Three Rules After Discharge from the Hospital

The brief silence in the ward was broken by two polite knocks on the door. The attending physician walked in with a nurse, both wearing professional, gentle smiles.

"Mr. Meng, Mr. Cui, good afternoon. I'm here to conduct a routine review for Mr. Meng."

Meng Yihe immediately put down her water glass.

Cui Yu also stopped teasing, stood up straight, and nodded to the doctor.

The doctor stepped forward, measured Meng Yihe's blood pressure and heart rate, checked her pupil response and the recovery of her stomach bruises, and asked her about her feelings. The nurse recorded the data.

"Yes, the vital signs are stable, and the external injuries are healing well," the doctor said while checking the data recorded by the nurse. "The monitoring data of pheromone levels shows that the fluctuation range is decreasing and tending to stabilize, which is a very good sign."

Upon hearing this, Meng Yihe immediately said, "In that case, doctor, may I consider being discharged from the hospital, or at least switching to remote work? The project schedule cannot be delayed for too long."

Upon hearing this, the doctor showed a troubled expression.

“Mr. Meng, you have recovered very quickly, but the aftereffects of forced pheromone imbalance need to be carefully monitored. Unlike ordinary external injuries, surface stability does not mean that the underlying hormone levels have completely returned to normal. I strongly suggest that you rest and observe for another 48 hours to ensure that there is no recurrence.”

“48 hours is too long.” Meng Yihe frowned, trying to persuade the other party with logic. “I can sign a waiver. Besides, I am only conducting remote command and document approval, which will not consume too much physical strength and energy.”

The doctor seemed somewhat overwhelmed by this patient with a powerful aura.

He glanced at Cui Yu beside him.

Upon receiving the signal, Cui Yu stepped forward and calmly took over the conversation.

He didn't directly refute Meng Yihe, but looked at the doctor and said sincerely, "Dr. Li, we absolutely respect your professional judgment. Yihe is mainly concerned about his work. Do you think there's a compromise? Or, what more specific criteria do we need to meet to ensure his absolute safety upon discharge?"

The term "discharged from the hospital" has been changed to "meeting safety standards".

The focus of the conflict shifted from "whether or not to listen to the doctor" to "how to be discharged safely".

The doctor breathed a sigh of relief and quickly said, "Of course there are standards." He then listed a series of standards related to physical strength, pheromones, and mental state.

These standards sound reasonable, but each one takes time and is difficult to quantify immediately.

Meng Yihe's face darkened.

He realized that this was tantamount to a disguised form of delay.

Cui Yu nodded thoughtfully, then turned to Meng Yihe with a troubled expression.

"Director Meng, you see, Dr. Li is also thinking about your long-term health. These standards... sound very professional and necessary."

He paused, his tone becoming even more considerate.

"How about this, shall we wait patiently for another day? If all the indicators are perfectly met by this time tomorrow, I will personally handle your discharge procedures and won't keep you for even a minute longer, how about that?"

Cui Yu spoke in a high-sounding manner, completely standing on the position of "for your own good" and "respect for professionalism," and even took the initiative to propose a seemingly conceding time limit.

But Meng Yihe clearly saw the glimmer of triumph in his eyes.

He was certain that even if all the indicators met the targets tomorrow, Cui Yu would still be able to come up with new "professional advice" to continue delaying.

“Cui Yu.” Meng Yihe’s voice turned cold, carrying a warning tone, “The project’s losses are increasing every day.”

"The losses to the project are far less than the losses caused by the health problems of key personnel," Cui Yu responded immediately, his tone becoming slightly firmer as he looked at the doctor.

"Dr. Li, are you right? If we force ourselves to be discharged and cause our pheromones to become disordered again, won't the subsequent treatment be more complicated and take longer?"

The doctor nodded immediately.

"Yes, Mr. Cui has considered this very thoroughly. If the disorder is forced to repeat itself, it will indeed be more troublesome and may even leave long-term effects."

Cui Yu shrugged and looked at Meng Yihe.

His eyes seemed to say: Look, it's not that I don't want you to leave, it's just that objective conditions don't allow it.

Meng Yihe was completely speechless.

He found himself trapped in an irrefutable logical loop: everything revolved around his health, and the right to define health was temporarily in the hands of the doctor and Cui Yu, who was extremely concerned about his health.

He took a deep breath, knowing that arguing any further would be futile and would only make him seem unreasonable. So he leaned back heavily on the pillow, closed his eyes, and squeezed out two words.

“One day.” This was a compromise that was almost squeezed out through his clenched teeth.

