In matters of such import concerning the future of the enterprise, Li Guangyi’s stance was cautious. Solemn.

He summoned over a dozen employees, first inquiring in detail about their tolerance for alcohol and their reactions post-consumption, then selecting eight who were suitably representative. He had them drink the hangover-curing beverage brought by Wang Zhuo.

That’s right—a hangover drink, not a medicine or a health supplement. Wang Zhuo deliberately positioned this unnamed product as a beverage. Although it was functionally a medicinal drink blending Chinese and Western formulas, wasn't Coca-Cola often described by many as having a taste reminiscent of dregs from traditional Chinese medicine?

Medicine required specialized operating licenses, severely limiting market reach. Health supplements, too, were burdened by extensive regulation and constraint. In this area, Wang Zhuo modeled his strategy after Red Bull’s promotion: "When you're tired, drink Red Bull." This positioning as a functional beverage deftly skirted several regulations, allowing Red Bull to operate simultaneously as both a drink and a tonic. Wang Zhuo intended the same strategy.

Yet, at its core, the production method for this anti-intoxication drink followed the traditional pharmaceutical route, making it far more complex than any commercial beverage currently on the market.

Wang Zhuo had brought a case containing twelve bottles. Li Hui drank one first, and the eight employees consumed another eight. Li Guangyi had intended to personally test the remaining three bottles with his subordinates during the meal, but Wang Zhuo suggested he save them for later personal use, prompting Li Guangyi to immediately abandon that notion.

The dishes arrived, a collection of exquisite and delectable wild game that drew high praise from Wang Zhuo. Gan Shuang, who never indulged in overeating, made an exception and consumed more than usual. Siyuan, in contrast, ate heartily and without reservation; though her appetite was never large, she only managed to match Gan Shuang’s intake after exerting herself.

As Li Guangyi performed his duties as a gracious host, his attention remained fixed on his son seated nearby and the employees who had consumed the anti-hangover drink. By the time the meal was nearly over, he was finally convinced: this hangover cure displayed truly astonishing efficacy. The various similar products on the market simply could not compare; the gap between them was immeasurable, measured in leagues!

"Wang Zhuo, you must have invested heavily in developing this product?"

Li Guangyi was simultaneously shocked and impressed, his curiosity piqued regarding the research and development expenditure.

Wang Zhuo smiled and nodded, replying vaguely, "I can only say that my investment in the development of this product is one that all our industry counterparts nationwide combined could not afford to match."

He was, in fact, referring to the investment made by his "Clairvoyant Eye," an ability unique in all of humanity—something his competitors could certainly never replicate.

But Li Guangyi was misled, naturally assuming that Shengshi Wangbi had poured massive capital into the R&D, which accounted for leaving all competing products far behind.

This observation stirred a sense of melancholy in Li Guangyi. Domestic scientific research often chased immediate returns or low investment/high yield—a mark of immaturity. In R&D, who knew how many twists and turns a new project would require? Edison tested five thousand failed materials to invent the light bulb. If that were in China, investors would likely pull funding and dissolve the partnership before even testing fifty materials.

He sighed, offering a wry smile, "Only a colossal group like Shengshi Wangbi can shoulder such a monumental undertaking..."

Wang Zhuo maintained his smile, thinking internally, This isn't something achievable merely through wealth. Without the Clairvoyant Eye, this product could never have been developed, even with ten billion invested. It simply wouldn't have materialized!

Just then, Li Ying entered from outside the private room, reporting for the Nth time to Li Guangyi on the condition of the employee participants in the trial.

"Cao Xusheng is starting to get a little chatty; Dou Zhiqiang says he feels drowsy but can hold on; Liu Lili went to the restroom and now feels she could handle more; Ren Changjing wants more food..."

Her report was quite detailed. Everyone, including Gan Shuang and Siyuan, listened intently. Wang Zhuo, meanwhile, was covertly using his Clairvoyant Eye, piercing through the room’s walls and down the hall to observe the internal states of these individuals.

After Li Ying finished her report, Li Guangyi considered the situation and addressed Wang Zhuo, "Their current conditions probably won't change much now, but we won't know if any anomalies arise tonight or tomorrow."

"There will be some mild diarrhea," Wang Zhuo stated frankly. "But it will be entirely within an acceptable range."

"Oh..." Li Guangyi, already deploying his marketing acumen, had conjured up promotional slogans like "detoxification" and "clearing stagnation." Based purely on the product's current performance, it would obliterate all competitors. It seemed the time for a major industry reshuffle was imminent!

Placing a piece of soft-shell turtle membrane onto Gan Shuang’s plate, Wang Zhuo smiled, "Brother Li, I estimate you’ve already seen the potential for this product. Let's partner up. I guarantee you a one-third share of the profits from the mainland market."

One-third?! Li Guangyi’s heart pounded. In the current fragmented market dominated by many players, Haoyiqi Hangover Tea commanded perhaps one-fifteenth of the market share, which was already close to its limit. If Shengshi Wangbi launched this product, it could easily seize half the market at its peak. In that scenario, his one-third share would represent seventeen percent of the total market—more than double the current output of Haoyiqi!

