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In the waiting hall of Shanghai Hongqiao Airport, boarding instructions are broadcast in both Chinese and English.

Suning took out his passport and visa.

The specific itinerary was not disclosed to Lü Shouyi and Liu Sihui; they were only vaguely informed that they would "depart as soon as possible."

In this dangerous game, the more people who know the details, the greater the uncontrollable risk.

The plane roared through the clouds, and when it finally landed at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, it was a sweltering afternoon.

As the hatch opened, a strong and complex wave of heat rushed out.

The air was thick with the smells of spicy spices, swirling dust, human sweat, urine, and the decaying odor of some tropical plants—a stark contrast to Shanghai's humid and mild climate.

Outside the airport, a bustling scene unfolds: brightly painted three-wheeled motorcycles sputter and puff out black smoke, drivers loudly soliciting passengers; women dressed in colorful saris, their heads wrapped in them, walk with unhurried steps, their skirts brushing against the slightly dirty ground; in the distance, modern high-rise buildings with glass curtain walls stand side by side with low, dilapidated shantytowns, the stark contrast jarring and disconcerting.

Su Ning took a painful breath of the unfamiliar air, and following the address on the crumpled piece of paper she had written down during her brief conversation with Cheng Yong, she finally found an inconspicuous little grocery store in the old town.

Dried chili peppers and onions hung outside the shop, and the air was filled with the rich aroma of curry.

The shop owner was an elderly Indian man with a white beard, whose cloudy but shrewd eyes revealed his intelligence.

Seeing the note Su Ning handed him and Cheng Yong's name on it, a flicker of wariness flashed in his cloudy eyes. He said in a low voice with a heavy accent, "You're Cheng's friend? Come, follow me."

He followed the old man into the narrow, maze-like alleyways.

The walls on both sides are mottled, the exposed wires are tangled and messy, and the clotheslines are full of colorful clothes, almost blocking out the sky.

Several skinny stray dogs lay dozing in the shade, indifferent to passersby.

Occasionally, a motorcycle would roar past, the driver honking the horn loudly, the sharp sound echoing in the small space, the dust kicked up landing on Suning's white shirt, leaving specks of gray.

After walking for nearly twenty minutes, the old man stopped in front of a mottled and rusty iron gate, picked up the brass ring on the gate and knocked on it a few times.

The door opened quickly from the inside, and a man wearing an ill-fitting suit and gold-rimmed glasses appeared in the doorway. He introduced himself as the sales liaison for the pharmaceutical company.

Without exchanging pleasantries or inquiring about Su Ning's background, he led him directly into a dimly lit inner room.

The room was simple, with only a metal cabinet and a wooden table.

The man took a medicine box from the cabinet—a white box with rough printing, bearing the English name "Gleevec," a far cry from the exquisite and expensive packaging of the genuine Novartis products from Switzerland.

"This is a sample. Same effect as the original. Factory price, 500 RMB per box." The man pushed up his glasses, his tone as calm as if he were talking about a box of ordinary department store goods.

Suning quickly calculated in his mind that 500 RMB per box was nothing compared to the exorbitant price of tens of thousands of RMB for the genuine product in China.

Furthermore, Liu Sihui and Lü Shouyi mentioned that the counterfeit Gleevec costs 2,000 yuan per bottle in China, with a profit of 1,500 yuan alone, making it an absolutely highly profitable industry.

He suppressed the shock in his heart and remained outwardly calm: "Four hundred boxes."

The man was clearly taken aback for a moment, and his gaze behind his gold-rimmed glasses scrutinized Su Ning again, as if trying to discern something from the overly composed young man's face.

“Four hundred? Need contract? We can provide receipt.”

“No,” Su Ning refused immediately, her tone resolute. “Cash only. No paper trail.”

He was perfectly aware that any written evidence could become irrefutable proof against him in the future, and might even implicate the Indian supplier, completely severing this connection.

The man nodded knowingly, clearly familiar with the rules, and said no more before turning to go out and prepare the goods.

Suning also knew that acquiring the distribution rights for the Indian version of Gleevec in China would be more profitable, but the risks involved would also skyrocket.

When the time comes, the police will definitely find clues about Suning based on the contracts on the Indian side. They need to understand that greed is insatiable.

Su Ning stood in the room filled with a strange smell, looking out the window at the sky gradually being dyed red by the setting sun.

In the distance, the long, ethereal chanting of prayers from the mosque mingled with the noisy cries of street vendors nearby, creating a strange and unfamiliar symphony.

