As soon as Bai Zhanghua woke up, he quickly got ready and rushed straight to the Bai Group.
“Family Head, what should we do about Shao Zhuoguan?” Bai Zhanghua asked cautiously, sitting rigidly upright on the sofa in Bai Jixi’s office, not daring to relax in the slightest.
He looked like a primary school student waiting for the teacher to check his homework—obedient and well-behaved.
Bai Jixi kept his head lowered, focused on the documents in his hands. The file was about a new project the Bai Group was planning to undertake, hoping to collaborate with KMD Corporation from the United States.
KMD was a Fortune 500 company with undeniable strength, specializing in information technology. In the industry, they represented cutting-edge technology and immense profits. Every new move they made sent shockwaves through the sector.
In recent years, the term “artificial intelligence” had been repeatedly brought up, drawing more and more attention. Many experts and industry leaders believed that AI was the direct path to a higher level of human civilization. Despite the constant voices of concern and fear, nothing could halt the progress of AI development.
The applications of artificial intelligence were incredibly broad—finance, manufacturing, transportation… nearly every industry could benefit from it. As a result, far-sighted companies had joined the race to develop AI, and KMD was no exception. This collaboration was precisely about artificial intelligence.
Not long ago, KMD suddenly announced that they were seeking a suitable partner to contribute to the bright future of AI—essentially, to promote their research achievements.
To demonstrate sincerity, they even released partial documentation of their AI development progress. From the materials, it was clear they had achieved preliminary results—an AI they named “Miracle,” which possessed a certain level of intelligence.
Though KMD didn’t elaborate on the specifics of Miracle’s intelligence—its scope, depth, or practical applications—anyone with half a brain knew what this meant. Even if this AI couldn’t be applied to their current industries now, what about in the future? If they had already created one, how far off was the next? At the very least, letting their own researchers study it would be beneficial.
Thus, once the news broke, it caused significant waves across various sectors. Many companies were eager to secure a partnership with KMD.
Demand far exceeded supply—this was a seller’s market. Securing this collaboration would be no easy feat. KMD’s selection criteria were extremely stringent, yet that didn’t stop companies from lining up. Under these circumstances, the Bai Group faced considerable difficulty in securing the deal.
While the Bai Group was indeed a Fortune 500 company, so were many others vying for KMD’s partnership. The Bai Group was a dominant force in the IT industry and had been conducting AI research, but progress had been disappointing. Regardless of the considerations, securing this collaboration with KMD was imperative.
Lately, Bai Jixi had been preoccupied with this matter. Even though he was troubled by unknown emotions, he remained sharp and focused at work. The proposal on his desk had just arrived today, and he needed to review it carefully to assess whether it could persuade KMD to negotiate.
Hearing Bai Zhanghua’s question, he didn’t even look up from the documents, merely responding indifferently, “Just a member of the Shao family.”
Bai Zhanghua nodded in understanding, feeling much more at ease. Now he knew exactly how to handle Shao Zhuoguan.
Having gotten his answer, Bai Zhanghua didn’t dare linger. He knew the Family Head was swamped with the KMD collaboration. If not for Shao Zhuoguan, he wouldn’t have dared to disturb him. Now that the matter was settled, he promptly took his leave.
~
Qin Chaoyu once again put away her silver needles. The woman on the bed had already fallen asleep.
Her sleeping face was peaceful, her expression relaxed, even her complexion slightly rosy—clear signs of deep, restful sleep.
Qin Chaoyu wasn’t surprised.
The acupuncture technique she had used on Madam Xiong was called the “Tonifying Qi and Invigorating Blood” method, primarily aimed at clearing stagnation, replenishing qi, and unblocking meridians. It was well-suited for treating blood stagnation.
One characteristic of this technique was that it naturally induced drowsiness, so every time the needles were applied, Madam Xiong would fall into a deep sleep.
A month of treatment had yielded noticeable results. To an outsider, Madam Xiong’s comfortable sleep and steadily increasing appetite were solid proof of improvement.
In Chinese culture, being able to eat well and sleep soundly was considered a sign of good health.
