It was late at night and all was quiet. Lin Guli had been keeping vigil outside the ICU until deep into the night when the doctors had finished their rounds before going to rest in an empty ward next door.
The old king had directly dispatched a troop that isolated the entire hospital building. Heavily armed soldiers stood guard downstairs, strictly controlling access.
Six guards were stationed outside Lin Cheng's ICU room. Soldiers seemed to be everywhere throughout the floor.
A doctor in a white coat holding a medical chart was stopped by the guards at the door: "Take off your mask."
The doctor removed his mask, revealing the face of the attending physician.
The guard was very cautious: "Didn't you just finish rounds?"
Doctor: "The hospital president is desperately looking for doctors everywhere for the patient. An neurology mentor I know asked me about the patient's condition and I need to update him on the latest developments."
Doctor: "Moreover, the patient's life is still in critical danger and needs to be closely monitored at all times until his condition stabilizes."
Only then did the guard let him pass.
On the hospital bed, Lin Cheng had an oxygen mask on with his eyes tightly shut. His bloodless face had abrasions and his chest barely moved.
If not for the machine beside him showing his dangerously low heart rate, one would have thought he had already breathed his last.
The doctor came to the bedside, first checking Lin Cheng's status before recording his various vital signs.
Standing with his back to the door, the doctor busied himself for a moment. His eyes visible above his mask suddenly darkened.
He noticed the activity outside and took out a syringe.
Shielding himself from view, the doctor silently injected Lin Cheng with an unknown substance.
The doctor then left with the medical chart as if nothing had happened.
The moment the door closed, Lin Cheng, who had been struggling to breathe, suddenly opened his eyes...
Instead of returning to his office, the doctor avoided surveillance cameras and directly left the hospital building via the emergency stairwell.
In the dead of night, the streets were empty. The doctor walked steadily and briskly, as fast as flying. Passing by a trash can, he took off his white coat and threw it in.
Into the trash as well went a face mask.
Soon, the "doctor" arrived at a private residence. Instead of using the front entrance, he covertly entered from the back to avoid the guards and went directly to the study, to meet with the person he needed to see.
The "doctor" presented the now empty syringe, addressing the man in front of him as "Sir".
The man in the swivel chair took the syringe and said with satisfaction: "Very good."
He toyed with the syringe. The lenses of his glasses glinted coldly under the light.
Outside the residence, a figure hid in the darkness, eyeing the building- it was Flowing Shadow who had followed him there.
Flowing Shadow made a call: "I tailed him all the way. I can confirm he is Dark Shadow's assassin, and like me."
Flowing Shadow: "I don't know the exact situation inside so I didn't dare get too close, but I'm certain he didn't see Lafeier."
Because at that time, Lafeier and his son Lai En were recovering from their injuries at the hospital after leaving the interrupted engagement banquet.
If not Lafeier, could it be the real Diamond J?
Qiao Ying: "Stay there and wait for that man to show himself."
Flowing Shadow: "Ok —how's Moon Shadow?"
Qiao Ying: "He's fine."
At another hospital—
Lai En: "Lin Cheng is dead?"
Lafeier put down his phone with a smile: "It's been confirmed—seeing your expression, you don't seem too happy about it."
Lai En gathered himself: "No, I just didn't expect it to go so smoothly. And it feels somewhat sudden."
Lafeier: "Sudden? I've been waiting for this day for a long time. You couldn't have felt differently right?"
Lai En: "Lin Cheng and I knew each other since we were kids. Now that he's dead...it just feels a little hard to adapt to."
Lafeier: "There's no one to blame but his own short life. If you make the wrong enemies — and he just had to oppose my Howard Family."
"My Howard Family has been the pillar of the royal family for generations. Yet he, of Hua Country lineage, actually sought to be King."
"That bastard was humiliating my Howard Family. Since the royal house has abandoned benevolence, don't blame me for abandoning righteousness."
Lai En looked at his father.
Exiting his father's room, Lai En received a call from his confidant: "There's no information to be found about that man anywhere. It's as if he vanished into thin air after leaving the hospital that day. Also, I've combed through all your father's connections including business partners. None of his numerous friends are that man. He hasn't appeared at any major banquet or social occasion in previous years either."
After ending the call, Lai En thought back to that familiar gaze in the elevator: just who is that man!
At daybreak the next day—
The old king sat in a wheelchair, pushed out of the morgue by his younger son. His head was crooked and his once shrewd eyes were now clouded and turbid.
Just one night had passed but he seemed to have aged over ten years all of a sudden. Already appearing terminally ill, on his last legs.
