Chapter 345 - Coping with changes
Before Su Tao even returned to the Three Flavour Hall, the fire safety regulation office had already given Cai Yan a call and informed her to get someone to collect the approval. When Su Tao heard those words, he was a little depressed. If he knew about this, he would've stayed a little longer at the office so no one would have to make another trip over.
Seeing Su Tao, Cai Yan gently patted his shoulder. "The boss is different indeed, to resolve the issue instantly the moment you handle it."
Shrugging his shoulders, Su Tao smiled, "Well, I have to thank you for giving me such an opportunity to display my capability."
Seeing the complacency on Su Tao's face, Cai Yan did not feel that it was annoying. On the contrary, she felt that Su Tao was reliable. She pointed at the restaurant opposite them. "Now that we're done with matters in the store, I've booked a room at the restaurant. It's on the second floor, a VIP room. You and Xia Yu can head there first, and I'll follow shortly after."
"Someone's coming?" Su Tao asked with a smile.
"My dad, Aunt Wei, and the employees of this branch." Cai Yan replied.
"Oh, right. How are your father and Aunt Wei doing?" Su Tao asked as he winked.
"What nonsense are you saying?" Cai Yan raised her fist and continued, "My dad isn't compatible with someone like Aunt Wei!"
Pondering over those words, Su Tao nodded his head in acknowledgment. Although Aunt Wei wasn't young, she has maintained herself well. From her appearance, she looked no different from a young married woman in her thirties. On the other hand, Cai Zhongpu has aged quite a bit and even looked haggard after his jail time. Standing together, the two of them would look like a father and daughter instead. Most importantly, they're not from the same world, either. Putting things harshly, She Wei was a rich woman, while Cai Zhongpu was just a loser.
After they waited in the room for roughly thirty minutes, the guests came in in succession. When She Wei saw Su Tao, she was emotional. She even went up and gave a hug to Su Tao. Although Su Tao was a little taken aback by her action, he could understand her mood. She has successfully gotten rid of her drug addiction, and she was no different from an ordinary person right now. She has changed into a completely different person, and it was all thanks to Su Tao.
In She Wei's heart, not only did Su Tao save her life, he even gave her a new life.
"Physician Su, you must stay longer in He City this time. Let me do my job as a host." She Wei removed her fur coat and revealed her low-collared shirt. Due to the fact that the temperature in the room was turned up, it wasn't cold at all.
She wore a spectacle that could conceal her wrinkles and wore a leather skirt that outlined her voluptuous figure well. She was a woman who strictly emphasised on her dressing.
If she was a decade younger, Cai Yan would definitely appear dull when standing by her side.
"Mrs. She, it's all thanks to your help that the branch in He City could progress so smoothly. In the future, I'll still have to trouble you, and I'm just afraid that you might find me bothersome." Su Tao joked.
His words made She Wei's countenance darken and she unhappily said, "Calling me Mrs. She is putting a distance between us."
"Then, I'll call you, Aunt Wei?" Su Tao reacted swiftly.
Nodding her head, She Wei showed a satisfied smile. "Cai Yan calls me that too, and it's proper for you to call me that as well."
While they spoke, Cai Yan arrived. She had changed her clothes and was no longer that casually dressed as before. When she entered, she permeated a charm with her voluptuous figure that made even Xia Yu stunned.
Men like beautiful women, and that's an innate characteristic. That's a primitive characteristic that was left coded in men, despite the constant evolution of humankind.
It was just like how female animals were always attracted to powerful males to ensure that their next generation would inherit powerful genes.
Pointing at the seat beside Su Tao, She Wei nudged her lips with a smile. "Sit there!"
Cai Yan was a candid person, so she immediately sat beside Su Tao and waved her hand towards the waiter. "We're all here now. You can start bringing the food out."
Although the restaurant wasn't particularly famous, it had a pleasant ambience. When the dishes were served, Zhao Jian returned from picking up the approval, which meant that everything's all set for the He City's branch.
Tapping on his phone, Su Tao retrieved the calendar and briefly looked at it before he smiled, "We'll open three days from now!"
"Isn't it a little too rushed?" Cai Yan spoke in concern as she continued, "Although we've made advertisements, we've never made any official announcement. I'm afraid that many people won't know when we're opening in time."
Su Tao patiently explained, "A TCM pharmacy isn't the same as other industries. We emphasise on steadiness. It's a plus for high popularity on an opening day, but most importantly, trying to use TCM to help others has to be done slowly to win over their hearts."
"Well, you're the boss. So you make the final call here!" Cai Yan smiled as she continued, "But you must ensure that Old Dou comes as we've already advertised it. Although we've yet to open officially, many admirers came to ask if it was true that Old Dou will be conducting a consultation session. If Old Dou is not coming, then there won't be any meaning behind the opening of our new branch."
After a brief pondering, Su Tao gave Dou Fanggang a call. After a brief exchanged, Su Tao explained the reason for his call.
