Today I Give Up Trying Chapter 14-16

 Chapter 14

The Mercedes-Benz car, slowly driving on the road.


        It's just that Bai Yi, who is in the passenger seat, has a look of intense complexity and trance.


        Until this moment, she still felt as if she was dreaming.


        Blood Rose!


        Master Tiger!


        The Two Villains!


        Each of these roles is definitely not something that she, a small Bai Group General Manager, can compare to.


        But now, all of these big shots were in awe of her husband.


        This was hard for Bai Yi to believe.


        She turned her head and looked at Lin Fan's face as he drove quietly, feeling more and more as if her husband was wearing a mysterious veil that she couldn't fathom at all.


        "Honey, what's wrong?" As if Lin Fan had sensed Bai Yi's look, he asked with a slight smile.


        "Lin Fan, tell me the truth, did you really save the Blood Rose?"


        Bai Yi looked at Lin Fan seriously.


        People like the Blood Rose were not even in the same world as them, and Bai Yi couldn't imagine that Lin Fan would be that big sister's savior.


        Hear that!


        Lin Fan could not help but smile slightly.


        "That was ten years ago! I was just doing my own thing at the time, and saving her was an unintentional act!"


        This sentence made Bai Yi slightly relieved.


        For some reason, she never wanted her husband to have anything to do with that mysterious woman.


        "That's good! This time, the Blood Rose has helped you, and it can be regarded as repaying the favor of saving your life!"


        "From now on, we're even!"


        At this point, Bai Yi's brows furrowed in confusion.


        "As for Xu Ziheng and Zhang Tian, what's going on?"


        "Why do they look as if they are afraid of you!"


        Bai Yi found it hard to understand.


        After all, Lin Fan had crashed their Lamborghinis into a pile of scrap metal. According to the character of the two villains, it was already considered a mercy if they didn't retaliate madly, so how could they ask for Lin Fan's forgiveness?


        Thinking of this, Bai Yi was puzzled.


        Bai Yi was confused and asked.


        "Lin Fan, could it be that you know Xu Tianlong, chairman of the Tianlong Group?"


        "I don't know!" Lin Fan smiles slightly.


        "How could I have known someone of that level!"


        Hearing this, Bai Yi nodded her head.


        She also knew that Xu Tianlong was one of those people in Jiang City who stomped his foot and trembled three times, and really wasn't someone Lin Fan was qualified to know.


        It's just that Bai Yi didn't know.


        Lin Fan's meaning, on the other hand, was that a pawn of Xu Tianlong's level was not qualified to know him!


        In Lin Fan's eyes, Xu Tianlong was nothing more than a slightly larger ant, nothing more.


        Xu Tianlong was just an ant with a slightly larger head, that's all.


        Soon!


        The Mercedes Benz drove into the Liyuan Mansion, which was also the home of Lin Fan and Bai Yi.


        As soon as he entered, Lin Fan saw his mother-in-law, Shen Yumei, and father-in-law, Bai Shan, saying something with heavy faces.


        Seeing the two come back, father-in-law Baisan couldn't help but smile slightly.


        "Fanny, you're back! Have you eaten yet?"


        In the Bai family, the one with the best attitude towards Lin Fan is his father-in-law Bai Shan.


        However, before Lin Fan's reply, his mother-in-law Shen Yumei snorted and scolded.


        "Hmph! This loser will be ostracized when he goes to Bai's reunion, so how can he eat!"


        Said her mother-in-law, Shen Yumei, pointing to the restaurant, icily.


        "Lin Fan, I've left some leftovers for you, go eat them yourself! Clean the dishes after you eat!"


        Leftovers!


        Hearing this, a touch of anger appeared on Bai Yi's pretty face, and she immediately wanted to argue with her mother.


        But Lin Fan waved his hand.


        "Yes!"


        When he passed by the restaurant, he couldn't help but take a glance inside.


        At once, he saw that the table, where is the leftover leftovers, is obviously fried one faint and one vegetarian, two exquisite small dishes.


        Especially, there was still hot air.


        No need to ask, Lin Fan also knows that this is his mother-in-law Shen Yumei, worried that he was excluded from the reunion and could not eat, made especially for himself.


        This scene made Lin Fan's heart warm.


        He understands that Shen Yumei is a sarcastic person, but she is a person with a sharp tongue and a soft heart.


