Chapter Eighteen: The Maybach Zeppelin

At present, Xiang Biao was still nominally an employee of the Shengtian Group, and he kept Wu You promptly updated about Liu Weiliang’s recent situation. He was deeply afraid of ending up like Liu Weiliang, yet secretly relieved by the choices he had made. He had personally gone to the hospital for confirmation; even the attending physicians admitted they could find no cause for the illness, and Liu Weiliang’s symptoms were unprecedented in medical history.

Of course, no one was going to find the cause—unless they knew some sort of sorcery, Xiang Biao thought to himself.

Since Liu Weiliang was also at the Qiantang Central Hospital, after learning about his situation, Xiang Biao made a special trip to the ICU to kneel and apologize before Zhang Guihua and Wu Jianguo. That kneeling was not only for the Wu family, but also an act of contrition for all the wrongs and betrayals he himself had committed; he was utterly sincere.

Zhang Guihua, however, was completely baffled by his actions. In the end, all she managed to gather was that her son seemed to have saved Xiang Biao and his companions’ lives (and from Xiang Biao’s perspective, it was indeed a sort of rebirth), and that from now on, they would be working for her son.

…

With the auction only days away, Wu You had already synthesized three rare medicinal herbs: Mei-gui Grass, Seven-Red Flower, and Black Spirit Ginseng. These were derived from angelica, myrrh, panax notoginseng, safflower, fo-ti, and ginseng.

Everything produced through alchemy was of exceptional quality, and the three herbs he created were visibly far more potent than ordinary ones—their size alone set them apart, and the Black Spirit Ginseng even resembled a tiny human in form. It was worth noting that, for these batches, Wu You hadn’t even paid much attention to the details; it was largely the system that supplemented the process based on Wu You’s subconscious and the inherent properties of the materials.

Strangely, the plausibility of the herbal syntheses was much higher than that of the animal-based ones, each achieving a rationality score of at least ninety percent.

However, there was one failure in the midst of it all—Wu You’s first unsuccessful attempt at alchemy. The notoginseng and safflower used as ingredients simply vanished into nothing.

Currently, in Wu You’s plan for the master medicinal ingredient, only musk deer was missing. The earth beetles had long since arrived; he had captured a few and kept them alive in a large glass jar in the materials warehouse, with more than a dozen still thriving.

Moreover, with the completion of the three herbal syntheses, Wu You had now consumed nine alchemy energy points, leaving him just one more refinement or cultivation away from upgrading the system.

…

Wu Jianguo had regained consciousness and was recovering well, so he had been moved to a regular deluxe intensive care room. Zhang Guihua had gone home to tidy up, leaving the ward and Wu Jianguo’s daily needs to be managed by a highly paid male nurse.

“Dad, don’t worry about your contracted garden. There’s nothing to worry about,” Wu You reassured him.

“Brat, you say there’s nothing, but would a huge corporation like Shengtian really listen to you?” Although weak, Wu Jianguo’s voice carried strength—thanks in no small part to a few drops of Black Spirit Ginseng extract.

“You’re underestimating your son, aren’t you? But really, Dad, you don’t need to worry. The person in charge of development for our land at Shengtian is Liu Weiliang, the general manager of Qiantang Company. I heard he’s now completely paralyzed and has no time to bother with our land.”

“Is that so?” Wu Jianguo was surprised.

“Would I lie? He’s in this very hospital. The doctors are all talking about it, calling it a bizarre illness.”

“How does someone just become paralyzed out of nowhere?” Wu Jianguo asked.

Wu You shrugged, “Who knows? Maybe it’s karma catching up with him.”

“Well deserved!” Wu Jianguo said with satisfaction.

At that moment, Wu You’s phone rang. He excused himself and stepped outside to answer.

As soon as he picked up, Zhou Peng’s voice burst out, “Mr. Wu, you remember the auction this Saturday, right? The response has been overwhelming, and a few major clients are eager to meet you. Would you be available?”

Wu You understood those bigshots probably wanted to know if he still had more luminous pearls on hand. He agreed without hesitation, deciding to leave the question of whether to sell his last one until the time came.

Zhou Peng was thrilled by Wu You’s straightforwardness. These big clients and Wu You himself would become valuable connections for him in the future.

“I won’t keep you much longer, Mr. Wu. Oh, by the way, you mentioned wanting to buy a car? What kind are you looking for? I know some dealership owners.”

Wu You stated his requirements over the phone.

Upon hearing them, Zhou Peng glanced instinctively at his computer screen, then made a decision.

“Mr. Wu, I know exactly the car you need. As it happens, my uncle managed to order a top-of-the-line Maybach Zeppelin six months ago, and as a reward, he recently gave it to me.”

“If you don’t mind, Mr. Wu, please accept this car from me. It’s already cleared customs and will arrive tomorrow.”

Wu You knew exactly what a Maybach Zeppelin was and didn’t pretend otherwise. He was truly fond of the car. Since Zhou Peng was offering, why refuse such a windfall? He would simply consider it as making a friend.

“Thank you, Brother Peng. I hope you don’t mind me calling you that. From now on, you don’t have to address me as Mr. Wu—call me Xiao Wu, Wu You, or Brother Wu, whatever you like.”

“Hahaha, it’s settled then, Brother Wu. Send me your address, and I’ll have the car delivered to you.”

When the call ended, Zhou Peng’s earlier reluctance was long forgotten. Though he and Wu You had only met once, Wu You had left a deep impression on him. Wu You’s easy acceptance of the car and his words afterward showed he fully understood Zhou Peng’s intentions and considered himself worthy of the gesture.

…

At noon, Zhang Guihua brought home-cooked dishes from home. After lunch at the hospital, Wu You returned to his house at the back of Xugou Village, waiting in the afternoon to receive his luxury car.

He didn’t have to wait long. At one o’clock, the car was delivered, complete with five years of insurance. After Wu You signed for it, the delivery truck departed.

The license plate and registration had all been arranged in advance, so the car could be driven right away.

As his first car—and a prestigious Maybach Zeppelin at that—Wu You was so excited that he immediately took it for a spin around the village, drawing a crowd of young onlookers.

The sleek, black body was understated yet extravagant, the interior was the height of luxury, with deerskin seats, wool carpets, a built-in refrigerator, massage chairs, and every conceivable amenity.

The cabin was incredibly spacious, the power was immense, and the handling superb. It was no wonder the car fetched a price of fifteen million yuan.

These days, BMWs and Mercedes were a common sight around Qiantang, but the double M emblem of a Maybach and the unmistakably expensive lines of this car left the villagers exclaiming over the Wu family’s son making good.

Without realizing it, Wu You had become the standard by which other children in the village were measured.

…

Driving onto the provincial highway only whetted his appetite. He soon found himself on the national expressway, and with a press of the accelerator, the 640-horsepower twin-turbocharged engine roared, propelling the car to two hundred kilometers per hour in an instant.

The high-end vehicle’s performance was extraordinary—at that speed, the ride inside was still smooth and steady, without a hint of instability.

By the time Wu You had satisfied his urge and decided to head home, he’d already driven as far as the Kuaiji toll station.

Since he was already there, Wu You thought he might as well inquire about the renowned physician Bai Yanxi’s current situation.

Though Wu Jianguo had regained consciousness, the miraculous Chinese medicine was still needed.

On one hand, it was for Wu Jianguo’s continued treatment; on the other, it was for the long-term development of Ten Thousand Beasts Manor. After all, he couldn’t always offer up luminous pearls as treasures.

Scarcity breeds value. If too many were released, not only would their worth diminish, but it could also attract unwanted attention or even trouble.