Chapter 75: Green Bird Pharmaceuticals

Chapter 75: Green Bird Pharmaceuticals

Early in the morning, Guan Yuanfeng had already left for the conference venue. He returned the previous night, somewhat worried about Zhou Yun, but with a packed meeting agenda, he couldn't afford to miss it.

Zhou Yun, on the other hand, was squatting in front of a storage box. The night before, he had released the huge mutated Ganoderma lucidum and cast a growth spell to accelerate its maturation.

When mature, the Ganoderma lucidum would eject spores from the pores under its cap. He had placed it in a large glass storage tank before going to bed, and sure enough, in the morning, he found the tank filled with Ganoderma spores.

Pleased with the result, he retrieved the mutated Ganoderma and sealed the lid. The spores still needed to be screened, cleaned, dried, and then broken into fine spore powder before they could be consumed.

Of course, Guan Yuanfeng's place didn't have the necessary equipment, so Zhou Yun had to take it to his teacher's pharmaceutical room to use the equipment there.

He decided to load all the medicinal herbs he had collected from the Jiuyi Mountains into the car and take them to his teacher's place for processing. As he was leaving, Comet followed him closely, clearly afraid of being left behind again, so Zhou Yun took Comet along in the car.

However, when he drove over and got out of the car at the entrance, he saw that the garden at his teacher's place was bustling with activity.

After parking and exiting the car, a black cat on the fence nimbly jumped down and retreated inside.

Soon, Qin Mu and Qin Sheng came out to help unload the herbs from the car. Qin Mu explained to him, "Last night, someone did come to spy. Qin Sheng went out to confront them, and they immediately ran away. One was an Earth Psychic, and the other was a Fire Psychic. They seemed very familiar with the environment here. I was worried they might be trying to lure us away, so I prioritized the teacher's safety and didn't let Qin Sheng chase them too far."

Zhou Yun nodded, "That's right, the teacher's safety comes first."

Ren Duoduo ran to the entrance, holding onto the garden fence and calling out excitedly, "Comet! Comet, over here!" She had already changed out of her protective suit and was now wearing a little girl's pink-blue princess dress with lace socks and small leather shoes.

Zhou Yun smiled and opened the door for Comet, "Go play."

Comet dashed over and quickly started circling around Ren Duoduo's feet. Ren Duoduo laughed heartily as she vigorously rubbed Comet's head and then turned to Zhou Yun, "Uncle Zhou, isn't Uncle Guan coming today? What are all these?"

Zhou Yun directed Qin Sheng to move the storage boxes of herbs to the pharmaceutical room, "These are all the medicinal herbs I collected from the Jiuyi Mountains. I need to use the equipment here to process them, or they might spoil. Why are you all here?"

Qin Mu came over to help and smiled, "Your teacher called Dean Mi Zongyu early in the morning, ostensibly to thank him for inviting experts on your behalf, but in reality, he was bragging about his prized student. Then Dean Mi found out you were coming today and brought Duoduo over early to wait for you here."

Zhou Yun: "..." It seemed his teacher had become more childlike in his old age, probably having held back for a long time.

However, Dean Mi Zongyu had indeed been a great help this time, and he was well aware of Zhou Yun's existence. He had also carefully invited experts for them, so it would have been somewhat impolite for Zhou Yun not to visit.

It was just that too many things and people had suddenly come up these days, and his old habit of not wanting to meet strangers had resurfaced.

Ren Duoduo asked him, "Can I watch while you process these herbs?"

He asked, "Where are your grandfather and Teacher Yao?"

Ren Duoduo replied, "They're in the back garden practicing the Ba Duan Jin."

Zhou Yun nodded and walked to the back, where he indeed saw the two elderly gentlemen dressed in silk practice uniforms, seriously following a music video to practice the Ba Duan Jin.

Zhou Yun stood quietly to the side and watched them finish a set before stepping forward to greet them, "Hello, Teacher. Hello, Dean Mi."

Mi Zongyu smiled and said, "You truly are a remarkable talent. No wonder Mr. Yao is so proud. He called me early in the morning to thank me. I was puzzled—with such a deep lineage in Dr. Zhou's school, why hadn't Qin Mu mentioned it? With Mr. Yao here, why would I need to go out of my way? It turns out Dr. Zhou has been keeping a low profile."

Yao Huan said proudly, "It's not that he didn't want to mention it; he genuinely didn't know I was in Central Base. He just arrived from Beiming, unaware of the bigger picture, and was hit hard by the Psychic Research Institute. That's why he's been scrambling to find connections. Thanks to Dean Mi's generosity, these young folks tend to panic at the slightest trouble."

