Chapter 1331: Whoever gets in my way will be crushed to death!

The petrochemical industry has a bright future, and as long as it waits for the Pacific Oil Company's refinery to be completed and put into production, it will develop by leaps and bounds.

Then there are the three backward industries, leaving only the healthcare industry and the tourism and entertainment industry.

And for both industries, he is still needed to play the role of the mainstay.

So that day, Xia Yu went to the Jiuding Pharmaceutical Group in person.

Welcoming him at the door was Zhang Gufeng, President of Jiuding Pharmaceutical Group and also President of the subsidiary Taiji Pharmaceutical.

'Chairman, welcome!'

'Well, Gufeng, it's been a long time, you're in good spirits!'

Xia Yu said teasingly as he looked at the ruddy Zhang Gufeng.

Zhang Gufeng replied with a smile, 'Chairman, I have to thank President Li for teaching me how to maintain my health and prescribing me therapeutic Chinese medicine.'

As the president of the largest traditional Chinese medicine company in Xiangjiang, he is the face of the company. If his health is not taken care of, then the reputation of Taiji Pharmaceutical will be in doubt.

'Maintaining your health is good. Your health is your greatest asset. Only with a healthy body can you have enough energy to work.'

'Let's go, show me around the company.'

Xia Yu said with a slight feeling of emotion, and striding towards the inside of the company.

Zhang Gufeng immediately followed suit.

'How is the company doing?'

'Just tell me about the Chinese medicine side, I don't need to know about the Western medicine.'

While walking, Xia Yu asked about the company's situation.

Zhang Gufeng had done his homework in this area and answered off the cuff: 'Chairman, in terms of traditional Chinese medicine, the situation is currently one large and two small companies: the first-tier subsidiary Taiji Pharmaceutical, and the two second-tier subsidiaries Yangshengtang and Renyuantang.'

'Taiji Pharmaceutical's main business is in three areas: traditional Chinese medicine granules, finished medicines and Chinese herbal medicine. In the first half of this year, the company's total revenue was 1.248 billion Hong Kong dollars, and the net profit was 239 million Hong Kong dollars.

'The revenue from the Chinese medicine granules business was 822 million Hong Kong dollars, accounting for 65.9% of total revenue.'

'The revenue from the proprietary Chinese medicine business was 306 million Hong Kong dollars, accounting for 24.5% of total revenue.'

'The revenue from the Chinese herbal medicine business was 120 million Hong Kong dollars, accounting for 9.6% of total revenue.'

'The two secondary subsidiaries, Yangshengtang and Renyuantang, are more than twice the size of each other, ranking first and second in this field in Xiangjiang.'

'Currently, Yangshengtang has 72 stores, located throughout Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and Southeast Asia. In the first half of the year, its revenue was HK$554 million, and its net profit was HK$94.76 million.'

'Renyuantang has even fewer stores, with 28 locations. In the first half of the year, its revenue was HK$229 million, and its net profit was HK$39.38 million.'

...

Based on Zhang Gufeng's introduction, Xia Yu had a rough idea.

Jiuding Pharmaceutical Group, in terms of the whole process of planting, researching and selling traditional Chinese medicine, had a revenue of 2.031 billion Hong Kong dollars in the first half of this year, and a net profit of around 373 million Hong Kong dollars, making it the undisputed leader of the traditional Chinese medicine industry in Hong Kong.

'Where are the processed traditional Chinese medicines? Show me.'

'Okay, Chairman, please follow me.'

After a while, Zhang Gufeng led Xia Yu to a huge factory building. This was a warehouse dedicated to storing Chinese herbal medicines. From a warehouse layout plan on the wall, it was clear that the huge warehouse was divided into densely packed small areas, with numbers and names marked on them.

For example, 001 tu jing pi, 009 mu baizi, 105 tai zi shen, 208 tian dong... 521 pang dai hoi, etc.

It can be seen that these small areas are all individual small warehouses, which store Chinese herbal medicines in a targeted manner to avoid changes in medicinal properties caused by mixing herbs.

