Money Over Love

Chapter 1: What did I do wrong?

"Lin Fan, can’t you be any more annoying? I already told you, Director Su is in a meeting and can’t leave!"

「Late at night, in Haicheng.」

At the end of a deserted hospital corridor, Lin Fan clenched his phone, his jaw muscles working silently. He had called his wife, Su Mengqing, repeatedly and sent over a dozen voice messages. The only response he got was two words: "In a meeting."

Finally, the call connected, but it wasn’t Su Mengqing herself. The words that came through made Lin Fan’s heart sink.

"My mom is dying. She just wants to see Su Mengqing one last time. Is she really unwilling to come?"

"Are you sick in the head? What does your mom's death have to do with Director Su? Will she live if Director Su comes over?" the secretary, Yang Tingting, screeched, her voice rising sharply.

"Is she really in a meeting... or is she at someone else’s birthday party?"

From the other end of the line, he could faintly hear laughter and the clear clinking of glasses. They were even playing a cheerful birthday song.

Lin Fan took a deep breath, clenching his teeth to suppress his rage. "Tell Su Mengqing I need her to get here as fast as she can, or else..."

"Hmph, or else what? You dare bring up divorce?" Yang Tingting cut him off with a disdainful scoff.

"Let me be honest with you. Director Su is at a birthday party for Young Master Chen’s precious dog. It’s a great opportunity to network with important people in Haicheng and prepare for the upcoming pharmaceutical purchasing conference!

"She only said she was in a meeting to spare your feelings. Don’t you have any decency? You can’t help with anything, and all you do is call and cause trouble!"

A birthday party? For a dog? So, in your eyes, Su Mengqing, my mother’s life is less important than a dog’s?

"I want Su Mengqing at this hospital. Right now!"

A wave of hot blood rushed to his head, and Lin Fan finally lost control. His eyes turned red as he growled, squeezing his phone so hard that it crackled and the screen splintered with cracks.

"That’s hilarious! Who do you think you are? A useless freeloader waiting to die, threatening Director Su, a woman worth over a hundred million?

"You have no money, no status, and no skills. You’re just a menial worker at Su Pharmaceutical, a charity case living off the Su family. And now you dare to act tough?

"Do you have any idea how much time and effort Director Su has put in just to get Su Pharmaceutical a spot at the purchasing conference?

"And you expect her to throw all that away for your mom? Is she worth it? And she just had to pick now to act like she’s dying. Good riddance! She deserves to die!"

CLICK!

She hung up, leaving only the dead tone of the dial tone.

Lin Fan stood frozen, veins bulging on his forehead as the cool night wind washed over him. After a long while, he slowly lowered his phone, a silent, bitter smile twisting his lips.

That’s right, you, Su Mengqing, are a very busy woman. In just four years, you took Su Pharmaceutical from the brink of bankruptcy to a company worth billions. So busy you never once came to the hospital to see my mother. But if it wasn’t for her, my mother, secretly helping you, resolving one crisis after another, who the hell would you be, Su Mengqing? How could you have made it this far unscathed?!

Returning to the dimly lit hospital room, Lin Fan knelt by the bed and spoke softly to his mother, Lin Suxin. "Mom, Mengqing said she’s on her way. She’s just... stuck in a bit of traffic."

"Okay, okay... no rush. Mengqing is so busy with work. I’m the one troubling her... Cough, cough..."

On the simple hospital bed, the emaciated woman managed a weak smile. Her eyes dimmed, though her features still held the faint shadow of her former, stunning beauty.

"Xiao Fan, don’t blame Mengqing, and don’t blame the Su family for being harsh with you. It was I who asked you to hide your identity, worried that you would attract attention from the Imperial Capital if you were exposed."

"I understand your good intentions, Mom. I can endure it," Lin Fan nodded quietly, taking out a tissue to gently wipe the blood his mother had coughed onto her lips.

"This... This is the ancient recipe for the Bixia Pill I prepared for Su Pharmaceutical. Give it to Master Song at the factory, and have him present it to Mengqing in his name."

The woman’s breathing grew fainter. Trembling, she pulled a stack of papers from under her pillow. Coughing up blood violently, she gripped Lin Fan’s hand. "With these recipes, the Su family will be secure, and you and Mengqing will be set for life... Xiao Fan, promise me, don’t think about revenge. Don’t go back... don’t go back to the Imperial Capital..."

Thick, dark blood gushed from her mouth, staining the pillow red. Lin Fan’s heart felt as if it were being twisted by a knife. He frantically tried to wipe the blood away with tissues, but it was useless.

BEEEEEP—

The bedside monitor emitted a long, low tone. The heart-rate curve on the screen went flat, showing no more activity. The woman’s worried eyes remained open as she passed away.

THUMP!

"Mom... I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I lied to you. Su Mengqing isn’t coming..."

Tears blurred his vision. Lin Fan dropped heavily to his knees, his entire body shaking violently.

The sharp sound of slapping echoed through the hospital room. He struck his own face again and again, from one side to the other.

Looking back, how could I have been so stupid? How could I have fallen in love with a cold-blooded woman like Su Mengqing?

Seven years ago, his mother was framed and forced to take poison. She faked her own death to escape the Ying family in the Imperial Capital. He, too, had been afflicted with the insidious poison of the Seven-Core Deadly Lotus and was hanging on by a thread.

It was his mother who brought him to Haicheng, the city of medicine, in secret. She nursed her own wounds while searching for an antidote for him. Unfortunately, the poison of the Seven-Core Deadly Lotus was too potent. Even his mother, a famed divine doctor, struggled to gather all the necessary herbs and suffered a backlash from the poison herself.

In the end, the poison in Lin Fan’s body was temporarily suppressed, and he survived. But his mother had exhausted all her strength and vitality. She died full of regret and worry...

