"Then you can choose not to, I don't believe you can hold it in," Qin Siqing chuckled, like a little fox.

Wang Zhuo desperately wanted to retort that he'd held it in for so long, he could certainly hold it longer, but the memory of Liu Jieming's underhanded attempt to kill him reignited the suppressed fire within.

"So you admit I've been holding back for a long time?" he chuckled maliciously, saying, "Fine then. I was going to demand an explanation from him sooner or later anyway, so acting as a pawn for your father isn't out of the question. But holding it in for too long isn't good for the body. How about we arrange a time to properly relax?"

As the eldest daughter of the Qin family, Qin Siqing, who had lived a life above others since childhood, had never heard such vulgar talk. The moment Wang Zhuo finished speaking, her face flushed crimson. Even separated by two cell phones and radio waves, the shame made her cheeks burn.

Seeing her silence, Wang Zhuo chirped happily, "Then it's settled. I'll hang up if there's nothing else."

Before he could disconnect, Qin Siqing had already snatched the call away from the other end and hung up!

Early that morning, after a light snowfall, Jiangzhou was damp and chilling; people walking the streets exhaled in plumes of white vapor.

Wang Zhuo returned from his morning exercise run, his nose and ears frozen red.

He had just changed out of his Yùndòng Fu (Exercise Clothes) when he received a call from the Head of Department, Wang Taiping.

"Wang Zhuo, the semester grades are out. Want to hear them?" Wang Taiping's voice sounded strange, not as natural as usual.

Wang Zhuo grinned secretly. It seemed Director Wang was also startled after seeing his final scores. It wasn't surprising; anyone would be shocked to hear that one student had completed the final exams for over thirty courses simultaneously.

Chuckling, he cut straight to the chase, "Just tell me directly, how many did I fail?"

"Thirty written exams, two practical assessments—all passed," Wang Taiping replied with a wry smile. "Do you realize how difficult this makes things for the school? We don't even know how to announce this externally. You were too high-profile."

Wang Zhuo laughed, "Then don't announce it. Don't hype it up, but don't cover it up either; let nature take its course."

"This involves the Ministry of Education's supervision; how can we not announce it?" Wang Taiping said irritably. "Why did you have to seek the limelight? You could have easily spaced some subjects out over subsequent semesters."

"That won't do. I want to finish all my coursework in half a year so I can start my hospital internship. That way, I can graduate three years early."

Graduate three years early? Wang Taiping was stunned. After a long pause, he managed a bitter laugh. "Wang Zhuo, you've certainly hatched a clever plan. Four years of coursework, one year of internship. Others need eight years to complete the combined Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral programs, and you plan to wrap it up in five?"

Wang Zhuo grinned like a fox, "Of course, I have to thank this round of systemic reform, and it certainly wouldn't have been possible without the excellent teaching from our university and Director Wang."

"Please, don't! I can't handle such high praise," Wang Taiping said, torn between laughter and tears. "This matter has too big an impact. Right now, only a few key school leaders know, and they haven't dared breathe a word externally. If the media got wind of this and sensationalized it... it would be another massive headache."

"If you want to cultivate talent, you shouldn't fear trouble," Wang Zhuo commented casually. "The current system is too rigid. It's full of mediocrity; people are just marking time, seeking no merit, only striving to avoid mistakes. If the Chairman hadn't feared trouble, who would have led the revolution? If the founding heroes had feared trouble, would there even be a New China today?"

"Heh, save those words for the big shots. I'm just informing you of the current situation so you can be prepared. On matters of this level, you understand. I am insignificant, just a bystander," Wang Taiping admitted helplessly.

Wang Zhuo smiled faintly, "Of course, of course. Director Wang, you know, I'm just speaking casually. I understand your position, and you understand mine."

He's anything but just speaking casually! Wang Taiping thought bitterly. This wasn't complaining; it was sending a clear signal: anyone who dared to cause trouble or trip this man up on this matter would definitely face consequences! On a small scale, they'd offend Wang Zhuo and create friction for the Qin faction, inevitably leading to exclusion or subtle sabotage later. On a larger scale, if Wang Zhuo was truly angered, he had plenty of ways to make things impossible for them!

After hanging up, Wang Taiping pondered for a long time before starting to call the relevant leaders one by one. The Ministry of Education's intention behind piloting this reform was good, even if the Ministry of Health's support was lacking. However, the Chancellor had fought hard to secure this pilot program, unexpectedly encountering a rarity like Wang Zhuo, which disrupted everyone's expectations. The debate now was unprecedentedly fierce. Wang Taiping felt it necessary to quickly relay Wang Zhuo's attitude to everyone, making those who were being overly aggressive reconsider their actions. Among these people, one old professor was the most vehemently opposed, believing it impossible for a student to master thirty subjects in a single semester. He denounced the whole affair as a scandal, a disgrace to the Medical University, and a prime example of academic corruption, where the stench of money corrupted educators' professional ethics and extinguished their conscience. He strongly demanded a thorough investigation to correct this unhealthy trend and suppress impropriety.

