Chapter Fifty-Eight: Wu Ting's Slumber

"Wu Ting..."

"Wu Ting!"

Ma Wu woke from his stupor, his lungs burning with pain. Liquid kept flooding into his nose and eyes, making it nearly impossible to open them.

This was the heaviest rainfall in H City in five years. Raindrops merged into a curtain, mercilessly cleansing the city's sins.

Ma Wu possessed a certain resilience; though his internal organs were damaged, he had managed to cling to life.

He struggled on the spot for a long while before finally managing to sit up. The SUV and the Cruze were gone. The torrential rain had washed away the blood on the road. The corpses of the three special forces soldiers had vanished, leaving behind only a few dark red stains.

The memory of Ye Qing raising her blade before his consciousness faded brought a dull ache to Ma Wu’s head. He fumbled for his phone, pressing the keys with difficulty, not even checking who he was calling.

The call connected quickly, and a woman's voice came from the other end. "Ma Wu? What's wrong, Ma Wu? The rain on your end is so loud!"

Ma Wu wanted to ask her to come pick him up, to take him to a hospital, but the words caught in his throat as a wave of searing pain surged from his lungs, making it impossible to speak.

He tried several times before finally managing to utter, brokenly, "Wu... a few kilometers east of the Wu family... help..."

Before he could finish, Ma Wu lost consciousness again. Only his phone, fallen nearby, carried the anxious voice of the woman: "Ma Wu! Ma Wu! Don’t scare me, what happened to you..."

When he opened his eyes again, he was staring at a glaringly white ceiling. He felt a heaviness pressing down on his chest.

He tried to sit up, but a hand reached over to hold him down. Its owner said, "Now’s not the time to move. Rest some more, your body is in serious condition."

Ma Wu glanced sideways and saw a man in a white coat, which gave him some relief.

He tried to speak and found the pain in his lungs had lessened. "Doctor, how long have I been unconscious?"

The doctor’s eyes flashed with surprise when he heard Ma Wu speak. "You’ve been in a coma for three days. In these three days, you underwent five surgeries. We repaired your ribs, stitched the wound on your abdomen, and cleaned your lungs."

Ma Wu nodded and asked, "Who brought me here? And what hospital is this?"

The doctor turned away to organize some medicine, replying ambiguously, "A lady brought you in. This is the hospital affiliated with the Public Security Bureau, specialized in treating suspects and others involved in criminal cases."

A twitch flickered at the corner of Ma Wu’s eye. He thought, this is trouble. He’d killed three people, the car was wrecked, and his wounds clearly weren’t just from a fall. If the authorities dug deeper, escaping would be almost impossible.

He pondered for a moment, then suddenly remembered something. "Doctor, where’s my phone? I want to call a friend."

Although someone had saved him and brought him to the hospital, Wu Ting was nowhere to be found. When he had been conscious earlier, he had looked around carefully but saw no sign of her.

Recalling Ye Qing’s actions, a wrench of pain twisted in his heart. Wu Ting—a woman who loved him so deeply—was she really to perish here?

Ma Wu took a deep breath, his grip on the bedrail so tight it creaked. If Ye Qing had truly killed Wu Ting, he would never forgive her, nor would he forgive himself for failing to save Wu Ting.

The doctor gave Ma Wu a mocking look, his tone laced with sarcasm. "Sir, didn’t you hear me just now? This hospital treats suspects in criminal cases. And you want to call someone? Do you think that’s possible?"

Ma Wu gritted his teeth, worry for Wu Ting clouding all reason. He struggled violently, the assisted breathing device at his chest nearly falling off.

A flash of savagery appeared in his eyes as he barked at the doctor, "Stop talking nonsense! I just want to make one call, to make sure my friend is safe. After that, you can do whatever you want with me!"

The doctor glanced at him contemptuously, muttered, "Idiot," and turned to leave.

With a roar, Ma Wu broke free of his restraints and lunged for the doctor’s collar.

At that moment, the door to the ward opened, and Guo Yan walked in.

He cast a gloomy look at the doctor. "Dr. Chen, didn’t I tell you not to agitate the patients? Not everyone treated here is a criminal; some are victims. Who gave you the right to throw your weight around here?"

The doctor trembled, forcing a smile as he tried to justify himself. "Director Guo, I was just worried he might try to contact accomplices, that’s all, no ill intentions."

Guo Yan’s gaze hardened. "Get out. Collect your salary for this month, and don’t bother coming back. This is not the first time you’ve let your emotions interfere with your work—I’ve given you enough chances."

The doctor bit his lip, not daring to defy Guo Yan. He slunk out of the room.

Seeing an old acquaintance, Ma Wu managed a weak smile and reached out to Guo Yan. "Director Guo, before we talk about anything else, let me make a call—please."

Guo Yan smiled and handed him his phone. "Of course."

Ma Wu suppressed his fear and, relying on memory, dialed Wu Ting’s number. He was terrified—terrified that calling would confirm Wu Ting had left him forever.

The call connected, but no one answered. With each ring, Ma Wu’s heart was tormented in agony.

Finally, a firm voice came through: "Ma Wu, my young friend! Are you alright? What happened?"

Ma Wu choked up—it wasn’t Wu Ting but Wu Xin answering. A heavy foreboding settled in his heart.

He didn’t want to answer Wu Xin’s questions; he only wanted to know Wu Ting’s condition. His voice was urgent: "Wu Xin, how is Wu Ting? Have you found her? Is she alright?" In his desperation, he forgot to address Wu Xin respectfully, calling him by name.

Hearing Ma Wu’s anxiety, Wu Xin was both worried and comforted about his daughter. "Don’t worry, Ma Wu. Wu Ting is fine. She seemed to have been badly frightened, or perhaps her emotions were too volatile, and she has been unconscious ever since.

"After your previous call was suddenly cut off, about three hours later, someone left Wu Ting at our doorstep. Our security staff found her and brought her in. The doctors say she isn’t physically hurt, but there’s something she can’t move past in her mind, so she won’t wake up.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

Hearing that Wu Ting was unharmed, just unconscious, Ma Wu was both relieved and anxious.

Ye Qing hadn’t gone through with it after all. In the end, when she raised the blade, she must have cut the rope binding Wu Ting instead.

Ma Wu didn’t know whether to hate Ye Qing or feel grateful. She had nearly killed Wu Ting, yet from another perspective, she was only carrying out a job for money. With just a few words, Ma Wu had persuaded her—even against her principles—to spare Wu Ting’s life. His feelings were tangled and complicated.

He knew he couldn’t blame Ye Qing. It was his own lack of ability that had failed to protect Wu Ting. The ones he should truly hate were those who had hired Ye Qing and her associates.

Taking a deep breath, Ma Wu said to Wu Xin, "It’s a long story. Once I’ve recovered a bit, I’ll visit the Wu family in person. Then I’ll explain everything and help treat Wu Ting."

After a few more words with Wu Xin, Ma Wu hung up and handed the phone back to Guo Yan.

Learning that Wu Ting was safe, his mood lightened considerably. He smiled at Guo Yan and said, "Director Guo, you’re the real chief now, aren’t you?"