Mi Zongyu laughed, "I'm not being generous; I'm repaying a favor. My little granddaughter and her father were in danger on their way to Central Base, and Dr. Zhou came to their rescue. I am profoundly grateful."

Yao Huan was surprised; he hadn't known about this. Zhou Yun said, "Dean Mi, there's no need to be so polite. Anyone in that situation would have helped. I just did what any normal person would do."

Mi Zongyu said, "In these tumultuous times, with all manner of people emerging, it's rare to find someone who still acts as they did before the apocalypse. It's truly admirable, especially considering you're Mr. Yao's disciple—proof that a great teacher produces outstanding students."

Yao Huan beamed, "This disciple of mine is exceptionally kind-hearted and gentle. I've often told him that if he keeps going like this, he's bound to suffer a big loss someday."

Zhou Yun: "..." He quickly changed the subject: "Teacher, I previously harvested a lot of herbs in the Jiuyi Mountains. Today, I need to use your pharmaceutical room to process them. Also, as I mentioned yesterday, I have some mutated Ganoderma lucidum spores. I originally planned to process them today and give a bottle to Dean Mi."

Mi Zongyu perked up: "Mutated Ganoderma lucidum spores? That's a rare find! Previously, someone got their hands on a mutated Ganoderma lucidum, about the size of a wood ear, and it sold for three king-tier crystal cores."

Zhou Yun: "Yes, the spores have been collected. They need to be freeze-dried and then broken down. Later, Dean Mi can take a bottle back to try."

Yao Huan waved his hand: "Let's head to the pharmaceutical room and check out the herbs you've got."

The group headed to the pharmaceutical room, with Qin Sheng being pulled along to help with cutting the herbs.

Qin Mu, meanwhile, released the black cat outside for surveillance, but Ren Duoduo, who was walking with Comet, noticed and politely asked, "Uncle Qin, what's the cat's name?"

Qin Mu: "..."

He came up with a name on the spot: "Snowbean."

Ren Duoduo: "That's pretty creative..."

Qin Mu: "Right? Do you have any pets?"

Ren Duoduo: "I wanted to get a dog, but my grandma is allergic to both dog and cat fur. I'm still looking for a pet. Do you have any good recommendations?"

Qin Mu: "You're a wood-element psychic, right?"

Ren Duoduo: "Yes."

Qin Mu thought for a moment: "How about raising a plant pet?"

Ren Duoduo fell into deep thought.

They entered the pharmaceutical room and saw Mi Zongyu and Yao Huan intently observing a large glass jar of spores: "Are you sure all these spores came from the same mutated Ganoderma lucidum? How big was it?"

Zhou Yun considerately showed them photos on his phone: "This is the one. We've already managed to cultivate it in bulk."

It was the massive mutated Ganoderma lucidum still in the mountains.

Ren Duoduo asked: "What are mutated Ganoderma lucidum spores used for?"

Zhou Yun explained: "Spore extracts can inhibit various tumors, enhance the body's immunity, improve macrophage phagocytosis, increase cell-killing activity, regulate blood sugar and lipids, promote insulin secretion, improve glucose tolerance, repair liver damage, and regulate the central nervous system. They are particularly effective for calming the mind and aiding sleep."

Mi Zongyu put it more plainly for his granddaughter: "They boost immunity, fight cancer, calm the mind, and even have anti-aging and beauty benefits. In short, they're great for the elderly, the weak, and those recovering from serious illnesses. Dr. Zhou is really devoted to Yao Lao. If this were released to the market, it would fetch a sky-high price."

Zhou Yun smiled as he cleaned the jar of spores and placed them into a freeze-drying and pulverizing machine. Ren Duoduo curiously asked about the uses of each piece of equipment, and Zhou Yun patiently explained: "Don't let their size fool you. Their shells are made of chitin, which is very tough. If consumed directly, the human body can't absorb them, so we need a special pulverizer to break them down."

Ren Duoduo asked: "Chitin, like the shells of crabs?"

Zhou Yun nodded: "Yes, it's resistant to high temperatures and acids. The spores contain Ganoderma polysaccharides, polypeptides, and other nutrients, so we need to process them to make them easier to absorb."

Ren Duoduo: "Isn't just breaking them down enough?"

