A little while later, the takeout Liu Hui had ordered was served. He sat there devouring the food, looking as if he hadn't eaten in ages.

Watching Liu Hui's miserable state twisted Hu Xian'er's heart like a knife. She loved this man deeply, even though he had cheated. If there were any possibility, she would rather die herself than see Liu Hui reduced to this state.

Li Zhi glanced at Liu Hui a few times, then at Hu Xian'er, and quietly asked, "Xian'er, what are you going to do now that the boss has become like this?"

Hu Xian'er murmured, "Yes, what should I do?"

Li Zhi hesitated for a moment before finally saying, "Xian'er, actually, all of us veterans of the Starry Sky Group know about the problems between you and the boss. It was that detestable An Qi who threw herself in the middle, causing things to get this way between you two."

Hu Xian'er was stunned. "How could you all know about Liu Hui and An Qi?"

Li Zhi replied, "Because An Qi often comes to the boss's office to see him! And sometimes she deliberately acts intimately with the boss right in front of us, as if she's afraid we won't know about their affair. Plus, you and the boss are currently separated, so of course we know where the problem lies."

Hu Xian'er gave a bitter laugh. "It’s true that good news doesn't travel far, but bad news travels fast. I can only say your sources are incredibly well-informed to even know about my separation from Liu Hui."

Li Zhi smiled awkwardly, quickly covering the point with a laugh. She continued, "Xian'er, if I were you, I wouldn't leave the boss's side, not giving that vixen any chance to get close to him."

Hu Xian'er paused, asking, "Why would you say that?"

Li Zhi explained, "Everyone knows how wonderful the relationship between you and the boss was. You managed his household while he built his career outside; you two treated each other with respect, a couple envied by all. Look at successful men like the boss in today's society—aren't they always surrounded by countless flirtatious women? If you can't imagine that scenario, just look at Wei Chao. But what does the boss do? He hasn't been involved in any scandals, he hasn't harassed any female subordinates, and he even comes home on time every day, never staying out overnight. From this, you can see that the boss loves you, and he is absolutely a loyal and good man."

Hu Xian'er looked down, saddened by Li Zhi's words. "But didn't he end up getting involved with An Qi later?"

Li Zhi insisted, "There must be some hidden reason. And I’m sure that An Qi must use some kind of sorcery; otherwise, how could someone as steadfast in love as the boss possibly shift his affection and fall for her?"

Hu Xian'er gave a wry smile inwardly. Li Zhi didn't know An Qi's background and couldn't grasp why Liu Hui was with her. So, saying An Qi used sorcery—she didn't realize An Qi held quite a significant place in Liu Hui's heart.

Li Zhi pressed on, "Xian'er, An Qi approaching the boss must have some ulterior motive. Maybe she really is some thousand-year-old demon planning to harm the boss. And you separating from him at this time—isn't that playing right into her hands?"

Hu Xian'er asked, "Then, what do you think I should do?"

Li Zhi advised, "I think you should return to the boss's side, guard your home fiercely, and not let that fox spirit cross the threshold. Don't worry, all of us old-timers at Starry Sky Group will support you."

Hu Xian'er asked in surprise, "What do you mean by supporting me?"

Li Zhi looked puzzled. "Xian'er, you don't know yet?"

Hu Xian'er questioned, "What am I supposed to know?"

Li Zhi sighed. "Xian'er, An Qi is incredibly popular in the company now. The Starry Sky Scientific Research Institute has practically become her loyal base. Anyone who works there for a while is completely conquered by An Qi's talent and becomes her fervent follower. Even my Yang Hua listens to everything she says. I suspect if An Qi told him to kill me that day, he wouldn't hesitate to do it."

Hu Xian'er replied, "I know all about these things. Her research capabilities are strong, and she solved countless scientific problems; it's understandable she gained such status. Besides, even though she is with Liu Hui, I don't believe she would harm anyone."

Li Zhi stared intently at Hu Xian'er, then said after a moment, "I heard that Desheng, the man in charge of intelligence—that man who looks increasingly sinister—seems to be a strong supporter of An Qi too! So, with so many supporters An Qi already has in the company, if the boss truly leaves you, those people might immediately push for the boss to marry her! But don't worry, we old guard of the company are still on your side. As long as we are here, the boss won't leave you."

Hu Xian'er hadn't realized she had supporters within the company. However, what she didn't know was that in the eyes of the Starry Sky Group veterans, she was someone very familiar to them whom they fully approved of. As long as Hu Xian'er remained the boss's wife, their interests would be secured without major upheaval. As for the later arrival, An Qi, due to the specialized nature of her work, these veterans didn't know her well, fearing their own status might shift if she became the boss's wife. Thus, they split into two factions: one strongly supporting Hu Xian'er, and the other backing An Qi.

Seeing Hu Xian'er lost in thought, Li Zhi added, "Of course, if you could give birth to a child with the boss, your position would be even more secure. No one could ever take your place, and Liu Hui would never leave you under any circumstances."

Hu Xian'er's heart tightened. It seemed the fact that she and Liu Hui had no children had already become a topic of discussion internally. The words her father and Liu Hui’s mother had spoken to her before echoed in her ears.

