How could Secretary Wei’s daughter possibly be an assassin? That was utterly preposterous! Liu Hui racked his brain but couldn't fathom how things had come to this. It couldn't be that Secretary Wei disliked him so much that he sent his daughter to kill him, could it?

Liu Hui couldn't figure it out, so he stopped trying. He closed his wallet and handed it to Mei Peng outside the conference room, asking him to contact Secretary Qin to return it to Secretary Wei. He proceeded to the security command center, where Wu Yuanjia was pacing back and forth, his eyes bloodshot. Upon seeing Liu Hui, Wu immediately called out, "Boss!"

Liu Hui inquired, "Captain Wu, what were our casualties from last night?"

Wu Yuanjia replied, "We lost two brothers last night, both taken out by snipers. The rest of the men sustained only minor injuries; they've been bandaged and are fine."

"There were deaths after all! Captain Wu, have you contacted the deceased men's families?" Liu Hui sounded somewhat downcast.

"We haven't notified them yet. We didn't know how to proceed, so we waited for your instructions," Wu Yuanjia was deeply saddened by the loss of his subordinates.

"They are heroes of our Hantang Hospital and made immense contributions to our facility. We cannot treat their families poorly. Each family will receive two million in severance pay upfront, and their elderly parents and young children will henceforth be raised by our hospital," Liu Hui was unequivocally generous toward the heroes who gave their lives for the hospital.

"Boss, I thank you on behalf of the two deceased brothers, and for all the men!" Seeing their boss's immense generosity, Wu Yuanjia was deeply moved, feeling that even giving his own life for his boss would be worthwhile. The nearby security guards, upon hearing Liu Hui’s declaration, were equally galvanized, believing they had finally found a leader worth following.

"Captain Wu, contact the families of the deceased immediately. Convey our hospital’s intentions to them, and it would be best to bring them to the hospital," Liu Hui instructed.

"Understood, I'll contact them right away."

"By the way, Captain Wu, did the State Security Bureau or the Special Service agents ask you for last night's surveillance footage?" Liu Hui asked.

"They did ask, but we told them the criminals cut the power to the entire area last night, which fried our recording hard drives, resulting in the total loss of all data. Therefore, we couldn't provide anything. They were persistent, saying they needed to speak with you!" Wu Yuanjia whispered.

"Good, you handled that well. There were indeed scenes last night that could not be discovered, especially involving Zhou Tengyun. They absolutely cannot get evidence of that. Immediately wipe all surveillance footage from last night; leave no trace behind," Liu Hui commanded. Zhou Tengyun's terrifying rampage last night, even if deemed self-defense, could bring him trouble; destroying the evidence was the cleanest solution.

"I will wipe the footage immediately; even their experts won't be able to recover it."

"Captain Wu, have you undergone their interrogation?" Liu Hui continued to ask.

"Boss, after you left, we aligned our narrative. We attributed the killing of the men in black to the collective effort of everyone, downplaying Zhou Tengyun’s involvement while emphasizing the heavy casualties suffered by our hospital. That was our statement. However, the other side seemed cautious and didn't press for details, only taking away all the bodies of the men in black and securing the scene," Wu Yuanjia proved to be no simpleton.

"Captain Wu, handling matters concerning the police is entirely up to you. Think carefully about how to minimize trouble for our hospital," Liu Hui, seeing Wu Yuanjia’s astuteness, immediately gave him full authority over the matter.

Before noon, the special task force dispatched from above arrived at Hantang Hospital to investigate the assault case. After examining the hospital site and the bodies, they indeed requested the surveillance footage. But Wu Yuanjia was not easily intimidated; he insisted the hard drives were destroyed and no footage could be provided. Since Hantang Hospital held significant importance in the eyes of the higher-ups, the task force was helpless and had to pivot to other avenues, hoping for a breakthrough.

Liu Hui, being immensely wealthy, poured out massive amounts of money, and by evening, the entire hospital was nearly restored to its original state. Liu Hui personally visited the patients to apologize for the fright they endured and reduced some of their medical fees.

