Following the recovery of Elder Lin's illness, a stir rippled through the influential circles of the capital. Many prominent figures were aware of Elder Lin's critical condition, and his joyful return home was met with astonishment.
Numerous individuals sought out Doctor Liu for information. Doctor Liu himself was unaware of the specifics, only revealing that Elder Lin appeared to have aged by over a decade.
The more astute individuals turned to Old Wang. Old Wang dared not disclose anything, merely stating that he had coincidentally obtained a miraculous medicine, which was what had cured his father-in-law.
Indeed, the medicine lived up to its name; it was truly miraculous.
What kind of miraculous medicine could rejuvenate an elderly man on the brink of death to such an extent?
To shave off more than a decade from his apparent age?
This was simply astonishing.
Old Wang had recently gained prominence within the upper echelons of society. Many influential figures, with whom he had no prior connection, began calling him to express their regards, even inquiring if he needed any financial assistance.
Ostensibly to offer help, they subtly probed for the source of Old Wang's miraculous medicine. Despite their wealth, they could not purchase longevity or ward off death.
Just days prior, a real estate magnate in the capital, with a net worth of tens of billions, had succumbed to cancer. What use was his wealth then?
It had failed to save his own life.
Who could guarantee they wouldn't fall ill? If they possessed Old Wang's miraculous medicine, it would be a significant safeguard for their lives.
Old Wang had become weary of the constant phone calls. These were people from his circle, and ignoring them would be impolite, so he could only patiently explain.
At that moment, Old Wang's phone rang again. He had begun to dread its ringing.
Just a couple of years prior, during his difficult times, his private phone had seemed as dead as a doornail, receiving no calls except from the automated customer service.
Now, things were different; his phone was incessantly ringing, threatening to crash.
Old Wang glanced at the caller ID, which displayed "Ma Zong," and answered, "President Ma, what can I do for you?"
"Old Wang, no need to be so formal. We're all friends here. How could I possibly 'command' you?" Tencent Ma chuckled over the phone.
"Don't, just get straight to the point if you have something," Old Wang interrupted.
"Actually, there is something. Regarding the streamer Lin'er that you mentioned last time, I've already handled it," Tencent Ma said, with a hint of eagerness.
"Isn't that what you're supposed to do?" Old Wang retorted.
"Just that?"
"Shouldn't you be handling such important matters?"
Tencent Ma: ...
"Uh... yes, of course, of course," Tencent Ma replied, feeling a touch awkward.
"If that's all, I'll hang up," Old Wang said.
"Wait, I heard your father-in-law was discharged from the hospital. Is Elder Lin recovering well?" Tencent Ma finally revealed the true purpose of his call.
"Here it comes."
Indeed, Tencent Ma was no different. He was using a pretext to inquire about the miraculous medicine.
"You also want to know where the miraculous medicine comes from, don't you?" Old Wang asked.
"Heh heh... Old Wang, could you give me a hint?" Tencent Ma, his inquiry exposed by Old Wang, chuckled openly.
"I can't tell you that. You're a smart person, think about it yourself. Alright, I'm still quite busy," Old Wang said, preparing to end the call.
"Old Wang, please don't hang up yet. I have some spare cash on hand recently, and I'm prepared to give it to you," Tencent Ma said, growing anxious as Old Wang prepared to disconnect.
"How much?" Old Wang's interest was piqued.
This person was certainly more sincere than the others.
"Two billion," Tencent Ma said, gritting his teeth.
"Transfer it over," Old Wang replied.
"Then, about the miraculous medicine?" Tencent Ma asked, a flicker of excitement in his eyes as Old Wang agreed.
"What miraculous medicine? I don't know. My son, Xiao Wang, gave it to me. Hurry up and send the money," Old Wang said, and this time, he hung up directly, not giving Tencent Ma a chance to speak.
Tencent Ma stared at the disconnected phone, lost in thought.
Since Old Wang was willing to accept money, he would surely reveal some information. He had to find a breakthrough in Old Wang's words.
