Liu Hui first called Jiang Lu in and then informed her that he would be hiring her as the General Manager of Starry Sky Group, with an annual salary of three million Hong Kong dollars and a performance bonus at year-end.

Although Jiang Lu appeared outwardly calm, Liu Hui could discern her excitement from her slightly trembling hands. Liu Hui instructed her to prepare and begin working formally the next day, starting with establishing the entire framework of the group corporation.

When Yin Shunli learned that he had become the General Manager of Starry Sky Logistics with an annual salary of 2.8 million yuan, he remained very composed, merely stating, "Boss, your 2.8 million yuan will be spent very wisely."

The third person to learn his outcome was Liu Wenqi, whose reaction was entirely normal; a smile touched his face as, in the blink of an eye, he transformed from a bankrupt individual into a wealthy class earning 2.8 million yuan annually.

Li Zhi was not overly interested in his remuneration, but after Liu Hui whispered a few words to him, he became energized and resolved to commit 200% of his effort to the work.

Liu Hui finally turned to Sun Ning and said, "I appoint you as the General Manager of Starry Sky Construction, with an annual salary of 2.8 million. You must guarantee the quality standards of the construction projects."

With the structural framework of Starry Sky Group finally settled, Liu Hui let out a long sigh of relief. Once all departments had completed their personnel recruitment after the Lunar New Year, the entire group corporation could commence official operations. If the new drug’s clinical trials proceeded smoothly, its market launch would bring massive returns to the company.

Thinking of this, Liu Hui immediately placed a call to Zhao Yuanhua, who answered promptly. "Boss, please give your instructions," Zhao Yuanhua said.

"Director Zhao, how are the clinical trials for our medicine progressing?"

"Boss, I am currently at the testing center. We are in Phase I trials now. Because the results have been extremely positive, we are close to entering Phase II. I estimate it will take another month and a half to complete Phase III clinical trials," Zhao Yuanhua reported.

"Still that long?" Liu Hui sighed.

"Boss, I utilized numerous connections just to compress the trial time this much. Under normal circumstances, it would take at least three more months! Of course, this is mainly because our medicine is highly effective, acts quickly, and has zero side effects, which has shortened the testing period. The staff at the testing center are quite astonished as well!" Zhao Yuanhua briefed him.

"Very well, you must expedite the timeline. Do not delay the drug’s market release under any circumstances."

"Boss, I will monitor things closely here; rest assured," Zhao Yuanhua guaranteed.

"Oh, right, have the clinical trials started in the EU and the US?" Liu Hui suddenly recalled.

"They have started there too, but their procedural requirements are stricter, so the timeline cannot be compressed; we won't have results for three more months."

"If necessary, we'll just launch it in Hong Kong first!" Liu Hui decided.

Just as Liu Hui put down the phone, Qian Meiyuan entered his office and informed him, "Boss, I have secured some of the animals you requested. They are already in the warehouse. Shall we go inspect them immediately?"

"Ah, you found them so quickly? Let's go right away," Liu Hui exclaimed, instantly invigorated.

He accompanied Qian Meiyuan to the warehouse behind the pharmaceutical plant, where several staff members were tending to some newly born animals.

"Boss, please look. These animals were all born yesterday. We brought them in overnight; some haven't even opened their eyes yet! And over there are several eggs that are about to hatch," Qian Meiyuan explained.

Liu Hui excitedly watched the young creatures. He asked the managers to step out, wanting to observe these little things alone.

"Hmm, not bad. This one is a lion cub. I wonder if I can command it? Imagine fighting alongside a terrifying lion—wouldn't that be incredibly awe-inspiring?" Liu Hui fantasized while gazing at the cub.

Liu Hui carefully lifted the small lion out of the incubator and held it up before him, observing it closely. The cub also looked at him with curiosity. Liu Hui attempted to communicate with the lion telepathically but failed to establish any connection. Suddenly, he noticed a slight shift in the cub’s eyes and felt a surge of excitement—could it be a response? Just as Liu Hui’s excitement peaked and his guard dropped, the little lion relieved itself on him.

Holding the cub, Liu Hui felt deeply frustrated. Stinking lion, I was just trying to communicate with you; there was no need for a retaliatory act like this. However, considering it was 'virgin urine,' he decided to swallow his annoyance.

Disappointed, Liu Hui placed the little lion down and picked up a tiger cub nearby. The tiger cub didn't urinate on him, but there was still no connection established between them. Undeterred, he picked up the other small animals, but none of them formed any link with him, leaving him profoundly disappointed.

After testing the small animals, Liu Hui finally moved to the eggs. He usually paid little attention to animals and couldn't identify the species from the shells. He carefully picked up one egg, placing it in his palm, but received no reaction. He switched to another, still nothing. Soon, only the last egg remained before him.

"Has the drug Zerg gave me failed? Have I not gained control?" Liu Hui complained dissatisfiedly, willfully ignoring what Zerg had told him about how difficult it was to find controllable creatures.

Liu Hui picked up the final egg without much hope, but as he held it, a strange sensation washed over him—as if the egg had become an extension of his own body. He could even sense the life within. Liu Hui paused, then burst into ecstasy. Could this be the control ability of the Zerg?

