Angie’s parents had already returned to the States, and just as Liu Hui thought Angie would go back with them, he discovered she was still in Hong Kong, continuing her strange experiments. Puzzled, he asked, "Angie, why aren't you going back to America?"

Angie rolled her eyes at Liu Hui. "There are constant aftershocks there right now; it’s extremely dangerous. Are you hoping I’ll go back there to die?"

Liu Hui chuckled. "Sorry, I misspoke. I was just checking in on you."

Angie scoffed. "Do you think I don't know what you’re thinking? You’re afraid that if I leave, the secrets in your lab will leak out, which is why you came running over to ask, right?"

Liu Hui scratched his head. "Heaven knows I’m telling the truth! I asked because I genuinely care about you. I never once considered the issue of you leaking secrets."

Angie laughed. "Then what you’re saying is, you’re afraid something will happen to me if I go back, so you can’t bear to see me leave, is that it?"

"Exactly!" Liu Hui exclaimed.

"In that case," Angie said, "I’ll never leave. I’ll stay right by your side, okay?"

Liu Hui responded dumbly, "That would be the best."

Angie exploded with fury. "Just as I thought! I test you once, and I find out the truth. Tell me, are you still planning to do that thing to me that you did last time?"

Liu Hui quickly explained, "How could I do something like that? You know I have a stellar reputation within the company; no one has ever mentioned any gossip about me."

Angie countered, "If your reputation is so good, why did you try to sleep with me the very first time we met? And now you’re pretending nothing ever happened?"

Liu Hui forced an awkward laugh. "Well... ah, I seem to have some unfinished business. I should get going now. Goodbye." With that, he bolted.

Angie blushed and muttered, "What a guy—all desire, no nerve."

Liu Hui startled, nearly tripping, and then quickened his pace.

But Angie called out loudly, "Liu Hui, wait a moment."

Liu Hui stopped immediately, unsure what she wanted.

Angie continued, "Last time, you mentioned that California is my hometown and that you wanted to find a way to help the disaster victims there. So, this time, you arranged for the Starlight Charity Foundation to rush two hundred billion dollars’ worth of supplies over there—is that correct?"

Liu Hui was momentarily stunned, wondering why Angie was connecting the Starlight Charity Foundation’s actions to his earlier words, but he quickly replied vaguely, "It should be something like that!"

Angie looked down, her face flushed, and said softly, "Thank you, Liu Hui. I’ve felt your sincerity."

When Liu Hui returned nervously to the Starlight Group headquarters, he found Director Huang from the Ministry of Commerce waiting at the grand entrance. Li Lian stood beside him, seemingly explaining something.

Director Huang spotted Liu Hui immediately and walked over.

"Boss, Director Huang insisted he see you today, saying he would wait here for you..." Li Lian reported helplessly.

Liu Hui waved his hand. "I know. You can go back to work."

Li Lian retreated into the building, but Director Huang sounded displeased. "Boss Liu, you’re being rather ungracious. Why the sudden aversion to seeing me?"

Liu Hui smiled. "Director Huang, I’ve been quite busy lately. How could I not want to see you? But since we’ve met today, why don’t we take a walk around?"

"That sounds lovely!" Director Huang replied. "I’ve been to Starlight Group so many times, but I’ve never had a proper tour of your facilities. I’ll accompany Boss Liu today."

So, the two walked side-by-side into the Starlight Group’s vast industrial park.

"Director Huang, what urgent matter requires your presence today?" Liu Hui inquired.

"Boss Liu, I’ve come with good news! We have resolved a major issue for you, which I know will make you very happy," Director Huang said, deliberately leaving a pause.

Liu Hui paused, then smiled. "Then I must ask Director Huang to enlighten me. What major problem have you solved for us?"

Director Huang continued, "We were aware of the extremely severe conflict that erupted between your Starlight Group and the American government—it had reached a breaking point, a very troublesome situation for you. After I returned last time, I reported this to the high-ranking officials back home. They took your predicament very seriously and have been actively seeking ways to help alleviate the difficulties you were facing..."

Liu Hui began to grow impatient. He cut Director Huang off. "Director Huang, please get straight to the point. I appreciate your concern; there’s no need for elaboration."

