William Howard was actually quite welcoming of this. At this time, what Chinese diplomats abroad lacked most were advisors familiar with Western customs and practices. Although Franklin Young’s background was a bit mysterious, the fact that he knew five languages made him a rare talent. After testing his language abilities, Old Huang reported to Samuel Swift with some pleasant surprise. And so, Franklin Young became a translator at the Chinese Embassy in the UK, instantly transforming into a Chinese diplomat.

After getting what he wanted, Boss Young returned contentedly to the banks of the Seine. He was still living on his yacht, and as soon as he arrived at the dock, he saw dozens of French naval officers gathered around his boat. The leader, Captain Lowell, rushed over the moment he saw him, like a fly drawn to blood.

“Dear Young, you’re finally back!” This bearded man, still not fully recovered from syphilis, hugged Franklin Young with deep affection. Feeling that skin as rough as sandpaper, Boss Young immediately broke out in goosebumps.

“Captain Lowell, and these friends are—?” He quickly pushed the man away, then looked at the surrounding officers, who were all wearing fawning smiles, and spoke in a low voice.

“Well, they’re all like me—they need your help.” Lowell said awkwardly in a low voice.

Franklin Young stared at him in astonishment, then looked at the officers again, feeling a chill. Of course, he wasn’t the French Minister of Defense; if naval officers didn’t take proper precautions when visiting ladies, that had nothing to do with him. What he cared about was his own income. He pulled Lowell aside and asked quietly, “Did you make the price clear?”

He had an agreement with Lowell: for every client this guy brought, he’d get a ten percent commission. But the medicine wasn’t cheap.

Lowell nodded and said, “Young, as you requested, one thousand francs per injection, but they want to pay in installments.”

“That won’t do. I won’t be staying in Paris much longer, because I’ve now accepted a position at the Chinese Embassy in the UK, and I’ll soon be going to London with them as a translator.

How about this: each of them can pay one hundred francs up front, and I’ll give each of them a diluted injection. If they feel it works, then I’ll sell them a full-strength dose for one thousand francs each, and I’ll teach them how to use it so they can find a doctor themselves.” Franklin Young said.

This approach was actually quite reasonable. The key was that Franklin Young had to do a skin test for each of them—he didn’t want to cause any deaths just as penicillin was being introduced.

The officers had no objections. Although a thousand francs was no small sum, it was nothing compared to their embarrassing problems and future prospects. Soon, they paid and got their shots, then each went home, a bit anxious.

While splitting the money with Franklin Young, Lowell asked, “Young, why don’t you stay in Paris? You could open a pharmacy here and sell your medicine exclusively.”

Franklin Young just smiled faintly and didn’t answer.

Why?

How much could you squeeze out of a city that had just been “formatted” twenty years ago? London was different—all the world’s wealth was flowing there. Just think of those ancient families that had lasted for centuries, and the jaw-dropping wealth of the British royal family. Franklin Young felt as if a giant mountain of gold was waiting for him to dig it up!

As for the effects of penicillin, there was no need to say more—especially since people of this era had no resistance to it. Even though Franklin Young gave them diluted injections, the results were almost immediate. Early the next morning, as Boss Young was brushing his teeth by the Seine, those officers swarmed the dock like a pack of wolves, waving cash and shouting, startling William Howard who had come to see Franklin Young.

“Mr. Howard, do me a favor—I'll deliver the goods, you collect the money, one thousand francs each.” Franklin Young didn’t bother with pleasantries, pulling William Howard onto the boat. He was in charge of distributing the medicine, while William Howard counted the money, and they quickly handed out the medicine.

“Young Brother, what kind of medicine is this?” After the officers left, William Howard wiped the sweat from his forehead and stared in disbelief at the tens of thousands of francs in front of him.

At this time, the franc was on the gold standard—one franc was 0.29 grams of gold, a hundred francs was nearly one tael, and nearly ten taels of gold could be exchanged for a tiny vial of medicine. This was practically liquid gold!

Chapter Four: Showing Off

Franklin Young let out a long breath. He had been living off the hundred francs Lowell gave him these past few days, and for someone used to luxury, it had felt like an eternity. Now, he could finally enjoy himself a bit. First, he needed to tidy up the yacht, which was practically bare inside.

Counting his cash with delight, he said to William Howard, “Mr. Howard, this is what’s called ‘Heaven’s First Water.’ For many incurable diseases nowadays, this stuff is practically a miracle cure. Except for a small number of people who might be allergic, it has almost no side effects. If anyone at our embassy comes down with something like pneumonia, tetanus, or relapsing fever, just let me know—we’ll use it for our own people free of charge.”