American Medicine God: Starting by Inheriting a Pharmaceutical Company and Selling Medicine

The Capitol Country Club in Bethesda, north of Washington, D.C.

Here, a golf game often has a greater impact on the direction of the nation's industries than a debate on Capitol Hill.

The morning sun shone on the manicured lawn, which resembled a carpet, and the air was filled with the scent of grass and morning dew. In the distance, several Secret Service bodyguards vigilantly watched their surroundings, ensuring that the important figures' meeting would not be disturbed.

"Bang!"

A crisp sound of impact. The white golf ball traced a precise parabola through the air and landed steadily on the edge of the green.

"Good shot! Victor!"

Robert Grant was among those applauding. The former FDA commissioner, now a senior advisor to industry associations, looked better than when he was in office, thanks to his long-standing commitment to promoting industry compliance.

"This shot is not only accurate, but also powerful, just like Walter's recently launched 'Brain Health Program'."

Standing beside him, the current FDA Commissioner, David Rossi, smiled and nodded. Dressed in professional sportswear and holding a scoreboard, he said, "Victor, I've reviewed your draft of the 'Global Neuropharmaceutical Quality Standards' (GND-QCS). It's very forward-thinking."

Victor Corleone handed the clubs to the caddie behind him, took off his sunglasses, and his gaze was gentle yet firm.

“This isn’t just Walter’s standard, David,” Victor corrected. “It’s for the future of the entire industry. If the market is flooded with generic drugs of varying quality, it damages patients’ confidence and the reputation of ‘Made in America.’”

Accompanying me to the game today is a "iron triangle" dedicated to industrial upgrading: a legislator (Senate Health Committee Chairman Kennedy), a regulator (Rosie), and an industry representative (Victor). Also joining them are Grant, who coordinates the opinions of all parties, and Dr. Raymond Sterling, who provides academic support.

They came together to build a more standardized and safer pharmaceutical ecosystem.

"Speaking of standards," Senator Kennedy said thoughtfully, wiping his golf clubs, "several senators representing small and medium-sized enterprises may raise objections at next week's hearing. They worry that excessively high technical barriers will squeeze out small pharmaceutical companies and lead to industry monopolies."

"Monopoly? No, this is evolution through survival of the fittest," Dr. Sterling interjected, his tone always carrying the rigor of a scholar. "But we can't let evolution become too cruel. We need to leave a door open for those who come after us."

All eyes turned to Victor.

Victor took a bottle of water from the caddie, took a sip, and looked calm.

"Senators, their concerns are valid. Therefore, Water Pharmaceuticals has prepared a 'technology sharing and support program'."

Victor looked at Kennedy and said sincerely, "We are not trying to build barriers of power, but rather to work with industry partners to develop unified compliance standards. For small and medium-sized pharmaceutical companies that are willing to improve quality but lack funds and technology, Water is willing to open up some patent licenses and provide low-interest loans for technology upgrades. We can even open our laboratories to train their technical personnel."

"Open patents? Training competitors?" Kennedy was somewhat surprised. "Victor, this doesn't seem like traditional business logic."

"Because our adversaries are not each other, but the common enemy facing humanity—Alzheimer's disease, cognitive impairment, and brain injury." Victor stretched out a hand, as if sketching a blueprint. "This is a huge growth market. Only by making the pie bigger, only by bringing the entire industry to the 'Watt Standard,' can we truly earn global respect. This is a collective upgrade for the industry, which we call 'win-win.'"

"Brilliant." Kennedy's eyes lit up. "'Not a monopoly, but a win-win situation; not a barrier, but a ladder.' That's a great idea. I'll tell those congressmen that Walter is using technology export to drive employment and tax revenue across the entire industry chain."

"Furthermore," Victor added, "to show our sincerity, Walter will spearhead the establishment of a 'Small and Medium-Sized Pharmaceutical Innovation Fund.' We will allocate 5% of our profits specifically to incubate promising biotech startups. We hope to see a diverse range of companies flourish, rather than just one dominant player."

Kennedy's smile deepened. This meant more jobs, more political achievements, and a healthier industrial ecosystem.

"Then there's no problem." Kennedy swung his club, and the ball flew out, slightly off course, but everyone gave him a warm round of applause.

The group walked towards the green. Sunlight shone on them, creating a harmonious and hopeful scene.

This was no longer a closed interest group, but an open industry alliance. Kennedy gained industry prosperity, Rossi gained regulatory efficiency, Grant gained industry standards, Sterling gained academic promotion, and Victor gained the power to set the rules.

Just then, a little incident occurred.

A young Black caddie, presumably a part-time student, accidentally dropped Victor's spare glove into the nearby bunker while handing him the club.

"Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry, sir!" The caddie jumped into the sandpit in a panic to retrieve the item, getting himself covered in sand.

Grant frowned, about to say something, but was stopped by Victor.

Victor walked over, reached out his hand, and pulled the caddie up.

"It's alright, kid." Victor didn't seem bothered by the sand on his hands; instead, he patted him on the shoulder. "Everyone encounters traps on this field. The important thing is that you can climb out."

"Thank you... thank you, sir." The caddie was somewhat flattered.

"Are you reading?" Victor asked.

"Yes, sir. I'm studying biochemistry at Howard University, and this is my summer job."

"Biochemistry? That's a great major." Victor pulled a business card from his pocket and wrote a line: "Go to Walter's HR department. We're launching that 'Small and Medium-Sized Pharmaceutical Enterprises Talent Training Program,' and maybe you need an internship instead of sitting here carrying a golf bag."

The caddie stared at the business card, his hands trembling with excitement. "This...this is so kind of you, Mr. Corleone!"

Watching the caddie run off into the distance, Kennedy remarked, "Victor, you're not just setting the standard, you're nurturing the future."

"Talent is the industry's most valuable asset," Victor said calmly. "We must not only export technology, but also hope. That is the responsibility of a leading enterprise."

At that moment, Victor turned around and gently pushed the ball.

Thump. Goal!

"A perfect putt!" Dr. Sterling clapped.

"Perfect consensus," Senator Kennedy added.

Just as the group was about to head to the clubhouse to continue discussing the details, Saul hurried over with his phone in hand. His expression was somewhat serious.

"Boss, something's up."

Thor pulled Victor aside and lowered his voice.

"What is it?"

"That Atlas TV network. They previewed an in-depth report on 'memory drugs.' They interviewed a former researcher named Harold. He claimed that our clinical data was 'too perfect' and questioned whether we were concealing side effects."

Victor raised an eyebrow slightly. Harold. That paranoid guy who was expelled for academic fraud.

Does he have any evidence?

"There is no substantial evidence, but he is very good at inciting emotions. He said, 'Recovering memories is God's domain, and humans should not meddle in it.'"

Victor glanced back at the industry leaders who were chatting and laughing in the distance.

"Don't be nervous, Saul." Victor straightened his collar, his tone calm. "Questioning is part of science. Since he wants to discuss it, let's give him a platform. True gold fears no fire."

"What do you mean?"

"Instead of letting him hide in the shadows spreading rumors, let's bring him into the sunlight." Victor's lips curled into a confident smile. "Arrange a public 'scientific dialogue.' Invite the media, invite experts, and also invite those who have recovered. We want to use facts to tell the public that what Walter brought was not the forbidden fruit of God, but a beacon of science."

"Understood." Saul nodded. "I'll have the PR department prepare a 'Fact Check' feature."

"Go ahead. Remember, we are the rule-makers, and we welcome any form of compliance challenge."

Victor turned and walked toward his companions, the sunlight casting a long, resolute shadow on his back.