"Tell me about it," Ye Tian said.
"Doctor Ye, I'm taking the liberty of calling you brother," He Dong said.
Ye Tian smiled, "There's no need to be so formal between us."
He Dong nodded. "As you know, I'm in the catering business. While it looks profitable, the margins are actually quite slim. With over 1,500 stores, the profit is only 2.7 billion, averaging 1.8 million per store annually."
Ye Tian chuckled, "Old He, aren't you being too greedy? Is over 2 billion not enough?"
He Dong gave a wry smile. "Brother, you don't know how hard it is. Competition in the catering industry has been particularly fierce this year, and I've already closed over a hundred stores. So, I need to develop a distinctive catering concept, something no one else has."
"And so?" Ye Tian asked.
He Dong smiled, "So, I want to venture into medicinal cuisine."
"Hmm, that's an interesting idea," Ye Tian mused.
He Dong continued, "Medicinal cuisine represents health and healing through food. Even at a higher price, consumers will accept it. But I'm an amateur; you're the expert in this field."
Ye Tian considered it. "The essence of medicinal cuisine is still about treating illness with medicine, so it needs to be tailored to individuals with different diseases and physical conditions."
He Dong explained, "I've done market research, and there are many middle-aged and elderly people with chronic illnesses. For example, those with anemia, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and people with hypertension and the other two high conditions. Among these, the easiest group to target is obese individuals."
Ye Tian raised an eyebrow. "Obese individuals? Are you perhaps thinking of developing a weight-loss medicinal cuisine?"
He Dong nodded vigorously. "Exactly. If it can help with weight loss, along with beauty and anti-aging benefits, it's sure to attract a lot of customers."
Ye Tian thought for a moment. "There is a formula that might be worth trying. This formula can reduce appetite, prevent fat accumulation, regulate blood lipids, and clear impurities from the body. All these combined should meet your requirements."
He Dong was overjoyed. "That's fantastic! Brother, I'm planning to establish a new company. If your formula proves effective, I'll give you a 20% stake in the company!"
Ye Tian replied, "Certainly. I'll help you prepare the formula when I have time."
After dinner, He Dong escorted Ye Tian and Lin Ziyi to the door until they drove away.
On the way back, Lin Ziyi smiled, "Brother Tian, let's go tell my dad the good news!"
Ye Tian agreed, nodding. "Alright."
Upon arriving at the Lin residence, Lin Jinsheng was enjoying a drink by himself, looking quite pleased.
Lin Ziyi smiled, "Dad, why are you so happy?"
Lin Jinsheng beamed, "Little Ye and Ziyi are back. Hehe, I have some good news for you. I've accepted the engineering project introduced by Weiguang."
Ye Tian was a bit surprised. He had advised Lin Jinsheng to reconsider before, but he had still taken it on.
Lin Ziyi said with a hint of helplessness, "Dad, didn't we agree not to take it? It's risky."
Lin Jinsheng reassured her, "Don't worry, Ziyi. I've met with the major investor. They are very capable and won't cheat me."
Lin Ziyi then asked, "Then what about the project Ye Tian helped you secure? Are you still going to do that?"
Lin Jinsheng's eyes lit up. "Little Ye, you've managed to secure a project for me?"
Ye Tian explained, "Uncle, I know He Dong. He's building a food factory, which is a large construction project. You can contact him then. With my connection, there will be no issues with the project payments, and I can even arrange for an advance payment."
Lin Jinsheng was ecstatic. "He Dong? He's a very wealthy man. Doing business with him is a good idea!"
He quickly poured Ye Tian a drink. "Come, Little Ye, Uncle will toast you!"
Ye Tian added, "The project might take some time to start."
Lin Jinsheng replied, "That's fine. I'll finish this current project first, and then I can seamlessly transition to yours."
He then happily announced, "Oh, Ziyi, knowing I've secured a major project, the old lady herself called me."
Lin Ziyi scoffed, "Would she call if you hadn't secured the project?"
Lin Jinsheng countered, "It's good that she cares about me, after all."