Location: The sterile corridors of power in Beijing, (1998–2007 ) 🇨🇳
Story:
Zheng Xiaoyu was the head of China's State Food and Drug Administration, a man entrusted with safeguarding the health of over a billion people. Instead, he turned his office into a marketplace. For years, he accepted millions in bribes from pharmaceutical companies, approving thousands of untested, substandard drugs with a rubber stamp. While the US approved about 148 new drugs a year, Zheng approved over 10,000. His signature on a document wasn't a guarantee of safety,it was a death warrant. ☠
Twist:
The consequences were catastrophic. Tainted antibiotics killed patients outright. Contaminated infant formula caused "big head disease", swollen skulls, bulging eyes, kidney failure, and killed at least 13 babies. Public fury erupted. But instead of protecting him, the Chinese state turned on its own. Zheng was arrested, tried, and in a stunning verdict, sentenced to death. On July 10, 2007, he was executed by lethal injection. His downfall wasn't just about punishment,it was a brutal message to corrupt officials: play with people's lives, and you pay with your own. Zheng's legacy is a chilling reminder that when those who are meant to heal choose to harm, the cure must be just as absolute. 💥