ALL NOVEL chapter 18
18 – 18. Pain
It has finally begun.
“CEO Allen. Access to outsiders has been blocked at Hwangnip Military Hospital. Before that, I saw a few guards entering the hospital.”
As soon as I heard Bono’s report, a thought came to mind. We had been consistently investigating near the hospital, and it seemed like it wasn’t in vain.
I could imagine what kind of situation was unfolding at the hospital by now.
“They must have run out of medicine.”
The amount I distributed for free was 60 grams, equivalent to 4,000 doses.
Since one person needs to take it four times a day, it was an amount that would be quickly depleted.
I did mention to only give it to patients in critical condition, to the point where they couldn’t sleep. However, the majority of patients there were in critical condition anyway. The hospital was not a place where you could be admitted just because you broke an arm.
If you think about it, it was only two days of medication.
It wasn’t a long enough time for withdrawal symptoms to appear.
For pain patients, it was difficult to experience the infinite world of bliss that had taken root in the abyss just by taking a little morphine. At least, it was safe to say that they wouldn’t beg for morphine for the sake of pleasure.
“But emotions are a separate issue.”
These patients at the military hospital were the ones who had finally been liberated from pain since their injuries.
They no longer had to helplessly sob in the face of pain like crashing waves,
Nor did they have to drown in despair while forcibly listening to the groans of other patients,
Above all, they didn’t need to wake up dozens of times in one night because of pain.
Could they forget those comfortable moments?
If their hard-earned deep sleep was forcibly taken away, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of deprivation. It was only a matter of time before that sense of deprivation spread through their actions.
“So, is that why they called in the guards?”
They said it was a small number of guards, so it wasn’t at the level of a riot yet.
But it was clear that the anxiety had spread among the patients.
Perhaps the hospital had requested support in case of any unforeseen circumstances. There was nothing as gruesome as patients with severed limbs, fractures, and gunshot wounds joining forces and engaging in collective action.
However, amidst all this, there was something that remained unclear.
The fact that there hasn’t been any contact with me yet. It’s normal for them to attempt to contact Maydoph Pharmaceuticals at the hospital by now.
How will I endure this?
It wasn’t a situation leisurely enough for that. In the end, there was only one option left.
‘It must be someone from higher up, not me.’
As soon as the suspicion crossed my mind, I immediately headed towards Siena.
Normally confined to the office to the point of irritation, Siena was unusually taking a stroll in the garden today. A garden with withered poppies scattered like corpses. Siena was wandering through that desolate place.
There were no flowers to admire, yet for some reason, she nodded with a satisfied expression.
Perhaps because her abundant silver hair was disheveled, she seemed somewhat like a woman with a fragile mind. There were indeed some incomplete aspects to her.
Fortunately, I knew why Siena’s expression was bright.
“It seems you’ve approached Her Highness first.”
“Approached? What do you mean?”
“It’s Morphine’s words. Didn’t you propose a deal to Her Highness because your body is on fire from the First Princess’s faction? Although you presented the name Maydoph Pharmaceuticals, the one actually managing the business is likely Her Highness, so I thought.”
“Alan. Aren’t you too sure of yourself?”
“I am indeed sure.”
Siena looked at me, blinking at these words.
But the answer was affirmative. There was no need to drag out time by talking in circles when it was all a deception anyway.
“$900 per gram. That’s the price Victoria sent through the messenger.”
“It’s a decent price.”
“I haven’t responded yet. It’s your business, after all.”
One gram is roughly 66 doses.
Even if they dispose of it for 900 talers, Maidof Pharma could still sit on a money cushion. The price of the raw materials they used would probably seem trivial.
But Siena said her satisfaction wasn’t just because of the money.
“There’s something else. They said if someone reveals the identity of the pharmacist who produced morphine, they would recommend them to the military and even give them a medal.”
They probably didn’t think I was the one who produced it. I didn’t hide it, I even proudly announced it.
It didn’t matter until now.
But what was the intention behind asking for the identity of the morphine pharmacist? It probably wasn’t just to give out a medal.
It didn’t take long for suspicion to arise.
Judging by her expression, it seemed like Siena had similar suspicions to mine.
“It seems like they want to secure the production method. After identifying the real producer, they probably want to somehow absorb them. Then they won’t need to rely on us,” she said.
“I have the same thought, Alan.”
“Did you laugh because of that ridiculous trick?”
“Yeah.”
She tilted her head with a questioning expression. …It was actually quite ridiculous. From Siena’s perspective, it would be amusing to know that I was the producer.
But I didn’t find it particularly funny.
In the midst of the chaos caused by morphine, she came up with the idea of securing the production method. Whether it was Victoria’s own idea or her close associate’s, the reaction speed was quite impressive.
