Chapter 983 - 948: A Man Who Understands

Chen Yuan decided to discharge immediately because he realized that staying longer in Changxing wouldn’t bring any improvement. When leaving the hospital, his assistant drove over to pick him up. His wife was supposed to come but broke the promise, mainly because she suspected Chen Yuan’s illness was due to his indiscretions outside.

Ever since Chen Yuan shaved a certain part clean, she became more convinced of her judgment and was also fearful of being implicated. In these two days, she underwent a comprehensive physical examination, and fortunately, all was well. However, thinking about it, Chen Yuan hasn’t touched her for almost a month. Did he contract the strange illness during this period? While she felt fortunate to have escaped a calamity, she grew increasingly disgusted with Chen Yuan, this deceitful gentleman, which explained why even the shared responsibility was neglected.

The assistant asked Chen Yuan where to go, and Chen Yuan thought he should go home first. In this state, he couldn’t face others. Transferring to another hospital might not be useful.

Chen Yuan sat in the backseat, feeling itchy and uncomfortable, except for his left hand. Looking at his left hand, which had returned to normal, he fell into extreme anxiety. If this continued, he might collapse before the court opened. Chen Yuan used his normal left hand to call Xu Chunliang.

Xu Chunliang didn’t answer initially. Chen Yuan kept calling, always dialing five times before Xu Chunliang finally answered, telling Chen Yuan he was at the new hospital construction site and then hung up.

Chen Yuan asked the assistant to take him to the new construction site of the Infectious Disease Hospital.

The new construction site of the Infectious Disease Hospital had already begun bringing in materials. The entire site appeared very busy, and foreign vehicles weren’t allowed inside. Chen Yuan could only park the car outside and walk in himself.

The security, having received prior notice, didn’t stop him and gave him a light yellow safety helmet, telling him to find Director Xu in the temporary office area.

Chen Yuan measured the land about to be developed with his feet. The ground was muddy, and his newly purchased oversized sneakers were soon covered in mud. Apart from exercising, he rarely wore sneakers, but his feet were so swollen that he couldn’t wear his old shoes, and these sneakers were a whole two sizes larger.

He squinted his eyes to locate Xu Chunliang’s figure, finding Xu Chunliang’s tall figure in front of the mobile housing unit.

Xu Chunliang was assigning work to the security chief, Zhou Meng.

Chen Yuan identified the direction and quickened his pace. His left foot sank into the yellow mud, and with effort pulling it out, the shoe was left inside. Awkwardly, he picked up the shoe and put the muddy sneaker back on, feeling it suited his current situation, deeply mired in mud.

While handling the discharge paperwork today, he heard the latest news: Shennong Chinese Herbal Medicine Group had given up its acquired shares, transferring Renhe Hall’s shares to Mulan Group.

In other words, Cao Bingyi had given up on his advantage.

Chen Yuan understood that persuading a businessman to give up is only when the suffered losses exceed potential earnings, prompting timely stops of loss. This incident also proved that Cao Bingyi wasn’t optimistic about this lawsuit.

Chen Yuan pondered that in his current state, appearing in court might be impossible. Having the assistant go? Would he face the same misfortunate encounter? Which would come first, tomorrow or the accident?

Now he understood Xu Chunliang’s confidence in winning the lawsuit without any evidence. Xu Chunliang didn’t need to find evidence; he just made sure the plaintiff and the lawyer couldn’t appear in court as scheduled. This method is brutal yet practical, despicable yet flawless.

Chen Yuan was accustomed to using law as a weapon to fight the opponent, but this time, others chose not to follow conventional paths or play by his rules. From a lawyer, he turned into a patient and had to leave the familiar track.

Xu Chunliang did threaten him, and sure enough, Chen Yuan still fell into his hands, contracted with a strange disease only Xu Chunliang could cure.

As Chen Yuan got closer, Xu Chunliang didn’t even glance at him, continuing to chat with Zhou Meng.

Standing under the sunlight, itching unbearably all over, Chen Yuan wished he could roll in the mud if it could stop the itch.

After Zhou Meng left, Xu Chunliang glanced at Chen Yuan, packed tightly under the scorching heat, and chuckled: "Oh, Senior Counsel Chen, what wind blew you here?"

Chen Yuan croaked, with a tone even strange to himself: "Director Xu, I’d like to have a proper talk with you." Employing the deferential form ’you’ showed respect towards Xu Chunliang; when faced with threats to health and even life, it was no longer a matter of informal address, he might even call "father."

Chen Yuan was no longer the ambitious senior lawyer; he was just a patient sincerely seeking treatment.

Xu Chunliang said: "Let’s talk right here."

Chen Yuan nodded his head.

Xu Chunliang reminded: "You didn’t bring any recording equipment, did you?"

Chen Yuan took out his phone and turned it off in front of Xu Chunliang, just to show sincerity.

Xu Chunliang’s gaze fell on his left hand: "See, I told you my cooling paste is effective, right?"

Chen Yuan replied: "It is effective, but it’s too little. Can you give me a few more bottles? I can’t bear it anymore. I haven’t slept for several days, and my skin is scratched raw, mocked by others, suspected by my wife. If this continues, I’ll die."

