Chapter 19: Selling the Wild Ginseng

Chen Jie visited the hospital in the morning. Although the blood clot in Old Chen’s brain had been cleared and he was recovering reasonably well, he had yet to regain consciousness. According to the doctors, if he remained in this state for another week, there was a high probability he would become a permanent vegetable. Furthermore, the hospital had sent a text notification demanding payment.

The money was running out.

Living in the ICU was like watching money drain away like water. The only advantage was that the patient’s family didn’t need to worry about daily care, as there were dedicated nursing staff on hand.

I need money, I have to make money!

Standing in the hospital hallway, Chen Jie stared at his phone, scrolling incessantly. He first searched for the price of wild mountain ginseng online. However, ginseng prices were all over the map. True wild mountain ginseng was extremely expensive and rarely traded on the open market, making it difficult to pin down an accurate price. According to records from wild mountain ginseng exhibitions, the "King of Ginseng" was said to be a Changbai Mountain specimen that fetched a staggering 17 million yuan. That particular root was in perfect condition and over 180 years old. But truthfully, such "ancient ginseng" had little reference value for the market; items designated as museum treasures were usually for exhibition only and rarely for sale.

Chen Jie researched the prices for standard wild mountain ginseng. A fifty-year-old root went for around 300,000 yuan, or up to 500,000 if the quality was perfect. A thirty-year-old root was worth about 50,000, or up to 100,000 for a high-quality specimen. As for those over a hundred years old, the price was hard to define—it was a seller's market with no real liquidity. If a wealthy person was in desperate need, even ten million yuan for a single root was possible, but such items typically didn't circulate on the open market.

In reality, from a purely nutritional standpoint, wild mountain ginseng wasn't significantly different from artificially cultivated ginseng. What made wild mountain ginseng truly valuable wasn't its nutrition, but its role as a "catalyst" for medicine. That’s right: the most valuable aspect of wild mountain ginseng was its efficacy in enhancing other medicinal compounds. The older the ginseng, the stronger this effect. Many say that wild mountain ginseng can keep a dying patient alive, and there is truth to that. It balances the body’s energy, allowing patients who are on the brink of death to hold onto that final breath, buying them precious time for treatment.

Therefore, for an ordinary person, consuming wild mountain ginseng has little value—it’s not much different from eating a radish. But for the wealthy, in the event of a critical illness, consuming a root of sufficient age could be a life-saving measure. This is the primary reason why the price of wild mountain ginseng has remained high and why it is so difficult to find on the market. Conversely, artificially cultivated ginseng only possesses basic nutritional value and lacks the medicinal potency of the wild variety.

Because of this, cultivated ginseng is sold by weight and is not particularly valuable.

After searching online for over ten minutes, Chen Jie discovered a chain of traditional Chinese medicine pharmacies in the city of Guangzhou, South China, that had posted a notice seeking to purchase wild mountain ginseng. Hengyang, in Southern Hunan, was relatively small, and there was no real market for such high-end ginseng there. Only in major metropolises were there channels for selling it.

Chen Jie dialed the number provided and inquired for a while. After verifying repeatedly, he realized that the pharmacy chain was legitimate and did indeed have a long-term demand for wild mountain ginseng. He also learned from other sources that this chain, named "Rongji Chinese Medicine Hall," was one of the most prominent traditional medicine retailers in the country.

"I’m very sorry, Mr. Chen, but because we have received many false sales inquiries in the past, we no longer offer on-site collection," the staff member on the other end said patiently. "If you wish to sell your 'wild mountain ginseng,' you will need to come to our corporate headquarters pharmacy. We have professional appraisers. As long as the product is confirmed authentic, you can rest assured regarding the price; it will definitely be higher than the industry standard."

"Fine! I will come to your headquarters. Send me the address coordinates; I should arrive around eleven o'clock tomorrow morning," Chen Jie replied.

Soon, they sent him an address in the Tianhe District of Guangzhou. It only took two hours to reach Guangzhou from Hengyang via high-speed rail. Since it would be too late to head over that afternoon, he planned to arrive at eleven the next morning.

After leaving the hospital, Chen Jie didn’t return to the countryside. He found a small inn near the high-speed rail station to spend the night so he could catch his train early the next morning. Lying in bed, he contemplated his future plans. If this deal went through, he would have his first pot of gold. In the days to come, he could ensure he would never be short of money by traveling back and forth. Of course, to bring back more supplies, he would need to earn more [Martial Merit Points]. If Old Chen didn't recover quickly, he would remain hospitalized for a long time, which would be expensive, and hiring private nursing staff was also a significant monthly cost.

However, beyond all that, Chen Jie was more concerned about his martial arts. The "wild mountain ginseng" business was not a long-term solution. Such scarce medicinal materials were simply unaffordable for the average person. Even at a thousand yuan a root, most people would find it too expensive. Given Chen Jie's limited social connections, turning his "wild mountain ginseng" into cash wasn't going to be easy. Without sales channels or the right circles, he simply couldn't sell them. Fortunately, the internet was well-developed, and information was easily accessible; otherwise, he wouldn't know how long this batch of ginseng would sit around and rot in his hands.

Dealing in such "precious medicinal materials" required access to elite circles to fetch a high price. The same applied to businesses like jade, precious stones, and antiques. Without an elite circle, who would pay such exorbitant prices for these things?

The next day, at ten in the morning, Chen Jie arrived in Guangzhou by high-speed rail. The station was a sea of people. For some reason, Chen Jie loved the life of a big city; it was vibrant and bustling. Compared to the countryside in Hengyang where he lived, it felt like a different world.

"Once I have enough money, I will definitely buy a villa here and properly enjoy the life of a big city!" Chen Jie thought, his heart surging with excitement.

He took the subway from the station to the Tianhe District, then hailed a ride-share directly to the headquarters of "Rongji Chinese Medicine Hall." As the center of Guangzhou, Tianhe was filled with skyscrapers and was exceptionally prosperous. At around 10:50 AM, following the coordinates provided, he finally arrived at the headquarters pharmacy. Looking up at the building, which stood over a dozen stories tall, Chen Jie felt a wave of emotion. Is the traditional medicine business really this profitable? Even the office building is so magnificent?

"Hello, are you Mr. Chen? I’m Xiao Yuan, the one who spoke with you earlier." A woman greeted him with a smile at the entrance of the building.

Chen Jie nodded. "Yes, that's me!"

Xiao Yuan looked at the bag on Chen Jie’s back and smiled. "Did you bring the items? Follow me. We’re going to the fifth floor; Professor Lin is waiting for you in the conference room."

Led by Xiao Yuan, Chen Jie entered the elevator with his backpack. Xiao Yuan was dressed in a blue work uniform that highlighted her figure. She wore sheer stockings and high heels, showcasing her slim, long legs. Whether it was her figure or her demeanor, she projected an air of professional competence.

Inside the elevator, a faint scent of orchid perfume wafted from her. It smelled lovely. Although Chen Jie subconsciously tried to divert his attention, the elevator was small, and his heart was pounding. Her features were only slightly above average, not stunning, but her poise and figure were absolutely top-tier.