"Come, have some tea..."
Tian Xiangrong and Zhang Shunchang, along with Liu He and his uncle Liu Yuan, were leisurely drinking tea. Xue Tonghua then asked, "Xiao He, is there any news from the Health Commission yet?"
Liu He, putting down his teacup, smiled and said, "Old Gu has already intervened. I believe there will be a result soon!"
Zhang Shunchang waved his fan and chuckled, "Since Old Gu has spoken, the outcome is decided. We'll just push Xiao He into the position then."
"Haha, yes."
Tian Xiangrong, with his shrewd little eyes, looked at Liu He and cupped his fists, smiling, "Xiao He, when you take the chairman's seat, you must remember to promote us uncles."
"Uncle Tian, what are you saying? We are all in this together."
Liu He smiled broadly at them, knowing full well their little schemes.
Liu Yuan said, "The parents are making a lot of noise now, and the Education Bureau is also under social pressure. They are preparing to suspend the Traditional Chinese Medicine classes in those primary schools."
"It's best to suspend them."
Xue Tonghua waved his hand dismissively, saying, "Teaching TCM to children is inherently ridiculous. Our TCM emphasizes lineage and tradition. How can the things our ancestors left behind be casually passed on to just anyone?"
"Exactly."
Zhang Shunchang nodded in agreement, saying, "If Wan Yunting and his ilk hadn't held the association's power back then, how could Gu Yuanbai have gotten away with this?"
Tian Xiangrong sneered, "Gu Yuanbai won't be able to jump around for much longer. Once Minister Tan takes office, we'll use this matter to bring Gu Yuanbai down and have Xiao He succeed him as chairman. Then, the entirety of Chinese medicine in Huaxia will be under our control."
Xue Tonghua nodded and smiled, "No rush. Anyway, all those in the Chinese Medicine Association support us now. When Gu Yuanbai is removed, only his few supporters will object. They won't be able to stir up any trouble."
"Haha, Xiao He is definitely going to be the chairman." Zhang Shunchang laughed heartily.
Liu He smiled contentedly, appearing modest, but inside he was swelling with pride and arrogance, already certain that the chairmanship of the Chinese Medicine Association was his.
However, at that moment, at the main entrance of Liu Ping Tang, three police cars arrived. Stepping out were Xu Xiangqian and Zhang Wei in plainclothes, who walked directly into the medical hall.
"What's going on? Why are the police going to Liu Ping Tang?"
"I don't know. Let's go take a look..."
People from other medical halls, seeing this, couldn't help but feel perplexed and curious, and they all went to watch the spectacle.
At Xiu Yuan Tang opposite, Du Hua and Wang Zhuyu were watching the renovation workers. When they saw the police heading straight for Liu Ping Tang, they exchanged glances and stopped their work to join the onlookers.
"Officers, what can we do for you?"
The pharmacist at Liu Ping Tang, seeing Xu Xiangqian, Zhang Wei, and a group of police officers enter, immediately stepped forward to greet them and had a shop assistant go upstairs to notify Liu Yuan and the others.
"Where is your boss, Liu Yuan?" Xu Xiangqian asked expressionlessly.
The pharmacist's expression faltered, and his heart sank. He asked nervously, "Our Doctor Liu is upstairs. May I ask what this is about, officers? Are you here for treatment or..."
"Immediately call your boss down for questioning."
Zhang Wei waved his hand, cutting off the pharmacist's further words, and then added, "Also, do you have someone named Zhang Ping here?"
"I've already sent someone upstairs to call him..."
The pharmacist quickly replied, and upon hearing Zhang Ping's name, he nodded with a look of confusion, "Yes, there is someone named Zhang Ping..."
"Old Lin..."
Immediately after, he saw a young man coming out of the medical hall's storeroom holding a box of medicine. It was Liu Yuan's disciple, Zhang Ping. Seeing a group of police officers arrive, Zhang Ping was stunned. But the next moment, he dropped the medicine in his hand, turned, and rushed towards the back door of the medical hall.
"Stop, quickly apprehend him..."
