Rise in Douluo Continent with the help of bean buns

In the first month after moving to Blackrock Town, Lin Chen got everything in order.

The warehouse in the front yard is neatly arranged with finished tranquilizer packs and raw medicinal herbs. The elderly couple takes care of the daily life, and a dedicated helper comes regularly to deliver goods and reconcile accounts, so he doesn't have to do everything himself.

He devoted most of the time he saved to cultivation, and used the remaining time to sort out the business's structure and plan the next expansion direction.

That evening, he sat in his study with three account books spread out in front of him, corresponding to the local calming packs, the distribution in the three towns, and the supply of medicinal materials.

"Doubao, calculate last month's revenue and next month's growth forecast."

Lin Chen spoke in his mind as his fingertips traced the numbers on the ledger.

Revenue calculation for last month completed:

Commoner's Tranquility Pack: 12 Gold Soul Coins

Soul Master's Tranquilizing Pack: 18 Gold Soul Coins

Peppermint leaves and calming herbs supplied: 15 Gold Soul Coins

Labor, raw materials, land rent, and other costs: -8 Gold Soul Coins

Monthly net profit: 37 Gold Soul Coins

Next month's forecast: Two new towns will be added to the distribution network, medicinal herb production capacity will expand by 30%, and monthly net profit could exceed 50 Gold Soul Coins.

The numbers were clearly listed in his mind, and Lin Chen gently tapped the table with his fingertips.

Thirty-seven gold soul coins in monthly net profit would be considered a considerable fortune among small merchants in Blackrock Town. However, he knew very well that this amount of money couldn't sustain him on his long cultivation journey.

The cost of body-tempering herbs will increase with each use, and hunting souls requires hiring guards and preparing supplies. Acquiring ancient books is a bottomless pit, and if one wants to develop into a larger city in the future, real money will be needed to pave the way everywhere.

Relying solely on the existing two product lines will soon lead to a plateau in growth. We must develop new profit centers and expand the business significantly.

"Based on the market environment of Blackstone Town and its surrounding areas, we will deduce the next low-risk profit-making direction."

[Command received. Medium-sized business simulation initiated, invoking supply and demand data from surrounding industries. Estimated time: 6 minutes.]

Lin Chen picked up his teacup, took a sip, and his gaze fell on the courtyard wall outside the window.

Six minutes later, the simulation results were released on time.

[Optimal Expansion Strategy for Phase Two: Launching on Three Fronts Simultaneously]

1. Production Capacity Upgrade: Ten acres of wasteland in the western part of the town were acquired to build a standardized plantation. Three full-time workers were hired to manage the daily operations. Key parameters such as sowing spacing and water-fertilizer ratios were adjusted regularly by the owner. Two new medicinal plants, *Gynostemma pentaphyllum* and *Cymbidium ensifolium*, were added, covering all six varieties. Raw materials were basically self-sufficient, and costs were reduced to 20% of the market purchase price.

2. Channel Expansion: Expand to four surrounding towns, securing exclusive sales contracts with local general stores and Soul Master supply shops, offering a 20% profit share. This involves supplying goods but not operating stores, enabling rapid market expansion with minimal capital investment.

3. Product penetration into lower-tier markets: Launch bulk-packaged tranquilizers to supply surrounding taverns, inns, and travel agencies, adopting a low-profit, high-volume strategy to reach ordinary business travelers and further capture the low-end market.

Supporting layout:

-The production line has been fully upgraded: the team has been expanded from three to eight people, and all eight processes have been broken down, with each person responsible for only one process. The host personally completes the core mixing steps, ensuring complete confidentiality.

Pricing Strategy: The budget version is 30% more expensive than similar products on the market, but 50% more effective; the Soul Master version is priced at three silver soul coins per pack, cheaper than calming incense on the market, but twice as effective.

Total starting cost: 60 Gold Soul Coins

Expected return: Monthly net profit will stabilize at over 200 Gold Soul Coins after three months, and can double in six months.

  

Risk level: Extremely low; demand is inelastic; competition is minimal; aligns with the principle of low-key development.

