Chapter 646 - 646: A Self-Recommendation

Even with the magnificent Ginseng setting a high bar, Fang Yi and Wen Hua were still left stunned by the other medicinal herbs Zhao Yuan produced!

They crowded around, letting out gasps of amazement as they carefully appraised the herbs.

Centennial! Centennial! Still centennial!

Whether it was the Astragalus Root, Polygonum multiflorum, or Sichuan Red Flower... they were all centennial herbs of exceptional quality!

The result of their appraisal left everyone in the reception room stunned into a daze!

One must understand that in today's medicinal herb market, any variety of herb over a hundred years old is exceptionally rare. But with Zhao Yuan, centennial-grade herbs were appearing in droves.

And yet, he didn't seem to care, having just tossed them all into a trash bag.

But then again, they thought, considering Zhao Yuan was the kind of person to feed a priceless Centennial Ginseng to a pig, using a trash bag for these herbs was practically giving them preferential treatment!

Zhao Yuan already knew the quality of his medicinal herbs. So, after hearing Fang Yi and Wen Hua's exclamations, he showed no signs of surprise or excitement, merely asking, "These herbs can also be sent to the auction, right?"

Fang Yi replied, "Of course they can! While their value might not be as high as the Centennial Ginseng, they're more than worthy of being in the auction and will definitely fetch a good price."

"That's good." Zhao Yuan nodded and said, "Then I'll have to trouble Brother Zhao to help me contact the auction organizers."

Fang Yi responded, "No problem. In a couple of days, after I get things at the factory sorted out, I'll personally make a trip to Yangcheng City to take care of it."

Wen Hua volunteered, "President Fang, I have connections at the Yangcheng Medicine Auction. I can go with you when the time comes; it might help simplify the process."

Zhao Yuan politely declined. "How could I trouble Boss Wen like that?"

Wen Hua smiled. "It's no trouble, no trouble at all. I was planning to attend the medicine auction anyway. This just means I'll be going a few days earlier."

Since he put it that way, Zhao Yuan felt he couldn't refuse any longer. He nodded and said, "Then thank you in advance, Boss Wen."

"Not at all, not at all." Wen Hua waved his hand dismissively. "Actually, I get a commission for introducing these herbs to the auction. So really, it's I who should be thanking you, Boss Zhao."

Zhao Yuan smiled. His opinion of Wen Hua improved thanks to his candidness.

"By the way, Boss Zhao, I have a question." After a bit more lighthearted chatter, Wen Hua's expression turned serious. "These herbs... were they all cultivated using that, ah, special technique of yours?"

"That's right," Zhao Yuan confirmed with a nod.

Wen Hua pressed, "Herbs cultivated with this technique... they don't have any negative side effects, do they?"

Zhao Yuan's expression also became serious. "Rest assured, there are absolutely no negative side effects. If you don't believe me, we can take them to a professional testing agency to have them sliced and inspected. I guarantee they'll be identical to ordinary wild herbs—in fact, they'll be even better!"

'Are you kidding me? These herbs were cultivated using techniques taught by Wu Peng, supplemented by a Five Elements Formation.'

'They grew so quickly and so well because they absorbed the Spiritual Qi of the heavens and earth! They weren't forced to maturity with chemical agents, so how could there possibly be any negative side effects?'

Hearing Zhao Yuan's guarantee, Wen Hua relaxed. With a smile, he said, "Then I'm relieved. Boss Zhao, in the future, would I be able to purchase herbs from your cultivation base? As for the price, while I can't match the high bids from an auction, I promise it won't be too much lower."

Wen Hua was in the medicinal herb business. In addition to common herbs, he also needed a supply of high-end ones. The latter could bring him not only substantial profits but also immense prestige.

"Of course. You're more than welcome," Zhao Yuan said with a smile.

'He was sending the herbs to the auction precisely to build a reputation for his medicinal herb cultivation base and attract buyers.'

'Although the prices at auction would certainly be higher, the problem was that he had neither the time nor the energy to travel around attending them.'

'Moreover, major medicine auctions weren't held all the time, and at smaller auctions, the prices wouldn't get very high due to the limited number of participants. In comparison, while the unit price from selling directly to buyers would be lower, the high volume meant his actual profits wouldn't be any less than what he'd make from auctions.'

Having received Zhao Yuan's promise, Wen Hua grew excited. He was already fantasizing about the bright future ahead, building his business into an empire with the centennial herbs he would purchase from Zhao Yuan.

This little episode also made Zhao Yuan seem all the more mysterious in the eyes of Jin Wang, Song Ming, and the others.

Next, Sun Xin signed the endorsement contract with Fang Yi. At this moment, Jin Wang suddenly asked, "Boss Zhao, President Fang, I was wondering, have you found a commercial director and a production team yet?"

Fang Yi replied, "We've been in touch with a few advertising agencies, but we haven't made a final decision."

"That's great!" Jin Wang said with a cheerful laugh. "What would you two think about having me as the director for this commercial?"

Zhao Yuan was taken aback. "Director Jin, you must be joking, right?" he said in surprise. "You're a famous, big-name director. You'd really condescend to shoot a commercial for us?"

Jin Wang replied, "I'm not just tooting my own horn here. If any other product came to me, I wouldn't agree to direct their commercial no matter how much they paid. But the products your factory makes are different. I've experienced their effects firsthand—they're simply miraculous! That's why I'm shamelessly putting myself forward!"

Seeing that Jin Wang wasn't joking, Zhao Yuan immediately made up his mind. "If Director Jin is willing to shoot our commercial, we'd be a hundred percent on board!"

'Jin Wang is a famous director. Having him helm the commercial would be a huge publicity stunt in itself. They wouldn't even need to pay for media coverage; it would attract a massive amount of attention on its own. Since that's the case, why not go for it?'

Fang Yi was thinking the exact same thing. He immediately said, "Director Jin, there's no time like the present. Why don't we discuss compensation right now?"

Jin Wang waved his hand magnanimously. "The compensation is negotiable. I can even help you lock down the creative concept and the production team, and I guarantee you'll be satisfied with the price. As for me, I have just one condition."

"What condition?" Zhao Yuan and Fang Yi exchanged a glance and asked in unison.

With a look of eager anticipation, Jin Wang said, "Could your factory give me some sort of VIP status? That way, I can have priority access to purchasing your products, no matter where I am. Your products are just so incredibly hard to buy. I finally managed to get my hands on a little bit, and now I'm too reluctant to even use it."

Upon hearing this, the eyes of Song Ming, Sun Xin, Yang Cai'Er, and the others all lit up in unison.