Chapter 536: Captain Lei, Unconscious and Unresponsive

When he heard the news that Captain Lei was hospitalized, Lu Cheng felt a bit worried for a moment, thinking he had been fine when he arrived, but something was off…

For the past year or so, Captain Lei's health had not been good; he had been taking medicine continuously, but a sudden hospitalization like this was still the first time.

He glanced again at the two children beside him with wide eyes; because his mind was worried about Captain Lei, he no longer thought about attending to the children.

"Xiao Qin, take the two children onto the train and head back to the Capital City first."

Since Wang Fengshi was not present, and this place is not far from the Capital City, it made little difference where the two children were left; they could only go to the Capital City and then contact the Hasi Sub-bureau.

Xiao Qin squatted down, helped the two children tidy their clothes, and laughed, "Now it's settled, we finally get to sit all the way back to the Capital City, just as you two wished."

The little boy smiled, and the little girl started hopping up and down.

"Guoguo, we're heading to the Capital City…"

When the train set off back to the Capital City, Lu Cheng assigned other officers to maintain order, then left the platform, mounted his bicycle, and headed to the hospital to visit Captain Lei.

Xiao Qin called from behind, "Hey Lu Jingzhang, what about the children?"

Lu Cheng stopped his bicycle, feeling that these two children were truly a headache.

"You keep an eye on them; if you can't take care of them, call Xiao Ye over. I'll go to the hospital first, and we can discuss when I return."

Xiao Qin slumped her shoulders, and when she looked at the two children, the little girl said, "Auntie, I'm hungry…"

……

Lu Cheng quickly arrived at the Railway General Hospital, made some inquiries, and located the officer's ward where Lei Zhan'ge was staying.

The officer's ward consists of single rooms, each even with a private bathroom; the environment is relatively quiet and has dedicated nursing staff.

Upon entering, he first saw Lei Zhan'ge on the hospital bed, unsure whether he was asleep or in a coma, lying quietly on the bed.

Next to him, a young nurse was changing the IV bottle; opposite the bed sat the worried Lei Nainai, and at the foot of the bed stood Lei Zhan'ge's former secretary, Wang Fengshi.

When Lu Cheng first entered, he nodded to Lei Nainai, about to ask a question, but Wang Fengshi hurriedly waved his hand.

After exiting the ward, the two walked into the corridor, where Wang Fengshi said.

"Lu Jingzhang, you're back… Several waves of department leaders have already arrived today; the doctor said he needs rest, so let's discuss it outside."

Lu Cheng nodded in understanding and asked directly, "Wang Bureau Chief, what's really going on with Captain Lei?"

Wang Fengshi sighed, "He had been pulling all‑nighters and overtime these past few days, fainted in the middle of the night, and was discovered by the duty staff; the doctor said it was due to overexertion."

Recalling that Lei Zhan'ge had been taking medicine continuously, Lu Cheng thought this sudden fainting wasn't that simple.

"Wang Bureau Chief, it's already this late, there's no need to keep it from me any longer, right?"

Lu Cheng recalled that when Lei Zhan'ge first showed symptoms, Wang Fengshi was still serving as his secretary.

Just when his health most needed attention, Wang Fengshi was directly transferred to become a bureau chief.

Many people, including Lu Cheng, could not understand Lei Zhan'ge's actions.

But Lu Cheng believed that, as Lei Zhan'ge's close secretary, Wang Fengshi must know the specific reasons.

In response to Lu Cheng's words, Wang Fengshi first glanced at the ward, and his expression ended up somewhat helpless.

"Captain Lei is indeed ill, and it's a very serious lung disease. I was the one who accompanied him to the hospital, but Captain Lei wouldn't let anyone say so, so you all... didn't know."

Lu Cheng gave a slight nod, roughly understanding Lei Zhan'ge's approach, whether it was moving Wang Fengshi away or preventing anyone from being told.

The purpose was singular: he didn't want anyone's work delayed because of him.

That old man had that temperament, having devoted his whole life to the country; even as he approached life's end, he wouldn't pause to rest for a moment.

Like many senior revolutionary comrades of this era, he would burn the last ounce of his energy for the nation and its people.

Lu Cheng remained silent for a while, even unconsciously pulling out a cigarette to light, only to be reminded by the young nurse who had just finished changing the medicine.

"No smoking inside the hospital,"

Lu Cheng had to put the cigarette back into the pack and said, "Wang Bureau Chief, what does the doctor say now?"

This time, Wang Fengshi fell silent.

"The situation is not optimistic; the organs have already failed, and he may not last a few more months."

Hearing that death‑sentence‑like statement, Lu Cheng suddenly felt dazed, sat on a bench, and the memory of the first time he saw Lei Zhan'ge flashed in his mind.

He recalled that back then, he had just started work, still an intern at Xizhimen Train Station; because of a capture of an important enemy spy, he was temporarily transferred to Beijing Station to take part in joint law enforcement.

In the end, thanks to his quick wit, he luckily succeeded in capturing that enemy spy, saving the country from a major loss.

He thought he would return to the Xizhimen Traffic Police Unit with honor, but unexpectedly he couldn't leave.

It was Lei Zhan'ge's forceful and domineering decision that kept him at Beijing Station.

Now, still young, he had already been promoted to deputy division chief; Lu Cheng knew his ability accounted for part of that, but however capable one is, one still needs someone to recognize them.

And Lei Zhan'ge was like his patron, lifting him all the way to his current position.

What does Lei Zhan'ge feel like to him? Lu Cheng first feels gratitude, and the rest is pure respect for this veteran revolutionary comrade.

"I'm sorry, Wang Bureau Chief, I should have been more concerned..."

Wang Fengshi smiled and shook his head, his smile tinged with a hint of bitterness.

Sitting on the bench, he patted Lu Cheng's shoulder and said, "It's not your fault; you know Captain Lei's temperament—always putting work first, no one can persuade him."

Wang Fengshi also often found time to call, and discussing work was fine, but once the conversation turned to health, Lei Zhan'ge would immediately hang up.

Each time it left Wang Fengshi both worried and at a loss for words, half laughing, half crying.

Looking at Lu Cheng's equally worried face, Wang Fengshi said.

"Lu Jingzhang, you've just returned from duty and are tired; go back and rest first. I'll keep an eye on things here, and the team's work will be temporarily handled by Director Tang."

Lu Cheng was momentarily at a loss for words; even Bureau Chief Tang Qiusheng had come to the team to share the workload, allowing Lei Zhan'ge to finally rest properly.

"I'm fine, Wang Bureau Chief, I'll wait here for a while."

Lu Cheng still wanted to wait for Lei Zhan'ge to wake up, even if just to say a couple of words.

Wang Fengshi understood Lu Cheng's feelings toward Captain Lei; to be honest, he was a bit jealous.

Even though Lu Cheng was a newcomer who often broke rules and violated discipline, Lei Zhan'ge still had to tolerate him at every turn.

Now Wang Fengshi understands that Lei Zhan Ge values this sort of temperament of his, being daring and combative at work.

Perhaps only this way, after the torrent, can the stagnant Railway Industry regain fresh vitality.

And Lu Cheng's various actions indeed develop in the direction Lei Zhan Ge hopes.

Lu Cheng wanted to go to the hospital and the like, Wang Fengshi did not urge him further; instead, he turned his head and, at the end of the corridor, saw two children being led by a Train Staff, which made him puzzled for a moment.

Lu Cheng also saw it; Xiao Qin said somewhat helplessly, "We need to find a police officer."