After what felt like an eternity, the buzzing of his phone shattered Lin Fan’s sorrowful thoughts. He pressed the speakerphone button, and Su Mengqing’s indifferent voice came through.

"What is it? Say it quickly. I’m busy."

"Yes, you’re busy. You’re always busy. So busy you don’t give a damn if my mother lives or dies," Lin Fan said, his eyes bloodshot, a heartbreaking laugh escaping his lips.

Su Mengqing fell silent for a moment before replying, "I’ll come see Mrs. Lin when I have time. Lin Fan, I’m warning you, don’t start a fight with me over such petty issues. This is a critical time for Su Pharmaceutical. For me, everything else has to take a backseat!"

"Is climbing into a higher social circle really that important to you?" Lin Fan shot back, a vein throbbing on his forehead as he enunciated every word. "Or is it that my mother and I are less important than Young Master Chen’s dog?!"

"Lin Fan! If you could help me just a little, would I need to go around sucking up to people? Everything I do is for this family! What have I, Su Mengqing, done wrong?" Her voice was laced with anger before she hung up.

"Right, you’ve done nothing wrong. It’s my fault... I’m the idiot. I was blind." Lin Fan lowered his phone, muttering to himself.

At that moment, his heart turned completely to ice.

"Mom, you once said Mengqing was a good girl... but people change."

CLICK.

The flame of a lighter flared up, illuminating a pair of cold, bloodshot eyes. Lin Fan lit the stack of recipes, dropped it to the floor, and watched as it burned to ash.

If the love is gone, then let’s just end it all and start over. I have nothing left to tie me down in this world anyway... To hell with enduring it anymore!

"Mom, let’s go. I’m taking you home..."

Carrying his mother’s body on his back, Lin Fan walked out with a numb expression, brushing past a man and a woman coming down the corridor.

"How inconsiderate. Who’s burning things in a hospital in the middle of the night? Aren’t they afraid of starting a fire?" the man, an elderly gentleman in a high-end black suit who exuded a natural authority, grumbled.

Following the smell of smoke, he and a young nurse entered the empty hospital room, where they found only a pile of ashes. However, his gaze fell upon a charred fragment on the floor. On it, the characters for "Bixia Pill," written in an elegant script, were still visible.

The old man froze. A moment later, his pupils constricted in shock. He clutched his chest and staggered backward, gasping for air.

"Mr. Wang Sr., what’s wrong?" the young nurse cried out, rushing to support him.

"A sacrilege! An absolute sacrilege..." the old man lamented, his face a mask of agony as he repeatedly slapped his thigh. "Quick! Go find out who was just in this room burning things!"

He looked like he was on the verge of madness.

Chapter 2: If we’re going to break up, let’s break up!

Lin Fan sat vigil in the crematorium all night. It wasn’t until after daybreak that the staff came over to urge him repeatedly. Only then did he reluctantly watch as his mother’s body was pushed into the cremation furnace.

Carrying the heavy urn, he returned to the Su family villa in the city’s east. He packed his belongings and placed the keys on the living room coffee table. Looking around the familiar surroundings, Lin Fan felt a bitter taste in his mouth.

This departure, he feared, would be forever. He didn’t regret it, nor did he feel the slightest bit of sentimentality.

"Lin Fan? Where the hell were you last night? You actually dared to stay out all night!"

The living room door was pushed open, and a group of four people walked in.

His gaze fell on a face of cold, stunning beauty, and Lin Fan couldn’t help but feel a twitch at the corner of his eye. She had a slender waist, shapely hips, and skin as white as snow. A sleeveless black pencil dress accentuated her elegant, fiery curves. Her long, perfectly shaped pale legs, clad in crystal high-heeled sandals, made her seem even taller and more graceful.

She was Su Mengqing, the beautiful CEO of Su Pharmaceutical and the famous, up-and-coming pharmaceutical queen of Haicheng.

Last night, at a birthday party for Young Master Chen’s beloved dog, Su Mengqing had stolen the spotlight. To celebrate their plan’s anticipated success, the family of three, along with her secretary Yang Tingting, had all gone out for a grand meal. They now returned, full and content, their faces brimming with joyful smiles.

"What are you doing? How could you bring something like that back here?"

When they saw Lin Fan silently pick up the urn from the table, the joyful expressions on all four faces stiffened and turned ugly.

His brother-in-law, Su Gang, spat out the toothpick he was chewing on and pointed at Lin Fan, bellowing, "Lin Fan, you’re getting bolder by the minute! If you keep this up, believe me, I’ll have Mengqing divorce you right now!"

His mother-in-law, Zhang Meili, her plump face sinking, shot him a familiar, threatening glare.

"Fine by me. I couldn’t ask for anything more," Lin Fan said with an indifferent smile.

What... what’s going on?

Zhang Meili and Su Gang exchanged a dumbfounded glance.

Based on past experience, shouldn’t Lin Fan be apologizing profusely, groveling until we’re satisfied? How has he become a completely different person after just one night?

"Lin Fan, that’s your mother’s ashes, isn’t it?" Su Mengqing’s elegant brows knitted together, a flash of displeasure in her beautiful eyes. "How can you bring them into the house? Aren’t you worried about the bad luck? Get them out of here, apologize to me, and I’ll pretend this never happened."

"...Bad luck?" Lin Fan laughed again.

This villa, and even the entirety of Su Pharmaceutical, was earned for you by my mother. And now, you’re complaining that she’s bad luck right in front of her?

"Su Gang," Lin Fan’s gaze turned colder by the second. "Do you remember four years ago when you were being hounded for gambling debts and nearly lost your life? It was my mother who pawned our ancestral treasured ring to help you pay them off!"

He turned his head to look at the somewhat shocked Zhang Meili. "And you, do you remember how you knelt before my mother, begging her for money?"

The living room fell silent, then exploded into chaos.

