Chapter 768: Identity Exposed
Lin Tian’s shout of ’Greetings, Leader!’ was full of vigor, exuding the spirit and unyielding character of a soldier.
Of course, he used Spiritual Qi to lower his tone, making it sound like a completely different person compared to his original voice.
Zhang Zhixing waved his hand, smiling and said, "Good, good, sit down. Don’t feel pressured, just treat it like a casual visit."
"Yes!"
Chen Moxiang rolled her eyes at Lin Tian. This guy feels pressured? That would really be underestimating him.
At this moment, the doorbell of the room started ringing.
"Waiter, could you please open the door?" Zhang Zhixing said warmly to Qu, without any airs.
"Okay." Qu nodded with a smile, then gracefully walked over to open the door.
Entering was a little old man in his sixties, with a rosy complexion and a brisk step. He hardly looked like an old man, more like a young man.
Behind the old man was a girl in her early twenties, about 1.7 meters tall, with a full forehead, lively eyes, and a slender face. She was an extremely spirited girl.
Coincidentally, Lin Tian also knew these two people. They were Teacher Zhao Xuefeng and his granddaughter, Zhao Qingtang.
"Haha, Mr. Zhang, I heard you were here, so I came uninvited," Zhao Xuefeng laughed heartily.
Seeing that the visitors were Zhao Xuefeng, Zhang Zhixing hurriedly got up from the sofa.
As a leader, he could have just sat, but Zhao Xuefeng was someone he respected, so why not stand?
Zhang Zhixing stood up, and the others couldn’t remain seated either, so they all stood up together.
"Haha, I also heard that you were here, yet I hadn’t gone to see you, and you came to see me first." Zhang Zhixing took large strides forward, extending his hand to shake Zhao Xuefeng’s twice.
"No need to be so formal, Minister; we are old friends, who doesn’t visit whom?" Zhao Xuefeng laughed.
In fact, the two were not familiar with each other before and didn’t have much interaction.
Later, due to Liu Mang’s downfall and Zhao Xuefeng’s rise, their interactions increased. After a few encounters, they felt like they had met a kindred spirit, lamenting the lateness of their acquaintance, and even once got thoroughly drunk together.
This was pure friendship, with a bit of mutual appreciation, and absolutely none of those dirty and hidden-officialdom matters.
After a warm handshake, Zhao Xuefeng turned to his granddaughter and said, "Quickly greet the Minister."
"Hello, Minister!" Zhao Qingtang smiled politely and even bowed after greeting.
"Good, good, good, no need to bow, that’s too formal." Zhang Zhixing looked Zhao Qingtang over and laughed, "You look quite like my wife, both quite ladylike."
Lin Tian heard this and couldn’t help but twitch his mouth. Both Zhang Zhixing and Zhao Xuefeng were in their sixties, so the wife in question must be Xu Wan.
He said Xu Wan and Zhao Qingtang were ladylike? Lin Tian only felt he had been greatly deceived; this grandmother and granddaughter were both spirited and lively, completely unrelated to being ladylike!
Zhang Zhixing sighed and said, "Qingtang, you truly are your grandfather’s pride. You did well at the summit, keep up the good work."
Zhao Qingtang nodded enthusiastically, her greatest passion in life was ancient medicine! She also loved hearing others praise her ancient medicine skills, especially from such a benchmark figure in medicine as Zhang Zhixing.
"In the future, if your grandfather can’t answer a question, you can also come to me," Zhang Zhixing said kindly with a smile.
Zhao Qingtang nodded happily and said, "Okay, the Minister can’t go back on his word."
"Hahaha, would I deceive a little girl like you?" Zhang Zhixing laughed twice and then began to invite everyone, "Please, have a seat, don’t just stand there."
Sitting in the far left were three officials and a secretary following Zhang Zhixing. Zhang Zhixing sat in the center, with Zhao Xuefeng and Zhao Qingtang beside him, followed by Chen Moxiang and Lin Tian.
Chen Moxiang either intentionally or unintentionally, made sure to sit between Zhao Qingtang and Lin Tian.
After everyone sat down, they each formed small groups and started chatting on different topics: the secretary and officials engaged in conversation, Zhang Zhixing and Zhao Xuefeng discussed, mostly on medical issues. Zhao Qingtang helped herself to some fruits, occasionally joining in with her opinions.
As for Lin Tian and Chen Moxiang, they turned into invisible figures; they didn’t talk but weren’t idle either. Lin Tian rolled his eyes at Chen Moxiang, who glared back, sometimes even baring their teeth. Anyone who didn’t know would have thought they were two lunatics.
"Hmm?" Suddenly, Zhao Qingtang sensed something was amiss; she seemed to detect something familiar.
She took a few eager sniffs with her nose and then locked her gaze on Lin Tian, only to see a funny grimace.
Seeing this grimace, Zhao Qingtang became more convinced of her suspicion, directly reached out and patted Lin Tian on the shoulder, exclaiming, "Lin Tian!"
The words instantly made both Chen Moxiang and Lin Tian freeze.
"What did you call me?" Lin Tian pointed to his nose, then touched his face. His disguise hadn’t slipped at all.
"Lin Tian, I couldn’t be mistaken. Although this face isn’t Lin Tian’s, I’m certain." Zhao Qingtang said with a somewhat smug smile.
Lin Tian swallowed, seeing that everyone was busy doing their own thing and no one was paying attention, he then let out a sigh of relief.
Lin Tian sighed helplessly, knowing he couldn’t hide anymore, so he asked, "How did you recognize me?"
Zhao Qingtang smiled even brighter, pointed at her nose, and boasted, "Do you know what my greatest strength as an ancient doctor is? It’s my nose, incredibly sharp. I recognized your scent straightaway."
Lin Tian’s expression froze, he never thought he had such a flaw.
In this world, there are naturally and later-cultivated people with sharp sense of smell. Whether Zhao Qingtang was born with it or trained it, either way she found Lin Tian out through scent.
"Why are you disguised like this?" Zhao Qingtang asked curiously.
"It’s a long story, but please don’t expose my identity to others. Also, stop calling me Lin Tian," Lin Tian said very seriously.
Zhao Qingtang didn’t quite understand but still nodded, "If not Lin Tian, then what should I call you?"
"You should remember, right now we’re strangers..."
Before Lin Tian could finish, Zhao Qingtang interrupted, "We’ve already talked a few sentences, in others’ eyes we aren’t strangers anymore."
"Alright... just call me Cannon King."
"Cannon? Cannon King?" Zhao Qingtang’s facial muscles twitched, looking at Lin Tian as if seeing a pervert.
Cannon King? Such a dramatic, flamboyant nickname.
Then Zhao Qingtang turned her gaze to Chen Moxiang, the words Cannon King unwittingly made her think of a woman. And the woman sitting beside Lin Tian was an unchallenged beauty in terms of aura, appearance, and figure.
Chen Moxiang hurriedly waved her hands, "Don’t misunderstand, I have nothing to do with him, he picked that name himself!"