Chapter 12: Expanding Operations and Channel Development

Chen Xie took out the box containing the wild ginseng and gently placed it on the table, saying, "Please help me take a look at this, sir."

Qian Sizhang's eyes lit up the moment he saw the box, as such an ancient and simple box had long disappeared from the market. Moreover, Chen Xie, an outsider, did not know that the box was made of agarwood, which could sell for over a hundred thousand yuan as an antique.

Taking the box, Qian Sizhang carefully opened it. When he saw what was inside, he drew a sharp breath. He quickly put the box down and took out a magnifying glass from the drawer, examining it meticulously, not missing a single root. After about ten minutes, Qian Sizhang put down the magnifying glass, rubbed his face hard, and said after a while, "Young man, name your price, for both the box and the wild ginseng. I think you should know that the box itself is not cheap."

Chen Xie's body swayed, almost falling off the stool, realizing the box was a treasure. Adhering to the principle that one should not be too greedy, Chen Xie shook his head and said, "I can't name a price. I'm not familiar with this, and I don't know how much it should be worth."

Qian Sizhang looked at Chen Xie in surprise, pondering for a moment before saying, "Young man, I can see that you have more stock and are looking for a stable outlet. A few years ago, a wild ginseng root was auctioned for ten million yuan. Your root is at least 120 grams, twice as heavy as that one. It's a good item, but unfortunately, I don't have the financial capability to buy it. How about this, I can introduce you to a buyer?"

This was something Chen Xie hadn't expected. He was a bit afraid of the hassle and didn't want to be in the spotlight. He preferred to make a fortune quietly. After some thought, Chen Xie said, "You're right, I do have some stock, though not a lot. This time, I urgently need money. If you can buy this wild ginseng for ten million yuan, it would be a great help. In the future, I'll only sell wild ginseng through you. I don't want others to know that these goods come from me. You must agree to this condition."

If Chen Xie hadn't mentioned this condition, Qian Sizhang wouldn't have dared to take on the deal. He chuckled and said, "You're really making a big loss. How about this, I'll take a bit of a discount this time, and I'll make it up to you next time." Although he felt a bit guilty, Qian Sizhang couldn't resist the allure of the wild ginseng. He thought that if Chen Xie really had more stock, there would be a chance to compensate him.

To Qian Sizhang, spending ten million yuan on a first-class wild ginseng was a great deal. To Chen Xie, it was a windfall and a sales channel. Although it seemed like a big loss, this item was not as precious in the Ming Dynasty as he had imagined. Two hours later, with a card in hand, Chen Xie walked out of the bank, feeling a bit dizzy. So much money, something he had never dared to imagine, had now become a reality. He had to thank the time-traveling machine.

Back at his rental apartment, Chen Xie said to his hand, "Hey, I have money now. Can I help you with anything?"

"Sleeping, do not disturb. Also, please read the time-traveling manual carefully to avoid any misunderstandings." A message appeared on the screen, startling Chen Xie. He quickly turned on his computer, found the file, and read it carefully.

After reading, Chen Xie finally understood some things. In summary, the task of the time-traveling machine was to take him back and forth between the two time periods, with no special requirements. However, one important point was that Chen Xie had to live in the Ming Dynasty for at least six months each year. If he failed to meet this goal, he would be destroyed. Another rule was that Chen Xie could not obtain goods through illegal means in the modern world. Any items obtained illegally would not be accepted by the time-traveling machine. This rule didn't bother Chen Xie now, but he would realize how troublesome it was in the future.

Feeling elated after making a fortune, Chen Xie immediately went online to search for books related to the Ming Dynasty. He bought over ten thousand yuan worth of books, finally experiencing the joy of being a "剁手党" (剁手党, literally "hand-chopping party," a term for enthusiastic online shoppers). To do business across time, he needed to understand the Ming Dynasty. The time-traveling manual had clearly stated that historical data would be provided for the first trip, but not for subsequent ones.

The time in both periods was parallel, so Chen Xie had to prepare for a long stay in the Ming Dynasty. Otherwise, if he didn't accumulate eight months, he would be destroyed. This mistake could not be made. Chen Xie wanted to donate one million yuan to the Daxiang Township Welfare Institute. He didn't want to give more, fearing that Aunt Wu would be scared. He called Aunt Wu and talked for over an hour to smooth things over. He didn't dare to tell her he had won a prize, only that he had made money doing business with his classmates.

