When Luo Jialin and Xiao Anning finally walked out of the temporary residence of Han Weicheng, two hours had already passed.
"Are you sure it's all settled this time? This is the second time. I really don't want to come back for a third," Luo Jialin asked, looking at the proposal in his hand, his brows tightly furrowed. He didn't seem pleased at all.
At this point, he no longer had full confidence in Han Weicheng's abilities.
Xiao Anning slung an arm over his shoulder.
"Relax, Luo Jialin. He's your mentor—you know better than anyone what he's capable of. This whole mess is on me. I left too hastily last time, and we walked right into their trap."
"To be fair, I was just trying to help you earn more. Who would've thought—ah, forget it. Let's not dwell on it. With He Xin no longer blocking our way, there's no need to rush our research."
"Besides, our goal this time is different. With your mentor's skill, whipping up a few pharmaceutical beauty treatments will be a breeze. You just focus on finding manufacturers and counting the money!"
Luo Jialin remained skeptical. "You really think he can develop a drug that prevents human aging?"
"Heh... you're a medical professional too. Think about it. Is it truly possible?" Xiao Anning sneered.
"For centuries, people have tried to crack this problem. Has anyone really succeeded? But so what? Even if there's just a little—"
He held up his fingers, gesturing slightly.
"Just a tiny bit of progress—enough to delay aging a bit—then release one or two so-called health supplements based on that, and boom, you're swimming in cash."
"As for whether he'll actually succeed—who cares?"
Han Weicheng might still dream of such breakthroughs, but Xiao Anning wasn't that naïve. With Elder Xiang weighing down on him, and now having lost his position, climbing higher in the National Hospital was probably impossible.
Rather than exhausting himself clawing upward, it was better to make as much money as possible. That, at least, could save your life when it mattered most.
Luo Jialin dazedly climbed into the car, uneasy. Something about this whole situation felt off, though he couldn't say what exactly. It was like the road behind had vanished—he could only grit his teeth and move forward.
"Alright, stop overthinking. Focus on registering the company," Xiao Anning said, starting the car. "I'm still technically holding a post at the National Hospital, so the legal rep has to be you. But don't worry—I'll invest every penny I promised."
"Trust me. This time, we'll definitely succeed." Xiao Anning patted him on the shoulder and drove off.
…
The next day, Shu Lanzhou brought Zhao Huanhuan to the National Hospital to see Long Xingyue.
Ever since the research breakthrough, Long Xingyue's outpatient appointments had surged. Though he only saw patients two half-days a week, that didn't stop him from becoming one of the hospital's most sought-after doctors.
Word had it that the traditional medicine outpatient department, originally tucked away in a back corner of the hallway, was about to be relocated next to a more popular department so patients could find it more easily.
Shu Lanzhou had heard this was Elder Xiang's suggestion.
When she and Zhao Huanhuan arrived, they overheard several elderly patients chatting at the registration counter.
"Did you manage to get a slot with Traditional Medicine? I've been trying for two months and still couldn't."
"There didn't used to be this many people in that department. I always managed to get an appointment before. What's going on lately?"
"Don't you know? Director Long recently led some kind of research and developed a new drug. Apparently, it works with surgery to treat cancer and saves patients from a lot of suffering."
"Good thing I've always seen Director Long. I schedule my next appointment before I leave, or I'd be stuck in line too."
"Tell me about it. My son refuses to make me an appointment with traditional medicine on his phone. Says pulse-taking is a scam and insists I see someone else. But I'm not listening to him."
"Well, those so-called 'family-trained' TCM doctors in small pharmacies might be fake, but Director Long definitely isn't."
"My health was awful before. I was allergic to so many drugs. It was Director Long who adjusted my system with TCM. Now my immunity is way better. I just came back today to ask if he could give me a couple of acupuncture sessions."
"Then you're at the wrong place. Director Long doesn't do acupuncture. You should try the Traditional Chinese Hospital—I heard there's a top-notch acupuncturist over there."
"..."
Shu Lanzhou and Zhao Huanhuan exchanged a glance, smiling as they headed upstairs.
Before they could reach Director Long's office, she got a message from him asking her to help out in the top-floor conference room.
Help? In a conference room?
Baffled, Shu Lanzhou took Zhao Huanhuan with her to the meeting room. But even before they arrived, they heard a loud crash echoing through the corridor.
Startled, she rushed ahead to find the door wide open. Inside, the conference table had been flipped over, and Long Xingyue stood on top of it, pointing at Xiao Anning and shouting:
"Bullshit! You dare say there's nothing shady about this? If I hadn't suggested auditing the recent drug contracts, how much longer were you planning to cover it up?"
"You expect us to believe it's a coincidence that right after the Huaxing Hospital scandal broke, you signed a purchasing contract with the Luo Group? The date's right there in black and white. Do you think we're blind?!"
Xiao Anning, looking completely unfazed, spread his hands like a man with nothing to lose.
"I'm telling the truth. The deal with Luo Group was finalized two years ago. We didn't sign until now because our existing supplier's contract hadn't expired."
"With the contract ending soon, I invited Luo Group to sign. Nothing unusual there. And I wasn't even paying attention to the news when I signed it."
"As for the Huaxing Hospital medical incident and Han Weicheng's team—how would I have known they were connected? Even if I did, it's got nothing to do with Luo Group."
"Now Director Long wants me to cancel a signed contract with Luo Group? That's totally unreasonable and a blatant abuse of power. I absolutely cannot agree."
"You—!" Long Xingyue wasn't the best at arguing and was clearly fuming, momentarily lost for words.
Shu Lanzhou swept her gaze over Xiao Anning's sanctimonious face, then stepped forward.
"The Huaxing Hospital scandal and Han Professor's team may indeed have little to do with Luo Group. As an established pharmaceutical company, it's not inherently wrong for Assistant Xiao to choose them as a partner."
"Glad someone's being fair for once." Xiao Anning smiled like a fox, lifting his hand to adjust his glasses theatrically.
Shu Lanzhou smiled back. "Whether it's fair—you might want to hear the rest before you celebrate."
She turned to Long Xingyue.
"Director Long, I believe your concern isn't just with Luo Group, but with the hospital's procurement process itself, correct? May I ask—what position did Assistant Xiao have when he got involved in this procurement?"
"And more importantly, does this contract comply with hospital regulations? Are the drug inspection reports provided by Luo Group complete and valid?"
"Who exactly from Luo Group signed the deal? And what's their relationship to Han Weicheng's team, considering the recent scandal?"
"Exactly!" Long Xingyue knew calling Shu Lanzhou was the right move. The girl had a sharp tongue—perfect for dealing with someone like Xiao Anning.
"Xiao Anning, our hospital has a dedicated Procurement Department. Which drugs we use and which companies we work with are determined by professional evaluations. What right do you have to interfere?"
"What qualifications do you have to interfere?"
"On top of that, I looked at the contract. The signatory from Luo Group is Luo Jialin. Unless I'm mistaken, he was a student of Han Weicheng, wasn't he?"
"A student of a known fraudster—do you really think we can entrust our hospital's drug supply to someone like that?"