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The conditions proposed by Bai Jingwei were undoubtedly a huge temptation. Zhang Qiu knew that his grades were poor, but the burden on his shoulders was more important than university. The jade pendant must be firmly in his possession; if it turned out to be true as the rumors suggested, Zhang Qiu would need the pendant to contact the other inheritors. From Bai Jingwei's words, Zhang Qiu heard something he was interested in and smiled, saying, "So, do you know who the other party is?"
"Of course I do."
Bai Jingwei's voice remained cold, but it was laced with confidence and arrogance.
Zhang Qiu asked, "Who is it?"
"The other party is someone you cannot afford to offend. Have they faced setbacks with you?"
Zhang Qiu teased, "It seems Professor Bai is really keeping an eye on me."
"You don't have to be like that; investigating these matters is easy for me. Don't think that just because you can handle these people, they haven't taken you seriously at all. If you really push them to their limits, you won't even know how you died. The only reason they are cautious is because of that thing in your hand. I suspect your recovery ability has nothing to do with your blood; could it be related to that item?"
Zhang Qiu smiled and said, "Want to know the answer? I can tell you, but you'll have to exchange a question for it."
"What question?"
"Who is the other party?"
"It's good for young people to be persistent, but being too stubborn is foolish. Not turning back until you hit a wall isn't a good phrase."
"Then will you exchange or not?"
"I choose the third option: I won't exchange with you. Regardless of whether you do or not, I know it definitely relates to the thing in your hand."
Zhang Qiu laughed, "Previously, you thought it was related to my blood; as it turns out, you were wrong."
"Making mistakes is fine, as long as you get it right once. I can afford to lose."
"If you just want to show off, then congratulations, you've succeeded. Goodbye!"
"Wait..."
"What else do you have to say?"
"You can't handle them alone; you need help, especially from someone like me."
"What do you want?"
"That thing of yours."
"That's impossible!" Zhang Qiu firmly refused. "Since you're so capable, you should know that nothing they do will make me hand over the jade pendant. Similarly, you can't either."
"Oh, so they want a jade pendant, huh? How interesting," Bai Jingwei drawled.
Crap, I let it slip. Zhang Qiu silently scolded himself for being careless. Once the words were out, they were like water spilled on the ground—impossible to take back. If Bai Jingwei found out, so be it; after all, he would never hand over the White Tiger.
"You give us the jade pendant for research, and I'll help you deal with them. How does that sound? It's a win-win situation."
"I've already passed on that; it's not going to happen!"
"Nothing is impossible. All impossibilities arise from not being pushed to the edge. You still don't know who they are. If you did, you probably wouldn't be sitting so comfortably right now. I can assure you that if you continue to refuse them, they will resort to extreme measures against you when they return to East Surge. And you won't be able to handle them."
Zhang Qiu asked again, "Who exactly are they?"
"Cooperate with me, and I can tell you."
"Then I won't ask anymore; it's better to stay safe."
Bai Jingwei coldly warned, "You will definitely regret it."
"I'll only regret it if I hand over the jade pendant!"
"How about this: you keep the jade pendant, but you lend it to us for research. Compared to the others who want to take your jade pendant by force, my proposal is quite reasonable, isn't it?"
"It is indeed reasonable, but why should I cooperate with you? I can keep the jade pendant for myself and not give it to anyone."
"After all I've told you, do you still not understand? You cannot afford to offend them. By cooperating with us, you can keep the jade pendant and gain our protection."
"Can I ask what you want to do with the jade pendant?"
"For medical research. You see, I am a medical professor. If you hand over the jade pendant to me, we might develop a drug that delays cellular aging. At that time, the entire country's medical level will experience a qualitative leap."
For the sake of the country, Zhang Qiu could consider handing over the jade pendant. However, judging by Bai Jingwei's style of conduct, he seemed completely at odds with a great medical worker; one word to describe him would be untrustworthy. Zhang Qiu found it hard to associate Bai Jingwei with a doctor who saves lives; instead, Bai Jingwei felt more like a schemer cloaked in a medical guise.
Bai Jingwei smiled and said, "So, what do you think? Consider it."
"I'm afraid you're not doing this for the country," Zhang Qiu chose to expose Bai Jingwei's lie.
"Of course I'm doing this for the country; more importantly, I'm doing it for the people of this country."
"A part of the people?"
"That's right, it's a part of the people, but this part is crucial to us."
"If that's the case, I understand. Since the time of Qin Shi Huang, people have been searching for the Elixir of Immortality. Such a thing does not exist; you should give up."
"I believe I know more about medicine than you do, Professor."
"Do as you wish; I choose to refuse!"
Bai Jingwei was neither angry nor discouraged; instead, he smiled confidently and said, "You will agree. When you find yourself unable to solve your troubles, remember that I am still an option."
Until the call ended, Zhang Qiu maintained his phone-holding posture. Jiang Xue walked over from behind and patted Zhang Qiu on the shoulder, saying, "What's wrong? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine. Let's keep having fun."
Zhao Pingchuan could tell from Zhang Qiu's expression that things were not simple. He found an opportunity to speak to Zhang Qiu alone and asked, "Brother Qiu, what's going on?"
