NOVEL NEXT Chapter 43 A Secret Deal
After leaving the competition venue, Wang Ye and Fang Cunshan together headed to the Fang family's restaurant.
As far as restaurants went in Yun City, the Fang family's establishment was top-tier. It lived up to its reputation not only in fame but also in its decor.
Once inside the restaurant, Fang Cunshan led Wang Ye straight to the Diamond Private Room.
The private room appeared very simple and unadorned. However, each decorative piece was incredibly valuable. Even the tables and chairs were antiques.
After the two were seated, Fang Cunshan began to speak to Wang Ye, "Divine Doctor Wang Ye, I never expected that aside from your superb medical skills, you also possess considerable knowledge in appraising treasures and gambling on stones. In today's world, that truly makes you a great talent."
"Old Mr. Fang flatters me, I merely know a bit," Wang Ye modestly replied.
"A bit? If what you have shown is only 'a bit,' then no one in Yun City really knows anything. However, that's not the point. I specifically invited you over today for the victory banquet because there is an even more important matter," Fang Cunshan said, turning serious.
Wang Ye had anticipated this, so he remained calm upon hearing Fang Cunshan's words.
"Old Mr. Fang, please speak freely. If it's within my power, I'll naturally do my best to help."
"Good, then I'll speak frankly. You must have noticed something when you treated my ailment. Someone has been deliberately harming me behind the scenes, right?" Fang Cunshan asked.
Wang Ye didn't immediately respond to this question. Of course, he knew Patriarch Fang's condition very well. Moreover, both his second senior sister Chen Li and Tan Long had mentioned that there were power struggles within the Fang family.
Thus, Wang Ye was certain that Patriarch Fang had indeed been harmed by someone. However, this was something Wang Ye did not wish to get involved in. He had treated Patriarch Fang's illness purely for some information about the Wang family from years past. Now that Wang Ye had achieved his goal, he truly did not want to get entangled further with the Fang family.
"Divine Doctor Wang Ye, there's no harm in speaking frankly; there's no one else here. I won't let this information leak. In the future, I can absolutely guarantee your safety," Fang Cunshan added, seeing Wang Ye's concern.
Wang Ye shook his head lightly and smiled, "Patriarch Fang misunderstands, I'm not worried about that. It's just that regarding your illness, it's not proper for me to say too much. Since you have been able to investigate and find out that someone has harmed you, then you can certainly investigate further and clarify everything. There's no need for my input."
Upon hearing this, Fang Cunshan understood Wang Ye's implicit confirmation that someone had indeed been harming him behind the scenes.
"Divine Doctor Wang Ye, this isn't quite right. If I could easily investigate this, I wouldn't... Let me be direct, I would like to ask for your assistance in this investigation," Fang Cunshan said.
Now, Wang Ye also understood what the situation was. Fang Cunshan wanted him to help investigate internal matters within the Fang family, which for Wang Ye, was not a pleasant task.
Once entangled in the Fang family's internal power struggle, it would be difficult to extricate oneself.
"Old Mr. Fang, I'm afraid I can't help with this. Not to mention other reasons, just on the basis of investigative methods alone, it's not something I can do. I'm only versed in medical skills, not in other matters," Wang Ye flatly refused.
Facing Wang Ye's refusal, Fang Cunshan showed no surprise. He had anticipated Wang Ye would reject his request.
"Divine Doctor Wang Ye has the ability, of that I am sure. I also know what you're worried about. Furthermore, I have an offer that you cannot refuse," Fang Cunshan said with a confident expression.
"What is this offer Old Mr. Fang is talking about?" Wang Ye sensed the matter was not simple.
"About a secret concerning the Wang family from back then," Fang Cunshan said slowly.
This condition indeed made it difficult for Wang Ye to refuse. Investigating his own origins and everything about the Wang family was his main purpose for coming down the mountain this time.
And it seemed Fang Cunshan was very aware of this, having honed in on Wang Ye's weak point.
However, Wang Ye felt that Fang Cunshan might not be trustworthy. What if he was merely painting a pie in the sky? Pretending to have a secret, then having Wang Ye help investigate the truth. Once everything was over, he could either make up some story, or simply turn hostile; all were possibilities.
"Old Mr. Fang, I will investigate the Wang family's matters in due course. So, please don't trouble yourself," Wang Ye said lightly.
He knew that once he agreed to Fang Cunshan, he would be caught in a vulnerable spot, with no chance to turn back.
Fang Cunshan, on the other hand, was somewhat taken aback by Wang Ye's reaction. He had expected Wang Ye to agree right away, thinking of Wang Ye as a naive youth who wouldn't think too deeply.
But he realized he was wrong; Wang Ye was not as simple as he appeared on the surface.
"Wang Ye, this is a rare opportunity for collaboration. Miss it, and it won't come again. I know you don't believe that I truly have a secret in my possession, right? Let me ask you a question first. You descended the mountain with a marriage contract to marry Su Wanqing in order to investigate your origins, didn't you?" Fang Cunshan was not willing to give up.
"That's correct, but what does that prove?"
Wang Ye knew that, given Fang Cunshan's wisdom, it would be easy to deduce such a thing.
"Don't rush your answer. Let me ask you one more question. You know that marrying Su Wanqing will help you get some important clues. But do you really understand what you would get after the marriage?" Fang Cunshan continued to probe.
Wang Ye paused and thought carefully. Indeed, he wasn't absolutely certain of what he would gain.
Apart from what his master had told him, he only had some fragmented memories. Perhaps by marrying Su Wanqing, he could piece those memories together and might also get some information from Su Wanqing and Su Yuanqiao.
But none of these were certainties.
"Could it be that Patriarch Fang knows?" Wang Ye asked back.
If Fang Cunshan really did know, then perhaps collaborating with him was feasible. However, the likelihood of this wasn't high, for if Wang Ye himself didn't know, how could Fang Cunshan possibly know?
The Fang family, the Wang family, and the Su family weren't closely related, so how could he be so knowledgeable about the affairs of the Fang family?
"Indeed, I do know," Fang Cunshan affirmed with certainty.
Wang Ye and Fang Cunshan exchanged glances, and although Wang Ye remained skeptical, Fang Cunshan's status implied that he wouldn't lie about such things.
"Then, Old Mr. Fang, please enlighten me!" Wang Ye said earnestly.
"Enlighten you? Only if you agree to collaborate can I tell you," Fang Cunshan replied.
Upon hearing this, Wang Ye hesitated.
Was this a trap, or did Fang Cunshan truly hold knowledge? If he agreed, would he really learn the secret?