“Alright!” Song Hao replied.
"Are you going to visit that cold beauty at the Hundred Herbs Garden again?" Luo Feiying reluctantly got into the driver's seat of a car, pouted and said, "Ever since Cheng Ru came to Tianyi Hall and started managing the Hundred Herbs Garden on Wansong Ridge, she has hardly had any contact with anyone from Tianyi Hall, and I have never seen her smile at anyone else, except for you, she always has a smile on her face."
“Cheng Ru is a quiet person and doesn’t have time to come here. It would be impolite of us not to visit her. We’re going today because we heard that a rare He Shou Wu (Polygonum multiflorum) was unearthed on Wansong Ridge. Let’s go see this rare find,” said Song Hao, who was sitting in the back.
"You always have an excuse," Luo Feiying said, a hint of sourness in her voice.
"It's all thanks to Cheng Ru that the Hundred Herbs Garden was built, transforming Wansongling into a base for traditional Chinese medicine. In the future, most of the medicines used in Tianyitang's outpatient clinic will be supplied by the Hundred Herbs Garden. Grandpa said that with the medicines from the Hundred Herbs Garden, Tianyitang can reach new heights," Song Hao said.
"Is she really that good! And that Cheng Wei, he's the only one at Tianyitang who can learn from any famous doctor. You've taken good care of these two siblings!" Luo Feiying rolled her eyes at Song Hao in the rearview mirror and started the car.
Song Hao said, "She and her brother are the only successors of the Medicine King Sect. They left their families and came to Tianyi Hall to help us build the Hundred Herbs Garden. We must take extra care of them."
"Didn't I also leave my family and business behind to help you run Tianyitang? I never realized you were so devoted to me," Luo Feiying pouted.
Upon hearing this, Song Hao laughed and said, "Are you saying I don't care about you? That's really unfair to me! Last time Tang Yu and I went out and wrecked your car, we still had to buy you a new one. Tang Yu said it's better than your old one. How is it? It feels comfortable driving it now, doesn't it?"
"Of course you have to compensate me with a new car if you steal my car, is that your excuse for caring about people? Honestly! So you're just worried about spending too much money! You stingy person!" Luo Feiying said, feigning displeasure.
“Yingying, I am truly grateful to you. You have drawn funds from your family several times to build Tianyitang, totaling more than two million yuan. I am prepared to give you a portion of the shares in Tianyitang Pharmaceutical.” Song Hao said earnestly.
"No!" Luo Feiying replied calmly.
"Why don't you all want it?" Song Hao scratched his head helplessly.
“I advise you not to be so generous and give away Tianyitang Pharmaceutical's shares so easily. Judging by its current growth momentum, it won't be long before Tianyitang Pharmaceutical catches up with Tianyi Group's scale in China, which is worth hundreds of millions or even billions of yuan. I just heard from Sister Tang Yu that you offered the shares to Liu Tian and the others, but they didn't want them—they dared not accept them. No one dares to accept such a generous gift; it's too heavy a burden,” Luo Feiying said.
“That’s what they deserve,” Song Hao said.
“They did help you,” Luo Feiying said, “but they also benefited from your success. When we first arrived, their company wasn’t very strong, and their business was mostly limited to this county. Now, do you know, their business has already expanded to other provinces. I overheard Liu Tian say that you were their benefactor, and if they had met you earlier, they would have been incredibly wealthy.”
"What benefit could they possibly offer me?" Song Hao asked in surprise. "And I still owe them over forty million."
“I also find the whole thing strange. Perhaps all four of you have had benefactors helping you,” Luo Feiying said.
"They are my benefactors! The three of them are my benefactors!" Song Hao frowned slightly.
"Yingying, stop the car for a moment," Song Hao said immediately.
"What, not going to the Hundred Herbs Garden?" Luo Feiying parked the car on the side of the road.
"I feel like something's not right," Song Hao said, dialing Tang Yu's number.
“Tang Yu, it’s me. Today, when I was having dinner with Liu Tian and the others, all three of them refused the shares of Tianyitang Pharmaceutical that I offered them. You sat there without saying a word, as if you already knew they wouldn’t accept it. Tell me, what exactly happened?” Song Hao said.