Cui Yu's face immediately lit up with a relieved smile, as if he had won a tough battle: "Very good, then it's settled." He turned to the doctor, "Dr. Li, please come back for a follow-up examination at the same time tomorrow."

The doctor and nurse gave a few more instructions and then left the ward.

The door was closed.

Meng Yihe opened her eyes and looked coldly at the man by the window who seemed to be in a very good mood.

"Cui Yu, you did this on purpose."

This is not a question, but a statement.

Cui Yu turned around, looking completely innocent: "Director Meng, what are you talking about? I'm fully cooperating with the doctor's orders to protect your health rights."

He walked to the bedside, picked up an apple and a fruit knife, and slowly began to peel it.

"After all, your reward hasn't even started yet, so you can't afford to break down."

He brought up that damned reward again!

Meng Yihe felt like the tightness in his chest was about to explode. He abruptly turned his head away from Cui Yu, every cell in his body expressing silent protest and displeasure.

Cui Yu finished peeling the apple in a good mood, even considerately cutting it into small pieces and pushing them towards Meng Yihe, though the latter didn't even glance at them, completely ignoring them. Cui Yu didn't mind, and picked up the briefing from before, having only read a couple of lines, when there was another gentle knock on the ward door.

“Go in,” Cui Yu replied.

Lin Xueyue entered, holding a folder in her hand. Her expression was slightly solemn, but she paused when she saw the scene in the ward.

"Director Cui, Director Meng," she quickly composed herself and greeted them respectfully.

"What is it?" Cui Yu put down the briefing.

Meng Yihe finally shifted his gaze from the window to the documents in Lin Xueyue's hands, his professional instincts instantly putting him on alert.

Lin Xueyue handed the folder to Cui Yu, speaking calmly: "This is an urgent message I just received."

“Ji Nan of Dingsheng, through her connections in the Linnan Chamber of Commerce, is trying to push forward a motion for ‘additional security review procedures’ for foreign-invested mining projects. Ostensibly it is aimed at all companies, but the details of the terms are clearly aimed at our Xinghai rare earth mine project, with the intention of delaying or even ruining our approval process.”

Meng Yihe's brows furrowed instantly, and she held out her hand, saying, "Let me see."

This time, Cui Yu didn't stop him and handed him the folder directly. It would be unreasonable to stop him if it involved the other party's core attack.

Meng Yihe quickly flipped through the documents, her gaze sweeping over the seemingly fair but actually malicious clauses, her expression growing colder and colder.

"We must use an environmental impact assessment report from a locally designated agency? The project's core management personnel must pass a local background check? She's trying to completely exclude us from the project."

“And the timing is very tricky,” Lin Xueyue added. “The Chamber of Commerce will discuss this motion next week. Once it is passed, it will be formally submitted to the relevant departments, which will be very troublesome.”

Meng Yihe began to think: "The designated agency must have been infiltrated by her, and the background check is just a fabricated charge. We can't let her motion pass; we need to act immediately..."

He stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence.

He noticed that Cui Yu didn't seem as eager as he was; instead, she leisurely picked up a piece of apple, put it in her mouth, and chewed it slowly.

"Cui Yu?" Meng Yihe looked at him with a question in his eyes. He didn't believe that Cui Yu couldn't see the danger involved.

Cui Yu swallowed the apple before slowly speaking.

“Director Meng, it seems Ji Nan has started using these underhanded local protectionist tactics again.” He opened his tablet, swiped a few times, and then turned the screen toward Meng Yihe and Lin Xueyue, where a completely different document summary was displayed.

"What a coincidence." Cui Yu's lips curled into a cold smile.

"I also just received some news."

"It seems there are some minor issues with the lithium mine that Dingsheng invested in last year. For example, their tailings dam safety certification appears to have been obtained through some special channels. And the vice president of the chamber of commerce who strongly advocated for this at the time seems to be under scrutiny recently for other reasons."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Meng Yihe.

"In addition, the other committee member who was most enthusiastic about pushing Ji Nan's motion, his son-in-law's company, seems to be urgently seeking financing."

"Unfortunately, the biggest potential investor happens to owe me a favor."

Meng Yihe looked at the information on Cui Yu's tablet, then looked up at Cui Yu's confident and composed demeanor, and instantly understood.

Cui Yu had long anticipated that Ji Nan might start with local connections, and might even act earlier and lay deeper groundwork than her.

“So,” Meng Yihe continued, her thoughts instantly synchronized with Cui Yu’s, “we don’t need to directly oppose this motion; doing so would only get us bogged down in local power struggles.”

“That’s right. All we need to do is get the key figures who support this motion to realize that it’s inappropriate, or suddenly become too busy to care about it.”

