The sight of this person entering made not only Liu Hui’s expression change drastically, but even Zhou Tengyun found it unbelievable.

“In truth, I never needed to acquire your hospital, because the most vital secret formula for your facility has already fallen into my hands. You can’t believe it, right? She gave it to me,” Guo Jia gestured toward the person who had just entered, immensely satisfied with Liu Hui and Zhou Tengyun’s reactions.

“Jingyue…” Liu Hui felt the blood in his throat surging, threatening to break free; he pressed a trembling hand against his chest.

Liang Jingyue stood in a dark corner of the basement, deliberately avoiding the glare of the lights. Liu Hui couldn’t make out her facial expression immediately, only noticing that her shoulders were convulsing incessantly, as if she were weeping.

Guo Jia continued, “You need to understand, I now possess the formula for the medicine. I could simply open a new hospital, setting aside your Han Tang Hospital, and still achieve massive success. The only reason I bothered acquiring your hospital is that I didn't want to witness all your hard work crumble into dust.”

“You…” The blood in Liu Hui’s throat increased until he could no longer suppress it. He opened his mouth and spewed out a large mouthful of scarlet blood, which splashed against the wall, staining the white surface a terrifying red.

Seeing Liu Hui suddenly vomit blood, Liang Jingyue became frantic. She took two steps forward, only to see Zhou Tengyun already rushing to support Liu Hui. Remembering the gravity of the current situation and her own precarious position, she abruptly halted her steps, swallowing back the words forming on her lips.

“Jingyue, I…” Liu Hui tried to speak but immediately coughed up another large volume of blood. Unable to endure the torment any longer, Liang Jingyue covered her face, burst into tears, and fled out the door. As she left, she stumbled heavily on the floor, struggled briefly to rise, and then bolted out.

“Third brother, quickly…” Liu Hui was desperate, starting to tell Zhou Tengyun to pursue her, but another rush of blood erupted from his mouth.

“Boss, don’t speak another word, or you’ll bleed yourself dry. She’ll be there anytime; I can’t leave you alone here,” Zhou Tengyun said, his eyes red as he held Liu Hui steady.

Liu Hui was utterly drained; those few spurts of blood seemed to have sapped every ounce of his strength. He slumped back into his chair, resting for a long moment before his breathing began to regulate.

“Young Master Guo, you truly are meticulous; to think you devised such a strategy,” Liu Hui gasped out.

“As a descendant of the Guo family, I naturally cannot tarnish the reputation of the ancestor, Duke Fengxiao,” Guo Jia offered a rare moment of humility.

“This is all my fault; I failed to notice the signs of distress concerning Jingyue, allowing you to exploit the opening. Looking back now, many of the previous inconsistencies finally make sense,” Liu Hui said, his speech much smoother now that the stagnant blood in his chest had been expelled; he no longer vomited upon speaking.

“And how do you interpret those inconsistencies, Boss Liu?” Guo Jia smiled.

“To seize my hospital, you not only directly targeted those close to me but even dragged Uncle Liang into your scheme. Because Uncle Liang is a prominent figure in Bashan, I mistakenly assumed the poisoning incident was a rival targeting him, never suspecting you. Now it seems that was my greatest miscalculation,” Liu Hui sighed.

“Recognizing your error so quickly, you are indeed a fast learner. Perhaps you can turn the tables next time!” Guo Jia remarked.

“You orchestrated the food poisoning incident. I suspect those few individuals weren't truly poisoned at all; what you needed was a pretext to have Liang Bo arrested, which you then used to coerce Jingyue into stealing the hospital’s formula for you. But surely, just the food poisoning incident wouldn't have been enough to make Liang Jingyue betray me. Did you… did you do something unforgivable to her?” Liu Hui analyzed the situation, suddenly grasping a terrible possibility, and fury flared within him.

Guo Jia looked somewhat perplexed by Liu Hui’s anger but quickly understood and immediately defended himself. “Don’t misunderstand; I did not touch Liang Jingyue. I merely used verbal threats. A man of my standing only desires women who are willing; I wouldn't engage in some melodramatic kidnapping scenario. You were right earlier: simple food poisoning wouldn’t have been enough to break Liang Jingyue, but what if her parents faced imminent imprisonment?”

“Imprisonment? What exactly do you mean?” Liu Hui asked coldly.

“Doing business in Huaxia, especially for those who were among the first to become powerful after the Reform and Opening Up—who hasn’t bent a few laws? Their ascent is riddled with stories of ruthlessness and often violence; tax evasion was commonplace. Otherwise, do you think they could have scaled up so rapidly? To use modern terminology, this is the original sin of capital. Regardless, they all violated national laws at some point and should face legal sanction. Liang Jingyue’s father, Liang Bo, evaded substantial taxes during his rise to wealth. However, Liang Bo is a man with a conscience; after achieving success, he invested heavily in charity, amounts many times greater than the taxes he initially evaded. But even so, the crime of past tax evasion cannot be erased. According to national law, he and his wife face extremely serious criminal charges. The evidence is ironclad; they’ll likely never see the outside once they’re in. I merely used this leverage to threaten Liang Jingyue, and naturally, she complied,” Guo Jia explained.

