The workers in the factory were engaged in assembly-line work.

Since they were handling electronics, there wasn’t much heavy labor involved.

However, sitting for long periods led to back and waist pain.

Cen Huai’an’s focus was entirely on the small components being assembled, and he asked Qian Ran about each one.

He listened attentively as Qian Ran explained.

After touring the factory, Qian Ran took them to the research and development (R&D) department.

“My brother Da Zi and I followed your advice, sister-in-law,” Qian Ran said proudly. “We recruited many talented people from universities with high salaries. Now, the BB pagers and other semiconductor products we’ve developed are on par with foreign ones.”

The R&D department had a completely different atmosphere compared to the factory.

Though busy, the sense of focus and seriousness reminded Chu Xia of the labs behind Jiang Zhishu’s company.

Researchers here were deeply immersed in their tasks, their expressions concentrated.

They barely noticed anyone entering the room.

Qian Ran didn’t disturb them.

Even though he wasn’t a researcher himself, he had to understand every report the department produced.

He also took the time to study various products, so he could explain the equipment and newly developed products in detail to Cen Huaian.

While Chu Xia listened to learn, Cen Huaian and Cen Zhengnian absorbed the information on a deeper level.

They not only understood but also offered their own insights.

Chu Xia was particularly amazed at the questions her son asked, and Qian Ran was equally surprised.

“An’an seems to know a lot about semiconductors and wireless signals,” Qian Ran observed.

“I’ve read some books on the topic,” Cen Huaian replied.

Some of the books he found himself after getting a BB pager, while others were professional texts Cen Zhengnian provided him.

Qian Ran marveled again at Cen Huaian’s intelligence but continued his explanations.

He then led them to observe the researchers working in the labs through a window. “Sometimes I really admire their dedication to research,” Qian Ran said.

Chu Xia shared the sentiment, recalling how her husband, Cen Zhengnian, was just as engrossed in his work.

Cen Zhengnian, watching the scene, was reminded of his own experiences in research.

Cen Huaian, meanwhile, was completely absorbed in watching the researchers assemble and experiment.

After leaving the factory, Cen Huaian sat in the car, furiously scribbling notes.

Qian Ran asked Chu Xia and Cen Zhengnian if they wanted to visit other places.

Chu Xia turned to Cen Huaian. “An’an?”

Cen Huaian looked up, still a bit dazed.

After Qian Ran repeated the question, he shook his head. “I don’t want to go anywhere else. But if we pass a bookstore on the way back, Uncle Xiao Ran, can we stop for a bit?”

Qian Ran nodded immediately. “Of course, that’s no problem at all.”

Chu Xia observed her son and began to piece things together.

She turned to Cen Zhengnian and asked in a low voice, “Did you already know?”

“I had my suspicions, but I wasn’t sure,” Cen Zhengnian replied.

“And now?” Chu Xia tilted her head, her tone playful but with a hint of accusation. She felt like the whole family had kept something from her!

Cen Zhengnian chuckled softly and reached out to pat her head, only for Chu Xia to swat his hand away. “Answer me properly!”

“I wasn’t certain,” he said, grinning.

Chu Xia glared at him.

Before she could get truly upset, Cen Zhengnian explained, “I wasn’t sure until An’an made it clear.”

Chu Xia’s irritation softened. Cen Zhengnian had a point.

Until Cen Huaian stated his plans, everything was just speculation.

That evening, after Cen Huaian finished writing down all his observations and thoughts, he closed his notebook and turned to Chu Xia and Cen Zhengnian.

“Mom, Dad, I want to study radio electronics and semiconductors.”

Chu Xia and Cen Zhengnian exchanged a glance, neither of them surprised.

“This field is still in its early stages in China,” Cen Zhengnian said.

His own research intersected with wireless communication, so he had some familiarity with the subject. “If you choose this path, it’ll be more challenging than others. If you’re sure, you’ll need to be prepared for the difficulties.”

Cen Huaian nodded firmly. “I know, Dad. That’s exactly why I want to study this. Because the technology is underdeveloped, I want to be part of it.”

Cen Huaian wanted to contribute to something meaningful, influenced by his time growing up with Cen Zhengnian.

Seeing his son’s determination, Cen Zhengnian smiled and patted his shoulder, saying nothing more.

He knew that Cen Huaian understood everything.

Chu Xia, on the other hand, felt more conflicted—though mostly joyful.

With Cen Huaian choosing this path, his future was now completely different from what had been written in the novel.

In the book, Cen Huaian hadn’t studied this field.

At the time, his sole focus had been on making money, with no concern for the value of his knowledge.

After he created his business empire, he never thought of giving back.

The novel depicted him as someone who received little love, so money was his only source of security.

But now, Cen Huaian still loved money, though he had more important people and things in his life.

Money was no longer something he clung to like a lifeline.

Cen Zhengnian, who knew far more about radio electronics and semiconductors than Cen Huaian, asked if he had any questions about the day’s observations.

He shared knowledge that couldn’t be found in books or purchased anywhere.

