The North American Gourmet Demon Handbook

"My loyalty, like an oath carved on the rocks of Sicily, will never fade. My life and my honor will be at your service. Whatever you command, it will be my mission."

"I promise you, I will clean up this mess spotlessly for you, and make those scum who dare to tarnish your reputation pay a price they cannot afford."

There was a glint of ruthlessness in his eyes, the determination and coldness that were inherent in Italians.

He wasn't acting, nor was he pretending to obey. At this moment, he truly immersed himself in Drummond's will.

Drummond nodded with satisfaction. "Very good. I've always admired you and relied heavily on your 'responsibility vacuum' wizardry. Well, I'll leave the PR for this time to you, Marco."

"Young people nowadays like to say that with great power comes great responsibility. This seems like a line from a movie. That's great. I love movies like this; they always have so many wise sayings."

"Marco, have you ever considered that when your abilities are already capable of filling such a huge 'responsibility vacuum', you can shoulder more than just the responsibilities of a mere vice president?"

Drummond paused, giving Marco Giuseppe Romano time to process his words.

He saw a flicker of disbelief in Romano's eyes, a spark of suppressed ecstasy, a sign of ambition inflamed.

"Johnson & Johnson is a giant ship, Marco. It's more than just a company. It's a history, a legend that spans three centuries and has impacted billions of lives around the world."

Drummond's voice is low and magnetic, as if depicting a magnificent picture.

"Since its birth in 1886, it has weathered countless storms. From its initial sterile surgical supplies to its current global medical, pharmaceutical and consumer product empire, it carries the health and hope of countless people."

"Such a giant ship, carrying a century-old foundation and global trust, needs someone who can truly steer the ship, someone who can shoulder all responsibilities and lead it to the next century of glory."

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharp as a torch, looking directly into the fire burning in Marco's eyes.

"And you, Marco, the abilities you've demonstrated, your 'responsibility vacuum' sorcery, have made me see this possibility."

"This time, if you can completely pull us out of the quagmire, not just clean up our mess but also restore its glory, then the future course of Johnson & Johnson will be determined by you."

"I won't plan any rules for you. All resources are at your disposal. I just want to see the results."

Drummond patted Romano's broad shoulders with his old, withered hand: "Don't let me down. I believe in you, Romano."

"Yes, I will never let you down!" Romano said excitedly, and he glanced at Vikram Chandrasekhar almost demonstratively.

Of course, Drummond did not forget his other "loyal" subordinate.

"Marco is in charge of public opinion... Well, Vikram, I leave my son to you. Don't make a big fuss. Find him and the traitor and bring them back."

Vikram Chandrasekhar stood quietly by, having long since gotten rid of his previous fear. He was like a well-trained sculpture, not saying a word and showing no emotion.

When Drummond's gaze turned to him, his deep eyes did not have the excited fire like Romano's, but only a calm concentration like water.

He did not express himself as excitedly as Romano did, but simply bowed slightly, a movement that was extremely small but carried an impeccable precision and respect.

"Yes, Mr. Drummond." His voice was low and steady, with a carefully crafted Indian accent that was particularly comfortable for the Anglo-Saxons. Every word was like a carefully polished gem, precise and flawless.

"Your command is my mission. I will complete everything you entrust to me in the most discreet and secretive manner."

"Your son, and the man who dared to betray you, will be returned to you unharmed. I assure you that there will be no unnecessary commotion, no unnecessary attention. Everything will be done quietly, as you wish."

It seemed that there was not a trace of doubt or hesitation in Vikram Chandrasekhar's eyes, only absolute obedience to orders and firm determination to complete the task.

He did not mention any resources, nor did he ask for any authority. It was as if Romano's provocation just now was just empty air.

He didn't even glance at Romano, as if there was nothing else in the room worthy of his attention except Mr. Drummond's orders.

It was as if his loyalty, like the emblem of an ancient family, was engraved into his bones and could not be questioned.

It seems that for an Indian steward, nothing is more important than loyalty to his Anglo-Saxon master.

“Very good, Vikram.” Drummond’s voice had a subtle hint of weariness, yet a deep, validated satisfaction.

He nodded slightly, his eyes fixed on Vikram as if he were examining a flawless work of art.

"Your loyalty, as always, comforts me. You always give me peace of mind, Vikram."

Then Drummond waved his hand, indicating that the two could leave.

The two men walked out side by side, and after leaving Drummond's study, one went left and the other went right, without even looking at each other, and they parted ways.

296 Romano in Action

At Johnson & Johnson headquarters, the crisis management center is brightly lit.

The person in charge of the PR operation, Marco Giuseppe Romano, was sitting at the conference table with a calm expression.

It was as if he was not facing a storm that could destroy the company, nor a group of disgruntled board representatives, but an ordinary quarterly report.

"Gentlemen and ladies, please remain calm." Romano's voice was low and powerful, with a convincing sense of authority.

