The person at the door was actually Xu Lai's sister-in-law, Ruan Lan! She wore a white dress and was carefully peeking inside. Upon seeing the dense crowd sitting on the ground, she was startled.

"Student, what's wrong?" Liu Nanwei asked. She recognized Ruan Lan at a glance as one of the most well-known figures on campus and involuntarily looked toward Xu Lai.

Liu Nanwei had always believed that the only reason Xu Lai became the head of Dongli University's medical office was for Ruan Lan.

"I'm looking for Xu Lai," Ruan Lan said, pointing inside.

SWOOSH!

In that instant, the gazes of Lin Qiu, Zheng Ping, and the other doctors snapped toward her, tinged with hostility, as Xu Lai had been explaining a critical point.

Ruan Lan felt her scalp tingle under their stares but couldn't help but say with a haughty sniff, "Xu Lai, come out with me!"

There was a clear command in her voice. Then, without waiting for anyone's reaction, she shut the door.

"Mr. Xu..." Li Shouzhong and the others looked on eagerly.

"My apologies, we'll have to continue this later."

Xu Lai squeezed through the crowd and quickly left.

Walking with Ruan Lan across the Dongli University campus, he let out a long breath. "I finally escaped!"

"What were all of you doing in there?" Ruan Lan inquired.

"Oh, they were consulting me on some medical techniques."

"Hmph." Ruan Lan gave him a huge eye roll. Consult him? The nerve! Although she didn't study medicine, she had recognized several doctoral advisors from the medical department in that crowd.

"In five days, it's my sister's birthday," Ruan Lan said, gazing deeply at Xu Lai.

Xu Lai was taken aback for a moment, then nodded. "I understand."

"You don't understand anything! That's also the day she was kicked out of the Ruan Family, the day she became a laughingstock in East Sea and Hangcheng!"

Ruan Lan glared. "I don't care if your engagement to my sister is real or fake. If you have any conscience, take her on a trip to get away from it all. Don't stir up her painful memories."

Xu Lai didn't respond directly, asking instead, "What does your sister like? I want to get her a birthday present."

"No gift would be better than the gift of freedom."

"..."

Xu Lai felt helpless. Am I really that unbearable?

Ruan Lan knew her words were a bit harsh. If her older sister found out, she'd be in for a lecture. She sighed. "Forget it. My sister likes the stars in the sky."

"Then I'll give her the stars," Xu Lai nodded.

Ruan Lan was dumbfounded. She had meant for him to gift something like a telescope, but this man was actually talking about giving her the stars? He's as unreliable as ever!

Her good mood evaporated. Ruan Lan snorted coldly, "Fine, I'll be waiting for your stars!" With that, she turned and walked away.

"Five more days, huh..." Xu Lai's eyes shimmered.

「In the afternoon.」

Xu Lai didn't return to the medical office. Instead, he stood at the gate of East Sea Kindergarten, watching his daughter and Qian Xiao run wildly around the grounds.

Su Daiyi, the heiress of the Su Family, stood respectfully a meter away and whispered, "Mr. Xu, the jadeite we cut the other day sold for one billion yuan. After discussing it with Eighth Master, we decided to keep half and would like you to accept the other half."

She handed over two checks with both hands. "As for the thirty million on this second check," she added, "it's from Fang Zheng, the Family Head of the Fang Family, who asked me to transfer it to you."

The money from the jadeite was a fortune Xu Lai had gifted to the Su and Jiang families. The thirty million for one job was a rule Xu Lai had mentioned before, which Su Daiyi had obviously passed on to Fang Zheng.

He really shouldn't have accepted the five hundred and thirty million, but after some thought, Xu Lai decided to take it. He would probably have a use for the money in the future.

A flicker of delight appeared in Su Daiyi's lowered gaze. By accepting the money, he's establishing a connection with the Su and Jiang families. How could he possibly stand by and do nothing if our families face a life-or-death crisis in the future? This was an incredibly lucrative deal.

Without bothering him any further, Su Daiyi quietly departed.

"Yiyi, let's go. We're going to pick up Mom from her company and go home," Xu Lai called out.

"Okay!"

Xu Yiyi trotted over to Xu Lai, her ponytail swinging with every step.

From behind the iron gate, Qian Xiao, 'The Overlord of East Sea', waved a reluctant goodbye.

Ruan Family Apparel Company.

Thanks to a flood of orders from the wealthy families of Hangcheng, intentional support from Huashang, and the high quality of their own products, the company was gradually making a name for itself in the industry.

Ruan Tang was so busy she was dizzy, but fortunately, her staff was very capable.

After waiting in her office with their daughter for an hour, Ruan Tang finally had a moment to drink some water and rest. "Alright, we can get off work. We won't be eating at home tonight. The company is having a team-building dinner, so we'll all eat together."

"Okay," Xu Lai agreed.

The team-building event was held at a seaside resort hotel at the foot of Mount Haitang, in the suburbs of East Sea City. Mount Haitang was extremely famous, with tourists flocking to it all year round, making it one of East Sea City's tourism Holy Lands.

Decades ago, Mount Haitang was privately purchased. After changing hands several times, it was planted with countless varieties of Haitang flowers. Because the mountain was covered in nothing but Haitang, it had become one of East Sea City's most famous scenic spots.

***

All the colleagues at the company were women. They took pictures nonstop in the private room of the five-star hotel, chattering excitedly.

"After we eat, should we go for a walk on Mount Haitang?" one of the employees suggested.

"Yes, great idea!" the others nodded eagerly.

"This whole area is surrounded by high-end villa communities. They say each one is worth over fifty million and owned by the rich and powerful." A young woman from the business department muttered, "Even though we can't afford one, it would be nice to just look."

"If we're going to look, let's look at the very best!" The head of the finance department, a middle-aged woman, said with a smile, "There's a luxurious villa built on the summit of Mount Haitang called Haitang Court. It's known as the Tower King of East Sea. It's up for auction right now. Do you know the price?"

"How much?"

The group of women buzzed with curiosity, and even Ruan Tang looked over with interest.

"The opening bid is three hundred million!" The finance head laughed. "My boyfriend works in real estate, and he talks my ear off about it every day. I'm so sick of hearing it."

Three hundred million!?

The women from the company all gasped. Who could possibly afford that?

Ruan Tang's eyes brightened slightly. Back when the Ruan Family was at its peak, her grandfather, Ruan Su, had proposed moving the entire family to the villa community at the foot of Mount Haitang, since it was inhabited by so many prominent figures. But they ultimately gave up on the idea. Paying fifty million in cash at once would have been a massive burden for the Ruan Family. To this day, it remained one of Ruan Su's cherished, unfulfilled wishes. As for the Tower King on the summit, her grandfather had mentioned it once. Supposedly, the original owner was a Mr. Ye, and his wife's surname was Lin. They had moved abroad right after the villa was built, never spending a single day in it.

"Mount Haitang, Haitang Court... The name is so perfect for President Ruan," remarked the secretary, who was a little tipsy after a couple of glasses of red wine.

"Yes, it really is!" the other employees all nodded in agreement.

Ruan Tang didn't dwell on it; she knew she couldn't afford it even if she worked for several lifetimes. Still, she raised her glass. "The next few months are going to be very busy for the company. Thank you all for your hard work. Starting this month, everyone's salary will be increased by fifty percent."

"Long live the boss!"

Amid the cheers, glasses clinked.

The words were spoken casually, but they were heard with intent.

Xu Lai, who was placing food on his daughter's plate, gazed out the window toward the night-shrouded Mount Haitang.

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