While the two of them discussed, Chu Xia left them to their conversation and went to take a bath.

As she stepped out, her hair was still damp, wrapped in a towel, when the door outside was suddenly and violently knocked on.

“Cousin! Cousin!”

Cen Zhengnian paused his conversation, immediately stood up to open the door, and saw Qian Ran supporting a tall man wearing a black T-shirt.

Standing beside them was Jiang Zhiyi, her hands covered in blood, and one of her arms hung at an odd angle.

Chu Xia’s heart raced as she hurried over to help. “Zhiyi, did you encounter some danger?”

Qian Ran and Cen Zhengnian finally managed to help the tall man onto the sofa, while Cen Huai’an quickly brought over Chu Xia’s medical kit.

Whenever she went out, Chu Xia always carried her medical kit; it was a habit as a doctor.

Qian Ran told them, “This is a bodyguard I secretly assigned to Zhiyi. She didn’t know. If he hadn’t been here today, Zhiyi would have been in danger.”

When mentioning this, Qian Ran’s brow was tightly furrowed, showing her lingering fear.

Her hands trembled as she held Jiang Zhiyi’s hand tightly to ensure she was still there.

Chu Xia glanced at Jiang Zhiyi and instructed Cen Zhengnian to remove the man’s T-shirt and pants.

The front of the man’s black T-shirt was already soaked with blood, but due to the color, they could only see that the shirt had darkened.

They wouldn’t have noticed the bleeding if they hadn’t approached closely.

The man took off his T-shirt but did not remove his pants. “I’m not injured below,” he said.

This was the first thing the man said after entering; he didn’t cry out in pain, and apart from his tightly furrowed brows, it was hard to tell he was injured.

On the man’s lower abdomen was a wound where a knife had penetrated, and blood was flowing out continuously.

Chu Xia frowned at the sight. “You should go to the hospital for this injury. My medical kit doesn’t have everything a hospital does.”

“We can’t go,” Jiang Zhiyi said, her voice choked with sobs. “Those people will block us at the hospital. If we go, it’s death.”

In the current chaotic state of Yangcheng, incidents of violence and murder were not uncommon.

“His wound is too large; it needs stitching. Fortunately, he didn’t injure his internal organs; otherwise, he wouldn’t have made it this far. I don’t have any anesthetics in my medical kit.”

“It’s fine,” the injured man said, his voice low, heavily accented with the Yangcheng dialect.

“Just stitch it up,” Qian Ran added from the side. “He can bear it.”

Chu Xia cleaned the dirt around the man’s wound and disinfected it.

When the cotton ball soaked in iodine touched the wound, the man’s abdomen suddenly tightened.

Despite that, Chu Xia didn’t hear him make a sound.

She worked quickly, putting on gloves, taking the suturing needle and thread, and disinfecting them before starting to stitch the man up.

Just as the needle was about to pierce the skin, Chu Xia paused and looked up at Cen Zhengnian. “Help me hold a flashlight on it.”

“I’ll get it!” Qian Ran dashed out and returned with a flashlight in just a few breaths, shining it on the wound.

The wound was about an inch long, and Chu Xia was both quick and steady with her stitches.

Knowing that there was no anesthetic would make it painful, she instructed the man to bite down on a towel tightly.

It didn’t take long for her to finish stitching. After applying medicine and bandaging the wound, she finally stood up.

When she looked down, she saw the man was covered in beads of sweat, and his face looked somewhat distorted.

At this moment, Chu Xia realized that throughout the entire ordeal, the man hadn’t cried out in pain at all; he had endured it exceptionally well.

Jiang Zhiyi didn’t have any obvious external injuries; she had merely dislocated her arm, which Chu Xia quickly popped back into place.

Just after it was set, she grasped Chu Xia’s arm, anxiously asking, “Cousin, he won’t be in trouble, will he?”

“He won’t.”

Chu Xia pulled her hand away and bent down to tidy up her things. “As long as you follow the doctor’s orders and rest well, he’ll be fine in about a week, and the stitches can be taken out. And you…”

Chu Xia looked at Jiang Zhiyi and said, “Remember not to exert yourself with that dislocated arm for the next few days. If it dislocates again, it might become habitual.”

Jiang Zhiyi hurriedly nodded. “I remember, Cousin.”

She was more concerned about the injured bodyguard than her own injury; if it weren’t for her, he wouldn’t have been hurt.

Qian Ran wrapped her arms around her shoulders, comforting her. “Don’t worry, we’ll take care of Hei Da together.”

The bodyguard was named Hei Da; his surname was Hei, and he had brothers named Hei Er and Hei San, which showed how casually their parents had chosen their names.

After Chu Xia tidied up the medical kit and washed her hands in the bathroom, she returned to sit on the sofa.

“Zhiyi, can you tell me now? What exactly happened? Why were people following you and trying to kill you?”

Chu Xia suspected it had something to do with Jiang Zhiyi’s work, but the specifics were beyond what she, Cen Zhengnian, and Cen Huai’an could guess.