Chapter 158: Chapter 158: Impossible to Cooperate_1
Boom!
The business card caught fire and turned into a handful of ash.
Xiao Manlian didn’t quite understand what Pan Shi’an was doing.
With a puzzled face, she looked at him and asked, "Divine Doctor Pan, what do you mean by this?"
"What did Qiao Wenshou send you to do?"
"He gave me a recipe for White Cream, and our company is planning to produce it. He told me to come here to buy the necessary raw materials."
"There are no medicines for sale here, you should leave!"
Pan Shi’an outright refused Xiao Manlian and even sent her away.
Leaving Ren’antang, Xiao Manlian was completely bewildered.
What is all this about?
If she couldn’t get the herbs, they wouldn’t be able to produce White Cream, and all the earlier preparations would have been in vain.
Xiao Manlian went straight to Qinhuang Grand Hotel; she had to find Qiao Wenshou.
In the office.
Seeing Xiao Manlian come in, Qiao Wenshou was slightly surprised.
"Do you have something you need from me?" he asked.
"Uncle Qiao, I just went to see Pan Shi’an. That old man seemed quite odd, he refused to sell me any medicine. The herbs needed for White Cream, I inquired a bit, they’re fairly common and not too hard to find Chinese medicinal ingredients. If we buy them from somewhere else, we can certainly get them. So, I was wondering, is there really a need to exclusively source them from Ren’antang? Couldn’t we just buy them from another place?"
"Of course, you can buy the herbs needed for White Cream from other places. However, even if the names of the herbs are the same and they look similar, the actual effects can be quite different. This batch of White Cream is Huanmei Group’s make-or-break product. If it fails, Huanmei Group is finished. If you insist on using herbs from other sources, I have no objections. But then, I cannot guarantee the effectiveness of the White Cream produced from those!"
"But that Pan Shi’an, he’s really difficult to deal with. He gave me a downright strange vibe, and he’s quite unyielding. I barely spoke a few words to him before he chased me out."
"That old codger, Pan Shi’an, is a total medicine fanatic, spending his days only on his medicinal research. It’s perfectly normal for him to ignore you and chase you away. You are the future helmswoman of Huanmei Group; you should be more resourceful when facing such issues. If Pan Shi’an is out of the question, you could just go deal with his son!"
Qiao Wenshou then gave her another business card, handing it to Xiao Manlian.
Chairman of Ren’antang, Pan Zhanpeng.
Seeing this business card, Xiao Manlian was somewhat speechless.
"The father is the general manager, and the son becomes the chairman?"
"Ren’antang was founded by Pan Zhanpeng; Pan Shi’an has never really managed it. That medicine maniac is solely focused on researching medicines and doesn’t care much for money. However, his son, Pan Zhanpeng, has a very sharp business mind. You talking to him should pose no problem."
The address on Pan Zhanpeng’s business card was different from Pan Shi’an’s.
Eager to get to the bottom of things, Xiao Manlian left Qiao Wenshou’s office and went straight to the address.
Traditional Chinese Medicine Industrial Park.
Here lay companies related to the traditional Chinese medicine industry, spanning several thousand acres.
Xiao Manlian had not realized until now how developed Zhonghai’s traditional Chinese medicine industry was, the industrial park was already so well established.
At the central position of the industrial park, Xiao Manlian saw three big characters: Ren’antang.
Looking at the building with its all-glass façade, modern design, and luxurious decor, Xiao Manlian could hardly believe her eyes.
Is this really Ren’antang?
It looked surprisingly affluent and powerful!
But how come she had never heard of it?
Xiao Manlian rubbed her eyes several times because she could hardly believe what she was seeing was real.
Was this Ren’antang, which resembled a shell company, really the same Ren’antang?
Regardless, she decided to go in and have a look around first.
Xiao Manlian walked through the gates of Ren’antang, and after explaining her purpose to the receptionist, the latter immediately contacted Pan Zhanpeng.
Soon, she was led into the chairman’s office.
The entire office was decorated in glittering gold, with world-famous paintings hanging on the walls.
Xiao Manlian glanced around and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
This truly is 360 degrees of unconcealed luxury!
Seated in a boss chair crafted from 24K pure gold was a man wearing gold-rimmed glasses.
He was Ren’antang’s chairman, Pan Zhanpeng.
On Pan Zhanpeng, he wore a custom suit from Armani, and his leather shoes were so shiny that they could almost serve as mirrors.
Xiao Manlian, in her high heels, marched over with a confident click-clack.
"President Pan, hello!"
"President Xiao, hello! You look truly beautiful!"
"Thank you!"
"Please, have a seat!"
After the formalities were over, Xiao Manlian cut straight to the chase.
"I am here today to discuss with President Pan, as our Huanmei Group is producing White Cream and needs to purchase some medicinal ingredients from Ren’antang."
"I am aware of this matter, Qiao has already told me about it."
Pan Zhanpeng took out a report and handed it to Xiao Manlian.
"The quality of Ren’antang’s medicinal ingredients far surpasses that of our competitors. As a result, our prices are a bit more expensive than the market average. Here is the price list for Ren’antang’s ingredients, please take a look, President Xiao."
Xiao Manlian had already braced herself for the high prices of Ren’antang’s ingredients.
But upon seeing the price list Pan Zhanpeng had presented, she was utterly shocked.
More than just expensive?
This was practically daylight robbery!
Ren’antang’s ingredients were five times more expensive than others’.
"President Pan, I came today with sincerity. Aren’t these prices for the ingredients a bit too steep? If they are this high, I’m afraid we won’t be able to cooperate!"
"What you might not be aware of, President Xiao, is that all of Ren’antang’s medicinal ingredients are cultivated by ourselves. To ensure that each plant meets exceptional quality standards, we use only pure natural fertilizers with no chemical additives whatsoever. Ren’antang’s ingredients are not merely medicinal; they could even be considered organic food."
Pan Zhanpeng picked up a small medicine bottle from his desk and handed it to Xiao Manlian.
"President Xiao, this is Ren’antang’s Peaceful Heart pill. Chew one and try it. I guarantee that after chewing it, you’ll feel a refreshing clarity and an overall sense of well-being."
Seeing Xiao Manlian’s hesitation, Pan Zhanpeng continued his pitch, "The formula for the Peaceful Heart pill comes from my family’s old master, and it absolutely contains no harmful substances. Don’t underestimate it, though—it’s just a small pill, but it’s packed with nutrients."
To alleviate Xiao Manlian’s concerns, Pan Zhanpeng poured one for himself, popped it into his mouth, and chewed it contentedly.
With his overwhelming hospitality, Xiao Manlian felt compelled to try one as well.
As she placed the Peaceful Heart pill in her mouth, she detected an extraordinary medicinal fragrance.
It was her first time realizing that medicine could actually taste so delightful.
Then, Xiao Manlian began to chew.
With that, she suddenly felt as if she had opened the doors to a new world.
It was delightful.
The sensation was incredibly delightful.
Xiao Manlian felt as if she was about to ascend to the heavens.
