Zhao Fan and Hei Long worked diligently on their production method during the day and cultivated restlessly at night. In this way, the rest of the week passed by in a flash.
"Finally, I have reached peak of rank four, it shouldn't take me long to break through to rank five Qi Gathering"
"You should be able to do so after today" Another voice joined Zhao Fan's inner monologue
"If I continue cultivating, I think it would take at least a couple of days right? Why do you say that it will happen today?"
"Did you forget what today is?"
Zhao Fan scratched his chin and thought about the recent events.
"Oh right, the supplier meeting!"
"I understand now, you are confident they will agree and then we can start making money."
"That's right, the materials are the biggest expense by far. If we can get them for twenty or even thirty percent off, our earnings from the method will become even more monstrous. After that, even if you want to use Foundation Establishment pills instead of spirit stones to cultivate, how could it be a problem?" Hei Long couldn't hold in his laughter, breaking his cold composure.
Zhao Fan joined in laughter while thinking of the money they would soon make. For once, he would be able to splurge on improving his strength!
"At that point, what's stopping me from starting a family or even a sect of my own?"
"Of course! But think about it, why would you establish a sect if you can make a business empire built with countless mortals. At that point, our method will dominate the market so much that even a dynasty would have to give us face!" Zhao Fan paled from shock hearing Hei Long's grand ambitions.
"Won't we be assassinated or captured in order for others to learn our method?" Why would others standby when they could just extract the method out of him? Even if there was order in society, it was just a small disguise put up by the strong to reassure and control the weak.
"Not bad, your thinking skills are slightly improving. This method is indeed a ticking time bomb, it won't be discovered for a bit so we can move carefully and still make a large amount. After that grace period, you will just have to grow stronger or get a backing large enough for you to protect you"
"If your power is so useful, why didn't you learn actual alchemy and safely earn a huge amount of money?"
"One reason, time! This was only one of my backup plans because of how dangerous it is. But as a saying goes, all plans break when sh*t hits the fan! Both of us are technically heavenly geniuses, with your demonic core and my power of control, we will face tribulation sooner or later. It's better for you to grow strong fast so your power rises exponentially and you can face the difficulties ahead"
Zhao Fan busily talked to Hei Long and arrived at the warehouse without knowing.
"Greetings young master"
As he walked in, a host of people welcomed him. It was a group of workers as well as Yun Tian. In the short span of a week, Yun Tian had completely lost his arrogant attitude and no longer hesitated in calling Zhao Fan young master. He even began to feel a bit proud for following such a great person.
"Listen up everyone!"
Zhao Fan's loud call instantly put everyone at attention.
"In roughly an hour, a few important people will come here. What I want everyone to do is set everything up and go stand by the machines. When the guests arrive, I will give you a command and like normal, you will each start the refinement and make a set of pills just like we have practiced."
"Yes sir!"
"Remember to do your best. I will reward two spirit stones for every ninety five percent quality pill! As for perfect pills, each one will be rewarded with five spirit stones!"
The polite atmosphere was broken as all of the workers burst into cheers praising Zhao Fan. He couldn't help but smile while looking at them.
As everyone left off to work, Zhao Fan gave control to Hei Long who quickly made rounds and inspected the machines he made.
The warehouse now looked completely different from before, there were twenty large cauldrons, each with a formation underneath it as well as a contraption above it which was attached to the side.
The contraption was very simple, it was just a small bowl above the cauldron in which materials were placed. The small bowl was attached from the bottom to a wooden plank which was supported by a beam. When the signal from the formation came, the worker would just need to shift down the lever attached to the beam. The lever was connected to a string which would pull the plank attached to the bowl down, making all of the contents in the bowl drop down in the exact center of the cauldron. The best part was that it was cheap to make and reduced variability by a lot. Instead of workers throwing ingredients from a random height each time, everything was calculated and planned, the amount of time the materials would take to drop down was carefully calculated and implemented into the formation.
After the drop, the workers had to pull down the lever attached to the back of the beam in order to pull the plank back up and set it in place. Although it was a simple contraption, Hei Long and Zhao Fan, who both never did any sort of engineering were satisfied with the result even if it was very shabby.
On top of that, they were now poor as dirt. Over the past week, they have been producing pills like crazy to be able to afford twenty cauldrons as well as all the resources required. Their last bits of money were in the spirit stones attached to each cauldron to be used as fuel for the pill refining.
"It's all worth it, if we stun the investors and convince them to give us supplies. Our profits will double."
"I hope so" Zhao Fan gritted his teeth. His heart bled when Hei Long told him to spend all his wealth on the cauldrons, and now after seeing them again, the wounds reopened.
Everything was finally set-up and the workers all stood silently at their cauldron, their backs straight and their chests blown out as if they were a disciplined army saluting their general.
"Good job everyone, remember, don't be nervous, even if you make ninety-percent quality pills, it's fine as long as they are passable!" Zhao Fan gave a short speech to rouse the serious spirits of the workers. If they were too tense, it wouldn't be good either.
They all nodded to acknowledge his words but the tense silence remained. Zhao Fan sighed, after all, to these people the reward was a big amount, too big maybe, Hei Long warned him but Zhao Fan didn't want to take advantage or mistreat his subordinates.
With everything being done, he went outside and waited.
It didn't take long before he saw a carriage speed towards the warehouse. It was made of red wood and decorated in gold patterns. The carriage was led by powerful and groomed horses which gave it an imperial and luxurious look. Such an expensive carriage in such a desolate and dirty place created a juxtaposition which would shock any onlooker. Usually, the rich and powerful rarely gave visits to the outskirts of the city where the poor resided.
The carriage finally stopped before Zhao Fan and a person got out. The middle-aged man took one look at Zhao Fan and the warehouse before speaking in a nasty tone.
"Gong Yu, what is this sh*thole, you sure you didn't miss a stop?"