When Old Master Zhang's eight-carriage sedan arrived at Wang Family Village, the sight in front of him made him hold his breath.
The golden rice waves undulate in the breeze, and the unique fragrance of new grains floats in the air.
In the fields, the villagers were busy harvesting the heavy ears of rice, their faces filled with unprecedented joy.
In the past, there was a good harvest only once a year, but now it happens every day.
"It's only been a few days..." The old housekeeper held on to the sedan pole, his voice full of disbelief.
Old Master Zhang leaned on agarwood crutches and slowly got off the sedan, looking across this vibrant land.
He noticed that the rice bales stacked on the field ridge were almost twice as thick as those usually seen, and the grains were so full that they almost burst through the husks.
"Please pass the message," Old Master Zhang said to the villagers who came up to him, "I would like to pay a visit to the master of Medicine King Valley."
When Old Master Zhang was led by the villagers to the door of the village chief's study, the wooden door opened slightly and a young man was seen standing by the window.
The sunlight filtered through the window lattice, coating his whole body with a light golden halo.
But seeing this "Master Chen":
Wearing a simple and elegant green shirt, her figure is as tall and straight as a bamboo.
He has an extraordinary handsome face and a refreshing aura between his brows.
The eyes are as clear as water, and there seems to be light flowing between them.
Although he is just standing quietly holding the scroll, he has a detached demeanor, as if he has descended from the mortal world and is not stained by the dust of the world.
Old Master Zhang has lived for seventy years and has seen many romantic people, but never such a person.
Not only the beauty of the skin, but also the pure temperament that shines from the inside out.
His heart skipped an inexplicable beat, and he couldn't help but feel some good feelings and closeness. Most of the scrutiny and doubts he had originally had dissipated in this meeting.
This is the uniqueness of the inheritance of the five spiritual immortals in Yanfu Fruit.
"Mr. Zhang is here to welcome you, and we welcome you from afar." Chen Jin smiled and held his hands, his voice as clear and clear as jade stones striking each other.
As his sleeves flicked, a faint fragrance of vegetation filled the room, making him even more elegant.
"Master Chen Xian is too polite."
Old Master Zhang sat down in the guest seat and looked at Chen Jin carefully.
"I have lived in Qiantang County for seventy years, and this is the first time I have seen such a miracle.
I wonder where the immortal master came from and where he inherited it?"
"I studied under Five Villages Abbey of Mount Longevity, which is too far away from Qiantang. I'm afraid Mr. Zhang has never heard of it."
Chen Jin smiled slightly and said, "I have heard of this old gentleman's reputation for being charitable and charitable."
After the two chatted for a while, Old Master Zhang finally couldn't restrain his curiosity and asked tentatively:
"I heard that the immortal master was recruiting disciples all over the country and bestowing divine seeds. I must have a big plan.
I don't know how much money the immortal master needs to create such a foundation..."
At this point, Old Master Zhang already had some concerns in his heart.
For such an expert to establish a sect, the next step is probably to raise money.
Although he has good intentions, if the other party asks for thousands of offerings, he has to weigh it carefully.
Chen Jin is so keen that he immediately heard the hidden meaning of Old Master Zhang.
He laughed loudly and said, "Mr. Zhang has misunderstood. Although I need money, I don't want to beg for help from you."
"Instead, I invite Mr. Zhang to invest."
Chen Jin took out a small jade box from his sleeve and pushed it in front of the other party.
"Mr. Zhang, please take a look."
Old Master Zhang opened the lid of the box in confusion, and a refreshing fragrance suddenly filled the entire study.
The box is lined with brocade and contains only one ginseng plant, but its shape is very different from ordinary wild ginseng.
The body is full, with a faint layer of warm light, and the roots stretch naturally, making it very similar to the human form.
"This ginseng was cultivated using a secret method. Its medicinal effect is comparable to that of century-old mountain ginseng, and it is more spiritual."
Chen Jin spoke calmly,
"If something like this were placed in an ordinary drug store, side by side with ordinary products, and weighed by the pound, do you think it would be appropriate?"
Old Master Zhang is a person who knows the goods. He carefully picked up the jade box.
Taking a deep breath of the aroma, I felt refreshed and the fatigue from the past few days dissipated a bit.
He slowly shook his head. "How can a pearl be cast in secret? If such a divine object is ranked with ordinary objects, it will be a waste of nature."
"Exactly this!"
Chen Jin strokes his palms, his voice becomes clearer and clearer,
"So, we have to create a unique identity for it and for more similar "gods" in the future - "Medicine King Valley Select"."