Seeing Hu Xian'er's pitiful appearance, Li Zhi had felt an impulse and brought up these unspoken matters. Seeing Hu Xian'er remain silent for a long time afterward, she instantly felt uneasy, wondering if Hu Xian'er would resent her for being too outspoken.

Liu Hui finished his meal at the fast-food restaurant below. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve, paid the bill, and left the diner. As he walked toward the mall exit, he suddenly noticed an adorable little boy playing with toys on the ground. A thought stirred in Liu Hui, and in that instant, his paternal instincts were awakened.

Liu Hui stared blankly at the little boy, instinctively reaching out to touch the child's face. But the small boy, seeing the disheveled Liu Hui, recoiled repeatedly, then burst into tears.

Liu Hui froze his hand awkwardly. The boy's parents, hearing his cries, rushed over, holding the child close while glaring fiercely at Liu Hui.

Liu Hui shook his head, forced a self-mocking smile, and dejectedly left the Starry Sky Mall.

Hu Xian'er watched Liu Hui's lonely figure, and her tears flowed again. Especially when she saw him reach out to touch the little boy's face only to scare the child into crying—that heartbreaking expression on his face made Hu Xian'er weep uncontrollably.

Wiping her tears, Hu Xian'er stood up and said to Li Zhi, "Zhizhi, I have something to do; I need to go back. I won't stay with you." Then she insisted on paying the bill and walked out of the coffee shop.

But just then, Hu Qingyang suddenly appeared. Seeing Hu Xian'er's tear-streaked face, he looked helpless, unsure if bringing her out for a change of scenery had been the right decision.

"Dad, I'm tired. Let's go home," Hu Xian'er said, and Hu Qingyang immediately followed her home.

After they left, Li Zhi asked Yang Hua, "Yang Hua, what in the world were you two doing? How can going to the restroom take so long? You could fly to Hong Kong and back in the time it took!"

Yang Hua kept rubbing his neck. He explained, "I was accompanying the Old Master to the restroom, but as soon as we rounded that corner, he grabbed me by the neck and dragged me into a secluded little shop upstairs to watch your every move. Only when he saw the Boss's wife leave did he let me go."

Li Zhi chuckled lightly. "You should count yourself lucky that you came back alive. Do you know what the Old Master used to do?"

Yang Hua said, horrified, "What exactly did the Old Master do? When he was choking me, I not only felt his immense strength, but I also saw a dragon tattoo on his arm. Is he some deeply hidden super-assassin?"

Li Zhi laughed. "He's much more than a simple super-assassin. In the past, he was the most notorious triad boss in Hong Kong. He truly didn't blink when killing people."

Yang Hua flinched, immediately shrinking his neck, secretly grateful he had managed to save his life.

Soon, time fast-forwarded to the end of 2015. As per tradition, the Starry Sky Group was set to hold a large year-end work summary meeting. It was held again in that massive Starry Sky Sports Center, gathering one hundred thousand representatives elected from every sector of the Starry Sky Group. They were once again going to witness the glory of the Starry Sky Group in 2015 and look forward to its development in 2016.

This time, the Starry Sky Group mobilized its Starry Sky Television, Starry Sky Network, and Starry Sky Daily to provide the most extensive exclusive coverage of this large-scale year-end summary meeting. By this time, the attention of the entire world was drawn to the "Starry Sky City," and people were intensely interested in the achievements the Starry Sky Group had made over the year. Especially individuals and institutions dedicated to studying the Starry Sky Group and Liu Hui, they were exceptionally keen on this work summary meeting, as they could glean much material of interest from it.

By three o'clock that afternoon, many people had their televisions locked onto Starry Sky Television, tuning into this corporate summary meeting that could influence global developments.

The agenda for this year's Starry Sky Group year-end summary meeting was largely unchanged from previous years—still concise. After everyone stood to sing the Starry Sky Group's anthem, "Humanity's Future Lies in the Stars," the official proceedings began.

First, Jiang Lu, the General Manager of the Starry Sky Group, delivered the 2015 work summary.

“...The past year has been one of greater brilliance for our Starry Sky Group. In this year, our Starry Sky Group acquired its own city—the marvelous 'Starry Sky City.' We now possess our own territory, which already exceeds one hundred square kilometers in area. We will continue to create more glory for all Starry Sky citizens within 'Starry Sky City'..."

"...Over the past year, all aspects of the Starry Sky Group have achieved massive development. The total number of employees in our wholly-owned enterprises has reached 1.5 million. If we count the dependents of these employees, over six million people now rely on the Starry Sky Group for their livelihood. Currently, the total number of residents living in 'Starry Sky City' exceeds 300,000..."

"...Last year, the total revenue from all the group's businesses set a new record, reaching a staggering 382 billion US dollars. Compared to last year's 265 billion US dollars, this is an increase of 117 billion US dollars, representing a growth rate of 44%. Of course, the figures I just mentioned are only the total sales revenue of enterprises wholly controlled by the Starry Sky Group; the income from affiliated companies in which the Starry Sky Group holds shares has not been included. If we ranked by the international standards for national GDP data last year, the GDP figure for our Starry Sky Group would rank fourth on the world's GDP list, surpassed only by the United States, China, and Japan—even Germany has been left far behind us..."

