Chapter 172 Seizing Medicinal Herbs

Shao Siming merely glanced indifferently at Shao Bin before lowering his head once again to review the documents on his desk.

"Dad, I met with the young master of the Bai family today, and he gave me some shocking news. It seems that Xie Qingtang is planning to bid for a rare herb called the Universe Grass." Shao Bin was not a fool; Dong Weiyi's warning to them on behalf of Xie Qingtang was still fresh in his memory.

Furthermore, after some careful deduction, Shao Bin believed that the reason Dong Weiyi wanted to acquire the Universe Grass, coupled with its connection to Cunshen Hall, suggested that this herb was actually desired by Xie Qingtang rather than the Dong family.

Therefore, upon returning home, Shao Bin immediately voiced his hypothesis. This caused Shao Siming to finally pause his hand, raise his head with a slight frown, and ask, "What did you say?"

"Dad, the Universe Grass is a miraculous herb for detoxifying poisons. You said Xie Qingtang wants to bid for it—could it have something to do with that old dying man?" A possibility suddenly struck Shao Bin, and his eyes lit up as he continued.

It is often said that three cobblers can surpass Zhuge Liang; although Shao Bin's mind was sometimes slow to turn, today he had deduced things quite accurately.

Thinking back to the past, in order to slowly kill off Elder Xie, Shao Siming had mixed chronic poison into his daily medication. Over the past dozen or so years, those tiny doses had long since accumulated into a massive amount of toxins within his body.

Given that the Universe Grass was a supreme antidote as Shao Bin mentioned, it was indeed very likely that Xie Qingtang wanted to bid for this herb to detoxify her grandfather.

At this thought, Shao Siming immediately stood up from behind his desk, walked over to Shao Bin, and asked for confirmation, "Are you certain this information is correct?"

"Dad, there is no doubt about it. Bai Cheng told us tonight to help him bid for this miraculous detoxifying herb, the Universe Grass, and mentioned that the Dong family is also interested in it, which links back to Cunshen Hall. Connecting all these events together, there is only one logical conclusion: Xie Qingtang wants to save her grandfather."

The more Shao Bin spoke, the brighter his eyes became, convinced that his deduction was flawless. Shao Siming nodded as well, his eyes narrowing, flashing with a dangerous glint, and he sneered, "It is absolutely impossible to let her save that old bastard. Since Bai Cheng wants our family to give him a hand, we will definitely help. After all, I certainly do not want Xie Qingtang to cure that old man."

The malicious thoughts within the hearts of the father and son rolled larger and larger like a snowball, and soon they reached an agreement. Shao Bin directly called Bai Cheng to express his absolute willingness to assist him, which left Bai Cheng deeply moved and convinced he had found a true brother.

Meanwhile, Dong Weiyi had no idea that the news he released regarding his search for the Universe Grass had been intercepted and utilized by malicious individuals who deduced that he was acquiring the herb on behalf of Cunshen Hall, thereby triggering a series of troubles.

From the very beginning, when Xie Qingtang told Dong Weiyi that she wanted to find the rare herb known as the Universe Grass, Dong Weiyi had taken it to heart and utilized his family's network to search for it.

He never expected that the Bai family, operating in the same industry, would also catch wind of the news. By a strange twist of fate, the very herb they were both searching for happened to appear at this year's charity auction, thus setting off a chain of events.

"Are you ready?" On the afternoon of the auction, Gu Xiujing arrived at the entrance of Cunshen Hall to pick up Xie Qingtang and accompany her to the auction venue.

Xie Qingtang took a deep breath, glanced at the balance on her bank card, a confident smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she nodded, "I've been ready for a while. Let's head out."

With those words, Gu Xiujing and Xie Qingtang got into the car and departed from Cunshen Hall. Just as they left, a white sedan pulled up to the entrance, and Zhou Jinfan, who was about to turn back inside, tilted his head in confusion.

Dong Weiyi stepped out of the car and, upon seeing Zhou Jinfan, smiled and said, "I'm here to pick up Miss Xie for the auction."

"Mr. Dong, what a pity. You're a step too late; my boss has already left. You'll probably only meet at the auction now." Zhou Jinfan twitched his lips and said apologetically to Dong Weiyi.

Hearing this, Dong Weiyi froze for a moment, but then maintained his gentlemanly demeanor, nodded, and left Cunshen Hall.

"I feel like I've just witnessed a love triangle. I wonder what choice the boss will make. Affairs of the heart are truly difficult," Zhou Jinfan muttered, shaking his head with a feigned air of profound mystery before turning back inside.

Upon arriving at the auction venue, Xie Qingtang instantly felt somewhat out of place. Dressed in her simple, unadorned cyan robe, she stood out sharply against the people in the auction hall clad in tailored suits and luxurious evening gowns.

Her appearance at the moment she stepped into the venue immediately drew everyone's attention, with most gazes filled with curiosity and doubt.

Setting aside these curious and scrutinizing stares, Xie Qingtang solidified her determination within her heart: she must secure the Universe Grass today. She scanned the auction hall for the seat bearing her name.

When she finally found it, she was somewhat surprised to discover that her seat was actually in the very front row of the auction hall, offering an optimal view of all the lot items.

Gu Xiujing, remaining aloof and expressionless throughout, followed closely beside her. Sitting in his wheelchair, though slightly shorter in stature than Xie Qingtang, his imposing aura remained undiminished, impossible for anyone to ignore.

"Isn't that Gu Xiujing from the Gu Corporation? Why is he here? He never attends events like this."

"Could it be that there is something he fancies at this auction? I heard there is a very rare medicinal herb at this auction. Gu Xiujing's health has always been poor; it seems he's determined to get that herb."

Some astute individuals quickly drew conclusions, and this hypothesis was shared by the majority of people present at the auction. After all, Gu Xiujing was born into immense wealth and lacked nothing.

If there was anything at the auction capable of catching his eye, it could only be that Universe Grass.

"Thank you." Even if Xie Qingtang were foolish, she knew that with her status alone, receiving an invitation to the auction was already an exception, let alone getting a front-row seat. This was undoubtedly Gu Xiujing's arrangement.

In fact, to allow Gu Xiujing to be seated in the front row, the auction staff had even removed one of the regular chairs, leaving an empty space just large enough for his wheelchair to fit right in.