        Even if her mouth is vicious, her heart is extremely kind, and she does indeed treat Lin Fan as a member of her own family.


        "Don't worry! I will make you proud of me!"


        Lin Fan smiled slightly and went to wash his hands.


        As soon as he entered the bathroom, he heard the three Bai family members talking outside.


        "Dad! Mom! What's wrong with you guys? A sad look on your face? Could something have happened?" Bai asked.


        And hear this!


        Instead, his mother-in-law, Shen Yumei, said emotionally.


        "It's not the company yet! Recently, a new type of AS pneumonia has been prevalent in Jiang City, as well as in several surrounding cities! The major hospitals and pharmaceutical groups are all working on treatment options!"


        "Your grandfather asked your father, and your two uncles, to find an expert and prepare a prescription! Whoever can be the first to formulate it will be able to achieve a big boost in the group's status!"


        "I heard today that your uncle has found a master herbalist to formulate a cure! At your second uncle's place, a Western medicine expert was hired to formulate a Western medicine plan!"


        "Only your father, nothing! Tomorrow is the White House Council, and your father will be scolded to death by your grandfather!"


        Shen Yumei's voice is filled with a strong sense of helplessness.


        The Bai Group, is a comprehensive group in several industries such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and clothing.


        Within the group!


        The Bai family matriarch, the highest ranking!


        Secondly, there are the three brothers, including Bai Shan.


        However, their uncle and uncle's family controlled almost 80% of the group's resources, while Bai Shan and Bai Yi's family received the worst treatment and were often excluded and suppressed.


        If it weren't for Bai Yi's outstanding business ability, she would have made the cosmetics company flourish.


        I'm afraid the Bai Shan family would have been expelled from the Bai Group a long time ago!


        But even so!


        If tomorrow, Baek San couldn't come up with an effective treatment plan, he would still be beaten down by his uncle and his uncle's family, and his status would be in jeopardy.


        "AS pneumonia?"


        Inside the washroom, Lin Fan's eyes flashed.


        He naturally knew that this pneumonia, which had claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people on the African continent at first, was even listed by the global medical community as one of the 'ten most deadly infectious diseases'!


        At that time, there was a global panic, and even many members of the Blood Prison were infected.


        At that time, countless top medical experts gathered in Africa and developed a cure for several months, but there was no complete cure.


        Eventually!


        Relying on the White Bone Medical Book taught to him by the old man, Lin Fan developed the 'Return of the Soul Pill', which was formulated using seventy-two types of traditional Chinese medicine and completely killed the AS virus, saving the Blood Prison and countless others!


        But Lin Fan did not expect that after many years, this virus would start to spread in Jiang City!


        Think about it!


        Now Lin Fan didn't hesitate, took out the eyebrow pencil from Bai Yi's makeup bag, and then pulled a piece of toilet paper and wrote it down.


        Five minutes later!


        Lin Fan finished washing his hands and walked out of the bathroom.


        "Xiaofan, come over and have a drink with me!" Bai Shan was sitting in the restaurant and seemed to be in a bad mood, so he greeted Lin Fan.


        When he heard this, Lin Fan nodded his head and sat across from his father-in-law, Bai Shan.


        An old man and a young man, they drank together.


        Bai Shan was a weak character.


        In the Bai family, he had been living under the shadow of the old master and his two uncles, and suffered almost every day from exclusion and oppression.


        Lin Fan quietly listened to his father-in-law's complaints and reluctance.


        One cup after another!


        As Bai Shan drank more and more vigorously, Lin Fan put the toilet paper in his hand and stuffed it into his pocket.


        "Dad, remember to touch your pockets tomorrow at the council meeting!"


        Hmm?


        Bai Shan was stunned, he just saw Lin Fan slipped himself a ball of toilet paper, but didn't notice anything wrong.


        "Little Fan, you don't have to worry about it! Dad may not be able to do anything, but he can still provide for you and Baek!"


        "Don't worry! Even if we are expelled from the White House later and go back to open steamed buns, we can still live!"


        White Mountain Crying Laughter!


        But somehow!


        Lin Fan's words, however, seemed to have a kind of magical power that deeply penetrated into his mind and echoed endlessly.


Chapter 15

A.M.


        The Bai family's ancestral home was bustling with activity!


