Chapter 320: Something Happened!
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Two days passed in the blink of an eye, during which Zhou Chao and Jiang Li explored the surroundings of Phoenix.
“Brother Chao, there are so many people out there!” Jiang Li exclaimed, looking at the bustling crowd outside. She felt fortunate that they had arrived early, or else it would have been a crowded affair.
Zhou Chao, who was busy packing his luggage, didn’t even turn his head as he replied, “That’s normal. After all, Phoenix Ancient Town is known as the most beautiful town in China. Many people aspire to visit here.”
“Oh, are we going to Lin Wu’s place now?”
“Yes, staying here without much to do doesn’t make sense. We’ve already explored everything interesting in Phoenix these past two days, and it’s getting too crowded now.”
Jiang Li nodded in agreement and walked back inside from the balcony.
“Luggage is packed, let’s go!”
“Sure.” Zhou Chao held Jiang Li’s hand with his left hand and carried the luggage with his right as they left the inn. With his strong physique, he managed to carve a path through the sea of people.
“Wow, there are so many people. Next time we go on a trip, let’s avoid holidays,” Zhou Chao complained when they reached the parking lot, tidying his disheveled hair.
“Hehe, who was excited about it earlier!”
Jiang Li teased, and Zhou Chao shook his head in resignation. After securing their luggage, he opened the car door and got in.
“Brother Chao, do you know exactly where Lin Wu’s place is?”
“It’s in the Phoenix Star City neighborhood of Tuojiang Town. Lin Wu bought it for his parents at the end of last year, hoping to provide them with a better life,” Zhou Chao replied while entering the address into the navigation system.
“I see,” Jiang Li nodded thoughtfully.
“So, what do you plan to gift them for their wedding?” Jiang Li asked with a curious look.
“Well, I’m not sure, to be honest. It’s a bit tricky. Buying a house would be redundant since Lin Wu and Li Qian are rarely in Phoenix. On the other hand, giving money might seem impersonal. I haven’t decided yet. Maybe you can help me think of something!” Zhou Chao admitted, passing the decision-making task to Jiang Li.
After all, Lin Wu was one of the first to follow him, and among these friends, Zhou Chao trusted him the most. He wanted to give Lin Wu a pleasant surprise for his wedding.
“I don’t know either. It’s your call!” Jiang Li quickly dodged the responsibility.
Zhou Chao, realizing that Jiang Li had thrown the responsibility back at him, had no choice but to continue himself.
“Well, I’ll think about it later. Let’s not dwell on it for now. Let’s get going!” With that, he started the car and headed towards the Phoenix Star City neighborhood.
Lin Wu’s home wasn’t too far from Phoenix Ancient Town, in fact, it was practically in the same area. After driving for about ten minutes, they arrived at Star City neighborhood.
As they entered the neighborhood, they immediately attracted the attention of some elderly men and women sitting on benches, engaged in a lively discussion.
“Lao Li, what kind of car is this? It looks quite luxurious!”
“I have no idea. Judging by the appearance of this car, isn’t it better than the one which your son refused to let us touch?”
“How is that possible? My son’s car costs several hundred thousand. It can’t be!”
“Tsk, just look at how much better this car looks compared to your son’s. It’s definitely more expensive!”
At this moment, a young passerby couldn’t help but stop in his tracks upon witnessing the heated argument between the two elderly men.
“Uncle Li, Uncle Yang, don’t argue. The car from just now could probably buy dozens of Second Brother’s BMWs. Only big bosses can afford to ride in such a car!”
“What the heck!” both Lao Yang and Lao Li couldn’t help but curse.
“Brother Chao, is this the building?” Jiang Li asked as she looked at Zhou Chao, who had parked in front of a building with an open parking space.
“Yeah, it’s Building 3, on the 13th floor. I don’t know the exact unit number, but we should be able to find it once we go upstairs. They’re probably really busy with family right now.”
“Are we going up empty-handed like this?”
