Chapter 009: Brother Dog's Revenge!

Leaving Xiaoyu behind to take care of things was necessary; after all, business had to go on. Their group had just lost two people at once, which was a significant blow. Yet no one could have foreseen what happened tonight. That Manager Zhang and Sun Fei had always maintained only a facade of harmony, and this time, he wasn’t really helping Li Huan—he was simply on duty. If anything went wrong, he’d be the one blamed for incompetence.

As Li Huan walked to the entrance of the bar, two security guards standing there seemed surprised to see him coming out. After all, that chubby man called “Brother Dog” had suffered a heavy loss and was sure to be looking for payback. The safest move would have been to stay inside the bar, but they hadn’t expected Li Huan to brazenly walk out alone. The two guards didn’t try to stop him; they merely exchanged odd glances. Apparently, Manager Zhang hadn’t instructed them to keep an eye on him. Li Huan sneered inwardly—people were just that pragmatic. Inside the bar, Zhang might stand up for him to protect his own position, but outside, Li Huan’s fate was no longer his concern.

Thinking it over, Li Huan realized he’d probably do the same in their place. There’s a saying—“If it’s not your concern, hang it high”—and it suited this society perfectly. Once outside, Li Huan spat hard on the ground. The kick to his thigh was no longer a problem, though his chest still felt tight.

He scanned the area from the doorway, but saw no one suspicious. Breathing a little easier, he flagged down a taxi and headed straight for the nearby Affiliated Hospital of the Medical University.

At the front desk, he inquired about Li Gang’s room, then took the elevator to the fifth floor of the inpatient wing. Room 301. Inside, he found Xiao Zhang, one of the bar’s security guards, sitting by the bed, while Li Gang lay atop it with his head swathed in thick bandages.

Xiao Zhang was startled to see Li Huan—he clearly hadn’t expected him to come. Rising, he stepped aside. Li Huan nodded at him, saw that Li Gang appeared to be asleep, and asked, “How is he?”

This guard was young, barely in his twenties, and newly hired. That was probably why he’d recklessly charged ahead earlier. The question seemed to bring him back to his senses. “The doctor said it’s not serious. He had five stitches in his head and a mild concussion. He’ll be fine after a few days’ rest!”

“And the other guy?” Li Huan recalled that two guards had brought Li Gang to the hospital, but now only one was here.

“We didn’t bring enough money. The bandaging and hospitalization cost three hundred, and there’s still over a hundred owed for medication. He went back to get more cash.”

Li Huan smiled and didn’t dwell on it. Three or four hundred wasn’t much by some standards, but for people in their line of work, it was a significant sum. He pulled three bills from his wallet and handed them over. Before Xiao Zhang could refuse, Li Huan stood up and said, “I’ll go get the medicine.”

Xiao Zhang hesitated, a bit embarrassed, but accepted the money and handed him the prescription. Li Huan took it and made his way to the pharmacy. At the doorway, he almost collided with a nurse, startling her into a sharp step back. The IV bottle in her hand nearly slipped to the floor.

“Ah…” she gasped, though not loudly. Li Huan quickly halted and glanced at her. From this angle, her face looked round and delicate, her skin fair and smooth—a very pretty girl.

The nurse, still shaken, patted her chest as if afraid her heart couldn’t take it. Yet she didn’t seem angry; instead, she raised her head apologetically and asked, “Are you all right? You didn’t get hurt, did you?”

Her attitude surprised Li Huan. He’d encountered a few unreasonable or cold nurses before, but few who’d admit fault so politely.

“…I’m fine,” he replied. As she lifted her head, Li Huan finally got a clear look at her features and was momentarily stunned. Her face was exquisite, delicate yet lively—a remarkable beauty. But in her somewhat flustered gaze, there lurked a hint of cunning, an odd contrast to her refined appearance that left Li Huan momentarily dazed.

He was, after all, a young man. In his half-year working at the bar, he’d met women of every kind, yet this girl astonished him. A thought flashed through his mind: beneath such fresh beauty, what clever mind might be hidden?

By the time he snapped out of it, the nurse had already walked past him and entered Room 301. A voice inside Li Huan seemed to roar, and he hurried down to the pharmacy on the first floor. When he returned to the room with the medicine, that extraordinarily beautiful nurse was already gone.

