My Computer Leads to an Instance Dungeon-Chapter 194 - 159: Making Money, Going Abroad, Buying Guns (3)

"My classmate’s family has a pretty complicated background. They were selling guns even before they opened a gun shop, so they have a wide network. Plus, overseas Chinese have been waking up these past few years, and more and more are buying guns. Her family’s shop in Houston is doing great business. Sixty to seventy percent of their customers are Chinese. If you’re interested in shooting, she should be able to help you out."

"Do you still have her contact information?" Fang Zhen asked.

Xia Siwei said, "I do. We were good friends in high school and have kept in touch. I see her posts on TikTok occasionally. If you need it, I can send you her contact info."

"But I should warn you, if you decide to go, you’d better keep your word. My friend might be a girl, but she doesn’t suffer fools gladly. She hates being messed with. If you make an appointment, you’d better be sure you can make it."

"Okay. I don’t like breaking appointments either," Fang Zhen said.

"Okay, once you’ve confirmed your travel dates, I’ll send her contact info over to you," Xia Siwei said.

"Deal. I have my visa interview the day after tomorrow. I’ll send you my itinerary once it’s confirmed," Fang Zhen replied.

"Okay," Xia Siwei paused for a moment, then said, "By the way, are you free? You really helped me out last time when I almost got scarred, and I’d like to thank you. Also, my aunt wants to meet you. She wants to thank you in person, but she also has something she wants to discuss."

"Oh?" Fang Zhen recalled Xia Siwei’s aunt, Zheng Yachen of Siyu Medical—a very intelligent and beautiful career woman.

"Did she say what it was about?" he asked.

"Partly to thank you, and partly to discuss a partnership," Xia Siwei said, hesitating for a moment. "Remember how I told you I’ve been thinking about starting my own business? Well, I’ve actually decided on a sector I want to get into: the medical aesthetics industry."

"My aunt wants to invest with me. She’s the director at Siyu Medical, but it’s not her own business, after all. She wants to start a medical aesthetics company with me, and we have most of what we need. The only problem is we don’t have a unique core competitive advantage."

"My aunt and I both believe the medical aesthetics industry will continue to grow, but to survive, you have to have a unique competitive edge. Because we haven’t figured that part out, we haven’t officially moved forward with the startup plan."

"This time, you helped me and prevented me from getting scarred. My aunt thought it was amazing, and it also gave her an idea. If that ointment of yours is really as miraculous as it seems, it could be an irreplaceable competitive advantage."

"That’s what she wants to talk to you about—a partnership."

After speaking, Xia Siwei seemed a little embarrassed. "Sorry," she said. "You helped me out so much, and now it feels like my invitation to dinner isn’t entirely pure, since it also has a business purpose."

"It’s fine. I’m not shy about talking money." Fang Zhen smiled.

’He was short on cash right now, and he needed to make some fast.’

’The sale of the Dog Head Gold was in progress, but the money still wasn’t enough.’

’Zheng Yachen wanted to discuss a partnership? Perfect. Fang Zhen was also looking to sell his Alchemy Ointment for a high price. It would be best to have a stable distribution channel and a partner who was sensible and wouldn’t cause any unnecessary trouble.’

’Going through his own company or He Yilin’s channels would be a stretch—they weren’t the right fit. But Zheng Yachen seemed reasonable and sensible. Plus, if they were in the medical aesthetics business, they would be a consistent buyer for the Alchemy Ointment.’

"Alright. How about tomorrow? Let’s set a time," Fang Zhen said.

...

The next day, Fang Zhen met with Zheng Yachen and Xia Siwei at a high-end vegetarian restaurant called Suxin Vegetarian Restaurant.

A few years ago, when the economy was still booming, the so-called "socialite circle" in Xiahai developed a fondness for discussing Buddhism. This led to the emergence of many vegetarian restaurants serving entirely plant-based meals. A table full of dishes might look like it had chicken, duck, fish, and braised pork belly, but it was all actually vegetarian. The taste was not much different from real meat, except the price was several times higher.

Later, the trend faded, and many of the vegetarian restaurants went out of business, but this particular one survived.

The main reason was that the food was genuinely delicious; the chef was truly skilled. The prices were high, but not ridiculously so. The decor was also tastefully designed by an expert, making it a suitable place for business discussions for those who preferred a quiet environment.

Zheng Yachen was hosting today, treating Fang Zhen to a meal and discussing the potential partnership.

The meal lasted nearly two hours. Both the hosts and the guest enjoyed themselves, and they successfully negotiated the terms of their partnership.

For the medical aesthetics clinic Zheng Yachen was planning to open, Fang Zhen would not have to contribute any capital for a stake, but he would receive a twenty-percent share of the profits for two years.

In return, Fang Zhen had to grant Zheng Yachen’s medical aesthetics clinic exclusive rights to the Alchemy Ointment in Xiahai City.

Zheng Yachen was very generous in her offer. She was essentially giving him a twenty-percent share of the clinic’s profits for free. The Alchemy Ointment itself would be purchased separately at a price of 20,000 yuan per 5 grams. The exclusivity she requested was limited to Xiahai City, meaning Fang Zhen was free to sell to clinics in other cities.

Zheng Yachen was also tactful enough not to ask about the origin of the Alchemy Ointment, only mentioning that she had ways to get it classified as a medical-grade cosmetic health product.

The partnership agreement was for a term of two years. After two years, if Fang Zhen wanted to buy into the company, he could do so at the original share price. If he didn’t want to become a shareholder, they could either renew the contract on the current terms or terminate the agreement.

Fang Zhen had a very pleasant discussion with Zheng Yachen and Xia Siwei.

’These two ladies were both very broad-minded, not the type to be petty or sweat the small stuff.’

’Zheng Yachen was focused on the bigger picture. Fang Zhen’s Alchemy Ointment could attract clients and build a reputation, allowing the clinic to stand out in the crowded market. The real money would still come from mainstream aesthetic procedures; the Alchemy Ointment was just a tool to draw people in.’

’In the grand scheme of things, she was still coming out ahead.’

’So, the matter was settled.’

That afternoon, Fang Zhen accompanied Xia Siwei and Zheng Yachen to Siyu Medical. They took precise measurements of a bottle of the Alchemy Ointment, and Zheng Yachen personally tested it.