108: Chapter 108 Tribulations Make People Grow

Wang Shuo quietly looked at Zheng Jun lying on the hospital bed.

Perhaps due to excessive blood loss, the originally tall and sturdy Zheng Jun now looked pale and extremely haggard.

Chen Xin stood right next to Wang Shuo, holding lingdan no. 1, which Wang Shuo had handed to her, in her arms.

"The doctor said Zheng Jun has an excellent constitution. The bullet fragments didn't go very deep and didn't damage his internal organs. His current coma is just due to excessive blood loss, and he should wake up very soon."

"Mm." Wang Shuo nodded. Confirming that Zheng Jun was fine, the biggest weight on his mind finally lifted.

It had to be said that Zheng Jun's physical fitness from running ten kilometers every day was no joke. A total of sixteen bullet fragments hadn't caused him any life-threatening injuries; he had merely suffered from the impact and excessive blood loss.

Of course, this was also related to the extremely crude firearm used by The Black-robed Man.

"You were very lucky," said the police officer responsible for gathering evidence. "Looking at the bullet residue, the projectile itself should be common steel ball bearings. These things can't withstand high chamber pressure. Plus, the suspect's homemade gunpowder gun wasn't sealed tightly, the gunpowder's power was insufficient, and the chamber pressure was low. That's what saved your lives."

The middle-aged police officer added, "But if it had been a direct hit at close range, it would still have been fatal. All I can say is, you were very lucky."

Recalling the officer's words, Wang Shuo smiled bitterly.

Luck?

Wang Shuo looked at Zheng Jun in front of him.

If not for Boss and zero egg, he would have died long ago. At the final moment, even though he had sensed the danger and desperately tried to get away, he had only run five or six meters. Such a distance was clearly not enough to save his life.

"Boss, you're too generous. Just a single leap and I owe you a life. How am I supposed to repay you?"

Wang Shuo muttered to himself.

Beside him, Chen Xin looked up at Wang Shuo. After a brief hesitation, she raised her hand and gently held his.

Feeling the cool, soft touch, Wang Shuo turned his head to look at Chen Xin and smiled.

"I'm fine, don't worry."

Chen Xin nodded gently. This was the first time in over ten years she had done something like this. She didn't know what she should say right now, so she could only remain silent.

"Chen Xin."

Wang Shuo's voice sounded. Chen Xin, who had been carefully looking down to inspect the damage on lingdan no. 1, looked up.

Wang Shuo was quietly looking at her. For some reason, Chen Xin felt her heart racing, and she felt a sudden, inexplicable flutter of panic.

Just as the atmosphere was turning increasingly intimate...

a cough broke the silence.

"Ahem, I say, you two. I'm already in this state, can't you go show your affection somewhere else?"

This was...

"Boss?"

Wang Shuo turned around in pleasant surprise, just in time to see Zheng Jun opening his eyes, looking at them weakly but with a touch of annoyance.

"Boss!" Wang Shuo said in disbelief. "You... you're awake already?"

Zheng Jun grumbled, "I wanted to rest a bit more, but I was choked awake by the sickeningly sweet stench of you two."

Chen Xin quickly withdrew her hand, regained her composure, and said calmly while holding lingdan no. 1, "You two talk. I'll wait for you outside."

Once Chen Xin left, Zheng Jun said with dissatisfaction, "Not bad, Second Brother. You hooked up so fast. Are you trying to make things official right in front of me?"

Wang Shuo smiled sheepishly and didn't say anything.

"It's just that Fourth Brother isn't here, otherwise we would have definitely broken you lovebirds up," Zheng Jun said, his tone dripping with jealousy.

"Boss, you don't sound like someone who just woke up from a coma after being injured."

"Nonsense, did you think my physical constitution was a joke? What can a few measly homemade bullets do to me?"

Wang Shuo laughed and flattered him, "It seems your injuries really aren't that serious. If anyone else heard this, who would believe that you're still lying on a hospital bed, Boss?"

"Of course." Zheng Jun really wanted to sit up to show off his manliness, but he accidentally pulled on his wound, making him gasp in pain.

Amused, Wang Shuo pressed him back down onto the bed.

