After saying that, he had someone roll up my pants, and then took a small hammer and gently tapped my knee twice on a certain spot.
"...Still no feeling?"
I replied calmly, "No."
He had me moved again, switched to my other leg, and tapped it lightly twice: "Now?"
"..." This time I didn't even say anything, I just shook my head.
"It seems the situation is as I suspected." The doctor picked up a test results report that was placed next to him.
Everyone's faces were grim; some had already guessed what was going on. Qiaoqiao jumped up, grabbed the doctor's hand, and loudly demanded in English, "What happened to him! What happened?!"
“I’m…I’m so sorry.” The doctor sighed. “This is a complication of wound infection syndrome, a type of Alpha-Rhodes disease…”
"I don't want to hear any of this! I don't understand! Tell me, what's wrong with him?!"
Qiaoqiao questioned loudly.
“Miss…please let go of my hand.” The doctor’s face was grim. He slowly said, “Simply put…the infection of the wound nearly cost him his life, and triggered a series of complications, some of which require further investigation. It damaged his spinal nerves…so…”
The doctor gave me a deep look, then looked at everyone present, and announced, "So... my diagnosis is that he has lost sensation below the waist, which means... he is paralyzed from the waist down."
Bang!
As soon as she finished speaking, Fang Nan suddenly closed her eyes and fainted.
Everyone in the room who could understand English turned pale!
"Thank you, doctor." My expression remained calm, and my voice was indifferent: "I'm already lucky to be alive."
"Paralysis?! You mean paralysis!!" Qiao Qiao seemed to finally realize what was happening, and suddenly shouted, lunging forward to grab the doctor's shoulder and shaking him violently a few times: "Say it again! How could he be paralyzed! He only has superficial injuries! His brain wasn't damaged, and his spine wasn't broken! How could he be paralyzed!!"
The doctor, somewhat dismayed by her shaking, also showed a hint of sympathy: "I'm sorry... Miss, this is an infection. The infection has damaged her spinal nerves... Current medical technology doesn't offer many solutions for this condition. The only best approach is conservative treatment... Perhaps one day she'll be able to stand up again..."
"Little...Little Five..." Fang Nan, who had just collapsed to the ground, woke up and couldn't help but cry out in pain. She rushed to my side, hugged my leg tightly, and cried, "You...you..."
"I'm fine." I smiled gently, reached out and stroked her hair, and said softly, "Look, I'm alive, that's already very lucky."
Qiaoqiao finally let go of the doctor, then stared blankly at me, before giving everyone a blank look. Aze and Mutou sighed, came over, and forcefully supported Qiaoqiao.
"I'm sorry, everyone..." I took a deep breath and smiled. "Everyone... thank you for your concern... but now, could you please leave me alone for a while? Please."
Everyone could see the forced smile on my face. Aze and Mu Tou looked particularly gloomy and somber. They both looked at me, seemingly wanting to speak at the same time. I looked at my two closest friends and whispered, "Alright, please."
This time, no one said anything more. Even Qiaoqiao seemed to have lost her soul, staring blankly at me.
I hardened my heart, turned my head away from them, and quickly everyone left. Fang Nan seemed to want to stay with me, but I didn't look at her either, and she silently left.
The fat man is dead.
The Vietnamese guy is dead.
The old cat is dead.
My brother who had followed me for so long is dead.
I looked at the ceiling and then gently pounded my legs.
Suddenly, a memory from back then flashed through my mind... that chubby face, smiling, yet with narrowed eyes full of seriousness, looking at me and slowly asking me that question...
Is it worth it?
"Is it worth it?" I murmured these three words slowly, my face showing neither a smile nor any other expression.
I heard footsteps behind me, but without turning around, I knew it was Tu.
Now I will not see anyone, except for Tu, for this order.
"What's wrong?"
“Boss, two things.” Tu said slowly, “Hammer… he’s been outside the whole time. He just found out about your condition… he immediately went crazy, grabbed a gun and tried to rush out.”
I glanced at Tu: "Go knock him out, then find a room and throw him in there. When he calms down, let him out... just say it's my order."
"Okay." Tu didn't say much, replying briefly, "There's a second thing..."
"What?"
“Outside… a Miss Yang Wei wants to see you. She… is very agitated.”
I felt my fingers tremble slightly, and then I whispered, "You... go tell her that since the decision has already been made, there's no need to waver... yeah, just say that."
Tu walked out of the ward, and I looked out the window...
The weather was lovely today, sunny and clear with patches of white clouds in the blue sky. I just quietly looked at the sky, letting the warm sunshine fall on my face. I closed my eyes and felt the warmth of the sun.