Zhang Gufeng called in the person in charge of the warehouse and led everyone to see the current situation of the storage of Chinese herbal medicines.

Xia Yu's main concern was the quality of the Chinese herbal medicines!

When he arrived at the warehouse for 088 powdered kudzu root, Xia Yu saw that the powdered kudzu root stored was all yellowish in colour, not the pure white variety.

The appearance of the powdered kudzu root did not look very appealing.

Seeing Xia Yu pick up a piece of powdered kudzu root and examine it carefully, the warehouse manager who was following him explained at the behest of Zhang Gufeng: 'Chairman, this kind of powdered kudzu root is made from real ingredients and processed using a cumbersome ancient method. The quality is excellent, and the selling price is the highest in Hong Kong. Some that look very good on the market have basically been smoked with sulphur, which has changed the nature of the medicine and will also have an adverse effect on the health of the person taking it.'

Xia Yu looked at him and said with a serious expression, 'Herbs are the foundation of traditional Chinese medicine. If the herbs are bad, the industry will be bad. We must adhere to the principles.'

'Chairman, at the beginning of the company's establishment, we set the principle of "although the processing is complicated, we dare not save on labour; although the taste is expensive, we dare not reduce the resources". From the cultivation of Chinese herbal medicine to processing and storage, we strive for perfection in every aspect.'

'It is precisely for this reason that our Taiji Pharmaceutical herbs have been able to become the leading company in Hong Kong in such a short time, and our subsidiaries, Yangshengtang and Renyuantang, have been able to expand steadily.'

'Our Taiji Pharmaceutical has an excellent reputation among our peers, as well as among consumers of Yangshengtang and Renyuantang,'

Zhang Gufeng said hurriedly.

'Mmm!'

'That's good, but we must continue to maintain it. It is easy to conquer a country, but difficult to defend it. We must aspire to become a century-old company, and quality is our lifeblood,'

Xia Yu gave a satisfied smile and once again gave instructions.

'Yes!'

Zhang Gufeng hurriedly nodded in agreement.

'Let's go, and continue to look at the other medicinal herbs.'

...

In the medicinal herb warehouse, he successively looked at seven or eight types of medicinal herbs, and the quality all made Xia Yu very satisfied.

Although he didn't know Chinese medicine, he could roughly judge the quality of the herbs from the fragrance, appearance, and colour.

Afterwards, Xia Yu made a special trip to visit the company's research department, as well as the pharmaceutical factory for Chinese medicine granules, and the factories that produce finished medicines and some Chinese herbal medicines.

Everything was thriving, and the management was in place, which made Xia Yu very satisfied.

Finally, Xia Yu returned to the office of Zhang Gufeng at Taiji Pharmaceutical.

He wanted to know how many known risks were still hidden beneath the prosperity of Taiji Pharmaceutical.

'Gu-feng, tell me about the risks or difficulties the company is facing.'

After taking a sip of tea, Xia Yu leaned back on the sofa and asked softly.

Zhang Gu-feng sat up straight and, after a long period of contemplation, said, 'Chairman, all of the company's businesses are developing normally, and overall, we are doing better than our peers. We also have huge advantages.'

'If I were to talk about difficulties, there is only one, and it was also pointed out by Dean Li.'

Xia Yu's eyebrows rose slightly. It was his master Li Chunqiu who had pointed it out, which had caused him to pay attention.

Li Chunqiu was definitely a master of traditional Chinese medicine, and the problem he had pointed out was definitely not trivial.

'What problem?'

Xia Yu asked softly.

Zhang Gufeng said, 'It's the use of Chinese herbal medicines. There is no unified standard or boundary. Some Chinese medicine practitioners with shallow abilities or some fake Chinese medicine practitioners are using medicines indiscriminately, harming the reputation of traditional Chinese medicine and restricting the development of the entire industry.'

'The market growth rate of the traditional Chinese medicine industry is far lower than that of Western medicine, and the industry is at a competitive disadvantage.'

