Chapter 358: I Want to Keep My Dignity

Xiao Zhenggong draped a white shirt over his left arm, pushed open the door, and stepped into the hospital room, first glancing at He Jiaqing lying on the bed.

"The Dark Star Bureau is investigating a case—get out!" Xiao Zhenggong turned his face toward He Haisheng, who was smoking.

He Haisheng exhaled a puff of smoke that lingered around Xiao Zhenggong's face for a moment.

Xiao Zhenggong pulled a lighter from his pocket and lit a cigarette of his own; the lighter spun twice between his fingertips, as if it might fly toward He Haisheng at any moment.

He Haisheng raised both hands. "Captain Xiao, don't be rash—watch the flame. If you want to investigate, I'll leave."

With that, He Haisheng left the hospital room.

Xiao Zhenggong closed the hospital room door and looked at He Jiaqing lying on the bed.

"Do it, brother." The shirt spoke.

"I'm not sure if this really is He Jiaqing." Xiao Zhenggong hesitated.

"Whether it is or not, better to kill by mistake than to let one slip."

Xiao Zhenggong stayed on guard, keeping more than a meter's distance from the He Jiaqing on the bed.

If this person really was He Jiaqing, he could leap up and fight Xiao Zhenggong to the death at any moment.

When a Travel Xiu and a Wu Xiu fight to the death, the outcome is hard to predict—if their cultivation is equal, the Wu Xiu has the advantage, but what if He Jiaqing's cultivation was higher than his?

After observing for quite a while, the person on the bed didn't move at all; only beads of sweat slid one after another down his cheek.

"Kill him, brother. Even if you kill the wrong man, you won't lose anything."

Losing nothing was impossible.

Although Xiao Zhenggong was a Balance Person, some things still couldn't be taken too far. The Bureau valued He Jiaqing highly; killing him couldn't be explained away with a single report, and it might even force Xiao Zhenggong to use his Balance Seal.

The price of the Balance Seal was steep, and unless absolutely necessary, Xiao Zhenggong didn't want to push matters that far.

While hesitating, Xiao Zhenggong suddenly looked toward the door.

Through the door, he sensed a pair of eyes watching him.

Xiao Zhenggong walked to the door, opened it, and saw Captain Chen Zhangrui, wearing a jacket with a cigarette dangling from his lips, standing at the doorway with a broad smile.

"Captain Chen, when did you get here?"

"Just now," Chen Zhangrui took a drag and said with a grin. "I heard you were investigating, so I didn't disturb you. Go ahead and investigate; we'll talk after you're done."

Xiao Zhenggong stared at Chen Zhangrui, his cheek twitching again and again.

Chen Zhangrui glanced at He Jiaqing on the bed and made a "go ahead" gesture toward Xiao Zhenggong.

He seemed to be telling Xiao Zhenggong that he could kill He Jiaqing at any moment.

Old fox—you're just waiting for me to make a move!

Xiao Zhenggong tucked the lighter into his trouser pocket and left the hospital room.

Once in the car, the white shirt couldn't help but ask, "Brother, what exactly are you afraid of? That old man's cultivation shouldn't be higher than yours, right?"

"It's not about cultivation," Xiao Zhenggong started the car. "If I made a move on He Jiaqing right in front of Chen Zhangrui, I might be transferred out of the Security Team."

"Why do you have to stay in the Security Team? With your status, you could pick from plenty of good posts."

"You wouldn't understand even if I told you." Xiao Zhenggong floored the accelerator and drove out of the parking lot. "The Security Team is the best post there is!"

"Brother, being this timid and hesitant, I doubt you'll ever finish the task Master assigned."

Halfway there, Xiao Zhenggong suddenly slammed the brakes, and the car behind nearly rear-ended him.

The white shirt didn't understand what Xiao Zhenggong meant, only hearing him mutter to himself, "No, something's not right about this."

"What's not right?"

"Why was he smoking just now?"

"You mean Chen Zhangrui? I remember you said he was a chain-smoking old-timer."

"I just feel something's off…" Xiao Zhenggong rubbed his forehead, trying to recall Chen Zhangrui's habits.

His phone suddenly buzzed—a mission dispatch from the Bureau.

"A suspected aberrant creature has appeared at Huichi Community, Bai He Road, Tulou Village. All team members, proceed to the scene immediately."

Chen Zhangrui's voice?

Where exactly was Chen Zhangrui?

Xiao Zhenggong started the car; he wanted to go back to the hospital.

