-Thankfully, there are treatments and, while not perfect, also preventive medicines for the Paris Flu.
-Ah~. Yes, that’s right. You’re referring to Pitaflu, aren’t you?
-Yes, exactly. And the place that produces the most Pitaflu in the entire world is here in our country.
-Is that true? So Pitaflu is produced here, and the domestic company is the largest producer? That’s such a relief. If it’s a domestic company, it shouldn’t be difficult for us to secure a supply, right?
The authority in the field, invited as an expert, was exchanging words with the anchor before turning to the camera and speaking in a firm tone.
-This is what we call a silver lining in the midst of misfortune. I’ve heard that DS Biologics, a subsidiary of DS Pharmaceuticals, began producing Pitaflu last month. Also, as far as I know, DS Pharmaceuticals holds the Asian sales license for Pitaflu. When Lohas Pharmaceuticals was struggling to produce Pitaflu, it was DS Pharmaceuticals that stepped in to solve the problem. Thanks to that, they now have significant influence over Pitaflu. There’s something I’d like to request of the government right here and now.
The supposed authority in the medical community suddenly turned to stare straight into the camera, speaking slowly and enunciating every word.
-The government must ask DS Pharmaceuticals for help, even now. Only Pitaflu can stem the spread of the Paris Flu. The longer we delay, the greater the harm to our people will become.
Hearing his speech-like tone, Park Jin-hyuk turned off the TV and spoke to Kim Jun-woo beside him.
“Next time, tell him not to overact. He got too caught up in the performance. He just needs to stick to the script we gave him, so why all the drama?”
With a laugh, Park Jin-hyuk placed the remote on the table and stood up.
“Let’s go. They’re waiting for us.”
Park Jin-hyuk began walking toward the Disease Control Headquarters staff, who had been waiting for him for an hour.
For several days now, they’d been coming to DS Pharmaceuticals so often it seemed they would wear down the doorstep.
And the reason they came was always the same.
[Priority Supply of Pitaflu]
The Disease Control Headquarters hadn’t found a way to calm the current crisis.
So, it seemed their only option was to make sure treatment was available to prevent further deaths.
Park Jin-hyuk entered the room where the Disease Control staff had gathered.
Those who’d been waiting for him all stood up at once, forcing smiles as they turned to greet him.
But Park Jin-hyuk didn’t even sit down before he spoke to them.
“Coming to see me like this is pointless. And let me say it once again: if you want to secure Pitaflu, you should use the official channels. Coming to me directly won’t change anything.”
“Director, please. This is urgent. For the good of the country…”
“Director, I only came because you yourself showed up. If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t have come at all. But if you’re going to say things like that after making the effort, that’s a bit much. Didn’t I already tell you? I clearly said I discussed priority supply rights with the Minister of Health and Welfare. But it was your superior, the Minister, who turned it down. Understand? If you want to talk about the good of the country, you should take it up with your side, not me. Asking for supply rights that have already been declined is just being unreasonable.”
At Park Jin-hyuk’s words, the Director of Disease Control’s face darkened.
He remembered hearing something similar when summoned by the Minister of Health and Welfare a month earlier.
At the time, the Director himself had said the threat from the Paris Flu was minimal. He knew he couldn’t escape responsibility for this situation.
That’s why he was so desperate, clinging to Park Jin-hyuk.
“Director, just think of saving a life—”
“I’m not someone who makes those kinds of decisions. Please, take care on your way out.”
Park Jin-hyuk said his farewell and left the room.
The Disease Control staff, not even daring to sit, could only gaze after Park Jin-hyuk as he departed.
“DS Pharmaceuticals’ stock price is hitting its upper limit every day.”
As they walked, Kim Jun-woo began reporting Pitaflu-related news to Park Jin-hyuk.
“Lohas says their Vice Chairman will visit Korea soon to express gratitude to DS Pharmaceuticals for stable Pitaflu supply.”
“Gratitude? Please. Now that it’s spreading in Asia, they’re just coming to check the market themselves.”
“There’s talk the Prime Minister will attend the meeting.”
“They must be in a real panic.”
“Yes. The Japanese Ambassador also reached out. They asked if we could arrange a meeting soon.”
