Chapter 230
Delice was leaning over the counter, chatting with Riya.
“This time, the company released a million bottles of snake wine?” Delice tilted her head.
Riya nodded. “Yes.”
She secretly admired the girl’s delicate, doll-like face. No matter how many times she looked at her, Delice was always stunning. No wonder so many admirers sent her books before…
“A million bottles, one bottle per person… How much money is that?” Delice asked.
“Ten billion,” Riya replied.
Delice blinked and counted on her fingers. “Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, hundred thousands, millions, ten millions…” Soon her fingers weren’t enough.
Giving up on counting, she said, “Ten billion—that’s a lot, right?”
Riya nodded. “It is. But snake wine is priced affordably, so even though we sold a lot, profits weren’t that high. On the other hand, the No. 6 wine—at a million each—plus other wines’ revenue, probably brought in over two billion.”
Delice stared at her. “If Chu Feng made so much money, why’s my monthly salary only four thousand?”
Riya: “That’s a question for the boss…”
“Don’t you think Chu Feng’s a little stingy?”
“…,” Riya thought.
Delice sighed regretfully. “No one’s been sending me books lately either. I wanted to sell them for scrap and make some money, but now there’s no chance.”
Riya: “…” She actually wants to sell books? Once might be funny, but more than that is a disaster.
Just then, Hang Ming walked into the lobby.
“Mr. Hang, you’re back?” Riya greeted. “You took time off a few days ago and missed the digital wine launch.”
Hang Ming smiled. “I heard about it—sold pretty well, right?”
Chen Feng cut in. “What could be so important you’d miss that? Oh, I know—you went on a blind date, didn’t you?”
Hang Ming gave a bitter smile. “No such thing.”
“Don’t be shy. A blind date’s not a bad thing,” Chen Feng teased.
Hang Ming: “Really, I didn’t…”
Delice rested her chin in her hand. “You didn’t get dumped for not having a house or car, right?”
Hang Ming: “…” Why would she even think that?
“I’m going to see the boss,” he said, walking away.
Delice tilted her head as she watched him leave. “He definitely got dumped.”
Riya: “Mr. Hang’s got great qualifications—never mind his other traits, the fact that he’s an ability-user makes him highly sought after right now.”
Hang Ming entered the office and respectfully said, “Boss.”
Chu Feng glanced at him. “You’re back. How was the shapeshifting pill?”
Hang Ming’s eyes were full of gratitude. “Excellent. Thank you, Boss.”
He had suffered horribly during past transformations, but this time it had been smooth and painless.
Chu Feng waved it off. “It was nothing.”
“For you it’s nothing,” Hang Ming said seriously, “but for me, it’s a life-changing kindness.”
*
At the National Bureau of Paranormal Abilities, a group of ability-users were chatting animatedly.
“Linlang, did you manage to grab one?”
Mu Linlang shook her head. “No. Only 300 bottles of Crescent No. 6—gone instantly.”
Qian Jiajia shook her head too. “What a shame. Even Fan Qing didn’t get one—and she’s a speed ability-user.”
“Running fast doesn’t mean your hands are fast,” Linlang pointed out.
“Still, you’d think a speed user’s hands would be quick,” Qian Jiajia muttered.
“I heard Dong Yu got one,” Linlang said thoughtfully. “Maybe we can mooch a cup from her.”
Qian Jiajia curled her lip. “That sly fox? She’s probably hiding somewhere already.”
Mu Linlang propped her chin on her hand and said, “I heard that Miss Shen Yutong is also looking for her. Seems Miss Shen hasn’t found her either.”
Qian Jiajia asked curiously, “Why is Miss Shen Yutong looking for her?”
Mu Linlang shrugged. “Probably to ask her for some wine to run a test on.”
Qian Jiajia puffed her cheeks. “The reputation of the Crescent Group is actually trustworthy.
Many corporations love to exaggerate the value of their products, but the Crescent Group is different. They don’t need to boast about their products’ effects—consumers discover them on their own. And if they do mention an effect, then it must be real.”
Mu Linlang nodded. “Exactly.”
Qian Jiajia still looked a bit odd. “I don’t know how effective No. 6 Wine really is for beauty and skincare, but tiger bone wine seems to have a strengthening effect on the body.”
Mu Linlang was puzzled. “How do you know?”
Qian Jiajia blinked. “Some male ability-users seemed to have snatched quite a bit of tiger bone wine. And last night, they made such a racket I couldn’t sleep at all. Those damned perverts—fighting like wild beasts in the middle of the night, disturbing the peace. And they don’t even know how to keep it down!”
“Aren’t they far away from us?” Mu Linlang asked. She had gone back to the botanical garden last night instead of staying in the staff dormitory.
“They were so loud it was like an earthquake,” Qian Jiajia said, shaking her head in disgust.
Meanwhile, Chu Feng was lying on a massage chair, sipping wine, absorbing witch stones, and humming a tune leisurely when Zhuang Feixue pushed the door open and came in.
Chu Feng tilted his head to glance at her. “Sis, what’s up?”
Zhuang Feixue’s expression was strange. “Rumor has it outside that Crescent No. 6 Wine can bring the dead back to life.”