"We are facing a carefully orchestrated smear campaign with an unmistakable purpose: to destroy the credibility of Johnson & Johnson and the entire pharmaceutical industry."

"Human experiments? Virus injections? Wizards? This is simply a ridiculous children's bedtime story!"

Marco Giuseppe Romano looked righteous, as if he had never heard of any wizards in the pharmaceutical company, and as if he himself had nothing to do with wizards.

In fact, Romano was still reluctant to release any responsibility vacuum witchcraft unless it was absolutely necessary - forcibly changing the cognition of others would cause great mental damage to himself.

He picked up the remote control, and the screen immediately switched to Johnson & Johnson's latest public service announcement, which was warm and full of humanistic care.

"Johnson & Johnson's more than 100-year history is built on belief in science, commitment to patients and adherence to ethics."

"We will immediately issue an official statement strongly condemning these unfounded accusations!"

"We also emphasize that all our research and development activities strictly comply with the highest international ethical standards and laws and regulations."

"We will invite a third-party independent organization to conduct a comprehensive audit of our R&D process to prove our innocence."

Romano's gaze swept over every executive present, his eyes cold and mocking. "As for the so-called 'Theodore Lancaster,' he's just the nonsense of a kidnapper. His credibility is self-evident."

"He simply failed to blackmail our respected Director Drummond, so he attempted to cause damage in order to force Mr. Drummond to agree to his exorbitant price."

Romano used a decisive tone and bluntly characterized the matter.

Then the big Italian's tone turned compassionate again.

"As for Ms. Annabell Graham, our hearts go out to her for her plight as a victim of kidnapping."

"We deeply understand the emotional damage she must have endured after that horrific night."

"But her comments were clearly influenced by significant psychological trauma, and we cannot rule out the possibility that she was being exploited."

"We will fully cooperate with the FBI and all relevant authorities in their investigations, but we will never yield to such malicious slander."

"Ladies and gentlemen, please be assured that my top priority is protecting Johnson & Johnson's reputation, the confidence of our hundreds of millions of patients, and the interests of our shareholders."

Marco Giuseppe Romano smiled and spoke confidently, as if the matter was nothing special.

After appeasing the board of directors who were clamoring for an explanation, he immediately called in the public relations department.

The moment the conference room door closed behind him, the smile on his face instantly disappeared, replaced by a cold and sharp expression. He walked to the conference table, but instead of sitting down, he placed his hands on the table and scanned everyone present.

"Okay, everyone, the situation on the board of directors is stable for the time being." His voice was no longer as gentle and confident as when facing the public. Instead, it carried an unquestionable sense of command, and his speaking speed was significantly faster.

"Now, let's talk about the real battlefield. Annabel Graham's remarks, whether true or false, have already caused us substantial harm. We cannot sit idly by."

He looked directly at the PR director, his eyes sharp as a knife. "Our core strategy is: the victims lost control of their emotions and were exploited. Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, and Merck are all innocent victims. At the same time, we want to demonstrate our 'humanitarian concern.'"

He raised a finger and began to arrange them one by one.

"First, immediately issue carefully worded statements in the name of each of the three companies. Reiterate our 'deep sympathy' and 'humanitarian concern' for Ms. Graham. Emphasize that she is 'mentally unstable' and 'may be manipulated by external forces.'"

"The words should be mild, but the stance should be firm, so that the public will feel that we are victims, victims of tolerance."

"Second, contact the mental health experts we work with. Have them prepare for interviews and analyze from a professional perspective the impact of PTSD on the victim's statements."

"Remember, it's 'influence,' not 'negation,' but we need to subtly guide the public's thinking in that direction. We want people to believe that her comments are pathological and unreliable."

He pointed to the head of media relations and said, "Third, activate our media relations network. We need some 'friendly' media outlets to publish positive reports about Johnson & Johnson's philanthropy and medical innovation to dilute the negative impact."

"At the same time, find and amplify any hot news that can divert public attention. Even if it's a celebrity scandal, as long as it can divert attention away from us, you can use it—"

At this point, he paused, his sharp gaze suddenly fixed, as if he had caught some more valuable prey. He slowly stood up, lifted his hands from the table, put them behind his back, and paced around the conference room.

"No, wait." Romano's voice became low and magnetic, with an unquestionable determination.

"Celebrity scandals? Too trivial, too easy to see through. We have better cards to play, and they're readily available and more explosive."

He stopped and glanced at everyone present, with a cold gleam in his eyes.

"Annabel Graham...she appeared in the public eye because of that kidnapping case. And the victim of that kidnapping case was Alex Drummond! The heir of the Drummond family."

He pointed at the media relations director, his tone becoming heavier, each word hammering into the air like a nail: "Listen carefully. Focus all your resources and all your connections on one thing - dig deep into the kidnapping case of Alex Drummond!"

"Get me every clue you can from the FBI, even if it's just a snippet, even if it's inside information. Use any means, whether legal or... not so legal."