A hint of satisfaction flashed across Lin Chen's eyes.

This aligns perfectly with his expectations. Upstream raw materials are always a necessity, and the more comprehensive the product range, the stronger the bargaining power with downstream customers.

Channel expansion is asset-light, requiring no self-operated stores, resulting in lower risk and faster expansion.

An Shen San (安神散) takes a bulk approach, which may seem to have low profit margins, but in reality, it sells very quickly and can stabilize cash flow.

"Just do it this way."

He immediately made the decision and the next day asked someone to process the land deeds for the wasteland.

There's a lot of wasteland outside Blackrock Town, mostly sandy and gravelly land, unsuitable for growing crops, so the land is extremely cheap. A long-term lease for ten acres was secured for only eight gold soul coins.

Lin Chen hired five farmers to clear the land, turn the soil, and make ridges, preparing the fields according to the standardized planting specifications provided by Doubao.

Plant spacing, ridge height, and irrigation canal routing—everything has precise standards. Farmers only think this young owner is very particular, but they don't know that these seemingly trivial rules can make the plants yield 60% more than wild ones, and the quality is far superior to ordinary products.

While clearing and preparing the land, he went into the mountains to collect two batches of seeds of *Calming Flower* and *Purple-veined Grass*, and cultivated seedlings in batches.

With the precise control of the soybean seedlings, the germination rate is close to 100%, and the seedlings grow strong and uniform. By the time the field is prepared, the seedlings are ready for transplanting.

In less than half a month, a standardized 10-acre plantation was completed.

Six acres were planted with mint leaves and calming grass, and four acres were planted with mind-calming flowers and purple-veined grass, planted in separate sections, with irrigation canals running through them.

Three long-term workers were hired to manage the business year-round, and they were paid monthly, so Lin Chen didn't need to supervise it every day. He personally went there every three days to adjust and guide the crucial water and fertilizer ratios and pest and disease control.

Lin Chen went to see the plantation on the day it was completed.

The fields are neatly arranged, the seedlings are green, and the wind ripples them with shallow waves.

"Doubao, scan the overall growth status."

[Full-area scan complete: Plant survival rate 98%, growth status excellent, first harvest expected in 40 days.]

Expected production capacity: Once fully operational, raw materials will be largely self-sufficient, with costs reduced to 20% of market purchase prices, which can cover 70% of the medicinal plant demand in the surrounding five towns.

Lin Chen nodded and turned back to the town.

With production capacity resolved, the next steps are production lines and distribution channels.

The processing workshop in the small courtyard on the right has been fully upgraded.

The workforce expanded from three women to eight, and the process was broken down into eight steps: sorting, washing, drying, grinding, mixing, filling, sewing, and packaging.

Each person is only responsible for one process. Once they finish their own, they pass it on to the next person. They are not allowed to switch jobs or inquire about other processes.

The most crucial step, the mixing ratio, was personally handled by Lin Chen. Every night, he would mix the various medicinal powders needed for the next day according to the specified proportions, pack them into uniform ceramic jars, and hand them over to the workers who filled them the following day. The workers only knew that it was "prepared medicinal powder," but had no idea which medicinal herbs were in it or in what proportions.

The secrecy mechanism was perfected.

After the production line was upgraded, the production capacity tripled.

We used to make two or three hundred packs a day, but now we can make over a thousand packs a day, which is enough to keep up with the speed of channel expansion.

Labor costs haven't increased much—the combined monthly wages of the eight workers are only a little over two gold soul coins, and with the old couple's wages, the total is less than three gold coins a month.

With production capacity tripling and labor costs only slightly doubling, the profit margin widened dramatically.

Channel expansion is also underway.

Lin Chen found four surrounding towns—Baishui Town, Hongyan Town, Liushu Town, and Huangtu Town—and arranged for one general store and one soul master supplies store in each town to act as exclusive resellers, giving them a 20% profit share.

Qinghetang only supplies goods; it does not open stores or show its face in public.

Light assets, low risk, and rapid expansion.