Seeing this, Xu Xiangqian and Zhang Wei reacted swiftly, immediately leading their officers to charge. Just as Zhang Ping was about to run out of the room, a young officer lunged forward, tackled him to the ground, and pinned his right hand behind his back, subduing him. "Don't move, stay put..."
"Let me go! Why are you arresting me? I haven't broken any laws...?" Zhang Ping, pinned to the ground, cried out in panic and tried to resist.
Zhang Wei snorted, "If you haven't broken the law, why are you running? Cuff him."
Another officer went to help, pulled Zhang Ping up, and directly handcuffed his hands, dragging him and shouting, "Stay put..."
Liu Yuan and Liu He from upstairs had all come down. Upon seeing the police arrest Zhang Ping, Liu Yuan's face instantly stiffened, and his eyes became panicked and tense.
"You are Liu Yuan?"
Xu Xiangqian and Zhang Wei turned their gaze towards Liu Yuan, who was frozen on the stairs. After a moment, he regained his senses. He quickly concealed his inner panic and stammered, nodding, "...Yes. May I ask why you are arresting my disciple?"
Liu He, Xue Xialan, Tian Xiangrong, Zhang Shunchang, and Xue Tonghua were all looking on with confusion and bewilderment. But when Liu He saw his uncle Liu Yuan's face betraying unconcealable panic, he seemed to guess something, and his heart suddenly sank.
"Why we are arresting him, do we need to explain?" Xu Xiangqian stared at Liu Yuan and said with a cold snort.
Liu Yuan's expression was extremely unnatural, his nervousness completely unconcealed. He was inwardly panicked and flustered, forcing an unnatural smile, shaking his head, "Officers, I... I don't know what you mean..."
Zhang Wei's voice was forceful and resolute, "Based on our investigation, we suspect that you and Zhang Ping intentionally set fire to Xiu Yuan Tang opposite. Now, please come back with us honestly for investigation!"
"What?"
As soon as these words were spoken, Tian Xiangrong, Zhang Shunchang, Xue Tonghua, Xue Xialan, and everyone in the medical hall, as well as Du Hua, Wang Zhuyu, and people from other medical halls who were gathered at the entrance watching the commotion, were all astonished. Discussions erupted.
"My heavens, so it was Liu Yuan and his disciple who deliberately set fire to Xiu Yuan Tang!"
"I never would have imagined it! We all thought it was the enemies of Wan Yunting who started the fire, but it turns out it was Liu Yuan...!"
Everyone present looked at Liu Yuan with changed expressions. They never expected it would be them who set fire to Wan Yunting's Xiu Yuan Tang.
Upon hearing this, Liu Yuan was completely stunned, his body stiffening in place.
"Officers, isn't there some misunderstanding?"
Liu He, who was the first to react, quickly said, "My uncle would absolutely never do something like arson. You must have made some mistake or believed someone else's words..."
"That's right, Liu Yuan wouldn't set fire to Xiu Yuan Tang. Don't you need evidence to arrest someone like this?" Tian Xiangrong and the others also regained their senses and spoke up for Liu Yuan.
"If we didn't have evidence, do you think we would arrest people randomly?"
Zhang Wei turned and glared at Tian Xiangrong and the others. Immediately, Zhang Shunchang and Xue Tonghua exchanged glances and dared not speak.
Liu Yuan frowned tightly, then turned his gaze sideways to his uncle Liu Yuan, who was stiffly standing at the top of the stairs behind him. Seeing his uncle's unconcealably flustered and nervous expression, he knew that this matter was likely inseparable from him.
"I set the fire!"
Zhang Ping, with his hands cuffed and held by two officers, suddenly shouted, "It has nothing to do with my master. I set the fire alone. If you want to arrest someone, arrest me alone. Don't arrest my master..."
"Shut up...!"
Seeing Zhang Ping confess, Liu He's heart tightened, and he quickly reprimanded him.
"What are you doing?"
Xu Xiangqian immediately pointed at Liu He and said, "Are you trying to obstruct our investigation?"