Director Huang gave an awkward laugh. "Young people truly lack patience. Here is the situation: America just suffered a Magnitude 10 earthquake. Our nation seized this rare opportunity to approach the U.S. government regarding the conflict you had. After paying a considerable price, we finally persuaded the U.S. government to bury the hatchet with you."

Liu Hui blinked, fearing he misheard. "What? You’re saying, with your help and after paying a huge price, you managed to resolve the enmity between us and the U.S. government?"

Director Huang beamed. "Yes. Although the price we paid was significant, it ultimately resolved your entanglement. It’s a good thing. If America hadn't coincidentally experienced this massive earthquake, this issue would have been very difficult to settle. You see now, our country treats Starlight Group as one of its own state-owned enterprises. We are willing to pay any price for you..."

Liu Hui could hardly believe his ears. "You’re saying you paid a heavy price..."

Director Huang smiled. "Indeed, a very heavy price. Boss Liu, you must understand our position. Our country went all out for you this time. Now that you have seen our sincerity, perhaps you can reconsider that matter I brought up before?"

Liu Hui was completely bewildered. "What matter?"

Director Huang said, displeased, "The matter of the state taking an equity stake in Starlight Group! We aren't demanding controlling shares; twenty percent would suffice."

Liu Hui finally grasped the situation and stated seriously, "Director Huang, please forgive my bluntness, but the conflict between Starlight Group and the U.S. government was perfectly resolved a long time ago. Our Starlight Charity Foundation donated two hundred billion dollars for the relief efforts following the Los Angeles earthquake, and in return, the U.S. government signed documents guaranteeing the normal sale of our company’s products in the American market. Therefore, unless you are trying to trick me, either what you just said is false, or you have been duped by the Americans."

Director Huang’s face fell in shock. "You’re saying you already reached an agreement with the U.S. government? When did this reconciliation happen?"

Liu Hui replied, "That’s correct. We indeed reached an accord with the U.S. government. It happened two days ago, and we have the signed guarantee documents as proof, complete with specific dates."

Director Huang looked utterly lost, repeatedly stammering, "That’s impossible, how could that be..."

Seeing Director Huang distracted, Liu Hui quickly called out softly, "Director Huang? Director Huang..."

Director Huang snapped back to attention, panicking slightly. "Boss Liu, I have something pressing. I must leave now." He turned and walked away quickly, leaving Liu Hui staring in bewilderment.

Seven days after the Los Angeles earthquake, search and rescue operations for potential survivors were still ongoing. The American side had deployed numerous aircraft, ships, vehicles, and various heavy rescue equipment. Large numbers of U.S. military personnel and National Guardsmen had moved into the disaster zones, utilizing their equipment for urgent rescue efforts.

Rescue teams dispatched from various nations had long since arrived in Los Angeles and commenced their rescue activities. Furthermore, various charitable organizations brought massive amounts of relief supplies to the affected areas, providing much-needed necessities to the suffering populace.

As intelligence reports continued to accumulate, the astonishing destructive power of this super-earthquake began to reveal itself to the world.

In this massive earthquake, the entire West Coast region of the United States was severely affected. Over two million structures suffered collapse or damage, and the entirety of Los Angeles City had been reduced to ruins. The downtown area had become an inland sea, with virtually no building remaining unscathed.

The bodies of over 400,000 victims had already been recovered, while countless more injured were transported to major hospitals across the U.S. At least 200,000 of these had serious injuries. The number of people missing in this super-earthquake exceeded 300,000. At least half of these missing individuals were still trapped beneath the rubble, and as rescue time dragged on, their chances of survival dwindled.

Liu Hui watched the tragic scenes on television, feeling a pang of sadness. Although many buildings had collapsed during the quake, the overall structural integrity of the houses wasn't entirely annihilated, meaning those sheltering inside might survive the collapse. Thus, even with over two million buildings destroyed, the actual death toll wasn't as catastrophic as imagined. This made Liu Hui reflect; if this earthquake had struck a major city center in China, given the quality of the building construction there, the death toll would likely have been astronomical.

The Starlight Charity Foundation, led by Liu Hui’s father, performed remarkably well in the relief efforts. Not only did they announce the mobilization of two hundred billion dollars in aid, but they also demonstrated a very high standard in their actual rescue operations.

