CHAPTER 41: CHAPTER 0041: BAD SITUATION_1

Liu Ruolan pulled Zhang Bin into the splendid and luxurious Liu Family residence.

The overwhelming air of wealth that greeted him left Zhang Bin inwardly shaken.

Zhang Bin also met Liu Ruolan’s father and mother.

Both appeared to possess a refined temperament; one was naturally imposing without being angry, while the other still radiated mature charm.

"Dad, Mom, this is Zhang Bin, my boyfriend. He’s a remarkable person. The Bright Eye Liquid was his invention..." Liu Ruolan introduced him coyly.

Father Liu and Mother Liu both sighed quietly to themselves. Father Liu invited Zhang Bin to sit down and began to make small talk.

Mother Liu, however, pulled Liu Ruolan into a room and said sternly, "Daughter, you’re already engaged. How could you have a boyfriend? And even bring him home?"

"Mom, I’d rather die than marry Diao Lao Er. He’s an inhuman beast. I came back this time to ask Grandpa for help breaking off my engagement with the Diao Clan," Liu Ruolan said.

"If the engagement is broken, the Liu Family will face hard times. Our vast business empire could collapse overnight. How could your grandpa ever agree to this?" Mother Liu said sadly. "Besides, your grandpa is already on his deathbed and might not survive the month. His mind is confused. He can’t even recognize you. How could he possibly make this decision for you?"

"What? Didn’t I have someone send back Century-old Ginseng? How did Grandpa get so much worse?"

Liu Ruolan felt as if her world was collapsing, and tears streamed down her face.

Elder Master Liu doted on Liu Ruolan, loving her deeply and nurturing her growth.

It was precisely her outstanding business talent that had attracted the attention of the Diao Clan.

So they employed various means to get the Liu Family to agree to marry Liu Ruolan to the Diao Clan’s second son, Diao Qiwei.

At the time, Liu Ruolan was only eighteen.

Diao Qiwei was only twenty and hadn’t yet become completely depraved. But in the five years since, Diao Lao Er’s infamy had spread far and wide, known to all.

He was an inhuman beast—brawling, causing trouble, drinking to excess, taking drugs, and changing girlfriends more times than anyone could count.

Naturally, Liu Ruolan was unwilling.

However, the Diao Clan’s power was immense. They had more than a dozen family members in high-ranking official positions and a fortune so vast it was staggering.

If the Diao Clan were to make a move, a merchant family like the Liu Family wouldn’t be able to withstand it and would collapse in an instant.

The only reason the Diao Clan hadn’t yet forced the marriage between Liu Ruolan and Diao Qiwei was out of consideration for Elder Master Liu, who was a veteran revolutionary cadre and had once served as a deputy provincial governor.

Now that Elder Master Liu was critically ill with little time left, the great tree that supported the Liu Family was about to topple.

How could Liu Ruolan possibly break the engagement now?

"Your grandfather has cancer. The Century-old Ginseng could prolong his life before, but it’s not effective anymore. The hospital has already issued a death notice," Mother Liu said. "Daughter, you should have Zhang Bin leave immediately before he gets hurt. If the Diao Clan finds out about him, not only will the engagement be impossible to break, but they will surely have him killed. This is your fate. You can’t just stand by and watch the Liu Family collapse, can you?"

"I... I... I..."

Desperation was written all over Liu Ruolan’s face. While she refused to marry a scoundrel like Diao Qiwei, she couldn’t bear to see her family fall into ruin.

The Liu Family was a business dynasty with a fortune of over a billion. Its members were accustomed to a life of luxury. If the family were to truly collapse, they would be cast into a desperate plight from which they could never recover.

Her parents’ fate would be even more tragic.

Therefore, if her grandfather was destined to pass away, there was no way to annul the engagement.

She walked out of the room in a daze, pulled Zhang Bin aside, and said, "Zhang Bin, thank you. You can go now."

"What happened?" Zhang Bin asked, taken aback.

"Don’t ask questions. Just go, quickly, or you might get dragged into this. You’re innocent," Liu Ruolan said somberly.

"Dragged into this?" A cold sneer spread across Zhang Bin’s face. "Then I refuse to leave. Let’s see just how I’ll get dragged into this."

"Zhang Bin, I’m begging you, please go," Liu Ruolan pleaded. "I know you’re very powerful, but can you fight the army? Can you defy the law? Can you stand against the nation’s own superpower users?"

"What? The army? The law? The nation’s superpower users? If I don’t leave, I’ll provoke them?"

Zhang Bin’s eyes widened in disbelief.

"I am not exaggerating in the slightest," Liu Ruolan insisted. "So, please, just go."

"I’m not leaving. I’d like to see what crime I’ve supposedly committed," Zhang Bin said angrily.

"You..." Liu Ruolan was so furious she almost coughed up blood. "Why are you so stubborn?"

"Sister Lan, you have to tell me exactly what’s going on. Otherwise, I’m not leaving," Zhang Bin said.

With a look of helplessness, Liu Ruolan had no choice but to explain the situation.

"The Diao Clan is that powerful?" Zhang Bin was stunned.

"More powerful than you can imagine," Liu Ruolan said.

"I don’t care how powerful they are. I’m not afraid of them. If they provoke me, I’ll make them regret it," Zhang Bin said furiously.

"Stop talking tough and just go already," Liu Ruolan urged.

"Sister Lan, you’re making things too complicated. Actually, solving this problem isn’t difficult at all. Breaking off your engagement is easy. At worst, I can at least help you maintain the current situation," Zhang Bin said.

"What crazy idea do you have?" Liu Ruolan’s eyes lit up as she asked with anticipation.

"It’s simple. I’ll just cure your grandfather, and everything will be fine," Zhang Bin said with complete confidence.

"A few days ago, didn’t you say you weren’t a doctor yet and that even your master couldn’t cure cancer? Let me tell you, my grandfather has late-stage nasal cancer. The flame of his life could be extinguished at any moment," Liu Ruolan asked skeptically.

"I’ve had a breakthrough in my cultivation level these past few days, and now I can heal people. Let’s give it a try," Zhang Bin said.

"How confident are you?" Liu Ruolan asked.

"Eighty percent," Zhang Bin replied after a moment’s hesitation.

"Is that even possible?" Liu Ruolan looked incredulous. "This isn’t a joke. If you can’t cure him, you could be putting yourself in grave danger. Do you understand?"

"Sister Lan, let me tell you two things. First, I fear no one," Zhang Bin said proudly. "Second, I don’t like to brag."

If I get you into trouble, I’ll just die with you. Liu Ruolan thought, then turned to her parents. "Dad, Mom, we’re going to the hospital to see Grandpa. Zhang Bin knows medicine, and he might be able to cure Grandpa’s illness. Will you come with us?"

"Nonsense!" Father Liu’s face reddened with anger. "We’ve consulted countless famous doctors, and none of them could do anything. How could a young man cure him? Who would believe that?"

"Uncle, who would have believed that Bright Eye Liquid could cure nearsightedness in half an hour? But it’s a fact," Zhang Bin said.

"Nearsightedness and cancer are two completely different things," Father Liu said irritably. "Are you saying you’re more skilled than all the divine doctors in the world?"

"They couldn’t develop Bright Eye Liquid," Zhang Bin countered. "Besides, I’m just offering to try. What if it works? Wouldn’t that be wonderful?"

"Dad, just let him try," Liu Ruolan said. "It’s not like we have any other options."

"Fine," Father Liu sighed. "I’ll go with you. At least we can say we tried everything."