Pokémon: I picked up a reborn Eevee at the start of the game.

He successfully snatched three secret seasonings from under Tuotuo's mouth!

"Messi! (Surprised? Unexpected!)"

Therefore, Leton's expression was quite interesting. It never expected that Little Dragon would play such a big joke on it, and it was both amused and exasperated.

But getting the item was the most important thing, and it sincerely thanked them, saying, "Thank you, little Doron."

Not only Dragapult, but also Sylveon, Milotic, Gardevoir, and every Pokémon that fought alongside it in the search for the Secret Seasoning, as well as Xia Chen, all received Guleton's gratitude.

The lone traveler, who had been wandering alone for over two hundred years, experienced the warmth and help of companions time and time again after traversing time and space and falling into misfortune, and his state of mind underwent tremendous changes as a result.

At this moment, it even felt a little sorry for its mortal enemy. At this moment, it should be hiding in some corner, healing itself in solitude.

It's pathetic that he doesn't even have any friends.

…………

After burrowing into the hill, the worm never came out again. It seems that the combined attack from the elves left it with a great psychological trauma, completely robbing it of its desire for revenge.

Xia Chen didn't bother with it. The purpose of coming here was not for it in the first place. Now that he had the secret seasoning, he could let it go wherever it wanted.

Observing the three plants with small white flowers in his hand, Xia Chen didn't know which parts were edible and which were not, so he sent his current location information to Papa and Mingyi.

This place is several kilometers away from where the message was first sent, and the quarry is like the old Beijing—it's all tunnels.

Without giving them their location, the two of them would likely have a hard time tracing the trail of the elves' battles.

After waiting for about ten minutes, Mingyi and Paipa, riding motorcycle lizards, arrived one after the other.

Xia Chen handed a plant to Pipa, who then pulled out a thick, antique book from his bulging backpack.

He expertly turned to a page in the middle, glancing at the book and then at the small white flower, excitedly reciting, "The book says that this is a secret salty seasoning. Adding the powder made from this plant to dishes can relieve pain and numbness in the hands and feet, and it can also be very effective in relieving muscle weakness."

"Of course, the actual effects are definitely more than that, otherwise the Tuotuo worm wouldn't have grown so big after eating this stuff."

Xia Chen nodded in agreement. His body had grown nearly ten times larger, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that this seasoning was a miracle cure.

"In that case, let's follow the instructions in the book, pick its flowers, and make them into a real seasoning!"

As he spoke, Pipa rolled up his sleeves, took out a pre-prepared grinding tool from the storage ball in his backpack, and prepared to work on the three plants.

Xia Chen quickly stopped Pai Pa, who was about to cruelly destroy the flower, "Don't be in such a hurry, are you just going to waste such a treasure?"

Piper was completely bewildered. "What waste? Wouldn't it be most useful to treat the injuries of the Mastiff Godfather and Gullington?"

Xia Chen was speechless. "Do you even know what 'give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime' means?"

Piper shook his head. Although they spoke the same language, the languages ​​and cultures of different regions were not mutually intelligible.

Padiya and the East were separated by a vast distance, so how could Padiya know the meaning of this ancient proverb from the East?

Mingyi and her husband explained, "Xia Chen means to widely cultivate this secret salty seasoning."

Pipa saw through the fog, "I understand now. This way, we'll have a way to treat any injured elves in the future."

Xia Chen covered his face; this guy really had absolutely no business sense.

…………

Without further ado, Xia Chen asked directly, "If you use this as a raw material, diluted to make elf gadgets, how much do you think you could sell them for?"

Piper suddenly understood, "I see! Xia Chen, you're a business genius! We're going to be rich!"

"You're just too insensitive."

Xia Chen silently complained.

After thinking for a moment, he suggested, "You discovered this thing, but my elf and I also played a crucial role in acquiring it. How about we start a company together to develop this? I have a team and funds, so you can just be a shareholder. I'll handle all the research and development, including the subsequent listing. Or you can have other ideas."

Piper waved his hand, "There's no need for all that trouble. Why don't you just use your company's resources to develop it? Then just give me 5% of the profits."

