Chapter 47: A Promising Future

"It is done. Please wait a moment, Your Majesty, and this servant will fetch it right away!"

Seeing Zhang Shi speak with confidence before turning to leave the room to retrieve the items, Ning Chen could not help but frown.

Confidence was a good thing, but things like distilled liquor, perfume, and soap were items they had never laid eyes on, nor even heard of before!

How could Zhang Shi still be so confident?

This inevitably made him somewhat uneasy.

After all, he had merely provided them with blueprints for the production processes and equipment.

Regardless of the materials, equipment, or craftsmanship, these were things far beyond this era. Did Zhang Shi truly possess the capability to pull this off?

More importantly, although these items seemed minor, they were directly tied to his grand money-making scheme, his bid for the position of Minister of Revenue, and served as the most crucial pillars for his future development of the Great Ning!

Before long, Zhang Shi returned with a confident smile, holding a wooden box in both hands and presenting it to Ning Chen.

He said excitedly, "Please inspect it, Your Majesty!"

Ning Chen opened the liquor bottle and took a sniff, momentarily stunned: Such a rich aroma of wine?

He hurriedly poured out a small cup to inspect the bubbles, then took a gentle sip!

The next instant, he froze right on the spot!

The wine was rich in aroma, mellow and smooth upon entry, with a lingering aftertaste!

A fine wine!

Without a doubt, it was an unprecedented, peerless wine!

Ning Chen looked deeply at Zhang Shi.

He never imagined that in such a short period of time—having only provided detailed manufacturing processes and equipment blueprints—Zhang Shi not only managed to produce it, but also achieved such exceptional quality.

To him, this was an unexpected windfall!

To be honest, even if he were to operate the equipment himself, it was doubtful he could have done it this fast, nor could he guarantee such superior quality...

As he was thinking, Zhang Shi brought out the newly crafted perfume and soap, looking at Ning Chen with eyes full of expectation, "Your Majesty, please take a look at these as well!"

Ning Chen picked up the soap and smelled it, then applied a single drop of perfume to his wrist, waving his hand slightly. In an instant, the entire room was filled with a refreshing and pleasing fragrance.

"Splendid!"

"Exquisite!"

"With these items, My path to making a fortune is secured!"

Ning Chen could not help praising, then looked excitedly at Zhang Shi, "Zhang Shi, you have done brilliantly. I never expected you to achieve such results in so short a time. You are truly a rare talent..."

Seeing this, Zhang Shi immediately dropped to his knees and said respectfully, "This is not the merit of this servant, but entirely the merit of Your Majesty's blueprints!"

"Your Majesty might not know this, but when this servant first received Your Majesty's blueprints, my heart was filled with doubt!"

"Yet, thinking that Your Majesty personally came to assign me this task, I knew I had to follow your instructions to the letter!"

"To my utter astonishment, after having people manufacture them according to your designs, although the initial results were modest, it already left me profoundly shocked!"

"Whether it is the distilled liquor or the soap you described, especially this perfume—it is a peerless and rare treasure the likes of which has never been seen before or since. It has truly opened this servant's eyes!"

"This servant dares to guarantee that once these items are mass-produced in mature forms, they will sensationalize the entire nation and spread across the entire world in no time."

"When the operation scales up, it will undoubtedly bring endless wealth to Your Majesty!"

"Therefore, this servant immediately poured everything into recruiting every single folk master craftsman I could possibly find!"

"During this period, we worked day and night, continuously making improvements based on your blueprints, which is how we achieved the results you see today!"

Hearing this, Ning Chen was filled with emotion.

Indeed, the wisdom of the ancients was by no means inferior to that of modern people, and in fact, quite often surpassed it!

Thinking back on his earlier worries, they were completely redundant!

With this thought, he personally helped Zhang Shi to his feet and said solemnly, "You, and little Anzi, are truly the greatest wealth my grandfather left behind!"

"Thank goodness for the two of you!"

Hearing this, Little Anzi and Zhang Shi exchanged glances, their eyes instantly welling up with tears.

Unison in thought, they both said, "Your Majesty, the very meaning of our existence is to serve you. This is the mission entrusted to us by Lord Zhou..."

Deeply moved, Ning Chen said, "I have engraved this in my heart. Rest assured, even for your sakes, I must bring down the Empress Dowager and avenge my grandfather!"

With that, Ning Chen composed his emotions and said sternly, "Zhang Shi, you have done well!"

"We only have half a year left. I need you to convert these items into cash as quickly as possible—the more, the better!"

He then reminded, "However, you must strictly follow my previous instructions: manage and organize your merchant firm properly, and absolute secrecy must be maintained!"

"If you need anything at all, just speak to Little Anzi. Whatever I can provide, I will make sure you get it!"

"Remember, from this moment on, your merchant firm is my money bag and my lifeline!"

Ning Chen knew that in any dynasty, whether for an individual or a nation, money was of paramount importance!

