The Almighty Martial Arts System - Chapter 297

Jiang Fei thought the most outrageous thing the Du family could do was to shamelessly rejoin the Chinese Medicine Association.

But he never expected that after lying low for so long, the Du family would come out with such a major move—attempting to poach members from his Chinese Medicine Association and even planning to establish a rival organization!

“What is this guy trying to do?” Jiang Fei narrowed his eyes slightly, scrutinizing Du Ziliang, whose seemingly hypocritical and calculating demeanor made him instinctively wary. His tone was far from friendly.

Cui Xiuping shook his head. “It’s still unclear. But judging by the Du family’s usual tactics, they never act without self-interest. They’re definitely up to no good—planning to undermine our Chinese Medicine Association. As for exactly how, we can’t be sure yet, but it likely boils down to either reputation or profit.”

Jiang Fei nodded.

The Du family had probably always wanted to restore their reputation. Although they had once proudly declared that no member of the Du family would ever join the Chinese Medicine Association again, that decision had likely become a lingering regret—a silent grudge driving them to seek revenge and trample the association underfoot.

As for profit, that was even easier to understand.

The Chinese Medicine Association represented an enormous network of interests—one that no one could ignore. After all these years away, could the Du family really have let go? From what Jiang Fei knew, the reason the Du family had left in the first place was precisely because of conflicts over profit!

The more he thought about it, the more displeased Jiang Fei became. “How many members has Du Ziliang approached? How many are willing to be poached and side with the Du family?”

A faint smile appeared on Cui Xiuping’s face, and he looked at Jiang Fei with admiration. “In the past, the Chinese Medicine Association was fragmented, with most members acting in their own interests. If the Du family had approached them then, making promises and sowing discord, many might have been swayed. But now…” He paused. “According to my sources, fewer than ten members have been tempted. None of the three millennial schools or the major traditional Chinese medicine families are willing to leave the association!”

A hint of pride flickered across Jiang Fei’s face.

Fewer than ten members showing interest meant he had been a successful president. Most members recognized his efforts and were willing to follow his lead. What’s more, the three millennial schools and major families—once divided by conflicts—were now united. Such solidarity was rare, even in the association’s earlier days when it still had a president.

Though Jiang Fei hadn’t been president for long, his medical ethics, skills, and actions spoke for themselves. Everyone could see he genuinely worked for the association’s development.

As for the Jiang Pharmaceutical Company, Jiang Fei hadn’t exploited the association for its benefit. Its success was driven purely by merit. Even if Jiang Fei weren’t the president, the company would have thrived regardless.

…..

Old Master Cui sat in his chair, observing the polite and respectful Du Ziliang. Despite past conflicts with the Du family, he showed no displeasure or arrogance. “I’m already delighted that you’ve come to celebrate my birthday. There’s no need for such formalities. How is your grandfather doing?”

Cui Xiuping had only just learned of the Du family’s attempt to poach members and hadn’t yet had time to inform Jiang Fei, let alone his grandfather.

Du Ziliang nodded courteously, a gentle smile on his face. “My grandfather is in good health, much like you, Elder Cui. Though he sometimes laments that it’s been too long since he’s seen old friends…”

Old Master Cui sighed nostalgically. “It’s been over ten years since we last met. Those disputes from back now seem so trivial. But at the time, I was too stubborn, and your grandfather was even more so. Neither of us could see past it…”

Du Ziliang smiled. “There will be opportunities to meet again.”

Old Master Cui nodded. “Yes, there will be opportunities.”

The birthday banquet soon began. Although many guests were members of the Chinese Medicine Association and Jiang Fei knew quite a few, this wasn’t a medical exchange event. The conversations revolved around pleasantries and social niceties, which held little interest for him. After greeting a few senior members, he pulled Bai Ruoxi aside.

As president of the Chinese Medicine Association, it was natural for Jiang Fei to attract attention wherever he went. But today, Bai Ruoxi—since making her entrance with Jiang Fei—received nearly as much notice as he did.

The reason was simple: her looks and气质 were simply stunning. Dressed in a sleek, elegantly tailored black evening gown that accentuated her perfectly proportioned figure, and wearing silver crystal-encrusted high heels, she was the brightest star among all the female guests. No one could overshadow her presence. It was precisely because Jiang Fei had Bai Ruoxi by his side that many women who admired him or had other intentions chose to retreat rather than approach him.

