“Professor Jiang… Ling’er is with you?” Huang Zhihui walked over quickly, shining a flashlight.
“Right here!”
Jiang Tian called out, tucked Huang Ling’er into his arms, and then made a shushing gesture.
Jiang Tian leaned close to his ear and whispered a few things, then patted him on the shoulder.
Huang Zhihui’s face showed surprise, he let out a deep sigh, and nodded.
Jiang Tian snapped his fingers near Huang Ling’er’s ear, and she quickly woke up, giving Jiang Tian a confused look.
Jiang Tian smiled and turned to walk away.
Huang Zhihui forced a stiff smile and said dotingly, “Ling’er, it’s time for us to go home!”
“Dad, I’m hungry. Is there anything to eat at home?”
Huang Ling’er looked completely innocent and joyful, hopping and skipping toward the family housing area, just like a cheerful little lark.
“There’s yam and pork rib soup simmering at home. You wild girl, you’ve been out playing all day and didn’t even think to come home for dinner!”
Huang Zhihui brushed the dust off his daughter’s clothes and scolded her gently.
“Oh, I love yam and pork rib soup the most!”
Huang Ling’er happily pulled her dad close and gave him a kiss, but her heart felt like something was tugging at it, and she couldn’t help but glance toward the unfamiliar man standing under the streetlight.
“What are you looking at? You almost walked right into a tree!” Huang Zhihui patted his daughter’s head and said with playful reproach.
“It’s nothing, I just feel like…”
Huang Ling’er stopped and turned her head, staring at that figure in the distance.
The streetlight cast down rays of warm yellow light, enveloping the man walking alone, making him look almost like he had white hair.
In that instant, Huang Ling’er’s heart suddenly ached sharply. Her eyes grew slightly red as she murmured, “I feel like I’ve seen him before, like I know him really well.”
“Oh, just some random passerby. Maybe he just has one of those ordinary faces…” Huang Zhihui let out a soft laugh.
But the next moment, his eyes reddened, and tears suddenly streamed down his face.
“Yeah, he looks… so familiar!” Huang Ling’er turned her head and bounced off on her way.
In truth, Jiang Tian had left another protective jade charm for Huang Ling’er, but Nie Feng’s desperate move this time had served as a wake-up call for him.
“If I’m guessing correctly, the three families will still follow the same pattern from their previous lives. That financial war for control of the Pharmaceutical King Group must be about to begin!”
Jiang Tian’s gaze was deep as he let out a leisurely sigh:
“Looking at it now, the stock price of the Pharmaceutical King Group is already showing unusual fluctuations. Once they take control of the group, they’ll start a series of attacks.”
“In the previous life, after the Pharmaceutical King Group was taken over by the three families, the Jiang family became penniless. And with the three families’ even greater financial power, they ruled Jinling with an iron fist. When they killed my mom and the others, no one stood up for the Jiang family!”
Jiang Tian’s eyes shot out a piercing cold light as he said in a deep voice, “In this life, I’ve already gained control over a lot of connections and resources before returning to Jinling, which is completely different from the previous life. I will never allow that to happen!”
Sometimes, the best defense is a good offense. Even a tiger uses its full strength when hunting a rabbit.
Even though Jiang Tian considered himself powerful, he would never give the Nie family any chance to strike back.
“Grandfather, there’s something I’ve been thinking about for a long time…”
That very night, Jiang Tian went back to Jiang Manor with Ye Ziwei and Jiang Lin, found his grandfather, and brought up an old matter.
“Xiao Tian, go ahead.”
Over the past six months, Jiang Changgeng had been taking the Nine Revolutions Great Return Pill continuously. He was now full of energy and played tai chi every day. It was hard to imagine how frail he had looked just half a year ago.
“Do you still remember Chen Junbin from Yanjing Tianwei Pharmaceutical?” Jiang Tian asked calmly.
“Of course I remember him!”