“No problem. Besides, it might not be appropriate to bring gifts now. There will likely be a lot of relatives inside, so it’s better to go in empty-handed and gauge the situation.”
“Alright, since you’re the breadwinner, it’s your problem even if things get embarrassing!” Jiang Li smirked mischievously, thinking about enjoying the sight of Zhou Chao’s embarrassment later.
“Let’s go up and have a look,” Zhou Chao said. Both of them got out of the car and headed towards the building.
*Ding!* The elevator quickly took them to the 13th floor. As Zhou Chao and Jiang Li stepped out of the elevator, they saw a red carpet laid out in the hallway.
“See, this is the best method to show us the way!” Zhou Chao said proudly, as if he were boasting about his foresight.
“You’re quite pleased with yourself, aren’t you?”
They walked along the red carpet to the end of the hallway and found that the door to the apartment was closed.
“Knock, knock, knock!” Zhou Chao knocked for a while, but there was no response from inside. Just as he was about to call Lin Wu, the door next to them opened.
“You don’t need to knock; they’re not here. They’ve gone to the hospital,” a chubby man behind the door said in a low voice.
“Hospital? What happened? Big brother, can you please tell me?” Zhou Chao took a box of Green Panda cigarettes from his pocket and offered one to the man.
The man let the cigarette glide lightly across his nose.
“Hmm, good cigarette. His father is in the hospital.”
“In the hospital? What happened? Is he sick?” Zhou Chao asked urgently, his eyes fixed on the man.
“No, it’s not an illness. I heard it was because of their previous house demolition. The compensation wasn’t negotiated well, and the subcontractor below was planning to forcibly demolish it. Then, I don’t know how things turned violent. I heard the old man got seriously injured.”
“When did this happen, and do you know which hospital? Is his son at the hospital?”
“It happened the day before yesterday. I heard that Mr. Lin is currently at the county hospital, and his son seems to have been detained at the police station. They said his son went to settle scores with the other side and got into a fight. Don’t mention that I told you this. Those people aren’t good guys, so be careful.”
“Alright, thank you, big brother. Keep the cigarettes!” Zhou Chao handed the box of Green Panda cigarettes to the man.
“Brother, you’re too kind!” The chubby man happily accepted the cigarettes.
Once the door was closed, Zhou Chao’s previously smiling face turned icy in an instant.
“Brother Chao, let’s go check on the old man first. We don’t know the exact situation right now.” Jiang Li held Zhou Chao’s hand, trying to calm him down.
“It’s okay; I won’t do anything foolish. Let’s go to the county hospital first.” Zhou Chao patted Jiang Li’s head. Although his face had lost its previous coldness, there was still no smile.
The two of them then drove straight to the county hospital.
“Doctor, may I ask if there’s a patient named Lin Kun in which ward?” As soon as they arrived at the hospital’s ward, Zhou Chao stopped a doctor.
“I’m not sure about that. You can ask the nurses at the nursing station.”
“All, thank you!” Zhou Chao, accompanied by Jiang Li, headed towards the nursing station.
“Excuse me, nurse, could you tell us which ward Lin Kun is in?”
“Lin Kun? Lin Kun… He’s in Ward 306.” The nurse, possibly an intern, searched for a while before finally finding the information.
“Thank you!” They immediately headed towards the ward.
As they were about to enter the room, they heard Li Qian sobbing on the side.
“No, I can’t call Lin Wu’s Boss. It would only cause trouble for him!” Old man Lin’s voice was still quite strong, indicating that he wasn’t seriously hurt.
“But what about Lin Wu?” Li Qian choked up.
“All!” Old man Lin let out a deep sigh, not knowing what to do.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Lin. Leave Lin Wu’s matter to me!” Zhou Chao pushed open the door to the ward and walked in.
“Boss, why are you here!” Li Qian stood up from her chair, utterly shocked.
“It’s okay, everything will be fine. Mr. Lin, you can rest assured. Today, you’ll be able to see Lin Wu.”
“All, sorry for bothering you again. I… cough, cough!” Zhou Chao quickly approached Old man Lin and patted his chest.
