218: Start to expand

"Wang Jia, your team will be in charge of Beauty Under Heaven cosmetics. Upload the effect comparison promotional videos we made earlier to the internet for preliminary promotion."

"Alright, Boss. I've been waiting for this day for a long time."

Wang Jia agreed joyfully.

"For Healing World, Factory Director Wu, have the factory's marketing department take charge. Use the factory's previous sales channels to distribute the initial stock."

"No problem, President Ye."

Factory Director Wu nodded.

"As for Clean Under Heaven, it's still for internal supply for now. However, with our current consumption capacity, we definitely won't be able to use it all up. Therefore, it's necessary to begin a true expansion of our territory."

"How are the branch stores in the neighboring cities doing now?"

Ye Tian looked toward Fan Sisi.

"Boss, in the nearby Steel City, Iron City, Gold City, and Silver City, two to three stores have already opened in each. Every store is managed by a veteran employee acting as the store manager, and they are recruiting staff locally."

"Each store has about 20 employees."

"Driven by our app, business is proceeding quite smoothly. However, due to staffing issues, we haven't conducted large-scale local promotions yet. We're honestly a bit too busy to manage it."

"Hmm, although we're expanding, be sure to take steady steps. Only consider promotions and such when you can maintain efficient operations. "

"Additionally, while each store doesn't need to be too large, we can spread out more locations. It's best to use our Copper City as the core and set up more stores around it to ensure adjacent stores can coordinate with each other."

"Alright, Boss. But if we expand further, our app might need to be updated and strengthened."

"You guys can handle that as you see fit."

...After some arrangements.

The sales plan for the Company's new products was basically settled.

Ye Tian went to Food Under Heaven for a hearty meal before returning to the farm.

Two consecutive meals today had made his blood and qi particularly vigorous.

After a round of synthesis, he produced 50 Gold-level Cockroaches.

After Blade devoured them, it reached 670 Gold.

At this rate, in less than ten days, a new chapter of the Gu Art would begin.

Humming a little tune, Ye Tian began to inspect his grounds.

After these days of excavation at the landfill,

a major step forward had been taken.

The underground space, 50 meters deep, had advanced 40 meters forward. Standing at the top and looking down, it looked like a massive chasm.

If it weren't for a large slope providing a visual buffer, some people might have suffered from acrophobia upon arriving.

The second phase of the Cockroach breeding factory project.

The framework had already been set up. It would be completed in ten to fifteen days at the latest.

He believed that by then, the land excavated from the landfill would be fully sufficient for the construction of the third-phase underground factory.

Besides that,

the number of mechanical vehicles of all sizes on the construction site had now exceeded one hundred.

The monthly wages for the masters and the fuel costs alone were not a small figure.

Fortunately, as the number of machines and Cockroach/ant swarms increased, the amount of garbage excavated daily also rose.

According to the statistics Wu Gengbiao sent in the afternoon,

the plastic he hauled away in a single day reached 300 tons.

Converted into cash, that was 600,000 yuan.

And this was just the money paid to Ye Tian for the waste.

He believed that the profit generated from those 600,000 yuan worth of raw materials once hauled back would definitely not be less than 300,000 yuan.

In the moat,

the small Red Dragon Fish hatched earlier had also grown explosively over the past two days.

They had almost all reached the length of a forearm.

As for the large ones, their speed was slightly slower.

After all, once their body size increased, it was unlikely for them to continue growing so wildly.

But in these few days, they had still grown by an average of over ten centimeters.

The two mother fish were improving at a similar speed.

On the nearby city wall,

it was now a sea of lush green.

The various berries and plants Ye Tian had planted earlier had basically grown up.

It was evident that as the cockroach manure transitioned from being primarily from Strong-Grade Cockroach offspring to Gold-level offspring, the growth rate of the plants had also significantly improved.

If it was three times faster than normal crops before, Ye Tian estimated it was now at least four times faster.

In addition, the termite mushroom cultivation

had fully entered the mature stage.

The entire base of the city wall was now filled with termite nests.

As long as Ye Tian wished, with a single thought, termite mushrooms would sprout in his desired location the next day.

Of course, this situation was based on the fact that the weather was still hot.

Once autumn arrived, he would likely have to rely on the factory to raise the temperature to continue cultivation.

In the Hundred Herbs Garden in the courtyard,

it was an even more vibrant scene.