Zhou Yun: "Well, in the past, ordinary mechanical pulverization used in the market often led to heavy metal contamination. But the equipment here is more advanced—it's a supersonic airflow pulverizer. We first use liquid nitrogen to freeze-dry the spores at ultra-low temperatures before pulverizing them. This ensures high purity, prevents mold, and makes them easier to store."

Mi Zongyu, seeing how well Ren Duoduo and Zhou Yun were getting along, said to Yao Huan: "Yao Lao, my granddaughter seems to have a good connection with your disciple. She's also a wood-element psychic, which makes her naturally suited for cultivating mutated herbs. Now, under Dr. Zhou's influence, she's also developed an interest in medicine. She's quite talented and excels academically. We're even considering having her skip a grade. Since we live nearby, perhaps you could give her some guidance when you have time?"

Yao Huan understood the underlying message. Older individuals like them usually don't take on disciples lightly. Earlier disciples were personally taught, but later ones were mostly guided by senior disciples. Mi Lao was hinting at having Duoduo learn medicine under Zhou Yun. However, since Zhou Yun is unmarried and relatively young, having a female disciple might not sound appropriate. It would be more fitting to have her officially under Yao Huan's name, with Zhou Yun as her senior brother guiding her.

Of course, the child is still young, and her interests aren't fully set yet. So, for now, it's just about providing some guidance, leaving room for flexibility. But having a smart little disciple who's also a wood-element psychic is certainly not a bad deal.

Mi Lao had seen through the intention behind Yao Huan's morning phone call. In these post-apocalyptic times, everyone has a few troublesome younger relatives to look after.

Yao Huan was actually concerned that Dou Zhijun had not returned all night, and Zhou Yun had thoroughly offended the Psychic Research Institute. At his age and with some reputation, he wasn’t too concerned, but his disciple, though now seemingly capable, still needed his guidance and planning. Dean Mi had deep roots in both academic and military-political circles, and this was a gesture of mutual benefit.

He smiled and said, "Traditional medicine and pharmacy go hand in hand. The decline in recent years is also related to the diminished efficacy of herbal processing methods. With the emergence of mutated herbs, traditional medicine has seen a resurgence. It's rare to find a child interested in this, especially one with wood psychic abilities. It's indeed a perfect fit. I have a basic set of herbal medicine textbooks and an illustrated guide that I compiled earlier, which I can give to the child to see if it sparks any interest."

He didn’t commit to anything, especially after seeing Dou Zhijun’s determined departure. He wanted to ask Zhou Yun about his plans.

If Zhou Yun intended to return to Beiming, then he might as well go there directly. After all, Zhou Yun’s mention of "already having successful cases" yesterday had piqued his interest, making him eager to see for himself.

What’s the use of staying in Central Base?

Last night, when he asked the Qin brothers about it, they mentioned the pleasant weather, delicious food, and how their disciple had set up a prison base there to cultivate mutated herbs. They also organized a guild for wood psychics to cultivate these herbs, and seeing Green Bird Pharmaceuticals thriving, it seemed much more interesting than here.

His heart was already set on going there, but judging by Zhou Yun’s demeanor, he was still lying low, clearly not wanting to attract attention, perhaps planning something big.

Given his sensitive status, while ordinary people might not notice, the higher-ups in Central Base and the Psychic Research Institute would certainly wonder why he suddenly went to a small place like Beiming Base. He needed a good excuse to go there.

As he chatted with Dean Mi, he watched Zhou Yun, wearing a mask, pack the processed Ganoderma spore powder into vacuum-sealed jars and bring two bottles over to Dean Mi: "Dean Mi, take these two bottles back and try them. If they work well, help us promote them. We plan to make them a flagship health product."

Dean Mi, smiling so much his eyes disappeared, accepted them: "Great, thank you so much."

Seeing that it was about time, he took Duoduo to bid farewell to Yao Huan and Zhou Yun. Duoduo reluctantly patted Comet’s head and handed a large bag of jerky to Zhou Yun: "This is for Comet."

Zhou Yun was surprised: "Where did you get this?"

Dean Mi laughed: "Their pig industry in Jing Nan is quite good. Before the apocalypse, it was a famous core breeding farm for pigs. After the apocalypse, they cultivated many mutated pigs and recently signed several large orders."

Zhou Yun was intrigued: "What kind of crystal cores do these pigs generally have?"

Dean Mi explained: "They have metal, fire, earth, and even wood attributes, very versatile. That’s why the business of pigs with specified attributes is booming."

Qin Mu, who had come over, curiously asked: "Do they have shadow attributes?"

Dean Mi patiently replied: "Shadow, light, and lightning attributes are actually mutated psychic abilities, very hard to cultivate, with no clear pattern."

