“I propose that Ye Ziwei serve as the President of the Medicine King Group, overseeing overall operations. Jiang Lin will serve as the Vice President, assisting Ms. Zhang Wanqing and taking charge of new product development!”
Jiang Tian stated calmly.
“What? You want to promote Jiang Lin?”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yangming looked at Jiang Tian in disbelief, so moved he nearly shed tears.
Ye Ziwei’s appointment was one thing, but Jiang Lin had been completely stripped of his position earlier. Now, however, he was being elevated like a phoenix rising from the ashes.
Since Jiang Tian’s return, their branch of the family had shown him considerable disrespect. No one expected Jiang Tian to put aside past grievances and elevate Jiang Lin to such a prominent role.
“Jiang Lin works diligently and has excellent abilities. Why wouldn’t I promote him?” Jiang Tian said with a faint smile.
Hearing this, tears welled up in Jiang Lin’s eyes. He stood up, his body trembling, and spoke with fervent assurance: “Jiang Tian, rest assured, I will work my hardest! I will dedicate my life to the Jiang family, striving until my very last breath!”
“Mm, I believe you,” Jiang Tian replied with a calm smile.
“Family Head Jiang is fair in his dealings, clear in rewarding and punishing, and broad-minded. We offer our full support!”
“With you as our leader, how could the Jiang family not thrive?”
From the hall below, a chorus of praise arose. Everyone was utterly convinced by Jiang Tian’s magnanimity and bearing.
Jiang Tian’s authoritative gaze swept across the entire assembly. He spoke gravely: “One more thing. Everything that happened today, including the fact that Grandfather will recover—no one is to breathe a single word of it to outsiders. Anyone who does will face the family’s disciplinary code!”
“Understood!” The assembled Jiang family members responded in unison.
Although they didn’t understand why Jiang Tian wouldn’t want to boast about such achievements, they dared not question him.
Jiang Tian now stood far above them, beyond their comprehension or speculation.
…
This day marked a true earthquake for the Jiang family and the Medicine King Group.
Jiang Qingfeng was stripped of all his positions in the group. Immediately afterward, the Economic Crime Investigation Bureau stepped in and arrested him for embezzlement. He now faced the full force of the law; he’d likely be incarcerated for at least three to five years.
Jiang Yangming voluntarily submitted his resignation, stepping down from his Vice President role to make way for younger talent.
The entire Medicine King Group underwent a major overhaul. Numerous mid- and high-level managers who had acted as parasites or accomplices were fired, and some were even arrested and imprisoned. Over a dozen people were implicated in total.
As for Jiang Shouren… on the surface, he seemed unaffected. In reality, the family had decided to channel all its political resources towards Jiang Zhixing. Jiang Shouren served as Deputy Inspector for only one more year before taking early retirement due to “health reasons,” becoming an insignificant figurehead within the family.
The contract Jiang Qingfeng had signed with the Pfizer Group was never fulfilled. This illegal agreement was immediately voided.
…
From time to time, a muffled bang would sound from outside, and the faint, pleasant smell of gunpowder would drift through the air—the sound of children setting off firecrackers.
“Spring Festival is almost here…” A trace of tenderness crept into Jiang Tian’s eyes.
Jiang Tian decided to spend the Spring Festival in Jinling this year. Partly because he hadn’t been back for so long, and partly because he needed to be present to help his mother smoothly complete the transition and firmly control the Medicine King Group.
In the days surrounding the festival, Jiang Tian stayed at Jiang Manor, spending time with his grandfather and family, enjoying a period of peaceful days with Qing’er.
“Jiang Tian, Qing’er, what are your thoughts on the future development of the Medicine King Group?”
On the day of the Lantern Festival, Jiang Tian, Qing’er, Jiang Zhixing, and his wife were chatting and having tea with the old man. The old man asked with a smile.
“The Medicine King Group should focus on the development of traditional Chinese medicine. You’ve all seen the sales performance of the Nourishing Muscle Cream!”
Jiang Tian stated calmly.
“Jiang Tian, you make a good point! That boy Qingfeng’s pursuit of Western medicine completely abandoned our Jiang family’s very foundation!”
Hearing this, Jiang Changgeng’s spirits lifted immediately, his aged heart filled with comfort. He clapped his hands in admiration: “Your skill in alchemy is remarkable, so your understanding and application of traditional Chinese medicine must be incredibly refined. Soon enough, you’ll be able to sweep across China!”
“Sweep across China? Grandfather, your goal is too modest. I intend to sweep across the entire globe!”
Jiang Tian took a sip of tea and said with a serene, confident smile.
In his previous life, traversing the ancient stellar paths, he had encountered numerous cultivation civilizations. In some, the arts of artifact forging and alchemy had developed to an astonishing degree.
Some sects would set up formations to gather spiritual energy, enabling large-scale cultivation of spiritual herbs. Their herb fields stretched beyond the horizon, oceans of potent plants, mountains of spiritual herbs.
Others, artifact forging sects, created pill furnaces of incredible complexity and precision, possessing rudimentary intelligence and able to operate automatically, achieving automated pill refinement.
Now, with Earth’s spiritual energy depleted, if Jiang Tian could create such production lines, the potency and effectiveness of Chinese medicines could be increased tenfold, a hundredfold. Sweeping across China would be trivial; it would likely mean sweeping across the entire world.
Of course, the resources for artifact forging on Earth were relatively scarce. It was unlikely Jiang Tian could completely replicate the production lines of the cultivation world. But even if he achieved only one-tenth of their efficiency, it would still be formidable.
“Jiang Tian, are you talking about producing the prescriptions you gave to Jiang Lin?” Zhang Wanqing asked.
