Qian Dafu was no stranger to rare treasures, having seen plenty throughout his life. But the thousand-year-old wild ginseng that was just presented to him was unlike anything he had encountered before. From the shape of the ginseng and its roots, to its color and texture, it was clear that it had grown in an exceptionally clean environment. This was a rare and invaluable treasure.
"Alright. I'll accept this. Let's sign the contract now, and I'll add a 30% increase to the original price," Qian Dafu said with a pleased smile, accepting the ginseng. This gift was timely for him; he wasn't about to be polite. Though he didn't fully believe Lin Chen's warning about his health, he still needed the tonic to address his internal injuries.
As Qian Dafu handed the ginseng to the housekeeper and prepared to speak, he suddenly felt his legs go numb, and his vision blurred. He nearly fell from his seat.
"No worries, it's just an old condition of mine," he waved dismissively, though he knew this time it felt worse than before. Without a powerful tonic, he feared he might not survive much longer. The ginseng couldn't have come at a better time. He'd definitely have to repay this favor.
"Let's sit down first," Qian Dafu invited everyone to take a seat as he motioned for the contract to be prepared. Just as he was about to sign, the housekeeper arrived with the ginseng tea.
Qian Dafu took the tea, but as soon as he drank it, his legs went numb again, this time spreading up through his entire body. His hands trembled, unable to hold the tea, and it fell to the floor. The numbness spread rapidly, and soon, he lost all feeling. His vision went black, and he collapsed, unconscious.
"Boom!" He crashed to the floor, and Mr. Wu caught him just in time.
"Mr. Qian, what's happening to him?" The room immediately erupted into panic.
"Move aside! Let me see!" As the others scrambled, Dr. Hua Ning, Qian Dafu's private physician, rushed over.
Dr. Hua Ning placed his hand on Qian Dafu's wrist and examined his pulse. His brows furrowed deeper with every passing second.
"Mr. Liang, what's his condition?" Mr. Wu asked, urgency in his voice.
Hua Ning sucked in a breath. "It's bad… really bad. This situation… it's much worse than I thought!"
"I examined Mr. Qian yesterday. There didn't seem to be anything this serious. How could it have worsened so quickly?" Hua Ning muttered to himself, his expression grim. Despite his reputation as a renowned physician, even Hua Ning was left helpless in the face of Qian Dafu's condition.
"What happened?" Mr. Wu demanded.
"I don't know. I can't do anything," Hua Ning admitted, looking at the unconscious man with despair.
"Call an ambulance!" Qian Dafu's son, Qian Hao, cried out.
"It's no use," Hua Ning shook his head. "Even if we rush him to the hospital, it might be too late."
Mr. Wu's face went pale as he heard the hopelessness in Hua Ning's voice. He suddenly recalled something. "Wait… Lin Chen! Lin Chen! He knew something was wrong with Mr. Qian! He said Mr. Qian wouldn't last three days. Maybe he knew something we didn't."
Hua Ning's eyes widened. "What? Lin Chen said that? That he could see Mr. Qian's condition and predicted he'd collapse in three days?"
Mr. Wu nodded quickly. "Yes, he said it. But we didn't take him seriously!"
Mr. Wu immediately pulled out his phone. "I'm calling him right now. We have no time to waste!"
Dr. Hua Ning, despite his confusion, began pulling out needles and preparing to stabilize Qian Dafu. "If we're lucky, we might be able to hold on until Lin Chen arrives, but whether he can save Mr. Qian… that remains to be seen."
At Lin's Corporation
Meanwhile, Lin Chen had just arrived at Lin's Corporation. After handling a few matters, he was about to leave for the Liang family when his phone rang.
"Hello?" Lin Chen picked up the phone.
"Lin Zong, someone from the Qian family is here to see you. They seem urgent. Should I let them in?" the receptionist on the other end asked.
"Qian family?" Lin Chen raised an eyebrow. "Could it be Mr. Qian's condition acting up?" he wondered. Based on the timing, it seemed like his internal injuries were flaring up. Lin Chen was sure he had already warned them about this.
"I'm not seeing anyone right now," Lin Chen said, hanging up the phone.
Normally, he would've considered helping, especially due to the cooperation with the He family. However, after how Mr. Qian had treated him before, he wasn't in the mood to assist.
"Let them wait," Lin Chen muttered to himself, dismissing the thought of helping further. He had warned them before, but now it was their turn to deal with the consequences of their own actions.
At the Front Desk of Lin's Corporation
At the front desk, the receptionist hung up the phone and looked at the two men and one woman standing in front of her. The woman, tall and stunning, caught the attention of everyone around her. She was Qian Dafu's granddaughter, Qian Sishao, known as one of the top beauties in the Qian family.
"I'm sorry, but Mr. Lin is unavailable right now. He's too busy to see anyone without an appointment," the receptionist said with a sigh.
"We can't wait! Please, tell him we're desperate! Mr. Qian's life is at risk!" Qian Sishao pleaded.
The receptionist hesitated. "I've told you already. If you don't have an appointment, you'll have to wait. Otherwise, you'll need to schedule a meeting in advance."
Qian Sishao's face turned pale as she turned to Mr. Wu. "What should we do now? We can't waste any more time!"
Mr. Wu, remembering yesterday's confrontation, sighed inwardly. But then he had an idea. A breakthrough might still be possible… at least, they had to try.