Liu Hui descended into the company's basement. Although the nuclear explosion had already occurred and profoundly affected the world, it could not halt Liu Hui’s forward momentum. At most, it was merely a ripple in the vast ocean of his life; the past was past, and his grand enterprise demanded continuation.
Liu Hui activated his Planar Trading Device and initiated a call to Alexander of the Magic Plane. Alexander responded quickly, his image materializing on the screen.
“Respected Teacher, greetings,” Alexander stated.
“My dear Alexander, greetings to you too,” Liu Hui replied with a smile.
“Teacher, have you come to collect the extract from that plant called opium poppy? We have already refined the materials.” Alexander inquired.
Liu Hui blinked in surprise. He had previously handed Alexander several drug refinement machines, expecting it would take some time for Alexander to process all the narcotics. He hadn't anticipated such swift completion. He asked, “My dear Alexander, exactly how much of that white powder have you managed to refine in total?”
Alexander immediately answered, “Respected Teacher, we cultivated 750,000 mu of opium poppies outside the canyon. Currently, the yield per mu is approximately two kilograms, meaning this harvest yielded a total of 1,500 tons of the white powder.”
Liu Hui was stunned. He had not anticipated such a massive quantity of narcotics—and this 1,500 tons wasn't raw opium, but the refined, Grade-Four narcotic. He had assumed the yield per mu would be, at best, one kilogram, never imagining it would reach two. Perhaps the abundant sunlight in the Magic Plane, or the saturation of ambient magical particles in that world, had nearly doubled the poppy yield.
Regardless of the reason, the volume of narcotics Liu Hui now commanded had suddenly soared to an unbelievable level. He could now engage in massive trades with the Zerg of the Bug race without fearing any shortage of supply. The issue of narcotics, which had dogged his endeavors since the very beginning, was now definitively resolved.
Liu Hui’s face nearly split with elation. He exclaimed excitedly, “My dear Alexander, you have done exceptionally well. Immediately repackage all that white powder and store it in that Super Warehouse. I will contact you when I require it.”
Having earned Liu Hui’s praise, Alexander beamed, feeling he had finally accomplished something truly useful for his teacher.
Liu Hui currently had no facility capable of warehousing this 1,500-ton haul. Even if his personal storage space were entirely dedicated to the drugs, it couldn't hold 1,000 tons, and that space had other vital uses. Furthermore, he dared not store the narcotics in his company’s warehouses. Should word leak that Starry Sky Group was hoarding illegal drugs, his entire enterprise would collapse. Those rivals and organizations already eyeing his company hungrily would swoop in instantly to devour Starry Sky Group, ensuring his utter ruin. Thus, he had no choice but to temporarily entrust the drugs to Alexander’s super-storage facility until his own Starry City was complete, providing him with secure storage before he could safely transfer the narcotics and finally be free from worry over them.
The initial euphoria subsiding, Liu Hui turned to his main business. “My dear Alexander, regarding that black, foul-smelling sap you gave me last time, derived from the Stinky Tree—I need to ask, is the yield of this black sap from the Stinky Trees substantial?”
Alexander paused in thought before replying, “I didn’t pay close attention to that. When we first collected the sap, we merely made a shallow incision on one tree, and soon a large bag of black sap flowed out. I imagine their output must be high? Moreover, that entire valley is filled with those Stinky Trees. Even if the yield per tree were small, the sheer number of trees suggests a massive total. If Teacher requires a large quantity of that black sap, I believe I can provide it.”
Liu Hui was overjoyed. Nevertheless, he instructed, “Confirm immediately the output of black sap from each Stinky Tree in that valley, and conduct a meticulous count of every tree present. From now on, institute strict protection over the Stinky Trees; no one is allowed near them, and no damage whatsoever is permitted, as that black sap is immensely important to me.”
Alexander was slightly puzzled, not understanding Liu Hui’s purpose for the malodorous substance, but he replied respectfully, “Respected Teacher, I will dispatch personnel immediately to test the yield and begin their protection.”
Relief washed over Liu Hui. He then asked, “When you encircled that bandit group last time, you provided me with several magical trunks that felt alternately cold and hot. How many of these cold-and-hot trees are there in total, and what is their growth cycle?”
Alexander scratched his head, thinking deeply before answering, “There are about ten million each of the cold trees and the hot trees, I believe. I can’t recall the exact figure, but it’s certainly more than ten million. As for their growth cycle, I haven’t paid attention to that yet.”
