On the tarmac of Yulin Fumian Airport.

A sleek Gulfstream G650 business jet slowly taxied into its parking spot, the roar of its engines gradually dying down.

The cabin door opened, and Li Xu, carrying a simple canvas bag on his back, walked down the airstairs.

Following behind him was a shrewd and capable man in his thirties, the guide arranged by the patient’s parents—Chen Hui.

Chen Hui had done business in Guangxi in his early years and was extremely familiar with the area.

"Dr. Li, the car has been arranged."

Chen Hui pointed to a black Mercedes commercial vehicle outside the tarmac, his attitude deferential.

Li Xu nodded. He didn’t get into the car right away, instead taking in the surrounding scenery.

In the distance, the peaks of the Shiwan Dashan mountain range were faintly visible.

This was Guangxi, the homeland of Agarwood.

The intel had provided the exact coordinates for the Ten Thousand Year Old Agarwood.

He had a decent amount of time, so Li Xu wasn’t in a rush.

"First, take me to see the local Agarwood industry."

Li Xu said to Chen Hui, "I’ve heard Yulin is the capital of Agarwood. Since we’re here, I should at least see what it’s all about."

Chen Hui was taken aback for a moment, then smiled. "No problem, Dr. Li. You’re very knowledgeable. Our Guangxi Agarwood is mainly distributed around Yulin, Qinzhou, and Beiliu. Yulin, in particular, is the core production area, accounting for more than ninety percent of all the Agarwood cultivation in Guangxi."

The car drove out of the airport and headed south. The scenery outside the window gradually grew lush and verdant.

As he drove, Chen Hui began to explain with the ease of an expert:

"When it comes to Agarwood, you have to talk about our uniquely blessed environment. The alluvial plains of the Nanliu River basin in the Northern Gulf are a true gift from nature. The average annual temperature is 22 degrees Celsius—not too hot, not too cold. The humidity stays around 80% year-round, and when you add the 1,500 to 2,000 millimeters of annual rainfall, it’s practically a paradise for Agarwood trees."

"The ’Jade Fat Fragrance’ produced here is one of a kind. Its resin patterns are as clear and translucent as solidified amber. The aroma isn’t as light and elegant as Hainan Agarwood, nor is it as rich and overpowering as Indonesian Agarwood. Instead, it’s gentle, with a sweet floral and fruity scent that’s incredibly pleasant."

Li Xu listened, nodding from time to time.

’It’s true. Authentic medicinal ingredients are all about ’terroir’.’

’Besides the climate, what makes the land in Guangxi even more exceptional is its soil.’

’The slightly acidic red soil, unique to Karst regions, is rich in trace elements like iron and manganese, making it a natural ’spice factory’.’

’When Agarwood trees take root here, they absorb these trace elements. The aromatic substances they secrete in response to natural trauma are incredibly complex and layered.’

’Add to that the primeval forest ecosystem of the Shiwan Dashan, which acts as a natural barrier against pests and diseases, ensuring the resin-forming process remains pure and natural.’

After driving for over an hour, the car turned onto a smooth, concrete village road. Large plantations began to appear on both sides, and a faint, fresh fragrance seemed to fill the air.

"Dr. Li, I’m taking you to a village—Ancient Camphor Village."

Chen Hui pointed at the village ahead. "This place used to be dirt poor. Now, every household grows Agarwood, and they’ve all gotten rich."

The car stopped in front of an impressive four-story building. A brand-new Honda SUV was parked in the courtyard.

Just as they got out of the car, the courtyard gate opened, and a man in his forties with dark skin and a vigorous spirit strode out to greet them.

"You must be Dr. Li! Welcome, welcome."

The man had clearly been notified in advance. His face was wreathed in smiles as he firmly shook Li Xu’s hand with both of his. "Just call me Old Zhang. President Wang called me personally. He said a distinguished guest was coming and told me to be a good host."

"You’re too kind, Old Zhang."

Li Xu replied with a smile.

Old Zhang enthusiastically welcomed the two into his courtyard.

The courtyard was very clean. A corner had been specially set aside for a tea table, which held an elegant tea set.

"Come, have some tea. Was this place hard to find?"

Although Old Zhang’s Mandarin had a slight accent, it was very fluent, clearly honed from years of dealing with merchants from out of town.

He deftly brewed a pot of fine tea and poured it into the serving pitcher, steam rising from it.

"Dr. Li, Brother Chen, have some tea to wet your throats. President Wang is my great benefactor. Whatever you need, just say the word. I’d go through hell and high water for you. If I, Old Zhang, even hesitate for a second..."

Old Zhang slapped his chest, his voice ringing with bravado.

Li Xu raised his cup and took a sip. The tea’s aroma was rich; it was a good local tea.

"It’s nothing major. I just came to see the Agarwood."

Li Xu put down his cup and got straight to the point. "I’m very interested in Agarwood and would like to learn about the cultivation and resin-forming process here."

When Old Zhang heard this, his spirits instantly lifted. "Then you’ve come to the right person! I can’t speak for other things, but when it comes to growing Agarwood, if I, Old Zhang, claim to be second best for miles around, no one would dare claim to be first."

Old Zhang was a straightforward man. Seeing it was getting late, he called for his wife to hurry up and cook. He insisted on having the two of them stay for a meal.

At the dinner table, after a few glasses of liquor, Old Zhang’s floodgates opened.

It turned out that Old Zhang used to be a fisherman on the Nanliu River, and his family was so poor they could barely afford to eat.

Later, to make a living, he became a freight truck driver.

By a stroke of luck, he met a boss who saw that he was honest and hardworking and had him help collect Agarwood locally.

"I didn’t know a thing back then."

Old Zhang picked up a piece of braised pork belly and said with a sigh, "All I knew was that there was a lot of this stuff in the mountains. The villagers never thought much of it. Sometimes they’d even chop it down to use as firewood. It smelled nice, sure, but it was just a piece of wood. I used to wonder, what’s the use of collecting this stuff?"

"But, you know, it was for the money, so I ran around to different villages collecting it. It was cheap back then, just a few yuan a pound and nobody wanted it. I’d collect it and mail it to the boss. I could make an extra few thousand yuan a month, and a few thousand was a huge amount of money back then!"

Old Zhang took a drink of liquor, his eyes a little unfocused. "It was only after a few years that I realized how valuable this stuff was. That boss, I heard he made several hundred million by flipping Agarwood during those years. Then one time, he just gave me 100,000 yuan in cash, said it was for my hard work, and then got out of the business to move on to bigger things."

At this point, Old Zhang lowered his voice and pointed upwards mysteriously. "Later I found out that the boss behind my boss was President Wang."

Li Xu had a moment of realization. No wonder President Wang could make such thorough arrangements here; there was this connection from the past.

"And then?"

Li Xu asked.

"Later, I thought to myself, ’Why work for someone else when I can do it myself?’"

Old Zhang put down his chopsticks. "So I took that 100,000 yuan, plus my savings from those years, and invested it all. I didn’t know the techniques at first. The saplings I bought were no good, and more than half of them died. I was the laughingstock of the village for years."

"But I didn’t give up. I refused to accept failure. I went to Hainan to learn the techniques and even hired experts for guidance. Slowly, I found my way. Now I have hundreds of acres of my own Agarwood plantations, and more than a dozen families in the village work with me. Our place has become the largest Agarwood supply base in all of Yulin."

As Old Zhang spoke of these things, his face was filled with pride.

After the meal, Old Zhang suggested they rest for a bit, but Li Xu shook his head. "No rest. Let’s go directly to the Agarwood plantation."

"Alright."

Old Zhang didn’t dawdle, getting up immediately to lead the way.