As soon as Hu Deyao left, Dongfang Mingliang arrived. However, the two poor workers didn't even have a chance to grab a drink of water before they had to get back to work.
Xu Ke asked them to take the medicinal herbs useful for breaking through from the Innate Initial Stage to the Innate Mid Stage to Duan Chongfeng, along with a prescription.
Duan Chongfeng had been stuck in the Innate Initial Stage for many years. Xu Ke did a quick calculation; since he had cured Duan Chongfeng's illness, his body should have mostly recovered by now and would be ready to attempt a breakthrough. Given the circumstances, Xu Ke naturally hadn't forgotten about him.
Afterward, Xu Ke planned to visit Yihe Pharmaceuticals. Zhou Qingyong had consistently tried to keep him away, even orchestrating that medicine delivery stunt. This made Xu Ke very curious about what scheme Zhou Qingyong was plotting. That was precisely why he had provided the Xiongfeng Pill Prescription in advance as a countermeasure.
Xu Ke didn't want to kill Zhou Qingyong and Zhou Fan. This was due to his relationship with Zhou Qingzhi and the fact that Zhou Hongsheng had saved his master and given him the Dragon Ring. Therefore, he offered the Xiongfeng Pill as a failsafe. If the father-son duo tried to move against him, he would cut off all profits from the pill and hold them accountable. This was clearly stipulated in the contract he had signed with Zhou Qingzhi, who had agreed to these terms.
His relationship with Zhou Qingyong had deteriorated long ago. In his eyes, his brother was worse than a stranger, so this didn't count as betrayal. On the contrary, Zhou Qingzhi felt that cooperating with Xu Ke to restrain Zhou Qingyong via the contract was the right decision.
"I wonder what the situation is like now," Xu Ke muttered.
He and Tang Yingchang got into a car and set off for Yihe Pharmaceuticals, intending to find out what was going on. At the same time, he notified Zhou Qingyong, telling him that he was coming over to perform his duties as a major shareholder.
***
After all, people have brains. Zhou Qingyong was a person, so he too had a brain. And it wasn't just for show; it worked.
He had already found out about what happened yesterday: Xu Ke's terrifying display of power and Xu Zhentai's brutal beating of Ouyang Ping. Under these circumstances, Zhou Qingyong no longer dared to plot against Xu Ke.
What good were conspiracies and schemes? Was it worth risking his life for Yihe Pharmaceuticals?
Thus, at this moment, Zhou Qingyong was in Zhou Fan's office.
"Dad, he… he's coming over. Should we ask Uncle Quan to go back?" Zhou Fan trembled.
"Are you stupid? Treat your Uncle Quan well and don't let his trip be for nothing. Just tell him we'll give him five percent of the Xiongfeng Pill profits," Zhou Qingyong snapped.
"Yes!" Zhou Fan's face fell, his heart bleeding at the thought of giving up five percent of the profits.
But there was no other way! They had to do this to appease Uncle Quan. Now that he couldn't act against Xu Ke to gain benefits, they had to offer him something to ensure his trip wasn't a complete waste!
The Uncle Quan that Zhou Fan referred to was one of the shareholders of Yihe Pharmaceuticals. Initially, Zhou Fan had asked Uncle Quan to return specifically to deal with Xu Ke. He had arranged for the Tianmen Clubhouse to sign a contract with Xu Ke and deliver large quantities of medicine, all as part of a scheme to frame him.
Anyone in the pharmaceutical industry knew the market price of medicinal materials. Yet, Xu Ke was acquiring them batch after batch at a ridiculously low price, which clearly indicated something was wrong. When the time was right, they planned to have the Tianmen Clubhouse and Manager Qian testify against Xu Ke, accusing him of using his shareholder status for personal gain and committing a crime. They would force him to sell all his shares and either return all the medicinal materials or pay the price difference. When Xu Ke was forced to sell, they would have Uncle Quan exercise his rights as a fellow shareholder to purchase the shares.
