The Sickly Beauty Gives Up Struggling [Rebirth] Chapter 105

Li Rong remained seated, staring at his phone. The passengers behind them quickly filled the narrow aisle, blocking him and Cen Xiao in their seats.

“What’s wrong?” Cen Xiao asked.

Li Rong shook his head, chuckling softly. “Zhang Zhaohe seems overly concerned about me. He’s more worried than my actual blood-related uncle.”

Zhang Zhaohe’s tone was warm yet helpless, even a bit clumsy, exuding the tolerance and care of an elder who couldn’t help but fuss over him.

For someone like Li Rong—who had lost his parents and been estranged from his relatives—the temptation of such concern was immense.

If it weren’t for the fact that Zhang Zhaohe had never appeared in his life in his previous lifetime, Li Rong might have believed it.

There had been countless difficult moments in his previous life—like when the Hongsuo Research Institute had rejected him, or when he faced explicit and implicit discrimination because of rumors.

Zhang Zhaohe had been in the same biochemistry department, fully aware of what was happening, yet he had never intervened.

So Li Rong could never believe that Zhang Zhaohe truly had his best interests at heart.

The lifetime’s knowledge was a gift from the heavens, giving him an unparalleled measure of human character.

Those who had been there for him in his previous life weren’t necessarily acting out of kindness. But those who hadn’t shown up at all—they were undoubtedly not friends.

Li Rong put his phone away, shrugged off his down jacket, rolled it up casually, and slung it over his arm as he stood. “Let’s go.”

After checking into their hotel, Cen Xiao gathered Yu Fuyan and Geng An for a meeting to discuss the next day’s plan. Exhausted, Li Rong managed to eat just two shrimp dumplings before crawling into bed and falling asleep.

Yangshi’s climate was comfortable, and after disembarking, Li Rong’s fever hadn’t returned. The antipyretics in his pocket remained untouched.

It was as though his body understood the importance of tomorrow’s tasks, issuing an emergency directive to his immune system. He slept soundly through the night, drenched in sweat, and by morning, his fever was completely gone.

Though he hadn’t fully recovered his physical strength, his mind was clear enough not to hinder him.

Meijiang Pharmaceuticals started work at 8:00 AM. By 7:00 AM, Li Rong was already awake. Cen Xiao, having finished his morning routine, was seated at the table, eating breakfast.

“I thought I’d let you sleep a bit longer,” Cen Xiao said, setting down his sandwich.

Li Rong yawned, glancing at the hotel breakfast spread. “Once we landed yesterday, He Dayong probably got the news.”

Though Du Mingli was their primary focus, that didn’t mean Cen Xiao had escaped notice.

Their flight information couldn’t be entirely concealed, giving He Dayong an entire night to prepare.

Cen Xiao quickly finished his sandwich. “It can’t be helped. But when people panic, they always leave evidence behind.”

“Just wait and see,” Li Rong said. “He Dayong is bound to play dirty.”

Sure enough, when they arrived at Meijiang Pharmaceuticals at exactly 8:00 AM and presented their District Nine credentials, the receptionist immediately began stalling.

“Do you have an appointment?” the receptionist asked.

Yu Fuyan jumped in, saying, “Our District Nine Ghost Eye team has the authority for spot inspections. This was agreed upon when Meijiang Pharmaceuticals joined the Blue Pivot United Commerce Association.”

The receptionist offered an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, I’m not familiar with District Nine Ghost Eye Team. Why don’t you take a seat while I contact our department manager?”

Li Rong stood at the back of the group, dressed in a light blue casual outfit. He remained inconspicuous, appearing like an intern tagging along to gain experience. Hearing the receptionist’s response, he sneered internally.

Du Mingli had just visited this place not long ago, so there was no way the people at Meijiang Pharmaceuticals were unaware of what the Ghost Eye Group was.

This was a classic case of shirking responsibility. Every department would be informed one by one, each leader briefed in turn, and by the time the matter reached He Dayong, hours could have passed. At that point, He Dayong could conveniently claim that the delay was caused by the lack of prior notification.

