Medical Sage

Jiangnan Province is like spring all year round, with pleasant scenery. Its capital, Tongzhou City, is especially acclaimed as a dazzling pearl on the southern land of the motherland. It is a very prosperous and modern metropolis, ranking among the nation’s foremost cities.

The airport in Tongzhou City is located in the urban area. When the plane landed, it was almost ten o’clock in the morning.

”Brother Chen, our meeting is fate,” said Ning Shucheng, a rather forward man with gold-rimmed glasses, as he got off the plane. He smiled and patted Chen Fei’s shoulder, handing him a business card. ”Here’s my private number. If we get the chance, let’s have a couple of drinks together. I’ll be your guide.”

Initially, after learning that Chen Fei was a kindred spirit, he was prepared to personally show him around Tongzhou City. Unfortunately, today was not the day. Chen Fei was not here for leisure, so he had to reluctantly abandon the idea.

”You’re too kind, Brother Ning,” Chen Fei said with a hint of regret. ”It’s just really bad timing, as I’m here on business. Otherwise, I’ll definitely give you a call when I’m free.”

After their conversation on the plane, he found that Ning Shucheng was quite to his liking. He wouldn’t have minded making time to get to know him, but it was a pity the timing was off.

”That would be great! Sorry, let me take this call.” Ning Shucheng brightened at his words. Just then, his recently activated phone buzzed violently. He paused, gave an apologetic gesture, and turned his head to answer.

”Hello, Uncle Lin? I just got back. What? A foreign guest? Is it that troublesome? Alright, I get it. I’m on my way now.”

Ning Shucheng ended the call with a deep frown. He sighed apologetically and said, ”Brother Chen, it seems I have to take my leave. A situation has come up. The provincial leaders brought a foreign guest who needs my medical attention.”

”A foreign guest?” Chen Fei asked, slightly taken aback.

”Yes, a foreign guest,” Ning Shucheng replied, shaking his head. ”I don’t know what’s the matter. I suppose I’ll only find out when I get there.”

”In that case, Brother Ning, you should hurry,” Chen Fei said. An ordinary patient was one thing, but anything involving a ’foreign guest’ was always troublesome, no matter the circumstances.

The last thing he wanted was to get involved in such matters.

”Alright, then I’ll take my leave,” Ning Shucheng said, giving a slight bow with his clasped hands before turning to depart.

”Brother Ning...”

Watching the retreating figure, Chen Fei subconsciously called out, but his voice was too quiet to be heard. The figure gradually vanished into the crowd.

”Forget it. I’m too lazy to get involved in this mess anyway,” Chen Fei muttered to himself, shaking his head. ”With the capabilities of the Ning Family of Ning’an Prefecture, it shouldn’t be a major problem, right?”

***

Meanwhile, in a top-tier ward of a Grade-A hospital in Tongzhou City.

This was the hospital’s most elite ward, where renowned specialists were on call twenty-four-seven. It was equipped with the most advanced medical systems to ensure the well-being of its patients. But now, they had received an extremely troublesome and special case.

He came from the Island Country, representing a Fortune Global 500 enterprise—the Mouri Family-controlled Mouri Commerce Corporation. He was in Huaxia, in Jiangnan Province, to negotiate a very important partnership.

His name was Mouri Saburou, and he held a high status even within the powerful Mouri Family. But now he had fallen ill, having mysteriously contracted a strange disease.

”Incompetents! Useless fools! Do you have any idea what Lord Sanlang’s status and position are in our Mouri Commerce Corporation back in Japan? I’m warning you now in my capacity as a foreign guest: come up with a solution immediately, or I’m going straight to the embassy to file a protest!”

A plump man from the Island Country with a Fu Manchu mustache was yelling and bossing people around in awkward Chinese.

The medical experts and miracle workers waiting outside the ward heard the rude threats and abuse. Their faces darkened and twitched with rage. As top-tier, authoritative specialists of this Grade-A hospital, they were treated with polite deference wherever they went. Who would dare speak harshly to them? But now, some foreigner was acting outrageously arrogant—and an Island Country man at that. How could they not be furious?

”President Xiao, Director Lin, you’ve seen the situation,” one of the more hot-blooded experts said, stepping forward. ”That man from the Island Country must have been exposed to something filthy. Please forgive our humble skills, but we are unable to treat his illness. We will take our leave.” With that, he and a few other experts left with disdain.

Hmph, what a joke. To be so arrogant while seeking medical treatment... they’re courting death!

”You... you... I’m telling you, we are foreign guests! Lord Sanlang is the most, most, *most* esteemed guest in your Huaxia!” Seeing the doctors walk out, the man with the Fu Manchu mustache panicked, breaking out in a cold sweat. His expression turned vicious as he continued, ”President Xiao, you need to be clear about this! If something happens to Lord Sanlang on your watch, all future contracts are off the table!”

