Chapter 10:

In the second deal, Feng Yao and his men intercepted Cheng Xuan, not only demanding all the inferior purple grass but also pressing for his residential address.

With the 800 boxes of premium purple grass ointment sold out, Feng Yao once again sought out Cheng Xuan, attempting to establish contact and inquiring about any means to obtain more materials.

To his surprise, upon visiting, he found that the medicinal garden had changed hands, and Cheng Xuan was nowhere to be found.

Visiting different pharmacies for purchases, the staff uniformly responded, “This year, the yield of purple grass has sharply decreased, and we are currently out of stock.”

Feng Yao realized the situation and, feeling helpless, returned to his rented accommodation, “NPCs have colluded to monopolize the raw materials. This business can’t be sustained.”

“I know,” Yun Shan responded unsurprised, “In making the purple grass ointment, apart from the purple grass, several other ingredients are required. One of them is quite rare, used in limited places, and major pharmacies have stopped selling it. Fortunately, we bought a lot the first time, so the second batch of production wasn’t affected.”

In this post-apocalyptic setting, money (points) isn’t almighty, having power and influence is more crucial.

Although Feng Yao felt regretful, he also understood the principle of quitting while ahead, “How much did we earn this time? Calculate the money, and let’s find another way to make a fortune in the future.”

“After taxes, the net profit from the 800 boxes of purple grass ointment is 6080, which means 3040 each,” Yun Shan reported.

“You take 4000, I’ll take 2000,” Feng Yao insisted, “The business succeeded largely thanks to you, so you should have the lion’s share.”

Yun Shan shook her head, “Hiring a three-star expert costs a considerable amount, and it took effort to track down the swindler and coax him into surrendering all the inferior purple grass. Without you, the second transaction wouldn’t have been possible.”

“But—” Feng Yao attempted to say something.

“Take it, I don’t need this money,” Yun Shan transferred 3040 points without further ado.

Feng Yao, “…”

What do you mean “this money”? They were discussing a thousand points!

“If there’s a promising project that requires a reliable partner, feel free to get in touch,” he mused, jokingly adding a remark.

“Yeah, I’ve made a note of that,” Yun Shan responded.

This meant a temporary end of their collaboration.

Feng Yao felt very regretful.

But on second thought, it was thanks to Yun Shan that he went from “almost starving to death” to “having 4000 points.” It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that he had a stroke of luck.

Since it was a stroke of luck, it was something that might not happen again, something one couldn’t seek.

**

The rented house was quiet, with only Dahei, a dog, basking in the sun in the yard.

The warm sunlight bathed its body, making it feel cozy. It rolled over to expose the other side of its fur to the sun.

Rolling left, then right.

Rolling right, then left.

After waiting for a while, and with mealtime not yet arrived, it felt a bit bored.

Originally, Dahei’s pupils were entirely black, but at some point, a hint of crimson had infiltrated its eyes, and its expression grew restless.

Just as it was about to get up and run around, Yun Shan came online and swiftly grabbed its head, “Calm down.”

The crimson faded, and Dahei tilted its head, looking unusually innocent.

“Don’t pretend. I know you also have mental health issues. Once you get in a bad mood, you can’t control yourself,” Yun Shan said casually, “Don’t worry, it will get better with time.”

The higher the star level, the more susceptible to mental health issues. This was true for NPCs, and likewise for beast and battle pets.

However, this didn’t mean that lower-level individuals wouldn’t fall ill.

Dahei is a two-star wolfhound. It was out in the wild when it suddenly became ill, leaving itself heavily injured, and then it was taken advantage of by a player.

After bringing Dahei home, Yun Shan checked its wounds that day and had a vague idea in her heart. Later, when Dahei almost bit Feng Yao, she became even more convinced.

Approaching, Dahei licked Yun Shan’s palm to seek approval.

Since moving to a new place, it felt more awake. As a result, it was even more unwilling to be driven away.

“Meeting me, you can consider yourself lucky,” Yun Shan said with a smile.

Affinity (non-upgradable): 1. Animals find you very amiable, significantly reducing their desire to attack. 2. You can effectively comfort animals.

What would be considered effective comforting?

Feeding, petting, cooking for them, chatting with them, and playing with them all count.

Even doing nothing, just quietly standing/sitting beside them, would still be considered a form of comfort.

Yun Shan herself was very soothing, not to mention she cooked herbal meals every day to help Dahei regulate its body.

Compared to when Dahei first arrived at the rented house, its eyes were often bloodshot, but the situation had improved considerably.

Yun Shan carefully observed for a moment and discussed with Dahei, “Tomorrow, I’ll take you out. Behave yourself, don’t cause trouble, okay?”

Upon hearing that it could go out, Dahei’s eyes immediately lit up. Regardless of what Yun Shan said, it howled, showing no signs of opposition.

**

The next day.

Yun Shan took Dahei to the Red Maple Pharmacy.

“Is the Manager available?” Yun Shan casually stopped an NPC and said seriously, “I’m Yun Shan. I have a big deal to discuss with her.”

In recent days, as the reputation of the premium purple grass ointment continued to rise, its creator, “Yun Shan,” also started to receive repeated mentions from others.

The NPC paused for a moment before saying, “Please wait, I’ll go get her.”

“Sure,” Yun Shan found a place to sit.

Dahei lay down beside the seat, guarding its owner, and didn’t move an inch.

The Red Maple Pharmacy and the Red Maple Camp shared the same name, which was not merely a coincidence. The Red Maple Pharmacy was constructed and operated by order of the lord, making it an official establishment.

No matter how large or renowned other clinics might be, they were established by NPC residents, equivalent to private organizations.