He rolled out a picture scroll and his fingertips landed on the center of the picture scroll, next to the famous West Lake.
"I want to build a "Medicine King Valley Selection Pavilion" beside West Lake."
Chen Jin's eyes sharpened,
"From now on, all the top medicinal materials produced by Medicine King Valley will be sold only here through bidding.
The only qualification to participate in the auction is to become our member."
He began to outline this business blueprint to Old Master Zhang:
"Membership is the threshold.
We will issue a limited number of membership vouchers, for example, only 100 will be issued in the first year.
Each voucher has an annual fee of one hundred taels."
He looked at Old Master Zhang,
"What you are buying with these one hundred taels is not medicinal materials, but a qualification, a circle admission pass that allows you to have access to the world's top medicinal materials and bid with other top people."
"Think about it,"
Chen Jin's voice is inciting,
"When Qiantang County, and even Lin'an Prefecture, all the dignitaries and wealthy businessmen are proud to have a membership certificate of "Medicine King Valley Select",
When they all understand that only here can they buy the elixir that truly prolongs life and strengthens the body,
This certificate itself will become a symbol of status.
Its value will far exceed the annual fee of one hundred taels."
"And for us,"
He concluded, "This doesn't just mean that we have firm control over pricing.
On a deeper level, we can use a series of means to turn the five words "Medicine King Valley Select" into a golden sign that is more dazzling than gold."
He counted the numbers in a clear and coherent manner:
"First, set the rules. All medicinal materials from "Medicine King Valley Select" must be sealed in a special brocade box. The unique mark of Medicine King Valley to be applied on the box cannot be counterfeited. This mark is a guarantee of authenticity and quality.
We will set an iron rule: if it is not this box, it is not this seal, even if the medicine comes from Medicine King Valley, it will be regarded as a fake. We are not responsible and will pursue it to the end."
"Second, tell a story. For every top-quality medicinal plant participating in the auction, we will compile an "identity document" for it, detailing the place where it was cultivated, the difficulty of growing it, and the magical effects it contains. We want the buyer to get not just a medicinal plant, but also a legend, a conversation piece that can be shown off to guests.
At the same time, we, Medicine King Valley, will send gifts and care to buyers who hold "identity documents" every holiday."
"Third, control the channels. Strictly abide by the principle of "no sales outside the meeting". Even people from the prefect and prime minister's family, if they are not members, can never even think of buying a "selected" grade medicinal plant directly from us.
This persistence will make membership more noble and our rules more authoritative."
"Fourth, build momentum. Before each auction, we will send a carefully drawn "treasure album" to each member's house a few days in advance, so that they have sufficient time to appreciate and plan.
On the day of the auction, the atmosphere on site should be created like a gathering of literati.
We want every auction to become a grand event for Qiantang upper class society."
"It's such a multi-pronged approach,"
Chen Jin looked at Old Master Zhang with bright eyes,
""Medicine King Valley Select" will no longer be a simple sales point, it will become a legend, a standard, a holy place that all dignitaries cannot avoid when pursuing health and status.
At that time, it will not be us begging others to buy, but everyone holding gold and silver in their hands, vying to pray for a qualification to enter."
"Wonderful! It's really wonderful!" Old Master Zhang was so excited that his beard trembled slightly, "Build a brand with divine objects, set thresholds with membership, and set high prices with auctions! Mr. Chen, you are not just doing business, you are building a high platform to attract phoenixes!"
"To be honest, sir, the layout of "Medicine King Valley Select" can be more open.
In addition to the medicinal materials produced by Medicine King Valley, we can also provide a stage for the world's rare products to show their true colors."
Old Master Zhang leaned forward slightly. "What does the immortal master mean?"
"We can rely on our reputation to provide appraisals for other merchants' rare treasures and allow them to be sold on consignment in the pavilion, and we will take a commission."
Chen Jin smiled slightly and glanced across Old Master Zhang's body seemingly casually, "When it comes to appraising treasures, I know a thing or two about this."
Chen Jin dared to say this, naturally because Glance of the Startled Swan gave him the confidence.
He raised his hand and pointed to a jade pendant hanging on Old Master Zhang's waist. "For example, the old gentleman's mutton-fat white jade chilong pendant should have been in the palace of the former dynasty. The jade quality is warm and moist, and the carving is exquisite. Its market value should be around eight hundred taels."
Old Master Zhang looked surprised and subconsciously touched the jade pendant. It was indeed his favorite thing that he had treasured for many years.
Chen Jin's eyes immediately fell on the thumb of his right hand that he had been subconsciously rubbing. The emerald green thumb was shining in the sun.
