Chapter 96: Wang Tianhao's Mind
"Younger Brother Zhou, come on in! Let me make an introduction. This is the owner of the Manyun Hotel, Gongsun Long, Boss Gongsun!" Just as Zhou Fan entered the private room, Zhang Long came over to greet him, introducing a rather handsome man of about forty standing beside him. "Boss Gongsun, this is Zhou Fan, my brother!"
"Haha, I've long heard Boss Zhang mention Mr. Zhou. Seeing you today, you're truly a dragon among men. If Mr. Zhou doesn't mind, how about we call each other brothers from now on?" Gongsun Long laughed heartily and stepped forward to shake Zhou Fan's hand.
"In that case, I won't stand on ceremony. Brother Gongsun?" Zhou Fan also extended his hand, his face beaming with a sincere smile. "I've always wanted a chance to meet the owner of the Manyun Hotel but never had the opportunity. You could say you've made a dream of mine come true today!"
After some simple pleasantries, the three of them sat down. As the one who arranged the meeting, Zhang Long naturally sat in the middle. After a few drinks, both sides got down to business.
"Younger Brother Zhou, to be honest, the reason I asked Boss Zhang to arrange this meeting is that I have a favor to ask," Gongsun Long said with a wry smile, raising his glass to toast Zhou Fan.
"Hey, Brother Gongsun, we're brothers now. There's no need for words like 'favor' between us. The fact that you thought of me when you're in trouble is an honor. By acting like this, you're looking down on me, your brother!" Zhou Fan gently pressed down on Gongsun Long's glass, pretending to be upset.
Although Zhou Fan disliked this kind of socializing, he was quite familiar with these insincere pleasantries. 'Whether or not I agree to help him later, it's never wrong to say the right things first.'
"Alright, then I'll get straight to the point. I have a friend, also from Nanjiang City. Recently, for some unknown reason, she's become incredibly lethargic, sleeping all the time. It's especially bad after sunset—she's almost impossible to wake. If that were all, it wouldn't be such a big deal, but the main problem is that after she falls asleep, she starts doing all sorts of strange things. Sometimes, she even crawls on the walls like a gecko!"
Gongsun Long hesitated for a moment before continuing.
"We've had many famous doctors take a look, but none of their treatments had any significant effect. A while ago, Divine Doctor Ouyang came to examine her. He said he couldn't do anything about this illness, he couldn't even diagnose it. But, he recommended you, Younger Brother. And he said that if even you can't help, then we might as well start preparing for her funeral."
"We originally wanted to have Divine Doctor Ouyang bring me here, but he was unwilling. He said... he was afraid you'd be upset with him. In the end, we found out Boss Zhang had a personal connection with you, and that's why..."
Gongsun Long explained the whole situation in one go. Seemingly a bit thirsty, he poured himself a drink and downed it. Then, he suddenly stood up, bowed deeply to Zhou Fan, and said, "I hope Younger Brother Zhou will lend us his aid!"
This time, Zhou Fan didn't stop him. He leaned back slightly and glanced over at Zhang Long. Seeing Zhang Long give him an "it's up to you" look, he then turned his gaze back to Gongsun Long.
"Brother Gongsun, since you've come to me for help, I think it would be better if you told me the truth," Zhou Fan said, his fingers tapping lightly on the tabletop. "If the illness were only as you described, it's impossible that Divine Doctor Ouyang couldn't cure it."
Others might not know, but Zhou Fan knew very well. Divine Doctor Ouyang held the title of "Divine Doctor" for a reason. 'He's just a bit of a lightweight compared to me, that's all. For any ordinary illness, he can provide a cure with ease.'
"My apologies, Younger Brother Zhou. It was presumptuous of me. There is actually one more, most serious symptom. My friend... every day at Midnight, she will suddenly fly into a rage and attack anyone she sees, trying to kill them. Her strength and speed become incredible. Before we understood what was happening, many people were killed. So now, at Midnight, we have to restrain her with iron chains. As soon as Midnight passes, she returns to normal."
Hearing Zhou Fan's words, Gongsun Long was momentarily stunned. He clearly hadn't expected Zhou Fan to guess that there was more to the story. After apologizing, he revealed the full truth.
"Is that so? I'm not sure if I can cure her. I'll have to examine her myself to know for sure," Zhou Fan said, frowning in deep thought, his expression more serious than ever before.
...
In another private room at the Manyun Hotel, Wang Tianhao stood up, glass in hand, and looked at Chu Yan with an apologetic expression.
"President Chu, first, I'd like to apologize for what happened last time. I hope you can be magnanimous and forgive me."
Chu Yan didn't want to drink with him. Although she wanted to close this business deal, for some reason, seeing Wang Tianhao again today, she felt a sinister glint in his eyes. It seemed he wasn't really here to apologize today.
But then she recalled how he had been apologizing ever since she arrived. The wine in front of them had also just been opened. 'He couldn't have tampered with it,' she thought. After a moment's hesitation, she put on a polite smile, stood up, clinked glasses with him, and took a small sip.
However, what Chu Yan failed to notice was that after she took a sip, her secretary, who was standing beside her, secretly gave Wang Tianhao a nod.