Chapter 120: A Triumphant Victory in Grand Style

After Elder Xia and Xie Qingtang both expressed no objections, the others naturally kept silent. The buyer took the herbs selected by the two and examined them carefully, even using a magnifying glass to scrutinize every tiny detail on the herbs.

Throughout this process, everyone grew increasingly tense. Even Elder Xia straightened his posture and stepped down from the platform, standing there with a serious expression.

Among them, only Xie Qingtang appeared relaxed. She even left the competition area and approached the counter, chatting casually with the staff while glancing at the premium traditional Chinese medicines displayed.

Observing Xie’s ease, Dong Weiyi’s curiosity and surprise grew. He approached her and asked, “Doctor Xie, I suppose you came here today to purchase a high-end medicinal herb. If you have something in mind, please do tell me.”

“Well, actually, I’m not quite sure what I want to buy. I was just browsing casually and hoped to find a high-quality herb with excellent detoxifying effects,” Xie Qingtang replied after a moment’s hesitation. She figured Dong Weiyi must be the owner of this high-end herbal market and decided to confide in him.

Upon hearing this, Dong Weiyi nodded and instructed the counter staff, “Bring out all the herbs in the market that have the best detoxifying properties for Doctor Xie to choose from.”

“Yes, boss,” the staff promptly acknowledged and placed all the premium detoxifying herbs before Xie Qingtang.

A pleased smile appeared on Xie’s face as she surveyed the dazzling array of herbs and nodded to Dong Weiyi before beginning her selection.

Meanwhile, the buyer had already reached a conclusion, which immediately drew everyone’s attention. Dong Weiyi informed Xie that the competition results were in, and the two returned to the contest area.

Upon seeing Xie Qingtang, the young doctors instinctively parted to make way for her.

“Little girl, it’s still not too late for you to admit defeat. I think you do have some skill. I saw the herbs you picked; some were indeed decent, but they still fall short compared to mine. If you apologize and stop making a spectacle online, I, being magnanimous, will no longer hold it against you,” Elder Xia boasted proudly, patting his somewhat large belly as if he had foreseen the outcome.

“The results haven’t been announced yet. Why are you so confident?” Xie Qingtang retorted bluntly, not even sparing him a glance.

This infuriated Elder Xia. Having been in the field of traditional Chinese medicine for so many years, he had never been treated with such disdain. He snorted coldly and fell silent.

The buyer set down his magnifying glass and glanced at Dong Weiyi, who nodded at him. Then the buyer announced to Elder Xia and Xie Qingtang, “After careful inspection and professional testing, I declare Miss Xie the winner of this herb selection.”

Upon hearing this, the older doctors had initially wanted to cheer, convinced Elder Xia would win. But when Xie Qingtang’s name was announced, their smiles stiffened awkwardly.

“That’s impossible! How could it be? I’ve seen the herbs that girl picked. Although some were of good quality, they definitely can’t surpass mine,” Elder Xia said in disbelief.

Even though the buyer had used his years of experience and the market’s professional equipment to test the herbs’ composition and quality, Elder Xia refused to accept the result.

“I don’t believe it. Re-test it. You must have made a mistake,” he insisted stubbornly.

“Doctor Xia, are you questioning the professionalism of our market’s testing equipment?” Dong Weiyi’s brows furrowed slightly, his expression darkening. Though he treated everyone kindly, he would not tolerate baseless accusations.

Elder Xia was momentarily taken aback by Dong Weiyi’s reaction. After hesitating, he said, “Boss Dong, you know I don’t mean that. It’s just that this seems suspicious. I think the staff must have given that girl higher quality herbs from the start. That must be it.”

“What do you mean, Doctor Xia? Are you implying our market is helping Doctor Xie cheat?” Dong Weiyi’s face grew even uglier.

Though Elder Xia verbally denied doubting Dong Weiyi’s staff, his insinuations clearly suggested that the herbs Xie Qingtang chose were of higher quality than his.

“Since you have such suspicions, let’s conduct another test,” Dong Weiyi said coldly. He took the herbs Elder Xia had selected and those picked by Xie Qingtang.

First, he placed Elder Xia’s herbs into the professional testing device. Soon, the highest quality herb among them was identified.

Then, that top-quality herb was tested against the one Xie Qingtang had selected. The test showed both herbs had identical quality.

This proved Dong Weiyi had been impartial and that Elder Xia simply lacked the skill to pick the highest quality herb.

Seeing the glaring data, Elder Xia felt as if each shining green number was a slap to his face, burning his cheeks red with embarrassment.

“Doctor Xia, the facts are right before you. If you refuse to accept your inferiority and persist in making excuses, it will only make people look down on you further,” Dong Weiyi snorted coldly, leaving no room for Elder Xia’s dignity.

Thus, Elder Xia slunk away from the high-end herb market in defeat. The young doctors nearby erupted in cheers, gathering around Xie Qingtang and praising her exquisite skill for bringing honor to their youthful ranks.

Having always studied medicine with her master in the mountains, Xie Qingtang was unused to being surrounded by so many doctors. She felt somewhat uncomfortable and offered an embarrassed smile.