For the next two days, Ye Chu was preoccupied with collecting outstanding debts.
Along the way, he encountered several tough characters, yet each of them ultimately yielded under his hand.
"This is the last one. Once this is done, the work is finished."
With long strides, Ye Chu headed toward a medical hall.
The clinic was finely decorated, a blend of traditional Chinese medicine and Western practice.
The moment he stepped inside, a faint fragrance of herbs drifted into his nose.
He glanced around, yet saw no patients.
His brows furrowed. Such a large and well-furnished clinic should not be this empty.
"Sir, are you here for a consultation or to purchase medicine?"
A young nurse walked out from behind the counter.
Ye Chu shook his head. "Neither. I'm here to see your boss."
Disappointment flickered across her face, but she still replied politely:
"The boss is in the back. Please wait a moment, I'll call him."
Just then, a voice rang from the rear hall.
"Sister Zhou, who is it?"
A young man in his early twenties, dressed in a white coat, stepped out.
The nurse spoke, "Boss, this gentleman is looking for you."
The young man's gaze met Ye Chu's, and both felt an uncanny sense of familiarity, as if they had crossed paths long ago.
Ye Chu thought for a while, then asked hesitantly, "Are you Zhang Miaochun?"
Hearing that familiar voice, Zhang Miaochun's heart leapt. His face lit up with excitement as he rushed forward.
"Ye Chu—it is you, isn't it?"
Ye Chu smiled and nodded. "It's me. Long time no see."
"Yes, it must have been three years! You've grown taller, too."
Zhang spread his arms and pulled Ye Chu into a bear hug.
"You haven't changed much yourself." Ye Chu embraced him tightly in return.
They had been close friends in middle school—brothers in all but blood.
"What have you been up to these past years? Why did you suddenly leave school back then?" Zhang asked curiously once he let go.
"Some things happened. I had to leave Jiangdu for a while," Ye Chu replied casually, without mentioning how he had taken the blame for his brother.
Sensing Ye Chu's reluctance, Zhang didn't pry further. Instead, he pulled him aside to catch up on old times.
After chatting for a while, Zhang finally asked, "By the way, Ye Chu, did you come here for something specific?"
Ye Chu hesitated, but Zhang pressed him. "Come on, no need to hide it from me. Speak plainly."
With a resigned nod, Ye Chu admitted, "I'm here on behalf of Yunmeng Pharmaceuticals—to collect payment."
Zhang's expression darkened, a flicker of embarrassment in his eyes.
Ye Chu quickly added, "Miaochun, I didn't know it was you. Everyone faces hard times. If you can't pay for now, you can delay a little."
Zhang gave a bitter smile. "You're right—I've been struggling. It was wrong of me to delay the payment. Don't worry, I'll find a way to return it soon."
Ye Chu frowned. "What happened? Tell me—perhaps I can help."
Zhang did not conceal it. "Not long ago, a patient suffered a reaction after taking the medicine I prescribed. I had to compensate, and to do so, I borrowed from loan sharks. My plan was to use the next few months' revenue to repay them."
"But ever since that incident, the clinic's business has collapsed. Now, it's nearly deserted."
He ended with a heavy sigh.
Just as Ye Chu was about to console him, a group of men stormed inside, brimming with menace.
The leader, a youth in a gaudy floral shirt, sneered, "Zhang, pay up at once—or we'll take this clinic as repayment."
He was in his thirties, with dragons and tigers tattooed across his arms, a thick gold chain hanging around his neck—a caricature of a street thug.
Zhang's face turned pale. He shot to his feet, shouting angrily, "Don't I still have three days?"
The thug smirked. "Three days? Stop deluding yourself. In three days, can you gather a million? If you had that kind of money, you wouldn't be in this mess. Hand over the clinic, and we'll call the debt settled."
Despair flashed across Zhang's eyes, yet he straightened stubbornly. "This clinic was my father's legacy. You'll never take it from me."
The thug chuckled coldly. "That's not up to you." With a wave of his hand, he barked, "Teach him a lesson."
Two henchmen advanced.
The nurse squealed and hid behind the counter.
Sweat beaded on Zhang's forehead. Fear gripped him, but he refused to retreat.
"You borrowed from Brother Leopard, and now you want to renege? Let's loosen up those bones of yours."
Grinning viciously, they swung their massive fists toward Zhang's face.
Terror froze him in place; his legs felt as though filled with lead.
Just as the blows were about to land, Ye Chu stepped forward and effortlessly caught both fists.
"Who are you, kid? Dare to meddle in our business?" one of them snarled.
Ye Chu exerted the slightest pressure, sending the speaker flying, followed swiftly by the other.
Gasps filled the room.
Two grown men, each over a hundred pounds, tossed aside as if they were mere sacks of grain.
Zhang stood dumbstruck. Three years apart, and Ye Chu had grown into someone so formidable?
The thug in the floral shirt snapped out of his shock, his face twisting with rage. "You bastard—you dare injure my men? You're dead. Get him! Cripple him!"
A swarm of thugs rushed at Ye Chu.
"Ye Chu, look out!" Zhang cried, rushing forward, but what he saw next left him reeling.
Ye Chu's palm lashed out again and again, each strike sending an attacker hurtling backward.
In less than a minute, every last thug lay sprawled across the floor.
The floral-shirted youth gaped, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Ye Chu curled a finger at him. "Come here. I have questions."
Fear flickered in the man's eyes. "W–who are you? We belong to Brother Leopard. Hurt us, and you'll be making an enemy of him…"
"Silence." Ye Chu's voice cracked like thunder, laced with a spiritual force. The thug clutched his head, agony washing over him, and collapsed to his knees.
Ye Chu strode up, looming over him. "Speak. What's truly going on here?"
He had already sensed a hidden hand behind the scheme.
Terrified out of his wits, the man dared not hesitate and spilled everything.
The so-called patient had been planted by them to create trouble, forcing Zhang into borrowing usurious loans, so they could seize the clinic.
Why go to such lengths? Because soon, this entire street was slated for demolition.
Zhang's fury exploded. "Scum! I knew my prescription was sound—it was you who plotted against me!"
He lunged at the thug, raining down blows in his rage.
That incident had made him doubt his own medical skill.
At last, Ye Chu pulled him back. He then turned to the thug, whose face was now swollen and bruised, and said coldly, "Call your Brother Leopard. Tell him to come."
The man fumbled out his phone, trembling as he obeyed.
Zhang's expression tightened. "Ye Chu, I've heard Brother Leopard has influence—and even ties with the Yun family. Shouldn't we call the city guards?"
"No need," Ye Chu said with a faint smile. "If they come, it won't be as fun."
…