NOVPUBThe World Economic Summit had ended amid noise like that of a vegetable market.
With their newly borrowed money, the representatives who had been anxiously fearing the worst finally breathed a sigh of relief. Although they were all now deeply in debt, at least the immediate crisis had been addressed.
As for the debts they owed, they would have to pay them off slowly. What else could they do? They were well aware, however, that unless Zhang Menglong suddenly died overnight, they would be overshadowed by the Zhang Family for the rest of their lives.
"You rascal, how was business today?" Old Zhou leisurely approached from behind Zhang Menglong, "Made a good profit, didn't you?"
"Not bad," Zhang Menglong smiled, "I lent out a little more than 22 trillion US Dollars, and with the current interest rates, earning a few trillion US Dollars a year won't be a problem!"
"Hahaha, good!" Old Zhou laughed heartily. Huaxia had painstakingly saved a few trillion US Dollars over decades, and here Zhang Menglong could match a decade of the nation's efforts in just one year!
Whether the money was Zhang Menglong's or the nation's didn't matter to Old Zhou at all, because Zhang Menglong was a Huaxian, and one filled with national pride at that.
"The New Year is just around the corner. Any plans? Going back to your hometown?" Old Zhou and Zhang Menglong chatted about family matters.
"I might not go back," Zhang Menglong said, "My family is no longer there."
Zhang Menglong certainly couldn't say that his family had already stepped through the gates of a new world, could he? If he did, Old Zhou would surely think he was insane.
"Why don't you bring your girlfriend to Yanjing for the New Year?" Old Zhou suggested, "You could also meet some people I'll introduce to you."
"Sure," Zhang Menglong considered for a moment and then agreed. After all, where else would he be spending the New Year? And Old Zhou, having no children, must feel quite lonely. 𝒏𝙤𝙫𝒑𝙪𝙗.𝙘𝒐𝙢
"I need to take a call," Old Zhou's phone suddenly rang, "Let's have lunch together later."
"Sure thing. You go ahead. I'll just check my figures again." Zhang Menglong rubbed his fingers together, preparing to calculate how much money he would make from this deal, but he suddenly noticed that Old Zhou's expression had turned very serious.
"What did you say? Qin's condition has worsened? What are these doctors doing? Didn't they say he had at least a year or two left?"
"And what about the latest targeted treatment technology?"
"Alright, I got it. You guys take good care of Old Qin. I'll be back in Yanjing tonight!"
"Sorry Menglong, something urgent came up. I have to rush back. I'll treat you to a meal another time." Old Zhou looked hurried.
"What's the matter? I heard you mention Old Qin just now. It isn't Qin Feng's grandfather, is it?"
Old Zhou nodded, "This old man, who has dedicated his life to the nation, is facing such torment in his old age without any good returns."
"Why is that happening?" Zhang Menglong asked. "Didn't I give Old Qin a pill last time? Logically, given his physical condition, living another 10 years shouldn't have been a problem."
"After taking your pill, Old Qin indeed became much healthier and even wrestled with the new recruits at the army base at his old age," Old Zhou said, "But the old man is after all old, and last week he suddenly fainted in the camp. Everyone thought he was just too excited and couldn't handle it, but who would have known, the old guy has acute leukemia."
"Acute leukemia?" Zhang Menglong knew clearly. The pill he gave the old man was just to activate the activity of the body cells and help to prolong life, strictly speaking, it was just a health supplement, not a cure.
At Old Qin's age, his body couldn't withstand such an acute disease!
"After a night of emergency treatment, his condition has temporarily stabilized, but the doctor said the illness could worsen at any moment, and just now, his white blood cell count dropped again."
Treating leukemia can be very difficult, yet also quite simple in a way: find a suitable bone marrow match and proceed with a transplant, and the current survival rates are still very high!
Zhang Menglong had a classmate in elementary school who was diagnosed with leukemia. After a successful bone marrow transplant, he is now in excellent health.
However, the most significant characteristic of acute leukemia is the rapid deterioration of the condition. There simply isn't enough time to find a matching marrow donor.
Even if a match is found, it's uncertain whether the old general can survive the surgery given his advanced age.
In fact, the old general had long accepted his fate, having lived a full and vibrant life. What more could he ask for?
But his concern was the military, though the next generation of generals was very capable, he saw no one in the following generation who could take up the mantle.
Moreover, as the highest-ranking officer, General Qin was the linchpin of the entire military. His sudden demise would greatly impact morale, possibly leading to unforeseen circumstances.
In other words, he was the soul of the military!
"I'll go with you," Jiang Yezhou said, "No wonder Qin Feng has been so quiet lately. It looks like he still needs to lean on my pectoral muscles."
"And you're still joking at a time like this," scolded Old Zhou, "If Qin Feng were here, he'd punch you."
"If he doesn't want General Qin to recover, let him come and punch me!"
"What did you say? Are you implying you have a way?" Old Zhou's eyes suddenly lit up, "I know you've achieved something in the field of medical artificial intelligence, but this is serious medical science, you…"
"Actually, our ancestors included quite a few famed physicians," Zhang Menglong stated, "Do you know what the earliest recorded medical text in history was?"
"I do know that. The 'Inner Canon of Huangdi,'" It was one of the earliest texts and also the first among the four great classical texts of Huaxia traditional medicine.
"No, actually not," Zhang Menglong smiled, "The Inner Canon of Huangdi is merely a small portion of another book. That book is called 'Shennong Pharmacopoeia', and the Inner Canon of Huangdi is less than a third of its content."
"The 'Inner Canon of Huangdi' focuses more on traditional Chinese therapies, whereas the rest incorporates another very ancient discipline involving alchemy and medicine making!"
"You know alchemy and medicine making?" Old Zhou said, astonished.
In Huaxia, there are actually many alchemists and pharmacists, their heritage being very ancient and these fields arguably more profound and expansive than traditional Chinese medicine.
But because the entry barrier is high, not everyone possesses the capability of alchemy and medicine making. Even in ancient times, individuals with such capabilities were often revered and mythicized, which led to a deterioration in the transmission of these arts.
Modern so-called alchemists and pharmacists can only produce very rudimentary drugs.
This is due to the extreme difficulty of alchemy and medicine making as well as the loss of medical recipes.
"I know a bit," Zhang Menglong revealed, "That book was compiled by my ancestors. You know about Shennong, right?"
Old Zhou nodded, but wasn't that a mythical figure? Did his ancestors know Shennong?
"My ancestor was Shennong!" exclaimed Zhang Menglong, "His name was Zhang Shengnong. He was deeply occupied with researching medication. During his travels across the country, he cured many complex diseases and wrote down this work. Somehow it spread and he became regarded as Shennong. Eventually, he just named his book 'Shennong Pharmacopoeia' outright."
"Then hurry up and follow me!" Old Zhou grabbed Zhang Menglong's shoulder, eager and impatient, "Now, immediately, this instant, come with me to Yanjing!"
