Li Hua immediately placed the call, and after hanging up, he looked at Zhang Yang again. His gaze was as if he were looking at a swindler who had just succeeded in his deception.

At this moment, in his heart, he truly regarded Zhang Yang as a fraud, though he simply couldn't fathom why Huang Jing would be so eager to buy this item upon hearing about it. Could it be that Huang Jing genuinely believed such things existed?

The Youth-Preserving Pill, capable of preserving one's appearance for twenty years—that seemed utterly ludicrous, yet it clearly illustrated the immense allure of beauty for women. However, at this moment, he paid little attention to this; this situation was advantageous, as it presented him with an opportunity to shine.

Since it was something Huang Jing desired, buying it for her was the logical next step. One thousand yuan per pill was an astronomical, prohibitive price for many people.

In reality, Zhang Yang’s entire attire at that moment was easily worth over ten thousand yuan, especially his watch, which was a Vacheron Constantin worth over two hundred thousand, a gift from Mi Xue after she made some money. Unfortunately, deep down, Li Hua had already dismissed Zhang Yang as a charlatan, a poor student, and thus paid no mind to these details.

Even if he had noticed, he certainly would have assumed they were fakes. Zhang Yang looked up at him coolly, shaking his head slightly.

This Li Hua was nothing more than a shallow, superficial young master. No wonder Ren Lijuan had barely introduced him earlier, offering only a brief mention.

Zhang Yang had encountered plenty of people like him; he simply couldn't be bothered to engage. “Li Hua, what do you mean by that?” Zhang Yang remained silent, but that did not mean no one spoke up.

Ren Lijuan was already shouting indignantly. Huang Jing also turned her head, casting a displeased glance at Li Hua.

If the Youth-Preserving Pill were genuine, it would be an invaluable treasure beyond market price. Demanding a mere ten thousand yuan per piece was utterly insulting, which immediately bred a sense of disgust toward Li Hua in her heart.

Previously, although she disliked this young master from headquarters, she hadn't detested him this much. Li Hua was entirely unaware that his careless action had caused Huang Jing to drastically shift her perception of him.

If he knew, he might regret it enough to bang his head against a wall. “Your classmate is selling medicine, and I’m offering him ten thousand yuan per pill—isn't that enough?” Li Hua turned back, his voice rising slightly.

From the very beginning, he had made a preconceived judgment of Zhang Yang as a swindler, and being questioned repeatedly by Ren Lijuan only fueled his rising anger. In his mind, if it weren't for Ren Lijuan, Zhang Yang wouldn't have managed to trick Huang Jing; Ren Lijuan was an accomplice.

Throughout the entire exchange, he never considered that Huang Jing had voluntarily approached Zhang Yang with the inquiry, and it was Huang Jing who had proactively requested to purchase the item. “No!” A sharp reprimand rang out.

Li Hua hastily turned around, finding Huang Jing staring at him in anger. “Mr.

Zhang, I sincerely apologize. Do you happen to have time for a private discussion about this matter?” Having reached her limit and chastised Li Hua, Huang Jing immediately turned back, smiling apologetically at Zhang Yang.

The stark difference in her demeanor towards him and others left Li Hua stunned where he stood. A dense wave of intense jealousy and resentment surged from the depths of his heart.

He envied the warm smile Huang Jing reserved for Zhang Yang and resented that she treated Zhang Yang better than she treated him. “I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I don’t have the time,” Zhang Yang smiled faintly, shook his head, bid farewell to Ren Lijuan, and left directly.

He wasn't deliberately making an excuse; he genuinely was out of time. Zhu Daoqi was waving at him from nearby—the event was about to begin, and Zhang Yang needed to participate.

He hadn't spent much time at the university, but he was still a student, and the school had been very accommodating to him. It was only right that he reciprocate when it was within his power to do so.

Watching Zhang Yang depart, Huang Jing stomped her foot in vexation. She turned back and shot Li Hua a hateful glare before striding away.

Ren Lijuan glanced at Li Hua, then quickly hurried after her. Huang Jing was genuinely furious with Li Hua now.

How could a Youth-Preserving Pill that secured youth for twenty years possibly be bought for a mere ten thousand yuan? That price was lower than dirt cheap.

If news of such a treasure got out, people would willingly offer a hundred thousand, perhaps even a million, to acquire it. Preserving one's beauty was the lifelong dream of countless women.

Moreover, she knew clearly how rare the Beauty Grass, also known as the Dragon-Summoning Herb, was. Even if Zhang Yang possessed the Youth-Preserving Pill, he couldn't mass-produce it.

Scarcity inherently elevated the value of the pill even higher. “Sister Jing, do you really believe what Zhang Yang said?” Ren Lijuan caught up with Huang Jing and asked in a low voice.

She was very surprised that Huang Jing was willing to buy the Youth-Preserving Pill, though even now, she hadn't fully convinced herself that the pill was real. The claimed efficacy of the Youth-Preserving Pill truly strained her belief.

“Let’s discuss this in my office,” Huang Jing looked at Ren Lijuan, paused for a few seconds, and then said quietly. To secure a Youth-Preserving Pill from Zhang Yang, she would need Ren Lijuan’s help; sharing some information with Ren Lijuan wouldn't hurt.

The two entered the elevator. Only then did Li Hua snap back to reality, his face turning instantly pale.

He was furious. Nobody had ever treated him this way since he was a child.

Now he hated not only Zhang Yang but also Huang Jing and Ren Lijuan. His mind was consumed with thoughts of how to possess Huang Jing and subjugate her beneath him.