The white shirt said from the back seat, "Brother Xiao, you should have made that decision long ago!"

The steering wheel was half-turned, but Xiao Zhenggong didn't make the U-turn.

He kept feeling someone was setting a trap here.

"Chen Zhangrui wants to force me out—that old fox is playing these tricks on me. Well, let's see who actually leaves today…" Xiao Zhenggong muttered a couple of lines to himself and drove toward Tulou Village.

……

"Chen Zhangrui" stood at the hospital room door for a short while, then turned and went to the restroom at the end of the corridor.

Shortly after, "He Haisheng" walked out of the restroom, still wearing his suit.

The earlier "Chen Zhangrui" and the current "He Haisheng" were both impersonations by He Jiaqing; even the clothes on his body were transformed using Drama Xiu techniques.

He Jiaqing sat down beside He Haisheng and wiped the sweat from He Haisheng's face.

After thinking for a moment, he held up two fingers at He Haisheng's forehead and snipped, as though cutting a thread.

He Haisheng suddenly sat up in bed and grabbed He Jiaqing by the collar. "You rotten bastard!"

He Haisheng could move now—He Jiaqing had undone the Binding Xiu technique on him.

"Third Uncle, hear me out first…"

"Hear you out? I'm gonna slaughter you…"

Footsteps suddenly came from outside the door—the Physician on his rounds had arrived.

He Haisheng considered for a moment, then lay back down on the bed and continued to impersonate He Jiaqing.

There were some things he didn't want outsiders to know.

He Jiaqing straightened his clothes and watched the Physician enter the ward.

The Physician twitched his nose and frowned: "You're smoking in the ward again? Do you even know the hospital's rules? Have you given any thought to the patients? Look at the manners on you…"

This Physician was new and didn't seem all that familiar with He Haisheng, nor did he know much about the He family's status and position.

After the routine questions and examination were done, He Jiaqing wore a fawning smile and saw the Physician out.

Once he was sure no one would disturb them for a while, He Haisheng sat up and grabbed He Jiaqing by the collar again: "You beast, what the hell is going on? Spell it out for me."

He Jiaqing smiled: "Do I even need to spell it out? I want to live with a little dignity, but right now I don't have any dignity,

you saw it yourself — that Physician just now was barking orders at me, would I dare say a single word back?"

"That's just how hospitals work, smoking isn't allowed here either, I was going downstairs!"

"Xiao Zhenggong was about to kill me just now, right here in this ward? Is that also how hospitals work?"

He Haisheng said nothing.

"I disguised myself as Chen Zhangrui, and Xiao Zhenggong didn't dare kill me. My life is in the hands of two out-of-state people — life and death hinge on a single thought from them."

He Haisheng was silent for a moment, then said: "Xiao Zhenggong is from Like Puluozhou."

"I know he's from Like Puluozhou, he's the gang leader of the Jiang Xiang Gang. With just that little bit of status he has in Like Puluozhou, would he dare touch me?

The reason he dares kill me now is that he has another identity out-of-state — he's the deputy captain of the Security Squad at the Dark Star Bureau! Once he has a status out-of-state, he can kill me anywhere, anytime."

"Since you're willing to stay out-of-state, you have to follow out-of-state rules."

He Jiaqing laughed: "Third Uncle, you've been out-of-state too long — you've picked up the out-of-staters' cold jokes too."

"What kind of joke is this…"

"It's exactly a joke. Go ask the out-of-state Border Defense Commissioners — do they follow the rules in Like Puluozhou? Have they ever cared about Like Puluozhou's rules?"

He Haisheng pressed his lips together and said: "If you don't want to stay out-of-state, then go back to Like Puluozhou. Once you're back in Like Puluozhou, you're still the He family's young master, and you won't have to take this crap!"

"You say I won't have to take it? Third Uncle, your jokes are getting more and more interesting — how did the Chu family head die?"

"He died when the Lu family was opening new land…" He Haisheng's voice was a little small.

"Third Uncle, you can fool me all you want, but can you fool yourself?

The Chu family head died at the hands of the Border Defense Commissioner — you saw it with your own eyes.

From then on, you never wanted to go back to Like Puluozhou. You think I don't know that?"

He Haisheng rubbed his forehead; he recalled some things from those years, his thoughts in terrible disarray.

He Jiaqing sighed: "Talk about the four great families — in the Border Defense Commissioners' eyes, they're just four dogs.

