Chapter 154: Chapter 154

Terry said confidently, "After testing, this large-scale production assembly line now requires only one hour of your time, plus a second-class wizard apprentice to assist, and can produce 10 kilograms of advanced growth gel daily." Thɪs chapter is updated by NoveI(F)ire.net

"Similarly, we need to purchase approximately 50 kilograms of fluorescent moss daily as raw materials."

Locke frowned slightly. Ten kilograms per day meant they could produce 100 kilograms every ten days, which would sell for about 90 magic stones on the market.

After deducting the extremely cheap fluorescent moss raw materials, they could still earn about 80 magic stones.

In other words, if this production line were opened to external sales, it could earn around 240 magic stones per month but he still had to factor in his own daily hour of consumption, which would be over thirty hours monthly.

He also had to account for the cost of hiring a second-class wizard apprentice.

Although an outstanding second-class wizard apprentice would cost about 90 magic stones per month, for this type of work, around 50 magic stones monthly would be more reasonable.

And if he wanted to expand the production line, it would consume even more of his time and require hiring more second-class wizard apprentices to assist with the manufacturing process.

Looking at it this way, producing this large-scale growth factor gel truly wasn't profitable.

Compared to the earning speed from his botanical garden's three magical plants, and the treatment fees he earned from producing Minor Viridian Potions at his laboratory for use at the Treatment Center, the money earned from producing advanced growth gel was far too little.

'It seems my pharmaceutical laboratory should avoid situations where advanced growth gel, shadow agents, advanced nutritive soil, and potion nutrient solutions, these products without technical barriers, become the main source of income,' Locke thought. 'Making money this way is really too arduous. Compared to selling my time, working as a healer, it's not much better.'

'It's completely about volume, wasting my own time.'

'The advanced growth gel produced by this production line should just be for self-sufficiency.'

'This way, I can save quite a bit of money, especially as my botanical garden scale grows larger in the future.'

A trace of faint regret appeared in Locke's heart. He said in a low voice, "Actually, it doesn't save much money either, and it wastes my time. Only when I'm relatively free can I produce this advanced growth gel myself. When I'm busy with research, I should just purchase directly from Lijin Secret Language."

Considering everything comprehensively, although producing advanced growth gel himself wasn't bad, if time costs were factored in, especially for someone as busy as himself, it was a loss.

However, Locke's regret quickly disappeared completely.

This kind of mistaken investment was necessary!

After all, some things you can't know the pitfalls of without experiencing them.

For someone like himself, a first-class wizard apprentice accustomed to cultivating high-value magical plants, producing advanced growth gel himself was not only unnecessary but also somewhat wasteful of time, belonging to trivial behavior but for some extremely poor first-class wizard apprentices whose time was relatively cheap and who lacked profitable opportunities, that would be an entirely different matter.

So, the same thing had completely different cost-benefit ratios for different people.

He had made a small mistaken investment when establishing his personal pharmaceutical laboratory.

However, this couldn't really be considered a loss. Having a large-scale production line for advanced growth gel in the pharmaceutical laboratory was beneficial without harm, and could also let him and his workshop employees experience large-scale production technology in advance.

This was itself a form of learning.

Assistant Terry, holding the materials in her hands, looked up at Locke with confusion. "Boss, you seem somewhat unhappy."

Locke shook his head slightly. "It's nothing. Terry, you did very well."

Terry showed a proud smile.

As a second-class wizard apprentice, Terry had limited vision and naturally wouldn't understand the content of his recent calculations. He also had no need to discuss this matter with his assistant.

Locke looked at Terry and asked about the truly important matter, which was the production line for the first product his pharmaceutical laboratory planned to sell externally. "How is the Memory Ointment production line?"

Terry immediately answered seriously, "It's also been debugged and ready for use at any time."

Only then did Locke show her genuine appreciation.

According to his design, his Memory Ointment production line could produce twelve units daily, but required him as a first-class wizard apprentice to personally refine them.

After all, the difficulty of this thing was really too high.

If he personally refined them, he could prepare about three units in half an hour, while consuming a certain amount of energy and mana but if he used assistants, he could prepare about six units in half an hour. By spending one hour daily, he could prepare twelve units while also conserving his energy and mana.

After all, Locke also had to oversee three botanical gardens and supervise the cultivation of magical plants like Jade Iris Lichen and Crystal Palm Fire Lotus, which also consumed certain energy and some mana.

He also needed to reserve certain energy daily for meditation, so the time spent refining potions had to be controlled within a reasonable range.

Locke initially set it at one hour daily, because he also needed to allocate part of his energy to the Treatment Center and refining Minor Viridian Potions.

At the same time, one focus ointment sold for about 15 magic stones, and his Memory Ointment could also sell for 15 magic stones.

After deducting material costs, each unit could earn about 10 magic stones.

His personal pharmaceutical laboratory could produce approximately 375 units of Memory Ointment monthly, earning 3750 magic stones per month.

This income from Memory Ointment would exceed even the combined income from Super Mandrake Vines and Wiregrass Bull Sinew.

And as long as he increased his time investment, this potion revenue could continue growing, because its market was very large, with every wizard apprentice having demand for it.

It would just encounter some trouble in the early stages before opening the market.

Locke knew that selling magic potions and selling magical plants followed completely different logic. Magical plants were external objects, while magic potions had to be consumed.

The demands and concerns of customers they faced were different.

So, in selling potions, he was still a novice.

However, looking at the overall picture, he had to help his mentor work at the Treatment Center, refine Minor Viridian Potions, continue developing magical plants, fulfill orders, and in this process pass examinations and participate in competitions hosted by the White Wizard Association, while also reserving energy and time for meditation techniques.

Therefore, the time he could allocate daily to making Memory Ointment was indeed only one hour.

At most, after the sales channels improved later, he could invest two hours daily and double the Memory Ointment income again.

This thing didn't lack market, as long as he could open the market in the early stages and gain trust.

'I'm beginning to understand why so many laboratories need large numbers of assistants. It seems my pharmaceutical laboratory and botanical garden will inevitably recruit more assistants as the scale expands.'

'This way, I'll be a first-class wizard apprentice with fairly large-scale botanical gardens and pharmaceutical laboratory, with quite a few projects in hand. That's quite a class advancement. Many veteran first-class wizard apprentices can only work between different workshops.'

'Others lack money-making skills, while I have too many profitable things.' Locke rubbed his nose bridge. 'This way, income and expenses can quickly balance out, and my deficit crisis is temporarily resolved.'

'Although my fixed monthly expenditure on meditation techniques is 8000 magic stones, my monthly income is approximately 8500.'

'I can barely solve the basic needs problem, but I'm still far from financial freedom. Becoming a formal wizard requires quite a few resources. Otherwise, I'd have to grind time like other first-class wizard apprentices in the school.'

The key was that others had talent and could grind their time, but with his talent... if he purely relied on grinding, the probability of becoming a formal wizard would be too low.