The adjacent Huang Guang gently touched her forehead, which was scorching hot—like she had a high fever. It seemed the condition had now reached a serious stage. "Where exactly is it hurting?" Huang Guang asked. Qiu Xin Yue's eyes were glistening with tears, delicate and poignant. "Here..." Her voice was soft, her gaze fixed on the back of her right hand. Huang Guang immediately noticed that the wound bitten by the snake was oozing clear pus. Without hesitation, he lifted Qiu Xin Yue's right hand with his left, turned the back of her hand upward, took a deep breath, and began to suck firmly at the wound. This unexpected action left Qiu Xin Yue stunned. She wanted to push him away, but found herself unable to resist—surprisingly, the pain had actually eased considerably under his suction. After three warm minutes, Huang Guang stopped suctioning on his own accord. Yet, Qiu Xin Yue suddenly cried out, "It's so painful! So painful!" Gao Liang glanced at Qiu Xingyue, who blushed and lowered her head, once again gently sucking on his hand. Qiu Xingyue felt an indescribable,奇妙 sensation—something that couldn’t be expressed in words but only felt deeply within her heart. As the vehicle passed through a construction zone, the body shook violently, especially Qiu Xingyue and Gao Liang seated in the back seat, who swayed and rocked back and forth. "Ah!" cried Qiu Xingyue in a soft, delicate sound as her entire body collided fully against Gao Liang’s chest. Both of them trembled involuntarily, experiencing an immediate, close-up intimacy. Qiu Xingyue’s two prominent, graceful peaks pressed firmly against Gao Liang’s chest, each feeling the other’s heartbeat—like they had been electrified. Her face flushed deeply, and she tried hard to pull away, only for the vehicle to shake even more violently. Qiu Xingyue lost her balance and gently collapsed, completely powerless, into Gao Liang’s arms. In a delicate, girlish pose, graceful and fragrant, she could not have been more different from the cold, self-assured, competitive Princess Chang'e. High Guang watched Qingxin Yue in his arms, and thought of his ever-cherished, gentle and serene High Cuilan—so refined as jade, so tender as flowing water. Without hesitation, he murmured, "Cuilan, I'm back. I'm back!" He then embraced Qingxin Yue tightly, her face filled with surprise. Qingxin Yue did not resist, for this kind of embrace had always felt warm—since the moment he had lifted her on the sports field, she had sensed this special warmth. Hmm! Why do I no longer find him unbearable? On the contrary, I now feel grateful to him? He's from the F4! I'm from the Five Golden Flowers—I've always said we would never be allies. At Hanhai City No.1 People's Hospital, Qingxin Yue was assigned to the same special care ward as Gao Ruolan. The hospital director, Doctor Zhang, Doctor Wang, and the nurses were all busy. They hesitated over the large, venomous snake in the glass container, as medical protocol required a certain amount of time to extract the bile—time they simply didn’t have, since both Qiu Xinxin and Gao Ruolan were experiencing severe symptoms and needed the bile urgently. Gao Ruolan frowned, breathing rapidly, while Qiu Xinxin grew pale and began to convulse. Time was of the essence! Under the watchful eyes of Fei 3, the Four Golden Blossoms, and Xia Le Tao, Gao Liang quickly moved into action. He lifted the large snake out of the container, which moved with remarkable grace, swiftly crawling across the floor of the special care unit, drawing gasps of astonishment from many onlookers. Yet Gao Liang executed the procedure with remarkable speed—placing both feet firmly on the snake’s head and cloaca, turning it belly-up, then making a precise incision along its midsection, slightly behind, to expose the bile. He then extracted two jade-green bile sacs, each the size of a glass bead. "Bring the wine!" he said to Dr. Zhang and Dr. Wang. Dr. Zhang and Dr. Wang immediately instructed the nurse to bring over a glass bottle filled with wine. Gao Liang gently pushed the still struggling large flower snake into the bottle, where it was submerged in wine, writhing in pain and dancing wildly inside. A truly beautiful scene, which drew applause from all present. Dr. Zhang, Dr. Wang, and the hospital director all raised their thumbs in praise to Gao Liang. The eyes of the four "Golden Flowers" were fixed firmly on Gao Liang, refusing to leave his side. Zhao Meixuan exclaimed, "Idol! Idol!" drawing everyone's