260: Chapter 260 The Power That Forces Pharmaceutical Giants to Bow Down

October 5th.

The fifth day of the National Day holiday.

After three consecutive days of reverse growth, the single-day box office for 'i am not a medicine god' had completely stabilized at a terrifying high of 400 million per day.

This movie had completely broken through the inherent boundaries of the "entertainment industry" and the "film and television industry."

It was like a Category 12 hurricane sweeping across the entire land of China.

It swept ordinary people of all age groups, all social classes, and all industries into an unprecedented discussion of a social-level phenomenon.

...

No matter which street in the city you walked on.

Whether it was a crowded subway car during the morning rush hour or a steaming breakfast stall in an alleyway.

Wherever there were people, you could hear discussions about this movie.

"Have you seen it? Have you seen 'drug god'? I cried so much in the theater last night that my contact lenses fell out!"

"How could you not cry? As soon as that old lady spoke, the tears just started streaming down my face, even as a grown man! Forty thousand yuan for a bottle of medicine—isn't that just taking someone's life?"

"Sigh, I used to think movies were all made up. Only after watching this film did I realize that for us common folk, a major illness can truly grind one's dignity into powder!"

"That director named Su Zhe is so brave to film this! He stripped away the greedy facades of those unscrupulous pharmaceutical companies! This is a truly conscientious movie!"

It wasn't just the ordinary people in the streets and alleys.

On the internet, major knowledge-sharing communities and cultural forums also experienced an unprecedented explosion in traffic.

Hardcore and heavy social pain points such as "sky-high cancer drug prices," "the survival status of leukemia patients," and "the patent monopolies of multinational pharmaceutical companies" became hot topics.

Unprecedentedly.

They dominated the top of the trending lists on major platforms like Weibo and Zhihu for an entire week.

Countless giants in the medical field, sociology experts, and renowned scholars set aside their status to speak out personally.

["This is not just a movie; it is a sharp knife that cuts open the hidden pains of society!"]

["The appearance of 'drug god' has finally allowed society to see the millions of rare disease patients struggling silently on the edge of life and death!"]

["We cannot let the greed of capital become a chasm blocking the path to survival! We call on the pharmaceutical industry to establish more comprehensive patient assistance mechanisms!"]

Public opinion!

This was a tidal wave of public opinion, overwhelming enough to drown everything.

In the face of this massive torrent gathering the sympathy, grief, and anger of 1.4 billion people.

Those multinational pharmaceutical giants and large domestic pharmaceutical companies who had once hidden behind the scenes, signing joint reporting letters in an attempt to ban 'drug god'...

At this moment.

They were facing a devastating backlash!

...

Beijing, Greater China Headquarters of a certain multinational pharmaceutical group.

Inside the President's office, there was a deathly silence.

"Mr. Smith, we can't suppress it... we can't suppress it at all!"

The PR Director was drenched in sweat, holding a thick data report, his voice trembling: "The influence of this movie is too terrifying.

Now the entire internet is boycotting our company, calling us blood-sucking demons.

Our offices in major cities have received countless protest calls over the past few days, and some radical netizens have even gone to the entrance of our building to hang banners.

Just now, when our overseas stock headquarters opened..."

The PR Director swallowed hard, feeling like his throat was bleeding: "Because of the extremely negative public opinion storm in the Greater China region, it has triggered panic selling among global investors.

Our stock price plummeted by fifteen percent immediately upon opening.

In half a day, nearly thirty billion US dollars in market value has evaporated!"

Hearing this number.

President Smith, sitting on the large leather sofa, saw stars and almost fainted on the spot.

Thirty billion US dollars?

Just because of a crappy Chinese movie?

"Wang Dafa, that stupid pig!"

Smith slammed his expensive cigar onto the ground and crushed it frantically with his leather shoe: "Didn't he say he could unite the cinema chains to ban this movie?

Didn't he say this movie would absolutely never get a broadcast permit?

Now it's not only being shown, it's become a hit that's a national sensation in China!

He's put our entire pharmaceutical group on the roasting fire; he's going to get us all killed!"