The pricing strategy was also strictly implemented according to the prediction: the commoner version of the calming pack was 30% more expensive than similar products on the market, but its efficacy was 50% better, and after word of mouth spread, it was in short supply; the Soul Master version of the calming pack was priced at three silver soul coins per pack, which was cheaper than calming incense on the market, but its effect was twice as good, precisely capturing the low-level Soul Master market.

In less than a month, all the sales channels in the four towns were operational, and orders kept pouring in.

The promotion of An Shen San (安神散) has also gone smoothly.

Lin Chen found the two largest taverns and three largest carriage shops in town and sent a batch of samples to them for free. Merchants on their way and guests drinking drank the tranquilizer and slept soundly after using it. They were full of energy the next day, and word of mouth quickly spread.

Shops actively sought to purchase goods on a long-term basis. The business model involved small profits but quick turnover, resulting in extremely fast sales. Although the profit per package was low, the total volume was large, contributing a stable income of over twenty gold soul coins per month.

The business was officially named Qinghetang.

They follow a "small workshop, high quality" approach, avoiding grand storefronts and eye-catching signs, relying entirely on word-of-mouth. Those who know them will naturally know, and those who don't won't pay special attention.

Conceal your talents and keep a low profile; make your fortune quietly.

With business going smoothly, it naturally attracted the envy of others.

Zhang Pangzi, a local medicinal herb merchant in Heishi Town, owns several pharmacies. He also used to do wholesale medicinal herbs, but the quality was average and the market share was small.

After Qinghetang rose to prominence, it snatched away all the downstream orders, cutting off one of his sources of income.

Fatty Zhang couldn't swallow this insult. First, he secretly lowered the price to snatch the orders. When he couldn't get any orders, he sent people to the plantation to cause trouble and try to destroy the seedlings.

Unfortunately, the men he sent were discovered by the farmhands as soon as they reached the edge of the plantation and were taken to town.

Lin Chen didn't make a big deal out of it, nor did he report it to the authorities—reporting it to the authorities would only attract more attention.

He used a more reliable method.

After asking around, they found a down-on-his-luck Great Soul Master in the town.

This man is named Zhou Lei. He is in his thirties. He was injured during a Soul Hunt back then, and his cultivation level is stuck at level twenty-six. He comes from a poor family and makes a living by doing odd jobs.

Lin Chen personally visited him and offered his terms: twenty gold soul coins per month, and he would be a nominal supporter of Qinghe Hall, without having to come to work every day, just showing up a few times a month to make an appearance. If anything really happened, he could then be asked to intervene.

Twenty gold soul coins a month was like a windfall for Zhou Lei. He couldn't even earn 12 gold soul coins a month now; twenty would be enough for his whole family to live comfortably. He agreed on the spot.

The next day, Zhou Lei "coincidentally" strolled around the entrance of Qinghetang's workshop and "bumped into" Lin Chen. The two stood at the entrance and chatted for a while.

The news spread quickly.

When Fatty Zhang heard that Qinghe Hall had a powerful Soul Master as a backer, he immediately chickened out.

He himself is only a level 10 Soul Master, not even a Great Soul Master. Going against a Great Soul Master is just courting death.

That evening, Fatty Zhang prepared a generous gift and personally went to apologize, saying that it was all a misunderstanding and that they would each do their own business from now on and he would never cause trouble.

Lin Chen accepted the gift politely without saying anything.

After this incident, the medicinal herb market in Heishi Town was completely free of competitors.

Qinghetang became the only supplier in the surrounding area.

By the beginning of the third month, the plantation had completed its first full harvest, with production capacity fully released, production lines operating at full capacity, and sales channels in all four towns fully operational.

When the accounts were reconciled at the end of the month, the numbers made Lin Chen raise an eyebrow slightly.

Revenue calculation for last month completed:

Commoner's Tranquility Pack: 58 Gold Soul Coins

Soul Master's Tranquilizing Pack: 72 Gold Soul Coins

Herbal medicine supply: 85 Gold Soul Coins

Tranquilizing Powder (bulk pack): 35 Gold Soul Coins

Costs including labor, raw materials, land rent, and offerings: -48 Gold Soul Coins

Monthly net profit: 202 Gold Soul Coins

Total savings: 713 Gold Soul Coins

Monthly net profit exceeded 200 gold, and accumulated savings exceeded 700 gold.

