All the heavens begin with the love in the courtyard.

It took Mao Chengcheng two whole months to fully understand this secret recipe. There are more than 30 kinds of medicinal herbs in it, and the proportions of each herb are very strict. This made Mao Chengcheng complain a lot. If an ordinary person could learn it by just glancing at it, then what can't a genius like him do to get rich?

Although the recipe was complicated, it served as a reminder to Mao Chengcheng that he would have to be more careful when preparing medicinal herbs in the future.

Liu Feng ignored all of this and went back to his room to take a nap.

He rarely manages the pharmacy anymore; Mao Chengcheng basically handles everything. He doesn't really care about these small sums of money, mainly because he trusts Mao Chengcheng's character.

Whether to make soup or porridge for lunch is what he's really concerned about now. He Xiaoping's figure is getting rounder every day. As a pregnant woman, she can't do anything strenuous in the first few months, which is tough on Liu Feng. He can only try his best to get He Xiaoping to learn some new things.

Just then, Li Chenghao and his two groups left, and their vehicles stopped on the highway. Li Chenghao and another middle-aged man got out of their cars.

The two reached the roadside. Li Chenghao took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, tossed one to the other man, lit one for himself, took a deep drag, exhaled, and then slowly spoke.

"I don't think we can get 500,000. This is a bit difficult. What's the limit you're giving us?"

The middle-aged man on the other end of the line also took a deep drag on his cigarette and said with some irritation.

"one million!"

Li Chenghao was stunned when he heard the amount, then shook his head helplessly and said.

"As expected of brothers, he also has a million on my side. Do you think a million is enough to get that secret formula?"

The middle-aged man shook his head and sighed.

"I think it's a bit risky. That country bumpkin scoffed at 500,000. I reckon it'll cost at least several million to get it. Maybe we should ask for his approval?"

Li Chenghao was sent by Guo Laoda, while the middle-aged man opposite him was sent by Guo Laoer. The two Guo brothers were known to be fighting to the death, and all the employees in their group knew this. However, the people below them were just doing their jobs for a salary, so their relationship wasn't that bad.

Since everyone works for the same company, they naturally know each other. After the two sides met, they confirmed their cooperation through eye contact.

They originally thought that if they could get the 500,000, both sides would take the secret recipe and claim credit, and neither side would be a winner. That would be even better, so that no one would have to take sides.

But now that they couldn't get the secret recipe, the two of them were naturally a little frustrated. This matter needed to be discussed in detail, and they could only report it to their respective masters, who would then make the decision.

After receiving the news, Guo Laoda and Guo Laoer didn't react with any particular emotion. It's normal for country bumpkins to ask for exorbitant prices. As long as the secret formula wasn't bought by the other party, it didn't matter.

As expected, the brothers were of one mind. Both Guo Lao Da and Guo Lao Er felt that one million was an astronomical price for mainland China at that time, and they were unwilling to raise it any higher.

As long as we don't let the other party buy us, we can just stay put.

Thus, the two sides entered another stalemate. Li Chenghao and the middle-aged man went to Maojia Village again a week later, this time directly offering one million, but Liu Feng still had the same casual attitude and still quoted one hundred million. This left the two completely speechless. After discussing it, they decided to just wait and see what the higher-ups would say.

Guo the eldest and Guo the second were not surprised by this result. They simply had someone buy a batch of plasters at a high price. As for whether they could buy the secret recipe, they didn't care anymore. As long as the other party couldn't buy it, that was fine. As for the plasters, the third brother would send them, and so would they!

And so, when the two Guo brothers each brought a large bag of plasters to present to their grandfather, the old man was so angry when he saw the thousands of plasters they brought that he cursed them, saying, "These two good-for-nothings are more trouble than they are worth. Are they cursing me to die by bringing me so many plasters?"

When Guo Laosan heard that his eldest and second eldest brothers had sent him medicated plasters, he was both amused and exasperated. His eldest and second eldest brothers were quite something, having fought for the position of successor for decades, but now they had to resort to such petty tricks.

The two brothers' act of sending the plaster gave Guo Laosan an idea. This plaster was indeed quite magical. Since the old man applied it, his health had even improved. This showed that this plaster really had its magic. If he could introduce this plaster to Hong Kong and even sell it all over the world, he would definitely make a lot of money!