Cui Yu looked at Lin Xueyue: "Lin Xueyue, let the right people know about these two interesting stories through appropriate channels, 'inadvertently'. Be careful how you do it, make it seem like they 'accidentally' discovered them themselves."

"Understood, Director Cui." Lin Xueyue nodded immediately, his eyes filled with admiration for his superior's methods.

"In addition," Cui Yu added, "we should compile a concise and compelling statement outlining the technological advantages, environmental investments, and long-term tax revenue potential of our Xinghai project, and deliver it directly to the desks of every core member of the Chamber of Commerce, letting facts and benefits speak for themselves."

"Yes, I'll take care of it right away." Lin Xueyue noted down the key points, turned around and left the ward.

The ward door closed again.

“You already knew,” Meng Yihe stated, her tone complex.

"I guessed Ji Nan would retaliate, but I didn't expect her to use such a stupid move." Cui Yu smiled. "It's probably because Chu Shen's move backfired, causing her to lose her composure." When he mentioned Chu Shen, his tone was filled with cold sarcasm.

Meng Yihe paused for a moment.

Just now, the unspoken understanding and efficient cooperation between them made him feel as if he had returned to the time when they were simply fighting side by side. But soon, Cui Yu's words pulled him back to reality.

"How was it, Director Meng?" Cui Yu asked with a smile, her eyes sparkling.

"Are you satisfied with how efficiently I handled those trivial matters? I didn't disappoint you, did I?"

He started speaking in a tone that seemed to be seeking praise, instantly shattering the professional atmosphere from before.

Meng Yihe: "..."

The slight appreciation and understanding he had just developed vanished instantly upon hearing these words.

Meng Yihe turned her head away, not wanting to pay attention to him, but the corner of her mouth twitched upwards so quickly that she didn't even notice it herself.

Dr. Li looked at the latest test results and finally smiled with satisfaction.

"Mr. Meng, congratulations. All your indicators are basically stable, and your pheromone levels have returned to the normal fluctuation range. You can consider being discharged from the hospital."

Upon hearing this, Meng Yihe almost immediately got out of bed.

"However," the doctor quickly added, his tone becoming serious, "discharge does not mean a full recovery. The effects of forced pheromone imbalance on the body's underlying functions are profound and require long-term, careful recuperation. In the near future, it is essential to avoid overexertion and drastic emotional fluctuations, and to ensure sufficient sleep and a regular diet. It would be best if someone could remind and supervise you."

Just as Meng Yihe was about to speak and say that she could handle things properly, Cui Yu spoke first, his attitude impeccably sincere.

"Dr. Li, please rest assured, leave this to me. I will strictly supervise and ensure that Yihe fully complies with the doctor's orders."

Cui Yu even took out his phone and opened the notes app, saying seriously, "What are some things that I need to pay special attention to? I'll write them down."

The doctor gave Cui Yu an approving look and began to explain in detail: "First, diet: eat regularly and in moderation, focusing on a light diet, avoiding spicy and greasy foods. Second, rest: ensure at least seven hours of sleep every day and avoid staying up late. As for work..."

The doctor glanced at Meng Yihe and said tactfully, "Take it easy. It's best to get up and move around every hour. You absolutely cannot work at a high intensity continuously for more than..."

"Two hours," Cui Yu replied immediately, his fingers flying across the screen. "Anything beyond two hours requires a mandatory twenty-minute break. Anything else, doctor?"

Meng Yihe: "..."

He looked at Cui Yu in disbelief.

Two hours?

His meetings can usually last more than two hours!

The doctor seemed to think the standard was a bit harsh, but under Cui Yu's firm gaze that emphasized "health above all else," he nodded nonetheless.

"Uh... in principle yes, it's necessary to balance work and rest. Also, emotions are important; maintaining a peaceful state of mind is crucial..."

Cui Yu nodded as she took notes, and finally confirmed all the terms with the doctor.

After the doctor left, only the two of them remained in the ward.

Meng Yihe looked coldly at Cui Yu: "Two hours? Cui Yu, you might as well just lock me up."

Cui Yu put away her phone, smiling innocently.

"Director Meng, this is Dr. Li's professional advice. I'm just a loyal follower." Cui Yu walked to the bedside and waved his phone.

"Look, it's all written down in black and white. From the moment of discharge, the 'Meng Yihe Health Management Standard' officially came into effect."

“Those are your rules, not mine,” Meng Yihe tried to make a final stand.

"Oh?" Cui Yu raised an eyebrow, looking at him with a leisurely air.

"Should I call your aunt now to report on your discharge and subsequent self-management plan? I think she will be very supportive of Dr. Li's professional advice."