The next day, Liu Hui set aside his work to accompany Liang Jingyue shopping at the mall. Although she was browsing the stores, Liang Jingyue’s mind kept drifting back to the hospital. However, under Liu Hui’s playful teasing, her mood brightened considerably. She and Liu Hui frequented various specialty shops, admiring the latest fashions, utterly delighted with their outing.

After browsing for the whole morning, Liang Jingyue started to feel hungry, so she and Liu Hui headed to the rooftop restaurant. Liang Jingyue noticed an advertisement on a table featuring roasted chicken wings that looked golden, tender, and crispy—so appetizing that she immediately asked Liu Hui to buy some.

Because the stall selling the roasted chicken wings was around a corner and had a long queue, Liu Hui told Liang Jingyue to wait at their table and not wander off, promising to return quickly.

Liang Jingyue sat waiting for Liu Hui. His spending the day with her made her very happy; it showed that Liu Hui still valued her greatly. Like any woman deeply in love, watching Liu Hui run errands for her filled her with contentment.

“Oh, excuse me, beautiful lady, are you alone? I’m alone too; why don’t we join forces?” a voice suddenly sounded right by Liang Jingyue’s ear.

Liang Jingyue snapped out of her reverie. Standing opposite her was a man in a jacket and athletic shoes, utterly ordinary and unremarkable in appearance.

“I’m sorry, this seat is taken,” Liang Jingyue replied coolly.

“Heh, it’s not taken yet. Look around, all the other tables are full. I’ll just sit here for a moment, and I’ll leave as soon as my company arrives,” the man said before sitting down.

Seeing that he had taken the seat, Liang Jingyue considered moving, but every other spot was occupied. She turned sideways, pointedly ignoring the man.

“Say, pretty lady, I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before. You look familiar! Doesn't that mean we have a strong connection?” The man was overly familiar.

“Cut the act. I already have a boyfriend, and he’s very capable. If you don’t leave now, when he gets here, he’ll throw you out,” Liang Jingyue threatened.

“Ha! I just wanted to get to know a beautiful lady; no need to be so harsh. I didn’t realize your boyfriend was such a violent man. Does he hit you often?” the man began gossiping.

“None of your business. You should just leave; I don't want to meet you.”

“Don’t treat me like that. The truth is, the moment I saw you, I fell in love. What am I supposed to do when it’s love at first sight? Why don’t we try dating? Maybe you’ll see what a good man I am. I’m a gentle, decent fellow. Let’s team up to get rid of that brute,” the man persisted shamelessly.

“Stop dreaming. Look, my boyfriend is here,” Liang Jingyue said with a smile.

The man followed Liang Jingyue’s gaze and saw Liu Hui approaching. His face instantly shifted to a very strange expression.

“Ah, Hui, hurry up and come over,” Liang Jingyue exclaimed happily as she saw Liu Hui walking towards them.

Liu Hui trotted over, carrying several perfectly roasted chicken wings. He suddenly noticed the man sitting opposite Liang Jingyue, paused, and asked, “What are you doing here?”

“Uh, well, the situation is actually like this: I saw your girlfriend sitting here alone. You have to understand, there are so many perverts around here, so to protect her, I pretended to court her so others would back off,” the man said, startled, jumping to his feet and quickly fabricating an excuse.

“Oh, so I should thank you, perhaps? By the way, Boss Wei, what brings you to the mall today? Where are all your girlfriends?” Liu Hui knew Wei Chao’s character well and began to mock him.

“This, Boss Liu, I was just bored, stuck in the office, so I came out for a stroll. My girlfriends are over there,” Wei Chao said, gesturing toward a nearby area.

At that moment, several women occupying adjacent empty seats walked over; they were all Wei Chao’s girlfriends. Liang Jingyue couldn't help but suppress a laugh. This guy had his girlfriends reserve all the nearby tables just to make it easier for him to pick up women. But she found it illogical that his girlfriends didn't object to his behavior; they acted like nothing was wrong and even assisted him.

Liu Hui glanced at the group of women, inwardly clicking his tongue. Among them, aside from the very cute, petite girl and the uniformed beauty bodyguard, he didn't recognize any of the others. This suggested just how many girlfriends Wei Chao actually had.

“We were just about to eat. Boss Wei, it’s better to meet by chance than to invite. Since we’ve run into each other today, why don’t you join us for a meal?” Liu Hui suggested.

“That sounds wonderful. If Boss Liu suggests it, I will naturally comply,” Wei Chao recovered from his embarrassment.

They found a private room in the mall restaurant and ordered a spread of dishes. As they exchanged pleasantries, the atmosphere in the room grew convivial, and they began to converse.

“Boss Wei, are you and your girlfriends Saudi nationals?” Liu Hui inquired.

“Heh, calling me Boss is too formal. You’re older than me, so why don’t you call me Little Wei, and I’ll call you Brother Liu?” Wei Chao proposed.

“Alright, Little Wei. Is there some hidden story behind your nationality? Why the change?” Liu Hui was curious.

“When one’s career reaches my level, it’s impossible not to change nationality. First, I have too many girlfriends; I definitely can’t give them official status in Huaxia, so I must find a country that permits polygamy to fulfill their desires. Second, in today’s Huaxia, Huaxia people rank lower than foreigners, and within Huaxia, people of the Huaxia ethnicity rank lower than those of ethnic minorities. The conclusion is: the Huaxia ethnic group has the lowest status in the world. Since we have the lowest status, naturally, I am unwilling to remain a Huaxia citizen. Third, foreigners doing business in Huaxia receive extremely favorable conditions, giving their companies a competitive edge over domestic Huaxia enterprises, and it’s easier to operate without attracting unwanted attention.”