With this in mind, Guo Laosan returned to Pengcheng overnight, and soon found Maojia Village by following the route taken by his elder brothers' henchmen, where he met Liu Feng.

Liu Feng was speechless when faced with the third wave of people coming to his door. He had originally wanted Mao Chengcheng to send them away, but they specifically asked to meet with him.

Liu Feng had no choice but to go and meet him. To his surprise, the man in his thirties was different from the previous two groups. Judging from his appearance and demeanor, he seemed to be someone who could make decisions.

Moreover, this Guo Laosan did not propose to buy the secret formula, but instead proposed cooperation, and directly showed Liu Feng a cooperation agreement.

After carefully reading through the details, Liu Feng was quite surprised because the cooperation terms were very fair. Liu Feng would provide the secret formula, while he would provide the capital, guaranteeing that his investment would not be less than ten million yuan. The two parties would establish a company under the name of a joint venture and jointly build a factory in mainland China for production. He would be responsible for sales and promotion in Hong Kong and overseas, while Liu Feng would also participate in the management of the mainland factory. The shares would be split 40/60, with him holding 60% and Liu Feng holding 40%.

The other party in this collaboration is indeed quite conscientious. After all, in their eyes, Liu Feng's value is only that magical plaster formula. Although Liu Feng asked for 100 million, no one takes it seriously.

As for the other party's suggestion to involve Liu Feng in the management of the mainland factory, it was really just to give Liu Feng a job so that he could feel at ease. The other party's cooperation agreement was probably worth 40% of the shares for Liu Feng's secret formula, and the other party had channels in Hong Kong and overseas, which was not comparable to a few million.

That's why Liu Feng was quite surprised. He carefully examined the face of Guo Laosan in front of him. The man's face was quite frank, and he couldn't tell if he had any other personality traits. As the saying goes, "the face reflects the heart," so it seemed that the man was honest and straightforward in his dealings with others, which suited Liu Feng's taste.

Cooperation was possible, but after thinking it over, Liu Feng drafted a new cooperation agreement and showed it to the other party.

Guo Laosan carefully examined the cooperation agreement provided by Liu Feng. After a long period of reading, he finally nodded and agreed to Liu Feng's proposal. However, Guo Laosan couldn't help but ask Liu Feng a question due to his doubts.

"Mr. Liu, you are so optimistic about the mainland market?"

Liu Feng smiled without saying a word and nodded.

The two parties quickly reached a cooperation agreement and signed it at the hotel. Guo Laosan also signed his name. Guo Zhenyuan's handwriting was bold and unrestrained, reflecting his personality.

The new cooperation agreement didn't change much. Liu Feng didn't fight for the shares; it was 40% each. However, he only added one shareholder: Mao Chengcheng held 10%, he held 30%, and Guo Zhenyuan held 60%.

Both parties jointly own the brand and secret recipe of "Imperial Secret Plaster," but this cooperation does not include the mainland market.

In other words, Guo Zhenyuan can only sell his products in markets outside mainland China from now on, excluding the mainland market.

In other words, Liu Feng can set up a private company in mainland China or cooperate with others in the future, but the sales scope can only be limited to mainland China.

Liu Feng will not need to share the sales profits with Guo Zhenyuan in mainland China; this is the biggest change in the cooperation agreement.

For Guo Zhenyuan, giving up the mainland market was something he agreed to after only a brief consideration.

Although he was among the first Hong Kong businessmen to invest in the mainland during the reform and opening up period, he was not particularly optimistic about the mainland's economic development. He felt that it would take at least several decades for the mainland to develop, and he didn't care about giving up this small amount of profit. All he needed was cheap land and labor in the mainland.

Thus, the two parties quickly completed the preliminary arrangements for cooperation. The new production base will be located in the Pengcheng area, and Guo Zhenyuan will be responsible for the procurement of machinery and equipment. Liu Feng and Mao Chengcheng will be responsible for the procurement of raw materials and the recruitment of workers from the mainland. Guo Zhenyuan's initial investment of five million yuan has also been transferred to the company account in accordance with the contract.

Liu Feng arranged his work perfectly, which surprised Guo Zhenyuan. He had originally planned to recruit a group of elites from Hong Kong to assist Liu Feng.

