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Suning's uncompromising and tough stance, along with its swift and decisive action of blacklisting bargainers, was like a bucket of ice water, instantly extinguishing the nascent restlessness and skepticism within the patient community.

The QQ group fell silent; no one dared to openly complain about the price or test the limits anymore.

A new, awe-inspiring order was quietly established.

Taking advantage of the situation, Liu Sihui released a calm and clear announcement: "To reiterate, the price of Gleevec in Indian pharmacies is indeed relatively cheaper. If any patients have the means to purchase it in India, we will not stop them, nor is it necessary for them to go through us. All we do is assume the risk, provide the channel, and earn a reasonable price difference to maintain our operations. We hope you understand."

Following this "clash of human nature," and with Pastor Liu's endorsement of his reputation and the expansion of the offline network after Huang Mao and others joined, Suning's Gleevec "business" not only did not shrink, but instead ushered in an even more booming and orderly sales frenzy.

The seemingly enormous inventory of 7,500 boxes was emptied again at an astonishing speed.

When Suning set foot on Mumbai soil for the third time and entered Sunny's office, Sunny's attitude had changed significantly.

The previous enthusiasm carried a hint of a businessman's scrutiny and inquiry, but this time it almost turned into a kind of fawning.

"Mr. Su! My dear friend! Welcome back again!" Sonny strode out from behind the large desk, opened his arms and gave Su Ning an exaggerated hug, the strong scent of cologne wafting over him.

His smile was incredibly warm. "You always manage to surprise me so much! A ten million RMB order! You are absolutely our company's most distinguished and important client!"

The contract details were quickly agreed upon, and the price was even more favorable than last time.

Sunny came over with a cigar box, but Suning waved him away.

Sonny didn't press the matter; he carefully observed Su Ning...

The young man was still dressed in simple casual clothes, and his face showed little emotion, as if he had just finalized not a ten million dollar deal, but the purchase of a bottle of water.

This unfathomable composure deepened Sunny's curiosity and apprehension, even amidst his excitement.

His eyes darted around, he put the cigar back in its box, took a few steps closer, and put on a knowing smile that all men understand. He lowered his voice and said, "Mr. Su, the business is done. Now it's time to enjoy life. The nights in Mumbai have a unique charm that's different from the East. Please allow me to make arrangements for you, I guarantee you'll have an unforgettable night."

Upon hearing this, Su Ning immediately recalled the various negative reports about India circulating online, especially the horrifying descriptions of sanitary conditions and red-light districts. Her brows furrowed involuntarily, and her face showed obvious resistance.

Sonny, as if he had already seen through his thoughts, immediately raised his hand and solemnly assured him: "Oh! My dear friend! Please don't misunderstand! Please don't lump me in with those scumbags who take tourists to the dirty alleys on the outskirts of the slums!"

His face contorted into an exaggerated expression of offense, which quickly transformed into a boastful mystique. "The place where I, Sonny, entertain VIPs is a private club accessible only to those of true status. I assure you, many of the girls there are students from Somaia University, Saint Xavier University, and even the Tata Institute of Social Sciences! They're intelligent, clean, and elegant, simply there to earn some extra pocket money or cover their tuition. They live in a completely different world from the rest of us! Absolutely befitting a distinguished guest like yourself!"

Seeing Sunny's enthusiasm and even somewhat eager assurances, and considering that he was, after all, an important supplier, it wouldn't be good to simply refuse.

Su Ning hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded: "Then I'll leave it to Mr. Sunny to make the arrangements."

"Haha, don't worry! Just wait for the surprise that's coming your way."

Sonny's Mercedes drove through the congested and noisy streets and finally stopped in front of a seemingly ordinary upscale apartment building in the wealthy southern suburbs.

After a rigorous identity verification process, they took a private elevator directly to the top floor.

The moment the elevator doors opened, it felt like traveling through time.

The deafening yet highly rhythmic electronic music blasted in, creating a world apart from the hustle and bustle of Mumbai below.

The air was filled with the rich aroma of fine perfumes, cigar smoke, and alcohol.

This is an extremely spacious rooftop bar, with a huge infinity pool shimmering with a deep blue light, almost blending into the dark surface of the Arabian Sea in the distance.

Luxury lounge chairs and sofa booths were set up by the pool, where well-dressed men and women sat or stood, chatting and laughing in hushed tones.

The men were mostly dressed in suits or fashionable casual wear, and could be identified as businessmen, Bollywood stars, or foreign tourists; the women were mostly young and beautiful, wearing exquisite evening gowns or fashionable dresses, with proper makeup and graceful manners, which was indeed a far cry from the "slum atmosphere" that Suning had imagined.