Finally, Liu Hui rewarded the security guards who fought bravely the night before, issuing substantial red envelopes to each one, and providing nutritional allowances to the injured. The entire hospital quickly stabilized and resumed its usual order. Anyone unaware of the major incident that occurred would see no abnormality whatsoever.

Personnel from the Bashan State Security system took up posts outside the hospital to handle its protection. Jiangnan Yi’s team withdrew from the hospital, and as he left, he came to Liu Hui’s office to apologize shamefacedly. Liu Hui had been angry with Jiangnan Yi when the incident first broke out, but his anger had mostly subsided by now. He comforted Jiangnan Yi while also expressing gratitude for their protection, hoping for future cooperation.

Over the next few days, the special task force conducted extensive investigations and then issued a case report regarding the New Year's Eve raid on Hantang Hospital.

Comparing the physical characteristics of the bodies of the men in black, the task force discovered they were employees of the Huaxia branch of Japan’s Yamato Corporation, led by the Vice President of the Huaxia branch, Sakuragi Ikuma. On the day of the operation, they deliberately cut power and wired networks in the hospital’s sector and activated signal jammers, preventing the hospital from receiving outside assistance. The task force summoned the head of the Yamato Corporation’s Huaxia branch, but the manager explained that these individuals had resigned a week prior and the corporation would not be responsible for their actions. The task force issued a nationwide warrant for the other resigned members, but thus far, not a single fugitive in black has been apprehended, and the case has hit a deadlock.

Similarly, the task force’s investigation into the Lin Dao murder case also stalled. The hotel could not provide surveillance footage either; the on-duty security guard supposedly didn't know how to operate the system and ended up destroying the entire hard drive, corrupting all the data within. Furthermore, the task force found no results through other lines of inquiry and failed to identify any suspicious suspects.

Upon hearing this news, Liu Hui confided in Mei Peng during a private chat: "Is this the peak of Huaxia’s investigative capabilities? I find it rather average; so many days have passed, and they haven't even confirmed a suspect. But I do admire one thing about them: they haven't just arrested a few random people to pass the buck just because superiors demanded a swift resolution."

Mei Peng strongly agreed with Liu Hui's assessment, adding that the advancement of technology in Huaxia had led to a decline in investigative prowess. In ancient times, figures like Bao Zheng or Song Ci could emerge, but now, no master detective seems possible. Without surveillance footage or similar aids, they are completely unable to solve cases. If this is the level of policing, Mei Peng mused, he could do the job himself.

Time flew by quickly—half a month passed. Hantang Hospital did not slow its pace of development due to the attack; the number of inpatients began to rise steadily. Liu Hui’s supply of medicine was running low again. That day, he went to the warehouse of Bashan Logistics Company, activated his Planar Trade Device, and contacted Zerg from the insect race. Zerg appeared on screen after a brief wait.

"Esteemed Lord Zerg, how have you been recently?" Liu Hui greeted with a smile.

"Esteemed Lord Liu Hui, I have been quite troubled lately!" Zerg sounded unusually gloomy.

"What is troubling you, Lord Zerg?" Liu Hui asked curiously.

"It’s all because of those energy-rich stones you gave me," Zerg replied.

"Oh? Have you managed to make any breakthrough in your research?"

"It’s precisely because we haven't figured out how to harness the energy within that I’m troubled! The stones you gave me later—we discovered they contain all sorts of energies: fire energy, water energy, wind energy, electrical energy, and some energies we have never encountered before. But without exception, we cannot utilize them. These energies are incredibly stable; we've tried numerous methods, but there is not the slightest fluctuation in the energy within. Our research has made no progress. However, our rivals, the Protoss, are masters of energy manipulation; perhaps their technology could utilize the energy in these stones," Zerg grew more frustrated as he spoke.

"Heh heh, don't rush it. Take your time with the research; I'm not in a hurry," Liu Hui advised.

