Wizard: Starting With Synthesized Gems-Chapter 184: Academy Fund

Axi closed their office door, and then Andrew asked Locke, "Locke, how long does it take you to brew that Bear Spirit Jade Bile Detoxification Potion?"
Locke thought for a moment, "About half an hour per bottle."
"And it's very draining on my energy. The maximum number of Bear Spirit Jade Bile Detoxification Potions I can brew in a day couldn't exceed eight bottles, because brewing too many might affect my evening meditation."
"However, the formula and process of this potion haven't actually changed at all. The only difference is replacing the main ingredient from Jade Lichen to the Jade Iris Lichen I cultivated."
Andrew and Axi's eyes brightened.
According to what Locke said, this meant that any potion master assistant who mastered the Bear Spirit Bile Detoxification Potion formula could actually brew Bear Spirit Jade Bile Detoxification Potion as long as they purchased Jade Iris Lichen.
This Bear Spirit Jade Bile Detoxification Potion that Locke developed had very universal value, both in terms of effectiveness and economic potential.
This meant that now the two of them could also help Locke brew Bear Spirit Jade Bile Detoxification Potion, preventing the work from being concentrated on one person and creating too much work pressure.
Andrew said, "Then we can also help you brew Bear Spirit Jade Bile Detoxification Potion."
Axi said, "It's best not to go through the treatment center's internal channels, as that would definitely drive down the purchase price of your Jade Iris Lichen. Locke, you should still sell the Jade Iris Lichen to your friend Manager Yuri at Lijin Secret Language. This way, it becomes a negotiation between the treatment center and Lijin Secret Language."
"Lady Irina behind Lijin Secret Language is also the owner of our Owl Cauldron, and she's very influential. Using her influence to negotiate the external selling price of Jade Iris Lichen can definitely protect your interests to the maximum extent."
Locke had the same idea.
If he negotiated prices with the treatment center as an individual, he would definitely be at a disadvantage.
Locke suggested, "But I can first provide Jade Iris Lichen to you for free, and you can help me brew Bear Spirit Jade Bile Detoxification Potion. We'll first earn some money from these patients while competing for this year's Outstanding Therapist, or even Exceptional Therapist positions."
Locke had been thinking about doing this for a long time.
Doing this would indeed be somewhat unprofitable, but it was a necessary investment.
They were a team similar to Anglon's workshop.
His daily production of Bear Spirit Jade Bile Detoxification Potion was limited, but one patient required more than just one bottle of Bear Spirit Jade Bile Detoxification Potion.
If they could brew more Bear Spirit Jade Bile Detoxification Potion, they could quickly and completely cure all the first-class wizard apprentices currently and in the future who were afflicted with magical plant curses, and even steal away first-class wizard apprentice patients with troublesome curses from other treatment center teams.
If he could get Axi and Andrew to help him and reach an agreement with them to transfer patient treatment numbers to him, that would be perfect.
Ten minutes later, after discussion, Axi and Andrew worked out that in the future, eighty percent of their team's patient treatment load would be allocated to Locke, with the remaining twenty percent split equally between the two of them.
In other words, in the future, most of the patients treated by this team would nominally be primarily treated by Locke, while Axi and Andrew would merely assist him.
This was mainly because their team would try using Bear Spirit Jade Bile Detoxification Potion to treat patients in the future and collect performance data on this potion.
Since Locke was providing the Jade Iris Lichen raw materials and wasn't charging them, they would be using materials and formulas provided by Locke, so naturally the majority should belong to Locke.
This was equivalent to this treatment center team subtly transforming into a therapist team centered around and led by Locke under his guidance and influence.
They formed an organizational structure similar to Anglon's workshop, with Anglon as the core.
Locke had, for the first time, gained two first-class wizard apprentice collaborators.
This was very advantageous for Locke.
Especially since Locke's goal was the potion reward behind this year's Exceptional Therapist award. If he could obtain it, he could quickly increase his mana significantly, saving himself much time that would be consumed in slowly increasing his mana.
For Axi and Andrew, this was also very beneficial.
The two of them were essentially participating in a very promising project. Not only would their future salaries not decrease, they would even receive more and might even get additional academy rewards as a result.
Locke, Andrew, and Axi nodded to each other, celebrating the formation of a true team among the three.
Locke said to Andrew and Axi, "Then let's start now, brewing Bear Spirit Jade Bile Detoxification Potion in the treatment center's laboratory. With the strength of the three of us, we should be able to prepare enough today to treat the remaining sixteen patients."
