Wei Che clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white from exertion. His eyes were filled with anxiety and helplessness, and his voice trembled slightly. "County Magistrate Chen, my sister-in-law is in danger, her life or death is uncertain. How can I sit there like a coward and wait for death? Every moment of delay puts her in greater danger. I..."
County Magistrate Chen understood Wei Che's feelings very well. He reached out, gently patted Wei Che's shoulder, and comforted him earnestly: "I understand your feelings. I empathize with your worries and pain. But we can't act impulsively. Impulsiveness will only make things worse."
"We have already dispatched a large number of personnel to gather information. I believe that it won't be long before we receive a clue. During this period, we must make full preparations to ensure success and successfully rescue Miss Su."
Wei Che took a deep breath, trying to calm his restless heart. He nodded slightly: "County Magistrate Chen is right, I was too impulsive. But... I really can't let her go. She's out there alone, facing those vicious criminals. I..."
County Magistrate Chen nodded, his eyes firm. "I understand. Let's find a solution together. By the way, that prescription is crucial. It holds the ray of hope for saving the people of Southwest City. I will immediately arrange for personnel to prepare the medicine according to the prescription. We will first address the people's urgent needs and control the spread of the plague."
Wei Che looked at the prescription tightly clenched in his hand, as if he saw Su Huaiyue's determined eyes. His eyes were firm and his tone was decisive: "Okay, let's do as County Magistrate Chen said."
On the other side, Su Huaiyue followed President Zhao's men into the medicinal materials storage warehouse of the villa, and a rich and complex medicinal fragrance hit her face.
She calmly began to count the herbs, her eyes wandering among the piles of herbs, her hands gently turning them over, and her nose occasionally close to sniff.
Soon, she noticed something strange. The medicinal herbs here were completely different from those she had seen in the mountains in terms of texture, color and smell. It was obvious that they were not produced locally.
Su Huaiyue was secretly alert in her heart, but her face still looked focused on the medicinal herbs.
She turned to look at the person beside her, frowned slightly, and said with a hint of doubt, "These herbs look good, but the smell is very different from the local herbs I usually come into contact with. Do you know where they are shipped from?"
The men looked at each other. One of them, who seemed more alert, hesitated for a moment and said, "Miss Su, these herbs were shipped from remote areas. We don't know the specific location. The superiors have told us to just accept them."
Su Huaiyue's heart moved, but she pretended to be indifferent and continued, "A remote area? No wonder it's so special. I do have some research on medicinal herbs from all over the world, but I've never heard of this kind of smell. I guess it comes from a very far place?"
As she spoke, she observed the expressions of several of her men.
Seeing Su Huaiyue's curiosity, the subordinate couldn't help but reply vaguely, "It's quite far away."
Su Huaiyue had some guesses in mind. She deliberately sniffed the herb in her hand and said to herself, "This smell is so light, it really sounds like herbs grown in the same place, but I'm not sure... Could it be Xizhao Country? I heard that the herbs grown there have similar characteristics."
As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of several of his men changed slightly, and a hint of panic flashed in their eyes.
Although they quickly regained their composure, this subtle change did not escape Su Huaiyue's sharp eyes.
She immediately became certain that these medicinal herbs were most likely from the enemy country, Xizhao.
Thinking about the obstacles he encountered in the mountains before and the soaring prices of medicinal materials, Su Huaiyue quickly sorted out a thread in his mind.
She concluded that the group of people in front of her were definitely not the same group that caused the price increase of medicinal materials.
The chambers of commerce may have split into different factions due to uneven distribution of interests.
A group of people were willing to become accomplices of the enemy country, delaying the resolution of the plague through various means in order to disrupt the situation in their own country and achieve the enemy country's ulterior motives.
Another group was purely for the purpose of making huge profits. They bought up medicinal materials everywhere and sold them at high prices to the people suffering from the plague. They completely ignored the lives of the people and only wanted to fill their own pockets.
The faction represented by President Zhao is more complicated. On the one hand, they trade with the Western Zhao Kingdom to obtain these special medicinal materials, and on the other hand, they attempt to make huge wealth from their own people.
Although such people may not have committed serious crimes, they are definitely not good people because they will do anything for their own benefit.
After Su Huaiyue and his men checked the medicinal material reserves, they returned to the hall. President Zhao was sitting on the chair with a hint of eagerness in his eyes, obviously waiting for Su Huaiyue's opinion on the medicinal materials.
Su Huaiyue frowned slightly, looking troubled. He sighed and said, "President Zhao, to be honest, although the quality of these herbs is acceptable, we are still missing a few crucial auxiliary herbs to make an effective antidote against the plague."
Chairman Zhao raised his eyebrows and said confidently, "Miss Su, please feel free to speak. There is no medicinal herb in the world that I, Zhao, cannot obtain."
Su Huaiyue was secretly delighted, knowing that President Zhao's conceited nature had already taken the bait. She feigned hesitation and slowly said, "These auxiliary herbs are extremely rare and require a harsh growing environment. I've only heard that they grow in a hidden valley bordering Xizhao Country. However, the terrain there is difficult for ordinary people to reach, and Xizhao Country has very strict border control. Obtaining them would be extremely difficult."
Upon hearing this, President Zhao sneered disdainfully, "Hmph, what about the Western Zhao Kingdom? I've had many dealings with them, including those generals on the border. Miss Su, just tell me which herbs you want, and I'll definitely be able to get them in no time."
Su Huaiyue was certain that President Zhao had close ties to the Western Zhao Kingdom. She continued, "One of the herbs is called 'Spiritual Xi Grass', and the other is 'Ice Blue Flower'. These two herbs are crucial to enhancing the efficacy of the medicine. However, I've heard that the Western Zhao Kingdom regards these two herbs as treasures, and ordinary people who approach the valley will be treated as spies."
Upon hearing this, a flicker of hesitation crossed President Zhao's face, but he quickly regained his confidence. "Don't worry, Miss Su. My cooperation with Xizhao Country has always been pleasant. They won't make things difficult for me. As long as I can make the antidote and sell it for a good price, these won't be a problem."
Su Huaiyue followed President Zhao's words and said, "President Zhao is very powerful, so there is no problem. However, I am a little curious. President Zhao's cooperation with Xizhao Country is so close. I guess there are huge benefits. However, in this plague, the people of our own country are suffering. Is it wrong to cooperate with the enemy country..."
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