'The most obvious example is that after entering the mainland, Yangshengtang simply could not expand. Many prescriptions that can be used normally in Hong Kong must be reduced in the mainland, resulting in a serious decline in efficacy. This is very detrimental to the expansion of Yangshengtang. The efficacy is not obvious, and it is difficult to establish a good reputation among consumers.'

'And there is a huge hidden worry here, and that is that the market capacity of East and Southeast Asia is far lower than that of the mainland. The market for traditional Chinese medicine is based on people who understand Chinese culture, so the company has long since established a clear strategy, and the mainland market will be the largest in the future.'

'Now, due to restrictions on the mainland, the amount of medicinal herbs used is very low, which restricts the market for traditional Chinese medicine and other markets for traditional Chinese medicine.'

'But fortunately, President Li has now taken the lead in establishing the Xiangjiang Traditional Chinese Medicine Association and is working with other masters of traditional Chinese medicine in Xiangjiang to compile the Compendium of Chinese Medicine. I don't know the exact extent of the compilation, but I've heard that President Li has encountered some difficulties.'

After listening, Xia Yu's expression became slightly solemn, and he nodded slightly and said, 'I understand.'

He had already decided to go find his master Li Chunqiu to see what the situation was and whether he needed to help.

'Gu Feng, the problems in the entire market are relatively troublesome to solve.'

'You manage the company well and first expand the existing market as much as possible to increase market share. The mainland market is the future, while the Southeast Asian market represents the present.'

'Chairman, I understand. I will manage the company well.'

'Well, I will find you in a couple of days.'

'Okay.'

...

In the afternoon, Xia Yu went to find his master Li Chunqiu in particular. He was not at Chunqiu Hospital, but at the Xiangjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

When Xia Yu found him, he was in a large conference hall at the university, along with many grey-haired elderly people and many young people helping out.

It turned out that these elderly people were all famous Chinese medicine practitioners in Xiangjiang, and the reason they had gathered here was to compile the Xiangjiang Chinese Medicine Canon.

The conference hall was a little noisy and not a suitable place to discuss things, but fortunately, when Li Chunqiu saw Xia Yu, he put down his work for the time being and walked out of the conference hall.

'Yu, why are you here?'

'Master, I went to Taiji Pharmaceutical this morning to find out some information, and I happened to hear that you are leading the compilation of the Xiangjiang Chinese Medicine Canon, so I would like to talk to you about some things.'

'Let's see if there is anything I can help with,'

Xia Yu said with a smile.

'There really is!'

'Let's go somewhere and talk about it.'

Li Chunqiu's eyes lit up, and he led Xia Yu into an office not far away.

As soon as they sat down, Li Chunqiu got straight to the point, his face grave as he said, 'Yu, I won't hide the truth from you. The current situation of traditional Chinese medicine is very bleak. I went to the mainland many times before, but I didn't notice it. It wasn't until a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner from the mainland joined Chunqiu Hospital that I was told about the problems in the traditional Chinese medicine industry on the mainland. That's why I took the lead in setting up the Xiangjiang Traditional Chinese Medicine Association to unite everyone and preserve the torch for traditional Chinese medicine, which has been passed down by our ancestors for thousands of years, and to hold the line.'

'We are not in a position to change things on the mainland, but I know you have enough influence in Hong Kong. If you lend a hand, it should be no problem.'

'I was planning to ask for your help after I had completely compiled the Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Canon.'

These words were not to be taken lightly!

Xia Yu said with a serious expression, 'Master, your business is my business, and my company is also the largest Chinese medicine company in Hong Kong. I definitely have to help.'

'Tell me more.'

'Okay!'

Li Chunqiu gave a relieved smile, stroked his grey beard, and revealed the hidden truth.

'Many TCM practitioners from the mainland who joined our hospital and Xiangjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine have told me that the mainland Pharmacopoeia has restricted TCM to the point of causing it to risk a huge decline.'

'I bought this Pharmacopoeia specifically, and after reading the dosage restrictions on the use of Chinese medicinal materials, I knew that the dosage limits were definitely not set by TCM!'

