Having cleanly resolved the issue with Lin Dao, Liu Hui was in excellent spirits. As soon as he descended to the ballroom for the reception, Mei Peng grabbed him, urgently stating, "Boss, why did you take so long? Secretary Wei was just looking for you."

"Secretary Wei was looking for me? Then why didn't you call me?" Liu Hui asked.

"Boss, don't you know the basics? Government-hosted receptions usually have their mobile signals jammed. It's for security, you see. My phone couldn't get a signal out."

"Alright, stop whining like a neglected wife. Take me to Secretary Wei."

Mei Peng led Liu Hui over to where Secretary Wei was holding court. Seeing Liu Hui, Secretary Wei was overjoyed and teased, "Young Liu, you're quite the busy man, aren't you? Did some beauty have you utterly captivated? It’s hard to even catch a glimpse of you."

"Secretary Wei, I apologize. I had a bit of pressing business and had to step out unexpectedly," Liu Hui said quickly in apology.

"Little Liu, let me introduce you to a few people." Secretary Wei pulled Liu Hui closer.

"Gentlemen, this is Liu Hui, who has brought tremendous honor to Bashan. He is the pride of our Huaxia." Secretary Wei introduced Liu Hui with elation.

"Mr. Liu is truly remarkable for his youth and achievements."

"It seems Bashan truly has good Feng Shui. First, the Dream Group, and now the Han Tang Hospital."

"Under Secretary Wei's brilliant leadership, Bashan has achieved dazzling development in recent years."

"Bashan is now famous worldwide, and all of this is inseparable from the correct national leadership."

The officials and businessmen nearby were showering praise—first flattering Liu Hui, then Secretary Wei, then the nation—until Secretary Wei was beaming. They clearly understood the art of sycophancy.

Secretary Wei introduced Liu Hui to these figures of Bashan high society, and Liu Hui engaged them with polite, if somewhat hollow, camaraderie. After a brief exchange, Secretary Wei pulled Liu Hui aside into an empty room.

"Little Liu, thank you for your contributions to Bashan. Because of your hospital's existence, our standing with the higher-ups is excellent," Secretary Wei expressed his deep satisfaction with Liu Hui.

"Without Secretary Wei's support, we could never have achieved such results," Liu Hui replied humbly.

"Little Liu, I personally owe you a greater debt of gratitude. Because of your hospital, the superiors believe I have accomplished something significant, and they are preparing to promote me," Secretary Wei announced, his eyes shining.

"Ah, Secretary Wei, you're leaving Bashan?" Liu Hui was startled.

"Yes, they are planning to make me the acting Governor of the neighboring province."

"Then congratulations, Secretary Wei," Liu Hui replied, a touch deflated.

"Little Liu, don't look so downcast. Even though I'm leaving Bashan, the central government still values this place highly. They are specifically sending someone down from the capital to take over my post. I hear he is quite influential. If you ever need anything in the future, go to him; he will surely serve you even better," Secretary Wei comforted Liu Hui.

"Oh, I see," Liu Hui said, still unable to muster much enthusiasm.

Learning of Secretary Wei’s impending departure from Bashan worried Liu Hui somewhat. After all, Secretary Wei had helped him overcome many practical difficulties, and their cooperation had been quite smooth. He feared what the new Secretary might bring, and whether the agreements with the state could still be honored. Liu Hui was listless the entire evening, unable to raise his spirits even when conversing with others.

On the way back to the villa, Mei Peng asked curiously, "Boss, you seemed unhappy tonight. Did something happen?"

"Nothing much, just that Secretary Wei is being transferred, and I feel a bit uneasy about it."

"Boss, you shouldn't worry. Our hospital is highly regarded by the higher-ups now, and coupled with your current status, no matter who becomes the Secretary, they won't dare move against us now. Would the agreement signed with the state become void just because the Secretary changed?" Mei Peng seemed utterly unconcerned.

"Perhaps."

Liu Hui returned to the villa, made several calls to gather information, and only then felt some relief. He then exercised before opening his Dimensional Trading Device to search for new coordinates—though this search proved fruitless—before finally going to bed. With security guards patrolling outside, he slept much more soundly.

The next morning, escorted by two cars, one in front and one behind, Liu Hui arrived at the hospital. Just as he settled into his office, Mei Peng burst in from outside, waving a newspaper, panting heavily, "Boss, it's huge news!"

"Second Brother, don't rush. Tell me slowly, what major event has occurred?" Liu Hui was also curious about what could make Mei Peng lose his composure like this.

"Boss, Lin Dao died last night!"

"What? Lin Dao is dead?" Liu Hui was shocked and quickly snatched the newspaper from Mei Peng's hand.

The paper was the Bashan Daily, and the front-page headline read: Fatal Hotel Incident Last Night; Billionaire Met Tragic End. It was accompanied by a gruesome, blood-soaked photograph. In the picture, Lin Dao's face was contorted in agony, his death looking absolutely brutal. The room was drenched in blood. The photograph hadn't even been pixelated—it was a mystery how it made it to print.

The newspaper provided a detailed report of the homicide in the hotel. It was allegedly reported by a guest in the adjacent room who complained about excessive noise and screams coming from Lin Dao’s room. When no one answered the door, they called the police. Upon arrival, the officers summoned hotel staff to open the room, only to discover Lin Dao had been murdered. The scene was horrific, indicating a ruthless killer. The police had launched an investigation into Lin Dao’s homicide and urged anyone with relevant information to come forward.

Liu Hui put the paper down, silent for a long time.

