Merchant and doctor

Chapter 2258 Encounter with Chairman Shi

Man Laosan, being kind-hearted, together with the waitresses and Lao Hou, ushered the couple into the restaurant. They slowly sat down on a recliner at the restaurant entrance, which was usually Man Laosan's reserved seat. He was busy all day and would sit there to rest for a while whenever he had a spare moment.

Above the recliner hung three birdcages, one large and two small, which were about a third covered by a blue curtain. It was hard to tell what kind of birds were inside, but they were all quiet and didn't chirp, and seemed quite well-behaved.

Seeing that the woman was alright, the onlookers naturally dispersed. Bian Mu then pulled over a stool, sat down on the recliner, and took the woman's pulse.

"Is there something wrong with the coffee?!" the woman's husband blurted out.

"Shut up! Can't you see the doctor is taking your pulse?!" Without any politeness, Old Hou, who was standing next to him, scolded the man a couple of times.

Having spent his days roaming the streets and honed his martial arts skills, Old Hou could be quite fierce when he really put on a stern face and scolded someone. The man, who looked like an office worker, sensed that Old Hou's words were a bit off and that his eyes were menacing. He glanced at Old Hou, but he didn't have the courage to meet his gaze head-on. He immediately backed down, lowered his head, and remained silent.

"Quite the opposite! The coffee is good, but you... might not be able to tolerate it very well. Is this your partner?" Bian Mu asked with a smile while taking his pulse.

"Hmm!" the man replied in a low voice while taking care of his wife.

“Your spouse is alright. The adverse reaction started quite quickly, and… the symptoms were quite pronounced. It will subside after a while. As long as they don’t consume caffeinated beverages for an extended period, they should be fine. To give you an analogy, it’s like… being suddenly choked by a few sips of chili pepper while eating at a restaurant. That sudden, intense, and severe stimulation can cause an immediate feeling of near-death. Bystanders might think the person is being dramatic! Your spouse experienced something similar. It was temporary, and there’s a high probability that they won’t have any lasting problems.” Bian Mu patiently explained.

"I see... Does this mean I'll experience some kind of adverse reaction later on? It's just that the reaction is slow, and I don't have any symptoms yet... Is that what you mean?"

"You heard that? Hehe... that's quite possible. The main symptom is... sleep disorder. Of course, your long-term use of low-dose sleeping pills is also one of the contributing factors," Bian Mu replied with a smile.

Upon hearing this, the man's expression immediately became somewhat uncertain.

"Alright! Your partner is fine now. From now on, it's best to avoid coffee drinks, especially original coffee. Now that everything's settled, please feel free to go ahead!"

"Thank you, thank you!" the man said, helping his wife up and carefully leading her out the door.

Bian Mu and Lao Hou returned to their seats and ordered another bowl of hot soup. They had almost finished eating, so they just drank a couple of sips of soup and left.

"What kind of medicine did you throw into the paper cup? It dissolved the ginseng! It's incredibly potent!"

"Thunderbolt Pill! A traditional Chinese medicine for emergency treatment, its own medicinal power is generally not very strong. It can simply replenish some qi and at most temporarily stop the evil qi inside and outside the patient's body for a period of time. Moreover, it varies from person to person. However, it has a unique advantage: it can make other drug components dissolve as quickly as possible, thereby maximizing the time for rescue!" As he spoke, Bian Mu took out a small medicine bottle from his pocket. It was made of fine porcelain and looked like a jade pot.

Holding the small medicine bottle in his hand, Old Hou gently opened the cap and examined it carefully. The medicine smelled pleasant and refreshing.

"I've never heard of that before! You made it yourself? Do other clinics use this medicine regularly?" Old Hou asked curiously. "We use it regularly, but it has to be the right medicine for the right condition! The specific formulas and methods of action vary. You know, every clinic has its own secret medicines, which are generally not shared with outsiders," Bian Mu replied with a smile.

Just then, a rather gentlemanly middle-aged man walked in from outside. He was quite tall, at least 1.85 meters, dressed in a Western-style casual suit, and wearing an expensive watch on his wrist. After entering, the man confidently glanced at the diners, and his demeanor suggested that he was a person of some status.

Then, the man walked straight to Bian Mu's table, stood there, and asked in a friendly manner, "Excuse me, may I ask your surname?"

"No need for formalities! My surname is Bian, the 'Bian' of 'frontier'. What brings you here?"

"I just saw that Mr. Bian handled the situation very quickly. He must be a doctor from a reputable hospital, right?" the man asked with a smile.

"You're from out of town, right? You don't even know him?! Master Bian, the dignified master of a traditional Chinese medicine clinic!" Old Hou, who was standing to the side, couldn't hold back any longer and casually introduced him.

Upon hearing this, the man smiled slightly, completely ignoring Lao Hou.

"So you're the owner of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic! My apologies! My name is Shi Qi'en. I run a small company in Nanjin. I was just watching how quickly you used the medicine, which is clearly not a conventionally made traditional Chinese medicine. I was curious and came in to ask you a few questions. This is my business card. I have some things to attend to and can't talk in detail right now. It's truly fate that we met today! If you remember anything, please feel free to contact me." After saying this, the man took out a beautifully bound business card from his pocket and handed it to Bian Mu. He exchanged a few polite words and then left.

Old Hou was a bit of a busybody; his eyes followed the man's figure for a couple more glances.

"Oh... he's riding in a luxury car... and it definitely has a license plate from Nanjin... what's his background?" Old Hou muttered to himself.

"Chairman of 'Kaixing' Pharmaceutical Company... Shi Qi'en, that's an interesting name..." As he spoke, Bian Mu handed the business card in his hand to Lao Hou.

Upon hearing that the man from earlier was actually the chairman of a traditional Chinese medicine company, Old Hou immediately perked up.

"Judging from this... that company can't be that small!" Old Hou seemed quite pleased as he pondered the unique information beyond the business card.

"Just a chance encounter on the street, don't take it seriously! Judging from his attire, he's probably one of those overly confident, worldly businessmen. What does he have to do with us? We don't even recognize him. He's probably not from a technical background. It's hard to have anything to say to someone like that. Just pretend we never met." As he spoke, Bian Mu took the business card from Old Hou, tore it in half, aimed at a trash can not far away, and flicked it. Hey! The aim was precise, and it landed in the can on the first try. The force he used was just right.

Looking at Bian Mu with a hint of admiration, Old Hou said with a smile, "Look at you! What's the rush? What if it comes in handy in the future? Having more friends means having more options!"

"We're not on the same wavelength. It's a minor issue if we can't reach an agreement on a business deal, but if the other party has any other ulterior motives, our peaceful days will be over."

"It's not that serious, is it?" Old Hou retorted with a smile, somewhat dismissive.

"That Mr. Shi looks strange. Let's not talk about him anymore. We have to make our own money!" With that, Bian Mu got up to pay the bill.