And Ren Lijuan too. If possible, he wanted to deal with both girls simultaneously, making them both understand his power.

Huang Jing’s office was spacious, and everything inside was meticulously neat. She led Ren Lijuan to sit on the sofa, and her secretary quickly brought two cups of coffee.

“Sister Jing, tell me quickly, what is going on? How could you believe him?” As soon as she sat down, Ren Lijuan impatiently asked.

Huang Jing was her idol; if Huang Jing hadn't been here, she might not even have come for this internship. Sighing, Huang Jing slowly began, “Xiao Juan, do you know that in this world, there are things beyond our comprehension and speculation?” “I know, are you talking about UFOs, or some other unsolved mysteries?” Ren Lijuan immediately nodded.

Huang Jing’s words instantly made her think of those subjects. She had read plenty of such books in high school and was once obsessed, even planning to study aerospace engineering in college.

“No. What I want to tell you is that there truly are masters existing in this world, and there are genuinely miraculous elixirs!” Huang Jing shook her head, slightly dismayed by the girl’s imagination, which had jumped straight to extraterrestrials.

“Masters? Elixirs?” Ren Lijuan’s eyes widened slowly.

At this moment, she finally understood what Huang Jing was referring to. “Yes.

I can only tell you that there are indeed some magical elixirs in this world, and the Youth-Preserving Pill is one of them. The Youth-Preserving Pill is extremely rare; its main ingredient, the Beauty Grass, disappeared long ago.

I only learned today that it also has another name: Dragon-Summoning Herb!” Huang Jing nodded firmly. Ren Lijuan’s eyes were wide, and her mouth fell open: “Sister Jing, do you mean the Youth-Preserving Pill Zhang Yang mentioned is real?” “I can only say that if his Youth-Preserving Pill is real, then it truly has that effect.

It can preserve youth for twenty years, ensuring no noticeable change in appearance within that time!” Huang Jing shook her head. She felt Zhang Yang was likely telling the truth, but without seeing the actual Youth-Preserving Pill, she couldn't be one hundred percent certain.

“No, I must go find him; I need one Youth-Preserving Pill!” Ren Lijuan suddenly stood up. She didn't fully trust her cousin's words, nor Zhang Yang's, but she had absolute faith in Huang Jing.

Since childhood, Huang Jing had been the person she admired most. “Sit down.

Do you realize how precious the Youth-Preserving Pill is? To just demand one so brazenly—what is your relationship with him?” Huang Jing pulled Ren Lijuan back down, shaking her head with a mixture of exasperation and amusement.

Being held back by Huang Jing, Ren Lijuan suddenly remembered that she and Zhang Yang were merely old classmates who hadn't seen each other for years, meeting only twice recently, and both times he had helped her significantly. It seemed improper to abruptly go and ask him for such a valuable gift based only on a classmate relationship.

If the Youth-Preserving Pill truly possessed such capabilities, its value was unquestionable. “Tell me, how did you get to know him, and what about his family background?” Huang Jing asked again in a low voice.

She was now intensely curious about Zhang Yang. If Zhang Yang possessed the Youth-Preserving Pill, he must be connected to inner strength cultivators, or perhaps he was one himself.

It was a pity she knew so little about current inner strength cultivators; otherwise, she might have been able to deduce Zhang Yang’s identity. “He, he’s my high school classmate, our class monitor…” Ren Lijuan seemed to drift into memory, slowly recounting her high school days.

Zhang Yang back then was unremarkable, or perhaps very low-key. Ren Lijuan knew nothing about Zhang Yang’s father; in her memory, he never brought up his parents, and at school events like parent-teacher conferences, others always attended instead of them.

Zhang Yang studied intensely and worked very hard. He could have attended much better universities, but nobody expected him to ultimately choose Changjing University.

Changjing University wasn't bad, but it couldn't compare to the top universities in the capital. With Zhang Yang’s grades back then, it certainly wasn't impossible for him to get into those institutions.

Ren Lijuan didn't elaborate much and soon finished recounting what she knew about Zhang Yang. It was only then that she realized how little she actually knew about him and how his university life might have been during the years they were apart.

“Sister Jing, he must have studied very well these past few years. Last time, when my cousin’s wedding banquet invited classmates, many people were poisoned.

My brother-in-law was the first to show symptoms; he looked terrifying. Zhang Yang just used a few needles and gave my brother-in-law an inconspicuous little pill, and he recovered right away!” Ren Lijuan whispered, recalling the mass poisoning incident at the hotel, which had left a deep impression on her.

“What did you say? A pill?

What kind of pill?” Huang Jing quickly asked, sitting up straighter. She was clearly much more interested in this detail.

“Zhang Yang called it an antidote pill—it was small, tiny, like those traditional Chinese medicine pills you buy at a pharmacy. No matter who was poisoned, taking one pill stopped the symptoms.

Later, the hospital staff also found it magical and took one away for research. One doctor even said that without the support of that miraculous pill, perhaps the several people who were poisoned might have died!” Ren Lijuan’s explanation made Huang Jing’s eyes gleam brighter and brighter.

A pill, acupuncture—this young man was definitely not simple. And a pill that could pique the interest of doctors certainly wasn't ordinary medicine.

This must have been a highly effective antidote. If Zhang Yang possessed an antidote pill, the probability that he also had the Youth-Preserving Pill became much higher, confirming that Zhang Yang was indeed connected to such circles.

(To be continued)RQ

For more novels, visit storyread.net.