Chinese Medicine: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 623: Chapter 623: Wonderful

Ding Kaifang sighed.

Based on the momentum from the first half of the year, Ding’s Pharmaceutical Factory’s profits could have doubled, or even tripled or quintupled.

But now, forget about growth; it would be a challenge just to maintain last year’s numbers.

It was like having a bucket of ice water dumped over him, chilling him to the bone.

Just as he picked up his phone, intending to call Li Xu and report the bad news...

His phone suddenly rang.

The name flashing on the screen was none other than Li Xu.

Ding Kaifang took a deep breath, composed himself, and answered the call.

"Doctor Li, I have something to tell you..."

"President Ding, I have something to tell you..."

The two spoke at almost the exact same time, their voices overlapping.

Ding Kaifang gave a wry smile. "Doctor Li, you go first."

"No, you go ahead. You sound pretty anxious."

Li Xu could hear the anxiety in Ding Kaifang’s voice on the other end of the line.

So, Ding Kaifang explained the policy changes and the company’s predicament in detail.

"Doctor Li, this could be real trouble this time. We need to prepare for some hard times."

After listening, Li Xu showed no sign of panic. Instead, he chuckled lightly.

"President Ding, I saw the news about this. Actually, this might not be a bad thing."

"A good thing?"

Ding Kaifang was stunned.

"That’s right," Li Xu explained. "This shows that the state is starting to regulate the traditional Chinese medicine market, which will force companies to improve their quality. We know our medicine has minimal side effects. This is the perfect opportunity to solidify our clinical data and clarify our product instructions. In the future, this will be our moat, one that no one can breach."

"As for the profit issue you’re worried about..."

Li Xu’s tone was relaxed. "You don’t need to worry at all. Not only will our profits not decrease, but they’ll actually increase significantly this year."

Ding Kaifang frowned. "Doctor Li, don’t try to console me. It’s almost autumn. Even if you came up with a new Chinese patent medicine formula right now, by the time it goes through clinical trials, approvals, and the whole process, the earliest it could launch is next year. A distant solution won’t solve our immediate problem."

"Who said anything about a Chinese patent medicine?"

Li Xu said with a smile.

"Not a patent medicine? Then what is it...?" Ding Kaifang grew even more confused.

"That’s a secret." Li Xu was being deliberately mysterious. "Are you free right now? Come over and I’ll let you try it."

Half an hour later, Ding Kaifang’s car pulled up in front of Li’s Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic.

The moment he walked in, Li Xu grabbed him and pulled him toward the restroom.

"Doctor Li, what are you doing? I don’t need to use the restroom..."

Ding Kaifang was completely baffled.

"Wash your hair," Li Xu said, pointing to the sink.

"Wash my hair?"

Ding Kaifang looked at the unlabeled, clear plastic bottle in Li Xu’s hand. It was filled with a pale, amber-colored liquid. A thought suddenly struck him.

’Could it be... shampoo?’

"You guessed it."

Li Xu saw through him and smiled. "Go on, try it out. See how it feels."

As the general manager of the Ding Group, Ding Kaifang’s business acumen was exceptionally sharp.

He knew all too well how massive the shampoo market was.

It was a true essential, a high-frequency, fast-moving consumer good.

An ordinary bottle of shampoo might cost only a few dollars to produce, but with brand premiums and channel fees, it could sell for tens or even hundreds of dollars.

It was an industry with absolutely staggering profits!

But precisely because of those profits, it was also a bloodbath.

International giants like Procter & Gamble and Unilever occupied more than half the market.

Domestically, there were also all sorts of established local products and newly popular influencer brands locked in a vicious struggle.

Trying to carve out a path in this red ocean was next to impossible.

If anyone else had told him they wanted to develop a shampoo, Ding Kaifang would have probably tried to talk them out of it immediately.

But Li Xu was different.

This young man had already created too many miracles.

The eye drops, the Aloe Vera Frost, the sobriety tea...

Every single one had become a bestseller.

Ding Kaifang took a deep breath, took off his suit jacket, rolled up his sleeves, and bent over to wet his hair under the faucet.

Li Xu poured a little of the shampoo into his hand.

The clean scent of herbs instantly filled the air. It wasn’t the pungent smell of cheap fragrance, but a natural aroma that refreshed the mind and spirit.

Ding Kaifang began to lather his hair.

It didn’t produce a huge amount of foam, but what it did create was extremely fine, like cream.

The moment his fingertips touched his scalp, Ding Kaifang couldn’t help but let out a comfortable sigh.

"Ahhh—"

The sensation was simply incredible.

It was cool, yet with a faint warmth, as if countless tiny hands were massaging his scalp. Every pore seemed to breathe, to open up.

The tightness and itchiness on his scalp, usually caused by work stress and late nights, vanished in an instant.

When he rinsed it out, his hair felt incredibly smooth, completely free of that sticky, artificial slickness.

After washing and drying it, Ding Kaifang touched his hair.

It was fluffy, light, and soft.

His hair, which had been somewhat dry and dull, now had a healthy sheen.

"Amazing. Absolutely amazing."

Ding Kaifang stared at his reflection in the mirror, his face flushed with excitement. "Doctor Li, this shampoo is incredible! It’s even better than that imported bottle I paid over a hundred bucks for."

"This is the next bestseller."

A fire burned in Ding Kaifang’s eyes, as if he could already see countless banknotes waving at him.

"Once this thing hits the market, I’m confident that if we price it at 100 a bottle, it’ll absolutely fly off the shelves. We could even do a high-end line and sell it for several hundred."

"Doctor Li, this formula must be kept strictly confidential."

Li Xu nodded. "I’ve already written down the formula. It’s right here."

He handed Ding Kaifang a piece of paper.

The two then discussed the details of their collaboration.

Although Li Xu was already a major shareholder in Ding’s Pharmaceutical, a completely new formula with such immense commercial value warranted an additional reward according to standard business practice.

"Doctor Li, the company’s cash flow is very healthy right now."

Ding Kaifang waved his hand magnanimously. "For this formula, the company will pay you a one-time transfer fee of one hundred million—or let’s call it a research and development bonus. And it won’t affect your future stock dividends."

One hundred million!

To an ordinary person, this was an astronomical sum.

But Li Xu wasn’t too surprised, nor did he refuse.

It was what he deserved, and it was the value of knowledge.

"Alright, it’s a deal then."

Ding Kaifang put away the formula as if it were a priceless treasure. He felt that every extra second he spent there was a waste of time.

"Doctor Li, I’m heading back now. I have to immediately arrange for the production line, procure the raw materials, and file for a patent. This time, we’re going to make a huge splash in the daily chemical industry."

Watching Ding Kaifang’s hurried departure, Li Xu smiled.

With this shampoo, Ding’s Pharmaceutical Factory’s cash flow would be secure. The short-term losses caused by the policy change could be completely disregarded.

After all, their previous Chinese patent medicines, like the Mao Duddu Eye Drops, had limited sales despite their excellent effects and high profits due to constraints on raw materials.

It wouldn’t matter even if production were temporarily halted.

The shampoo was different. The raw materials were abundant, allowing them to go all out.

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