Chapter 28
If Gu Fan wants to open a store, the most critical step is to apply for a professional qualification from the Drug Administration, that is, to obtain an official certification that she is qualified to produce and sell medicines.
Although it is troublesome, Gu Fan understands this step. Otherwise, anyone can sell drugs at will. What if there is a problem with the drugs?
With the help of the Xinghe team, the small shop at the foot of the mountain was renovated that same day. Next, Xinghe accompanied Gu Fan to the Drug Administration.
First, she has to prove that she is a wood-type mutant.
Next, she had to refine the various pills she wanted to sell on the spot.
These two steps are relatively simple. In the third step, the Drug Administration will be responsible for testing the medicinal properties of these pills. If all the medicines are qualified, Gu Fan will be issued a professional qualification certificate.
“When can I get the certificate?”
"We'll let you know when it's out in about fifteen working days."
Gu Fan, a cultivator who has lived for a hundred years, felt for the first time that fifteen days was a long time.
Xinghe comforted her, "Fifteen working days is considered fast. You can use this time to prepare more pills. The pharmacy has just opened, so there will definitely be a lot of customers coming here after hearing the news."
Gu Fan nodded.
After returning to Fenghuang Mountain, Gu Fan locked the pharmacy and hung a small blackboard in front of the door, informing customers that due to some procedural reasons, the pharmacy would not officially open until September 10th.
There are still more than twenty working days until September 10th, which should be enough.
After finishing these, Gu Fan went to the alchemy room to make pills. She had sufficient stocks of pills for sale. Now she was making flesh-growing and blood-replenishing pills. The Qinglin grass Lu Ya gave her last time was too much, and Gu Fan's storage jade bracelet was difficult to put in. The sooner she finished refining, the sooner she could return the large-capacity crystal core to Lu Ya.
——
Gu Fan had been refining the elixir for two days, and that morning she received a call from the security guard saying that a Mr. Sheng, who claimed to be the general manager of "Jiangnan Pharmaceutical", wanted to see her.
Your last name is Sheng?
Gu Fan knew this surname.
There are five major families in the Jiangnan base, namely Lu, Li, He, Wang, and Sheng. When the five families were established in the Jiangnan base, each family had one or even two S-level strongmen. Among them, the four strongmen who mainly focused on attack and defense formed their own armies to jointly maintain the safety of the base. Only the Sheng family, because they were good at healing but lacked attack power, did not form an army, but established the Sheng Pharmaceutical Group, which owns hospitals, sanatoriums, and pharmacies, and almost mastered the most advanced treatment technology in the base.
The current head of the Sheng family is an A-level strongman in the wood, gold and fire elements, and his combat strength should not be underestimated.
Since the Xinghe team was more familiar with the Sheng family's situation, Gu Fan immediately contacted Xinghe.
Unfortunately, Xinghe was out today, and only the taciturn Taishan and Qingteng stayed in the villa.
Gu Fan felt that it would be safer to bring some companions with him when he went to meet a member of the Sheng family who came from a prominent family.
Although Taishan and Qingteng are quiet, they came to Villa No. 1 as soon as they heard that Gu Fan had something to do.
The three of them got in the car, with Taishan as the driver, driving at a leisurely pace. Qingteng operated the tablet while giving Gu Fan a detailed introduction: "The head of the Sheng family is Sheng Ruihua, fifty-eight years old. He serves as the chairman of the group and rarely appears in public. Sheng Ruihua has seventeen children, three of whom are A-level psychics. They serve as general managers of Jiangnan Hospital, Jiangnan Pharmaceutical, and Jiangnan Sanatorium, respectively. Manager Sheng, who came here today, is his seventh son, Sheng Xi, twenty-seven years old, and a dual-element psychic of wood and fire."
Gu Fan: "Wait, you said Sheng Ruihua has seventeen children?"
Qing Teng: "There's nothing surprising about this. When a person with superpowers combines with an ordinary person, the children they have will definitely be superpowers. It's just that the attributes and levels of their superpowers are somewhat random. Generally speaking, the higher the level of the parents' superpowers, the greater the probability of having a high-level child. As far as I know, the patriarchs of the other four families didn't deliberately control the number of their offspring. Take Young Master Lu for example. He has more than twenty uncles and aunts, and six or seven brothers and sisters. Because they are not as capable as him, there are usually few rumors about them, but in fact, they all hold certain positions in the Lu Family Army."
Gu Fan: ...
Taishan rarely took the initiative to speak, saying, "Actually, it would be good for the base if these powerful people had more children. It's a pity that there are too few S-level children. Among the young generation of the four major families, there are only Young Master Lu and his son, and his father even sacrificed his life."
Qing Teng: "I forgot to tell you that ordinary people in the base practice monogamy, but people with special abilities, regardless of gender, can practice polygamy or polyandry. The purpose is to increase the number of people with special abilities."
Gu Fan thought about it and felt that there was nothing to be surprised about. This phenomenon also existed in the cultivation continent, but the purpose was not as straightforward as that of the base's superpowers.
"Why don't you get married?" Gu Fan suddenly became curious about the Galaxy Team's attitude towards marriage.
