Elder Xiao Zhengguo... Those words seemed like an immensely heavy mountain that instantly crushed all of Director Cheng Yangsong's thoughts and aspirations.

After all, an elder of that stature was not to be trifled with. He was the Sea-Calming Divine Needle of the Xiao Family—the preeminent noble family in Jiangnan Province, the former commander of the Provincial Military Region of Jiangnan Province, with disciples all over the world. The fact that such a major figure was now personally paying attention to this matter spoke volumes.

"I... Old Hee, I understand. I won't give this matter any more thought. Let's respect Elder Chief Xiao's wishes in everything," Cheng Yangsong said, his expression pale. He seemed to have aged years in an instant, and his brow was furrowed with a hint of panic.

He wasn't foolish; on the contrary, he was quite intelligent. Otherwise, he never would have climbed to his current position. At this moment, he was acutely aware that the people his son had offended were likely far more formidable than even Vice Governor Hee Zhengqin. This was not something he, Cheng Yangsong, could possibly interfere in. In fact, he could only pray that their anger wouldn't be directed at him. Otherwise, despite his current status, he would likely face consequences far too severe for him to handle.

"Ah, a loss can be a blessing. That boy Wan Long is a bit too reckless at times, so let's just consider this a lesson for him," Vice Governor Hee Zhengqin sighed, shaking his head.

And so, our Young Master Cheng Wanlong tragically found no powerful backer to come to his rescue. Instead, his father, Director Cheng Yangsong, was implicated in his son's troublemaking. The very next morning, before the sky had even brightened, he was visited by members of a special department and taken away for questioning.

As for what happened next... news began to spread that the former director of the provincial broadcasting bureau, a man surnamed Cheng, had been reassigned as the director of the Party History Research Office. The announcement stunned a great many people.

It was well-known that the Party History Research Office was a bureaucratic cold palace, a place for careers to go to die and officials to gracefully retire. Yet now, a former bureau director who everyone had seen as having a bright future had been inexplicably transferred to such a powerless sinecure. Although it was still a departmental-level position, the implications were self-evident.

News in official circles always travels quickly, and the downfall of a major provincial official like Cheng Yangsong was a focal point of attention. The story had spread throughout the entirety of Jiangnan Province's officialdom almost as soon as it happened, causing quite a tremor.

Among those most shaken by the news was undoubtedly Vice Governor Hee Zhengqin. Others might not know why Cheng Yangsong had suddenly run into trouble, but he knew all too well.

"This... this..."

Even with his status, when Vice Governor Hee Zhengqin heard the news, he couldn't stop his heart from pounding wildly, and a twitch started in his eye. His face was a mask of disbelief, ashen pale.

Logically, he had assumed the matter was over. After all, his godson Cheng Wanlong had been arrested, and their side had made no further moves—a clear sign they were swallowing their pride and accepting the situation. Shouldn't that have been enough to give the other party face? He thought that whoever they were, they should have been satisfied and ready to turn the page. But now...

The director of the provincial broadcasting bureau, a high-ranking official with substantial influence, had been toppled over such a trivial matter, reassigned to a powerless post like the Party History Research Office. What kind of terrifyingly powerful and capricious person could manage something like this? Vice Governor Hee Zhengqin broke out in a cold sweat.

At this moment, he finally understood why his old chief—Elder Mr. Xiao—had personally called him. Perhaps, if it weren't for that call, my own situation would be no different from my old friend Cheng Yangsong's right now!

"Thank goodness, thank goodness..." At that thought, even the Vice Governor's eyes filled with unconcealable shock, and he was left speechless for a long time.

As for the other main party in this affair, Chen Fei had already put the matter out of his mind. The next day, he had a meal with Guan Shiyin, Zhou Xinyi, and the others. That night, he invited his peers Dong Jianhui and Guo Kun for a lively karaoke session. On the third day, Guan Shiyin left, as her vacation had come to an end.

Thus, Chen Fei returned to his normal life. He hadn't forgotten the real reason he had come to Tongzhou City: to find a suitable location for the Provincial Branch of the Green Bamboo Medicinal Cuisine House.

"Brother Fei, Xiao Hao has already handled all the paperwork. You just need to sign here, and the Xiao Group's storefront on Changchun Road is yours," Dong Jianhui told Chen Fei one day, presenting him with a property transfer contract.

Changchun Road was one of the most central streets in the provincial capital, Tongzhou City. Land there was worth its weight in gold, and it was a highly contested area for businesses.

"Xiao Hao? What's with the change of heart? Didn't he want to break the contract before?" Chen Fei asked, surprised.

"Break the contract?" Dong Jianhui scoffed, a look of admiration and awe filling his eyes. "Brother Fei, you even took down his uncle, Xiao Qianrang. Nobody even knows where he's being held right now. No matter how bold Xiao Hao is, he wouldn't dare break a contract with you now, would he?"

