Chapter 5

Zhan and the other's feet were covered in dust, as pale as ash, when they arrived at the hospital at around nine in the morning. The walk he had endured with Min and Yue, who had accompanied him, and the winter chill had further dried their skin along the way. Earlier, a reluctant rickshaw driver had agreed to take them close to the hospital for a small fare, only on the condition that he could pick up additional passengers along the way. Yue sat on Zhan's lap, while Min sat alone. A little further along the road, the driver picked up another passenger. Upon dropping her off, he demanded their fare before continuing.

Min pulled out an old, wrinkled bill, so worn it was difficult to hold. The driver refused to accept it, insisting she change the money. Min swore it was all she had, leading to a heated argument lasting over ten minutes. Finally, the driver tossed the money at them, declaring he wouldn't take them further and shouting something spiteful as he left.

Min, unfazed, picked up the bill, muttering that the driver had only harmed himself. Zhan and Yue remained silent, while Min remarked they would have to walk the rest of the way, as she hadn't brought extra money. And so, they trudged along, step by step, all the way to the hospital, where the rest of their family was waiting.

The previous night, at around 9:30 PM, Kai had gone to He Jun's room after being called. He found him trembling uncontrollably, his condition alarming enough to make Kai shout for help. The commotion drew everyone in the house to the scene. Hao ge quickly borrowed a neighbor's car, and they rushed He Jun to the hospital. Despite the family's vigil through the night and into the morning, He Jun's condition showed no improvement. At dawn, Mama and Ning prepared to leave for the hospital, and later, Ma Jing followed after feeding her children.

Since the night before, Zhan had been restless, unable to shake the overwhelming worry about his Baba's condition. Even brushing his teeth and washing his face felt like an immense effort. His chest felt heavy, as though it would burst from the pressure. Tears welled in his eyes, as an ominous voice in the back of his mind warned him he might suffer the most if they lost Baba. Looking around the family, he saw potential solutions for everyone but himself...he had no idea where he'd turn if everything fell apart.

Though Zhan cried quietly, his tears were from deep within, leaving his eyes swollen. Thankfully, Min had woken up early and suggested they all head to the hospital. Zhan, Min, and Yue quickly finished the morning chores and left without even thinking about breakfast, as Mama had locked her room and already left.

As they approached the hospital, Xiao followed them to the front door, saying she wanted to come along. However, Zhan gently persuaded her to stay home and watch over her younger siblings, as no one else was around. Now at the hospital, after much struggle, they located He Jun's room. They found Mama, Ning, and Ma Jing waiting on a bench opposite the entrance to the building. Ma Jing was standing beside them, and the moment she saw Zhan and the others, she shook her head and cursed openly at them.

"Who did you leave the children with when you all decided to leave?" Ma Jing asked sharply.

Min glared at her, exhaustion evident on her face. "Oh, and who did you leave them with when you came here? Are we supposed to stay back and babysit for you?"

"Even if you're not babysitting, you should have enough sense to know that leaving small children alone isn't right," Ma Jing snapped.

"And we decided it was senseless to stay home when our father is lying here in critical condition while you expect us to worry about your brats," Min retorted, rolling her eyes.

Mama, seated nearby, intervened. "Enough, Ma Jing. You know no one is going to wait around for you, so keep quiet. This is a hospital."

Ma Jing glared at Mama, her voice rising. "If you had any sense, you'd know this is a hospital and not the place for everyone to come rushing in while leaving little ones unattended!"

Ning stepped in to defend Mama, her voice cold. "You're lying through your teeth. You only ever think of yourself and your children."

Ma Jing smirked. "And yet here I am, spending my own money at this hospital to save your father while you sit around doing nothing."

Mama shot her a sharp look. "Oh, is that so? And what about Hao and the others who contributed? Are they not people? Wealth is a tool—it's not just yours. If I didn't pay, my children did, and that's what matters."

"Ma'am, please!"

A janitor who had just arrived interrupted them.

