A wave of intimidation swept through the room as the man's cold energy matched his commanding voice, causing Lucas Lu to take several instinctive steps back before he could gather himself enough to respond, "I'm Lucas Lu, the owner of Danhan Alchemy. And you are…?"
Lucas's words trailed off as he caught sight of the man's massive build and the two men standing quietly behind him. He recognized both—they were the same people who had carried a gravely wounded companion to Danhan on opening day a few days back.
Could it be that their friend had died, and now they'd come to settle the score? At that thought, cold sweat broke out down Lucas's back. Normally, unless there was a pattern of complaints, a single case rarely led to real trouble. But if the military wanted to confront him, things could get ugly fast.
"Master Lu, this is our Commander Qu. We'd like to buy three hundred bottles of standard Nine Lives Healing Elixir. Would you be able to give us a discount?" one of the sturdy soldiers said.
"Oh…" Lucas realized in a flash that the medicine must be truly effective—otherwise, why would a commander make a special trip to purchase so much?
Relief flooded through him, sweet as honey. After so many years of business, he could read the situation for what it was: Nine Lives Elixir was set to be a blockbuster, and sales were no longer a concern.
"We still have stock, but two gold coins per bottle is just our grand opening promotional price. Right now—" Lucas knew soldiers like these didn't lack for money.
"Stop. No need to haggle. We'll take five hundred bottles at two gold apiece. We're from the Ironwing Battalion, and you'll be seeing more of us," the towering commander cut him off abruptly, waving his hand.
"Excellent, you have my word," Lucas answered without missing a beat. He'd never planned to raise the price anyway. Ironwing was one of the three elite battalions of Chenyu—if he could secure that business, what more could he want?
…
At Shengling Supreme Elixir, not so long ago just a small shop while Danhan's stores dominated the country, things had changed. Shengling was now one of the pharmaceutical giants of Chenyu, responsible for nearly 40% of the nation's medicine market.
In their headquarters' conference hall, several executives lounged over tea, the atmosphere relaxed and cheerful. Shengling was running like a well-oiled machine; meetings were more like light conversation.
"I really thought Danhan's hype would lead to something big—turns out it was all thunder, no rain," chuckled Winston Liu, the near-sixty-year-old head of sales. "When Danhan started that commotion, I'll admit I was nervous for a bit. Now I see it was all just bluff—makes me feel a lot better."
At the head of the table sat a young woman: Mia Mi, the owner of Shengling. Smiling, she addressed Liu, "No matter whether Danhan's making noise or not, we in sales should always take things seriously. And after all, it's only been a few days. What if that Nine Lives—"
Her words were abruptly interrupted as a sharp young man hustled inside, handing her a sealed letter.
The room fell silent, all eyes on Mia Mi. She broke the seal, read just a few lines, and her expression abruptly changed. Standing up, she announced, "Today, several military representatives went to Danhan Alchemy. According to our intelligence, the smallest order was for a hundred bottles of Nine Lives Elixir. Besides that, a number of merchants also came by—the very ones who've bought from Danhan before…"
A suffocating atmosphere of tension filled the room. Everyone understood exactly what Mia Mi meant. For such expensive medicine, if repeat customers were returning in bulk, the product's healing power must be real—maybe even better than the advertising claimed.
If Danhan truly had developed a breakthrough, what could Shengling possibly do to keep up?
"Boss Mia, what should we do?" asked a slightly plump, anxious-looking middle-aged man, rising halfway from his chair.
"We're going to Danhan immediately. Mi Qi, alert the elders—now," Mia Mi ordered, her tone sharp and urgent.
"Yes, ma'am!" The young messenger hurried out.
…
Meanwhile, Lan Yu arrived at Danhan Alchemy's shop, two huge bags slung over his shoulder. Staring in disbelief, he saw the formerly empty shop now completely packed with people, faces tense but lining up in surprisingly good order. The line stretched from the shop and halfway up the street.
Could Nine Lives really be that powerful? He'd seen the ads but had grown numb to marketing exaggeration long ago.
"Hey, no cutting! Get in line like everyone else," a man barked as Lan Yu made for the shop.
Lan Yu frowned slightly, "I'm not here to buy. I'm here to see Master Mo."
"Are you Brother Lan? Master Mo told me to wait for you," a young woman hurried over, greeting him with respect.
Lan Yu nodded, "Yes, I'm Lan Yu. Could you take me to him?"
"Call me Lulu, Brother Lan. Master Mo is working in the lab, not the shop. Please follow me."
As Lulu led Lan Yu away, those waiting in line all looked on with envy—why wasn't it them who had Master Mo's acquaintance?
The reputation of Nine Lives Healing Elixir had already swept the city. If you could lay hands on a bottle even for resale, it meant a fat profit—ten silver coins easily.
…
"Master Mo, Brother Lan is here to see you," Lulu said respectfully as she brought Lan Yu to the lab entrance.
Every Danhan employee now understood that their sudden boom stemmed from one thing: Master Mo and his game-changing elixir. As long as he stayed, Danhan's resurgence—and surpassing their former glory—was just a matter of time. The daily queues outside made that clear. Some customers were even offering to pay extra to guarantee a bottle.
As Ethan Moore opened the lab's door, hair wild, eyes glowing with creative frenzy, he grinned at Lan Yu. "Brother Lan, finally! I've been waiting for you."
Lan Yu didn't mind the chaotic appearance or pungent air—everyone knew that a true alchemist's mind ran wild. "You didn't just pull it off, Master Mo—you surpassed all expectations," Lan Yu said, admiration in his voice.
He'd agreed to wait in Raozhou for Ethan, but honestly hadn't been convinced at the time. Now, seeing Danhan's revival, he was a wholehearted believer.
"Thank you, Brother Lan. Come inside and sit, please," Ethan said, though his eyes were already locked on Lan Yu's bags.
Understanding that Ethan had no intention of sitting at all, Lan Yu smiled, holding up the bag. "Here are the ten sets of medicinals you requested—please check them."
Ethan beamed, grabbing the bag. "No need, Brother Lan—I trust you completely."
He turned to Lulu. "Lulu, do take good care of Brother Lan. No need to count the shipments—whatever he says, that's the price. And pay him ten percent above market."
It wasn't that Ethan didn't value Lan Yu's business, but his mind was entirely devoted to his quest for mastery. If Lan Yu ever wanted to work for Danhan permanently, Ethan would find a way to bring him into the fold.
Deep down, Ethan knew the true worth of Nine Lives was too great for a humble business like Danhan to hold. As for Lucas Lu's confidence in protection—Ethan took it with a grain of salt. Greed always bent the rules, and things had just begun. When penicillin's value truly shined, he doubted Lucas could control even half the outcome.