Yang Peng laughed wildly in a voice that was completely out of character for his age. His mind was already twisted. After being beaten to such a state, how could he not be repressed? So it would be strange if he didn't act like this now that he was finally free.
There were men Yang Peng had arranged to guard the door, and they started arguing: "Who are you? Don't go in! Stop! Stop! ... Ouch!" It sounded like one of Yang Peng's men had been pushed over. Then the door to the ward was gently pushed open, and a man in a black suit entered. He looked very serious. He glanced around after opening the door, then stepped in, his hand still on the door, standing respectfully by the door. Then a middle-aged man walked in, followed by a man in a black suit who looked to be in his thirties. Clearly, these men in black suits were the middle-aged man's bodyguards.
Upon seeing this man, Chen Shuxian was even more terrified than when she had been bullied by Yang Peng's men. She grabbed Chen Xinxin and hid her behind her, using her body to shield Chen Xinxin.
The man who entered immediately spotted Chen Shuxian, ignoring everyone else and heading straight for her.
Volume 2 [484] My Surname Isn't Chen
【484】My surname is not Chen
Chen Xinxin was puzzled by her mother's actions; she had never seen her mother so panicked, as if facing a formidable enemy. Chen Shuxian wanted to find a weapon, but there was nothing in the ward. Helpless, she could only grab the IV stand hanging from the ceiling and pull hard. With a crash, the IV stand fell to the ground, and Chen Shuxian grabbed the person in front of her with both hands.
"You, you stay away! If you dare touch Xin Xin, I'll fight you to the death!" Chen Shuxian's voice was filled with terror.
The middle-aged man, tears streaming down his face, said, "Shuxian, don't you understand now? If I hadn't sent people to protect you back then, how could you and the child have survived until now? Do you think I would harm my own daughter? Even tigers don't eat their cubs."
Chen Xinxin was struck dumb: "You, you are Chen Guangwei?" Chen Xinxin already knew her identity from her mother. This person claimed to be her father, so it could only be Chen Guangwei—the successor of the Chen family designated by the old man.
Chen Shuxian waved the iron frame hysterically, shouting, "I don't trust a single member of your Chen family! Get out of here! Get out of here!"
As Chen Guangwei's bodyguards tried to seize the weapon from Chen Shuxian's hand, Chen Guangwei shouted, "Get out!"
The bodyguards didn't move, and Chen Guangwei's voice grew louder: "I'm telling you to get out."
The bodyguard dared not disobey and waved to Yang Peng, who was standing there dumbfounded. Yang Peng didn't understand and said, "Who are you? This is Bai Yuan, not the underworld." Yang Peng always thought he represented the side of justice.
Without a word, the bodyguard picked up Yang Peng and started to walk out. The men protecting Yang Peng attacked, but the man in the black suit, despite carrying Yang Peng, was not affected in his skills. He knocked down one with a punch and another with a kick, hitting vital points. Neither of the two men on the ground could get up. Seeing that the other man was too fierce to fight back, the others rushed out of the ward to make a run for it. The man in the black suit standing outside ignored them. However, when the men reached the corridor entrance, they were stopped and crouched in a corner waiting to be attacked.
Zhao Ling whispered to Chen Xinxin, "So he's your father."
Chen Xinxin shouted, "My father is dead. My mother said he's dead, so he's dead. I have no father." She and her mother were displaced and bullied. Who caused all of this? Chen Xinxin had no good feelings towards this adopted father.
With a thud, Chen Guangwei suddenly knelt down, which greatly surprised everyone in the ward. Even Chen Shuxian was caught off guard. In everyone's eyes, Chen Guangwei was a high and mighty figure. He could only kneel before his ancestors. His action towards his wife and daughter could only be described as a sign of deep remorse.
"Shuxian, Xinxin, I've been looking for you all these years, but firstly, my father interfered, and secondly, you went into hiding, so I couldn't find you. Otherwise, I would have fulfilled my responsibilities as a husband and father. I know these explanations are too weak, but I truly love you. I was powerless to change what happened back then. Now I've made up my mind. I'm willing to leave the Chen family. Please forgive me, forgive me..." Chen Guangwei, an old man, broke down in tears on the spot, showing the pain in his heart. Too many people in this world live without control over their own lives.
