Chapter 655: Chapter 626: Orchid Sect Leader
Xu Chunliang nodded and said, "You go back first, I’ll think about it."
After Li Changmin left, Xu Chunliang handed the photo to Mo Han. After looking at it, Mo Han pondered for a moment and said softly, "I’ve never seen this dragon bone."
Xu Chunliang said, "There are many things you haven’t seen."
Although it was true, it earned him a glare from Mo Han. Recalling the last transaction, when he took advantage of the situation, Xu Chunliang felt a surge of anger but couldn’t do anything since Mo Han refused to admit it and there was no evidence.
Xu Chunliang said, "Like it? If you like it, I’ll bring it over and sell it to you."
Mo Han looked at him resentfully. Does this guy know no shame? We’ve known each other for so long, have I ever tricked or harmed you? Although you once saved Luan Yuchuan, how many times have I helped you? Sell it to me? How could you even say that?
Xu Chunliang said, "If you don’t want it, forget it."
"How much do you plan to sell it for?"
Xu Chunliang said, "President Luan once made me an offer."
Mo Han nodded. A million for a piece of dragon bone, this guy really found a shortcut to wealth.
Mo Han couldn’t help but remind Xu Chunliang, "Doing business with Mingde Group is like making a deal with a tiger. People in this country are not trustworthy, be careful they might turn on you."
Xu Chunliang deliberately said, "You’re right, it’s hard to fight against many with just two fists. It’s better to find someone to cooperate with. How about rekindling our past partnership?"
Mo Han felt Xu Chunliang didn’t seem sincere.
Xu Chunliang said, "To show my sincerity, I’m planning to ask for more dragon bones from them, and I’ll give you a friendship price, how about fifty percent off? Am I being generous enough?"
Mo Han said, "No need for a discount. As long as you sincerely cooperate with us, we’ll pay you the full price for any dragon bone confirmed by Professor Bai to meet the standards. Mr. Luan never haggles over price."
Xu Chunliang said, "Very generous. Then shall I ask them for four pieces?"
Mo Han shook his head and said, "I actually think there’s no need to ask for a high price, start by asking for two pieces."
Xu Chunliang said, "Baiting the big fish with a long line, good idea." He called Li Changmin in front of Mo Han and directly told him the condition for two dragon bones.
At the back courtyard of Wangjing Renhe Hall, Lu Taiyin, who is known as Mingde Group’s chief Korean doctor in white attire, was playing chess with a middle-aged man in a black Tang suit. This man in black was Zhou Yiwen, the young master of Renhe Hall, which has now formed a deep partnership with Mingde Group.
Lu Taiyin returned a white stone to its place and laughed, "Mr. Zhou, your chess skills are excellent, I am truly impressed."
At this moment, a tall, bear-like man walked into the courtyard. He was Che Shixiong, Protector of the Cyan Dragon Gang, known as their most formidable warrior.
Che Shixiong came to Lu Taiyin, bowed respectfully, and reported the latest news in Korean gibberish.
Lu Taiyin instructed him a few times before Che Shixiong turned and left.
Lu Taiyin said, "Mr. Zhou, how much do you know about Xu Chunliang?"
Zhou Yiwen said, "He is a descendant of the Xu Family’s Huichun Hall. As far as I know, he’s only a high school graduate, hasn’t attended university, nor studied medicine."
Lu Taiyin said, "He’s not simple at all."
Zhou Yiwen said, "Traditional Chinese medicine values experience. A young guy in his twenties, even if he started learning medicine in the womb, would only have over twenty years of experience. How skilled can he really be?"
"I heard Huichun Hall and Renhe Hall have a longstanding feud?"
Zhou Yiwen took a sip of tea, looked at the clear sky, and said, "That’s in the past."
Xu Chunliang, along with Hua Zhuyue, arrived at the Blue Star Building, which also serves as Blue Star’s headquarters.
Ji Buyao is a low-key person who hasn’t appeared in public much in recent years. He did not reveal his true reason for meeting Xu Chunliang to Hua Zhuyue.
They entered a private elevator. After Hua Zhuyue swiped her card, she pressed 59. This elevator was usually reserved for Ji Buyao’s use only.
Xu Chunliang glanced at the camera in the corner, knowing that since they entered the building, their every move was under someone else’s surveillance.
Hua Zhuyue smiled at him without saying a word. Although Ji Buyao treated her well, she always felt an invisible pressure every time she saw him.
When the elevator doors opened, they came outside. This place used to be the Nine Heavens Nightclub, once famous in the Capital City. Later, Ji Buyao closed it and converted part of it into his private club.
On both sides of the corridor were various wood carvings and stone statues, mostly collected by Ji Buyao from the public. These exquisite antiques alone were valuable, including armor from Europe and numerous animal specimens, among them rare animals like the American cougar and the Asian tiger.
Ji Buyao loved to collect, and his collection was very diverse, making this place look like a museum.
The doors to the club were made of solid bronze. Two men in black stood at the entrance. When they saw Hua Zhuyue, they immediately saluted. Hua Zhuyue held a high position in the Blue Star Group, and Ji Buyao usually communicated with the group through her.
