Zhang Jude tried to make a comeback with the money left over from paying off his debts, but he failed and ended up with even heavier debts.
In desperation, he thought of extorting money by causing trouble at a medical facility.
Before his father passed away, he had already begun making intensive preparations.
He originally intended to take his father to the hospital for emergency treatment, and if he died, he would insist it was a medical accident; if he lived, he would try every means to create a medical accident.
Zhang Jude collected a lot of information on this subject, studied it for a long time, and then contacted a hoodlum who made a living from this.
Heaven did not grant his wish.
The old man passed away quietly on New Year's Eve and was not discovered until the first day of the Lunar New Year.
At that time, Zhang Jude already knew that the chances of success were slim, but he still wanted to take a gamble.
Even if things go badly, they can still extort some money from Meng Yang and eke out a living for a while.
Meng Yang overestimated human nature, and he took advantage of Meng Yang's kindness.
In the chaos, one of the thugs Zhang Ju had hired was accidentally grazed by someone. The thug, hot-tempered, immediately attacked the person.
The security guards who were involved acted in self-defense, but the thugs, like firecrackers that had been lit, smashed and looted even more fiercely.
Zhang Jude, who was huddled in the corner making a phone call, panicked and yelled, "Don't hit him! Whatever you do, don't hit the doctor!"
The thug wouldn't listen, so the staff immediately took the necessary security measures.
The woman, holding her child, cried even more pitifully; the sound was like cat claws scratching at one's heart.
The situation was not under control before the police arrived.
The scale of the vandalism in the area continued to grow. The thug pulled out a wooden stick hidden in his sleeve, and people around him kept their distance.
He was completely enraged when the security guards came over with riot forks to stop him.
Meng Yang was quite close to the thug, and when he swung his wooden stick at him, Meng Yang had no time to dodge.
"Don't do it!" Zhang Ju shouted hysterically. "Don't do it, please don't do it!"
A commotion broke out in the crowd, with exclamations rising and falling.
Just as the wooden stick was about to strike, Meng Yang fell into a warm embrace.
Then came a muffled thud.
Liu Zhi took the blow for her.
A cacophony of footsteps erupted as security guards and police officers worked together to apprehend the thug.
Zhang Ju closed his eyes in despair; it was all over.
--------------------
Author's Note:
There will be another update at 9 PM.
Chapter 26 Rest
"Are you stupid?" Meng Yang didn't realize his voice was trembling. "Liu Zhi!"
Her heart felt like it had been violently clenched; the pain was so intense that she could feel the pain even when she was breathing.
"Soft tissue contusion," Liu Zhi said, resting her head on Meng Yang's shoulder. "It's nothing serious."
Meng Yang didn't dare to move at all; she remained in this position, her forearm loosely resting on Liu Zhi's waist.
"Does it hurt to breathe?" Meng Yang asked, tears streaming down his face. "Does it feel tightness in your chest?"
Liu Zhi actually had some chest pain and difficulty breathing. She guessed she might have broken a rib, but she stubbornly refused to tell Meng Yang.
"It's nothing serious, just apply the ointment for a couple of days and it'll be fine." Liu Zhi struggled, trying to let go of Meng Yang.
"Don't move around." Meng Yang's voice was choked with sobs. "You must have broken a bone. I heard the sound."
Liu Zhi paused.
Once the situation stabilized, the stretcher was brought over.
Meng Yang pushed the cart, tears still streaming down his face.
The police stopped Meng Yang and asked her to give a statement first. Meng Yang looked at Liu Zhi and was reluctant to leave.
“Go ahead,” Liu Zhi said. “I know what I’m doing.”
Besides the pain, Liu Zhi also felt somewhat embarrassed—a group of doctors in white coats were pushing one doctor in a white coat.
She kept her head down as much as possible so that others could not see her face.
After going through a familiar process, Liu Zhi felt somewhat dazed.
After her colleague finished reading the report, she handed it to Liu Zhi. Liu Zhi glanced at one line while leaning over, and then the report was taken away.
Meng Yangli stood beside her, his brows furrowed as he read the report.