“Don’t get agitated, Mr. Lin!”
“Ah, it’s all my fault, causing Lin Wu and Xiao Qian to suffer. I’m sorry!” Old man Lin said, feeling guilty.
“Mr. Lin, don’t blame yourself. I’ll deal with the matters between Lin Wu and me once this is over. There’s no rush!” Li Qian quickly squatted by the bedside.
“Ah, I’ve troubled you!”
“Mr. Lin, please rest well. I’ll go talk to Li Qian for a moment!” Zhou Chao didn’t want to waste time, as he had to resolve the situation quickly.
“Alright, you guys go ahead!” Zhou Chao and the others left the ward and found a quieter spot.
“How’s Mr. Lin’s condition?”
“Mr. Lin has a broken leg, but the other injuries are just minor external wounds, not too serious.”
“What about the people who attacked Mr. Lin, and what’s the situation with Lin Wu?”
“It was chaotic at the time, and we don’t know who attacked. The police arrested a few people initially, but they didn’t have enough evidence, so they were all released in the end. When the incident happened, Lin Wu and I were out shopping for supplies. It was a call from our former neighbor that alerted us to the situation.
They brought Mr. Lin to the hospital. Lin Wu was upset and went to confront those people, and somehow a fight broke out. I heard several people were injured, and they are currently detained at the police station.” As she spoke, Li Qian started crying again.
Zhou Chao could only look at Jiang Li beside him. Seeing the situation, Jiang Li stepped forward to comfort Li Qian.
“Ah Li, you stay here with Li Qian. If anything comes up, just give me a call. I’ll go handle Lin Wu’s situation first.” After some thought, Zhou Chao decided to get Lin Wu released first since staying inside wouldn’t do him any good.
“I understand. You go ahead, I’ll stay here.” Jiang Li, in a departure from her previous demeanor, seemed to regain the capable look Zhou Chao had seen during their time in the countryside near Mount Lu.
“Okay.” Zhou Chao then headed outside..
Chapter 320: Something Happened!
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Two days passed in the blink of an eye, during which Zhou Chao and Jiang Li explored the surroundings of Phoenix.
“Brother Chao, there are so many people out there!” Jiang Li exclaimed, looking at the bustling crowd outside. She felt fortunate that they had arrived early, or else it would have been a crowded affair.
Zhou Chao, who was busy packing his luggage, didn’t even turn his head as he replied, “That’s normal. After all, Phoenix Ancient Town is known as the most beautiful town in China. Many people aspire to visit here.”
“Oh, are we going to Lin Wu’s place now?”
“Yes, staying here without much to do doesn’t make sense. We’ve already explored everything interesting in Phoenix these past two days, and it’s getting too crowded now.”
Jiang Li nodded in agreement and walked back inside from the balcony.
“Luggage is packed, let’s go!”
“Sure.” Zhou Chao held Jiang Li’s hand with his left hand and carried the luggage with his right as they left the inn. With his strong physique, he managed to carve a path through the sea of people.
“Wow, there are so many people. Next time we go on a trip, let’s avoid holidays,” Zhou Chao complained when they reached the parking lot, tidying his disheveled hair.
“Hehe, who was excited about it earlier!”
Jiang Li teased, and Zhou Chao shook his head in resignation. After securing their luggage, he opened the car door and got in.
“Brother Chao, do you know exactly where Lin Wu’s place is?”
“It’s in the Phoenix Star City neighborhood of Tuojiang Town. Lin Wu bought it for his parents at the end of last year, hoping to provide them with a better life,” Zhou Chao replied while entering the address into the navigation system.
“I see,” Jiang Li nodded thoughtfully.
“So, what do you plan to gift them for their wedding?” Jiang Li asked with a curious look.
“Well, I’m not sure, to be honest. It’s a bit tricky. Buying a house would be redundant since Lin Wu and Li Qian are rarely in Phoenix. On the other hand, giving money might seem impersonal. I haven’t decided yet. Maybe you can help me think of something!” Zhou Chao admitted, passing the decision-making task to Jiang Li.