"I want to know every detail, every development, every suspicious point." His voice was filled with undisguised ruthlessness. "Then, hype up this case for me! Make it known throughout America, overshadowing all other news!"

"We want to completely shift the public's focus from Annabelle's accusations to the shocking case of the kidnapping of the Drummond family heir."

"We want people to discuss whether the kidnappers have been caught and what the FBI's progress is, not what kind-hearted and socially responsible pharmaceutical companies like us have done!"

"We can promote it in the name of 'caring for the victims,' 'appealing to society's attention,' and 'helping the police solve the case.'"

"We want Johnson & Johnson to appear to be on the side of justice, a citizen who actively cooperates with the investigation and cares about public safety, and a conscientious and socially responsible company!"

"Let Annabelle's words be drowned out by the huge attention paid to the kidnapping case. During the introduction, subtly imply that her mental trauma stems from the horrific experience of the kidnapping, making her words seem even less credible."

He turned his gaze to the social media team. "Fourth, social media team, keep a close eye on all relevant topics. Report and ban accounts that engage in malicious attacks or spread rumors. We can mobilize our online troll army to retaliate if necessary."

"For those who sympathize with Graham's remarks, do not confront them directly, but instead use gestures of 'understanding' and 'care' to 'guide' them, implying that they are misguided, kind but ignorant of the truth."

"We must control the direction of public opinion and not give any room for negative emotions to ferment."

"Finally, the Ministry of Justice must follow up and be prepared to take legal action against any defamation and false accusations."

"Our public relations team needs to work with legal to create the image that we're 'forced to defend ourselves.' At the same time, we need to appease our employees by sending an internal email reiterating the company's position, emphasizing our protection of our employees and our pursuit of the truth. This helps to stabilize morale."

Romano straightened up, his eyes sweeping across everyone sharply. "Time is of the essence, and efficiency is paramount. I don't need excuses, I just want results. Remember, Johnson & Johnson's reputation is our lifeline."

"Our general principle is to avoid referring directly to accusations of 'witches' and instead classify them as 'ridiculous children's bedtime stories', subtly marginalizing them and avoiding assigning any official value to such supernatural claims."

"Our overall strategy is to deny, condemn, divert attention, imply that the victim is mentally unstable or being exploited, and insist that Theodore Lancaster is nothing more than a shameful kidnapper. If necessary, we will force him to show up and prove his innocence!"

If Theodore Lancaster, that idiot who for some reason suddenly lost his mind and remembered his "conscience", really dared to show up, Marco Giuseppe Romano believed that he had countless witchcraft tricks that could change his testimony and turn this into a complete farce.

"Go, everyone, let those who try to defile us pay the price!" Romano's tone was high-spirited, with unquestionable determination, as if he had seen the dawn of victory.

…………

"It's obvious that public opinion online has begun to change quietly and silently, so why do you say that you have seen the dawn of victory?" Xia Li asked Li Shanze curiously.

Li Shanze smiled as he flipped through the summary of public opinion statistics sent by Ai Kou. "Because this is the inevitable result of the three major pharmaceutical companies' propaganda machines running at full capacity. This proves that we've successfully mobilized them."

"Compared to these three behemoths with a combined market capitalization of nearly one trillion yuan, we are extremely weak. If we don't let them take action, how can we find any loopholes?"

"I think the people sent by the three major pharmaceutical companies to PR Ms. Graham should be here soon. Let me, the FBI agent, handle them."

Li Shanze smiled and picked up the black round hat and put it on his head.

He left the RV, showed his FBI ID, passed FBI security, and took the elevator to Annabell Graham's ward.

Author's words: Thanks to book friend 2869450611 for the monthly ticket

Thanks to Qianxiao Anran and Xiaopingguo112633 for their recommendation votes

297 Lobbyist

In reality, public opinion has changed very little now.

After asking Aikou to monitor the actions of the pharmaceutical factory, the hacker lady immediately collected those few clues.

In the short term, people's attention will still be focused on the shocking scandal in the pharmaceutical company.

In particular, people are taking what they need.

Fox News is reporting the president's stern statement: "This administration will investigate this matter with the utmost resolve and will not tolerate any crime that tramples on humanity!"

"We will protect the life, safety and dignity of every American citizen and bring those demons hiding in the shadows to justice!"

"This proves once again that only we can truly represent the interests of the people and save the country from corruption and darkness!"

The President pointed the finger at "the corrupt forces and dark deals that have long been sheltered by the Democratic Party."

The president cleverly incorporated the accusations of witches into his critique of dark forces, catering to some people's fear of the supernatural and conspiracy theories, while also pointing the finger at political opponents in an attempt to occupy the moral high ground in the upcoming midterm elections.

He even said that this incident was the result of the Democratic Party's long-term blind worship of "science" and "progress", because they ignored the value of traditional morality and faith, which gave these dark forces an opportunity to take advantage.

On CNN, Senator Hamilton was also speaking out.

"It is with a heavy heart that I follow the appalling allegations revealed by Ms Annabel Graham."