I'm a Master in India

Inside the room, Pant waved his hand at the servant, who quickly brought over a complete hookah set.

He mixed marijuana and opium together, wrapped a bit around the end of a matchstick, and then lit it with another match.

A strange smell mixed with the fragrance of jasmine. Pant picked up the funnel-shaped pipe and took a deep drag.

The curling blue smoke was disturbed by the slowly rotating fan overhead.

"Want a hit?" he asked, his eyes glazed, as he passed the pipe over.

Ron shook his head and looked at Luca beside him.

"I..." Luca wanted to refuse, but he wasn't sure if it was an Indian custom.

To avoid offending the person in front of him, he braced himself and took a puff.

The choking taste exploded in his chest, and everything Luca saw began to distort, filled with illusions.

A full two minutes passed before everything returned to normal. During that time, Pant and Ron stared at him without speaking.

"That stuff is potent," Luca said, looking like he'd just escaped death.

"This is genuine Indian stuff, the best!" Pant said, full of pride.

Perhaps because Luca's actions had gained his favor, the atmosphere in the room noticeably relaxed.

"What kind of medicine do you need?"

"Tumor, lymph, and heart disease medications are all prescription drugs."

Ron handed over a list he had prepared earlier. These medicines were a bit difficult to buy at outside pharmacies.

Because prescription drugs required a doctor's note, whether in India or other countries.

But it was precisely because of this difficulty that these generic drugs became profitable.

Pant glanced at it roughly and asked indifferently, "How much do you want?"

"Thirty courses of each."

"Tumor and lymph medications are 1500 rupees a box, heart medication is 600, and cholesterol medication is 800," Pant punched numbers into a calculator and showed them the final result, "160,000 rupees."

Ron quickly calculated in his head. The price wasn't cheaper than outside, and in some cases, even slightly more expensive.

"How effective are they? We saw a very bad scene at the pharmacy outside just now."

"Don't lump me in with them. Those flies are selling garbage!" Pant seemed very angry, feeling offended.

"Sorry, but this is Luca's first business venture. He needs to ensure his reputation to open up the market."

"First business venture?" Pant couldn't help but stop complaining.

"Yes, he's Brazilian," Ron winked at Luca.

The latter immediately chimed in, "I'm familiar with all the South American countries."

"South America?" Pant's attitude changed noticeably.

"That's right, Brazil is my base. The population there is very large, and the economy isn't that developed. In short, you understand, it's a great breeding ground!"

Why is the demand for generic drugs increasing every year? Because there are still more poor people in this world who can't afford medical care.

Brand-name drugs that cost hundreds or thousands of dollars a bottle are unaffordable for many, even in developed Western countries.

What about South America, where the economy isn't as developed? Brazil has hundreds of millions of people, and Argentina, Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela also have tens of millions. Can they afford brand-name drugs that cost hundreds of dollars?

Pant put down the hookah pipe and vigorously rubbed his fat hands on his big belly, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Go get the medicine!" he shouted to the servant.

Ron and Luca exchanged glances, both secretly anticipating a pleasant surprise.

As it turned out, the servant didn't disappoint.

"Look, Ranbaxy, Cipla, Sun..." Pant waved the boxes in his hand, "These medicines are from the best pharmaceutical companies in India. They are exactly the same as those imported drugs!"

Excellent! Ron had heard of these pharmaceutical companies long ago. They were the most cutting-edge representatives of Indian drug companies.

The boxes in his hand looked very exquisite, and they were all labeled in both Hindi and English, no less impressive than brand-name drugs.

Luca no longer doubted at this point. He had done his homework before coming, and these pharmaceutical companies were his ideal suppliers.

"You said you plan to start this business in South America?" Pant glared at him, his eyes bulging.

"That's right, I think it has a lot of potential."

"Of course! Medicine is as profitable as gold! I'll give you the lowest price, as low as my purchase price!"

"What?" Luca stammered.

"70,000 rupees, you take this batch of goods, but you have to promise me one condition."

"Please tell me."

"All your business in South America must be sourced from me. As long as the quantity is large enough, I'll give you another 30% discount on top of the lowest price."

Pant decided not to make money on this first transaction. He would let the customer take the goods to prove their effectiveness before discussing future business.

He was a distributor, dealing in bulk transactions. As long as the sales volume in the South American market kept up, he was willing to give another 30% discount.

Very tempting, Pant gave up 30% of the profit in one sentence, which made Ron and the others realize the huge profits in the pharmaceutical industry.

Without much consideration, Luca immediately agreed. He didn't have any other connections in Mumbai, so this was a rare opportunity.

"The medicine will be ready tomorrow. You can come again, or tell me an address."

"You can deliver to our door?" Luca's eyes lit up.

Pant glanced at him and chuckled, "Only within Mumbai. If it's an international transaction, it won't be this price, and it must be paid in US dollars."

"No problem, Mumbai is fine too," Luca said with a smile, thinking he could have it delivered directly to South America.

"I think we'll come again, Namaste," Ron said, putting his hands together.

"Namaste," Pant returned the greeting, "Your Marathi is very authentic."

"Thank you."

Leaving the courtyard, Luca was filled with endless excitement.

"We're going to get rich, Ron! I inquired before, and the price Pant gave us is several times lower than the market price! Damn, several times the profit!"

"Pant is a direct distributor from the pharmaceutical factory, he can get the lowest price."

"Thank you, Ron, I knew I wouldn't come back empty-handed this time."

"Just don't forget our agreement."

"Of course, 30% commission, you help me with customs clearance."

This commission mainly came from Luca's transaction with Pant, which sounded very high. But the fact is that compared to Luca's subsequent profits, this payment was insignificant.

After getting cheap generic drugs from India, Luca would resell them in South America at two or three times the price.

That was where the bulk of the profit was, and Ron only took a small commission.

"It's going to rain."

"What?"

"The monsoon season in Mumbai is coming."

Dark clouds that had been hovering over the sky for weeks gathered from all directions of the horizon, seeming to press down on the tall buildings, preparing to sweep away everything.

After eight months of dry season, the air was filled with the scent of rain, and the pedestrians on the road were as excited as if they were drunk.

Mumbai was about to usher in a rare cool season, which everyone was looking forward to.