He touched the thick wad of RMB cash in his inner pocket; there was a full 200,000 RMB inside.

About half an hour later, the man returned carrying several bulging black plastic bags, inside which were four hundred boxes of Gleevec.

Suning immediately opened the box and randomly inspected several boxes. After confirming that the packaging and pills were correct, he handed the cash to the other party, took the heavy plastic bag, and left quickly without pausing.

By the time I stepped out of the iron gate, night had completely fallen.

The streetlights in the old town are sparse and dim, many of them are broken, and the only light comes from the faint glow of the shops along the roadside.

Suning clutched several heavy plastic bags tightly to his chest and almost ran to the hotel he had booked in advance, which was located in a relatively safe area.

He dared not linger anywhere, only wanting to send these "hopes" safely back to Shanghai as soon as possible.

Back in his hotel room, he locked the door and carefully checked each box of medicine again. After confirming that everything was correct, he carefully repacked them, hid them at the bottom of his suitcase, and covered them with layers of clothing he had brought.

The moment he zipped up his suitcase, the familiar electronic notification sound came as scheduled.

【ding dong】

[Main Quest (II) Completed: Travel to Mumbai, India, contact local pharmaceutical dealers, and obtain access to the "Gleevec" drug.]

【任务奖励：系统修复进程+2%（现为7.8%）；发放任务资金一百万人民币；人际交往能力+10（满分100，宿主现为30）】

[Given the host's frequent need to store and transport special items, the system now offers a "Travel Storage" function. The host can store and retrieve designated items from any location, and the system will ensure their absolute safety and secrecy.]

"Carry-on luggage?" Su Ning was taken aback at first, then his eyes lit up with great joy. "This feature is so timely! Doesn't it mean that there's no need to risk carrying it at all, and there's absolutely no risk of smuggling?"

[Would the host like to deposit the current item?]

"Store them! Immediately store all four hundred boxes of Gleevec for me!" Su Ning ordered without hesitation.

As soon as he finished speaking, the suitcase containing the medicine in the corner vanished instantly.

At the same time, he felt a unique "spatial" sensation in his consciousness, where the four hundred boxes of medicine were safely stored.

The million-dollar reward for completing the second task had just arrived in Suning's account, and with the system's thoughtful "logistical support," an even bolder plan instantly took shape in Suning's mind!

Since there's no need to consider transportation risks or customs inspections, why not stock up on a sufficient quantity at once?
Avoid frequent travel to India to reduce exposure risk!

He immediately contacted the gold-rimmed glasses salesman again through the same method and used most of the funds that had just arrived to place an additional order for 1,600 boxes!

Including the initial four hundred boxes, a total of two thousand boxes of Indian Gleevec were quietly stored in batches into the system's "travel storage" space.

This huge inventory is enough to support his distribution within the patient community in Shanghai for quite some time, laying a solid foundation for his subsequent plans.

After doing all this, Su Ning finally breathed a sigh of relief and slumped into a chair in the hotel room.

Outside the window, the night view of Mumbai unfolds before my eyes. It doesn't have the dazzling sea of ​​skyscrapers and lights of Lujiazui in Shanghai, but it has a more primitive, chaotic, and vibrant vitality, with countless lights flickering on the urban fabric where the rich and poor are intertwined.

But Suning had no interest in appreciating it.

The real challenge lies ahead: Can Lü Shouyi and Liu Sihui effectively organize the fellow patients?
How can you choose a discreet transaction location that is absolutely foolproof?
How can we ensure absolute security for every transaction?
These questions weighed heavily on his mind like boulder, keeping him awake all night.

The next morning, just as dawn broke, Suning checked out of the hotel, picked up her light suitcase containing only a few clothes, and headed to the airport.

As the plane defied gravity and soared back into the sky, gradually shrinking the chaotic yet vibrant city of Mumbai into a mere dot on the map, Su Ning gazed down through the porthole, silently reciting:
Shanghai, I'm back.

……

Shanghai Hongqiao Airport.

When his feet touched this land again and he felt the familiar, damp air, Su Ning's heart, which had been hanging in suspense all the way, finally settled down.

Those two thousand boxes of Gleevec were already safely stored in the system's "accompanying storage" space.

But the psychological weight they carried was no less, like carrying the heavy hopes of two thousand families, or the weight of two thousand risks that could swallow him up at any moment. He didn't go straight back to that familiar alley, but instead went around to an early-open convenience store near the airport and bought a rice ball and a bottle of mineral water.