Liu Hui rapidly calculated in his mind. Assuming an average diameter of one meter and a height of forty meters for each stripped tree, one could harvest roughly a thousand layers of bark. If two meters of material were used to make a single piece of underwear or stocking, one tree trunk could yield twenty thousand pieces of undergarments or hosiery. With ten million of each type of tree, the potential output reached 400 billion items. Distributed among the global population, that meant roughly 60 sets of undergarments or stockings for every person. However, these massive trees likely continued to grow. If their growth cycle was less than ten years, then before the first batch was completely harvested, new trees would be ready for felling. If that were the case, his business in undergarments and stockings could operate in an eternal cycle.
The thought made Liu Hui’s heart pound. If everything unfolded according to his vision, he would control humanity’s “eating” via the delicious additives refined from the black sap, and control their “dressing” via the marvelous undergarments and stockings produced from the magical stripped trees. The competitive edge of his products would be overwhelming; nothing could rival them, granting him absolute monopoly over both sectors. In the four most vital human needs—clothing, food, shelter, and transportation—he would dominate ‘clothing’ and ‘food,’ securing an endless, staggering fortune that would bring him ever closer to realizing his ultimate ideals.
“Teacher… Teacher…” Alexander called out cautiously to Liu Hui.
Liu Hui snapped out of his intense reverie, laughing sheepishly. “Very good. Those two types of magical trees must also be protected. No one is permitted to cut or damage them.”
Alexander nodded. “As Teacher commands. I will arrange the personnel immediately.”
Noticing a slight tension in Alexander’s expression, Liu Hui inquired, “My dear Alexander, you seem troubled by something?”
Alexander hesitated slightly. “Dear Teacher, perhaps it is just my imagination, but lately, I keep sensing someone secretly observing our territory. However, whenever we investigate, we find no spies, possibly because it’s just a hallucination, which is what worries me.”
Liu Hui paused. Alexander had detected espionage. At this moment, Alexander was the most crucial element in achieving Liu Hui’s ambitions, his essential partner in profit. Therefore, regardless of whether someone was truly spying, Liu Hui could afford no carelessness; Alexander’s well-being was paramount.
Liu Hui immediately said, “My dear Alexander, do not worry. I will promptly send you a set of our surveillance systems, allowing you to monitor your domain discreetly. If anyone trespasses on your land, this system will locate them.”
Alexander was ecstatic. He knew Liu Hui’s capabilities well; though the Teacher often provided strange objects, they invariably solved his practical problems. He exclaimed excitedly, “Dear Teacher, where is this surveillance system? I am eager to see it. With it, I can finally know if someone is lurking and spying on us.”
Liu Hui smiled. “I prepared the latest batch of supply provisions for you just a few days ago; they are currently stacked in the warehouse. Since we are adding the surveillance system now, I will delay delivery of those supplies by two or three days. I will transfer the surveillance system to you at that time.”
The moment he disconnected from Alexander, the Zerg from the Bug race initiated a call. Liu Hui quickly answered.
The Zerg remained as stern and meticulous as ever. He stated, “Esteemed Lord Liu Hui, it is a pleasure to see you.”
“Esteemed Lord Zerg, the pleasure is mine as well,” Liu Hui greeted him warmly.
“Esteemed Lord Liu Hui, I am here today to inform you that the pharmaceuticals you requested we develop are complete. I will now transmit the samples to you,” Zerg said, trading over several vials.
Liu Hui immediately clicked the transaction; the glass vials appeared in his hands. Looking at them, he asked, “What exactly is contained within these bottles?”
Zerg pointed to the vial labeled ‘Number One.’ “Vial Number One contains the medicine you requested for whitening human skin. After analyzing the genes you provided for the Caucasian, Oriental, and Negroid races, we formulated this agent. It has an excellent skin-whitening effect on all races.”
Liu Hui examined the Number One vial with interest. He had been inspired by a woman at a Macau casino magnate’s banquet some time ago, which sparked his interest in health supplements and cosmetics, leading him to commission Zerg’s research. Though Zerg had developed medicine, Liu Hui planned to market them as high-end supplements or cosmetics, given their potent effects and complete lack of side effects.
“What are the specific effects of this medicine?” Liu Hui inquired.
Zerg explained, “This Number One formulation allows human skin to become fairer than its current state. It also refines and reduces the size of pores, making the skin significantly smoother, finer, and more elastic.”
“Even people of the Black race can become fair?” Liu Hui pressed.
“Yes. With continuous use, they will eventually become as fair as Caucasians,” Zerg stated confidently.
“And how long does this post-whitening effect last?” Liu Hui continued.
Zerg announced proudly, “Our product ensures this whitening effect lasts a lifetime.”
