"Take it off after seventy-two hours. In the meantime, don’t expose the wound to the air. Also, no drinking and don’t get angry."
What Chen Qingdi hadn’t expected was that from then on, Ruth became his shadow.
Chen Qingdi asked about the medical book, and Ruth sighed.
"Right now, the book is locked in our clan’s treasury. The key to the treasury is in my father’s hands. However, he has given an order: I can only open the treasury after I am married and have taken over the clan."
"Aren’t you the current heir? What’s the problem?"
"The only reason our clan has so much power here is because we’re under the protection of that influential figure in Hanhai City. If I refuse this marriage alliance and lose that support, my position as Patriarch will likely be reconsidered."
Chen Qingdi found this very strange. "If that’s the case, why would you refuse?"
"If I rely on that young master’s power to actually become the Patriarch, the Belak Clan’s assets will eventually be transferred into that influential figure’s hands, and our clan will be finished."
Chen Qingdi was at a loss for words regarding the cutthroat rivalries between powerful clans.
Over the next three days, he helped Ruth recuperate and regularly changed her dressings.
When the three days were finally up, Ruth, feeling extremely anxious, went to find Chen Qingdi.
"Does this medicine of yours really work?"
Chen Qingdi retorted, "Do you want it to work or not? Once I’ve healed the wound on your face, how much money will you need me to pay you?"
He was throwing her own words back at her—the same attitude she’d had when trying to strong-arm him into selling his horse farm.
Ruth’s face flushed. "Not only will I not make you pay me, I’ll even have a reward for you."
Chen Qingdi led her to the washroom and told her to remove the gauze from her face. She was so scared she squeezed her eyes shut, not daring to look.
Chen Qingdi came over and washed all the medicinal paste off her face. "All right, you can open your eyes now."
She opened her eyes and was stunned to find not a single scar on her face. If not for the color of the new skin being different from the old, it would have been absolutely perfect.
Chen Qingdi told her that in another ten days, the new skin would match the color of her original skin perfectly, and no one would be able to tell the difference.
"Chen! You’re amazing! I don’t care, I’m going to repay you right now!"
Before Chen Qingdi could say a word, a pair of fiery red lips pressed against his.
Just as Chen Qingdi was starting to respond, a hostile voice suddenly challenged them from behind.
"What are you doing?"
Chen Qingdi turned to see a blond man standing behind them.
’The man was looking at me with murder in his eyes, as if he wanted to tear me limb from limb.’
Ruth scoffed. "William, how many times do I have to tell you? We are completely over. This is my new boyfriend, Chen Qingdi!"
The young man named William blurted out, "Are you stupid? A man from Dragon Country isn’t right for you!"
Ruth snorted. "The feeling is mutual, so what’s not right about it?"
William sneered. "It’s the asymmetry of your standings, of course! Him, with you, is like someone trying to measure the Mariana Trench with a toothpick! You, for him, are like a lone canoe in the Pacific Ocean! Only we are a perfect match, like a lock and key!"
Ruth sneered. "William, you underestimate people. My Chen’s wealth is no less than mine; there’s no toothpick and Mariana Trench here. In fact, I’m the one reaching above my station to be with him. His fortune is at least ten times greater than mine!"
Hearing Ruth deliberately twisting his words, William grew furious. He pulled off a white glove he was carrying, twirled it in his hand, spat on it, and threw it at Chen Qingdi.
Though a crass gesture, it was a local custom: a man’s way of challenging another man to a duel.
A man subjected to such an insult could only restore his honor by dueling the challenger.
This gesture established them as mortal enemies.
The glove, of course, never reached Chen Qingdi’s face. Instead, he used his Flying Dragon Fist to send it flying back from a distance, slapping hard against William’s own cheek.
William sneered. "I don’t care who you are. Be at the Gale Club at eight tonight for a one-on-one duel! As the challenged party, you get to choose the method. Boxing, Sword Dao, or a gunfight—the choice is yours!"
Ruth immediately protested, "William, are you out of your mind? You know that’s an underground ring with no safety measures! It’s completely unfair to ask my Chen Shangna to duel you there!"
William sneered. "If you keep protecting him, I’ll use the full power of my clan to crush your business ventures."
After William left, Ruth explained the situation to Chen Qingdi.
"That’s the son of the high-ranking Hanhai official I told you about. He has a lot of influence in the area. In that underground ring, if he wins, it’s one thing. But if he loses, I’m afraid he’ll use forces outside the duel to come after you!"
Chen Qingdi scoffed. "If I win in the ring, do you have a way to handle any dirty tricks he might use afterward?"
Ruth replied with grave sincerity, "As long as you win in the ring, leave the rest to me."
That evening, William sent a messenger with the rules for the duel. It would be a gunfight. Neither party was allowed to wear a bulletproof vest. Winner takes all from the loser, who would be dead.
Despite the rule, Chen Qingdi had no faith in William’s character. ’This rule is probably just meant to bind me,’ he thought.
’Looks like standard-issue bulletproof vests are out. But just because you have your rules doesn’t mean I don’t have my own tricks.’
He quietly made a phone call to someone from Medical God Island. He was told to go to a clinic in Chinatown. Once there, he obtained the item he needed.
The item was a vest made from a special material. Although extremely thin, it could stop ordinary handgun rounds and even offered a degree of protection against rifle fire.
Chen Qingdi knew William was more likely to rely on dirty tricks than sheer firepower. He wouldn’t bring out a powerful weapon like a rifle; he would almost certainly use a more compact handgun.
’This vest will be enough,’ he thought. ’Besides, apart from the gun, I still have my Flying Dragon Fist.’
’I can use the gun to distract him before we get close, then finish him with my fists.’
Each with his own ulterior motives, the two finally met at the underground ring.
The moment Chen Qingdi saw him, he knew the guy was cheating. The inspectors clearly knew William was wearing a bulletproof vest, yet they turned a blind eye and waved him through into the ring.
Chen Qingdi, however, was subjected to a thorough top-to-bottom search. Only after confirming he wasn’t wearing a vest did they hand him a gun and let him enter.