Qin Mu pressed on: "Theoretically, the offspring of mutated pigs are mostly mutated piglets. So if we specifically feed breeding pigs and sows with shadow-attribute foods, like shadow-attribute shellfish, snail meat, crabs... Jing Nan Base is near the sea, so there’s plenty of that. Could that increase the chances of producing shadow-attribute piglets?"

Everyone fell into thought.

Yao Huan said: "Good question."

Ren Duoduo asked: "What’s the use of going through all that trouble to breed shadow-attribute piglets? No one wants shadow-attribute crystal cores, right?"

Qin Mu: "..."

Yao Huan again praised: "Good question."

Ren Duoduo kindly said to Qin Mu: "Don’t worry, Uncle Qin, I’ll have my dad try your method, record the data, and if we get shadow-attribute piglets, I’ll send them to Beiming for you."

"..." Qin Mu said: "Thank you."

Ren Duoduo then pondered: "So, pigs are pretty smart, huh? Maybe I should raise a mutated piglet as a pet. Could it one day become as powerful as Comet?"

Yao Huan was surprised: "Comet is a mutated dog?"

Ren Duoduo said: "Yes, a fire dragon dog. Comet is amazing! It can breathe fire."

Yao Huan’s eyes flickered as he looked at Zhou Yun: "Is this your dog? Is this a successful case?"

Zhou Yun coughed lightly, his eyes flickering slightly: "No, it's a friend's dog."

Ren Duoduo said, "It's Uncle Guan's dog, but Uncle Zhou has been taking care of it."

Yao Huan's eyes lit up, and Zhou Yun's ears turned slightly red. He reached out and patted Comet: "Neighbors... so we're pretty close." Comet immediately rubbed against his leg, showing a lot of love.

Mi Zongyu left with Ren Duoduo. Yao Huan noticed his disciple's discomfort but didn't press further. However, he was puzzled about Dou Zhijun: "Is he really not coming back? Not even taking his things? After so many years as master and disciple, just cutting ties like that? How heartless!"

Zhou Yun said, "Just have his things packed up and stored. When I have time, I'll send them to the Psychic Research Institute." Better to get rid of the trash early, so the master won't keep fretting over it.

Yao Huan was somewhat sullen, and Zhou Yun comforted him: "We're planning to go to Yanling to collect some mutated plants and animals. Do you need anything? I'll keep an eye out."

Yao Huan's eyes lit up: "You dare to go there? It's not easy to get in."

Zhou Yun said, "We have professionals, and they actually go into the mountains frequently."

Yao Huan said, "Yes, I've heard that the Psychic Research Institute often follows special forces into the mountains and collects many mutated plants and animals. That's why my research progress has been slow—there are too few samples of mutated herbs!"

Zhou Yun knew how valuable it was for his teacher to remain true to his principles and not join the Psychic Research Institute. He said, "We're going in with the special forces."

Yao Huan seemed thoughtful but showed no expression: "That's great. I'll make a list, and you can help me find them. Many are the mutated herbs my formulas are missing. They're too expensive in the Psychic Herb Specialty Stores, unlike the Psychic Research Institute, which has a steady supply of mutated herbs." He felt a bit envious.

Zhou Yun remembered something and shared some gossip with Yao Huan: "Speaking of which, City Lord Gong from Beiming City has stomach cancer. He improved after taking my medicine. Then he came to Central Base for a meeting and went to the Psychic Research Institute for treatment. They gave him a long list of mutated herbs, milking him for all he's worth, and even asked him to stay here for long-term treatment."

Yao Huan looked at him: "Really?"

Zhou Yun smiled: "Exactly. Yuan Xuegang subtly asked through Qin Mu if Green Bird could provide long-term anti-cancer drugs for them. It seems they don't want to stay. After all, once he leaves Beiming, he'll never hold power again."

Yao Huan was delighted—just when he needed something, it came to him. He had met Yuan Xuegang a few times... not bad, not bad.

He pondered and said, "Since you're planning to develop there long-term, it's best to maintain good relations with them. The clinical trial report was well done. Here's what we'll do: on the day of the new drug presentation, you don't need to appear. I'll go and take a look. Then I'll diagnose City Lord Gong and write a prescription. You take the prescription to Yanling and gather the necessary herbs. If you can find mutated yew, that would be best."

Zhou Yun smiled: "I actually have some in Danlin." It was just a small sapling at the time, but after his persistent efforts with Growth Spells through winter and spring, it had grown to the height of a floor. It might not be enough to treat many people, but with careful harvesting for extracts and nourishment from Wood Psychic Abilities, it should be manageable.