After receiving a call from Su Tao, Dou Fanggang was happy and he smiled. "I've been waiting for your call, and you're finally calling me. Don't worry about it, I will come over to He City tomorrow, and I will not delay your matters."
Although Dou Fanggang had a fiery temper, he was easier to interact with than Song Sichen. He never hid any of his emotions, since they were all written on his face.
With a smile, Su Tao replied, "Alright, then I'll wait for you!"
After he finished his call with Dou Fanggang, a complicated light flickered in Cai Yan's eyes, before she said, "The Medicine King Hall also invited a TCM specialist to target at our opening."
"That fellow!" Although it was a surprise, it was still within Su Tao's expectations. After all, it has always been Bai Fan's way of doing things. "Who is it?"
"Duanmu Xiong!" A wry smile appeared on Cai Yan's lips. "This is a person whose fame is comparable to Old Dou. This time, the Medicine King Hall has done their homework to challenge us at all costs."
The Medicine King Hall already has over thirty branches in He City. Now that they've set up another one near the Three Flavour Hall, they're clearly trying to compete with them.
By inviting a TCM specialist over to target Dou Fanggang's charity activity, the meaning behind it was clear. They're launching their attacks continuously to prevent them from recovering from the previous one.
Judging by the looks of it, their branch in He City was in an awkward position. After all, the Medicine King Hall has operated for years, and they have their own connections and customer base. In He City, their reputation was higher than the Three Flavour Hall. Su Tao initially wanted to raise the Three Flavour Hall's reputation in the shortest time possible. Still, the Medicine King Hall has also invited a specialist to weaken the Three Flavour Hall's influence.
"The Medicine King Hall has always been mainly selling herbs, and they do not provide any medical consultations. So it's not necessarily a bad thing for them to provide medical consultation and compete with the Three Flavour Hall." Su Tao thought in another direction and appeased Cai Yan, "In terms of fame, we have to admit that the Medicine King Hall is greater than the Three Flavour Hall in the TCM industry. But our position is different from them. We provide medical consultation, and selling herbs is only our secondary profit. So if the Medicine King Hall is going to promote and provide medical consultation like us, it's a piece of good news for the development of the entire TCM industry."
Although selling herbs could bring in a considerable profit, it did not factor the inheritance of medical skills, since a batch of talents that were proficient in TCM had to be nurtured for medical consultation.
The Three Flavour Hall's development was in the grooming of talents, and herbs were secondary; it wasn't their primary focus.
Nodding her head, Cai Yan smiled. "Your attitude is pretty good."
Su Tao smiled. "If TCM wants to enter common households, it's insufficient to just rely on myself. Regardless of the Medicine King Hall's motive for their new branch, the result is a good one since it promotes the development of TCM, so it is acceptable to me. We're not afraid of competitors, but we're only afraid of TCM being too still without any progress. After all, everyone's efforts are needed to develop the market."
"But I'm just afraid that the Medicine King Hall might try something on the day of their opening." Cai Yan's gaze flickered. She has experienced many things recently, and the way of her considering problems has also changed.
"We'll deal with whatever comes." Su Tao faintly smiled. "Coping with whatever changes is the smart way."
"We're having a meal now, so the two of you can stop talking about work." Cai Zhongpu smiled as he coughed.
"Uncle Cai is right. Here, I'll toast a cup with you!" Su Tao stood up as he raised his cup.
After Cai Zhongpu gulped down the alcohol, he glanced at Su Tao. The more he looked at the latter, the more he found Su Tao fitting to his eye. A few months ago, he was filled with hatred for Su Tao since he was afraid that his daughter might be cheated. But at this moment, he has considered Su Tao as a part of the family.
Sitting in his office, Bai Fan had concern on his face when the security guards from the Medicine Deity Corporation returned. Although the injuries caused by Xia Yu seemed to be heavy, treating them as simple since they were just superficial wounds. On the other hand, those people injured by Su Tao were more troublesome since an acupuncture expert was required to ensure that there wouldn't be any repercussions from those injuries.
Su Tao was throwing a problematic question at him.
Duanmu Xiong had already come over to He City in advance, and he was on standby for the opening of the Medicine King Hall's branch. Hence, he helped out with the treatment as well.
He was shocked by the level of Su Tao's acupuncture technique. From the accuracy and force behind it, he could tell that Su Tao had high achievements in his acupuncture technique. After all, not every physician could use acupuncture techniques to hurt others.
"Senior Brother, the Three Flavour Hall's fire safety regulation application has been approved, and I just heard that they will open for business three days from now. Furthermore, Dou Fanggang will arrive in He City tomorrow." A tanned man reported. His name was Luo Ran, and he became Ole Seventh's replacement after the latter was arrested as Bai Fan's right-hand man.
However, Bai Fan did not trust him as much as he trusted Ole Seventh. After all, he was a paranoid person.
"Then we'll go according to what we've planned. Our new branch will open on the same day as the Three Flavour Hall, and we must take the victory for the first fight!" Bai Fan extinguished the cigarette in his hand with his gaze flickering coldly.