Chapter 2004: with translation of chapter title

Just go out and take a look, you'll know. Zheng Ren said: "If there's still a problem, Director Sun, you can just call the police."

Director Sun nodded, his face full of worry and bitterness.

Even if there was the slightest hope, he didn't want to meet them face to face.

Just thinking about going out and seeing that ferocious bunch... it's practically a death wish.

However, Chief Zheng has helped him this far, and Director Sun knows they've done their best, with no reason to ask for more.

People, after all, need to know their limits.

Always taking, never giving—such people have no friends.

Su Yun broke free from the surrounding nurses and walked out with Zheng Ren.

"You've always been this popular?" Zheng Ren asked.

"It's been like that since I was little—aren't you jealous?" Su Yun asked, lifting her chin.

"Zhou Litao must be jealous, I'm fine. If you didn't need a microscope for that retroperitoneal paraganglioma, I'd probably be jealous."

"Can't you ever separate anything from work?" Su Yun said scornfully, "Don't you dare have a personal life."

"Uh... that's not something to be jealous of either." Zheng Ren tried to recall the mosaic of many lovely nurses in the ICU just now, but to no avail—he couldn't remember anything.

"But it doesn't matter," Zheng Ren chuckled, saying, "With Xiao Yi Ren around, what do I have to be jealous of?"

"Pah!"

Director Sun absent-mindedly listened to their small talk, his heart still trembling with anxiety.

After changing clothes and stepping out of the ICU doors, Director Sun froze.

Those little thugs stood in a line by the window, heads down and dispirited, while a burly man stood before them, face full of anger.

"Courting death! They don't even know how high the sky is or how thick the earth is!"

"Brother Lian." Zheng Ren laughed.

Xiao Liu paused, feeling a vague displeasure, but thinking of all those underworld rumors, his anger died down.

This time Chief Zheng returned, he didn't even call him "Sixth Brother," just "Brother Lian," showing a sense of distance and estrangement.

But this is still considered polite...

Sigh, this bunch of chicken‑crowing, dog‑stealing nobodies really seem to have pissed off Chief Zheng.

Xiao Liu hurriedly put on a smile, bowed, and said, "Chief Zheng, you've come all this way—just let us know and we'll go pick you up."

"Heh, Brother Lian, you're being polite." Zheng Ren gave a dry laugh, "Is it all Dahungya's provocation?"

Xiao Liu heard Zheng Ren's unfriendly tone and realized something was wrong.

He acted decisively, stepped forward and kicked the leading middle‑aged man with his size‑43 shoe sole.

Chickens flew, dogs jumped—Zheng Ren couldn't be bothered to watch.

Xiao Liu must have guessed something, which is why he struck out to "help" vent his own anger.

It was really boring; Zheng Ren slightly shook his head, as if he hadn't seen anything, and walked past Xiao Liu.

Xiao Liu's kicks were especially vicious; after the middle‑aged man fell, he kept kicking him in the face.

Blood spurted from the man's nose and mouth as he covered his head, unable to fight back.

Seeing that Zheng Ren didn't even glance his way, Xiao Liu kicked him twice more and snarled, "Don't cause trouble anymore! If you keep acting up, I'll personally report you."

Hearing that, Zheng Ren felt a surge of absurdity.

Is that something a big‑brother‑level Xiao Liu should say?

Going to report… if it were a few decades ago, that would be a line that would make the brothers on the road look down on you.

The elevator opened, Zheng Ren had Feng Xu Hui carry the box up first, and he heard heavy footsteps coming from behind.

"Chief Zheng, Chief Zheng, please wait a moment." Xiao Liu's voice carried a hint of panic.

"Huh?" Zheng Ren glanced back with a cold stare.

Xiao Liu felt his breath catch; Chief Zheng's aura, though unintentionally released, felt like a mountain pressing down, making it hard for him to breathe.

But Zheng Ren only glanced, then turned his head and entered the elevator.

Xiao Liu hurriedly followed.

"Chief Zheng, want to grab a late‑night snack together?" Xiao Liu asked quietly.

Zheng Ren was about to refuse, but thinking of some past events, his heart softened.

He knew that this tendency of his wasn't good.

He looked at Xiao Liu, who strangely wore an expression of helplessness, plus a hint of grievance and fear.

His expression was extremely complex, and Zheng Ren couldn't understand why Xiao Liu was like that.

"Sure, let's have a bite." Zheng Ren said.

Su Yun smiled; he had already figured out his boss's temperament. Still, he wondered what this Xiao Liu was thinking.

Though he said he was here to help, his boss gave him no pleasant face, yet he acted cautiously, as if carrying thorns to apologize.

There wasn't much more to say; they agreed to go to Daheng Xiaochuan, each getting into their own car.

Boss, I feel like this Xiao Liu guy has gone soft, Su Yun asked.

Xiao Su, these people are basically all timid now, Director Sun said.

Huh?

I heard that back twenty years ago, the big shots who once ruled the scene were all dug out by the anti‑crime campaign. Director Sun, after all, is a local bigwig in Hai Cheng; there are things Zheng Ren and the others don't know.

How so, Director Sun? Su Yun suddenly became interested.

Actually it's quite simple: this anti‑crime drive is extremely fierce; although that big brother has already washed his hands of the underworld, the former underlings still lurking in the jianghu are being dug up.

As a result, those former big brothers who once swaggered about are now panicking all day, not knowing when they'll be uncovered.

Xiao Liu probably thinks the same, after all he's allied with Dahungya's side.

Zheng Ren listened to Director Sun finish speaking, and he had it figured out.

This is worrying about seeing injustice and helping Director Sun speak up. The possibility of the matter implicating him is actually not great, but even Character: Xiao Liu no longer has any guts.

Zheng Ren does not feel pity; back then they were the ones who were mighty, and he still remembers that even Character: Xiao Liu engaged in small loans, carrying a baseball bat to the Emergency Department to collect debts.

At night, Hai Cheng has sparse traffic; not to mention comparing it to Di Du, even the 'remote' small towns around Di Du simply cannot compare.

Soon they arrived at Big Shot Skewers, with Character: Xiao Liu busy before and after, really not daring to slack off in the slightest.

After everyone sat down, he repeatedly apologized.

Although Director Sun was angry inside, he also did not dare to provoke such a person. Seeing him like a rat crossing the street, he secretly felt pleased.

"Chief Zheng, I have long been honestly doing business and making money. But..." Even Character: Xiao Liu downed several cups of wine before he glumly said: "Before, I was somewhat well-known, but things went wrong precisely because of that slight fame. Many people who don't know me inexplicably latch onto me, all claiming they know me."

Zheng Ren felt it was utterly absurd; the good or bad of anything really lies in a single thought.

Seeing that even Character: Xiao Liu was rather pitiable, Zheng Ren offered a few words of comfort.

But when Su Yun explained that Dahungya had again begun cheating and defrauding in Sheng Cheng, even Character: Xiao Liu's face turned green.

What the hell is all this!

If Dahungya keeps going like this, sooner or later something big will happen!