Chapter 352: Selling the Pill Recipe

Director Huang had made himself perfectly clear. He didn't believe an alliance between me and Ganding Pharmaceuticals could successfully bring down the Jiang family. Different positions afford different perspectives, and he knew exactly how terrifying Jiang Detao was. "The landscape of Jiangcheng has been shifting for twenty years, with an unseen hand pushing everything from behind. I suspect that person is Jiang Detao. Even if it isn't him, they are inextricably linked."

Huang Boyuan spoke with extreme caution. A commercial war between two major financial groups left no room for carelessness. "I watched with my own eyes as the Jiang family grew step by step over the last twenty years, developing into a top-tier real estate company that spans multiple cities, with its influence radiating across South China. People did make moves against them when they were small and weak, but any company or individual standing in the Jiang family's way always met with various disasters."

"Some say the Jiang family's ancestral home sits right on top of the dragon vein, guaranteeing this generation will transform into a true dragon. Others say the Jiang family acts as a proxy company for some heavyweight at the top, so no one dares to challenge them. But the most widespread rumor is another story entirely—that a hidden sect stands behind the Jiang family. They are ruthless, stopping at nothing to achieve their goals, and any attempt to shake the Jiang family will be met with horrific retaliation." Huang Boyuan took a sip of cold tea. "All three of these rumors could be true. If our Ganding Pharmaceuticals wants to crush Jiangjin Real Estate, we have to guard against every single one of those possibilities."

"I've already looked into this, and I'm afraid all three of your theories are true." At this point, my expression grew serious. "While the Jiang family's ancestral home isn't on top of the dragon vein, their company—Century New Garden—was built right over it. The three buildings are arranged in the shape of the character for mountain to pin down Jiangcheng's dragon head, giving the entire corporation the momentum of a soaring dragon. The Jiang family alone hogs half of Jiangcheng's Feng Shui!"

"I've heard that saying before." Huang Boyuan nodded, signaling for me to continue.

"As for the second rumor about a big shot backing the Jiang family, that's likely true as well. The night I went on the run, a Grade A Wanted Notice was plastered all over Jiangcheng and the surrounding counties within eight hours of the incident. The Jiang family mobilized a massive force of armed police to assist with the search. Even during the trial, they suppressed the surrounding law firms so completely that no one dared to defend me. None of that looks like something a mere financial group could pull off. I'm sixty percent sure there's a big shot above the Jiang family. They aren't hunting me down so desperately because of Jiang Long's death, but most likely because Jiang Long knew the Jiang family's deepest secret. They're terrified that secret will leak, so they want to silence me."

"And this massive secret Jiang Long held onto probably ties back to that third street rumor—the hidden sect behind the Jiang family. After investigating for a while, I'm absolutely certain that this sect exists, and it is a thoroughly demonic sect! They use infants to refine Little Ghosts, harvest corpses for materials, and commune with sinister yin energy. They are incredibly powerful!"

I paused after saying this and looked at Huang Boyuan. His face remained calm, giving no hint of what he was thinking.

I didn't want to hide anything from him. The Jiang family wasn't an easy opponent, and rather than letting Huang Boyuan regret it later, it was better to lay out their actual situation now. This was their weakest moment, but a starved camel was still bigger than a horse. As an old fox, Huang Boyuan certainly knew better than I did how to weigh his choices.

"I think this is an opportunity we shouldn't let slip away," Huang Lan said, her eyes shining like stars. "Jiangcheng's location is just too unique, bridging Central and South China. If we want to expand into other sectors and grow stronger, we're bound to clash with the Jiang family eventually. Conflict is inevitable. And compared to the title of Jiangcheng's top financial group, I think the wealth the Jiang family has accumulated is far more attractive."

I had been talking about the risks of warring with the Jiang family, while Huang Lan was focused on the massive benefits of crushing them.

Huang Boyuan turned the teacup in his hands. "A commercial war isn't a game. Let me think about it some more."

Hearing his tone, I knew a sliver of desire had sparked in Huang Boyuan's heart. After playing second for over twenty years, anyone with a bit of ambition wouldn't want to miss this chance.

'It's time to add a little more fuel to the fire,' I thought with a faint smile, turning over the pill recipe I had been pressing under my palm. "Director Huang, I have a very precious pill recipe here, and I'd like to deepen our cooperation."