        One by one, the top executives of the Bai Group all took their seats and talked about it.


        This outbreak of AS pneumonia virus is a flying disaster for the residents of Jiang City, but for the pharmaceutical group, it is a rare opportunity!


        If anyone could develop a cure for AS pneumonia, they could monopolize the drug market in Jiang City and the surrounding cities in almost no time!


        Especially within the White Group!


        Bai Hai, Bai Chuan and Bai Shan!


        Whoever of these three can find out the cure will have the prestige and voice within the group in the future.


        "Have you heard? Master Bai Hai even found a master herbalist who prepared an ancient formula that could eliminate the AS pneumonia virus for a month! Although it may recur, it is extremely rare!"


        "Haha ...... Second Master Shirakawa is not bad either! We have asked many Chinese and foreign medical experts to formulate a medicine that is also said to suppress the AS virus for half a month!"


        "Hehe, Master Bai Hai and Second Master Bai Chuan are worthy of being the pillars of the Bai Group! It's just that our third master, Baek San, is so miserable this time! It is said that the herbalists and foreign experts he hired have failed! I don't know how he's going to explain this to the old man today!"


        "......"


        Many of the Bai Clan's top executives were talking noisily.


        Almost everyone knew that they had developed a method to suppress the virus for a short period of time.


        Although it couldn't be cured and could only suppress the virus for a short period of time, it was already invaluable!


        On the contrary!


        The third master, Bai Shan, was already unpopular, and this failure became the subject of ridicule from the surrounding crowd.


        Listen to the jeers around you!


        Bai Shan couldn't help but clench his fist, and a thick bitterness and loss appeared on his face.


        He was ready to be scolded by the old master.


        And behind Bai Shan, Bai Yi looked at her father's lonely figure, and was distressed.


        "This time, our family will probably be driven out of Bai's, right?"


        In Bai Yi's mind, she couldn't help but actually think of Lin Fan.


        "If that guy was there, I wonder if a miracle would have happened?"


        Bai Yi thought of this and shook her head.


        The preparation of the medicine this time, which one is not an expert in Chinese and Western medicine famous, and although Lin Fan's performance last night made her bright, but he is not a god, how can he know medicine.


        Soon!


        In the midst of that noise, line after line of silhouettes walked in.


        "Hahaha ...... Lao San, how was the harvest this time? Have you found a remedy?"


        A cheerful laugh was heard, and I saw Bai Hai, the eldest son, and Bai Chuan, the second son, coming side by side.


        Behind them, their children followed.


        Only these people, one by one, looked at Bai Yi and Bai Shan with a look that was filled with mockery and contempt.


        "Big ...... brother! Second Brother!" With a slight shock, Bai Shan quickly stood up and greeted.


        Look at Bai Shan's face!


        The eldest and second eldest's eyes all flashed with a sneer.


        "All right! Sit down!"


        The eldest Bai Hai patted Bai Shan's shoulder and said with a smile.


        "Even if we don't find a cure, we'll at best be scolded by our father! That's okay!"


        Said Bai Hai, pointing behind him, his son Bai Yifan, with pride on his face.


        "I owe it to Yifan too! It was he himself who brought in a master herbalist to develop the suppression formula! Just now, the old master was praising Yi Fan's ability! Haha ......"


        Although Bai Hai's words are comforting to Bai Shan, the implication is that he is showing off his son, Bai Yi Fan.


        Sure enough!


        Upon hearing these words, one by one, the surrounding executives stood up and flattered.


        In those voices, there was a great deal of flattery and flattery!


        Faced with the fawning of the crowd, the eldest Bai Hai and his son Bai Yifan, their faces were filled with pride and joy.


        That's not all!


        A young girl, however, stepped forward and said to Bai.


        "Whew! Our smart and capable cousin, why didn't you help Uncle San this time? Aren't you known as the most beautiful woman in Jiang City? If you were to do it, I'm afraid that countless Chinese and Western medicine masters and experts would fall under your grenadine skirt."


        The girl's words were extremely sarcastic.


        It suddenly made Bai Yi, with a slight anger in her heart.


        "Bai Yan, don't go too far!"


        The girl in front of her, named Bai Yan, is the daughter of her uncle Bai Chuan.


