"What is this?"
Jiang Fan looked at the thing. It seemed somewhat like a tonic.
Ma Ning said quietly.
"This was my reward from the school for academic excellence!"
"This is the second-generation tonic from Zhenyao Workshop. Although it isn't the latest version, and its effects aren't quite as good!"
"But if you use it, you should still be able to raise your vital energy a little more. Maybe you'll even awaken successfully!"
For a moment, Jiang Fan felt his nose sting.
An indescribable guilt surged into his heart.
Ma Ning was currently a second-year student at River City First High School, and her vital energy seemed to be less than 1. Although she had successfully awakened, she still needed a gene drug to unlock her gene lock.
With this bottle of tonic, she could lay a better foundation. Once she saved enough money in the future to unlock her gene lock, her vital energy could surge even higher.
She desperately needed this bottle of tonic too.
Yet under these circumstances, Ma Ning was still thinking of him. It truly made Jiang Fan feel utterly ashamed.
Compared to her, after refining the Spirit Turtle Blood Replenishing Soup, he had become so absorbed in cultivation that he had actually overlooked the fact that Ma Ning needed this thing too.
He really deserved to die!
"I don't need it. You keep it!"
Jiang Fan's eyes grew moist as he stuffed the drug back into Ma Ning's hands.
"You're at the perfect age to build your foundation. Don't be stubborn!"
"I'm already a Martial Artist. I don't need this!"
When Ma Ning heard Jiang Fan use the term "Martial Artist" to fob her off, she grew anxious.
"Don't try to fool me. You..."
After she had said only a few words, Jiang Fan pushed her back toward the room.
"Be good. Hurry back inside!"
Jiang Fan pushed Ma Ning into her room. Just as he was about to close the door, he said with a smile,
"Use this drug first!"
"In a couple of days, I'll bring you something good!"
The auction was currently moving forward. If he could successfully auction off that bottle of drug, then once he got the money, he would refine several bottles of drugs for Ma Ning no matter what.
If he could successfully cooperate with the Three Major Pharmaceutical Groups, he would be able to build up some capital. Then he could purchase a first-level gene drug for Ma Ning, unlock her gene lock, and provide her with a steady supply of blood-replenishing drugs.
As for his own cultivation system, he still did not intend to teach it to Ma Ning for the time being.
First, he was not sure what this path of cultivation would ultimately become.
Second, Ma Ning did not have a cheat like he did. It was hard to say whether she could cultivate at all.
If one day he managed to uncover the secret within this cheat...
He would worry about the future when the time came!
The next day, Jiang Fan headed to Thunder Martial Hall.
From far away, he saw the young man from the auction house yesterday lingering at the entrance.
When Jiang Fan approached, the young man hurried over.
"Hello, sir. Uncle Lu has something to discuss with you!"
Jiang Fan followed the young man all the way to the underground auction house on Seven Treasures Street, where he saw Lu Bo again.
Lu Bo got straight to the point.
"As for the auction of this bottle of blood-replenishing drug, we've scheduled it for eight tomorrow evening!"
"If you have time, you can come and attend!"
"Our auction house is very efficient. Once the auction succeeds, we can settle your earnings in less than an hour!"
Jiang Fan was not very concerned about that. Instead, he asked,
"What about the Three Major Pharmaceutical Groups?"
Lu Bo rarely smiled.
"Don't worry. I've already notified them properly. They'll all come to participate!"
"Judging from their reactions, this thing should be a product they desperately need!"
"Right now, several pharmaceutical groups have already begun investigating the source of this product!"
"This time, I think you'll not only be able to sell it for a good price, but you should also be able to accomplish your goal!"
Jiang Fan nodded slightly.
Just as Lu Bo had expected, the interiors of the Three Major Pharmaceutical Groups had already erupted over this matter.
Zhenyao Workshop.
A middle-aged man in a suit, with a refined and scholarly air, sat in the office chair.
He was none other than the current head of Zhenyao Workshop, Xia Chengyang!
Several weary-looking people stood before him.
"Have you found out where the drug came from?"
One of them answered,
"Not yet. However, according to the information we obtained from the auction house, this drug is even somewhat more effective than our fourth-generation product!"
Xia Chengyang's brows knitted tightly.
"Continue investigating!"
"Yes!"
Miaofang Pavilion.
A woman in a qipao and high heels stood before the window with a glass of red wine in hand, silently gazing at the undulating towers of River City outside.
She was Sikong Yao, the general manager of Miaofang Pavilion's River City branch.
Just then, the door was pushed open.
A young woman in professional attire entered with an old man wearing a white research coat.
"Boss, Professor Zhang is here!"
Sikong Yao turned around and smiled.
"Professor Zhang, I imagine you've heard about what happened on Seven Treasures Street, haven't you?"
"How credible do you think this matter is?"
Professor Zhang adjusted his glasses.
"Boss, it's hard to say!"
"However, based on my experience, the possibility should be quite low!"
"Miaofang Pavilion and Zhenyao Workshop, the two major pharmaceutical groups, invested countless researchers and resources and only just developed fourth-generation products. For a new product to appear immediately afterward, one even stronger than ours, I find the matter rather suspicious!"
"On one hand, I find it hard to believe that, aside from Anshi Hall, there could be anyone or any organization capable of developing a stronger drug!"
"On the other hand, I also think the source of this news is questionable!"
Sikong Yao swirled the red wine in her glass and took a sip.
"But since someone has released the news, we have to follow up!"
"The Three Major Pharmaceutical Groups are locked in fierce competition. Even if it's fake, we can't afford to miss it!"
"Better to believe it exists than to believe it doesn't!"
As she spoke, she waved her hand.
"Professor Zhang, you can leave for now!"
"I'll arrange for someone to follow up on this matter!"
Anshi Hall.
On the third floor, in Yu Jun's office.
"What? You're saying you've seen this kind of drug?"
"Where?"
Yu Jun slammed his hand against the chair and abruptly rose from his seat, clearly shocked by what he had heard.
Standing before him was Professor Xu, dressed in a white research coat. He answered with certainty,
"Yes!"
Yu Jun hurried forward.
"When? Where?"
Professor Xu hesitated before answering,
"About three days ago, at our Anshi Hall!"
"At the time..."
Professor Xu recounted to Yu Jun what had happened that day when Yu Baiwei had brought the drug over.
"I'm not entirely certain whether this drug is the same kind as the one being auctioned tomorrow, but the drug I saw was definitely stronger than our third-generation product, and even somewhat stronger than the fourth-generation products of the other two groups!"
Yu Jun froze.
"How could you not tell me about something this important?"
Professor Xu looked troubled.
"The young miss, she..."
Before he could finish, Yu Jun cut him off.
Yu Jun turned to the assistant beside him and ordered urgently,
"Go call Xiao Wei over immediately!"
"No matter where she is!"
Before you continue