attention. Fortunately, she was pulled back by Xu Xinyan, who softly whispered in her ear, "Don't forget—we are the Five Golden Flowers, rivals to the F4!" "I don't care! I just feel that Ouyang is becoming more and more cool. Without him, our Chang'e princess..." Just as she finished speaking, Qiu Xinxue gasped and coughed up a mouthful of blood. The four Golden Flowers, seeing the blood, grew frightened and cried out in alarm. Dr. Zhang immediately looked over and firmly said, "This is the toxic blood expelled!" Dr. Wang also conducted further verification and said, "If my assessment is correct, the toxic blood has already entered the respiratory system. If we wait any longer, the patient will succumb to the toxicity!" The hospital director paused and asked, "What should we do?" "Pour out two cups of the wine soaked in the venomous snakes!" Dr. Gao said decisively. "No, that's awful! I won't drink a drop!" Gao Ruolan suddenly stood her ground with firm determination. Their heated argument drew everyone's attention, and F3 couldn't help but secretly smile from the sidelines. Zhao Yuanhang exclaimed, "Now we're in for something interesting!" Fan Weizhe asked, "What?" Left Tianpei chuckled and said, "Gao Liang has taken action!" Fan Weizhe and Zhao Yuanhang turned to see Gao Liang firmly moving Gao Ruolan's hands away, using his left thumb and index finger to support her chin and saying, "Open your mouth!" Yet, under everyone's watchful eyes, Gao Ruolan kept her mouth tightly closed. Gao Liang was now truly furious—he pulled Gao Ruolan right off the bed. Gao Ruolan was momentarily at a loss, not knowing what Gao Liang intended, while everyone else was equally curious. What on earth did Gao Liang have in mind? Next, Gao Liang picked up the cup, held the snake's bile between his lips, and as Gao Ruolan gasped in surprise, he moved even faster—his lips had already met hers. Gao Ruolan was stunned at the moment of contact. The snake's bile, which had been in her mouth, had already been swallowed without her realizing. Amidst the applause from the crowd, Gao Ruolan blushed deeply, her head bowed low. Qiu Xinxue, observing the scene from another bed, felt a mixture of emotions. All four "golden flowers" had once been devoted fans of F4 and admired Gao Liang's graceful gesture. However, Zhao Meixuan seemed slightly jealous. Gao Liang left without a word, leaving only F3 and the four golden flowers with Xia Le Tao. The director, Dr. Zhang, and Dr. Wang were also preparing to depart, when suddenly Qiu Xinxue cried out in pain, her face pale, eyes closed, body convulsing—her condition appeared very critical. Dr. Zhang and Dr. Wang became busy under the director's instructions, discovering that the venom-based treatment—this snake's bile—could only slow the spread of toxins within the body, but could not completely eradicate the snake venom. "What shall we do?" the director frowned, glancing at Qiu Xinxue who was in unbearable pain. He gently said to Dr. Zhang and Dr. Wang beside him, "She's the daughter of Qiu Zhengxiong, chairman of Shenlong Group! The chairman has just called and requested that we do everything possible to save her!" "We can only use the antivenom serum developed by Gao Ruolan's student! However, that batch has already been used. We need another one, but unfortunately, we haven't had time to contact Abbott in the U.S.!" Dr. Zhang and Dr. Wang looked visibly anxious. Zuo Tianpei saw the shipment arrive and stepped forward to sign, delightedly opening it—only to be stunned upon discovering it was an empty box. "Where's the serum? Where's the serum?" His eyes were wide open. How could the other party have sent an empty box? This was entirely unprecedented! Just as he was about to dial a long-distance call to Abbott Laboratories in the U.S., another delivery person arrived. Upon seeing him, everyone realized it was a FedEx representative. He presented a parcel almost identical to the one Zuo had just received and said, "Could someone please sign for it?" Zuo hesitated. He had only ordered one shipment directly from Abbott Laboratories! How could there be a second one? He remained reluctant to sign. The FedEx representative explained, "This is an expedited backup shipment of medicines—airborne, following the same flight as the previous one!" "But I never ordered a backup shipment!" Zuo's words surprised everyone present. Zuo Tianpei glanced at Fan Weizhe and Zhao Yuanhang beside him; both of them stretched their tongues and shook their heads, indicating