"Lin Fan, that’s all water under the bridge! What’s the point of bringing it up now?" Su Gang’s face flushed as he shouted, "Your mother did that willingly! I didn’t force her!"

"Exactly!" Zhang Meili’s plump face twisted in rage. "And hasn’t our family compensated you? We’ve supported you for four years for free. Isn’t that enough?"

Ever since the Su family had risen to prominence, she had considered kneeling to Lin Fan’s mother the greatest humiliation of her life. For Lin Fan to bring it up again was like a vicious slap across her face.

"Lin Fan, you should learn to be grateful," Yang Tingting chimed in, scowling. "Director Su has already been more than benevolent by not looking down on you!"

"You dare speak of gratitude?" Lin Fan laughed out of pure rage, his fists cracking. "When you were renting that place next to my mom’s little clinic, how did you beg her to find you a job?"

"So what? I became Director Su’s personal assistant because of my own ability!" A flicker of guilt flashed in Yang Tingting’s eyes, but she immediately tilted her chin up, her face a mask of superiority.

Their taunts ringing in his ears, Lin Fan turned his head, clenched his teeth, and stared at Su Mengqing. "And you," he said, word by word, "who was it that gave you the strategies to bring Su Pharmaceutical back from the brink of death? Yet from beginning to end, you never once called her ’Mom’!"

"Enough!" Su Mengqing’s frown deepened as she cut him off. "I don’t want to hear any more of this. How long are you going to keep making a scene?"

"When it’s all said and done, you’re just blaming me for not going to see your mother one last time, aren’t you?" She looked away, shaking her head in disappointment. "I thought you would understand. I thought you would consider how hard things have been for me."

"Right, right, so hard for all of you! It’s my mother who was too kind, too soft-hearted for helping a bunch of ungrateful wretches like you!"

The bitterness in his mouth erupted, seeping deep into his heart. Lin Fan laughed tragically and pulled out the divorce papers he had already prepared.

SLAM!

"Su Mengqing, I’ve had enough," he said, slapping the papers onto the coffee table. "Let’s get a divorce!"

His action shocked Zhang Meili and the others into a stunned silence. But a moment later, the room erupted with roaring laughter.

A divorce? You, Lin Fan, actually dare to use divorce as a threat? Have you forgotten how shamelessly you’ve been clinging to the Su family all this time?

"This is hilarious! Lin Fan, did you take the wrong medicine today?" Su Gang clutched his stomach, laughing until tears streamed down his face.

"I think he’s got the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard!" Zhang Meili’s face darkened as she spoke without hesitation. "Mengqing, agree to it! Let him get the hell out of the Su family right now!"

"Lin Fan, how dare you be the one to bring up divorce?" Yang Tingting sneered, looking at him as if he were an idiot. "Do you have any idea how many talented young men, ten thousand times better than you, surround Director Su?"

"Is this your new attitude? Are you trying to use divorce to force me to back down?" Su Mengqing finally looked squarely at Lin Fan, the disappointment in her eyes threatening to overflow.

"I feared you’d feel inferior, so I never took you to high-class parties. I never pushed you to be more ambitious. But you have made me despair time and time again."

"What I, Su Mengqing, want is something you, Lin Fan, can never give me. And now *you’re* the one who wants a divorce?"

"Lin Fan, how can you be so shameless? Are you trying to make me regret the four years of feelings I’ve invested in you?"

BOOM!

Her cold words and indifferent, beautiful face were like thousands of steel needles piercing deep into Lin Fan’s heart. It was a raw, bloody pain.

"So in your eyes... I’ve always been that kind of person?"

Lin Fan took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He pushed the divorce papers toward Su Mengqing.

"Sign it. I’m willing to leave with nothing and make a clean break—from the Su family, and from you."

"Fine! So be it! We’ll get divorced!" Su Mengqing’s breathing grew ragged, her chest heaving violently. Overwhelmed with fury, she couldn’t hold back any longer. "I’ll grant your wish! Now get out, and take your mother’s ashes with you!"

She snatched up a pen, signed her name with a flourish, and pointed to the door.

"Once you walk out that door, I will never forgive you, even if you come back crying and begging!"

"Thank you." Lin Fan grabbed the divorce papers, stuffed them into his pocket, and felt a wave of relief wash over him. "From this moment on, we go our separate ways. Goodbye forever."

Ignoring the utterly astonished expressions on the faces of the other three, he picked up the urn, dragged his suitcase behind him, and strode out of the villa.

"Lin Fan, you bastard! You’d better not regret this!" Su Mengqing trembled as she watched his receding figure, shrieking after him.

His only response was to keep walking without looking back, raising a hand in a final wave.

Chapter 3: Remove the firewood from under the pot?

"Sis, why are you upset? That good-for-nothing left on his own, you should be happy!"

After Lin Fan left, Su Gang and the others began a massive clean-up of the house, wanting to erase every last trace he had left behind.

Su Mengqing was staring silently at the wedding photo on the floor.

CRUNCH!

Su Gang grinned and, without hesitation, stomped forward, shattering the frame under his foot.

"How dare he ask for a divorce? If anyone was going to do the divorcing, it should have been me!" Su Mengqing’s beautiful face was frosty as she clenched her fists. Lin Fan’s sudden outburst had left her with a deep and inexplicable sense of humiliation.

"Mengqing, don’t worry. It won’t be long before that mutt Lin Fan comes crawling back to you, begging for forgiveness!" Zhang Meili said with a delighted smile. "But you can’t go soft on him again. Humiliate him thoroughly, but absolutely do not let him back into the Su family home!"

"That’s right, Director Su! What even is Lin Fan? I’ve disliked him for a long time. In what way is he worthy of you?" Yang Tingting nodded vigorously in wholehearted agreement.

"He will regret this. He definitely will." Su Mengqing pursed her red lips, her gaze fixed on the closed living room door.

