Rise in Douluo Continent with the help of bean buns

As soon as Lin Chen gave the order, the entire Qinghe Hall sprang into action.

The atmosphere of anxiety vanished, replaced by a tense yet orderly busyness.

Everyone was holding their breath, waiting to make a spectacular comeback.

The first line, product upgrades, will be launched first.

Lin Chen plunged into the private alchemy room in the backyard, where Doubao had already completed the optimization and deduction of the third-generation potion.

[Optimized solution for the third-generation body-tempering agent: Two new auxiliary ingredients were added, the extraction process was adjusted, the drug penetration rate was increased by 22%, the body-tempering effect was enhanced by 21%, the mildness was improved by 15%, and the cost only increased by 8%.]

The third-generation Concentration Potion optimization scheme: optimized active ingredient ratio, concentration duration extended by 30%, soul power recovery efficiency increased by 19%, and no side effects.

Simultaneously, one can apply for Soul Master Guild potion quality certification. Upon successful certification, an exclusive quality mark will be granted, granting official credibility.

With precise formulas and process parameters, implementation is quick.

Lin Chen personally oversaw the core extraction process, with the most skilled veteran workers in the workshop assisting him. After repeatedly adjusting five batches of samples, the final product's various indicators perfectly met the predicted standards.

The pale blue tempering potion was clear and transparent, without a trace of impurity. When the bottle was opened, it had a refreshing herbal scent, without the pungent smell of ordinary potions. The light brown calming potion had a uniform texture and a mild and long-lasting effect.

The effect is 20% stronger than the second generation, while the cost has only increased slightly.

If it were available on the market, it would be a game-changer.

The day after the potion was made, Lin Chen asked Lao Chen to take the samples and relevant documents to the potion certification department of the Soul Master Guild.

The Soul Master Guild's certification is the most authoritative quality endorsement in Douluo Continent. Once you obtain the exclusive mark, all rumors will be dispelled—officially certified quality can't possibly be problematic.

The certification process took seven days.

When the certification document bearing the Soul Master Guild's bright red seal and the exclusive "Qinghe Special Supply" mark were delivered to Qinghe Hall, Old Chen's hands trembled as he held the document.

"It's done! Boss, it's really done! Certified by the Soul Master Guild, top-quality grade!"

Among all the herbal medicine merchants in Tiandou City, only a handful can obtain the guild's exclusive quality mark.

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With this, all those rumors about banned drugs and inferior raw materials are just a joke.

The second approach involves expanding distribution channels to lower-tier markets, which will be pursued concurrently.

Lin Chen dispatched two managers who were best at negotiating business, carrying samples and supply plans, to sixteen towns surrounding Tiandou City.

In the past, pharmacies in these towns had to go through layers of large wholesalers in Tiandou City to purchase goods, resulting in high prices and low profits.

Qinghetang directly connects with end users, offering prices that are 10% lower than the wholesale prices of the three major distributors, while also providing better results. They also support payment upon sale and refunds for unsold inventory.

Zero risk, high profit, and strong results.

For rural pharmacies, this was a godsend.

The two managers encountered almost no resistance along the way.

In just half a month, they signed exclusive supply agreements with local pharmacies in fourteen towns.

Orders poured back to Tiandou City like snowflakes.

Although sales in urban areas are still declining, new markets in surrounding towns and villages have directly made up for it, and there is even a surplus.

By having the three major distributors secure channels in Tiandou City, they have essentially handed over the lower-tier market to the public.

By the time they realized what was happening, Qinghetang had already established itself in more than a dozen towns.

The third approach involves cross-industry collaboration and precise expansion into new markets.

Lin Chen personally wrote the cooperation plan and had Lao Chen take the customized potion samples to visit the top five Soul Hunting Teams in Tiandou City, as well as the logistics department of the Soul Master Guild.

When the Soul Hunting Team ventures into the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt souls, the most indispensable items are potions—antidotes, healing potions, mind-calming potions, and stamina potions, each one a matter of life and death.

Ordinary potions on the market have mediocre effects, while high-end custom potions are ridiculously expensive and hard to buy.

The customized version offered by Qinghetang is nearly 50% more effective than the ordinary version on the market, and the price is only 30% higher. The formula can also be adjusted according to the needs of the Soul Hunter Team.

Old Chen first found two medium-sized Soul Hunting Teams, gave them a batch of trial packs for free, and only made one request: if they were good, please help spread the word.

In less than ten days, members of the two Soul Hunting Groups approached them and placed large, long-term orders.

"Your antidote is incredibly effective! Last time I encountered the Thousand-Year Azure Phosphorous Serpent in Star Dou, I thought I was going to die, but one bottle suppressed the poison!"

"The concentration potion works great too. Half a bottle when I'm hunting all night keeps me energized for most of the day. It's so much better than what I used before!"

The Soul Hunter Gang's circle is neither too big nor too small.

Useful things spread very quickly.

