Chapter 422: Chapter 422: You Are Not Welcome Here

After a short while, footsteps were heard outside, and a lame man with a crutch walked in. His hair and clothes were covered in white dust, and a young man followed behind him.

The lame man took off his dust mask, revealing a thin face with sallow skin and graying temples. When he saw Manager Sun, his face was covered in frost, acting aloof and indifferent.

Manager Sun gave an awkward smile: "President Lv, long time no see."

President Lv sat down at the office desk, glanced at Xu Xiangbei and Manager Sun, and said disdainfully, "Lao Sun, what are you doing here? The Thunderbird Group went bankrupt. Are you coming to me looking for a job?"

Manager Sun forced a laugh: "No, I’ve come to bring you money."

Manager Sun handed the transfer check he got from Sister Qian to President Lv. The brand-new check exuded a faint scent of ink.

President Lv looked surprised, but more amused: "Lao Sun, the sun must be rising in the west. How could you suddenly think to repay my debt?"

"Honestly, our company was tight financially these past few months, almost went under. But our new president, President Xu, pulled our Thunderbird Company from the brink. We’re no longer short on funds, and President Xu said the money we owe you should be prioritized for repayment."

President Lv put the check into a drawer and sneered: "Alright, stop pretending. We’ve been dealing with each other for over ten years. Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to? I can tell what you’re going to do by the way you move. Sorry, I once swore that I would never sell raw materials to the Thunderbird Group again. I mean what I say. Please leave."

Seeing President Lv’s firm stance, cold sweat dripped down Manager Sun’s bald forehead again. He looked helplessly at Xu Xiangbei, casting a pleading gaze.

His actions didn’t escape President Lv’s sharp eyes. President Lv squinted and glanced at Xu Xiangbei, not understanding why Lao Sun would seek help from this young man. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

He thought Xu Xiangbei was one of Lao Sun’s salespeople, there to gain some experience.

President Lv asked contemptuously: "Lao Sun, who’s the young man you brought with you? Is he one of your new subordinates?"

Lao Sun wiped the sweat from his forehead and replied awkwardly with a smile: "This is our newly appointed president, President Xu."

President Lv looked surprised. He’d also heard that under the leadership of a young President Xu, the Thunderbird Group, which was on the verge of collapse, was gradually returning to normal operations.

President Lv looked skeptical: "You are the new president of the Thunderbird Group?"

Xu Xiangbei smiled and said: "Yes, that’s me, President Lv. Our current Thunderbird Company is no longer the old one. Lei Ziming and Lei Zhenrong were both sent to prison by me, and now I am in charge of the Thunderbird Company. We are a vibrant and dynamic new company now. I heard you are a partner of the Thunderbird Group, so I came to visit you, President Lv, and by the way, buy a hundred tons of raw material silica sand."

Hearing about buying a hundred tons of raw material, not only did President Lv jump up in shock, but even Lao Sun nearly dropped his handkerchief on the floor.

President Lv burst out laughing: "What, buying a hundred tons of silica sand? You’re really bold. Unfortunately, although I had a bit of goodwill towards you earlier, it turns out President Xu is just a reckless young man. Sorry, I won’t sell you even a ton. Lao Sun, take your President Xu back. Don’t waste your time here."

Seeing President Lv issue an order to leave, Xu Xiangbei grinned wryly and said: "President Lv, just because others mock you for being lame, you hold a grudge for life? Your heart is too small."

The moment Xu Xiangbei spoke, Manager Sun forced a bitter smile, muttering in his heart, My dear President Xu, President Lv hates being called lame. You’re touching a sore spot. There was a bit of hope to buy some raw materials from President Lv to alleviate the crisis, but now it’s completely ruined. Not a single gram of raw material can be bought.

Sure enough, President Lv’s face changed dramatically. He hated being mocked as lame. He was seething with rage: "President Xu, please leave immediately. You’re not welcome here."

"Well, I actually thought highly of you and even considered treating your leg. But forget it, just pretend I never came."

At this point, the young man who came in with President Lv leaned close and whispered something in President Lv’s ear. President Lv’s face changed multiple times, and he looked at Xu Xiangbei with even more astonished eyes.

President Lv’s expression altered uncertainly. Disbelief etched on his face as he looked at Xu Xiangbei. The young man told him that Xu Xiangbei was a consultant in the traditional Chinese medicine department at Jiangcheng Hospital, known to many as Dr. Xu, and had reportedly cured many others.

President Lv narrowed his eyes and said: "Kid, you’re joking with me. How is it possible for you to cure my leg? Even the Department of Surgery’s director at Di Hai City Renmin Hospital couldn’t fix it. Do you think you can?"

"Are you talking about that quack Zhou Xuancheng? No wonder your leg is lame. How could it be cured if you sought a quack for treatment?"

President Lv’s expression grew a bit agitated: "Dr. Xu, can you really cure my leg? Forget buying a hundred tons of silica sand; I’d give you a hundred tons for free."

Xu Xiangbei beamed: "I respect you as a man of honor. If I truly cure your leg, allowing you to walk without crutches, you must give me a hundred tons of silica sand."

President Lv’s chest heaved: "Alright, deal."

Xu Xiangbei instructed the young man and Manager Sun to watch the door from outside the office, not allowing anyone in, no matter what noise they heard inside.

President Lv recounted to Xu Xiangbei how his leg became lame.

It was a day three years ago when President Lv was busy in the workshop. Suddenly, a piece of quartz fell from the workstation and hit his leg. Although surgery saved his leg, it couldn’t walk afterward.

Xu Xiangbei first checked President Lv’s pulse, feeling it strong and forceful. However, the injured leg’s meridians were severely blocked, preventing him from walking.

A strange cold Inner Strength surged into the sole of President Lv’s foot, creeping up his calf.

President Lv felt a chill in his foot as a wisp of cold air traveled upward from the sole, climbing up his calf and into his internal organs.

The chill grew heavier and more painful.

At first, the sensation was like being pricked with needles, then gradually felt like a sharp dagger gouging and stabbing his injured leg. He could even hear his bones emitting a piercing squeak.

This pain, rendering even a strong man like him worse than death, caused him to let out a harrowing scream.

Soon after, this strange sensation disappeared, but it didn’t return to how it had been before. Instead, another hot stream surged into the sole of his foot.

Initially, the hot stream was warm and comforting, akin to being in a warm spring breeze. But after a few seconds, it turned into a scorching torrent, eventually like subterranean lava spewing out searing heat, enough to turn a person to charcoal.

After enduring the torment of ice and fire, President Lv’s voice grew hoarse from the pain. His entire body emitted a scorching scent, as if all his internal organs were thoroughly cooked.