Not to mention the plants planted before, even the main leaves of the kaffir lilies that Ye Tian had later divided were now roughly formed. Judging by this growth, it wouldn't be long before they were ready to bloom.

As for the earliest batch of kaffir lilies,

they actually left Ye Tian somewhat puzzled.

The flower buds had been gestating for so long, yet they still hadn't bloomed.

However, the buds were becoming increasingly massive, as if something extraordinary was gestating within them.

The surrounding leaves glinted with a cold light, defending the buds like a hedgehog.

Everything appeared so prosperous.

While Ye Tian was enjoying his leisure,

inside the Huakang Company,

it was a scene of total chaos.

In the general manager's office, Zhang Guangsheng, who was originally sitting in the boss's chair, was now standing to the side, drenched in sweat.

"Bro... Brother-in-law, why did you come here personally?"

"You have the nerve to ask? You've caused such a huge mess. If I didn't come, you'd be trying to fly to the heavens!!"

"That... Well, Brother-in-law, I've been busy with the experimental production of recovery new liquid these past two days and didn't have time to look after everything. I missed one instruction, who knew..."

"Who knew? An accident involving tens of millions or even a hundred million—in your mind, is that something that can be fixed with just one instruction? Who gave you the courage? Do you think those companies are made of clay? Do you know how much negative impact your mistake has caused for our Company?"

"Brother-in-law, listen to me, things aren't really how you think. I didn't have money before, so I was thinking of securing the support policy from Copper City. Once the interest-free loan was in place, I could compensate them. At the same time, I'd have the funds to mass-produce the recovery new medicinal liquid."

"Don't give me that. Is that what I want to hear? Tell me directly: right now, what do you plan to do? How will you recover the losses caused to the Company? If you can't handle it, I'm sorry, even if you are my brother-in-law, I won't have the ability to protect you. Moreover, even I will be implicated by you."

Zhang Tianze slapped the table and shouted in a low, angry voice.

"Brother-in-law, at this point, our only option is to burn our bridges. It's like I said, the new drug formula in our hands is our trump card. As long as the new drug is produced, any loss, no matter how big, can definitely be made up for."

"Besides, things haven't reached an irredeemable state yet."

"It's just a few cosmetics companies. Do they really dare to fight us to the death? Without us, they can't even start production. As long as you apply a little pressure, Brother-in-law, they'll have no choice but to be cautious and do as we say. Changing the direction of public opinion will be a matter of minutes."

"The most critical issue right now isn't the raw material accident, but the launch time of the new drug. We must beat Tianxia Pharmaceutical Factory to the launch of their recovery new liquid to ensure our victory."

Zhang Tianze remained silent for a long time.

"So, what stage is your medicine at now?"

"It's already been submitted to the Drug Administration for testing. I believe it will pass in a few days, so these next few days are very critical."

"You mean you still want to intercept the opponent?"

"Yes, I've invested so much in the early stages; now is the best chance for a comeback. If nothing else, if we can successfully intercept them and take over the Pharmaceutical Factory, it will be a huge boon for the mass production of our recovery new medicinal liquid."

"The money lost in the accident can also be recovered directly."

"But this must rely on you, Brother-in-law. I don't have the authority to mobilize such large resources."

"Do you know what the outcome will be for us if we do this and fail?"

"Brother-in-law, you said it yourself, this doesn't just concern me, it concerns you too. So, it must be done."

"Damn it, how did I get stuck with such an unreliable piece of work like you?"

Zhang Tianze took several deep breaths and finally couldn't help but curse again.

However, a hint of a smile flashed in Zhang Guangsheng's eyes.

Because the cursing meant the matter was settled.

"Brother-in-law is mighty! With you taking action, this matter is as good as done."

"Shut up. You think I want to take action? If it weren't for the fact that your situation seriously affects the Company's layout, do you think I'd care about you? Remember, I'm acting only because someone is obstructing the Company's interests, not because of you."

"No matter what, Brother-in-law is mighty."

Zhang Guangsheng shamelessly offered a round of flattery.

Zhang Tianze couldn't even be bothered to look at him. "Stop being an eyesore here. Immediately bring me all the information on that Tianxia Pharmaceutical whatever-it-is."

"Okay!"

...Regardless of what was happening with Zhang Guangsheng,

Ye Tian naturally wouldn't know.

