A single day apart feels like three long years. Jiang Fei and Lin Moli, despite their high positions and the weighty matters they constantly juggled, were no different from any other couple in love. They, too, longed to be glued to each other’s side every single moment.
After being apart for many days, reuniting in this foreign land, they had little interest in sightseeing or gourmet food. Their top priority was to get back to the hotel, have a good “catch-up” session, and make love with wild abandon.
During a break, after a relaxing shower together that washed away their fatigue, Lin Moli lay in Jiang Fei’s arms. Her fingers traced unconscious circles on his chest as she asked curiously, “How did Prince Charles suddenly get the idea to promote Traditional Chinese Medicine in the British Empire? What did you do to convince him?”
Jiang Fei had no reason to hide anything from Lin Moli. He smiled and said, “To be honest, I didn’t really convince him this time. I didn’t do a thing. The prince is willing to help promote TCM in the UK all because of Old Divine Doctor Cui. You see, Old Cui saved the prince’s life when he was a child—he’s his lifesaver. So over the years, the prince has been eager to repay that debt of gratitude.”
“I see,” Lin Moli said, genuinely surprised. It wasn’t easy for most people to imagine a foreign prince being saved by an old practitioner of Chinese medicine. “Having a prince support TCM with such dedication is indeed a great blessing for the field.”
“Absolutely. Over the past six months, the TCM Association has been steadily building a strong foundation back home. Under Cui Xiuping’s series of strategic moves, the situation has turned around significantly. The old decline has been reversed, and we’ve reached a point where the association can even function without me, the president, having to worry about every little detail. Now that we’re starting to make inroads into the British Empire and laying down roots in Europe, it’s not too big a step—it’s doable. But what about our Jiangshi Pharmaceutical Company? Can we handle the workload?” Jiang Fei asked.
Back in China, the Jiangshi Pharmaceutical Company had been on fire. It had swept through the market, rapidly capturing a massive share of the pharmaceutical industry. However, given the short timeframe, its foundation was still somewhat shallow, with plenty of room for growth.
Conventionally, at this stage, the company should be solidifying its domestic position, consolidating its gains, and building a firm reputation. It shouldn’t be rushing to expand overseas and fight for a slice of the international pie so hastily.
Such a move could be seen as taking too big a step, with the risk of overstretching and hurting itself.
Lin Moli spoke pragmatically: “Our company’s blueprint is indeed ambitious. Domestically, we haven’t yet fully established the kind of presence we need. We’re far from reaching our peak. While our medicines have captured the majority of the market share in several inland provinces, our influence in coastal areas and crucial regions like the capital is still insufficient. Capturing those markets should be our primary goal right now. However, this opportunity in the British Empire is too rare to pass up, and we can’t abandon it just because we’re not fully settled at home. Besides, didn’t you always say that our company’s vision should never be limited to the domestic market? We’re aiming for the global stage, playing the long game. We need to keep our eyes on the bigger prize, not just short-term gains.”
Jiang Fei smiled, leaned down, and gently kissed her smooth forehead. With a hint of concern, he said, “I just worry you’ll overwork yourself. Back home, you were constantly flying around, and you got even less rest than the average office worker. If we expand overseas, you’ll only get busier.”
Lin Moli traced a delicate finger along his cheek and chuckled softly. “That’s nothing. Over the past year, I’ve gotten used to this pace of life. I guess starting that company must have activated some hidden ‘strong woman’ gene inside me. If I were to slow down and take it easy now, I’d probably feel out of place.”
“Besides… aren’t I getting some help with the workload now?”
Jiang Fei was about to ask who she meant, but before the question left his lips, he immediately realized she was referring to Bai Ruoxi.
He felt a bit embarrassed and didn’t know what to say. After all, cradling one woman in his arms while talking about another—it was an awkward situation.
After a pause, he finally said, “Hmm… before the New Year, she told me she was quitting her journalism job to join Jiangshi Pharmaceutical. I thought she was just talking, but it turned out she was serious. She’s doing… pretty well, isn’t she?”
Seeing Jiang Fei hesitate and speak in roundabout ways, Lin Moli couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
She shook her head and sighed with amusement. “Why are you so nervous? I didn’t say I was unhappy about it. On the contrary, I think it’s great that she’s joined us. Didn’t I tell you? Our ‘main wife’—the great reporter Bai—is truly talented. Just like you said, she’s been a leader since childhood, and she has remarkable business acumen. The development and management of the Jiangshi Clinics have been running smoothly under her supervision. Even if I handled it myself, I couldn’t have done better. I’m actually considering handing over the cooperation between Jiangshi Pharmaceutical and various major public hospitals to our ‘main wife’ as well.”
Hearing the term “main wife,” Jiang Fei felt a mix of amusement and exasperation.
This little minx had been like this from the very beginning, back when she was just a nurse at the hospital. And now, even as the CEO of a major corporation, her playful spirit hadn’t changed one bit.
“Don’t worry. You don’t have to fret about me feeling any resentment. I’m not the type who needs to control everything to feel secure. As long as our ‘main wife’ has the skills, I’d have no problem handing over not just the Jiangshi Clinics, but even the entire Jiangshi Pharmaceutical Company someday. I wouldn’t hesitate for a second,” Lin Moli said, hugging him tighter. She tilted her head up, her flawless, stunning face gazing at him with a smile. “As long as I have you—as long as you’re by my side—that’s more than enough for me…”
Heartfelt words don’t always need dramatic emotion or a serious tone to move someone. Often, it’s the spontaneous, honest words that slip out naturally that touch the deepest chords of the heart.
Just like smiling through tears—that delicate, tear-streaked smile—is what tugs at the soul the most.
After being threatened by Jiang Fei and the Lion King, the Vatican personnel had no choice but to shift their investigation toward Michael’s life story, hoping to find some clues from his past files.