The miraculous medicine was given to Old Wang by Xiao Wang, so the breakthrough must lie with Xiao Wang.
Tencent Ma quickly logged into the Shark platform's backend and found the streamer Lin'er. He also checked her gift-giving records. The gifts were primarily from users named "National Husband" and "Lin'er's Guardian."
Tencent Ma naturally knew who "National Husband" was.
Recalling the incident where Lin'er's live-streaming gifts were frozen, and how Old Wang and Qin Guomin had personally called to question him, the question arose: why was Lin'er receiving such significant attention?
Connecting these events with what had transpired, Tencent Ma concluded that all matters were related to Lin'er.
Therefore, the origin of the miraculous medicine was about to be revealed. Tencent Ma felt a surge of excitement.
Old Wang had been relatively loyal. Although he didn't directly tell him, he had provided a clue.
This time, Tencent Ma didn't hesitate and transferred the two billion to Old Wang.
*Ding...*
Shortly after, Old Wang sent a WeChat message: "I knew you weren't a simple kid."
Upon seeing this, Tencent Ma's lips curved into a subtle smile.
He proceeded to register an account on the Shark platform and deposited 100 million yuan, intending to send gifts to Lin'er when she next streamed.
"National Little Wang" likely gained this favor through this maneuver, right?
...
Hancheng, Shark Platform Headquarters.
"General Manager Chen, it seems someone has stolen President Ma's identity information."
Chen Dajie's office was suddenly pushed open by someone who burst in, saying, "What do you mean?" Chen Dajie, hearing the name "President Ma," felt a pang of unease; he had been scolded just yesterday.
"The backend technical team just detected someone using President Ma's identity information to register an account and deposit one hundred million yuan. I suspect President Ma's identity has been compromised."
The person quickly explained.
"Really?"
"Yes, really."
"Alright, you may go out now. I'll ask President Ma myself."
Chen Dajie gestured for the person to leave.
In fact, Chen Dajie also suspected that President Ma's identity information had been stolen.
Who was President Ma?
Would he have the inclination to watch live streams?
And would he deposit a hundred million yuan to send gifts?
He was the one who usually coaxed others into depositing funds, while he himself was as stingy as ever, never depositing anything.
Chen Dajie confidently dialed Tencent Ma's number.
"What is it?" Tencent Ma asked after answering the call.
"President Ma, your identity information has been stolen, and an account was registered on the platform with a deposit of one hundred million yuan. I wanted to remind President Ma to check his bank information to avoid further losses."
Chen Dajie relayed the information he had just received to Tencent Ma.
Upon hearing this, Tencent Ma was utterly flabbergasted.
"Are you out of your mind?"
"What's wrong with me registering an account?"
"Can't I watch live streams anymore?"
"I registered and deposited it myself. Do you have a problem with that?" Tencent Ma's tone was laced with skepticism.
"President Ma registered it himself?"
"And deposited a hundred million yuan?"
Chen Dajie could hardly believe his ears. Could the stingiest person actually spend money?
He held the phone away to check; it was indeed President Ma. The number wasn't wrong.
"President Ma, you deposited it yourself?" Chen Dajie's voice rose slightly upon hearing this.
"Aren't you stating the obvious? Also, how did you handle the Lin'er matter last time?" Tencent Ma remembered that he had only instructed Chen Dajie to handle Lin'er's situation and hadn't yet asked for details.
"I returned all the gift amounts from last time to Lin'er, keeping not a single cent."
Tencent Ma felt a sliver of relief upon hearing this, thinking that at least one task had been handled properly.
Then Chen Dajie continued, "I've also upgraded Lin'er's status. From now on, for her gift income, the company will take a 10% share, and Lin'er will receive 90%."
Tencent Ma, who had just started to feel better, suddenly exploded in anger. "You're trying to make money even off my funds? Who told you to take a 10% cut? From now on, all of Lin'er's gift income belongs entirely to her."
Chen Dajie stood dumbfounded, holding the phone.
"What did I do wrong now?"
"Why am I being scolded again?"