From Evil Sect Leader to Doctor

Xu Chunliang didn’t know much about the history of Qingshan Mine, but he knew people in this field, such as Xiao Dong, the deputy director of the Culture and Tourism Bureau, who was an expert in this area.

In front of Bai Lan, Xu Chunliang made a phone call to Xiao Dong.

After hearing about it, Xiao Dong immediately offered help. Their museum had a department dedicated to collecting local historical materials, and since the Qingshan Mine site was recently listed as a key project of Dongzhou Culture and Tourism, they had organized quite a bit of historical data about Qingshan Mine.

After Xu Chunliang explained to Bai Lan, she toasted him with a glass of wine, hoping that Xu Chunliang could accompany her to get acquainted tomorrow.

Xu Chunliang was not helping Bai Lan for no reason. Although Bai Lan was both beautiful and talented, and treated him well, Xu Chunliang had suspected her motives from the beginning. Now upon hearing about her connections with the Lexus Group, he became more cautious and subtly inquired whether the Lexus Group had plans to invest in Dongzhou.

Bai Lan seemed not to be suspicious of Xu Chunliang, nodded and said, "Mr. Li Changhe, who came with me this time, is in charge of Lexus’s overseas investment."

Xu Chunliang said, "Can you help me sort it out?"

Bai Lan was surprised, her lips slightly parted, her eyes wide open, not knowing why he would say such a thing.

Xu Chunliang smiled and said, "Don’t misunderstand, sorting it out just means helping me understand the relationships between a few people."

Bai Lan said, "I didn’t misunderstand, I just didn’t understand what you meant." She also had a deep understanding of the rich and profound Chinese culture, especially when it comes to wordplay and double meanings. Even if Chinese people claim to be second in this, no one dares to claim first.

Xu Chunliang said, "I previously knew a few Peninsula people, one named Li Changmin, who I beat up in Capital City, another named Li Changyou, who claimed to be Li Changmin’s brother, seemed to work for Mingde Group, and once complained about me to the Dongzhou Business Commission. I will get him sooner or later. Now there’s someone named Li Changhe who came here. What is their relationship among these people?"

Bai Lan replied, "They should be relatives. Li Changhe is Mr. Li Bingxing’s youngest son. Actually, he was in the car today. The one you met, named Li Xuanbin, is Li Changhe’s son, Mr. Li Bingxing’s grandson. As for Li Changyou and Li Changmin, they are brothers, but they are not direct blood relatives to Mr. Li Bingxing."

Xu Chunliang asked, "What about Huang Youlong?"

Bai Lan said, "Are you asking me to keep sorting it out for you?"

Xu Chunliang thought to himself that even the talented lady from the Peninsula couldn’t keep the terms straight. No wonder she looked so shocked when he asked her to sort it out earlier; she seemed to confuse sorting with caressing.

Xu Chunliang mischievously continued along Bai Lan’s line, "If we’re going to do it, we should do it smoothly."

Bai Lan nodded and cooperated, saying, "Then I’ll continue sorting for you. Mr. Li Bingxing has seven sons and only one daughter. This daughter is Li Changji, who is Huang Youlong’s wife."

Xu Chunliang realized, "Got it."

Bai Lan asked, "Anything else you want to know?"

Xu Chunliang asked, "What is your relationship with the Li Family?"

Bai Lan replied, "I lost my parents at a young age and grew up in an orphanage. Mr. Li Bingxing raised me and provided for my education."

Xu Chunliang looked at Bai Lan, initially thinking she was a rich girl born with a silver spoon, not realizing she was a child from a poor family, if she wasn’t lying.

Xu Chunliang said, "You writers are good at telling stories."

Bai Lan seriously replied, "I’m not telling a story; I would never joke about my parents."

Xu Chunliang realized his comment was indeed inappropriate and apologized, "I’m sorry."

"It’s okay. I know you have always been prejudiced against me; that’s because you don’t know me well enough."

Xu Chunliang laughed, "Bai Lan, that’s not right. Where do I have prejudice against you?"

Bai Lan said, "Do you think I have ulterior motives for approaching you?"

Xu Chunliang said, "I don’t feel you’re deliberately trying to get close to me."

Bai Lan softly sighed and said, "I don’t deny it. I have a good impression of you. You have a special kind of attraction."

Xu Chunliang said, "Are people from your village always so direct?"

Bai Lan smiled and said, "Having a good feeling for you doesn’t mean I’m in love with you. People in your village generally have a high opinion of themselves."

Xu Chunliang thought this should be said to people in your village and raised his glass, saying, "Thank you for the invitation tonight, but I’m not very good with alcohol."

Bai Lan said meaningfully, "I hope the wine doesn’t intoxicate you, but the atmosphere does."

Xu Chunliang mused, "With such fine wine and a lovely company, it’s hard not to get drunk."

Bai Lan looked at the two lines of poetry on the wall and softly recited, "I have a pot of wine that can soothe worldly woes, but why are there only two lines? I remember the latter lines should be, ’Pour entirely into the river, share with the world.’"