Moreover, Wang Zhuo had mentioned his sights were set on the global market. With Shengshi Wangbi’s deep pockets, this was no idle boast, but a genuine ambition! Consider the already vast markets of Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea, not to mention Europe, America, Russia, and Latin America, where drinking culture in many nations was no less robust than on the mainland. What an enormous market that represented! Shengshi Wangbi lacked its own production capacity. Simply through contract manufacturing for such a massive scope, Guangyi Pharmaceuticals could grow exceedingly wealthy!

In a few rapid calculations, Li Guangyi’s apprehension towards this competing product transformed into eager anticipation. The matter was laid bare: Shengshi Wangbi had already engineered the product. Even if unwilling, Haoyiqi Hangover Tea's existing market faced imminent annihilation. If this development was a blessing, it was one he couldn't avoid; if it was a disaster, he couldn't flee. The most crucial step now was securing a partnership with Wang Zhuo to board the winning chariot in this bloodless battle.

"It seems it's time for me to show sincerity," Li Guangyi lamented. "Wang Zhuo, you were certain I would come aboard. It's almost impossible to refuse this proposition."

"I’m not offering you a sinking ship, Brother Li; we call this 'sharing a boat through rough waters,'" Wang Zhuo replied with a harmless, innocent smile. "You're an astute man. I seek mutual benefit in this endeavor. Otherwise, Shengshi Wangbi could simply issue additional shares and use the raised capital to acquire a competitor similar in size to Guangyi Pharmaceuticals."

Li Guangyi nodded with a bitter smile. Wang Zhuo was correct. Guangyi Pharmaceuticals was mid-sized, with assets around three billion. If Shengshi Wangbi wanted to issue three or five billion in new shares, they wouldn't even need public solicitation; a mere mention at a collectors' association gathering could secure the funding in less than ten minutes, certainly under half an hour.

"Mr. Wang, I have a question I'd like to pose," You Fei said, straightening his collar.

"Just call me Wang Zhuo," Wang Zhuo replied with a welcoming smile, indicating he was welcome to ask.

"It's like this..." You Fei carefully chose his words. "Since Shengshi Wangbi has the capital to establish its own company to manage this product, or acquire a similar existing firm to handle it, why seek cooperation with us at Guangyi Pharmaceuticals?"

Hearing this, Gan Shuang, who had been engrossed in tackling the soft-shell turtle membrane, glanced up at him. Li Guangyi’s expression shifted to one of admiration. The expressions of the others changed somewhat, though Siyuan, understanding nothing of the business discussion, continued happily scooping wild duck eggs with her spoon, enjoying every bite.

"An excellent question," Wang Zhuo said, raising his left hand with his index finger pointed upwards, mimicking the gesture of a national leader giving a speech. "I can give you two aspects to my answer. Firstly, using Shengshi Wangbi's funds for this endeavor would not align with my goal of maximizing my own interests. Secondly, the philosophy I adhere to is specialization—do what you do best and delegate other tasks to those more skilled, to achieve the optimal outcome."

You Fei began to ponder deeply. Li Ying was the first to grasp the implication, asking in surprise, "This project is going to be spun off from the Group to operate independently?"

Wang Zhuo smiled approvingly at her. "It already has been."

"What an ambitious undertaking!" Li Guangyi finally understood. Wang Zhuo’s plan was to establish a separate entity whose function was purely R&D, and then license the mature product for manufacturing and distribution, adopting an agency system—a very mature model in developed nations, used by many famous apparel, pharmaceutical, medical device, and tech companies.

Li Ying murmured, "In time, this will become another publicly listed conglomerate..."

"That is indeed the plan," Wang Zhuo confirmed, nodding at her, then raising his glass toward Li Guangyi in a toast. "Brother Li, we can discuss the details of the cooperation later, but rest assured on one point: the fact that I sought you out first after developing the product demonstrates my sincerity in partnership. This project will satisfy you!"

On the return journey, the Audi B3 drove smoothly along the road. The streets of Jiangzhou were ablaze with festive lights and vibrant decorations leading up to the holiday.

Siyuan, naturally adept with electronics, drove the car with skill. Wang Zhuo gladly ceded the driver's seat to her, allowing himself to relax.

In the back seat, Gan Shuang nestled against Wang Zhuo’s broad chest, still slightly puzzled by what had just transpired.

"Why not just proceed directly to business negotiations? Why use this method—one more suited for petty tradesmen—to greet each other over dinner?"

Wang Zhuo patted her high chest, enjoying the full softness and springy resilience beneath his hand, immensely amused.

With a light snap, Gan Shuang slapped away his inappropriate hand and shot him a look, signaling him not to engage in such conduct in front of the younger girl.

If she hadn't struck him, it might have subsided. But her swat only served to pique Wang Zhuo’s interest. With a swoosh, a thick fabric curtain descended between the front and rear seats of the car. As she stared in surprise at the sudden appearance of the curtain, Wang Zhuo chuckled menacingly and leaned over, pinning her onto the seat!

Her mouth was immediately sealed by a large mouth bearing the faint scent of tea. Her clothes were swiftly lifted, and two large hands brazenly slipped inside. While Gan Shuang endured Wang Zhuo’s liberties with a mixture of exasperation and amusement, she couldn't help but wonder how the curtain had