Chu Feng coughed twice and waved it off. “Bring the dead back to life? Why haven’t I heard of that? That’s exaggerated—way exaggerated.”
Zhuang Feixue thought to herself: Chu Feng’s products always seem to be much more effective than he claims.
He had said his Beauty Elixirs could improve complexion, but many who took them had all their fine lines vanish and looked several years younger. His Bone-Strengthening Pills were even more outrageous—he claimed they strengthened the body, but they could actually heal broken bones and let lifelong wheelchair users walk again.
Ever since this wine was released, she had been waiting for consumer feedback. She had already expected some special effects—but resurrection? That was too much.
“I agree it’s exaggerated, but the online stories sound so real. Who leaked this?” Chu Feng asked.
“A pregnant woman’s family member,” Zhuang Feixue said. “Her name is Shi Lili, an old customer of ours. She managed to grab a bit of No. 6 Wine when it was on sale. A few days ago, she went into labor but had a difficult delivery with massive bleeding. She was on the brink of death and even had no heartbeat for a while. Her family poured the wine into her, and she came back to life.”
Chu Feng rubbed his forehead. “No heartbeat doesn’t necessarily mean death—it could’ve been suspended animation. Hospitals have had cases where patients declared dead and sent to the crematorium suddenly came back to life.”
Zhuang Feixue nodded. “Exactly. ‘Resurrection’ is an exaggeration. But reviving someone in suspended animation is still impressive.”
Chu Feng rested his chin on his hand. “Still, what were her family thinking? No heartbeat, and they decide to give her wine?”
Zhuang Feixue thought for a moment. “Probably just a desperate attempt. When people are in chaos, they hope for miracles. And to many, Crescent Group’s products are already seen as magical.”
Chu Feng nodded. “Makes sense.”
“Does the Hundred Fruits Brew have any special effects?” Zhuang Feixue asked.
Chu Feng tilted his head. “Actually, there’s one medicinal ingredient in the wine that can prolong life. Of course, after multiple dilutions, the effect is minimal.”
Zhuang Feixue’s eyes widened. “Prolong life?”
Chu Feng nodded. “Yes.”
“Something this good really exists?” she murmured.
“It has its limits,” Chu Feng said, waving his hand.
Zhuang Feixue sighed. “Xiao Feng, you don’t understand the value of life-prolonging medicine. Many rich people are willing to pay anything for just a few extra months. Once life is gone, no amount of money matters. I’ve seen plenty of wealthy people, when diagnosed with terminal illness, lose their minds.
Some search high and low for doctors and remedies, some drown themselves in prayers to gods, some chase after bizarre folk cures, and some seek out occultists to try extreme measures.”
Chu Feng rubbed his forehead. “Understandable. Imagine dying with piles of money left unspent—what a pity.”
Meanwhile, at the National Bureau of Paranormal Abilities, Shen Yutong was speaking with a researcher.
“The results are out. We tested Crescent No. 6 Wine on several cancer patients and found it seems to ease the disease,” the researcher said.
Shen Yutong’s eyes widened. “It has that effect?”
The researcher nodded. “Not a huge effect, but noticeable.”
“And resurrection?”
The researcher shook his head. “That’s likely an isolated case.”
“I thought so,” Shen said. “If it could really revive the dead, how could it only sell for a million?”
“Miss Shen, remember this wine is diluted,” the researcher reminded.
“I know,” Shen Yutong replied, pressing her lips together.
Even diluted, the wine had such astonishing effects. One could only imagine what undiluted wine could do. It even seemed to have some benefits for ability-users—but there wasn’t enough stock to run proper tests.
Shen Yutong said, “I think some ability-users managed to grab a few bottles. Have them cooperate with our checks.”
“Understood,” the researcher replied.
Shen Yutong took a deep breath, thinking to herself: Chu Feng’s stash of treasures is unbelievable. Where on earth does he get them?
Elsewhere, Zhuang Zhenhua’s face was dark. “The Crescent Group is really something. A few days ago, the internet was flooded with sleazy gossip about them, but now public attention has completely shifted to their wine. Just selling wine alone, their sales reached over two billion yuan in a matter of days. And Zhuang Feixue’s net worth has soared right along with it.”
“Father, is this Crescent No. 6 wine really that miraculous?”
Previously, Zhuang Zhenhua had hired a few gunmen to rob the Crescent Hotel’s wine. They actually managed to snatch two jars.
Zhuang Ming had been eager to taste it, but since rumors outside claimed Crescent No. 6 was almost magical, Zhuang Zhenhua hadn’t even been willing to drink it himself—let alone share with Zhuang Ming.
Zhuang Zhenhua frowned. “The taste is pretty good.
As for whether it really has the effects claimed online, that I’m not sure about.” Zhuang Zhenhua was no longer young, and naturally feared death a little. Online rumors said Crescent No. 6 could prolong life. Although he didn’t put much stock in internet gossip, deep down he still felt it was worth holding on to.
Bitterly, he thought that he’d gone to such trouble just to get two jars, while Zhuang Zhenyang probably only needed to ask Zhuang Feixue and would get some. His younger brother’s luck really was good.
