6: Chapter 6: The First Pot of Gold Was Sold to Truck Drivers with Soda
Victor was a very special person.
He wore a crumpled Hawaiian floral shirt and flip-flops, looking like a tourist who had just returned from a beach vacation. However, his eyes were constantly scanning his surroundings like radar—an occupational hazard.
As a former peripheral intelligence broker for the CIA in South America, Victor had been hunted down for sleeping with a certain drug lord's mistress and eventually ended up in this godforsaken place, San Verde.
"So, Boss, you mean you want me to sell drinks?"
Victor held the purple bottle of 'Dali' in his hand, his expression somewhat difficult to describe. "I thought you brought me here to resell firearms, or at least smuggle some contraband."
"Firearms will come later."
Chen Yuan sat behind his desk, pointing at the map of the United States on the wall, his finger tracing several major interstate highways. "But for now, we need to conquer the bladders and stomachs of truck drivers first."
"Do you know what these people are thinking?"
Chen Yuan leaned forward, his voice carrying a seductive power. "They get paid by the mile. Every extra mile is another US dollar. To pay off their truck loans and support their families full of kids who only know how to reach out for money, they would practically prop their eyelids open with matchsticks."
"Give them this bottle of water. Tell them that by drinking it, they can drive from Texas to New York in one go without sleeping, without stopping, and without even having the mind to think about women—all they'll want to do is drive."
Victor froze for a moment, then grinned.
It was the smile of one unscrupulous merchant meeting another.
"Boss, you really are a devil." Victor stuffed the bottle into his pocket. "But I like it. Give me two thousand sample bottles. I'll go to those rest stops that are the filthiest, messiest, and full of illegal trucks."
...
One week later.
San Verde, Chen's Veterinary Pharmaceutical Factory.
The office safe door was wide open, and the cash inside was piled up like a mountain of trash. The green US dollars emitted a charming scent of ink.
"It's exploded! It's completely exploded!"
Victor was so excited his face was flushed and his neck veins were bulging as he waved a large stack of orders. "Boss, you are practically the second parent to these drivers! Now, the first thing drivers on the I-10 say when they meet isn't 'Have you eaten?' but 'Is there any Dali left?'"
"These lunatics! After drinking this stuff, someone drove for twenty-eight hours straight! Not only did he not get into an accident, but he also caught a biker gang member for the police along the way!"
Chen Yuan calmly sipped the coffee Alice had brewed, watching the numbers on the screen constantly ticking upward.
In just seven days.
'Dali' had swept through the transport lines on the US-Mexico border like a virus. Those drivers, who originally relied on caffeine and low-grade amphetamines to keep going, found that this purple drink for only ten dollars a bottle was practically a gift from God.
Side effects?
What's a little hunger? You can make up for it by eating two more burgers!
As long as they could make money, let alone hunger, they would even eat grass if asked.
"What are the current daily sales?" Chen Yuan asked.
"Five thousand bottles. And that's only because our production capacity is insufficient," Victor said, wiping his sweat. "On the black market, it's already being flipped for fifty dollars a bottle. Some gangs have even started hoarding it, trying to create a monopoly."
"That's exactly the effect we want."
Chen Yuan set down his cup, his gaze sharp. "Let them flip it. As long as the source is in our hands, the higher they flip it, the more ruthlessly we profit."
He stood up and walked over to the pile of cash.
One point seven million US dollars.
After deducting costs and Victor's commission, this week's net profit had already cleared previous debts, with a surplus to boot.
"Victor, go contact new production lines. I want to increase capacity tenfold."
Chen Yuan tossed a bundle of cash to Victor. "This is your bonus. Remember, don't let anyone trace the source of the formula."
"Don't worry, Boss, I know the rules." Victor clutched the money and slipped away like a cat that had successfully stolen a treat.
The office fell silent again.
Chen Yuan took a deep breath and thought to himself, "System, deposit."
As the pile of cash vanished into thin air, the translucent blue panel before him lit up again, its glow even more dazzling than before.
[Funds injected successfully.]
[Current Funds: 1,200,000 USD]
[Congratulations, Host. Funding goal met. Influence level increased to LV2 (Street Bully).]
[New Module Unlocked: Bio-Weapon Research and Development Center (Primary).]
[New Units Unlocked: T-800 Tyrant (Mass-Produced), Zombie Dog (Patrol Type).]
A low mechanical voice echoed in Chen Yuan's mind, accompanied by a wash of complex data streams.
Those were the manufacturing blueprints for bio-weapons.
No longer high-end goods disguised as beautiful bodyguards, but true war machines born purely for slaughter.
"It's finally here."
Chen Yuan clenched his fists, feeling the awakening of some power within his body.
Although he had money now and the 'Dali' cash cow, he knew very well that this was just the calm before the storm.
This cake was too big.
Big enough for the greedy wolves in the surrounding areas to follow the scent to his door. Jack was just a small fry; the Black Gold Gang behind him and the envious drug lords in the neighboring blocks would definitely not sit by and let him monopolize this wealth.
Just then, Alice, who had been standing quietly in the corner, suddenly looked up.
In those ice-blue eyes, a red warning light flashed.
"Boss, abnormal vibrations detected."
Alice's voice was still sweet, but her speaking rate had clearly accelerated. "Five hundred meters from the factory, twelve heavy-duty pickups are approaching at high speed. Thermal imaging shows approximately fifty armed personnel on board."
Chen Yuan walked to the floor-to-ceiling window.
On the distant road, a dragon of yellow dust rose into the air.
Those pickups were painted with exaggerated skull graffiti, and the truck beds were filled with thugs waving AK-47s and machetes. The lead vehicle even had a heavy machine gun mounted on it.
The Wild Wolf Gang.
An armed force under the Black Gold Gang and also Jack's direct superiors.
"It seems this money isn't that easy to earn after all."
Looking at the rolling dust, Chen Yuan didn't feel afraid; instead, he revealed a sinister smile.
Perfect.
The system had just unlocked new toys, and he was worried about where to test them.
These lab rats who delivered themselves to his door might as well be put to use.
"Alice."
Chen Yuan turned and walked toward the elevator leading to the underground laboratory. "Start the incubation chambers. Let those two big guys out for some fresh air."
"Understood."
The corners of Alice's mouth curled slightly, revealing a cruel smile that was completely inconsistent with her beauty. "T-800 Tyrants are ready. Disengaging hibernation mode."
"Also, Boss."
"That sheriff just sent a text message asking if you need backup here."
Chen Yuan gave a cold laugh and pressed the elevator button.
"Tell him there's no need."
"Tonight, there are only hunters and prey here. If he doesn't want to die, tell him to stay far away."
The elevator doors slowly closed, carrying Chen Yuan down into the depths of the underground.
There, two grey-white behemoths, two and a half meters tall and emitting a terrifying aura, were slowly opening their pupil-less eyes.