"What's going on here? Your voices can be heard all the way down the hall. This is a hospital, and you know doctors are working inside. If there's something you need to discuss, wait until you get home."

No one responded, but their faces showed they had heard him. The janitor pushed his mop bucket and left.

Min and Yue walked over to Mama and sat down on the bench. Zhan, as always when in their presence, moved to a quieter corner, while Ma Jing continued to pace nervously, tapping her foot.

Zhan's eyes stayed glued to the door, full of hope and concern. Within twenty minutes, Wei returned from school, where he had gone to take a test. He entered with Aunty Rui, whom he had met at the hospital gate while she was looking for a place to buy airtime for her phone. Soon after, Hao and Kai arrived from another section of the hospital, where they had gone to retrieve blood samples taken the previous day.

They were informed that He Jun's ailments were not just one or two problems. In addition to high blood pressure, he also suffered from heart disease and diabetes.

Everyone's anxiety deepened upon hearing this, and while they tried to stay calm, Zhan's heart sank. He wasn't just worried about the situation—he was overwhelmed by the thought of how much Baba had endured while hiding his pain for the family's peace.

Tears that had stopped earlier began to flow again. Zhan tried to wipe them away discreetly. It took Wei, standing nearby, a lot of effort to console him and calm him down.

Around noon, He Jun was moved to a recovery ward. By then, Ma Jing had left to tend to her children, and Aunty Rui had gone home to cook before her children returned from school. That left only a few of them behind.

After He Jun was settled in and given a bed, Mama, Ning, and Yue also left to prepare meals. Wei returned to school, and Hao went to work, leaving only Kai, Min, and Zhan.

The recovery ward was long, filled with nearly twenty beds. It was crowded with patients and their caretakers, each battling a different illness. Though there were fans in the room, the air felt stifling because of the sheer number of people.

Zhan sat quietly beside Baba's bed. Kai had stepped out, and Min was outside on a phone call.

When He Jun began to cough, Zhan immediately stood and leaned closer to the bed. He watched as He Jun slowly opened his eyes.

"Baba, how are you? How are you feeling?"

He Jun tilted his head slightly toward him and, with some effort, asked, "Zhan, is that you?"

"Yes, Baba, it's me." His voice trembled as he answered.

"Am I in a hospital?" He Jun asked weakly.

"Yes, Baba. You were brought here last night."

"Where is everyone?"

"We're all here. They've just stepped out, but they'll be back soon. Min is outside, and Kai ge just went out briefly."

He Jun coughed again, then looked at the IV drip and blood transfusion lines connected to him.

"Bless you, Zhan," he said softly.

Hearing those words, Zhan felt his heart break. Tears welled up in his eyes—not because it was the first time Baba had said such words, but because they were spoken with a frailty he had never heard before. He Jun usually said this every morning when greeted, but today, the words carried a weight that made them feel unfamiliar.

Zhan quickly wiped away his tears and moved closer when He Jun gestured for him to lean in.

His voice was still faint, and the general noise of the ward made it harder to hear him clearly.

"When you get home, Zhan, go into my room. Near my clothes, there's a green bag. Open it—you'll find a package inside. Take it. It's for you..."

Zhan could barely make out the words, nodding along to let him know he was listening.

At that moment, Min returned, and seeing her Baba awake, she hurried to his side, calling his name. He Jun recognized her and called her by name as well, but after that, he didn't say anything more and closed his eyes again.

When Kai returned, Zhan and Min told him what had happened. Kai immediately fetched a nurse to check on He Jun. After examining him, the nurse assured them that he was breathing fine, which gave them some relief.

Around 4:00 p.m., Mama and the others returned to the hospital. Barely five minutes after sitting down, Ma Jing arrived with her children in tow, crowding the space around He Jun's bed. Before long, a nurse appeared and asked them to reduce the number of people at the bedside as it was getting too crowded.

Zhan and the others gathered their things and moved to the hospital courtyard, where other patients' families had set up their belongings. It was only then that they had the chance to eat the food Mama had brought. Min served everyone, and they eagerly dug in, hunger gnawing at them after the long day.