“Why is everyone coming to me? I’m not the CEO of Biologics or DS Pharmaceuticals.”
Officially, Park Jin-hyuk was just one of DS Pharmaceuticals’ executives.
But when it came to Pitaflu, governments and overseas officials were all desperate to meet him.
“They must know you’re the one in charge, Director.”
“In charge, huh… I’m exhausted. Forward these to President Kyung. Unless it’s absolutely necessary, don’t let these things come up to me. And if the Disease Control people come again, don’t even tell me.”
“Yes, sir. Also, Director.”
“What is it?”
As Park Jin-hyuk was about to get in the car, Kim Jun-woo called to him. Park paused, holding the door open, and looked back.
Glancing around, Kim Jun-woo leaned in and whispered quietly in Park’s ear.
“They say the United States will declare a national disaster within three days.”
“They’ve gone mad. How many have died?”
“Reportedly, around ten thousand have died directly. If you count indirect deaths due to complications, the number could exceed twenty thousand.”
“What about our country?”
“As far as I know, none… yet.”
Watching Kim Jun-woo trail off, Park Jin-hyuk smirked from the right corner of his mouth.
“For Secretary Kim to sound this uncertain, I guess even you don’t have a clear grasp yet. Got it. Keep monitoring.”
“Director, what about the batch we set aside?”
“Keep stockpiling. It’s not time to use it yet.”
Finishing his words, Park Jin-hyuk got into the car.
*****
When the first domestic death from the Paris Flu occurred, the government hurriedly held a press conference to try and calm public anxiety.
But the anxiety wasn’t coming from within the country alone.
One by one, European nations began announcing they were giving up on national-level containment efforts for the Paris Flu.
Instead, they urged individual preventative measures like hand washing and limiting gatherings.
Governments across the globe shifted their focus from prevention to treatment.
In the United States, it was announced that a special medical insurance system would be set up exclusively for the Paris Flu.
With flu deaths skyrocketing, this was a desperate measure.
Asia was no different.
China restricted movement between provinces and built around a hundred new hospitals dedicated solely to treating the Paris Flu.
Ultimately, every country seemed to be turning to Pitaflu as their answer to the Paris Flu crisis.
“Director, the new Minister of Health and Welfare has come to see you.”
“Why are they even coming here?”
“They heard about what happened between you and the previous Minister. Word has also spread about how you were summoned.”
“Bureaucrats really know how to cover themselves. Let him in.”
As the Paris Flu continued its rampage, the government ordered the Health and Welfare Ministry to pour all resources into containment and treatment.
And, as public opinion demanded, they reached out to DS Pharmaceuticals for help.
But things began to move in a different direction.
Rumors spread that DS Pharmaceuticals had offered priority supply of Pitaflu first, but the previous Minister of Health and Welfare refused. Public outrage was growing.
The media began investigating, and the government—once seen as doing its best—was now being branded incompetent for failing to utilize the world’s largest Pitaflu producer in its own backyard.
The government quickly ordered the Minister of Health and Welfare to formally apologize to DS Pharmaceuticals.
But the previous Minister only fanned the flames.
Even Lohas was relying on DS Biologics’ supply, and the tables had turned, with Lohas now watching DS Pharmaceuticals’ reactions.
Yet the previous Minister made the mistake of treating Park Jin-hyuk as just another businessman, summoning him to his residence rather than apologizing directly.
Park Jin-hyuk, citing his busy schedule, declined to go and quietly let it be known he was displeased.
Once word got out that the Minister had offended the real power behind DS Pharmaceuticals, the government immediately sacked the previous Minister for the Paris Flu containment failure and appointed a new Minister.
And so the new Minister came to see Park Jin-hyuk at DS Pharmaceuticals.
“Welcome.”
“Good day, Director. It’s my first time meeting you. I am Gyeyoung Jeong, the new Minister of Health and Welfare.”
The new Minister greeted Park Jin-hyuk with a 90-degree bow.
It was a bizarre scene for any outsider, but both men accepted it as a matter of course.
This single moment made it clear who held the key to resolving the crisis.
“I should have come to see you, but you beat me to it.”
“Not at all, Director. It’s only proper that I come to you, especially when you’re busier than I am.”
“Thank you for saying that. Please, have a seat.”
