Chapter Twenty-One: Chen Ru [Please Recommend!]

Zhang Wenhao turned and walked away, pulling out his phone from his waist. He pressed the stop button on the recording app—every moment just now had been captured. Tonight, he had only acted in self-defense; the evidence was irrefutable.

As a senior in high school, Zhang Wenhao had always been guided by his father’s teachings: a person with a clear conscience fears nothing, and reason can carry you anywhere in the world. Leaving evidence behind was simply a way to prove his innocence whenever needed.

Leaving the school’s sports field, Zhang Wenhao heard the system’s prompt. Because he had just used the Combat Skill, the system rewarded him with 100 points. His available points now totaled 190, with an accumulated 690 points! Combat Skill truly was a highly cost-effective ability. Yet his body still had many shortcomings—otherwise, his fighting power would have multiplied. Zhang Wenhao resolved that he would never give up training his physical strength and combat skills, so he could become even stronger!

Inside the emergency room at Jiangxin Hospital in Jiang City, several doctors, drenched in sweat, were busy tending to Chen Chong’s bloodied face. His nasal bone had been broken, his cheeks were severely swollen and congested, looking as if he’d swallowed two eggs. The blood had already dried into scabs, and each time the doctor wiped his face with a cotton swab, Chen Chong could not help but cry out in agony.

Aside from Chen Chong and the doctors, three men stood in the emergency room. One of them, with slicked-back hair and a square face, wore a grave expression. His face was ashen, barely containing his rage.

“Director Chen, we need to clean all the blood off your son’s face to check for other wounds. The swelling is severe due to heavy bleeding, so this will be quite painful.”

Liu Ziqiang, the hospital director, had just been called from home. Upon learning that the district director’s son had been beaten and hospitalized, Liu was terribly anxious. As Chen Chong wailed on the bed, Liu could only brace himself and explain the situation.

This stern-faced middle-aged man was Chen Ru, Chen Chong’s father—the district director of Jiangxin, Jiang City, and the second most powerful man in the area. Seeing his beloved son suffering in the hospital bed, Chen Ru seethed with fury; but after years in officialdom, he knew this was not the time to vent his anger.

“Tell the doctors to do their jobs without pressure. Handle things exactly as they should,” Chen Ru said coldly. Liu Ziqiang finally breathed a sigh of relief—so long as the director didn’t blame them, everything would be fine.

Just then, a middle-aged woman, her face heavily made up, burst into the room. She shrieked as soon as she entered, “Where’s my baby? What happened to my baby?”

She rushed to the bedside, and when she saw Chen Chong’s bloodied face, she collapsed to the floor. Wailing, she shouted, “Who is the damned bastard that did this to my precious boy? Chen Ru! Your son was beaten like this at school, what’s the point of you being district director?”

This woman was Chen Chong’s mother—Xu Hongxia.

“Shut up!” Chen Ru glared at his wife, rebuking her angrily. “All you do is play mahjong all day! If I hadn’t called you, who knows when you’d even think to come home!”

“I don’t care!” Xu Hongxia sobbed. “You’d better find out who hurt our son and make them pay a hundredfold!”

Chen Ru glanced at the driver beside him and said, “Xiao Chen, take your Aunt Xu to the next room, then call Chief Xing and tell him to get here as fast as possible.”

“Yes, sir!” The young man addressed as Xiao Chen hurried to help Xu Hongxia up, but she started flailing and yelling, “Chen Ru, if you don’t give me and my son an answer today, I’ll sit right here and won’t get up! My son’s been beaten like this—he must pay with blood, immediately!”

Chen Ru’s face darkened further. He stepped forward, dragged her up, and roared, “I know what to do! If you keep making a scene, pack your bags and go back to your parents’ house. You can come back when this is over!”

Xu Hongxia fell silent instantly. Seeing her husband’s expression, she knew that whenever he spoke to her like this, her usual tantrums would not work. She stood up, aggrieved, and whispered, “I’m not leaving. I want to stay with our son.”

