Chapter 59: The Opponent

Zeng Yi thought to himself that Yuan Wenjie was truly arrogant. As the host, one could be polite and say that one's home was simple, but for a guest to say such things was clearly disrespectful.

"Please sit down, Mr. Yuan!" Zeng Yi gestured for Yuan Wenjie to take a seat.

Over the past two days, Zeng Yi had also learned some things about Feilong Construction. The company owed money to material suppliers, underpaid labor companies, and even organized thugs to forcibly demolish residential buildings. They had done all sorts of bad things, and the projects they built were of poor quality. Feilong Construction had been sued several times due to the quality of their work, but each time, Yuan Wenjie was found not liable, and the unlucky ones were the subcontractors.

Yuan Gong was just a vice governor, and Yuan Wenjie was already so unscrupulous. If Yuan Gong were to become the governor, how arrogant would Yuan Wenjie become?

"Doctor Zeng, let's skip the formalities. I'm here to see you for a consultation!" Yuan Wenjie waved his hand to fan away the medicinal smell, found a chair, and sat down, getting straight to the point.

Zeng Yi smiled. "Mr. Yuan, this illness doesn't actually need treatment. As long as you maintain a good temperament and avoid getting angry, it might never flare up!"

Yuan Wenjie didn't believe it. Even if he did, he wouldn't want to leave a potential health issue. "Doctor Zeng, let's not talk about useless things. Can you treat it or not? How much will it cost?"

Zeng Yi knew that the more he said this, the more determined Yuan Wenjie would be to get treated. Fine, if you insist, I'll treat you properly. "Money is not an issue; it won't cost much. Mentioning money would only hurt our feelings."

Hearing this, Yuan Wenjie felt relieved. At least this guy knows his place. Even if you are Secretary Fang's personal doctor, you're still just a doctor. In Rongcheng and in Nanjiang Province, there are countless people who would want to treat me, Yuan Dasha. It's an honor for you to treat me.

"Rest assured, I won't let Doctor Zeng work for nothing. If you cure my illness, you'll be well rewarded," Yuan Wenjie said.

"This illness is easy to treat, but the medicine is hard to take. Mr. Yuan will have to endure for a few days!" Zeng Yi said.

Yuan Wenjie waved his hand. "No problem, just prescribe the medicine. I'll take it!" Compared to his life, a few doses of medicine were nothing. He thought the medicine might be bitter, but he could drink some sugar water to counteract it.

Zeng Yi smiled. "I'll prepare the medicine and send it to you!"

"No need, I'll send someone to pick it up!"

Yuan Wenjie didn't expect things to go so smoothly. If he had known, he wouldn't have waited so long. He had overestimated this guy's integrity. After that night at Venus, he probably realized who Yuan Dasha was. With the matter resolved, Yuan Wenjie didn't linger and left in his car.

Zeng Yi made a cup of tea, took out his grandfather's notebook from a wooden box, and started reading.

"Is this the place?" a voice asked from the doorway.

Zeng Yi looked up and saw two men standing outside. Both had short, closely cropped hair. The one in front was in his early thirties, with sharp eyebrows that gave him a fierce look. His hands were veined, indicating he was a strong and powerful person.

The other man was also tough, but his face was pale, and he was standing straight at the door, trembling slightly. He nodded at the clinic.

The two men walked in. The one in front asked, "Are you the doctor here?"

Zeng Yi nodded. "Yes, do you need a consultation?"

"Cut the crap! If you're not here to see a doctor, why would you come to a clinic!" He pointed to the man behind him. "This is my brother. He's sick. Treat him. If you do, I'll pay. If you don't, I'll use my fists!"

Zeng Yi replied, "I'm sorry, but I can't treat his illness. You'll have to find someone else."

The big man slammed his fist on the table, which groaned in pain. "Try not treating him!"

Zeng Yi raised his hand. "The door is over there. Please leave."

As soon as they appeared, Zeng Yi recognized the pale-faced man as the one he had injured a few days ago. He had damaged the man's lung meridian, causing him to tremble and try to suppress his coughing. This illness would worsen with each cough. The man had only come to see him now, probably because he was already coughing up blood.

Without a word, the big man lunged at Zeng Yi, throwing a punch. Zeng Yi stepped back, dodging the punch. The big man then kicked, and the table between them flew toward Zeng Yi with a whoosh.

Zeng Yi sidestepped, and the table crashed into the wall, shattering into pieces. He noticed that the big man was an external martial arts expert. The table was custom-made, solid wood with a mortise and tenon structure, very sturdy. It would take several hundred pounds of force to break it with a single punch or kick.

