After discovering the relationship between Darius and the deputy director, as well as Riley, Alex felt a lot better about the chilly reception he had received at the hospital. However, he couldn't delay the launch of the slimming powder because of that.
What was more, promotion in the hospital was no longer possible. If he insisted on it, it would only end badly. So he had hit upon the idea of holding a business meeting to promote it through other channels.
"Is something wrong?" Hank asked. He understood it was out of character for Alex to change his mind about something without good reason.
Alex was very friendly, but he was also stubborn. He would always agree with people about the little things, but once he had decided on something, it was difficult for others to change his mind. But this time, Alex had changed course without warning, which was unusual.
"There are indeed some problems," Alex admitted. "And they're going to be very difficult to deal with." He laughed and told Hank about his experience in the hospital and what he had learned. Finally, he said, "As long as Darius and his brother-in-law, the deputy director, are at Baltimore Central, then Slim Treasure cannot be promoted there. Unless, of course, all the doctors in the hospital were replaced."
Hank laughed. "That seems impossible."
In fact, with Alex's talents, it wouldn't be impossible, but he didn't want to waste time on that when there were other routes open to him.
"That's why I decided to hold a business meeting here in the factory!" he said.
"It's a good idea," Hank said. "But unless the effects of Slim Treasure are truly magical, then it might be better to invest a sum of money in advertising and use that to drive sales. What do you think?"
Alex shook his head. "No, I don't have enough money to advertise, and it's too risky, anyway. The effects of advertising may not be as good as imagined, especially with the health and weight-loss market being flooded by more and more generic products. Advertising could simply be an enormous waste of money."
"But we have the funds!" Hank said, "This factory is yours. If you want to use money, then you can take it directly from the accounts."
Alex shook his head and said, "Do you remember what I said last time? The business capital should be kept separate from that of the general plant. It's not impossible to use the general plant to support other parts of the business, but it could create problems in the future."
"Oh!" Hank said. He deliberated for a moment, and then he nodded. "If the effects of the slimming powder are really good, then we can sell the product first and publicize it later. It's worth a try."
"I don't doubt the effects," Alex said. "I just wonder if this strategy will work."
There was no doubt about Hank's talent in business. Hank may not have personally operated a business before, but his ability to manage the pharmaceutical factory in an orderly manner was enough to prove he had what it took. Therefore, when Alex had decided to hold the meeting, his first thought had been to discuss it with Hank.
Alex believed it was vital for people to be self-aware and know what they were capable of. At the same time, they had to be loyal and listen to other opinions. Only in that way could they continue to grow. Alex wasn't as gifted as Hank in terms of business, so he was happy to ask Hank for advice and learn from him. That way, if he encountered any similar problems in the future, he would have the experience to deal with them.
"At the beginning, there may be some difficulties," Hank said thoughtfully. "After all, this is a new drug, so not everyone will accept it. The sellers are all businesspeople, and if they can't see the benefits, they won't help you to promote it."
Alex nodded, and then he said hesitantly, "If the response isn't very good, then I'll offer to give them all the profits and also subsidies, as long as they help publicize it. What do you think of that?"
"It's an option, but it should only be a last resort," Hank said.
"Why?" Alex asked.
The conversation between them was relatively relaxed. There was an informal atmosphere within the factory and no sense of hierarchy.
"You don't really know these people," Hank warned him. "They're extremely cunning. If you give them something for nothing, then they might take advantage of your generosity. What's more, they're all connected to each other in some way. You would just be creating more problems for yourself down the line."
"Nothing is ever easy, is it?" Alex said, sighing. "Well then, I'll offer half my profits first and then promote the powder on a small scale. After the promotion, I'll talk about other things. I also plan to take back all the slimming powder from Baltimore Central as compensation for the breach of contract. Since we won't be doing business there, I'll simply make a clean break. And I won't deal with them again in the future. As long as Darius and Zachary are there, they won't want to promote Slim Treasure, so I think it's better to terminate that relationship and focus on other channels first."
But Hank disagreed with him. "Alex, if you do that, then you'll have no way forward," he said. "Think about it. Baltimore Central is one of the largest hospitals in the city. Since we're in the pharmaceutical industry, we'll certainly have to deal with them in the future. If you go too far now—"
"They go too far!" Alex said, cutting him off.
"Look," Hank said, trying to placate him. "You didn't give too much weight-loss powder to Baltimore Central, so you really don't need to worry about getting it back. Let them keep it. We just won't offer them any more until they come to us for it. What do you think?"
"Fine," Alex said. After all, it was true that he hadn't given them a lot of the drug. The total amount was only enough for twenty people for one week. No one could achieve the expected weight-loss effect with that, so the problem would solve itself. It certainly wouldn't be a big financial loss.
"Then that's settled," Hank said. "I'll organize a meeting as soon as possible, and we'll start selling the product."
Alex nodded. "Let's try to do it the day after tomorrow," he said. "We're starting small, so two days should be enough for the factory to prepare."
"Can we talk about your strategy for the meeting?" Hank asked.
"Of course," Alex said. "You're the expert. We'll need to do more than just discuss it. I'll need you to help me formulate a sales pitch. Otherwise, I'll be no match for those profiteers!
Hank smiled.
"We should start off like this, and then we'll talk about other strategies when we grow stronger!" Alex said, patting Hank on the shoulder. "Our employees will still receive high salaries so that we attract the best talent available. If they come to work for us, then they won't think about leaving to go elsewhere. But we can't mess around. If the salaries are too high and we go bankrupt, we'll be a laughingstock."
Hank laughed. "Alex, are you joking? You're far from bankrupt. Even if we multiplied their current salaries by ten, it wouldn't affect the operation of the factory. Do you know how much money is in the company's account?"
"The last time I checked, there were more than five million left," Alex said, shrugging. "I don't remember the specific number. What is it now? ten million?" He didn't normally ask about money, and the accounting was taken care of by someone else.
"There's fifty million in the account," Hank said quietly.
Alex was shocked. "How can there be so much?"
"Why wouldn't there be?" Hank asked. "This month's bills and statements will be sent to you soon, but let me tell you in advance. We've had some huge orders recently. Last month, there was another large order, which will be paid in full within two months. Reaching fifty million was easy."
The pharmaceutical factory was like a chicken laying golden eggs, so Alex had nothing to worry about.