'Then I asked a mainland Chinese TCM practitioner, and he confirmed my judgement. The Pharmacopoeia, compiled in 1980, uses Western medical standards to determine the toxicity of individual medicinal herbs, and uses this to determine the prescribed dosage. This is an amateur guiding an expert.'

'Which TCM practitioner doesn't know that the toxicity of medicinal herbs cannot be judged by looking at the herbs themselves, and ultimately it has to be seen in the effect after the herbs have been brewed together. Some herbs can eliminate toxicity with a specific brewing method, while others can neutralise it.'

'Now that the Pharmacopoeia has restricted the dosage, it is difficult for mainland Chinese medicine practitioners to cure diseases according to that standard. Various prescriptions passed down from our ancestors have been restricted. Mainland Chinese medicine practitioners are now bound hand and foot, and their efficacy is not obvious. Sooner or later, they will become dependent on Western medicine. If no one revitalises them, it is hard to prevent them from disappearing.'

'It's like aconite. In Hong Kong, there are no restrictions, so I can prescribe it. I have prescribed it in small amounts many times. However, the mainland Pharmacopoeia directly sets the dosage at 3-15g. How can it save lives in critical situations!

'The experience of our ancestors, which has been accumulated over thousands of years, is definitely fine. Unlike Western medicine, which experiments on mice before using it on humans and can bring medicine to the market in a few years, the prescriptions of traditional Chinese medicine, which have been accumulated on humans over thousands of years, can't be worse than those developed on mice, right?'

'It must be the traitors who have forgotten their roots and the classics. Their intentions are too sinister. They want to destroy traditional Chinese medicine!'

Even Li Chunqiu's self-cultivation skills could not stop him from blowing his top and glaring at the sky, so you can see how angry he was inside!

After listening to Li Chunqiu's words, Xia Yu finally gained a deeper understanding of traditional Chinese medicine and finally understood why it is so difficult to revive it in later generations.

The inheritance of traditional Chinese medicine is one problem, but the most critical problem is that there is a problem with the Pharmacopoeia. Western medicine is sent to determine the dosage of medicinal materials for traditional Chinese medicine, which is obviously like the cat making the cage for the mouse!

They are directly attacking TCM at the root!

If you can't use the herbs freely, what's the point of the efficacy? If the prescription reduces the amount of herbs by ten times, how can TCM not be branded as 'ineffective' and 'slow to work'?

This is definitely a struggle between interests and forms, just like the current rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union.

The foundations of Hongsu have been destroyed by the United States, so it's no wonder it's collapsed!

At this moment, Xia Yu made up his mind instantly.

It would definitely be very difficult to get the mainland to change the Pharmacopoeia.

But in Hong Kong, he could still make it happen.

The enemy of traditional Chinese medicine was Western medicine, and the biggest Western medicine company in Hong Kong was his own Ao Mei Pharmaceutical.

If the other Western medicine companies combined their strength, he could easily wipe them out with a slap!

The mainland was constrained by the huge Western medicine industry, and it was difficult for traditional Chinese medicine to regain its rightful power.

Hong Kong could then be used as a testing ground to show the mainland how powerful traditional Chinese medicine could be when it was not restricted and could be passed down intact!

It will establish the reputation of traditional Chinese medicine overseas and give the mainland factions that support traditional Chinese medicine an unassailable foothold. This will force the mainland to reform in this area and open up the ceiling for the traditional Chinese medicine industry.

'Master, please compile the Hong Kong Traditional Chinese Medicine Canon as soon as possible.'

'The Hong Kong government will definitely approve it and set it as the official standard.'

'I will trample anyone who gets in my way!'

Xia Yu looked at Li Chunqiu with a firm gaze and said with conviction.

Li Chunyu laughed happily and said, 'Good, Yu, I'm relieved to hear that.'

'The compilation of the Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Canon is already in its final stages, and it will be completely finished in about two months. I'll let you know then.'

'Good!'

Xia Yu decisively replied.