Having been a boss himself, Geng An was not so easily fooled. He grabbed the phone from the receptionist while the manager on the other end continued their charade.

Geng An spoke icily: “Manager Liu, just in case your President He happens to be unavailable in Yangshi later, let me clarify: the Ghost Eye Group is here because we have obtained evidence that is not in your favor. We found improper components in your Yuanhesheng product. To avoid wrongly accusing a reputable enterprise, we decided to seek clarification directly from President He and inspect your work environment. If we can’t see him or receive a reasonable explanation, the evidence will be handed to the relevant authorities. Even if Meijiang Pharmaceuticals withdraws from District Six, you will still be bound by the law and public scrutiny. Before that happens, the Ghost Eye Group retains its right to penalize and boycott Meijiang Pharmaceuticals.”

There was a pause on the other end of the line before Manager Liu dryly responded,
“I’ll get in touch with President He right away. Please wait.”

While waiting, Li Rong stepped out of the office building and surveyed the surroundings.

Meijiang Pharmaceuticals covered a vast area, its workshops, labs, and offices combined were as large as a high school campus. 

Yangshi wasn’t a highly developed first-tier city, so having a factory of this size essentially made Meijiang one of the region’s economic pillars.

It was said that Meijiang had been a small workshop years ago. Its rapid growth began only after investment from Suhe Biotech. 

Suhe certainly had a far-reaching influence.

After about twenty minutes, the receptionist received a call from Manager Liu, who informed them that President He was on his way. Due to the lack of prior notice, he had to cancel his participation in an entrepreneur’s forum.

Manager Liu chuckled politely, “Of course, this isn’t your fault, and we’re more than willing to cooperate fully with the association’s work during our remaining time in District Six. President He is just extremely busy, so we appreciate your understanding if there’s any delay in hospitality.”

Geng An glanced at Cen Xiao, who nodded with his eyes closed.

From Manager Liu’s tone and President He’s attitude, it was evident they had prepared for this visit and were not worried about the Ghost Eye Group’s inspection.

With only ten days left, Du Mingli had been actively recruiting insiders, so He Dayong was naturally on high alert. 

Although Cen Xiao’s unexpected arrival and Geng An’s mention of conclusive test results might have startled him, Meijiang’s legal team was well-equipped to navigate such risks.

Leisurely, Li Rong re-entered the building, his body radiating the warmth of the sunlight outside. He walked up to Cen Xiao, asking, “Any updates?”

Cen Xiao glanced at him, “He Dayong will be here shortly.”

Li Rong nodded thoughtfully.

Waiting for just half an hour wasn’t too bad. It seemed He Dayong believed himself invincible.

About fifteen minutes later, He Dayong arrived at the office building entrance, flanked by two sharply dressed assistants.

“Oh dear, I just received the news and rushed over! Captain Cen, I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long!” He Dayong called out loudly as he approached.

Li Rong turned to observe him silently.

He Dayong bore a striking resemblance to He Changfeng in terms of facial features, though he was much shorter. In person, he wasn’t as heavyset as he appeared on screen—certainly not what one would call burly.

His hairstyle was a typical businessman’s side part, and his beer belly protruded enough to nudge his belt downward.

Though his face was marked by a cheerful expression with dimples that made him appear amiable, his words were slick and insincere, revealing not a shred of genuine warmth.

Li Rong also noticed a thin, shiny silver chain around He Dayong’s neck. While the pendant was hidden beneath his collar, Li Rong guessed it was likely a crucifix matching the one worn by He Changfeng.

This thought made him slip his hand into his pocket, where he rubbed the chain He Changfeng had given him.

Cen Xiao stepped forward and shook hands with He Dayong. “It’s no trouble at all, President He. Thank you for coming out to meet us.”

Sweat glistened on He Dayong’s forehead as he accepted a tissue from the receptionist to dab away the sheen. Smiling, he said, “How has President Cen been? It’s been a while since we last met.”

