Merchant and doctor

Chapter 2288 Magnetic Little Warrior

With the temperature suddenly dropping, nothing beats enjoying a hot pot of fatty beef.

"Liu Yishou" beef hot pot uses a clear broth as its base, complemented by fresh vegetables. A piece of beef chuck with a good balance of fat and lean meat is thrown into the pot, creating a beautiful contrast of green and red, and filling the air with aroma.

Forest ranger Lao Liang was in a good mood, and Bian Mu specially ordered three ounces of "Lotus White Wine," which tasted quite nice and warm.

"What good news have you encountered?" Bian Mu said with a smile as he respectfully poured Old Liang a cup of old wine.

Old Liang took a delicious sip of the wine, his eyes narrowing into slits.

"It's nothing! It's almost Chinese New Year, isn't it? My great-grandson came back with his father to visit me." As he spoke, Old Liang pulled a small brown leather purse from his jacket pocket. It was the kind of style that foreigners used in the 19th century, full of retro charm.

He tossed it onto the dining table with a clatter, and it looked like there were a few small metal objects inside—gold coins?!
"What is that?" Bian Mu asked curiously.

"Open it and take a look!" Old Liang replied with a smile while simmering slices of fatty beef in the hot pot.

The closure was made of genuine cowhide, twisted into a pretty knot. It took Bian Mu a little effort to open the closure. The money bag was made of pure sheepskin, soft yet sturdy. He reached inside and touched it; it was cold, hard, smooth, and oddly shaped, definitely not a commemorative coin or anything like that.

They were placed one by one on the dining table. Hmm?! Judging by the color, they looked like small copper parts, but when I touched them, they felt like iron. Or perhaps an alloy?!
"A small ornament?! It even seems to be a little magnetic?" Bian Mu asked with a smile.

"Magnetic miniature warrior! My precious grandson brought these back from abroad. Try assembling them!" Old Liang replied with a smile.

Is the old man experiencing a rejuvenation? Or...?

Bian Mu fiddled with it for a long time with great interest...

The bag contained two sets of accessories, which were indeed made of copper and iron alloy. With the central "waist pillar" as the core, they were attached together to form a commander from ancient Rome. The other set could be assembled into an ancient warrior who looked a bit like Ma Chao. They were both lifelike and imposing. Standing there, the two holding weapons were indeed quite majestic!
"It's so exquisitely crafted! It must have been expensive!" Bian Mu said with a smile, without giving it much thought.

"There are laser codes in the corners and edges, use your phone's built-in flashlight to check!" Old Liang suggested with a smile after finishing a full glass of baijiu.

Feeling quite curious, Bian Mu casually disassembled the warrior resembling Ma Chao into small parts, took out his phone, turned on the flashlight, and shone it at an angle in some hidden corners for a long time.

"Hahaha...made in China! It took a detour and ended up back in its hometown!" Bian Mu laughed at that moment.

"Who says otherwise! Your current academic situation is somewhat similar to that of Little Ma Chao!" Old Liang put down his chopsticks and said this meaningfully.

"What you mean is..." Bian Mu guessed a little, but he didn't fully understand the old man's deeper meaning at this moment.

"Right now, your pharmaceutical skills are still just the beginning. As for medicine... you've already demonstrated amazing abilities in public on numerous occasions. Gradually, you've become a focal point for the development of new traditional Chinese medicine and pharmacy. Industry peers pay attention to you from time to time, and the magnetic field naturally amplifies many times over, in a completely proportional relationship. Once you become the new magnetic center, the number of people paying attention will only increase, and their level will become higher and higher. In this way, an information field will gradually take shape. If handled well, it's something that other peers couldn't buy even with a mountain of gold. As long as the profit sharing can be agreed upon, with you as the core, he can contribute a suit of armor, she can contribute a good weapon, and someone else can contribute a left or right arm... wouldn't that be a great success?! If you mess it up, you'll probably be ruined, but... you'll definitely disappear without a trace after a brief moment of glory!" Old Liang explained with a serious expression.

Bian Muxin was immediately struck by a cold sweat.

That's right! In Lijin, Nanjin, and the medical, pharmaceutical, and business circles of Beiqi… many colleagues have already extended olive branches to him. Out of caution, he hasn't responded directly to the vast majority of them yet. Bian Mu has always been self-aware; he's not strong enough on his own. To ensure a longer future, he'd rather take small, tentative steps forward, and he wouldn't dare easily try the various powerful alliances that are popular on the streets.

Because of this, people often looked down on Bian Mu behind his back, saying that he was a woman with bound feet and would never amount to anything in the future.

"Does that mean we can get in touch with the Xi family in Nanjin?" Bian Mu asked with a smile.

“That’s right! But… the descendants of the Xi family are somewhat lacking in talent, so they can’t really help you much. In my opinion, they can at most set an example for other peers!” Old Liang replied casually.

"Set an example?!" Bian Mu didn't understand for a moment.

"Didn't you already make an appointment with them? Just watch, once you get your hands on this so-called secret manual, you'll soon find that it's not as mysterious as you imagined. You might even have to go to great lengths to correct its errors for them. Don't misunderstand, this doesn't mean that your medical skills have surpassed Xi Chuanming's, but rather... the descendants of the Xi family still have a lot of suspicion towards you. The first thing they brought was very likely something they deliberately pieced together..." At this point, Old Liang stopped talking, picked up his soup bowl, and took a few sips of the clear soup to cleanse his palate.

"You mean...this seminar was meticulously organized by their family?"

"Yes! It's largely aimed at you! Of course, right now, in a sense, you're practically becoming a rising star in the local TCM and pharmacology circles in Lijin. Testing you is like probing the overall strength of TCM and pharmacology in the surrounding areas of Lijin. After all, you're from a prestigious family and have seen the world!"

"The seminar wasn't good enough? Shall we test it again?!"

"Of course! You've gotten to where you are today, and luck plays a significant role! How can they possibly figure out what luck is?! Right? Besides, you suddenly disappeared without a trace, how are they supposed to find out about all the academic details?! They'll definitely pull some tricks next time, just you wait and see!"

"After that..."

"The old man has practiced medicine all his life, so he must have some secrets. They really couldn't get them, and they didn't want to easily reveal the secrets, so they went through a roundabout way to find you. There's one thing you have to remember: once those unique secrets are all deciphered, who will be the biggest beneficiary? How will they be monetized in the future? People these days are quite simple. No matter how polite they are, in the end it all comes down to money. Once you see through this, things are actually much easier to talk to!"

"Oh... let's get to know each other first!"

"I heard they don't even have the ability to publish a few monographs for the old man. They've never been able to grasp the nuances of things. If they suggest adding your name to the book, I suggest you refuse outright! In my opinion, since we've raised this to an academic level from the start, let's not lower ourselves. Anyway, you've already trained enough, so some things need to be said clearly!"

"understood!"

"Afterwards, all sorts of famous people from other places will come to you to talk business. If you feel that both sides have a certain basis for cooperation, in order to save energy, it is best to invite Xiao Feng to talk to them."

Feng Xiujuan is indeed exceptionally skilled in her field. Not only is she quick-witted, but she is also very discreet, making her a truly capable and helpful assistant.

"It's not good to always let people help for free. Why don't you tell her that we'll pay her the due amount?"

"There are many ways for people to settle accounts with each other. Don't be so stubborn. I will tell you how to settle accounts when I have accumulated enough work."

"okay!"

As they chatted and laughed, Old Liang gave a series of examples and explanations of common tricks used to deceive people on the street, which Bian Mu listened to with great interest...