“If you stop being a Huaxia citizen and change your nationality, aren't you afraid of being criticized by others?” Liu Hui asked.

“What’s there to be criticized for? As long as my heart remains with Huaxia, what does the nationality matter? In Huaxia now, changing nationality through immigration is quite common. Look, wasn't there a report just a few days ago about many billionaires starting to change their passports?” Wei Chao sounded resigned.

“Little Wei, then is your enterprise a Huaxia enterprise?” Liu Hui asked the question he most wanted answered.

“Brother Liu, my enterprise is actually a foreign-invested company controlled by an offshore entity. The company I established domestically holds only a small stake. This helps mitigate many risks. I think your Han Tang Hospital is quite similar in structure to my Dream Group. You could adopt my operational model too! Otherwise, many people will cause you trouble down the line,” Wei Chao advised.

The concept of controlling a domestic enterprise via an offshore company was something Liu Hui had been studying recently. Having learned the operational model of Dream Group, he already had a plan taking shape, so he sidestepped the question and focused on pleasant topics with Wei Chao. Meanwhile, Liang Jingyue chatted with Wei Chao’s girlfriends, but it seemed their conversations didn't quite click, and the atmosphere wasn't as vibrant as between the men.

The meal lasted two hours before Liu Hui and Wei Chao were finally satisfied. They left the mall together and headed to the underground parking lot to retrieve their vehicles. Liu Hui was still driving the hospital’s Audi, while Wei Chao had two cars.

Liu Hui stood by Wei Chao’s vehicle, saying his goodbyes. Suddenly, Liu Hui felt an intense chill run down his spine. Before he could react, Wei Chao’s beautiful bodyguard lunged forward, shoving both Wei Chao and Liu Hui aside. She then swiftly pulled open a car door, yanked it with incredible force, ripping the door clean off its hinges, and hurled it forward. A loud bang followed as a bullet pierced the detached door, deflecting its trajectory and gouging a deep crater in the concrete floor nearby.

Everyone present gasped in shock as the gunshot rang out. Several women began screaming, trembling uncontrollably. The beautiful bodyguard shouted sternly, “There’s a sniper opposite! Don't scream. Get down on the ground and use the cars for cover, moving slowly toward the back wall. Be careful not to expose yourselves.”

Liu Hui saw Liang Jingyue huddled behind his Audi, hand clamped over her mouth, shaking violently, unmoving. He carefully moved toward her position, then flipped over, diving towards Liang Jingyue. Even as he moved, a strong sense of danger surged through him, and a bullet struck the spot where he had just been.

Liu Hui wrapped an arm around Liang Jingyue and they both fell beneath the car. That bone-chilling sensation grew stronger; he knew he was being targeted by a sniper. Holding Liang Jingyue tightly, Liu Hui rapidly rolled toward the corner of the back wall. At that moment, another bullet flew in, puncturing the Audi’s tire. The second projectile accurately hit the gas tank. The car erupted with a deafening explosion and burst into fierce flames. Had Liu Hui not been holding Liang Jingyue and moving so quickly, he would surely have been injured by the blast.

Liu Hui and Liang Jingyue reached the corner of the wall where Wei Chao and all his girlfriends were already sheltering.

The beautiful bodyguard was communicating via a communicator, summoning the personnel scattered outside. The sniper opposite remained silent. After about two or three minutes, several cars drove into the parking lot, and the team summoned by the bodyguard arrived, forming a tight shield around the corner where Wei Chao and his group were taking cover. Still, the sniper across the way made no move.

The beautiful bodyguard signaled her people to investigate. Soon, a signal came through the communicator confirming the danger had passed: the sniper’s nest was empty except for a few spent casings, and all potential sniping locations were now under surveillance, with no suspicious individuals found, confirming the sniper had left.

Once the danger subsided, the icy dread lifted from Liu Hui. Wei Chao and Liu Hui stood up, looking at each other. The first bullet, after piercing the car door, had ripped a large hole in the concrete floor beneath it—the sheer power of that round was terrifying. If it had hit a person, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Recalling the event, Wei Chao felt a cold sweat break out and cursed loudly, “Damn it all! I wonder which bastard is trying to take me out this time. But I’m lucky; even if you guys brought a thousand men, it would be useless, because I have the most capable bodyguard.”

Liu Hui silently observed Wei Chao’s beautiful bodyguard. Her skill level was terrifying; not only did she sense the sniper in advance, but she had ripped off a car door with her bare hands to block a bullet. Such ability was truly fearsome. Liu Hui wondered where Wei Chao had found such an elite operative. It was clear he needed to assemble his own team of bodyguards; with his current strength, he couldn't completely avoid bullet damage. A single sniper from a distance could end him with one shot.

While Wei Chao continued to mutter curses, he noticed Liu Hui standing silently and said apologetically, “Brother Liu, I am truly sorry that I almost dragged you into this mess. It’s just that I have too many enemies; so many people want me dead, I don’t even have a direction to investigate.”

The beautiful bodyguard approached and informed Wei Chao that the area was still unsafe and they needed to leave immediately. Seeing that Liu Hui’s car was destroyed, Wei Chao offered to give Liu Hui and Liang Jingyue a ride back to Han Tang Hospital before departing.

This is the second update today. Qian Yu thanks everyone for their concern regarding this book. Some readers offered valuable suggestions today that have inspired Qian Yu.

My sincere thanks to reader Yueya Kaipingguo 588 for the generous gift of QiDian Coins!

As always: If you find this story enjoyable, please give it plenty of recommendations and add it to your collection!