India's air quality is a torment for Suning, and even the food is something Suning dares not try.

During a brief break while eating breakfast, he took out his phone and sent Liu Sihui a concise text message: "Reply received, come to the store immediately."

Less than ten minutes after the message was sent, the phone screen lit up, and Liu Sihui's reply was simple and urgent: "Coming right away!"

The exclamation mark at the end seemed to reveal her anxious state of mind at that moment.

When Suning dragged his suitcase back to the entrance of the "Prince Indian God Oil" store, he found that Lü Shouyi was already waiting there.

He was wrapped in a faded, loose-fitting old coat, his sunken eyes were bloodshot, his lips were chapped, and he looked like a reed swaying precariously in the wind, clearly having not slept all night.

Upon seeing Su Ning, he practically pounced on her, his withered fingers gripping her arm, his voice trembling with intense longing: "Did you...did you bring the medicine back? Was it successful?"

"Yes, I brought it back." Su Ning nodded steadily, opened the shop door with the key, and dragged the suitcase into the cramped back room.

Just as she put down her suitcase, Liu Sihui arrived, panting. She was still wearing the same coat as yesterday, her hair casually pulled back, a few strands of hair stuck to her forehead with sweat, and her face flushed from rushing and showing undisguised urgency.

The three of them sat around the simple folding bed in the inner room, the atmosphere heavy and tense.

With a slight thought, Su Ning probed into the system space. On the surface, it appeared as if he was taking something from the bottom of a suitcase, but in reality, he took out two boxes of Gleevec with English printed on them and handed them to Lü Shouyi and Liu Sihui respectively.

“This is a sample. Take it back first.” Su Ning’s voice was low, clear, and calm. “Brother Lü, you take it yourself, and Sister Liu, give it to your daughter. Be sure to carefully confirm the efficacy and side effects, and whether it is exactly the same as the Indian version you have used or know about before. This is the first step, and we cannot afford to make any mistakes.”

Lu Shouyi almost snatched the small medicine box, the cool plastic shell seeming especially precious in his burning palm.

He ran his fingers over the rough printed characters again and again, his eyes instantly reddening, his voice choked with emotion: "It's it...it's this one...there's no mistake...I went through so much trouble to get a bottle of this before, it looks exactly like this..."

Liu Sihui appeared more restrained. She carefully examined every detail of the medicine box and even gently shook the medicine bottle to listen to the sound.

Although she didn't speak, her tense shoulders visibly relaxed, and she let out a long sigh.

“You are the experts when it comes to the authenticity of the drug’s efficacy, and I completely trust your judgment.” Su Ning pushed the “empty” suitcase aside, his sharp gaze sweeping over the two men, his tone more serious than in Mumbai. “But precisely because of this, we must be even more cautious. The drug has just arrived, and no one can guarantee that the large group of several hundred people is absolutely clean, whether there are any spies planted by other drug dealers, or whether there are any ‘good people’ who might report to the police to protect themselves.”

Lu Shouyi opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to assure everyone that the patients were trustworthy, but Su Ning raised her hand to stop him and continued:
"My plan is this: three steps to ensure absolute safety:"

Step 1: Verification and Screening (3-5 days) You two should start taking the medication first. At the same time, each of you should secretly contact up to two core patients you absolutely trust who urgently need the medication and are very tight-lipped.

They were given small doses of the medication to try, and they were strictly instructed to keep it confidential.

The aim is to cross-validate the drug's efficacy on a small scale and to initially establish a very small core circle of trust.

This step, apart from you, must not be expanded any further.

"The second step: establish a 'safe house' and a 'transfer chain'. We cannot trade in a fixed warehouse or factory, as that would make us too easy targets for surveillance."

We need multiple backup 'safe houses'.

It could be a patient's vacant suburban property, abandoned agricultural facilities, or even a remote parking lot in a different area that has been scouted in advance.

The exact location is notified before each transaction, and it is used only once.

I will not appear in person during the transaction.

"Sister Liu, as the group admin, after verifying the drug's efficacy within the core group, you posted a vague message in the group: 'There are reliable channels currently providing Indian-made Gleevec at the same price as before. Those interested can contact us privately to register. Arrangements will be made in batches, and specific details will be announced later.'"

I will never disclose the source of the drug or any information about myself.

The applicants will be selected jointly by you and Brother Lü.

Each transaction involves notifying only 5-7 families and agreeing on a time.

