Chapter 5: Procurement of Medicines
Himmel scanned the payment code on his phone, completing the transaction.
The medicines were packed into a large plastic bag, which Himmel carried out of the pharmacy.
After arriving back at his apartment, he placed the bag of medicines in a corner, then set out to stock up on supplies at the local supermarket.
Two boxes of instant noodles, one box of sauerkraut, and a pack of spicy beef noodles.
A box of ham, two bags of toast, one bottle of water, and two bags of frozen dumplings.
A couple of large bags of candy and two boxes of chocolate.
He also picked up fresh vegetables to fill his refrigerator.
With so many items, Himmel made multiple trips up and down the elevator before everything was brought into his apartment.
As he passed by the clinic on the first floor of the building, he couldn't help but stop. After a moment of thought, he decided to walk in.
The clinic was small, operated by a single doctor named Dr. Ma, who was in his fifties. The clinic had been running for over 20 years, and it was modest, just two rooms in total.
Typically, the clinic handled minor issues like colds, fevers, and basic check-ups, with most serious cases being sent to the nearby hospital. Himmel had visited this clinic a few times for minor ailments and had gotten to know Dr. Ma over the years.
He pushed open the glass door and greeted Dr. Ma, who was sitting behind the counter, "Dr. Ma, are you busy?"
Dr. Ma, wearing glasses perched on the bridge of his nose and a white lab coat, looked up from his medical book. It was quiet, with no patients in sight.
"Oh, Himmel!" Dr. Ma said, smiling as he set the book down and stood up. He adjusted his glasses and asked, "What's going on? Feeling unwell?"
Himmel waved his hand dismissively. "No, nothing like that. I just wanted to ask you something."
Dr. Ma raised an eyebrow and sat back down. "What's on your mind?"
Himmel lowered his voice as he sat across from the doctor. "I'm looking for a supplier for penicillin. Do you have a source? If I wanted to buy a large quantity, is that possible?"
Dr. Ma paused, a look of surprise crossing his face. "Wait, Himmel. Aren't you in sales? What do you need medicine for?"
He leaned back, his face full of concern. "I'm just worried, you know? Your job is going well, and jumping into something like this—pharmaceutical sales—it's not a simple business. Sure, the profits can be huge, but without the right hospital connections or proper contacts, you won't be able to sell it at a fair price. It's a complicated market."
Dr. Ma frowned slightly, sensing that Himmel might not understand how deep the pharmaceutical world ran. "This is a risky business. Without the right connections, you'll struggle. You sure you know what you're getting into?"
Himmel nodded, acknowledging Dr. Ma's concerns, though he wasn't interested in getting into the pharmaceutical sales business. His plan was to send medicine to another world, one where he could make a huge profit.
What Dr. Ma said didn't matter to him, but he couldn't exactly explain his grand plan. So he pretended to listen, nodding along, before continuing with his request. "Dr. Ma, could you sell me a few boxes of penicillin? I just want to try it out first. If it doesn't work, I'll drop it."
Dr. Ma hesitated for a moment but then nodded. "Alright, I'll get you a few boxes. Can't hurt to try, I suppose."
"Thanks, Dr. Ma!" Himmel said, feeling relieved that he could get the penicillin, but then he had another concern. "But, won't there be any trouble? Penicillin is a prescription drug, after all."
Dr. Ma waved off his worries with a shrug. "It's just a few boxes. What's the worst that could happen? Every clinic around here uses penicillin. It's hardly a big deal. Besides, it's not like anyone's going to make a fuss about a few boxes."
With that, Dr. Ma pulled out four boxes of penicillin from the cabinet, each containing ten bottles, with each bottle holding 1.2 million units.
Himmel couldn't believe how smoothly everything was going. "How much is this going to cost?"
Dr. Ma glanced at the boxes. "Penicillin is cheap. If you buy directly from the supplier, it's only about $0.69 per box, which works out to $0.069 cents per bottle. You could even buy a barrel of penicillin powder for around $2.06, and that's enough to make a ton of doses."
Himmel's eyes widened at the prices. The profit margins were massive! Without factoring in R&D costs, the production cost of these medications was shockingly low.
"The pharmaceutical industry really is a goldmine," Himmel muttered to himself, already feeling the excitement of the potential profits. "Alright, Dr. Ma, get me ten syringes and twenty vials of medical water, too."
Dr. Ma nodded, fetching the items. "Just remember to do a skin test before you inject any penicillin. You don't want to risk an allergic reaction."
"I know, I know," Himmel replied quickly. "I've had shots before. I'll be careful."
When it was time to pay, Himmel handed over the cash. The total came to $2.819, which included the four boxes of penicillin, ten syringes, and two boxes of medical water.
Dr. Ma mentioned that if Himmel were able to buy in bulk, the price would be even cheaper than what he was paying now, but Himmel wasn't worried about that. For now, this was just the beginning.