Volume 1, Chapter 40: Fifty Taels of Gold, Consider It an Investment

"Uh, how is this possible? How did he do it?" Fang Yuanyuan stared, his eyes wide with shock.

"I'm sorry." Chu Tong whispered in his ear, guilt washing over her face. She knew these three words felt hollow and unconvincing, yet they were all she could offer at this moment.

"Hmph! Dream on if you think you'll get the Jade Spirit Pearl from me," the Empress Dowager, who had been slumped in her chair, suddenly stood firm and roared indignantly.

Who would invest in a company on the verge of bankruptcy, especially one that manufactured traditional Chinese medicine? And why invest so much money all at once?

Xing Fan scooped her up and sat her on his lap, patiently patting her back.

Because it was her own child, Zheng Yaqing felt so self-reproachful. When it came to her child, even the slightest mistake would fill her with immense fear and anxiety.

However, unlike the youth's guardian, both the old man and the old woman wore an unhealthy, flushed complexion, and their eyes were dim—clear signs that they had suffered severe injuries.

Moreover, they had needed to lure the Master of Thousand Leaves away before making their move. If they had joined forces from the start, it was possible the enemy wouldn't have been able to locate them so quickly, giving them a chance to fight back together instead of being picked off.

After the two of them went to the hospital, Aunt Yu had considered this possibility and later confirmed it with the driver.

But little did he know, for the vast majority of people, supernatural abilities were their trump cards. Even the super-powered factions treated them as foundational assets. Why would they casually reveal their hidden strengths to others?

Fang Cheng lifted the quilt and picked up the membership card from the bedside. Although he had looked at it many times yesterday, he couldn't help but admire it again.

Li Jing and his four companions, disguised as Persian merchants, strolled through the streets as if nothing were amiss, leading their horses. Occasionally, they would greet street vendors and peddlers, exchanging a few words in hopes of finding the location of the royal encampment.

"Wuu wuu!" Suddenly, a figure lunged at Chen Yun, embracing him before he could even react.

Leng Xianning felt a tightness in her chest. As expected, he couldn't resist making his move. With the internal chaos in Xifeng, they would certainly be unable to attend to external threats; this was indeed the perfect time to attack.

***

Mo Zhu and Bin Shan, however, wore expressions of pure entitlement; after all, they shared the same goal.

Just then, a low, lethargic roar echoed from afar, accompanied by a rhythmic "thump-thump" sound from the ground.

What she worried about was the spot on Xiling Jing's hand where he had been bitten by the zombie. Inside a zombie's body lived something akin to a virus—like cancer cells that could spread and metastasize.

It was past eight in the evening. With no students around the martial arts center, Fang Cheng checked the lights inside and walked in.

Chu Zhongyuan stretched his neck, his eyes twitching; his limited mental capacity was struggling to keep up.

"Get on the kang, hold her close. We need evidence; otherwise, what if you don't keep your word!" After Ma Yong finished speaking, he grabbed the man surnamed Zhou by the hair and dragged him onto the kang.

The beam of light did not vanish; instead, it chased after the guy holding the cannon. Nami and Buggy were blown aside but remained unscathed.

A portion of the sphere had already made contact with Island B-03, rapidly gouging a semi-circular crater into the land.

This wasn't a derogatory term, merely a description of a merchant's shrewdness in never letting a profitable opportunity slip by.

This stretch of road was no more than fifty meters long, but Jiang Hua felt as if it were longer than five kilometers! He could feel everyone's gaze intentionally or unintentionally fixed on him, which made him deeply uncomfortable.

"Isn't this just too cool?" Buggy gulped, feeling a bit bewildered, but he hadn't forgotten his objective and began to feel his way in the direction indicated by the red arrow.

"It's inconvenient for you to host guests." Jiang Nian picked up a rib and placed it on Su Junyang's plate. His Yang-yang was a carnivore, and he knew she would be too embarrassed to show it right now.

With the spirits in the inpatient building watching over her, Zhong Jiujin felt slightly more at ease. If it weren't for the fact that the Imperial Concubine couldn't stay too far away from her, she would have preferred to leave the Concubine at the Third Hospital to look after her parents.

As soon as Mizuno finished speaking, Jiang Hua's clone vanished, reappearing behind her and reaching out to pat the back of her head.

***

"Seeing is believing. My experience today proves that your superb acting skills are no mere rumor, especially the look in your eyes during our scenes together—it was spot on." Su Junyang offered some well-timed flattery.

The crucial issue was that the Gaoshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine only had one doctor per department. Every time he thought of this fact, Gao Shan felt as if he had been slapped in the face.

What she couldn't understand was why, even now, she was still thinking about how to save face for Zhao Jingdong?

Zhou Ruijie had seen Zhao Jingdong's skills with her own eyes, and she believed he was truly capable.

She shook her head. "I was just thinking, is it too much of a waste to have you stay by my side as a bodyguard?" Or perhaps it should be said that he never had a choice; becoming her bodyguard was merely a passive selection. If he had been given more choices, would his future have been different?

Involuntarily, his body leaned toward her, completely indifferent to the fact that the front of his clothes was being soaked by the water.

"I'm dying! Just kill me with a blade! I don't want to suffer like this anymore." Beads of sweat seeped from Liu Feng's contorted face.

Dongling Guyun waved his hand, his eyes flickering slightly. Knowing he was contemplating a countermeasure, the two dared not speak further, waiting in silence. This had originally been a foolproof plan, yet such a crisis had suddenly emerged—it was truly unthinkable.

"Wan'er, don't be ridiculous. How can you let Jiang Tao challenge you? He is a whole level lower than you; how could he possibly win?" Lin Tian said in a deep voice.

The afternoon sun spilled over the two of them. They strolled through the beautiful pastoral scenery, a picturesque couple, peaceful and serene.