Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

The end result of cash flow issues and employees leaving the company was the shareholders pulling out their investment one by one. The financial problems were like a snowball rolling down a hill, becoming increasingly bigger until the Li Corporation had nowhere to run.

Xia Ruya had already faced up to the facts. Mr. Z had completely abandoned her and she had lost her greatest backing.

But how could Xia Ruya be resigned to such an ending?

She could accept the fact that she had once suffered violent abuse and the time when she had lived in a dark, dank cave like a dirty rat. She could accept all the unbearable pain her illness was causing her and how unfair the heavens were treating her.

But she was unable to accept the fact that she was not as good as Wen Xinya and that she had lost to her.

She always had a determined and unwavering attitude in life. Until the very last moment, who would know what the final result would be?

At first, she had tried to get in touch with the contacts whom Mr. Z had given her. What surprised her was that not only did Mr. Z abandon her, but he had also ditched the entire team which he had set up in Country Z’s Capital city.

This gave the despondent Xia Ruya some slight comfort. She felt like she still had some leverage at hand, and that she had not really lost everything. Her highly-irritable temper gradually calmed down.

She realized there was no way the Li Corporation could ever recover and she should make use of all her resources at hand to help Chu Jingnan take total control of the Xiao Corporation and then expand the company.

After repeated blows by the Li Corporation, the Wen Corporation barely possessed even a third of the Xiao Corporation’s power. They would be unable to shake the Xiao Corporation. Moreover, the Wen Corporation had suffered massive damage and was now busy regaining their former strength in order to rise up again. There was no way they could handle the Xiao Corporation. Also, Lanxin Company and the Xiao Corporation operated in different sectors and did not have any conflict of interest. It would not be so easy for them to make a move against the Xiao Corporation.

And so, the Xiao Corporation was her ticket to make a comeback.

After making up her mind about this, Xia Ruya swept aside the sense of despondency that had enveloped her the past few consecutive days.

“Doctor, how is my condition? Has it worsened?”

Xia Ruya was extremely anxious. Lately, she could clearly feel that the pain in her abdomen had become increasingly serious. All her physical symptoms had also become more intense, completely disrupting her daily life.

She thought that medication and physical therapy would prevent her condition from worsening, even if it couldn’t be cured for now. She would wait until she defeated Wen Xinya and returned to Country M to receive the most advanced treatment.

But she never expected that in just a few short months, her health became increasingly bad. Her body had always been a bit weaker than most people as her immune system was suppressed by her pelvic inflammatory disease. Generally, she would succumb to some small illnesses about once every three days, and a major sickness once every five days. Fevers, nausea, vomiting, stomach pains, lack of appetite, poor spirits—all sorts of ailments tormented her.

“From your test results, your pelvic inflammatory disease has indeed worsened. Your medication and physical therapy was clearly producing results, and your previous tests showed that the symptoms of your illness were being alleviated—so why the sudden turn for the worse?”

The doctor found it all very strange and he kept flipping to and fro her medical records.

Xia Ruya’s haggard face turned increasingly grim. During this period, she had researched a lot regarding the pelvic inflammatory disease and knew how terrifying this illness could be. In its mildest form, it would bring much pain to sufferers and harm their health, while in serious cases, it could trigger severe peritonitis and septic shock to the body.

Once the condition turned serious, it could be potentially life-threatening.

“Are you experiencing frequent episodes of intense mood swings, bouts of quick-temper, and even near-mental breakdowns?” The doctor didn’t find anything out of the ordinary after checking through her medical records. So, the problem must lie with the patient herself.

Pelvic inflammatory disease was not easy to treat. The patient would have to endure much pain during the treatment process, and so would be under a lot of mental and emotional stress. As a result, many patients ended up experiencing extreme mood swings and emotional breakdowns.

This would not be conducive to the condition.

“Doctor, since my illness has worsened, does this mean that my current medication and physical therapy will no longer be effective?”

Xia Ruya’s face paled. She thought of how she had frequently lost control of her emotions lately because of Wen Xinya. And every time that happened, her abdominal pain would intensify and all her other physical ailments would also get aggravated.

Her attitude confirmed the doctor’s conjectures. “That’s not necessarily the case. It’s just that with your current condition, relying solely on medication and physical therapy is no longer enough. They will only temporarily suppress your disease from worsening. Of course, this depends on you maintaining a good mental and emotional state. Otherwise, your condition will still worsen.”

The doctor found it all rather strange.

Pelvic inflammatory disease was no small matter. This was the first time he had met a patient like her, who refused to undergo treatment to cure her illness. Could there be anything in this world which was more important than one’s own health and life?

Xia Ruya’s face became even grimmer. She bit her lip and asked in a sad voice, “Is there really… no other way?”

She knew how serious pelvic inflammatory disease was and how dangerous her current condition was. But there was no way she could take time off now. The Li Corporation was doomed and she didn’t have much leverage left on hand. If she didn’t seize the opportunity now to fight for herself, she would be left with nothing.

The doctor advised earnestly. “Your pelvic inflammatory disease has already reached a rather critical stage. If you don’t receive treatment as soon as possible, it will start spreading to your internal organs. Especially for acute pelvic inflammatory disease, it can result in peritonitis and septic shock to the body. It will be a major risk to your life. I still advise you to quickly undergo treatment. Even though you won’t be able to recover immediately, it will alleviate your condition. As long as you carry on the treatment, there is still a possibility for a cure in the future.”

Of course Xia Ruya knew all this, but she was caught in a dilemma for the moment. “Doctor, are you able to help me suppress my illness for the time being? I still have some very important matters to settle. I will immediately seek treatment the moment I settle everything. Is that possible?”

The doctor sighed softly. “The human body will slowly develop an immunity against the medication after long-term use, and the effectiveness of using only medication and physical therapy will be greatly reduced. So this cannot be a long-term solution. At the very most, you have another three months before you really need to change your treatment plan.”

Xia Ruya gritted her teeth and hesitated a split second before replying, “Three months is enough for me.”

As long as she could help Chu Jingnan successfully take over the Xiao Corporation, she could then return to Country M to receive treatment.

With that, the doctor had no idea how to further persuade her. “To guarantee the effectiveness of the medication and physical therapy, I will also arrange for you to undergo psychotherapy.”

Xia Ruya nodded as she accepted the doctor’s arrangements.