"Here's your share."
Peng Ming placed a heavy bag of gold spirit coins on the desk in front of Lin Jin, then sat down across from him.
The bag was quite large, and as Peng Ming had walked with it, it clinked with a crisp ding-ding-dong of metal striking metal.
That clear, melodic sound was like music to Lin Jin's ears—the sweetest kind.
Eyes gleaming, Lin Jin stood up and lifted the bag, weighing it in his hands. His expression shifted to one of confusion.
He quickly untied the bag and peeked inside to confirm his suspicions.
"This... this is way too much. It has to be at least 5,000 gold Spirit coins."
He looked up at Peng Ming, a look of disbelief written all over his face.
His soda was priced modestly—just 50 copper spirit coins per cup.
While that price was steep compared to ordinary drinks, Lin Jin had always believed in its value.
There were plenty of wealthy and curious people out there, after all. He was confident the drink would catch on and turn a decent profit.
But this? This was way beyond expectations. It hadn't even been two weeks since the soda had launched.
At fifty copper spirit coins per cup, this amount meant... one million cups sold?
And that was after deducting material costs, labor, and Peng Ming's share. Factoring all of that in, they must have sold nearly two million cups!
Peng Ming gave a proud smile. "This isn't just the income from Blackstone City. I've already opened soda shops in over thirty surrounding cities."
"You... taught them how to make it?" Lin Jin asked, his brow furrowing.
"There are many clever people out there. It's only a matter of time before someone figures out the secret of soda. But if you taught them, that time will come much sooner."
Peng Ming raised a hand, reassuring.
"Relax, I'm not that careless. I complete the base mix at your location, then handle the final blending in each city. No one else knows the full recipe."
He added with a smirk, "Just in case someone tries to reverse-engineer it, I've even thrown in a few misleading ingredients."
"Smart move," Lin Jin said, finally relaxing.
He nodded in approval, a weight lifted from his shoulders.
Peng Ming, meanwhile, muttered under his breath, "So think you the only smart one in the world, huh?"
He cleared his throat. "Moving forward, I'll continue to rely on your title, Viscount. If we can expand this across the entire Heaven Dou Empire—or even the entire northern continent—the profits could multiply tenfold, maybe even a hundredfold."
"In the meantime, we'll need to keep building the Tianxing Soda brand. Focus on introducing new flavors and varieties, and gradually elevate the brand into the high-end beverage market.
"At the same time, we can't neglect low-cost storefronts. When competitors eventually emerge, we'll be ready—both in the premium and budget segments. That way, we hold the market firmly in our grasp!"
Lin Jin spoke at length, outlining one strategic idea after another.
Peng Ming could only sit there, dumbfounded, staring at him as if he were seeing him for the first time.
Finally, Peng Ming sat up straight, a look of sincere admiration in his eyes.
"Dean Lin, it's honestly a shame that you're just the Dean here. You'd make a brilliant businessman. I'd bet on you becoming one of the most successful entrepreneurs on the continent within a few years."
Lin Jin blinked, then smiled faintly. He took a sip of tea before standing up slowly.
"I'm no businessman," he said with a chuckle.
"Just a guy with a few small ideas. I'll leave all that to you, Viscount."(T/N: So many 'inspirations')
With that, he walked over to the window. He looked outside, and a flicker of surprise flashed in his eyes.
Meanwhile, the training field at Tianxing Spirit Master Academy was packed with Spirit masters.
From where they stood, they could see the signboard reading "Tianxing Spirit Master Academy" at the far end of the grounds.
A few people visibly twitched at the sight of it, and more than a few Spirit masters turned away and left altogether.
"Is this the Tianxing Spirit Master Academy?" Su Yun stared blankly at the rather modest-looking facility in front of them and instinctively asked Shenyang.
"If the plaque on the gate is accurate… then yeah, this should be the place," Shenyang replied, though he sounded uncertain.
He glanced around, taking in the somewhat rundown surroundings.
It felt… unimpressive, to say the least.
However, something then clicked in his mind. His eyes darkened slightly, a complex and strange expression flashing across his face.
"No wonder... No wonder Lin Jin never mentioned the salary when we talked. So this is why!"
At that moment, a sweating guard who had been struggling to maintain order suddenly spotted something-or someone.
His whole demeanor changed as if he'd just received a royal pardon.
Eyes wide, he shouted with relief, "Everyone, please remain calm! Our Dean has arrived!"
Without waiting for a response, the guard hurried to meet Lin Jin, clearly overjoyed.
Not long ago, he'd just been an ordinary villager—he'd never dealt with so many Spirit masters in his life.
When Lin Jin first asked him to help maintain order, he had been hesitant, but he'd agreed for the sake of the opportunity.
Shen Yang's eyes followed the guard's gaze.
They lit up.
'It is him!' he thought.
The guard stopped in front of Lin Jin and quickly reported, "Dean, there are twenty-four Spirit masters in total—six are here, and the remaining eighteen are waiting."
"Good work," Lin Jin nodded.
"I'll take it from here."
He then turned his attention to the dozen or so Spirit masters standing nearby, a look of satisfaction appearing in his eyes.
He had been wondering how so many Spirit masters had managed to find their way here.
But once he learned that Tianxing Soda had already spread across more than twenty cities, everything fell into place.
With one Spirit master per city on average, the numbers weren't so surprising after all.
While Lin Jin studied the Spirit Masters, they were sizing him up as well.
At first, some looked indifferent, others amused, and a few were even skeptical.
But the moment they saw him clearly, their expressions shifted.
One by one, they fell silent, their eyes sharpening. Some couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Such a young man…
Lin Jin walked forward slowly, dressed in flowing white robes that gave him an aura of grace and authority.
In one hand, he held a ceremonial measuring ruler. His gaze was as clear and sharp as the morning star, and his presence alone made it hard to look away.
Stopping a few steps in front of them, he offered a respectful bow, his voice calm and warm.
"Welcome. I am Lin Jin, Dean of Tianxing Spirit Master Academy. It's a pleasure to meet you all."