"Not for sale!" Li Se answered curtly.
"Are you sure?" Gu Tianhe narrowed his eyes.
Li Se, unwilling to bother with Gu Tianhe any further, turned to leave.
"Wait!" Huangpu Ze's voice rang out.
"Is there anything else?" Li Se was quite annoyed with Huangpu Ze now. He knew Huangpu Ze's intentions and couldn't be bothered to say anything. This kind of person was all about profit, willing to twist the truth when it suited them.
"Name your price. Let's keep these golden needles," Huangpu Ze said calmly.
"Uncle Huang, how could you do this?" Yao Shiqing looked incredulous. She was certain Huangpu Ze knew Li Se had saved him. Not only was he not showing gratitude, but he was now helping Gu Tianhe acquire these golden needles!
"There are things you don't understand," Huangpu Ze shook his head, then turned to Gu Tianhe. "Imperial Physician Gu, as a token of my gratitude, I will help you acquire these golden needles."
Gu Tianhe nodded arrogantly, a smile on his face, and looked at Li Se with utter disdain. Perhaps this young man's medical skills were not inferior to his own, but his background was ultimately too lowly. Even if his medical skills reached the heavens, they would be useless. Such was reality!
"No matter how much you offer, I won't sell!" Li Se repeated.
Huangpu Ze said, "Young man, your path is long. Do you know how much it would affect your future if you offended an Imperial Physician? Do you truly believe that what Imperial Physician Gu said earlier was mere talk? That his words could genuinely ruin your future!"
"Imperial Physician?" Li Se chuckled, a disdainful laugh. "So, are Imperial Physicians that formidable? Or is a retired Imperial Physician particularly impressive?"
"You still don't understand anything," Huangpu Ze sighed lightly.
"Mr. Huang, there are things you simply don't understand. Your revered understanding might be worthless in my eyes. Perhaps it's not that I don't understand, but that you are ignorant?" Li Se stated calmly.
Being called ignorant to his face, Huangpu Ze became somewhat angry but suppressed it. "Perhaps you are right. But your best option now is to hand over the golden needles. Name your price, and rest assured, I will give you a satisfactory one!"
"I said, I won't sell!" Li Se's face was cold.
"Heh, won't sell? Do you think I can't get these golden needles just because you refuse to sell?" Gu Tianhe leaned back, a mocking expression on his face. "If I recall correctly, your Huanyang Golden Needles are from the Wenbu (Tonic) School of the Eight Great Schools, passed down through generations. How did they fall into your hands? Could it be that you stole them?"
"You little brat, daring to steal golden needles! Believe it or not, I'll call the police and have you arrested!" Yu Tianran reprimanded.
Li Se retorted, "Whether I stole them or not, you can ask Zhao Xinze. As for you wanting these golden needles, I can only say three words to you: You... are... not... worthy!"
With that, Li Se left without further delay.
"Uncle Huang, I'm leaving too." Yao Shiqing decided not to stay. She was deeply disappointed by Huangpu Ze's reaction today. The elder she respected was someone who prioritized profit so highly.
Huangpu Ze was displeased and let out a cold snort. This Li Se was too arrogant!
"What an audacious young man!" Gu Tianhe's face darkened.
"Imperial Physician Gu, I will immediately have my family send someone over. We must obtain these golden needles!" Zhang Yi said promptly.
Gu Tianhe waved his hand. "No need. Years ago, I treated a martial arts expert. He happens to be not far from Fuxi County. I'll have him come over!"
Zhang Yi was shocked by this, and even Huangpu Ze was greatly astonished. This was the capability of an Imperial Physician – their connections spanned the globe!
"Divine Doctor Li, I'm sorry. I didn't expect Uncle Huang to act like this." Yao Shiqing chased after him, her face filled with apology.
Li Se smiled and said, "He's just afraid of offending Gu Tianhe because he's an Imperial Physician, so he's currying favor by thanking him. Ultimately, he thinks I'm just an ordinary doctor, and no matter how skilled I am, it's useless without power and influence!"
"Divine Doctor Li..." Yao Shiqing's expression was complicated, wanting to say something.
Li Se waved his hand. "I know what you want to say, but don't worry, I haven't taken it to heart at all. As I said earlier, all of this is just Huangpu Ze's own assumption. His so-called understanding is merely his own understanding!"
"Alright, I'm going to spend time with my family now."
With that, Li Se entered his private room, leaving Yao Shiqing in a daze. She kept pondering Li Se's words, not entirely understanding their meaning.
However, one thing was certain: Yao Shiqing knew that her relationship with Li Se had become strained. Her expression dimmed, and she regretted asking Li Se for help.
Back in his private room, although Li Se was still somewhat angry, he wouldn't let his frustration affect his family. He quickly resumed his smile.
"How did it go? How was the treatment?" Chen Xiulian asked with concern.
"It was alright," Li Se replied casually.
The two women in the private room were Li Se's mother and his woman. They understood him well and knew from his answer that things hadn't gone smoothly. However, they said nothing, seeing no need to cause unpleasantness over someone else's affairs.
Just then, Li Se's phone rang. Looking at his mobile, he saw it was Du Jinglong calling, a rare occurrence.
It had been nearly half a year since he last saw Du Jinglong. He truly didn't know why Du Jinglong was looking for him. Perhaps it was a difficult patient.
Upon answering, Du Jinglong's hearty voice immediately came through, "Little friend Li, I happen to be in Qingyun City. Are you there?"
"President Du, I'm in my hometown, Fuxi County, right now. Is something wrong?" Li Se asked, confused.
"Oh, is that so? A friend of mine has some health issues. They've seen Imperial Physicians, but they're all stumped. So, I thought of you. Sigh, you Imperial Physicians are so irresponsible; you should be in the capital. Now, to see you, one has to travel all the way to Qingyun City." Du Jinglong said with a hint of frustration.
"Is it very serious?" Li Se felt a bit embarrassed. As soon as one became an Imperial Physician, they were supposed to go to the capital, and he hadn't even set foot there yet.
Du Jinglong thought for a moment. "It's quite serious. How about this, I'll bring him to Fuxi County. It's only about an hour's drive."
"Alright, I'll be waiting for you!" Li Se agreed.
After the call ended, Chen Xiulian's expression changed. "The President Du you mentioned, is it Du Jinglong?"
Li Se looked at his mother in surprise. "Mom, how do you know?"