        She has been jealous of Bai Yi since she was a child, jealous of Bai Yi's beauty, jealous of Bai Yi's education, and even jealous of Bai Yi's ability.


        Even before the position of General Manager of the Bai Group, there were two candidates, Bai Yi and Bai Yan.


        In the end, Bai Yan was defeated by her cousin Bai Yi.


        This made her resentment towards Bai Yi reach an extreme point.


        And now!


        "Hmph! So what if I've gone too far, Bey!" Bai Yan stared at Bai Yi, full of provocation.


        "This time, it was I who contacted foreign Western medical experts and single-handedly developed a virus-suppressing agent! Grandpa just complimented me too!"


        "And what about you? What did you do again! And your loser husband! Apart from exposing the Bai family to ridicule, we can only muddle through and wait for death!"


        "I'm afraid that you and your useless husband will be out of the White House after today! Hahaha ......"


        Bai Yan's laugh is rampant!


        Immediately, they took their seats with their own fathers and others.


        Seeing this!


        The corner of Bai Shan's mouth, bitterness, became more and more intense.


        He and Bai Yi have felt the malice from the two families, the first and second elders, and it is obvious that they want to use this incident to drive their family out of the Bai family!


        Think about it!


        Bai Shan didn't laugh bitterly and shook his head, but just then, he was slightly stunned.


        Because he suddenly remembered Lin Fan's words from last night.


        "Pocket?"


        Bai Shan now touched his pocket and pulled out a ball of toilet paper.


        This toilet paper was already crumpled up, and on it, with an eyebrow pen, was written a line.


        'Return of the Soul Pill


        Preparation: 10g of white sorrel, 8g of nasturtium, 5g of hennae gold......'


        The wording on it, densely packed, lists a variety of herbs, and the number of grams of each herb used!


        See this scene!


        Bai Shan was slightly dumbfounded, while Bai Yi, who was behind him, wondered.


        "Father, where did you get this?"


        "Return of the Soul Pill? What is this again? How do you write it on toilet paper?"


        Bai Yi was filled with confusion.


        And when he heard this, Bai Shan smiled bitterly and said.


        "This seems to be what Lin Fan wrote in the bathroom last night! When drinking, he specifically told me to take it out today!"


        What!


        Did Lin Fan write this in the bathroom?


        Bai Yi's head was a bit confused.


        However, before she could say anything, her cousin Bai Yan, who was next to her, apparently saw the scene and snatched up the wad of toilet paper.


        "Whew! You're still playing with the bag of tricks? It seems that my useless brother-in-law is not useless, either?"


        Bai Yan's face was filled with sarcasm, and then, looking at the words above, she read.


        "Return of the Soul Pill! My God, what a stupid name! Is it really possible to give life and death to people, flesh and bones, and return souls to the dead?"


        "And this recipe: white sorrel, longan, and henna ...... Hahaha, what's all this stuff!"


        Say it!


        Bai Yan waved the toilet paper in her hand, smiled at the crowd and said.


        "Hahaha ...... Did you all see that? That's what my trashy brother-in-law, Lin Fan, gave my Third Uncle, a great idea! Soul Returning Pill!"


        Boom!


        As soon as this was said, all the surrounding Bai Clan executives were in an uproar.


        Naturally, they had heard of Lin Fan!


        The White House's most famous assholes and losers!


        Son-in-law who has no job and no ability to do laundry and cook every day!


        All of a sudden, the crowd around us laughed.


        "Hahaha ...... Baiyi, has that husband of yours been reading too many novels? I can't believe you're playing this brocade bag trick!"


        "Yes! What the hell is a Return of the Soul Pill? Could it be that he thought that the crap he had written at random could still be compared to the stuff developed by the masters of Chinese medicine and Western medicine? That's just too much to ask for!"


        "Haha ...... actually wrote this in the bathroom! This Lin Fan, he's really a strange one too!"


        "......"


        The jeers, the chatter, the chatter!


        It suddenly made Bai Shan and Bai Yi look extremely pale.


        Just at this moment!


        Unknown to everyone, outside the main hall, two old men were slowly approaching.


        They were talking seriously about - the Returning Soul Pill!


Chapter 16

In the Bai family courtyard, two gray-haired old men walked side by side toward the main hall.


        The old man at the head was Bai Zhengxiong, the oldest son of the Bai family!


