Chapter 295: Perfume

Fang Yun thought Chen Erbao had taken a fancy to Jiang Yu and immediately stepped in to defuse the situation.

When Chen Erbao noticed everyone giving him strange looks, he chuckled and explained, "Actually, I've been planning to create a perfume using Chinese medicinal herbs, so I've become more sensitive to scents. Please don't take it the wrong way!"

"Oh, so that's what it was. I thought Divine Doctor Chen…"

Fang Yi burst out laughing in realization.

Jiang Yu lifted her head slightly, secretly sizing up Chen Erbao.

'So Divine Doctor Chen isn't interested in me…'

An indescribable feeling welled up in her heart.

She didn't know much about Chen Erbao to begin with. Her only real impression of him was from when he had treated Zhao Feng. Chen Erbao had burst onto the scene, completely changing her world.

Her master, Fang Yi, had been so impressed that he was willing to abandon his status in the Capital City's medical community just to become a village doctor in Bailong Village!

All of her and Song Yue's research projects depended on Elder Fang. That, combined with her deep admiration for him, was why she had followed him to this remote mountain village.

Being away from the hustle and bustle of the big city had its own unique sense of comfort.

At the same time, her curiosity about Chen Erbao only grew.

He was so young, yet his medical skills were incredible. She had also heard from the villagers that Chen Erbao was a very successful businessman…

Aside from his formal education, which couldn't compare to hers, every other aspect of him intrigued her.

As a top student, Jiang Yu might not have been a peerless genius, but becoming a doctoral candidate at Beijing Medical College certainly made her one in ten thousand. She couldn't fathom how someone who had graduated from an ordinary university could possess such extraordinary abilities.

As the saying goes, curiosity is the first step in a woman's fall.

"Divine Doctor Chen… you want to develop a perfume?"

Jiang Yu mustered her courage and asked in a low voice.

"That's right. I'm getting ready to start mixing it in the next few days. I have a rough idea, but I'm not sure how it will turn out."

"The... the scent on me is just from spending so much time in the pharmacy lately. It must be the smell of a few herbs mixed together."

Chen Erbao nodded at her words. 'It must be a coincidence,' he thought.

Hearing Chen Erbao's idea, Fang Yi's interest was piqued. "Divine Doctor Chen, we're relatively free lately. Why don't we research this herbal perfume together? Of course, any results from the research would be all yours. We just want to follow you and learn!"

Chen Erbao gave a wry smile. "Elder Fang, please don't say that. Tell you what, I'm pretty busy myself. After dinner, I'll write down the formula. You all can try mixing it a few times and see if you can get it right. If it works out, I'll give you a share of the profits!"

"Bringing money into it is just tacky. I'm not short on money. I'd gladly pay for the opportunity to learn from Divine Doctor Chen!"

Fang Yi was resolute.

His mind was so preoccupied with the formula Chen Erbao was about to write that he couldn't even taste the food in his mouth.

The meal ended quickly, and Fang Yun and Chen Dabao helped clean up.

"Please wait a moment, the three of you. I'm going to write down the formula. I'll be quick."

Chen Erbao went to the backyard, took out a pen and paper, and began to write.

In truth, the Joyful Technique contained a recipe for something called a Scent Retaining Pill. Its effects were incredibly potent, even capable of Brightening the Spirit and Calming the Qi. However, it required aged medicinal herbs and the assistance of Spiritual Qi.

Chen Erbao didn't want to go through all that trouble. He planned to simplify the Scent Retaining Pill's Pill Formula, just enough to achieve a worldly standard.

Soon, the formula was written out. Chen Erbao had made a few modifications based on his own medical knowledge. Now, everything depended on the test results from Fang Yi and his team.

Returning to the front yard, Chen Erbao handed the paper to Fang Yi. After looking it over, a curious expression appeared in Fang Yi's eyes. "Divine Doctor Chen, when we're mixing this, should we strictly follow the quantities you've specified here?"

"Not necessarily. Don't change the order of the ingredients, but you can vary the quantities slightly to see which combination works best. I'm not entirely sure myself, since I've never made this kind of thing before!"

Fang Yi chuckled. "I've been practicing medicine for so many years, and I never thought to make perfume from herbs. Divine Doctor Chen, you truly have a sharp mind!"

"…"

...

After seeing off Fang Yi and the other two, Chen Erbao took Fang Yun to the factory. He didn't stay long, just long enough to grab twelve Spirit-Containing Objects from the warehouse before driving back to Bailong Village.

This afternoon, he would begin setting up the Spirit Gathering Array!

"Brother Da Bao, are there any guys free in the village?"

Chen Dabao was waiting at the courtyard gate. Chen Erbao asked as he parked his car.

"About ten or so. They've been idle lately, no work to do."

"Get a few of the reliable ones. I need help moving some things up the mountain. It's two hundred a person!"

"Alright, I'll go get them now."

In no time, Chen Dabao returned with seven or eight sturdy, honest-looking farmers.

"Er Bao, what are we moving?"

"Just tell us. We're no good at thinking jobs, but we're experts when it comes to hauling things!"

They were all dependable villagers, and they greeted Chen Erbao with friendly smiles.

Chen Erbao handed each of them a cigarette, then pointed to the twelve boxes in the trunk and said with a smile, "Gentlemen, it's just these things. They're not heavy, but they're extremely valuable, so they can't take a single knock. Everyone clear on that? It's two hundred per person!"

"No problem!"

One of the men stepped forward and lifted a wooden box. Finding it surprisingly light, he immediately nodded.

The others chimed in with their agreement.

Chen Erbao nodded, pulled a wad of cash from his pocket, and handed two hundred to each man. "I'm paying you all upfront. Be extra careful in a bit. You absolutely cannot drop these!"

Chen Erbao drove to the foot of the mountain while the others walked or rode electric scooters. Before long, they had all gathered at the base.

The stone steps built by the construction crew came into view. Chen Erbao and Chen Dabao each carried two boxes and led the way.

With one box per person for the rest, the load was light. They started up the mountain, following the smooth stone steps.

Building the path had been a wise choice. It used to take at least two hours to climb to the mountainside. Now, with the stone steps, it took less than an hour for the group to see the fence built at the halfway point.

Once they arrived, Chen Erbao had them place all the Spirit-Containing Objects together. He then handed out another round of cigarettes and told them they could head back down the mountain.

"Brother Da Bao, you should hire a few reliable and sharp guys in the future. Pay them a daily wage and have them take turns guarding the mountain. It's too tiring for you to be running back and forth by yourself."

Chen Dabao didn't object and nodded in agreement.

After all, the planting base had cost tens of millions. A few salaries were nothing in comparison.

"When will the power for the surveillance cameras be hooked up?"

Chen Erbao asked, looking at the surrounding security cameras.

"It should be in the next few days. With Village Chief Zhao's help, the town has already given its approval. They'll start construction on the lines and the signal tower tomorrow. It should be done within three days."

Bailong Village already had the infrastructure; it just needed to be extended up the mountain along the steps.

Chen Erbao nodded. He began to walk around, observing the terrain and preparing to lay out the grand array.