Chapter 396 Sorry, there is a picture
Huo Wendong had faced many challenges in his life.
Many, many.
But this time, the challenge was the hardest one yet—the most difficult decision to make.
Bang Daomang was beside him, cheering him on like crazy:
"Eat it, young master! Once you eat it, you'll be a real man!"
Huo Wendong held the "pill" in his hand and turned his head angrily: "Are you saying I'm not a man right now?"
"No, young master!"
"What did you just say!?"
"No, I mean no, young master—not that you aren't a man!"
"So am I or am I not!?"
"You are! What I mean is, if you eat it, you'll become a complete man!"
"What do you mean? So, I'm an incomplete man right now?"
"Young master, if you were fine, why would we go through all this trouble to snatch this thing? Just grit your teeth, stomp your foot, and swallow it!"
"It's just that… the taste… I have to chew it first… I…"
"Young master, just do it in one go! The private room is already booked, and ten beautiful girls are waiting for you! Young master, show some courage and eat it!"
"Ah—!"
"Eat it!"
"Ah—!"
"Eat it!"
"Ah—"
"Oh, for heaven's sake, let me help you."
Bang Daomang pushed Huo Wendong's hand, and the "pill" went into his mouth.
Instantly, Huo Wendong felt the stench invade his mouth, nose, and even his brain.
Bang Daomang urged him, "Chew! Young master, chew it! Crush it! Yes! Chew! Harder…"
Huo Wendong chewed for a long time before swallowing, but the moment he did, he wanted to vomit.
Bang Daomang quickly handed him a glass of water: "Drink water, wash it down."
A few minutes later, Huo Wendong slowly opened his eyes, and two tears rolled down his cheeks:
"Hoo—how is it?"
Bang Daomang covered his nose and mouth: "Young master, go brush your teeth."
…
Long Aotian stared blankly at the pill.
"This thing doesn't look like a pill at all!"
Qi Meishao said, "There are all kinds of pills in the world. Even the same type of pill can have different effects, colors, and tastes depending on the alchemist's technique, skill, and true energy."
Long Aotian shook his head. "No matter how I look at it, it doesn't seem like a pill! And it stinks. Smell it."
Qi Meishao replied, "No need. I can smell it from here."
Long Aotian leaned closer, cautiously licked it with his tongue, then tasted it in his mouth—before immediately spitting it out.
Long Aotian set the object down and declared firmly, "This is definitely not a pill!"
Zhuge Xiaohua asked, "Why hasn't Shiyin-jie come back yet?"
Just then, Luo Shiyin walked in. "I'm back."
Zhuge Xiaohua said, "Shiyin-jie, you came back at the right time. Take a look at this thing. We all think it's not a pill. The young master took a small taste and instantly spat it out."
Luo Shiyin looked awkward: "He actually tasted it?"
Qi Meishao sensed something was off. "Shiyin-jie, do you know something?"
Luo Shiyin shook her head. "Today, Chariot King came and knelt to beg for a pill, saying… it could solve male issues."
Long Aotian groaned in frustration. "I knew it! This isn't a pill. The one Huo Wendong had was real. We've been tricked."
Long Aotian handed it over. "Shiyin, take a look. Is this a pill?"
Luo Shiyin refused to even glance at it. She simply said, "Judging by the color alone, it's not a pill."
Zhuge Xiaohua nodded. "We all think it's not a pill. Mainly because it stinks. Many pills taste bitter, but very few smell this bad."
"There are none that smell this bad!" Long Aotian snapped. "Damn it, let's go find Huo Wendong."
Qi Meishao shook her head. "I think the real pill is still with Lu Chengwen. Looking for Huo Wendong is useless."
Long Aotian thought for a moment. "Meishao is right! Let's go find Lu Chengwen!"
As they drove out, they hadn't gone far before they saw Huo Wendong standing by the roadside, throwing up.
Bang Daomang was patting his back.
Bang Daomang sighed and shook his head. "It's over. You vomited the pill out. The effect is going to be weaker now, right?"
Huo Wendong turned around, took a sip of water, and said with difficulty, "It wasn't a damn pill to begin with. I tried, and it still didn't work!"
Long Aotian pushed open the car door and stepped out. "Huo-shao."
Huo Wendong saw Long Aotian approaching and wiped his mouth with a handkerchief. "Long Aotian, you have the real pill, don't you? Name your price. I won't bargain."
Long Aotian was stunned for a moment. He glanced at his guards and then smiled.
"But my friend really needs this pill. I was just about to deliver it to him."
Huo Wendong, his eyes bloodshot from vomiting, still felt like throwing up. "Long Aotian, I've given you tens of billions already. The amusement city project hasn't even started yet! I'm your best friend!"
Long Aotian thought about it. "That's true. But I also went through a lot to get this pill."
"Twenty million."
"No, no, no. I personally heard you quote two hundred million to Chariot King."
Huo Wendong stared at Long Aotian. "No one would pay two hundred million for a single pill."
Long Aotian chuckled. "Unless that person is worth trillions and has a… certain problem. If it can make him happy for the rest of his life, forget two hundred million—he'd pay two billion without hesitation. Yeah, I changed my mind. Ten billion."
Huo Wendong exploded in rage. "Long Aotian, don't push me too far!"
Long Aotian smiled slightly. "Twenty billion."
Huo Wendong didn't dare argue anymore. If he kept negotiating, this guy would just keep doubling the price.
Besides, Long Aotian never intended to sell him the pill in the first place.
"Fine! Twenty billion!" Huo Wendong wiped his mouth. "But I need to verify it first!"
