"No." Song He shook his head.
"No?" Wei Liqun was startled.
"Get ready, but don't counterattack for now," Song He said. "Your counterattack against Wei Rui Pharmaceutical's drug efficacy is too weak right now, because they can fight back—especially by seizing on artificial blood to discredit us."
"Once I make artificial blood, we won't have any weaknesses left. Then we'll counterattack Wei Rui Pharmaceutical fiercely, strike them hard in one blow, and leave them powerless to fight back."
Wei Liqun froze. After a moment, he asked quietly, "Can artificial blood really be made in the near future?"
"Very soon." Song He smiled. "Did you think we'd still have to wait several years?"
Wei Liqun nodded, looking somewhat shocked. "Boss, can you make it before the New Year? The public-opinion battle is raging right now. If this drags on until the New Year, there won't be any chance to turn things around. The public's impression will already have taken shape."
"Before the New Year..." Song He raised his head and thought for a moment. "More or less."
Wei Liqun's expression stiffened. He probably felt that his boss was a little unreliable. How could anyone make decisions about an intense public-opinion war affecting the company's image with "more or less"?
After hesitating for a moment, Wei Liqun tactfully said, "Boss, actually, from a psychological perspective, this is how public-opinion battles work: once a rumor is put out and a large number of netizens believe it, even if it's refuted afterward, many of those who believed it before won't see the clarification. Even if they do see it and believe it, their initial impression has already been left behind."
"I'm worried that if Wei Rui Pharmaceutical smears us so thoroughly and we don't put out the fire immediately, the wildfire will spread farther