The old king clearly could no longer withstand any storms. However, things had just begun for Lafeier's schemes...
Waiting in the room was Crown Prince Chadan: "Father, many princes, dukes and earls went to the palace early this morning to ask about Duke Lin Cheng's condition. Led by Lincoln. I couldn't turn any of them away. The Howard Family is forcing our hand."
"If they surrounded the palace today, they may well blockade us at the hospital tomorrow. Nonstop calls... not just Howard Family people but our own people as well, all asking about Lin Cheng."
The young prince quickly interrupted: "Don't say anymore brother, the doctor said father can't handle any more stimuli."
Chadan: "Then what do we do now? Lin Cheng is already dead. The Howard Family is making covert maneuvers behind the scenes to pressure us. Lin Cheng's death can't be hidden for long. Once it's exposed and father can no longer steer the helm, the country cannot go a day without a ruler. Things will descend into chaos at this rate."
Young Prince: "Damn it, someone must have impersonated a doctor last night. Lin Cheng's death was no accident! And they must have sent him! But the Lin Prince is guarding Lin Cheng's body and refuses to allow forensic examination. The hit-and-run driver is also dead. We know clearly they did this but have no evidence."
There was sudden activity outside.
"Who is it?" Crown Prince Chadan looked.
It turned out to be Kala standing at the door, hands over her mouth in disbelief: "Duke Lin Cheng, he..."
Flowing Shadow waited outside that private residence for two whole days.
Effort pays off. Finally the owner left the house.
He was a middle-aged man in a suit and glasses. Refined temperament and handsome features. Tall nose bridge, blue eyes — bearing quite a resemblance to Lai En.
Seeing his face, Flowing Shadow was taken aback: how could it be...
In the castle,
After finishing the call with Flowing Shadow, Qiao Ying tossed his phone aside and continued aggressively rubbing Fourth Master's dog head without mercy.
Not struggling at all, Fourth Master was reveling joyously.
As he tormented Fourth Master, Qiao Ying said meaningfully to Qin HanYue: "Now I know what was off about those photos."
Qin HanYue: "What is it?"
Qiao Ying looked at him with an imperceptible smirk. Instead of answering, he said: "Things seem to be getting interesting."
It was late at night and all was quiet. Lin Guli had been keeping vigil outside the ICU until deep into the night when the doctors had finished their rounds before going to rest in an empty ward next door.
The old king had directly dispatched a troop that isolated the entire hospital building. Heavily armed soldiers stood guard downstairs, strictly controlling access.
Six guards were stationed outside Lin Cheng's ICU room. Soldiers seemed to be everywhere throughout the floor.
A doctor in a white coat holding a medical chart was stopped by the guards at the door: "Take off your mask."
The doctor removed his mask, revealing the face of the attending physician.
The guard was very cautious: "Didn't you just finish rounds?"
Doctor: "The hospital president is desperately looking for doctors everywhere for the patient. An neurology mentor I know asked me about the patient's condition and I need to update him on the latest developments."
Doctor: "Moreover, the patient's life is still in critical danger and needs to be closely monitored at all times until his condition stabilizes."
Only then did the guard let him pass.
On the hospital bed, Lin Cheng had an oxygen mask on with his eyes tightly shut. His bloodless face had abrasions and his chest barely moved.
If not for the machine beside him showing his dangerously low heart rate, one would have thought he had already breathed his last.
The doctor came to the bedside, first checking Lin Cheng's status before recording his various vital signs.
Standing with his back to the door, the doctor busied himself for a moment. His eyes visible above his mask suddenly darkened.
He noticed the activity outside and took out a syringe.
Shielding himself from view, the doctor silently injected Lin Cheng with an unknown substance.
The doctor then left with the medical chart as if nothing had happened.
The moment the door closed, Lin Cheng, who had been struggling to breathe, suddenly opened his eyes...
Instead of returning to his office, the doctor avoided surveillance cameras and directly left the hospital building via the emergency stairwell.
In the dead of night, the streets were empty. The doctor walked steadily and briskly, as fast as flying. Passing by a trash can, he took off his white coat and threw it in.
Into the trash as well went a face mask.
Soon, the "doctor" arrived at a private residence. Instead of using the front entrance, he covertly entered from the back to avoid the guards and went directly to the study, to meet with the person he needed to see.
The "doctor" presented the now empty syringe, addressing the man in front of him as "Sir".
The man in the swivel chair took the syringe and said with satisfaction: "Very good."