The old man said with emotion, “Chen Junbin used to be a royal physician in the Red Wall. He’s a leading authority in Northern Chinese medicine. He once served as the vice president of the Chinese Medicine and Herb Society. When I was in university, he even taught me a course called ‘The Origins and Development of Chinese Medicine.’ And thirty years ago, when the Chinese Medicine Association was promoting academic exchanges between the north and south, he came to Jinling to give lectures. I was his teaching assistant at the time. His academic standards were quite good, and he gave me a lot of guidance. It’s just that…”
At this point, he shook his head deeply and sighed.
The old man was disciplined, restrained himself according to propriety, and lived by his principles. In casual conversation, he never spoke ill of others. If he had any dissatisfaction, he kept it buried in his heart.
But Jiang Tian, having lived two lives, already knew Chen Junbin’s true face and what he would do next. Since a major conflict might be starting sooner than expected, Jiang Tian felt he had to say what needed to be said.
“Grandfather, Tianwei Pharmaceutical is still producing eight types of medicine, including ‘Dangshan Black-Bone Chicken Pill’ and ‘Angong Niuhuang Pill.’ But the patents for these eight medicines belong to our Pharmaceutical King Group, and they’re also our flagship products…” Jiang Tian said calmly.
“You still remember these old stories?”
Jiang Changgeng picked up his teacup, took a sip, and his gaze turned deep and distant, as if lost in fond memories. “This goes back thirty years to that north-south medical exchange conference…”
“Back in those days, I was improving and optimizing those eight ancestral formulas from the Jiang family. After I finished improving them, I was still a little uncertain. I was only forty at the time—pretty much a young hothead, wouldn’t you say?”
The old man looked kind and gentle, smiling as he spoke. “I didn’t have much confidence in my own improvements. And since he happened to be in Jinling giving lectures, I wanted to ask for his opinion. He gave me some advice, but after clinical trials, the results were just average—not as good as the original formulas. A few years later, when your mother married into the Jiang family, she applied for patents on those eight formulas. The Pharmaceutical King Group built its success and grew thanks to those formulas…”
“Grandfather, then why is Tianwei Pharmaceutical still producing these medicines? And why haven’t you stopped them?”
Ye Ziwei asked with a frown. “Even if you let them produce them, just the patent fees alone would earn us a hundred million a year. Tianwei has been producing them for twenty years—that’s over a billion yuan we could have made!”
“Ah, I’ve actually thought about this for a long time!”
Jiang Changgeng sighed. “First, back in the day, Chen Junbin did guide me in medicine. He was like a mentor to me, in a way.”
“He contacted me once and said he wanted to produce these medicines—just making a few small changes to the formulas and reapplying for patents. He asked me to do him a favor. He was my senior and very polite, so it was hard for me to say no.”
“Second, while Chen Junbin has certainly made a lot of money producing these medicines, he’s also made significant contributions to the promotion and preservation of Chinese medicine. On that front, our goals are the same. I also wanted to see these medicines passed down. So, I just couldn’t be bothered to make an issue of it…”
After saying this, Jiang Changgeng looked at Jiang Tian and smiled. “Tian’er, why are you asking about all these ancient history things?”
Jiang Tian gave a wry smile and said, “Grandfather, I’m worried that a dispute over these patents might break out. Chen Junbin might use this to stir up trouble and attack our Pharmaceutical King Group! Remember, Chen Donglin, the head of the Chen family in Jinling, comes from the same school as Chen Junbin!”
“How could that ever happen!”
Jiang Changgeng laughed. “To put it bluntly, what he’s producing are knockoffs and generic versions. The legitimate patents belong to the Pharmaceutical King Group!”
The old man shook his head. “Chen Junbin wouldn’t be so unreasonable. Last year at my birthday banquet, he called and said he wanted to come personally to celebrate with me. But I thought he was too old, so I told him not to come. Still, he sent me a lot of Yanjing specialties. He remembers old friendships. He wouldn’t start trouble!”