“Those prescriptions can be produced using our Medicine King Group’s existing production lines. But I have more far-reaching plans…”
Jiang Tian crossed one leg over the other, speaking leisurely: “I also want to establish a laboratory and a new production line here in Jinling. If successful, we could mass-produce the kind of elixirs Grandfather took…”
“Mass-produce… elixirs!”
Hearing this, Jiang Zhixing and his wife were stunned speechless. Even the old man’s face flushed with excitement.
They had all witnessed the efficacy of the Ninefold Revival Elixir. In just a few days, the old man’s ailments had completely disappeared; he was entirely cured. This wasn’t just medicine—it was practically an immortal pill!
If they could mass-produce elixirs like that, the impact would be earth-shattering!
“Jiang Tian, can elixirs really be mass-produced? If that can be achieved, then we truly could sweep across the globe!”
Jiang Changgeng slapped his thigh, deeply moved as he spoke: “Revitalizing traditional Chinese medicine and spreading it worldwide has been my lifelong dream. I never imagined it would come true through you!”
“After the Lantern Festival, don’t leave. Stay here in Jinling with Qing’er.”
As Zhang Wanqing spoke, tears began to form in her eyes: “This is your real home! Old master, do you approve?”
“How could I not approve? Since Jiang Tian’s return, our Jiang family has been as powerful as a dragon. Let that family in Yanjing see Jiang Tian’s capabilities, see our Jiang family’s true strength. Let them regret their actions!”
A sharp glint flashed in Jiang Changgeng’s eyes. Even after all these years, he had never let go of that grudge.
“Agreed,” Jiang Tian readily assented.
For one thing, the spirit-gathering array at King’s Residence No. 1 was no longer useful for Jiang Tian’s own cultivation.
Furthermore, the hostile forces lurking in Jinling hadn’t truly been eliminated. Jiang Tian needed an opportunity to root them out completely.
“But Qing’er is the Chairwoman of Zhao’s Pharmaceuticals. Can she really leave her post?” Zhang Wanqing asked.
She secretly hoped her daughter-in-law would soon have a child so she could become a grandmother. She certainly didn’t want her to live apart from Jiang Tian.
“Honey, I don’t want to be separated from you… What do you think?” Qing’er asked softly.
“Qing’er, I think it’s best for you to stay temporarily at King’s Residence No. 1 in Linzhou…”
Jiang Tian said with a gentle smile.
“No!”
Zhao Xueqing protested immediately, pouting her cute lips, her voice carrying seven parts grievance and three parts stubbornness: “I want to be with you. I can hand Zhao’s Pharmaceuticals over to Aunt Wei Fang and my sister! I can’t bear to be apart from you for even a single day!”
Seeing Zhao Xueqing’s genuine display of emotion, Jiang Zhixing and Zhang Wanqing exchanged a glance, feeling deeply gratified.
“Qing’er, Zhao’s Pharmaceuticals is a minor matter. We can transfer some management personnel from the Medicine King Group to handle it. You don’t need to worry about it at all!”
Jiang Tian explained earnestly: “The key point is that the spirit-gathering array still contains abundant spiritual energy. It would be a terrible waste for you to abandon it now! You could continue cultivating there for another six months to a year!”
“Oh…”
Qing’er responded softly, lowering her head slightly. The corners of her eyes grew moist, a layer of misty tears clouding her beautiful eyes.
Of course, she didn’t want to leave Jiang Tian. Even the thought of being apart for a short while made her feel restless and yearning.
But she also understood the preciousness of the array. It was something Jiang Tian had essentially risked his life to obtain. She shouldn’t squander it.
Seeing her on the verge of tears, Jiang Tian pulled her aside to a quiet spot and comforted her: “Qing’er, do you realize how incredibly long your lifespan could become if you cultivate well? Hundreds of years, even a thousand years. A few months apart, compared to such a vast lifespan, is really just like a few days.”
“Hmph, but don’t you know the old saying: ‘A day apart feels like three autumns’?”
Qing’er pouted, looking adorably petulant: “A few days apart? Hmph, you heartless man might not mind, but to me, it would feel like years!”
Seeing his beloved wife’s charming, coquettish demeanor, Jiang Tian’s heart filled with both sweetness and a touch of sorrow.
It was clear now that Qing’er’s feelings for him had long since deepened immeasurably. Jiang Tian cherished every moment they spent together and was loath to be apart.
“Qing’er, I promise, once you’ve fully absorbed the spiritual energy from the array, I’ll bring you back without delay.”
Having returned after ten thousand years of cultivation, Jiang Tian had witnessed countless partings, both life and death. His Dao heart was far more steadfast than an ordinary person’s, and he understood clearly the principle of not sacrificing the greater good for a smaller gain.
After some comforting words, Qing’er’s tears finally gave way to a smile, and Jiang Tian’s heart was put at ease.
Regarding the establishment of the laboratory, Jiang Tian had already formed a plan.
In his previous life, he had studied at Rende College, a subsidiary of Jinling Pharmaceutical University. He remembered a professor at the main campus named Huang Zhihui.
This professor had long researched the modern application of traditional Chinese medicine, proposing a theory of “ultra-micromolecular extraction technology.” His research result had even won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2012.
But at present, he was just an ordinary associate professor, his research unrecognized, utterly unknown and living in poverty.
If Jiang Tian were to invest in a laboratory for him now, Huang Zhihui would surely pledge his unwavering loyalty.
Recently, Jiang Tian had also read several of Professor Huang Zhihui’s papers online. He found that his so-called theory of ultra-micromolecules bore a striking resemblance to the concepts of spiritual energy and primordial qi in the cultivation world.