As they sat outside, their spirits began to lift slightly. They enjoyed the fresh evening air, watching people bustling about with their various activities. For a moment, the world seemed to settle.

But the moment didn't last. Suddenly, He Jun's condition worsened. His body began to convulse violently, shaking so much that even the bed moved.

Fortunately, the evening shift doctors were nearby and immediately took action, transferring him for further examination. That night, the family spent more money on medications and additional tests than they had earlier in the day. The doctors then informed them that He Jun needed to be moved to a private ward, which required a lump sum payment upfront.

Mama instructed Min and Zhan to head to the garage where Hao worked, as he hadn't returned yet, to explain the situation and ask for help. Since Kai was the only man still at the hospital and Wei had returned to school, it was essential to get Hao involved.

The garage wasn't far from the hospital, so they set off on foot, hoping to catch Hao and secure at least part of the funds needed.

What none of them realized was that life is like a storybook. Just as one chapter closes, another begins to unfold...

:-*:-*:-*:-*:-*

1:15 PM

In the spacious lounge, where the air conditioning was cold enough to send chills down one's spine, five people occupied the room. Two were seated on one of the luxurious royal chairs arranged around the space—one was Yibo, and the other was an elderly man whose age was slowly creeping toward old age. The remaining three stood behind the older man's chair, their posture and demeanor making it clear they were his bodyguards.

The elderly man, referred to as Dondee, glanced at Yibo once again, a gesture he had repeated countless times, and shook his head.

"You don't look like one of them…"

Yibo was dressed in pristine white traditional attire that shimmered under the room's light, paired with a black hat that rested perfectly on his forehead, enhancing the brightness of his face.

His face was adorned with a neatly trimmed beard that added to his striking appearance. But what truly caught attention were his eyes. They had a rare, almost intoxicating quality—a sort of "drunken" look. The whites of his eyes had a faint, glossy sheen, as though they were always on the verge of tears, giving him an aura of vulnerability and innocence that could stir sympathy in anyone who looked at him.

Yibo shook his head slightly, a faint, almost imperceptible smile gracing his lips. His gaze settled on Dondee, his luminous eyes reflecting the light of the chandeliers above.

"Don't worry, sir. My job doesn't require me to change my dress. Even in these clothes, I can still take lives."

Dondee's eyes widened momentarily. He nodded slowly, studying Yibo, then smirked. Lifting the glass in front of him to Yibo's eye level, he said, "Cheers, then."

Yibo glanced at the glass in front of him. The liquid's color confirmed it was alcohol. He raised his head to meet Dondee's gaze and gave a small nod.

"Cheers," he said, his voice calm, though he made no move to pick up his glass. It was clear he had no intention of drinking. Dondee caught on, smiled broadly, and made a dismissive gesture before sipping from his own glass.

One of the bodyguards stepped forward, approaching a young man standing nearby. He opened the side of his coat and pulled out a white envelope, placing it on the table beside Yibo's glass before returning to his position.

"His name is Mr. Tong Bo," Dondee said, his tone sharp and commanding. "He's the secretary to a minister you'll recognize when you open the envelope. I want you to take him, hold him for about a month before you discuss any ransom. Set the price as high as you want—the money is yours. But when they pay, take his eyes before you release him. I don't want him returning to his position. We have someone else lined up for that seat."

Dondee placed his glass back on the table, leaving it unfinished.

Yibo reached for the envelope, his long, pale well-manicured fingers carefully opening it. From within the stack of papers, he pulled out the top photograph.

The picture was of a man, clearly of Chinese descent, in his mid-forties. It seemed to have been taken at an event where he was smiling warmly, his face brimming with joy. The background hinted at a family man, likely with a wife and children under his care. His well-groomed beard and calm demeanor suggested he was an honest and respectable person—qualities that had undoubtedly led him into this perilous situation.

If fate hadn't brought Yibo into the picture at this precise moment, everything Dondee planned would have unfolded exactly as intended. Yibo's thoughts lingered briefly on how many lives men like Dondee had already ruined.

