Riley looked grave as the executive continued to report the situation.
"People are deliberately taking the wrong medicines to treat their conditions and then being hospitalized for it so that they can claim compensation from Quality Pharmaceuticals and damage our reputation.
"It's been reported that thirty-three people took medicine for colds to treat diarrhea, twelve people took antipyretic tablets for treating coughs, and thirteen took blood pressure drugs for nausea. All of them were hospitalized.
"It's obvious that they're taking advantage of the controversy surrounding Dynamic Health and trying to cause more trouble for us.
"What's more, the FDA has issued an order to suspend the sale of all medical products and devices produced by the Naysmith Group in all the major hospitals and pharmacies."
Riley's face turned pale. The situation was even worse than he had thought.
It was the biggest crisis that the Naysmiths had faced in the past five years. Riley's family had caused trouble with others in the past, and Riley had done the same thing recently. Now, their opponents had finally woken up and were taking the opportunity to attack them.
"What a mess Alex has gotten us into," said Riley, gritting his teeth. "We need to hire the top lawyers. We'll cooperate with the investigation, but we're not going to give up without a fight. And if people want to return the products, then we can even refund them in cash. We're still worth millions."
The executive nodded. "Okay, I'll see to it," she said.
Riley gestured at the group of executives to leave, and then he turned on the security monitor to see the situation outside the building.
The reporters had still not dispersed, and they were stopping executives, security personnel, and even cleaners at the door to question them.
By asking so many people random questions, the reporters were sure to dig out information about the company.
Remembering the kind of questions they had asked him, Riley turned to Curtis and said, "Curtis, go and give them a warning. Let them know that we're not to be messed with."
His anger wouldn't be dispelled until he had made an example of them.
"We have to be careful about how we respond at this time, so don't be impulsive," Curtis said. "Everyone is watching us, and we can't afford to make any mistakes."
Just then, Alf opened the door and walked in.
Riley looked at Curtis. "Let's deal with the things at hand," he said.
Curtis nodded and left the room.
"Uncle Alf, is there any news about Norman?" asked Riley.
"I don't know the details," Alf said. "But knowing his loyalty to you, I'm sure he'll handle it well and take the fall." He walked over to the French window. "We were right about what would happen."
Riley was silent for a moment, feeling guilty about Norman.
Then he asked, "What part does Brian play in this? Without his approval, none of this would have happened."
If Brian hadn't approved the investigation, then the Naysmiths wouldn't have been forced to pay millions of dollars in compensation. And if Norman had been released on bail, then Riley would have had a chance to fix the situation.
But he couldn't even visit Norman now.
"There are three reasons why you're in this situation," Alf said, looking out the window. "The first involves public safety. Thousands of people have traffic accidents each day. How can the authorities solve this? Well, one solution would have been Dynamic Health, and they were ready to pay millions for it.
"The second reason is that you've made many enemies this year by provoking a lot of people. And now, even Brian is helping them to get back at us.
"And last—and this is the most important reason—several departments were interested in Dynamic Health. After Norman's press conference had demonstrated its positive effects, many specialist departments, such as the police and the military, took an interest in it.
"Of course, specialist departments don't want to make money from Dynamic Health; they just want it to treat their personnel. Do you know how many people in those departments are injured each year? If they had all used Dynamic Health, then how many people would still have required hospitalization, and how many people would still have died?"
Riley raised his head and said, "I realize now that I underestimated the market."
Not only that, but Alex's approach had destroyed his plan.
Alf continued to look at the reporters outside. "Since Dynamic Health has just been released and is involved in a series of disputes, the companies responsible for supplying hospitals haven't reached out to you.
"They quietly monitor the progress of disputes to see how they end, as well as looking at feedback from users. It's a shame that they didn't receive positive feedback about Dynamic Health. Instead, thousands of people have reported adverse reactions to it."
He turned his head and gave Riley a reproachful look. Riley was supposed to be the future head of the Naysmith family, and Alf was disappointed by his carelessness.
"I'm sorry, Uncle Alf," said Riley. "I'll be more careful in the future."
His remorse softened Alf's heart. "When a mistake involves hundreds of people, it's expected to cause panic," Alf said. "It's only natural that the companies who have been following this closely will be asking questions now.
"Not only do they seem to restore people's trust and hold the Naysmiths accountable, but they're using this case to find out whether Dynamic Health was originally formulated by Alex."
Riley panicked. "The supply companies are interested in Alex?"
"If Alex is revealed to be the real founder of Dynamic Health, then it would prove that he's a genius." Alf turned to look at Riley and asked, "Wouldn't you be interested?"
Riley didn't say anything, but he had to admit that if things were different, he would want to work with Alex.
"The goal of these companies is to find out the truth and work with skilled people, and Brian will not hesitate to issue orders to that effect." Alf's expression became serious. "Alex will be extremely successful."
Riley clenched his fists, and his body became tense. He would never allow Alex to reach that high.
"Alex is our sworn enemy," he said. "If he gets the support of the companies that supply medication to hospitals, then we'll have a really hard time getting out of this."
Alf walked over and patted Riley on the shoulder. "And once he does, he'll target you. You should befriend him and make peace with him now if you want our situation to improve. After all, even if you can't be friends, you don't have to be enemies."
Then he added, "The head of the Naysmith family should not only look ahead but also be flexible."
But Riley was too angry to listen. "I've suffered such a huge blow that even Norman has been arrested, and you're telling me to make peace with Alex?" His voice turned icy. "I'm not Cam Fitzroy of the Demon sect. I'm not going to bow down to Alex, and I will never forget how he humiliated me."
Alf shook his head. "Riley, you'll get yourself into even more trouble if you don't take my advice."
But Riley just gave him a sinister smile. "Alex hasn't been approached by any of those companies yet," he said. "I must take this opportunity to teach him a lesson."