Many of them have distinct features of India's high caste, with deep-set features, smooth skin, and eyes that exude a well-educated confidence and poise, despite the strange contradiction that their work presents.

Sunny was clearly a regular here, greeting everyone familiarly before leading Suning to a booth with a great view.

Soon, a beautiful young woman dressed in a sari came over with a drinks menu. She greeted them with a smile in fluent English, her eyes lingering curiously on Su Ning's unfamiliar East Asian face for a moment.

"Bring me your best whiskey, and have Neha and Sarah come over too," Sonny instructed expertly.

A short while later, two girls with very different styles but equally charming walked over.

One was tall and slender, wearing a sexy black mini-skirt, with a warm and unrestrained smile; the other was slightly shy, wearing an elegant dress, and exuding a scholarly air.

Sunny explained that they were indeed students from prestigious universities.

The tall girl, Niha, naturally sat down next to Suning and spoke to him in English with an accent but still quite fluent, asking him which city in China he was from and what he thought of Mumbai.

Her demeanor was not frivolous, but rather carried a trained, just-right enthusiasm and respect.

Suning was initially a little reserved, but under the influence of alcohol, music, and the completely different environment, coupled with Niha's skillful guidance, he gradually relaxed.

He leaned back on the comfortable sofa, looking at the mesmerizing pool in front of him, the lights of ships on the distant sea, and the smiling foreign women beside him. An extreme sense of illusion and control welled up in his heart.

Here, he was treated as an honored guest by Sonny, a VIP who spent lavishly.

All of this stemmed from that tiny aphrodisiac shop in that dilapidated alley in Shanghai, and from those patients who waited for him to save their lives in despair.

This stark contrast gave him a strange sense of dizziness and stimulation.

He savored the expensive whiskey, felt the perfectly timed compliments and touches from the girl beside him, and witnessed the true "exoticism" hidden beneath the veil of luxury in this bizarre city.

At that moment, he temporarily forgot the risks and pressures, immersing himself in the illusory and alluring enjoyment brought by money and power.

He knew it was just a temporary anesthetic, but for the moment, he was willing to indulge in it.

……

That evening, amidst Sunny's meaningful smile and Niha's coy gaze, Suning led her back to the five-star hotel suite where she was staying.

Outside the window is the dazzling night view of Mumbai, while inside is a sensory experience brought by exotic customs.

Alcohol, the unfamiliar environment, and a fleeting sense of power that allowed him to spend money lavishly temporarily numbed Suning's tense nerves.

Afterwards, as Niha was washing up in the bathroom, that familiar, cold electronic notification sound came as scheduled, echoing deep within his mind:
【ding dong】

[System repair progress +0.1%] [Current total progress: 7.9%]

Su Ning leaned against the headboard, lit a cigarette, and a complex, slightly self-deprecating smile appeared on his lips.

Sure enough.

He was almost certain that this mysterious system, its repair process, seemed to have some strange connection to the outcome of his mission, or even this purely physiological act of conquest.

Is this a system that truly "goes to the kidneys but not the heart"?
He exhaled a puff of smoke, temporarily suppressing the sense of absurdity.

……

The next day at noon, Sonny called right on time, his tone even warmer and more attentive than the day before, as if the two had been close friends for years.

"Mr. Su, did you rest well? All the goods you ordered have been prepared and delivered to the suburban warehouse you specified. You can check and pick them up at any time."

Suning hung up the phone and went straight to the warehouse.

He was extremely cautious. He first drove around the area repeatedly to make sure there were no suspicious vehicles or people following him. Then, he used a simple signal jammer he had prepared in advance to briefly block any civilian surveillance cameras that might be around the warehouse.

Entering the empty warehouse and confirming that the mountain of medicine packaging was correct, a thought struck him…

In an instant, as if by magic, the medicine boxes that could fill half a warehouse vanished without a trace, all safely incorporated into the system's "storage and portability" space.

After doing all this, he didn't linger at all and immediately went to the airport to board a flight back to Shanghai.

……

As soon as the plane landed at Pudong International Airport, Su Ning turned on her phone and a barrage of unread messages and missed calls flooded in, mostly from Liu Sihui and Lü Shouyi, their voices filled with anxiety.

He called back immediately.

On the other end of the phone, Liu Sihui's voice was filled with lingering fear and anger: "Boss Su, you're finally back! Something happened! Pastor Liu... he got into a fight with someone, and the police were called!"

Su Ning's heart sank: "What happened? Tell me slowly!"