        Founder of the White Group!


        Just at this moment, Bai Zhengxiong's look was heavy, and he asked the old man next to him.


        "Gao Lao! In your words, is there only one way to treat this AS pneumonia?"


        Soul Returning Pill!


        This name was extremely unfamiliar to Master Bai, but its value was absolutely unimaginable.


        Hear the words!


        Next to him, Gao Lao said.


        "Exactly! Grandma, AS pneumonia is one of the ten deadliest infectious diseases in the world! Hundreds of thousands of people died on the African continent a few years ago!"


        "In the beginning, the world's top medical experts gathered together, but no cure was found! In the end, it was a mysterious person who developed this potion!"


        This sentence, made Bai Zhengxiong's heart, shocked inexplicably.


        The treatment method that the world's top experts gathered together were unable to develop.


        He simply couldn't imagine what kind of person it was that was able to come up with the Soul Returning Pill and save thousands and thousands of people.


        "Then what happened? Have you ever researched the herbs and refining methods used in that Soul Return Pill?" Old Master Bai looked nervously at Gao Lao.


        He knew, however, that this Gao Lao, was a medical titan in the Jiangnan area!


        They, the Bai Group, also spent an astronomical price to get him here.


        Just!


        Gao Lao shook his head and laughed bitterly.


        "After AS pneumonia, cured by the rejuvenating potion, experts from various countries had set up research groups to study the rejuvenating potion! Unfortunately, that medicine has been treated by a mysterious means, and even the most sophisticated instruments and analysis can't restore it all!"


        Say it!


        Gao continued to sigh.


        "I'm not going to lie to you, I've been studying the Return of the Soul Pill for years, but I've only analyzed some of the drug ingredients! That's it!"


        This sentence made the heart of Old Master Bai's heart completely sink.


        "Alas! It would be great if I, the Bai family, could acquire the development method of the Soul Returning Pill."


        Possession of the Soul Returning Pill is equivalent to having a cure for AS pneumonia!


        The Bai family, then, would not only become famous, but also gain unimaginable wealth.


        Only, Master Bai knew that even the world's top experts could not crack the secret recipe of the Soul Returning Pill, and how could their little Bai family possess it.


        "Old Master, you don't have to worry too much! Didn't your two sons develop a way to suppress the virus?"


        "This has been invaluable!"


        Gao Lao's comforting words brought a little relief to Master Bai's heart.


        That's right!


        Although there is no Soul Returning Pill, the oldest, Bai Hai, and the second oldest, Bai Chuan, have a way to suppress the virus, which will help the Bai Clan gain some lucrative benefits!


        "Hmph! The most useless of all is the oldest three, White Mountain! It's a disgrace that you can't even do anything about it!"


        Old Master Bai's heart was filled with disgust for his third son.


        As he thought, the two old men had stepped into the main hall.


        Presently!


        The original noisy main hall was instantly quieted down.


        Bai Hai, Bai Chuan, Bai Shan and others, as well as all the group executives, stood up in unison to greet them.


        "All right! Let's all sit down!"


        The old master Bai's face was gloomy, and with a greeting, he sat on the throne.


        It was only then that he swept his eyes to look around, finally settling on Bai Shan and Bai Yi, his cloudy eyes, not slightly cold.


        It's over!


        This scene made Bai Shan's heart chill and the bitter smile on his lips grow stronger and stronger.


        "The recent situation must be clear to everyone! Whoever has access to the cure for AS pneumonia controls the market!"


        The voice of the old master Bai was full of authority.


        Not turning to look at the eldest Bai Hai, he looked slightly relaxed and said gently.


        "White Sea, tell us about your progress!"


        "Yes! Father!" The eldest Bai Hai now looked pleased, stood up, then coughed and said to the many executives.


        "Recently, Yifan and I have been traveling all over the country in search of a famous doctor to develop a way to kill the AS virus! Until a few days ago, our father and son gathered eight TCM masters and together, we developed a special medicine to suppress the AS virus."


        Say it!


        The eldest son, Bai Hai, took out a bunch of documents and handed them to the old master.


        Master Bai nodded in satisfaction, and then took it and handed it to Gao.


        "Gao Lao, please help me look at it!"


        Hear that!


        After nodding and putting on his glasses, Gao Lao read the results of the TCM report in detail.