With this approach, the shares wouldn't be in Zhou Qingyong's own hands. This meant Zhou Qingzhi couldn't accuse him of framing Xu Ke in front of Zhou Hongsheng, giving their father no grounds to reprimand him. Meanwhile, Xu Ke would be successfully driven away, and they would be able to seize control of Yihe Pharmaceuticals in one fell swoop.
This imagined outcome had made the father and son ecstatic. Their jubilation grew, especially after the recent launch of the Xiongfeng Pill. The first batch released to the market achieved unbelievable sales figures among the upper echelons.
We're rich! We're actually rich!
But they had never imagined that Xu Ke would be so formidable. He was so powerful that the father-son duo was now utterly despondent, their faces pale as death.
The reason they had dared to mess with Xu Ke earlier was their belief that he wasn't that strong, especially with enemies like the Ye Family and Wong Ting. Since Xu Ke was constrained on all sides, Zhou Qingyong and his son naturally assumed that taking back Yihe Pharmaceuticals would be no trouble at all.
But now, things were different.
Last night, Zhou Qingyong was at the company when he got a call from Zhou Qingzhi. His brother warned him, "The Ye Family has been wiped out—not even a chicken was left alive. The Peak Level Maestro backing Xu Ke slapped Ouyang Ping so hard she was crying for her parents. If you know what's good for you, you'll behave yourself. If you don't, why would Xu Ke, who doesn't even give Huang Zhendong face, show any respect to our Zhou Family? At that rate, Dad will be burying you and Fan ahead of schedule."
After hearing Zhou Qingzhi's words, both Zhou Qingyong and Zhou Fan were scared witless. Zhou Fan even sent Uncle Quan, who had just gotten off the plane and was heading straight for Yihe Pharmaceuticals, back to his hotel.
"Now that Xu Ke is coming over, what should we do…" Zhou Fan shivered uncontrollably.
"You should be asking what *he* wants to do!" Zhou Qingyong's expression shifted erratically before he clenched his teeth and said fiercely, "Never mind anything else. First, take out the Xiongfeng Pill Prescription and show it to him. Tell him how valuable it is! As for the share of the profits our family holds, tell him he can have as much as he wants!"
"What? No, Dad!" Upon hearing this, Zhou Fan felt as if his world was collapsing. He was completely dumbfounded.
When Zhou Qingzhi gave them the pill, he had stipulated that sixty percent of the profits must go to the main group to guarantee Xu Ke's cut. That left their branch, Yihe Pharmaceuticals, with forty percent. Based on their usual methods of lining their own pockets, they could take the lion's share of that forty percent—enough to buy several large villas in minutes. But now they had to give it all to Xu Ke? Didn't that mean they wouldn't get a single cent?
"You don't want to? Then do you want to keep your life?" Zhou Qingyong snorted. "I found out that Huang Zhendong obediently paid a protection fee to Xu Ke today in a terrifyingly grand display. Then the Qin Family gave Xu Ke a collection of priceless antiques as their protection fee! So, do you think you can get away with not paying? Do you think you're stronger than the Huang Family or the Qin Family?"
At these words, Zhou Fan didn't dare to speak.
"When he arrives, explain everything clearly," Zhou Qingyong continued. "Tell him the Xiongfeng Pill Prescription is our ultimate, most treasured formula. Shock him a little first, then tell him how much money it's projected to make in the future! By then, between the money and the medicinal materials we've sent him these past few days, he will surely spare us."
When Zhou Qingzhi had handed the prescription to Zhou Qingyong, he only mentioned it was a recently acquired "wild formula." However, Zhou Qingyong was certain it had to be one of Zhou Hongsheng's most treasured secrets. Otherwise, where could they have possibly found such an incredible formula?
"Okay!" Zhou Fan nodded obediently, then asked, "Dad, should we find someone to demonstrate the Xiongfeng Pill for him? What if he's never seen it work before?"
"Are you an idiot? Is that something you can just demonstrate?" Zhou Qingyong scolded angrily. "Just tell him about the experiences of a few people who have tried it! Is that so hard?"
"Oh, okay…" Zhou Fan lowered his head.
"Go tell the public relations department to come out and give him a proper welcome. Quickly," Zhou Qingyong added.
