Chapter 1: Ambushed in the Deal

October in Central South Province is a season of harvest. The corn in the fields stands tall, its leaves already turning yellow, and the large ears of corn droop their heads, hanging from the now dry and withered stalks, signaling a bumper crop this year.

In the farmland ten kilometers southeast of Yunfeng City, just past eight in the evening, darkness had already fallen. In the dark, the towering corn stalks all around were like walls of iron and copper, blocking not only people’s sight but also the cool autumn breeze, making it stiflingly hot for anyone inside.

“Too expensive... make it cheaper...”

“No way... just unearthed...”

Faint voices of bargaining drifted from a secluded cornfield.

William Clark stood to the side, watching Brian Cooper haggle with two men who looked like rats. Behind the two rat-like men was a snakeskin bag. William Clark kept his eyes fixed on that bag, and tightened his grip on the password-protected case in his hand—inside was 700,000 yuan in cash. Normally, Brian Cooper would come out with his shop assistants, but with the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, both assistants were on holiday, and the seller of this batch was pressing for a quick deal, so William Clark was roped in by Brian Cooper as backup.

As the bargaining neared its end, a hint of relief appeared on William Clark’s young face. Maybe because tomorrow was the Mid-Autumn Festival, William Clark was feeling a bit homesick.

William Clark was 25 this year, born in a small county under Yanzhao City, Central North Province, in an ordinary single-parent family. He was 1.8 meters tall, with slightly dark skin and a rather thin build. When he smiled, he gave off an honest, harmless vibe.

Back in university, William Clark could be considered a prominent figure. But after graduation, when he started working, his popularity made a few colleagues ostracize him. Even the colleague he considered his best friend framed him—accusing him of stealing a female colleague’s underwear and secretly putting it in William Clark’s locker. Because of this, William Clark not only lost his job, but also broke up with his girlfriend of two months. All these setbacks forced him to reflect on himself. Since then, William Clark spoke less, and in public, he wore a smile that made him seem honest and harmless. To perfect this smile, William Clark practiced for over two months, until the muscles in his face were stiff from smiling.

Overnight, William Clark seemed to become more mature and steady. Once a night owl, he now spent more time reading history books—official and unofficial histories, as well as mythological tales from the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties were his favorites. Just a few days ago, he bought a set of George Washington’s legends, and was so engrossed he barely wanted to eat.

Graduating in 2010 from a renowned medical university in Shenhai City, William Clark didn’t have much trouble finding a job back in his hometown. But when he first got into university, he actually liked painting. His grandfather was an old Chinese medicine doctor who had taught him medicine since he was little. But since his interests didn’t lie in medicine, and because he was very filial and couldn’t bear to disappoint his grandfather, he memorized everything his grandfather taught him about Chinese medicine. He memorized it all, but since he didn’t like it, he never practiced any of it. He barely made it through high school, thinking he could finally do what he wanted. But just before graduation, his nearly hundred-year-old grandfather fell gravely ill, and on his deathbed, wished for him to inherit his medical skills. With no other choice, William Clark gave up the Central Academy of Fine Arts and chose a renowned Chinese medicine university in Shenhai.

When his grandfather explained medical skills to William Clark, he discovered that his grandfather was also very skilled in emergency medicine, which made him very curious about his grandfather’s past. But every time he asked, his grandfather would just say he was an ordinary barefoot doctor in the countryside.

Modern Chinese medicine universities have actually changed in essence. Though called Chinese medicine universities, most of the courses are Western medicine. William Clark had been exposed to Chinese medicine since childhood and wasn’t interested in it, let alone Western medicine. So, as you might expect, William Clark’s grades were always among the bottom three.

Although William Clark’s grades weren’t great in college, he was very good at basketball and was the main point guard on the school team, which helped him make a few good friends—Brian Cooper was one of them.

In 2010, college graduates weren’t assigned jobs by the state like in the 80s and 90s. Now, everyone had to find their own way. After graduation, William Clark returned to his hometown and worked as an intern at a private hospital. To get into a state-run medical institution, even a PhD needed connections, let alone a bachelor’s degree like William Clark. After two months at the private hospital, not only did William Clark dislike the work, but even if he did, the monthly salary of 1,500 yuan gave him no hope for the future. So, William Clark said goodbye to his mother and returned to Shenhai.