Only with a bulging purse could one better prepare for his grand future plans.

Hearing this, Zhang Shi knelt once again, looking with utmost devotion at the nine-year-old young emperor before him, and solemnly vowed, "Your Majesty may rest assured, this servant will not fail this sacred mission!"

Ning Chen nodded, once again personally helping Zhang Shi up. "There is one more thing!"

"I am going to secretly establish a Bureau of Science and Technology!"

"From now on, Zhang Shi, you shall be the Director of this Bureau of Science and Technology!"

The two men were momentarily stunned, looking at Ning Chen in confusion. "Bureau of Science and Technology? Your Majesty, what... what is a Bureau of Science and Technology?"

A brilliant, radiant smile appeared on Ning Chen's nine-year-old face. "Science is power, and talent is a resource. I want to start stockpiling talents right now!"

"From this moment on, no matter the cost, you must scout and recruit every single talent across the realm who understands invention and excels in manufacturing—regardless of their status or background!"

"Gather all these people for me. I have many, many more things I need them to help me create. These inventions will completely transform the entire Great Ning, and even the entire world!"

The two men stood frozen in place.

Just these distilled liquors, perfumes, and soaps were already beyond imagination.

Yet His Majesty was saying there were many, many more such things!

And he spoke with such absolute certainty that they could transform the entire Great Ning and even the world!

Just how many unknown, secret treasures did this young emperor possess?

Where on earth did he get all these things?

Little did they know, the corners of Ning Chen's mouth were already curving upward with quiet confidence, his gaze filled with anticipation.

For he firmly believed that as long as the Bureau of Science and Technology could be established and developed, backed by the knowledge of his past life, the future was bound to be promising!

Thinking of this, Ning Chen handed another small stack of blueprints to Zhang Shi. "You don't need to rush the affairs of the Bureau of Science and Technology just yet, and you can take your time making these items."

"Your most important task right now is to develop the merchant firm and make money for me!"

Looking at the blueprints in his hands, Zhang Shi's eyes instantly lit up as if he had obtained a supreme treasure: "Refined salt, weaving machines, glass, penicillin..."

Gazing at these blueprints and names, Zhang Shi froze in his tracks.

Like a mechanical doll, he repeatedly looked back and forth between Ning Chen and the blueprints in his hands.

Had it been earlier, he would have undoubtedly doubted the items on Ning Chen's blueprints.

But now, having witnessed the distilled liquor, soap, and perfume, he could only conclude that the nine-year-old young emperor before him must be an immortal being reincarnated from the heavens!

Otherwise, how could he continuously produce such endless streams of miraculous items?

A moment later, he finally snapped out of it and said with absolute firmness, "Your Majesty, rest assured! With these items you have provided, this servant will certainly build this merchant firm into the number one firm in the world!"

Ning Chen nodded with satisfaction and said solemnly, "I believe in you. Not just you, but every single person my grandfather left behind—I trust you all unconditionally."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shi and Little Anzi dropped to their knees in unison once more, deeply moved and resolute as they declared, "We pledge our allegiance to Your Majesty, unwavering unto death!"

Ning Chen could only help the two of them up once again, saying, "Remember, you are my people. From now on, there is no need to kneel when you see me!"

The two men exchanged glances, paused for a moment, and then said with steadfast gazes, "Understood, thank you, Your Majesty!"

Ning Chen smiled and instructed further, "Take your time organizing people to research and manufacture the items I gave you this time; do not rush!"

"But remember, do not prematurely reveal any manufactured item to the world. Wait until I have personally inspected and approved everything before making any decisions!"

With that, Ning Chen's gaze suddenly turned chillingly sharp, bearing no resemblance to a nine-year-old child:

"Bear this well in mind: no matter who it is, the moment a single detail leaks out, I will have his entire clan executed!"

Upon hearing this, the two men immediately straightened up and replied solemnly, "Understood! This servant will firmly engrave Your Majesty's teachings in mind!"

With that, Ning Chen had Little Anzi hand him a pouch of gold and silver jewelry, and then stepped out of the merchant firm carrying a heavy load of goods.

Ning Chen trusted Zhang Shi implicitly; after all, like Little Anzi, he was a loyal agent left behind by his grandfather.

However, once the operation grew and expanded, it would be difficult to guarantee the loyalty of newcomers!

Therefore, rules had to be established as early as possible, and they had to be strict!

As he walked out of the merchant firm, carrying two jars of liquor, two bottles of perfume, and two bars of soap, his mood had also settled.

Seeing Ning Chen emerge, Cao Dahai was the first to greet him.

With a serious expression, he leaned close to Ning Chen's ear and whispered in a low voice, "Your Majesty, the situation is amiss. Someone has been tailing us all along..."

Ning Chen frowned, but soon a relaxed smile spread across his face. "No matter. Come, let us go visit a brothel..."

"A brothel?"

Cao Dahai was taken aback.