“How is this possible? Are there girls like that in a hospital?” To his dismay, Li Huan realized that the women he’d previously considered beautiful paled in comparison to this nurse—her looks, and the occasional spark of lively spirit, outshone them all.

What a pity.

Li Huan shook his head. The nursing profession always inspired a certain kind of male fantasy—especially in a hospital setting. In a place like this, a girl like her had probably long since caught the eye of some predatory, white-coated hospital executive.

He forced himself to dismiss such ridiculous thoughts and returned to the bedside, cursing himself. Here Li Gang lay injured, and he was busy indulging in pointless, sordid daydreams—shameful.

After a while, the guard who’d gone to fetch money returned. Li Huan told them both to go back—he’d stay and watch over things. Neither argued; together, they left the ward.

Not long after, Xiao Zhang came running back, panting hard. Li Huan had just stood up to speak when he saw Xiao Zhang, doubled over at the door, waving frantically. “Brother, you need to run! That chubby guy somehow found out you’re here. He brought people—they’re downstairs right now, coming up to look for you!”

Li Huan’s heart lurched. He rushed to the window and looked down. Sure enough, a crowd of twenty or thirty men was storming through the hospital entrance. A few guards tried to block them, but were shoved aside. Some stayed to keep watch, while the rest marched straight into the hospital building—clearly up to no good.

This time, Li Huan was genuinely panicked. Earlier, bolstered by adrenaline and the safety of the bar, he’d felt some confidence. But now, faced with thirty men, each armed, the only choice was to run.

“Damn it… how did they find me here?” Li Huan couldn’t help but curse, glancing at Li Gang. The movement seemed to rouse him—his eyelids fluttered, and he reached up to scratch his head.

By now, Xiao Zhang had caught his breath and hurried inside, his face anxious. “You need to find a way out! If they catch you…”

He didn’t finish, but the consequences were obvious to anyone—being surrounded and beaten by thirty men would be disastrous. Li Huan had no time for pleasantries. He clapped Xiao Zhang on the shoulder and bolted out of the ward.

His heart pounding, Li Huan dashed to the stairwell. He figured that the chubby man didn’t know Li Gang, so the front desk wouldn’t have given anything away. Bringing a group, they’d have to search the hospital floor by floor, and they wouldn’t bother using the elevator for every floor.

Sure enough, as he reached the second floor, he ran into several men coming up—one of the troublemakers from the bar among them. They were headed up to search when Li Huan jumped down the stairs, startling them. As soon as they recognized him, the leader yelled, “That’s him! Get him, boys!”

Despite his shouting, the man stepped back—clearly still wary of Li Huan’s fighting skills from earlier. But as his companions realized what was happening, they charged up, weapons raised, with the leader close behind, face twisted in a snarl.

Seeing himself surrounded, Li Huan’s mind raced. He turned and sprinted down the corridor, aiming to escape by another staircase. But halfway there, five or six more thugs with clubs appeared, led by another of the men he’d knocked down at the bar.

Enemies meeting again only intensified their rage. The leader was momentarily stunned to see Li Huan, but quickly shouted, rallying his men to block the way.

Li Huan, no seasoned gangster, found himself trapped. Glancing back, he saw seven or eight men closing in. He hesitated, then steeled himself, let out a roar, and charged forward.

The punk with the spiky hair had been knocked out at the bar by Li Huan’s kick—his forehead was still bruised. Seeing Li Huan running at him, he bared his teeth in a vicious grin and swung his club down.

Li Huan twisted aside, leaping past him, and slammed his right elbow into the punk’s back, sending him stumbling forward, arms flailing.

Dodging the first, the others sprang into action, shouting and swinging their weapons.

Four or five clubs came crashing down. Li Huan wasn’t about to stand there and take it, but with the corridor blocked, he had nowhere to run. In desperation, he raised his arm to shield himself. The clubs struck hard, nearly knocking him out from the pain. Gritting his teeth, he twisted his arm, trapping one club under his ribs. When the thug tugged but failed to free it, Li Huan seized the moment, lunged forward, and rammed his shoulder into the man’s chest, sending him flying. Taking advantage of the opening, Li Huan broke free and fled with all his might.