Chapter 592: Fifteen Minutes at Most, and I’ll Have This Settled for You

The worry on Lin Ruoxi's face vanished, replaced by a radiant smile. "There's no rush. You haven't eaten yet, right? I'll go make you some breakfast."

Cheng Yuan smiled. "How about I make breakfast? Your hands are so delicate, they shouldn't be used for rough chores like this."

Feeling Cheng Yuan's deep affection, Lin Ruoxi's eyes grew misty. "Darling..."

Cheng Yuan quickly washed up and got dressed before making a few fried eggs and heating up a glass of milk.

Lin Ruoxi kept busy as well, washing some fruit and arranging it into an exquisite platter.

Cheng Yuan suddenly felt a wave of happiness. 'Now this is what I call living, isn't it?'

With a wife like this, what more could a husband ask for?

"Wow, you're so talented, honey! This fruit platter is gorgeous! It's as beautiful as you are—I almost can't bear to eat it!"

Lin Ruoxi shot Cheng Yuan a playful glare. "Can't bear to eat it? A certain someone was doing plenty of eating last night! And you devoured every last bite, thoroughly and completely."

PFFT...

Cheng Yuan nearly spat blood.

The memory of last night sent a surge of heat through Cheng Yuan's body, making him wish he could have another helping.

"'Honey, I suspect you're not talking about fruit anymore, and I have proof.'"

"'So? You don't like it?'"

"I love it. When you're the one driving, I can never get enough of the ride!"

"You smooth-talker. Can't even a piece of fruit shut you up!"

Lin Ruoxi speared a large piece of fruit with a toothpick and stuffed it into Cheng Yuan's mouth.

They finished their meal amidst laughter and playful teasing, their bond deepening in these simple, everyday moments.

Once they had eaten their fill, Cheng Yuan took out his phone and dialed Zhu Jiang's number.

The call connected instantly, and Zhu Jiang's voice came through, sounding slightly eager to please.

Evidently, Zhu Song had already told Zhu Jiang some of what had happened with the Jinling Yang Family, causing Cheng Yuan's importance in Zhu Jiang's mind to rise considerably.

"Xiaoyuan, calling so early. Is something the matter?"

"Uncle Zhu, the Industry and Commerce, Taxation, and Environmental Protection bureaus have formed a joint task force to investigate Yuanxi Pharmaceutical. Do you know anyone in those departments? Could you make a call on my behalf?"

Zhu Jiang's tone was light. "They're all old friends of mine. Don't worry, I'll get it taken care of."

"Great. I'll be waiting for your good news, Uncle Zhu."

Zhu Jiang was thrilled. 'Finally, a chance to be of use to Cheng Yuan!'

Zhu Jiang immediately dialed the phone number of Xie Dongshu, the Director of the Dongshan Industrial and Commercial Administration.

The two were thick as thieves, and Zhu Jiang was confident that Xie Dongshu would grant him this favor.

The call connected quickly, and a hearty voice came through. "Old Zhu, found another good spot, have you? We've got to have a few drinks tonight."

"I'm always down for a drink, but you've got to do a little something for me first."

"Old Zhu, since when do you have to be so formal with me? Just tell me what you need!"

"Alright, I'll be straight with you. I heard you're in the middle of a joint inspection of Yuanxi Pharmaceutical. Do me a favor and wrap it up, will you? No need to be too thorough."

Xie Dongshu's tone suddenly became hesitant.

"Old Zhu, if it were anything else, I'd do it in a heartbeat! But on this one, I really can't help you. Take a piece of advice from your brother: stay out of this."

Zhu Jiang's tone grew serious. "Is this coming from the higher-ups?"

"If it were anyone else, I wouldn't tell them the truth, but since it's you asking, Old Zhu, I'll give it to you straight: the order came directly from Cheng Peichao."

"I see. Thanks for telling me the truth, Old Xie."

Zhu Jiang's expression turned extremely grim.

Cheng Peichao was the chief secretary to the old leader. His words were, for all intents and purposes, the will of the old leader himself.

'Yuanxi Pharmaceutical has provoked the old leader. This is going to be difficult to handle!'