Xia Chen: "."

Does this guy really have absolutely no business sense? Xia Chen only did one thing—defeat the treasure master and steal the seasonings—and he gets 95%?

Even if there are costs involved in research and development and production later, it can't be this exaggerated.

Xia Chen remained silent, but Papa thought he had asked for too much and said weakly, "...Did I say too much?"

"Thank you for your trust. Let's go back and talk. Giving you only 5% is too little."

Xia Chen is an honest person and doesn't want to betray his friend like that.

Having finalized a commercial promotion plan for the secret seasoning, the three decided to leave the place.

Papa's purpose in traveling was to find the secret seasoning to cure the Mastiff Godfather. Now that he has found one of the ingredients, he naturally decides to go to Xuezha City with Xia Chenmingyi.

According to Rotom's navigation, the city is about 200 kilometers away. If Leton goes at full speed, he should be able to get there in less than an hour. However, considering the speed of the two motorcycle lizards, the three of them did not arrive at the city, which is famous for its mining, until dusk.

While the bustling city of Suez is not as vibrant as the capital city of Tableland in Patia, nor does it boast the stunningly beautiful night view of Niangguan, its predominantly black and gray cityscape has its own unique charm and character.

The purpose of Xia Chen's trip to Xuezha City was not just a simple rest stop during the journey. In addition to dealing with the secret seasoning, he also needed to handle the evolution of the money-seeking spirit as much as possible. Therefore, Xia Chen directly rented a villa for a month.

This type of rental is not common, but as long as the money is there, everything is negotiable.

The three men, covered in dust and grime after a long afternoon at the quarry, tidied themselves up in their rooms, took a bath, and then went out for dinner.

Just like in Brewlight City, Xia Chen specifically sought out a high-class elf restaurant where money-grubbing spirits could find an opening to dine, but unfortunately, he didn't encounter the same situation as last time at his first meal.

However, Xia Chen wasn't in a hurry. In such a big city, he was bound to run into some money-grubbing spirits. After finishing his meal, he asked the restaurant manager for a favor, and the manager was very attentive to this big spender who had spent over five figures on a single meal, readily agreeing to his request.

After exchanging contact information, Xia Chen and the other two returned to their temporary residence.

Since there was no progress on the matter of the Money-Seeking Spirit for the time being, Xia Chen decided to first consider the business plan for the secret seasoning.

…………

First, as the most important raw material for making subsequent Pokémon items, this plant must be cultivated in large-scale batches.

Therefore, determining its growth conditions is the most important thing.

Xia Chen certainly understood the principle that oranges grown south of the Huai River are sweet oranges, while those grown north of the Huai River are bitter oranges, so it was very important to assemble a team of botanical experts to clarify this point first.

The same principle applies to subsequent research and development, and both teams must be composed of our own people.

Xia Chen didn't have any unconditionally trustworthy connections in Padiya, so he immediately called his professional manager, Jiang Qian, who was far away in Donghuang.

In the heat of the moment, he hadn't considered the time difference between the two regions, and Jiang Qian's voice sounded noticeably groggy when he answered the phone.

"Xiao Chen? Is something the matter?"

Normally she would definitely call him President Xia or Boss, but Xia Chen hadn't heard this slightly intimate address in a long time.

He apologized, "I'm sorry, Sister Qian, I forgot to consider the time difference. Call me back tomorrow when you wake up."

Jiang Qian yawned, her voice becoming much clearer, "It's okay, it's already past five o'clock. I usually get up around this time too. What's up?"

Xia Chen didn't waste any more words and briefly explained the effects of the secret seasoning and his own thoughts.

Upon hearing about the astonishing effects of the secret seasoning, Jiang Qian immediately perked up.

After patiently listening to Xia Chen finish speaking, she said excitedly, "I understand. I will assemble two teams as quickly as possible and take them to Padiya, trying to get there within two days."

The company's new product development is not bad, but it is only mediocre and far inferior to products of the caliber of Beauty Energy Cube.

A keen business sense. No, there's absolutely no need for this stuff. Any normal person could see that this secret seasoning is definitely a highly promising raw material for crafting elf gadgets!