"Boss, what's wrong? While I certainly wished for Lin Dao's death, him dying here in Bashan puts our hospital under heavy suspicion!" Mei Peng asked quietly.

"Second Brother, we've been framed," Liu Hui said with vexation.

"You mean someone else killed Lin Dao and set us up? But why would they frame us?" Mei Peng asked, perplexed.

"Actually, last night, Lin Dao and I settled our differences and became allies. I completely neutralized the threat he posed to us. However, I heard Secretary Wei was leaving Bashan afterward, and my mood dropped, so I didn't tell you," Liu Hui explained.

"Lin Dao did so much against you; how did you manage to become allies?" Mei Peng was astonished.

Liu Hui sighed and recounted the details of his conversation with Lin Dao the previous night. Mei Peng listened, silent for a long moment.

"Second Brother, the shadowy hands behind the scenes must have made their move. They surely knew we had reconciled with the Lin family, meaning their scheme had failed. So, they simply got rid of Lin Dao. It’s possible we and the Lin family might actually become sworn enemies now. I just hadn't expected them to dare eliminate a member of the Lin family themselves," Liu Hui admitted, feeling worried.

"Their actions clearly aim to pin this on us, and the timing couldn't be better—the night right after you met with Lin Dao. The question is, do the Lin family members know we reconciled?" Mei Peng caught on to the implication.

"Exactly. We reconciled just last night, and then Lin Dao is killed. They want to push us and the Lin family to opposite ends of the feud. If they only wanted to deal with us, I suspect they would have acted directly. The reason they resort to such schemes is because several key figures above me favor me," Liu Hui said, gesturing upward with his hand.

Mei Peng understood and mused, "If that’s the case, our hospital might just have become a tool in their struggle among the powerful factions."

Liu Hui nodded, largely agreeing with Mei Peng's assessment—that his hospital was being used as leverage in a power struggle between influential figures. The fact that they went to such lengths to engineer conflict between him and the Lin family indicated that the Lin family represented a significant force. If the Lin family remained neutral or sided with the faction supporting Liu Hui, their side would win. If they turned against Liu Hui and joined the opposing side, Liu Hui's faction would lose.

"Second Brother, don't worry. We are safe for now. Since they consider us a tool for their struggle, they won't rashly break the tool before they determine the victor," Liu Hui concluded, reassuring Mei Peng after putting the pieces together.

"Boss, how are things progressing with your arrangements over there?" Mei Peng suddenly asked.

"The construction is finished, and we are currently redecorating. It shouldn't take much longer until everything is complete," Liu Hui replied.

"Boss, are you really going through with this? I don't think the country will agree," Mei Peng sounded very concerned.

"There is no other choice. I must do this. Staying here in the country is a dead end. You’ve seen the situation; I have to leave," Liu Hui confessed his own internal conflict. Deep down, he truly did not want to go. But there was no alternative; the resistance here was too great, and too many people coveted his hospital, preventing him from developing it in peace.

"When we get there, will we truly be able to operate without constraints?" Mei Peng inquired again.

"Who can say what will happen then? But without the threats from above, with our current strength, I doubt we’ll need to fear anyone!" Liu Hui felt confident about his future plans.

"So, when do you plan to leave?" Mei Peng asked.

"Second Brother, I am waiting for the right moment—a critical opportunity. This moment must allow us to leave safely without incurring the displeasure of those in power," Liu Hui said, a gleam in his eye.

Having discussed this far, Liu Hui and Mei Peng exchanged a look and fell silent. Sunlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the terrifying front-page photo with striking intensity.

A short while later, Liang Jingyue heard the news and rushed to Liu Hui’s office. She initially feared Liu Hui had killed Lin Dao for her sake and was extremely anxious. Liu Hui smiled and reassured her that he was absolutely not responsible, calming her down.

As Liang Jingyue settled, Secretary Wei personally arrived at the Han Tang Hospital. Liu Hui asked everyone else to leave so he could have a private conversation with the Secretary.

"Secretary Wei, I know why you're here. But I didn't do this. To be honest, I had already reconciled with the Lin family last night," Liu Hui said with a wry smile.

"If it wasn't you, then who was it?" Secretary Wei didn't entirely believe Liu Hui committed the murder, but the timing was too coincidental to ignore, leaving him suspicious.

"I wish I knew who did it too," Liu Hui spread his hands.

"Now that you mention it, I find this whole thing quite suspicious. Logically, a homicide involving someone of Lin Dao’s stature would typically be kept quiet while an investigation proceeds discreetly. But here, as soon as he was killed, the news spread immediately, accompanied by such a bloody photograph—as if they wanted everyone to know. A photograph that gruesome wouldn't even be printed for an ordinary person. Even I only learned about the incident from the newspaper," Secretary Wei observed calmly, immediately noticing the inconsistencies.

Secretary Wei continued, "I came here today to ascertain your situation. If this matter has nothing to do with you, I will immediately report it to the higher-ups so they can conduct a full investigation."

"Thank you for your trust, Secretary Wei," Liu Hui said, having nothing else to offer at that moment.

"Strictly speaking, we are in the same boat now. If you run into trouble, it will reflect poorly on me as well. I sincerely hope this incident doesn't escalate," Secretary Wei remarked with a sigh.

Qian Yu is feeling depressed today. His third application for the Sanjiang recommendation was rejected again, resulting in a slow pace for typing. Please forgive the short update!

As a routine appeal, for readers who enjoy this book, please cast your recommendation votes and add it to your collections!