"President Xiao, rest assured. I will keep an eye on your matter, so don't you worry."

In the president's office of the headquarters of the Vast Sea Group in Northern Mountain City, smoke swirled through the air.

Gao Zhinan stood alone before the clear skylight, pinching a cigarette between his fingers and taking one deep puff after another. In fact, he didn't usually smoke. But whenever he encountered a particularly vexing or difficult decision, he couldn't help but habitually light one up.

Recently, the Xiao Corporation, known as the leading enterprise in Jiangnan Province, had come to Northern Mountain City for a cross-regional investment. They confirmed a development project for "White Cloud Lake" and were seeking a local partner. Logically, this opportunity should have been given to a prominent and powerful local enterprise.

Northern Mountain City's economy was well-developed, and it held a very important position in Jiangnan Province. For the past few years, it had almost always ranked second in urban development scale within the province, second only to the provincial capital, Tongzhou City. This naturally attracted many powerful investors.

Take the White Cloud Lake development project, for example. It was a major initiative led by the Northern Mountain city government in recent years. The project was immense in scale and required a significant amount of initial funding. No single enterprise in the city could swallow this large piece of the pie alone. This opened a window of opportunity for the Xiao Group from the provincial capital, Tongzhou City. This great dragon crossing the river had managed to get a piece of the action.

Although it was somewhat embarrassing for the enterprises of Northern Mountain City to have a local project snatched by an outsider, the other party was, after all, the Xiao Group—the premier enterprise of Jiangnan Province. They naturally didn't dare to speak rashly and instead turned their attention to securing the collaboration spot.

Controlled by the Xiao Family of Jiangnan Province, the family's assets alone were worth several billion, not to mention the tens of billions in corporate assets managed by the Xiao Group. It was rated among the Fortune Global 500 by 'Fortune' magazine.

Unsurprisingly, every corporation and group in the industry was desperate to establish a connection with such a corporate titan. Who wouldn't want to climb higher once they entered the business world? Even with Gao Zhinan's personal fortune of over a billion, the benefits of establishing a connection with the Xiao Group would be boundless. Not to mention, he was already quite optimistic about the White Cloud Lake project and believed its returns would be substantial.

So he now coveted the collaboration spot with the Xiao Group. Just a short while ago, he had been hesitating about whether to make a trip to the provincial capital, Tongzhou City, to pay his respects, especially to President Xiao, who was in charge. He knew President Xiao from previous business dealings. Just a moment ago, he had called to express his wish to visit, but instead unexpectedly learned of an issue troubling the man.

The head of the Xiao Group, Xiao Qianrang—also known as President Xiao—seemed to have contracted a strange illness. His kneecap would sometimes erupt in excruciating pain, yet hospitals couldn't identify the source, suggesting it was a rare and complicated disease. Recently, Xiao Qianrang had been deeply troubled by this condition, inviting countless medical experts and masters of traditional Chinese medicine to treat him. However, their efforts were largely ineffective, showing little to no improvement, which left him deeply distressed.

Upon hearing this news, Gao Zhinan immediately thought of Chen Fei.

He had come to blindly admire Chen Fei's medical skills, believing there was no illness Chen Fei couldn't cure. But he dared not rashly seek his aid, fearing a counterproductive outcome that might leave a bad impression. After all, in his heart, Chen Fei's stature was likely not far behind that of Xiao Qianrang, the wealthiest man in Jiangnan Province.

Yet he couldn't bear to miss this rare opportunity. After hesitating for some time, he finally picked up the phone and cautiously called Chen Fei.

***

Meanwhile, Chen Fei had just finished his driving school training and was preparing to take the bus when he received Gao Zhinan's call.

"Hello, Director Gao? What's that? You have something to discuss with me? Well, I'm at xxx right now. Why don't you come pick me up?" Chen Fei, hearing the purpose of the call, replied casually.

Lately, his tastes had become more discerning, and he was growing increasingly reluctant to take the bus. He wondered if it was because he had endured too much crowding and hardship in the past, leaving him with some psychological baggage now. He chuckled to himself.

It had to be said, Chen Fei's current location was quite far from the downtown area. About half an hour later, Gao Zhinan's vehicle, a Bentley worth several million, roared up and came to a steady stop in front of him.

Chen Fei didn't stand on ceremony. He pulled open the car door, sat down, and leaned back against the broad, soft seat. "Director Gao, out with it," he remarked. "What's the matter? You wouldn't come all this way to find me for something trivial, right?"

