Chapter Sixty-Nine: Good Evening, Uncle...

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“Zhuo Nan, are you stupid? Why did you take that bullet for nothing? Were you trying to play the hero? Now you can't even wake up…” This wasn’t said by anyone else, but by that so-called super brain, which had been utterly useless when it really mattered.

Zhuo Nan had not regained consciousness. He was conversing with his brain in a deep sleep: “I’m not dead, so why can’t I wake up?”

“Nonsense. I’m controlling your body right now, of course you can’t wake up. I’m busy repairing your injuries…” The brain started bragging again.

“Oh, stop boasting. You were no help at that crucial moment, and now you’re showing off again. What’s the point?”

“A kind gesture treated like donkey’s liver and lungs. I really don’t know what you were thinking. Why did you take that bullet? If I hadn’t taken over at the critical moment, you’d really be dead. The bullet missed your heart by just two centimeters…”

Zhuo Nan himself wasn’t sure what had driven him. He’d just seen the terrified look on that girl’s face and couldn’t help wanting to protect her.

“I’ve got it,” the brain continued. “It must be because the girl was pretty…”

“Shut up! Just do your job and fix me. I’m going back to sleep…” After being cursed at by Zhuo Nan, the brain could only obediently get back to work.

In the intensive care unit, the entire Zhuo family sat by the bedside. All the medical instruments showed normal vital signs for the patient—some readings even healthier than an average person’s. Yet the fact that he still hadn’t woken up left the doctors at a loss. Normally, once the anesthesia wore off, the patient would regain consciousness, but now, more than three hours had passed, and he was still in a coma—or more accurately, a deep sleep.

That evening, Lan Qian came to the hospital again, bringing some food. “Liru, eat something. The doctor said Zhuo Nan should wake up by tomorrow morning at the latest. If Zhuo Nan wakes up and sees you exhausted, he’ll feel terrible.”

Wang Liru sobbed, “I can’t eat. If Nannan doesn’t wake up, I just feel awful.”

Lan Qian sighed and turned to Zhuo Wengang. “Master Zhuo, you should eat something…”

Zhuo Wengang shook his head with a sigh. “I won’t eat. I’ll go buy a pack of cigarettes…” Normally, Zhuo Wengang didn’t smoke, but he would have a cigarette when he was upset.

Wang Liru nodded, and Zhuo Wengang got up and left. Just as he stepped out the door, he saw a group approaching. The four Security Bureau officers on duty were instantly on guard. The newcomers were Long Kun and Yang Yilin. Long Kun had also immediately notified Du Fanhao and his wife. Together with Long Kun was Ghostman Chao, who had gotten wind of Zhuo Nan’s accident. He had thought this was his chance, but to his surprise, Zhuo Nan wasn’t dead, and the Security Bureau was now involved. With things having changed so drastically, Ghostman Chao eventually decided it was safest to play the loyal underling for now.

When he met Long Kun outside the hospital, and saw the fierce look Long Kun gave him, Ghostman Chao instantly realized Long Kun was suspicious and hurried to explain, “Brother Kun, I had nothing to do with what happened to Brother Nan. According to my sources, the Security Bureau is involved in this.”

Long Kun didn’t immediately believe him. After all, in their world, people were capable of anything. They might smile to your face and stab you in the back. Ghostman Chao also knew that his words alone wouldn’t convince Long Kun. Everything would be clear once they saw Zhuo Nan.

The group made their way to the ward, the Security Bureau on high alert. A man in a suit stretched his left hand out in front, his right hand behind his back, voice cold: “What do you want here?”

Long Kun, seeing their stance, stood his ground. “And who are you? We’re friends of Zhuo Nan…” As he spoke, he stepped forward.

The suited man immediately drew his gun and pointed it at Long Kun. “Stop right there. Move again and I’ll shoot…”

What a show of force, Long Kun thought with a shiver. The group exchanged nervous glances and raised their hands in unison. Even Zhuo Wengang, just stepping out, put his hands above his head, looking helplessly at everyone.

Hearing the commotion, Lan Qian came out and saw the four Security Bureau agents so nervous their hands were shaking. She looked at the group opposite—she knew Long Kun, and recognized the overweight man next to him as Ghostman Chao, the kingpin of Deqing’s underworld. She just never had any evidence to put him away.

Frowning, she addressed the agents. “It’s fine, I know them all.”

Knowing Lan Qian’s identity, the agents became more obedient, though nerves still ran high. What if these men forced their way in—should they shoot or not? They regretted drawing their weapons at all.

“What are you doing here?” Lan Qian turned, her tone unfriendly.

“Officer Lan, I’m friends with Zhuo Nan. We just came to see him…” Before Lan Qian, Long Kun could only answer honestly.