If it is successfully developed, this new product will definitely become a new cash cow for the company after the Beautiful Energy Cube!

Chapter 268 A System That Can't Make Empty Promises Isn't a Good Capitalist

The commercial value of the secret seasoning is self-evident.

Even if the manufactured medicines and items don't actually make the user's Pokémon grow several times larger like its master, just having the effect of enhancing the Pokémon's physique is enough to help it gain a foothold in the market.

Not to mention, it can also cure chronic illnesses that even full recovery potions and Pokémon moves cannot cure.

According to Xia Chen, there are four other plants with different effects in this "secret seasoning", which are even more worthy of exploration and research.

If the research goes smoothly, its value may even exceed that of the Beautiful Energy Cube.

The value of the Energy Cube lies entirely in its recipe, while the value of the Secret Seasoning lies in its unique ingredients!

Jiang Qian became more and more excited as she thought about it, and couldn't wait to set off for Padiya to start building her team.

Although she was just a high-level employee, Xia Chen treated her very well. The better the company's performance, the higher the bonuses and dividends she could receive.

Moreover, money is only part of the reason. The sense of accomplishment and self-fulfillment from dominating the business world and building a business empire are what she pursues even more.

Not only her, but Xia Chen also felt a faint sense of anticipation after hanging up the phone.

However, unlike Jiang Qian, he wasn't doing it for any sense of accomplishment; he had only one purpose: to make money.

The stronger the elves became, the faster Xia Chen felt the resources being consumed; they would eventually run out of resources if they just sat around doing nothing.

This is just the beginning, and he already has some vague new plans for the future, all of which require money.

In short, the commercial development of the secret seasoning is not a lifeline, but it is certainly a welcome addition.

Jiang Qian was very efficient. Xia Chen made the call around 9 p.m., and the next morning at 8 a.m., he received a group of people who had come all the way from Donghuang.

Besides Jiang Qian's genuine concern for this matter, another reason for the high efficiency was that Xia Chen's Energy Cube Company itself had a mature and professional research team.

The energy cubes are made from tree fruits, and the company naturally has a group of botanical experts. Moving them here to study the secret seasoning is a good fit for their expertise.

…………

Research requires not only people, but also a series of things such as professional laboratories, instruments, and experimental fields. Xia Chen was not very familiar with this, so he handed it over to the team brought by Jiang Qian.

Although Xuezha City is a city whose main industry is mining, it must also have a few research institutes. Money makes the world go round, and after paying a small but not too large price, they rented an independent laboratory in a large research institute and began their research the next day.

Analyzing the cellular components of the secret plant, returning to the quarry to excavate the soil where the plant previously grew, and studying its growing environment—everything proceeded in an orderly manner.

Xia Chen was also busy preparing for the treatment of Gu Leton and the Mastiff Godfather.

The little dragon brought out three mother plants. The research team only needed to get two of them. Xia Chen directly used the other one to make salt-sized powder with Pai Pa according to the method in the Book of Zhu Zi.

"Are you sure you want to use this as a seasoning? Would it be better to take it as medicine powder directly?"

Xia Chen pondered, "After all, the Treasure Master Spirit most likely grew to its current size by eating directly. Wouldn't heating it or something similar destroy its nutritional value?"

Pipa shook his head and said, "According to the Book of Crimson and Purple, heating can actually stimulate a certain active substance in it. As for the Treasure Master Spirits, they have grown to this size after eating for decades or even hundreds of years. Even if most of the active substances are wasted, it is still much better than the little powder we have."

Xia Chen thought about it for a while. It was probably still a long way from large-scale cultivation of the secret plant. He had only extracted a dozen grams of seasoning, so he certainly couldn't give it to the team to study how to use it to maximize its effectiveness. He could only believe what was said in the Book of Zhu Zi.

A dozen grams of seasoning only amount to about three spoonfuls, which is not enough to make many dishes. So Xia Chen made a pot of big bones for Gu Leton and the Mastiff Godfather, and put all the secret seasonings in while stewing.