Alive, they're dogs for the out-of-state; even if they grind their way to the tenth layer, once dead they're still dogs for the inner state. Are the lives of Like Puluozhou people really that cheap?"

He Haisheng took the cigarette pack from He Jiaqing, pulled one out, and bit it between his lips.

After finishing one cigarette, He Haisheng had calmed down a bit and asked: "What exactly do you want to do?"

He Jiaqing said: "I just told you — I want to live with a little dignity, and I want the people of Like Puluozhou to live with a little dignity."

He Haisheng lit another cigarette: "Earlier, your big sister came to the hospital to see me…"

"Third Uncle, Big Aunt came to see me."

He Haisheng flicked He Jiaqing on the scalp: "You still dare bring that up! You think I wanted to lie here in your place?

Big Sister said Big Brother suddenly left, and even the Nightmare Cult couldn't summon his soul back — could he have reached the tenth layer and gone to the inner state?"

He Jiaqing answered honestly: "I sent my dad so many pills, it was definitely enough for him to reach the tenth layer."

"How dare you, you little punk…"

"Third Uncle, that was my dad's wish. I was helping him — he didn't want to be a dog for the out-of-state anymore either."

He Haisheng, cigarette dangling from his lips, took a deep drag: "All the family business is managed by Big Sister. She doesn't know how to do business. Find some time to go back and see how things stand at home."

He Jiaqing shook his head: "I'm not going back. The things here aren't finished yet."

He Haisheng said angrily: "At least find someone to go ask — that's our own family's business!"

He Jiaqing contacted Duan Shuqun, and the He family's business really had run into trouble.

……

He Yuxiu sat in the mansion drinking, and the steward Sheng Shanzhou sighed: "Young Lady, that batch of goods from Black Ear Mountain — the out-of-state still won't let it through.

You should have listened to me on this; you shouldn't have shorted the Border Defense Commissioner's bribe back then."

He Yuxiu said angrily: "The deal lost money and we still have to pay him in full? Half is more than enough! That freight fee is so high, and he didn't knock a single coin off it!"

"The freight fee belongs to the public, the bribe belongs to him personally — win or lose, we have to pay the full amount…"

"Bullshit! If he hadn't stirred up trouble in the middle, this deal wouldn't have lost money — how do you reckon that account!" He Yuxiu smashed the wine cup to pieces.

He Haiqin's primary wife, Yan Yulin, heard the commotion and walked out from the bedroom: "Yuxiu, what are you doing? Why are you getting angry with your own family?"

Sheng Shanzhou also felt wronged and lowered his head without speaking. He Yuxiu sighed: "I'm not angry at you — I just fucking can't stand those birdmen from out-of-state. Tell me, what do we do about this?"

Sheng Shanzhou had followed He Haiqin for many years and still had some face with the Border Defense Commissioner: "Young Lady, I'll find a way to get the Commissioner out for a meal. We make up the money, you apologize to him, and this will blow over."

"Me, apologize to him?" He Yuxiu grew agitated.

Sheng Shanzhou also grew agitated: "Young Lady, we're running a business — who doesn't take a little grievance? The Master never told you, but the grievances he swallowed were plenty!

You can't be too stubborn. It's precisely because you lost your manners with the Commissioner before that he's making things difficult for us at every turn!"

He Yuxiu stood up and said: "Go find whoever the hell you want to find — I'm done!"

Yan Yulin hurried forward and grabbed He Yuxiu: "Yuxiu, you can't be like this. The whole family is counting on you — you can't talk like that out of anger…"

……

Duan Shuqun passed the news to He Jiaqing — besides the business matters, he also mentioned something else.

Something had happened to the Jiang Xiang Gang.

He Jiaqing looked at He Haisheng and said: "Third Uncle, two of the Jiang Xiang Gang's branch halls have been wiped out."

He Haisheng was startled: "You did it?"

He Jiaqing grew anxious: "How could it be me? I've been in Yuezhou this whole time."

He Haisheng was startled again: "You sent someone to do it?"

He Jiaqing didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Third Uncle, why are you so sure it was me?"

"If it wasn't you, why would Xiao Zhenggong want to kill you?"

"What kind of logic is that..." He Jiaqing didn't know how to explain.

He and Xiao Zhenggong had plenty of grievances between them, and some things he still couldn't tell He Haisheng.

He Haisheng sat in silence for a moment, then said: "You can't stay at the hospital. You leave first, I'll find a way to get away."

PS: Chen Zhangrui never smokes in the hospital; this detail first appeared in Chapter Four.

(End of this chapter)