Unparalleled medical and martial arts skills, saving the CEO's fiancée at the start.

Thin Crane and Bee Woman were locked in the basement of the security department.

Ye Chen didn't make things difficult for them, only instructing He Jianping to deliver meals and water on time.

These two are just paid operatives, not enemies.

The real enemy is in the south, an old geezer named Wu Laosan.

Ye Chen sent someone to investigate Ebony Workshop.

Song Tiezhu quickly replied: Wu Laosan's real name is Wu Zhennan, he is in his early seventies, and he was sworn brothers with Jiu Lao when he was young.

Later, the two went their separate ways; Old Jiu went into the black water business, while he went into the timber business.

They openly run a furniture factory, but secretly they are involved in the smuggling and trade of rosewood and cultural relics.

He has been rooted in a place called Rongcheng in the south for decades, and his influence is widespread. Both the legitimate and criminal worlds give him some respect.

In recent years, he has rarely appeared in public, and his business has been handed over to his son, Wu Dakuan.

"This old bastard is even better at hiding things than Old Man Jiu." Ye Chen threw the documents on the table.

"But since he struck first, he can't blame us for coming to his door."

Jiang Ruoxi was looking at Baizhi Valley's quarterly report when she heard this. She looked up and said, "I have acquaintances in Rongcheng. Last year, I talked to a local pharmaceutical company about cooperation. They owe me a favor, so I asked them to help me find out about Wumufang."

Ye Chen glanced at her and smiled: "President Jiang's business is so well-run, there are eyes and ears everywhere."

Jiang Ruoxi ignored his teasing and continued looking down at the report, only saying, "When are you leaving? I'll go with you."

Ye Chen thought about it and did not refuse.

Last time in Meixi, she stood behind him. This time in Rongcheng, he didn't want to leave her waiting in Jiangcheng.

Moreover, Jiang Ruoxi has business connections in Rongcheng, so there are some things that are more convenient for her to handle than for him.

He told Guipu and Han Song about it.

The ghost servant was silent for a moment before saying, "Wu Laosan is not like Wen Jiuhong. Wen Jiuhong is the knife, while Wu Laosan is the whetstone. When he does something, he uses the wealth he has accumulated over decades. When we go to Rongcheng, we can't confront him head-on. We need to figure out what he really wants first."

Ye Chen nodded.

He left Song Tiezhu to guard Jiangcheng, He Jianping to oversee the company, and Ayiguli and Guipu to accompany him.

Han Song set off a day early to Rongcheng to make preparations.

Three days later, Ye Chen and Jiang Ruoxi boarded a plane heading south.

Fuzhou is much hotter than Jiangcheng.

The weather in April was already so humid that it made one's back feel damp.

Han Song picked them up at the airport and took them directly to the guesthouse he had booked in advance.

The guesthouse is located in an alley in the old town, not far from the headquarters of Wumu Workshop.

Han Song said that he had been pretending to be a used furniture collector and had been wandering around Wumufang for the past few days.

Wumufang's headquarters is located in the eastern industrial zone of the city, covering a vast area. It is surrounded by high walls and iron fences, and a sign that reads "Nanguo Wood Industry" hangs at the entrance.

There are quite a few trucks coming and going in the factory area, which looks like a legitimate business.

However, Han Song noticed that every night a black van would drive out of the factory's back gate and head towards the North City Wharf.

"He's still smuggling; that's his weakness."

Jiang Ruoxi's friend from the pharmaceutical company also replied to the message.

Wu Laosan's health has been poor in recent years. He has been suffering from lung problems and has been seeing several famous doctors in the south for years, but the effects have not been significant.

His son, Wu Dakuan, was eager to take over the family business, but Wu Laosan refused to let go.

The father and son had a strained relationship, and the ebony workshop was not a united front.

After hearing all this, Ye Chen gradually came to understand the situation.

He said to Jiang Ruoxi, "I have a way, without resorting to force or brute force. Can you help me make an appointment with that friend from the pharmaceutical company? I want to use his connections to send something to Wumufang."

Jiang Ruoxi asked what it was.

Ye Chen took out a small porcelain bottle from his medicine box, which contained a few dark red pills.

He said, "This is the 'Warm Lung Pill' that Su Qinghan prepared in his early years. It has a miraculous effect on chronic lung disease. Wu Laosan has consulted so many famous doctors but they couldn't cure him, which means he didn't find the root cause. I dare not say that this medicine can cure the root cause, but at least it can make him feel better for a while."

Jiang Ruoxi understood.