Although this gentleman was jumping the highest, everyone tacitly knew one thing: Professor He Shuli was currently making a fortune from that carnitine weight-loss supplement, and Wang Zhuo's new weight-loss drug was about to hit the market, which would undoubtedly impact his profits. Therefore, he was trying to hinder Wang Zhuo and play petty tricks!

This era lacked divine physicians, but it certainly didn't lack... charlatans. Hunan TV had a hugely popular show called Happy Camp, but its unofficial moniker, Camp for Charlatans, was just as famous. Setting aside the behind-the-scenes manipulation of the entire pseudo-talent show, orchestrated entirely by directors and scriptwriters, the great fraud Zhang Wuben, who preached that "illnesses born from eating can be eaten away," shot to fame on that very network. He Shuli had also gained prominence after appearing on a program hosted by that channel's sizzling star host, where he heavily promoted a certain carnitine, transforming a substance with no efficacy into a panacea for weight loss, claiming it was suitable for dietary therapy, medicinal therapy, all kinds of therapies, and had absolutely no toxic side effects!

Carnitine aids weight loss? Lose your sister! If Wang Zhuo knew that the great swindler Professor He was undermining him behind his back, he would immediately uproot the swindler's entire enterprise! The main difference between He Shuli and frauds like Zhang Wuben, Li Yi, or Ma Yueling was that He was smarter. Zhang Wuben told everyone to drink mung bean soup, which ended up delaying some people's actual illnesses, causing trouble. Ma Yueling told people to eat raw loaches, resulting in some poisonings and trouble. Li Yi used electrotherapy on the wealthy, but failed to cure their cancer, leading to deaths and trouble.

Frankly, even fraudsters have a code of conduct. He Shuli only hoodwinked people into consuming carnitine biscuits, coffees, or capsules, targeting the obese population. Even if his methods didn't cure them, they wouldn't harm or kill them. The other deceptive experts went down the wrong path and brought about their own ruin!

Cases utilizing health preservation or healing for financial gain abound throughout history, both ancient and modern. In recent times, starting with the Qigong craze in the 1980s, moving through chicken blood therapy, and then to the universally curative Sanzhu Oral Liquid, the phenomenon has never ceased. One fraud falls, and a thousand others rise to take their place, each performer showcasing their unique trick.

In fact, Wang Zhuo himself had often been mistaken for one of these charlatans, particularly during the initial launch of Wangchao Wuliang (Dynasty Immeasurable), but eventually, time and results proved him sound. Xinsheng (New Life) also went through a brief period of skepticism, but it grew purely by word-of-mouth, and the questioning voices were mild. Now, Wang Zhuo stood at the most precarious peak of scrutiny. Even a fraud like He Shuli dared to jump out and attack and slander him, forgetting the primary rule of fraudsters: keep your wealth quiet.

Wang Zhuo was unaware of this jumping clown causing him trouble. Regarding the disharmonious voices surrounding Life Ark, he considered them nothing more than gnats that wouldn't bite. He would let them buzz for now; when Life Ark truly took off, they would be burned to ashes.

The Chinese people lack nothing in terms of adventurous spirit. Over two centuries ago, the founders of this nation were adventurers from all corners of the world, and their descendants inherited this gene.

Thus, when Life Ark offered positions to the entire American public on a gratuitous trial basis, the number of applicants reached an astonishing figure. Forget picking out the obese ones; there were more than enough people for a beauty pageant! Who says only fat people need to lose weight? Beauties need to maintain slender figures too! Gourmands seek viable ways to increase their appetite slightly, and the same goes for those highly image-conscious—even senators get Botox injections for their faces!

To cater to the American enthusiasm, the number of trial participants was repeatedly expanded, ultimately reaching a massive figure of ten thousand people. This also made Americans feel genuinely flattered, while simultaneously recognizing the sincerity and confidence of the Chinese.

Obesity is the root of disease, hence the nemesis of life. Wang Zhuo's chosen codename, Life Ark (), was often mocked as awkward domestically, but it was embraced by the foreigners across the ocean. The Chinese only started getting "fat" in the last one or two decades, whereas Americans had been obese for over a hundred years; they understood better the harm that "fatness" brought to humanity—it was the greatest enemy of health. Hence, they had a high acceptance rate for this temporary name.

After the New Year, Qu Jingyou set sail from Tianjin Port with the first batch of Life Ark members, embarking on the voyage toward the other side of the ocean—a fertile land awaiting her, much like how, centuries ago, Europeans sailed to the New World laden with guns, opium, hope, and ambition.

Simultaneously, on the first trading day after the Lunar New Year holiday in Shanghai, Shengshi Dynasty formally issued a public acquisition offer to all shareholders of "Tongyuan Nonferrous," the listed company controlled by the Yang family.

Wang Zhuo didn't hold back; when he struck, he struck hard, aiming straight for the central nerve of the Yang family's industrial layout. If Wang Zhuo gained controlling interest in Tongyuan Nonferrous, the entire Yang family would suffer severe setbacks, and their industrial structure would completely spiral out of control!