Smith paced back and forth in the office like a mad lion.

As the helmsman of multinational capital, he knew all too well how terrifying the backlash of public opinion could be.

If this "hatred toward pharmaceutical companies" sentiment continued to ferment.

The huge market they had painstakingly cultivated in China for decades would completely collapse.

It might even trigger a global reputation crisis.

"It can't go on like this!"

Smith spun around suddenly, his eyes bloodshot, his hands gripping the desk tightly.

In the face of this tsunami of public opinion that could destroy everything.

The multinational pharmaceutical capital, which had always been high and mighty and valued profit more than life...

Finally.

They bowed their arrogant heads!

"Contact the headquarters' board of directors immediately, and contact the CEOs of the other domestic pharmaceutical companies involved in this storm!"

Smith ground his teeth and squeezed out a few words: "Prepare to hold an industry-wide joint press conference! We must... make concessions immediately!"

...

October 8th.

On the day when the box office of 'i am not a medicine god' strongly broke through the two billion mark and the national movie-watching craze reached its peak.

A piece of heavyweight news that could be recorded in the annals of China's medical industry.

Like a shocking nuclear bomb.

Without any warning, it exploded across the entire internet.

At 2 PM that afternoon.

Led by the three largest pharmaceutical charitable foundations in the country.

Joined by that world-renowned multinational cancer drug giant and dozens of top domestic pharmaceutical companies.

In Beijing, an emergency press conference was held for global media.

At the press conference.

Smith, the high-and-mighty President of the multinational pharmaceutical company's Greater China region who rarely appeared in public.

Under the frantic snapping of countless flashes.

Walked onto the podium with an extremely serious expression.

He bowed deeply toward the camera.

Then.

He announced a decision that left all the netizens watching the live stream, reporters, and even medical giants shocked to the core.

"Friends from the media, members of the public.

Recently, a movie titled 'i am not a medicine god' has drawn widespread social attention to the group of patients with leukemia and other rare diseases.

The emotions conveyed by this film and the longing for life have deeply shaken us.

As pharmaceutical companies, our original intention in developing drugs is to save lives, not to become an obstacle to life."

Smith took a deep breath and announced the concession plan that made capital bleed but brought tears of joy to countless patient families: "To actively respond to the call of society and fulfill our corporate social responsibility.

On behalf of the group headquarters, I officially announce to the public: effective immediately, we will reduce the terminal price of our core targeted cancer drugs for treating chronic myeloid leukemia in the China region by sixty percent in one go!"

As soon as these words were spoken.

The reporter's section at the press conference instantly erupted.

A sixty percent reduction?

The life-saving medicine that originally cost forty thousand yuan a bottle was slashed to less than sixteen thousand yuan?

This wasn't just a price cut.

This was practically carving flesh off the body of capital!

However.

This world-shaking news was actually just the beginning.

Immediately following.

The Chairman of the largest Red Cross Charitable Medical Foundation in the country strode to the front of the stage.

"Everyone!"

The Chairman's voice trembled with excitement: "In addition to the proactive and significant price reductions by the pharmaceutical companies!

Our foundation will join forces with major pharmaceutical groups to jointly invest in and establish a 'Special Assistance Charitable Fund for Patients with Severe and Rare Diseases' with an initial scale of two billion yuan.

For those patient families who are in extreme financial difficulty and cannot afford the medicine even after the price reduction.

As long as they pass the foundation's audit.

We will provide full drug assistance.

Until the patient recovers or passes away.

We will never let a single vibrant life give up hope because of the 'poverty disease'!"

...

Dead silence.

Then.

A mountain-toppling, sea-overturning fervor!

When the contents of this press conference spread to every corner of China through television, the internet, and short videos.

The audience across the entire web went completely crazy!

Not just ordinary netizens, but those patients struggling in hospital beds and those desperate family members who were already deep in debt to buy medicine.

The moment they saw this news.

They all dropped what they were holding.

They held each other and wept!

They wailed with grief and joy!

["It's lowered... it's really lowered! Heavens! Am I dreaming?"]