She pulled over a stool, sat by the bed, clutched Chen Chong’s hand, and wept uncontrollably.

Chen Ru sighed and said nothing more. Xiao Chen, quick to read the mood, said, “Director, I’ll call Chief Xing now.” Chen Ru nodded, and Xiao Chen hurried out with his phone.

Twenty minutes later, a middle-aged man, slightly overweight and dressed in plain clothes, rushed in. He walked straight to Chen Ru and, full of guilt, said, “Director Chen, with Xiao Chong hurt, as the sub-bureau chief, I can’t shirk responsibility! I’ll immediately deploy all our forces to catch the culprit. We’ll have them in custody tonight!”

“Enough,” Chen Ru replied impassively. “Let the doctors finish treating Xiao Chong first, then we’ll ask him what happened.”

They waited in the hospital until dawn. Only then did the doctors finish suturing Chen Chong’s nose and upper lip. The attending physician reported to Chen Ru, “Director, this is a simple operation. In less than a month, your son’s nasal bone will heal. As for possible effects on his appearance, it’s too soon to tell—we’ll see after it heals. But don’t worry, even if plastic surgery is needed, it’s just a minor procedure. We can handle it here, and there won’t be any major impact.”

Chen Ru nodded. “Are there any other serious injuries?”

“Nothing serious,” the doctor replied. “But he’ll need bed rest for a while.”

Once the doctor and director left, only the family and Xing Jiaqiang, the chief of the Jiangxin Public Security Sub-bureau, remained. Chen Ru sat by Chen Chong’s side, his heart aching at his son’s pain. He asked gently, “Xiao Chong, tell me—what really happened today?”

Chen Ru had always been strict with Chen Chong, so the boy was uneasy, afraid that telling the truth would earn him a scolding. So, he lied, “A classmate—Zhang Wenhao—called me to the field after school. As soon as I got there, he beat me up. He said it was because I was too close to Su Ruoran, and he wanted to teach me a lesson. He warned me to stay away from her, and said that even if my dad is district director, if I go near Su Ruoran again, he’ll beat me every time he sees me.”

“Still lying to me?” Chen Ru’s voice thundered. “There are four other thugs in another room—brought from the same field with you. How do you explain that? I’ll give you one more chance: tell me everything, in detail, or I’ll go ask those thugs myself. If you dare lie to me, you’re finished!”

All thoughts of luck gone, Chen Chong trembled and recounted the whole story.

As Chen Ru listened, his expression grew darker. In the end, he slammed his fist onto the bed, making Chen Chong nearly jump off.

“Chen Ru, what are you doing!” Xu Hongxia protested angrily. “Is this any way to act? Your son’s been bullied, and you’re scaring him further!”

Chen Ru’s face was icy as he pointed at Chen Chong and scolded, “You brainless fool! That Zhang Wenhao set a trap, and you walked right in. The first time you sent people after him, he didn’t resist, just so he could draw you out and teach you a lesson. If he’d sought revenge directly, it would be premeditated assault. But he provoked you into making the first move. Even if this goes to court, it’s self-defense. Those thugs even had knives—if he’d grabbed one and killed one or two of you, the most he’d face is excessive defense, and might even be acquitted!”

Xing Jiaqiang, too, was full of remorse. “I never thought Wu Youxin would dare do this behind my back. If he hadn’t arranged those thugs, Xiao Chong wouldn’t be in this mess. I’ll make sure to teach him a lesson!”

“That’s not enough!” Chen Ru gritted his teeth. “Now, our priority is to make Zhang Wenhao pay! This kid’s plan was clever, but he has no idea what real power is!”

—The book has gained a recommendation, and with a new week coming, this week’s results are crucial. The Captain humbly asks everyone to cast a precious vote while reading—your support is deeply appreciated! The novel is about to reach a major turning point, and the plot will not disappoint. Please, shower it with your recommendations!