Chen Shuxian's expression froze for a moment, then returned to its fury. She raised the iron frame in her hand: "Chen Guangwei, I'm telling you to get out! Leave us, mother and daughter! Don't think you can fool us with sweet words anymore. You won't leave, will you? I'll beat you until you do!"
Chen Shuxian frantically smashed the iron frame at Chen Guangwei. Bang! The first blow hit Chen Guangwei's head, making him stagger. However, he gritted his teeth and refused to fall. The iron frame broke a gash in his head, and blood immediately flowed down his forehead. Chen Guangwei didn't even wipe it away and remained kneeling.
Chen Shuxian did not put down the iron frame in Chen Guangwei's hand because Chen Guangwei was injured. Instead, she hit Chen Guangwei with even more force. However, Chen Shuxian's tears hurt her heart as they hit his body. They had been husband and wife for a night, and their bond was as strong as a hundred days.
Zhao Ling rushed forward, snatched the iron frame from Chen Shuxian's hand, and threw it aside with a clatter, saying, "Auntie, are you going to kill him like this? Do you want to see Xin Xin without her own biological father?"
Chen Xinxin loudly protested: "No, I don't have a father, and I don't need a father."
Chen Shuxian turned around, hugged her daughter, and cried bitterly. All the grievances of the past ten years surged into her heart at this moment. If she hadn't ended her miserable life with her daughter, she would still be working at the fried dough stick stall. And who caused all of this? Of course, it was the man in front of her. So how difficult it was for her to forgive him.
"Shuxian, I..." Chen Guangwei swayed before he could finish speaking and collapsed to the ground, his face covered in blood. Although the bodyguards at the door had seen Chen Shuxian beating Chen Guangwei, they knew that Chen Guangwei was willingly being beaten, so no one dared to come in and stop him. But now that Chen Guangwei had collapsed, the bodyguards dared not be careless. They rushed in and helped Chen Guangwei up, calling out in low voices, "Mr. Chen? Mr. Chen?"
When Chen Shuxian saw Chen Guangwei faint, she panicked. In that instant, the deep-seated hatred she once felt seemed to vanish without a trace. Forgiving him, which had been so difficult before, was now surprisingly easy.
In truth, Chen Shuxian was just harboring a deep resentment, and once it dissipated, the hatred would be gone. She pushed away the bodyguard who was supporting Chen Guangwei, squatted down, and personally helped Chen Guangwei up. "Guangwei? Guangwei? Why didn't you move away? Are you stupid?" Chen Shuxian cried loudly. After all, this man had once been deeply loved by her, and she had even borne him a daughter.
Chen Guangwei opened his eyes. He was still very dizzy, but seeing Chen Shuxian's concern for him made him feel that the beating was worth it. He said, "Shuxian, have you forgiven me? If you are willing to forgive me, I am willing to let you beat me again."
Chen Shuxian said, "I will not forgive you so easily, nor will I let you be beaten to death so easily. You need to recover from your injuries, and then I will beat you again to avenge our daughter until she forgives you."
Chen Guangwei grabbed Chen Shuxian's hand: "Okay, I'll recover from my injury right away. I'll let Xin Xin beat me until she forgives me." Hearing Chen Shuxian's words, she basically accepted Chen Guangwei's attitude of admitting his mistake, but she was worried that her daughter, Chen Shuxian, would still outwardly refuse to forgive him. In fact, for the past ten years or so, Chen Shuxian had thought about Chen Guangwei constantly; otherwise, with her looks, she would have remarried long ago. She had fantasized about the day Chen Guangwei would appear before her, openly take her back to the Chen family, and make that damned old man of the Chen family so angry he vomited blood.
