Top-tier Unruly Master

Ding Fan returned to the Ning Family Medicine Shop, originally intending to continue refining the Youth Preserving Pill for Zhou Ruoran. However, as soon as he returned to the backyard, Xu Rui came over.

"I've already asked my father about the matter you asked me to," Xu Rui's tone was icy, seemingly mixed with a hint of pique.

Ding Fan was taken aback for a moment. Xu Rui's out-of-the-blue statement had left him perplexed. "What matter?"

"Don't tell me you don't even know what you have told me?" Xu Rui said somewhat displeased.

After Ding Fan had left last night, he didn't return for the whole night. Even his own illness had to be dealt with by Ning Zhanshan coming over to change his medicine.

This made Xu Rui very annoyed. After all, she had been injured because she was trying to save Ding Fan, so at the very least, Ding Fan should show a bit of concern, right?

But Ding Fan showed no concern at all and had left her there without a word.

Xu Rui intended to suppress her anger and have a proper talk with Ding Fan, but since Ding Fan had asked her to inquire about the ore with her father Xu Guanjie, she had not delayed in asking him. Yet, it turned out that Ding Fan had forgotten all about it!

Unaware of Xu Rui's numerous thoughts, Ding Fan's eyebrows furrowed slightly. "If you wish to throw a young lady's temper tantrum, you can leave at any time. This is not a place for you to act out."

After dropping these words, Ding Fan paid no more attention to Xu Rui standing aside and turned to go to Ning Zhanshan's room.

Xu Rui, who had never been treated in such a manner, felt a sudden urge to explode with rage.

Yet, recalling the ore that had caused her father and Ye Chenliang to fall ill, she dared not offend Ding Fan too much, knowing that only he could treat that bizarre illness.

Last night, after Xu Rui had called, she inquired whether Xu Guanjie had touched an ore before falling ill. After pondering for a moment, Xu Guanjie mentioned that someone had given him a dark, unremarkable stone claimed to be a meteorite from the sky.

Upon further reflection, Xu Guanjie realized that both he and Ye Chenliang had come in contact with that stone before falling ill.

Although Ding Fan hadn't mentioned anything about the stone, Xu Rui knew there must be something wrong with it, and she repeatedly admonished her father not to touch that stone anymore.

Having waited up all night for Ding Fan, Xu Rui wanted to inform him promptly—the stone was like a ticking bomb, and she needed to know how it should be dealt with.

Xu Rui pushed down her anger, understanding that the stone needed to be dealt with quickly. Otherwise, someone else at home might contract that strange disease, and if they couldn't find the elusive Ding Fan, it would be a real problem.

"Ding Fan, you asked if my father had touched any stones before he became ill. I asked him last night, and he confirmed that he did," Xu Rui said, trying to keep her emotions in check as she followed Ding Fan into Ning Zhanshan's room.

Originally, Ding Fan did not want trouble from this capricious young lady. However, when Xu Rui mentioned the ore, Ding Fan's eyes lit up.

"What does the stone look like?"

"It's black. I don't know the specifics," Xu Rui replied.

Ding Fan pondered for a moment. "Call your father later and ask him to find a way to get a purple sandalwood box; then pack the stone in it and send it here."

"Won't that make others sick with the same strange disease my father has?" Xu Rui asked, somewhat worried.

Ding Fan shook his head. "No, the purple sandalwood has the effect of isolating harmful gases and won't harm others. Your father has already developed antibodies from the gas, so even if he transports the ore himself to Dongcheng, it won't be a problem."

Xu Rui nodded, although Ding Fan was detestable, she recognized he genuinely had the ability, so she did not doubt his words at all.

"Alright, I'll go make the call now," Xu Rui said as she turned and walked out of the room...

After Xu Rui left, Ding Fan went out to the courtyard to check the flowerbeds. To his surprise, the twelve seeds he had planted had yet to show any signs of sprouting.

Using his Divine Sense, Ding Fan was shocked to find that the seeds had all rotted within the soil.

He clearly remembered that in Dancheng, the Fragrant Mind-Consolidating Grass could grow fine in the flowerbeds. He distinctly remembered Zhou Ruoran uprooting a seedling when she returned to the villa that day.

Why could it grow in the house in Tongcheng but not here? Despite his deep contemplation, Ding Fan couldn't figure it out.

Without wasting more time, Ding Fan continued earnestly refining the Youth Preserving Pill for Zhou Ruoran.

After all, the Youth Preserving Pill was a First Grade Medicine Pill, and it wasn't so easy to refine. It seemed that in about another week, the Youth Preserving Pill should be ready.

...

Hu Jin had been taking care of Zhou Ruoran in the hospital these past few days. She had originally taken a week off, but some issues at the company had arisen, requiring her to rush back as soon as possible.

