Chapter 316: A Meticulously Planned Retaliation

At this moment, the Italian Prime Minister interjected:
“It's said that the three most suspicious avenues are American military athletes, local research institutes in Xia Country, and natural evolution…”
“Alright, enough of that,” Merkel interrupted the Italian speaker.
“Now is not the time to discuss origins.
There's plenty of time to settle this score later. We need to put out the fire first, extinguish this raging inferno that's burning through the roof!”
Everyone fell silent again.
Yes, survival comes first.
"So, where do we find the vaccine?"
Merkel paused, then uttered the name:
"The place on this planet capable of producing the vaccines we need fastest, most accurately, and on the largest scale is AstraZeneca, owned by Fang Huan!
Their mRNA technology is currently the most advanced in the world, enabling them to mass-produce vaccines at the fastest speed."
"But! AstraZeneca... was previously a British company, and now it's under Fang Huan's control..."
Someone immediately reacted, their tone turning strange.
"Our EU's relationship with those two is currently very strained. Aren't there any other companies?"
"Of course there are, but other pharmaceutical giants would need at least twice as long to develop from scratch as AstraZeneca!"
Merkel countered,
"Are we confident we can wait that long? Don't forget the figures I just showed you—one trillion euros evaporate every year!"
The room fell silent.
“Moreover, AstraZeneca started development the moment the WHO released the virus's genetic sequence. As far as I know, their vaccine has entered the final refinement stage.”
“When will the vaccine be available?!” someone asked eagerly.
“As everyone knows, it takes at least ten years for a vaccine to go from development to market.
Add clinical trials and approvals from various countries, and it takes another three years.
But now, if we compress all the processes to their limits, we can roll it out in as little as six months!”
Six months!
Everyone thought it would take at least a long time, but unexpectedly, it took less than a year!
“This…is this speed even possible?!”
“That’s why mRNA technology is called a ‘revolution.’
Of course, the final result still depends on clinical data, but AstraZeneca is very confident.
Therefore, Fang Huan’s condition for countries around the world is that as long as a country provides sufficient funding, it can obtain a sufficient amount of vaccine allocation.”
Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent.
The name Fang Huan was synonymous with humiliation for everyone present, a name that resonated deeply yet carried a heavy scar.
The business empire whose global shipping operations had been forcibly dismantled by the EU using all its power!
Negotiating with the British was merely nauseating.
But dealing with Fang Huan… it was like offering your face to be slapped from both sides!
What's worse, this company was still operating on British soil!
This meant they not only had to contend with the newly separated Britain, but also had to be subservient to Fang Huan!
Double the humiliation, double the frustration!
“I know our relationship with Fang Huan isn’t exactly harmonious,” Merkel said calmly.
“But Fang Huan is ultimately a business. As long as there’s money to be made, I believe they’ll be happy to forget the unpleasant past.”
Aren’t all businessmen like that?
When they hold a grudge, they can dig up your ancestral graves;
But once you offer enough profit, they can immediately become your sworn brothers, sharing drinks and laughter.
Money is their only language of communication.
“Of course, if anyone really can’t get over their inner conflict and insists on going against Fang Huan, I won’t stop them.”
Merkel’s tone turned icy.
“But remember this: other countries in the world are already eagerly rushing to sign agreements and make payments with AstraZeneca.
When their people are the first to emerge from the shadow of the pandemic, our people will suffer for a longer time because of our arrogance.”
These words struck everyone’s hearts like a heavy hammer.
Fang Huan could offer them a glimmer of hope in the shortest amount of time.
This is a simple matter, no one can fail to understand.
It's either kneel or die.
"Am I the only one who thinks...this situation is ridiculous?"
The French President, Cameron, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke, a self-deprecating bitter smile on his face.
His words silenced everyone.
"Don't you all think this whole thing is as absurd as a poorly executed drama?
We've personally dismantled a company's core business, and now we're begging them for a life-saving vaccine like beggars."
He paused, then his tone shifted, becoming even more incisive.
"And do you remember those shipping companies that Fang Huan Investment sold off at exorbitant prices? What happened to them?"
"This..." Merkel was momentarily speechless.
"They're all on the verge of bankruptcy!" Kmaron's voice wasn't loud, but every word was like a hammer blow.
"Back then, we suckers all believed that 'the shipping industry is about to experience explosive growth,' borrowing like madmen, scrambling to take over from Fang Huan. And what happened?
Now it's all a noose around our necks!"
Indeed, in this trade war, besides tourism, the shipping industry was hit the hardest.
The world was at a standstill, factories were shut down, ports were deserted, and ships were practically rusting at sea. What business could there possibly be?
"If we just hold on, with the vaccine becoming widespread, things will get better, right?" someone weakly argued.
"Of course they will get better," Kmaron sneered.
"The problem is, who can hold on until then?
Back then, to snatch business from Fang Huan, they emptied their coffers and are now drowning in debt!
Now, there's not a single drop of fuel left in their tanks!"
The faces of everyone present grew increasingly grim.
"Fanghuan Investment, at the peak, sold a hot potato—the shipping business—to us 'smart people' at a high price.
Then, with the money they squeezed from us, they acquired AstraZeneca, which we now desperately want.
Now, they're using AstraZeneca's vaccine to make money off us a second time..."
President Kmaron's gaze swept across everyone's faces as he slowly spoke:
"Gentlemen, don't you all feel that from beginning to end, we've been like a bunch of fools, manipulated and played like puppets on someone else's chessboard?"
The entire hall fell into a deathly silence.
Yes, this was no coincidence.
This was a meticulously planned retaliation!
"I've even heard rumors that Fang Huan, by leveraging the China Strategic Investment Fund, has laid out staggering orders worth hundreds of billions of euros in the global market to reap the benefits from us!"
"So, France intends to refuse to cooperate with Fang Huan?" Merkel asked.