Mr. Tong Bo.

Yibo reread the name on the photograph before slipping it and the documents back into the envelope. He raised his gaze to Dondee once more, his expression calm but confident.

"You can start congratulating your man, Sir. In no time, he'll be replacing Mr. Tong Bo," Yibo said as he stood and headed toward the door he had entered through just minutes earlier.

Behind him, Dondee watched in a mix of surprise and unease, unable to decipher the strange feeling stirring within him.

Yibo stepped outside, heading toward his car parked in the vast courtyard of the estate. Just as the gatekeeper began opening the main gate to let him out, a fleet of five cars suddenly sped into the compound, one after the other.

Each car carried nearly ten men dressed in black, armed with rifles. Gideon, Yibo's colleague, emerged from the lead car, raised a hand in acknowledgment to Yibo, and strode purposefully into the house with his team following close behind. The gatekeeper froze in fear, dropping to the ground as one of the armed men pointed a gun at him.

Within moments, Dondee and his eight men were dragged out of the house, their faces pale with shock and panic. The idea of being captured had clearly never crossed their minds, especially considering the house's remote location deep in the wilderness between Beijing and Futou.

Dondee's eyes locked onto Yibo, who remained standing beside his car. Realization struck him like lightning... had the man he hired as a high-profile assassin betrayed him?

Gideon ordered Dondee to be brought before Yibo. As the guards shoved Dondee forward, Yibo calmly pulled an ID card from his pocket and held it up.

"Whatever you're thinking, you're right," Yibo said, his tone sharp. "I'm not your man. I'm not a hired killer, as you assumed. I'm an undercover operative. For years, you've been under suspicion for orchestrating assassinations and attacks to eliminate your rivals or weaken others in power.

"This was my mission—to take you down. We conducted a full investigation, apprehended the assassins you've been working with, and set this trap. I played the role perfectly, didn't I? You believed I was just another hired gun, and that mistake brought you here."

Yibo smirked faintly, his voice laced with mockery. "I hope they give you the punishment you deserve. Don't worry—I'll make sure to pass along your regards to Mr. Tong Bo."

Dondee stood frozen, glaring at Yibo with eyes burning with rage, humiliation, and bitterness. His defeat was complete, and he didn't know how to express the depth of his anger.

As Dondee was led away, Gideon patted Yibo's shoulder. "Well done," he said, grinning as the two clasped hands.

"I heard we'd be sent to Beijing for this case. It's been over a year since we last saw you, Yibo," Gideon said warmly.

Yibo shrugged, running a hand over his nose. "It's been tough, Gideon. Every mission feels like it's never enough, like I'm not achieving anything substantial."

Gideon shook his head. "They gave this to you because they knew only someone like you could pull it off, Yibo. You might not see it, but they recognize your efforts."

Yibo opened his mouth to respond, but the sound of car horns interrupted him. The team had finished securing Dondee and his men in the vehicles. The estate was sealed shut with specialized locks, leaving no trace of the chaos that had unfolded.

"I need to hurry. The operation plan has been changed due to a security breach in the previous one."

Yibo nodded in understanding before they says their goodbyes, agreeing to continue their discussion later.

Gideon quickly got back into his car as the convoy began reversing out of the compound. Yibo followed in his own car, glancing through his rearview mirror as the team locked down the house with high-security mechanisms that no one could open without authorization.

His only hope was that justice would prevail. The biggest challenge they faced in their line of work wasn't apprehending the criminals—it was ensuring they stayed behind bars. Too often, they risked their lives, sacrificing everything, only to watch guilty parties walk free after a short time.

The only comfort was the strict rules in place to protect agents like him. Without those safeguards, Yibo couldn't count how many times he might have been killed by someone seeking revenge.

He was driving down the highway when his phone rang. The caller ID showed Sir, his superior. Yibo pulled over to the side of the road before answering the call.

"Have you lost your mind, Yibo? How could you go on a mission like this dressed in traditional clothing?"

