Chapter 376: Ling Tianji Falls Sick from Anger
Ling Tianji pointed at him, “You, you—”
Then came another string of sneezes.
Su Tao couldn’t help but scoot farther away, afraid of being sprayed by his saliva.
Zhuo Ercheng, unfazed, said calmly: “Mr. Ling, I understand. You want to say that I’m right—this is our sincerity.”
That very afternoon, Su Tao saw the batch of weapons, all loaded in the trunks of the cars from Xindu.
There were about a hundred rifles and two large boxes of ammunition.
Since she didn’t understand much about weapons, she called Granny Yu to inspect them.
Granny Yu picked up a rifle, examined it briefly, and then tossed it back with disdain:
“They’re trying to fool you—these are all outdated scraps.”
Su Tao was about to say they should just dump them somewhere when Granny Yu added:
“They can barely be reforged and upgraded. If we do that, they won’t be worse than the automatic rifles on the market. Take them to my workshop.”
Swallowing her earlier words, Su Tao quickly ordered someone to haul everything away.
Whether it was because his body was too weak or because Zhuo Ercheng had angered him into relapsing, Ling Tianji came down with a fever and cold that same night, forcing him to stay at Taoyang’s clinic.
He had planned to return home, but now he had to temporarily reside there.
While the bodyguards expressed concern for their leader, deep down, they hoped he would stay sick longer. The harsh winter winds made traveling unbearable—they were eager to stay in Taoyang’s warmth.
Su Tao made a token visit to check on him. Seeing how seriously ill he was—flushed face, a constant fever of 40°C—she couldn’t help but ask Zhong Gaoyi: “Is he okay? How did he fall sick just from catching a cold breeze?”
Zhong Gaoyi replied, “He has severe old injuries—chronic ailments from years ago. The sudden temperature drop triggered them. Right now, I can only try to lower his temperature. I’ve sent Chenxi to Dongyang Hospital to get some special antipyretics. We’ll have to wait and see if he pulls through tonight.”
Su Tao nodded and left the clinic, where Zhuo Ercheng was waiting for her.
He stepped forward and said, “Miss Su—no, perhaps I should call you Boss Su.”
Su Tao gave him a glance. “Chairman Zhuo, if you have something to say, just say it.”
To her surprise, Zhuo Ercheng apologized: “I didn’t investigate thoroughly before and let Jiang Jinwei cause you trouble. I’ve already broken up with her and cut off all contact.”
Su Tao said indifferently, “What does your breakup have to do with me? There’s no need to tell me. Besides, I cut ties with that family long ago—there is no ‘my family.’”
Realizing his slip of the tongue, Zhuo Ercheng rubbed his temples and changed the topic:
“Actually, Ling Tianji wanted Taoyang to lower its supply prices. The weapons were supposed to be a bargaining chip. I acted on my own and ended up making him sick.”
Su Tao was surprised. “Why did you do that, Chairman Zhuo?”
“I told you—I want to establish friendly relations with Taoyang. I’m someone who adapts to the times. Looking at the southern and coastal regions, only Taoyang has such a strong supply of resources. Sooner or later, you’ll become a major force. I don’t want to make enemies with you.”
Su Tao couldn’t help but tease him: “You’re sharp about business, but when it comes to women, you’re blind as a bat.”
Zhuo Ercheng felt a bit awkward and had to joke about himself: “Men tend to be blind in ways you’d never expect. Please forgive me.”
Su Tao chuckled. “Alright, I get it. I don’t hold much of a grudge against you—but you’d better figure out how to explain things to Ling Tianji when he recovers, and to Xindu as well.”
Zhuo Ercheng shrugged. “If I can’t explain, so be it. At worst, I’ll return to Changjing and rely on my family’s old patriarch. But if you’d take me in, Boss Su, that’d be even better.”
Su Tao gave him a horrified look. “So, you followed Ling Tianji here intending to be a turncoat?”
Zhuo Ercheng grinned. “A person strives to climb higher.”
Su Tao refused outright: “You should go back to Changjing.”
Zhuo Ercheng was puzzled.
All he did was date her airheaded sister and cause some minor trouble—why did she dislike him so much?
Unwilling to give up, he pressed on: “Boss Su, won’t you reconsider? Forget my personal life—I’m competent, experienced in management, and have connections in Changjing…”
Su Tao cut him off: “Sort out your personal mess first. I’m busy—talk to Manager Zhuang if you need anything.”
That evening, Su Tao shared the situation with Shi Zijin.
His reaction was unusual: “Is Zuo Ercheng trying to become your sugar baby?”
Su Tao almost spit out her water. “Get your head straight!”
He continued with a serious tone: “Think about it—you’re better than those women he’s been involved with. You’re young, beautiful, rich, and powerful. If Zuo Ercheng’s that pragmatic, dating you would save him twenty years of struggle. He definitely has ulterior motives.”
He even instructed Ling Yu to turn off the TV. “Enough watching—there’s another fox eyeing our territory.”
Already dealing with two persistent suitors, now there was a third.
If Su Tao could grab hold of him, she’d shake him by the shoulders and tell him to wake up.
“Conversation over. Goodnight.”
Shi Zijin could only watch helplessly as she disappeared into her bedroom.
When he tried to follow, she poked her head out and warned: “Stop right there—off-limits. Behave.”
He dared not push his luck. Obediently, he remained outside.
When she finally shut the door, he floated around in frustration. Eventually, he couldn’t help but press against the door and ask: “Will you be busy tomorrow too? Come back early and talk to me a little?”
Su Tao responded from inside: “I’ve got a 5,000-square-meter site to develop tomorrow—go find Fang Zhi to entertain you.”
Just as Fang Zhi returned from work, he overheard their conversation: “…”
Shi Zijin glanced at him expectantly.
After a brief silence, Fang Zhi slipped into his spatial chamber and immediately fell asleep.
Maybe next time.
What Su Tao didn’t expect was that Ling Tianji’s condition worsened overnight—he was completely delirious.
Zhong Gaoyi’s expression grew grim: “Even after taking antipyretics, his fever won’t subside. I suspect there’s an underlying infection. Dongyang’s supplies are running low—they no longer have surplus antibiotics for us.”
To make things worse, the cold snap triggered a wave of mass illness in Taoyang.
By noon, a long line had formed outside the clinic.
Chenxi, drenched in sweat from running around, rushed to report: “Sister Tao, we’re running out of medicine. Dongyang Hospital can’t spare more flu and antibiotic supplies. More tenants are falling ill, and some children already have persistent high fevers. Without medicine, things could get out of hand.”
Even Qi Yunlan came to warn her: “Boss, it’s not just Taoyang—Dongyang, neighboring Yuncang Base, and even farther Wutai Base are experiencing flu outbreaks. The epidemic came fast and strong—we need to prepare immediately.”