"You'd better lie down quietly. Even if you were made of iron, being hit by sixteen bullets wouldn't feel good. The doctor said you need quiet rest."

"Si... sixteen?" Zheng Jun was stunned.

"Yeah, a whole sixteen of them, all thumb-sized steel balls, and they all hit you right in the abdomen. Tsk-tsk, your guts were practically spilling out back then. It was a tragic sight."

Zheng Jun swallowed hard.

"That bastard was that ruthless?"

"Even more ruthless than that." Wang Shuo looked at Zheng Jun's expression, which seemed even paler than before, though he wasn't sure if it was just his imagination. "He even wanted to finish you off, but I heroically chased him away."

Wang Shuo struck a punching pose and jerked his chin at Zheng Jun. "Well? Am I awesome or what?"

"Bullshit!" Zheng Jun finally snapped out of it and cursed angrily, "You, chasing someone away? When I went in, you were being chased like a stray dog, just short of growing wings and flying away."

Uh... was I really that pathetic?

Wang Shuo scratched his head. Recalling the scene, he really had been chased all over the place, scrambling and rolling, and Boss had even seen it. How embarrassing.

"If I hadn't seen that guy pull out a gun and leaped forward with quick reflexes, hmph..." Zheng Jun said smugly, "it's hard to say which one of us would be lying here right now."

What was up with this overwhelming sense of pride?

"Oh, right." Zheng Jun finally remembered something. "Has that bastard who hurt you been caught yet?"

"Not yet."

At the mention of this, Wang Shuo's expression involuntarily turned cold. "But the police are already doing their best to investigate. I reckon they'll find clues soon."

"Yeah, we can't let that bastard get away."

"Definitely." Wang Shuo nodded seriously, then remembered something and said, "Boss, while you were unconscious, a female military officer came to see you."

"A female officer?" Zheng Jun was visibly startled, then snorted weakly. "Zheng Yi? What did she come for?"

"Mainly to check on you and ask me to take care of you."

"She would be that kind-hearted?" Zheng Jun sneered. "She probably came to see if I brought shame to the family, and to mock me while she was at it. Being beaten like this by a petty thief, who knows how she's laughing at me in her heart right now."

Wang Shuo was somewhat speechless. What kind of logic was this?

At the mention of the female officer—Zheng Yi, as Zheng Jun called her—Zheng Jun's mood instantly turned gloomy. He curled himself under the blanket, seemingly reminding Wang Shuo that he wanted to rest.

Wang Shuo also knew it was time to end the conversation. The most important thing right now was to let Zheng Jun get some proper rest.

"Boss."

"Hmm?"

"Nothing. Rest well."

Zheng Jun, who had just poked his head out, covered himself with the blanket again and muttered, "A grown man, so naggy. Turn off the light for me when you go out."

Wang Shuo smiled, turned off the light, and went out.

Some things, did it really matter whether one asked or not? Did it really matter if it had been someone else instead of him at that moment? If he saw Zheng Jun in danger one day, would he just stand by and watch him die?

The answer was: never.

What mattered was that Boss was fine. That was wonderful.

With his mental knot untied, Wang Shuo felt refreshed. His experience of returning from the gates of hell today made him feel as if he had been reborn.

It seemed that tribulations really could make a person grow.

Outside the door, Chen Xin was standing there, holding lingdan no. 1 tightly in her arms, never leaving its side.

"Is he resting?"

"Yeah." Wang Shuo nodded. "You haven't eaten yet, right? Let's go. I know a food stall place where the food is delicious."

Liu Yemei had told him that this girl hadn't eaten for over a dozen hours from yesterday to today. Before, because she was worried about Zheng Jun's safety, she hadn't had the time to think about these things. Now that it was confirmed Zheng Jun was full of energy, he was in the mood to treat Chen Xin to a meal.

"I'm not going," Chen Xin shook her head.

"You don't like food stalls?" Wang Shuo thought it was a matter of Chen Xin's standards, so he said, "Then let's go eat something else..."

Before he could finish, Chen Xin interrupted him.

"He hasn't been caught yet," Chen Xin said calmly. "And, I want Mia to get better soon."

Wang Shuo was stunned, then he smiled.

"Okay."