In the car.
“Miss, there’s news about Hua Muying.”
“Hm? That guy showed up? Where?”
“In Great South City. He’s with Zhang Tao, and it seems they’ve run into some trouble.”
“But don’t worry, Miss. I can handle it. No need to call for backup. After all, this isn’t Bright Pearl City. Too many people showing up would be too conspicuous, and if something goes wrong, it’ll be even more troublesome.”
As Ma Da said this, he glanced at Ji Yu, who was dozing off in the passenger seat of the SUV.
Such a reassuring presence!
Under normal circumstances, unless the enemy brings too many people or uses some banned weapons that have long been outlawed, Ji Yu alone is more than enough to deal with that group.
After the brief report, Ma Da hung up the phone.
Meanwhile, inside the hospital.
Zhang Tao and Hua Muying had also arrived at the inpatient department.
Zhang Tao couldn’t shake the feeling that Hua Muying was hiding something from him. Most of what he said earlier was probably untrue, or rather, he never intended to be honest with him.
At this moment, Hua Muying also understood why Zhang Tao had come to Great South City.
It turned out his father was ill—cancer.
He immediately put away his previous carefree attitude. After all, he knew when to joke around and when to be serious.
Just as they reached the floor where Zhang Tao’s father was staying,
a loud “bang” suddenly echoed—a hospital room door was forcefully thrown open.
Three flashy, tight-T-shirted young men with thick gold chains around their necks swaggered out of the room.
Leading them was a guy with dyed yellow hair and a fierce look.
Behind him trailed two equally shady henchmen—one with tattooed sleeves, the other with a shaved head.
The yellow-haired leader glanced around the room and finally fixed his gaze on the bed by the window where Zhang Tao’s father lay.
“Hey, old man, wake up! Stop playing dead. I’ve got my eye on this bed. If you know what’s good for you, get your ass out to the hallway!”
“This bed… my son waited a long time to get it for me. Why should I give it to you…”
“Why? Because I’m the boss around here, and the head of hospital security is my uncle!”
The henchmen behind him jeered, “A poor outsider like you should know your place. My big brother’s father-in-law wants this window bed—that’s already giving you face. Now scram! Or we’ll toss you out ourselves!”
The tattooed henchman stepped right up to the bed and reached to yank the blanket off Zhang Tao’s father. “Old man, stop hogging the bed for nothing. Get up!”
At that moment, Zhang Tao and Hua Muying walked in and witnessed the scene.
Everything exploded in an instant.
“Stop!”
Zhang Tao shouted angrily, rushing forward to shove the tattooed man away and standing protectively in front of his father’s bed.
His shove was powerful. The tattooed man was caught off guard, staggering back a few steps, nearly knocking over the IV stand on the neighboring bed.
“Damn it, you looking for trouble?!” The tattooed man regained his footing, grabbed a plastic stool nearby, and swung it at Zhang Tao.
Zhang Tao dodged to the side just as a chair crashed heavily onto the hospital bed, producing a loud bang that startled the other patients in the ward into frightened cries.
Seizing the moment, Zhang Tao took a swift step forward, his right hand clawing straight for the tattooed man’s throat.
The tattooed man hastily raised his hand to block, but it was a feint. Zhang Tao’s left hand clenched into a fist and delivered a fierce uppercut straight into his ribs.
“Ah—!” The tattooed man howled in pain, collapsing onto his knees and clutching his side as he writhed on the ground.
The leader with the blond hair froze for a moment, then cursed loudly, “Dare to lay a hand on him? All of you, get him! Kill this guy!”
Just as they were about to attack, a middle-aged doctor in a white coat rushed in with several security guards, halting the chaos.
“What’s going on here? Who gave you permission to cause trouble?!”
In a hospital, few people dared to disrespect the doctors — it was an unspoken rule.
After all, no one knew when they might need a doctor to save their life, so whether they were gangsters or big shots, they all showed the doctors some courtesy.
Seeing the doctor arrive, the troublemakers immediately stopped.
But when the blond saw that the newcomer was his own uncle, his face lit up with a sly grin as he played the victim, “Uncle, they started it. They not only took the bed but also attacked us. Look, my brother’s hurt!”
Director Liu glanced at the tattooed man still clutching his ribs on the floor, then looked over at Zhang Tao.
“This is a hospital, not a place to fight. Patients need peace and quiet. If you keep causing trouble, you’ll have to leave!”
Zhang Tao explained, “They were the ones trying to steal my father’s bed and even threatened him!”
The blond refused to admit fault. “Uncle, they didn’t pay their medical bills. I was just trying to warn them, but they attacked me first!”
Zhang Tao snapped, “That’s nonsense! Who hasn’t paid? You were the ones who threw the first punch!”
Director Liu immediately ordered someone to investigate. Moments later, he received the report.
“Zhang Hong’s family, you do have outstanding fees. If you don’t pay soon, we’ll have to ask you to leave.”
Zhang Tao’s face darkened. “Impossible! I just paid yesterday!”
Director Liu said, “The system shows you have a surgery scheduled for tomorrow. You owe 130,000 yuan. If you can’t pay, you’ll have to pack up and leave.”
Zhang Tao could tell Director Liu was crooked.
He had already asked at the payment office, and they clearly said the money only needed to be ready before the surgery.
But now, Director Liu was forcing him to pay immediately — it was blatant bullying.
The blond could see that Zhang Tao’s family probably couldn’t come up with the money, and he sneered with delight.
“No money, no treatment. Move aside and give up the bed!”
“Uncle, my father-in-law wants this bed. What do you think...”
Director Liu nodded subtly and then told Zhang Tao’s group, “The hospital has its rules. If you can’t pay, don’t occupy the bed. Go through the discharge procedures quickly!”
Zhang Tao growled, “You...”
At that moment, Zhang Hong weakly propped himself up and grasped his son's hand. "Tao'er, let's just give up. Dad's illness... there's no cure."
"Dad!"
Zhang Tao spun around sharply, his eyes instantly reddening. "What nonsense are you talking about? I'll find a way to get the money!"
Seeing Zhang Tao's reaction, Zhang Hong felt deeply moved, but he truly didn't want to be a burden to his son, to this family.
“Dad, I know how hard things are for you. This illness is a bottomless pit for our family. Come home.”
“No.”
Zhang Tao choked back tears. “The doctors said the surgery still has a good chance of success. As long as it doesn’t come back, you can live at least until eighty!”
Zhang Hong coughed twice, forcing a faint smile. “I’ve lived half my life already. Seeing you grow up into a man—that’s enough for me…”
“Dad! Please don’t say that.”
Zhang Tao knelt by the bedside, crying. “I’ll go raise the money right now. Just wait a little longer… please wait for me!”
Huang Mao watched the scene and couldn’t help but sneer from the side, “Oh, now they’re putting on a father-son drama? No money? Then just get lost and die at home!”
“Uncle Liu, have security kick them out!”
Director Liu was about to speak...
Suddenly, a loud voice rang out at the door: “I swear, I want to see who dares to kick my uncle out!”
...........