"Weren't you supposed to go to give a statement?" Liu Zhi asked, enduring the pain.
"It's done," Meng Yang said in a muffled voice.
“There is no damage to the thoracic organs,” Liu Zhi said calmly. “External fixation will suffice.”
Meng Yang remained silent.
Liu Zhi broke a rib on his right back, but it did not cause hemopneumothorax or other complications.
But Meng Yang knew that a broken rib would be extremely painful.
"What's wrong?" Liu Zhi asked softly.
“You idiot,” Meng Yang muttered.
"What did you say?" Liu Zhi leaned closer. "I didn't hear you clearly."
When the thoracic surgeon arrived, Meng Yang stepped aside and had his colleague immobilize Liu Zhi.
"Try to sleep on your healthy side, and if that's not possible, you can sleep on your stomach." My colleague sighed and said, "This must have been quite a fall."
"Does it count as a work injury?" Liu Zhi rarely joked.
"Work injury," the colleague said. "The boss can rest now."
...
The video of the disturbance at noon was posted online, causing quite a stir.
Initially, public opinion was divided. After the police announcement, most netizens were able to distinguish right from wrong and condemned the perpetrators of the disturbance at the hospital.
The case of Meng Yang being falsely accused is rather unique. If the old man had died in the affiliated hospital, the Medical Dispute Mediation Committee and third-party organizations could have intervened to mediate.
However, the old man was assisted by Meng Yang Volunteer, which makes the process a bit complicated.
After much deliberation, Meng Yang decided to pursue legal action.
Liu Zhi is on sick leave, and Meng Yang has applied to suspend his medical practice.
In the afternoon, they went home together.
At the entrance of the affiliated hospital, Meng Yang hailed a taxi.
Liu Zhi was wearing a chest brace, which made movement difficult. Meng Yang opened the car door for her and gestured for her to get in first.
"Where is the hotel?" Meng Yang asked Liu Zhi.
Perhaps she was still in pain, because it took Liu Zhi a while to react and give her name.
Liu Zhi couldn't lean back in the chair, and the driver kept braking. Liu Zhi had no choice but to hold onto the seat with both hands to keep steady.
Meng Yang took the initiative to wrap his arm around Liu Zhi's arm, resting his arm on the backrest.
Liu Zhi stubbornly refused to rest her head on Meng Yang's arm, and the driver braked suddenly. Liu Zhi lost her balance and bumped into Meng Yang's arm.
Meng Yang placed his arm away from Liu Zhi's injury, and Liu Zhi felt much more comfortable resting his head on it.
"Sir, there's a patient with a fractured posterior rib in the car, please slow down," Meng Yang said.
The driver smiled apologetically and replied with several "okay"s.
After a long and arduous journey, they finally arrived at the hotel. Meng Yang went upstairs to help Liu Zhi retrieve her luggage.
Liu Zhi didn't bring much stuff, and Meng Yang emptied the place after two rounds of moving.
"I live..."
"Shut up." Meng Yang guessed what Liu Zhi was going to say before she even opened her mouth. "Come home with me."
"I……"
"Try running away from home again!"
Liu Zhi: "..."
They took a taxi back to Nan Jing Royal Garden.
Meng Yang carried the two large boxes into the elevator, with Liu Zhi's bag slung over his shoulder.
Midway through, Liu Zhi tried to help Meng Yang by carrying the box, but Meng Yang propped it up on his knees, turned his back, and placed it in a corner, preventing Liu Zhi from touching it.
"Go to the side." Meng Yang lifted his bag up.
"It's just a broken rib," Liu Zhi said helplessly. "It's not like I'm crippled."
"Just a broken rib?" Meng Yang retorted. "What if that lunatic had gone a little harder and broken a few more, causing a hemothorax?"
Liu Zhi rubbed his nose, speechless for a moment.
"What if the shot misses and breaks the spine?"
Liu Zhi pursed her lips, speechless.
"if……"
“But I’m fine, nothing serious,” Liu interrupted Meng Yang. “Don’t worry.”
Meng Yang's eyes suddenly reddened. She put down her bag and stood against the protective panel for a while.