As Jiang Lu announced these figures, they were met with thunderous applause. Although the growth rate for this year, judging by the sheer numbers alone, was not as enormous as in previous years, the absolute increase was very substantial. Especially the rise to fourth place in the global GDP ranking was something they had never imagined before.

One must realize that the Starry Sky Group is just a company with only 1.5 million employees. On average, their per capita GDP reaches a staggering 2.5 million US dollars. This incredibly high per capita GDP figure has left so-called developed nations far behind; they couldn't reach this level even if they developed rapidly for a hundred years.

"...Among all the enterprises under the Starry Sky Group umbrella, Starry Sky Pharmaceuticals' total revenue this year reached 800 billion US dollars; Starry Sky Gourmet's total revenue was 882 billion US dollars; Starry Sky Apparel's total revenue was 1.1 trillion US dollars; Starry Sky Health Products' total revenue was 430 billion US dollars; Starry Sky Desalination's total revenue was 24 billion US dollars; Starry Sky Cosmetics' total revenue was 311 billion US dollars; Starry Sky Terminal Illness Hospital's total revenue was 120 billion US dollars; Starry Sky Security's total revenue was 2 billion US dollars; Starry Sky Agriculture's total revenue was 1 billion US dollars; the newly established Starry Sky Iron Ore Company’s total revenue was 20 billion US dollars; the newly established Starry Sky Petroleum Company’s total revenue was 50 billion US dollars; and the newly established Starry Sky Ocean Minerals Sales Company’s total revenue was 80 billion US dollars."

The employees of the Starry Sky Group below beat their chests, wishing they could dissipate the fervor inside their bodies through this physical exertion.

In Jiang Lu's speech, they also heard the operating status of some newly established companies, and they noticed that some companies that had revenue last year had disappeared from the list. Among the newly established companies, such as Starry Sky Iron Ore and Starry Sky Petroleum, they extracted iron ore and rock from the seabed and sold them to the Chinese government, gaining high revenue while also offsetting China's lost tax revenue for the year. As for the Starry Sky Ocean Minerals Sales Company, it made huge profits by selling the minerals separated from seawater by Starry Sky Desalination.

Several companies that had revenue in previous years, such as Starry Sky Logistics and Starry Sky Construction, had shifted all their focus to the construction of "Starry Sky City" and did not engage in external business, so judging only by the data, they showed no revenue. In reality, they had created substantial value.

However, this was the first year the Starry Sky Group had relocated to "Starry Sky City." They faced interference from many hostile forces, and in the final few months, Liu Hui was immersed in emotional turmoil. Therefore, many well-planned products were not launched. Otherwise, the GDP figures for the Starry Sky Group would have risen much higher.

After Jiang Lu concluded her inspiring work summary, the speeches by the heads of the various departments under the Starry Sky Group followed. Liu Hui sat on the rostrum and remained silent the entire time. It wasn't until the end, when the host handed the microphone to Liu Hui, customarily inviting the Boss to address everyone, that Liu Hui snapped out of his deep contemplation.

Liu Hui glanced at the employees below and said, "To all employees of the Starry Sky Group, first, I want to thank you for your hard work over the past year. It is precisely because of your diligent labor that we have achieved such great success. Therefore, to show my gratitude for your efforts this year, I have decided to set the total amount for this year's year-end bonuses at fifty billion US dollars. The distribution of these bonuses will still be based on each individual's rank and accumulated points within the company."

After speaking, Liu Hui handed the microphone back to the host, ignoring the cheers erupting below. The host was momentarily stunned; she had expected Liu Hui to take the opportunity to say many things to boost morale, but instead, Liu Hui finished with just that simple sentence. The employees below immediately stopped cheering and stared at their boss in astonishment.

Seeing the awkward situation, Jiang Lu whispered, "Boss, the employees are all looking at you. Won't you say a few more words?"

Liu Hui paused, took the microphone back, and said, "Everyone, I hope that while you are successful in your careers, you must handle your family matters properly. Love your wives more, respect your parents more, and care for your children."

The employees below were momentarily taken aback. They immediately recalled how their status at home had dramatically risen with their achievements in recent years, causing them to become somewhat carried away and neglect their families. Thus, the boss made this special request at the conference, which they understood as the boss reminding them, from another perspective, to maintain family harmony. Once they grasped the depth of the boss's concern, they burst into applause, eager to express their gratitude to a good boss who was willing to give out more money, spoke little nonsense, and cared about their families.

In two different locations within "Starry Sky City," when Hu Xian'er and An Qi respectively saw Liu Hui's final words, both couldn't help but shed tears. While the employees didn't know the true meaning behind Liu Hui's statement, they understood it perfectly clear.

Liu Hui was repenting for what he had done and hoping that those listening would not make the same mistake. At that moment, Hu Xian'er and An Qi made a decision in their hearts simultaneously.