But Liu Feng didn't need any of that. He recruited talented people who were better suited to working on the mainland than those Hong Kong elites. No matter what procedures were involved, the people Liu Feng arranged could handle them quickly. This made Guo Zhenyuan admire a mainlander for the first time.

The cooperation between the two parties went smoothly. The factory was officially completed and delivered in April 1983. All the machines were put into operation in May. Production officially started at the end of May. In early June, the first batch of newly produced plasters and new tube ointments were officially launched.

The price in the mainland market remains at 98 cents per sheet, and a tube of ointment costs 1.98 yuan. However, in Hong Kong, the same product costs twice as much. Once it enters the overseas market, the price will be calculated in US dollars.

In 1983, Liu Feng achieved success in both his career and family life. The birth of his son, Liu Peng, made him feel that there was even more hope for his future.

Time flew by, and it was March 1988. The old man of the Guo family in Hong Kong finally passed away. It was a miracle that he had survived for so many years.

Guo Zhenyuan, who was handling company affairs in mainland China at the time, received the news that his father was dying and hurriedly prepared to return to Hong Kong. However, this time he took Liu Feng with him.

The old man was able to live for so many years thanks in no small part to Liu Feng's medical skills. As the cooperation between Liu Feng and Guo Zhenyuan deepened, the two gradually transformed from business partners into friends.

During a conversation, when the topic of Grandpa Guo's illness came up, Liu Feng offered to take a look. After arriving and giving Grandpa Guo a set of acupuncture treatments, Grandpa Guo's energy and spirits improved significantly. Grandpa Guo repeatedly exclaimed that a miracle doctor had been reborn. From then on, Liu Feng became a regular visitor to the Guo family.

With Liu Feng acting as a go-between, the relationship between Grandpa Guo and Guo Zhenyuan has improved considerably in recent years, and they have almost returned to a normal father-son relationship. Now that he heard the news that Grandpa Guo was dying, Guo Zhenyuan immediately thought of Liu Feng.

Liu Feng didn't hesitate and went to Gangcheng with Guo Zhenyuan that day, but they were a step too late. The old man had already been gone for more than two hours.

The passing of Old Master Guo reignited the feud within the Guo family. The news of his death also stripped the eldest and second eldest Guo brothers of their ancestral authority, and the struggle officially entered its final decisive stage.

Chapter Sixteen: Unforgettable

"Based on the will of Mr. Guo Yunqing, the client, we will now announce the contents of the will."

"First, all the shares of the group under Mr. Guo Yunqing's name will be inherited by his third son, Mr. Guo Zhenyuan... ...Second..."

Before the will was even finished being read, Guo Laoda and Guo Laoer stood up simultaneously, their expressions slowly shifting from astonishment to anger.

The will shocked them both beyond belief, and they cried out that it was unfair!

Even Guo Zhenyuan, who was sitting in the chair, was shocked. He never expected that the old man would hand over the Guo Group to him.

Although his relationship with his father has returned to normal over the years, that's all. He has never tried to please his father, nor has he interfered with the internal operations of the Guo Group.

He was simply fulfilling his duty as a son, bringing Liu Feng to treat his father's illness; it was just doing what a son should do.

He wasn't very interested in what his older brothers were fighting over, because he was already financially independent enough to support himself.

Over the years, he has moved all his business to the mainland. Several years ago, he even established a huge production base on the mainland by taking advantage of the cheap labor and land costs.

His initial main business was in the port city's electronics industry, and later in the clothing industry. He mainly manufactured for large groups, and by taking advantage of cheap labor and land costs, he earned his first real pot of gold.

However, in recent years, he has gradually shifted his business focus to pharmaceuticals, and with the recent discussions about commercial real estate in mainland China, he also intends to enter the commercial real estate industry.

He is very optimistic about the future prospects of the mainland. In the past few years, he has witnessed the development of the mainland firsthand. In Shenzhen, for example, the reform and opening up has only been going on for ten years, but now it is changing rapidly and the speed of development has far exceeded his imagination.

When he and Liu Feng first started the company, he never expected it to grow to such a large scale, but to his utter surprise, the company's growth rate far exceeded his expectations.

Just like the Mingzhi Pharmaceuticals founded by Liu Feng, its overseas annual sales have now exceeded 100 million US dollars, while its sales in mainland China have approached 50 million RMB. This growth rate far exceeds Guo Zhenyuan's expectations.

