Chapter 148: Rescue
You Ruxu wasn’t entirely confident about her gamble with Sang Qi, but from her recent investigation, she knew how much he dwelled on the past betrayal, his obsession bordering on paranoia. That’s why she took this risk. She entered the operating room, her hands raised, showing she was unarmed, taking in the scene.
It was horrific.
Zhou Tianzui was leaning against the wall, her hand on her leg, her green surgical gown stained a dark crimson, the metallic smell of blood thick in the air. He Wei was still operating, the patient unconscious, two nurses beside her, another nurse held hostage by Sang Qi, shielding his body. The moment You Ruxu entered, Sang Qi pointed the gun at her, “Tell me, who was it?”
You Ruxu’s voice was calm and steady, “Let them go.”
“You think you can negotiate with me now that you’re in here?” Sang Qi sneered, but You Ruxu’s demeanor remained unchanged, “Precisely because I’m in here, you should know I’m not afraid to die, you can kill me now, and then kill them all.”
The nurse trembled.
You Ruxu’s gaze was fixed on Sang Qi.
Sang Qi chuckled darkly, “Alright, let’s all die together then,” then instead of shooting You Ruxu, he aimed at Zhou Tianzui. You Ruxu said, “Don’t say I didn’t warn you, if you kill anyone here, I’ll never tell you who the traitor was.”
Sang Qi looked at You Ruxu.
Her expression was calm and unreadable.
This bitch, she might actually know something. He had investigated You Ruxu after her car accident. Her father was a judge, she had connections to the police in Jindu, he didn’t understand why she would be foolish enough to walk into a trap, but she wouldn’t be here if she wasn’t confident.
Sang Qi lowered his gun.
You Ruxu’s expression remained unchanged, but she glanced at Zhou Tianzui from the corner of her eye.
Zhou Tianzui was still unconscious, she didn’t know if she had fainted, or…
Her eyes burned slightly, she suppressed her emotions, the calmness threatened by the metallic smell of blood, her hands clenching into fists, “Let them go,” she repeated.
“The police will be here soon, if you know who the traitor is, you might even have time to kill me and escape before they arrive.” You Ruxu’s voice was cold and alluring, a tempting offer, Sang Qi hadn’t planned on leaving this place alive, he was prepared to die here, he didn’t regret trying to kill Li Ting, but to be betrayed by someone he trusted, he hated it, just like four years ago, a burning hatred.
If it wasn’t for the informant fighting back, he would have dragged him out of the hospital and tortured him to death!
But now, he couldn’t leave.
Zhang Ping was looking for him outside, thankfully, he still had some loyal brothers in the organization, who had warned him, allowing him to escape, otherwise he would be the one on the chopping block now.
You Ruxu said, “Zhang Ping has been arrested.”
Sang Qi’s eyes widened, those words a sudden blow.
He said, “You bitch, don’t try to trick me.”
You Ruxu said, “You can call your brothers and ask them.”
Sang Qi, taking the phone You Ruxu offered, his expression grim, after a moment, said, “Come here.”
You Ruxu met his gaze.
Sang Qi repeated, his voice low and menacing, “Come here.”
You Ruxu walked towards him, and as she passed by Zhou Tianzui, Zhou Tianzui’s body swayed and fell to the floor, her hand grasping You Ruxu’s ankle. You Ruxu froze, her raised foot lowering again. She looked down, Zhou Tianzui was covered in blood, her expression hidden by the surgical mask, but the pleading in her eyes was unmistakable, her voice weak, “Don’t go, A Ran, please, don’t go.”
You Ruxu’s carefully maintained composure wavered, she tried to pull her foot away, but Zhou Tianzui’s grip was tight, as if using her last ounce of strength, clinging to You Ruxu, as if she could prevent her from going just by holding on.
Sang Qi, losing his patience, yelled, “Come here!”
“You dare go over there? If you do, I’ll…” Zhou Tianzui looked at You Ruxu, “I’ll… I’ll…”
I’ll tell everyone about us?
I’ll what?
She couldn’t say anything, any words now would be meaningless, she just wanted You Ruxu to leave, to go far away, to escape, to escape from here, she looked at You Ruxu, her eyes filled with a silent plea. You Ruxu’s heart ached, a suffocating pain, her every breath like shards of glass, tearing at her throat, her lungs, ripping her apart, until she felt nothing.
You Ruxu pulled her foot away, the bloodstains on Zhou Tianzui’s hand cold against her skin, she walked towards Sang Qi, “Let them go.”
Sang Qi roughly pushed the nurse aside, using her as a shield, his gun pointed at You Ruxu, who looked down at Zhou Tianzui, whose eyes also seemed to be pleading with her.
Leave.
Go now.
Zhou Tianzui, please leave!
Zhou Tianzui’s hand slipped, unable to grasp anything, she was helped up by the nurse, He Wei, putting down her scalpel, glanced at the nurse, who was wheeling the operating table and the equipment out, as they reached the door, He Wei looked back at You Ruxu.
She suddenly remembered Zhou Tianzui’s words.
You just stole a small bit of credit, waiting for the applause and accolades.
What do you think being a doctor is?
What do you think being a reporter is?
Glamorous? Filled with flowers and praise?