Xu Chunliang said: "Lawyer Chen, these things you mentioned have nothing to do with me. It’s like you want me to take responsibility."

Chen Yuan said: "I’m not here to make trouble; I am truly seeking treatment. You name a price, I’m willing to pay."

Xu Chunliang said: "Do you think I lack money? If I truly wanted money, do you think you could afford it?"

Chen Yuan fell silent, understanding all too well what Xu Chunliang wanted: "Then name your condition."

Chunliang said, "I don’t have any conditions. You’re a smart person, Senior Counsel Chen, but being smart doesn’t mean you never make foolish decisions. Hold on a sec."

Chen Yuan stood waiting in the same spot. Not long after, Chunliang returned, holding a plastic bag containing a large bottle of cooling cream — no mistake, a whole liter bottle.

Chunliang handed it to him, "Take it home and use it."

Chen Yuan was startled by Chunliang’s sudden generosity, "This..."

"Don’t want it?"

Chen Yuan hurriedly accepted it, "I do, I do..." His voice trembled with excitement.

Chunliang said, "A person shouldn’t forget the pain after the wound heals. You don’t need me to teach you what to do. Remember, this medicine is for external use only, not internal."

Chen Yuan nodded repeatedly, and if they weren’t outside, he would strip naked right now to apply the cooling cream all over.

Chunliang said, "Hurry back, we can talk about anything else later. You seem quite burdened."

Chen Yuan felt like he had just been released from prison. He wanted to sprint away but felt that wouldn’t be appropriate. He murmured, "I’m prepared to lose the case."

Chunliang looked at Chen Yuan with a smile, as if ready for a battle. If you win the case, it’ll be worse than losing.

Chen Yuan got into his car and had his assistant drive to a secluded area, then had him get out of the car. He removed his clothes inside the car and applied the cooling cream, which immediately relieved the itchiness. He first applied it to his most sensitive area, which visibly shrank and thinned. In the past, he would have been terrified, but now he was only delighted.

After covering his entire body with the cooling cream, Chen Yuan felt extremely refreshed. In just a quarter of an hour, his whole body was free of itchiness and swelling. Looking at himself on his phone, he saw his body had returned to its former shape. Chen Yuan felt as though he had narrowly escaped disaster, and tears welled up in his eyes.

He changed into clothes and threw the pair of muddy sneakers out of the car. His feet, now free of swelling, slipped into shiny leather shoes once more, and he transformed back into the charming elite gentleman.

His assistant was somewhat in disbelief upon seeing Chen Yuan emerge from the car. Was this magic? In such a short time, he had transformed entirely.

Chen Yuan cleared his throat, "Don’t look at me like that. My ailment should be cured." His voice had returned to normal, and Chunliang was indeed a miracle worker.

However, he seemed to recall from some novel that healers were also skilled in poisons. The use of medicine itself is akin to using poison. Isn’t there an old saying that medicine is one-third poison? Chen Yuan got back in the car, looking at the remaining half bottle of cooling cream. Should the ailment recur, he wouldn’t be afraid anymore.

He was immediately frightened by this thought. Next time? I don’t ever want a next time.

The assistant asked, "Teacher Chen, where to next?"

Chen Yuan said, "The firm. No, home first. No, let’s find a hotel first. I want to take a shower and have a good rest." In a moment, he changed his destination thrice.

The assistant said, "How about the Marriott?"

"Alright."

The car entered the main road, and the assistant said, "Teacher Chen, it’s great you’ve recovered. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to handle the Renhe Hall trademark case."

Chen Yuan said, "There’s nothing we can’t handle."

"Indeed, the evidence in this case is conclusive, and we have a hundred percent chance of winning."

Chen Yuan said, "Help me apply for a postponement of the hearing; there’s been a new development in the case."

"What?" The assistant was a bit confused. Why apply for a postponement when it was clearly a guaranteed win?

Chen Yuan said, "Just do as I say. Our Qingyuan Law Firm’s mission is to uphold justice and protect the dignity of the law."

He picked up his phone and sent Chunliang an address—the hiding place of the plaintiff, Zhao Hengyi. He believed Chunliang would find a way to get Zhao Hengyi to withdraw the suit. At the same time, he sent Chunliang several documents, the most important of which was about Fang Wenzheng.

Chunliang could use this document to hold Fang Wenzheng accountable since it contained enough evidence to revoke Fang Wenzheng’s attorney license.

Chen Yuan is a smart man. When he realized the fearsome nature of Chunliang, he understood deeply the errors he had made. Compared to life, money is nothing. He wanted to live, and live healthily. Using the weapon of law can strip others of benefits, but Chunliang’s use of medicine as a weapon could easily take away his health, even endanger his life.

Chen Yuan had no evidence to prove his ailment was caused by Chunliang, but it was Chunliang who cured it. He understood the principle that one who ties the knot must also untie it.

Chunliang is not a philanthropist, and Chen Yuan had no personal relationship with him. Chunliang wouldn’t just gift the cooling cream to him without reason. If he didn’t give Chunliang the return he desired, then surely the mysterious illness would make a comeback. Perhaps next time, he wouldn’t have the opportunity to recover.