A miraculous doctor descended from the heavens.

"Hehe, sir, no need to overthink it. Just say whatever comes to mind." Ding Lisheng interrupted him with amusement, noticing the ever-changing expression on his sir's face.

"If I'm wrong, please don't blame me, Mr. Ding," the advisor said cautiously.

"Stop being so wishy-washy, acting like a woman. Just say it," Ding Lisheng said with an impatient laugh.

"Then I'll tell you. Mr. Ding, if I'm not mistaken, what you want to tell me is—that the scheme this afternoon was set up by you." The advisor finally spoke, his tone still tinged with hesitation.

"Oh? Then why would I do that?" Ding Lisheng feigned great curiosity.

The advisor really wanted to tell him: "Don't pretend, or you'll get struck by lightning."

But in the current atmosphere, making such a joke was clearly inappropriate. So he straightened his expression and explained seriously, "Of course, you want to ruin Gu Feng's reputation and leave him with nowhere to go."

"What you're saying, sir, doesn't make sense," Ding Lisheng shook his head, staring intently at his advisor. "Have I never thought highly of Gu Feng? Why did you have to make him suffer so much? What good would it do me to make him suffer like this?"

"I can answer Ding Sheng's questions with just one sentence: You overestimate Gu Feng." The advisor's tone was resolute.

"Oh? Please elaborate, Master." Ding Lisheng adopted a humble and eager-to-learn expression.

"To outsiders, if Gu Feng were arrested and imprisoned for indecent assault, his life would be stained with an indelible mark. He'd lose his studies, and no reputable organization would hire someone with such a criminal record—meaning his future on the right path would be completely ruined. But this would perfectly suit our conditions. Our Yihe Gang accepts everyone, but we absolutely refuse to take those with overly clean records. If Gu Feng truly finds himself in a desperate situation, about to go to jail, you can then act as his savior..." "A sudden favor comes to me, ordering me to handle his case flawlessly, saving him from imprisonment, and then, taking advantage of the situation, offer him lucrative terms to smoothly recruit him into the gang—whether he becomes the Yihe Gang's doctor, your successor, or even your son-in-law, it's all a natural progression, isn't it? At that point, you'll have paved another 'bright' future for him. You, who were originally indebted to him, will become his greatest benefactor. He won't hold a grudge against you; on the contrary, he'll be grateful to you for life."

"Is that so? Aren't I afraid that I might make things worse and end up killing him?" Ding Lisheng asked again.

"At first, I was also very worried about this. But seeing Gu Feng's current condition, I realize that my worries were unfounded. Those four boxers must have been careful when they attacked, and they might even have secretly protected him when things got out of control. Another point is Gu Feng's skill—you and I have both witnessed it firsthand. Moreover, Ding Sheng, you obviously know his true strength better than I do, and you know how to control your strength to teach him a lesson without actually killing him." The advisor said, a hint of shame appearing on his face.

"Master, I must say, you truly deserve the title of the Yihe Gang's top strategist. You guessed right. This matter was indeed orchestrated by the secret agents. However, your plans are far more elaborate than mine." Ding Lisheng sighed deeply at this point. "If this plan had succeeded, I would have had a son-in-law, a successor, and someone to take care of the life, death, and old age of everyone in the Yihe Gang. Alas, despite all my calculations, I still overlooked one thing."

"Didn't Ding Sheng foresee that Chu Hanzhong would emerge at the last minute?" the advisor asked tentatively.

"No. Chu Hanzhong's appearance was entirely reasonable. I originally intended for him to appear last. What I miscalculated was that I underestimated Gu Feng's wisdom. That kid is frighteningly clever." Ding Lisheng sighed in admiration, then a deep worry appeared between his brows. "Although I handled things extremely cleanly, leaving no trace, I am still very afraid that one day he will see through my disguise. At that time, not only will I be harmed, but I'm afraid Han Han will also be implicated."

If only I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have done it in the first place. The advisor's lips moved slightly, but in the end, he said nothing.

"What does the advisor want to say?" Ding Lisheng asked.

"It's nothing," the advisor quickly corrected his attitude.

"Do you feel that I should have discussed this with you first?"

"No. Mr. Ding knows his limits." The clerk dared not be presumptuous, nor dared to give a more definitive answer, only offering a vague reply. This old fox surely knew what to say and when to say it.

Ding Lisheng's actions today served as a stark warning to the clerk, and could even be said to have chilled his heart.

Ding Lisheng is clearly hiding in the shadows, and there is also a "Secretary No. 2" hidden there. Moreover, it is very likely that there is not only a No. 2, but also a No. 3, a No. 4, a No. 5... Who knows?

Anyway, serving a ruler is like serving a tiger; from now on, I can no longer see myself as the only one, nor can I take myself too seriously.

"Master, let me ask you. If I had discussed this matter with you beforehand, what would your attitude have been?" Ding Lisheng's expression suddenly changed, his gaze like two beams of cold lightning, staring intently at the master.

The clerk was slightly taken aback. Such an expression from Ding Lisheng was truly rare. But after only a moment's hesitation, he replied with unwavering resolve, "I'm sorry, Mr. Ding. I will object."