After all, Lin Wu was one of the first to follow him, and among these friends, Zhou Chao trusted him the most. He wanted to give Lin Wu a pleasant surprise for his wedding.
“I don’t know either. It’s your call!” Jiang Li quickly dodged the responsibility.
Zhou Chao, realizing that Jiang Li had thrown the responsibility back at him, had no choice but to continue himself.
“Well, I’ll think about it later. Let’s not dwell on it for now. Let’s get going!” With that, he started the car and headed towards the Phoenix Star City neighborhood.
Lin Wu’s home wasn’t too far from Phoenix Ancient Town, in fact, it was practically in the same area. After driving for about ten minutes, they arrived at Star City neighborhood.
As they entered the neighborhood, they immediately attracted the attention of some elderly men and women sitting on benches, engaged in a lively discussion.
“Lao Li, what kind of car is this? It looks quite luxurious!”
“I have no idea. Judging by the appearance of this car, isn’t it better than the one which your son refused to let us touch?”
“How is that possible? My son’s car costs several hundred thousand. It can’t be!”
“Tsk, just look at how much better this car looks compared to your son’s. It’s definitely more expensive!”
At this moment, a young passerby couldn’t help but stop in his tracks upon witnessing the heated argument between the two elderly men.
“Uncle Li, Uncle Yang, don’t argue. The car from just now could probably buy dozens of Second Brother’s BMWs. Only big bosses can afford to ride in such a car!”
“What the heck!” both Lao Yang and Lao Li couldn’t help but curse.
“Brother Chao, is this the building?” Jiang Li asked as she looked at Zhou Chao, who had parked in front of a building with an open parking space.
“Yeah, it’s Building 3, on the 13th floor. I don’t know the exact unit number, but we should be able to find it once we go upstairs. They’re probably really busy with family right now.”
“Are we going up empty-handed like this?”
“No problem. Besides, it might not be appropriate to bring gifts now. There will likely be a lot of relatives inside, so it’s better to go in empty-handed and gauge the situation.”
“Alright, since you’re the breadwinner, it’s your problem even if things get embarrassing!” Jiang Li smirked mischievously, thinking about enjoying the sight of Zhou Chao’s embarrassment later.
“Let’s go up and have a look,” Zhou Chao said. Both of them got out of the car and headed towards the building.
*Ding!* The elevator quickly took them to the 13th floor. As Zhou Chao and Jiang Li stepped out of the elevator, they saw a red carpet laid out in the hallway.
“See, this is the best method to show us the way!” Zhou Chao said proudly, as if he were boasting about his foresight.
“You’re quite pleased with yourself, aren’t you?”
They walked along the red carpet to the end of the hallway and found that the door to the apartment was closed.
“Knock, knock, knock!” Zhou Chao knocked for a while, but there was no response from inside. Just as he was about to call Lin Wu, the door next to them opened.
“You don’t need to knock; they’re not here. They’ve gone to the hospital,” a chubby man behind the door said in a low voice.
“Hospital? What happened? Big brother, can you please tell me?” Zhou Chao took a box of Green Panda cigarettes from his pocket and offered one to the man.
The man let the cigarette glide lightly across his nose.
“Hmm, good cigarette. His father is in the hospital.”
“In the hospital? What happened? Is he sick?” Zhou Chao asked urgently, his eyes fixed on the man.
“No, it’s not an illness. I heard it was because of their previous house demolition. The compensation wasn’t negotiated well, and the subcontractor below was planning to forcibly demolish it. Then, I don’t know how things turned violent. I heard the old man got seriously injured.”
“When did this happen, and do you know which hospital? Is his son at the hospital?”
“It happened the day before yesterday. I heard that Mr. Lin is currently at the county hospital, and his son seems to have been detained at the police station. They said his son went to settle scores with the other side and got into a fight. Don’t mention that I told you this. Those people aren’t good guys, so be careful.”
