Everyone was captivated by the effects of the Golden Health powder.
After testing its effectiveness, Fabian picked some up and sniffed it. "This is great!"
He believed this was an unprecedented product, and that it was absolutely the best trauma medicine in the world.
The company's financial forecast was that they would make a profit of a hundred billion dollars. Some even thought that this was a relatively conservative amount, and that the demand from the military in various regions would result in an even more astronomical figure. Those who invested in the powder would certainly never have to worry about where their next meal was coming from.
Everyone in the company was excited. Fabian was glad that he had spotted Golden Health's huge potential, and there was now a strong likelihood that he would become rich overnight. He also knew that Alex regarded money as a necessary evil and would be happy to pass the profits on to his staff.
"I'll have another look and see if we can reduce the price," he said thoughtfully. "This is too important to be so expensive."
When Alex had brought Fabian into the Robinson Group, formerly Robinson Winery, he had had great expectations for him and had never viewed him as a casual hire. Fabian had been involved in a lot of pioneering work and had become the main legal adviser for several companies. Since working for the Robinson Group, he had not only drawn up mutually beneficial contracts for the factories and workers, but he had also provided legal support, and he had kept costs down to ensure that they made good progress.
Having seen the power of Golden Health, Fabian's admiration for Alex had grown exponentially, and he was determined to help.
After all, Alex had no equal. He was a fierce warrior and also the creator of this miracle healing powder, so Fabian was happy to be a part of that.
The entire factory had absolute confidence in the popularity of Alex's healing powder. They knew it was truly a magic product, and everyone had seen its miraculous effects.
The powder was in full production, and it was predicted that more than fifty thousand units would be produced within that week. Fabian further predicted that Golden Health wouldn't run into any problems, but that the key would be to maintain the intellectual rights to it. He was afraid that copycat products would hit the market. No matter how strong their sales were, they would inevitably be affected by competitors springing up.
Fabian, therefore, believed that the product, and anything related to it, should be protected. "We can't continually sue counterfeiters," he said, smiling. "So we must take action to protect our product as soon as possible."
"You're right," Alex said. "I'm making you fully responsible for the patent application and any related legal matters. If you can't manage them yourself, then you can hire whatever assistance you need, and I'll provide the funds. I'll give you some money up front, and you can set up a team."
"Understood," Fabian said. "I'll get right on to that. Please rest assured that you can leave it to me. Whether it's production or sales, I'll get things sorted."
Alex nodded, and then he turned to look around.
Maryann glanced at Lily Mannering, the manager in charge of advertising.
"If you're happy with the advertising content, then we can begin tomorrow," Lily said. "We've asked Cassidy Pike to feature in our campaign, and I believe the effect of the advertising will be amazing."
Lily's phone rang, and when she answered, she was stunned by what she heard. "What? What did you say?" She paused to listen. "That's ridiculous!" she shrieked. Her voice remained shrill as she added, "Someone has accused us of copying our Golden Health powder?"
While Lily was talking anxiously on the phone, a roar of car motors was heard outside as more than a dozen official-looking cars drove up.
When they arrived at the gate of the factory building, more than fifty men and women spilled out. They worked in teams and appeared very organized. One team ran into the workshop, while others entered the R&D center, the advertising department, the CEO's office, and the finance department. Several workers had been isolated from the others and were being questioned.
Several men in suits were using cameras to collect evidence, and the entire complex had soon been taken over by the newcomers.
A wide range of emotions played over the faces of those watching from the main office.
Alex was surprised, but Maryann was furious. "What are you doing?" she demanded. "Everything here is legal and above board. Why are you interfering with our production?"
Fabian stepped forward and said, "Ms. Robinson is right. You're trespassing, and your interference will have a negative impact on our production. We can sue you for this."
"We'll make a formal complaint," Lily said, extremely angry. As well as overseeing the advertising department, she was also the head of public relations. "I'll be speaking to your boss to protest your conduct, and I'll ask him to oversee a thorough investigation."
Alex recognized the officer who approached them as Agent Johnson from the FBI.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Robinson and Mr. Welsh," Agent Johnson said. "But we've received a verified report about your company concerning the research and development of the Golden Health powder. There is a suspicion that you're using someone else's recipe to produce it, and it's also been reported that its efficacy hasn't been tested adequately.
"We need to verify the product, collect relevant information, and conduct a thorough inventory of the Robinson Group. If we find a problem, we'll have to close the factory and take you in for questioning. We formally request your cooperation with the investigation. Please don't embarrass yourselves. It's useless to resist."
He was clearly not afraid of Maryann at all, and his attitude was extremely arrogant. But when he saw Alex, his eyebrows rose in surprise.
Maryann's expression turned stony as she asked, "Who reported us?"
"Sorry, I can't tell you that." Agent Johnson laughed. "I'm afraid you'll have to wait for the official report."
"But what have we done?" Maryann asked. "All our procedures are working properly, and the product is something we developed ourselves, so how can we be under investigation? I just don't understand."