He stared at it for a moment. "As for this ring... Everyone in the world thinks that Old Master Zhang is something that is personal to oneself and must be priceless, but from what I see, it is not an ancient jade, but an imitation made in the past fifty years. The quality of the jade is ordinary, and its market price is only ten taels of silver."
After a long time, instead of getting angry, Old Master Zhang breathed a long sigh of relief, with complex memories in his eyes.
He gently took off the ring finger and placed it in his palm, his voice a little hoarse:
"Mr. Chen... is truly a god!"
He sighed, "This matter has been buried in my heart for decades and has never been mentioned to anyone.
This finger ring is indeed not an antique. It was a "birthday gift" that my wife bought for me at the market without telling me, using my personal money saved by frugality when I was poor and humble.
She didn't understand jade, was deceived by an unscrupulous businessman, and happily thought she had bought a family heirloom..."
There was a trace of tears in the old man's eyes, but with a warm smile, "I knew it was fake when I received it, but I couldn't bear to tell it.
Because this jade ring was made by myself, I thought it was perfect. Unexpectedly, I sold it to a profiteer for thirty taels of silver, but my wife bought it back for a hundred taels.
I've been wearing it since then.
It always reminds me that the way to do business is to be honest and never deceive others."
He solemnly put the ring back on and looked at Chen Jin with absolute conviction:
"Even the secrets that no one has been able to see through for decades cannot escape the immortal master Law Eye. I am sincerely convinced!
With the eyes of an immortal master, "Medicine King Valley Select" can appraise the world's rare treasures, and its credibility is absolutely unquestionable!"
Chen Jin was in awe, cupped his hands and said, "The old man values love and truth, and has noble moral character, which is even more admired by the younger generation."
"Based on my treasure appraisal skills, the quality of our selections is guaranteed. On our platform, good things can be sold at the high prices they deserve, because the buyers here are knowledgeable and wealthy, and "Medicine King Valley Select" will become synonymous with high-quality products."
Chen Jin observed that Old Master Zhang's interest had been aroused. He stood up and pushed the window lattice completely open, allowing the harvest scene outside the window to fully come into view.
"Mr. Zhang," Chen Jin's voice was calm,
"What you see is not just a harvest. What you see is certainty.
In this chaotic year, neither natural disasters nor man-made disasters can affect the output of my Medicine King Valley.
This is the cornerstone of all our future endeavors."
He returned to the case and placed his fingertips heavily on the words "Medicine King Valley Select" on the scroll.
"What I want to do is not a simple business name, but a platform and a circle.
Our core strengths are irreplaceable."
He looked at Old Master Zhang with burning eyes,
"First, scarcity. The medicinal materials, grains and even other products that may appear in the future "blessed" by me, Medicine King Valley, are rare resources that are unique to the outside world, which can attract the top buyers.
Second, credibility. With the prestige accumulated by you Old Master Zhang over decades, and with the "miraculous" I have shown as the backing of strength, our platform has been invincible from the beginning."
Finally, his fingers landed on the garden area, and his tone became extremely provocative:
"In this area, I plan to build a high-end club that integrates entertainment and cultivation."
Chen Jin's fingertips landed on an elegant garden building on the scroll.
"Every other month, I personally teach members the art of longevity. Every seventh day, business leaders are invited to share their business experience. On one day, there is a chess game, with national players taking charge; on both days, there is a piano concert, where famous teachers are invited to perform. In the evening, it is changed to the Delicacies Pavilion, with only twelve private rooms every night, and famous chefs are hired..."
Cultivation of immortality and business, chess games and musical instruments, delicacies and elegant banquets... What we provide is information, connections, taste, and a top-notch experience that ordinary restaurants and teahouses can never provide.
When wealthy businessmen get used to talking business, meeting friends, and listening to news here, it is no longer a simple place, but the center of their business life and even their social life."
"I plan to name this club [West Lake Gathering]."
Chen Jin leaned forward slightly, his voice full of temptation:
"Mr. Zhang, we are not opening a shop, we are formulating rules and creating an ecosystem.
The initial investment may be expensive, but once it gets going, it will become a steady money tree.
More importantly, through this platform, you and I will have access to the connections and information hubs of the Jiangnan business community. How can the value of this be measured by just a small amount of money?"
Old Master Zhang has already heard this and her heart is surging.
"Wonderful! Wonderful!" He slapped his thigh suddenly, his eyes shining brightly, "Master Chen Xian is really a genius! I admire this kind of layout! I have invested in this deal! How much principal is required, sir, it's okay!"