"These are the people who forced me to buy their medicinal herbs, and the others who demanded I purchase their medical equipment. If I refused, my clinic couldn't open, and they even seized my permits," Li Se explained the situation clearly and concisely.
Upon hearing this, Sun Bai and Du Jinglong's expressions turned grim. This was blatant coercion, though such incidents were not uncommon in the capital.
"Is that so?" Du Jinglong cast a cold glance at Liu Xianwei and the others.
"A misunderstanding... a complete misunderstanding! I'll call them right away and have the permits processed immediately," Liu Xianwei said, sweating profusely, and promptly dialed the number of the section chief Jia.
After hanging up, Liu Xianwei hurriedly added, "The permits will be ready shortly. It just requires a thorough review; we are, after all, serving the people."
"Get lost!" Du Jinglong commanded sharply. "And don't let there be a next time!"
"Yes, yes, yes..." Liu Xianwei nodded repeatedly before pulling Hu Qingqing away.
Tian Lin also dared not linger, quickly following suit. One was an imperial physician, the other the head of the imperial physician review team; they could not afford to offend such powerful figures.
With Sun Bai and Du Jinglong’s further intervention with the Administration for Industry and Commerce, Li Se's clinic permits were issued even faster. As for the medicinal herbs, Sun Bai personally recommended a supplier and inspected the quality of the herbs himself. He confirmed they were indeed good, albeit a bit pricey. However, for Li Se, the price was secondary; the quality of the herbs was paramount.
Three days later, Jishi Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic officially opened. The first day saw no customers, as expected for a newly opened clinic with a very young practitioner. People were wary, fearing he might be an unqualified doctor.
On the fourth day, Xu Qiang and Huang Shanshan arrived first.
"Boss, this clinic is great! Much bigger than the one in Qingyun City," Xu Qiang exclaimed in admiration.
"It's decent. The location is also excellent," Li Se said, quite satisfied with the premises.
"This is the capital, where every inch of land is valuable. It must have been very expensive, right?" Huang Shanshan couldn't help but ask.
"Thirty million yuan. The original price was forty to fifty million, but I cured the owner, so he gave me a good deal," Li Se replied. As he spoke, he led Huang Shanshan to the dispensing area. "Shanshan, since you're here, you'll be in charge of dispensing the medicine from now on."
"Okay!" Huang Shanshan nodded. Her primary reason for coming to the capital was to help Li Se. Otherwise, she wouldn't have come, even if invited, given the unfamiliar surroundings. But for the man she loved, she was willing to settle in the capital.
Bang bang bang...
Just then, over a dozen thugs swaggered in, each carrying a wooden club. As they walked, they banged on the clinic's furnishings. Leading them was none other than Mr. Zhou, who had tried to buy the shop a few days prior.
"What are you here for?" Li Se asked calmly.
"Kid, you snatched my shop. Did you really think this would be the end of it?" Mr. Zhou, Yuan Ming Zhou Pisheng, brandished a wooden club in front of Li Se. "You had some serious nerve a few days ago, taking this place from me. I told you, I'd make you regret it. Come on, smash it for me!!!"
The dozen men brandished their wooden clubs, their faces full of arrogance. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
"You dare?" Li Se demanded, his face chilling.
"Kid, you don't have to smash it. But you need to transfer this shop to me. I won't let you suffer too much; I'll give you fifteen million yuan. I heard Old Mr. Qian sold you this shop for thirty million yuan back then, so you'd only be losing fifteen million yuan, considering it a lesson. Not everything belongs to anyone you can just snatch." Zhou Pisheng said with a smile.
"This is robbery!" Huang Shanshan couldn't believe they had encountered such a brazen person so soon after arriving in the capital.
"Oh, a beauty too," Zhou Pisheng's eyes nearly drooled upon seeing Huang Shanshan. Her face and figure were undeniably the most beautiful he had ever seen, even comparable to the most sought-after women in the capital.
"Beauty, how about you come with me? There's no future with this kid. I'll let you eat well and dress warmly, haha. A stunner like you must be incredibly enjoyable to be with. Don't worry, I won't mistreat you... Ah!"
Before Zhou Pisheng could finish his sentence, a scream erupted from his throat. Li Se had just landed a punch on his chest.
With a thud, Zhou Pisheng was sent flying backward.
"Brother Zhou?" the dozen subordinates were momentarily stunned.
"How dare you lay a hand on Brother Zhou!"
"What brazen audacity!"
"Kill him!"
Soon, the dozen subordinates were enraged.
Zhou Pisheng roared, "Smash it! Smash it hard!!!"
The dozen subordinates, armed with their wooden clubs, prepared for a fierce confrontation.
However, Li Se didn't even spare them a glance. He turned and walked towards Huang Shanshan. Just as the thugs were about to make their move, a figure flashed in front of them. It was Xu Qiang.
"This is a clinic; you can't just smash things around," Xu Qiang said with a smile before making his move.
Bang bang bang...
"Ah..."
With a series of screams, the dozen men were quickly beaten out of the clinic, groaning in pain on the ground. Inside the clinic, not a single piece of its decor was damaged.
"Kid, you've got guts, daring to hit me!" At this moment, Zhou Pisheng had picked himself up and realized all his subordinates were lying outside. The harsh words he had just uttered were suddenly stuck in his throat.
"Do you want to leave on your own, or should I throw you out?" Xu Qiang asked with a smile.
"Don't be so arrogant. I have connections!" Zhou Pisheng said, his face dark. "Do you know who wants this shop? Kid, do you really think you can operate safely? Impossible. You won't get the chance. Just wait. I'm calling now!"
He then took out his phone and made a call.
Li Se paid him no mind. If Zhou Pisheng wanted to call for backup, let him. He had even dared to strike Ye Bowen, a young master from a top influential family. What was he afraid of?
About ten minutes later, a sports car stopped in front of the clinic. A young man emerged from the car. Upon seeing Zhou Pisheng, he immediately slapped him, scolding, "Useless trash! You need me to personally come out just to buy a shop?"
"Young Master Feng, this kid is too arrogant, and he's quite a fighter," Zhou Pisheng said, pointing at Li Se through gritted teeth.
Young Master Feng frowned, clearly displeased. He walked towards the clinic, but when he saw Li Se, he almost stumbled to the ground.
Why am I running into this formidable person here?
This Young Master Feng was none other than Feng Xiuming!
Li Se looked at Feng Xiuming with a half-smile. "Oh, it's you. What's up, trying to snatch the shop?"