Zhou Ruoran's condition had already improved, and she could even get out of bed to do some things within her capabilities. Although Hu Jin wanted to take care of Zhou Ruoran for a few more days, company matters beckoned, and she couldn't neglect her return.

Zhou Ruoran, worrying that Hu Jin might delay her work on account of her, also advised her earnestly. In the end, Hu Jin decided to return to the company during the daytime, and if she had time in the evening, she would come back to take care of Zhou Ruoran.

Zhou Ruoran and Hu Jin were friends forged through adversity. Plus, with their chats over these two days, Hu Jin increasingly found Zhou Ruoran's conversation extraordinary, and the two grew even closer.

Not knowing exactly what had happened at the company, Hu Jin arrived early in the morning only to discover that a shocking event had occurred the day before.

Fan Aiping and Zhao Qingshui from the logistics department had colluded with outsiders and swapped the imported beef, nearly causing significant losses to Qin's Group Company.

However, what surprised Hu Jin even more was that the person who had brought Fan Aiping and Zhao Qingshui to justice and saved the company from crisis was their logistics department's manager, Ding Fan!

Upon hearing this news, Hu Jin's first reaction was disbelief. Ding Fan was just a slacker who was barely present at work, and the total time he had spent working since his report to the company might not even add up to half an hour.

Immediately, Hu Jin called Director Su, Su Maner, to verify the news. Su Maner confirmed Ding Fan's actions to save the company, but she also warned Hu Jin over the phone.

'Keep your distance from Ding Fan. Don't get too close and fall into a trap.'

Hu Jin took to heart Su Maner's words instantly. A slacker who had arranged for a beautiful woman to be his secretary upon arriving at the company—no matter that he had saved the company, even if he had saved the Earth, Hu Jin definitely would not get close to him.

Over the phone, Su Maner also explained why they had called Hu Jin back.

With the two supervisors of the logistics department now apprehended, and Ding Fan, the elusive manager, out of reach, only Hu Jin was left. The logistics department was in chaos, and it was essential to have a capable person in charge. That was why Hu Jin had been called back.

Hu Jin had no objections. With the department now free of the rotten elements, she was ready to roll up her sleeves and get to work.

In the morning, the police station delivered the investigation results regarding Morning Light Group Building Materials' issue.

The report confirmed that Fan Aiping and Zhao Qingshui had followed Qiu Yuanzheng's orders to create negative incidents against Qin's Group. Fan Aiping took advantage of the National Day holiday to delete all inventory records from Morning Light Building Materials, which led to the issue with Morning Light Group's materials lacking a paper trail.

While Hu Jin was sorting through the documents delivered by the police, the elusive Manager Ding actually showed up for work.

Moreover, Ding Fan immediately took the report from the police to his office, appearing as if he actually wanted to work.

Ding Fan, after all, was the manager of the logistics department, so Hu Jin complied with Ding Fan's request and delivered the documents to his office.

After glancing over the police report, which seemed to be around a dozen pages, Ding Fan flipped through the pages one by one.

To the side, Hu Jin couldn't help but look down on Ding Fan with disdain. Ding Fan was flipping through the pages so quickly, and Hu Jin didn't believe he could read ten lines at a glance. He couldn't possibly understand what was written at that speed.

Thus, Hu Jin was even more convinced that Ding Fan wasn't actually there to work; he was clearly just showing off.

Ding Fan, however, paid no mind to Hu Jin's opinion. He had been engaged in breathing exercises all of the previous night, and in the morning, Ning Luoxi mentioned the police had delivered Morning Light Group's inquiry report, prompting Ding Fan to hurry over.

After reviewing all the materials, Ding Fan's brows knitted slightly. He felt that the matter might not be so simple.

Setting Morning Light Group aside for the moment, let's consider Zheng Group, now responsible for providing building materials to Qin's Group.

This company, established for less than half a year, was surprisingly well-funded. And what puzzled Ding Fan the most was that the general manager of Zheng Group was none other than Iron Dragon, whom he had killed.

Claiming to be from the White Lotus Sect, what exactly was the connection between Qiu Yuanzheng and this sect?

What's more, Ding Fan felt uneasy because, after Iron Dragon was killed, no one came forward to investigate his death. Zheng Group simply replaced the general manager without any fuss, as if Iron Dragon's matter had never happened at all.

But, the calmer it was, the more complicated the issue likely was. Ding Fan believed that Iron Dragon's matter would not end so simply.

With Morning Light Group's issue finally drawing to a close, Ding Fan planned to refine the Youth Preserving Pill for Zhou Ruoran and then enter seclusion for a while.

Aside from firearms, there were still many powers on Earth that Ding Fan had to be wary of—previously He Chen, and later Iron Dragon.

...The only thing Ding Fan could do now was to make himself stronger.