The driver had never seen Chen Fei before. When he saw a young man in his twenties daring to speak in such a bantering tone to his big boss, his heart practically leaped into his throat, and he was scared silly.

Goodness, what kind of background did this young man have to dare to banter with their big boss like that?

"Um, well... Doctor Chen, it's like this," Gao Zhinan said with an embarrassed chuckle. "You know Xiao Qianrang, the richest man in Jiangnan Province, right? He's contracted a strange illness. Many renowned domestic and foreign specialists, even those with prestigious reputations, are at their wits' end. So, I thought of you, Doctor Chen, hehe..."

"The richest man in Jiangnan Province? Xiao Qianrang? You mean from the Xiao Group in Tongzhou City?" Chen Fei asked, surprised.

Although he wasn't familiar with the name Xiao Qianrang, the title of 'richest man in Jiangnan Province' could only belong to the renowned Xiao Family. Their reputation was celebrated throughout the province, and their family business was an important pillar of the regional economy. Gao Zhinan's Zhiyuan Group was wealthy, but it was nothing compared to the Xiao Group; they weren't on the same level at all.

"Yes, yes, Doctor Chen, that's the Xiao Group, the Xiao Family in Tongzhou City," Gao Zhinan confirmed, nodding quickly.

"The head of the Xiao Group, Xiao Qianrang, is sick, and you're this eager. Could it be that you have a favor to ask of them, Director Gao?" Chen Fei suddenly smiled, realizing what the other man was after.

"Yes, Doctor Chen," Gao Zhinan said straightforwardly, making no attempt to hide his intentions. "You must know about the 'White Cloud Lake' project in our city. The Xiao Family has taken it on and needs a partner. I want to compete for it, and I'm afraid the other leading enterprises in the city have the same idea. So..."

"Other leading enterprises? Director Gao, are you talking about the Celestial Phenomena Group?" Chen Fei asked, stroking his chin.

"Besides the Celestial Phenomena Group, there are two or three others, but it's true that they pose the greatest threat to our Vast Sea Group," Gao Zhinan nodded.

"Alright, I understand. But I'm afraid I won't have time today or tomorrow. If you're not in a hurry, Director Gao, I can go with you the day after tomorrow to have a look. How does that sound?" Chen Fei said with a shake of his head and a smile.

He did indeed have some important matters to handle, and more importantly, he could sense that his cultivation level was on the verge of a breakthrough.

"That's fine! No problem at all! I'll be much obliged, Doctor Chen. Thank you so much! I'll call you the day after tomorrow to pick you up," Gao Zhinan replied, overjoyed.

"Drop me off at the California Garden Grand Hotel," Chen Fei said with a nod, closing his eyes to rest.

Hearing Chen Fei's request, Gao Zhinan didn't dare delay. He immediately instructed his driver to head to the California Garden Grand Hotel. After arriving, Chen Fei went straight to his room, took off his shirt, sat cross-legged, and began his cultivation.

The "Meditation Sutra" was a sacred cultivation method from a revered figure in the Cultivation World, and it provided an incredibly potent path for cultivation. Coupled with Chen Fei's own talent, he was already attempting a breakthrough to the Qi Refining Third Layer after just a few days.

Within the Qi Refining Ninth Layer Realm, the Third and Sixth Layers were critical points, while the Fourth and Seventh Layers were transformative. Therefore, if he could successfully break through to the Qi Refining Third Layer, his strength in the martial realm would undergo a qualitative improvement, making him at least comparable to a First-Class Master!

A flicker of understanding rose quietly in his heart, his mind-state maturing and approaching perfection.

Strands of terrifying, heart-pounding power nurtured within Chen Fei's body. They seemed to be transforming, nourishing, and tempering his very flesh and blood.

After an indeterminate amount of time, a strange black shadow gradually emerged within Chen Fei's body. His cultivation level then broke through as a matter of course, reaching the Qi Refining Third Layer!

The Qi Refining Third Layer. A combat power equivalent to that of a First-Class Master. The implications of this needed no further embellishment.

Even within the entire circle of Ancient Martial Artists in Huaxia Country, a First-Class Master was considered a formidable existence. Not to mention, Chen Fei was still so young, only in his twenties. If news of this were to spread, it would certainly cause a sensation and leave countless people in shock.

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