It should take about half a day to obtain the final results, so everyone, stay here and keep watch. Eat, drink, and be merry, but don't slack off. Understood?" Ly Jindong commanded with a sharp tone.
"Yes, Mr. Lin!" The researchers responded in unison, none daring to show any signs of negligence.
Time crawled by as they closely monitored the mice, waiting for any signs of the trauma cream's effectiveness. Just over an hour later, an astonishing sight left them all dumbfounded—the mice's wounds had already begun to scab over at an alarming rate.
"This... the speed of healing is incredible!" one of the researchers exclaimed in awe.
After another two to three hours, the wounds had completely healed, leaving behind no visible scars. Finally, after a total of ten hours, even the last traces of the injuries had vanished entirely. The researchers quickly recorded the results before immediately notifying Ly Jindong and Ling Xing.
The moment the results were delivered, Ly Jindong erupted into uncontrollable laughter, his voice echoing through the lab like that of a maniac.
"Finally! Finally! Hahaha! I've done it! I've really done it!" he howled, his excitement bordering on madness.
His hands trembled as he reviewed the report. If this trauma cream were to be released, the impact would far surpass their previous cold remedy. Unlike cold medicine, which was only needed when people fell ill, this cream had universal applications. Everyone sustained injuries at some point—children playing, workers on construction sites, even beauty-conscious women wanting to erase scars. The market was limitless.
"Wonderful! Just fantastic!" Ly Jindong bellowed, his eyes gleaming with greed.
One of the lead researchers, Professor Chen, added, "Mr. Lin, this experiment was conducted while the mice were awake. Normally, tissue regeneration occurs at an even faster rate during sleep, so the effectiveness should be even greater."
"Excellent! This is beyond my expectations!" Ly Jindong grinned triumphantly.
Beside him, Ling Xing shared in the excitement. "Dad, does this mean we're ready for mass production soon?" Her voice carried both eagerness and disbelief.
From the moment she entered university, Ly Jindong had pulled her into researching this drug. Over the years, she had tested tens of thousands of herbs, pushing herself through endless hours of grueling work. No one understood the effort behind this breakthrough better than she did.
However, Ly Jindong shook his head. "Calm down. We're still some time away from mass production. First, we need to hold a press conference and publicize our research. Once the world learns of our success, investors will be lining up at our door."
He could already picture it—elite businessmen and pharmaceutical tycoons throwing money at him, desperate to claim a stake in his creation. Now that the trauma cream was a success, all that remained was ensuring his illegitimate son, Lin Cohen, would inherit the company shares, securing absolute control over the Lin family empire.
A sudden thought struck him, and he turned sharply toward Professor Chen. "By the way, what was the name of the final herb that completed the formula? And what's its market price?"
Professor Chen flipped through the lab reports and adjusted his glasses before responding, "Mr. Lin, the final herb is called Cicada Flow. Its market price is around $11,000 per 10 grams."
"Hahaha! Perfect! We'll process it into a capsule and sell it for $200,000 a piece!" Ly Jindong declared without hesitation.
Ling Xing's eyes widened in shock. "Dad, isn't that price a bit... excessive? Normal people won't be able to afford it."
Her voice was filled with disbelief. She had devoted years of her life to this project, believing they were developing medicine to help people. But now, her father was treating it as nothing more than another way to fill his pockets.
Ly Jindong scoffed, waving a dismissive hand. "What do you know? Medicine is the most profitable business there is. If anything, my price is reasonable. There are plenty of drugs with price markups thousands of times their base cost. If the poor can't afford it, that's their problem, not ours. As long as we make money, who cares?"
His eyes gleamed with unrestrained greed. He had spent years playing the role of a visionary, but in the end, he was just another businessman obsessed with profit.
Then, as if remembering something important, he lowered his voice and gave Ling Xing a firm look. "For now, don't tell anyone about this—not your mother, not your sister, no one. Understand?"
Ling Xing furrowed her brows. "Dad, why are we keeping this a secret? This should be great news—why hide it?"
Clearing his throat, Ly Jindong forced a smile. "Ahem, it's just that we still need time to set up a new factory, finalize production, and prepare the marketing campaign. Once everything is in place, then we can announce it to the family as a grand surprise."
In reality, he had more sinister intentions. He planned to secretly establish a new company under Lin Cohen's name so that all profits from the trauma cream would belong to his illegitimate son. If the truth got out too soon, the Zhou family—Ling Xing's mother's side—would certainly cause trouble. Their influence in Jinghai City was not insignificant, and he had no desire to deal with unnecessary resistance.
Ling Xing remained skeptical, sensing an ulterior motive behind her father's words. But outwardly, she nodded in agreement. "Alright. I'll keep quiet for now."
However, she had already decided—she would inform her sister as soon as she got home. Over the years, she had learned to be wary of her father. His past actions, from cheating on her mother to bringing his illegitimate son into the Lin family, had long since shattered her trust.
"Good. You can head home now. Oh, and when you see your mother, tell her that—"