“Alright, thank you, big brother. Keep the cigarettes!” Zhou Chao handed the box of Green Panda cigarettes to the man.
“Brother, you’re too kind!” The chubby man happily accepted the cigarettes.
Once the door was closed, Zhou Chao’s previously smiling face turned icy in an instant.
“Brother Chao, let’s go check on the old man first. We don’t know the exact situation right now.” Jiang Li held Zhou Chao’s hand, trying to calm him down.
“It’s okay; I won’t do anything foolish. Let’s go to the county hospital first.” Zhou Chao patted Jiang Li’s head. Although his face had lost its previous coldness, there was still no smile.
The two of them then drove straight to the county hospital.
“Doctor, may I ask if there’s a patient named Lin Kun in which ward?” As soon as they arrived at the hospital’s ward, Zhou Chao stopped a doctor.
“I’m not sure about that. You can ask the nurses at the nursing station.”
“All, thank you!” Zhou Chao, accompanied by Jiang Li, headed towards the nursing station.
“Excuse me, nurse, could you tell us which ward Lin Kun is in?”
“Lin Kun? Lin Kun… He’s in Ward 306.” The nurse, possibly an intern, searched for a while before finally finding the information.
“Thank you!” They immediately headed towards the ward.
As they were about to enter the room, they heard Li Qian sobbing on the side.
“No, I can’t call Lin Wu’s Boss. It would only cause trouble for him!” Old man Lin’s voice was still quite strong, indicating that he wasn’t seriously hurt.
“But what about Lin Wu?” Li Qian choked up.
“All!” Old man Lin let out a deep sigh, not knowing what to do.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Lin. Leave Lin Wu’s matter to me!” Zhou Chao pushed open the door to the ward and walked in.
“Boss, why are you here!” Li Qian stood up from her chair, utterly shocked.
“It’s okay, everything will be fine. Mr. Lin, you can rest assured. Today, you’ll be able to see Lin Wu.”
“All, sorry for bothering you again. I… cough, cough!” Zhou Chao quickly approached Old man Lin and patted his chest.
“Don’t get agitated, Mr. Lin!”
“Ah, it’s all my fault, causing Lin Wu and Xiao Qian to suffer. I’m sorry!” Old man Lin said, feeling guilty.
“Mr. Lin, don’t blame yourself. I’ll deal with the matters between Lin Wu and me once this is over. There’s no rush!” Li Qian quickly squatted by the bedside.
“Ah, I’ve troubled you!”
“Mr. Lin, please rest well. I’ll go talk to Li Qian for a moment!” Zhou Chao didn’t want to waste time, as he had to resolve the situation quickly.
“Alright, you guys go ahead!” Zhou Chao and the others left the ward and found a quieter spot.
“How’s Mr. Lin’s condition?”
“Mr. Lin has a broken leg, but the other injuries are just minor external wounds, not too serious.”
“What about the people who attacked Mr. Lin, and what’s the situation with Lin Wu?”
“It was chaotic at the time, and we don’t know who attacked. The police arrested a few people initially, but they didn’t have enough evidence, so they were all released in the end. When the incident happened, Lin Wu and I were out shopping for supplies. It was a call from our former neighbor that alerted us to the situation.
They brought Mr. Lin to the hospital. Lin Wu was upset and went to confront those people, and somehow a fight broke out. I heard several people were injured, and they are currently detained at the police station.” As she spoke, Li Qian started crying again.
Zhou Chao could only look at Jiang Li beside him. Seeing the situation, Jiang Li stepped forward to comfort Li Qian.
“Ah Li, you stay here with Li Qian. If anything comes up, just give me a call. I’ll go handle Lin Wu’s situation first.” After some thought, Zhou Chao decided to get Lin Wu released first since staying inside wouldn’t do him any good.
“I understand. You go ahead, I’ll stay here.” Jiang Li, in a departure from her previous demeanor, seemed to regain the capable look Zhou Chao had seen during their time in the countryside near Mount Lu.
“Okay.” Zhou Chao then headed outside..
