Chapter 56

"Mr. Jardine, what do you think about this matter...?"

Today, Bai Siwen was dressed in a shabby Western suit, with a queue still hanging from the back of his head. He stood bowing before William Jardine in the office of Jardine Matheson, located in the heart of London. In this office, there was always only one chair, and only William Jardine could sit in it; everyone else had to stand to speak to him. Bai Siwen had already gotten used to this practice from his time in Guangzhou, and now he stood there with a subservient look, appearing like a loyal servant.

Jardine still looked sickly. Berberine, after all, was not streptomycin. It might cure mild cases of tuberculosis, but for Jardine, who was already severely ill, the large daily doses of berberine injections were merely keeping him alive and preventing his condition from worsening. Moreover, tuberculosis bacteria easily developed resistance to berberine, so the dosage would have to increase over time. Considering the current price of berberine injections set by Hero Pharmaceuticals, the cost of keeping Jardine alive was not low. Fortunately, he was the owner of Jardine Matheson, with plenty of pounds to spare, so the monthly medical expenses of several hundred pounds were no problem.

In addition to berberine, Jardine had also become dependent on a tuberculosis syrup containing heroin. A large bottle of this medicine was always on his desk, and he had another bottle in his briefcase, with two large boxes stored at home. To him, this syrup was almost a divine elixir, even more miraculous than berberine. Just one sip could make all his pain disappear, and he would feel completely revitalized, as if he had returned to his pre-tuberculosis state. The only downside was that the effects of the heroin syrup were short-lived, requiring a dose every few hours...

He coughed softly, quickly picked up the bottle from the desk, removed the stopper, and took a large sip. He then looked satisfied, exhaled, and said to Bai Siwen, "This Zhu Jishi is truly a genius, to have invented such a wonderful thing as heroin, which is far more effective than opium! If I could sell it to China, Jardine Matheson would certainly become the world's largest conglomerate..."

As a major opium dealer, he naturally knew what addiction was. In fact, due to his heavy consumption of the tuberculosis syrup, he already felt he could not do without it. He knew he was addicted to the heroin in the syrup. But for a terminally ill patient with little time left, what did it matter whether he was addicted or not?

Bai Siwen smiled ingratiatingly and said, "That's easy. You can post a notice to invite Zhu Jishi for a face-to-face talk. As far as I know, the general agents for heroin and morphine hydrochloride in China have not yet been found."

Jardine smiled faintly and looked up at Bai Siwen. "General agents?... Siwen, do you think how much money Zhu Jishi could make from selling heroin as an agent? How big is the heroin market in China?"

Bai Siwen thought for a moment and replied, "Actually, the Chinese market is not small. If heroin and morphine hydrochloride can enter China, they would likely be welcomed by pharmacies, and the annual market could be worth over a thousand pounds. Since it would be an exclusive agency, the profit per pound of heroin and morphine hydrochloride would not be less than 200 pounds, and the annual earnings could be at least 200,000 pounds, possibly even 300,000 pounds."

Jardine snorted coldly and did not respond. 300,000 pounds a year, or about 900,000 taels of silver, was not a small amount, but to the owner of Jardine Matheson, who was accustomed to mountains of gold and silver, it was not a significant sum. The heroin business he had in mind was not to be done this way but to be sold as a recreational drug, like opium. However, the production of heroin was currently monopolized by Zhu Jishi, and the price was exorbitant, with a factory price of 200 pounds per pound! This was nearly 200 times the price of opium on the London market.

At this price, using heroin as a raw material for pharmaceuticals was not a problem. First, the therapeutic effects of heroin were very significant, and only a small amount was needed to achieve remarkable results. Second, the pharmaceutical industry was already a highly profitable sector, capable of bearing the high cost of heroin as a raw material. However, selling it as a drug presented a significant issue: it would have to compete with the much cheaper opium. Heroin, which sold for 200 pounds per pound in London, would cost at least 600 pounds, or nearly 2,000 taels of silver, in China! This amount could buy four or five chests of opium. Therefore, even if someone used heroin as a drug, the market would not be large because it was simply unaffordable. Even if the Chinese could spend several million pounds a year on heroin, the bulk of the profit would still go to Zhu Jishi, and for the East India Company and Jardine Matheson, selling opium would still be more profitable.

Thus, although Jardine saw the huge market potential of heroin, he could not do this business until he got his hands on Hero Pharmaceuticals. The only way was to set up a factory in a country without patent laws to produce generic drugs. However, the technology for synthesizing morphine hydrochloride and heroin had a certain threshold in Europe at the time—Europe's chemical industry had not yet developed, let alone setting up a heroin production plant in a backward country without patent laws.

Putting aside the idea of using heroin to poison the Chinese people, Jardine changed the subject. "Siwen, do you think Zhu Jishi's proposal is feasible?"

Bai Siwen remained calm, nodded slightly, and said, "The plan is not bad. Although he oversimplified the Qing Dynasty's bureaucracy, with a bit of maneuvering, it is still possible to secure a decent official position."

"How high a position?"

"A position as a Dao official should be possible, and with good luck, even a position as a provincial governor. However, getting a real post would be difficult."

"Would you like my help?" Jardine smiled, pinched three fingers, and made a counting motion.

Bai Siwen lowered his head, remained silent for a moment, then bowed deeply and said, "I thank Mr. Jardine for your cultivation."

Bai Siwen did not yet know that from this bow, the entire Eastern world and the Qing Dynasty would begin to be stirred up.

At this moment, Zhu Jishi was also engaged in another major endeavor that he believed would have a significant impact on the present and the future—the establishment of the Jason Central Laboratory! This was a department that directly combined science and production. In the 20th century, or even the late 19th century, large companies with high-level research departments were common, but in the 1840s, this was truly a groundbreaking initiative.

Manchester, Vincent Street, Jishi Holdings headquarters conference room.

As the applause died down, Zhu Jishi stood up, looked at Cosper William, Frank Hahn, Hans Schmidt, the Blumstein father and son, Will Heming, and the other scientists who had just joined the Jason Central Laboratory, and smiled. "Gentlemen, today is a memorable day for Jishi Holdings, Hero Pharmaceuticals, Jason-Cosper Rubber Company, Jason-Churchill Explosives Company, and for all the consumers who will benefit from our inventions. Not only because our important invention, cocaine, has received a 14-year patent from the British Patent Office, but also because the Jason Central Laboratory is officially established!

This laboratory will usher in a new era, an era where scientific innovation leads to the development of productivity, an era where scientists become millionaires! From now on, science will no longer be out of reach but will be closely integrated with industrial capital. Our goal as scientists will no longer be to become members of the Academy of Sciences, Fellows of the Royal Society, winners of the Grand Prix of France, or the Collier Prize. Of course, many in this laboratory will soon receive those honors, but I believe scientists should receive more.

Because we are the greatest driving force behind human progress! We are the greatest creators of wealth! We are the greatest producers of productivity!"