The Young Urban Doctor

Ling Mingrui had nothing to do in the morning, Fang Xiang had activities in the morning and nothing to do in the afternoon. After handling his affairs, he went home to rest early.

Before going back, he made a call to Fang Zhonghua, asking him to come over.

Fang Zhonghua knew Fang Xiang wanted to discuss something important, so he quickly took care of his own matters and hurried over.

Older people generally dislike staying in air-conditioned rooms because they feel too suffocating.

Though the afternoon sun was harsh, the courtyard of the Fang Old Residence was still quite cool because it was shaded.

With no further matters to attend to in the afternoon, Fang Xiang relaxed, sitting in a shady spot and eating watermelon.

While eating watermelon, he was listening to Peking opera.

Listening to Peking opera is a major hobby of Fang Xiang.

In middle school, he had participated in theatrical performances.

At the start of his career, he worked in the field of literary arts, and could be said to have continuously advanced along the literary arts frontline.

It wasn’t until the year he turned thirty-five, under his father’s direct intervention, that he moved into the publicity department.

After that, he stayed in the publicity department long enough to eventually reach the highest levels.

Even at his current position, he still oversees publicity affairs, understanding very well their importance.

With age, many habits changed, and some former interests were discarded too.

But the habit of listening to Peking opera remained preserved.

Often, when faced with troubles, listening to Peking opera while thinking things through leads to unexpected results.

As a result, whenever some people see him listening to Peking opera, they assume he’s dealing with something troublesome.

Entering the courtyard, Fang Zhonghua heard the sound of Peking opera coming from inside, and his heart suddenly sank.

“Dad, troubled by something again?” Fang Zhonghua asked softly after sitting down in front of Fang Xiang, “Is it about something that happened recently?”

“Can’t I listen to Peking opera just for leisure and enjoyment?” Fang Xiang gave Fang Zhonghua a peculiar look, “There’s been so much going on these days, and with the weather being so hot, staying in air-conditioned rooms too much makes my mind foggy. Listening to some Peking opera clears it up!”

“Dad, then that’s good!” Fang Zhonghua smiled and quietly asked Fang Xiang, “Is this matter hard to decide?”

“The decision was easily made, but figuring out how to maximize the benefits is the challenge.” Fang Xiang laughed, “Chen Ruchang actually chose this time to have surgery—he’s really piling on the missteps!”

“Maybe he’s trying to play the sympathy card by pretending to be ill!” Fang Zhonghua voiced his guess.

Fang Xiang didn’t refute Fang Zhonghua’s guess, but instead followed his own line of thought: “The Chen Family hasn’t used any major moves lately, but now they’ve stirred up such a big mess. I truly can’t figure out what Chen Ruchang wants. Is he seeking self-destruction or suffering from dementia? This isn’t a mistake he should be making.”

Hearing Fang Xiang say this, Fang Zhonghua finally understood the meaning and immediately asked: “Are you worried it’s a trap?”

Fang Xiang shook his head: “If Chen Ruchang laid this trap, he overdid it—the trap would be ineffective even if set. It’s overflowing with prey, making the trap burst. I just haven’t figured out why Chen Ruchang keeps making missteps.”

Fang Zhonghua thought for a moment and said: “If I’m not mistaken, someone is likely secretly causing trouble—Chen Yihe and Chen Yiping are probably up to mischief in the dark.”

“That could be possible!” Fang Xiang nodded, “Perhaps they bribed someone or placed someone near Chen Yining or Chen Ruchang who leaked information.”

“I think so too!” Fang Zhonghua nodded again and asked Fang Xiang: “Dad, what are you concerned about? Just can’t understand why the Chen Family would act this way?”

“Not completely!” Fang Xiang shook his head, “The Chen Family isn’t easy to deal with, and the other families are even tougher, especially the Ling Family. We must be cautious—they’ve got two old stalwarts, and Ling Jinhua’s prestige is unrivaled. Even after retiring for so many years, his influence remains huge, and no one dares to disrespect him.”

“Dad, are you worried this is all a setup by Ling Mingrui and Ling Ruonan, with Luo Ziling? They might want to use us to maximize their benefit?” Fang Zhonghua said doubtfully.

“We can’t be careless!” Fang Xiang said confidently, “Moreover, they’ve expressed criticism over our actions lately. We haven’t done well, and they’ve grasped a hold on us.”

“Dad, I feel Luo Ziling is quite a maverick.” Fang Zhonghua said seriously, “He has strategy and courage. Chen Jiahai died at his hands, yet no trace led back to him, forcing Chen Ruchang to swallow his loss quietly. Trying to retaliate failed, leading to further harm instead. Now Ling Mingrui plans to develop him further, possibly elevating him above other descendants of the Ling Family. If we don’t break ties with the Ling Family and maintain friendship with Luo Liansheng, then we should make good use of him. Perhaps he’ll surprise us.”

“You still want him as your son-in-law?” Fang Xiang side-eyed Fang Zhonghua with a slightly mocking look.

Fang Zhonghua felt a bit awkward but didn’t deny it: “If it’s possible, it would be best and very beneficial for our Fang Family. But this matter can’t be rushed—take it slow. I think since Dad you’ve already stated your stance on this occurrence, go ahead with more intensity, maybe that way we can seize the initiative in subsequent developments and gain more benefits.”

Fang Xiang thought for a moment, then lightly nodded: “Actually, by sending Dongxun and Qianqian to the Northwest, we’ve already expressed our stance. Haha, in these circumstances, Chen Ruchang still wants to make moves, he’s clearly disregarding us! Haha, since he’s so presumptuous, let him eat a loss. You’re right, since various families want to jointly target the Chen Family, then let’s push hard for more benefits. At least, we should get the positions the Chen Family cedes. So, contact Ling Ruonan first and see when you can conveniently meet to chat. After your meeting, I’ll invite Ling Mingrui for tea. When contacting Ling Ruonan, don’t sneak around; be open about it.”

“Understood!” Fang Zhonghua agreed promptly.

“Sigh… annoying!” Far away in the Northwest, Luo Ziling kept sneezing all evening. After several sneezes in a row, he said irritably to those around him, “It’s too overheated, there must be plenty of people bad-mouthing me. If it were known who’s cursing me, I’d surely curse them back fiercely.”

Ouyang Feifei gave Luo Ziling a sideways glance, chuckled peculiarly and added, “Perhaps those who seem friendly to you on the surface are also cursing you behind your back.”

“That’s actually possible!” Luo Ziling nodded, “Just like you, I’m sure you’ve cursed me more than once, right?”

As Luo Ziling said this, everyone’s eyes turned to Ouyang Feifei.

Feeling awkward, Ouyang Feifei was also quite annoyed, and her gaze towards Luo Ziling turned somewhat unfriendly.