Xu Chunliang said, "This poem was extended using two lines from an ancient poem. There were many versions online at the time, and the one you recited was the most widely spread, but it wasn’t the original."

Bai Lan asked, "What was the original? Can you help clear it up for me?"

Xu Chunliang almost laughed out loud. The Peninsula talent had used the word "clear" quite aptly, though the context was inappropriate. Since she was eager to learn, Xu Chunliang decided to broaden her horizons and share some knowledge.

Xu Chunliang said, "The first two lines come from a poem written by Wei Yingwu during the Tang Dynasty for his nephew. The full poem goes — Pity the white snow melody, unable to meet a kindred spirit. Helpless beneath the soldier’s camp, wandering aimlessly on the Huai coast. The mountain trees hold the morning rain, the mountain birds continue the spring hum. I have a jug of wine, enough to soothe worldly woes."

Bai Lan felt the original work had less freedom and grandeur compared to the reworked version.

Xu Chunliang said, "To fully understand a poem, you must know the context in which the poet wrote it. Though the pieced-together version is nice, it lacks substance with only bravado. The original poem was written by Wei Yingwu for his nephew Lu Zhi in the third year after the An-Shi Rebellion, when the Great Tang’s prosperity was in decline, troubled internally and externally, and society was unstable. The once frivolous youth, shaped by worldly experience, became more laid-back and untroubled. The first two lines express how life is like the white snow melody, noble but rarely appreciated by kindred spirits. Then it mentions past confusion and anxiety, the wasted years. This reflects the previous sentiment about melody and loneliness, advising his nephew not to give up due to a temporary setback."

Bai Lan was deeply absorbed. Without Xu Chunliang’s analysis, she wouldn’t have known the original contained such profound meaning.

In the morning’s mountain stream and forest, the dew glistened, bird calls signaled the arrival of late spring. These two lines of joy and worry mirrored the poet’s life and the Great Tang before and after the An-Shi Rebellion.

I have a jug of wine to soothe worldly woes, the highlight of the poem, hinting the poet was tempered by life, now weary, and the past is not worth mentioning. Raising a glass to the past and the future is enough to ease the weariness of the human condition.

Bai Lan whispered, "I understand now, it’s a story about someone battered by life, finally seeing through fame and fortune, choosing to let go."

Xu Chunliang nodded and said, "Miss Bai’s insight is not often seen in your village."

Bai Lan said, "Mr. Xu’s talent is even rarer in your village." She raised her glass and said, "Why not drink this jug of wine and let go of your prejudices?"

Xu Chunliang said, "Letting go of prejudices is easy, but letting go of obsessions is hard. If I may be frank, I see a certain obsession in your eyes."

Bai Lan smiled and said, "My obsession is definitely not you."

After returning home, Xu Chunliang remembered the novel "Jindalai" Bai Lan had given him. Bai Lan had told him about her background tonight; she grew up in an orphanage, a child without parents. He recalled thinking the book’s author might have been a bitter North Korean lady just after reading "Jindalai". Could Bai Lan really have lived in North Korea?

However, not everyone who writes such novels necessarily has firsthand experience; otherwise, it’d be called a memoir. A good creator can achieve realism by gathering materials and aligning them with historical facts.

Bai Lan came to Dongzhou this time to collect information on Qingshan Mine to write the family history of Li Bingxing, right?

To obtain this information, the simplest way is to ask Liu Haiyu for help, but Liu Haiyu is so cunning, it’s not easy to gain an advantage from him.

Xu Chunliang considered it for a moment and chose Mo Han as a partner. Although Mo Han wasn’t in the intelligence field, her ability to gather intelligence was exceptional, and since she had a grudge with Lexus, there was no need to urge her to investigate the Li Bingxing family.

Mo Han told Xu Chunliang that Li Bingxing’s father was named Li Puyuan. He was not an anti-Japanese hero, but indeed lived in Qingshan Mine for a while, but at that time, he appeared as a technical staff member from the Japanese side. As for what he did, it’s unclear, but later he offended the Easterners for some reason and his family was killed by the invaders. Li Bingxing was young at the time and fled with the help of miners.

Xu Chunliang had read some books on this. At that time, the Peninsula had already been colonized by the Japanese side, and there were 200,000 people sent to participate in the invasion war, referred to as second Japanese, who were even more brutal than the primary invaders. He highly suspected Li Puyuan was one of the second Japanese.

Mo Han was somewhat curious why Xu Chunliang was suddenly interested in these matters. Xu Chunliang told her that Lexus Group had already sent people to investigate and also told her about Bai Lan.

Mo Han immediately perked up, encouraging Xu Chunliang to get closer to Bai Lan to understand the Lexus Group’s intentions through her.

Xu Chunliang understood right away that Mo Han was suggesting playing the emotional card, and even sacrificing looks if necessary. He couldn’t help but protest, "That won’t do, I have principles in my work."

Mo Han said, "Your principles are even lower than sea level. This Bai Lan is not simple; her relationship with Li Bingxing is definitely not as she says. It’s possible she’s playing the beauty trick on you."

Xu Chunliang thought to himself, "That’s exactly what I was thinking."

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