The Starlight Charity Foundation extensively utilized the Potential Inducers provided by Liu Hui, successfully rescuing many critically injured patients and saving numerous lives, earning high praise from the American people. Chen Shaokang’s performance, however, was rather unremarkable. His Amy Charity Foundation lacked the equipment and Potential Inducers provided by Liu Hui, which explained why, despite his dedicated rescue efforts, his results were not as effective.

During this period of over a week, the entire world echoed with mourning. Donations and aid poured in from everywhere to support the American people’s disaster relief efforts. Among all the announced rankings for donations and aid, the Starlight Charity Foundation stood first with its colossal $20 billion, far surpassing the second-place contribution of $1.5 billion. This dramatically boosted global goodwill towards the Starlight Group, viewing them as setting a standard appropriate for a colossal corporation. Concurrently, Liu Hui’s father, Liu Decheng, the president of the Starlight Charity Foundation, instantly gained worldwide fame.

Although Liu Decheng and the Starlight Charity Foundation had already garnered significant international attention during last year’s Indian Ocean nuclear detonation incident, the accolades he received this time far surpassed those before. This was because the earthquake occurred in the United States, drawing infinitely more global focus than the Indian Ocean event. Due to his standout performance in the rescue operations, Liu Decheng was hailed as the world’s foremost philanthropist. Even though everyone knew Liu Decheng was spending Liu Hui’s money, the funds were distributed specifically through his hands, making the title of "World’s Foremost Philanthropist" well-deserved.

When Liu Hui learned of his father’s title, he smiled knowingly. His objective had finally been achieved. In terms of sheer fame now, his father was almost on par with Chen Shaokang. Moreover, his father possessed a crucial advantage: he had regained the health of his prime years—a feature Chen Shaokang could never match. It appeared that in this battle for affection, while his father started at a disadvantage, he was slowly catching up and might very well win in the end.

Two weeks after the Los Angeles earthquake, rescue operations in Los Angeles had largely ceased, except in a few isolated pockets. A profound sense of sorrow enveloped the entire United States.

After this super-earthquake, the map of Los Angeles had effectively been erased. The once-level ground was riddled with fissures, and the central area had turned into a body of water—a scene of utter devastation with landslides and ruptures everywhere. The post-quake ruins were no longer habitable for humans. Surrounding areas of Los Angeles also suffered massive losses; Hollywood, the city of cinema, was completely destroyed. Its past glory would now only exist on film reels and in human memory. The once bustling second-largest metropolitan area in America had utterly vanished from the world’s sight.

In this super-earthquake, 580,000 people perished in the United States, and 760,000 required ongoing hospitalization for injuries, 50,000 of whom remained in critical condition, not yet out of danger. Additionally, 80,000 people were still missing.

The entire U.S. suffered catastrophic losses from this event. The direct economic damages alone exceeded five trillion dollars, not to mention the indirect losses, which were estimated to surpass fifty trillion dollars.

From the day of the earthquake onward, the U.S. completely shut down its domestic financial markets, fearing a massive crash. However, when the markets reopened half a month later, the U.S. stock market plummeted relentlessly, seemingly without a bottom. Countless companies and individuals were instantly bankrupted, leading to innumerable suicides. The American economy appeared to have no discernible future.

Yet, just as all Americans were lamenting their fate, one person managed to profit immensely during this financial downturn: Wei Chao.

When reporters discovered that Wei Chao was the only person in the entire U.S. who had made substantial money, they immediately interviewed him, asking why he had profited so greatly while everyone else was losing.

Wei Chao appeared deeply sorrowful on screen. He claimed it was because he had previously predicted a downturn in the U.S. economy and had therefore shorted it. However, he never expected the U.S. economy to decline before the super-earthquake hit, which ultimately caused the drop. Thus, his profit was purely accidental.

The reporters immediately recalled Wei Chao’s prior pessimistic forecasts about the U.S. economy, forecasts for which they had collectively mocked him, calling him insane. But now, Wei Chao had incredibly good fortune, stumbling upon the once-in-a-millennium opportunity of the U.S. earthquake, enabling him to make a fortune. The reporters readily accepted his account, envying his incredible luck, reasoning that no one could possibly foresee a major earthquake.

