Huaicheng First People's Hospital, the corridor outside the operating room.
Whether it was the patients or their families, everyone's voices were much lower than usual at this moment.
Because a group of men in black stood neatly on both sides of the corridor, creating a truly intimidating atmosphere.
There was even a family that had originally planned to cause a medical disturbance. As soon as they reached the entrance of the corridor, they were so frightened by the scene that they turned around and fled, no longer daring to make trouble for the surgeon. That doctor seemed to be operating on a brother of these underworld bosses; making a scene now would be asking for death.
Seeing this group of men in black and recalling today's rumors, many people roughly guessed that these men were probably from that ruthless underworld...
In short, anyone who saw them instinctively showed a look of fear.
Liu Yutong stood motionless by the window in the corridor outside the operating room, gazing at the sparse snowflakes falling outside. A hint of worry lingered on her flawless side profile.
This was the worst situation they had encountered since the founding of the Wanlong Syndicate.
Yun Cheng and Lan Die stood quietly three paces behind her, like black shadows.
Ma Da rushed out of the elevator, holding two cups of coffee in his hands.
"Miss, please go and rest for a while. We can keep watch over Cheng Gang here."
"No."
Liu Yutong turned around, took one of the coffees, and asked, "What did the hospital's consultation say?"
"Although the bullet didn't hit any vital organs, he lost a lot of blood. However, I heard the chief surgeon assigned by the hospital is highly skilled, the best surgeon in Huaicheng."
"Then let's wait a bit longer."
"Right, Miss, what about his younger brother? Should we notify him?"
Liu Yutong had just reviewed Cheng Gang's detailed profile. After all, with nearly three thousand core members now, it was impossible for her to know everyone's background clearly.
Immediately after Cheng Gang's accident, she had someone retrieve his file, not expecting him to have had such a rough life.
Although he had gone astray in the past, fortunately, he eventually got back on the right path and worked very hard on a daily basis.
What was unexpected, however, was that not long after becoming a core member, he was severely injured taking a bullet for a comrade.
In any case, no matter what, she could not let anything happen to him.
"Let's wait a while before notifying him, at least until we confirm Cheng Gang is out of danger."
Ma Da nodded. "Understood!"
Just then, the operating room doors suddenly opened.
A nurse hurried out and asked, "Are the injured patient's family members here? We need a signature."
Liu Yutong immediately stepped forward. "I am his boss. I will sign whatever is needed."
The nurse hesitated for a moment, glancing at the imposing men in black behind Liu Yutong, and then at the overly young but inherently authoritative girl in front of her. Finally, she nodded.
"The surgery was very successful. The bullet has been removed, and no major blood vessels or nerves were damaged. But the patient lost a lot of blood and needs to be observed in the ICU for a period of time. These are the postoperative notice and the ICU admission consent form."
Liu Yutong took the pen and signed her name in the designated spot.
"Thank you."
The nurse took the documents back, gave them another look, and asked, "Are you... really his colleagues?"
"We are family," Liu Yutong corrected.
The nurse was slightly taken aback, nodded, and turned back into the operating room.
About twenty minutes later, the operating room doors opened again.
Cheng Gang was wheeled out. His face was pale, his body covered in various tubes, and he was still unconscious from the anesthesia.
"The patient needs rest. ICU visits have time limits; only one person can enter at a time, and for no more than ten minutes."
The attending physician took off his mask and said to Liu Yutong and the others, "You can leave one or two people here to keep watch. The rest of you should go back. It's not good to have too many people here."
Liu Yutong looked at Ma Da. "You go back first. I'll wait here."
"Miss, how can we do that?" Ma Da became anxious.
"I have the final say."
Liu Yutong's tone brokered no argument. "Go check on the situation at the restaurant. Don't keep everyone waiting too long."
"Oh, and you can arrange for someone to pick up his younger brother now."
"Alright."
After Ma Da left hurriedly, Liu Yutong sat down on the bench outside the ICU.
A few hours later.
A black Mercedes-Benz drove away from Cheng Gang's hometown, arriving in a hurry and leaving in a hurry.
"Little Lei, don't be afraid. We are your brother's brothers, taking you to the city for the New Year." Sitting in the back seat with Cheng Lei was Zhou Ming, a veteran member of the Wanlong Syndicate.
"Is my brother... really okay?" Cheng Lei asked, choking back sobs.
"He really is fine. The surgery was very successful."
Zhou Ming comforted him, "What's more, our Miss is personally keeping an eye on things at the hospital."
Cheng Lei bit his lip and said no more, but his mood had finally calmed down a bit.
By the time the car drove into the urban area of Huaicheng, it was already past ten o'clock at night.
The streets were decorated with lanterns and colorful banners, and the occasional sound of firecrackers could be heard. The festive New Year atmosphere was very strong, but they were in no mood to appreciate the scene.
The car stopped at the hospital, and Cheng Lei finally saw his dearly missed brother, Cheng Gang.
However, when he saw his brother lying in the ICU through the window, he couldn't hold back and started crying loudly again.
"Little Lei?"
Just then, a female voice came from behind him. The voice seemed to carry a kind of magic that instantly made him stop crying.
He turned around and saw a young woman wearing a black trench coat. She was incredibly beautiful; he had never seen anyone so pretty.
Pinned to her left chest was a dark gold dragon-shaped badge, making her status seem very high.
Behind her stood several men in black.
"You... who are you?"
"I am your brother's boss. Your name is Cheng Lei, right?"
Cheng Lei nodded blankly.
Liu Yutong earnestly apologized to him, "Little Lei, I'm sorry."
Cheng Lei was stunned. "Why... why are you apologizing to me?"
"I am responsible for your brother's injury. As their boss, if I take them out to work, I have the responsibility to bring them back safely, but I failed to do so."
"So, I have to say sorry to you."
Cheng Lei opened his mouth but couldn't speak.
The elders in his village always said that city bosses were black-hearted, only caring about making money and ignoring the life or death of their workers. But the beautiful lady right in front of him was apologizing so sincerely because his brother got hurt. It was truly easy to feel a strong sense of goodwill toward her.
"My brother... is my brother really going to be alright?"
Liu Yutong comforted him, "Don't worry, the doctor said he will probably be transferred to a regular ward tomorrow. I will also hire the best doctors and use the best medicine so he can be discharged early."
"Also, I heard your brother's wish was to bring you to the city to study. I will help you take care of that. From today on, everything for you in the city, including your housing, schooling, and living expenses, will be covered by the company."
Tears welled up in Cheng Lei's eyes again. "Thank you, thank you, miss."
Liu Yutong gently patted his shoulder. "You must be hungry, right? I'll take you to get some food, and we can ring in the New Year together."
"But my brother..."
"Your brother will be cared for by professional doctors and nurses, and besides, we aren't allowed into the ward anyway. Also, since your brother can't ring in the New Year with everyone, you are his representative, and you are our family too. Shouldn't you celebrate this New Year properly, for his sake as well as your own?"
Cheng Lei nodded. Reluctantly, he walked toward the elevator with her, while Yun Cheng and the others followed behind.
They arrived at the entrance on the first floor.
Cheng Lei saw that the hospital lobby was still filled with many men in black, wearing the same clothes his brother had on when he came home, and several black sedans were parked outside the doors.
He had never seen a scene like this before; it felt even more shocking than the mobsters on TV.
Just what kind of company did his brother work for?
They treated him so well, so it couldn't possibly be the... mafia, could it?
