I See through Everything

However, He Youwei couldn’t find a cure for her systemic lupus erythematosus, so she returned to China to continue her Ph.D. and intern at Peking Union Medical College Hospital.

"I’m familiar with this technology. The therapeutic principle primarily involves intervening at specific gene targets related to the disease. For instance, by targeting and regulating genes associated with the immune system, it modulates the immune response by interfering with abnormal gene expression or protein function."

"Currently, targeted therapy against B-cell activating factor, or BAFF, is a major area of research. One I’m relatively familiar with is belimumab, which has been approved to treat systemic lupus erythematosus. It specifically binds to BAFF, reducing B-cell survival and differentiation. This, in turn, lowers the production of autoantibodies and lessens the disease’s activity."

"That’s right," Jiang Miao nodded.

He Youwei’s brow furrowed. "However, gene-targeted therapy still faces a few challenges. I can handle the high cost, but the key issues are the potential for off-target effects and questions about its long-term efficacy and safety."

"I can perform this kind of treatment, but there’s a problem. I don’t have a medical license, so I need to avoid any unnecessary risks." A peculiar glint appeared in Jiang Miao’s eyes.

After all, the treatment he had provided for Li Jianming was a dietary plan. That kind of regimen was akin to a nutritionist’s advice and didn’t require a medical license.

But He Youwei’s case, involving gene-targeted therapy, couldn’t be passed off as simple dietary advice.

If someone were to latch onto that, they could easily use it to stir up trouble.

Jiang Miao had no intention of leaving such a liability for himself.

Li Jianming and He Youwei immediately understood. They both knew that once certain lines were crossed, anyone who wanted to cause trouble could easily seize the opportunity and blow the situation out of proportion.

"Ah Miao, what do you have in mind?" Li Jianming asked directly.

Jiang Miao laid out his solution. "I’ll privately acquire a medical device and pharmaceutical R&D company. Then I’ll hire Ms. He as the Chief Technology Officer and recruit some licensed medical personnel. We can then conduct the treatment under the guise of an experiment."

"I couldn’t let you go to such an expense, Mr. Jiang. Perhaps we should just forget it," He Youwei said, looking a little embarrassed.

"Don’t worry about it. I’ve actually been planning to enter the medical industry, but I don’t have the energy to manage a company myself," Jiang Miao explained with a smile.

’But in reality, his motives went far beyond that.’

’The waters of the domestic medical industry ran too deep for Hailufeng Company to dive into directly. He needed to bring in someone with the right qualifications to act as a figurehead.’

’His original plan had been to wait a few more years.’

’But He Youwei’s situation had prompted him to change his mind. From what he could tell, she was a relatively straightforward person—perhaps a result of her STEM background combined with a lifetime of poor health that had kept her from picking up any bad habits.’

’Jiang Miao had, of course, already looked into Li Jianming’s family background. After all, with his skills online, he could gather a great deal of information.’

’He knew that Li Jianming’s father had two former comrades-in-arms with the surname He. When He Youwei had introduced herself as being from the Capital City, her father’s identity became crystal clear.’

’If He Youwei were to join this pharmaceutical company, 99% of his potential problems within the country would instantly disappear. The remaining 1% would be a matter of force majeure.’

’Better to be proactive and find a suitable partner now than to be forced into a defensive position later.’

Even someone as relatively guileless as He Youwei could read between the lines of Jiang Miao’s proposal.

"Youwei, you can completely trust Ah Miao’s medical skills. Don’t hesitate," Li Jianming chimed in, trying to persuade her. "Besides, Ah Miao is an upright person. He won’t use your name to do anything illegal or unethical."

Li Jianming had spent enough time with Jiang Miao to know his character. During Hailufeng Company’s growth, there were many opportunities to take shortcuts. A single word from Jiang Miao would have been enough to open doors, yet he never took that path. Instead, he preferred to spend extra money to ensure every last procedure was handled legally and by the book.

Of course, Li Jianming had his own selfish motives for this as well. If He Youwei could be cured, the relationship between their two families could grow even closer. That was why he was so eager for He Youwei to accept the offer.

He Youwei considered it for a moment, and her mind was quickly made up.

’His terms aren’t a major issue. Besides, I can’t let my health continue to decline like this, and what’s more, my younger brother needs treatment too.’

Her parents didn’t have systemic lupus erythematosus, but her maternal grandmother had, so it was clearly an inherited condition.

After the two-child policy was introduced, her parents decided to try for another child. They went through IVF in 2016, but the outcome was a bitter disappointment.

Her younger brother showed no signs of systemic lupus erythematosus after he was born, much to the family’s delight. However, their happiness was short-lived. In 2022, an influenza infection triggered his immune cells, causing the lupus to flare up.

By this point, her parents were in their forties, and the risks of having a third child were too high. Given what had happened with their first two children, they didn’t dare try again, terrified of having another child with a hereditary illness.

"I will agree to join your pharmaceutical company, Mr. Jiang."

"In that case, I look forward to our collaboration," Jiang Miao said with a smile, extending his hand.

The two of them shook hands again.

Just then, Li Zixuan came in carrying a basket with three boxed lunches. He set them down, then discreetly excused himself, closing the door to the private room on his way out.