Evidently, since Xiao Qianrang had been taken away by the Flying Leopard unit along with Xiao Nanshan, he had not been seen again. As a result, Young Master Xiao Hao, who had relied on him as his primary backer, saw his status plummet to rock bottom, both within the Xiao Family and in their social sphere, the Inner Circle of Jiangnan Province. Of course, he wouldn't dare break his contract with Chen Fei. And even if he 'dared', the Xiao Family behind him would never allow it.

"...Get out of here. Since when did you learn to crack jokes? Xiao Qianrang brought it on himself and got what he deserved, understand?" Chen Fei said, momentarily taken aback before rolling his eyes in annoyance.

"Heh heh. I'm just admiring you, Brother Fei! I mean, you took down Xiao Qianrang, the CEO of the Xiao Group. Isn't that incredible? But... what's this Herbal Cuisine Workshop you mentioned? Are you planning to open one?" Dong Jianhui asked curiously.

"An old classmate of mine started it. It seemed interesting, and since I was bored with nothing to do, I invested a little money for fun. Oh, right, I set aside some shares for you. When the Herbal Cuisine Workshop opens in Tongzhou, remember to help me look after things," Chen Fei said.

"Really? Thanks, Brother Fei! Don't worry, you can leave everything about the Herbal Cuisine Workshop to me!" Dong Jianhui exclaimed, thrilled and overjoyed as he unhesitatingly took on the responsibility.

It wasn't about the shares or the money, but about what it signified about his standing with Brother Fei. The fact that Chen Fei had thought of him for this was proof that he held some weight in his eyes, which was certainly cause for excitement and happiness.

"That's good. In a couple of days, I'll call the other partners to Tongzhou. We'll all have a meal, get to know each other, and make it easier to work together in the future. By the way, one more thing. Do you know of any good channels for traditional medicinal ingredients?"

Chen Fei seemed to have remembered something else. "The new Herbal Cuisine Workshop is quite large. Besides the branch here in Tongzhou City, we also plan to open more simultaneously in several other cities, such as Sky-reaching Cloud and the one run by the Qii Family. Because of this, we'll have an issue with sourcing raw materials."

"Traditional medicinal ingredients?" Dong Jianhui frowned for a moment, then his eyes lit up. "Right, I just remembered. Brother Fei, have you ever heard of Qianhong Pharmaceuticals?"

"Qianhong Pharmaceuticals? It sounds familiar. What about them?" Chen Fei asked, trying to recall.

"There are ten major pharmaceutical companies in our country, and Qianhong Pharmaceuticals ranked eighth last year. Even so, they're considered a leader among similar enterprises nationwide," Dong Jianhui explained, pausing briefly before adding, "Moreover, Qianhong Pharmaceuticals is from our own Jiangnan Province, and its headquarters is right here in Tongzhou. I also remember they have a large-scale medicinal herb cultivation base and teams of wild-herb gatherers! So if you need traditional medicinal ingredients, Brother Fei, you should try contacting them."

"I was classmates with the boss's youngest son. I can contact him directly to arrange it," he added.

"That's perfect. When? How about right now?" Upon hearing this, Chen Fei decided there was no time like the present and prepared to settle the matter right away.

Of course, he wasn't solely concerned with supply channels for the restaurant. He had recently been considering that he needed a batch of rare and precious medicinal herbs to brew a strength-enhancing medicinal cuisine. He had found a recipe in the inheritance from that Cultivation World expert that could seemingly accelerate the consolidation of his Sword Qi of Sanyang True Fire, an idea that greatly appealed to him.

However, while the recipe was relatively common in the Cultivation World, the ingredients it required were quite obscure here on Earth. He wasn't sure if he could find them all, so he wanted to seek professional help. After all, everyone has their specialization. Many traditional medicine companies employ numerous herb gatherers to venture deep into the mountains and forests to collect purely natural ingredients. These were treasures of nature, worth a fortune. Perhaps among them, he could find what he needed.

"Now? I suppose that works. Qianhong Pharmaceuticals' headquarters is in the high-tech park outside the city. It should take us about an hour or two to get there," Dong Jianhui said.

"An hour or two? Fine. Let's go have a look first."

Chen Fei nodded in agreement. A few moments later, a black Audi was heading toward the outskirts of the city.

Meanwhile, in an antique, aromatic teahouse in Tongzhou City, two venerable old men were sitting across from each other, sipping tea. One of them had graying temples, but his gaze was exceptionally sharp, like an eagle's; he was the same elder surnamed Ruan from before.

The other elder was none other than Chen Fei's master, Elder Ming Daocuan. He looked at his junior martial brother and said flatly, "Didn't I tell you not to disturb us? Have you forgotten again?"

"I didn't want to, Senior Brother, but the king's command is hard to defy... sigh! Do you really have to be so stubborn about this?" the elder surnamed Ruan replied with a wry smile.

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