Chapter 256 - 214: Priceless Treasure

Chapter 256: Chapter 214: Priceless Treasure

In the study of the mountaintop villa.

Gu Heng sat at his computer, fingers flying across the keyboard.

With each line of text that appeared on the screen, the *Meng Shen’s Dietary Canon*, lost for a thousand years, slowly reemerged into the world.

Before Gu Heng had been infused with the knowledge of the *Meng Shen’s Dietary Canon*, he had only looked at the system’s introduction. He’d found it impressive, even if he didn’t fully grasp why, and its true value remained a blur.

Only after Gu Heng had thoroughly digested the entire *Meng Shen’s Dietary Canon* did he realize the immense value it held.

According to the text, the 81 secret medicinal recipes contained within the *Meng Shen’s Dietary Canon* could address four of modern society’s most common ailments: insomnia, fatigue, the need for an aphrodisiac, and menstrual pain. With long-term, consistent use, patients could find significant relief, or even a complete cure.

Beyond that, the *Meng Shen’s Dietary Canon* contained many other secret recipes with incredible effects: relieving fatigue, boosting immunity, nourishing the blood to improve one’s complexion, strengthening bones and sinews, and balancing yin and yang. Reading the descriptions, Gu Heng found it all a bit hard to believe.

If the effects described in the *Meng Shen’s Dietary Canon*’s recipes were all true, Gu Heng couldn’t begin to imagine how wildly successful a medicinal cuisine brand based on it would be. He’d be making money hand over fist, enough to make his hands cramp.

Take insomnia, for instance. With the immense psychological pressure people face today, it has steadily become one of modern society’s primary health concerns.

Statistics show that in China alone, over 300 million people suffer from sleep disorders. Globally, that figure could be more than ten times higher.

Insomnia may seem common, but its effects are anything but minor.

It has a massive impact on one’s work, personal life, and mental, physical, and emotional health. Short-term insomnia can lead to daytime fatigue, poor concentration, irritability, and anxiety. Long-term insomnia can result in more severe consequences, like a weakened immune system, hormonal imbalances, an increased risk of depression, and memory loss.

Countless people are tormented by insomnia to the point of mental exhaustion, eventually forced to rely on sleeping pills. Opting for these Western medicines, which have major side effects with long-term use, is no different from drinking poison to quench a thirst.

However, among the 81 secret recipes in the *Meng Shen’s Dietary Canon*, several could completely cure insomnia. There were different recipes tailored to a person’s age, gender, and specific symptoms, capable of providing targeted relief or even a permanent cure.

’If what the *Meng Shen’s Dietary Canon* describes is true,’ he thought, ’then all 300 million-plus insomniacs in the country are my potential customers. Plus, medicinal cuisine is a form of dietary therapy. It requires consistent, long-term use to be effective, which means the repurchase rate would be incredibly high.’

Then there was the issue of menstrual pain, another thorny problem that plagued countless women.

Menstrual pain is like a toothache: it might not be considered a disease, but when it hits, it’s absolute agony.

Countless young women were tormented by it every month, their normal lives completely disrupted. Some even developed mental health issues from the chronic pain.

Statistics showed that in China alone, there were nearly 1.1 billion episodes of menstrual pain annually, with around 80 million young women suffering from it. And 90% of those cases were primary dysmenorrhea.

What is primary dysmenorrhea?

It’s the most agonizing kind, characterized primarily by spastic pain in the lower abdomen.

Modern medicine offers no definitive cure for this condition. As a result, young women can only resort to treating the symptoms, not the root cause, by taking ibuprofen or low-dose birth control pills for temporary relief.

’Although menstrual pain isn’t as widespread as insomnia,’ he mused, ’you can’t underestimate the spending power of women. Young women today are especially willing to spend on themselves. And if they have a boyfriend or a few simps around, they won’t even have to pay out of their own pockets.’

’The key is, this isn’t like buying a handbag or clothes, which can make a man resentful.’

’A girl just has to say: "Can you really bear to watch me suffer like this?"’

’With that one line, a man would go borrow money even if his pockets were empty. After all, at that point, it’s a question of his attitude.’

’So, when you look at it that way, the market for treating insomnia and the market for treating menstrual pain are actually quite similar. Both have enormous potential.’

As for the matter of aphrodisiacs, no lengthy explanation was needed.

It was something every man understood.

The market for it was so massive that the insomnia and menstrual pain markets combined couldn’t even come close.

Doctor: "You’re experiencing... a deficiency."

Man: "Quack! That’s complete nonsense!"

Doctor: "But I can fix it."

Man: "Miracle worker! I’m forever in your debt!"

Rich or poor, as long as the price wasn’t outrageous, any man who needed it would almost certainly buy it.

Each of the 81 secret medicinal recipes in the *Meng Shen’s Dietary Canon* was priceless. For patients in need, they were nothing short of a lifeline.

Gu Heng’s fingers tapped rapidly across the keyboard, his mind racing as his vision for the future grew ever wider.

Zhen Cui Group had six major restaurant brands under its umbrella.

Aside from Sushi Yun Omakase, which was a new venture, the other five brands had been well-established in their respective high-end culinary niches for years. They were perfectly positioned for brand development and chain expansion, something Gu Heng had been planning for a long time.