicines and even slander Lianhua Suanzaoren Granules... his motives are sinister and deserve to be condemned."

Every word was a gem, each one landing with force, exploding like a thunderclap across the field of public opinion.

"That’s our Li Xu! Someone has to confront those experts who spout nonsense for profit."

"A junior in the medical field calling out a senior. Now that’s a doctor who dares to speak the truth."

"So Lianhua Granules really were the wrong medicine for this strain of Influenza A. No wonder it didn’t work when I took it."

"I believe Li Xu now. The paper in the Lancet, plus what he just said... it’s just too convincing."

The public debate reached an unprecedented level of intensity.

But this time, the scales had clearly tipped in favor of Lianhua Suanzaoren Granules.

There was one more point that began to draw people’s attention: Lianhua Suanzaoren Granules sold for only fifteen yuan a box. Tamiflu Granules, on the other hand, cost over forty.

The huge price difference made many people who were previously hesitant start leaning toward trying Lianhua Suanzaoren Granules.