Gyeyoung Jeong, the new Minister, was well aware of how his predecessor had been dismissed.
He thought it foolish that even when given the chance, his predecessor failed to act.
Not only had the former Minister refused Park Jin-hyuk’s offer at DS’s second son’s engagement party, he’d done nothing even after hearing that DS Pharmaceuticals was setting aside a portion of its production.
There had been several chances to stabilize the situation, all wasted, and now it was uncertain if the former Minister could ever return to public life.
He was the main cause of the sharp drop in public trust in the government.
‘I can’t make that mistake.’
Gyeyoung Jeong knew Park Jin-hyuk now held the key to the Paris Flu crisis.
Though he was Minister, and twice Park’s age, he had thrown away his pride long ago in the political world.
So, bowing and scraping to Park Jin-hyuk didn’t bother him at all.
“Director, has there been an Asian sales plan released for Pitaflu?”
“Minister, as you’ve heard, we’ve always been ready.”
“I know, I know very well. It pains me that time was wasted because of my predecessor’s foolish mistake. Thanks to a rare consensus with the opposition party to resolve this quickly, I was able to take this post.”
“I’m aware of that. I intend to do everything I can to help you, Minister.”
“Thank you. With that in mind, could you possibly increase the supply of Pitaflu just a bit more?”
“Haa. I’d like to, but…”
Park Jin-hyuk looked troubled.
Gyeyoung Jeong swallowed dryly, studying Park’s expression.
“Yesterday, the Japanese Ambassador also visited. They said the situation is urgent and requested a larger allocation… This is difficult. Perhaps you could try contacting Lohas headquarters? If only you’d spoken up a little sooner, there might have been a chance. It’s truly a shame.”
“Director, even when I visited last time, the Prime Minister asked the Lohas Vice Chairman, but things didn’t go well. Director, is there any way you could use your influence?”
The new Minister tried to make his eyes as moist as possible, hoping Park Jin-hyuk would feel sympathy for him.
Meanwhile, Park Jin-hyuk didn’t spare a glance for the Minister’s watery eyes, his mind instead turning to the upcoming visit of the Lohas Vice Chairman.
The Vice Chairman was coming to Korea, ostensibly to express gratitude to Park Jin-hyuk and DS Pharmaceuticals.
But that was just the official reason; in reality, it was to negotiate for increased production.
The Paris Flu was no longer just Europe’s problem.
Now a worldwide epidemic, there were even chilling rumors of culling humans in parts of Africa.
If things got even worse, emergency action regarding Pitaflu could be taken at any time. The Lohas Vice Chairman was desperate to secure more supply.
Even though DS Pharmaceuticals was already providing more than the promised eighty million monthly doses, Lohas was still asking for more.
Park Jin-hyuk looked at Gyeyoung Jeong and sighed deeply.
His body language made it clear he was at a loss, and he shook his head as if to say it couldn’t be helped.
“But I can’t focus on that issue alone. There’s Hansung Pharmaceuticals…”
“I know. They’re trying to make trouble over nothing, aren’t they? Don’t worry, Director. Even if it means wiping out Hansung Pharmaceuticals, I’ll take care of your concerns.”
“My concerns? How, exactly?”
A faint smile appeared on Park Jin-hyuk’s face.
Seeing that glimmer of hope, the new Minister raised his voice.
“I heard Hansung Pharmaceuticals is preparing to sue Biologics over a contract issue. Aren’t they just villains? They withheld stock and now they’re suing? And trying to give Biologics trouble at this critical time for the Paris Flu is, in my view, an indirect way of showing dissatisfaction with the government. So, the Ministry will conduct a full investigation into all Hansung’s patents and production rights. Also, the party will likely order state-owned banks to re-examine their loans to the Hansung Group.”
“Hm…”
Seeing that Park Jin-hyuk was still not fully satisfied, Gyeyoung Jeong continued.
“That’s not all. We’ll also investigate whether there were any irregularities during new drug clinical trials. And we plan to share details with foreign governments to see if Hansung has violated any international patent rights.”
Gyeyoung Jeong, eager to win Park Jin-hyuk’s favor, was boldly declaring his intent to erase both the present and the future of the Hansung Group.