Long Aotian shook his head. "How do you verify something like this? I can only guarantee that what I'm giving you is exactly what Chariot King gave me."
"And if you're lying to me?!"
"I can swear on my life! If I'm lying, may heaven strike me down with lightning!"
"Why should I believe you?"
"Then don't buy it."
Long Aotian turned to head back to his car.
"Wait."
Huo Wendong glanced at Bang Daomang, who looked like he was about to lose his mind.
A single pill had escalated into a twenty-billion-dollar deal. If word of this got back to the Huo family, he'd be scolded to death.
Huo Wendong completed the transfer, then fixed his eyes on Long Aotian. "If you dare lie to me, you're dead."
Long Aotian grinned. "Why would I lie to you? Like you said, we're friends. Twenty billion, boss! Who in their right mind would sell a fake pill for twenty billion? If you're a twenty-billion-dollar customer, why would I be stupid enough to offend you?"
"You're smart."
Huo Wendong extended his hand: "Money in one hand, goods in the other."
Long Aotian reluctantly pulled out a cloth bag: "There's no trust left at all, huh?"
Huo Wendong took the bag while Long Aotian hit "Enter" on the keyboard.
"Congratulations, Mr. Huo, you've obtained this mysterious and unknown item."
Huo Wendong opened the bag and immediately flew into a rage: "Long Aotian! Stop right there!"
Long Aotian stopped and turned to look at him: "What?"
"This pill is exactly the same as the one I just had! My... my friend took it and said it was completely useless! Just made him nauseous!"
"Are you sure it's the same?"
"I'm sure!"
Long Aotian gritted his teeth: "Cheqi, that bastard… Looks like we both got scammed."
Huo Wendong said, "Give me back my twenty billion."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! We had a deal—authenticity doesn't concern me, I only handle sales. You've seen the pill yourself, right? It's exactly the same as the one you had earlier, isn't it? Did I lie to you?"
"But... but... I can't spend twenty billion on a fake pill!"
"I asked you multiple times to confirm, but you insisted on buying! Our deal was fair and transparent, no deception, and no regrets!"
Huo Wendong had no choice. It was clear that Long Aotian wasn't going to cough up the money no matter what.
Forcing a fight wouldn't guarantee a win either.
And if he really fell out with Long Aotian, his hundreds of billions in prior investments would go down the drain.
"Where is Cheqi Tianwang right now!?"
Long Aotian chuckled: "How would I know?"
Huo Wendong had lost everything—money and dignity. He had swallowed that foul-smelling "pill," not even knowing if it was poisonous. And now, twenty billion was gone too.
On top of that, he felt utterly disgusted.
With nowhere to vent his anger, he stormed away furiously with Bang Daomang in tow.
"F**, f*, f**!" Huo Wendong raged in the backseat, pounding the armrest. "I actually believed this bullshit! That damn Cheqi Tianwang scammed me!"
At that moment, Bang Daomang said, "Young Master, something's not right!"
Huo Wendong glared at him: "You just realized that now?"
"No, Young Master, think about it—if neither of those pills was real, what does that mean?"
"What?"
"It means that Cheqi got scammed by Lu Chengwen too. The real treasure, the real pill, is still with Lu Chengwen!"
Huo Wendong froze: "You're saying… Lu Chengwen scammed Cheqi, and Cheqi… unknowingly scammed me and Long Aotian?"
"The key point is—the real item should still be in Lu Chengwen's possession!"
Huo Wendong understood immediately: "Gather our men. We're going after Lu Chengwen!"
Bang Daomang hesitated: "Young Master, Cheqi said that Lu Chengwen has eleven top-tier experts from the Four Gates with him…"
"You idiot! That was just one of his made-up stories to trick me! There's barely one top-tier Four Gates master in all of Snow City, and Lu Chengwen supposedly has eleven? You think this is some kind of joke!? Move! Let's go!"
Huo Wendong arrived at Lu Chengwen's estate. The surveillance system at the iron gate connected, the gate opened, and the car drove in—where he immediately spotted Long Aotian's car.
"As expected!" Huo Wendong gritted his teeth. "That bastard Long Aotian—he knew the pill was fake all along! He set me up to buy it, and now he's here to get the real one from Lu Chengwen!"
As he walked toward the mansion, he glanced back at the three Tianwang experts with him and commanded, "Stay sharp!"
Entering the living room, sure enough, Lu Chengwen and Long Aotian were already deep in conversation.
Long Aotian smiled: "Young Master Huo, you're here to chat with my junior brother too?"
Huo Wendong sneered: "Chengwen, I came here today to—ugh…"
Bang Daomang quickly handed him a bottle of water and a piece of gum.
Huo Wendong took a sip and chewed the gum.
Lu Chengwen and Hua Xue Ning exchanged a glance. No words were needed—they both knew.
He ate it.
He really ate it.
Lu Chengwen struggled to control his expression.
It was just too much.
The moment he looked at Huo Wendong, he couldn't help but picture him eating literal shit.
Imagining Huo Wendong seriously chewing and swallowing a pill handcrafted by Cheqi Tianwang from dog crap…
Lu Chengwen nearly burst out laughing.
Huo Wendong took a long time to recover.
Long Aotian asked, "Chengwen, let's be honest—do you have the Dragon Tiger Essence Pill or not? Did you give it to Cheqi Tianwang?"
Huo Wendong covered his mouth: "I… also want to ask that…"
"Hmm…" Lu Chengwen thought for a moment, but then, as soon as Huo Wendong's shit-eating scene replayed in his mind, he couldn't hold it anymore—he suddenly let out a snort of laughter.