Shu Lanzhou gave a playful laugh and slid into the seat beside He Xin. "Director, may I ask what you were just discussing? If it's confidential, never mind—I was just curious."
"There's nothing we can't share," Elder Lin replied, rubbing his temples. "We were discussing who should be deputy director. Frankly, that post should have gone to Professor He years ago. If he'd had it back then, the institute wouldn't have run into so much trouble. Now that I'm on the verge of retirement, I worry about its future."
He sighed. "If those two end up in that role, this place will be chaos. Who knows how many worthwhile studies will get derailed?"
Shu Lanzhou looked at He Xin. "Professor, why were you so reluctant to take the deputy-director position?"
He Xin shook his head, an earnest look on his face. "It's a misunderstanding. A few years ago, the Lin family's prominence—and Elder Lin's connection to Mu Yaning—made me think it best not to push. But I never said I planned to retire!"
He Xin stood and faced the director. "It wasn't like you secretly appointed me—I wanted a fair process. I didn't want behind-the-scenes deals; that wouldn't be equitable to the other candidates. I just didn't expect such a fuss from those two."
Elder Lin brightened. "Really—you're willing to accept the deputy-director role now?"
He Xin chuckled. "Is that even a question? My only focus has been research. But these past few years have shown me that if you don't hold some authority, you can't protect your work. So I've thought it through: I'll take the position, but my first priority remains our research."
"Excellent!" Elder Lin beamed. "Had I known you felt this way, none of this confusion would've happened."
As He Xin turned to leave, Shu Lanzhou caught his sleeve. "Professor, wait—there's something I'd like to discuss with you."
He Xin raised an eyebrow. "About Han Weicheng's team's new drug?"
Shu Lanzhou nodded. "You guessed it."
He Xin frowned. "Their timing was suspicious. An approval cycle that short simply doesn't align with standard development timelines."
"That's what I thought," Shu Lanzhou said. "Could they have expedited through the National Hospital system to shorten their approval process? But wouldn't that be reckless?"
He Xin leaned forward. "That's my suspicion—they registered their application first to beat our filing date, but they can't possibly have the capacity for full-scale production so quickly."
Shu Lanzhou met his gaze. "So should we proceed with our launch as planned?"
"As per protocol," He Xin replied firmly. "We have no excuse to delay. Whatever their strategy, we must continue forward."
Elder Lin looked bemused. "I'm lost—can someone explain succinctly?"
Shu Lanzhou rose and addressed him directly. "In short, I suspect Professor Han hasn't actually developed a market-ready drug. He filed first solely to exploit the publicity generated by our published results."
She continued, "Our progress put pressure on both the National Hospital and Luo Corporation investors. Having lost ground in research, Professor Han must claim market precedence by announcing his drug's approval. But he won't dare release an untested compound into circulation."
He paused, letting the weight of that reveal sink in.
Elder Lin's eyes widened. "You mean he plans to wait for our drug to launch, then replicate its formula under his own label?"
"Exactly," Shu Lanzhou said. "If his luck holds and Luo Jialin has enough business acumen, he might even profit at Mu Corporation's expense."
"Scoundrel!" Elder Lin rose in fury. "How could Han Weicheng stoop so low?"
Shu Lanzhou gently placed a hand on his arm. "Of course, this is still conjecture—based purely on development timelines. You know how long the fastest drug-to-market cycle takes; his team's timeframe simply doesn't fit."
Elder Lin drew a breath. "So what's our next move?"
He Xin stood. "We can't gamble our reputation. And we can't launch an investigation based on mere suspicion."
Elder Lin's brow furrowed. "But if they succeed in this scheme, what about Mu Corporation's interests?"
Shu Lanzhou smiled with confidence. "They may copy a compound, but they can't replicate our acupuncture-integrated technique. Rest assured, Mu Corporation has outcompeted Luo Corporation for years—and we're not losing now."
"That's a relief," Elder Lin exhaled. "But if this proves true, Han Weicheng must be expelled from the institute—even as a visiting professor."
He Xin and Shu Lanzhou exchanged a glance, then took their leave. As they walked back to his office, He Xin turned to her.
"You must have anticipated all this," he said. "You just chose not to mention it to Elder Lin until now?"
Shu Lanzhou nodded. "Walls have ears around here. Hundreds of people could overhear in the director's office. And I'm not worried—Luo Jialin isn't my husband's match. Business is like life: without sincerity, nothing endures."
He Xin waved a hand. "Fair enough. But speculation is speculation. Whatever they might do, we need contingencies."
He paused. "And poor Ni Sheng—he must feel awful. Our results announcement should have included his approval notice. If only we'd had the licensing documents then, Han Weicheng couldn't have seized the spotlight."
Shu Lanzhou chuckled. "Perhaps the real scramble wasn't just from Han Weicheng but also from those in the National Hospital."
He Xin smiled. "Indeed. They've waited three or four years for vindication. At last, Director Long can stand tall again."
He hesitated, then asked, "By the way, your teacher mentioned Director Long wants to promote acupuncture at the National Hospital—any thoughts?"