"Selling a pill recipe?" Huang Boyuan laughed in spite of himself. Twenty years ago, selling pill recipes was exactly how he had built his fortune. "Times have changed. Ordinary pill recipes won't catch my eye anymore. Friendship is friendship, but business is business..."

He took the recipe from my hand. As he finished reading it, his expression slowly turned serious. "The Foundation-Solidifying and Origin-Cultivating Pill?"

He was well-versed in traditional Chinese medicine and understood various herbs and pharmacological principles perfectly. "Aren't you exaggerating this recipe a bit too much? Turning white hair black, restoring youth to the face, becoming impervious to cold and heat? If it can really do all that, it isn't medicine—it's an immortal elixir."

Huang Boyuan handed the recipe back to me, not showing much interest.

"How can you be sure I'm exaggerating without testing the effects? You can have your subordinates test this recipe right now. Follow the proportions and produce a finished pill."

"Are you sure?" A sharp glint flashed in Huang Boyuan's eyes. "Aren't you afraid we'll secretly record the ingredient proportions and pocket your recipe for ourselves?"

I chuckled, waving it off with total unconcern. "If I dare to bring this recipe out, it naturally means it isn't all that important to me. Just think about the Child Immortal Wine. I have plenty more recipes for pills and wines just like it."

With the Underworld Live Show backing me, low-level pill recipes didn't cost many points anyway, so I certainly had the right to talk big.

At the mention of the Child Immortal Wine, Huang Boyuan hesitated no longer and called someone in to test the recipe. "If this pill is truly as miraculous as the recipe claims, Ganding Pharmaceuticals is willing to fully cooperate with you."

I smiled without a word, quietly waiting for the test results.

About two hours later, Secretary Zhang and a staff member rushed into the room. The staff member held a transparent glass bowl covered with a lid.

"Well? What are the results? Are there any side effects?" Both Huang Boyuan and Huang Lan looked at the staff member curiously. I also glanced at the man's ID badge; he was the director of the New Drug Research and Development Center.

"Director Huang! There's a problem with this medicine!" The staff member placed the glass bowl on Huang Boyuan's desk in sheer excitement. Seeing his intense reaction, I frowned. 'Items from the Underworld Live Show should all be premium quality,' I thought. 'Is there some unseen rule preventing things like this from being revealed to the public?'

While I was still making wild guesses, the staff member lifted the lid. A faint medicinal fragrance drifted from the bowl. "I've been in pharmaceuticals for over a decade, and this is the first time I've ever seen a successfully brewed traditional Chinese medicine that isn't bitter at all, but instead releases a mellow fragrance."

Smelling the fragrance filling the room, I was dumbfounded too. I had brewed this Foundation-Solidifying and Origin-Cultivating Pill myself, and it had been terribly bitter, yet theirs gave off a refreshing scent. 'Could it be because I used the wrong equipment? Was I not supposed to use a rice cooker?'

Huang Boyuan marveled at it as well. After tasting a little, he felt a jolt of energy, and his face gradually flushed with a healthy color. "This medicine truly is effective, but why is it a liquid? Didn't the recipe say it would condense into a solid pill at the end of the brewing process?"

"It might be an issue with the brewing technique. We purified it four times and tried every method we could think of, but we still couldn't form a pill."

"Have your department dedicate all its efforts to developing this drug. Figure out its properties and side effects, and push it into production as early as possible." This was a medicine that had never appeared on the market before. Its effects were astonishing, and once developed, it would undoubtedly cause a massive sensation.

Huang Boyuan chatted with the R&D director for a long time. Only after finalizing the decision did he remember I was there. He was beaming so radiantly that I almost felt a little embarrassed. "Gao Jian, I heard you have more pill and wine recipes like this? Good things should stay in the family, and we've collaborated more than just once or twice. Our Ganding Pharmaceuticals is absolutely worthy of your trust. Oh, that's right. Secretary Zhang, go fetch the sales dividends for the Child Immortal Wine for Gao Jian!"

He waved at Secretary Zhang, and not long after, Secretary Zhang handed me a bank card. "Mr. Gao, the PIN is six ones. There's 150,000 inside for this month's dividends. The market hasn't fully opened up yet, but we estimate next month's dividends will double."

Stowing the bank card away, I pulled another pill recipe from my coat. Only this time, I didn't hand it to Huang Boyuan, but kept it in my hand. "Director Huang, I didn't sell you this recipe for money. What I want is a reliable ally—one who dares to fight the Jiang family."