Yun Shan had set her sights on the Red Maple Pharmacy early on, intending to make a deal there. However, Dahei had been unwell previously, making it inconvenient to go out, hence the delay until today.

After a short wait, a doctor named “Manager Meng” walked over and immediately stated, “We don’t sell purple grass.”

Yun Shan responded, “That’s perfect, I didn’t come to buy.”

Manager Meng furrowed her brow, “You didn’t come to buy purple grass?”

“Yes,” Yun Shan nodded, “I came to sell the formula for premium purple grass ointment.”

Surprised by the unexpected response, Manager Meng was momentarily taken aback.

“I don’t have herbal garden, so making purple grass ointment is inconvenient. However, it’s a different story for the pharmacy. With materials from your own garden, you can produce the finished product to sell in your own pharmacy. Moreover, you don’t even have to worry about manpower. With the formula in hand, you can immediately start production. Don’t you feel tempted by such a good deal?” Yun Shan asked in a tempting tone.

Manager Meng, “…”

Yun Shan had said everything Manager Meng intended to say. It was clear that she understood her own disadvantages and knew exactly how to manipulate the relationships between the pharmacies.

The ban on selling purple grass is to suppress the competition (Yun Shan). If there’s a chance to monopolize the turtle head, any pharmacy wouldn’t refuse.

Manager Meng looked deeply at Yun Shan, “What do you want?”

Yun Shan had already planned, “A large amount of points.”

“30% pure profit from future sales of high-quality purple grass ointment.”

“Red Maple Pharmacy offers unlimited purchase treatment for medicinal herbs.”

“Impossible,” Manager Meng said decisively.

Ignoring her, Yun Shan continued, “In return, I’ll tell you the formula for high-quality purple grass ointment and also provide a free method for treating inferior purple grass.”

“As long as the herb isn’t dead, in just 2-4 days, the spots will disappear, and the purple grass will recover.”

“With my formula, 1 plant of purple grass can produce 10-12 boxes of ointment, with even better medicinal effects.”

“If you’re still unwilling, I won’t force it, I’ll ask elsewhere.”

After saying that, Yun Shan intended to leave.

At the moment she stood up, Manager Meng changed her mind, “30% pure profit is absolutely impossible, but we can discuss 10%.”

Yun Shan smiled. She had inflated the price to leave room for negotiation. In reality, rather than vague profit sharing, she preferred NPC to give her more points now.

There were too many things she wanted to do, and the money she had earned before was simply not enough.

“If Manager Meng is willing to compensate in other ways, I can compromise on the pure profit sharing ratio.” Yun Shan sat back down.

After a round of negotiation, the agreement reached was as follows—Red Maple Pharmacy would pay 20,000 points upfront, provide 10% pure profit for high-quality purple grass ointment, settled at the beginning of each month, and specifically offer “unlimited purchase of medicinal herbs” treatment for Yun Shan herself.

As for Yun Shan, she could only sell the formula for the purple grass ointment to Red Maple Pharmacy and not to anyone else. In addition, from now on, Yun Shan could make ointments for personal use but could not openly sell them for profit.

If the agreement is violated, the profit sharing and special treatment will be revoked.

“If the formula is fake, or the method for treating purple grass isn’t that effective, you will regret deceiving the person in charge of Red Maple Pharmacy at the Red Maple Camp,” Manager Meng’s gaze turned cold.

Yun Shan shrugged it off, “The spotted growth of purple grass is due to excessively humid conditions, it’s not as difficult to treat as you think.”

Manager Meng was skeptical, “The herb farmers take good care of the purple grass, never letting it get rained on during rainy days. How could it be humid?”

Yun Shan glanced at her, “Hasn’t it been raining frequently in the past few days? Is the humidity higher than usual? This year, it’s common for purple grass to develop spots and be prone to disease. Is it not a general phenomenon, but rather specific to a single pharmacy?”

Manager Meng was speechless.

Yun Shan provided her address and said, “The formula is fine. If there are any issues with the process, come find me, I’ll guide you.”

**

With the hefty sum of 20,000, Yun Shan’s first move was to buy land.

NPC Miss Jin cautioned, “The purchase includes ownership of the house and land. One piece of land costs 3000 points, with permanent ownership. Before signing the contract, I’ll ask you again, are you sure you want to spend 18,000 points to buy six pieces of land?”

“Absolutely,” Yun Shan replied without hesitation.

To prove her determination, she signed the contract and promptly completed the transaction.

Miss Jin rarely encountered such a decisive client. Even if she did, they usually preferred to buy villas and looked down on small bamboo houses in the East District.

She wondered what this person was thinking and why their preferences were so unique.

Out of professional courtesy, Miss Jin said little, only adding after the formalities, “Now, these six pieces of land belong to you.”

The six pieces of land were adjacent, and Yun Shan immediately removed the fences between them, “Dahei, from now on, this whole area is the yard. You can lounge and run as you please.”

As the event area suddenly expanded several times, Dahei excitedly barked.

Yun Shan contemplated, “If I need medicinal herbs, I can buy them from Red Maple Pharmacy. According to the agreement, as long as they have it, they must sell it to me. We can’t go back to the restrictions and bans.”

“The vegetable garden is suitable for growing fruits, vegetables, and grains. It’s best to hire someone to take care of it.”

“Buying more land and building a self-sufficient estate would be quite nice.”

As Yun Shan was musing, a sudden cold wind blew from behind.

Dahei stood up, incessantly barking at something behind her. His tail was tucked, and a hint of fear was visible in his eyes.

Yun Shan quickly turned around.

With crimson eyes, a pale, handsome face, and dark circles under his eyes, it was none other than the long-unseen Lu Ming. At this moment, he bit his lower lip tightly, blood seeping out, as if he was struggling to endure something.

― He’s having an episode again.