Reborn As Super Heiress

Chapter 1612: Chapter 1596: Comatose Again

Zhou Shitao did not expect that the clockmaker he envisioned was a completely different person from the Old Mr. Zhong standing before him.

Originally, he had already discussed with the people above that after Huo Sining and Gu Xu brought the person back, they would arrest this clockmaker immediately. However, seeing the current situation, he hesitated.

If Old Mr. Zhong was really handed over to the authorities, he would inevitably end up in prison.

Not to mention that this old man is already in his seventies, but with Old Mr. Zhong’s enthusiasm and spirit for research, and the unique skills he possesses, throwing such a talent into prison would indeed be a great waste.

“Old brother, don’t worry. If we really talk about this, it’s actually not your fault. I will try my best to mediate with the authorities to ensure you won’t be at a loss.”

Zhou Shitao thought for a moment and asked, “Old brother, are you interested in working with me at the Forbidden City?”

Old Mr. Zhong was stunned upon hearing this.

He had already prepared for the worst, having come to the Imperial Capital to turn himself in, but he never expected that Zhou Shitao would ask him such a question.

No one really wants to go to prison, and no one truly hopes to lose their freedom. If there were other ways to solve the issue, Old Mr. Zhong certainly would be thrilled.

However, he did not expect that Zhou Shitao not only wanted to help exonerate him but also intended to recruit him to work as an expert at the Forbidden City, greatly exceeding Old Mr. Zhong’s expectations.

“Rest assured, remuneration is absolutely not a problem. With your skills, you wouldn’t need to worry about salaries, and you will have absolute freedom. The work definitely won’t be difficult; you’ll surely manage it, old brother.”

Hearing that Old Mr. Zhong remained silent, Zhou Shitao feared that he might disagree and thus continued to elaborate.

Old Mr. Zhong immediately smiled, “Young brother, you might not fully understand. I was ready to lay it all on the line, arrangements for my affairs have been made, and yet you’ve given me such a big surprise. What can I say?”

Upon hearing Old Mr. Zhong’s response, Zhou Shitao knew he had agreed and immediately laughed, saying, “Then I’ll take it as your agreement, this matter is settled. I’ll contact Elder Huang shortly to finalize everything.”

Huo Sining did not expect things to go so smoothly. She had thought of pleading with Zhou Shitao on Old Mr. Zhong’s behalf, asking him to find a way to lessen his sentence. She never anticipated that her master would propose it himself.

This was also due to Old Mr. Zhong’s personal charm—a man so devoted to the research of crafting ancient clocks held an almost magical allure, making those who knew him unconsciously admire and even idolize him. At least, Huo Sining was already wholly impressed by the old man.

When Zhou Shitao mentioned Old Mr. Zhong’s situation to Huang Zhenlong, Huang Zhenlong immediately took an interest, and within an hour, several elders came over.

These elders were authorities in the world of antiques, all aware of the existence of Zhong Fang. Over the years, they felt exceedingly troubled and fearful of Zhong Fang, yet helpless to do anything about it.

Now, hearing that Zhou Shitao had found the creator of Zhong Fang, these old men became as excited as if they were on an adrenaline rush, rushing collectively to Zhou Shitao’s house.

Even Shi Qingyun and Zhuang Xiangyang came.

Among these elders, Huo Sining did not see Qin Lianshan, which perplexed her. She couldn’t help but ask Huang Zhenlong, “Director Huang, why haven’t I seen Master Qin?”

Huang Zhenlong was momentarily taken aback and then his eyes showed deep worry:

“Old Qin has fallen ill again. He was just sent to the hospital last night. I have just rushed over from the hospital. His illness has dragged on for so long, it seems he’s at his limit. I don’t know how much longer he can hold on.”

Upon hearing this, Huo Sining immediately felt a pang in her heart.

She had been busy during this period and indeed forgot to ask Qin Tian about Master Qin’s health condition, and since Master Qin had looked quite well when she last saw him, showing no signs of illness, she had lowered her guard.

The news of Master Qin’s illness now alarmed Huo Sining greatly.

She thought of the box of Glacier Ganoderma given to her by Mr. Liang. Regardless of whether the prescription from “Shushan Herb Collection” Bai Buzhi mentioned would work, she already had the four ingredients, and she had to try.

With this in mind, Huo Sining hurriedly told Zhou Shitao and then, together with Gu Xu, rushed out from the Zhou Family to head for the hospital where Master Qin was, as fast as they could.

Upon reaching the hospital, she indeed found Qin Tian and Ouyang Jun there. Master Qin was already unconscious, hooked up to various tubes, and the doctors attending him were still the expert group from Yulong Mountain, led by the very Zhao Hongru who once stopped Huo Sining from treating Master Qin.

The old experts, including Zhao Hongru, were discussing strategies with the Qin Family. Zhao Hongru proposed the same two options: one conservative treatment and the other one involving chemotherapy and surgery. However, given Qin Lianshan’s current health and age, these options were merely to prolong his life; nobody in the expert group could guarantee how long he might actually live.

Hearing these words, the Qin Family, including Qin Han, all wore grim expressions. Their faces were filled with gravity.

At that moment, Huo Sining and Gu Xu arrived. Qin Tian and Ouyang Jun saw Huo Sining and immediately approached her with the eagerness of seeing a savior:

“Xu Zi, why are you here? Perfect timing! Young sister-in-law, you need to think of a solution quickly, help us check on the elder. He’s been unconscious all night, and those incompetent doctors have no idea!”

Zhao Hongru recognized Huo Sining as soon as he saw her, recalling that she was the young girl over a year ago who had helped treat Qin Lianshan.

Back then, Qin Lianshan’s condition suddenly improved overnight, with all monitored data showing significant enhancement, which greatly amazed Zhao Hongru and the expert team. They were deeply impressed by Huo Sining.

Seeing her now, Zhao Hongru and the others wore traces of smiles, their faces filled with anticipation as they looked at Huo Sining, hoping she would have a better solution.

Huo Sining didn’t hesitate; she was here to save Master Qin, but with so many people around, she wasn’t sure how to proceed:

“Big brothers, regardless of the situation, you have to let me see the patient, assess his condition in detail before I can come up with a diagnosis plan, right? I haven’t even seen him yet, and traditional Chinese medicine requires the four diagnostic methods of observation, listening, questioning, and pulse-taking. Especially now, with the elder’s severe condition, I can’t possibly treat him from afar without examining him, can I?”