Upon hearing this, Ding Lisheng abruptly stood up, staring intently at the clerk. His expression shifted rapidly, until the clerk broke out in a cold sweat. Only then did the clerk say somewhat nervously, "Ding Sheng, don't look at me like that. I... I'm scared."

"Haha." Ding Lisheng suddenly burst into laughter. But after laughing, he slumped back down, increasingly dejected, and muttered, "If only I had discussed this with you beforehand. I wouldn't be in this predicament, caught between a rock and a hard place. I've handled this matter utterly pathetic. The old man was right—'Watch the world go by with a smile, and don't rush into things once you've succeeded.' My composure is ultimately insufficient. I acted rashly today and did such a foolish thing."

The advisor remained silent.

Ding Lisheng's actions were not only frustrating for Gu Feng, but also extremely frustrating for Gu Feng himself.

Ding Lisheng was willing to tell him everything in front of him—this not only shows that he trusted him, but also that he was ultimately honest and open-minded.

Although his methods were a bit extreme, in the end, it was for the good of the gang, for the good of the Ding family, and even, one could say, for the good of Gu Feng.

"My lord, perhaps you think what I'm doing is too unethical. But you've seen Gu Feng yourself. Right now, he can summon Chu Hanzhong at will. Given time, once he's fully grown and turns against us, he'll be a hundred times more terrifying than the enemy we're facing right now. I'm planning to bring him under my wing while his foundation is still unstable, to prevent him from being used by others, and to avoid the situation described as—'raising a snake to eat a chicken'!"

"Mr. Ding, may I say something a little unpleasant?"

"Go ahead," Ding Lisheng said, his brows slightly furrowed.

"You acted too hastily in this matter," the advisor said, his tone carrying a hint of reproach. This was extremely inappropriate in terms of hierarchy and respect.

However, Ding Lisheng did not fly into a rage at the slightest dissenting word, unlike when he first ascended to the throne.

On the contrary, the longer he sat in this position, the more powerful the Yihe Gang became, and the more he understood the profound meaning of the phrase "honest advice is hard to swallow".

This is an extremely difficult thing for someone in a position of power.

"Mr. Ding, I understand your good intentions and sympathize with your worries. This crisis has made you eager to find, and even eager to cultivate, a reliable successor..."

Ding Lisheng waved his hand, interrupting him: "No, Master. Besides the gang, it's mostly my own selfish motives. I hope Hanhan can find the best ending."

"Alright. Then let's say Ding Sheng has achieved both public and private goals. But whether it's the successor or Han Han's future, the person you've set your sights on is the same one—Gu Feng. That's why you went to such lengths to orchestrate this move this afternoon."

"Yes." Ding Lisheng nodded.

"Actually, Ding Sheng's actions are understandable. Parents everywhere want their children to have a good future. But your move today was far too risky. Gu Feng is no ordinary person. With his sharp mind, even if he can't guess today, he might tomorrow. Once he finds out that you were the one pulling the strings behind everything... I'm afraid..."

"What do you mean, 'I'm afraid'? Do you think he'll turn his gun on me?" Ding Lisheng asked, somewhat embarrassed and angry.

The advisor did not answer. But the answer was already obvious.

After Ding Lisheng's anger subsided slightly, his expression became unpredictable once again. But this time, it was clearly not feigned.

Finally, a sinister glint appeared in his eyes. This gloomy look sent chills down the clerk's spine, and cold sweat poured down his back.

Based on his understanding of Ding Lisheng's methods, at this moment, he was probably already determined to eliminate any future troubles by killing his boss completely.

Indeed. Ding Lisheng does have a heart that appreciates talent. But if he cannot be moved by his influence, then cremation is the only option left.

If Ding Lisheng were to be compared to a farmer, he would certainly be a very responsible one.

Upon discovering a wolf cub, I was overjoyed, even ecstatic.

The wolf's nature is to attack; and tactically, attack is the best defense.

But once it is discovered that it cannot be raised like a loyal dog, cannot be used for one's own purposes, and has become a potential threat, then one can only harden one's heart and turn it into dog meat stew before it grows up—though there is a desire to cherish talent, there are endless troubles to come.

Although his mind was made up, Ding Lisheng couldn't help but sigh, "If I had known it would end like this, why would I have bothered with all this scheming and trickery? Wouldn't it have been better to have just talked to him frankly from the beginning?"

The advisor remained silent.

Tonight, it was probably the first time in all the time he had worked for Ding Lisheng that he had so thoroughly reserved his own opinion.

In truth, even if he were to be completely open and honest, the outcome might not necessarily be good.

To become Ding Lisheng's son-in-law and inherit your wealth, status, and manpower—this might be a dream come true for others; but for Gu Feng, it might not be.

This is actually not hard to see.

Despite possessing unparalleled martial arts skills and exceptional traditional Chinese medicine knowledge, Gu Feng was willing to become an ordinary student, starting from scratch and learning step by step.

This is enough to prove how far-sighted and far-sighted this person is, and how high his position and how far he can see.

Gu Feng is an eagle, destined to soar high in the sky.

Unfortunately, Ding Lisheng never saw this through, insisting on treating him like a wolf cub, thinking that no matter how capable he was, he could only dominate temporarily when there were no tigers in the mountains.