Chapter Ninety-One: A Backstab!

Because most people who studied traditional Chinese medicine tended to be conservative in temperament and were not accustomed to cold snacks and pastries, the celebratory banquet was held in the traditional Chinese style.

In the hotel lobby at Yanyuan, thirty tables had been laid. The delegates all sat ten to a table. To allow everyone to discuss things freely over the meal, the organizers did not assign seating.

Qin Luo sat down wherever he found an empty spot, only to discover that, after a single speech, he had already become the star of the entire hall. The people at his table immediately began greeting him warmly.

"Brother Qin, a single conversation with you is worth ten years of reading. When the wine and dishes are served, I absolutely have to toast you with three full cups."

"Exactly. So young, and yet already so perceptive. You really can not judge a book by its cover."

"Brother Qin, here is my card. If you ever pass through Guangxi, you must come stay at my home."

"Yes, yes. If you ever come to Guangzhou, you must give me the chance to play host properly."

Talented people always won respect. Qin Luo's speech onstage had been sharp enough to sting, but it had also earned the approval and conviction of the crowd.

As a result, his little flaws were automatically overlooked.

Qin Luo smiled and exchanged pleasantries with everyone one by one, no longer as aggressive as he had been onstage.

He knew the importance of stopping while ahead. If he kept antagonizing these people now, he would only be creating future enemies for himself.

The organizers were generous enough, and every table was served two bottles of premium Moutai. Quite a few among the guests were fond of drink, and they urged Qin Luo repeatedly to join them. Qin Luo explained again and again that he was allergic to alcohol and would collapse the moment he drank.

Seeing that his complexion was indeed unusual, the others realized he was not lying. In the end they compromised: for every cup of liquor someone else drank, Qin Luo would accompany them with a cup of juice. Even so, he could barely hold up. He ran to the restroom twice in quick succession.

After that, the leaders at the main table, led by Cai Gongmin, went from table to table offering toasts.

When they reached Qin Luo's table, Cai Gongmin deliberately stepped up to him, gave his shoulder a firm pat, and said, "Qin Luo, you truly taught us a lesson today. Well said. Very well said. Still, there was one thing you got wrong."

"What was that?" Qin Luo asked.

"We did not hold this conference in vain, after all. If there had been no conference, how else could we have discovered someone like you?" Cai Gongmin said with a smile.

Qin Luo had not expected the stern-looking old man to have such a sense of humor, and he was slightly surprised. The people following behind Cai Gongmin heard the leader laugh, and as if someone had pressed a remote, they all burst out laughing too, as though they had just heard the funniest joke in the world.

"Minister, you flatter me. I only said what I was thinking. These things are not something I alone know. If one pays a little attention, they are not hard to understand. It's just that no one has wanted to stand up and tear away the emperor's new clothes."

Qin Luo smiled as he spoke, and the probing intent in his words was unmistakable. If Cai Gongmin could accept that overture, then he would become a leader Qin Luo could draw strength from in the future. If Cai Gongmin chose not to answer, then there would likely be many obstacles ahead.

Cai Gongmin nodded and sighed. "Yes. These principles are quite simple and obvious. Yet no one is willing to say them aloud. Everyone pretends not to know and muddles through. No one dares admit they can smell the stench, and so this pot of meat can only keep rotting."

Qin Luo was delighted. If Cai Gongmin were willing to express support, then with his authority, the road to saving traditional medicine would gain far more momentum.

"It will get better in the future," Qin Luo said with a smile.

"Yes. It will get better," Cai Gongmin said. "Many of your views today have given me real insight. That idea of establishing a traditional medicine association and letting professionals lead professionals is especially clear. Ha, but this is not the time to discuss that. After the conference, we should find a time and have a proper talk. Come, Qin Luo, let me toast you."

"I can not drink," Qin Luo said with a wry smile.

"That is all right. Use juice instead," Cai Gongmin said indulgently.

If it had been any other leader toasting a subordinate, the subordinate would have been so grateful he would have drunk three cups on the spot. Who would dare use the excuse of not being able to drink and refuse as Qin Luo had done?

"I toast you, Minister Cai." Qin Luo raised his glass of juice and clinked it against Cai Gongmin's cup.

The people standing behind Cai Gongmin once again noticed that he was treating Qin Luo very differently.

Earlier, when he had toasted the other tables, he had merely wet his lips. But when Qin Luo clinked juice against him, he drained his entire cup of liquor in one gulp.

"Qin Luo, I forgot to ask. Where are you working now?"

Qin Luo smiled and said, "I teach at the School of Traditional Chinese Medicine at Capital Medical University."

"Oh. A wasted talent, that is all. Still, this time your school of traditional medicine has sent us a very fine representative," Cai Gongmin said with a chuckle.

Qin Luo sneered inwardly. He would not do anything foolish that would add to Guo Renhuai's political achievements.

So, wearing an embarrassed expression, he said, "Actually, I had also wanted to represent my department at this conference, and I fought hard for a place. But the department considered my youth and lack of seniority, and felt I was not yet suitable to attend such a high-level meeting, so they cut me."

"It was Senior Wang Xiushen, the Needle King, who thought very highly of me. He personally went to the organizing committee to secure a place for me, and he also persuaded the other expert-panel members to agree that I speak on behalf of the panel. Otherwise, I would never have had the chance to stand on that stage."

