Interstellar Pharmacist - Chapter 66:Extra Chapter
Chapter 66: Side Story—Tang Ning
From a young age, he had been held in the palm of others’ hands. Whatever he wanted, others would actively seek out and deliver it to him.
Except for Tang Xin, who seemed to be his nemesis. As long as it involved her, nothing ever went right.
Tang Ning silently thought.
The first time, his favorite and most beautiful guard was taken by Tang Xin right in front of everyone. Everyone knew Yan Hao had already been chosen by him, but Tang Xin didn’t care and insisted on choosing Yan Hao.
The second time, as a level 4 martial artist, he attacked a level 2 Tang Xin, thinking he could easily take her down. That way, everything would go back to the starting point. Instead, he was captured by Yan Hao, and Tang Xin held a dagger to him.
He had never suffered such a loss in his life!
When Tang Xin left home, he finally had a chance to turn the tables.
The spaceship pilot had long wanted to curry favor with him. With just a slight hint, the pilot understood and left Tang Xin on a remote planet.
Once, Tang Ning thought Tang Xin would never appear in front of him again.
Eventually, the steward found a more beautiful female guard for the Tang family, and he gradually forgot about bringing Yan Hao back.
As he lived his carefree life, having forgotten Tang Xin and Yan Hao, Tang Xin returned.
***
Tang Ning called his chosen female guard and went to see Tang Xin.
He wanted Tang Xin to know that even if she took the person he fancied, he could find someone better!
And then… he and his guard were thrown out the door…
If it had been someone else, he wouldn’t have let it go and would have caused a scene. But this was Tang Xin, the same Tang Xin who dared to hold a dagger to him.
Tang Ning wilted immediately, feeling slightly uneasy.
He forced himself to say, “Sore loser!” and quickly left.
He found himself a good excuse, “I don’t argue with women.”
***
Not long after, Tang Ning heard from the servants that the steward’s strength had diminished, but he didn’t expect the steward to come to him.
Desperate, the steward’s words were laughable. Since when did doing one’s job well become a reason to ask for a favor from him?
The steward’s desperate plea was ugly.
Tang Ning felt disgusted and didn’t want to help, finding various reasons to refuse.
The steward finally gave up and, before leaving, said, “Tang Ning, you can’t beat Eight Young Miss alone.”
As if accepting him would make a difference?!
Tang Ning was furious. When asking for help, it’s a favor if someone helps and justified if they don’t.
Just because he didn’t help, the steward spoke ill of him, showing his ugly side.
Tang Ning retorted, “One day, the entire Tang family will be mine. Can’t beat Tang Xin? You’re senile! Go rest and stop saying laughable things.”
Not long after, the steward committed suicide.
When he heard the news, Tang Ning was disdainful, “He was useless, his strength declining, and he still wanted to stay in the Tang family? He would only dirty the pond water.”
At that time, he never thought that a few days later, he would face an even worse fate—his genes becoming B-level.
***
Tang Ning inexplicably fainted in the garden, and when he woke up and was tested, he found his genes had become B-level, and he panicked.
He was never superstitious, but this was so strange that he couldn’t help but believe it.
How could it be so coincidental, fainting in the same place as the steward and getting the same strange illness?
Why did the normally uninvolved elders force him to measure his gene level, uncovering the fact he had been hiding?
How did the obedient female guard suddenly disappear overnight and start spreading rumors outside?
The more Tang Ning thought, the more frightened he became.
For a moment, he suddenly understood the steward’s feelings. The steward didn’t lack pride; he had thrown away his dignity and begged to grasp the last straw.
Although his father warned him to stay in his room and not go out, Tang Ning couldn’t help himself. He had to visit the steward’s grave and burn some paper money to feel at ease.
People he met avoided him, but Tang Ning, preoccupied, didn’t notice.
Unexpectedly, just as he burned some paper money, his father caught him.
Tang Ning obediently accepted the scolding. Hearing his father say someone was targeting him made him feel relieved.
A human opponent was better than a ghost.
His father guessed it was Tang Xin, but Tang Ning didn’t believe she had the power to do all this.
But his father had commanded him to stay in his room and not go out.
Tang Ning had no choice but to comply.
He waited and waited, but instead of good news from his father, the elders came.
