Standing outside the hospital room, looking at Yin Shixiu, who was in the critical care unit and reliant on machines to maintain vital signs, Eric couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

When they first arrived in London, he seemed weak, but Yin Shixiu could still communicate with him...

Who knew the situation would worsen so drastically later.

In the consultation room for the experts, Eric was present as a family member listening in.

The intense debate over a critical point made Eric feel increasingly heavy-hearted. The more heated the experts argued, the more it proved the surgery’s danger and risk.

While Eric listened from the side, the specific medical professional knowledge involved was beyond his understanding.

After the consultation ended, a medical doctor approached Eric to discuss the agreed-upon results.

"Plan A and Plan B. Should the patient himself make the decision, or will you, or perhaps..."

Eric pursed his lips,

"Alright, Doctor, I know what to do."

"You need to give me an answer within the next two days. He can’t wait any longer."

Eric nodded.

In the critical care unit, Yin Shixiu lay on the bed, connected to various tubes and machines.

He gently walked in, sat on the chair beside Yin Shixiu’s bed, and quietly watched as the man on the bed was tormented by illness into a state of disrepair, the once spirited and handsome man now looking haggard.

He brought him from Tianjin to London to give him a chance at life, not to see him survive the hardest times only to die on the operating table.

Plan A involved using the latest drug developed by the American Academy of Sciences, a drug not yet available on the market, which could greatly reduce the risks during surgery, ensuring the patient’s vital signs were maintained as much as possible.

However... the reason this drug wasn’t yet widely available was due to its severe side effect — it would reduce a person’s lifespan by nearly twenty years.

This side effect was deduced from life sciences and had yet to be proven on humans to really shorten a person’s life by twenty years.

Twenty years...

To a person, it’s really not just a snap of the fingers.

Eric couldn’t bring himself to imagine, if he chose Plan A, whether it would bring hope or despair to Yin Shixiu.

Plan B...

Follow the most stable, risk-free treatment method, but the entire treatment process will take at least a year, assuming Yin Shixiu’s body can withstand the continuous surgeries and medication.

Moreover, there’s no guarantee his legs would regain the ability to stand.

The best outcome would be that the nerves in his thighs are repaired as expected, followed by two to three years of rehabilitation.

Torture...

That’s the side effect of Plan B.

Eric pondered, torn with indecision, waiting for Yin Shixiu to wake. Yin Shixiu would wake briefly each day, only to fall back into a coma, a cycle that repeated itself.

Such a decision was not one he could make on behalf of Yin Shixiu.

If Yin Shixiu never woke up, he even considered whether to tell Su Xiaomeng the truth and let her make the decision.

Saying Plan A or Plan B is just three words, it’s easy to speak of.

But...

Yin Shixiu’s eyelashes fluttered, and Eric hurriedly fixed his gaze on him.

Yin Shixiu opened his eyes...

"Arthur..."

Yin Shixiu’s eyes moved, looking at Eric. He moved his lips, speaking in a barely audible voice.

Eric pursed his lips,

"The results of the consultation are out. I’ll tell you about it, and then... you make the decision, okay?"

Yin Shixiu nodded.

He understood his physical condition clearly, having undergone several surgeries, his body was severely worn out.

The injuries sustained that day were too severe, and after being in a coma for more than ten days, staying near Tianjin Port during those days, he had already missed the best treatment time.

Eric spoke word by word, his voice calm, but his heart was tumultuous and unsettled.

After finishing, Eric said,

"Do you want to think it over carefully and let me know when you’re sure?"

"B."

But just as Eric suggested he give it some thought, Yin Shixiu had already made his choice.

Eric was momentarily stunned...

Seeing his slightly surprised expression, Yin Shixiu’s gaze drifted to the ceiling above...

His lips moved... Eric instinctively leaned in to listen...

Yin Shixiu spoke a few clearly audible words...

"I’m thirteen years older than her... to lose another twenty years... is really too short..."

For an instant, Eric’s eyes almost welled with tears.

Standing by, he said to Yin Shixiu,

"Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you meet her properly."

"Thank you..."

"I won’t disturb you anymore, continue to rest."

Eric said and then left the hospital room.

The intensive care unit was very quiet, with only the sound of the machines connected to him and the labored breathing.

Twenty years...

Yin Shixiu couldn’t imagine what that number truly meant— three hundred sixty-five days in a year, twenty times those three hundred sixty-five days...

Even this short two-month period had already felt tormentous...

Thinking of her, thinking of her, thinking of her...

He had so many relatives, so many friends, and also children...

But at the brink of death, his mind only had her.

If he died, he would never be able to protect her...

If he died... there would definitely be others who would want her, pursue her, and stand by her side replacing him...

Yin Shixiu didn’t want to admit that just the thought of this possibility made him insanely jealous.

He knew she was struggling on her own, he knew it all...

But he couldn’t help it...

He was also enduringly holding on, enduring through these days, enduring through each treatment for a chance to stand beside her again.

Eric explained the situation to Yin Shixiu’s attending doctor.

After understanding, the attending doctor began to gather the other doctors to prepare, even if it was a long-drawn battle; they hoped to end it as soon as possible.

Eric was pacing in the garden downstairs of the hospital, hands in his pockets, walking along the garden path, the weather sunny and clear. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

But his mood was filled with dark clouds.

He wanted to clear his mind, even considering if there could be another solution besides Plan A and Plan B.

Just then, his phone rang.

Eric answered, and on the line was one of his subordinates.

Recently, the affairs on the Beijing side were relayed to him through this person.

The information available online was ultimately limited; he feared that if Su Xiaomeng or the Yin Family, or the Yin Group encountered difficulties, he’d be completely unaware.

Having such a person assured him.

"President Rong Jing of Rong Group publicly announced a marriage alliance between Rong Group and Yin Group."

"..."

Eric was instantly dumbfounded.

An alliance...?

Between Yin Group and Rong Group?

How is that possible?

"Is this a mistake?"

"The news came out this morning, supposedly because President Su encountered something last night; I’m still investigating the details."

Eric’s heart leaped.

The things he feared were indeed happening.

Su Xiaomeng was struggling to hold up the Yin Group, no doubt, but at the same time, her status had risen significantly with her role as "President Su."

Marrying Su Xiaomeng meant obtaining the entire Yin Group.

There were certainly many who realized this.

But Eric never thought that the first to strike would be Rong Jing!

Eric could no longer relax; one wave had not yet settled when another rose! He couldn’t just sit still.

He went online to search for information about Rong Jing and Su Xiaomeng...

One piece after another surfaced, leaving Eric even more bewildered...

Rong Jing publicly declared he was pursuing the president of Yin Group...?

Is he out of his mind?

Did the smooth passage of the Yin Group’s crisis have anything to do with Rong Group’s hidden assistance?

Eric looked at these bits of information, all seemingly pointed towards the same thing... furrowing his brow, could it be... Xiao Meng was really going to...