Chen Xinxin turned her head away, ignoring her mother hugging Chen Guangwei. She thought her mother was too easily deceived by men. In fact, if it were Zhao Qiang, Chen Xinxin would probably have hugged him and cried out that she forgave him. The key point is that Chen Xinxin and Chen Guangwei only had the physical relationship of father and daughter, but no father-daughter affection. So Chen Shuxian secretly forgave Chen Guangwei because of their past relationship. But Chen Xinxin couldn't do it. She had no good feelings for this stranger. Even if he was beaten by her mother until his brains spilled out, Chen Xinxin would only feel sorry for him.
The bodyguards rushed in carrying several doctors, and everyone hurriedly bandaged Chen Guangwei. At this moment, Yang Peng, who had been cleared out of the door, also panicked. Although he was young, it didn't mean he was clueless. He slowly realized that the middle-aged man inside looked somewhat familiar, and when he heard people calling him "Mr. Chen," Yang Peng was so frightened that he trembled. He didn't even realize that he had wet his wheelchair. He wanted to call his father, but his hands were shaking so badly that he couldn't dial the number.
Chen Guangwei held Chen Shuxian's hand tightly, as if afraid she would run away, "Shuxian, this time I'm taking you home."
Chen Guangwei was wrapped up like a rice dumpling, which looked quite funny, but no one dared to show even a hint of a smile. Only Chen Xinxin chuckled and said, "You're dreaming. Are you still not satisfied even after being beaten into a rice dumpling? Let me tell you, Chen Guangwei, don't expect me and Mom to forgive you in this lifetime. I will never forget the scene of Mom and I begging along the village and being chased by vicious dogs. Chen Guangwei, I will hate you for the rest of my life." At first, Chen Xinxin was still laughing, but as she spoke, she burst into tears and cried loudly.
When Chen Guangwei heard that his wife and daughter were begging and even being chased and bitten by dogs, his heart was bleeding. His daughter was right not to forgive him. If he could be forgiven by his wife and daughter so easily, then even the greatest sin would not be a sin.
Chen Shuxian glanced at Chen Guangwei, then forcefully broke free from his grasp. Chen Guangwei looked at Chen Shuxian pitifully, pleading with his eyes. There was affection between the two, but Chen Shuxian glanced at the crying Chen Xinxin, then shook her head at Chen Guangwei. Chen Guangwei knew that to regain Chen Shuxian's approval, he had to get past his daughter first.
Before this, Chen Guangwei only had Chen Shuxian in his heart. His daughter was a vague figure to him, since he hadn't been there to watch her grow up and there was no affection between them. But Chen Shuxian was different. Chen Guangwei had a deeply unforgettable love with her. As long as Chen Guangwei lived, he would never forget the woman who gave him true love. But now Chen Guangwei knew that Chen Shuxian loved more than just him, because she had a new attachment, namely Chen Xinxin, their child.
Chen Guangwei was finally able to calm down and take a closer look at Chen Xinxin. He was quite surprised when he saw her, because Chen Xinxin looked so much like him. Chen Guangwei was a handsome man. Although the torment of unrequited love and regret over the past ten years had made him look a bit old, he would definitely attract the attention of beautiful women on the street. Otherwise, how could Chen Shuxian have been interested in Chen Guangwei back then?
Chen Xinxin was still crying, but Zhao Ling was holding her, which made her feel much safer. When she saw Chen Guangwei looking her over, Chen Xinxin was furious and said, "What are you looking at? Look again and I'll gouge your eyes out!"
Chen Guangwei almost fainted because of her unruly nature. He and Chen Shuxian were both gentle people, so how could they have given birth to such a daughter?
Zhao Ling comforted Chen Xinxin, saying, "Alright, Xinxin, he is still your biological father. Don't be so extreme, okay?"
Chen Xinxin said, "Don't speak well of him. I'll change my surname right now. I'll take your surname too. From today onwards, my name will be Zhao Xinxin."
Chen Guangwei was even more furious. This daughter of his had actually disowned her ancestors. However, considering the hardships Chen Xinxin had endured with her mother, Chen Guangwei felt guilty and didn't even have the courage to be angry. The reason his daughter had become like this was related to her lack of a good education, and as her father, Chen Guangwei bore an unshirkable responsibility.