Ye Chen was trying to save his life by treating the illness. He wanted to use a pill to persuade Wu Laosan to stop.

Two days later, with the help of Jiang Ruoxi's friend, Wumu Workshop agreed to meet her.

The meeting place was set at a teahouse in the east of the city. When Ye Chen and Jiang Ruoxi arrived, Wu Laosan was already sitting in a private room.

The old man was thinner than he looked in the photo, with high cheekbones, deep-set eyes, wearing a gray Tang suit, and a sandalwood cane beside him.

Two burly men stood behind him, their faces expressionless.

Wu Laosan sized up Ye Chen for a long time before speaking in a hoarse voice, "You're Ye Chen, the one who killed my sworn brother."

Ye Chen sat down opposite him, unhurried and unperturbed, and poured himself a cup of tea: "I didn't kill Elder Jiu. He was killed by his own ambition. Mr. Wu, I'm not here today to dredge up old grievances. I heard you have lung problems, so I brought something with me that might be useful."

He placed the small porcelain bottle on the table and gently pushed it over.

Wu Laosan didn't move, he just stared at the porcelain bottle.

Ye Chen said, "You can have someone test the Lung-Warming Pill from Medicine King Valley, or you can try taking one first. We can talk about other things after you've finished it."

Wu Laosan remained silent for a long time.

The burly man behind him tried to step forward, but he stopped him by raising his hand.

The old man poured a pill out of the bottle, brought it to his nose to smell it, and then glanced at Ye Chen.

Then he put the pill in his mouth and swallowed it dry. The private room remained quiet for a while.

Wu Laosan suddenly started coughing, coughing so hard that he curled up into a ball.

The burly man tried to step forward, but was stopped again.

After a while, the old man straightened up, took a few breaths, and his expression changed.

He stared at Ye Chen, his voice clearer than before: "Where did this medicine come from?"

"The medicine from Medicine King Valley is prepared by my master. It's not for sale, but you can use it. The condition is that you cancel the order to buy my life. From now on, Wumu Workshop will keep to itself and not interfere with Jiang Group or Baizhi Valley."

Wu Laosan didn't respond.

He squinted at Ye Chen, as if weighing how much truth this man had to say.

Jiang Ruoxi gently placed a document on the table and said, "Mr. Wu, this is Baizhi Valley's medicinal herb supply qualification and quality certification. We won't touch your rosewood business, but if you can sign a formal medicinal herb transportation agreement with the Jiang Group, we can help you transport your goods outside through compliant channels. You're getting old; you should leave your son a clean path."

Wu Laosan picked up his teacup and slowly took a sip.

The cup contained plain water, which he drank very slowly, as if he were savoring some extremely precious tea.

After finishing his drink, he put down the cup, looked at Ye Chen, then at Jiang Ruoxi, and suddenly chuckled.

He continued, "If Old Man Jiu were alive, he would definitely scold me for being senile, but I'm about to die and don't want to cause any more trouble. Leave the medicine behind, and I'll leave on my own. As for the future, let your people talk to my son. I'm too old to manage things."

After saying that, he stood up and slowly walked out of the private room, leaning on his cane.

As the curtain fell, Ye Chen heard him sigh softly, "This medicine really makes me breathless. I haven't been this breathless in years."

On the way back to the guesthouse, Jiang Ruoxi leaned back in the car and whispered, "Did it work?"

Ye Chen nodded: "It's done. The thing that Wu Laosan fears most is not death, but that no one cares about his life or death before he dies. His son is unreliable, and outsiders have no true feelings for him. Giving him medicine is giving him a way out. Once he takes that step, we've won."

Jiang Ruoxi turned her head to look at him.

The flashing neon lights outside the car window swept across his face.

She said, "Ye Chen, you're becoming more and more like the head of the household."

Ye Chen grinned: "Of course, look who your man is."

After finishing their business in Rongcheng, the three of them did not stay any longer.

On the morning of his departure, Han Song parked his car at the airport departure level and turned around to ask, "What about Shouhe and Bee Girl?"

Ye Chen thought for a moment and said, "Let them go. Tell them to pass on a message to our friends in the underworld: Ye Chen doesn't provoke trouble, but he's not afraid of trouble either. If anyone comes after him, Wu Laosan will be the example."

Han Song nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

As the plane took off, Jiang Ruoxi fell asleep leaning on Ye Chen's shoulder.

Ye Chen turned his head to look at her, thinking of the past few days of running around, and Wu Laosan's words: "I haven't been this breathless in many years."

Ye Chen suddenly realized that healing the sick and saving lives, as well as protecting family members, could be the same thing.