“Anyway, Alan. That’s as far as the proposal goes. What do you think?”
“Well, I…”
“Oh, can I give you some advice? In my opinion, it would be best to put pressure on them by staying silent for about three days. When the patients start clamoring, they will raise the price and make a proposal. After all, you’re the one who’s cultivating it, right?”
“….”
—
It was indeed a villainous idea.
By doing this, the prices could be raised steadily.
However, there was a high possibility of an accident before achieving the desired amount.
For patients who had already experienced morphine, every minute was agony. Now, opioids like morphine had no effect on them.
Perhaps in the attempt to relieve pain, pouring whiskey on top of opioids might lead to someone falling into a state of unconsciousness.
“Well, then it’s not good for me either.”
Trying to raise prices by luring in patients? That was definitely not beneficial for business.
And it wasn’t really necessary.
After all, they were cornered over there.
Even without working for four days, we could easily get a quick surrender. All we had to do was apply light pressure.
“Sir, there’s no need to go to such lengths.”
“Why?”
“Just inform Lady Victoria as I instruct. Call the magician right away.”
Upon this request, without hesitation, Siena called the subordinate magician.
She immediately attempted magical communication with her sister Victoria.
And as soon as the connection was established, she began reciting the contents I had instructed her unilaterally.
“Sister, it seems like there’s a misunderstanding. Alan Maydoff is the one who created morphine. There is no other alchemist. He’s also involved in the business.”
“But recently, due to the troubles he faced, Alan seems to be having doubts. Honestly… wouldn’t he? He begged at dozens of hospitals and was coldly rejected. It was common for him to be driven away without even having an interview.”
“Still, he managed to endure somehow. But today, the proposal sent by Sister seemed to touch Alan’s nerves. While talking about the medal, she subtly tried to extract the manufacturing method, right? Ah… Sister didn’t propose with such an intention, did she?”
“I don’t know about that.”
—
At this point, sounds of protest were heard, but Siena remained silent, only speaking what needed to be said. It was easy to guess how the sisters usually got along.
“Even… sigh. She even talked about giving up the business? She said she didn’t want to sell dru*gs, breaking her pride while doing something she didn’t start for the money. I told her to quit after I provided the investment, but she didn’t listen. Try convincing her yourself.”
Siena conveyed this and ended the communication. Then, she briefly admired her own face reflected in the communication screen. Judging by her expression, it didn’t seem like she was intoxicated by her own beauty; she just seemed to enjoy teasing her sister.
“I wonder how much they can endure?”
“Since she hinted at giving up the business, Victoria will have to step in personally.”
Siena smiled brightly at these words. I also smiled in response. It was becoming quite a familiar routine.
**
Hwanglip Military Hospital.
There was a bit of commotion in the ward that accommodated severe trauma patients.
“Morphine!! Morphine!! Mor-phine!!”
…A patient thrashing about like crazy while shouting continuously.
“Why should I suffer? When you rich folks get sick, you meet saints, and I lie here in this damn place like a lump of meat, with 27 guys packed in like sardines. Just waiting to go out as a corpse, right? It feels like my stomach is being whacked with a red-hot iron rod…”
Grabbing the collar of the patient next to him, not a medical professional but an agitated fellow patient was venting unilaterally.
What was peculiar was that the patient whose collar was grabbed kept repeating apologies with a sad expression. It was an apologetic look without understanding what he was sorry for.
“Do you know morphine? If you drink it, after precisely 22 minutes, your stomach gradually warms up. That warmth slowly spreads to every corner of your body, and only the injured area feels pleasantly cool. From that point on, I, who was miserably dying, can finally enjoy life. I can’t go back to the wretched life before morphine. Morphine is the best, isn’t it?”
Even a patient praising morphine with a nostalgic expression. He spoke politely, but there was moisture in his eyes.
The methods were diverse, but they shared a commonality.
A desperate longing for morphine.
And a lack of interest in anything other than morphine.
The faces of the nurses taking care of these patients were all filled with anxiety. Just one dose had caused this situation. There wasn’t even anyone causing a disturbance, so everyone was relieved, but still…
It was a brief moment.
“Ahhhhh!!”
The scream of a critically ill patient who had undergone surgery three days ago.
Although it was a short scream, its impact was significant. Praise for morphine, petty arguments, and whining all ceased simultaneously.
What followed was a chilly silence and tension.
A woman who had been about to enter the ward discreetly avoided the scene, glancing around.
A beautiful blonde, wearing a military uniform with her epaulets removed. It was Victoria, the 1st Princess of the Empire and the biggest patron of the military hospital.
“I didn’t expect it to be this bad.”
Even her muttered words had the same frozen expression as the patients robbed of morphine.