Fortunately, his cooperation with Liu Feng has always been quite good, and the two can be considered gentlemen's friends. Liu Feng has never cared much about business, and in recent years Liu Feng has gradually faded out of the company's management. Now, the person in charge on the mainland side is Mao Chengcheng.

Mingzhi Pharmaceutical has a limited number of products, less than ten in total, including a few plasters and a few ointments.

The company mainly produces ointments for treating burns and scalds. Although it has a very small reputation outside the company, its annual profits are very considerable. It has built its business on a single product and has achieved a unique leading position in its niche market.

In previous years, Mingzhi Pharmaceutical's advertising and promotion expenses accounted for more than 30% of the company's revenue. The advertising effect was surprisingly good. The main reason was that the drugs produced by Mingzhi Pharmaceutical had a treatment effect that almost surpassed that of its competitors. Once you used it, you would almost become a user for life.

In recent years, as the company has gradually grown in size, it has done virtually no promotion. It spends only a small amount of advertising fees each year on public service advertisements, and relies entirely on word-of-mouth for the rest. The company has also maintained a mysterious and positive image.

Anyway, Liu Feng and Guo Zhenyuan have already agreed that this company will never go public, and they'll just keep making a fortune quietly.

According to Liu Feng, he has now made enough money and it's time to enjoy life. He Xiaoping is pregnant with their second child, and this year he bought a small island abroad to start preparing for retirement. Although he is not yet forty, Liu Feng's laid-back attitude has indeed had a great influence on Guo Zhenyuan.

Indeed, in the years that Guo Zhenyuan had known Liu Feng, he had personally witnessed how Liu Feng could make a fortune every time he casually provided him with a few ideas.

If Liu Feng had invested himself, his net worth would probably be in the tens of billions by now, but Liu Feng never even considered becoming the world's richest man.

He is now a low-profile billionaire, living a simple and unassuming life with his family of three in a two-story house.

This mentality has also affected Guo Zhenyuan, so his businesses have gradually shrunk in recent years, no longer pursuing diversification. Apart from his pharmaceutical company, other businesses are no longer expanding.

He followed Liu Feng's advice and acquired a large tract of land from the Shenzhen government to support commercial real estate development in mainland China. His mentality gradually became more laid-back; he could make money while lying down, so why bother to work hard?

But to his utter surprise, the old man suddenly handed over the Guo Group to him. How could this not shock Guo Zhenyuan?

Guo Zhenyuan was shocked, and his two older brothers were even more shocked. The two brothers had fought for this family business for decades, only to have it snatched away by a junior. How could they swallow this insult?

Guo Lao Da and Guo Lao Er walked up to the lawyer, grabbed his collar, and questioned the authenticity of the will.

The bespectacled lawyer remained completely calm, adjusted his glasses, and had his assistant bring out the evidence.

The old man was shrewd and experienced; he had foreseen everything that was going to happen today, and all the notarization procedures were in place.

Of course, as the eldest son and son, the old man also left a portion of the inheritance to them and their children. This included cash, real estate and some overseas assets. The value of each family's inheritance was around HK$1 billion, and the value of the two families' inheritances was almost equal, which completely prevented the two from feeling that it was unfair.

This money is enough for them to continue living a life of luxury; they remain the top tycoons in the port city.

However, each family's inheritance of 1 billion is insignificant compared to the Guo Group's assets, which are worth tens of billions. But what can they do now, faced with everything that the old man has already arranged?

Guo Laoda's face turned ashen. Without saying a word, he led his family away.

Because Guo, the eldest brother, had been by the old man's side for decades, he knew very well that the old man would not leave them any chance. This will had basically determined their future lives, and he and the second brother were out of the game.

After Guo Lao Er saw Guo Lao Da leave, he picked up a vase next to him and smashed it against the wall. The antique vase, worth hundreds of thousands of yuan, shattered instantly. The bespectacled lawyer next to him smiled and asked Guo Zhenyuan a question.

"Mr. Guo Zhenyuan, this vase has been your property for the past five minutes. Should I send a lawyer's letter to Mr. Guo Zhenhai?"

Guo Zhenyuan was speechless. This lawyer really didn't seem to care about making things worse. Sure enough, upon hearing this, Guo Lao Er's face turned ashen. He kicked aside the chair blocking his way and strode outside. His children quickly got up and followed him out.