Qing Teng said coldly: "I don't want to be a burden to myself."
Tarzan: "You are only seventeen. It's impossible to find one even if you want to."
Gu Fan: "Then why haven't you and Xinghe found a partner?"
Taishan said, "Except for Lianying, the four of us are all orphans from scattered families. We don't even know our family names. We are used to being single and don't want to start a family."
Qing Teng: "Even among the psychics in the base, not all of them are keen on having children. Lian Ying doesn't want to, and his cousin Lu Shao seems to have been single all the time. I haven't heard of him marrying into any family."
When mentioning Lu Ya, Gu Fan's mind emerged with Lu Ya's cold face. Even the snow on the top of Fairy Peak was not as cold as him. It was hard for Gu Fan to imagine that he would get close to a woman and have a baby.
After explaining the marriage and fertility status of the base, the topic returned to Sheng Xi, the general manager of Jiangnan Pharmaceutical.
Qing Teng: "They must be here for your medicine. You've made a big splash in An City, and now you're opening a pharmacy. The news must have spread."
Gu Fan also thought so. There is no such thing as no gain without pain. Sheng Xi is likely to buy her medicine.
We have reached the foot of the mountain.
A man in a neat suit was standing in front of Gu Fan's pharmacy which had not yet opened. The skin condition of wood and water-type mutants was really good, especially the wood-type mutants, most of whom had a gentle temperament and were easy to be liked by people. But this Sheng Xi had tall eyebrows and narrow eyes, which added a hint of sharpness to his gentleness and made his temperament even more charming.
Qing Teng seemed worried that Gu Fan might be attracted to the other person's appearance, and whispered, "Lu Ya has a seventeen-year-old half-sister. Sheng Xi is engaged to her, and they will have their wedding next year when she comes of age."
Gu Fan: "...Don't worry, Xinghe is much prettier than him. I don't have any improper thoughts about Xinghe, so how could I possibly fall for him?"
What's more, she could wipe Lu Ya's body without changing her expression. This Sheng Xi was inferior to Lu Ya in every aspect.
The car stopped next to a pharmacy and three people got out one after another.
Sheng Xi looked at the three of them with a smile, and addressed them in turn: "Mr. Taishan, Ms. Qingteng, and Ms. Gu?"
Qing Teng snorted: "You know everything."
Sheng Xi complimented, "Team Xinghe is the best among the mercenaries in our Jiangnan base. I've heard of them for a long time, but I didn't expect Miss Qingteng to be so young."
Qing Teng is not good at socializing. He stands on Gu Fan's left with his arms folded, staring at Sheng Xi warily.
Gu Fan got straight to the point: "Mr. Sheng, what do you want to talk to me about?"
Sheng Xi smiled and said, "Miss Gu is straightforward, so I won't beat around the bush. The truth is, I heard from a family member of a patient in the hospital that Miss Gu can refine a batch of elixirs with extraordinary efficacy. To be honest, Miss Gu, we at Jiangnan Pharmaceutical are very interested in your elixirs. I wonder if there is any chance for us to cooperate? Don't worry, Miss Gu, we will offer you the utmost sincerity in terms of cooperation conditions."
Gu Fan seemed to be interested: "What do you mean by cooperation?"
Sheng Xi said, "For example, if you provide us with elixirs exclusively, we will use the group's channels to sell them on your behalf. Ms. Gu will keep 70% of the profits, and we will keep 30%. Let me first introduce to Ms. Gu that our group has branches in the three major bases, which can ensure that you get the maximum benefits with the minimum investment. Of course, if you are willing to share the elixir formula with us and let us be responsible for refining the medicine, we will also pay you an additional patent fee on top of the sales share."
Gu Fan: "I have a hair growth pill that can improve hair loss symptoms. I sell it for fifty points each and I'll give it to you. What's your price?"
Sheng Xi smiled more gently. "Miss Gu, you've underestimated the value of the hair growth pill. You might not know this, but the average annual salary for ordinary people in the base is a thousand points. But hair loss, especially among young and middle-aged people, can seriously affect a person's lifelong happiness. If a hair growth pill with no side effects appears, and they pay three to five years' salary for it, they'll just think it's a bargain."
Gu Fan frowned.
Seeing this, Sheng Xi immediately said, "Of course, we can discuss the specific price slowly."
Gu Fan said, "Your price is too high. My grandfather told me before I came to the base that I should be honest. The profit of a hair growth pill is about 20 points, which is just enough for me. If I sell it to you, you will lose money, and my interests will also be damaged. So, I'm very sorry, I can't accept this kind of cooperation."
Sheng Xi smiled and said, "I wonder how Miss Gu calculated the cost?"
Gu Fan smiled back: "This is a secret, can I not tell you?"
Sheng Xi's smile froze slightly.
Gu Fan then raised a question: "I'm very curious, how did Mr. Sheng know that my hair growth pill has no side effects on the human body?"
Sheng Xi immediately said, "My patient's family member used your medicine, and I inquired about it out of curiosity."
Gu Fan: "I've only inquired about it and haven't personally tested it, but Mr. Sheng came to me to discuss cooperation. Aren't you worried about the efficacy of the medicine?"
