“`

“What? Hand Jiangzhou over to Ye Qiu?”

Not only were the Dragon King and Zhao Yun stunned, but even Ye Qiu himself was bewildered.

“Ninety-Thousand-Year-Old, are you kidding me?”

“Do I look like I’m joking?”

Ye Qiu nodded, “Yes!”

Cao Yuan: “…”

“Dragon King, I just remembered I have some unfinished business at the hospital. I need to head back, bye.” Ye Qiu quickly greeted the Dragon King and made a beeline for the door, trying to slip away.

“Stop right there!” Cao Yuan’s voice boomed.

Ye Qiu didn’t stop; instead, he quickened his pace.

Cao Yuan continued, “If you insist on leaving, then all my previous promises are null and void.”

Screech—

Ye Qiu halted, slowly turned around, and looked at Cao Yuan with a troubled expression. “Ninety-Thousand-Year-Old, there’s really an emergency at the hospital. I need to go back and treat a patient.”

“Do you think I’ve never been to a hospital? At this hour, the outpatient clinic is already closed. If you claim you need to treat a patient, fine, then tell me the patient’s name, which ward they’re in, and what illness they have.”

Ye Qiu’s face stiffened even more. He was about to use Lin Jingzhi as a shield. “Her name is…”

“Don’t tell me her name is Lin Jingzhi. As far as I know, Lin Jingzhi has already been discharged.”

Damn, you know that too?

Ye Qiu was ready to make up a name, as long as it got him out of there.

“I have another patient…”

“From what I understand, you just recently obtained tenure, and you haven’t had any inpatients since.”

Damn…

Ye Qiu was extremely frustrated.

“Ninety-Thousand-Year-Old, have you investigated me?”

“Of course,” Cao Yuan admitted. “As the saying goes, ‘It’s hard to paint a tiger’s bones, and you can know a person’s face but not their heart.’ The world is vast and people’s hearts are complex. Anyone who catches my eye gets a thorough investigation.”

What does that mean?

You only investigate people you think highly of, so I should feel honored?

Pah!

Shameless old man, I don’t need your approval.

And investigating me without my consent is an invasion of privacy. I have the right to sue you, you know?

Of course, Ye Qiu could only curse inwardly, not daring to utter a word, lest he end up dead.

Smack!

Cao Yuan pulled out a Purple Gold Token from his pocket and tossed it in front of Ye Qiu. “From now on, Jiangzhou is yours. I hope you won’t disappoint me. If anything goes wrong, I’ll hold you accountable.”

Ye Qiu didn’t pick up the Purple Gold Token but said, “Ninety-Thousand-Year-Old, this is a serious matter. I hope you’ll reconsider. I’m just a small doctor. What qualifications do I have to manage Jiangzhou’s underground forces?”

“This is my well-considered decision.”

“But…”

“Though you’re a small doctor, you save lives tirelessly, showing a heart of compassion.”

“You grew up with your mother, always obedient and filial, showing great piety.”

“In the Crystal Palace, when Lin Jingzhi was humiliated, you risked everything for her, showing you’re a man of passion.”

“Today, for the Dragon King, you risked losing an arm to save him, showing brotherly loyalty.”

“In Gude Temple, though you fell into Chen Dong’s trap, you faced the Shaman God Sect’s Jiangzhou branch leader without fear, showing great courage.”

Cao Yuan continued, “A person with such compassion, loyalty, and courage—if I don’t use you, wouldn’t that make me blind?”

“Ninety-Thousand-Year-Old, I’m just a small doctor, not someone from the underworld. I don’t want to get involved in its disputes.”

“Do you know what the underworld is?” Cao Yuan asked.

“The underworld is all about blades and bloodshed,” Ye Qiu replied.

Cao Yuan shook his head, “Not at all!”

“Then what is the underworld?” Ye Qiu asked.

“Wherever there are people, there is the underworld,” Cao Yuan explained. “Whether it’s the underground forces or your hospital, or any other place, as long as there are people, there will be scheming, deceit, and conflicts.”

“Over the years, as the country’s economy has developed and science has progressed, society has improved. But in some areas, things are still unsatisfactory. For example, the underground forces lack regulation, becoming increasingly chaotic and lawless.”

“The reason I founded Dragon Gate was to regulate the underground forces and ensure every citizen abides by the law.”

“Of course, sometimes we have to use methods that go against the law. It’s unavoidable because, in the underworld, many things are beyond our control.”

“Ye Qiu, I know you’re an idealistic young man who wants to do great things for the country and the people. After careful consideration, I sincerely invite you to join Dragon Gate and help me manage Jiangzhou’s underground forces.”

“Together, we can sweep away all the filth in this world. What do you say?”

I have to admit, Cao Yuan’s words were very persuasive. Ye Qiu felt a surge of excitement.

But after careful thought, Ye Qiu still refused. “Thank you for your kind offer, Ninety-Thousand-Year-Old, but I have no grand ambitions. I just want to be a small doctor and live a peaceful life.”

Silence.

The room fell into a deathly silence.

After a long while, Cao Yuan sighed deeply and said, “Ye Qiu, how about we make a deal?”

“I’m not interested,” Ye Qiu refused outright.

“No, I believe you’ll be interested in this deal,” Cao Yuan said. “You help me manage Jiangzhou, and I’ll tell you who your biological father is. How about that?”

Ye Qiu’s breathing became rapid, and he stared intently at Cao Yuan. “You know who my father is?”

Cao Yuan smiled without saying a word.

“Alright, I’ll make this deal.”

Without hesitation, Ye Qiu agreed to the deal with Cao Yuan, mainly because he was desperate to know who his biological father was.

“Very well, from now on, you’re the boss of Jiangzhou. Now, pick up the Purple Gold Token.”

Ye Qiu picked up the Purple Gold Token from the ground and then asked, “Who is my biological father? What’s his name?”

Cao Yuan replied, “I don’t know.”

“Don’t know?” Ye Qiu was stunned, then anger flashed across his face. “You’re playing me…”

“Ye Qiu, don’t be impulsive. Listen to me,” Cao Yuan said. “I’ve investigated. Your mother is the eldest daughter of the Qian family, a prestigious family in Jiangzhe. As for your father, I also investigated but found nothing.”

“That’s impossible! You’re the Sect Leader of Dragon Gate. You said that if you want to investigate something, there’s nothing you can’t find out. If you truly wanted to investigate, how could you not find out?”

“That’s precisely what puzzles me. I did investigate, but I found nothing. Therefore, I have a hypothesis.”

“What hypothesis?” Ye Qiu asked.

Cao Yuan said, “I think your father is not an ordinary person. His background is so significant that it exceeds my investigative capabilities. Otherwise, with my abilities, it’s impossible not to find out.”

“`