Jinling City.
In a shabby hotel.
Li Zhengxi sat on a chair, his face ashen.
Li Minghan, meanwhile, was cursing loudly beside him, “Those bastards at the embassy are living it up, but they’ve stuck us in this rundown hotel. Absolutely infuriating!”
“Father, we can’t let this slide.”
“When we return, we must report this to the president and have them all thrown in jail!”
Li Zhengxi glanced around. The hotel’s conditions were deplorable, with mould growing on the walls.
He genuinely worried that rats might crawl over him at night.
“Minghan, let’s book a different hotel ourselves!” Li Zhengxi instructed.
Li Minghan, sharing the same thought, nodded. “Yes!”
Beep beep beep—
At that moment, Li Minghan’s phone rang.
He answered and, after listening for a few moments, said, “I’ll get back to you shortly.”
After hanging up, Li Minghan said to Li Zhengxi, “Father, that was Li Chunfeng. He said they want to change the venue.”
“To where?” Li Zhengxi asked.
“Jinling University,” Li Minghan replied. “Li Chunfeng said they’ve invited many guests to watch the competition and a lot of media reporters, so the original venue can’t accommodate everyone.”
“Father, how should I respond?”
Li Zhengxi said without hesitation, “Tell Li Chunfeng I agree to the venue change.”
Li Minghan said with concern, “Father, could this be another of their schemes?”
Li Zhengxi laughed, “Minghan, have you forgotten what I told you? In the face of absolute strength, all schemes are futile.”
“Whether this is a scheme or not, it won’t stop me from defeating Chinese medicine.”
“The more people they invite, the better it is for us.”
“I can use this opportunity to show the Chinese that Great Han’s medicine is the most advanced in the world.”
“Imagine how amusing it will be to have Ye Qiu take his own life in front of all those media and guests.”
Li Minghan grinned. “Alright, I’ll respond to Li Chunfeng as you wish.”
With that, Li Minghan dialled Li Chunfeng’s number.
…
On the other side.
After hanging up, Li Chunfeng said, “Just as Little Ye predicted, Li Zhengxi has agreed to the venue change.”
Zhang Jiuling said, “Then let’s proceed with Little Ye’s plan!”
“I’ll negotiate with Jinling University.”
“As for CCTV and the Ministry of Health, Little Ye, we’ll have to rely on you.”
Ye Qiu nodded. “Alright.”
Nie Xueliang said, “Little Ye, the competition doesn’t start until the day after tomorrow. You can take some time to relax. Jinling is an ancient capital of six dynasties, with many scenic spots. You should explore.”
Ye Qiu smiled. “That’s exactly what I was thinking.”
The car arrived at the hotel.
After dropping off his luggage, Ye Qiu immediately called Tang Fei.
Within five minutes, Tang Fei called back.
“Ye Qiu, it’s sorted.”
“The Minister of Health, Qin, said he’ll attend in person.”
“As for CCTV, they’re sending Dong Si. She’ll bring a team for a live broadcast.”
Dong Si?
Ye Qiu was surprised.
Dong Si was one of CCTV’s most famous hosts, known for her refined and elegant image. She had hosted the Spring Festival Gala for ten consecutive years and was a household name in China.
Though she had started as a journalist, since becoming a host, she rarely participated in events as a reporter.
For CCTV to send Dong Si showed how seriously they were taking this competition.
Of course, Ye Qiu knew this was thanks to Tang Fei.
With his dual identity as the heir of the Tang family and a key figure in the Underworld Palace, Tang Fei’s involvement made it hard for anyone to dismiss the event.
“Tang Fei, thank you,” Ye Qiu said gratefully.
“Don’t thank me. I don’t have the clout to easily get CCTV and Minister Qin on board. This was arranged by the War God,” Tang Fei said. “The War God asked me to pass on a message.”
“This battle must be won, no matter what.”
“The War God also said that in recent years, Great Han has been very restless, especially in cultural matters, and utterly shameless.”
“They claim major festivals like the Spring Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, and Mid-Autumn Festival belong to their country. They even say Han clothing and Chinese characters originated in Great Han, and that historical figures like Qu Yuan, Xi Shi, and Li Bai were Great Han people.”
“Even more shamelessly, they claim Chinese people are descendants of Great Han, with Great Han blood flowing in their veins.”
“Can you believe that? It’s outrageous!”
“The War God said this medical contest is also a cultural battle. He wants you to seize this chance to defeat Li Zhengxi and slap Great Han in the face, showing them that China’s might is not to be challenged!”
Ye Qiu said, “Tell the War God he can rest assured. I won’t let him down. By the way, how’s his health?”
Tang Fei laughed. “Don’t worry, the War God’s health has improved significantly.”
“That’s good,” Ye Qiu said, relieved.
“I’ve got things to do, so I’ll hang up now.”
“Alright.”
After hanging up, Ye Qiu took a nap at the hotel.
In the afternoon, he went with Han Long to visit the Confucius Temple.
Upon learning about the China-Great Han medical competition in Jinling, the Nine Thousand Years had sent Han Long early to ensure Ye Qiu’s safety.
In truth, with Ye Qiu’s skills, he hardly needed Han Long’s protection, but the Nine Thousand Years had done this as a precaution.
The Confucius Temple, located along the Qinhuai River, was once a place to worship Confucius and is one of China’s four major literary temples.
It boasts a vast complex of ancient buildings and, over time, has become a world-renowned tourist destination, cultural corridor, food hub, and shopping paradise.
It is also one of Jinling City’s commercial centres, home to distinctive shops selling small goods, antiques, calligraphy, paintings, flowers, birds, fish, and insects.
The area was bustling with tourists.
The streets were crowded.
Han Long walked beside Ye Qiu, saying as they went, “Boss, I’m planning to leave Jiangzhou after this trip to Jinling.”
“Where to?” Ye Qiu asked.
“I want to return to my adoptive father’s side,” Han Long said. “From the look of things, it won’t be long before he launches an attack on the Witch God Sect. I want to go back and help him.”
“As for Jiangzhou, with you there, Boss, there won’t be any issues.”
“For specific tasks, I think we can leave them to Xiao Zhan. He’s made great progress, is familiar with Dragon Gate’s internal affairs, and is absolutely loyal to you.”
Ye Qiu nodded slightly. “The Nine Thousand Years is short on manpower. It’s good for you to go back.”
“But remember, we’re all part of Dragon Gate. No matter where we are, we’re brothers.”
“Yes,” Han Long nodded firmly.
At that moment, a cry suddenly came from ahead: “Help!”