A drama was unfolding in the ward, while something else was happening outside. Yang Peng was taken out of the ward but was not detained. He had serious injuries, but the bodyguards were not worried about what he could do. Yang Peng finally managed to make a phone call to his father after a lot of effort.
Director Yang was furious. From what he had observed inside the Public Security Bureau building, Zhao Qiang was likely connected to several major forces in the north. Although Baiyuan City was located at the intersection of the northern and southern factions and generally did not maintain contact with either side, life in the middle was actually the most difficult. One was always afraid of offending any side, as even a slight misstep could ruin one's future. If Zhao Qiang truly had a powerful background, then firstly, he would not be able to avenge his son, and secondly, even if Director Yang had someone in the province protecting him, his future prospects would be uncertain.
Just then, Director Yang received a call from his son. Thinking that his son was urging him to deal with Zhao Mingming's situation again, Director Yang, who felt for the first time that his son was very wasteful, said in a bad tone: "You brat, can't you just shut up? Are you going to kill your father before you stop?"
Yang Peng paid no heed to his father's complaints: "Dad, no, something bad has happened."
Director Yang was still concerned about her son: "What's wrong? You have people protecting you at the hospital, so what are you afraid of? Do you think those two women will go in and beat you up?"
"No, no, Dad, it's Chen, Chen..."
Director Yang said impatiently, "Chen what? Hurry up and say it. I have something to do here. Do you know what trouble you've caused? That Zhao Qiang may have powerful people supporting him behind the scenes. This time you've really ruined your father's life."
"...Chen, Chen Guangwei is here." Yang Peng finally spoke.
Director Yang was momentarily confused: "Chen Guangwei? Who is that? I don't have time for him."
Yang Peng said, "Chen Guangwei, it's Chen Guangwei. Don't you know who Chen Guangwei is?"
Director Yang was taken aback: "I only know one person, Chen Guangwei, but he couldn't possibly come to Baiyuan City, let alone go to the hospital."
Yang Peng said, "But he's right here. You should come and see him quickly. They've driven me out of the ward."
Director Yang slammed down the phone and immediately called Zhang Feng. Zhang Feng was in a bad mood because he didn't know how to deal with Zhao Qiang. Luo Wei and Yang Shiqi's appearance and departure had shrouded Zhao Qiang's identity in mystery. Now Zhang Feng didn't know whether to continue the confrontation or go in and apologize. If he chose the latter, he would lose all face, which would be a defeat he had never experienced before in his life.
"What is it? Yang Yuhai, what a mess you've made!" Zhang Feng called out Director Yang's name directly.
Director Yang didn't care about Zhang Feng's attitude: "Mayor Zhang, Chen Guangwei is here, he's in the hospital."
Zhang Feng was taken aback when he heard the name 'Chen Guangwei': 'What?'
"It's Chen Guangwei from the Chen family. He's in the hospital now. You'd better figure it out yourself." Yang Yuhai hung up the phone. This was the only thing he could do. Of course, Yang Yuhai rushed to the hospital immediately. His son was still there, probably being held by Chen Guangwei's men. As a father, Yang Yuhai had to ensure his son's safety no matter the cost.
Volume 2 [485] Finding a scapegoat
[485] Find a scapegoat
He Shan didn't understand what was going on. She didn't know the people in the room. She could only stand with Guo Huiqin. Zhao Shan didn't dare to make a sound either, because Chen Guangwei gave people a lot of pressure, especially the bodyguard behind him.
Zhao Ling whispered in Chen Xinxin's ear, "Xinxin, tell him to go and save Zhao Qiang and my brother."
Chen Xinxin hesitated for a moment: "I don't want to talk to him."
Zhao Ling asked anxiously, "Then are you willing to watch Zhao Qiang be arrested and suffer?"
Chen Xinxin was naturally unwilling, so she reluctantly said to Chen Guangwei, "Hey, do you even have the ability?"
Chen Guangwei was sweating profusely. He did like his daughter because she looked like him, but he couldn't accept her personality. "What counts as ability?"