The night passed in the blink of an eye.

After resting for a bit in the morning,

Ye Tian didn't feel like cooking for himself and drove to Food Under Heaven.

This place was now working almost around the clock.

No matter when he came, he could get a hot meal.

But when he arrived today, Ye Tian couldn't help but be dumbfounded.

If he could still park a short distance from Food Under Heaven yesterday,

then today, he couldn't even enter the main street of the South Gate Night Market.

Inside and out, it was packed with cars.

The most critical thing was that it was still morning.

This business was a bit ridiculous, wasn't it?

After finally bypassing the queue to enter the shop,

Ye Tian saw Wang Shufen's expression, which was a mix of excitement and agony.

"Sister, how's business today?"

"Ridiculous, right? I thought the last few days were ridiculous enough, but I didn't expect today to be even worse. People have been lining up like this since early morning. The kitchen masters can't even keep up with slaughtering the chickens."

"Is it because of yesterday's show?"

"Exactly. I guess the show's effect was too good. That food channel actually rebroadcast yesterday's interview twice. Now, at least half the people outside came here because they saw the show."

"Haha, that's a good thing."

"You're still laughing. I never knew before that making money could be painful."

Wang Shufen said with a wry smile.

"Sister, that's where you're wrong. You're someone with a net worth of over a hundred million now. If business is good, just keep hiring people. Why be so conflicted?"

"But business is unpredictable. Today's crowd is due to the show's effect. If we hire too many people and the hype dies down in a few days, won't it be a waste?"

"Waste? Sister, you really don't understand the weight of having a hundred million. It means your career will definitely not be confined to one place. What's there to fear about having many employees? Just open branch stores directly. Those veteran employees can be put to use right away."

Wang Shufen's eyes darted around.

"Open branch stores?"

"What else? Although we've reached a partnership with Uncle Zhang and the others, it doesn't mean we don't need to build our own brand. Food Under Heaven is a crucial link in our Tianxia Group and the main way to monetize the farm. You can't expect us to truly build a reputation with just this one store, right?"

"True. Then I'll arrange for hiring immediately."

"Yeah, you can handle that, Sister. Brother Li will probably be busy with the Chicken Farm for a while, so I'll leave the expansion of Food Under Heaven to you."

"You can do it like the Housekeeping Company—start from the area around Copper City and slowly expand outward."

"Mm-hmm."

While chatting with Wang Shufen about the expansion, Ye Tian grabbed a freshly cooked chicken and started munching.

He finished off two chickens for breakfast.

Only then did he go to school for class.

He said it was for class, but it was mostly just chatting with Zhang Liang and the other brothers.

"Brother Tian, my family has already started moving. However, land in Shanghai is at a premium, and we can't find an ideal location in the city. So, we've tentatively selected a few plots of land in the suburbs. Which one do you think is suitable?"

Zhang Liang seemed to have done his homework, spreading out a map of Shanghai's land for Ye Tian to see.

After observing them one by one, Ye Tian's face showed a bit of surprise.

"Liang Zi, even in the suburbs of Shanghai, the land prices aren't cheap, are they?"

"They aren't cheap, but my dad is incredibly optimistic about our project now. He says if we're going to do it, we should do it well."

"There's no need for that. After all, our farms won't end with just one or two. We should save where we can."

"If you want my opinion, I'll give you a few points."

"First, for the location, it's best to choose somewhere remote, near the city's waste treatment stations or landfills."

"Second, if possible, incorporate the planning for the Chicken Farm as well. Once the cockroaches are processed, they can be sent to the Breeding Farm immediately, saving manpower and resources."

"Third, if conditions allow, it's best to choose a city that is a transportation hub to better collect garbage."

Zhang Liang was stunned. "Brother Tian, I can understand the first two, but the last one, I don't quite get."

"What's not to understand? A city's garbage is limited. If we build a treatment plant in every city, it will create a lot of waste. And based on our farm's current situation, the larger the scale, the more beneficial it is for later development. So, effectively concentrating the business of several cities together is the only way to maximize profits."

"But if we do that, won't the transportation costs be much higher?"

"Haha, compared to the revenue that can be generated after scaling up, transportation is clearly negligible. Moreover, once a scale is formed, transportation can be better standardized. Of course, we haven't reached that point yet, so I can't give you examples to explain. But that day will definitely come, and you'll know then."