She was waiting. Waiting for Lin Fan to return on his own to apologize and admit he was wrong. No man could bear to leave her, Su Mengqing. Especially not a worthless loser like Lin Fan, who had no money, no status, and no ability!

KNOCK, KNOCK. The sound interrupted her thoughts.

Su Mengqing started, then a smile touched her lips as she felt a sense of vindication.

Su Gang and the others exchanged glances, their faces breaking into identical, knowing smirks.

It hasn’t even been half an hour. That mutt Lin Fan really did come crawling back on his own!

"Old Song? Why is it you? Where’s Lin Fan?" Su Gang demanded, his expression instantly souring as he opened the door to find only Old Song, the pharmacist from their factory, standing outside with no one else in sight.

"Director Su, is Lin Fan not home? He’s taken several days off, and the factory is about to run out of the dispensing mixture," Old Song said, scratching the back of his head in confusion under the stare of Su Mengqing and the others.

"The mixture ran out? What does that have to do with Lin Fan? Haven’t you always been in charge of that?" Su Mengqing countered, walking over with a grim expression.

"Exactly! That ingrate just demanded a divorce. We already kicked him out!" Zhang Meili added, crossing her arms with a huff.

Old Song gasped. "Director Su... do you mean that for these past four years, Lin Fan has been hiding this from all of you?

"The Injury Ointment Prescription and the recipe for the dispensing mixture both belong to Lin Fan! He specifically told me never to tell anyone!"

What? The flagship product that had allowed Su Pharmaceutical to rise so quickly was actually from Lin Fan? And the mixture that enhanced the ointment’s effects was also his creation?!

A long, dead silence descended upon the living room.

Zhang Meili and the others were completely dumbfounded.

Su Mengqing’s delicate body trembled, her pupils contracting violently.

"Old Song, did Lin Fan put you up to this?" Su Mengqing demanded, her composure returning as her gaze turned icy. "If you dare conspire with him to deceive me, you can get out of the factory!"

"Director Su, how would I dare?" Old Song shook his head with a pained expression. "It is said that Lin Fan’s mother, Lin Suxin, was a master of medicine who cured many important people. I suspect these recipes all came from her... Director Su, the Pharmaceutical Purchasing Conference is fast approaching! If we don’t have the recipe for the mixture, the factory will have to halt production. Otherwise, the quality of our products will plummet!"

"So, you’re saying we only have the prescription for the Injury Ointment, and Lin Fan has taken the mixture recipe with him?" Su Mengqing staggered, spots of darkness clouding her vision.

Her worst fears were coming true. This was a critical period, with all efforts focused on preparing for the purchasing conference. And now, Lin Fan had pulled the rug out from under them, forcing the factory to shut down.

"Director Su, you must think of a solution quickly! We absolutely have to get the mixture recipe back from Lin Fan... Sigh." Old Song sighed once more before turning and leaving.

He left Zhang Meili and the other two standing frozen in place, exchanging looks of alarm and disbelief.

"Director Su, I think that bastard Lin Fan did this on purpose to get revenge on you..." Yang Tingting said, closing the door and approaching Su Mengqing, ready to add more fuel to the fire.

SLAP!

Su Mengqing spun around and slapped her fiercely across the face.

"Ah! Director Su, this... this has nothing to do with me!" Yang Tingting cried, her eyes filling with tears as she covered the bright red handprint on her cheek, looking utterly wronged.

"If you hadn’t constantly pushed me to divorce Lin Fan, and if you hadn’t insisted I shouldn’t visit his mother, do you think he would have found the courage to do this?" Su Mengqing’s chest heaved as she pointed an accusing finger at Yang Tingting.

"But... but you were the one who said you needed to prioritize work and didn’t have time to go to the hospital..." Yang Tingting mumbled, lowering her head with a flash of resentment in her eyes.

"Still talking back? Believe it or not, I’ll have you thrown out of Su Pharmaceutical!" Su Mengqing’s face burned with fury as she raised her hand again.

"Sis, don’t take it out on Tingting! It’s all that mutt Lin Fan’s fault. Worst case, I’ll find some guys to teach him a lesson and snatch the mixture recipe back," Su Gang said, rushing to stop Su Mengqing with a placating grin. He and Yang Tingting had always been exchanging flirtatious glances, so he naturally didn’t want to see her driven out of the company.

"That’s right, Mengqing. Is it worth getting so angry over such a small thing?" Zhang Meili added, walking over with a cold sneer. "No matter how formidable Lin Fan’s mother was, she’s dead now, isn’t she? The Su family is already rich. What use is that ingrate now?"

"What do you people understand? If Lin Suxin could produce a recipe like the one for the Injury Ointment, who knows what other treasures she had!" Su Mengqing ground her teeth so hard they audibly cracked.

Though she had never really cared whether Lin Fan’s mother lived or died, a flash of regret crossed her mind. If only she had made time to visit last night...

At that thought, she shot another vicious glare at the cowering, silent Yang Tingting.

"Sis, this really isn’t Tingting’s fault. Who let Lin Fan deliberately hide this from us? He got what he deserved!" Su Gang sneered, cracking his knuckles. "If Lin Fan doesn’t hand over that mixture recipe, I’ll make sure he regrets it..."

KNOCK, KNOCK. The door sounded again.

The four of them exchanged uneasy glances, their expressions souring.

Su Gang strode to the door and yanked it open, cursing, "Lin Fan, you have the nerve to come back?! If I don’t beat the shit out of you today, then my surname isn’t Su—" His words died in his throat with a sharp gasp as he saw who was there. "M-Mr. Wang Sr.?"

His eyes widened in shock at the group outside. A crowd of immaculately dressed business elites surrounded a beaming elderly man.

That man was none other than the venerable chairman of the Haicheng Pharmaceutical Association, Wang Tianchuan himself.

