Zhao Qiuyan was worried when she heard Ye Changqing's words and remembered Ye Changqing hitting Liu Minghui. She said, "Ye Changqing, avoid using force if possible. Force can't solve problems."
Ye Changqing nodded. "Don't worry. I don't like fighting at all," he said.
Liu Yuting curled her lip. "You even hit a doctor. Who would believe you?" she said.
Ye Changqing pretended not to hear and drove the three of them straight to their destination - the Crystal Shoes KTV, which is the most luxurious KTV in Songjiang City. In this place, you can get almost anything you can think of.
Wei Yiping was smoking alone in the private room, waiting.
The door opened, and a burly, drunken man stumbled in.
Seeing the man, Wei Yiping stood up in fright, holding a wine glass. "Brother Long, why are you here? Let me offer you a toast," he said.
Brother Long, with bleary, drunken eyes, glanced at Wei Yiping. "Who the hell are you? Did you enter the wrong room? Get out!" he shouted.
Wei Yiping quickly bowed and apologized. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I entered the wrong room. I'll leave right away," he said.
Brother Long was the leader of the Fraternity. When Wei Yiping was an intern, he followed his mentor to interview a small factory, planning to make some money. They offended Brother Long. As a result, his mentor's leg was broken, he lost his job, and finally moved away in fear. So, Wei Yiping didn't dare to argue and was willing to give up the room.
"I'm leaving now," Wei Yiping said in a panic and went to the front desk to change rooms.
Ye Changqing led Zhao Qiuyan and Liu Yuting to Room 9.
They pushed the door open and found a man lying on the sofa.
Ye Changqing asked Zhao Qiuyan, "What should we do? He seems to be asleep."
This was Zhao Qiuyan's first time dealing with such a situation. The article was going to be published tomorrow, and they had to get the manuscript withdrawn today. Time was tight, so she said, "Wake him up."
Ye Changqing reached out and patted the man's shoulder. "Hey, Wei Yiping, wake up," he said.
Brother Long, who was sleeping, was disturbed and cursed angrily, "Can't you see I'm sleeping? Get out!"
Zhao Qiuyan was startled. Is this a reporter? He seemed more like a gangster.
Liu Yuting also took two steps back, worried. "Is he drunk?" she asked.
Ye Changqing patted the shoulder again. "Get up. We need to talk to you," he said.
Brother Long, being disturbed twice, couldn't bear it anymore. He stood up and grabbed Ye Changqing's collar. "Are you blind? How dare you disturb me while I'm sleeping..."
Halfway through his words, he saw Ye Changqing's face clearly and was shocked. His mouth opened wide, and his eyes widened. "Ye... Ye... Brother Ye?" he stuttered.
Ye Changqing finally recognized him. In prison, this man was sick, and the prison doctor was helpless. Ye Changqing treated him. He was Ye Changqing's first patient and also the first "human - shaped sandbag" for Ye Changqing to practice martial arts. Ye Changqing's martial arts skills improved a lot because of practicing on him. When he couldn't withstand Ye Changqing's punches anymore, Ye Changqing found another cellmate with higher combat power.
"Brother Long?" Ye Changqing said.
Brother Long was pale with fear. "Brother Ye, please call me Xiaolong. Brother Ye, if you come to me, there must be something you need. Just tell me, and I, Liu Xiaolong, will definitely do it for you," he said.
Ye Changqing waved his hand. "I made a mistake. I'm looking for someone else," he said.
Brother Long seemed disappointed. "Brother Ye, aren't you here to see me?" he asked.
Ye Changqing signaled Zhao Qiuyan and Liu Yuting to leave. "Let's go. Let's ask at the front desk," he said.
Liu Xiaolong shouted from behind, "Brother Ye, if you need anything, don't be polite. I won't let you down."
Ye Changqing turned around and waved. "Stop drinking so much," he said.
After leaving the room, Liu Yuting looked at Ye Changqing with disdain. "What kind of friends do you have? They don't look like good people at all," she said.
Ye Changqing replied calmly, "I met them in prison. People who go to prison are usually not good people."
