Chapter Thirty: He Is Your Son’s Last Hope

"Director Chen, sorry to disturb you so late at night. And this is—?" Jiang Yiyao greeted the middle-aged doctor with a brief handshake, his gaze shifting to the elderly physician.

"This is Elder Qi, a specially appointed traditional medicine expert at the provincial hospital and ours. I heard about your son's condition from Director Shi over the phone and invited Elder Qi to join us," Director Chen explained. Jiang Yiyao nodded politely, not overly enthusiastic, as he had little faith in traditional medicine and had no time for empty courtesies now.

"Director Chen, please, see to my son at once," Dong Shiyun urged.

Director Chen wasted no time, nodding and heading toward the emergency room. Suddenly, Elder Qi halted, his eyes landing on Hong Chen with delighted surprise. Catching his gaze, Hong Chen smiled and said, "Elder Qi, hello. The patient is inside—please, go ahead."

Elder Qi, shrewd and experienced, instantly understood Hong Chen didn’t wish to converse further and simply nodded before moving on.

"You know that old doctor?" Lin Yuxin asked in surprise.

Hong Chen grunted in assent. "Met him at the Liu family last time."

Lin Yuxin didn’t probe further. Her eyes flickered, then suddenly fixed with rare astonishment. The earlier commotion with Luo Cheng being verbally condemned and physically beaten had drawn everyone’s attention, so none noticed that Lin Yufei had already sat up. The bleeding from her head had stopped, and her complexion regained a hint of color.

"Yufei, how are you feeling?"

"I’m much better, just a little dizzy," Lin Yufei replied with a faint smile, glancing uncertainly at Hong Chen. "Was it you who pricked me with needles just now?"

"I treated your wounds," Hong Chen answered blandly. "You lost a lot of blood and are still weak. You should keep resting."

Lin Yufei frowned slightly. Her mind had been clouded earlier, only vaguely aware of Hong Chen’s hands moving before her eyes and the sensation of needles at her head, arm, and upper abdomen. Then, her pain vanished, and her spirits revived.

Still, hearing now that he had treated her, Lin Yufei instinctively doubted it, yet found no grounds to argue.

Shen Huizhu and Lin Yuangui came over, astonished and delighted to see how much Lin Yufei had improved.

"Who treated her injuries?" Their conversation quickly drew the attention of others. Dong Miaoyun stepped over, scrutinizing Lin Yufei before pointing and demanding an answer.

Her own son’s life hung in the balance inside, while Lin Yufei—one of those blamed for the incident—was clearly recovering, her color restored. To a distraught mother, this was a bitter provocation.

Hong Chen admitted calmly, "I did."

Immediately, every gaze shot toward Hong Chen. Dong Miaoyun’s expression was icy. "I’ve said, until my son is out of danger, they are not to receive treatment."

Hong Chen couldn’t help but laugh. "What logic is that? I’ve already heard what happened—your son was speeding, ran a red light, and caused the crash. He’s entirely at fault. Now you act as though he’s the victim. Even if he were, you have no right to deny others timely medical care."

Dong Miaoyun was furious. As the matron of the Jiang family, when had anyone ever contradicted her? Especially now, with her grief and anger at a breaking point.

Without waiting for her command, a nearby man swung his fist at Hong Chen. Lin Yuxin cried out, "Watch out!" her voice shrill with panic. The same woman who had earlier surrounded Hong Chen shot Lin Yuxin a venomous glare and slapped at her.

Crack! Two crisp smacks overlapped. The man’s fist was blocked by Hong Chen’s upraised palm; Lin Yuxin, however, took the slap full on her fair cheek, a bright red handprint blooming instantly.

A surge of fury erupted in Hong Chen’s chest at the sight of Lin Yuxin struck. With a sudden twist, he wrenched the man’s arm, a series of popping dislocations echoing as pain contorted the man’s face. Hong Chen then kicked him away, stepped forward like lightning, and was beside the woman in a flash, his palm swinging for her head.

She instinctively tried to block, but Hong Chen seized her arm, wrenching it backward. A sickening crack sounded as her elbow snapped, white bone piercing the skin and blood welling out.