“Truly foolproof; worthy of the name Guo Jia. I am genuinely impressed!” Liu Hui said sincerely.

“Honestly, I envy the Liang family. Parents willing to sacrifice everything for their children’s happiness; a child willing to betray everything to repay parental grace. That kind of father-daughter bond is something I have always craved. And Liang Jingyue’s feelings for you are genuine; beyond revealing the formula, I gained no other intelligence from her—I don’t even know how much money you possess. I sincerely apologize for stirring up such a massive crisis stemming from your pure relationship this time,” Guo Jia adopted a rare tone of seriousness.

“Young Master Guo, you have won,” Liu Hui conceded.

Guo Jia studied Liu Hui for a long moment, then sighed, picked up a document from a nearby sofa, and handed it over. “Boss Liu, this is the agreement. Please review it carefully.”

Zhou Tengyun stepped forward, took the document, and passed it into Liu Hui’s hands. Liu Hui opened the agreement and meticulously read every clause. After a long pause, he closed it. With a puzzled look, he asked, “I am very curious—why is there no clause regarding the transfer of the secret formula in this agreement?”

“Since I already possess the formula, why bother including that clause?” Guo Jia laughed.

“I knew something was amiss with this agreement; turns out it’s missing the most crucial part. Otherwise, the acquisition price wouldn't be a mere 100 million RMB,” Liu Hui realized with sudden clarity.

“Heh, you noticed after all,” Guo Jia chuckled.

“Hehe, the state steps in to acquire the hospital, yet the core formula is never obtained. You, who hold the formula, are the ultimate beneficiary!” Liu Hui laughed.

“Since you understand, let’s keep it an unspoken understanding, shall we?” Guo Jia said with a mysterious smile.

Liu Hui met Guo Jia’s grin, but inwardly, he sighed. Guo Jia believed he had secured a massive advantage, unaware that his so-called medicine was merely a smokescreen, utterly devoid of therapeutic effect. Liu Hui still had about six hundred bottles of the intravenous drip containing the actual treatment drug remaining. Once those were used up, the supposedly 'health-boosting' traditional Chinese medicine would be exposed for what it was. By then, however, no blame could possibly fall on him; let Guo Jia deal with the headache then!

“By the way, I’m a bit curious. After you obtained the formula, did you test its efficacy? Aren't you afraid it might be fake?” Liu Hui suddenly inquired.

“Heh, I already produced a finished drug and had our people inside Han Tang Hospital test it. The therapeutic results were excellent,” Guo Jia beamed.

“Oh? Then didn't you have it inspected by any official agency? What if it turns out to be toxic or have adverse side effects?”

“Heh, you must understand, the more people who test something like this, the higher the risk of exposure. I couldn't possibly let them examine it. Furthermore, I witnessed patients recover firsthand, so I have absolute confidence in the formula’s effectiveness. As for toxicity or side effects—what drug doesn’t have them?” Guo Jia retorted.

“Mmm, impressive. Your security protocols are exceptionally well-maintained,” Liu Hui praised Guo Jia sincerely. He then continued, “I have no issues with the terms inside, but I do have a few conditions you must meet.”

“Please state them. If they are within my capability, I will certainly do my best!” Guo Jia replied.

“First, all accusations regarding the alleged crimes of my family and friends you mentioned earlier must be permanently erased. I do not want threats hanging over my head again.”

“That’s not a problem. Those accusations didn't cause significant public impact. I can agree to this; you will have the original files handed over to you tomorrow.”

“Second, since I am transferring the hospital to you, staying on the mainland holds little meaning for me anymore. I intend to settle in Hong Kong. This must also apply to my close friends and their families; if they wish to relocate to Hong Kong, you must immediately handle all necessary paperwork for us.”

“When the higher-ups discussed your hospital issue, they considered your future location. The established guideline is to treat you as favorably as possible. Your relocation to Hong Kong is within our limits of tolerance, and we can promise to finalize your Hong Kong settlement procedures within twenty-four hours. However, we cannot agree to move the entire families of all your friends and relatives. If the number is too large, it becomes difficult for us to manage; that place is not entirely under our command, after all. You must limit the number of people relocating to fifty individuals,” Guo Jia considered carefully before setting a cap on the number.

“The procedures for these fifty relocating individuals must also be completed within forty-eight hours,” Liu Hui emphasized.

“As long as you provide the list of names, we can finalize all procedures within forty-eight hours.”

