The time had flown quickly in the three months since Liu Hui had explained the matters of the Church of Light to Alexander; it was now the end of October.

In those three months, Liu Hui’s Starry Sky Group had developed at a breakneck pace. The company's flagship product, "Starry Sky Myopia-Cure," now maintained a stable monthly sales volume of over twenty-five million units, bringing in an astonishing monthly revenue of twenty-five billion US dollars. Although current monthly production was immensely high, the sheer number of nearsighted people worldwide meant that the product was frequently out of stock—demand far outstripped supply. However, Liu Hui had no intention of further expanding the production capacity for Starry Sky Myopia-Cure; he believed that allowing a moderate market hunger would give him better control over the market and guarantee high profit margins.

The clinical trials for several new drugs from the Starry Sky Group were nearing completion. Thanks to Liu Hui’s meticulous confidentiality measures, aside from highly attentive individuals like the Old Superman, absolutely no one had discovered he was conducting trials for new pharmaceuticals. With the sales of "Starry Sky Myopia-Cure" gradually stabilizing, the task of further increasing revenue and securing greater benefits now rested on these new drugs. Consequently, Liu Hui was watching these compounds very closely, hoping they could be launched onto the market as soon as possible.

The various subsidiaries under the Starry Sky Group had also experienced rapid expansion during this period. Supported by the colossal funding provided by Liu Hui, they had all embarked on an extraordinary phase of massive, leapfrog growth.

After two high-stakes underground bare-knuckle boxing matches, Starry Sky Security demonstrated its formidable strength to those who were paying attention. Having successfully built its reputation, the company was now continuously negotiating security contracts with various enterprises and political figures. Wu Yuanjia seized this opportunity to expand the security team once more; the security company was currently training over a thousand personnel. Wu Yuanjia screened these guards rigorously, only selecting those deemed truly loyal before administering the Body Evolution Fluid. Having learned a lesson from Wang Liu’s defection, Wu Yuanjia now placed even greater emphasis on ideological education. He leveraged his background in the military to implement intense, almost brainwashing-style ideological training to ensure absolute employee loyalty, determined to prevent a second Wang Liu.

Starry Sky Construction also saw rapid development. Under the leadership of General Manager Sun Ning, the construction company had assembled fifteen professional construction teams, bringing the total number of various construction workers under his command to over fifteen thousand. All construction units had procured the latest equipment and enhanced skill training for their laborers, making every worker richly experienced. Acting on Liu Hui’s instructions, Sun Ning accepted a massive volume of construction projects solely for the purpose of honing his teams. To achieve this goal, he was willing to take on projects with minimal or even zero profit, which naturally caused grumbling among competitors, though he chose to ignore it all. To ensure quality remained paramount, Liu Hui issued one ultimate directive: adhere strictly to building standards; cutting corners was absolutely forbidden.

The fastest growth, however, belonged to Starry Sky Logistics. Liu Hui had invested thirty billion US dollars into this sector. Yin Shunli used this capital to aggressively acquire logistics companies. Experienced and sharp-eyed, he managed to secure acquisitions for minimal outlay every time. Through this period of rapid expansion, Starry Sky Logistics now directly or indirectly controlled a logistics system spanning the entire globe. If measured purely by assets, the scale of Starry Sky Logistics now surpassed Taiwan’s Evergreen Group, marking a resurgence for Yin Shunli that greatly impressed the former owners of Evergreen.

As for Li Zhi’s Starry Sky Sales Company, there was little more to say. She had masterfully managed the distribution of "Starry Sky Myopia-Cure," and her sales network had successfully stretched worldwide. Now, entrepreneurs across the globe knew of the beautiful executive named Li Zhi from Hong Kong’s Starry Sky Group; wherever she traveled, she was met with exceptional welcome and hospitality.

Regarding Liu Wenqi at Starry Sky Legal Consultants, he had successfully established a comprehensive legal firm. Furthermore, he had utilized his industry connections to poach numerous outstanding legal professionals. Currently, however, this consultancy only provided internal legal counsel and support to the Starry Sky Group and did not engage in external business. Even so, the firm’s strength was formidable, managing every legally related matter for the Starry Sky Group flawlessly, without a single error.

Chen Changsheng’s Science Research Institute had also developed rapidly. After supplementing its staff with additional researchers, the Institute officially commenced operations, initiating the research tasks assigned by Liu Hui. However, due to the relatively short integration time for the research team, they currently had no tangible results to report.

Liu Hui's Starry Sky Group was brimming with vitality and rapid progress. In stark contrast, the domestic Han Tang Hospital was faring poorly; it had become notorious, its ill repute well-established. Since contracting AIDS, Guo Jia had retreated into seclusion to manage his illness and had not shown his face in public since, much less managed the Han Tang Hospital. The two patients who had been receiving treatment at the hospital finally discovered that something was wrong. Through their significant financial incentives, they managed to extract the truth from internal staff: the Han Tang Hospital could no longer treat AIDS patients.