Lan Qian shot him a sidelong glance and then asked Ghostman Chao, “Famous Brother Chao, what brings you here?”

Ghostman Chao smiled awkwardly. One couldn’t last so long in Deqing’s underworld without some official connections. He knew exactly who this woman was. “Officer Lan, I’m also friends with Zhuo Nan. I came to check on him…”

Sensing Lan Qian’s displeasure, Sun Yan stepped out at just the right moment. “Officer Lan, you’re here. How’s Zhuo Nan?”

Seeing Sun Yan brightened Lan Qian’s mood, but it quickly faded again. “Still unconscious. The doctor said he might wake up tomorrow…”

Ghostman Chao breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness he hadn’t done anything rash—if Zhuo Nan woke up, things would get complicated.

“We’d like to go in and see him,” Long Kun said, trying to move past.

Lan Qian blocked the door. “Long Kun, what are you up to? I never heard you were friends with Zhuo Nan.”

Long Kun wanted to give this woman a piece of his mind. I just want to visit Brother Nan, not kill him. Why are you so anxious? Besides, those four armed guards at the door—if I really wanted to kill him, I’d never get away. He thought this to himself, but said aloud, “Officer Lan, I met Zhuo Nan when we were both in the lockup. It’s normal if you didn’t know. When I heard about the accident, we all wanted to come see him.”

Sun Yan chimed in, “That’s right, Officer Lan. Fanhao and I rushed over as soon as we got Brother Kun’s call, just to check on Brother Nan.”

Lan Qian nodded, then turned to Ghostman Chao. “And how do you know Zhuo Nan, Brother Chao?”

How should Ghostman Chao answer? Should he say he got to know Zhuo Nan after being beaten up by him? He forced a smile. “I just happened to run into Long Kun, so I came along to visit…”

“Brother Chao, what a coincidence…” Lan Qian said sarcastically. In truth, she was furious with Zhuo Nan—just look at the kind of people he was associating with.

The sudden situation had left Zhuo Wengang startled. He turned to Lan Qian, “Lan Qian, what’s going on here?”

At that moment, Long Kun noticed Zhuo Wengang and hurried over to greet him. “You must be Uncle. I’m Long Kun, a good friend of Zhuo Nan’s…”

A black line seemed to run from the back of Zhuo Wengang’s head down to his rear—this man looked older than him and yet was calling him Uncle…

Long Kun greeted Zhuo Wengang enthusiastically, and, catching Ghostman Chao out of the corner of his eye, shouted, “Aren’t you going to greet Uncle?”

Ghostman Chao, with two of his men, was about to retort at Long Kun’s rudeness, but Ghostman Chao quickly stopped them. “Enough, what are you doing? Go wait at the door…”

At the boss’s command, the two underlings left obediently. Once they were gone, Ghostman Chao put on his most affable, community-leader smile and shook Zhuo Wengang’s hand. “Hello, Uncle…”

Zhuo Wengang felt a spike in blood pressure and his vision darkened, but Long Kun quickly steadied him. Once he was steady, Zhuo Wengang said, “No, no, don’t call me Uncle. I’m going to buy some cigarettes. You all go see Zhuo Nan.” The situation was almost too much for his brain to process.

Hearing about cigarettes, Long Kun pulled out two packs of premium Chunghwa and handed them over. “Uncle, try these. If you like them, I’ll bring more…”

Zhuo Wengang stood there, mouth agape, at a loss for words.

Just then, Du Fanhao stepped out, whom Zhuo Wengang recognized. “Xiao Du, Nannan said he was going to work for you—how did things turn out like this?”

Du Fanhao was at a loss for how to reply, feeling a surge of guilt. He could only offer comfort. “Don’t worry. Brother Nan’s problems are our problems. No matter the cost, we’ll get him back on his feet…”

Everyone nodded in agreement. Zhuo Wengang sighed. “You all go ahead. I’ll have a smoke… Anyone have a light?”

Long Kun quickly handed over his lighter.

When the group entered the ward, they greeted Wang Liru as well. Ghostman Chao had to force himself to call out, “Hello, Auntie…”

While they visited Zhuo Nan, the agents outside were busy reporting the situation up the chain of command. Lan Qian, meanwhile, was full of questions—how did Zhuo Nan know someone like Ghostman Chao? And why was Brother Chao acting so strangely today? Once Zhuo Nan woke up, she would have to ask him carefully… But deep down, her intuition told her none of that was truly important. What mattered most was the woman standing beside Long Kun, a presence that sparked a glimmer of jealousy in Lan Qian’s heart.

***Highly recommend a great book: "Super Memory" by VIP Chess Piece, Book Number: 79891***