Jiang Lin wouldn’t let it go. “Grandfather, we still think we should clarify the patents, file lawsuits, and make them stop producing these generics. If something goes wrong, we’ll be in a very passive position.”
“I won’t allow this!”
For the first time, Jiang Changgeng’s expression turned serious, and he said firmly, “If we start having problems within the Chinese medicine community, the Western medicine people will laugh at us! It would also be a huge loss for the entire Chinese medicine field.”
Ye Ziwei and Jiang Lin knew how stubborn the old man could be. They both looked at Jiang Tian, hoping he could convince him.
But Jiang Tian stood up and said with a faint smile, “Alright then. We’ll do things according to Grandfather’s wishes.”
Before leaving, Jiang Tian asked, “By the way, Grandfather, I’m planning to hold a new product launch event. The lab’s product has been successfully developed. Could you show up to support us? Especially help us invite some media outlets, that kind of thing?”
“Forget it, I won’t get involved. These new products are completely your own creation! I’m too old for all that public exposure,” Jiang Changgeng said with a wave and a smile.
“Oh, okay. Then we’ll handle it ourselves,” Jiang Tian said calmly.
“And one more thing, Jiang Tian. I believe that for a business to grow, the key really comes down to the products.”
Jiang Changgeng stood up, took Jiang Tian’s hand, and walked him to the door, speaking earnestly, “If your product is good, if the medicinal effects are strong, patients will talk about it and lift you up on their own. Things like advertising and marketing are just side paths. Don’t neglect the main thing for the trivial. I’m not stopping you from holding this product launch, but I hope you won’t go overboard with extravagance and waste.”
“I understand…” Jiang Tian nodded and let out a sigh.
Grandfather still didn’t realize how terrifying a public opinion war could be.
Then again, it was only 2008. The internet and media weren’t as developed as they would be in later years.
…
Leaving Jiang Manor late at night, the car’s headlights cast long, far-reaching beams into the darkness.
Jiang Lin said worriedly, “Jiang Tian, is Chen Junbin really as trustworthy as Grandfather says?”
“There’s a saying: ‘Age doesn’t always bring wisdom.’ Chen Junbin is a perfect example. He’ll take the opportunity to bite our Jiang family,” Jiang Tian said calmly.
“Then why didn’t you convince Grandfather? If a lawsuit comes up, it’ll be a huge headache!” Ye Ziwei said anxiously.
“Forget it. If we go to court, Grandfather would have to testify. He’s old now, and he likes peace and quiet. Let’s not bother him with it,” Jiang Tian said calmly.
“What if Chen Junbin starts making false accusations?”
Jiang Lin frowned. “He’s a leading authority in Northern Chinese medicine. He has a big reputation and a lot of influence. Even Grandfather is considered his junior in the field. Once he speaks out, the situation will be very unfavorable for us. It’ll be hard to turn things around.”
“It’s fine. We’ll go with the flow. The Chen family will end up losing everything…”
Jiang Tian smiled faintly, but deep in his eyes, a chilling coldness radiated, and his killing intent soared to the heavens.
In his previous life, when the three great families of Jinling began their assault on the Jiang family, Tianwei Pharmaceutical—which had been freeloading off the Pharmaceutical King Group’s patents for over twenty years—repayed kindness with cruelty. They kicked the Jiang family while they were down, launching attacks against the group and slinging mud by falsely accusing the Jiang family of patent theft.
The public outcry across the country was deafening. The Pharmaceutical King Group, once known as a conscientious enterprise in Chinese medicine, was turned into a thief and parasite despised by everyone. The stock price plummeted, the three families seized controlling interest, and Grandfather was so enraged that he died right then and there.
But in this life, Jiang Tian had returned with overwhelming strength—more people, more money, more powerful connections, and immense backing. If Chen Junbin behaves himself, fine.
But if Chen Junbin dares to act recklessly again, Jiang Tian will crush both the Yanjing Chen family and Tianwei Pharmaceutical, leaving them utterly defeated and ruined.
