Chapter 230: Reversed Situation

Taking a taxi to the hospital address Old Zhu had sent, Chu Ge sensed that something was off about the atmosphere.

This hospital seemed to have strict security, and there were even fluctuations of supernatural energy in the air…

Was this a gathering place for ability users?

The young couple exchanged a glance, not saying anything. Following Old Zhu’s instructions, they found their way to the room number he had given. In the corridor, there were a bunch of people stationed, and Old Zhu was waiting outside with a smile. “You came pretty quickly.”

Looking at the situation, if it wasn’t for him waiting to receive them, it seemed like they wouldn’t be allowed in?

Suppressing his inner confusion, Chu Ge followed Old Zhu through the corridor and arrived at a double occupancy room.

At a glance, he saw Du Lianfeng and Qi Chengtai, the two inseparable brothers, each lying on a bed in a vegetative state.

Zhong Yi was standing by the side, talking to an elderly female doctor with white hair.

Though he had known about this condition in advance, Old Zhu’s expression was still quite strange, and so was Chu Ge’s.

Because the two comatose figures on the beds were the ones who had bullied Old Zhu and had ended up in their current state due to Chu Ge and Qiu Wuji’s actions. But now, the situation seemed to have reversed. It appeared as if their side was taking care of them?

Mi Xiaolin had said they were dead… It seemed that she was testing the waters when she said that, luckily, at that time, Chu Ge genuinely had no idea. Clearly, she didn’t manage to extract any information from him.

The female doctor was currently asking Zhong Yi, “Your friends?”

Zhong Yi turned around and greeted her, saying, “Yes, they can be trusted.”

The doctor nodded, not bothering to pay attention to who Chu Ge and the others were. With a stern expression, she said, “Their injuries are not too serious… But the mental trauma is significant. I can’t do much for these vegetative states.”

“Once their other injuries are healed, as long as their lives are preserved, it’s fine.” Zhong Yi chuckled. “As for their vegetative state, even if they should be treated or not, I don’t have the authority to decide that, let alone anything else.”

The female doctor asked in astonishment, “Why don’t you have the authority to decide whether to treat them?”

Zhong Yi glanced at Chu Ge and the others, smiling as he replied, “Because they were injured by my companion’s actions, and I don’t have the right to decide whether to forgive them.”

“Tsk…” The female doctor muttered under her breath, “You had distanced yourself from people like Du Lianfeng a long time ago. Why did you come back this time and even saved them?”

Zhong Yi seemed to be explaining to her and also addressing Chu Ge and the others. He spoke slowly, “Once, a group of us explored the secret behind the revival of spiritual energy… We thought we shared the same aspirations, but slowly we realized that even though our goals were aligned, our paths weren’t necessarily the same.”

He stood by the window, gazing at the pine and cypress trees outside, seemingly lost in memories. After a while, he continued, “I won’t go into specifics because it’s not very meaningful. In short, they spoke of dissatisfaction with inequality and injustice, claiming they wanted to change it with their newfound abilities. But in the end, I discovered that they merely wanted to become part of it.”

Chu Ge said, “Some heroes weren’t initially seeking to defeat the dragon; they intended to become the dragon.”

Zhong Yi smiled faintly, “Perhaps. Anyway, within just a few months, their greed for money and power surpassed anyone I had ever seen before. They used their abilities to seize and plunder, and even took lives. That’s when I left. To be honest, I wasn’t very close to them; our acquaintance lasted only a few months.”

Chu Ge remarked, “It’s evident that Du Lianfeng might not even understand your abilities.”

Zhong Yi sighed, “So my decision to save them isn’t based on our acquaintance. Quite the opposite, I intend to use them to dismantle this group. Of course, I’m not being entirely benevolent; I’m doing this for a more permanent solution. I don’t want to live in fear of retaliation.”

Chu Ge was puzzled, “Why did Mi Xiaolin want to kill them? And if she wanted to kill them, she could have done so in Nanjiang. Why wait until now when you saved them?”

“You even know her name is Mi Xiaolin; I just found out… I didn’t know her before; I have no idea how she became a key figure in the group. Her position within the organization is even higher than Du Lianfeng’s. I really miscalculated earlier.”

“Let’s focus on the matter of you saving them first, I still don’t understand.”