they hadn't done it themselves. Who could it be? It was just the four of us at that moment! Zuo Tianpei gave a sharp nod and said, "Gao Liang! Gao Liang! Our leader truly is meticulous! He must have been worried, so he secretly placed another order with the U.S. I'm amazed! This is absolutely perfect! Absolutely perfect!" F3 was overjoyed. Although the five stars led by Qiu Xingyue had long been at odds with them in F4, no one wanted to go too far—after all, life wasn't something to be taken lightly. Saving lives came first. Under the director's instructions, Dr. Zhang and Dr. Wang personally administered the serum to Qiu Xingyue. Qiu Xingyue quickly recovered thanks to the antivenom. Similarly, Gao Ruolan's complexion returned almost to its pre-poisoning state. Everyone was delighted. Both women have fully recovered, and they both know that without one person, their recovery would not have been possible—that person is Gao Liang. Three days later, in No. 18 of the Rice Fragrance Village on the southern third ring road in the old urban area of Hanhai City, in a simple courtyard house. Gao Ruolan, her husband, and their son are gathered around the dining table, chatting and laughing. All three are happily enjoying a delicious meal, which includes the family's favorite fish maw, as well as several other dishes such as boiled beef with sauce, stir-fried beef strips with fermented sauce, and a special dish known as the fragrant fortune fish. Gao Caisheng, looking at the abundance of dishes, is beaming with joy, and without hesitation, he rolls up his sleeves, pulls out a bottle of er-guo-tou liquor, and helps himself generously. Gao Ruolan, holding her chin with her right hand, gazes at the rich spread on the table and asks her daughter, Miao Hengfu, "Mom, our family isn't well-off. How can we afford such a fine meal?" Gao Caisheng then pauses mid-bite of the boiled beef Miao Hanfu beamed with joy, saying, "All this is thanks to your classmate, Ouyang. Since we took over this tea shop, the business has been thriving—yesterday's revenue actually surpassed what I earned from my stall over the entire month. If things continue like this, we'll break even within six months!" "Really? That's wonderful!" Gao Ruolan was overjoyed. "Only regret is that we're short on staff. Ruolan, could you help Mom with the shop after school?" Gao Ruolan nodded. "By the way!" Miao Hanfu turned to Gao Caisheng and said, "Caisheng, come too!" Gao Caisheng looked rather distressed, saying, "Unfortunately, yesterday I just signed a contract with the owner that requires me to stay for two months! Oh well, it's still better than our Ruolan! From the way you've been talking, I gather that Mr. Gao has taken a special interest in our Ruolan?" With that, he chuckled and smiled. "Dad! Don't say such things! The dishes have gone cold!" Gao Ruolan blushed slightly and invited both her parents to join in Three of them were enjoying a delicious meal, feeling particularly at ease—an uncommon sight in this ordinary household. At Saint Dorothy Mary Business School's Department of Business Administration, Class One, Song Sian had finished assigning homework and announced the end of class. As she stepped out of the classroom, Chen Jiangliu greeted her with a warm smile, saying, "Song Teacher, Ms. Ouyang is looking for you! We'll meet at the Yue Ming Building Hotel tonight!" And then he departed. Song Sian was puzzled, unsure of what had brought Ms. Ouyang to her. At six p.m., Song Sian arrived at the Yue Ming Building Hotel. In a private dining room on the second floor, Gao Qingxue wore a refined white suit dress, making her appear youthful, vibrant, and full of energy. Song Sian, dressed in a standard business suit, seemed quite ordinary, though her hair was neatly styled. After the server brought them two cups of coffee and two desserts, they began to chat. "Ms. Gao, since you've invited me today, what's on your mind?" Song Sian asked after taking a sip of coffee. Gao Qingxue smiled gracefully, leaving Song Si'an slightly enchanted. Yet, recalling that Gao was the Executive Chairman of the Lianchuang Group, she gently held back her admiration. "Gao, I must be honest," Gao said, "I've invited you out today for two matters that require your assistance." "Please go on," Song Si'an replied. Gao took a light breath and said, "First, our Lianchuang Group is facing a competitor that is one hundred times stronger than the Xintian Group—the Shendragon Group. They've reportedly announced plans to acquire Xintian Group. If successful, they intend to operate internationally on the foundation of local integration, which will leave us Lianchuang Group even more passive." "The Shendragon Group? Isn't that the group led by Chairman Qiu Zhengxiong?" Song Si'an said, sounding surprised. "Yes." "Gao Qingxue looked slightly worried and said, 'In fact, since he became a board member of Saint Dorothy Business School, I've known he would be our business competitor. But I hope you'll stand with us and help me come up with some strategies!' 