Chapter 196 - 0196 He is a Hero (Third Update)_1
Chapter 196: Chapter 0196 He is a Hero (Third Update)_1
“So you know me, the no-good that I am?” Fang Liu’s gaze fell coldly on Qiao Le.
Shivering, Qiao Le hastened to say, “Master Fang Liu, if you’re no-good, then there’s nobody worthwhile in the whole city. Who doesn’t know that you’re a famous big shot around the airport area?”
“I started as a mere street thug, and it seems like I heard you say just now that being a street thug is no-good. By that logic, I’m no-good, right?” Fang Liu sneered.
Offending the leader of a gang was a one-way road to death!
Qiao Le’s legs gave out, and he knelt on the ground, pleading urgently, “Master Fang Liu, I was just joking, I didn’t mean to make fun of you, really, I absolutely didn’t.”
Smack!
A heavy slap landed on Qiao Le’s face, knocking out two of his teeth.
“Damn your grandmother, you dare to look down on Xiao Jiu, you believe I’ll have someone chop you up and throw you into the river to feed the fish tonight?”
Among the Hall Masters under Fang Liu, Bald Li was the most hot-tempered and fiercely protective. Xiao Jiu had been personally brought up by him; he wouldn’t tolerate anyone humiliating him.
“Big brother, I really didn’t mean it, I beg you, just let me go like a fart!” Qiao Le knelt on the ground, knocking his head in desperation.
“Brother Li, let him go!” Xiao Jiu couldn’t help but speak up.
After all, they were schoolmates, and there was a saying, wasn’t there? If a dog bites a man, a man surely can’t bite back. Besides, with Lu Rou by his side, Xiao Jiu didn’t want her to witness such thuggish behavior.
Lu Rou’s face began to darken. She helped Qiao Le from the ground, fuming, “Xiao Jiu, these are the kinds of people you know? Besides bullying people by fighting, what else can they do?”
“Young lady, how can you speak like that?” Bald Li became angry.
“Don’t think I’m scared of you. Try hitting me if you dare,” Lu Rou challenged, her head held high as if ready to face death.
“You…”
Bald Li was pointing at her, barely containing his anger.
“Young lady, you want to know why Xiao Jiu doesn’t study and instead mingles with thugs? I’ll tell you straight, he doesn’t have the time to study because he needs to earn money for his dad’s treatment.”
“Doesn’t he have a rich aunt who’s covering all his dad’s medical bills?” Lu Rou was taken aback.
“He doesn’t have a damn aunt. Every cent for his dad’s treatment has been scraped together through his life as a thug,” Bald Li said loudly.
“Brother Li, stop it…” Xiao Jiu interrupted.
“Why should I stop? I want her to understand just what kind of person you, Xiao Jiu, are.”
After saying this, Bald Li pointed at Lu Rou’s nose and roared, “You know why I respect Xiao Jiu? Because the first time I went to the hospital, I saw him selling blood for money. Half a month later, I was at the hospital again and saw him selling blood again. Selling blood twice a month, it’s unbearable for anyone, and he fainted on the spot. Why did he sell blood? Because his dad in the hospital was waiting for that money to save his life. He doesn’t have a damn aunt; all **** of that was a lie to deceive you.”
As he spoke, Bald Li’s eyes also started to moisten, and he cursed, “Damn, I didn’t even want to say it, but you forced me to, and now I’m so agitated I almost cried.”
Lu Rou walked over, looking at Xiao Jiu’s face, and said softly, “Xiao Jiu, why didn’t you tell me, and let me misunderstand you?”
Xiao Jiu turned his face away, not wanting her to see his tears.
“It’s all in the past now.”
Steward Zhao Fu stepped forward and said, “Xiao Jiu, Master Fang Liu heard about your situation from Brother Li and immediately came to the hospital to pay for your dad’s medical bills and for the surgery continuation. Just focus on recuperating.”
“Thank you, Master Fang Liu. I will never forget your great kindness and generosity,” Xiao Jiu said with gratitude.
“You don’t need to thank me. It’s what you deserve.”
“Xiao Jiu, is it really because he was saving someone that he got injured?” Lu Rou asked doubtfully.
“I’m not to be believed, but surely you would believe his word, wouldn’t you?”
Fang Liu pointed to a police officer who had just walked in through the door, wearing a uniform with several stars on his shoulder, and smiled, “Do you recognize him? He is the second-in-command at the East District Branch, Deputy Director Fang Datong.”
“Ah, old Fang, you’re here too?” Fang Datong seemed a bit surprised.
“One of my boys got hurt, so I came to pay a visit,” Fang Liu replied with a chuckle.
“Officer, is it true that Xiao Jiu was injured while saving someone?” Lu Rou was still troubled by this question.
“He is a hero, he has performed a great service!”
Fang Datong, pointing at Xiao Jiu, exclaimed unceasingly: “Risking his life, he stopped three career rapists who had been at large for years, and saved a young girl in her teens. The department has decided to award him the Courage in the Face of Justice medal, and as for his hospital fees, nursing expenses… in short, all his hospital expenses have been approved to be fully waived.”
“Many thanks, Director. I only held them off; someone else caught them,” Xiao Jiu said.
“If it wasn’t for you, that girl couldn’t have been saved at all. Stop being modest,” Fang Datong said with a smile.
Lu Rou looked intently at Xiao Jiu, walked over excitedly, and held his hand, “Xiao Jiu, I’m sorry, I misunderstood you. I didn’t expect that you really got hurt while trying to save someone.”
In the corner, Qiao Le covered his swollen face, not daring to let out a breath.
He never expected that the poor kid whom he had always looked down upon would one day win the favor of Master Fang Liu, and even receive the Courage in the Face of Justice medal from the police. Now that Lu Rou’s opinion of him had changed, his chances of winning her over had become even slimmer.
“Xiao Jiu, take your time to recover. I’ll let you know if there’s any news,” Fang Datong said and then left the ward.
Xiao Jiu’s thoughts were racing.
He was very clear in his mind.
Master Fang Liu came not only to visit him but also brought ginseng, knotweed, and paid 200,000 yuan for his father’s medical and surgery bills. He would not believe for a second that Fang Liu didn’t have an ulterior motive.
After much thought, there was only one possibility: last night he really helped an influential figure, and it was to leave a good impression on that person that Fang Liu had treated him this way.
Just what sort of figure was it that even someone like Master Fang Liu wanted to curry favor with?
“Master Fang, can you tell me who exactly I helped last night?” Xiao Jiu couldn’t hold back any longer.
“You can ask him directly when the time comes, but let me give you a piece of advice.”
“What advice?”
“Your friend here is right. Being a petty thug really leads nowhere. That’s why I hope you can stay close to that person. If you do, your future will be limitless,” Master Fang Liu suggested.
Master Fang Liu had his own calculations in mind.
Xiao Jiu had at least mixed with the Cloud Guild, and the guild had treated him well. If he could stay by Ye Xiong’s side, it would be like the Cloud Guild had connected itself to a mighty tree.
Spending two or three hundred thousand yuan as an investment for an alternative path was a very worthwhile deal for him.
Of course, whether Xiao Jiu could stay by that influential figure was up to him now.
Lu Rou and Qiao Le had been listening all along, both of them very curious.
According to Master Fang Liu, it seemed that Xiao Jiu had saved an important person. But just how important was this person for them to hold him in such high regard?
Just then, the door to the ward was pushed open.
One man and three women walked in.