"You really do have ideas about Ruan Lan!"

Ruan Tang's face darkened as she marched toward Xu Lai, wanting to look him directly in the eyes from up close, only to awkwardly discover she wasn't tall enough!

She went up on her tiptoes, trying to make herself look taller and more imposing. Unfortunately, she misjudged the distance, and her forehead collided with Xu Lai's nose.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch."

Ruan Tang covered her reddening forehead, her eyes brimming with tears from the pain.

Xu Lai couldn't hold back a laugh. My wife is just too adorable. One moment she was fierce, and the next, she's endearingly clumsy.

"Are you laughing at me!?" Ruan Tang demanded indignantly.

"I'm not..."

"You clearly are! You haven't stopped!"

"Honey, I have a very high threshold for laughter. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't be amused," Xu Lai said earnestly. "Unless—"

"Unless you can't help it, right? I've seen the movie 'Mermaid', so stop with the jokes!" Ruan Tang scowled.

"Of course I know you've seen it. Who hasn't?"

"..."

Ruan Tang suddenly felt exhausted. She realized she had never won an argument with Xu Lai.

"Rest assured. I swear on my title as the Supreme Emperor that I will have absolutely no improper thoughts about Ruan Lan," Xu Lai said seriously. "There's very little room in my heart, and it only has space for you and Yiyi."

Men are all liars!

Ruan Tang didn't believe him for a second. She pouted and said, "I don't believe your oath. Come here."

She held out her hand and hooked her little finger.

Xu Lai paused. "This is..."

"A pinky swear. Good for a hundred years, no take-backs. The one who breaks it is a little dog."

"..."

What did a hundred years even mean? To mortals, it was a lifetime. But for Xu Lai, who had achieved the Emperor Realm and had a lifespan of a million years, it was merely the blink of an eye. Even for the current Yiyi, Ruan Tang, and Ruan Lan, it would only be a brief memory in their long lives. Because they were Xu Lai's family, they were bound to leave a significant mark on this era.

But since it pleased his wife, Xu Lai still extended his little finger for the promise, silently extending the timeframe in his heart to a million years.

In this life, having Yiyi and Ruan Tang is enough. I have no regrets.

After they made the pinky promise, Ruan Tang's mood visibly improved. "Actually, I wanted to ask you for a favor."

"Hmm? Go ahead," Xu Lai said, his interest piqued.

"Are your medical skills really that good?" Ruan Tang asked gravely.

Without waiting for him to answer, she murmured to herself, "Of course they are. In the eyes of professors like Liu Beiming, you're someone who could easily win the Nobel Prize in Medicine."

"I hope you can help me save someone," Ruan Tang said softly, biting her lower lip. "But saving her... might cause you some trouble."

"What a coincidence. Trouble is the one thing I'm not afraid of," Xu Lai laughed.

"Okay."

Ruan Tang felt a weight lift off her shoulders. "She saved my life once, and I've always wanted to repay that debt of gratitude. Whether you can cure her or not, I thank you in advance."

Having said that, she gave Xu Lai a slight bow, then turned and went back to her room to sleep.

The next morning, after taking Xu Yiyi to kindergarten, Xu Lai went to Dongli University. Ruan Tang still needed to contact her friend, so the time for the treatment was yet to be determined.

He pushed open the door to the campus medical office.

In addition to Zhou Feng and Liu Nanwei, who had been there from the start, Li Shouzhong and a group of other elderly doctors were present. With this many people, they could almost form a small hospital, so it didn't really make a difference whether he was there or not.

"Director Xu, you're finally here."

"Mr. Xu..."

Li Shouzhong and the others looked at him with fervent gazes, their attitude filled with the utmost respect.

This scene, witnessed by Zhou Feng and Liu Nanwei, left them with complex expressions. They had also received news from Yan Gui—they would be credited as the second and third authors, respectively, on the soon-to-be-published research paper.

The first author was the neurologist, Lin Qiu!

They were all doctors and naturally aspired to the Nobel Prize in Medicine, but what had they done to deserve such an honor?

Zhou Feng spoke with a grave tone, "Director Xu, Dr. Liu and I have discussed it, and we cannot accept being credited as the second and third authors."

"Indeed." The usually reticent and aloof Liu Nanwei nodded firmly, a firm believer in the principle of not reaping rewards without merit.

"The Nobel, huh? Why refuse such a trifling award?" Xu Lai curled his lip. "A little more honor won't hurt, consider it a memento of our time as colleagues at Dongli."

The Nobel... a trifling award!?

Zhou Feng felt as if his brain had short-circuited, while Liu Nanwei stared blankly. The other busy doctors, including Li Shouzhong, all stopped what they were doing and looked over in a daze. Even though Xu Lai's medical skills were unparalleled, his claim... was just too arrogant!

Sensing the shift in the room's atmosphere, Xu Lai shook his head and sighed. "Your vision is still too narrow."

"Director Xu, what do you mean?" Lin Qiu asked cautiously.

"Compared to any award, I hope that all of you can truly pioneer a new era for Hua Country's medical field," Xu Lai said indifferently, his hands clasped behind his back. "When that time comes, the highest accolades in medicine, literature, and various other fields will come from our Hua Country."

His voice, like a clap of thunder on a clear day, exploded in the hearts of everyone present.

"And what you need to do is simple: ensure your medical skills lead the world, and you will become the authority," Xu Lai said to their stunned faces, then casually added, "At that point, medical scholars from all over the world will consider it an honor to come to Hua Country for advanced studies."

"Do you understand now?"

"..."

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine? The Wolf Prize? In that moment, Li Shouzhong and the others felt that no award mattered anymore. They experienced an enlightening clarity, as if a long-sealed window had been thrown open, allowing dazzling sunlight to pour in and illuminate a clear path forward.

That's right. If you lead your industry, you *are* the authority. You set the standards. Why would you need recognition from others? It would be completely unnecessary. Awards, fame—it all suddenly seemed trivial and uninteresting.

"Mr. Xu, we understand!" Li Shouzhong clasped his hands, breathing rapidly. "We will dedicate ourselves to studying and researching your medical techniques and make Hua Country's medicine the true global authority!"

"Good. I have high expectations for you all. Keep it up," Xu Lai said, patting their shoulders encouragingly.

"Yes, yes, yes," the group nodded fervently, like chickens pecking at grain.

"By the way," Xu Lai suddenly said, turning to Liu Nanwei. "Who is Liu Beiming to you?"

She stiffened. "I don't know him."

"Liu Nanwei, Liu Beiming," Yan Gui muttered to himself, then slapped his forehead as he exclaimed, "I remember! The Liu Family Head in Hangcheng has a daughter, but there's never been any news of her. Could you be..."

"I'm not a member of the Liu Family!" Liu Nanwei said coldly. "And I don't know any so-called Liu Beiming."

"No problem. Liu Beiming asked me to pass a message to his sister. Since that's not you, I won't say it," Xu Lai said, then turned and walked away.

He took one step, then another.

As Xu Lai opened the door and was about to leave, Liu Nanwei, digging her fingernails into her palm, finally spoke up, "Director Xu, wait! I... I am his sister."

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