Chapter 406: 302 Industrialized Talisman Making_2
Soon, rows of standard Immortal Sect’s talisman ink appeared before Chen Mobai and then got transferred to the packaging area via a conveyor belt.
This process involved passing through a gate.
This was the quality inspection gate. If the talisman ink contained too many impurities, or possessed insufficient spiritual energy, it would be blocked at this checkpoint and redirected to a discarded box.
Those talisman inks that passed the quality inspection would then move along the conveyor belt and reach a workstation. A female worker wearing gloves would skillfully pick it up, rechecking its shape and color. After confirming no flaws, it would be packed into a box on the workstation, then placed on another conveyor belt behind her.
The boxes containing the talisman ink passed through this area and onto another coating machine, where they emerged sealed with a thin, transparent, seamless plastic film.
The final checkpoint involved the workers neatly stacking the packaged, coated talisman ink boxes inside a large one.
This was the most standard talisman ink production process in the Immortal Sect.
Having watched this, Chen Mobai recalled the time he took to prepare and paint the Crimson Flame Sword Talisman ink himself: from grinding, to mixing ingredients, to simmering, then shade drying and sun drying, etc. It took roughly a month in total.
Now, it only took two hours.
About one hundred top-quality, almost pure talisman inks were neatly stacked in front of him.
Truly, technology was revolutionizing Immortal Cultivation.
“By the way, how are these talisman inks that didn’t pass the quality inspection dealt with?”
Chen Mobai led a group of people through the factory and stopped at the quality control gate, asking this question to the workshop director next to him. The latter was named Pan Kaiqiang, who had been working in this factory for thirty years.
He possessed a healthy complexion, was robustly built, and was bald.
“Once we gather a considerable amount, we inform the Immortal Sect’s sanitation department to come and collect them, and the factory pays a special waste disposal fee.” said Pan.
While hearing this, Chen Mobai couldn’t help but shake his head. If these were taken to the Tianhe Realm, they would definitely be far superior to any talisman ink master’s work.
They might make Zhuo Ming happy for a whole year.
“Pack them up and place them in my office. I am planning to practice talisman-making and using these lower quality talisman inks can enhance my control over the brush strokes.”
After hearing this, Pan Kaiqiang and the workers around him looked at each other in surprise.
However, he simply thought that the new boss was reluctant to pay the waste disposal fee, so he didn’t say anything further. He simply nodded and ordered a young man to package the six talisman inks made during this production run that had failed the quality inspection.
Compared to talisman ink production, the creation of talisman paper was more troublesome. Chen Mobai waited for quite a while before the first piece of golden paper came out.
The gold was naturally purchased from Wu Wan, who was already one of the suppliers of the Feitian Talisman Factory.
After Chen Mobai’s Foundation Establishment, he only had spirit stones on him. As for gold, he couldn’t find a single piece in his storage bag.
After working overtime for three days, the Feitian Talisman Factory produced enough talisman paper and talisman ink to last Chen Mobai for a year.
For this, Chen Mobai paid a total of 12,000 Good Deed Points as overtime pay and bonuses for five people. Equipment depreciation fee was not considered. The purchase cost for talisman paper and talisman ink raw materials was 186,400 Good Deed Points.
The materials cost was directly accounted for as these materials had already been purchased and stored in the warehouse.
Only rarely used materials like gold were sent over by Wu Wan and Chen Mobai paid for these materials on the spot.
As for the other materials that were used up, the accountants would deduct these from next year’s surplus when keeping the books.
However, since all profits were Chen Mobai’s, no one dared say anything about him using them.
This year, the Feitian Talisman Factory performed well. As Chen Mobai’s endorsement was likely the reason, it ended the year with a profit of 1.8 million Good Deed Points. However, because transferring profits to personal accounts attracted tax, Chen Mobai left the profits in the company account.
It wasn’t that he was prescient and planning to use these to help himself practice talisman-making, he was just being thrift with taxes.
With sufficient materials for practicing making talisman, Chen Mobai began to focus on drawing talisman art.
The location was naturally Green Mountain Village.
This family of old, mid-aged, and youth seldom gathered together. Chen Mobai’s arrival in the small village attracted crowds of villagers one after another.
Originally figuring it would be peaceful in the mountains, Chen Mobai had to bid farewell and leave after the Spring Festival.