Zhu Jiang, in turn, called Cheng Yuan. The call connected instantly, and Cheng Yuan's relaxed voice came through. "Uncle Zhu, that was fast! Have you already taken care of things?"

Zhu Jiang's expression grew awkward. He stammered, "Xiaoyuan, I'm sorry. I just made some inquiries... I can't handle this."

Cheng Yuan was a bit surprised. "Uncle Zhu, you're one of the ten most influential figures in Dongshan. Is there really anything in Dongshan that you can't resolve?"

"Yes, I really can't. The order came down personally from the old leader's chief secretary."

'The old leader again?'

Cheng Yuan's pupils contracted slightly.

"The old leader, you say? That is troublesome."

"Xiaoyuan, you..."

Zhu Jiang trailed off.

"Don't worry, Uncle Zhu. I know what I'm doing."

Cheng Yuan hung up on Zhu Jiang, then dialed He Hongting's number. The call connected quickly, and He Hongting's hearty voice came through. "Xiaoyuan, what can I do for you?"

"Uncle He, what kind of way is that to talk? Can't I call you just to chat? My senior brought back two Elixirs. Zhen Dong will be taking them to you shortly. They're for the old master—he can dissolve them in water to drink."

'Elixirs?'

He Hongting's eyes lit up. "What kind of Elixirs? How many patterns?"

Cheng Yuan laughed. "You're quite the expert, Uncle He. You even know to ask about the patterns on an Elixir?"

He Hongting chuckled. "Heh heh... To prolong the old master's life, the He Family has spared no expense, seeking out doctors and remedies from all over. We even have a few Two Patterns Yang-Preserving Pills at home."

Cheng Yuan grinned. "Uncle He, what my senior brought back is a Four Patterns Rejuvenation Pill. Its Medicinal Power is probably about a hundred times that of a Two Patterns Yang-Preserving Pill. It should be able to extend the old master's life by three to five years."

He Hongting was overcome with joy. 'The old master is the pillar of the He Family! If he could live for another three years... no, even just two more years would be enough!'

'That would be more than enough time to see me secure my official appointment!'

"Xiaoyuan, how can our He Family ever thank you for this?"

Cheng Yuan sighed. "If only Yuanxi Pharmaceutical were in Beijing, we wouldn't have to take this kind of crap."

He Hongting's expression grew stern. "Xiaoyuan, what's happening with Yuanxi Pharmaceutical?"

"A few days ago, the Dongshan bureaus of Industry and Commerce, Taxation, and Environmental Protection formed a joint task force to conduct a full-scale inspection of Yuanxi Pharmaceutical! It's already severely impacting our normal operations! If they keep this up, our inventory will be depleted, we won't be able to supply our distributors on time, and then we'll be on the hook for massive penalties for breach of contract!"

"How can they treat a core enterprise like Yuanxi Pharmaceutical this way? They should be supporting it, not hindering it! These local officials... they're just fooling around! Don't worry, Xiaoyuan. I'll get in touch with the heads of these departments right now and tell them to wrap up the inspection immediately."

"Uncle He, before you make that call, there's something you need to know. The order came from Cheng Peichao. Can you handle that kind of pressure?"

'Cheng Peichao?'

'So this is Elder Yuan's will?'

'Elder Yuan is a top-ranking official, at the same level as himself.'

Seeing He Hongting fall silent, Cheng Yuan's heart sank. "Uncle He, if this puts you in a difficult position, just forget it. I'll figure something else out."

He Hongting replied with feigned annoyance, "Xiaoyuan, are you looking down on your Uncle He? Forget a minor figure like Cheng Peichao—even if Elder Yuan himself gave the order, I would still sort this out for you!"

Cheng Yuan was ecstatic and immediately started laying on the praise. "Uncle He, you're incredible! So impressive! If I manage to refine a Five Patterns Rejuvenation Pill, I'll make sure you're the first to get it! With that, the old master's life can be extended by at least ten years!"

'Ten more years of life?'

He Hongting's whole body trembled with excitement. "Xiaoyuan, give me fifteen minutes, tops! I'll have this whole thing sorted out for you, no problem!"