Chapter 299: The Explorer’s Union

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Machines were precise, but they lacked a human’s touch. Creating drugs wasn’t easy, and problems could arise at any stage of the process. A machine programmed a certain way wouldn’t be able to react to problems as they happened and could ultimately ruin the whole process.

Gao Peng really wanted to mentor Xu Qingzhi. Even though she wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, she was diligent and never gave up. As long as she kept putting in the work, there was still plenty of room for growth.

She kept on working and finally called it a night around eleven. In the afternoon, Gao Peng guided her through the process three times and taught her some extra tips and tricks to boot.

She had a pretty good memory, memorizing it all after seeing it only a couple of times.

All that was left was for her to practice and practice until she could do it in her sleep. Talk was cheap, and there were lessons to be learned in failure, too.

Gao Peng had already stocked the lab with plenty of materials and ingredients for her to practice with, including the creature essence she needed to make the Blood Drug.

The effectiveness of a drug could not solely be determined from appearance. What happened after taking the drug is what mattered the most.

…

When night fell, Gao Peng handed his grandfather a tablet containing the locations of the Mountain Spirits. “I found 168 of them that were willing to work with us.”

His grandfather put down the tablet and steepled his fingers under his chin. “Are you only on planning on setting up a network of outposts, or do you have something else in mind? If that’s all you plan on doing, all you need to do is to fork over the initial capital and watch the cash roll in.” Ji Hanwu shot Gao Peng a quizzical glance.

Gao Peng sighed deeply. “I need your advice, grandfather.”

“The fact that the Mountain Spirits are willing to join you is all due to Stripey. It’s the key to all your plans. With it by your side, no one will dare make a move against you. It has its pride, after all.” His tone was somber.

“Using the Mountain Spirits only to make a quick buck would be incredibly crass.” His grandfather paused. “On the other hand, I believe that the hunters who depend on these outposts for their livelihood should be fair game.”

His brow furrowed. “Are we taking a cut from the hunter’s loot?”

Ji Hanwu burst out in laughter. “That’s pretty bold of you, going after their loot like that. Honestly, doing that won’t end well for anyone.”

Gao Peng smiled bashfully.

“The key is to gather these hunters and make them your customers. No matter what it takes, you must. ” His grandfather’s tone grew serious.

Hearing it said so starkly, Gao Peng finally understood what his grandfather was trying to say. While his plan was certainly risky, it was possible.

Now that he had a renewed perspective on the issue, he started engaging his grandfather in a lively discussion to hammer out the kinks in their plan.

After a night of consideration, they decided to name their new group the “Explorer’s Union.”

The Mountain Spirit outposts would be the flagship offering of the Explorer’s Union. Members would enjoy a fifty percent discount on lodging.

Naturally, Gao Peng marked up the prices twofold before offering the discount.

Because of how close the outposts were to Yuzhou Base City, thirty percent of the profits would go to the Yu Zhou government. Wealth had to be spread around; no one liked a miser. Sharing the profits this way would mean less bureaucratic hassle and help them avoid any unexpected headaches.

This arrangement wasn’t limited to just the outposts. Any future business venture under the Explorer’s Union would split thirty percent of their profits with the nearest base city.

The union would be led by Ji Hanwu.

Ji Hanwu was initially reluctant to take up the post, thinking that Gao Peng should be the one to do it. Gao Peng steadfastly refused.

“Such a busy and important job can only be handled by you. I’m fine being second-in-command,” Gao Peng insisted sternly.

In addition, twenty percent of the profits would be distributed as a year-end bonus to the staff of the union. Their share of the bonus would depend on factors like their performance and rank.

The remainder of the profit would be pocketed directly by Gao Peng…

Another benefit that came with being a member of the union was a ten percent member discount anytime one purchased anything under the Southern Sky Group brand.

It may not have sounded like much, but those credits added up. It would definitely come in handy, not only for the buyer, but also for the merchants carrying Southern Sky products.

Once this initial venture took off and stabilized, Gao Peng would open chapters of the Explorer’s Union all over the world.

Places like the Dong Ting Recreational Zone, the Sky Villa, the Amazon Hall, and the Baimu Delta Recreational Zone were all within the realm of possibility…

Ever since the Cataclysm, these areas had been strictly off limits.

Yet myth and legend had swirled around these places since ancient times. Who knew? It could have been possible to evolve a rare and powerful creature in these places.

…

The Explorer’s Union was a separate entity from the Southern Sky Group.

Of course, anyone who was privy to the truth would know that the two entities were led by the same person.

Half a month had passed since the union had been established.

Business had been slow at first, but it had kind of exploded towards the end.

The union was established in the western outskirts of Yuzhou City, not too far away from the Southern Sky Group.

The gates to the union were framed by a massive wall, around 100 feet tall. The wall was made of pure dragon granite that Stripey had called forth from the earth using its ability. Obsidian and menacing, the rough, jagged wall was topped with deadly spikes.

The pure dragon granite that Stripey had manipulated out of the earth was nigh impenetrable.

From the lobby to the front gate, trainers were lining up in droves to sign up.

At first, there had only been a couple of Monster Hunting Squads who signed up out of curiosity. Then they started hunting and brought in double the amount of their normal loot. News started spreading like wildfire.

As more and more squads found out about the Explorer’s Union and the legion of Mountain Spirits under their control, they were struck speechless. What kind of union had the power to man a network of outposts with freaking Lord-tier Mountain Spirits?

Another factor that drove the trainers to sign up with the union, besides the increased loot and the perceived strength of the union, was the cost of renting a Mountain Spirit. While it was indeed an invaluable service, the disgusting prices all but ensured that the name Gao Peng was, to put it mildly, soundly cursed by trainers, rich and poor alike.

It was a good thing that members of the Explorer’s Union received a fifty percent discount on the use of the Mountain Spirits.

For this discount alone, teams were driven to join the union.

The outposts were only a platform to attract talent. Those who dared to venture into the deep mountains where the outposts were located had to be trainers of a certain caliber. Half a month in, more than ninety percent of the high-level trainers in Yuzhou City had already signed up to join the Explorer’s Union.

As a result, a new powerhouse was born in Yuzhou City.

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