Pharmaceutical Negotiator - Chapter 2.1

Qi Shenli smiled knowingly and patted Zhang Sitan’s waist: “Of course. Would I ever put you in a difficult position?”

Zhang Sitan sighed slightly, pursing her lips briefly before letting go.

“Don’t worry, it really is the staff meal,” Qi Shenli pulled her closer, seeing her continued concern. “Come on, come on, you sit at the head of the table.”

Zhang Sitan could only sit in the main seat with a smile. Qi Shenli and Manager Liu sat on either side of her, and the rest followed in order, with Qi An sitting at the very end.

Qi Shenli was probably worried that Qi An wouldn’t know how to serve, so she instructed her uneasily: “Xiao An, when the server brings the dishes later, just gesture politely. And if the tea runs out, get up and pour some.”

Qi An nodded, giving Zhang Sitan an awkward smile.

Zhang Sitan returned a reassuring look, but she felt exasperated inside.

Seriously, what staff canteen has servers? If this gets reported, can I still stay here?

A wave of internal turmoil passed through Zhang Sitan, yet when she looked at Qi An, she suddenly softened.

The people at the table were either dressed in shirts and trench coats like Zhang Sitan and Qi Shenli, or in suits like Manager Liu. Qi An’s flash of green was particularly conspicuous.

Compared to these worldly veterans, Qi An really looked too much like a student. Her eyes were clean, like a little white rabbit sitting across from her. Even her green clothes and the wide-band watch on her wrist made her seem endearing.

The dishes came quickly. A corpulent middle aged man who looked like a chef, wearing a chef’s hat, brought the dishes out from the back kitchen one by one.

Zhang Sitan glanced at the food and felt somewhat relieved. They were indeed home-style dishes, mostly stir fries and cold appetizers.

Qi Shenli gave Qi An a meaningful look. Qi An picked up the teapot next to her and went to pour tea for Zhang Sitan.

The tea filled the cup to two-thirds. Steam escaped in a white wisp, rising upwards. The pale green tea flowed gently, like an ancient zither tune, its aroma lifting off the musical score.

The teacup was simple, unadorned ceramic, a pale peach wood color, with only a small, uncolored leaf-shaped pattern etched at the bottom of the bowl.

Yet, the teacup felt heavy in her hand. When the hot tea was poured into it, the pattern at the bottom of the bowl seemed to come alive, as if soaring through the clouds.

With the current crackdown on extravagance and waste, Zhang Sitan had heard that many business owners were no longer focusing on the food but rather on the tea and the teacups.

Zhang Sitan didn’t understand tea and didn’t want to ask too much. She picked up the cup and took a sip. It had no immediate taste, but upon closer savoring, she sensed a very fragrant sweetness.

Qi An finished pouring tea for everyone and sat down.

Zhang Sitan looked up at her.

The air conditioning in the room kept it from being hot, but her face was flushed with fine redness. Zhang Sitan recalled that Qi An had carried her bag the entire way. She probably hadn’t done this kind of work before.

She wanted to say something, but the words caught in her throat.

The ill-conceived dinner, the green in the light and shadow, and the earlier phone call’s “flattery, saying what people want to hear.”

Qi Shenli served some food to Zhang Sitan: “I know you abide by the rules, so I didn’t prepare any alcohol. These dishes are the same as what our staff usually eat; try them.”

Zhang Sitan smiled, put down the teacup, and started eating the food in front of her.

The cup was set down, but the tea’s aroma lingered in her nose.

Zhang Sitan moved the teacup slightly further away and whispered to Qi Shenli: “It’s really delicious. Your employees are lucky, Sister Qi.”

Qi Shenli was very pleased: “Hahaha, all our department employees eat at this same canteen. I even expanded this canteen because I wanted all the employees to eat comfortably.”

Zhang Sitan smiled again, casting an admiring glance at Qi Shenli.

The conversation gradually went deeper into work topics.

“I particularly support our country’s efforts to increase the pricing control over medicines. Although I run a pharmaceutical factory and need to make a profit, I certainly hope our ordinary people can afford the common medicines and won’t be driven to bankruptcy by one bottle of medicine.”

Zhang Sitan completely agreed with Qi Shenli’s sentiment; this was one of the reasons she was involved in drug negotiations to ensure that the public could afford cheaper medicines, that they would no longer struggle to find or afford medicines, and would not be bankrupted by a single drug.

However, she still picked at her words and added another comment: “Sister Qi, to call such a large enterprise a ‘pharmaceutical factory’ is truly too modest.”

“Hahahaha!” Qi Shenli laughed triumphantly and served Zhang Sitan more food.

“I said I have complete faith in Sitan. When I handed this project over to Sitan, I felt completely at ease. It’s okay for the company to earn a little less; the key is that we bring down the price with the foreigners, and our people benefit.”

Zhang Sitan nodded emphatically: “Seriously, Sister Qi, I couldn’t agree with you more.”

“All these big corporations should have your awareness now. Our country’s determination to cut prices shows foresight and strategic vision. Look at India; they don’t care about patents; they just imitate and manufacture. Their generic drugs are indeed cheap, but do they have efficacy? The lower-caste people just become guinea pigs.”

“They don’t recognize international patents, and the international community doesn’t recognize them either. If this continues, who will be motivated to research new drugs? The gradual rise of China’s original-research drugs and their export to Europe and the US is precisely a demonstration of our respect for patents and encouragement of innovation.”

Zhang Sitan’s impassioned speech drew continuous applause from Qi Shenli. She raised her teacup: “That is so right. We must make a toast with tea.”

Everyone raised their cups.

Zhang Sitan saw Qi An’s look of admiration directed at her, finding it amusing, like a child.