The muscles at the corners of Sheng Xi's eyes trembled slightly.
In fact, he took over the management of Jiangnan Pharmaceutical at the age of 20. After seven years in the business world, he had already developed his cunningness. It was just that Gu Fan looked too young, not much older than Qing Teng, and a new retail investor. It was said that she had just passed her driver's license test last month. When they met, Sheng Xi did not take Gu Fan seriously, thinking that she was just a young person with talent but no worldly wisdom.
"Since we can't cooperate, let's go."
Qing Teng grabbed Gu Fan and walked towards their car.
Sheng Xi caught up, but was stopped by Taishan with an expressionless face.
Sheng Xi smiled and stopped, then gracefully took out a business card. He looked at Gu Fan and explained, "Ms. Gu, don't make a decision yet. This is my business card. Think about it. If you change your mind, you can contact me."
Gu Fan thought about it, smiled and nodded.
Taishan took the business card and got into the driver's seat.
Leaving Sheng Xi behind, the three of them returned the same way.
Qing Teng asked Gu Fan: "What you meant just now is that you suspect that the Sheng family has obtained your medicine? Well, the military family who came to buy medicine a few days ago may be related to him."
Gu Fan glanced at the pharmacy at the foot of the mountain and shook his head. "He's so enthusiastic. I suspect he has more information. It's very likely that they have someone in the Drug Administration."
She handed over five copies of each drug she wanted to sell to the FDA, but does drug testing really require five copies?
Perhaps, someone from the Drug Administration gave a copy of the medicine to the Sheng family, or perhaps, they directly sent a copy of the drug test results to the Sheng family.
The Drug Administration said the process would take fifteen working days, but only internal personnel knew exactly when the inspection would be completed.
——
The drug test results must have been leaked. Next, two more pharmaceutical companies came to Gu Fan, wanting to cooperate with her.
Xinghe said: "Fortunately, you didn't reveal the flesh-growing and blood-replenishing pill, otherwise the military would have come looking for you."
Gu Fan thought of Lu Ya again. Lu Ya had already contacted her, but he did not take any coercive measures. He had always used a gentle approach to recruit her.
"Of the five major families, the Sheng family has marriages with the other four and has always maintained a good cooperative relationship. That's why the Jiangnan Group is the leading pharmaceutical company in the base. However, the other two also have their own connections and their influence cannot be underestimated. You can refuse to cooperate, but it's best not to make the relationship too awkward."
Gu Fan curled up on the sofa, feeling a little worried.
She only thought that the military would value elixirs such as the Muscle Regeneration and Blood Replenishing Pill and the Bigu Pill, which are useful to the military, and forgot that there was also a company in the base that was dedicated to making money.
Fenghuo: "Don't worry too much, Fanfan. The base operates under the rule of law. Even if you don't want to cooperate, they can't force you to."
Xinghe: "They can't force Gu Fan to cooperate, but they can find ways to sabotage his business. Professional qualifications, business licenses, health permits, and other certificates—as long as any one of them is disrupted, Gu Fan's pharmacy won't be able to open."
Meng Lianying: "So cruel?"
Xinghe: "This is just my guess. It depends on whether they are really willing to give up this business."
However, Xinghe's guess turned out to be true.
At the end of August, the Drug Administration notified Gu Fan that since the base had no precedent for certification in alchemy, the Drug Administration would not grant Gu Fan the qualification to practice.
Gu Fan could not appeal against this reason for rejection.
Fenghuo urged Meng Lianying, "How about asking Young Master Lu for a favor? Fanfan first helped him kill the Wind Bear, and later served the Lu Family Army quite well. Young Master Lu can take care of this kind of professional qualification certificate with just a word."
Meng Lianying looked at Gu Fan: "Fanfan, what do you think?"
Gu Fan: "Sheng Xi is his future brother-in-law, can he help me?"
Meng Lianying was not convinced: "He is my future brother-in-law, and I am still my cousin. How dare he favor the Sheng? I will end it all with him!"
Fenghuo muttered quietly, "Mr. Lu's usual treatment of you is almost the same as killing you with a single blow."
Meng Lianying kicked him.
After failing to kick him, Meng Lianying sat next to Gu Fan and contacted Lu Ya.
Lu Ya seemed to be busy. Meng Lianying, staring with eyes wide open, called the number for the third time under the watchful eyes of his companions, and finally the call went through.
Lu Ya: "What's the matter?"
Meng Lianying smiled broadly, "Cousin, do you still remember when Fanfan wanted to open a pharmacy? Her medicine was so effective, but the Drug Administration refused to issue her a license. Isn't that infuriating?"
There was silence over there.
Meng Lianying quickly said, "Cousin, please do me a favor and tell the Drug Administration that Fanfan's opening date has been posted. There are so many people lining up to buy."
Lu Ya: "When will she open?"
Fenghuo quickly answered: "September 10th, just a few days away."
Lu Ya: "Got it."
Communication ended.
Meng Lianying heaved a sigh of relief and gave his companions a smug look: "What future brother-in-law? They have to stand aside in front of me."
Fenghuo: "Well, you are still useful at the critical moment."
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