He toyed with the syringe. The lenses of his glasses glinted coldly under the light.
Outside the residence, a figure hid in the darkness, eyeing the building- it was Flowing Shadow who had followed him there.
Flowing Shadow made a call: "I tailed him all the way. I can confirm he is Dark Shadow's assassin, and like me."
Flowing Shadow: "I don't know the exact situation inside so I didn't dare get too close, but I'm certain he didn't see Lafeier."
Because at that time, Lafeier and his son Lai En were recovering from their injuries at the hospital after leaving the interrupted engagement banquet.
If not Lafeier, could it be the real Diamond J?
Qiao Ying: "Stay there and wait for that man to show himself."
Flowing Shadow: "Ok —how's Moon Shadow?"
Qiao Ying: "He's fine."
At another hospital—
Lai En: "Lin Cheng is dead?"
Lafeier put down his phone with a smile: "It's been confirmed—seeing your expression, you don't seem too happy about it."
Lai En gathered himself: "No, I just didn't expect it to go so smoothly. And it feels somewhat sudden."
Lafeier: "Sudden? I've been waiting for this day for a long time. You couldn't have felt differently right?"
Lai En: "Lin Cheng and I knew each other since we were kids. Now that he's dead...it just feels a little hard to adapt to."
Lafeier: "There's no one to blame but his own short life. If you make the wrong enemies — and he just had to oppose my Howard Family."
"My Howard Family has been the pillar of the royal family for generations. Yet he, of Hua Country lineage, actually sought to be King."
"That bastard was humiliating my Howard Family. Since the royal house has abandoned benevolence, don't blame me for abandoning righteousness."
Lai En looked at his father.
Exiting his father's room, Lai En received a call from his confidant: "There's no information to be found about that man anywhere. It's as if he vanished into thin air after leaving the hospital that day. Also, I've combed through all your father's connections including business partners. None of his numerous friends are that man. He hasn't appeared at any major banquet or social occasion in previous years either."
After ending the call, Lai En thought back to that familiar gaze in the elevator: just who is that man!
At daybreak the next day—
The old king sat in a wheelchair, pushed out of the morgue by his younger son. His head was crooked and his once shrewd eyes were now clouded and turbid.
Just one night had passed but he seemed to have aged over ten years all of a sudden. Already appearing terminally ill, on his last legs.
The old king clearly could no longer withstand any storms. However, things had just begun for Lafeier's schemes...
Waiting in the room was Crown Prince Chadan: "Father, many princes, dukes and earls went to the palace early this morning to ask about Duke Lin Cheng's condition. Led by Lincoln. I couldn't turn any of them away. The Howard Family is forcing our hand."
"If they surrounded the palace today, they may well blockade us at the hospital tomorrow. Nonstop calls... not just Howard Family people but our own people as well, all asking about Lin Cheng."
The young prince quickly interrupted: "Don't say anymore brother, the doctor said father can't handle any more stimuli."
Chadan: "Then what do we do now? Lin Cheng is already dead. The Howard Family is making covert maneuvers behind the scenes to pressure us. Lin Cheng's death can't be hidden for long. Once it's exposed and father can no longer steer the helm, the country cannot go a day without a ruler. Things will descend into chaos at this rate."
Young Prince: "Damn it, someone must have impersonated a doctor last night. Lin Cheng's death was no accident! And they must have sent him! But the Lin Prince is guarding Lin Cheng's body and refuses to allow forensic examination. The hit-and-run driver is also dead. We know clearly they did this but have no evidence."
There was sudden activity outside.
"Who is it?" Crown Prince Chadan looked.
It turned out to be Kala standing at the door, hands over her mouth in disbelief: "Duke Lin Cheng, he..."
Flowing Shadow waited outside that private residence for two whole days.
Effort pays off. Finally the owner left the house.
He was a middle-aged man in a suit and glasses. Refined temperament and handsome features. Tall nose bridge, blue eyes — bearing quite a resemblance to Lai En.
Seeing his face, Flowing Shadow was taken aback: how could it be...
In the castle,
After finishing the call with Flowing Shadow, Qiao Ying tossed his phone aside and continued aggressively rubbing Fourth Master's dog head without mercy.
Not struggling at all, Fourth Master was reveling joyously.
As he tormented Fourth Master, Qiao Ying said meaningfully to Qin HanYue: "Now I know what was off about those photos."
Qin HanYue: "What is it?"
Qiao Ying looked at him with an imperceptible smirk. Instead of answering, he said: "Things seem to be getting interesting."