"Boy, you'd better treat my brother's injury honestly. If you do, we'll call it even. If not, I'll make you regret having these two hands!" The big man pointed at Zeng Yi, his aura fierce like a raging lion.

"Enough talk!" Zeng Yi stared at him. "This isn't a place where anyone can act recklessly! If you want to settle accounts, let's settle all old and new debts together!"

"You're asking for it!" The big man clenched his fist and charged forward, feinting a punch but suddenly delivering a high kick aimed at Zeng Yi's head.

"Bang!"

Zeng Yi punched the big man's foot, but his hand went numb upon impact. The big man, unaffected, changed his high kick to a sweeping kick, aiming for Zeng Yi's waist.

Zeng Yi inhaled sharply and slid backward, narrowly avoiding the kick. He noticed that the big man was wearing high-top military boots, likely custom-made with steel plates in the soles. These boots, used by special forces, could prevent injuries from traps and were also lethal weapons. A ten-kilogram steel plate could easily break bones.

"Boy, it's not too late to regret!"

The big man's eyes glinted with a murderous intent. Despite holding back, he saw that Zeng Yi was trained. The punch, even with the military boots, had made his feet tingle.

"I like to use force and speak with my fists, so let's get straight to it!" Zeng Yi said, secretly gathering his energy.

The big man attacked again, feinting with his left hand and then lifting his right leg to kick Zeng Yi's abdomen.

This time, Zeng Yi knew the trick. He grabbed the big man's ankle and punched his face, trying to make him protect his face, but the big man ignored it and lunged forward to bear-hug Zeng Yi.

Zeng Yi was shocked. If the big man, an external martial arts expert, hugged him, his ribs would likely break. He abandoned his attack and quickly kicked the big man's thigh.

"Thud!"

The big man stumbled backward several steps before regaining his balance.

This round ended with neither side gaining an advantage. Zeng Yi was surprised by the big man's willingness to trade blows, almost getting caught. He suddenly realized that the big man was likely a battle-hardened soldier who didn't care about life and death. The big man was also surprised; Zeng Yi's kick had clearly been restrained. If it had hit his knee, his leg would likely have been crippled.

They stood facing each other for a long time. Zeng Yi spoke first. "Do you want to continue?"

The big man thought for a moment, slowly unclenching his fist. "No, I won't fight anymore. You're a tough guy. Even if I beat you, you won't treat my brother's injury."

Zeng Yi breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't want to fight a soldier who didn't fear death. Although such people were domineering, they had a reason to be. Just like in politics, the world seemed peaceful on the surface, but there were constant hidden battles. This peace was hard-won by soldiers who didn't fear death. Without their dominance, how could they protect their homeland?

Deep down, Zeng Yi admired these strong soldiers.

During his travels, Zeng Yi had met a retired soldier who had risked his life for his country multiple times. When he retired, he was left with a body full of injuries and had undergone brutal drug resistance training. Whenever his injuries flared up, he could only endure the pain, as no painkillers or anesthetics worked on him. Fortunately, he met Zeng Yi, or the pain would have followed him for life.

Zeng Yi relaxed his stance. "Can we talk now?"

The big man understood what Zeng Yi meant. "You probably figured it out. Yes, a few days ago, my brother sneaked in here and attacked you."

"Why?" Zeng Yi asked. "Do we have a grudge?"

"No grudge! Because you saved someone you shouldn't have!" the big man said.

Zeng Yi remembered. "The bald guy with the dislocated shoulder?"

The big man nodded. "My brother didn't mean to hurt you. He just wanted to scare you and give you a lesson. He didn't expect your fists to be harder and ended up getting injured."

The pale-faced man looked不服 (unconvinced) and opened his mouth to speak, but the big man raised his hand. "Forget it, don't say anything. We admit defeat!"

He looked at Zeng Yi. "If I've wronged you, I apologize. Just treat my brother's injury, and you can name your conditions!"

Zeng Yi pointed to the table. "Fix that table for me!"

"No problem, I'll buy you a new one!" the big man nodded.

Zeng Yi walked over, opened a drawer in the medicine cabinet, and took out a small porcelain bottle. "Divide it into six parts. Take three orally and apply three externally. Once a day for three days, and he'll be cured."

The big man gratefully took the bottle. "Any other conditions?"

Zeng Yi waved his hand. "Go! Don't do this again, or one day, all doctors will refuse to treat you!"

The big man's face turned red. He had been too focused on his own temper and hadn't thought about the consequences. "I'll remember that!"

---

End of Chapter 59