A Divine Farmer

Chapter 245 - Hidden Elements!

Despite the soaring popularity of Essence Dragon Company's products, Zhang Xiaolong showed no interest in striking while the iron was hot. Instead, he chose to delay production.

He typically refrained from meddling in the company's management, yet he controlled all the raw materials. Production could not proceed without his instructions, so in reality, the company couldn't function normally without him.

For several days, Essence Dragon Company was shrouded in confusion. With such high demand, why weren't they capitalizing on the opportunity? Continuing this way, they risked squandering the momentum they had built.

But the CEO's reasoning was beyond the employees' purview; they had no choice but to wait in resignation.

Meanwhile, Zhang Xiaolong was finally meeting the person he had been waiting for.

As the visitors entered his office, Zhang Xiaolong rose to greet them, only to pause in surprise. He hadn't expected Qu Moyao, whom he had met recently, to be among them.

“Why is it you?” Zhang Xiaolong asked, taken aback. “Wasn't it supposed to be your leader?”

“My leader was otherwise engaged, so I was sent to represent him fully. Is that a problem?” Qu Moyao asked with a serene smile.

“Of course not,” Zhang Xiaolong replied with a smile of his own. “Let me introduce you. This is Su Mei, the General Manager of Eyebrow Dragon Medical Company, and this is Dr. Qu Moyao.”

Su Mei felt a ripple of admiration for the poised confidence that Qu Moyao exuded. She was not one to back down easily and confidently extended her hand, saying, “Hello, Xiaolong speaks highly of Dr. Qu.”

“Really?” Qu Moyao responded, not bothering to parse whether the remark was mere courtesy. “Zhang Xiaolong has mentioned you as well. Mrs. Zhang is quite beautiful.”

Realizing the misunderstanding, Zhang Xiaolong was about to clarify when Su Mei, with a playful laugh, interjected, “You must be mistaken. Despite my best efforts, Xiaolong hasn't officially promoted me yet, so I must continue to strive.”

“Oh? So the female manager from Essence Dragon Company on TV the other day is the actual Mrs. Zhang?” Qu Moyao expressed her surprise, but her thoughts quickly shifted to another possibility.

“Just like me, he's merely a backup option,” Su Mei said with another smile. “Do you think he's quite the playboy? I do too. What's the point of a guy like him getting involved with so many beautiful women? It's utterly irresponsible.”

“Can we discuss something more substantial?” Zhang Xiaolong was struggling to keep up.

“This is a very serious topic,” Su Mei realized, noting the female doctor before her seemed to be on the warpath. “Or are you suggesting I should be less serious?”

Zhang Xiaolong was at a loss with her. “Fine, I'll take the lead. What's the status of the Injury Medicine?”

Qu Moyao hadn't anticipated the plethora of beautiful women surrounding Zhang Xiaolong, each seemingly as attractive as the next. She grew even more curious about who his true wife was but remembered she was here on official business.

“We're prepared to offer a million for the Injury Medicine formula. Does that price meet your expectations?” Qu Moyao was aware that such a sum might not impress Zhang Xiaolong, yet she proposed it anyway.

“That's alright. I'm more interested in the additional matters,” Zhang Xiaolong responded predictably.

“Yes, in addition to that, the Injury Medicine will be exclusively provided to the military, classified at the highest level of secrecy. Moreover, as previously discussed, you can produce an enhanced version of the Injury Medicine with extended effects. The key ingredients should be, and must be, concealed,” Qu Moyao understood that this was precisely what he wanted to know.

Zhang Xiaolong was pleased with this arrangement. It was not only ideal for the military but also a significant advantage for him personally.

“However, I have one small request,” Zhang Xiaolong said with a smile. “You brought up Essence Dragon Makeup earlier. There's a component related to Beauty Preserving Grass in that product line. Could you assist me by applying to have the ingredients of this makeup classified as a state secret? It would be in everyone's best interest.”

“That doesn't seem quite right, does it?” Qu Moyao felt uneasy.

The agreement on the Healing Medicine was already in place, but now Zhang Xiaolong was unexpectedly including the cosmetics. How would she handle this new development?

“I understand the predicament you're in, but let me explain. There's an ingredient in the cosmetics called Beauty Preserving Fruit, which grows alongside the Beauty Preserving Grass. I'm sure you've noticed the incredible popularity of Essence Dragon Makeup. I haven't started producing it yet because I'm worried that once production begins, the secret will get out,” Zhang Xiaolong said with gravity. “While I'm not completely certain, I'm confident that at least for the short term, it will be quite challenging for others to discover and research the Beauty Preserving Fruit. However, if it catches the attention of certain individuals, it could lead to significant complications. It's not just my profits at stake, but the secrecy of the Injury Medicine could be compromised as well.”

“Okay, I can't promise success, but I'll do my best to advocate for you,” Qu Moyao finally agreed.

“I'm truly grateful,” Zhang Xiaolong acknowledged, relieved that the issue was nearly resolved. “I'll have someone bring over a few sets of Essence Dragon Makeup later. Even though Dr. Qu is naturally beautiful and doesn't need makeup, it makes an excellent gift for friends. I'm convinced no woman would turn down such a thing.”

Qu Moyao, not dwelling on his flattery, returned to the previous discussion. “Since you've presented me with a challenge, we have one for you as well. We need the Beauty Preserving Grass for our experts to study. And regarding the Blood Converging Vine, we're at a loss on how to cultivate it rapidly. As you know, the production of Injury Medicine requires a substantial amount of Blood Converging Vine. Without the raw materials, even the best formula is worthless.”

“The solution is simple,” Zhang Xiaolong offered, causing a pang of frustration for Qu Moyao. “If it's beyond your capabilities, then entrust the Blood Converging Vine to me for now. In about a month, you'll have enough for your research needs.”

“Is that true?” Qu Moyao's eyes sparkled with hope.

She was almost ready to slam her hand down on the table when Zhang Xiaolong had claimed it was “very easy to solve.” She had seen several experts with furrowed brows, struggling for days just to keep the Blood Converging Vine alive, let alone thriving. And here was Zhang Xiaolong, declaring it a simple fix. It seemed too good to be true.

But then, Zhang Xiaolong confidently stepped up to handle the problem himself, and that's when she knew he must have a solution. Otherwise, he wouldn't have exuded such assurance.