Brother Lü or another absolutely reliable male patient should act as a 'transfer person' and arrive near the safe house half an hour in advance to wait.

I will place the medicines needed for this transaction in a very hidden designated location in the safe house in advance, such as behind a power distribution box or in an abandoned cabinet.

After confirming that the environment is safe, the "transfer person" picks up the medication and then waits for the other patients to arrive.

After the patient arrives, the "intermediary" collects the money and administers the medication. No other person is seen between the two parties, and the entire process takes no more than three minutes.

Once completed, the 'middleman' will immediately transfer the payment through the same discreet method, such as placing it at the bottom of a trash can, to the people I designate. For now, it's still the two of you; I'll go retrieve it. Money and goods are separated, personnel are separated, and the time is minimized.

"Step 3: Funds and Counter-surveillance All transactions are cash-only, with priority given to old bills. The bills must be counted in person, and there will be no credit."

Avoid any trace of electronic transfers.

After each transaction, all participating patients must be informed that: it must be kept absolutely confidential, and they should only tell their families that it was brought back from India by someone; they should wait for notification of when and where the next transaction will take place, and never ask questions proactively; if any suspicious persons or situations are discovered, the transaction should be abandoned immediately, and an emergency code word should be used, such as sending an unrelated message like "The weather is nice today" in the group to warn others.

We could even consider preparing some false 'signals,' such as having a lookout stationed some distance from the safe house. If they spot a suspicious vehicle or person, they could call the 'transfer person,' who would immediately abandon the medication and evacuate. Medication can be replaced, but people absolutely cannot be harmed.

After Su Ning finished explaining the entire plan in one breath, a brief silence fell over the inner room.

Both Lü Shouyi and Liu Sihui were stunned by this extremely cautious, even somewhat complex, plan.

Lu Shouyi frowned, processing this information: "Isn't this... too cautious? Only five or six people at a time, with so many patients, when will it be their turn? And the 'transfer person' is also very risky..."

“Troublesome? Yes, extremely troublesome.” Su Ning’s tone was uncompromising, his gaze piercing. “But we’re walking on the edge of a cliff! The extra trouble now is to avoid a hundredfold disaster in the future! Have you thought about it? If we’re shut down because we’re not careful enough, it’s not just the three of us who will be finished; all the patients who are relying on this path will fall into despair again! There will be no turning back!”

These words struck Lü Shouyi and Liu Sihui like a heavy hammer blow.

They understood the consequences of stopping medication better than anyone else.

After a few seconds of silence, Lü Shouyi nodded heavily, his eyes hardening: "You're right! I was too impatient, only thinking about speed... Okay! We'll do it your way! I'll go back and test the medicine first, and then I'll go find Lao Zhou today. He's the most discreet and the most anxious!"

Liu Sihui took a deep breath and carefully hid the medicine box in the innermost layer of her backpack: "I understand. I'll give the medicine to the child tonight. Tomorrow, I'll use code words in the group to ask who's in the most urgent need and contact them privately. The location of the safe house... I think I know a place. It's the shed where my distant cousin used to live when he looked after the orchard. No one's been there for a long time. It's in a very remote part of Pudong..."

“Very good.” Su Ning nodded. “You guys go and confirm the location. It must be well-hidden and easily accessible for evacuation. After you’ve finalized the first safe house and the first group of people you absolutely trust, we’ll agree on the specific time and details of the first transaction. Remember, safety first at all times.”

Lu Shouyi and Liu Sihui nodded solemnly, keeping Su Ning's every word of advice in mind.

"In addition, you can not only use the medicine for free, but you will also get a commission of one hundred yuan for every bottle sold."

"Really? We can really get medicine for free?"

"Of course! This is the treatment you two deserve."

"Suning, thank you."

As they turned and left the shop, their figures disappeared into the alleyway in the early morning, their hurried steps carrying an unprecedentedly clear direction.

Suning closed the store door, bolted it, and leaned his back against the cold door panel.

The shop returned to silence, with only the occasional sound of bicycle bells coming from outside the window.

He picked up the now-cold rice ball from the counter, took a bite, and chewed it slowly.

Although the rice ball had gone cold, he felt unusually at ease.

The medicine has arrived, the plan has been finalized, and the seeds of trust have been sown.

The real, step-by-step, hard-fought battle has only just begun.

And he had to win.

It's not just about regaining one's lost memories, but also about saving others as much as possible.

...(End of chapter)