Where Did This Swindler Come From?

"Tonics?"

"This..."

The receptionist recognized Jiang Fan, but she did not know how to answer his question for the moment.

"I've never encountered this kind of question before. How about you wait a moment while I ask?"

Jiang Fan nodded.

The receptionist took a few steps, then turned back around.

"What kind of tonic are you talking about?"

"Something like the ones at our counter, prepared and blended?"

Jiang Fan hesitated for a moment.

"No, they're refined from Chinese medicinal herbs!"

"But... the effects are very good!"

The receptionist hesitated when she heard "Chinese medicinal herbs."

But seeing that Jiang Fan was fairly polite, she replied politely as well.

"Chinese medicinal herbs probably won't work!"

"But I'll still ask for you!"

Just as she was about to walk away, a sharp rebuke rang out.

"Ask what? No need to ask!"

"Where did this swindler come from, trying to scam Anshi Hall?"

Jiang Fan and the receptionist looked over to see a group of Youngsters, led by a fair-skinned and beautiful Girl, striding over aggressively.

The one who had just spoken was Xiao Wei, at the head of the group.

"Miss!"

When the receptionist saw Xiao Wei, she hurriedly greeted her.

Xiao Wei glanced at her and scolded her.

"Do you have no brains at all?"

"Medicine refined from Chinese medicinal herbs can be eaten by people? It can replenish qi and blood? You actually believed that?"

The receptionist did not dare make a sound after being berated by her.

After speaking, Xiao Wei fixed Jiang Fan with a cold stare.

"Who are you? How dare you try to scam Anshi Hall?"

The moment Xiao Wei finished speaking, the group of Youngsters beside her immediately chimed in.

"Exactly! Don't you see what kind of place this is?"

"Swindlers these days are truly bold beyond measure!"

"You look so young, yet you're doing this kind of shady business!"

"..."

As Jiang Fan listened to the crowd chattering all at once, his eyes narrowed.

Without bothering to distinguish black from white, right from wrong, they had slapped the label of "swindler" on him. This group truly deserved to die!

He stepped forward and stared straight at Xiao Wei.

"You said I'm a swindler?"

Under Jiang Fan's gaze, Xiao Wei suddenly felt panic rise in her heart for no reason.

It was as if she had been targeted by a ferocious beast, and fine goosebumps suddenly rose along her arms.

But when she remembered that this was her family's pharmacy, with her companions standing beside her, she immediately found much more confidence.

"Only ignorant people would believe in herbal decoctions brewed from Chinese medicinal herbs!"

"Not a few people have died from drinking them!"

"You brought herbal decoctions brewed from Chinese medicinal herbs to sell at my home. What are your intentions?"

Jiang Fan's gaze turned sharp as he was about to speak.

A figure came scrambling over from the side, panting heavily as he ran and shouted.

"Xiao Wei, don't talk nonsense!"

"He's our customer!"

The newcomer was Old Xu from the Chinese medicine counter.

When Xiao Wei saw Old Xu, a trace of unease flashed through her eyes, but she still obediently greeted him.

"Grandpa Xu!"

Although Old Xu wore shabby clothes, he seemed to hold quite some status in Anshi Hall.

After running over, he first apologized profusely to Jiang Fan, then said to Xiao Wei.

"Hurry up and apologize to this young man!"

Being asked to apologize to Jiang Fan in front of all her classmates, Xiao Wei immediately felt unbearably ashamed.

"Why should I?"

Old Xu frowned.

"This young man is a customer here. He has already spent 100,000 Blue Star Coins here. Isn't it rude for you to speak to him like that?"

Upon hearing Old Xu's words, everyone was instantly shocked!

Although their family backgrounds were all fairly good, there was no way they could produce 100,000 Blue Star Coins.

Yet Jiang Fan looked about the same age as them, but he could actually spend 100,000 Blue Star Coins. One truly could not judge a person by appearances!

"Who knows where his money came from? Maybe..."

Xiao Wei had only muttered half the sentence when Old Xu interrupted her.

"Xiao Wei!"

Though still somewhat unwilling, under Old Xu's stern expression, Xiao Wei could only pout and say.

"I'm sorry!"

Jiang Fan's expression softened slightly. He turned to Old Xu and said blandly.

"Old Xu, I'm clearly not very welcome here, so I won't stay any longer!"

With that, Jiang Fan strode away. Old Xu chased after him, but in the blink of an eye, Jiang Fan's back had vanished from sight.

At the stairway entrance on the second floor of Anshi Hall's main hall.

A refined-looking old man led a group of middle-aged men downstairs, chatting and laughing.

Judging by their attire, they were all respectable people.

"Brothers, I'll have to trouble you with this matter!"

"If it succeeds, there will certainly be a generous reward!"

When they reached the first-floor hall, the refined old man bowed to the middle-aged men.

The middle-aged men hurriedly returned the gesture.

"Old Yu, you're being far too courteous!"

"It is our honor to help Anshi Hall resolve its worries!"

"That's right, Old Yu, you're too polite!"

"..."

After exchanging courtesies for a while, the refined old man known as Old Yu made a gesture of invitation. The group then swept through the hall in grand procession and headed outside.

As they passed Xiao Wei and the others, the refined old man glanced at them. Xiao Wei hurriedly called out.

"Grandpa!"

The refined old man nodded without stopping and escorted his guests out the front door.

After the guests had gone far away, the refined old man stood where he was, frowning in thought for a while before turning to return to the hall.

But the moment he turned around, he saw Old Xu running back, panting heavily.

"Old Xu, what happened? Why are you so flustered?"

When Old Xu saw his boss, his expression became a little unnatural.

"Ah! It's nothing. Just a small misunderstanding earlier!"

The refined old man did not ask further, merely teasing him.

"You're already at such an age. Stop doing everything yourself!"

"I'll arrange an apprentice for your side later. Let him handle whatever needs doing!"

"You should get some proper rest too!"

Old Xu was a veteran employee of Anshi Hall. He had been there for decades and had practically grown up alongside him, so they had a very good relationship!

That was why, although the field of Chinese medicinal herbs was not doing very well, Anshi Hall had always kept this position for him.

"Ah! There's no need for that. Look at me now—I'm still nimble on my feet!"

Old Xu hurriedly waved his hands in refusal.

The refined old man shook his head.

"You! You're always like this!"

The two laughed as they walked into the hall.

The moment Xiao Wei saw the refined old man come in, she hurriedly ran to his side coquettishly, looking pitiful and delicate.

"Grandpa!"

When the refined old man saw Xiao Wei acting this way, he knew she wanted something and asked with a smile.

"What is it?"

"These are all your classmates, right?"

Xiao Wei nodded, introduced her classmates to the old man, then told him what had just happened, adding embellishments along the way.

"I said he was a swindler, but Grandpa Xu insisted he was our customer!"

The refined old man clearly knew what his granddaughter was like. He turned to Old Xu and asked.

"Old Xu, is that what happened?"

Old Xu sighed and told him about Jiang Fan purchasing medicinal herbs here.

Upon hearing this, the refined old man's brows gradually furrowed.

He looked up at Xiao Wei's classmates, then suddenly said gently.

"It's almost noon. Why not stay for lunch? Xiao Wei, entertain them!"

The moment the refined old man said this, Xiao Wei's classmates hurriedly waved their hands.

"No, no, we should be heading back soon!"

They were all children from wealthy families and were especially good at reading the room.

By adding "why not" at the beginning, the refined old man was obviously trying to send them away.

So they tactfully bade their farewells one after another.

After everyone had left, the refined old man's expression turned stern.

He glanced at Xiao Wei.

"Come inside with me!"