They were foreign guests, distinguished foreign guests at that. Furthermore, Lord Sanlang was a major figure in their renowned Mouri Family. If anything were to happen to him here, the consequences would be unthinkable. Absolutely nothing could happen to him here. Otherwise, he himself might not escape the fallout; he might even lose the right to return to the Island Country, to return to the Mouri Family. That was a scenario he refused to imagine.

The man addressed as President Xiao by the hospital experts and the pudgy man with the Fu Manchu mustache was none other than Xiao Qianrang himself. His expression turned extremely dark. To think that such a minor character would dare to point at his nose and threaten him was absolutely outrageous. Do they really think I, Xiao Qianrang, am made of clay?

But when he heard the mention of the contract, a sinister glint flashed in his eyes. He clenched his fists tightly, suppressing his anger, and forced a smile. ”Mr. Matsui, please rest assured. Lord Sanlang is the most esteemed guest of the Xiao Group and of Jiangnan Province. We will do everything in our power to cure him. You can be at ease.”

He had no choice. The partnership the Xiao Group was negotiating with the Mouri Commerce Corporation was simply too important. It was so crucial that even the Xiao Family’s upper echelons were paying close attention. An elder had even issued a direct order: secure the contract, or the consequences would be dire.

For this reason, no matter how furious Xiao Qianrang was, he could only bottle it up. He knew very well that although the fat pig with the Fu Manchu mustache was a minor figure in the Mouri Family, the man lying in the bed, Mouri Saburou, was not. He was a true heir of the direct lineage, someone who could genuinely influence this partnership.

”That’s for the best. I trust President Xiao will make the right decision. I have complete faith in you, sir,” the pudgy man finally said, relenting. He then began to wait anxiously.

”Hmph!” Seeing such a minor character act so arrogantly, Xiao Qianrang snorted coldly to himself. But he kept his composure and turned to a middle-aged man in his forties beside him. ”Director Lin, what do we do now?”

The man’s surname was Lin. He was an influential government official from the Provincial Investment Promotion Bureau and the government representative responsible for overseeing the investment negotiations with the Mouri Commerce Corporation. In other words, they were in the same boat. If something happened to Mouri Saburou on their turf, forgetting the deal collapsing, just a protest to the embassy escalating into a diplomatic incident would be a massive headache.

Therefore, their top priority was to find someone who could cure Mouri Saburou. They had to achieve this goal, no matter the cost.

”We’ve had top Western medical experts from all the major Grade-A hospitals in Tongzhou City take a look, but they were all helpless,” Director Lin said anxiously. ”The only option left is traditional Chinese medicine... but Ning Lao of the Hundred Herbs Hall is not in Tongzhou at the moment; I believe he’s in the Capital City. However, I’ve already called his grandson, Ning Shucheng, and asked him to come over. All we can do now is hope he has a solution.”

”Ning Lao’s grandson? Is he any good?” Xiao Qianrang frowned, his dismissive attitude showing unconsciously. The look on his face was one of pure skepticism. In his view, for a situation this critical, only Ning Lao’s personal presence would constitute an all-out effort. But a mere young lad, Ning Lao’s grandson? How old is he? How many years has he even studied Chinese medicine? Can he really handle this?

”He should be fine,” Director Lin replied, much to Xiao Qianrang’s surprise. ”From what I know, although Ning Shucheng is quite young, he seems to have fully inherited Ning Lao’s mastery. Even the Capital City Health Bureau is interested in recruiting him as an expert in traditional Chinese medicine.”

Given his status and background, Xiao Qianrang knew exactly what the Capital City Health Bureau was. To put it bluntly, it was a modern Imperial Medical Academy, completely closed to the public and exclusively serving the rich and powerful. He was genuinely shocked that a young man could attract their attention.

A flicker of confidence sparked within him, but it was quickly extinguished by a wave of intense resentment. He subconsciously flexed his knee, his slightly clouded eyes filled with a fierce, vicious light. If it weren’t for that damn brat, how could I, the great Xiao Qianrang, be suffering such torment? He deserves to die...

Just then, having traveled in haste, Ning Shucheng finally arrived.

Upon seeing him, Director Lin’s face lit up with excitement. ”Little Ning, over here!”

”Uncle Lin.” Clearly, Ning Shucheng knew Director Lin. He walked over, catching his breath, and asked, ”Uncle Lin, what’s going on? Is the situation really as serious as you said on the phone?”

”Go inside and see for yourself,” Director Lin whispered. ”We’ve had many top Western medical specialists from Tongzhou’s major hospitals come, but they all left without success. Uncle Lin is counting on you now. You have to help me, Little Ning.”

”I understand. Let me take a look...” Ning Shucheng said as he walked into the ward, but his expression suddenly changed. Damn it, they’re from the Island Country!?