Chapter 518: First Collaboration
After Yun Lan finished copying the materials needed for the Breakthrough Pill and handed them to Ma Chun, Lin Dong set off with her once again on a long journey across the vast lands of the Aoxiang Han Kingdom. The difference this time was that, instead of playing chess and chatting as before on the back of the Tianpeng Bird, Lin Dong focused solely on refining the Thousand Illusion Pill, while Yun Lan kept studying and understanding various pill-making formulas without pause.
In the capital city, the tense atmosphere in the restaurant industry did not ease just because Lin Dong was away. The owners of the top restaurants were worried every day that Lin Ji Inn might treat them like Jun Da Restaurant had been treated, yet they hesitated to ally with each other, fearing they would suffer losses and allow other large restaurants to gain more advantages through cooperation, or to exert less effort in suppressing Lin Ji Inn. Negotiations took place almost daily, but no real progress was made. It wasn’t until Lin Dong returned to the capital for the second time and Lin Ji Inn officially introduced seven spicy dishes along with oddly shaped bicycles that the owners of the top restaurants truly began to feel threatened.
Initially, although they were concerned that Lin Ji Inn might use the same tactics against them as it had against Jun Da Restaurant, they weren’t in such a hurry to form an alliance. After all, achieving Lin Ji Inn’s current scale couldn’t have been done solely through connections; its owner must also be quite smart. Since they were smart, they should understand that pushing them too hard might lead other restaurants to unite against Lin Ji Inn. While it was possible that Lin Ji Inn would ask the King of Clear Streams to frame the owners of other large restaurants, it wasn’t certain. Moreover, the likelihood of any single restaurant becoming the victim was even lower. Additionally, after Lin Ji Inn had taken aggressive actions against Jun Da Restaurant by competing in dishes, forming an alliance for mutual benefit would be fine, but if one restaurant gained too much advantage, it could lead to serious consequences. It was better not to provoke Lin Ji Inn. If it really targeted them, it might take further extreme actions, at which point they could consider forming an alliance or simply giving in and seeking reconciliation with Lin Ji Inn.
As soon as the seven spicy dishes were introduced, the owners of the top restaurants were thrown into confusion. At first, they didn’t pay much attention to them, as spicy dishes weren’t considered mainstream. Yet, many regulars who loved spicy food ignored the long distance and frequented Lin Ji Inn from time to time. Their enthusiasm was even greater than that during the period when they were trying to obtain enough spirit stones. Moreover, this enthusiasm lasted for a long time without any sign of fading.
Although not many people liked spicy dishes, each regular was the most precious asset for these top restaurants. After investigation, it turned out that Lin Ji Inn’s newly introduced seven spicy dishes were among the finest in their kind—extremely spicy, almost unbearable, but for those who loved spice, they were the greatest pleasure in life. As a result, these regulars abandoned their usual top restaurants and longed to return to Lin Ji Inn, feeling uneasy if they didn’t see it for a few days.
When the oddly shaped bicycles were introduced, the plans made by the owners of the top restaurants were completely overturned. These so-called bicycles were no match for carriages in terms of protection from wind and rain, aesthetics, or stability. Even compared to sedan chairs, though faster, they didn’t require two porters, but their inability to shield against weather already negated these advantages. On top of that, riding them required physical effort, and one had to fall many times before learning how to use them.
Yet Lin Ji Inn, far from being ordinary, fully harnessed the advantages of these bicycles, even turning physical exertion into a form of exercise. What was most troublesome was that Lin Ji Inn focused its marketing on children and teenagers.
Bicycles were available for almost every age group up to sixteen. They were beautiful and compact, adorned with bells, kites, and other trinkets. Coupled with extensive promotional materials highlighting the various benefits of these small bicycles for children and teenagers, not only were the young deeply attracted, but even adults couldn’t resist buying a few for their children.
With different models suitable for all ages and varying prices for the dishes and drinks that could be exchanged, they appealed to everyone—from nobles to commoners. From the perspective of the restaurant owners, their influence was bound to make bicycles, as advertised by Lin Ji Inn, an essential item in every household.
Using bicycles as a means to attract customers was undoubtedly highly effective.
The owners of the major restaurants sent people to consult carpenters and blacksmiths. Apart from two large wheels, imitating them was not difficult. Even for the wheels, other materials could be used, though the stability would be slightly reduced. The real challenge lay in the cost.
If made of wood, it would fall apart in just a few days; if made of steel, Lin Ji Inn had machinery powered by spirit stones developed by Peng Qiao. Though simple and crude, it was far beyond the steel-making capabilities of ordinary blacksmith shops. Even the largest blacksmith shop in the entire city could not match the cost of Lin Ji Inn’s machinery.