Both Andrew and Axi were veteran potion master assistants, very skilled with Bear Spirit Bile Detoxification Potion. It wouldn't be strange for them to prepare twenty bottles in a day.
So the two of them working at full capacity could produce about forty bottles of Bear Spirit Jade Bile Detoxification Potion daily.
Of course, Locke currently only planted ten acres of Jade Iris Lichen. Even using advanced growth gel, the Jade Iris Lichen he could produce monthly was only about eighty plants.
Locke's current inventory was only about one hundred plants.
Fortunately, one Jade Iris Lichen plant could be used to make about two to three bottles of Bear Spirit Jade Bile Detoxification Potion.
So temporarily, it was still sufficient for their use.
Locke thought that he should probably apply for some funding or get some orders for Jade Iris Lichen, so he could quickly expand his Jade Iris Lichen magical fields without worrying about cash flow problems.
Rapid expansion without orders would still involve some risk.
After all, this was agricultural produce, and storage alone required money.
Under the complex emotions of other potion master assistants in the treatment center, Locke, Axi, and Andrew began working busily.
By evening, most of the first-class wizard apprentices afflicted with magical plant curses had been completely cured after taking Bear Spirit Jade Bile Detoxification Potion, without any damage to their vitality.
These first-class wizard apprentices were in relatively good condition, so they didn't need intravenous injection. They only needed to take Bear Spirit Jade Bile Detoxification Potion orally to increase their magic resistance and naturally overcome the magical plant curses.
When getting off work in the evening, in their office, Axi said somewhat triumphantly, "Locke, Andrew, you should really see the expressions of those potion master assistants who were laughing at us before..."
"Someone even wanted to ask me where they could purchase Jade Iris Lichen. I told them that Lijin Secret Language shop would sell them in the future, but they'd have to wait a few more months."
"Hahaha..."
"Even people from Anglon's workshop wanted to ask me where to purchase Jade Iris Lichen. I told them this was something Locke had just developed and couldn't be bought anywhere else. As a result, everyone in that workshop was dumbfounded and couldn't speak in front of me."
Andrew raised his eyebrows, "Those people before just wanted to shirk responsibility."
"Naturally, these benefits don't fall to them."
Andrew looked at Locke and found him reading documents with his head down, "Locke, what are you reading? Tonight I'll treat you both to dinner at the Witch's Kitchen."
Locke put away the documents, "It's patient information that Wizard Derek Jones, the formal wizard on the third floor, gave me. He noticed the superior properties of the new potion we used, so he wants to recommend a patient afflicted with a Consciousness Splitting Curse for us to try treating."
"As you know, treating this type of curse is very troublesome, and even if cured, it leaves aftereffects that affect the wizard's future prospects."
"Therefore, if the Bear Spirit Jade Bile Detoxification Potion works well, related patients will be prioritized for us in the future."
Axi and Andrew's eyes lit up.
Patient sources meant money and credentials.
Locke said, "The academy's upper levels seem particularly optimistic about our potion. Currently, Senior Advisor Francis has ordered the Healing Hand Treatment Center to prioritize recommending patient sources to us for testing the Bear Spirit Jade Bile Detoxification Potion's performance in treating different curses, and to help us conduct animal experiments, civilian experiments, and wizard apprentice experiments."
Locke looked at an additional reward in his hand, "The academy gave me one thousand magic stones as an Outstanding Project Award, asking me to use this money to continue the phase three trials of Bear Spirit Jade Bile Detoxification Potion."
"And to produce results soon."
"Outstanding Project Award, so the academy has this kind of subsidy."
Andrew and Axi's eyes brightened. Andrew said, "The academy does have funds established to support outstanding projects among first-class wizard apprentices. But you have to apply for it, and it's very difficult. This is the first time I've seen someone get an Outstanding Project Award without applying."
Andrew's expression was strange, "Axi and I have been applying for ten years and have never been approved once."
"Just like how formal wizards have fund subsidies established by the White Wizard Association, the academy also established special project rewards for first-class wizard apprentices."
"As long as the academy believes that your research project is very valuable and highly likely to be realized, you might get approval and receive additional magic stone funding from the academy to help continue your research."
"But this is very difficult. To some extent, this is also an honor. It's not just about money. As long as you can get approval, your comprehensive evaluation score will be increased, which can be used when selecting Chief Apprentice, Wizard Seed, or Rising Star of Potion Studies."
"Of course, these three titles are still very distant from us." Andrew said, "Axi and I never thought that one day we might obtain such titles."
"However, Locke, I think you have this potential."