Chapter 282: Acknowledge Me as Your Big Brother, and I’ll Help You with Direct Sales

"Your price is absolutely unacceptable!" 

In the Berry Research Institute, the first person to jump up and protest against Li Xian's pricing was Wang Hongfei.

Since Wang Hongfei had his money from the orchid speculations ruined by Wang Hongcheng, he had been in a state of idleness. Being the head of the Public Security Bureau's Appraisal Division was a cushy job, and recently, Wang Hongfei had been hanging out with Xu Maoh and spending his days playing mahjong, drinking, and chatting, while waiting for the court case against Hongcheng Company.

A few days ago, when he heard from Xu Maoh that Li Xian had set up a health product company in Bangye, he insisted on coming to see the commotion.

This guy was a health fanatic, with a great interest in anything that could "nourish and extend life." Li Xian had even joked that if Wang Hongfei had lived in the feudal era, he would have been like the Han Dynasty's King of Huainan—single-mindedly seeking immortality and unable to rest without achieving it.

For someone who would even inject chicken blood into himself, how obsessed could he be?

Hearing Li Xian's price, Wang Hongfei put down the bottle of Xinnao Kang oral liquid, smacked his lips, and said, "This price is nonsense. Your product's cost, including packaging and nutritional liquid, is less than twenty yuan. Who are you going to sell it to at four hundred?"

After sneering, he picked up another bottle of Xinnao Kang and a straw, inserted it, and drank it all in one go, then wrinkled his nose. "And this stuff tastes terrible; sour and bitter, just like... like expired fermented bean curd that's been stored for half a year. The taste is simply unacceptable!"

Looking at the six empty Xinnao Kang bottles Wang Hongfei was holding, Li Xian's mouth twitched.

So, the taste is bad, but you drank six bottles in one go?

Isn't it true that you don't drink it if it's not worth the money? 

And what's with the description of "sour and bitter, like expired bean curd"?

Your tastes and dietary experiences are so extensive and bizarre!

Before Li Xian could vent his frustration, Xu Maoh swiftly took the oral liquid from Wang Hongfei and said disdainfully, "You know what? You're just being unreasonable. Do you remember that we had the Yak Bone Strengthening Powder tested at your appraisal department a few days ago? Li Xian had said it was just calcium tablets mixed with starch, and you didn't believe him. What was the result? I told you, his product might even have more genuine ingredients than ours. If he can sell it for four hundred, why can't we?"

"But... but it's not the same..." Wang Hongfei wanted to argue but was deflated when he remembered the results of the test he and Xu Maoh had done on the Yak Bone Strengthening Powder.

Seeing that Wang Hongfei had fallen silent, Xu Maoh snorted coldly and mocked, "Didn't you see that even when the product was just a simple mix, it was selling in boxes of three or five at four hundred each?"

"That's right." Li Xian, who had not interacted with Wang Hongfei much, couldn't delve into deep criticism. However, Xu Maoh's relentless exposure made him feel a sense of relief. "You're like someone who tastes your own ginger and says it's not spicy, but when you ask an outsider, even the feces in their bathroom smells good."

Wang Hongfei's face turned red with embarrassment. Though he knew he was in the wrong, he still grumbled, "The Yak Bone Strengthening Powder was advertised on the provincial TV station, endorsed by Li Jindou. Your product has no reputation or consumer base. No supermarket would dare to sell it at four hundred."

Li Xian took a deep breath.

He knew that Wang Hongfei might be influenced by the "foreign moon is rounder" mentality, but he wasn't wrong.

Since 1994, the health product industry had started gaining popularity in the Chinese market. Numerous small health product companies had emerged, most of which were rough and aggressive. They used every tactic possible, and the high profits of health and nutritional products had driven their marketing strategies from traditional methods to extreme measures.

Take the Yak Bone Strengthening Powder, for example; its cost was probably similar to his oral liquid. With a twentyfold markup, if sales were good, advertising could certainly drive the price up.