The agony drained her face of all color. She bit her lip until it bled, barely stifling a scream.

But Hong Chen wasn’t done. Still gripping her arm, he delivered a vicious slap, then another with the back of his hand.

After two blows, her cheeks were swollen and both corners of her mouth oozed blood, a clear measure of Hong Chen’s force.

If someone attacked him, he would only punish them lightly. But Lin Yuxin was his wife; as long as they weren’t divorced, he would let no one bully her. Whoever dared lay a finger on her, he would exact tenfold in pain and humiliation. She slapped Lin Yuxin, so he broke her arm and made her taste her own violence.

Two more assailants rushed from behind, but just as Hong Chen raised his hand for a third slap, he stopped abruptly, his other hand tightening on the woman’s arm. With a powerful swing, he hurled her like a cannonball into her oncoming comrades.

The three crashed heavily to the floor, sprawled in disarray.

"Enough!" As two men scrambled up to attack again and two more tensed to join, Jiang Yiyao finally snapped, ordering two of his people to carry the injured man and woman to the first-floor ER. He then frowned deeply at Dong Miaoyun. "Let’s wait for the outcome inside before anything else."

Dong Miaoyun, face cold as ice, shot Hong Chen a venomous glare. "You’d better pray my son survives, or you’ll answer for all of this." With that, she turned to Jiang Yiyao.

Hong Chen was indifferent. Glancing around, he saw Lin Yuangui, Shen Huifang, and the others staring at him in shock, clearly frightened by his sudden violence. He smiled faintly, ignored the no-smoking sign on the wall, and lit a cigarette.

"Mom, let go," Lin Yuxin said, regaining her composure and stepping toward him, only to be caught by Shen Huifang’s hand. Lin Yuxin turned, seeing anger flare in her mother’s wide eyes, and yanked her arm free.

Hong Chen’s fierce response came because she had been slapped; her mother, on the other hand, worried that the Jiang family would retaliate and wanted to distance them from Hong Chen. Such heartless disloyalty, abandoning one’s spouse in a crisis, Lin Yuxin could not and would not accept.

She went to Hong Chen’s side, her eyes softening as she asked quietly, "Are you all right?"

He shrugged. "What could happen to me? It’s you I feel sorry for, getting slapped because of me."

Lin Yuxin shook her head gently and pointed toward the elevator. "No smoking here—go over there."

Hong Chen nodded and headed off, Lin Yuxin accompanying him. Seeing Jiang Yiyao unperturbed, the Jiang family didn’t stop them.

Luo Cheng, already injured, had taken another beating. Yet the pain of his wounds was nothing compared to the anguish in his heart. He sat listlessly on the floor, watching the departing figures of Hong Chen and Lin Yuxin, a bitter smile twisting his lips, his eyes full of sorrow.

A quarter hour later, the emergency room doors opened. Director Shi, Director Chen, and Elder Qi stepped out together, masks removed, their faces grave. Sweat dotted the brows of Chen and Shi—whether from the heat inside or the strain, none could tell.

Seeing their heavy expressions, Jiang Yiyao and his wife grew tense with dread.

"What’s the situation?" Jiang Yiyao demanded.

Director Chen hesitated. "The injury is to the cerebellum. If I perform the surgery, I have at most a thirty percent chance of success. Elder Qi’s traditional methods offer no better than fifty percent, and given the sensitivity of the nerves, even a lucky outcome may still leave severe aftereffects."

Jiang Yiyao and his wife were struck as if by a heavy blow, their faces turning deathly pale. Their son’s chances were slim.

Elder Qi glanced around, frowning. "Is he gone?"

"Who?" Jiang Yiyao asked in confusion.

"The one—" Elder Qi described Hong Chen briefly.

Dong Miaoyun immediately understood, her face darkening. "He just fought with my people. Did the commotion outside affect things inside?"

At her words, Elder Qi’s expression changed. He sighed, "Your son cannot be transferred to another hospital. Every moment lost is a lost chance. Rather than pin your hopes on us, you’d best hope he is willing to help. Right now, he is your son’s last hope."