An Kexin called a ride-sharing car and returned to their apartment in the Golden Tripod Building, and it was already past eleven o'clock in the evening.

Seeing the light in the study was still on, she gently pushed the door open and found An Weize staring blankly at the three-dimensional model of the Anlin Hospital building on the desk.

"Dad, why haven't you rested yet?" An Kexin asked with concern.

An Weize smiled and said, "Today, taking advantage of the New Year greetings, I invited some guests to witness the hospital's groundbreaking ceremony. A long-held wish is about to come true, so I'm a bit excited."

"Hmm... why didn't Kemeng come back with you?"

An Kexin chuckled lightly and said, "She wanted to experience what it's like to sleep on a big bed with several people, so she stayed at Lin Jie's house. With Lin Miao and Ling Mengjiao taking care of her, you don't need to worry."

Seeing An Weize in good spirits, An Kexin seriously said, "Dad, I want to talk to you about Cousin's issue!"

An Weize was slightly startled and asked, "What, did you have another argument today?"

"It wasn't really an argument. Cousin wanted to ask Lin Jie to perform some brain tumor surgery for a friend's uncle, but Lin Jie blocked him with a list of prerequisites."

An Kexin said helplessly, "I just reminded him that Lin Jie's situation is special and should be handled with caution, and he wasn't happy, showed a face, and walked away."

"Dad, Lin Jie is now really influential!"

She solemnly said, "Although some will resent him, more people will, openly or secretly, support him. After all, Lin Jie's extraordinary medical skills are rare. Who doesn't have a 'just in case' moment?"

"This creates a situation where Lin Jie may no longer need us, but we can't do without him."

"I'm worried that Cousin will continue to do foolish things. If one day he truly angers Lin Jie, and we're caught between Lin Jie and Uncle, it'll be difficult. It's better to be decisive now, and reduce any chances of future interactions."

An Kexin suggested, "Dad, let's give Cousin some money to start his own company and let him pursue what he wants. I clearly feel that he minds being in a position below mine."

An Weize sighed and said, "Earlier, I was discussing some business issues with our partner company in the United States. They also informed me about Fanzhi's performance at his previous company, at my request!"

"How was the evaluation?" An Kexin asked with interest!

An Weize lightly shook his head and said, "Fanzhi's boss gave him a composite rating of C, which is just average. The main criticism was, he's clever but his work lacks substance."

"They also told me that if Fanzhi hadn't resigned himself, he would soon be demoted or fired."

"So your suggestion, giving him money to start a company, might just be paying for his experience."

"Moreover, if we give him two to three million, Fanzhi certainly won't think much of it. But we also can't afford to give more at the moment, as all the company's budget is invested in Anlin Hospital!"

An Kexin frowned, tentatively saying, "How about we discuss it with Uncle, listen to his suggestions? If you're embarrassed to bring it up, I can talk to Uncle."

An Weize gave her a direct look and said helplessly, "What good would it do for you to say something? Ultimately, your uncle would still come to me! I'll talk to him myself."

"Your uncle's intention is to have Fanzhi and Lin Jie get along well and become good friends."

An Kexin feared that An Weize would compromise again, gritted her teeth, and said, "Dad, although Uncle has twenty percent of the company's shares, we have absolute control. In business, you can't always prioritize kinship."

An Weize sighed quietly, gestured for An Kexin to sit down, and assumed a stance for a long talk.

He pondered for a moment, then said, "Kexin, there's something you must be well aware of: among the An family's relatives, the only one we can rely on is your Uncle."

"If in a few years, my brain tumor recurs..."

Hearing this, An Kexin felt a heavy weight in her heart.

She suddenly understood her father's intention.

The reason he cared to maintain the relationship with Uncle and Cousin was that he feared that in case something happened to him, without his presence, she and Kemeng might be bullied, and Uncle and Cousin would protect them.

Understanding this, An Kexin paused for a moment and said, "Dad, I remember clearly what Lin Jie said after studying your detailed post-operative test data!"

She straightened her back and said word by word, "I think you also clearly remember that Lin Jie's original words were that you have at least five years of freedom of movement and about ten years of clarity."

An Weize nodded, "I naturally remember those words. According to Lin Jie's statement, I've made a detailed five-year plan and a ten-year strategy."

An Kexin smoothed the stray dozen hairs on her forehead behind her ear and said in a low voice, "Dad, I'm sure you forgot what Lin Jie said afterwards. He also mentioned that tumor recurrence is merely a probability issue."

"Lin Jie pointed out that although the probability of your brain tumor recurring in four or five years is significant, it doesn't mean it will necessarily happen."

She hoped, "Just as we hope Lin Jie can create miracles and live a long life, why shouldn't we expect your tumor not to recur? Even if it does, perhaps better medical technology would emerge to cure it!"

An Weize just smiled gently and said, "Kexin, of course we can hope, but when making practical plans, arrangements must be made based on the worst possible scenario."

"Okay, stepping back, we'll plan comprehensively based on the worst-case scenario!"

An Kexin took a breath and said somewhat excitedly, "Even in the worst case, you can still take care of me and Kemeng for ten years, right?"

"In ten years, Kemeng would be twenty-six, and if all goes well, she might be married by then, perhaps even have kids."

"And what about you ten years from now?" An Weize questioned!

"Me, ten years from now?"

An Kexin inexplicably pictured Lin Jie's silhouette in her mind, hesitated slightly, and said uncertainly, "I should probably be married and have kids too!"

She took a deep breath and firmly stated, "Dad, no matter what happens then, I can assure you of one thing, ten years from now, Kemeng and I will definitely not be lonely and vulnerable to being bullied."

An Kexin, full of confidence, said again, "Dad, the foreign boss's evaluation of Cousin should be genuine. From these past few days' interactions, I've noticed that even though Cousin studied abroad and had overseas work experience, frankly, when it comes to capability, I'm not unkind to say he's not even up to my level."

"In the future, will he take care of me, or will it be me taking care of him? Ha! Dad, that's not so easy to say."

An Weize, observing his spirited daughter, was deeply moved, a bit dazed, and felt stirred inside...

In today's competition, it's about the intellect and capability of both sides, not strength. His daughter was immensely capable; why was there a need to think of finding protectors for them? They could take care of themselves.

Could it be that he was deeply influenced by over a thousand years of feudal toxicity, assuming that women are innately inferior to men, subconsciously placing his daughters in the position of the weaker party?

An Weize suddenly smiled, sighing yet proud, saying, "How could my daughter, An Weize's, be any less?"

He took a deep breath and said, "Fanzhi's recent performance indeed hasn't met my expectations."

He tapped his fingers lightly on the office desk and mumbled to himself, "Since we've placed our big bet on Lin Jie, we must continue betting down that path and not let other matters interfere."

Having made up his mind, An Weize felt somewhat relieved and said, "Kexin, I'll discuss this with your uncle, you don't need to worry about it."

Seeing she had finally persuaded her father, An Kexin let out a quiet sigh of relief and said with a smile, "Dad, actually, I understand everything!"

"You are just overly concerned about Kemeng and me; wanting to create a worry-free life with backup guarantees for us made you so hesitant about Cousin's matter."

She stood up and said, "I promise you, Kemeng and I won't let you down."

"Lin Jie won't let us down either!"

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