"You’re not in a hurry, but I am. To see something you can’t attain—it’s agonizing," Zerg still couldn't let it go.

"Never mind, you continue your research. The reason I sought you out today is that my supply of AIDS treatment medication is nearly depleted, and I wish to trade for some more from you."

"How much do you require this time?"

"Five hundred units of treatment medicine, in exchange for fifty units of the miraculous powder," Liu Hui calculated his stock of narcotics before stating the terms.

"Agreed. I will deliver it to you tomorrow."

"Very well, I will contact you tomorrow then!"

Liu Hui paid no mind to the dejected Zerg and terminated the communication. He then initiated a connection with Alexander from the Magic Plane. This time, Alexander appeared on screen quickly.

"Teacher, it is a pleasure to see you!" Alexander said with deep deference.

"My dear Alexander, how have your endeavors been progressing recently?" Liu Hui hadn't contacted Alexander in a while, so he inquired about his recent progress.

"I have taught the Dueling Qi you instructed me in to everyone in our mining district. About one-third of these people have managed to cultivate Dueling Qi. The first batch of Qi cultivators can now unleash brilliant golden Dueling Qi. The day before yesterday, a Night Shadow Leopard charged into the mining area, but it was easily slain by three Dueling Qi practitioners. You must understand, previously, we would flee upon seeing any magical beast, let alone killing a Level Two magical beast like the Night Shadow Leopard," Alexander was ecstatic.

"And how is your own Dueling Qi cultivation coming along?" Liu Hui asked.

"Well... I still haven't managed to cultivate it," Alexander looked dejected and embarrassed.

"It seems your physical constitution isn't suited for Dueling Qi cultivation. I will find a way to look into other methods for you. Just bear with it for now!" Liu Hui comforted him.

"Teacher, the knowledge you taught me, what you call 'Thick-Black Theory,' is truly miraculous. Although I haven't cultivated Dueling Qi, the people now respect me immensely and obey everything I say. I have truly become the undisputed leader of our mining district," Alexander was thrilled by the power of Thick-Black Theory.

"Alexander, you must remember this: those who use their minds rule others; those who use their labor are ruled by others. Even if you lack formidable personal strength, as long as you control those who possess strong individual power, you can still achieve your objectives," Liu Hui chuckled.

"Teacher, but what is my objective? Is it just not to starve? With your help, that goal has already been achieved," Alexander was still young and slightly bewildered.

"Alexander, do you believe humans should forever be ruled by the Elf overlords? Do you believe humans are destined only for back-breaking labor like mining? Don't you think the Elven beauties are stunning, and wouldn't you like to seize one to be your wife?" Liu Hui began to guide Alexander, acting like a mesmerizing preacher.

"This..." Alexander's small mind had never considered such things; he was momentarily unable to process the implications.

"My dear Alexander, think deeply about this question after we part today, and tell me your answer only when you have figured it out. But you must contemplate this alone; do not tell anyone," Liu Hui emphasized.

"Teacher, I will think about this issue very seriously." Alexander was solemn; this was the first time he had encountered such a question, and it felt as if a vast gateway had opened before him, revealing an entirely new world beyond.

As Liu Hui bade farewell to Alexander, he transferred some supplies from his warehouse to ensure their basic living needs were met.

For the sake of his own plans, Liu Hui had to begin awakening Alexander to the concept of human independence, making him start contemplating his own path. However, humanity’s strength was still too weak; it was not yet time for open rebellion. He needed to first help Alexander accumulate energy so that he could reap substantial rewards once Alexander achieved success.

Liu Hui returned to the hospital to find Zhou Tengyun waiting in his office.

"Boss, I'm ready!"

This is the second update today by Qian Yu. The mainland arc of this book is about to conclude, and Liu Hui is about to enter the glorious stage of his life, where the future will be boundless. We ask all our readers to keep following along.

As usual, recommendations and collections are greatly appreciated. Thank you all!