These two patients were individuals of high standing—one a hereditary European Count, the other a Prince from a small Middle Eastern nation. Upon learning that the Han Tang Hospital could no longer cure AIDS, they were terrified and furious, determined to demand an explanation from Guo Jia. But by this time, Guo Jia had vanished, and they could not find a trace of him. When they went to the Han Tang Hospital to protest, Ou Jiang, still working there, informed them that the medical fees they had previously paid had already been refunded, and they had accepted the reimbursement at the time without objection. This, he argued, meant they were aware of the treatment cessation beforehand, thus the Han Tang Hospital bore no fault and would not entertain their protests.

The two patients recalled the matter of Guo Jia returning their treatment fees, but they could not accept the hospital's justification. They joined forces and held a press conference where they condemned the Han Tang Hospital’s despicable conduct. At the conference, they also questioned whether the hospital’s refusal to treat their AIDS was because it intended to raise prices again. They presented evidence from Chinese monopolistic enterprises that frequently created shortages before price hikes to support this claim, compounded by the Han Tang Hospital’s history of raising treatment fees from one million to five million dollars—a precedent that made their suspicions difficult to dismiss. They further asserted that treating AIDS concerned the well-being of all humanity, and therefore, such a cure could not remain solely in the hands of the Han Tang Hospital; they demanded the hospital release the treatment method, warning that more people would die without it.

The Han Tang Hospital was completely incapable of treating AIDS, let alone handing over the methodology. Realizing they were on domestic soil and that foreign protests and condemnations could not harm them in the slightest, the hospital responded with silence.

Little did they know that the two AIDS patients were not easily deterred, as their very lives were at stake. They began campaigning and giving speeches worldwide, intensifying their financial efforts with the media. Astonishingly, they managed to secure consensus among developed nations in Europe and the Americas. These countries collectively contacted the Chinese government, demanding that the Han Tang Hospital immediately release the treatment method to benefit all humanity.

Faced with severe international pressure, even the elder Mr. Guo could no longer hold firm. He quietly sent emissaries to Liu Hui, begging him to formulate the AIDS drug once more to alleviate the crisis. However, Liu Hui resolutely refused, stating he was powerless to help. The Guo family, desperate, quickly devised a desperate measure: they fabricated a spurious Traditional Chinese Medicine formula, which required vast quantities of ingredients such as ten-thousand-year-old Ginseng, ten-thousand-year-old Polygonum multiflorum, and ten-thousand-year-old Vermilion Fruit. They publicized this formula as the secret AIDS cure, claiming the Ginseng, Polygonum, and Fruit must all be over ten thousand years old to be effective. The Han Tang Hospital’s previous ability to treat AIDS, they claimed, was due to its existing stock of these ancient ingredients, which were now depleted, hence the inability to continue treatment.

Liu Hui found the Guo family’s manufactured formula both absurd and amusing. He himself had previously concocted a fake formula to mask the secret of the actual AIDS drug, and now the Guo family, in handling this matter, had coincidentally mirrored his tactic—both resorting to fabrication. However, under these circumstances, he could not possibly expose them. Thus, when facing reporters, Liu Hui tacitly affirmed the Guo family’s explanation.

Scientific research institutions in Europe and America were dumbfounded upon receiving this so-called formula. Merely seeing the term "ten-thousand-year-old" signaled the near impossibility of sourcing the materials. Moreover, the requirement that the herbs be millennia old to have any therapeutic effect, combined with their unfamiliarity with Traditional Chinese Medicine, led them to abandon replication attempts after only a few trials. While they harbored doubts about the formula’s authenticity, the Guo family's explanation was logical and without apparent flaw, especially given the hospital's prior success, leading them to finally quiet down.

The two patients, after all their strenuous effort, gained no satisfactory result; their AIDS remained untreatable, leaving them to face death.

Knowing that the AIDS drug had vanished from the world and AIDS had reverted to being an incurable scourge, those who had grown overly reckless once more became cautious, unwilling to contract the plague of the century again. Consequently, social morality experienced a noticeable improvement.

Originally, Liu Hui had been nominated for the 2011 Nobel Prize in Medicine for inventing the AIDS drug, and there was a general consensus that the award was his to lose. But following this series of reversals, new discourse arose concerning whether the Nobel Prize should indeed be awarded to him.

After a period of intense debate, the consensus leaned toward the view that although Liu Hui had invented the drug, he could not guarantee its long-term, large-scale production, nor was he willing to disclose the mechanism of action. Therefore, his invention had failed to benefit humanity and should not merit the Nobel Prize.

Then, others suggested Liu Hui should be nominated again based on his invention of the drug for nearsightedness, noting its remarkably consistent efficacy. However, given the previous debacle with the AIDS drug, the Nobel Prize Committee demanded Liu Hui provide the specific mechanism of action and production method for "Starry Sky Myopia-Cure" to ensure the invention was safe, effective, and capable of serving humanity long-term, rather than becoming another AIDS drug scenario.