Liu Hui sighed, then began shaking his head. “Esteemed Lord Zerg, your product is unacceptable; it is impractical.”
Zerg was startled. “Our gene technology is unrivaled among the Bug race. We perfected everything; how could it be impractical?”
Liu Hui felt he couldn't reason with the single-minded Zerg. He explained, “Esteemed Lord Zerg, your Bug race’s gene technology is indeed formidable, a fact I have experienced firsthand. However, precisely because you made the product perfect, once people in our world use it a few times, they will stop using it thereafter. This means sales volume will suffer, and my income will not be secure.”
Zerg seemed unable to process this logic, rubbing his head. “But isn’t it a good thing if our product quality is too high? Surely no one would complain that the quality is *too* good?”
Liu Hui smiled wryly, conceding defeat for the moment. “Let’s do this, esteemed Lord Zerg. I will modify the specifications for these products I ordered from you, and you should proceed with your research based on this new standard.”
Zerg appeared slightly displeased by Liu Hui’s request, as this literal-minded bug could not grasp Liu Hui’s business strategy. Nevertheless, adhering to the principle of free exchange, he asked, “What are your new standards?”
Liu Hui smiled. “Firstly, the skin-whitening product must not allow people of the Black race to turn fair after use, as that would be too shocking. At most, it should only refine and soften the skin and improve its elasticity. Secondly, you must significantly reduce the duration of the skin-whitening effect. Consumers cannot use it once and remain fair for life. The whitening effect must disappear completely after, at most, one week, necessitating repeated use to achieve the result again.”
“But then it won’t achieve the effect of curing the condition!” Zerg protested, unable to reconcile Liu Hui’s demands with his straightforward thinking. Why use something that solves a problem permanently when the alternative requires continuous application? Wouldn't that be unnecessarily cumbersome?
Liu Hui managed another wry smile. He couldn't exactly explain that he was selling health supplements and cosmetics, and even if he did, Zerg might not grasp the distinction between the two industries. He said instead, “Esteemed Lord Zerg, please simply develop the products according to my requirements. Trust me, only products structured this way will have market viability; they will bring you enormous returns in that amazing white powder.”
Zerg still did not understand Liu Hui’s reasoning, but he understood that modifying the drugs would lead to vast profits from the magical white powder. He finally agreed, recording Liu Hui’s specifications to begin revising the pharmaceuticals.
“Esteemed Lord Zerg, what are the other medicines for treating?” Liu Hui asked, holding up the other vials.
“The others treat obesity, blemishes, acne, skin rejuvenation, anti-aging, hydration, female frigidity, and male virility…” Zerg listed them one by one.
After hearing the explanations, Liu Hui sighed and asked, “These products of yours, do they all solve the problem completely after a single application?”
Zerg replied, surprised, “Yes.” But then he recalled Liu Hui’s critique of the skin-whitening product and asked softly, “Is there an issue with these as well?”
Liu Hui stated firmly, “There is absolutely an issue here. If these products are sold this way, we will earn zero profit. You must modify them according to my instructions…”
Liu Hui terminated the communication with Zerg, feeling a headache coming on. He had ordered these products from Zerg to be sold as cosmetics and supplements, but Zerg had engineered them as one-time, definitive cures. This meant the products could only be sold once, precluding repeat consumption and repurchase—a scenario Liu Hui absolutely could not tolerate. Therefore, he had clearly relayed his revised requirements to Zerg, who, despite his incomprehension, agreed to modify the medicines as requested.
Once Zerg completed the revisions, the effects of these health supplements or cosmetics would be astonishing. Anyone using them once would become addicted, locking their loyalty firmly onto Starry Sky Group’s products, which would then exhibit unparalleled competitive strength in the market.
Before signing off with Zerg, Liu Hui traded over the two kilograms of Grade-Four narcotic he had obtained from Alexander, asking Zerg to analyze the drug cultivated on the Magic Plane to see if it met Zerg’s baseline requirements. If this drug failed to meet Zerg’s standards, Liu Hui’s newly ignited hope would prove to be nothing but an empty dream.
Liu Hui, who had been deeply unsettled by the nuclear incident, found his mood significantly improved after concluding his calls with Alexander and Zerg. If the black sap from the Stinky Trees on the Magic Plane, the marvelous stripped trees, and the new pharmaceuticals developed by Zerg all proved successful, they would open several new, inexhaustible avenues for wealth generation for Starry Sky Group.
With the launch of these new product lines, Starry Sky Group’s development would ascend to an unprecedented level. It would leave all other global corporations far behind, unstoppable in its meteoric rise, solidifying Starry Sky Group as a truly super-corporation.