Liu Hui drove his motorcycle to the outskirts of Bashan City, stored the bike in his spatial storage, then hailed a taxi back to the hospital.

In the cab, Liu Hui turned on his phone. As it entered service range, a flood of text messages arrived, all notifications for missed calls from Liang Jingyue and Mei Peng. He knew his sudden, unexplained absence, coupled with his inability to be reached, must have worried them sick.

He called Liang Jingyue first. "Jingyue, it's me. Oh, nothing much, just felt a bit tired this morning and suddenly didn't feel like working, so I went to the Huayan Temple outside the city for a stroll. I forgot to turn my phone on. Seriously, nothing is wrong, I’m heading back right now, almost there."

Liu Hui felt terribly guilty toward Liang Jingyue. He had no idea how many times he had deceived her recently, and yet every time, she chose to believe him. But Liu Hui had no choice; the matter of the Plane Trading Device was impossible to disclose, and the fact that he had robbed the Raging Dragon Gang of their drugs was even more out of the question. All he could do was guarantee his sincerity toward her.

Liu Hui then called Mei Peng to report he was safe, repeating the same fabricated story. Just then, the radio in the taxi broadcasted a piece of news that caught Liu Hui’s interest: "Late last night in Jiangnan, Bashan City, a fire broke out at the Frog Prince Nightclub, resulting in three fatalities. The blaze was extinguished before it could spread, thanks to the brave efforts of the fire department. Following an on-site investigation, public security organs concluded the fire was caused by a short circuit due to aging electrical wiring. Fortunately, this prevented greater loss of life. Experts point out that building circuits require timely inspection..."

A cold sneer played on Liu Hui's lips. A short circuit, indeed. If he could, he’d truly like to see all their wires short-circuit. However, a weight settled in his heart. The news indicated that the Raging Dragon Gang's influence in Bashan was already immense; they had used their methods to completely cover up last night’s incident, leaving outsiders ignorant of the real truth. He wondered where the Raging Dragon Gang found so many masters—first Tiger, and now the even more formidable Old Cat. Would there be a terrifying Old Mouse next? These masters revealed that the Raging Dragon Gang was far more complex than he initially thought, implying they had powerful figures backing them. It seemed he needed to act with extreme caution from now on, and ideally find alternative sources for narcotics to avoid provoking the Raging Dragon Gang again.

When he returned to the hospital, Liang Jingyue and Mei Peng were both waiting for him in the office. Seeing him return safe and sound, they both breathed a sigh of relief.

"Don't worry about me, I just suddenly felt a bit tired and wanted to walk around. Nothing happened," Liu Hui said, smiling at them. "But I really appreciate your concern, it shows how much you care about me."

"Who cares about you? I was worried someone would run off with the funds and I wouldn't get paid," Mei Peng retorted with a dismissive pout.

"A-Hui, next time you go out, you really should tell people close to you. Otherwise, we get incredibly anxious. Your status is different now; venturing out alone could be dangerous," Liang Jingyue said with genuine concern.

"Haha, my Jingyue is the one who cares for me. Received, Princess Jingyue! I’ll report to you before any future moves," Liu Hui said with a grin, giving her a mock salute.

"Looks like I’m the eyesore. I might as well leave," Mei Peng grumbled unhappily.

"A-Hui, Second Brother Mei Peng was extremely worried about you. When he couldn't reach you, he was frantic; he nearly went to Jiangnan Yi outside to ask them to help locate you," Liang Jingyue stated fairly, relaying Mei Peng's distress.

"Second Brother, as two brothers, let’s skip the formalities. Given how many times you’ve stood up for me, I’ve decided to give you an extra hundred Yuan in salary this month," Liu Hui said with a mischievous smile directed at the expectant Mei Peng.

"Boss, you win. But I want every single cent of that extra hundred," Mei Peng said gloomily as he left.

"A-Hui, don't tease Mei Peng. I know you two have a good relationship," Liang Jingyue smiled.

"En, speaking of salary, isn't it almost payday again? How about this month, we give Mei Peng double his salary? He’s worked hard lately," Liu Hui said. He genuinely appreciated Mei Peng—not only was his work ability strong, but he was also excellent at keeping secrets.

"Okay, I’ll make a note of that," Liang Jingyue replied softly.

Liu Hui's actions the previous night had been perilous; he had nearly lost his life, yet inside, he felt elated. After all, he had resolved a major hidden threat, and now he could finally rest easy.

For the next month and more, Liu Hui encountered no further trouble; everything proceeded according to the established plan. Bashan’s weather began its transition into a biting winter, and amidst this chill, the Han Tang Hospital welcomed a period of massive development.

The second-floor wards of Han Tang Hospital were finally fully renovated, immediately increasing the facility’s capacity to sixty beds, able to accommodate sixty patients simultaneously. Liu Hui had overseen the renovation of every room to five-star hotel standards, and all nurses were retrained to provide service according to those same five-star standards. Liu Lin had also returned to the hospital, bringing with her a master of acupuncture from their hometown. This master began teaching his acupuncture skills to the hospital nurses.

