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That night, Zhang Qiu, Jiang Xue, Tao Ya, and Lucia slept fully clothed, but unlike the others, Zhang Qiu and Jiang Xue were cuddled together. That night, Zhang Qiu slept peacefully, dreaming of a vacation at the beach with Jiang Xue, basking in the warm sunlight and lying on the soft sand, feeling content and at ease. The next day was their return home; they woke up early to wash up and pack their things.
Aunt He woke up even earlier. While Zhang Qiu and the others were washing up, she had already started cooking. By seven o'clock, everyone was enjoying warm rice porridge. As they said their goodbyes, Aunt He reluctantly held Jiang Xue's hand, her eyes filled with affection. Seeing this, Zhang Qiu felt a pang of sympathy and said, "Xue'er, why don't you stay home and spend more time with Auntie?"
"No, no, no," Aunt He interjected quickly. "You all go back; just come visit me when you have time."
Jiang Xue opened her arms and hugged her mother. Zhang Qiu walked over to the man beside him and whispered, "Uncle, please take good care of Auntie."
The man nodded eagerly. "Sure, sure."
The four of them took a tricycle from the village to the bus station to buy tickets home. On the way, Zhang Qiu sent messages to his brothers one by one, asking them to arrange their affairs and meet at Daylight Fire Bar. When Zhang Qiu stepped out of the bus station, he was surprised to see his brothers waiting outside.
"Brother Qiu!"
People coming in and out of the station witnessed this scene as several big men shouted while running toward Zhang Qiu. They surrounded him in a group hug. A police officer patrolling the station ran over but quickly dispersed after assessing the situation. Taolengman excitedly opened his arms and shouted, "Ya'er."
Tao Ya smiled and ran into Taolengman's embrace. The brothers greeted each other warmly, playfully linking arms and joking around. Who would have thought that these kids under twenty controlled much of Beilan County's underworld?
"Brother Qiu, do you really like blonde hair? Is it not enough that I dyed mine blonde? Did you bring back a natural one?" Rui Rui joked with Zhang Qiu upon seeing Lucia standing next to him with her golden hair and blue eyes. Everyone was used to Rui Rui teasing Zhang Qiu; they all laughed except for Zhang Qiu himself, who was still getting used to it. He hurriedly said, "Let's go back to White Day Fire; I have something good to share with you."
"Brother Qiu, I saw it all. The bags you're holding must have delicious food inside!" Gao Zhi remarked while eyeing the roasted duck in Zhang Qiu's hands. Zhang Qiu smiled and handed it to him. "Of course it's delicious; here, take it. Good food is for you; just let others have some."
"No way! I'm not sharing," Gao Zhi insisted firmly while grinning as he leaned closer to Zhang Qiu and shouted, "Brother Qiu, what exactly is this good stuff?"
"Keep your voice down; do you want everyone to know? As for what it is, I'll tell you when we get to the Hundred Days Fireworks."
Zhang Qiu returned from Africa carrying many secrets. Along the way, everyone speculated about what good things he had brought back and was eager to hear his stories from Africa.
The ride from the bus station to White Day Fire took only ten minutes. As soon as Zhang Qiu entered the door, there were several crisp sounds followed by colorful streamers flying everywhere as handsome men and beautiful women dressed as various characters clapped their hands and rushed to greet him at the door, shouting in unison: "Welcome home, Boss!"
Zhang Qiu looked at everything before him and realized it was a surprise arranged by his brothers. He nodded and smiled happily inside; this was the feeling a home should have.
The crowd surrounded Zhang Qiu as they arrived at the Second Floor Office. After settling onto the sofa, Gao Zhi eagerly asked, "Brother Qiu, what good stuff do you have for us?"
"Everyone, sit tight," Zhang Qiu said, pulling out a wooden box containing Xueqiu San from his bag.
"Brother Qiu, is this an antique?" Wang Zhengxiang speculated, eyeing the old-fashioned box in Zhang Qiu's hands.
Zhang Qiu shook his head with a smile. The others leaned forward, fixated on the wooden box in his hands. Gao Zhi urged, "Brother Qiu, hurry up and open it."
Zhang Qiu opened the box to reveal several Xueqiu San quietly resting inside. Taolengman stared curiously and asked, "Brother Qiu, what is this? It can't be a new type of chocolate, can it?"
"Is this a pill?" Zhao Pingchuan recalled seeing similar traditional Chinese medicine pills that his grandfather used to take, but he wasn't sure if this was one of them. If it was, why would Brother Qiu bring a box of pills? If it wasn't medicine, what else could it be? It was clearly not chocolate.
Seeing everyone's gaze fixed on him, Zhang Qiu deliberately delayed for a moment before slowly saying, "This is the legendary Elixir of Immortality."
There was no sign of excitement from anyone. Zhang Qiu looked at them helplessly and said, "Come on, can't you show a bit more enthusiasm? This is the Elixir of Immortality!"
"Oh please, Brother Qiu. Did your sense of humor deteriorate after your trip to Africa?" Rui Rui thought Zhang Qiu was joking. He picked one up and put it in his mouth to experience it firsthand. After chewing a couple of times, Rui Rui froze in shock and grimaced as if he wanted to spit it out. Zhang Qiu hurriedly said, "You each only get one; if you spit it out, there won't be any left."