It turned out that during the few days that Su Ning was in India, Pastor Liu, during a routine visit to church members after a gathering, unexpectedly discovered that an elderly church member's condition had deteriorated rapidly.

Upon further inquiry, it was learned that this elderly parishioner, who was struggling financially, did not receive the medicine from Pastor Liu. Instead, he was introduced by another "helpful fellow patient" and spent almost the same amount of money to buy several boxes of so-called "the latest German-developed special-effect Gleevec" from an "expert" named "Zhang Changlin".

The elderly person took the food as a precious gift for several days, but not only did it have no effect, it also caused serious side effects.

Pastor Liu picked up the medicine and saw that the packaging was rough, and the color and shape of the pills were very different from those of Indian Gleevec. The German printed on it was also full of errors.

He immediately realized that the poor church member had been tricked into buying fake medicine that had no effect!

Pastor Liu, who hated evil and cared deeply for his fellow believers, was immediately enraged.

Based on the vague address provided by the introducer, he actually found a "health lecture" venue that Zhang Changlin had temporarily rented.

At that time, Zhang Changlin was eloquently promoting his "miracle drug" to a group of elderly people.

Pastor Liu rushed onto the stage and exposed his scam, which led to a heated verbal conflict that escalated into a physical altercation.

Several of Zhang Changlin's men, who were clearly not good people, surrounded him. Although Pastor Liu was weak, he also resorted to violence in extreme anger, and the scene became chaotic.

Eventually, someone called the police, who arrived and took everyone back to the police station.

"What happened next? What happened to Pastor Liu?" Su Ning asked hurriedly, her brows furrowed.

“He’s alright, just a few scrapes on his face and some torn clothes.” Liu Sihui’s tone was full of helplessness and a hint of indignation. “But the way the police handled it… it’s infuriating! They said it was some kind of mutual fight, disturbing public order, so they gave each of them a 50/50 slap, a lecture, and then had them sign a settlement agreement and that was it! As for Zhang Changlin, he paid the fine and swaggered away! The police didn’t even bother to investigate his fake medicine fraud!”

As Su Ning listened, he already understood.

This result, though seemingly absurd, is actually not surprising in this bizarre and wonderful land.

Zhang Changlin must have already made arrangements, or he must be very knowledgeable about this and know how to exploit legal loopholes.

However, Pastor Liu's sale of effective medicine is a genuine "illegal act," which is sometimes truly absurd and ridiculous.

The delicate balance and gray areas involved are wonderful, yet chilling.

Then Suning immediately drove to the church where Pastor Liu was.

He met Pastor Liu under the familiar ginkgo tree in the backyard.

The usually mild-mannered pastor now had bruises on his face, a tear in the cuff of his robe, and his eyes were filled with grief, indignation, and a sense of bewilderment at the trampling of his faith.

“How could they do this! That was life-saving money! They were selling flour balls! That was murder! God will not forgive them!” Pastor Liu was still agitated and his voice trembled when he saw Su Ning.

Su Ning gently patted his shoulder, handed him a bottle of water, and said in a calm and deep tone, "Pastor Liu, please calm down. It's not worth ruining your health over someone like this."

He paused, his gaze fixed on the cross atop the distant church spire, his voice low yet carrying a world-weary calm: "This world has never lacked such things. There is healing and saving lives under the sun, and there are bound to be demons and monsters in the shadows. We have our path, and they have theirs. We cannot eradicate all evil from the world, but as long as we are doing the right thing, and as long as those who truly need it can get the right medicine and live on, then what we are doing is meaningful."

"But that fellow believer..." Pastor Liu still couldn't get over it.

“We will all help make up for that church member’s loss,” Su Ning said decisively. “I will provide him with enough medicine free of charge until his condition stabilizes. But, Pastor Liu, please remember that our primary task is to ‘survive’—to let as many people as possible survive, and to ensure that our own ‘channel’ survives. Direct conflict like today is too dangerous. Next time we encounter someone like Zhang Changlin, we should just avoid them. Their sins will have their own consequences.”

As Pastor Liu listened to Su Ning's extremely calm words, the resentment in his heart was gradually replaced by a helpless sorrow.

He remained silent for a long time, and finally let out a long sigh, as if he had aged several years in an instant.

He nodded and murmured, "I understand! It's just that this hurdle in my heart is hard to overcome..."

Su Ning knew that this clash between ideals and reality was especially cruel for people like Pastor Liu.

But he had to make the other party understand that on this gray path, anger and direct confrontation were the most useless luxuries.

Survival is the first priority.

...(End of chapter)