Unfortunately, after digging through everything and cross-referencing all possible suspects, they still couldn’t find anyone who might be the mastermind behind the Sky Net assassination organization.
That lead had hit a dead end.
The Vatican had tried everything and come up empty. The Lion King and the Seven Kills Group were likewise unable to find anything. Even if the Lion King was reluctant to give up and wanted to press the Vatican personnel further, it would be futile.
So both sides met again to discuss and decided on a new plan.
Since investigating only Michael the Ascetic’s files hadn’t yielded any leads, they would expand their search to include two more individuals.
Those two were the former demonic assassin who had surpassed the double-S rank, Augustine, and one of the Three Major Deities of the Land of the Three Ahs—’Shiva.’
Both of these Dan Jin-level experts had been deployed by the Sky Net organization in this operation. These were masters who usually kept a low profile and rarely emerged, yet they had taken the risk to come out this time—there had to be a major secret behind it.
The most likely scenario was that only the mastermind behind Sky Net could have persuaded them to act.
By thoroughly investigating these two and combining their findings with Michael the Ascetic’s records—comparing the life stories of all three and looking for common acquaintances or shared experiences—they might be able to deduce the identity of Sky Net’s shadowy leader!
Augustine belonged to no organization or school. He had risen from within the assassin world, step by step, to his current terrifying level.
Investigating someone like him could be tricky, since he operated alone, making it hard to piece together his past without extraordinary resources. But it could also be straightforward because no one would interfere or try to hide information.
Investigating Shiva, on the other hand, would be far more complicated.
One of the Three Major Deities of the Land of the Three Ahs was dead, but the other two—Brahma and Vishnu—were still very much alive and powerful.
Rumors held that among the three, Shiva was the ‘weakest,’ while Brahma and Vishnu were even more formidable.
The three deities were like martial brothers, and given the unique nature of the Land of the Three Ahs—not much less complex than China—any investigation into Shiva would have to be conducted in absolute secrecy. If Brahma and Vishnu caught wind of it, they would definitely intervene!
Two powerful Dan Jin masters, if they united to obstruct something, would pose a threat almost as great—if not slightly less—than the combined might of Jiang Fei and the Lion King.
Especially on their home turf, the difficulty multiplied.
Whether it was the Seven Kills Group or the Vatican personnel, obtaining Shiva’s complete life records within the borders of the Land of the Three Ahs would be no easy task.
However, there was one factor that worked in their favor.
The news of Shiva’s death was still under strict secrecy.
Only the Seven Kills Group and the Vatican knew about it… well, and if the Sky Net organization really did have a mastermind, then he would know too.
As long as they kept this information from leaking, they’d be fine. The other two deities wouldn’t launch a massive retaliation or seek revenge for their ‘little brother’ Shiva, giving the Vatican and the Seven Kills Group some room to operate.
If Brahma and Vishnu learned that Shiva had been killed—and by the Lion King’s own hand—then neither the Vatican nor the Seven Kills Group would be able to enter the Land of the Three Ahs unnoticed and conduct their investigation in peace.
The moment any of their personnel set foot there, they’d be hunted down relentlessly!
Brahma and Vishnu would spare no effort to avenge Shiva.
The vengeful wrath of two Dan Jin masters was not something either the Vatican or the Seven Kills Group could take lightly. They’d have to tread very carefully.
So, when the Vatican and the Lion King settled on this plan, they agreed that the investigation into Shiva couldn’t be carried out by ordinary personnel from either side.
They feared that if news of Shiva’s death leaked, or if Brahma and Vishnu found out through some special channel, any operatives sent to the Land of the Three Ahs would be walking into a death trap.
Thus, both sides decided to dispatch Dan Jin-level experts to conduct the investigation.
That way, even if they failed and couldn’t obtain Shiva’s life records, they’d at least have the means to protect themselves and survive Brahma and Vishnu’s frenzied retaliation.
The Vatican’s chosen operative was the ascetic, Olivia.
As for the Seven Kills Group—well, Jiang Fei was never truly a member to begin with. He had already gone above and beyond by helping them dismantle Sky Net. Moreover, he was busy with matters in the British Empire and couldn’t spare the time. So the Lion King himself would have to take the lead and accompany Olivia deep into the Land of the Three Ahs, to the Ganges basin, to uncover Shiva’s past.
The Seven Kills Group hadn’t informed Jiang Fei of their plans, so he remained unaware.
His main focus was on the arrival of the TCM delegation in London.
The delegation’s itinerary had been meticulously planned in advance. The first item on the agenda was Jiang Fei’s speech at the Royal College of Medicine, in front of countless brilliant Western medicine students, professors, and renowned doctors.
Jiang Fei was full of confidence. After a thorough preparation, he took the stage with ease.
Dean Capone, however, was far from satisfied. He had arranged quite a few “surprises”—a series of harsh, pointed questions to be posed by different individuals, designed to trip Jiang Fei up.
This was similar to many public classes in China, where questioners were pre-arranged. But whereas those were often designed to flatter the speaker, Jiang Fei’s questions were meant to embarrass him and make him look foolish.
Fortunately, Jiang Fei was no flashy charlatan. He had genuine knowledge and real skill. These tough questions didn’t faze him.
Throughout the entire speech, he spoke with a calm smile, addressing every query with ease.
No matter how difficult the medical question—even the toughest ones—his max-level, ninth-tier medical expertise allowed him to answer them effortlessly.
By the end, Jiang Fei hadn’t broken a sweat. But Dean Capone, who had been seated in the audience waiting for him to stumble, was instead left shocked and visibly uneasy.
Was Traditional Chinese Medicine really unscientific and unverifiable? The dean’s conviction was beginning to waver…