"Brother Qiu, this really is medicine? Can we eat it?" Rui Rui asked with a pained expression, mumbling with the pill still in his mouth.
"It's meant for you to eat; just swallow it."
Jiang Xue poured a glass of water and handed it to Rui Rui. He quickly took it and gulped down several mouthfuls, letting out a long sigh as if he had just survived a great ordeal. He said, "Brother Qiu, this doesn't seem like something good from you; it's way too hard to swallow."
"Haven't you heard that good medicine tastes bitter?"
Zhao Pingchuan picked up one pill and sniffed it near his mouth before asking, "Brother Qiu, what kind of medicine is this?"
"The Elixir of Immortality."
"Brother Qiu, this is your invention, the Elixir of Immortality, right?" Gao Zhi joked, still thinking Zhang Qiu was just kidding.
"That's right, you're quite clever this time. These pills are indeed related to me; I named them Xueqiu San."
Rui Rui burst into laughter: "Brother Qiu, shouldn't we all join in and laugh a bit to avoid awkwardness? You've really changed since coming back from Africa."
Zhang Qiu looked at them helplessly and exchanged glances with Jiang Xue and Tao Ya, who both laughed. Only they knew that this was the real Elixir of Immortality, but such a concept was indeed hard for someone educated in science to accept. With a snap, Zhang Qiu closed the wooden box and said, "Since you don't believe me, forget it. Just don't regret it later!"
"Wait, Brother Qiu!" Zhao Pingchuan stopped Zhang Qiu. "Give me one."
Zhang Qiu opened the wooden box and asked, "Do you believe me?"
"I do!" Zhao Pingchuan pinched a pill from the box and swallowed it whole. He didn't think Zhang Qiu would suddenly start making kindergarten-level jokes just because he went to Africa. Of course, Zhao Pingchuan didn't believe that this single pill could grant immortality; he just thought that Brother Qiu must have his reasons.
"I'll take one too. Regardless of whether it grants immortality or not, it's a gift from Brother Qiu." Yang Yu grabbed a pill and swallowed it without chewing.
Bai Jingwei had given Zhang Qiu twelve pills of Xueqiu San; he and Lucia each took two in the capital. At Jiang Xue's house, Jiang Xue, Tao Ya, Aunt He, and that man each took one. Rui Rui treated it like chocolate and ate one, while Yang Yu and Zhao Pingchuan each took one as well. Only three pills of Xueqiu San remained in the wooden box held by Zhang Qiu. Zhang Qiu smiled and said, "Only three left; first come, first served."
Taolengman squeezed over, pinched a pill, and winked at Zhang Qiu while saying, "I'll take one; after all, Brother Qiu wouldn't harm anyone."
With only two pills left in the box, Wang Zhengxiang and Yao Yu reached for them together. After they ate theirs, all the Xueqiu San brought back by Zhang Qiu were gone. This time, Gao Zhi hesitated so much that he ended up being the only one who didn't get to eat any Xueqiu San.
"Brother Qiu, now that everyone has eaten theirs, quickly tell us what this is."
"I've already told you twice; this really is the Elixir of Immortality. Why don't you believe me?"
Gao Zhi still didn't believe it: "Brother Qiu, how could there be such a medicine?"
"If you lived during the Spring and Autumn or Warring States periods and I told you that people could fly in the sky, would you believe me?"
"Brother Qiu, this is different."
"When you ask me what this is, I have only one answer: Elixir of Immortality."
Gao Zhi looked at Zhang Qiu, who refused to elaborate, and turned to Jiang Xue for help. Jiang Xue smiled and said, "You see, I'm no help either. What I want is the same as Brother Qiu's; this really is the Elixir of Immortality."
"I can also prove that this is the Elixir of Immortality," Tao Ya said weakly.
"Brother Qiu, what exactly is going on?" Zhao Pingchuan realized that something was unusual. Brother Qiu would never joke about something like this repeatedly, so there could only be one explanation: that pill really was the Elixir of Immortality, even though that explanation sounded implausible.
"I am an indispensable part of the invention of this medicine. The patent for the Elixir of Immortality is in my hands, and I also hold the naming rights, so I call it Xueqiu San, taking one character from Xue'er and one from my name. Longevity does not mean immortality; it simply alters the rate at which cells age through a certain method. I don't know the specific details; that's up to medical experts. One phenomenon you will understand just how miraculous it is: an elderly official who was bedridden can get out of bed and walk after taking this medicine."
"Brother Qiu, after hearing you, I'm even more confused."
"Yeah, me too."
Seeing the puzzled expressions on everyone's faces, Zhang Qiu said, "If you want to understand, I need to start from the very beginning. There's actually something I've never told you before, and now it's time to reveal it. However, before I share this matter with you, you must promise me confidentiality. In addition to a verbal agreement, you will also need to sign a non-disclosure agreement. Only those who have signed the non-disclosure agreement can hear me talk about this."
Everyone exchanged glances; Zhang Qiu's words only deepened their confusion.
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