Alexander stared out the window of the car at the towering headquarters of the Marching Ant Company, thoughts swirling in his mind.
This was his third trip to China—and each visit had been solely for this company.
That alone said a lot.
Compared to the previous two trips, Alexander felt more nervous today—but also more expectant.
Marching Ant Company had contacted him directly for this meeting, and it involved pharmaceuticals. That could only mean one thing—they intended to launch a drug into the international market.
If it were just a generic drug, they wouldn't have extended such an invitation or spoken with such confidence.
Zhao Min had made it very clear during their call: "You won't be disappointed." For her to make such a bold promise, the drug had to be profitable—massively profitable.
After entering the building, Alexander followed a reception robot into the meeting room, where Zhao Min was already waiting.
"Ms. Zhao, I'm sorry for the delay," Alexander greeted with a polite smile. "I got off the plane early this morning, jet lag hit me hard, and I only just woke up at the hotel before rushing over."
"Mr. Alexander, you're too polite," Zhao Min replied, shaking his hand warmly. "Please, have a seat."
Once they settled on the sofa, Zhao Min smiled and asked, "You've been keeping a close eye on our company recently. What's your take on our development?"
Alexander raised an eyebrow, recognizing the question as a feeler—a subtle test.
"Do you want the truth?" he asked.
"Of course," Zhao Min said, intrigued.
He gathered his thoughts before speaking. "Your people like to compare things to dragons—majestic, powerful creatures. I think it fits. Right now, your company is like a dragon locked under the sea. Everyone can see its power, but it hasn't yet soared. You're strong, awe-inspiring, but still trapped."
"Your situation mirrors China's," he continued. "You're powerful, and that makes others nervous. They fear that once the dragon breaks free, it'll dominate the skies. So they try to keep you contained. It's not just about business—it's ideological. The Western world can't fully accept your system. You're not open to being assimilated, and that scares them. So they isolate you. Publicly, they won't admit it—but deep down, it's fear."
His metaphor was a bit bold, but not inaccurate.
Marching Ants' isolation wasn't just due to being a Chinese company—it was a sole proprietorship that disrupted traditional capitalist structures and touched too many vested interests.
Because of political and financial entanglements, they'd been boxed into the Chinese market. Aside from a few specialized exports—like their seismograph—most of their products had yet to make serious inroads overseas.
Zhao Min laughed lightly. "Mr. Alexander, your metaphor is quite vivid. But we're not a dragon—we're just a little ant."
Alexander smiled. "Even ants can dominate the jungle. In many ecosystems, they sit atop the food chain."
"I noticed you've been working hard to help us 'break our shackles,' haven't you?" Zhao Min asked playfully.
"I wouldn't go that far," Alexander said, chuckling. "But I believe your success is inevitable. The rusted chains will snap eventually. I'm just making an early investment—call it venture capital. As you Chinese say, charcoal in the snow is better than icing on the cake."
Zhao Min smiled again, clearly impressed. "It seems Mr. Alexander has come prepared."
Alexander responded with his own smile. "Does that mean you're satisfied with my answer?"
"Your eloquence is excellent," Zhao Min replied, then smoothly shifted gears. "Let's get down to business. As I mentioned yesterday, this time we're inviting you to explore cooperation in the pharmaceutical field. Are you interested?"
"We've long wanted to enter that field but haven't had the opportunity." Alexander leaned forward. "But… you still haven't told me what kind of drug it is."
A merchant through and through—he wouldn't commit until he saw the product.
Zhao Min turned to the man seated beside her.
Tan Yong, the manager from the former Lanhong Pharmaceutical, was now deputy general manager of Jianghe Pharmaceutical after its merger. The breast enhancement drug project had come from Shi Lin's research team, originally under Lanhong.
Tan Yong, visibly energized, presented a file and a sample box to Alexander.
"This is our new product—Fengchest. Here's a sample of the drug, along with promotional materials and clinical trial data."
Alexander opened the file, brows lifting slightly in surprise at the pictures.
This… is that kind of product?
He blinked. He hadn't expected this. But once the initial surprise passed, his expression grew serious as he examined the data.
Who spends the most money in the world?
Three groups: children, the elderly, and women.
And women… when it came to beauty—they'd pay anything.
Thousands of dollars for skincare sets, luxury makeup, surgical enhancements. For the sake of body image, they endured needles, blades, pain—all in pursuit of an ideal.
Weight loss supplements, breast enhancement products—every year, new ones flooded the market. Most were ineffective, yet wildly expensive, with markups in the thousands. A single cosmetic surgery could cost tens of thousands.
This? This was a real solution.
If the drug's claims held true—visible results within half a month—it would ignite a firestorm in the market. No surgery, no silicone, no injections. Pure, natural development.
Alexander suddenly understood why Zhao Min had said: "You won't be disappointed."
She was right.
From a market perspective, this one product could turn an unknown pharmaceutical firm into a global health and beauty empire.
"The third-phase trials were recently completed," Tan Yong explained. "We've gathered sufficient sample data, and the drug has now entered the registration phase for approval and trial production."
He paused, then passed the spotlight back to Zhao Min.
"Mr. Alexander," she said, "this is the product we want to collaborate on. The moment the trial succeeded, we thought of you. Isn't that sincerity?"
Alexander grinned. "We've always been good friends and partners."
He didn't know the science behind the drug, and he wasn't an expert in image editing—but the materials looked solid. And the fact that Marching Ants had handed them over without hesitation showed they weren't afraid of verification. That kind of openness spoke volumes.
"We've already submitted an international patent application for the formula," Zhao Min added. "If you'd like to go back and verify everything before discussing cooperation, that's understandable."
"No need," Alexander replied quickly. "Flying back and forth is a hassle. I trust you. After all, we're partners."
Then he paused and smiled thoughtfully. "Which brings us to the real question: how do you want to cooperate, Ms. Zhao?"