"Chairman Wang! Your presence truly brings honor to our Su family!" Su Mengqing exclaimed, her initial surprise turning into astonished delight as she hurried to welcome him inside.

Zhang Meili and Yang Tingting swallowed the curses on their lips, their expressions shifting to ones of deep awe.

The man before them was a distinguished guest the Su family could never hope to invite. For him to visit unannounced could only mean some incredible piece of good fortune was at hand!

"Director Su, forgive my unannounced visit. Let’s get straight to the point," Chairman Wang said with a broad smile. He took a document from his assistant and presented it directly to Su Mengqing. "I am willing to personally invest ten billion in Su Pharmaceutical for the joint development of the Bixia Pill!"

Chapter 4: He burned through a hundred billion!

"What? An investment of ten billion in Su Pharmaceutical?"

"This is going to make them skyrocket!"

As Chairman Wang’s voice fell, Su Gang, Zhang Meili, and Yang Tingting all trembled violently, their mouths agape in shock.

Su Mengqing’s eyes lit up, her body trembling with excitement.

Indeed, heaven rewards the diligent. Her four years of hard work had finally paid off.

Amid her wild joy, Su Mengqing suddenly froze.

Bixia Pill... I’ve never heard of it, and it’s not a product of Su Pharmaceutical. Could this be some kind of mix-up?

"Director Su, you must have seen my sincerity. Just let me look over the complete recipe for the Bixia Pill, and we can sign the contract immediately, haha." Chairman Wang rubbed his hands, his old eyes gleaming with excitement.

Last night, after he had passed by Lin Fan, he had unexpectedly picked up the torn fragment of the Bixia Pill recipe. After studying it all night, the old man had nearly gone mad with joy.

It can’t be wrong. This is absolutely the correct recipe for the Bixia Pill!

After all, the Bixia Pill was the creation of the Medical Sage Lin Aochang. It had only briefly appeared decades ago, but it caused a massive sensation. Back then, Chairman Wang was just a young man in his twenties, apprenticing at a pharmacy in the Imperial Capital, when he overheard the old shopkeeper mention it. He had never forgotten about it, searching tirelessly for half his life. Unfortunately, the Medical Sage was as elusive as a dragon, having been missing for far too many years to be found.

He never, ever expected to find the burned remnants of the Bixia Pill recipe right under his very nose.

This must be fate! It has to be!

"Director Su, if you think ten billion isn’t enough, I can double it!" Seeing Su Mengqing and her family just exchange glances without a word, Chairman Wang gritted his teeth and held up two fingers. "Twenty billion in investment, and I’ll only take a thirty... no, a twenty percent stake is fine too!"

"Chairman Wang, you might be mistaken... I-I don’t have the recipe for the Bixia Pill."

Under Chairman Wang’s eager gaze, Su Mengqing finally bit her lip and shook her head, feeling both tense and helpless. The offer was incredibly tempting, but she simply didn’t have this so-called Bixia Pill.

"Director Su, stop joking. Wasn’t it you who burned the Bixia Pill recipe at the hospital last night?" Hearing this, Chairman Wang’s smile faded. He presumed Su Mengqing was trying to drive up the price.

"Hospital? I was at Young Master Chen’s dog’s birthday party all last night. I never left..." Su Mengqing slowly shook her head, but an ominous feeling inexplicably bloomed in her heart. The word "hospital" made her instantly think of Lin Fan.

"Director Su, my, Wang Tianchuan’s, reputation is not something to be trifled with." Chairman Wang’s expression turned ugly. "I’ve had someone check carefully. The payment for that hospital room has always been made under your name, Su Mengqing!"

"Chairman Wang, please don’t be angry! Director Su isn’t lying. She didn’t go to any hospital last night, and she hasn’t made any hospital payments recently," Yang Tingting hurriedly stepped forward, explaining with an apologetic smile.

"Right, right! No one in our family is sick, so why would we go to a hospital?" Zhang Meili and Su Gang added, nodding repeatedly.

"No, I did make a payment... It was for... for Lin Fan’s mother."

At that moment, Su Mengqing’s face turned deathly pale, and her body began to tremble uncontrollably. Her hands shaking, she fumbled inside her small purse and pulled out Lin Fan’s payroll card. She had held onto this card for the four years of their marriage. Aside from the few hundred dollars she gave Lin Fan for pocket money each month, all his other major expenses were paid by her personally.

So, the one who burned the Bixia Pill recipe last night was Lin Fan? And it’s highly likely that the recipe, just like the Injury Ointment, was something Lin Suxin intended to leave for me?

BOOM!

Her mind exploded. Su Mengqing’s vision went dark, as if she had stepped off a cliff into an abyss.

What had she missed?

Just because she didn’t go to see Lin Fan’s mother one last time, she had let a twenty-billion-dollar investment contract slip through her fingers!

No, that wasn’t right. To get someone of Chairman Wang’s stature to come personally, the Bixia Pill had to be priceless. It was worth at least a hundred billion!

A heavy weight seemed to crush her chest, the pressure so immense it was almost suffocating. Su Mengqing swayed, struggling to stay on her feet, her face completely drained of color.

That bastard Lin Fan hadn’t just burned a recipe. He had burned the hundred-billion-dollar future of Su Pharmaceutical!

She regretted it. She was filled with absolute, soul-crushing regret. She wanted to slap herself silly.

With the Bixia Pill formula, why would I have needed to attend a dog’s birthday party? Why would I have wasted so much effort trying to squeeze into that pharmaceutical procurement conference?!

"Director Su, what exactly is going on? You must give me an explanation!" Chairman Wang shouted, his patience clearly gone.

"Hit her... Beat her! Beat her to death!"

However, Su Mengqing clutched her chest tightly, her trembling finger pointing toward a completely bewildered Yang Tingting.