This is an absolute fortune for a seven-year-old child.

But Lin Chen remained frugal.

Their food, clothing, and daily necessities were no different from those of ordinary families. They wore the same coarse cloth clothes over and over again, and their meals were simply based on nutritional ratios, never indulging in extravagance or waste.

The money saved was divided into three parts, except for a portion kept as working capital: one part was used to buy body-tempering medicines and cultivation resources, one part was used to acquire various ancient books and fragments, and the last part was exchanged for anonymous gold notes, which were kept close to the body as an emergency reserve.

Once his business was on track, he focused more of his energy back on his cultivation.

He had been honing his level 5 soul power for over two months, and its condensation was getting higher and higher, only one step away from the peak of level 5.

However, he was still not in a hurry to break through to level six. Instead, he increased the time spent on martial spirit micro-management and mental strength training.

Every morning, he spends two hours cultivating his soul power, one hour in the afternoon training his micro-management skills, and one hour forging his spirit with mental power. He also undergoes body tempering once every three days without fail.

The rhythm is as precise as a ruler with clearly marked graduations.

That afternoon, Lin Chen was practicing micro-exercises in the backyard.

Hundreds of fine, hair-like strands of blue-silver grass weaved through the air, some weaving into dense nets, some threading like needles, and some arranging intricate patterns on the ground. With a slight movement of the fingertips, the grass strands changed shape, moving as if they were alive.

[Current control precision: 0.08 mm. Number of vines controlled simultaneously: 187. Mental energy consumption is stable.]

As Doubao's live broadcast sounded, Lin Chen paused, and all the grass threads instantly retracted into his body.

He was slightly out of breath, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.

His mental strength has improved again.

When I first awakened, I felt tired controlling dozens of them at the same time, but now with more than 180, it's only a minor exertion.

At this rate, by the end of the year, my mental energy will be able to support a single deep analysis lasting more than ten minutes.

He walked to the stone table to drink water, his gaze sweeping over a stack of ancient books piled in the corner.

Over the past few months, he has collected almost every relevant book he could find in Blackrock Town. These included plant-based martial arts manuals, soul beast guides, body-tempering formulas, and basic pharmacology books—a diverse collection of varying quality. Few were truly useful, but they all contributed to his database to some extent.

Current knowledge base progress:

Basic History: 100%

Basic Cultivation Knowledge for Low-Level Soul Masters: 100%

Plant-based Martial Soul Basic Manual: 68%

Hundred-Year Soul Beast Compendium: 89%

Low-level potion theory: 32%

Lin Chen mentally reviewed the numbers and frowned slightly.

The encyclopedia of hundred-year-old soul beasts and the book on plants are still lacking, and the higher-level ones are completely blank. Blackrock Town is still too small; it's impossible to find any books of a higher level.

To complete the knowledge base, we need to go to a larger city.

For example, Mingdu in the west, or Shrek City in the east.

But it's too early now.

If you lack the skills and money, venturing into a big city is too risky.

"Wait a little longer," Lin Chen muttered to himself. "Once I've completed the level 10 Soul Ring hunt, I'll head east."

He put down his water glass and turned back to the training ground.

The setting sun cast a long shadow over him; the boy's figure was still rather thin, but his back was ramrod straight.

The first volume, "The Hidden Stone," concludes here.

From a dying orphan to gaining a foothold; from a level three useless martial spirit to a level five soul master with a solid foundation; from being penniless to earning two hundred gold coins a month and accumulating seven hundred in savings.

In a year and a half, he quietly completed his initial accumulation of wealth in this remote border town—accumulating strength, wealth, and knowledge.

The period of dormancy for Qing Shi has ended.

Next, I need to reach level 10 as a Soul Master, obtain my first Soul Ring, leave Blackstone Town, and venture into a wider world.

The road ahead is long, but every step is taken steadily.

Lin Chen closed his eyes, and the light blue soul power flowed slowly through his meridians, gentle yet firm.