Physician's Odyssey Chapter 344 - Intimidation

"Are we leaving?" Xia Yu rubbed his fists. It has been a long time since he fought, so the callus on his joints have shredded. Because he had beaten too many people up earlier, his skin had turned red from the friction.
"Nope!" Su Tao glanced at the building before him and looked on the fourth floor.
Bai Fan had planned everything well and predicted that he would make a trip to this office to get the fire safety regulation application done.
But since that's the case, then Su Tao wouldn't cower and had to get the matter done today. Those people who attacked him weren't from this office, but he could tell that Qiu Hai intended to remain as an outsider since this matter was too sensitive. Hence, Su Tao felt the need to give it a try.
After all, he and Xia Yu just proved with their fists that they weren't pushovers.
Although Qiu Hai knew that Su Tao couldn't look through this shaded glass, he still couldn't help feeling a chill down his spine.
"Then I'll go with you again. You sure we won't be rejected this time?" Xia Yu unhappily said.
"Since we've already been rejected once, it won't matter for us to be rejected another time!" Su Tao gently smiled as he strode back into the building.
"Shall we call people over?" Xiao Rui nervously asked.
"Call who? Give Bai Fan a call now!" Qiu Hai unhappily glanced at Xiao Rui. This fellow still wants to blow the matter up? If they really touched the other party, it wouldn't be possible for him to stay out of this matter anymore. Since the fight occurred out of his office, it had nothing to do with him. But if a fight broke out in his office, then it would be a different matter.
He had no intention of taking the risk and get himself into trouble.
Xiao Rui felt indignant when he was hollered at, since it was Bai Fan's mistake. However, he could only reluctantly swallow it up, since he was the one who brought Bai Fan and Qiu Hai together.
"Mr. Bai, what's going on? The men you sent over were all beaten up by those two." Xiao Rui slammed his hand on the table.
Bai Fan had already received the news that his men have been defeated.
Just when he was feeling depressed, he never expected that Xiao Rui would slam on the table while talking to him, which left him unhappy. It seems that he has 'spoiled' this young man by secretly sending so many gifts over. Did that fellow really think that he's afraid of a puny office assistant like him?
He never even placed Qiu Hai in his eyes. The reason why he approached Xiao Rui was to get the latter's help to cause trouble to the Three Flavour Hall for him to fulfill his plan.
In his plan, Qiu Hai and Xiao Rui were just pawns on his chessboard.
Bai Fan naturally couldn't allow Su Tao's branch in He City to go smoothly, which was the reason why he designed an obstruction at the fire safety regulation application. To fulfill his plan, Bai Fan even bribed Xiao Rui, who was the assistant of Qiu Hai. Because, in a chessboard, the more insignificant the character, the more they would be able to exhibit an unexpected effect.
Things went as Bai Fan had expected. Xiao Rui was hooked by him and played an essential role while he was trying to approach Qiu Hai. Bai Fan signaled Qiu Hai to obstruct the Three Flavour Hall's application because it was the decision from a powerhouse in the province.
This was a lie that Bai Fan cooked up by using the complicated political situation in Huaibei Province to fool Qiu Hai.
There were many businessmen from Huainan Province that came over to Huaibei Province and this greatly affected the development of the local enterprises. The Three Flavour Hall was also from Huainan Province, and it was purely a coincidence.
While Bai Fan sat in his office, extinguishing his cigarette, he casually fanned the fire, "I can't help it. I underestimated the two of them, so I can only leave it to you guys now. Or will you guys allow those two from Huainan Province to come and go as they wish?"
Xiao Rui solemnly replied, "We're not in a spot to deal with this matter."
Spreading out his hands, Bai Fan helplessly replied, "There's nothing I can do right now. I've already followed your orders to send people over."
His reply made Xiao Rui unhappy and he responded, "Mr. Bai, you're unreliable!" When he finished, he hung up the call and shook his head in the direction of Qiu Hai.
As Qiu Hai's brows loosen up, he pointed to the door. "Open the door and get two cups of tea."
Although Xiao Rui felt that it was humiliating, he could only obey his superior's orders and obediently lower his head.
After opening the door, Xiao Rui waited for Xia Yu and Su Tao's appearance before he went up with a smile. "Why are you guys here again? Our Director Qiu has just returned, what a coincidence!"
This was a fellow that knew how to gauge the wind direction and set the helm!
But that was the reality of life. Unless you occasionally flex your muscles, the other party won't take you seriously.
Xia Yu spat a mouthful of phlegm on the ground and glanced at Xiao Rui in disdain, which made the latter inwardly fume with anger.
Bearing the rage, Xiao Rui welcomed Xia Yu and Su Tao in and reported, "Director Qiu, someone came to look for you."
After Qiu Hai's acknowledgement, he waited for Su Tao and Xia Yu's entry before he smiled. He went up and stretched his hand out. "Welcome, welcome!"
Su Tao's first appraisal of his fellow was that he was an old fox, and he's not someone easy to deal with.
"I wonder what business do the two of you have with me? Even at the expense of causing such a great commotion." Qiu Hai asked as he sat upright.
Letting out a sigh, Su Tao showed a wry smile. "Director Qiu, I'm sure you know what this is about."
Receiving such a sharp reply from Su Tao, Qiu Hai couldn't help coughing before he pointed at the two cups on the table. "Please, have some tea."
He had already given the biggest leeway by offering tea.
After retrieving the papers, Su Tao pushed them over to Qiu Hai. "I'll not beat around the bush, either. I want to ask if this matter can be swiftly resolved. I can increase the fees, I only request for it to be done immediately."