Yao Huan sighed: "Then what's there to worry about? We can cure his illness."

Zhou Yun slowly listed the mutated herbs they were currently cultivating, the Wood Psychic Abilities Guild, and the recent haul from the Jiuyi Mountains. Yao Huan quickly felt reassured. The master and disciple discussed further and brought Qin Mu in to reorganize the new drug presentation.

The two tackled their research with the same rigor as before, meticulously revising the promotional video and drug report prepared by Qin Mu. Qin Mu, seeing their meticulous and careful academic attitude for the first time, felt increasingly convinced.

From initial skepticism about the drug's efficacy, to preliminary belief in its effectiveness through practical use, to recognition by a major hospital director like Yuan Xuegang and the confirmation of its efficacy through clinical trials, and finally to today, where he witnessed the respect of a medical giant, Qin Mu now had a lot of respect for Zhou Yun's drug.

After all, Doctor Zhou was really too young, and his initial demeanor had been too casual.

He hadn't realized that back in the chaotic post-apocalyptic world, when Zhou Yun casually approached their impoverished fishing family, the unlicensed drugs he sold at low prices in the civilian market were actually highly valuable, rigorously tested medicines that were otherwise hard to come by.

The high-ranking officials and academic experts he had been in contact with these days were not people he could easily meet before.

This sometimes left him feeling a bit dazed, as if he were in a dream.

Amidst the intense and all-out preparations, Green Bird Pharmaceuticals' new drug presentation was finally held.

The venue was chosen in the most luxurious conference hall of the city lord conference's main hotel, lavishly decorated.

The backdrop for the presentation featured two massive intertwined trees, with nine three-legged birds in various poses on the lush green leaves. Well-informed journalists quickly recognized the allusion to the nine divine birds on the Fusang divine tree from the "Classic of Mountains and Seas."

Many news media and medical professionals attending the city lord conference also attended the presentation. However, when they saw the Psychic Research Institute, high-ranking officials from various bases, city lords from private bases, and representatives from major enterprises entering the VIP seats, they were quietly impressed by the high level of what seemed like just another new drug presentation.

At the registration desk, in addition to the exquisite Green Bird pharmaceutical brochures, notebooks, and pens, there were also small bouquets of honeysuckle and small bottles of honey as gifts.

Many attendees initially thought it was a gimmick, but upon receiving it, they discovered it was actually fresh honeysuckle flowers. The honeysuckle flowers were exceptionally large, with a refreshing fragrance that cleared the mind and sharpened the senses. They suddenly realized it was mutated honeysuckle, a rare item. Upon closer inspection of the small, crystal-clear honey bottle, it was clearly labeled: "mutated honey."

What a grand display! Eagerly, they flipped through the brochure, carefully reading about Green Bird Pharmaceuticals and the new drugs being introduced.

In addition to the previously advertised products—repellents and traps targeting zombies, broad-spectrum, highly effective antidotes for toxic mutated creatures and plants, and a new type of trauma gel for immediate hemostasis, promoting wound healing, and preventing scar formation—these drugs were explicitly stated to be sold at low prices, with limited quantities, highlighting their social responsibility and contributing to human survival in the post-apocalyptic world.

What stood out even more was the newly developed anticancer drugs using mutated herbs, primarily featuring extracts from mutated cacti and mutated aloe. These new drugs effectively inhibited various difficult-to-treat cancers and significantly reduced side effects.

Additionally, there was a series of new health supplements made from mutated herbs.

Mutated Ganoderma lucidum spore powder, with a striking color image in the brochure showing a Ganoderma mushroom spreading like an umbrella, thoughtfully compared to an open umbrella.

Mutated royal jelly, with a color image of robust and healthy mutated bees in a hive, considerately placed next to a few coins to emphasize the bees' extraordinary size.

Besides these two most prominent products, there were also ginseng slices, Chinese yam powder, ginkgo slices, honeysuckle dew, as well as soap made from Senecio and toothpaste made from Zanthoxylum. These were health supplements and daily care products that had health benefits even before the apocalypse, now specifically labeled as made from mutated herbs, all accompanied by photos and comparisons of active ingredient content with ordinary herbs.

These health supplements were quite expensive, clearly aimed at harvesting the wallets of the wealthy.

The entire venue radiated a high-end atmosphere, and the brochure was packed with substantial content, subtly heightening the attendees' anticipation for the event.