The reporters then remembered Wei Chao’s previously undefeated track record, especially his moniker, the "Financial Prodigy." Although he had suffered one major loss during the Indian Ocean nuclear event, it did nothing to tarnish the genuine gold standard of his title. With this single move, he proved to the world that the "Financial Prodigy" had reappeared, still invincible, leaving those who doubted him and his institutions to regret their skepticism.

On television, Wei Chao stated that if he had the choice, he would rather not make any money than have such a devastating super-earthquake occur in the U.S. Therefore, he announced his decision to donate $30 billion to help resolve the practical issues faced by the disaster victims.

This statement instantly caused his favorability rating among the American public to soar. Furthermore, his $30 billion donation surpassed the Starlight Charity Foundation’s contribution, instantly making him the new foremost philanthropist in the world. Liu Hui’s father held that title for only one week before Wei Chao took it over.

When Liu Hui saw Wei Chao's broadcast, for some reason, he was suddenly reminded of the abnormal methods Wei Chao had employed in shorting the U.S. economy, which Desheng had mentioned previously. Wei Chao had bet his entire fortune on the U.S. economy declining, meaning his profit must have exceeded $100 billion. By immediately injecting $30 billion, Wei Chao simultaneously eased suspicion and resentment from others. However, he had quietly secured over $70 billion in net profit. This caused Liu Hui to admire Wei Chao’s foresight and skill secretly.

Liu Hui had previously found Wei Chao’s maneuver strange. Even though the entire world doubted Wei Chao at the time, Liu Hui was certain that Wei Chao must have discerned some underlying issue with the U.S. government to dare make such a bold gamble. The result now proved that Wei Chao hadn't acted randomly; the super-earthquake happened, and he made a fortune. Although the outcome felt bizarre—requiring a super-earthquake occurring perhaps once in ten thousand years—it was undeniable.

As Liu Hui contemplated this, he suddenly recalled an old event from long ago. This was when Liu Hui was still in Bashan, shortly after he and Mei Peng had founded the Han Tang Hospital. Wei Chao had approached them then, offering $10 billion for a 51% stake in the hospital. After Liu Hui refused, Wei Chao asked a very strange question: Did Liu Hui know about the Los Angeles earthquake?

Recalling this nearly forgotten incident, Liu Hui felt a sudden chill. Could the so-called Los Angeles earthquake Wei Chao mentioned back then refer to this current disaster? But how could Wei Chao possibly know about an earthquake that would happen years later? And how could he have prepared for it and profited so heavily from it? Was this coincidence, or was there some strange hidden background to it all?

Just as Liu Hui was speculating about Wei Chao’s motives for this move, Li Lian came to report that Director Huang from the mainland was there again, still insisting on seeing him, asking if Liu Hui would receive him.

Liu Hui felt a headache coming on. During his previous conversation with Director Huang, he had learned that the mainland had paid a significant price to reach a consensus with the U.S. government: that the U.S. government would refrain from further conflict with the Starlight Group.

Liu Hui had initially suspected Director Huang was bluffing, but he later discovered through his intelligence network that the mainland had indeed paid a huge cost to handle the matter. This implied that the cunning Americans had deceived China’s high-ranking officials. For reasons Liu Hui didn't understand, these officials had rashly agreed to the terms proposed by the Americans without communicating with Starlight Group beforehand, leading to them being duped.

This situation was now Liu Hui’s biggest headache. The Starlight Group’s issues were already perfectly resolved without any mainland intervention, yet the mainland, at the wrong time, had made the wrong decision. If they had been deceived by the Americans, how would they now treat the Starlight Group?

However, Liu Hui knew he couldn't keep avoiding the issue any longer. He said, "Very well, Li Lian, bring Director Huang into my office!"

In a short while, Li Lian brought Director Huang to Liu Hui's office. Director Huang's expression was somewhat strained, but the moment he saw Liu Hui, his habitual smile immediately surfaced.

"Director Huang, please have a seat. I wonder what brings you here this time?" Liu Hui asked with a smile.

Thanks to the reader, Ye Ming, for the generous tip.

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