One of them helped open the door, and Hua Zhuyue made an inviting gesture, as Xu Chunliang strode in with his head held high.
What he saw was the epitome of luxury. The first thing that caught his eye was a massive aquarium that occupied an entire wall, filled with sharks of various sizes swimming around.
A man with gray hair sat in a wheelchair, with his back to them, quietly admiring the sharks in the tank.
Even though Xu Chunliang had seen a lot, he was still stunned by the aquarium inside the building. Truly, the rich know how to play. How did they even get such large sharks in here, and how much would it cost to maintain them?
Hearing the footsteps behind him, Ji Buyao maneuvered his wheelchair to turn around. He was fifty-two years old but looked a bit younger, with fair skin and a frail body, likely due to a long lack of exercise.
Hua Zhuyue said, "President Ji, I’ve brought the person you requested."
Ji Buyao smiled as he sized up Xu Chunliang and proactively extended his right hand.
Xu Chunliang bent down to shake his hand. Previously, Hua Zhuyue had never mentioned that Ji Buyao was disabled.
Ji Buyao said, "Zhuyue, I’d like to speak with Mr. Xu alone."
Hua Zhuyue nodded, quietly stepping out. Before leaving, she glanced at Xu Chunliang, who smiled back at her, assuring her that there was no need to worry.
After Hua Zhuyue left, Ji Buyao wheeled himself over to the bar. Xu Chunliang followed him there. Behind the bar, Ji Buyao raised his wheelchair and took a bottle of whiskey from the cabinet. "You’re younger than I imagined."
Xu Chunliang said, "What did President Ji imagine someone my age should look like?"
Ji Buyao took some ice from a bucket, poured a glass of whiskey, and handed it to him.
Xu Chunliang accepted it with a word of thanks.
Ji Buyao said, "There aren’t many young men who can get the better of Zhuyue."
Xu Chunliang sipped the drink and said, "Good thing she hasn’t gone far. You should call her back in and ask her face to face if I’ve ever actually gotten the better of her."
Ji Buyao said, "Actually, I’ve been keeping an eye on you for a long time."
Xu Chunliang asked, "Since when?"
Ji Buyao poured himself a drink, clinked glasses with Xu Chunliang, took a sip, and said, "To be precise, it was from the incident at OMMIA Bar. Last time you came to the Capital City, you caused quite a stir at the entrance of OMMIA Bar."
Xu Chunliang feigned curiosity, "Does that bar have something to do with you?"
Ji Buyao said, "It’s owned by an old friend of mine."
Xu Chunliang said, "As far as I know, Pan Tianhua seems to be in competition with you."
Ji Buyao started to laugh, adjusted his wheelchair to the previous height, and moved forward. Xu Chunliang could only keep up. Though Ji Buyao couldn’t walk, he was remarkably skilled at maneuvering the electric wheelchair.
Ji Buyao returned to the fish tank and said softly, "I’ve already handed over the company’s matters to Zhuyue. My health is deteriorating day by day."
Xu Chunliang said, "With your wealth, you should be able to get the best treatment."
Ji Buyao sighed, "There are some things money just can’t solve. My wife died of cancer ten years ago, and I was just as powerless against her illness. To cope with the pain, I became obsessed with mountaineering, which led to an accident where I lost my legs."
Xu Chunliang said, "That’s truly unfortunate."
Ji Buyao said, "It’s nothing to regret. Everyone faces pain; it’s just a matter of degree."
Xu Chunliang asked, "What does President Ji want from me?"
Ji Buyao said, "I want you to help me save someone."
Xu Chunliang asked, "Who?"
His first thought was that Ji Buyao wanted him to treat his legs. Though Xu Chunliang was skilled in medicine, he didn’t have the ability to make amputated limbs regrow.
Ji Buyao said, "My daughter."
Xu Chunliang asked, "What illness does she have?"
Ji Buyao said, "ALS."
ALS became widely known due to the viral ice bucket challenge.
ALS, also known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, has an unknown cause. Twenty percent of cases may be related to heredity and genetic defects. There are also some environmental factors, such as heavy metal poisoning, that can cause damage to motor neurons.
Early symptoms are mild; patients might just feel some weakness, twitching, or fatigue, gradually progressing to total muscle atrophy and difficulty swallowing, leading ultimately to respiratory failure.
Currently, there is no effective treatment in the world.
Xu Chunliang asked, "Where is your daughter now?"
Ji Buyao sighed, "I don’t know."
Xu Chunliang couldn’t believe it. He didn’t even know where his daughter was, yet he came to him for help. Who was he supposed to treat? Thin air?
Ji Buyao said, "Don’t worry, she’ll be back soon, and all I ask is that you agree to treat her."
Before Xu Chunliang could respond, Ji Buyao added, "I know we don’t have a personal connection, but do it for Zhuyue’s sake. I won’t let you work for nothing; just name your price."
That’s one update, the second one will come this afternoon. I’ll try to get the pace back on track today.