'That's something I'll need to investigate thoroughly before I can develop a solid business plan!' Song Sian said. Upon seeing Gao Qingxue deep in thought, she added, 'Miss Gao, you haven't mentioned your second question yet.' 'Oh! I'm sorry!' Gao Qingxue regained her composure and said, 'I've been very busy lately and haven't had time to take care of my younger brother. I'd be grateful if you could handle his academic guidance—just let me know if you're available! As long as he makes progress, I'll pay him three times his regular salary!' 'With such a generous offer, I'm certainly willing to help,' Song Sian replied, 'though I'm not sure how Mr. Gao feels about it.' 'Try it out! Honestly, this brother of mine has been causing so much trouble lately!' Gao Qingxue sighed lightly. The villa of the Ou family at Mingyue Manor After being expelled from school, Gao Liang had been kept at home by his parents, studying diligently. That day, when no one was looking, he quietly climbed out through the window of the bathroom on the first floor of the villa, hoping to make his escape—only to find Chen Jiangliu had spotted him and said, "Mr. Gao, my lord instructed me yesterday that from today on, I shall accompany you." "The flies you can't get rid of!" Gao Liang exclaimed, clearly displeased. Chen Jiangliu, trembling slightly, replied, "Mr. Gao, this is my lord's wish—please bear with me a little!" He then adopted a look of genuine pleading, as if asking for mercy. "Gao Liang, stop fussing! Sister has arranged a private tutor for you! You must study seriously!" Gao Qingxue appeared, speaking seriously to Gao Liang. "Is it Ms. Gao Ruolan?" Gao Liang remained pressed against the window, facing outward, ready to jump down. Chen Jiangliu grew increasingly anxious, even sweating, and hurried over to pull him. "Still thinking of Gao Ruolan?" Last time, when we handled the homework assignment, the whole school found out about it, and yesterday Dad had a fit with my sister, saying he absolutely had to find a good tutor to guide me! Gao Qingxue said this openly. "Alright! I'll give it a try!" Gao Liang shook off Chen Jiangliu's hand and said, "You're truly a persistent fly—you really think I'm going to jump in?" The sentence made Gao Qingxue smile quietly by the side, while Chen Jiangliu stood there, expression blank. In Gao Liang's study. Song Sian was enthusiastically explaining to Gao Liang the "water barrel theory" in the course of Business Management: the "water barrel theory," also known as the "barrel rule," emphasizes that the amount of water a barrel can hold is not determined by its tallest plank, but rather by its shortest one. Based on this core principle, the theory has two further implications: first, only when all the planks of the barrel are sufficiently tall can the barrel hold full water. Second, as long as one plank in the barrel is shorter than the others, the water inside the barrel cannot be full. The "barrel theory" can inspire us to reflect on various issues, such as the importance of building team spirit within an organization. In a team, what determines its strength and performance is not the most capable or outstanding individual, but rather the one who is the weakest and performs the worst. Indeed, the shortest plank limits and constrains the longest ones, thus determining the team's overall combat effectiveness and influencing its overall strength. In other words, we must make every effort to raise the shorter planks to match the height of the longer ones—or ensure that all planks maintain a sufficiently high, equal level—so that the team's full potential can be realized and its team spirit fully demonstrated. Gao Liang listened as if reading a foreign language, his head growing increasingly large. He held his head and said, "Teacher, I'm having a headache! I'm having a headache!" Song Si'an was surprised and asked, "Gao Liang, how come I just speak, and you immediately start having a headache?"