Lin Fan is hateful, but this wretched woman is just as much to blame! It’s all my fault for being so stupid! I never should have listened to her goading and let a hundred-billion-dollar opportunity slip away! On the surface, Lin Fan was the one leaving with nothing from this divorce. In reality, I was the one who lost out spectacularly!

THUD!

Overwhelmed by a tidal wave of fury, Su Mengqing could no longer bear it. Before the shocked eyes of Chairman Wang and the others, she pitched forward. Furious to the point of blacking out, she collapsed straight to the ground, completely unconscious.

「Southern City.」

In a deep alley stood the Suxin Clinic. Night had fallen, and lights flickered inside and outside the lane.

"Mom, I’m sorry. I didn’t listen to you... Not only did I divorce Su Mengqing, but I will also make those people in the Imperial Capital pay for their crimes in blood!"

Inside the memorial hall, which was draped entirely in white, Lin Fan crouched before the portrait, silently tossing joss paper into a fire basin. The bright flames illuminated a face etched with resolve.

Years ago, the Ying family in the Imperial Capital had faced a powerful enemy and was nearly wiped out. At the same time, Lin Fan was afflicted with the rare Seven-Core Deadly Lotus poison and was hanging on by a thread. The ridiculous part was that his father, Ying Wenyuan, had been urged on by his new wife, Shen Yueli, and others. He callously discarded his old affections, choosing to frame his ex-wife, Lin Suxin, and forcing her to take the fall for everything.

Lin Fan had carried this blood debt for seven long years, seared into his very bones. He wouldn’t just return to the Imperial Capital to seek justice for his mother. He would make every single one of those heartless beasts of the Ying family pay the price!

"Just three more rare herbs, and I can neutralize the poison and recover my full strength... Mom, one day, I will make those animals from the Ying family kneel before you, crying and repenting..."

Lin Fan lifted his bloodshot eyes, staring at the portrait and muttering to himself. Just then, he tilted his head slightly. From the alley entrance, the sound of two sets of hurried footsteps approached, seemingly heading for the clinic.

A moment later, the visitors barged in, panting heavily. Lin Fan frowned slightly, but without turning around, he curtly dismissed them. "Sorry, the clinic is closed. Please leave."

"Are you a doctor? My Young Miss is injured and needs urgent treatment!" The speaker was a tall woman in a tight-fitting black cheongsam, her cold, beautiful face fraught with anxiety. She was tightly supporting another stunningly beautiful woman with a voluptuous figure, her voice sharp as she addressed Lin Fan’s back.

"Mrs. Xue, we... we should go. Let’s not bring trouble to him..." the injured woman said. She appeared to be in her twenties, dressed in sleek gray pencil pants. Her white blouse was stained red with blood on the right shoulder, stretching taut over her ample chest in a breathtaking curve. Her breathing was ragged, and her lovely face was as pale as paper. After glancing around the memorial hall, she shook her head at the older woman.

"But, Young Miss, you’ve lost too much blood! It needs to be treated immediately!" Mrs. Xue gritted her teeth and turned back to Lin Fan, her voice rising in anger. "You! You must save my Young Miss right now, or you’ll face consequences you can’t afford!"

"I don’t treat gunshot wounds," Lin Fan said, still not turning around, continuing to toss joss paper into the fire.

"You! You bastard, I... I..." Mrs. Xue’s brow throbbed with fury. She took a step forward but was held back firmly by the young woman.

Utterly helpless, she was about to turn and leave with her companion. But as they took a step, a sudden realization struck them both. They exchanged a look of pure shock.

From start to finish, Lin Fan hadn’t once looked at them.

So how did he know someone had a gunshot wound?

BOOM!

Their breath caught in their throats, and their eyes filled with deep suspicion and alarm. If the man before them wasn’t one of their enemies, the only other explanation was that he was a peerless divine doctor.

Chapter 5:  We need to pay extra!

"Boy, are you a member of the Black Tiger Hall!" Mrs. Xue’s eyes were sharp with murderous intent as she pointed at Lin Fan and shouted.

The young woman being supported clenched her teeth, her beautiful face covered with an icy chill. This guy is young and shows no hint of being extraordinary. How could he possibly be a so-called peerless, divine doctor? Furthermore, he’s far too indifferent to the intrusion of two strangers. It just doesn’t make sense.

"If you don’t go to a hospital to stop the bleeding, you will bleed to death within ten minutes," Lin Fan said, tossing down the last stack of joss paper and finally rising from the brazier. He glanced casually at the young woman, his face expressionless. "I don’t treat gunshot wounds. I don’t want to invite trouble."

Anyone who could use a firearm in the city was certainly no ordinary person. He didn’t want to meddle in others’ affairs, nor did he want anyone to disturb his mother’s memorial hall.

"Hmph, I think you just have a guilty conscience. Have you already been bought off by the Black Tiger Hall?" Mrs. Xue clenched her fists, and a fierce expression crossed her stunning face.

"We... we’re leaving..." The injured young woman looked deeply at Lin Fan, trying to find any flaw in his expression. After three seconds, she gave up and whispered to Mrs. Xue through clenched teeth. The man is simply too composed. Even I can’t grasp what he’s thinking.

"I’ll let you off this time. But if you dare reveal our whereabouts, you won’t be able to withstand the wrath of the Yuan family!" Mrs. Xue glared at Lin Fan resentfully, then supported the young woman and hurried toward the clinic’s entrance.

In the next moment, they both stumbled backward, their faces going pale with despair. A large group of burly men in black suits was streaming in from outside the entrance, each wearing a sinister smile. Many of them tightly gripped black handguns.

"You sons of bitches from the Black Tiger Hall, do you really dare to annihilate me, Yuan Youwei?!" the young woman, who now identified herself as Yuan Youwei, demanded furiously, her face a mask of defiance.