The difference in appeal was obvious. With such a graceful “white swan” beside him, anyone else trying to compete would only be setting themselves up for disappointment.

“There are so many doctors from your association here. Aren’t you going to mingle?” Bai Ruoxi asked helplessly.

Jiang Fei smiled. “No need. As president, what matters isn’t what I say but what I do. As long as I fulfill my duties responsibly, that’s enough. I don’t need to play games.”

“And you’ve been fulfilling your duties responsibly?” Bai Ruoxi asked, struggling to keep a straight face.

If Jiang Fei counted as responsible, then no leader in the world could be considered negligent!

Even back in their school days, when Bai Ruoxi was class monitor, she had noticed Jiang Fei’s laid-back, carefree nature—a stark contrast to her own diligent and hands-on approach. She still wasn’t entirely sure why she had been drawn to him or how she had ended up becoming his girlfriend…

Maybe it was his cheeky, boastful charm?

…..

Just as Jiang Fei and Bai Ruoxi were sharing a tender moment in their corner, Du Ziliang approached with a glass of wine.

“President Jiang, do you have a moment? I’d like to chat,” Du Ziliang said with a polite smile.

To Jiang Fei, however, the smile seemed irritatingly insincere. Without even turning his head, he replied, “No, I’m busy. And not interested.”

Du Ziliang was taken aback. Probably no one had ever spoken to him so bluntly.

But he quickly recovered, maintaining his smile. “It won’t take long. Just a few words, and I’ll be on my way.”

Jiang Fei was annoyed. “What’s wrong with you? Can’t you take a hint? I said I’m not interested. Go find someone else to bother!”

He saw no reason to be polite with Du Ziliang. This guy had quietly tried to poach members from the association—something even more offensive than trying to steal his position as president. Jiang Fei had no goodwill toward him.

In Jiang Fei’s eyes, Du Ziliang—despite his polished appearance—was no different from his brother, Du Zikang: all show and no substance.

“Damn it! How dare you talk to my brother like that! He’s being polite to you out of respect—don’t you know how to appreciate it?” Du Zikang snapped, unable to hold back.

In his eyes, Jiang Fei beating him up a couple of days ago was something he could tolerate for now. But insulting his brother was absolutely unacceptable!

A faint smile tugged at Jiang Fei’s lips as he narrowed his eyes at Du Zikang. “Do you really think I won’t hands-on just because we’re at a birthday banquet?”

“Go ahead and try!” Du Zikang retorted, his face flushed with anger.

“Enough!” Du Ziliang frowned, scolding his brother in a low voice. Then he turned back to Jiang Fei with a smile. “President Jiang certainly doesn’t mince words. I admire that.”

Jiang Fei was exasperated. “After all that, you still claim to admire me? Is my charm too irresistible, or are you just that masochistic?”

Du Ziliang nearly choked on his anger. He had been trying to give Jiang Fei a way out, but instead of taking it, Jiang Fei had stepped right on his pride.

“President Jiang, you do have a sense of humor,” Du Ziliang forced out through a smile.

“Who’s joking? I’m dead serious. Now step aside. I have zero interest in either of you brothers,” Jiang Fei said coldly.

His voice was loud enough for nearby guests to hear clearly, and many looked on in surprise.

What was going on?

One was the long-absent future heir of the Du family, the other the president of the Chinese Medicine Association—both outstanding figures among the younger generation of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners. Now they were facing off like two sharp blades meeting point to point.

It seemed reconciliation between the Du family and the Chinese Medicine Association was impossible.

“It seems there might be some misunderstanding between us, President Jiang,” Du Ziliang said patiently. He had strong self-control and never liked losing his composure in front of opponents. He preferred dealing in subtle, veiled tactics.

“A misunderstanding? Unless you’re going to tell me you haven’t tried poaching members from the Chinese Medicine Association, then there’s no misunderstanding,” Jiang Fei stated bluntly.

Du Ziliang might have preferred subtlety, but Jiang Fei believed in directness—breaking through schemes with sheer force!