Before long, more Soul Hunting Groups took the initiative to place orders, and even the logistics department of the Soul Master Guild expressed its intention to cooperate, wanting to purchase a batch of Qinghetang's potions as reserve supplies for the guild.

Soul Masters and Soul Hunters are the group with the strongest purchasing power for potions and also the group with the most say.

They said it was good, more effective than hitting a lot of GGs.

Soon, the saying that "Qinghetang's medicines are highly effective and cost-effective" spread among the Soul Masters in Tiandou City.

Customers who had hesitated because of the rumors returned and placed new orders after hearing that even the Soul Hunters were using it.

With all three lines working together, the effect appeared faster than expected.

First, sales in the city stopped declining and then began to slowly recover; then orders in the towns continued to grow, and the workshops' production capacity was brought back to full, even requiring additional manpower; finally, Gaobubei rose up, and even many wealthy young men and low-level soul masters came specifically to buy potions.

In just three weeks, Qinghetang's total sales not only returned to peak levels, but also showed signs of exceeding them.

On the other hand, the three major pharmaceutical companies are having a tough time.

The across-the-board price cuts may seem impressive, but in reality, the more they sold, the more they lost, resulting in a significant reduction in profits. In order to secure supplies, they bought medicinal herbs at high prices, leading to a large inventory backlog and persistently high costs. The workers they poached had no access to the core formula, and the counterfeit medicines they produced were far less effective, unable to compete with the third-generation products. The rumors also crumbled under the scrutiny of the Soul Master Guild's certification and the reputation of the Soul Hunter Group.

What upset them even more was that Qinghetang bypassed the city and took over the market in the surrounding towns and villages.

By the time they wanted to follow up, the local pharmacies had already signed exclusive agreements with Qinghetang, making it impossible for them to get involved.

Stealing chickens will not lose rice.

Originally, they wanted to nip Qinghetang, this outsider, in the bud. But after three months of fighting, the other party not only did not collapse, but grew bigger and bigger, with a market share even higher than before.

The three-way alliance was the first to break down.

Baicaotang and Huichunge each had their own agendas. They joined forces before because they thought Qinghetang was easy to manipulate, but now they can't take it anymore and it's too difficult, so they naturally want to back down.

Wanyaotang was already unwilling, and had secretly left room for maneuver long ago.

After another two weeks of stalemate, the three companies finally couldn't sit still any longer.

On this day, Wan Cheng of Wanyaotang personally came to visit, accompanied by the two chief stewards of Baicaotang and Huichunge. Ostensibly, it was a visit, but in reality, it was to seek peace.

The aroma of tea wafted through the reception room.

Wan Cheng smoothed things over, and the two stewards became much more polite, completely losing the arrogance they had displayed when they were suppressing the other party.

"Young Master Lin is young and promising; truly, the younger generation surpasses the older." Manager Zhou of Baicaotang chuckled twice. "There were many misunderstandings before, all due to the ignorance of the subordinates who spread rumors and caused some unpleasantness. I hope Young Master Lin will forgive us."

Manager Wang of Huichun Pavilion nodded in agreement: "Yes, the market in Tiandou City is so big, it's best to make money peacefully. Price wars hurt harmony and vitality, so it's better for everyone to take a step back and do business properly."

That's a nice way of putting it, but the core message is simple: let's stop fighting and call a truce.

Lin Chen sat in the main seat, dressed in a plain blue robe, with gentle features and a calm tone: "You three are too kind. Qinghetang is just a small business, only wanting to do business peacefully, and has never thought of going against anyone."

He wasn't aggressive, nor did he dwell on the past.

There's no need to go all out; he doesn't have the power to completely overthrow all three companies. The safest approach is to stop while things are going well, reach a consensus, and maintain their market share.

The two sides talked for more than an hour and finally agreed on several terms:

First, stop the vicious price war and return to normal pricing;

Second, we will not poach talent, spread rumors, or maliciously block supply sources; we will compete fairly.

Third, each entity will operate independently in the urban market, while the three entities will no longer interfere in the distribution channels of surrounding towns and villages.

This is tantamount to acknowledging Qinghetang's market position and recognizing that the lower-tier market belongs to Qinghetang.

A business war that swept the entire city finally came to an end with Qinghetang standing firm against the odds.

After seeing off the three guests, Old Chen stood in the courtyard, still somewhat dazed.

Three months ago, he thought Qinghetang was going to collapse, but he didn't expect that it would not only survive but also win.

"Master, you're truly amazing!" Old Chen exclaimed in genuine admiration. "Even the three families combined couldn't defeat us. From now on, no one in Tiandou City will dare to underestimate Qinghe Hall!"

Lin Chen smiled faintly and did not reply.

We've won, but it's far from time to relax.

This business battle simply allowed Qinghetang to truly establish itself in Tiandou City.

Next comes the real expansion period.

He looked up at the distant streets, his eyes still gentle, yet concealing a deeper scheme.

The autumn wind swept up the fallen leaves in the courtyard, swirling them as they landed on the bluestone slabs.

A storm has subsided, but a new order is just beginning to take shape.