Trading system, I exchanged vegetables for golden pills.

"Old Li, it's my fault too. I had a combat class last night, so I left work early. If I had been there, this wouldn't have happened!" Ah Long said with some self-reproach.

Li Wenlong waved his hand: "This has nothing to do with you. They've been scouting the place for who knows how long. Even if they didn't make a move last night, they would have done it at some other time."

"Master, my injury is secondary. The main problem is that this group of people have ill intentions and will eventually disrupt the normal operation of the TCM clinic. There are female staff members here too. Fortunately, Zhang Qian is alright. Otherwise, I really don't want to think about what might have happened to her, a young woman..."

Li Wenlong felt a lingering fear.

"If I run into them this afternoon, I'll beat them to a pulp!" Ah Long gritted his teeth angrily.

Li Wenlong analyzed, "They threatened to force us to close down, which clearly means those people aren't the masterminds. Beating them up won't help; there must be someone else behind them. We must have infringed on someone else's interests!"

Ah Long frowned: "So, does that mean they're likely in the same industry as us? Otherwise, I can't think of anyone we've offended!"

"But there's only one Western medicine clinic around here. We're a traditional Chinese medicine clinic, so we don't really have much to do with them!"

Ye Chen looked at the two of them and slowly said, "As expected, it was done by people from that Western medicine clinic. They have powerful backers and want to monopolize the business in the area!"

Li Wenlong and A Long both looked at Ye Chen with some surprise.

"Brother Ye, how do you know that Western medicine clinic has powerful backers? You don't seem to have ever been to a clinic there!" Ah Long asked in confusion.

Ye Chen smiled slightly, putting on a little show of bravado: "So, you guys still have a lot to learn. Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory. How can you establish yourself in this industry if you don't even understand your potential competitors!"

Sure enough, when Ah Long heard Ye Chen say that, he immediately showed an expression that said, "It still has to be my brother Ye."

Li Wenlong slapped his thigh: "Master, now that you mention it, I think that makes sense. That Western medicine clinic is indeed known for prescribing a lot of medicine."

"In comparison, our TCM clinic charges less and the medicine is cheaper, which was one of the reasons I considered this location. Now it seems we're just blocking their path to making money."

"But it seems they closed down for renovations and upgrades a while ago. I passed by several times and saw that their store was not open. I thought it had closed down."

"Our line of work relies on reputation, but we never expected them to resort to underhanded tactics!"

Li Wenlong instantly figured out what was going on.

Ye Chen nodded: "There's a 9% chance it was them."

Ah Long also looked enlightened: "If that's the case, then I understand. I was wondering why there was only one clinic around here, and not even a pharmacy. Now it makes sense."

"You know, chain pharmacies in other residential areas are on average every 50 meters. Our TCM clinic isn't in a remote location, and it's in a residential area, so why isn't anyone opening a pharmacy there? Maybe those pharmacies were threatened and ultimately didn't open..."

Ah Long's voice lowered a few decibels as he spoke.

Yes, even those chain pharmacies can't stay in business?

It seems that the Western medicine clinic has quite a bit of influence behind it.

Ah Long began to worry about the Chinese medicine clinic, because sometimes, some things, and some people cannot be dealt with by brute force.

If his guess is correct, then the fate of traditional Chinese medicine clinics might be the same as that of pharmacies.

This...this is not what Ah Long wanted to see.

Ah Long finally thought of Ye Chen's connections, and that gave him a little more confidence.

Even city leaders sent their secretaries to congratulate Ye Chen on the opening of the TCM clinic. For ordinary people, Ye Chen's connections were already incredibly extensive.

With such a strong network of connections, maintaining a traditional Chinese medicine clinic shouldn't be a problem, right?

Most importantly, they are contemporary cultivators who can absorb spiritual energy, and their physiques are stronger than ordinary people.

His physical superiority is another source of his confidence.

After thinking about all this, Ah Long calmed down.

Ye Chen nodded slightly when he saw the change in Ah Long's expression. After a brief hint, they both understood the key to the matter.

"Master, you said that the Western medicine clinics have powerful backing. Do you have any information about what makes their backing so powerful?" Li Wenlong thought of the key question.

This is also his biggest concern.

Now that they'd gone this far, he was genuinely worried they might be blocking the path of this behemoth.

He was the oldest person present and knew all too well that these untold stories were often accompanied by bloodshed.

Ye Chen slowly said, "I don't know exactly how big it is, but that Western medicine clinic is just one of their ways of making money. They have other businesses as well."

"I see. It looks like it's a behemoth. It's going to be really difficult to deal with!" Li Wenlong frowned and pondered.

Things ultimately took a turn for the worse.

If the TCM clinic wants to continue operating, it will inevitably run into this behemoth head-on.

Li Wenlong and A Long's expressions began to turn serious.

Seeing their serious expressions, Ye Chen couldn't help but smile: "Relax, the sky hasn't fallen yet!"

"Alright, since they're already resting, let's give Zhang Qian half a day off this afternoon too. Let her rest at home for a couple of days, and then we'll figure out what's going on with them!"

Li Wenlong nodded. Treating the sick and saving lives is important, but their own safety is equally important.

Doctors are human beings too; they need to help themselves before they can help others.

"There's always a way out. Come on, let's not talk about this anymore. In the end, it's still because we're too weak. I'll give you guys a good boost this afternoon. By the way, has your junior sister come to see you yet?" Ye Chen changed the subject.

When Qi Lirong was mentioned, Li Wenlong's expression softened a little.

"Oh, you mean that girl Xiao Qi? Yes, she's been to the TCM clinic two or three times, always subtly asking about you, Master. It seems she's made some progress in her cultivation, and she's asked about cultivation levels, but I can't give her a clear answer about cultivation levels."

Ye Chen nodded upon hearing this: "Then invite her over for dinner tonight. Where's Dongzi?" Ye Chen looked at A Long.

"The TCM clinic isn't busy, so Dong-ge has been doing delivery work lately. He said he's embarrassed to ask his family for money anymore and wants to save some up so he can invest when you really want to open a specialty store!"

Ah Long told the truth.

Ye Chen's face twitched. Dongzi has started working in food delivery? Wasn't he supposed to be a security guard?

He was just talking about a specialty shop; how could he possibly resell the good stuff he collected from the countryside?

However, Dongzi's desire to make money is understandable, since he wants to impress Lin Rongrong.

Besides, daily expenses also cost money, and you can't expect the girl to pay for every occasional date.

But can you really earn over 10,000 yuan a month working as a food delivery driver, as some online sources claim?

At the same time, Ye Chen was also considering how to change the system, turning annual points into monthly or quarterly points.

We distribute a portion of the income to everyone each month to ensure that everyone has a stable income.

People need to eat, drink, relieve themselves, and sleep. If you're really waiting for the year-end bonus, don't be so hungry you'll faint.