Naturally, Liu Hui was unwilling to reveal the specifics of "Starry Sky Myopia-Cure," partly because he didn't fully grasp the underlying science himself. He declined the request, citing commercial secrecy. Due to Liu Hui's lack of cooperation, the Nobel Review Committee was compelled to halt the evaluation process for his candidacy for the Nobel Prize in Medicine. Thus, Liu Hui, once the most likely Chinese laureate, ended up with nothing. Yet, Liu Hui was no longer the same; he now cared little for such empty honors. In his view, tangible benefits far outweighed the award of a Nobel Prize.

In Liu Hui's office, Wang Yilang sat opposite him, both men troubled by a single matter.

In fact, among the companies established in recent months, the Asset Management Company was the fastest growing, though its existence and operations remained unpublicized by Liu Hui, hence the general ignorance of its success.

Under the expert stewardship of Wang Yilang, the Asset Management Company had achieved significant success in securing stakes and outright acquisitions in enterprises related to mining, smelting, and shipbuilding. Liu Hui had poured enormous energy into this company over the past few months, injecting over forty billion US dollars in direct cash investment. With this massive influx of funds, Liu Hui finally held a significant voice in the mining, smelting, and shipbuilding industries, as influence in these sectors was crucial for the execution of his overarching plans.

However, Wang Yilang brought Liu Hui a significant problem: the issue of the submarine manufacturing plant he had mentioned previously. That plant had faced bankruptcy and operational crisis due to conflicts with local authorities, who subsequently ostracized it. Wang Yilang only uncovered these problems after taking over. The local government was now demanding the immediate relocation of the submarine factory, citing environmental pollution and ecological crises caused to the area. This prompted Wang Yilang to consult Liu Hui: should the submarine plant be dismantled and sold off immediately, or should a full relocation be attempted? If relocation was the choice, where should it go?

“Boss, perhaps we should just dismantle the submarine plant and sell the assets. It avoids the hassle of finding a place to move it,” Wang Yilang suggested.

Liu Hui flipped through the documents in his hand again. “I’ve reviewed the data on this submarine manufacturing plant. Some of their technology and equipment are world-class. They even managed to build a research submersible capable of descending ten thousand meters, though that specific vessel has little practical application. Why would I abandon a factory with such profound technical strength?”

“The plant possesses formidable technology and equipment, and its workers are all highly skilled and experienced. The core issue is that we simply have no location to house it. If we move it domestically, the plant will likely cease to be ours in the end. If we place it in another country, we cannot guarantee its security. It truly is a dilemma,” Wang Yilang expressed his frustration.

Liu Hui rose and studied the large map on the wall. Suddenly, his eyes brightened, and he pointed to a specific location. “It’s as if we were searching for something we already had right in front of us. We will put this submarine manufacturing plant right here.”

Wang Yilang stepped forward and saw that Liu Hui was pointing directly at the location of the Starry Sky Group headquarters—Bu Dai Ao.

“Boss, Bu Dai Ao is indeed an excellent location, perfectly suited for a submarine manufacturing plant. However, it is entirely populated by fisherfolk who have lived there for generations. Will they be willing to relocate?” Wang Y; i asked.

“We can offer them generous relocation fees, and we can even absorb them into positions within the Starry Sky Group. There are countless ways to solve this problem; as long as we are willing to invest heavily, there is no unsolvable issue,” Liu Hui smiled.

“Boss, I will discuss this immediately with Chen Wenqi from the Legal Consultants Company to see if there are any legal complications with this approach,” Wang Yilang responded promptly.

“Go ahead. I am very interested in this submarine manufacturing plant; you must ensure I secure it,” Liu Hui emphasized.

“I will, Boss, don’t worry,” Wang Yilang said, confident in his experience with such matters.

Not long after Wang Yilang departed, a knock echoed at the door. Before Liu Hui could respond, a head poked cautiously through the opening. Seeing Liu Hui inside his office, the person immediately slipped in and firmly shut the door.

“Dean Chen, what are you doing?” Liu Hui flinched backward instinctively as Chen Changsheng crept toward him.

“Boss, I’ve come to bring you good news,” Chen Changsheng whispered mysteriously.

“Dean Chen, please sit down and take your time explaining,” Liu Hui said, feeling a wave of relief.

“Boss, look…” Chen Changsheng remained standing, instead placing a box on Liu Hui’s desk.

“What is this?” Liu Hui asked Chen Changsheng without opening the box.

“This is the result of our research over this period, Boss. I remember you saying you had a lot more of these items. If you were telling the truth, we are truly rich this time,” Chen Changsheng said, visibly excited and trembling slightly.

Liu Hui opened the box with curiosity. Inside lay three white stones, accompanied by a peculiar device.

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