Chapter 25

In the main hall of the Baozhi Lin clinic, dozens of representatives from the local militia and Huang Feihong, along with his disciples, gathered in silence, so quiet that a pin drop could be heard, listening intently to one person speaking calmly.

"As for the reason why the British deputy commander is so enthusiastic, I have carefully considered it and believe there are no more than a few possible reasons..."

"Perhaps the British are also worried that the shooting of Chinese fishermen has caused strong public discontent in Foshan, which could adversely affect the lives of the British fleet's officers and men. Otherwise, it would be hard to explain why they would so easily let this matter slide, given their tendency to stir up trouble even when there is none, which is highly suspicious!"

"Another possibility is that the British fleet's logistics and supplies are really in trouble, so they urgently need a solution, and it just so happens that Yap Chak Suu has come forward. Although we have had some conflicts with the British before, they were merely disputes of pride. Compared to the fleet's logistics and supplies, everything else is insignificant!"

"Of course, we cannot rule out the possibility that Yap Chak Suu has had contact with the fleet commander. Although the outcome was not very pleasant, they did sit down and discuss matters together. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for Yap Chak Suu to so easily find the British deputy commander!"

"..."

After a long speech, everyone nodded in agreement, secretly sweating, realizing how complex the situation was. They were glad they hadn't said anything overly foolish, or they would have lost face.

"Feihong!" Aunt Thirteen called softly, taking advantage of the moment when no one was paying attention.

"Thirteen Aunt, what is it?" Huang Feihong's gentle smile remained unchanged as he whispered back.

"Look at Ah Sha now. Doesn't he look like a great military strategist from a play, pointing out the way forward and giving orders?" Aunt Thirteen's face was adorned with a faint smile, but her words were somewhat amusing.

"He's just a dog-headed advisor!" Huang Feihong was both amused and exasperated, responding with a lack of enthusiasm.

...

"Of course, we must also be wary of the cunning of the foreigners!"

Lin Sha's lengthy speech left everyone dizzy, but he concluded with a significant turn: "According to the contract, the first transaction is scheduled for three days from now. We should first provide one-third to half of our stock to see if the foreigners will adhere to the contract or have other tricks up their sleeves. This way, we won't lose everything!"

Everyone thought about it and agreed. After a lively discussion of the transaction details, they left Baozhi Lin with a mix of nervousness and excitement.

Huang Feihong didn't say much. He wasn't very knowledgeable about business matters. Since Lin Sha was so enthusiastic and seemed to know what he was doing, he decided to leave everything to him. He would just oversee things to ensure nothing went wrong, making his role as a master quite easy.

"Yap Chak Suu, I have high hopes for you. We need your help in communication and coordination!"

Exiting the main hall, Lin Sha called out to Yap Chak Suu, patting the young man's shoulder with a serious expression.

"R-rely on m-me, L-Lin Sha. W-whatever I c-can do, I w-will g-go t-through f-fire and w-water w-without h-hesitation!"

At that moment, Yap Chak Suu was filled with excitement, his heart brimming with a sense of trust and a strong desire to take on the challenge. He felt that he was now a useful person at Baozhi Lin.

Speaking of Yap Chak Suu's background, it could truly be described as bitter and sorrowful.

He was of Chinese descent, born and raised in the United States, where he endured the bullying and discrimination of white Americans, barely managing to scrape by. Unable to bear the hardship, he returned to China to seek a better future.

He came to Baozhi Lin and successfully became a disciple of the great hero Huang Feihong, specializing in the study of traditional Chinese medicine. Although he was well-fed and clothed, life was not easy.

The Qing government, intimidated by the powerful warships and guns of the Western powers, was servile to the foreigners, but the public was extremely xenophobic, filled with fear and hatred towards the foreigners.

If he had worked for a foreign company, he would have earned a high salary and could have taken advantage of the foreigners' influence to assert himself. However, he was at Baozhi Lin...

Not only was his master, Huang Feihong, a symbol of righteousness who detested the foreigners' arrogance, but everyone who came to Baozhi Lin was either highly principled like his master or had deep-seated grudges against the foreigners. They were hostile towards the foreigners and, by extension, anything related to them.

Yap Chak Suu was in a difficult position. Although he dressed modestly and looked like a typical apprentice, his speech betrayed his background. Due to his upbringing, he struggled to speak Chinese fluently, and his stutter was a result of learning the language.

Moreover, his lifestyle and mannerisms were quite different from those of the local residents, causing some trouble in his daily life.

Adding to this, although he was a formal disciple of Huang Feihong, he had no martial arts skills, which made him stand out in the circle centered around Baozhi Lin. He gradually became an outsider and a target of exclusion.

Especially his senior brother, Porky Rong, who was always harsh in his words. When in a good mood, he might tease Yap Chak Suu, but when upset, he would call him a "fake foreign devil" without any consideration for Yap Chak Suu's feelings.

Traditional Chinese medicine is a field that places great emphasis on theory and experience. For someone like Yap Chak Suu, who had no background in classical Chinese and no prior exposure, it was difficult to even begin learning, let alone master it. It was uncertain when he would achieve this goal.

Thus, despite being a disciple of Huang Feihong, Yap Chak Suu was mostly relegated to menial tasks at Baozhi Lin, akin to a freeloader. The local militia members, though poor, were full of spirit and could not bear to see him treated well.

Yap Chak Suu was deeply troubled. He did have abilities! After all, he had crossed the ocean from America to China, a "sea turtle" with a broad perspective and knowledge far beyond that of the local people.

However, he lacked the opportunity to showcase his talents.

Without demonstrating his capabilities and value, he was naturally seen as a freeloader, and it was no wonder he faced disdain and contempt.

Now, he finally had the chance to prove himself and received such "care" and "respect" from Lin Sha. If he didn't seize this opportunity and perform well, he would truly be a hopeless case.

"Ha, it seems this guy hasn't had an easy time," Lin Sha mused, watching Yap Chak Suu leave with enthusiasm. A smile crept onto his face: It seems I really did the right thing...

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