No, it wasn’t, it never was, these flowers were watered with blood and sacrifice, yet they received no applause, no flowers. He Wei, looking at You Ruxu, her eyes reddened, she lowered her head and followed the nurse, wheeling the patient out. Zhou Tianzui didn’t want to leave, but she had no strength left, she could only watch as the nurse dragged her away, a trail of blood following them, reaching the door, hearing the screams and shouts outside.
You Ruxu looked down, her expression relaxing slightly.
The operating room was empty now, only she and Sang Qi remained. He pointed the gun at her, walked over, and took her phone, You Ruxu didn’t resist, “Now, will you talk?”
You Ruxu said, “Don’t you want to confirm if Zhang Ping has been arrested?”
Sang Qi sneered, “He deserves to die!”
He had always been loyal to Zhang Ping, risking his life for him countless times, twice almost dying, before Li Ting appeared, Zhang Ping had treated him like a brother, they were equals in the organization, but after Li Ting arrived, everything changed,
That idiot had turned Zhang Ping against him, controlling every aspect of the organization, even the time and location of every transaction, had to be approved by Li Ting.
He hated Li Ting, wanted him dead.
And Zhang Ping, knowing his hatred, had actually sided with Li Ting, growing closer to him.
He deserved it!
He deserved to die!
Ha!
Sang Qi’s call connected, he held the phone and looked at You Ruxu, hearing the voice on the other end confirm Zhang Ping’s arrest, he laughed, a chilling, hollow sound, like something from hell, terrifying and grotesque.
You Ruxu steadied herself, glancing at his gun from the corner of her eye.
Outside, the police had arrived, “What’s the situation inside?”
“Reporter You is inside alone.” The security guard said, “Everyone else is out, it’s just her and Sang Qi…” Before he could finish, gunshots echoed from inside.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three shots in rapid succession.
Then another one!
The security guard’s face paled. He watched as the police officers rushed past him towards the operating room, the scene instantly descending into chaos, the area already evacuated, the nurses and Fu Shushu having escorted He Wei and the others to another operating room, Zhou Tianzui also taken away for surgery, the entire hospital buzzing with activity and anxiety, the deputy captain rushed over, “What’s the situation?”
“Someone inside might have been shot.” The operating room had no windows, they could only see through the slightly open door, the police hadn’t breached yet, not daring to open the door, they could only guess what was happening inside from the four gunshots.
“Sang Qi!” The deputy captain shouted, “Sang Qi, calm down!”
Hearing no response, he frowned, “Breach!”
The officer beside him hesitated, “But inside…”
The deputy captain’s voice was firm, “Open the door!”
The electronic lock beeped, the door slowly opened, and the police officers rushed in.
Zhou Tianzui’s surgery lasted six hours. It was successful. She lay in the ICU, her face pale, almost blending in with the white sheets, Yu Qiao, wearing a protective gown and a mask, sat by her bedside, having been praying since the surgery began, tears streaming down her face, her eyes red and swollen, her vision blurry. When she heard the surgery was successful, she almost fainted, good news, yet it made her even more anxious.
Yu Qiao looked down at Zhou Tianzui.
Zhou Tianzui’s lips were pressed into a thin line, her usual stern expression softened in her sleep, Yu Qiao gently brushed her hair away from her face, wondering if she was in pain, her forehead covered in sweat, she wiped Zhou Tianzui’s face and saw her lips move slightly.
“Xiao, Xiao Tian…” Yu Qiao whispered, her voice soft, as if afraid to wake her, yet not wanting to miss a single sound, she took Zhou Tianzui’s hand, “Xiao Tian, it’s Mom.”
“A Ran,” Zhou Tianzui murmured, her eyes still closed, shaking her head slightly, “Don’t come in, go away, go away…”
Her voice barely a whisper, her grip on Yu Qiao’s hand tight, Yu Qiao held her hand, hearing her words, her gaze lowered, then the grip loosened slightly. Yu Qiao looked up and saw Zhou Tianzui’s eyes flutter open.
She whispered, “Mom.”
Yu Qiao said, “I’ll go get the doctor.”
“Mom, where is she?” Zhou Tianzui held onto Yu Qiao’s hand, her grip surprisingly strong, “Where’s You Ruxu?”
Yu Qiao turned away, “Xiao Tian, she’s in another ward.”
Zhou Tianzui wanted to smile, but the pain from her wound stopped her, tears welling up instead, her grip loosening, “She’s okay?”
Yu Qiao said, “She’s okay.”
Zhou Tianzui said, “I want to see her.”
“No.” Yu Qiao’s tone firm, and Zhou Tianzui looked at her, “You’re not fully recovered yet, you can’t get up, and she needs to rest.”
“Yes.” Zhou Tianzui said, her voice soft and compliant, like a child being coaxed, “Yes, she needs to rest.”
Yu Qiao, unable to bear it any longer, “I’ll go get the doctor.”
Zhou Tianzui watched the monitor, the rhythmic beeping, her eyes closing again.
Yu Qiao left the ICU, walking slowly, two nurses pushing a gurney towards her, chatting, “Are they still not allowing anyone into operating room three?”
“No, the police are still there.” The other nurse asked, “Is it because of that reporter?”
“Yes, she was shot three times, I heard she didn’t make it.”
Yu Qiao leaned against the wall, her legs giving way, unable to take another step,