"Fatty, oh Fatty... In the end, was all of this... worth it?" I murmured.
A strange, cold smile played at the corners of his mouth!
Part Three: The Pinnacle, Chapter Ninety: What does "reckless behavior" mean?
"According to our station, the condition of Mr. Chen Yang, Chairman of Hollywood Billy Mountain Film Productions and Deep Blue Entertainment, has been further confirmed. A spokesperson for Deep Blue Entertainment has responded to the media, acknowledging the seriousness of Mr. Chen Yang's injuries..."
"According to the latest news from this station, Chen Yang's injuries are serious and may severely affect the entertainment tycoon's future physical mobility..."
"According to an insider, the car accident that claimed Deep Blue Entertainment Chairman Chen Yang was injured is entirely fabricated, a publicity stunt orchestrated to coincide with the filming of Jenny's new movie..."
"Paralyzed! Paralyzed from the waist down! Hollywood mogul to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair!!": According to this newspaper, following a serious car accident a week ago, Chen Yang's current condition has been revealed. This tycoon, with assets worth hundreds of millions of dollars, may very well spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair...
...
Upon reading this part of the newspaper, Miss Qiao flew into a rage, tearing it to shreds in a few swift movements. She then yelled, "You bastard! I curse you to spend the rest of your life in a wheelchair! I'm going to burn this newspaper office down right now!!!"
I sat quietly in my wheelchair, watching Qiao Qiao smile. Then, with difficulty, I bent down to pick up the torn newspaper, smoothed it out, glanced at it a few times, and said with a faint smile, "They weren't exactly lying; they were telling the truth. At least my injury does require me to use a wheelchair."
"...I! I'm going to burn this newspaper office down!!" Qiao Qiao shouted angrily, then stomped her foot and ran out. Although she said harsh words, I saw that her eyes were already red and almost filled with tears as she ran out with her head down.
I sighed: "Tu...go after her, bring her back, and then let her have some peace and quiet."
Tu, who was standing by the window, chased after them without saying a word.
Then, I glanced at Fang Nan, who was sitting on my other side. Fang Nan was diligently peeling an apple. I looked at her and smiled gently: "Alright, this impetuous girl, you said you would read the newspaper to me, but you ran off after reading half of it... My hands are too weak right now, so you can read the newspaper to me instead."
Fang Nan's eyes reddened, and she slowly put down the fruit knife and apple in her hand. Then she walked to my side, picked up the newspaper, and softly read aloud:
According to sources at Deep Blue Entertainment, it's possible that Chen Yang will be sent back to the United States for treatment soon. Regarding media inquiries about whether Mr. Chen Yang's accidental injury will affect Deep Blue Entertainment's plans to co-produce a new film with Billy Hill Entertainment and enter Hollywood, Deep Blue Entertainment has not yet responded to this question…
Fang Nan read the newspaper in her soft voice, but her voice gradually became choked up, and she eventually buried her upper body in my lap and began to sob softly.
I sighed, and with a great effort, I raised my hand and placed it on her head, gently stroking her hair. I said softly, "Alright, why are you crying... I'm still alive and well, aren't I? You're not a widow yet, hehe... Don't cry, look, you've dirtied my pants."
"What do you mean, widow! Nonsense... You're not allowed to say such unlucky things!" Fang Nan raised her head, forcefully wiping away her tears. Seeing that I was struggling to lift my hand, she quickly came over and gently supported my arm, saying softly, "The wound on your arm hasn't healed yet. Don't move around. If the wound reopens, it will be troublesome."
Afterwards, Fang Nan talked with me for a while.
Since the doctor publicly announced my condition the day before yesterday, such a major blow has naturally angered and saddened those around me. Qiaoqiao made a scene, and Fang Nan cried. Aze and Mutou were also depressed, trying their best to comfort me while suppressing their own grief.
Especially Qiao Qiao and Fang Nan, they were even more gentle with me. Qiao Qiao even put aside all her temper and stayed by my side, being almost completely submissive to me. Her gentle demeanor was comparable to Yan Di's.
As for Amei... I heard she cried herself into a coma and then asked to take care of me personally, but I hardened my heart and refused.
Several people have come to see me these past few days, including Xiaoxuan, who has been working with Ningyan on the preparations for the charity hall. However, I have insisted on not seeing any outside visitors. There have been other visitors, such as some celebrities from Shanghai, but with the help of Qiaoqiao's father, I have turned them all away.
However, one of the "visitors" was particularly special.
“Xiao Wu…” Fang Nan helped me lie down and whispered, “Miss Yang Wei… she…”
As she spoke, she cautiously observed my expression. Seeing that I didn't react, she whispered, "Miss Yang Wei... she's been waiting here for a whole day and night. No matter how we try to persuade her, she won't leave. She stayed in the room downstairs last night."