Regarding this acupuncture skill, Liu Hui felt a touch of unease. Mei Peng assured him there was no need to worry; the nurses’ purpose for applying needles wasn't to cure illness, but merely to put on a show—a few pricks on the patient wouldn't cause any real harm.

The logistics company Liu Hui had secretly been courting also signed the contract. He acquired this company, named Bashan Logistics, retaining most of its existing staff and refraining from involvement in its management. He set aside one warehouse belonging to the logistics company, strictly forbidding company goods from entering, and took sole charge of this specific warehouse himself.

Liu Hui painstakingly purchased daily necessities, always buying small quantities from numerous different locations, then consolidating them in the logistics warehouse to trade with Alexander in the Magic Plane. Liu Hui operated with extreme caution, and no one paid any attention to this small, inconspicuous warehouse.

One day, Liu Hui arrived at the warehouse. He activated the Plane Trading Device and contacted Alexander in the Magic Plane. Alexander appeared on the screen soon after, beaming.

"Esteemed Teacher, it is a pleasure to see you!" Alexander said deferentially.

"En, very good. Your demeanor has changed considerably over this past month; you now carry the authority of a superior. How are things in your mining district now?" Liu Hui felt pleased seeing Alexander’s current spirit and vigor.

"The Machiavellian knowledge I learned from you has proven incredibly effective. Everyone in Mining District 271 now recognizes my leadership. Combined with the continuous supply of food from you, which ensures they won't starve, they now follow my every word," Alexander declared enthusiastically.

"En, very good. But this is only the first step. You must further consolidate your strength and strive to bring the neighboring mining districts under your control," Liu Hui expressed satisfaction with Alexander’s performance.

"I shall begin implementing the Teacher's command immediately. However, we are only safe within the district. To control other areas, we must travel outside, and I fear encountering terrifying magical beasts on the road. Our human bodies are too frail; we are no match for them!" Alexander voiced his helplessness, aware of human physiology.

"Regarding this issue..." Liu Hui paused in thought, then suddenly recalled the Golden Bell Shield manual he obtained from Old Cat. He had studied it after returning, but unfortunately, it was entirely written in ancient script. Since he wasn't an expert in ancient Chinese, he feared mistranslations that might cause him to practice incorrectly and suffer a backlash. Thus, despite envying the terrifying white glow surrounding Old Cat, he hadn't dared to practice it privately.

Liu Hui took out the manual and said to Alexander, "This was my oversight; I forgot about the weakness of your human bodies. I will now teach you a mystical Dou Qi (Battle Qi). If you can learn this wondrous Dou Qi, you will be able to easily defeat powerful magical beasts."

Liu Hui recalled the white light surrounding Old Cat when he used the Golden Bell Shield. He had a sudden inspiration and reframed the Golden Bell Shield manual as a form of Dou Qi. If they could master it, fine; if not, so be it.

"Thank you, Teacher, thank you, Teacher." Alexander was overjoyed. He had often witnessed the astonishing power displayed by the elves and desperately wanted to learn such miraculous strength, but there had been no avenue for instruction. Now that Liu Hui was willing to teach him, he was naturally thrilled.

"Let me state this first: this Dou Qi is extremely difficult to cultivate. Do not blame me if you cannot learn it," Liu Hui warned, afraid that if the technique failed in the magical world, it would cost him face.

"I understand. If I cannot learn it, it is because my aptitude is insufficient; it is no fault of the Teacher's Dou Qi cultivation method," Alexander replied calmly.

Liu Hui began explaining the cultivation method recorded in the Golden Bell Shield manual to Alexander. Because the manual was in Classical Chinese, Liu Hui translated it into modern language before lecturing. Liu Hui interpreted the Golden Bell Shield based on his own understanding; however, being an amateur, he could not translate the manual’s original intent with perfect accuracy. The version relayed to Alexander already differed significantly from the original Golden Bell Shield.

Liu Hui spent two hours explaining the Golden Bell Shield method. As this was Alexander’s first exposure to cultivation, he struggled to fully grasp many points. Liu Hui then explained it a second time, this time faster, taking only an hour and a half. Alexander finally memorized the entire Golden Bell Shield method, though neither of them realized that what Alexander now possessed was no longer the authentic Golden Bell Shield.

"Thank you, Teacher, for teaching me the Dou Qi. But what should I call this miraculous Dou Qi?" Alexander, having memorized the technique, was extremely excited.

"You may name the Dou Qi yourself; call it whatever you like," Liu Hui chuckled.

"Then may I pass this Dou Qi on to the people in the mining district?"

"Of course, but remember to teach it first to those loyal to you," Liu Hui reminded him.

"Esteemed Teacher, your student has noted your teachings. But you have helped me so much; how can I repay you?" Alexander asked very seriously.

"My dear Alexander, we can discuss repaying me when you become powerful," Liu Hui said with a smile.

Liu Hui ended the call with Alexander. He wasn't sure if he had done the right thing: using Alexander and the humans in the magic world to carve out a domain so he could cheaply acquire resources from that world to strengthen himself. He only hoped the cultivation method would actually work in the magic world.

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