"Tsk, tsk, Miss Yuan, your reputation precedes you. Which one of us brothers wouldn’t want to have some fun with you, to get a taste of the ’Flower of Haicheng’?" a man with a scarred face sneered. He stepped forward, lecherously ogling Yuan Youwei’s chest. The other men in black suits licked their lips, their smiles turning perverted.

Seeing this, Yuan Youwei and Mrs. Xue exchanged a glance, both tightly pursing their lips. The situation was even worse than they had imagined. It seems that tonight, we will not only die here but also suffer the humiliation of being violated in turn by dozens of men!

"Kid, help us contact the Yuan family! Afterward, we’ll guarantee you a lifetime of wealth and honor!" Mrs. Xue shouted, unwilling to give up as she turned back to Lin Fan. She and Yuan Youwei had been betrayed by their driver and brought here. They had just managed to escape the siege of the Black Tiger Hall assassins after a desperate struggle. But in their rush to abandon the car, they had left their phones and everything else behind. They had hoped to find a small clinic in a secluded alley to bandage Yuan Youwei’s gunshot wound. Who would have thought they’d run into such a heartless bastard!

"Sorry, my phone’s out of battery." Lin Fan pulled out his phone with its cracked screen, glanced at it, shook his head, and walked over to a corner to charge it.

"..."

At this, Mrs. Xue trembled with so much anger she nearly spat out blood. Yuan Youwei’s lips twitched, and she barely restrained herself from cursing.

Even the Black Tiger Hall assassins were a bit dumbfounded. From start to finish, the young man in the memorial hall hadn’t given them a single glance. What the hell, is he blind? Is he treating us like we’re just air?

"Brother Dao, that kid saw us. We can’t let him live!" a subordinate whispered to the scar-faced man, making a throat-slitting gesture.

"Go get some gasoline. When we’re done, we’ll burn this place to the ground," the man known as Brother Dao ordered, his face darkening as he waved his hand without hesitation.

Seeing Lin Fan slowly find the charging cable, plug in his phone, and place it on the table, Mrs. Xue could no longer bear it. "Hey, did you hear that?" she said through gritted teeth. "They’re going to kill you too, and they’re going to burn down your home!"

"They can’t," Lin Fan replied. He walked over, frowning at the crowd outside, and pointed toward the alley entrance. "Go fight on the street. It’s more spacious out there. Don’t cause trouble here."

A snicker rippled through the men in black suits, who were all amused by Lin Fan. Meanwhile, Mrs. Xue and Yuan Youwei were utterly flustered. At a time like this, does he really think he can walk away unscathed?

You have to understand, the Black Tiger Hall is the largest underground force in Haicheng. For years they have engaged in murder and arson, and no one has dared to challenge them. Their hall master, Chen Heihu, one of Haicheng’s four great tycoons, is known as the underground emperor. He boasts of having thirty thousand followers, each a ruthless thug who wouldn’t blink at murder.

"Kid, are you brain-dead? Have you never heard of our Black Tiger Hall?" Brother Dao squinted at Lin Fan with the mocking expression of a cat toying with a mouse.

"...Is your vice hall master named Chen Biao? Was he celebrating a dog’s birthday last night?" Hearing this, Lin Fan seemed to recall something, and his gaze turned cold.

"Heh, not so stupid after all. You even know the name of our Mr. Chen Biao." Brother Dao’s lips curled into a smirk, and he and his companions burst out laughing.

Chen Biao is Lord Hu’s only son, known as the Black Crown Prince of Haicheng, his infamy widespread. Even a birthday party for his dog could shake the entire city, drawing countless high-society figures to fawn over him.

"Fine. I’ve changed my mind," Lin Fan said with a nod, no longer paying Brother Dao any mind. He turned to Yuan Youwei, whose expression was grim. "I’ll treat your wound and get rid of these guys, but... you’ll have to pay extra."

As soon as he spoke, the room fell abruptly silent. Then, a roar of laughter erupted from the crowd. Brother Dao and his men were laughing so hard they were clutching their stomachs, tears welling in their eyes. Mrs. Xue, however, turned her head away with an expression of utter disgust, as if she were looking at an idiot.

"Wh-why?" Yuan Youwei was stunned, a flicker of confusion and hope in her beautiful eyes. After calming down, she also sensed something was off. Why has this man been able to remain so composed? It seems... he holds neither my beauty nor the menacing killers outside in any regard!

"Because that so-called Young Master Chen really pissed me off."

BANG!

Before his words had faded, Brother Dao, who was still roaring with laughter, abruptly pulled the trigger, aiming at Lin Fan.

Almost simultaneously, without even a glance, Lin Fan flicked his fingers.

"Hahaha, you little shit, I’ll cripple one of your legs first—AH! AHH!"

His arrogant words died in his throat. Brother Dao’s savage smile froze on his face. He clutched his mangled hand, screaming like a slaughtered pig. The silver needle that Lin Fan had casually flicked had not only deflected the bullet’s trajectory but continued with undiminished force to detonate in the palm holding the gun, obliterating Brother Dao’s entire hand.

The sudden turn of events plunged the room into an eerie silence, broken only by Brother Dao’s piercing screams as he stumbled backward. His men stood frozen, trembling, while Mrs. Xue stood there, mouth agape. Only Yuan Youwei’s eyes shone brightly, her heart pounding fiercely in her chest.

As expected, my guess was right! Lin Fan’s fearlessness wasn’t without basis; he was no ordinary person, but a deeply hidden martial arts expert!

Chapter 6: Won’t even give two hundred yuan?

"Charge! Beat this bastard to a pulp!" Brother Dao took cover among the crowd and let out a hysterical roar at Lin Fan. Ever since starting his career, he had never suffered such a huge loss. If he didn’t kill Lin Fan, his years in Haicheng would have been a waste!

"Fire, all of you motherfuckers, open fire! Avenge Brother Dao!"