I finally reacted, and suddenly smiled, saying in a low voice, "Why bother? We're all in this club, there's no point in her living downstairs... Even if she goes back to her courtyard, it's only a ten-minute walk."
“You…sigh…” Fang Nan sighed, “You know how she feels.”
Fang Nan was initially unaware of the complicated relationship between Yang Wei and me, but in the past two days, Qiao Qiao had been keeping me company and had privately told Fang Nan quite a bit. Women inevitably feel jealous in these situations, but at a time like this, Fang Nan and Qiao Qiao had no time to think about such things.
"I know. I just want some peace and quiet and don't want to see any guests," I said calmly, then shut my mouth and said nothing more.
However, besides Yang Wei, there was another guest whose arrival I had to meet!
When Wu Gang was brought into my hospital room by Hammer, Fang Nan was sitting by the bed, gently wiping my face with a towel. When Hammer saw this, he immediately left the room and closed the door behind him.
Wu Gang stood in the doorway, looking at me with a complicated expression. I had already seen him and couldn't help but smile wryly, "Come in. Now that you're here, are you planning to turn around and leave?"
Wu Gang gritted his teeth, a grim expression on his face, and slowly took a few steps forward.
Fang Nan's face immediately darkened when she saw Wu Gang, her eyes revealing undisguised anger. She slowly put away the towel and then stood up.
"Chen Yang, are you alright?" Wu Gang opened his mouth, as if only managing to utter this one sentence, then glanced at Fang Nan: "Nannan..."
Fang Nan merely raised her eyelids to glance at Wu Gang, then slowly walked over...
Suddenly, she raised her hand and slapped Wu Gang across the face with lightning speed!
*Smack!*
Fang Nan's palm strike was quite powerful. Wu Gang made no attempt to dodge, and although he took the blow, he remained silent, his face only growing more grim.
"Wu Gang!!" Fang Nan gritted her teeth, her beautiful eyes blazing with anger: "You... what did you promise me! I promised to give up everything... but what about the things we agreed on?! Now Xiao Wu is lying in bed, and... is this how you keep your promises?!"
A hint of defeat flashed in Wu Gang's eyes. Faced with Fang Nan's questioning, he could only stammer, "Nannan..."
Fang Nan snorted, but I immediately said, "Alright, Fang Nan... you can go out now. Wu Gang and I have something to discuss."
Fang Nan glanced at me, finally suppressing her anger, and obediently left, but before leaving, she glared hatefully at Wu Gang.
"Sigh... Chen Yang, I'm sorry." Wu Gang had just started to speak when I smiled calmly and said lightly, "Don't blame yourself. This has nothing to do with you."
“No!” Wu Gang shook his head: “You made contributions to the country back then, and we promised you that you could return home, and we also said that we would support and help you, but now you are suffering like this…”
“I told you, this has nothing to do with you.” I interrupted him calmly. “You promised to put pressure on Qing Hong to prevent them from causing me trouble. I think you’ve done that… For example, Ouyang was willing to cooperate with me. I think it wasn’t just because of Mr. Qiao’s influence, but also because of the pressure you put on him! And Qing Hong hasn’t bothered me during my time in Shanghai. The Qing Hong members with the ‘Ren’ prefix have been quite well-behaved. In the end, this whole thing is an internal conflict within our Big Circle. The people who ambushed me were from the Big Circle, not Qing Hong.”
“But… according to the information we’ve received, the Green Gang, whose members are called ‘Ren’ (人), seems to have some dealings with the Big Circle.” Wu Gang said reluctantly.
"Of course I know." I glanced at Wu Gang as if I didn't care at all. "Even so, the people who directly attacked me were from the Big Circle, not the Green Gang with the Human Division. So, it doesn't mean you broke your promise."
Seeing Wu Gang's slightly embarrassed expression, I smiled gently: "Alright, did you come to visit me in the hospital, or do you have something else to discuss with me?"
Wu Gang's spirits lifted, and he slowly began to speak: "Chen Yang... We all feel sorry for you regarding this matter. However, I'm sorry, but for any reason, we cannot directly send anyone to assist you. But I can promise you personally that I can provide you with as much information as possible, as well as some official assistance. Your business in Shanghai can receive preferential policies... As for the Big Circle's operation, we will take some measures to crack down on them. And..."
I shook my head and looked at Wu Gang. He paused involuntarily when my gaze swept over him.
"Wu Gang," I said slowly, "it's just the two of us here. I'd like to say a few words to you, a few words without any pretense!"