After handling this matter, Chen Xie began to think about his grand plan to get rich. Selling wild ginseng alone was not a good strategy; he needed to find other businesses. What could he sell from the Ming Dynasty to make money? Antiques were a good business, but what kind of antiques should he deal in? The items should have a relatively large number of surviving pieces, so that bringing out one or two would not cause too much of a stir. This aligned with Chen Xie's strategy of making a fortune quietly.

He opened a cultural relics website, which claimed to offer online appraisals. After browsing for a while, Chen Xie thought it was too casual. How could experts appraise items online? He decided to use Baidu instead. Chen Xie's thinking was clear: he didn't need to understand antiques; anything he brought back from the Ming Dynasty would be Ming Dynasty antiques. He just needed to know what was valuable. With this mindset, his work became much smoother.

Soon, a series of search results appeared, and Chen Xie was amazed at how valuable the Chenghua Doucai Chicken Cup was. It was an imperial item. In modern times, it could be auctioned, but in the Ming Dynasty, using an imperial item would likely result in execution by the Jinyiwei. He needed to think of something else.

After three days of online research, Chen Xie finally found a good starting point: Ming Dynasty paintings and calligraphy. Among the most prolific were Dong Qichang and Tang Yin, both of whom left behind a large number of works. Yes, he would start with them! Bringing their works to the modern world would not attract too much attention, as many of their works already existed.

After solving this problem, Chen Xie began to think about what else he could bring to the Ming Dynasty. He needed to bring more medicine, as he hadn't brought much last time. This time, he could bring more to establish the Huichun Hall brand. He also needed to bring salt, which was a major issue in the Ming Dynasty. All the salt he had tasted was bitter due to outdated production methods. However, salt was a state monopoly. Buying hundreds of tons of salt would raise suspicions.

Since Shandong was by the sea, he decided to open a salt field. After buying several bags of salt as samples, Chen Xie headed to the airport. There was a salt field in Shandong called Lubei Salt Field. Downloading salt production techniques online was easy, but he needed to see the process in person.

After ten days, Chen Xie had a basic understanding of salt production. However, this understanding was disheartening, as it was impossible to produce modern table salt in the Ming Dynasty. The production process required various chemical substances, including dilute hydrochloric acid, which was unavailable in the Ming Dynasty. Bringing these from the modern world would be difficult to explain to the people of the Ming Dynasty. After paying a small fortune for the knowledge, Chen Xie was in a dilemma.

Of course, Chen Xie could obtain table salt through illegal means, but the time-traveling machine would not accept any items obtained illegally. This rule was a significant issue, and Chen Xie experienced it for the first time. Another problem was the packaging of the salt. It took him half an hour to package a dozen bags of salt. More would be even more troublesome.

Frustrated, Chen Xie decided to put this plan on hold. After returning to Jiangcheng, he began preparing for his next trip. With money, he could bring more supplies, but he needed a warehouse. Jiangcheng, near the Yangtze River, had a water transport dock with many warehouses for rent. After some negotiation, Chen Xie secured a warehouse for 200,000 yuan per year.

Zhang Haisheng ran a small daily chemical factory, mainly producing counterfeit brands for the rural market and supplying hotels with toothpaste, soap, and shampoo. These hotels were not high-end, and the products were all counterfeit.

The economy had been poor in recent years, and many private enterprises along the coast had gone bankrupt. Zhang Haisheng's factory had also been affected. With only a few dozen workers, the factory operated for less than twenty days a month, making it difficult to continue.

While Zhang Haisheng was worrying about the future of his business and pulling his hair in frustration, a phone call came in. Seeing an unfamiliar number, he hoped it wasn't a creditor. He answered the call, and a voice said, "Is this Mr. Zhang from Haisheng Daily Chemical Factory?"

"Yes, it's me. Who is this, and what's the matter?" Zhang Haisheng suddenly felt a chill. Debt collection agencies were a real concern. He owed nearly a million yuan in raw material costs, which had been overdue for over a month. They had come to collect several times but had been put off.

"I have a business opportunity for you. It's a two-million-yuan order for toothpaste, soap, shampoo, and flower water. There are many varieties, and there are some specific packaging requirements." The voice was natural, not like a debt collector's. Feeling he had generally been decent, Zhang Haisheng nodded and said, "You should come over, and we can discuss it in person."