"Sister Tang Yu would still keep things from you..." Luo Feiying asked in surprise.
Song Hao quickly interrupted her with a gesture, listening to Tang Yu speak.
There was a moment of silence on the phone, then Tang Yu said, "No, how would I know the three of them wouldn't accept it? Besides, it's not appropriate for me to interfere in this kind of thing. What's wrong, Song Hao? Did I do something wrong?"
"This..." Song Hao was speechless for a moment, then said, "It's nothing, I was just asking casually, you can go ahead and do your work."
Song Hao hung up the phone and sat there deep in thought. He felt as if a mysterious force was constantly following him and influencing everything, something he couldn't shake off.
"Song Hao, are you alright?" Luo Feiying, who was sitting in front of him, asked.
"Yingying, do me a favor," Song Hao said.
"Speak, what is it?" Luo Feiying asked.
"Help me investigate a few people," Song Hao said.
"You mean Liu Tian and the other two?" Luo Feiying asked in surprise.
“That’s right, and there’s also He Chengzhong. The main thing is the current situation of Liu Tian, Ma Ji, and Zhang Baolun, who they are associating with, and more importantly, the source of their investment in Tianyitang. I feel it’s not as simple as a loan,” Song Hao said.
“Alright, no problem. I also feel that the three of them were overly enthusiastic about building the Heavenly Medicine Hall, which is beyond their current capabilities. The 40 million in funding is indeed a bit suspicious. More importantly, taking over the entire Wansong Ridge is not something that ordinary people can easily accomplish. I was also surprised when I received this news,” Luo Feiying said.
"What, you've noticed a problem too?" Song Hao asked.
“Of course, everything went too smoothly, almost abnormally so. Your idea had barely come out, or even been fully considered, when someone implemented it for you free of charge, and almost perfectly,” Luo Feiying said.
"So you feel the same way! Remember, this must be done in secret, don't even tell Tang Yu," Song Hao instructed.
"Why?" Luo Feiying asked in surprise.
“Recently, I’ve noticed that Tang Yu seems to have something on her mind, but she doesn’t want to tell me. It feels like she understands something, but she’s hesitant to tell me frankly. So, I’ll keep it from her for now, to avoid interfering with your actions,” Song Hao said.
"You mean someone is secretly helping you, and all the funds are coming from someone using Liu Tian, He Chenggong, and others, using their names to help you? The real mastermind is someone else?" Luo Feiying asked in surprise.
Song Hao nodded and said, "That's right. Although I saved He Chengzhong's life, the initial donation of five million was understandable given his status. However, the ten million he donated later without warning is a different story. As for Liu Tian and the others, their initial assistance to us was reasonable. But things have become somewhat unusual since the construction of the new Tianyitang building and the operations at Wansongling. If they were truly powerful, I believe they would have been just as generous in helping me. But their power isn't quite there yet, so this money must have come from another source, not from their own pockets. I already had my suspicions then."
“If that’s the case, then the wealthy person behind this must be someone you know. Otherwise, how could you possibly have such a good opportunity? Also, it’s possible that your great feat of establishing the Heavenly Medicine Hall moved some other shrewd person who had the same ambition, thus leading to this unexpected move,” Luo Feiying said.
"Stop making wild guesses. Just start investigating. I just want to prove one thing," Song Hao said.
"So, are we still going to Wansongling Herb Garden?" Luo Feiying asked.
"I'm not in the mood to go now, let's go back," Song Hao said, shaking his head.
"Great!" Luo Feiying exclaimed excitedly, turning the carriage around and heading back to Tianyi Hall.
Chapter Four: Reappearance of the Reverse Needle Technique
Just then, Song Hao's phone rang.
"Song Hao, you and Yingying need to rush back to Tianyi Hall immediately. Grandpa has received a strange patient. He consulted with several renowned doctors, including Teacher Lin, but they still couldn't find the exact cause of the illness. Judging from the patient's symptoms, I suspect that he has been affected by that reverse needle technique," Tang Yu said anxiously on the phone.