Chapter 179 — Few Soldiers

So despite the overbearing air Li Cihua cut outside, before that man behind the scenes he remained ever cautious, treading with the utmost care.

"Boss..." Li Cihua got through to the man behind the scenes.

"Say what you have to say, I'm in a meeting." When the call connected, the voice that came through was tinged with impatience. Everyone else treated Li Cihua with the utmost deference; this man alone did not regard him as anything at all.

"Boss, Li Yao and Zhang Long... they had a car accident..." Li Cihua said carefully.

"If there's been an accident, send them to the hospital. With their constitutions, a minor injury is nothing at all. Why tell me? Is there anything else?" the boss behind the scenes said, somewhat impatiently.

"Boss... it's not a minor injury..." Li Cihua said with a bitter face. "Boss, they had a blowout on the national highway, and the car went straight into a ravine..."

"Seriously injured?" The boss's voice sank, and he seemed to be taking the matter seriously at last.

"Dead..." Li Cihua said.

"What? Dead?" The boss's voice was visibly startled. "Wait a moment, I'll step out of the meeting room and talk to you."

"All right." Li Cihua hurried to agree.

After a while, the boss's voice came through the phone again. "What happened? They died in a car accident? Two Yellow-rank experts?"

"Boss... it's like this..." Li Cihua did not dare conceal anything, and recounted how he had met Wei Zhao the day before, how Wei Zhao had refused to cooperate after their talk, and how he had then sent Li Yao and Zhang Long to finish Wei Zhao off...

"Wei Zhao..." The boss repeated the name. "This business, he did it?"

"Boss, I'm not certain... but judging by appearances, it ought to be an expert of the same level as Li Yao..." Li Cihua said.

"The same level as Li Yao—you mean early Yellow-rank, then? Are you sure?" the boss asked.

"I can basically confirm it," Li Cihua said.

"Very well. I understand this matter now," the boss said mildly. "I still have a meeting to attend. But don't imagine that I won't hold you to account for this. Keep your head down for a while from now on. Also, Xiaobing will come to your side to play for a few days..."

"Yes, yes, Young Master Bing, is it? Wonderful. Rest assured, boss, I will entertain him well." Li Cihua hastened to promise. This Young Master Bing was named Zhao Qibing, the boss's illegitimate son out in the world; very few people knew of this, of course, and Li Cihua was one of those who did.

Zhao Qibing's public identity was that of a rising young entrepreneur in the province, but without the support of that boss behind the scenes, he could never have grown from small beginnings to what he was now.

After hanging up, Li Cihua let out a breath of relief. Judging by the boss's tone, at least there was no intention of replacing him, and the degree to which the matter would be pursued was far below what he had imagined.

Still, the boss sending his illegitimate son to his side also showed that the boss was more or less dissatisfied with him. Sending Zhao Qibing over carried, to some extent, the meaning of keeping watch on him. Li Cihua knew well what sort of person Zhao Qibing was—a typical spoiled young master who, perhaps after being repressed too long by his illegitimate status, had now burst out, more arrogant and dissolute even than the boss's youngest son.

So this could likewise be seen as a good opportunity. If he simply catered to the young man's tastes and let Zhao Qibing enjoy himself comfortably and to his satisfaction here, then everything would be solved.

At this thought, Li Cihua's mood lifted again...

It was the fourth period, just after the morning exercises, when Wei Zhao got back to school.

"Boss, you're really something, aren't you? Skipping class every day..." Kang Xiaofeng turned his head and said in a low voice.

"It's still about the police station. It isn't over yet," Wei Zhao said.

"Oh, so that's what it is," Kang Xiaofeng said. Hearing that it was still police business, he did not press further.

"Are you free this weekend?" Wei Zhao suddenly recalled what Tang Zhi had said about going to her place for a barbecue, and asked.

"This weekend? Sure, I am. What's up, Boss?" Kang Xiaofeng had nothing going on anyway, and the moment he heard Wei Zhao had plans for the weekend, he was instantly excited.

"Tang Zhi's mother has invited you and me to her place for a barbecue this weekend. You in?" Wei Zhao asked.

"Tang Zhi's mother? No way. Boss, have you already made such great strides?" Kang Xiaofeng's eyes went wide, and he stared at Wei Zhao in disbelief. "Showing up at her door already, so soon?"

"Could you not let your mind run so far?" Wei Zhao smiled wryly. "I only gave her a recipe. She probably tried it out successfully and wants to invite us over as a thank-you. So, are you going or not?"

"Going, of course I'm going!" Kang Xiaofeng nodded hastily.

"Then we'll get in touch over the weekend." Seeing that Kang Xiaofeng was even more eager than he was, Wei Zhao shook his head.

……………………

Guan Xin worked a one-day, one-night shift: twenty-four hours on duty, twenty-four hours off.

Her mood, however, was not the best. She had waited with a heart full of joy for Wei Zhao to come change his dressing, but a whole day and night passed and he never showed. Dazed and out of sorts, she muddled through to the end of her shift, and at last could not help asking the lead sister in her department whether Wei Zhao had come in to change his dressing these past few days. The lead sister remembered well enough: the last time Wei Zhao had changed his dressing was several days ago, and he had not come since…

Hearing this, Guan Xin felt a pang of disappointment… She did not know why, but she had been so full of anticipation at the prospect of seeing Wei Zhao. Even when she was resting at home, she found herself looking forward to coming in to work—something that had never happened before…

Was it because Wei Zhao had taken a bullet for her? Or was it something else… Guan Xin could not tell. All she knew was that when she did not see Wei Zhao, there was an empty feeling in her heart.

Her mind kept dwelling on his injury. A gunshot wound was not so easy to heal. By all rights, he should not be recovered yet—so why had he stopped coming to change his dressing? Could he be deliberately avoiding her…

A girl's thoughts are always complicated. Guan Xin began to let her imagination run wild, and with it came the seesaw of hope and worry…

When she got home, she saw her grandfather cheerfully and eagerly turning over the soil in the small courtyard, apparently planning to plant something.

"Grandpa, what are you doing?" Guan Xin stepped into the little courtyard of their villa.