After hearing Qin Luo's words, Cai Gongmin's face seemed to be covered with a sheet of black paper. "The way the School of Traditional Chinese Medicine evaluates talent really does have serious problems. Minghao, make sure to say something to Principal Li Yonggang and raise this issue."

The secretary standing not far behind Cai Gongmin immediately agreed and took out the notebook he carried with him to record it.

Teacher Zhu, sitting at a table beside Qin Luo, broke into a cold sweat when he heard this.

This boy was truly ruthless. The knife he had plunged from behind was vicious indeed.

If Minister Cai took this matter seriously, then Director Guo would be placed in a very difficult position.

"Our Director Guo Renhuai must have his own considerations as well," Qin Luo said, forcing himself to sound as though he were "defending" the man.

Since he had already begun, he might as well name Director Guo as well.

"Hmph. Those old notions of judging people by seniority and age should have been discarded long ago. His thinking is seriously flawed."

Cai Gongmin pointed to his own head as he spoke.

That phrase seriously flawed thinking might as well have been a death sentence for Guo Renhuai.

Cai Gongmin patted Qin Luo's shoulder once more before leading his people to the next table.

The president of the Traditional Medicine Association, Jiang Shanshui, also clinked glasses with Qin Luo and said with a smile, "Young man, you have a bright future. I am optimistic about you. If you run into any problems you can not solve, call me."

As he spoke, he took a business card from his pocket and handed it to Qin Luo.

Qin Luo knew that Jiang Shanshui's friendly attitude was due to Cai Gongmin's approval of him, but society was like this: there was no love for no reason, and no hatred for no reason. He could not show his true thoughts on his face. So he chatted with Jiang Shanshui warmly.

When Cai Gongmin and the others left, Qin Luo once again became the center of attention at the table.

Everyone could already foresee that Qin Luo, now favored by the vice minister, would surely rise rapidly in the future.

So the toasts became even more enthusiastic. Qin Luo's trips to the restroom also became more frequent.

Teacher Zhu eventually came over with a glass of liquor of his own and stood before Qin Luo with a smile full of ingratiation. "Qin Luo, I have not understood you well in the past, and I have often looked at people with old eyes. I have offended you in many ways, and I hope you will not take it to heart. Here, let me toast you. Can we let our past unhappiness end here?"

Qin Luo narrowed his eyes at him and said with a smile, "I can not drink."

Teacher Zhu had already heard that Qin Luo could not drink. Since he had even dared to use juice when toasting the minister, he himself could not presume too much, so he said with a smile, "That is fine. Use juice then."

Qin Luo shook his head. "I am already full of juice as well."

Instantly, Teacher Zhu's face flushed red, as if he had been burned by fire.

He stood there, awkward and at a loss, unable to tell whether to stay or leave.

Realizing that Qin Luo might still bear resentment toward him, he had no choice but to steel himself and say, "I will drink first as a sign of respect."

With that, he downed the white liquor in one gulp. Then he looked at Qin Luo with hopeful expectation.

Qin Luo studied him for a moment and then gave a soft sigh. He lifted the juice in front of him and merely wet his lips.

"Thank you," Teacher Zhu said. That tiny gesture from Qin Luo nearly moved him to tears.

If he had drained the cup and Qin Luo had not even budged, that would have been a slap in the face delivered in front of the entire table.

Qin Luo nodded. Teacher Zhu forced a smile, then returned to his seat with his glass in hand.

A silver Mercedes turned into Yanyuan and stopped in the parking lot of the guesthouse and dining area.

Li Lingxi opened the door and, after the man getting out a moment later, said, "Young Master Guan, did you not say you wanted to talk business with me? Why have we come to a place like this?"

"This is exactly the right place to talk business," Guan Xu said with a smile.

"Talk business here? What is there worth discussing in a place like this? If Young Master Guan wants somewhere to relax, why not go to Xinyuan instead? That newcomer, Qiu Yanmei, is truly a beauty. Maybe we might even have a chance to see her. With your abilities, Young Master Guan, becoming a guest in her private chambers is not impossible."

"Under heaven and on earth, nothing matters more than making money. Without money, everything is transient," Guan Xu said with a smile.

"Why would Young Master Guan say such a thing? Surely you do not lack profitable paths?"

"Well, am I not here looking for one?"

"Here? What kind of money-making path could there be here?"

"There is a nationwide seminar on traditional Chinese medicine taking place here," Guan Xu explained as he walked into the garden.

"A seminar on traditional medicine? What does that have to do with the business we are supposed to discuss?"

"The old men attending that conference are all giant deposits of ore," Guan Xu said with a smile. "As long as we can dig them out, we can make a great fortune."

"Young Master Guan, are you trying to tell me that the business you have returned to China to pursue this time is traditional medicine, not genetic technology?" Li Lingxi asked in complete surprise, and beneath that surprise lay a strong sense of disappointment.

"What, do you look down on traditional medicine?" Guan Xu asked, turning back with that same faint, detached smile.

"No. I only think that high technology makes money faster. Besides, it can also enjoy favorable government policy, and borrowing money is easier for us..."

"Do you think I would fight a battle I was not sure of, Lingxi? If you trust me, then come inside. I will give you a chance to make money."

"Haha, of course I trust you."

Though Li Lingxi remained puzzled, his trust in Guan Xu, which had begun in childhood, made him follow him inside all the same.

What he did not know was that, by following this time, he was stepping into an abyss with no bottom.

And there would be no turning back.