Returning to Red Sandstone City, he was drawing talisman when his uncle’s family came to visit.
“Brother, sign for me quickly.”
In front of others, the now adolescent Wang Xinying was very reserved and demure. She inherited the good genes of the Chen family, with picturesque eyebrows, snow-white skin, and a nice figure. She was the class beauty of the Immortal Sect’s Fifth High School. However, in front of Chen Mobai, she was as naive and lively as she had been in her childhood.
“Why are there so many?”
As he picked up the pen, Chen Mobai, looking towards the door, widened his eyes at the stack in Wang Xinying’s hands.
“The whole class, including the teacher, asked me to do this. Even some good friends from the neighboring class. Actually, I scaled it down. Otherwise, you’d need to sign for the entire school.”
As Wang Xinying spoke, she was still at the door. She took off her tall snow boots, didn’t bother changing into slippers, and walked barefoot on the wooden floor with her white socks, holding a stack of Chen Mobai’s photos as she hurried towards him.
How could Chen Mobai refuse his sister’s request?
He multitasked, signing with one pen and drawing the Ice Crystal Talisman with the other pen.
The cold winter weather was perfect for practicing this talisman.
“Bro, how are you doing this?”
Seeing Chen Mobai signed autographs with one hand and made talismans with the other hand at the desk, Wang Xinying widened her eyes with admiration.
“Wanna learn?”
“Yep!”
“Sadly, even if I teach you, you can’t learn. You need to achieve Foundation Establishment first in order to learn Dividing Mind into Thoughts.”
“Huh, wait till I get into one of the four Daoist Academies, I’ll establish my foundation in no time.”
Wang Xinying leaned her hands on the desk, looking at Chen Mobai defiantly. He gave a wry smile but didn’t mention that reaching Foundation Establishment was very difficult. He had been distressed because his two good friends failed in their attempt to establish their foundations.
“How about your progress now?”
Although he can see Wang Xinying’s Cultivation Level clearly with his Void Spirit Eye, Chen Mobai definitely wouldn’t do that.
“I’m already at the eighth level of Qi Cultivation. If I’m lucky, I might reach the ninth level before the college entrance exam next year.”
Wang Xinying said it with immense pride on her face.
Her Spiritual Root Talent is not bad. Even though it has three True Spirit elements, her Metal Spirit Root is 30 points, more initial points than Chen Mobai.
“You girl, if it hadn’t been for your brother’s connections that let you buy Qi-replenishing Spirit Water and Barrier-breaking Elixir, you wouldn’t have progressed this fast.”
Chen Yulan, their aunt, heard what her daughter said and lightly scolded her, warning her against being arrogant.
“Most importantly, it’s because she has been trying hard. By the way, have you decided which university to go to?”
“Of course, it’s Dance Tool Dao Academy.”
Chen Mobai naturally defended his cherished younger sister, Wang Xinying stuck her tongue out at her mother. After declaring her ambition, she walked over to Chen Mobai, picked up the ink stick, and started helping him grind ink.
The brother and sister had a great bond since childhood, and this relationship remained unchanged even after Chen Mobai achieved the Foundation Establishment.
Feeling the pure ideals of his younger sister, Chen Mobai’s previously troubled mind suddenly calmed down.
Yes, nothing in the world remains the same forever. Let everything take its natural course, remember the good memories, forget the bad ones, and seize the present.
With this thought in mind, Chen Mobai smiled faintly, drawing the last stroke of the Ice Crystal Talisman.
An ice flower bloomed in the center of the talisman, then disappeared in the paper, turning into an indistinct mark that only appears when it is activated.
“It’s so beautiful.”
Wang Xinying, who was helping with the ink grinding on the side, caught this scene and was mesmerized.
“I’ll give it to you. Consider it as a New Year’s gift.”
With Chen Mobai’s words, Wang Xinying didn’t hesitate. She took the Ice Crystal Talisman in her hands and looked at it joyously.
“Why don’t you thank your brother?”
“Thank you, bro.”
In the midst of laughter, the first meal after the Spring Festival began. The family sat down to eat.
As snowflakes fluttered outside the window, the room was filled with warmth and joy.
Chen Mobai’s heart was filled with an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.
That night, he had a good night’s sleep, no dreams disturbed him.