["Sixty percent! And a two billion yuan charitable assistance fund! How many lives can this save!"]

["We won! The people won! Life won!"]

["The capitalists actually bowed their heads! Those high-and-mighty pharmaceutical giants were forced to concede!"]

["Who did it? A movie! It was a movie called 'i am not a medicine god'!"]

["The heavens have eyes! Director Su is awesome! The 'drug god' crew is awesome!"]

Frenzy!

This was a miraculous moment that could be recorded in the history of Chinese cinema, and even in the history of the development of China's medical charity work.

Never before had a movie possessed such terrifying, supreme power to push the gears of the real world!

It hadn't just broken box office records.

In reality, it had truly pulled those lives that could only wait for death in despair back from the edge of the cliff.

...

In less than ten minutes.

Su Zhe's personal Weibo was completely paralyzed by an outrageously massive amount of traffic!

Under that pinned promotional post about 'i am not a medicine god'...

The comment count was refreshing frantically at a rate of tens of thousands per second.

["Director Su! Please accept my bow!"]

["You aren't just filming a movie; you are saving people! You are the real drug god!"]

["I am the daughter of a leukemia patient. Director Su, if it weren't for your movie, my father might have run out of medicine next month... Thank you! You are our family's benefactor!"]

["This is a true director of the people! Those directors who only know how to film expressionless actors falling in love or use cut-and-paste special effects aren't even worthy of carrying Director Su's shoes!"]

["From now on, I'll go to the cinema to see Su Zhe's movies even if I have to buy a standing ticket! Whoever dares to ban him, I'll be the first to blast them online!"]

Countless netizens, and even some respected cultural figures in the industry, were all using the most reverent and fanatical terms to praise this young director who was once mocked as a "variety show hack."

The name Su Zhe...

On this day.

Unquestionably, he was pushed onto the most unshakeable altar of the Chinese Entertainment Industry!

...

Beijing, North Fifth Ring Road.

Jinyuan Building, the top-floor office of Su Zhe Culture Media.

Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, the sunset was like blood.

Su Zhe stood quietly in front of the window.

He didn't look at the exploded Weibo hot search on his phone, nor did he listen to the roof-raising cheers of the employees in the hall outside who were shouting with excitement.

He just stood with his hands in his pockets, watching the slowly setting red sun.

In his mind.

He replayed Teacher Li's line during filming: "I want to live."

He replayed the tearful eyes, filled with despair and hope, of those hundreds of patient family members when they took off their masks on the long street.

Whew...

Su Zhe let out a long breath of turbid air.

Even as a cheater with a system, and even if his original intention for filming this movie was to break the blockade of the cinema chains...

At this moment.

When he saw that reality had truly changed because of this movie, and saw those capital giants truly bowing and making concessions in the face of public opinion...

Deep in his heart, a tremor and pride that could not be described in words still welled up!

"This.

Is a true movie.

This.

Is the path I want to take!"

A relieved smile slowly curled at the corners of Su Zhe's mouth.

Ring ring ring...

Just then.

The office door was pushed open violently.

Sister Liu rushed in like a whirlwind, holding her phone.

On her face were two streaks of tears shed from extreme excitement.

Even her voice cracked: "Su Zhe!

Just now, the top person in charge of the three major Cinema Chain Alliances personally called me.

They not only canceled those disgusting 5% ghost screenings.

They were even crying on the phone, begging me.

Begging us not to withdraw the copy keys.

They promised that starting from tomorrow.

All cinema chains nationwide, all prime time slots.

A screening rate of over eighty percent.

Everything will unconditionally make way for our 'drug god'!"

Hearing this news.

Su Zhe turned around.

Looking at the incoherently excited Sister Liu.

He walked to the desk and picked up that thermos with peeling paint.

He unscrewed the lid.

He took a leisurely sip of the warm water with goji berries.

Then.

His eyes instantly became sharp as knives: "Since the path has been cleared.

Then notify the entire army to roll over them.

Go and take back... the Chinese box office championship that belongs to us!"