“Right. Your parents and Mei Peng and his girlfriend will be transported to your villa outside the city shortly. Since you are taking over the hospital, do not use the formula you possess to produce more AIDS medication, or you will regret it for the rest of your life,” Guo Jia cautioned Liu Hui.

“Rest assured, I still maintain that level of professional integrity.”

“Then please attend the press conference tomorrow afternoon at four o'clock for the official signing.”

“No problem. I will be there promptly.”

“I must ask you something. At the beginning, you appeared completely confident, as if you had a trump card held back. Yet, you cooperated so smoothly later on, allowing me to achieve my objective. Now that everything is settled, can you tell me what that hidden card was?” Guo Jia inquired.

“There was no trump card. Don't overthink it,” Liu Hui said, rising with Zhou Tengyun’s support. As Guo Jia watched him leave the basement, Liu Hui suddenly paused at the doorway and asked, “Young Master Guo, you’ve studied the Three Kingdoms extensively. Do you know how old Guo Jia was when he died?”

Liu Hui didn't wait for a reply, allowing Zhou Tengyun to help him exit the basement, leaving Guo Jia standing in stunned silence.

Liu Hui and Zhou Tengyun stepped out of the hospital, looking back at the familiar building with profound emotion swirling within.

“Boss, why did you agree to his terms? Even if he has the formula, we could sue him and make his life miserable. Moreover, we have considerable international renown; invoking international support might mean he wouldn't win that lawsuit. Why would we hand over this goose that lays golden eggs to him?” Zhou Tengyun asked, bewildered.

“Third brother, I always foresaw a day like this, which is why I made prior arrangements. I was waiting precisely for this opportunity. Seeing Guo Jia tonight, I was actually quite pleased. The things I said were merely convenient pretexts for bargaining. You might not know, but I recently registered an offshore company in Hong Kong called Starry Sky Pharmaceuticals, waiting for a chance like this to slip away and establish myself there. Yet, I was still wrong; I shouldn't have waited for the 'perfect' moment. There is no such thing as a perfect solution in this world. I failed Jingyue; she bore a responsibility she shouldn't have had to. She must be weeping alone somewhere now, burdened by the guilt of being called a betrayer, a traitor, for life.” Liu Hui’s voice was thick with regret.

Liu Hui understood clearly: if he hadn't neglected to care for Liang Jingyue’s family, none of this would have happened. Even if the two of them could start over, could their happiness ever be the same? Can a shattered mirror truly be restored to flawless perfection? Liang Jingyue handing the formula to Guo Jia had unintentionally done Liu Hui a huge favor; he achieved his desired outcome without even deploying some of his contingency plans, leaving Guo Jia astonished by his abrupt shift in demeanor. But this was not the ending Liu Hui desired. If he could choose again, he would rather genuinely hand the hospital over to Guo Jia than see Liang Jingyue become entangled in this mess.

“Boss, do you hate Liang Jingyue?” Zhou Tengyun suddenly asked.

“I only hate myself. I hate that my foresight was inadequate, dragging innocent people into this; I hate that I lack the power to protect my friends and family; I hate…” Liu Hui couldn't finish before coughing up another mouthful of blood.

“Boss, stop talking. Healing must come first.”

Liu Hui paused, catching his breath until he felt slightly steadier. He pulled out his phone and called Liang Jingyue; her phone was switched off. He then called Liang Bo, inquiring about Liang Jingyue’s whereabouts. Liang Bo sounded confused, asking Liu Hui why Liang Jingyue wasn't with him.

Liu Hui was silent for a long moment, then told Zhou Tengyun, “Third brother, take me somewhere.”

“Boss, your physical condition is critical; you can’t handle going anywhere else. Let’s treat you first!” Zhou Tengyun pleaded.

“Third brother, you don't understand. Some misunderstandings, if not clarified immediately, can lead to permanent damage, to irreversible consequences. I must see Jingyue tonight.”

Qianyu Chuhai has finally finished writing this section of the plot. Honestly, no one can achieve great accomplishments without enduring major setbacks. Liu Hui in the book has developed his own soul by this point; his life trajectory is no longer something the author can easily alter on a whim.

Some readers have commented that the tone feels dark, suggesting a masochistic tendency. However, in reality, Liu Hui has suffered no substantial physical harm. The mystery will be revealed later in the book—if there is a later part. Liu Hui is about to depart the mainland and approach the zenith of his career. Friends who still have faith in this book, please continue to follow!

Regarding the commonly raised point about insufficient depiction of Plane Trading: Qianyu Chuhai can only say that when developing just one AIDS medication led to such massive problems, introducing other elements would simply be courting disaster. However, upon arriving in Hong Kong, Liu Hui will develop things that aren't overly exaggerated but are capable of generating profit. Plane Trading will be a major focus; there will be extensive descriptions of Plane Trading during the Hong Kong development phase.