Su Meilan's gaze toward Wang Cheng changed completely. It was no longer the look reserved for a debtor or a country bumpkin, but the gaze of a tiger stumbling upon a priceless treasure.
She gestured towards an even more luxurious reception room on the upper floor. "Uncle Wang, would you care to join me upstairs? Meilan has some excellent tea I would like to pour for you to taste."
Her tone became several degrees sweeter, and her form of address shifted intimately from "Boss Wang" to "Uncle Wang."
"Oh, I shouldn't impose. I must hurry back to tend to the shop," Wang Cheng feigned polite reluctance, attempting to excuse himself.
"Absolutely not!" She quickly blocked his path with a smile. "Please consider it a gesture of goodwill from our Chamber... pretty please, Uncle?"
Faced with a beautiful woman pleading right in front of him, Wang Cheng gave a nod of "reluctant" acceptance.
Inside the lavishly decorated upper reception room, Su Meilan poured the fragrant tea for him herself. The scent of premium tea soothed the mind, but it could not mask the hidden intentions lying beneath.
"Uncle... may I ask, the ancient medical recipe you discovered... do you happen to have any others?" she began the conversation with tactical finesse.
Wang Cheng took a sip of tea and slowly shook his head. "Sigh... It was just some old scraps of paper, mostly chewed up by rats. I merely used trial and error... succeeding this time was purely a fluke," he replied with a naive demeanor, appearing like a lucky old man with nothing up his sleeve.
"And... what about the Silver Moon Grass? How did you come across it?"
"Oh, don't even mention it," he acted extremely regretful. "I was just climbing the mountain to gather ordinary herbs and happened to step right on it. I saw it looked pretty so I picked it, never thinking it was legendary. When I tried refining it, it all turned to ash... such a waste."
Su Meilan secretly frowned... His answers seemed flawless, but her instincts screamed that this old man was no ordinary person!
While she was deep in thought, Wang Cheng was silently reading her mind using his [Divine Diagnostic Eye].
[Su Meilan]
[Status: Evaluating and Planning]
[Thoughts: This old man definitely has a secret! I don't believe in luck! No matter what, I must bind him to the Chamber!]
[Physical Condition: Accumulated Cold Yin Poison in the womb, causing irregular menstruation and insomnia. If left too long, it will affect cultivation.]
'Classic symptoms of a working woman,' Wang Cheng smirked inwardly.
He pretended to be oblivious, sipping his tea comfortably before switching to the offensive.
"Manager Su, you are truly capable. So young, yet managing such a large business... it must be exhausting," he said with a concerned tone. "Look... you have dark circles under your eyes. Have you not been sleeping?"
These seemingly ordinary words made Su Meilan's heart skip a beat! Her insomnia over the past few nights was a secret known only to her closest confidantes!
She tried to maintain her composure. "Thank you for your concern, Uncle. I just have a lot of work to clear up."
Seeing that beating around the bush was ineffective, Su Meilan decided to open negotiations directly.
"Uncle Wang, I will speak frankly... Our Chamber is extremely interested in your 'luck.' I would like to offer you a 'Partnership Agreement'... The Chamber will provide every herb you need, no matter how rare, free of charge! As long as you refine pills exclusively for our Chamber. As for the profits, we will give you three shares! What do you say?"
This was an unbelievably excellent offer! Any ordinary alchemist would have bowed their head in acceptance immediately!
But Wang Cheng shook his head instantly. "Oh no... No, no, no!"
"Why not!?" Su Meilan exclaimed in shock.
"Manager Su, you overestimate this old man!" he said with a panicked demeanor. "I told you my success was a fluke! My success rate is pitifully low! Mostly I just produce useless slag. If I burn through your precious herbs, how would I ever repay you... I won't do it! Too much pressure!"
His refusal only made Su Meilan more certain that he was hiding something good!
"In that case... what kind of agreement do you desire?" she asked calmly.
Wang Cheng pretended to think hard before proposing the deal he had already prepared in his mind.
"How about this... I won't be an exclusive alchemist for anyone. But... if the Chamber can find 'specific' ingredients I need, I will refine for you... For every three successful pills, I will give the Chamber one as payment for the herbs. The remaining two... must be mine."
Su Meilan's eyes widened! This offer was... extremely cunning! He got free herbs, no commitment, and kept two-thirds of the pills!
While she was hesitating, Wang Cheng played his final trump card.
He looked at her with the eyes of a "doctor" looking at a "patient."
"One more thing... Manager Su," he said with a serious tone. "You should take better care of your health... Your 'Accumulated Cold Yin Poison' condition is getting more severe every day. If left untreated, I fear it will soon erode your cultivation foundation completely."
These words were like a lightning bolt striking the center of Su Meilan's heart! She stood up abruptly in shock!
"You... How did you know!?" This chronic illness was her top secret!
Wang Cheng smiled kindly. "I am a doctor... To show my sincerity in our new 'partnership'... I am willing to 'examine' you personally. Free of charge, not costing a single copper coin."
Su Meilan stood frozen. The icy mask she always wore began to crack. She looked at the seemingly innocent old man before her with eyes full of suspicion, panic, and... hope.
"...Examine... me?" she asked with a trembling voice.