"Fuck, this is absolute anarchy! How dare you touch someone from our Black Tiger Hall?"

"Kid, I’m gonna wipe out your whole family tonight!"

At their command, the men in black suits snapped to their senses, enraged. Even though they didn’t know how Lin Fan did it, they had dozens of guns. What was there to fear from one man?

The sound of triggers being pulled clicked in unison, a continuous rattle that made one’s scalp tingle. Mrs. Xue’s face drained of color. Yuan Youwei’s breath caught in her throat. The strings of her heart, which had just begun to slacken, instantly tensed up again.

In the next moment, a series of hissing sounds echoed through the air. Lin Fan’s gaze had darkened. Somehow, several long, glinting silver needles were already held between his fingers.

No one saw him move. They only saw streaks of silver light slice through the night sky, piercing the throats of the black-suited thugs one after another.

THUD! THUD!

One burly figure after another collapsed, their faces etched with disbelief. Each man’s throat was a bloody mess, their eyes wide open in death.

Only Brother Dao remained standing, trembling amidst the pile of corpses as if he’d seen a ghost. A dark patch gradually soaked through the front of his pants.

In an instant, dozens of the Black Tiger Hall’s elite disciples were dead. What kind of terrifying power is this? Not even Lord Hu, the hall master himself, could do something like that!

THUD.

Brother Dao’s knees hit the ground, and he began kowtowing frantically to Lin Fan. "I was wrong! I was wrong! Spare me, please spare my life!"

He was terrified, utterly scared out of his wits. Not a single trace of courage remained to defy the living King of Hell before him.

"Go back and tell Chen Biao not to celebrate birthdays for his dog when he has nothing better to do," Lin Fan said coldly, frowning at Brother Dao. "Otherwise, I don’t mind letting his beloved pet attend his funeral."

The calm words were like a thunderclap from a clear sky, exploding right beside Brother Dao’s ears. He nodded frantically, scrambled to his feet, and stumbled away in a blind panic.

Watching the pathetic figure disappear into the night at the end of the alley, Lin Fan said nonchalantly, "Come inside. I’ll treat your wound." He walked over to the examination table in the mourning hall and pulled out clean gauze and other supplies.

Yuan Youwei and Mrs. Xue turned stiffly, their faces still etched with a shock that refused to fade. Who on earth is this guy? When did a powerhouse like him appear in Haicheng?

Yuan Youwei and Mrs. Xue exchanged a look before suppressing the strange emotions in their hearts and approaching Lin Fan. "Sir, we haven’t had the honor of learning your name."

"Lin Fan."

Lin Fan placed his hand on Yuan Youwei’s shoulder, and a pulse of energy flowed from his fingertips.

Before she could react, POP! The bullet, buried deep in her bone, was forcibly ejected from her body and clattered to the floor.

"Thank you for your patronage. Fifty yuan." After quickly stopping the bleeding, applying medicine, and bandaging the wound, Lin Fan packed his things and glanced outside. "You can get someone to handle those, right? No problem?"

"N-No..." Mrs. Xue was completely stunned. As she came back to her senses, her face began to burn with embarrassment. She had to admit, her voice had been a bit too loud when she’d spoken to Lin Fan earlier...

"Five hundred thousand, right? Mr. Lin, rest assured, I will transfer the money to you immediately." Feeling a cool sensation spread from her shoulder, significantly easing the pain, Yuan Youwei’s beautiful eyes lit up, and she nodded with a bright smile.

She subconsciously reached for her phone, but her hand froze mid-air. She couldn’t help but exchange an awkward glance with Mrs. Xue.

"Fifty. Not fifty thousand," Lin Fan shook his head. "Plus a service fee... let’s make it two hundred yuan."

His gaze drifted to the memorial portrait, and his heart grew heavy. When his mother was alive, her fees had been scandalously low. A few yuan was often enough to cure a neighbor’s headache or fever. If she met a patient in genuine difficulty, she would even cover the cost of their medicine. He didn’t want to tarnish the reputation the Suxin Clinic had built over seven years. Even though the two women before him had an extraordinary air and wore expensive clothes, Lin Fan charged them as he would any ordinary patient.

One second, two seconds, three seconds... A full ten seconds passed. Seeing Yuan Youwei and Mrs. Xue just standing there, Lin Fan frowned. "You can’t even come up with two hundred yuan? Forget it. Just light a stick of incense for my mom. We’ll call it a condolence visit."

Lin Fan pulled out a crumpled pack of cigarettes, lit one, and shook his head.

"We don’t have any money on us... but we will definitely pay the medical fee," Yuan Youwei said, her face flushing crimson as she gave an embarrassed smile.

Mrs. Xue had lost all of her earlier fire. She nearly buried her head in her chest, wishing she could find a crack in the floor to disappear into.

The two women lit incense for the portrait and then borrowed Lin Fan’s phone to make a call, but they didn’t leave right away.

"What, is there something else?" After finishing his cigarette, Lin Fan tossed the empty pack aside and glanced at the two women, who were busy exchanging looks. "Staying the night costs extra."

"You! Why do you always have to talk about money? Don’t you have a shred of a healer’s compassion?" Even though this man had saved her, Mrs. Xue’s defenses crumbled. The front of her black qipao rose and fell sharply with her agitated breaths, her cool, beautiful face flushed with shame and anger.

"If I don’t talk about money, are you going to provide for me?" Lin Fan replied, speechless, and shook his head.

After his divorce, he’d been left with nothing. After paying for his mother’s funeral, he was flat broke. For years, his mother had been suppressing the poison of the Seven-Core Deadly Lotus in his body. Though she had secretly treated many influential people, the money she earned flowed away as quickly as it came. She had practically fed him all sorts of precious medicinal herbs as daily meals. Now, his only asset was this small clinic, and its lease was about to expire.