        After a few short minutes, Gao Lao put down the information, and then said to the crowd.


        "This Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatment plan is indeed by the hands of a master! According to the above treatment, the virus can be suppressed for a month and a half!"


        Wow!


        A month and a half!


        The many executives were in a state of ecstasy; they had never expected that it would last even longer than the month they had expected.


        The gazes of the crowd towards the eldest Bai Hai and his sons were filled with reverence.


        "Good! Very nice!" Master Bai nodded his head in satisfaction, and then looked to his second son, Bai Chuan.


        "Penis, where's yours?"


        The second master Bai Chuan did not dare to slow down, and now hurriedly handed over a Western medical diagnosis and treatment plan.


        And when Gao finished reading it, he also nodded his head.


        "Shirakawa's solution is equally feasible! It is expected that the virus can be suppressed for about 25 days!"


        This sentence also made the top management boil and cheer.


        Old Master Bai, in particular, held his beard and smiled!


        Apparently, the eldest, Bai Hai, and the second, Bai Chuan, are satisfied to the extreme.


        Hmph!


        Seeing this scene, a strong pride appeared on Bai Yan's face.


        She couldn't help but turn her eyes to Bai Yi, a thick sarcasm appearing on her lips.


        Wait, I'll see how you get out of the Bai family.


        Bai Yan's heart was extremely excited.


        And just at that moment!


        The atmosphere in the main hall was slightly quiet.


        The old master's gloomy and ill-natured voice, sounded out.


        "Lao San, where are the results of your family?"


        Swish!


        At this moment, all eyes brushed and focused on the third master Bai Shan's body, instantly causing his face to redden with shame and embarrassment.


        He stood up with difficulty, and then lowered his head in shame.


        "I'm sorry, Father! I ...... didn't find a solution!"


        Boom!


        As soon as the words were spoken, the entire main hall instantly exploded.


        The sneers of one senior official and the Bai family rose and fell, and everyone looked at Bai Shan as if they were looking at a joke.


        And the face of the old master Bai became even more livid.


        "Rubbish! Lao San, you and your family, do you eat white food at my white house?"


        "And that wasteful son-in-law of yours made my Bai family the joke of the whole Jiang City! What's the use of keeping you!!!"


        Hear that!


        Boss Bai Hai could not help but smile slightly, and then stood up, pretending to be distressed, and said.


        "Father! He's really not fit for business! Why don't you ask the family to hand over their respective positions and find a place to live in peace and quiet?"


        What!


        Bai Yi and Bai Shan all turned pale.


        Naturally, they could hear that the eldest Bai Hai was trying to expel their family from the Bai family, from the Bai Clan!


        It's not just Grandpa!


        The second master, Shirakawa, also stood up and said.


        "Father, I agree with Big Brother! Bai Yi's husband, known as the most useless door-to-door son-in-law in Jiang City, has been the laughing stock of our Bai family for three years now! It's time to let them fend for themselves!"


        At this moment, seeing the eldest and second eldest step forward, the rest of the Bai family and the top brass also stood up and responded.


        Almost unanimously, they agreed to expel all of the Bai Shan family, especially Lin Fan, from the family!


        See this scene!


        Old Master Bai's complexion was uncertain.


        Only, when he thought of Lin Fan, the door-to-door son-in-law, his heart burst with anger, and he immediately wanted to stand up and declare that he had expelled the White Mountain family!


        However, she did not wait for the old man to speak up.


        Cousin Bai Yan, on the other hand, jumped out and started throwing stones.


        "Grandpa, I agree with everyone! That Lin Fan, he's a real piece of shit! He's just a pure loser, and today he's playing some kind of trick! It's not funny, you say!"


        Say it!


        As if to humiliate Bai Yi, Bai Yan picked up the piece of toilet paper with the following words written on it and waved it at Bai Yi.


        "See? This is a prescription that Lin Fan wrote while he was shitting in the toilet!"


        "Hahahaha ...... Baiy, what a husband you have! You can't even take a shit without pretending to be a pussy! And what the hell is this soul-reviving potion! He's not a brainiac, is he? Haha ......"


        When Bai Yan said this, the room roared with laughter!


        Just!


        When the words 'Soul Returning Pill' fell into the ears of Old Master Bai and Gao Lao, it made the bodies of the two old men tremble.