Liu He's expression faltered. He shook his head at Xu Xiangqian and said, "Officer Xu, I remember you. You were also present when those children were poisoned. However, regarding my uncle's matter, shouldn't you investigate thoroughly? It's impossible for him to have..."
"I'm sorry, we will investigate thoroughly whether they set the fire or not."
Xu Xiangqian raised his hand, cutting off Liu He's further words. After speaking, he ignored Liu He and said to Zhang Wei and the others, "Take him back."
Zhang Wei nodded and gestured to the two officers behind him. They immediately took out a pair of handcuffs and, without giving Liu Yuan a chance to react, grabbed his hands and cuffed them, shouting, "Stay put, let's go..."
"Disperse."
Xu Xiangqian shouted. Four officers, each escorting the distraught Liu Yuan and his disciple Zhang Ping, walked out of the medical hall and into the police cars.
"Excellent, they've finally been arrested..." Wang Zhuyu couldn't help but exclaim excitedly.
Du Hua, Chen Lin, and Sun Xue were also happy. Du Hua had known for a long time that Liu Yuan and Zhang Ping were likely the arsonists who set fire to the medical hall!
Previously, the police had investigated the arson tools, specifically glass bottles, and their target had locked onto Liu Ping Tang!
This was because the glass bottle used as an arson tool was a type of glass bottle used at Liu Ping Tang for containing Chinese medicine.
Zhang Wei and his team had also investigated all the medical halls on Heping Street. Although everyone had glass bottles for storing medicinal decoctions, the glass bottle used as an arson tool for Xiu Yuan Tang was consistent with the glass bottles used at Liu Ping Tang!
Therefore, the police immediately locked onto Liu Ping Tang!
At the same time, they investigated the surveillance cameras from different angles on Heping Street. They saw Zhang Ping's figure appearing on the night Xiu Yuan Tang caught fire. Based on the time estimates and the glass bottle used as the arson tool, the police were able to pinpoint Zhang Ping as the arsonist!
Since Zhang Ping was Liu Yuan's disciple, Xu Xiangqian and Zhang Wei inferred that Zhang Ping, the arsonist, was likely instructed by Liu Yuan!
As for whether Liu Yuan had instructed him, they would take them back to the police station for interrogation and investigation.
Previously, Xu Xiangqian had been keeping Wan Yunting's family updated on the progress of the case. Gu Luotang had also been visiting Ouyang Mansion occasionally, so she had heard Xu Xiangqian's speculation that the arsonist was Liu Yuan and his disciple. She had then informed her grandfather of this news, so Du Hua and Wang Zhuyu were also aware of it.
Now, seeing Liu Yuan and his disciple being loaded into the police cars, Du Hua and Wang Zhuyu felt immensely uplifted and vindicated.
Liu He, Xue Xialan, Tian Xiangrong, Zhang Shunchang, and Xue Tonghua also followed out. Watching Liu Yuan and Zhang Ping being taken into the police cars, and with Xu Xiangqian's command, the three police cars turned around and left Heping Street, heading back to the police station.
Suddenly, a crowd of people from other medical halls and passersby gathered at the entrance of Liu Ping Tang. The news of Liu Yuan and his disciple setting fire to Wan Yunting's Xiu Yuan Tang instantly spread throughout the capital's news and across the national internet.
Everyone present was in an uproar. They never expected that the person who set fire to Wan Yunting's medical hall was Liu Yuan.
"Everyone, please don't speculate wildly. The police have only taken my uncle for investigation, and there is no conclusive evidence to prove that my uncle set the fire!"
Liu He saw everyone excitedly blaming his uncle Liu Yuan for arson and quickly explained, saying, "I implore everyone not to spread this matter, as it will damage my uncle's personal reputation..."
"That's right, the outcome is not yet decided, so let's not spread rumors..."
Tian Xiangrong and Zhang Shunchang also came to their senses and stopped the gossiping crowd.
They knew that if this matter got out, all of them would be implicated.
Liu He's face was grim. He turned and went back into the medical hall. Xue Xialan quickly followed. Liu He took out his phone and called his grandfather Liu Pingyi, saying gravely, "Grandpa, Uncle has gotten into trouble..."