Chapter 680 — Restoring Confidence

And the television station, too, was working overtime editing the footage of the press conference, preparing to broadcast it at the first opportunity!

Li Cihua came stumbling and crashing into Young Master Bing's room: "Young Master Bing, bad news — our plan has failed!"

Young Master Bing was lying in bed at that moment, reading on his phone Yu Ren Er Dai's *Very Pure and Ambiguous: The Prequel*, a brisk and thoroughly satisfying urban novel. He was just imagining himself as its protagonist, gleefully tormenting the supporting cast, when Li Cihua barged in and spoiled it all. Instantly annoyed, he snapped, "What are you yelling about? What plan failed?"

"Young Master Bing, Crippled Wolf just called. That Guan Daifu Pharmaceuticals has already found out why the First High students collapsed — it's poisoning. They've even identified the poison: the Seven-Herb Life-Severing Powder. And they've compounded an antidote..." Li Cihua said in a panic.

"Impossible!" Before Young Master Bing could open his mouth, the Medicine King spoke first. "The Seven-Herb Life-Severing Powder is an ancient poison of unmatched deadliness. There is no antidote for it at all — even I don't know what the antidote is. How could they possibly have a formula?"

"I don't know either — Crippled Wolf just gave me the news..." Li Cihua was merely passing on what Crippled Wolf had said.

"Turn on the TV and see. If it's true, there'll be news of it on television!" Young Master Bing frowned. He had heard of Guan Daifu Pharmaceuticals — a newly founded company riding high of late, one that had made a great splash at the Yu family's auction. Could they really have compounded an antidote? Otherwise, how would they know the poison used was called the Seven-Herb Life-Severing Powder?

At Young Master Bing's words, Li Cihua hurriedly switched on the television, and just then the news of Guan Daifu Pharmaceuticals' press conference began to air.

When everyone in the room saw Fat Lai speaking so smoothly and confidently up on the stage, they were all struck dumb! Young Master Bing ground his teeth in fury. Earlier, when he had heard that Gu Mengyao had been poisoned as well, he had been beside himself with delight — yet in the blink of an eye, this ancient, unmatched poison had been cracked by Guan Daifu Pharmaceuticals, and an antidote compounded!

"Impossible, impossible!" The Medicine King's eyes were wide too, his face a mask of disbelief. "This is an ancient poison of unmatched deadliness, with no antidote to be had. Even if they know of the poison, they could not possibly compound an antidote in such a short time — not even that man could!"

The man the Medicine King spoke of was one who had utterly defeated him, a nightmare that haunted him. Yet even that man could not have produced an antidote in so short a time. It was absolutely impossible!

But the facts lay right before his eyes, and the Medicine King had no choice but to believe them. After all, television news would not speak nonsense. If Guan Daifu Pharmaceuticals had not compounded an antidote yet claimed they had, then once the truth came out it would deal the company a most grievous blow — a fatal one for a company so newly founded!

Hearing the Medicine King repeat "impossible, impossible" without end, Young Master Bing grew irritated. He frowned and said, "Enough. Since it didn't work this time, we'll think of something else!"

Young Master Bing had not expected that the Medicine King, who looked so formidable, should be so fragile inside, so unable to withstand a blow! His own Qibing Tower had collapsed, and yet he had not lost heart — he was still thinking of ways to deal with Wei Zhao!

Of course, Young Master Bing thought this way only because he did not understand how formidable the Seven-Herb Life-Severing Powder was. Only the Medicine King himself knew in his heart how terrifying and deadly it was! He had thought this poisoning a sure thing, for even he had no antidote to this poison, let alone those ordinary hospitals!

He had never imagined that Guan Daifu Pharmaceuticals could compound an antidote to the Seven-Herb Life-Severing Powder! He truly did not believe it, yet the facts left him no choice. After all, the other side really had determined the cause of the students' collapse and named the poison, the Seven-Herb Life-Severing Powder — which meant they had some understanding of this poison, and so the antidote must be real as well. Otherwise no company would gamble with its own future; whether the poison was cured or not had nothing to do with Guan Daifu Pharmaceuticals. If they could not cure it, why take on the burden?

By the look of it, the other side's medical skill was no small thing!

Guan Daifu, Guan Xuemin... In the past, the Medicine King had never given Guan Xuemin a second glance. Though this man was honored as a divine physician by the four great families and the five lesser families, those hidden families all kept physicians of their own — and the Medicine King was one of the Zhao family's personal physicians!

But now the Medicine King was forced to take Guan Xuemin seriously. It seemed the man did have some skill after all?

Guan Xuemin, I will remember you. I will have a contest of skill with you!

……………………

At the same time the news aired, Gao Xiaofu learned of it as well. He too had been sent home when school let out!

After returning home, Gao Xiaofu felt fear, and with it a certain excitement — the excitement of having done something wicked! It was the first time he had done anything so wicked, poisoning others! When he saw the ambulances shriek out of the school carrying the twenty-eight students, and later learned that the hospital had issued critical condition notices for them, a strange pleasure surged up in his heart!

But after that came deep worry. After all, those were twenty-eight lives — if they died just like that, then he was the murderer!

Earlier, when the hospital could find no cause at all, Gao Xiaofu had felt a breath of relief. True, he had poisoned those students, but there was no evidence — even the hospital could give no answer. In the end, perhaps the whole thing would simply fade away!

Yet before long, a company called Guan Daifu Pharmaceuticals held a press conference. Not only had they found the cause of the students' collapse, they had also given the formula of the Seven-Herb Life-Severing Powder to the police — which meant the police would soon begin investigating. And when they did, if they traced it to the food in the cafeteria, it would be all too easy for suspicion to fall on him and Zhong Yongliang!

Now Gao Xiaofu truly began to panic. He hurriedly picked up the phone and dialed Zhong Yongliang's number. He had to discuss a countermeasure with Zhong Yongliang — he could not simply wait for the police to come knocking, could he?

Zhong Yongliang had just finished his kidney transplant and was lying in the hospital in bliss, basking in the sunlight beyond the window. He felt that life was truly wonderful — it was good to have a kidney. He felt he had regained a man's confidence!

The phone rang. Zhong Yongliang picked it up and saw that it was Gao Xiaofu calling.

./

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