Liu Hui closely examined the egg in his palm. It was black, about the size of a quail egg, and he still didn't know what kind of creature it belonged to. He focused his senses and instantly perceived a rhythmic heartbeat from within. He felt an instinct that the life inside was on the verge of hatching. Carefully, he placed the egg back into the incubator and called for Qian Meiyuan.

"Director Qian, what kind of animal is this egg from, and where did you source it?" Liu Hui asked, pointing to the black egg.

"Boss, please wait, I will go ask them," Qian Meiyuan quickly went to inquire with the administrators.

"Boss, this egg is from the most common Urocrocodilus snake. We retrieved all these unhatched eggs from an incubation center. When we were collecting them, the center staff asked us to take this black egg as well. They said it had undergone intense UV radiation and was impossible for it to hatch. I didn't think much of it at the time and brought it back," the administrator explained, feeling anxious that he might have caused some issue displeasing the Boss.

"Heh heh, you did an excellent job. What is your name?" Liu Hui was in high spirits.

"Boss, my name is Song Wenbing?" the man said cautiously.

"Song Wenbing, when do you think this egg will hatch?" Liu Hui asked, indicating the black egg.

Song Wenbing carefully checked the incubator records and replied, "In about another day, I estimate!"

"Good. For this next day, dedicate all your energy to this black egg. You can temporarily disregard the other animals. Take excellent care of this egg and ensure it hatches safely; absolute perfection is required," Liu Hui emphasized with concern.

"Boss, rest assured, I will certainly see this egg hatch," Song Wenbing affirmed.

"Heh heh, work hard, I have high hopes for you!" Liu Hui smiled.

"Thank you, Boss!" Song Wenbing was overjoyed, never expecting that caring for small animals could earn him the Boss's favor.

Liu Hui re-examined the egg at that moment and realized he could establish that mysterious connection with the life inside within a one-meter radius around the egg, but beyond that range, he felt nothing. However, he wasn't worried; the egg hadn't hatched yet, and he was certain long-distance control would be possible later.

"Director Qian, keep a close eye on this egg's hatching progress. Notify me immediately if it shows signs of hatching."

"I will, Boss."

"Oh, right, apart from this egg, send all the other small animals back to their original owners," Liu Hui instructed.

"This... I will handle it right away," Qian Meiyuan replied.

Liu Hui left the warehouse, tremendously excited. He specifically looked up information on the Urocrocodilus snake online and discovered it was a large, non-venomous species, capable of reaching lengths of 2.5 meters. Although docile and unlikely to bite, it was fast, agile, and adept at escaping. While the textual description painted the snake as very ordinary, Liu Hui trusted that the Zerg’s genetic technology could transform it into something formidable. His only lingering concern was whether this snake had significant potential for development.

With this obsession consuming him, Liu Hui found it difficult to focus on anything else. Even after work that afternoon, he made a special trip to the warehouse. The other small animals had already been transported away, and only Song Wenbing remained, tending to the black egg, which still showed no sign of hatching.

"Little Song, do you think this egg will hatch?" Liu Hui asked worriedly.

"When I took this egg, the staff at the incubation center said it had been severely irradiated by UV light and shouldn't be able to hatch. But looking at it now, it seems it will hatch. I find it strange too!" Song Wenbing replied with some doubt.

"It's good that it can hatch. Keep observing it continuously and notify me immediately if anything changes," Liu Hui said, somewhat relieved.

"I will, Boss."

Liu Hui returned home and lay in bed, his mind preoccupied with the egg, unable to fall asleep until very late. He tossed and turned until the dead of night before drifting into a shallow sleep.

At four in the morning, Liu Hui was abruptly woken by his phone ringing. He instinctively grabbed the device and pressed the answer button.

"Boss? It's Little Qian. The egg is about to hatch; please hurry to the warehouse." Qian Meiyuan’s voice came through the receiver.

Liu Hui’s drowsiness vanished instantly. He threw on his clothes and rushed toward the warehouse. Fortunately, living in the pharmaceutical plant dormitory meant the warehouse wasn't far, and he arrived quickly. Qian Meiyuan and Song Wenbing were both clustered around the incubator, their eyes weary but their expressions alight with excitement.

Liu Hui hurried to the side of the black egg and saw movement inside, as if something was actively pushing against the shell. He could now clearly sense the thoughts of the creature within—it was struggling to break free. As Liu Hui felt the creature's determination, he silently cheered it on. Finally, a hairline crack appeared on the eggshell, then a small head squeezed out, followed by the entire shell shattering. The snake's body was fully exposed before Liu Hui.

"Director Qian, Little Song, you must both be exhausted. You should go back and rest early; I will take over here," Liu Hui said immediately upon seeing this.

Qian Meiyuan and Song Wenbing recognized how much the Boss valued this snake and quietly withdrew.

～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～ Two chapters today; the second will be posted around seven this evening. Thanks to: Yueya Kaipingguo for the tip! This book only has a very poor recommendation slot next week; I wonder if there's any way to expand the promotional reach?