“I told you before, after they returned, there would be internal power struggles, and their interests would be devoured by hungry wolves. They have their own families and factions, and a brief internal conflict would erupt.” Zhong Yi chuckled, “But back then, we didn’t anticipate the longer-term consequences. After their interests were completely devoured, their families would be cast aside, their subordinates scattered, and they would lose all their assets. What would happen then?”

Chu Ge was momentarily dumbfounded. Not only had he not thought about this before, he was only realizing it now because of Zhong Yi’s reminder.

“You didn’t think about it, right?” Zhong Yi sighed, “We didn’t think about it either. Mi Xiaolin clearly didn’t think about all this at the time either; she intended to bring them back to the organization first. It wasn’t until after the cake was divided, and the dust settled that we realized there would be major trouble once they woke up. It seemed better to kill them than to keep them…”

Chu Ge rubbed his forehead in frustration.

“I followed them back to the city, watching the whole spectacle unfold from the sidelines. In the end, I also realized that these two might end up killed by their own people. So, I rushed to the hospital to save them, and coincidentally managed to save them and bring them here.” Zhong Yi continued, introducing with seriousness, “Dr. Zheng here is also the director of this private hospital. She’s the person I trust the most.”

Chu Ge looked at Dr. Zheng’s silver hair and thought that the phrase “the person I trust the most” was quite interesting. It was the kind of wording that could trigger vivid romantic stories in the imagination of someone like him, a writer. But the scene felt incongruous. While Zhong Yi looked about his age, Dr. Zheng was an elderly lady…

Well, forget about these thoughts. Who knows, maybe Dr. Zheng has a happy family with children and grandchildren. Overthinking isn’t good.

Indeed, when Dr. Zheng heard those words, her gaze became somewhat complex. She whispered softly, “You have your new companions; there’s no need to bring up these matters.”

Zhong Yi fell silent for a moment and didn’t respond.

Finally, Old Zhu spoke, “So you mean, once these two wake up, they will undoubtedly retaliate against them?”

“Yes…” Zhong Yi nodded, “They’ve done all sorts of chaotic things, but managed to stay well-connected. The organization has grown even bigger. The reason is simple – the various peculiar abilities prevent cases from being investigated, as you’ve personally experienced. These two also used to be influential figures within the organization. If they turn against the group and become witnesses with dirt on them, it might be enough to dismantle this shoddy organization many times over. That’s why I thought of a permanent solution.”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Are you certain that they’ll follow your plan once they wake up? It’s possible that the first people they’ll hold a grudge against are us… Besides, they’ve got a heap of blood debts on their hands. What if they choose the path of self-preservation and lay low? With their abilities intact, they might rise again from the ashes. Why bother ruining everything now?”

Zhong Yi shook his head, “I understand these people’s mindset better than you do… If they were only losing their personal gains and their loved ones were suffering, they might endure and plot a comeback. But watching their enemies squander their money, enjoying luxuries and women, that might be even more unbearable than their own deaths. In this regard, they’ll definitely hate Mi Xiaolin and her people more than us.”

He paused for a moment, then added cautiously, “Furthermore, I’ve noticed they have unclear connections overseas. After awakening them, I suggest we find out more about this.”

Chu Ge’s thoughts stirred – this statement was important. It aligned with what Xie Wenyuan had mentioned. The underlying connections might be even more crucial than the matter at hand.

After contemplating for a while, Old Zhu finally shook his head with a wry smile, “Although I don’t want to admit it… I have to admit you’re right. Regardless of what they might do, we need them to wake up before making any decisions. If they’re unwilling, we’re not without means.”

Old Zhu was a victim of the harm caused by Du Lianfeng and Qi Chengtai. His agreement with Zhong Yi’s opinion meant that the two “vegetative” patients could be treated.

Being treatable didn’t necessarily mean they could be fully cured. Chu Ge looked at Qiu Wuji; the root cause of the condition for these two “vegetative” patients was their spiritual trauma. Their spiritual seas were almost shattered. Modern medicine wouldn’t be able to treat that. If anyone could, it would be Qiu Wuji.

“I can treat them,” Qiu Wuji provided a concise response, “But I suggest changing the location… I finally understand why Mi Xiaolin is in such a hurry to cooperate today, and if cooperation fails, she’s causing trouble. She’s desperate.”