Chapter 629: I Refuse!
Ye Lingchen already knew much more than ordinary people. For example, regarding the Warrior’s Department, Earth’s Gate, and the gene mutation incident, the public only knew the tip of the iceberg. In fact, there was no need for them to know more as it would only increase their worries.
Those thoughts flashed in Ye Lingchen’s mind, and when he set his eyes on the venue again, he could not resist flas.h.i.+ng a smile.
The people looked rich and wealthy but acted like small-time merchants and hawkers. Each person set up their stalls with a plaque hung in front, yelling from time to time.
“Pure saffron! Half a century old ginseng that was just dug up from the ground!”
“I’d like to buy wild-collected knotweed. Price isn’t an issue.”
“I’m looking to acquire liquid beauty formulas that aren’t on the market yet! As long as they’re genuine, I can give you a satisfactory price.”
Where there were stalls, there were naturally inquiries on price too. They all chatted like aunties at a vegetable market, and suddenly the pretentiousness dropped considerably.
Still, if one listened carefully, one would still notice some very pretentious claims.
“My father is Master Li from Cape City. If there are any issues with this formula, I’ll make you regret ever being born in this world!”
“Hehe, I’m a medical expert famous in one of Murica’s pharmaceutical companies. Would I ever lie to you?”
…
Ye Lingchen nodded at the middle-aged man who led the way and began to wander around by himself.
It could not be denied that the medicinal materials in there were much richer than in the outside world. In addition, geographical reasons had prevented Ye Lingchen from collecting many herbs, so it was the perfect opportunity for him to bring them back and cultivate it himself.
For some of the rarer herbs, Ye Lingchen only needed to buy their seedlings and seeds.
Collecting herbs had become a habit of Ye Lingchen since he has the Wood Spirit Const.i.tution after all. It would have been a d.a.m.n waste if he did not make good use of it, and whether he used it or not was beside the point—items like herbs and medicine would certainly come in handy someday.
Along the way, many people recognized Ye Lingchen’s ident.i.ty and looked at him rather strangely. Although they were still buying and selling things, their attention was completely focused on Ye Lingchen.
Unperturbed, Ye Lingchen continued shopping.
At that moment, his gaze paused slightly and he stopped in front of a booth.
The owner of that stall was an old man with a goatee. He was not peddling his goods, but the items laid on the stall surprised Ye Lingchen greatly.
Everything displayed there were rare medicinal materials such as Lingzhi, roseroot, musk…
Although they were all mere seedlings with limited efficacy, they were of great use to Ye Lingchen.
“Boss, what is the price of these herbs?” Ye Lingchen asked casually.
The old man touched his goatee and looked at Ye Lingchen with a muddled gaze. “If Mr. Y fancies them, I could just give them to you.”
Ye Lingchen c.o.c.ked his brow slightly and stared at the old man.
The old man did not seem to mind at all. He stared at Ye Lingchen, then cupped his hands and said, “I’m the housekeeper from the Oasis City’s Mo family. I specifically waited here for you, Mr. Y.”
“Waiting for me?” Ye Lingchen glanced at the middle-aged man who brought him over, who by then was guarding the exit.
“Mr. Y seems to enjoy collecting herbs. It just so happens that our Mo family has plenty of herbs. The ones I displayed are just a few randomly selected plants. Just give the nod and these herbs will be yours to use,” the old man said.
“And your requirements?”
“Mr. Y only needs to hand over the formula for creating the rabies antidote. That should be easy enough for you to do.” The old man smiled and explained, “Our Mo family will also promise you many benefits. We will never let Mr. Y down.”
“What if I buy these with money?” Ye Lingchen frowned slightly.
“Hehe,” the old man chuckled and said proudly, “Our Mo family not only controls forty-five percent of the national medicinal material market, but also twenty-five percent in the pharmaceutical market. We’re the number one among the four listed companies. Would a major shareholder, or a member of the ten listed companies’ shareholders, care about money?”
Ye Lingchen kept quiet.
Evidently, the Mo family invited him with the sole purpose of getting their hands on his prescription.
In that case, any discussions were off the table.
He stared at the old man and wondered if he could find a chance to visit the Mo family and borrow some herbal seeds. Since the Mo family had so many herbs, it probably did not hurt to borrow a little.
Ye Lingchen’s silence prompted the old man to say, “If Mr. Y is willing to hand over the prescription, I’ll see to it that you become the director of the Mo family’s business. You’ll have control of five percent of the Mo family’s shares!”
Those words sent waves across the entire venue.
“F*ck, five percent of shares! He’ll be rich!”
“The director of the Mo family has a lot of influence.”
“Oasis City’s Mo family! We’re talking about Oasis City’s Mo family!”
Discussions were aplenty among the crowd and they all shot envious glances at Ye Lingchen.
Oasis City’s Mo family had immense influence throughout the region. The companies under their wing were too many to count, and herbs were equivalent to the people’s lifeline. Without a doubt, the Mo family had a firm grasp on that precise lifeline!
Moreover, the Mo family had a history spanning more than two hundred years since their emergence. They had an abundance of insider knowledge, and were simply phenomenal.
The Mo family’s a.s.sets numbered roughly in the hundreds of billions. Five percent of those shares would amount to ten billion, and the key point was their annual dividends. The drug industry was no doubt a profiteering industry, and annual dividends could exceed over 500 million!
The old man added faintly, “You ought to know that it’s useless to have prescriptions alone. You still need materials and manpower, in addition to a large enough operating platform. It’s impossible for one person to do everything! As of right now, all you need to do is give us the prescription, and you’ll be standing directly at the peak of this era!”
The man had ample confidence since his conditions were unbeatable. If Ye Lingchen kept the prescription for himself, the value created may not reach the heights of the conditions for which the old man had offered. The old man also felt that he had Ye Lingchen in the bag with the Mo family’s prestige.
To his marked surprise, Ye Lingchen quickly shook his head and said, “I only need some herb seeds or seedlings. I’m not interested in anything else.”
Everyone in the venue was shocked, for the answer was beyond their expectations.
Ye Lingchen had actually ignored the olive branch extended by the Mo family and turned a blind eye to such a profitable condition. It was madness! Absolute madness!
It was Oasis City’s Mo family for goodness sake! From the perspective of ordinary people, they were a family that stood at the top of the food chain, not an individual, but an entire family!
The power of a family was much stronger than that of an individual!
The expressions of everyone present changed gradually as they gave Ye Lingchen a sympathetic look.
The reason for the Mo family’s strength did not lie only in what was apparent. In fact, they also had control over a large portion of underground forces in the Sichuan-Tibet region. Offending the Mo Family there was no different from seeking death.
The smile on the old man’s face stiffened, and a haziness appeared in his eyes!
In the many years since the Mo family established themselves more than a century ago, no one had ever rejected them so ruthlessly!