The visitor coldly said, “Ninth Young Miss has met the conditions to succeed as head of the family and will soon take over. Others may receive resources and leave after coming of age to live well.”
Tang Ning felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave.
Everyone had told him he would be the future head of the Tang family. In the end, he didn’t even get to compete and lost his chance…
***
Soon, Tang Jing took over.
The new leader started with him.
The elders, in a firm but gentle manner, reclaimed the resources worth 100,000 credits he had previously chosen and let him pick again, limited to 60,000 credits.
60,000 credits!
Tang Ning was almost mad. His first choice was the full 100,000 credits. Now it was cut by almost half!
Even if he wasn’t an A-level gene, he was still a level 5 martial artist with B-level genes!
Tang Ning was dissatisfied, wanting to appeal, yelling, “I want to see my father, have him decide for me.”
But he was ruthlessly blocked, “The former head has stepped down and no longer manages family affairs.”
Has his father already been dismissed and completely lost power?
Tang Ning looked bewildered.
He was used to a life where whatever he wanted, he could simply tell his father, and it would be his immediately. How would he live from now on?
Tang Ning thought he was already miserable enough. However, this was just the beginning.
The contract with his original guard was forcibly changed, replaced by a strong but rather ugly man.
The selected planet was swapped for a very ordinary, unremarkable one.
Additionally, regarding his gene downgrade, the Elder Council concluded that he had offended the steward, which led to the strange, incurable illness.
“…”
For the first time, Tang Ning realized that life is full of helpless situations. It wasn’t always about what he wanted to do.
Before leaving the Tang family, Tang Ning tried contacting his father through his communicator.
The voice on the other end was old and weak. He couldn’t remember the details of the conversation, but he understood that from now on, he would have to rely on himself.
Leaving the Tang family, Tang Ning felt like he had shed his shackles, determined to make a big splash and achieve something significant. He wanted to show others that he was not useless!
**
His plans were too optimistic.
Upon arriving at the new planet, Tang Ning found that whatever he did, someone would get in his way, and he encountered obstacles everywhere.
At first, he was confused and puzzled.
Later, his guard risked danger, hiding and eavesdropping on the opponents’ conversations to uncover the truth.
The people obstructing him had previously tried to curry favor with him.
They had believed wholeheartedly that Tang Ning would become the next family head and had placed their bets on him.
After Tang Jing took over, they didn’t consider how formidable Tang Xin was. They were fixated on the idea that Tang Ning was useless and had lost the position due to his genes downgrading to B-level.
So, they decided to teach Tang Ning a lesson.
Upon learning this, Tang Ning didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
He recognized some faces but couldn’t remember their names. After all, there had been so many people trying to flatter him before that he couldn’t keep track. What was certain was that he had indeed benefited from their favors. Being resented by them was understandable.
For this reason, Tang Ning hated Tang Xin even more.
He didn’t believe the Elder Council’s explanation about the strange illness.
His father had planned to confront Tang Xin, and then suddenly something happened. It must have been Tang Xin’s doing.
He vowed in his heart that one day he would settle the score with Tang Xin.
**
Time flew by.
Life was the best teacher.
In just one year away from home, Tang Ning had learned a lot.
The burly guard was ugly but very capable. He did everything well, unlike the previous pretty female guard, who was always icy and reluctant to do tasks.
When he was proud, many people flattered him. When he fell, even more people trampled on him. Everyone wanted to step on him once or twice.
Without luxurious food and eating simple meals every day, he realized he could still survive.
More importantly, having relied on his father for everything, he had always followed his father’s commands. Now, with no one else to depend on but himself, he gradually started making his own decisions, growing through trials and errors.
After experiencing many things, he occasionally reflected on the past.
Putting himself in someone else’s shoes, if someone had tried to kill him, he would probably want that person to live in torment, unable to die.
Thinking this way, Tang Xin had actually been merciful to him. He stopped thinking about revenge and focused on living his life.
His store’s business was slowly improving. It was tough, but it was getting there.
It wasn’t very prosperous, but it was enough to make a living.
Tang Ning brushed his bangs aside, thinking, so even if he couldn’t become the head of the Tang family or have A-level genes, he could still live a decent life.
Kae
Glad to see at least one antagonist grow up! He was a lil vicious brat but glad to see that he could change.