However, Qiu Hai did not take the documents, but replied, "It actually doesn't concern me if this can be swiftly resolved, but you."
Su Tao looked at Qiu Hai in the eyes for a few seconds to decipher the latter's meaning, and smiled. "Wrong. I feel that the key lies in you, because you have a pair of eyes to judge the hour and size up the situation."
Shaking his head, Qiu Hai asked with a composed expression, "What do you mean by that?"
"It has been half a year since Huaibei Province's situation has changed, and you should know who the winner is." Su Tao patiently explained, "I believe you should be able to analyse the reason why the Three Flavour Hall chose to enter Huaibei Province at this timing."
His words caused Qiu Hai's expression to turn complicated. Su Tao tapped on the documents with a smile. "I won't bother with unnecessary words. Get this matter done and stopped here. After all, it's only a small matter, and I do not want to affect the livelihood of a whole bunch when the Three Flavour Hall just arrived in He City. I'm here to conduct business, and I emphasise that amiability brings riches."
Leaving his words, Su Tao turned around and left.
Watching Su Tao leave, Qiu Hai couldn't help taking the documents and hesitated. In the end, he took the phone on his table and dialed a familiar number.
It was something that he felt the need to do.
When Xiao Rui heard Qiu Hai's holler, the former came in and Qiu Hai ordered, "Get Little Zheng over to my office."
Knitting his brows, Xiao Rui was baffled about why Director Qiu would want Little Zheng. However, he still followed his superior's instructions and got Little Zheng over. The latter entered the office a year later and had higher academic qualifications. Hence, Xiao Rui often bullied him and held his guard up against this newcomer.
When Little Zheng entered, Xiao Rui felt as if he was sitting on pins and needles. So when the former came out, he went up and asked, "Little Zheng, what did Director Rui ask of you?"
"Nothing much." Little Zheng smiled as he said, "Oh, right. Director Qiu is asking for you!"
As he watched Little Zheng leave the office, Xiao Rui felt a shadow envelope in his heart before he saw Qiu Hai point at the couch. "Little Xiao, have a seat!"
For some reason, Xiao Rui had an ill foreboding as he uneasily kneaded his hands. "Director Qiu, is there anything I can help you with?"
"I have something to inform you about. You don't have to come to my office anymore, starting from tomorrow." Qiu Hai replied.
"Why?" Xiao Rui was dumbfounded as he widened his eyes and looked at Qiu Hai. His ill foreboding really came true.
"Someone has to be held responsible for this matter." Qiu Hai responded. But there was actually a deeper reason behind his decision. He did not want someone around him that he couldn't trust.
Even if Xiao Rui has concealed it well, he was clearly on the Medicine Deity Corporation's side in this matter, and the Medicine Deity Corporation must have already bribed him, if Qiu Hai hadn't guessed it wrongly.
So how could he allow someone like Xiao Rui to stay beside him?
Hence, he would rather take a newcomer who was akin to a blank piece of paper.
Xiao Rui was an ambitious fellow. As someone that only had the academic qualifications of a junior college, he had put in great effort to come this far. When he left Qiu Hai's office, he returned to his table and swept all the documents onto the ground.
In his office, Qiu Hai naturally heard Xiao Rui's vent and knitted his brows. He knew that there was no need for him to become someone's bullet, regardless if the Three Flavour Hall's entry into the Huaibei Province would affect the local political situation.
Sitting in the car, Xia Yu couldn't help asking the question in his heart. "You sure that that fellow will approve our fire safety regulation application?"
"Not for certain, since today's only the first meeting between us, so I don't understand his character." Su Tao smiled. "But I understand Bai Fan. The culprit behind this matter must be Bai Fan, and I can guess how he persuaded Qiu Hai to obstruct my path. So my words today will at least shake Qiu Hai's standpoint."
Shaking his head, a wry smile appeared on Xia Yu's face. "Why do I feel that you're getting more mysterious?"
Shrugging his shoulders, Su Tao replied, "We'll be able to receive good news when we return to the branch."
Su Tao had long considered Bai Fan to be an enemy, and he has analysed the latter's character numerous times. Bai Fan was someone who excelled in borrowing someone's authority and made use of human nature in his schemes.
The Three Flavour Hall's branch was only an insignificant pharmacy. Still, there's a possibility that Bai Fan would exaggerate and mislead Qiu Hai into thinking that the Three Flavour Hall's entry into He City was to contend against the Medicine Deity Corporation's position and affect the local political situation.
Putting it in a nutshell, he packaged the Three Flavour Hall as a new power that came from Huainan Province.
As an official born in Huaibei Province, Qiu Hai was fooled by the cunning Bai Fan.
Unknowingly, the battle between him and Bai Fan has escalated to a psychological warfare, where they had to guess each other's thoughts, which was more treacherous than visible fights.
On the other hand, Su Tao used a simple method to resolve this issue. Since Qiu Hai believed the conflict between the Medicine Deity Corporation and the Three Flavour Hall represented the exchange between the new and old political forces in Huaibei Province, then he would just veil the Three Flavour Hall in mystery and mislead everyone that the new political power was backing the Three Flavour Hall.
With the new political power in Huaibei Province growing in power, Qiu Hai would back down as long as he's not a fool.
In a battle between politics, it has always been one that mixed together true and false.
Su Tao was talented and understood a human's heart too well.
He was also ingeniously making use of the situation. Although Su Tao didn't know the new political power, he had once helped them topple the Nie Family.
So it wasn't too much for him to make use of their name to create a backing for the Three Flavour Hall.