His boss voice was sharp and filled with anger.

Yibo instinctively rubbed his nose, knowing he was at fault, and lowered his voice. "I'm sorry, Sir."

"I don't want your apologies," He snapped. "Just tell me why you showed up to such a critical operation dressed like that. You know this mission was assigned to you after Dao couldn't complete it. You've been working on it for four months, building trust with Dondee, and then you risk ruining everything by showing up in inappropriate attire. Why did you do it?"

His voice was still heated, demanding an explanation. Yibo decided to be honest.

"Sir, I planned to stop by a temple after the mission."

The simple statement seemed to silence his boss. Frustration and resignation were evident in his tone when he finally ended the call without another word. As usual, Yibo's exceptional track record and irreplaceable skills overshadowed his misstep.

Yibo didn't call back either. As long as the mission was successful and no issues arose, he saw no reason to dwell on the matter. He couldn't understand why his choice of clothing was such a big deal to begin with.

---

As Yibo entered Beijing, he dialed Peng's number and learned he was at a friend's house. Yibo suggested they meet at a nearby restaurant for lunch.

On the way, Yibo stopped by a small temple in a village. After completing his prayers, he noticed the bustling market nearby, filled with colorful goods and produce. Unable to resist, he bought items he didn't even know who they were for, simply captivated by the atmosphere.

By the time Peng arrived at the restaurant, Yibo had been seated for no more than ten minutes. Peng walked in with a broad smile, pulling out the chair across from Yibo.

"You don't need to say anything. I already know Momma was behind this," Peng said, smiling as he observed Yibo remove his hat and set it beside his plate.

"You know you've done something wrong for this to escalate to the point of a complaint being filed against you."

Peng said this with a smile on his face, raising his hands in mock surrender.

"I didn't do anything! Momma and her constant worrying just won't stop," he replied defensively.

"Or maybe you haven't given her a reason to stop worrying? Why all this, Peng? I thought the last time we spoke, you said you were done with this nonsense."

Peng scratched his head, a mix of guilt and embarrassment evident on his face.

"I swear I haven't done anything, Yibo. Whatever they've told you is just their assumptions."

"No one told me anything," Yibo replied calmly. "I just know. I'm aware of everything you're up to, Peng. In fact, I'm the one who doesn't tell them everything."

Peng looked at him, scratching his head again.

"Look, it's just a matter of time. Things will fall into place. When the time comes and I see that this lifestyle isn't for me, I'll change."

"Maybe," Yibo nodded. "But what you don't understand is that if she can't correct you now, when will she? Look at your life, Peng. You have everything you need—loving parents and family who only want the best for you. At the very least, just seeing them every day is a blessing, let alone having them care about your future.

I'm just advising you as always. Don't waste this opportunity. Don't let time slip away."

As usual, Yibo continued trying to guide Peng with heartfelt advice, without any ulterior motive. Their conversation stretched on while Yibo finished his meal. Peng, however, didn't order anything, simply listening.

It wasn't until after 5 p.m. that they finally parted ways. Shortly after, Yibo received a call from Shi Lei, asking him to meet at a new plaza under construction in the city. Without delay, he headed there, his mind busy with the long list of tasks he still needed to complete for the day.

What Yibo didn't realize was that life often unfolds like a book. Just as one chapter ends, another begins.

As he turned a corner, something unexpected happened. For a brief moment, his eyes caught sight of someone familiar walking along the side of the road.

And then it happened in the blink of an eye—a collision. Yibo's car crashed into an oncoming Matrix. The loud crash, followed by smoke, filled the air as onlookers screamed.

Amid the haze of the airbag that had deployed in Yibo's face, one thought kept repeating in his mind:

"Can the dead really come back?"

"How can someone who's gone return to the world of the living?"

---

Who do you think Yibo saw?

Zhan?

If it was him, how could Yibo knew him, let alone believe he had returned from the dead?

The next chapter will unravel more of the mystery.

Zhanxianyibo💚❤️💛