Chapter 862 — A Strange Dinner

Wei Zhao did not know whether to count this as a good thing—whether he was truly at ease now that everything was over, or whether this was merely the calm before the storm.

As things stood, the latter seemed the more likely. He had crippled Yu Kun with his own hands; the Yu family could not possibly let it pass without some response. Perhaps they were even now brewing some scheme.

And as for the others—well, hadn't Kang Jingming come knocking at his door?

Wei Zhao had never believed that a villain could, without warning, see the error of his ways and turn into a good man. Without some catalyst, was he to think the man had simply attained enlightenment? Kang Jingming was a case in point: his inexplicably improved attitude convinced Wei Zhao that he must be after something.

So Wei Zhao paid him no mind either, eating as he pleased at the table and leaving Kang Jingming thoroughly exasperated.

Having failed to snatch the tea, Kang Jingming could only withdraw his hand in chagrin. His legs were bad and he could not stand; the pot, once Wei Zhao had finished with it, had been set far away, beyond his reach.

"Ahem—Xiaobo, say what you will, you're still one of the Kang family. Ours is a household of medicine. If you're going to be a vice-president, you ought to come be a vice-president at our Kangshenyi Pharmaceuticals. What sort of sense does it make to go be a vice-president at an outsider's company? If word of that gets out, won't it be a loss of face for the Kang family?" Kang Jingming coughed twice and went on.

"Oh? The Kang family?" Kang Xiaofeng gave a cold laugh. "Do I have any ties to the Kang family? Apart from sharing the surname Kang, when have you ever spared me a thought? What, have you come this time to arrange a vice-president's post for me at Kangshenyi Pharmaceuticals?"

"That... ha ha, never mind a vice-president—even a shareholder's stake would be no problem!" Kang Jingming laughed heartily. "Isn't Grandfather holding the reins right now? When the day comes that I'm in charge, I'll certainly give you a share of the Kang family's stock and make you a shareholder in Kangshenyi Pharmaceuticals! You're a Kang through and through—how could I ever treat you shabbily?"

"Oh, then I suppose I should thank you. Is that what you invited me here to say?" Kang Xiaofeng did not believe for a moment that Kang Jingming had sought him out just to spout this nonsense. Give him shares? That was pure fantasy. He did not believe for an instant that Kang Jingming would give him any stock—that would happen only if the sun rose in the west.

"Ha, let's eat first, eat first..." Kang Jingming laughed, then, feigning nonchalance, said to Zhu Xiaozhang, "Go and see what's taking so long—why haven't the dishes come yet?"

Even as he spoke, a waiter knocked and brought the food in. Soon the dishes they had ordered were laid out on the table one after another. The service here was really quite good.

Wei Zhao simply paid no attention to Kang Jingming, Zhu Xiaozhang, or Wang Shubin. When the food arrived he helped himself, now and then placing choice morsels in Tang Zhi's bowl.

Wei Zhao cared for nothing, but Tang Zhi felt rather embarrassed. She was a girl, after all, and seated across from several people with whom relations were hardly harmonious, so she was somewhat ill at ease.

Watching Wei Zhao devour his meal without a care for anyone else, Kang Jingming knit his brows, deeply displeased, yet unable to voice it. He was still counting on Wei Zhao to talk Kang Xiaofeng round in a little while, so for the time being he endured it.

"Xiaobo, I've heard that Guan Daifu Pharmaceuticals' flagship product is also a kind of wound medicine? Much like the wound medicine of our Kangshenyi Pharmaceuticals?" Kang Jingming asked casually, as though it were a matter of no consequence.

"Yes. Guan Daifu's wound medicine," said Kang Xiaofeng, who could not tell what Kang Jingming was driving at and so said little, answering only what was asked. None of it was confidential in any case, and there was no need to hide it.

"Oh, and in terms of efficacy, is it much the same as Kangshenyi's wound medicine?" Kang Jingming pressed on.

"I should think so," Kang Xiaofeng said.

"Heh heh, I see. I wonder where Guan Daifu Pharmaceuticals got the formula for its wound medicine. Ha—do you know?" Kang Jingming had at last begun, step by step, to reveal his purpose.

Kang Xiaofeng was no fool. Hearing this, he was at once somewhat angered, a flicker of indignation crossing his face. Kang Jingming's words were plainly implying that the formula for Guan Daifu's wound medicine had come from Kang Xiaofeng himself.

In an instant Kang Xiaofeng understood: this dinner invitation had been for precisely this purpose—to learn whether he had given away the formula for Guan Daifu's wound medicine. But never mind himself; even Grandfather had never laid eyes on that formula. How could it possibly have been supplied to anyone else?

So Kang Xiaofeng said coldly, "How would I know?"

"Ha, if you don't know, you don't know. You mustn't get angry!" Seeing that Kang Xiaofeng was angry, Kang Jingming hastened to smooth things over.

"Angry? What have I to be angry about?" Kang Xiaofeng said flatly, then glanced at Wei Zhao to see what he would say—only to find Wei Zhao still eating away happily. At once Kang Xiaofeng's heart was set at ease.

"Forget it, Xiaobo. Since we're both members of the Kang family, let's not beat around the bush. Could you get me a copy of the Guan Daifu Trauma Medicine formula, brother?" Seeing that Kang Xiaofeng remained uncooperative and that his honeyed words were getting him nowhere, Kang Jingming grew anxious. Gritting his teeth, he came straight out with his purpose.

"The Guan Daifu Trauma Medicine formula? What do you want with that?" Kang Xiaofeng was taken aback. "Don't you already have the formula for Kang the Divine Doctor's Golden Wound Medicine?"

"Ha, for reference, for reference—the more the merrier!" Kang Jingming laughed. "So? As vice-president of Guan Daifu Pharmaceuticals, you must be able to get your hands on that formula, surely? Of course, we're both Kangs, but as the saying goes, even brothers keep clear accounts. I won't let you do it for nothing! Shubin—"

At this, Wang Shubin understood at once. He produced a black leather case, set it beside the table, and opened it up...

It was crammed full of banknotes, enough to make one's eyes swim! The reason Kang Jingming had used cash rather than a card was precisely that cash delivered a far greater visual shock than a single bank card. He wanted Kang Xiaofeng, driven by the urge of desire, to take that case of money!

"What's the meaning of this?" Kang Xiaofeng frowned. To claim that a great case of money set before him stirred no temptation would be false, but Kang Xiaofeng was a man of principle; he could never sell out the company's interests for a case of cash. And besides, Wei Zhao was sitting right beside him—even without Wei Zhao there, he would never have accepted the money. So he thought to himself that Kang Jingming had really chosen the wrong tactic.

"This is three hundred thousand. So long as you help me find out the Guan Daifu Trauma Medicine formula and the supply channels for its raw materials, this case of money is yours!" Kang Jingming patted the case on the table and went on: "Three hundred thousand, mind you. I daresay you haven't made any real money at Guan Daifu Pharmaceuticals yet, have you?"