The sudden mention of Cen Qian made Yu Fuyan glance questioningly at Geng An, who gave him a look signaling restraint.

Geng An understood He Dayong’s intentions.

Although Cen Xiao was the captain of the Ghost Eye Team, he was still just a 19-year-old freshman in college, the same age as He Changfeng.

He Dayong didn’t take Cen Xiao seriously. The only reason he came over and spoke so politely was out of respect for Cen Qing, the president of District Three.

Geng An wasn’t sure if He Dayong and Cen Qing were close, but the way he spoke was clearly meant to both establish a connection and subtly assert his seniority over Cen Xiao.

Unfortunately for He Dayong, Cen Xiao wasn’t buying it.

Standing taller than He Dayong, Cen Xiao naturally looked down at him, his lips curling into a faint smile as he said casually, “I’ve been too busy with work and studies. I haven’t seen President Cen in a while either.”

He Dayong froze for a moment, clearly not expecting Cen Xiao to reject his overture so bluntly.

However, he quickly recovered his smile, his slack facial fat lifting as he said, “I heard from Manager Liu that the Ghost Eye Team is here because something inappropriate was found during an inspection of the original Yuanhesheng products. That’s impossible, isn’t it? Meijiang is one of Yangshi’s top ten companies, an outstanding member representative of the Blue Pivot Medical Commerce Association. We’ve always passed the test of the people and the organization.”

Cen Xiao’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I certainly hope it’s a false alarm. After all, Meijiang’s drugs are widely distributed in the market. If something really goes wrong, it’ll be a major issue.”

He Dayong nodded emphatically, placing his hand on Cen Xiao’s arm and giving it an affable pat. “Of course, of course. Precisely because Meijiang bears the hopes of the people, and I personally shoulder such immense social responsibility, I would never dare to be careless when it comes to drug safety. I’ve always taught my team that safety is paramount—everything else comes second.”

“Last time… your colleague Captain Du came by, and I already showed him our production facilities and research labs. Captain Du was very impressed with our operations. I’m guessing there’s been some internal miscommunication on your side, leading to concerns and misunderstandings about Meijiang Pharmaceuticals. But that’s okay. Our company has always been able to withstand scrutiny. Even though the Medical Industry Association is about to be disbanded, we’re still unafraid of District Nine’s inspections and are fully cooperative!”

Hearing this meaningless string of official rhetoric, Li Rong couldn’t help zoning out.

He was genuinely surprised that someone like He Dayong could raise someone as upright as He Changfeng.

Although He Changfeng had his share of flaws and wasn’t particularly likable, at least his moral compass was intact.

He Dayong, on the other hand, was entirely a prisoner of profit, having buried his conscience under an endless pile of wealth.

Still, Li Rong didn’t step forward recklessly.

He toyed with the cross in his hand, the silver necklace clinking softly as he moved it. The sound was faint, barely audible to anyone but himself.

He Dayong didn’t notice it either; his focus was entirely on Cen Xiao, paying no attention to the young Li Rong standing behind him.

Cen Xiao glanced briefly at the hand on his arm and said evenly, “I want to believe you, President He, but the test results are truly alarming.”

He Dayong sighed deeply. “Captain Cen, are you so certain that the drugs in question were genuine, original Yuanhesheng products? You might not know, but some opportunists buy genuine drugs, then feel it’s too expensive to use them, so they stuff in substandard knockoffs they’ve gotten from who knows where to blackmail companies like ours. Over the years, we’ve seen plenty of cases like this!”

Yu Fuyan couldn’t help but let out a cold snort.

Cen Xiao smiled slightly. “Precisely because we don’t want to wrongly accuse Meijiang or you, Mr. He, we’ve been painstakingly gathering evidence for the past few months. Fortunately, our hard work paid off—we found untouched, sealed, genuine He Sheng products from an earlier batch. Now, President He, if you could please take us to see the original Yuanhesheng production facilities, that would be most helpful.”

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