Seeing that Liu Yuting seemed about to say something, Zhao Qiuyan quickly changed the topic. "Let's quickly find Wei Yiping. Don't talk about this now," she said.
Ye Changqing took them to the front desk to ask. They found out that Wei Yiping had changed rooms.
They pushed open another room. Ye Changqing walked in first and saw a man in a white shirt and glasses. "Are you Wei Yiping?" he asked.
Wei Yiping said arrogantly, "I only talk to Zhao Qiuyan."
Ye Changqing nodded and sat down to the side.
Seeing that there was only Wei Yiping in the room, Zhao Qiuyan felt relieved. It would be easier to deal with one person.
She sat on the sofa and got straight to the point. "Our company's salesperson offered you one million, but you refused. So, tell me. How much do you want?" she asked.
Wei Yiping looked at Zhao Qiuyan's beautiful face. "Since a beautiful lady is asking, I should give you some face. But I'm a journalist, and my job requires me to expose your company. Bupleurum injection may cause patients to become vegetative. You can't risk people's lives just for profit!" he said.
Zhao Qiuyan was stunned for a moment. She didn't expect him to say this. It sounded very righteous, but she thought it was ridiculous. He was just looking for an excuse to get more money.
"There are no outsiders here, and I'm not recording. Don't deceive yourself. Liu Minghui has already told you that it was his mistake in administering the medicine. He didn't know that the patient had hyperthyroidism. And the patient is not really a vegetative state in the medical sense. A few injections will cure it. So, tell me how much money you want," she said.
Wei Yiping shook his head arrogantly. "I don't care. This is what my interview found, and I will report it truthfully," he said.
Zhao Qiuyan's eyes turned cold. "You are lying and slandering. I can ask Liu Minghui to clarify. If we go to court, you will not only have to apologize but also pay compensation," she said.
Wei Yiping nodded. "Yes, I know. But I still want to report it. Once my report is out, many news accounts will repost it. It's useless no matter how much money you spend on clarification. This new drug will be ruined!" he said.
Zhao Qiuyan was furious. "What on earth do you want? Does our company have a grudge against you? Or do you think the money offered is not enough?" she asked.
Although Wei Yiping was shameless, what he said was true. Once the news broke out, even if she spent a lot of money on clarification, the rumor that the new drug could make patients vegetative would ruin the new drug. She wanted to know what this journalist really wanted.
Wei Yiping pursed his lips. "Just give up this drug," he said.
Zhao Qiuyan stood up suddenly. "Which company sent you?" she asked.
The first thing that came to her mind was that he was sent by a competitor. Otherwise, he wouldn't make such a request.
Wei Yiping said nonchalantly, "Think whatever you like, but this drug is doomed. The reason I asked you to come is to tell you one more thing. Don't develop traditional Chinese medicine anymore. It will end up like this anyway," he said and stood up to leave.
Zhao Qiuyan's face was as cold as ice, and Liu Yuting's face was even uglier. They watched Wei Yiping leave but didn't know what to do.
Ye Changqing stopped Wei Yiping. "Stop! You are breaking the law. Have you thought about the consequences?" he asked.
Wei Yiping was smug and said unhurriedly, "Breaking the law? So what? My lawyer told me that the maximum fine is twenty thousand. It's just a small amount," he said.
At that moment, the door opened, and Liu Xiaolong walked in.
When Wei Yiping saw Liu Xiaolong, his face turned slightly pale. "Brother Long, you told me to get out earlier, so I changed rooms. If you want this room, I'll give it to you right away," he said.
Liu Xiaolong glanced at Wei Yiping and ignored him. He said respectfully to Ye Changqing, "Brother Ye, you left in a hurry earlier and didn't leave my phone number. If you need something, you won't be able to contact me. I came to give you my phone number," he said.
Ye Changqing knew that Liu Xiaolong wanted to repay his kindness, but he was busy with the current matter. "Can't you see I'm in a bad mood? Get out. I'm dealing with important business," he said.
Liu Xiaolong glared. "Who made you angry, Brother Ye? Just tell me, and I'll take care of him!" he said.