The ceremony proceeded normally, with Ju Lanlan taking Jiang Ye's place on stage to deliver the speech and host the entire event.
Jiang Ye remained weak and was rushed to Binhai City Hospital for inpatient treatment.
Medical luminaries from Jiang Ye Star, Bi Rong Star, and Liuwang Star were all notified urgently. Escorted by local military police, they were dispatched to the star station, converging from all directions to form Jiang Ye's private medical team.
News quickly reached Li Nannan, and subsequently, Commander Dai was informed. The Galactic Empire's military was alerted and also swiftly assembled a medical team to head to Jiang Ye Star.
News of Jiang Ye's severe illness was kept strictly confidential. Only a small faction within the military knew, and neighboring planets were not notified. Even the medical experts from Jiang Ye Star, Bi Rong Star, and Liuwang Star did not know who the patient was before their departure. They were simply notified of an important patient requiring treatment. The military police escorting the medical experts to Jiang Ye Star were also unclear about the specifics, having only signed non-disclosure agreements and being responsible for transportation.
It was Jiang Ye's request for discretion. The planet exchange had just opened, with hundreds of new cities under construction on several planets. Stability was crucial at this juncture. If news of his severe illness spread, foreign capital, sensing instability, might withdraw their investments, ultimately harming the populace of the planets.
Cen Yemeng and Jiang Senlin soon arrived on Jiang Ye Star.
Cen Yemeng began to cry on the way, her temper becoming extremely volatile as she repeatedly questioned why her healthy husband had suddenly fallen gravely ill. She lost her usual elegant demeanor, smashing teacups multiple times on the spaceship and letting out beast-like roars that sent the guards into a cold sweat. Fortunately, after arriving on Jiang Ye Star, Cen Yemeng's emotions stabilized considerably.
Jiang Senlin was also anxious and remained silent during the journey to the hospital. High-ranking officials met with Jiang Senlin, secretly showing him a series of documents in the car, informing him that should his father meet with an accident, he, as the sole son, would likely need to inherit certain powers. Jiang Senlin, holding the documents, looked pale but said nothing more.
Shao Wan hurried to the outside of the ward to visit the weakened Jiang Ye. Jiang Ye gestured to him, signaling him to "get busy." Shao Wan nodded, stood at attention, saluted, and turned to leave.
Liu Jizi did not visit Jiang Ye; she knew her responsibilities. Upon receiving the order, she immediately departed for Bi Rong Star, starting her new role overnight. She began handling Jiang Ye's work based on her experience, deferring major decisions when possible, and calling Cen Yemeng for clarification when necessary.
Isabelle was very worried and wanted to go to Jiang Ye Star with Cen Yemeng to see Jiang Ye. However, Cen Yemeng ordered her to stay before leaving. Liuwang Star was also in a period of significant development, with numerous important affairs, and it was crucial to have a leader present. Isabelle, though tearful with emotion, chose to remain on Liuwang Star.
Jiang Ye's condition stabilized by the next morning, but he remained weak, lying listlessly in bed with a pale and gaunt complexion.
The doctors worked tirelessly for a day and a night but could not determine the cause of Jiang Ye's sudden illness. New medical equipment was being delivered, and more specialists were arriving. Given the unknown cause, Jiang Ye's movement was restricted to a sterile ward to prevent any potential impact on others.
The outer walls of the sterile ward were transparent. Cen Yemeng moved a lounge chair and settled in the corridor, wearing earphones to maintain constant communication with her husband, as if they were in close proximity. She would even listen quietly when Jiang Ye snored softly in his sleep.
Jiang Ye's office, private car, spaceship, and even his home were meticulously searched by specialized personnel, every inch examined for possible causative factors. Even the robot vacuum cleaner at home was pried open to scan its dirt compartment. Those who had met with Jiang Ye recently were also detained and screened for suspicion.
On the morning of the third day, as Cen Yemeng slept curled up on a small bed in the corridor, the earphone in her ear suddenly crackled.
"Wife, don't sleep in the corridor. I'm fine," Jiang Ye's voice came through. "I need to work. Have Ju Lanlan send me the trading data for the planet exchange from the past two days."
Cen Yemeng opened her eyes and looked at her husband with concern. "Be quiet."
Jiang Ye, sitting up in bed, was stunned.
"Rest well. Work is being handled; I've made all the arrangements," Cen Yemeng said. "As you instructed, Shao Wan is in charge of Jiang Ye Star, Liu Jizi is in charge of Bi Rong Star, Isabelle is in charge of Liuwang Star, and Xu Aoqing is in charge of Meteorite Star. Everything is going well so far, with no issues, and I'm helping to oversee things."
"I think I can work now," Jiang Ye said.
"Jiang Ye!" Cen Yemeng glared. "Rest! I suspect this is due to exhaustion. You haven't had a proper night's sleep in a year."
"Listen to me, wife. The overall situation is paramount. Some matters require my decision," Jiang Ye said earnestly. "It won't be too tiring."
Cen Yemeng, desperate, burst into tears and pounded the glass wall with her fist in anger.
Jiang Ye was startled, having never seen his wife so distraught. He quickly agreed to rest temporarily.
Cen Yemeng's insistence on his rest proved correct. That afternoon, Jiang Ye's condition relapsed. He vomited once, followed by extreme weakness, dizziness, and sweating. After the medical staff stabilized Jiang Ye's condition, they were met with a torrent of abuse from Cen Yemeng as they exited the ward.
"Wife, don't be so agitated. They are dedicating themselves to treating me, under immense pressure. They deserve gratitude, not scolding," Jiang Ye said through the earphone, his voice weak, trying to pacify her. "If you offend the doctors, how can your husband recover?"
Convinced by her husband's words, the agitated Cen Yemeng in the corridor apologized to the medical staff, admitting her haste and loss of decorum. She promised to compensate them once Jiang Ye recovered.
After the medical staff dispersed, Cen Yemeng sat back on the small bed in the corridor, covering her face and weeping.
Late on the third night, her father arrived. Jiang Ye was asleep, so her father chatted with his daughter in the corridor for several hours. By the time Jiang Ye woke at dawn, his father had already left, leaving behind only some tonics.
On the morning of the fourth day, Jiang Ye's condition worsened again. He vomited more severely, then lay on the bed groaning in pain, his body covered in sweat, resembling a dehydrated marine creature.
Concurrently, Jiang Ye began to have frequent nightmares.
Due to his weakened state, he lay in bed in a daze for over ten hours each day. However, every few hours, he would jolt awake.
His reactions upon waking varied. Sometimes his expression was ferocious, and he would shout in anger, as if about to draw his sword. Other times, he would be consumed by jealousy and fear, then cry into his pillow, only regaining composure after a few minutes.
The nightmares further emaciated him. The once brave and resolute leader was replaced by a tired, frightened patient. Jiang Ye even began to avoid sleep, forcing his eyes open to resist drowsiness.
"Husband, what exactly are you dreaming about?" Cen Yemeng asked, tears streaming down her face.
"War, famine, people eating people, shrapnel embedded in the soil. And orange-red poisonous fog, biological weapons, animals bleeding, then vibrant mushrooms growing from corpses. Forests and grasslands all withered, with fallen leaves waist-deep. I also dreamed of an exploding planet, with vast cities collapsing in tremors, dust entering the dark universe," Jiang Ye replied weakly. "My dreams seem to have opened another world. Every time I dream and enter it, it's similar scenes of bloodshed, repeating over and over."
A week into his severe illness, the military medical personnel requested a craniotomy for Jiang Ye.