Men shed tears only when their hearts are truly broken.
After experiencing life's many setbacks, Li Xiaozhong had lost all will to fight. His eyes were clouded and dull, devoid of the sharpness they once held.
A blade dulled by rust, its edge extinguished.
Hearing this, Tao Qiyue also grew resentful of the Ning family behind Jiangnan Real Estate Group, gritting her teeth and saying, "If what you say is true, then this Ning family is truly detestable! No, I must re-investigate this matter when I get back. Perhaps I can find some dirt on Ning Fei and make him taste a similar plight."
Li Xiaozhong could only hope to survive now and earn enough money to treat his daughter's illness.
This was also why, despite his tibia being fractured, he endured and did not go to the hospital.
He could not afford to see a doctor, let alone be admitted to the hospital.
Chen Jinzhao, having roughly understood the situation, spoke to Li Xiaozhong in a deep voice, "I understand. What you need to do now is to recuperate properly. Don't worry about the money."
The two of them took Li Xiaozhong to the hospital.
The doctor shook his head after examining him, telling them that if they had delayed any longer, Li Xiaozhong might have been permanently disabled.
"I recommend immediate surgery," the doctor said.
Chen Jinzhao did not hesitate, nodding, "Then we'll trouble the doctor. We'll go pay now."
Tao Qiyue, by his side, waved her phone, "No need. I've already paid through my phone. Consider it a small token of my sincerity."
Chen Jinzhao looked at Tao Qiyue again.
In his impression, Tao Qiyue was the type of girl who managed household finances frugally. Judging by the prices of her clothes and her spending habits, she could spend so lavishly in such a situation, paying for Li Xiaozhong's surgery.
"Thank you," Chen Jinzhao said.
Tao Qiyue smiled, "What are you thanking me for? We're comrades, we should help each other. You can't look down on me just because I'm a woman."
The surgery required a family member's signature.
So, Chen Jinzhao asked Li Xiaozhong to call his wife.
Another half hour later, a haggard-looking woman rushed into the hospital, clearly having been crying.
"Xiaozhong, how are you?" Zhang Wanting asked, her voice trembling.
Li Xiaozhong put on a brave face for his wife, telling her that Chen Jinzhao and Tao Qiyue had helped him. Zhang Wanting also hurried to thank the two of them.
Her subservient bowing made Tao Qiyue very uncomfortable.
It felt like thorns on her back.
This couple's lives should not have been like this. They should have had a bright future. The man-made disaster created by Jiangnan Real Estate Group had changed their fate.
Zhang Wanting signed, and Li Xiaozhong was taken into the operating room.
Chen Jinzhao glanced at the time; it was past five in the evening. It was time to head to Ningcheng Steel Plant.
"Sister-in-law, give me your bank account number, and I'll transfer some money to you," Chen Jinzhao said.
At first, Zhang Wanting strongly refused. Like Li Xiaozhong, she didn't want to trouble Chen Jinzhao, as Chen Jinzhao's money wasn't easy to come by.
Chen Jinzhao said in a deep voice, "Even if you don't think for yourselves, you must think for your daughter. I heard from Xiaozhong that your child is still undergoing treatment, and it's quite costly."
"Give me your account number."
Zhang Wanting pursed her lips and finally did not refuse further.
Chen Jinzhao didn't think much and transferred five hundred thousand yuan to Zhang Wanting through online banking. Upon seeing the string of numbers, Zhang Wanting immediately knelt down to Chen Jinzhao.
"Sister-in-law, what are you doing..." Chen Jinzhao anxiously pulled her up.
Zhang Wanting wept, saying gratefully, "Big Brother Chen, you are a truly good person! Xiaozhong and I will repay your kindness by working like oxen and horses for the rest of our lives."
Tao Qiyue, watching this scene, also felt a pang of sympathy, but she still said, "Sister Zhang, please stand up before you speak. Big Brother Chen is a man of integrity. He's helping you, not asking you to kneel. He'll be unhappy if you do this."
Zhang Wanting immediately stood up.
Chen Jinzhao finally breathed a sigh of relief and said earnestly, "Sister-in-law, this is my contact information. You can reach me through this number if you need anything. I have something to attend to, so I'll be leaving now. Remember to let me know when Xiaozhong's surgery is over and he's out of danger."
"Qiyue, let's go."
Tao Qiyue nodded, bid farewell to Zhang Wanting, and followed Chen Jinzhao.
In fact, it wasn't just Chen Jinzhao's perception of Tao Qiyue that had changed. In Tao Qiyue's heart, Chen Jinzhao's image had also become more prominent. Despite clearly being short on money, he was so generous to others.
From this, it could be seen.
Chen Jinzhao was a good person.
After leaving the hospital, the two of them rushed to the Ningcheng Steel Plant outside the Third Ring East Road. This abandoned steel plant lay like a ferocious beast coiled in the wilderness.
However, by this time, quite a few luxury cars were already parked outside the abandoned factory building.
Ningcheng Steel Plant covered a vast area of over a thousand mu, encompassing both the production and residential zones. Due to nearly thirty years of abandonment, several buildings in the residential area had collapsed.
The production workshops were where the underground bare-knuckle fights were held.
Before entering the workshop, dedicated personnel would collect everyone's mobile phones for safekeeping, to prevent anyone from secretly taking photos of the scene.
Of course.
Such rules only applied to ordinary spectators.
As for the major patrons, they each had their own private boxes. The camera angles from each box were different, making it easy to determine who took the photos.
These patrons were not foolish enough to provoke the organizers.
The organizers were not weak. At least, no one had yet managed to uncover their background, causing many to be wary.
Chen Jinzhao was surprised that they had to hand over their phones. Tao Qiyue, however, explained, "You can actually rest assured about this. The organizers have a strong background and would not engage in such actions as spying on people's privacy. That would be a major taboo for them."
"I can't believe I'm hearing these words from you," Chen Jinzhao chuckled.
Tao Qiyue rolled her eyes at Chen Jinzhao.
After handing over their phones and paying a certain fee, the two were allowed to enter.
Inside the plant, it was a world apart from the outside. While the exterior looked dilapidated, the interior was a completely different scene.
It could even be described as luxurious.
Moreover, the lighting inside was incredibly brilliant, suggesting a significant investment in the renovation, similar to a professional basketball arena.
The two found seats and surveyed the ring surrounded by the audience stands. Faint traces of unwashed blood could be seen on the stage. After years of soaking and permeation, many areas had turned a dark red. Tao Qiyue frowned, murmuring, "It seems many people have died here."
At the entrance of the factory.
A Rolls-Royce with a local Ninghai license plate slowly stopped. Ning Fei, exuding an imposing aura, stepped out of the car. Following his vehicle was a Volkswagen, from which a close-cropped middle-aged man emerged. The man's hands were covered in calluses, a mark of someone who had long handled weapons.
Furthermore, a faint aura of menace emanated from the middle-aged man, causing those who met his sharp gaze to tremble.
Before Ning Fei could enter, a subordinate rushed up and whispered a few words into his ear.
"Oh?"
Ning Fei's eyebrows rose. "Are you sure you saw correctly?"
The subordinate quickly shook his head.
Ning Fei's brow relaxed, and a confident smile reappeared on his face.
"Haha, interesting!"
"I was wondering how I could find an opportunity to get rid of him. I didn't expect this dog to walk right into my trap."