C11 Saving People

After freshening up, Ling Yifei contemplated whether to hit the streets and buy a new set of clothes. But after a moment's consideration, realizing funds were tight, he opted to make do with his current outfit. With that settled, he headed out early, checking his phone to find he still had time before 2:30 PM and decided to wander around.

As he walked through the vibrant streets, Ling Yifei was struck by an ineffable sensation. The constant flow of people and the buzz of activity were absent in the Cultivation Realm. This lively atmosphere stirred a desire in him to settle down and lead a tranquil life here.

"What's going on over there?" Ling Yifei's curiosity was piqued by a crowd on the opposite side of the street. In the center, a little girl and an elderly man were surrounded by onlookers; the man lay on the ground.

The girl was pressing her hand against the man's chest, tears streaming down her face as she pleaded with the bystanders, "Please, someone help my grandpa! I'm begging you!"

Yet, despite her cries, no one came forward. With the prevalence of scams, it was hard to tell who was genuine. But Ling Yifei could see the man was truly in distress. He furrowed his brow, made his way through the crowd, and approached them. As a cultivator, he believed in the importance of fate and felt compelled to intervene.

"Look at that young man, he's got guts. Puts the rest of you to shame."

"Ha! Why don't you help, then? These days, even the wealthy can be ruined by such encounters," the onlookers commented as Ling Yifei stepped in.

The little girl's eyes lit up with hope when she saw Ling Yifei approach. "Big brother, please, I'm begging you to save my grandpa!"

"Let me have a look," Ling Yifei said as he knelt down and took the old man's wrist, his brow creasing with concern. "It's a heart attack, but it's a rarer kind than usual."

Sensing the man's life force fading, he urged, "Quick! Lift your grandpa's shirt!" Without hesitation, the girl followed Ling Yifei's instructions.

Ling Yifei placed his hand over the man's heart, channeling a steady stream of Vital Spirit into him. Soon, the man's condition seemed to stabilize somewhat. Ling Yifei instructed the onlookers to call an ambulance, knowing that his current level of cultivation wasn't sufficient to fully heal such an ailment.

Having just managed to stabilize the elderly man's heart, he began to feel his strength waning.

The ambulance arrived shortly after, whisking away the little girl, Ling Yifei, and the old man amidst the crowd's murmurs. At the hospital, following an hour of urgent care, the old man was out of danger. The little girl, seeing the doctor emerge from the emergency room, eagerly inquired about her grandfather's condition.

"Fortunately, he was brought in on time, or else it might have been..." With a sigh of relief, she turned to ask Ling Yifei for his contact details, intending to properly thank him once her grandfather was well. But as she turned, Ling Yifei was nowhere to be seen. She frantically searched, but to no avail. His distinguished face, however, was etched into her memory. She was certain their paths would cross again someday.

Ling Yifei, too, wished to be remembered for his good deed, but a glance at the time sent him into a panic. The meeting with Aunt Liu was fast approaching, and he couldn't afford to be late. He hastily hailed a cab to Yi'an Group. The driver raced through the streets, and they arrived at 2:20 pm.

The towering Yi'an Group building came into view.

"Wow, the wealthy sure work in luxurious places!" Ling Yifei, who had spent much time in the Cultivation Realm, hadn't seen such an imposing structure in ages. He approached the reception desk. "Hello, I'm looking for Aunt Zhao Yuqin," he said. The receptionist looked up, surprised.

Upon noticing Ling Yifei's simple attire, her expression soured. Ling Yifei, understanding her reaction, could only feel a sense of resignation.

"Sorry, do you have an appointment?" Her tone was sharp, detracting from her otherwise pleasant demeanor.

"Uh, no?" Ling Yifei was taken aback. An appointment? It had been years since he'd encountered such a protocol.

"Without an appointment, you cannot meet our chairman," the receptionist stated bluntly.

"But..." Ling Yifei barely got the words out before the receptionist cut in, "The chairman is extremely busy and doesn't have time. Please make an appointment and come back later." With a sense of resignation, Ling Yifei pulled out his phone once more, only to exclaim in frustration as he realized the battery was dead.

He seemed to be plagued with bad luck. "I'm really here to see Aunt Liu! Could you possibly make a call to let her know?" Ling Yifei pleaded with the front desk, but to no avail.

"The chairman is tied up and can't spare a moment. You should leave," the receptionist insisted, showing no willingness to help Ling Yifei make a call. But Ling Yifei couldn't just walk away.

With Ling Yifei refusing to leave, the receptionist reluctantly summoned the front desk manager. Things went from bad to worse as the manager arrived, bellowing, "Who is this kid, and who does he think he is? The chairman isn't someone you can just drop in on!" The man, with his portly figure squeezed into a suit, approached Ling Yifei in a huff.

Ling Yifei's first impression was that the suit looked comical on him. "Leave now, or I'll call security!" Now Ling Yifei was truly at a loss, cursing his luck and reminiscing about the past.

Meanwhile, in the CEO's office, Zhao Yuqin glanced at her watch—it was 2:38 pm—and her brow furrowed with concern. Why hadn't Little Ye arrived yet? She hoped nothing had happened to him on the way. Zhao Yuqin had always treated Ling Yifei like her own son, considering her connection to Ling Zhiyu.

"That's right! I forgot to inform my staff," Zhao Yuqin realized, picking up the phone. She paused, deciding to retrieve something from her car, and took the opportunity to check if Yifei had arrived. With her coat in hand, she rode the elevator down, responding politely to the greetings of "Good afternoon, CEO."

"Are you still here, kid? Just look at yourself, dressed in rags. You think you're worthy of meeting our CEO? Let me tell you, our CEO may be well-respected and popular in S City, but that doesn't mean just anyone can see him!"

The so-called manager was incessantly talking. Ling Yifei, upon hearing these aggressive remarks, was tempted to explode the man's head with a palm strike. His incessant babbling was like that of a nagging woman. Coincidentally, Zhao Yuqin, who was downstairs, overheard everything, particularly the insult "bastard"!

The term "bastard" echoed in Zhao Yuqin's ears. She observed Ling Yifei standing there with his head bowed, motionless, resembling a wounded child, which made her heart wrench with sympathy. But Ling Yifei himself? He was utterly unfazed. With his head down, he was lost in thought, his ears sealed with Vital Spirit, silently cursing. Let them curse all they want—he couldn't hear a thing!

Zhao Yuqin's expression grew increasingly frosty as she approached Ling Yifei. At that moment, the receptionist caught sight of Zhao Yuqin and quickly clamped a hand over her mouth, stifling any sound.