Chapter 431 — A Breakthrough in Research

"Xiaoshu! Didn't we agree you'd stop asking these silly questions? The fruit won't ripen until next year, and we'll have graduated long before then!" Gu Mengyao reminded her.

"Oh... Then why willow trees?" Shen Yushu nodded.

"That... I don't know either. Wei Zhao, why?" Gu Mengyao asked.

"Haven't you heard the saying? 'Plant a flower with care and it may not bloom; stick a willow in the ground carelessly and it will grow into shade.'" Wei Zhao smiled. "Willows are hardy. They don't need much fussing over."

"So that's it!" Shen Yushu nodded.

In the villa of Doctor Kang, the divine physician.

"Grandfather, after the lab researchers analyzed it, they found that dog droppings differ by breed—different breeds of dog produce completely different droppings. So I suspect that not every kind of dog dropping can be used in the Life-Extending Detox Pill!" Kang Jinglong said.

"Oh? This is a major discovery!" Doctor Kang took Kang Jinglong's words very seriously. "No wonder the efficacy of dog droppings has never been recognized—it turns out the droppings of different dogs really are different! Zhaolong, you've done well! But have you worked out what breed of dog produced this dropping?"

"After comparing and sampling several thousand specimens of dog droppings, and consulting many canine experts, we reached a conclusion: this dropping was most likely produced by a German Shepherd!" Kang Jinglong said.

"Oh? No wonder. I've heard this breed is second only to the Tibetan Mastiff in price—very rare and precious!" Doctor Kang nodded. "All right, then, get me one of these dogs as soon as possible, have it produce some droppings for analysis and comparison, and report the results to me."

"Yes, Grandfather. Before this, I already had someone reach out to arrange a purchase. We should have news very soon!" Kang Jinglong said.

"By the way, when are you going to the Xiao family in Yanjing to propose marriage?" Doctor Kang asked.

Kang Jinglong's heart stirred. That girl was quite pretty, and marrying her wouldn't be unpleasant. Even if the Xiao family's influence was nothing much these days, they could still serve as a stepping stone for the Kang family. Later, once the Kang family had grown, he could swap this woman out for one from a more powerful family.

But that was the old way of thinking. Now that Kang Jinglong was on the verge of developing the formula for the Life-Extending Detox Pill, his confidence had swelled enormously, and he was somewhat looking down on Wang Xinyan.

"Grandfather, I think the pressing matter right now is to determine exactly what kind of dog's droppings go into the Life-Extending Detox Pill. That is our family's top priority. As for the marriage alliance, I think we can put it on hold. If we truly develop the Life-Extending Detox Pill, the Kang family's standing will rise with the tide, and by then there may be no need to ally with the Xiao family at all!" Kang Jinglong said.

"You make sense. I was too hasty before!" Doctor Kang heard Kang Jinglong's analysis and nodded in deep agreement. "I've always positioned our family as a bottom-tier clan, but if we have the Life-Extending Detox Pill, everything changes! The Golden Wound Medicine, plainly speaking, is just a trauma remedy. It can heal wounds, yes, but it's only popular among women—a luxury item of high society. The Life-Extending Detox Pill is different. This is a life-saving thing!"

"Exactly. Once we succeed, we won't be a small family anymore. By then all those clans will be begging us..." Doctor Kang said. "But this formula—if we can work it out, others can too, can't they?"

"Don't worry, Grandfather. We won't be as foolish as Kang Xiaofeng and just hand out dog droppings directly. We'll add essences and the like so the pill smells sweet and fragrant. Even if someone analyzes it then, it won't be easy!" Kang Jinglong said.

"But there's still risk. Our main ingredient is dog droppings. No matter how hard we try to mask it, someone with sharp eyes will surely notice, won't they?" Doctor Kang hesitated.

"Yes..." Kang Jinglong nodded. "It seems I'll have to study how to keep the formula secret!"

"Grandfather, I have an idea!" Kang Jingming stepped forward, having finally found a chance to get a word in. He didn't want Kang Jinglong to hog all the credit. "We shrink the proportion of dog droppings in each pill to make it extremely scarce, with the other useless ingredients making up the majority. When taking it, the patient just takes several pills!"

One had to admit that when it came to dirty tricks, Kang Jingming was worth three of anyone. Hearing his words, Doctor Kang and Kang Jinglong were instantly enlightened. Doctor Kang said, "Zhaoming's method is workable! Excellent. You two brothers—one the scholar, one the warrior—the Kang family will flourish through you!"

Though Kang Jinglong was somewhat displeased that Kang Jingming had claimed half of the final credit, he had to concede that Kang Jingming's method was good: diluting the dog droppings until they seemed to be no more than an auxiliary ingredient would make people overlook them entirely.

"Heh heh..." Kang Jingming chuckled. "Grandfather, that woman—since Elder Brother doesn't like her, how about giving her to me?"

Kang Jingming had no grand ambitions. Sneaking around and pilfering suited him fine; he truly didn't want the burden of running a conglomerate. As long as he got his shares, living as a carefree, idle rich man would suit him very well.

So when he saw that Kang Jinglong had no interest in Wang Xinyan, he decided to take her for himself.

"You brat, what kind of nonsense are you thinking? That is your sister-in-law!" Divine Doctor Kang glared helplessly at his grandson.

"Heh heh, I was just saying whatever..." Kang Jingming also felt it was somewhat inappropriate and quickly changed his tune.

Fatty Lai, with snot and tears streaming down his face, finally managed to get Wei Zhao's phone number out of Guan Xuewen.

The one he had approached before was Liu Tianyi, but Liu Tianyi absolutely refused to divulge Wei Zhao's number no matter what. In the end Fatty Lai grew frantic and threatened to become his sworn enemy, and only then did Liu Tianyi reluctantly give him a hint: "Brother Lai, it's not that I'm deliberately making things hard for you by withholding it—I truly don't dare. I'm the one begging Divine Doctor Lin for help here; how could I casually leak his information to others? Here's what you do: Professor Guan Xuewen has an excellent relationship with Divine Doctor Lin. Go beg him, and there's sure to be a way. He's the one I begged back then!"

So Fatty Lai, as if he had received a sacred edict, ran to Guan Xuewen's house overnight. When Guan Xuewen refused to tell him, he knelt at Guan Xuewen's doorstep and began to sob and wail.

Guan Xin came home from the night shift and saw a fat man kneeling at her doorstep, crying. She was badly startled: "You... who are you? What do you want?"

"You are? Are you family of Professor Guan Xuewen?" Hearing that someone was finally paying attention to him, Fatty Lai hastily raised his head and asked.

"You're looking for my grandfather? What are you crying here for? Are you here to see him as a patient?" Guan Xin asked, somewhat puzzled. Her grandfather was not the sort to stand by and watch someone die. This fat man was crying so bitterly—could it be that her grandfather had refused to treat him or his family?