"Second Young Master, we're almost at Jianghua Street. What are we doing here?"
The driver, observing the streetscape, felt a strange sense of stepping back in time, as if entering a scene from over a decade ago.
Jianghua Street was lined with low-rise concrete buildings, some even with tiled roofs, clearly showing their age.
"Looking for a friend," Gong Chengbin replied, his eyes scanning the surroundings.
Looking for a friend?
A friend of the Second Young Master living in a place like this?
The driver, however, merely grumbled inwardly, too wise to voice his thoughts.
"Stop the car!"
After a short drive, Gong Chengbin, seated in the back, suddenly his eyes lit up, and he shouted.
Although Gong Chengbin's command was sudden, the skilled driver brought the car to a smooth halt.
As the driver moved to open the door for Gong Chengbin, the latter had already opened his own and was walking towards a storefront.
"Du Fei."
Upon entering, Gong Chengbin saw Du Fei seated inside.
Du Fei looked up at the sound of his name and was slightly surprised to see Gong Chengbin enter.
"Heh, surprised I found you? I must say, it's impressive you've opened a Traditional Chinese Medicine clinic and are now saving lives."
Gong Chengbin surveyed the room, his gaze briefly lingering on Wang Zhongling before he approached Du Fei.
At this moment, a man in a suit pointed at Du Fei and said, "Are you deaf? Our boss is offering you five times your usual fee. You just want money, right? Here's five times the fee, so treat our boss first!"
Du Fei was about to respond when Gong Chengbin interjected, "What the hell? You dare to yell at my friend? Who do you think you are? Get out!"
As one of Rongcheng's top second-generation heirs, Gong Chengbin, despite his usual low-key demeanor around Du Fei, was not one to shy away from asserting himself.
Hearing someone shouting at Du Fei and trying to buy their way, Gong Chengbin couldn't stand it.
"You dare tell us to get out..."
*Slap!*
Before the man in the suit could finish speaking, his boss, who had been seated, suddenly stood up and slapped him.
"Boss? Why are you hitting me?"
The man in the suit was stunned by the blow.
To his surprise, his boss didn't stop at one slap, but continued to rain blows upon him relentlessly.
Du Fei and Wang Zhongling were bewildered by the sudden turn of events.
This man, who claimed to be the boss of Xiaokang Logistics, had just acted the same way as his subordinate. Why was he now brutally beating him?
Could it be...
Du Fei instinctively glanced at Gong Chengbin.
Indeed, Gong Chengbin said coldly, "Well, Dong Xiaokang, you've gotten quite bold now, haven't you? You seem to be putting on quite a show."
"My apologies, Second Young Master. I had no idea this was your friend's establishment. If I had known, I wouldn't have dared, not even with ten times the courage."
Dong Xiaokang delivered another kick to his subordinate and then put on a fawning smile.
Dong Xiaokang had started as a street tough. After Rongcheng's crackdown, he switched to logistics, building a fleet of vehicles. Over the years, his shrewdness and connections had earned him millions, leading to his current arrogant demeanor.
But arrogance had its limits, and it depended on whom he was dealing with.
Despite his wealth, Dong Xiaokang didn't dare to utter a peep in front of Gong Chengbin.
This was because Xiaokang Logistics' primary client was Wanhe Group, meaning Gong Chengbin could shut down Xiaokang Logistics with a single word.
"Du Fei, what do you think?"
Gong Chengbin ignored Dong Xiaokang and turned to Du Fei.
Du Fei waved his hand towards the door, and Gong Chengbin then said, "Get out! And don't let me see you here again."
"Yes, yes, Second Young Master, don't worry. I will certainly remember your words."
With that, Dong Xiaokang and his subordinate quickly departed the clinic.
Once they were gone, Gong Chengbin took a seat opposite Du Fei.
"Doctor, please examine me quickly. I've been feeling weak lately, constantly tired and unwilling to move."
Gong Chengbin was teasing Du Fei.
To his surprise, Du Fei replied, "Hmm, your condition is quite simple. It's a deficiency of kidney essence and a failure to secure kidney qi. In simpler terms, it's kidney deficiency!"
*Pfft.*
The moment Du Fei finished speaking, Wang Zhongling couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Gong Chengbin's driver, who had followed them in, suppressed a chuckle, finding it difficult to hold back.
"Damn it, we're friends, and you're messing with me like this," Gong Chengbin said, his face flushing as he pointed at Du Fei accusingly.
Du Fei retorted, "You were the one who started teasing me earlier for no reason."
"Alright, alright, no more jokes. I'm here because I need your help with something."
Gong Chengbin finished speaking, waved his driver out, and then glanced at Wang Zhongling.
She understood Gong Chengbin's intentions immediately and, after telling Du Fei she'd be in the back, left.
Now, only Du Fei and Gong Chengbin remained in the main hall of the clinic.
"I knew you wouldn't come here without a reason. So, what is it?"
"It's like this, I mentioned to you before that my father assigned me a major project. I've run into some trouble and need your help."
Gong Chengbin then stated his purpose.
Du Fei almost thought he'd misheard. He looked at Gong Chengbin and said, "Excuse me, Young Master Gong, I've never been in business my entire life. Are you sure you're looking for the right person?"
If Gong Chengbin was having business troubles, he should be asking his father or professional managers who advised large corporations. Why travel all this way to find him?
"I know you're not good at business, but you're excellent at treating people. I've witnessed your medical skills firsthand."
Gong Chengbin then explained that the person he was negotiating with was a well-known entrepreneur from the neighboring province.
Although his net worth was slightly less than Gong Chengbin's father's, this individual had powerful connections and operated in a monopolistic industry, yielding enormous profits.
Many were vying for this project. If Gong Chengbin could secure it, it would be a significant boost to his standing within the group.
Otherwise, no matter how much Gong Weimin favored him, Gong Chengbin's older brother, Gong Chengjun, had been with the company longer and possessed outstanding business acumen, making it difficult for Gong Chengbin to compete.
Gong Chengbin told Du Fei that he learned this entrepreneur, though in his early forties, had no children.
While the specific reason was unknown, unconfirmed reports suggested his wife had some health issues.
Given that it involved the man's wife, Gong Chengbin was hesitant to investigate further, fearing it might provoke resentment if discovered.