After putting away the needles, Qin Chaoyu covered Madam Xiong with the blanket and carried her medical kit downstairs.
Only Xiong Rongming and Xiong Yunhan were downstairs.
Since Madam Xiong’s condition had improved, Xiong Lunbing had reflected on the ordeal, realizing how close he had come to losing his wife, who had been by his side for so many years. Over the years, he had been preoccupied with work, constantly traveling, leaving little time for his wife. He had always assumed there would be more time, but her illness had been a wake-up call—he was no longer young, with at most thirty years left. In that time, he wanted to make up for his neglect, accompanying his wife on travels around the world, fulfilling their youthful dream of exploring together.
Thus, Xiong Lunbing had begun grooming Xiong Bochang as his successor, gradually delegating company matters for him to handle.
The transition couldn’t happen overnight—many details needed careful explanation. Moreover, Xiong Bochang hadn’t yet accomplished any standout work, so the old foxes on the board wouldn’t readily accept him as the heir. Bearing this heavy responsibility, Xiong Bochang didn’t dare slack off, working diligently every day, practically living at the company. To pave the way and guide his son, Xiong Lunbing also needed to be present at the company daily.
With both of them busy, only Xiong Rongming and Xiong Yunhan were left at home to receive Qin Chaoyu.
“Dr. Qin, you’re truly amazing. You’ve even made me want to study traditional Chinese medicine,” Xiong Yunhan said, her attitude toward Qin Chaoyu having done a complete 180. She was now incredibly warm and enthusiastic, a far cry from her previous haughty princess demeanor.
Xiong Rongming nodded in agreement with his sister’s words.
Qin Chaoyu smiled but didn’t comment on Xiong Yunhan’s remark. “If you’re interested, you can read some related books.”
“Yeah, I’ll definitely check them out when I have the chance,” Xiong Yunhan replied quickly, though whether she actually would remained to be seen.
Xiong Rongming, however, seemed deep in thought before his gaze steadied, as if he had made some decision.
Yuzhou University in late autumn was breathtakingly beautiful. The ubiquitous plane trees were one of its defining features—their golden leaves, whether clinging to branches or carpeting the ground, created an intoxicatingly serene and comfortable scenery.
Qin Chaoyu returned to her dormitory in high spirits, but the moment she opened the door, she sensed an unusual tension in the air.
She glanced at Miao Zhaodi, whose eyes were red-rimmed, then at Bai Pengpeng and Qian Fangyuan, both visibly furious.
She had a rough idea of what had happened but didn’t rush to ask—Qian Fangyuan would undoubtedly tell her eagerly.
Sure enough, as soon as Qin Chaoyu set down her medical kit, Qian Fangyuan grabbed her arm and exclaimed indignantly, “Chaoyu, you wouldn’t believe it! Today was infuriating—I’ve never met such a shameless, despicable guy before. I swear, I wanted to punch his stupid face!”
Qian Fangyuan clenched her fists to emphasize her point—she genuinely meant it.
After gesturing, she crossed her arms, her cheeks puffing out in anger. With her naturally round, slightly chubby face and big, round eyes, the expression made her look adorably furious.
Normally, Qian Fangyuan avoided this pose because she believed a true beauty should have an oval face. Her baby fat already distanced her from that ideal, and puffing her cheeks only exaggerated the roundness.
But right now, she didn’t care—she was too angry to bother.
Faced with such a cute display, anyone would soften. Qin Chaoyu patted Qian Fangyuan’s head soothingly and asked, “What happened? Who’s got our Miss Qian so worked up?”
Qian Fangyuan didn’t mind the head pat. She glanced at Miao Zhaodi, hesitating to speak.
Miao Zhaodi kept her head down, her hair obscuring her face so Qian Fangyuan couldn’t see her expression.
This version of Miao Zhaodi was unfamiliar to Qian Fangyuan. Even on the first day of school, when Miao Zhaodi had worn outdated clothes and spoken with a heavy accent, she had only been timid—yet she had still greeted them with a bright, cheerful smile, radiating positivity. She had never been this gloomy before.
The more Qian Fangyuan thought about it, the more her heart ached for Miao Zhaodi—and the angrier she grew at that guy.
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