Calculating everything, including the cost of molding various parts and labor for assembly, what could be obtained with one or two taels of silver at Lin Ji Inn—ordinary large bicycles—would now require more than a dozen taels, at least a tenfold difference.
As for the high-end bicycles with premium materials and gold/silver inlays, although the cost difference wasn’t as large as tenfold, it still doubled. Though such bicycles could somewhat counteract the appeal Lin Ji Inn brought, they would also significantly reduce the profits of their own restaurants.
Not long after Lin Ji Inn’s Seven Spicy Dishes and Bicycles became popular, the owners of the top restaurants realized they couldn’t compete. After much consideration, they decided they couldn’t allow Lin Ji Inn to grow stronger and eventually overshadow them. So, they gathered again.
This time, the negotiations went surprisingly smoothly, and they quickly reached an agreement to form an alliance.
The day before Lin Dong returned to the inn for the third time, the top restaurants officially launched their first move as an alliance.
This move didn’t require much technical skill—just allowing neighboring top restaurants to add each other’s signature dishes. But to succeed in the capital, even small restaurants had certain advantages over others, let alone the top restaurants. By adding the signature dishes of neighboring top restaurants, their strength increased, and so did their appeal.
With all the top restaurants’ strength rising by one level, and despite Lin Ji Inn’s considerable strength—its appeal even surpassing that of the top restaurants after adding the Seven Spicy Dishes and Bicycles—it still suffered a significant impact. Especially, business in its 25 private rooms declined sharply.
Lin Ji Inn had no countermeasures. It wasn’t that they lacked solutions, but Lin Dong believed it was better not to respond.
This is the first time that the top restaurants have joined forces. If they reject this cooperation right away, it will surely be a significant blow to them. With the alliance still unstable, such a setback could easily unravel the consensus that has been hard-won. It’s better to let the top restaurants enjoy themselves first, see the benefits of working together, and then try to push them back—this approach will only make their owners more convinced that only through an alliance can they counter Lin Ji Inn, thus strengthening the alliance. An unbreakable alliance is what Lin Dong wants most; only then can he prevent anyone from using underhanded tactics. Beijing is different from other places, and Lin Dong’s strategy has always been to proceed cautiously, first building a base of regular customers before making further plans. The initial joint effort by the top restaurants is just a starting point—if it works, they’ll continue with more substantial cooperation; if not, the alliance will collapse. Though this initial step has a significant impact on Lin Ji Inn, it’s not enough to disrupt Lin Dong’s cautious strategy in the short term.
High above Hongtu City, thousands of miles away from Beijing, the massive body of the Tianpeng Bird circled in the sky, showing no signs of landing. Inside the pavilion on the bird’s head, Yun Lan was studying and memorizing the alchemy formulas obtained from the large box. She appeared fully focused, but in reality, her thoughts were on Lin Dong. At that moment, Lin Dong sat cross-legged in the pavilion, his expression serious. A faint mist rose above his head, blending into the sky with the strong winds caused by the Tianpeng Bird’s flight. Inside his body, surging spiritual energy flowed repeatedly through his meridians before rushing toward his dantian. After nearly a month of effort, his vast dantian finally managed to refine the Qianhuan Dan, which could maximize its medicinal effects. Under the pressure of this equally powerful spiritual energy, the dantian expanded repeatedly, yet it was held back by a solid barrier. Day after day, under Lin Dong’s tireless control of the spiritual energy, the thick dantian gradually thinned. His endurance limit also narrowed, but whenever he was on the verge of breaking down and needed to concentrate fully at every moment, Yun Lan would promptly send a gentle wave of spiritual energy to temporarily take the strain off his dantian. Once Lin Dong recovered a bit, the energy would retreat, allowing his own spiritual energy to take control again.
Finally, with a pop, Lin Dong’s body trembled. Immediately, his bones cracked noisily, and a sense of relief and ease spread throughout his body, sweeping away the fatigue from four or five days of non-stop cultivation at his dantian. His eyes snapped open, and he felt refreshed, with the world around him becoming clearer and more distinct. The wind swept past him, bringing a sense of exhilaration. “Yun Lan, I’m now at the eighth level of the Heart Reversal Phase, just like you. Maybe, in terms of strength, I’m even a bit stronger than you.” “After opening this branch, let’s find a place to test our skills.” Yun Lan suggested with a smile. Lin Dong wanted to surpass her, so she was also trying to subtly slow down her cultivation pace to allow him to catch up. The outcome of their fight was not hard to predict.