Chen Yang approached Sun Dejiang.
Instantly, the old father, already mentally and emotionally exhausted, gave a start. He nervously twisted the hem of his clothes, his throat bobbing several times as he struggled to speak.
"Uncle." Chen Yang smiled. "May I see your daughter?"
"Ye—yes, you can." Sun Dejiang nodded. If this young man wasn't lying, he must have been the one who saved his daughter that day.
"Leave? Heh..." Zhu Kewen's mouth twisted into a hideous sneer. "Without my permission today, you little bastard, you're not going anywhere."
THUD.
Yang Hu struck with a flying kick, sending the viper-hearted woman tumbling to the ground. "One more word of nonsense, and I'll stomp you to death, you bitch."
In that instant, all the hairs on Zhu Kewen's body stood on end. What kind of person is this? Is he really going to kill me?
Worst of all, the bodyguards responsible for her protection just stood there, rooted to the spot, not daring to move. The sight filled Zhu Kewen with extreme frustration.
At the same time, guided by Sun Dejiang, Chen Yang entered the hospital room.
The small room contained three beds. Two girls were curled up on them, their hair disheveled and their eyes hollow, like walking corpses. Another girl sat on the edge of her bed, hugging her knees with her head buried between them, sobbing uncontrollably.
A single glance was enough to fill Chen Yang's heart with an indescribable bitterness.
It was easy to imagine the immense trauma that day's ordeal had inflicted upon these young girls. Chen Yang was not good at comforting people, so he simply stood there in silence as a feeling of endless unease washed over him.
If only I had arrived half an hour earlier that day. If only...
"Xiaoli," Sun Dejiang called out gently.
The weeping girl numbly lifted her head. When Chen Yang saw her pale, tear-stained face, still bearing a trace of childish innocence, his heart felt as if it were being torn apart.
The girl, Sun Xiaoli, naturally recognized the man standing with her father. She was startled at first, but then a glimmer of light returned to her dull eyes. "Brother, it's you!"
She clearly remembered that day at the hotel. It was this man who had mercilessly dealt with that beast Luo Chen. Not long after he had taken Luo Chen away, news of the beast's death spread.
"Brother, thank you." Sun Xiaoli immediately tried to get out of bed, but Chen Yang quickly waved his hand to stop her. "No need to get up, just sit."
The other two girls also lifted their heads.
"Brother?!"
"Sob... sob..."
As they greeted Chen Yang, tears streamed down their faces uncontrollably.
Chen Yang was deeply moved. Though barely having stepped into the world, their bodies and minds had suffered such immense harm. This shadow would surely follow them for the rest of their lives. This world had always been one where the happy are all alike, while the unhappy each suffer in their own way. Chen Yang couldn't truly feel their pain as his own.
All he could do now was exact revenge for them, clear their names, and, within his capabilities, offer some compensation. The worn-out clothes peeking from their luggage and the chipped, peeling lunchbox were silent testaments to their families' poverty.
"If it hadn't been for you that day, Brother, we... we..." Sun Xiaoli started to speak, but she broke down sobbing again.
"I was too late." Chen Yang felt extremely distressed, and at the same time, an unprecedented wave of anger and killing intent rose within him.
Meanwhile, outside the hospital room, Zhu Kewen had tried several times to stand up but failed. Her once-comely face was now hideous. Her son's funeral was tomorrow. Today, she had to record a video, no matter what, to clear Luo Chen's name. Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to live in peace for the rest of her life.
"Quick, contact Luo Yunhai immediately! Tell him I've found the man who murdered Luo Chen." Zhu Kewen wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand as she ordered her attendant.
She no longer cared whether Chen Yang was the real culprit. That wasn't important. The mere fact that he had dared to hurt her meant he deserved to die.
Before the attendant could even make the call, Zhu Kewen's phone rang.
"Where are you?" Luo Yunhai's cold interrogation came through the moment she answered.
"I'm at the hospital! I found those little bitches, and I'm going to clear our son's name. What's more, I ran into a bastard who claims he's the one who killed my son!" Zhu Kewen couldn't suppress the fury erupting from within as she spoke, her voice thick with emotion.
「Inside the Luo Family Estate」
Luo Yunhai's lips trembled uncontrollably. A bastard? Is she calling the Former Chief Military Commander, Chen Yang, a bastard?
He took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the rage within him.
Zhu Kewen glanced at Yang Hu, then toward the hospital room. A mocking sneer formed on her lips, a mixture of disdain and a coldness so palpable it was almost tangible.
"This piece of trash is outrageously arrogant! He not only disrespects the might of our Luo Family's Hao-Dang Gate but has also attacked me repeatedly! Dad, send an expert over now! I want him dead!" Her face was contorted with such malice that her features twisted, her teeth gnashing as if she wanted to grind Chen Yang and Yang Hu's bones to dust.
"Do you even know who he is? You reckless fool! Who told you to go looking for them?"
Zhu Kewen, who had expected firm support, was stunned silent by the sudden tirade, her mind going completely blank.
"Dad, I... I was only trying to clear Luo Chen's name so he can rest in peace tomorrow," Zhu Kewen's tone became hesitant and shaky. She wasn't an idiot; how could she not sense that something was terribly wrong?
"If I'm not mistaken, the person who attacked you is the Former Chief Military Commander, Chen Yang."
"Yesterday, he annihilated the Wang Family! Today, he crippled the Falcon Master! You, a piece of trash, dare to provoke him?" On the other end, Luo Yunhai was livid with shame. "Didn't I tell you to keep a low profile? Did my words go in one ear and out the other?"
"You are no longer part of the Luo Family. Fend for yourself."
Hearing the dial tone, Zhu Kewen, who had just been arguing her case, felt the blood drain from her face. She stood rooted to the spot, completely motionless.
He... he just abandoned me? Just like that?!
Just then, Chen Yang walked out of the hospital room.
HISS.
As her gaze fell on Chen Yang, the noblewoman gasped, all the vitality seeming to drain from her body.
A moment later, Zhu Kewen could only stare at Chen Yang and tremble, unable to form a coherent sentence. "You... you..."
Chen Yang started walking toward her. His steps were unhurried, but each one landed like a heavy blow on her psyche.
"You knew the truth, yet you still tried to force the victims to apologize on camera and twist the facts! This isn't the first time you've done something like this, is it?"
Zhu Kewen was silent.
Kidnapping young women, treating human life as worthless... What's most chilling is their robber-baron mentality. They think their noble birth gives them the right to do whatever they want, to treat ordinary people as less than human.
"By your logic, then," Chen Yang said, his face impassive, "in my eyes, you're nothing but trash. A maggot."
"So now, I'm going to step on this maggot. Do you have any objections?"
Zhu Kewen was speechless.