But the problem Li Xian faced was...

No money.

After paying the rent for the forestry bureau and continuously drawing from the paper and sanitary napkin factories to maintain the oral liquid research and repair the factory equipment, over two million yuan had already been spent.

Continuous financial strain had caused the sanitary napkin and paper factories to complain. Even Zhang Dagong, who was usually very compliant, had expressed dissatisfaction, saying that if Li Xian continued to extract funds from New North Paper, to avoid affecting the paper factory's financial operations, he would have to organize workers to sell kidneys to support it.

Poverty had once again obstructed his path to becoming the world's richest person.

It was such a... annoying feeling.

While Li Xian lamented why, despite his excellence, he was constantly troubled by money, wishing for a wealthy, beautiful, and young benefactress to support him unconditionally and help him reach the pinnacle of his life.

Meanwhile, Xu Maoh was deep in thought, "Yeah, we've got the oral liquid made, but how do we sell it? Sales channels are a major issue. Xianzi, I don't have any money left. How about I consider selling my house and car to get some funds and we can advertise on the provincial TV station?"

Li Xian waved his hand.

"It's not at that point yet."

Xu Maoh's fixed assets were worth something, but even a good house in Harbin was only worth about ten thousand, and a BMW 320 that would soon be useless in the winter wouldn't attract a buyer unless someone was incredibly foolish.

Besides, with late October approaching winter, selling those assets would take time, and the wild products like five-flavor berries and schizandra couldn't wait.

With two snows, these things would be sealed in the mountains.

Seeing Li Xian's worried expression, Wang Hongfei couldn't help but gloat, taking another sample of the oral liquid and sipping it while smiling, "So, based on my years of experience buying health products, you should set a lower price for this. Around thirty to forty yuan, and start selling through pharmacies as a consignment. Once the reputation builds up, you can advertise and gradually raise the price."

To think that he even had marketing strategies figured out from eating health products, you're quite the expert!

Li Xian glared at him, "They use calcium tablets mixed with starch and sell it for four hundred. Why should my genuine schizandra and five-flavor berry oral liquid be priced at thirty or forty?"

"Huh?" Seeing Li Xian's dissatisfied face, Wang Hongfei laughed, "What's there to be unhappy about? It's the same with prostitutes; the value of those at the train station and in the venue can't be the same, right?"

"That's just price gouging!" Li Xian was furious and deeply agitated.

Nearby, the experts from the Berry Research Institute awkwardly cleared their throats after overhearing the conversation.

Li Xian realized he had overstepped and quickly adjusted his expression, picking up the external packaging of the oral liquid.

What's the way to open sales channels without investing too many resources upfront?

"Alright, I think you guys should stop pondering. How about this: I still have some influence in Harbin's health product circle. If you can provide me with a hundred or eighty boxes, I'll help promote them among my friends who regularly buy medicine. But let me be clear, the four hundred yuan price won't work. I'll decide the exact price based on how much I can sell. If it's cheaper, with my favor, we can manage to sell a few boxes. How about it, Wang Ge, do you value my offer?"

Wang Hongfei finished another bottle of oral liquid, patted Li Xian on the shoulder.

Oh?

Hearing Wang Hongfei's buzzing in his ear, Li Xian's eyes suddenly lit up.

Heh heh heh heh...

Li Xian immediately looked at Wang Hongfei with a sidelong glance.

"Don't worry about it. I've got an idea."

"Xianzi, what's the idea?" Xu Maoh hurriedly leaned in. He had seen Li Xian's ingenious ideas and was almost fanatical in his admiration.

Li Xian curled his lips and patted Wang Hongfei's shoulder in return.

"Brother Wang, I see you're quite idle. How about..."

"What?" Wang Hongfei's eyes were wide with curiosity.

"You acknowledge me as your big brother, and I'll help you... with direct sales!"

Li Xian raised his eyebrows.