Chapter Forty: Business License

Early the next morning, Lu Hao quickly made his way to the largest traditional medicine pharmacy in town, intending to purchase a batch of medicinal herbs. Without these supplies, it would be impossible for him to obtain a license to operate his clinic. At the very least, he needed to stock five hundred types of officially certified medicines to meet the national requirements for opening a clinic, so securing these herbs was his first priority.

Lu Hao soon hailed a cab to the medicinal herb shop he was familiar with. What he didn’t expect was that as soon as he got into the car, someone was already lurking at the street corner, watching his departure with a sinister gaze.

That person was none other than Erhu, the thug Lu Hao had dealt with just two days before. Erhu, still looking gaunt from the bout of diarrhea he’d suffered, had clearly lost nearly twenty pounds, making him look almost spectral. He pulled out his phone and dialed a contact: Zhou Run.

“Hello, Young Master Zhou? That kid just left. He took a cab, not sure where he’s headed,” Erhu reported.

On the other end, Zhou Run’s voice came through: “Alright, I’ve got people tailing him now. I don’t care if he’s got ten arms or twenty legs—today, he’s not making it out alive.”

“I don’t believe it,” Erhu sneered, “let’s see if he can outrun a car.”

Zhou Run’s words drew a dark chuckle from Erhu. “He owes you so much money and still acts so arrogant. It’s about time he met his maker.”

Meanwhile, Lu Hao was in the cab, thinking about the steps ahead for his clinic. By chance, he glanced at the right-side mirror and noticed a long black SUV sticking closely behind them.

“That car looks familiar,” Lu Hao thought, recognizing the jet-black vehicle as the one that always occupied the most conspicuous spot at the village entrance. “It belongs to those idle thugs from the village—all bad to the core, yet they live in luxury without a care in the world.”

At that moment, the SUV accelerated, sending a chill of foreboding through Lu Hao. “Why do I get the feeling that car is after me?” His pupils contracted in alarm, and he urgently tapped the driver’s shoulder.

“Mister, step on it! There’s a car behind us trying to ram us!”

The driver, a man in his fifties, was startled by Lu Hao’s shout. He quickly glanced in his right mirror and saw the black SUV barreling toward them.

It was closing in fast, about to slam into their rear.

They were on the highway, speeding along at over a hundred miles per hour. From inside the car, it felt as though nothing was amiss—until now.

The driver panicked, stomping the gas pedal and jerking the wheel to swerve away from the oncoming SUV.

Inside the black SUV, the man at the wheel—a blond-haired hooligan—wore a crazed expression, flooring the accelerator and wrenching the steering wheel with wild abandon. If he managed to kill the man in the taxi, Zhou Run had promised him two hundred thousand yuan—a fortune! He earned barely fifteen hundred a month busing tables in the village restaurant; this was money he’d never see in a lifetime. If he could get away with it, maybe serve a few years for “accidental manslaughter,” what did he have to lose? It wasn’t like Lu Hao’s family could touch him—not with Zhou Run’s protection.

The black SUV, under his deranged control, hurtled toward the taxi like a demon unleashed. The speed was reckless, suicidal—there was no way for the cab to avoid a collision.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Lu Hao immediately fastened his seatbelt. At the same time, he summoned the Azure Dragon energy coursing within him, ready to neutralize any external force that might threaten his life.

Just as he finished preparing, it happened.

Bang!

The black SUV crashed directly into the side of the taxi, sending the entire vehicle rocking violently, tipping it to more than forty-five degrees. The taxi was no match for the impact.

The driver was thrown upward by the force, rising a full inch from his seat—had it not been for his seatbelt, he would have been flung through the window.

“Hang on tight!” Lu Hao called out.

A second later, the taxi was struck again. This time, the steering was lost completely.

Bang! A scream erupted—a jarring crash, followed by the driver slumping unconscious over the wheel, his head slammed by the force, completely insensible.

“Damn it!” The very thing Lu Hao had feared most was now reality.

The taxi was out of control, the driver’s foot still pressing the accelerator to the floor. The vehicle skidded wildly across the highway, weaving erratically like a drunken man, sideswiping whatever was in its path.

Thinking quickly, Lu Hao unfastened his seatbelt and threw himself forward, grabbing the wheel. He shifted gears, slammed the brakes, and executed a series of emergency maneuvers.

At last, the taxi screeched to a halt under his command, though the rear was now completely crushed.

Safe for the moment, Lu Hao wiped the sweat from his brow and looked out the window. Behind him, a line of cars had come to a stop. Not far away, the black SUV had crashed into the guardrail at high speed, flipped over, and erupted in flames. Even if anyone inside survived the crash, they were unlikely to escape the inferno unscathed.

“Damn it, that car looks just like Zhou Run’s! That bastard really wanted to kill me?” Lu Hao spat, hatred boiling in his chest.

By now, many drivers had exited their vehicles and blocked the roadway.

“Someone help! There are people trapped!”

“The car’s on fire!”

“There’s been a pileup! We need the traffic police—this is South Ring Road…”

Lu Hao looked over and saw that Zhou Run’s car hadn’t just hit him—it had also slammed into a bright red sports car!

It was a top-of-the-line matte-finished Panamera, its body now crumpled and overturned, completely deformed. Judging by the wreck, the fate of the occupants could not be good.

At that moment, someone shouted for help.

“Is there a doctor? Anyone know first aid? Quick, help!”

Lu Hao looked over and saw a glimpse of a long, pale leg—blood streaming down its length.