Zhang Qiu took out the White Tiger from his collar and said, "It's still about it. I don't know why, but it seems everyone is interested in it."
Zhao Pingchuan voiced the question that had been on Zhang Qiu's mind: "How did those people know it was with you?"
"Who knows how they found out? Forget it; no matter what, life must go on. Our rhythm cannot be interrupted. Today we have one thing to do: celebrate freedom."
"Brother Qiu, whatever happens, the brothers are here for you."
Zhang Qiu nodded appreciatively, patting Zhao Pingchuan on the shoulder and smiling, "Don't worry; if something comes up, I will definitely seek you out."
Zhang Qiu's phone rang continuously in the afternoon. Wang Jinghan, Liu Fangfei, Lan Ningshan, and Liu Xinru all called to congratulate him. Liu Xinru eagerly offered to help Zhang Qiu fill out his application forms and insisted he contact her. Zhang Qiu readily agreed and promised to reach out when it was time to fill out the applications. Liu Xinru then chatted with Zhang Qiu about how much homework she had in college and how boring life was, looking forward to summer break so she could hang out with him.
Unexpectedly, Zhang Qiu received a personal phone call from Brother Leopard congratulating him on finishing his exams. When Zhang Qiu inquired about Meng the Boss, Brother Leopard replied, "The farewell ceremony for the body will be held at the funeral home tomorrow at three in the afternoon. You can bring your brothers to send the boss off one last time."
Zhang Qiu nodded in agreement; no matter what, he would attend Meng the Boss's final journey. Even if Brother Leopard hadn't reached out, Zhang Qiu would have sought information about it.
That evening, Zhang Qiu, Jiang Xue, Rui Rui, Yang Yu, Gao Zhi, Zhao Pingchuan, Wang Zhengxiang, Yao Yu, along with Taolengman and Tao Ya, gathered at Dahe Hotpot. Song Weidong was also there to celebrate. In two adjacent private rooms, Zhang Qiu brought a few brothers to toast in Song Weidong's room. To celebrate their newfound freedom, Zhang Qiu made an exception and drank alcohol.
In Song Weidong's room, there was also a table of people including Du He Guang and Qi Pengyi, whom Zhang Qiu had been introduced to previously, along with his girlfriend Sun Siyu. Zhang Qiu clinked glasses with Song Weidong and said with a smile, "Cheers to freedom!"
"Cheers to freedom!" Song Weidong seemed to have had quite a bit to drink already; his face was slightly flushed and the smell of alcohol was noticeable as he got closer.
Yang Yu and others had a brief awkward connection with Song Weidong in prison and came over to toast him. Song Weidong reciprocated each toast, still remembering how several of them had helped him. Even after all this time, he said, "Thanks for your help last time, Brothers. I appreciate it."
Zhang Qiu stopped Song Weidong from drinking too much and asked, "About that incident in Nanlan County, there weren't any troubles afterward, right?"
"No troubles; the land was taken by that guy named Li. What trouble could there be?"
Song Weidong's smile was somewhat bleak. Zhang Qiu patted his shoulder and said, "As long as we work hard, we'll eventually get back everything we've lost."
"You’re right; let’s work hard! Cheers!"
Zhang Qiu clinked glasses with Song Weidong again before returning with his brothers. Shortly after, Song Weidong brought a few brothers to toast in Zhang Qiu's room. After several rounds of mutual toasts, Song Weidong left with his brothers. Looking at all the brothers and sisters present, Zhang Qiu smiled and said, "Today is mainly to celebrate our graduation from high school, but there's also something big we need to take care of. Does anyone have any guesses about what it is?"
As soon as Zhang Qiu finished speaking, everyone began looking at each other; only Rui Rui smiled quietly on the side. Yang Yu looked at Rui Rui and asked, "You must already know what it is, right?"
Rui Rui puffed out her chest and proudly replied, "Of course I know."
Zhang Qiu added, "This matter is something Rui Rui and I are handling together; she knows about it, which is why I wanted you all to guess."
"Brother Qiu, stop keeping us in suspense and get to the point. The hot pot will be ready soon."
Gao Zhi's words drew laughter from everyone, while Zhang Qiu looked at Gao Zhi speechlessly and said with a smile, "All you think about is eating. I guarantee you'll be happy with this news."
"Brother Qiu, we can't guess it. Just tell us what it is; don't keep us waiting."
"Alright, we've been working at White Day Fire for quite a while now, and I haven't distributed any salaries yet. Recently, Rui Rui and I secured an investment, and along with everyone's regular pay, each person will receive five thousand. How does that sound? Are you happy?"
Zhang Qiu laughed as he watched the surprised faces of everyone, then turned to Gao Zhi and asked, "So, how do you feel about this news? Does it mean more hot pot for you?"
"I'm so happy, Brother Qiu! I've always had to ask my family for money, but I never expected that right after the college entrance exam, I could finally give some money to my family. Thank you, Brother Qiu." Gao Zhi stood up excitedly and bowed to Zhang Qiu.
"Why be so polite? We're all brothers; we should share our blessings. Everyone has been through a lot lately, and now we can finally enjoy the fruits of our labor. The days ahead will only get better."
"To a brighter future, cheers!"
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