Chen Xinxin said, "My friend Zhao Qiang and Zhao Ling's younger brother Zhao Mingming have been arrested by the Baiyuan City Public Security Bureau. It would be quite an achievement if you could rescue them safely."
Although Chen Guangwei was unhappy with his daughter's attitude, he still called over a bodyguard, whispered a few words of advice, and the bodyguard left the ward. Chen Guangwei said to Chen Shuxian, "Shuxian, let's find a place to rest."
Chen Shuxian shook her head: "Zhao Qiang is a benefactor to me and Xinxin. I can't leave him now that he's in trouble."
Chen Guangwei didn't know what else to say, so he could only stay with everyone in the ward and endure the pain. His headache was caused by Chen Shuxian hitting him, but he was worried that his wife and daughter, whom he had regained, would disappear again, so he still insisted on not leaving.
Zhao Qiang and Zhao Mingming were eating and drinking heavily. Zhao Mingming had drunk a bit too much and was talking more casually. "Brother-in-law, if life in prison is like this every day, I don't want to go out. What good will it do if I go out? I'll still have to struggle for three meals a day. Life is too short. It's too hard to struggle for a living. We should enjoy ourselves."
Zhao Qiang threw away the bone in his hand: "Go back to your daydreaming."
The bone was thrown towards the door, hitting someone on the head with a thud. "Ouch!" the person cried out in pain. In reality, it was just a bone, which didn't hurt at all; the person was just being dramatic.
Wang Yifan entered, and as soon as he poked his head out, he was hit by a bone. He exaggeratedly rubbed his head and said, "Don't be impulsive, don't be impulsive. I am Wang Yifan, the director of the Public Security Bureau. I have come with sincerity. There may be a misunderstanding in this matter. Let's talk it over."
Zhao Mingming was much more arrogant now. He knew these people couldn't do anything to Zhao Qiang, so he would be doing himself a disservice if he didn't take the opportunity to humiliate Wang Yifan. "Director Wang, didn't we just talk about this? Don't bother us. We feel disgusted just looking at you."
Wang Yifan looked embarrassed. This was the first time he had been treated like this in his official career. He said, "Zhao Mingming, I know you have a problem with me. I am just doing my job. There's nothing I can do if you have a problem with me."
Zhao Mingming said, "Then you should continue to handle things impartially. Why are you bothering us while we're drinking?"
Wang Yifan bent down and lowered his head: "There are a few things I need to confirm with you two."
Zhao Qiang said, "I've already said I have no connections. Just do what you're supposed to do and stop nagging."
Wang Yifan cursed the two men a thousand times in his heart, but he still had to put on a smile. "It's about handling things impartially, not doing whatever you want... Mr. Zhao Qiang, I'd like to ask, what is your relationship with Luo Wei and that special forces unit from earlier?"
Zhao Qiang shook his head: "I don't know them."
Wang Yifan was taken aback: "No way, you wouldn't lie so blatantly."
Zhao Qiang said, "Why would I lie? Are you worth lying to? I really don't know them now."
Wang Yifan asked, "If you don't know them, why did they come looking for you?"
Zhao Qiang said, "I'm also thinking about this issue. I can't think of any explanation other than that I'm handsome."
Wang Yifan was covered in sweat, and water droplets were dripping from his chin. "Mr. Zhao Qiang is really confident. I admire him."
Zhao Mingming cursed, "Do all officials talk so much nonsense? Get out of here, we want to drink."
Wang Yifan's face was filled with anger, but he quickly suppressed it and smiled, "This is not nonsense, it's an important question. I wonder what your relationship is with Mr. Zhao Qiang and Zhao Mingming, and Mr. Chen?"
Zhao Mingming was puzzled: "What Mr. Chen? We don't know him."
Wang Yifan said, "Of course it's Mr. Chen Guangwei."
Zhao Mingming said, "Who knows who he is?"
Wang Yifan remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "Gentlemen, Mr. Chen invites you to the hospital for a chat. I think you should stop eating and drinking for now and come with me to the hospital."
Zhao Qiang said, "You think we're your slaves just because you tell us to leave?"