NOVEL NEXT Ch. 11
Chapter 11: The Blood and Sweat Factory of the Saintess of Alchemy!
She didn’t even notice that she had already begun to seriously consider this invitation.
Chu Feng secretly smiled in his heart — the fish had taken the bait.
This was exactly the effect he wanted — to completely reconstruct the other party’s cognitive framework with a brand-new concept, a strike from a higher dimension.
“The CPO’s responsibility is not to refine pills.” Chu Feng’s expression was solemn and serious, as if he were stating a sacred law. “Her responsibility is to decide what kind of pills our ‘Ascension Group’ should produce, for whom, and how we define a ‘good’ pill.”
“For example,” Chu Feng pointed at the ‘coal ball’ on the ground and Leng Yanran’s so-called ‘artwork,’ “we now have two types of ‘products.’ One is the ‘Elite Edition Qi Nourishing Pill.’ Its advantage is strong efficacy; its disadvantage, high cost and low yield. The other is the ‘Mass Edition Qi Nourishing Pill.’ Its advantage is low cost and high output; its disadvantage, weaker efficacy and poor appearance.”
“As the CPO, the first thing you need to do is analyze the needs of our ‘users.’ Our largest user group is the outer disciples and those from the Chores Courtyard. What do they need the most? Is it a pill that triples its effect when taken once in a while, or one they can afford to take daily to ensure stable cultivation?”
This question needed no answer.
Leng Yanran fell silent.
She recalled those outer disciples who stood outside the Pill Pavilion, gazing at the inner disciples receiving their pills with eyes full of longing and inferiority.
“Therefore, the second responsibility of the CPO is to set the standards.” Chu Feng continued, “We must give up the vague pursuit of the so-called ‘top-grade.’ We need to establish a measurable standard! For instance, for the ‘Mass Edition Qi Nourishing Pill V1.0,’ our standard shall be: efficacy must reach seventy percent of a normal Qi Nourishing Pill, cost must not exceed three spirit stones, and the success rate must be above ninety percent! Every product leaving the factory must meet or exceed this standard!”
“And your task is to use your knowledge of the Dao of Alchemy to design a stable production process that achieves this standard! From ingredient ratios, to heat control, to pill-forming techniques — every step must be turned into an ‘operation manual’ so that anyone — even simpletons like Zhang San, Li Si, and Wang Wu — as long as they follow it, can produce qualified products!”
“You are no longer a craftsman. You are a rule-maker!”
Rule-maker!
Those five words struck like lightning, piercing through the fog in Leng Yanran’s mind.
Since childhood, she had always followed rules made by others — the family’s rules, the sect’s rules, the rules of the Dao of Alchemy.
She had never imagined that one day, she could be the one to make the rules.
Such temptation was fatal to a genius who had been suppressed for far too long.
“I…” Leng Yanran’s breathing grew rapid.
She looked into Chu Feng’s eyes — eyes that seemed to see through everything — while her heart waged an internal war.
On one side was the lofty and pure “artistic alchemy” she had held onto for over a decade.
On the other was the path Chu Feng had painted for her — a path full of the unknown, heretical, yet seemingly limitless in potential — the “industrialized alchemy” road.
“Senior Sister Leng, join us.” Chu Feng extended his hand, issuing his final invitation. “Your talent should not be buried in a corner. The world is vast — you should stand at the center of the stage and let everyone see your brilliance. But not as a mere alchemist, rather as… a revolutionary leader!”
Looking at Chu Feng’s outstretched hand, his unshakable confidence, and the gazes of expectation and awe from the members of the ‘Heavenly Dao Mutual Aid Association’ around them —
Leng Yanran knew she no longer had a way back.
Or rather, her pride compelled her to take a glimpse at that brand-new world.
She took a deep breath, and finally, slowly extended her pale hand, gently placing it in Chu Feng’s palm.
“Alright, I accept.”
The moment their hands clasped, the entire Pill Pavilion erupted into a thunderous uproar.
The alchemy genius Leng Yanran had truly… truly joined that so-called ‘Heavenly Dao Mutual Aid Association’!
Zhang Daniu and the others howled in excitement.
“Welcome, CPO!”
“Welcome home, Senior Sister Leng!”
Chu Feng smiled radiantly.
He knew that his ‘Ascension Group’ had finally gained its first true ‘technical co-founder.’
“Excellent!” Chu Feng gripped her hand firmly before letting go. “CPO Leng, welcome to the team. Now, I’ll assign you your first task.”
“What is it?” Leng Yanran was still not used to the new title.
“Starting tomorrow, you’ll move to the Chores Courtyard — the ‘Group Headquarters,’” Chu Feng said, “and within three days, I want to see the first draft of the standardized production process (SOP) for the ‘Mass Edition Qi Nourishing Pill V1.0.’”
“And,” Chu Feng pointed at the still-excited Zhang San, Li Si, and Wang Wu beside him, “these three will be your initial staff for the ‘Product Development Department.’ All your plans will need to be tested through them.”
After finishing, Chu Feng ignored the petrified Leng Yanran, turned to the Pill Pavilion steward, and clasped his hands. “Steward, the wager has been settled. Farewell.”
Then, with a wave of his hand, he called out to all Mutual Aid Association members, “Family, gather our spoils and head back to headquarters — we’re holding a celebration banquet!”
“Oh!”
A cheer erupted as the crowd stuffed those ‘black coal balls’ into sacks, surrounding their president and marching off in high spirits.
Only Leng Yanran was left standing in a daze, watching her three grinning new ‘subordinates’ approach, then glancing back at the familiar, elegant environment of the Pill Pavilion — before picturing the ‘Chores Courtyard Headquarters’ Chu Feng had mentioned.
She suddenly felt as though she had fallen straight from heaven into a blood-and-sweat factory.
Three days later, at the Chores Courtyard — now referred to by Chu Feng as the “temporary headquarters of the Ascension Group.”
The place was several times livelier than before.
The courtyard had been divided into several zones — Zhang Daniu led a group of new members in the “training area,” shouting slogans like “Mutual help, resource sharing, common prosperity.”
Wu Hao was in the “operations area,” teaching another group how to develop “new clients” — in other words, how to recruit downlines — gesturing animatedly as he spoke.
The entire courtyard was filled with that cheap yet fervent energy unique to pyramid schemes.
And in the most remote corner of the courtyard, inside a simple shed built from planks, was Leng Yanran’s “CPO Office.”