After the al, Xu Ke accompanied Wong Qifu for a half-hour leisurely stroll in the mall.
Both of them were very busy people. To be precise, Xu Ke was passively busy, while Wong Qifu was actively busy.
Having the Wang Family Empress, a woman whose ti is worth a fortune, go shopping with ... I can brag about this for ages... Xu Ke thought.
"Let's head back so we don't delay anything important," Wong Qifu said. She had actually enjoyed this fleeting mont of leisure, but she knew Xu Ke had more pressing matters to attend to. They would just have to do this again another ti.
"Alright, I'll take you back to the corporation first," Xu Ke said.
"Okay," Wong Qifu agreed with a slight nod.
After leaving the Jiufang Business Center, Xu Ke dropped Wong Qifu off at the Wang Family Corporation and then called Han Wang.
"Finally decided to contact , have you? Do you have any idea how long I've waited this morning?" Han Wang sounded as if he'd repeated that line a dozen tis already, his tone strangely proficient. Of course, besides proficiency, there was also a hint of tragedy in his voice.
"Where are you now?" Xu Ke couldn't be bothered to feel sorry for Han Wang; after all, no one was feeling sorry for him not having ti for romance.
"I'm at my outpost in Tianhai, but I'm not telling you where. Just tell where to et you," Han Wang said.
"Then let's et at Fengjiang Building. I'll send you the address," Xu Ke replied. He figured if he had to et soone like Han Wang, a discreet place was best. Fengjiang Building was a dim sum tea house downstairs from his old place in the urban village. It had moderate traffic—neither crowded nor empty—and didn't attract much attention. He had t Siao Fan, Siao Jia, and their family there before.
"Fine. Ye Lang and I will head over together," Han Wang replied.
「Fengjiang Building.」
When Xu Ke arrived, Han Wang and Ye Lang were already there.
They hadn't seen each other for a few days, yet both seed to have lost so weight, especially Han Wang. He looked nothing like the imposing figure Xu Ke had first seen on the Haisui Expressway. Now, his face was wan and haggard.
Clearly, neither of them had slept well these past few days.
"Why do you look so rundown? Not getting enough rest?" Xu Ke asked with a chuckle as he sat down.
"You have the nerve to ask?" Han Wang glared at Xu Ke, his voice seething. "You try being busy for three days while poisoned! Don't you know how old I am?"
"Look at you, throwing a tantrum. Calm down, bro. Have so tea." Xu Ke poured Han Wang a cup of hot tea and pushed it toward him, not forgetting to pour one for Ye Lang, who sat silently, his presence almost negligible.
Han Wang took a sip, then spat on the floor. "What is this crap?" he bellowed. "It's disgusting!"
The owner in the distance heard this and shot them a furious glare.
Han Wang glared right back. "What are you looking at? I can't say it's bad when it's bad?"
"No, nothing," the intimidated owner muttered, quickly turning back to his work.
Xu Ke smiled. "If you really want good tea, you can co to my place. Right now, we're here to talk business."
"You really are stingy. You want the horse to run, but you won't even let it graze. You serve this garbage? You're sothing else," Han Wang grumbled. In truth, he knew a place like Fengjiang Building with its diocre tea and food was ideal for an inconspicuous eting, so the bad tea was to be expected. But that didn't an he wouldn't use it as an excuse to vent the frustration that had been building until he finally saw Xu Ke.
"Thanks for the complint," Xu Ke said with a smile. "This is a ten-day supply of the antidote for the Hundred-Day Bone Erosion Poison. I'm giving it to you ahead of ti. Don't go forgetting about it."
For his part, Tang Yingchang had recently consud the real antidote for the Hundred-Day Bone Erosion Poison himself. After they had faced life and death together, Xu Ke decided to give him the cure, reasoning that trust cannot be built with such a wall between them. As for Tang Yingchang, he had no intention of leaving after taking the antidote. Realizing Xu Ke's future had limitless potential, he was determined to stay by his side.
"Thank you," Ye Lang said in a deep voice as he accepted the antidote.
"Now, what about the antidote I gave you? Let see it," Xu Ke asked.
Previously, to put their minds at ease, Xu Ke had given them a dose of the real antidote to the Hundred-Day Bone Erosion Poison, though it was only enough for one person.
His expression ugly, Han Wang reluctantly pulled it out.
Xu Ke glanced at it and nodded. "Good. You're trustworthy after all. You didn't touch it."
Han Wang and Ye Lang exchanged a look but didn't say anything, finding no pleasure in the complint.
Xu Ke returned the antidote to them and began to lay out his plan. "Alright, here's what you're going to do. Go find Shi Hongda..."
...
Watching Xu Ke's retreating figure, Ye Lang asked Han Wang, "Are we really going to do what he says?"
"What do we care if he lives or dies?" Han Wang said irritably. "Just do as he says."
"Yes!" Ye Lang muttered with a nod.
Soon after, the two of them contacted Shi Hongda, telling him they had arrived in Tianhai.
「A restaurant.」
Shi Hongda and the Yin-Yang Elders were retainers supported by the Huang and Qin Families. Being retainers ant they were usually idle, with no specific duties. Thus, they were always on call.
"I didn't expect you to get to Tianhai so quickly! So, what's the plan? Are we sticking to what we discussed in the car?" Upon seeing Han Wang and Ye Lang, Shi Hongda was so moved it was like a family reunion; his eyes even welled up with tears.
Han Wang shook his head. "No."
At that, Shi Hongda's smile stiffened. What's with this guy? Why the change of heart? Just last night, after spending two hours on the toilet thanks to that Snake Mask, I was looking forward to having Han Wang get Fang Caizhe to go ss with Xu Ke... Why has he changed his mind now that we're finally eting?
"Then what do you plan to do?" one of the Yin-Yang Elders asked coldly. What is Han Wang playing at? Did he call us out here just to ss with us?
Han Wang's voice was chilling as he spoke slowly. "I plan to kill Xu Ke directly. Are you interested?"
The three faces across from him paled as they exclaid in shock, "Are you crazy? Do you have a death wish?"
"I value my life. That's precisely why I have to kill him," Han Wang said harshly. "I thought about it for two days after I got back. I feel that if we just sit back and wait, he'll keep leading us around by the nose. We're better off taking the initiative. We'll force him to hand over the antidote. If he refuses, then we'll just take him down with us. We'll all perish together!"
Hearing this, the Yin-Yang Elders and Shi Hongda felt a chill run down their spines. Has he gone mad? they thought in horror. Why is he so aggressive all of a sudden after one trip abroad? What got into him?
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