Chapter 3: Humiliation

"Big brother, let's go outside and talk!"

Wu Bei's anger vanished in an instant. Facing this street thug several years his junior, he lowered his head and pleaded.

"You actually have the nerve to talk about face?!"

The guy with green hair spat right onto Wu Bei's face, the saliva, reeking of stale cigarettes, slowly trickling down.

Wu Bei's fists clenched and unclenched, then clenched again, but in the end, he didn't move a muscle.

"Want to hit me? Come on, right here! You coward, even if I gave you the guts, would you dare?"

"Hahaha..."

The green-haired thug tilted his head, his face full of mockery, while the hoodlums beside him joined in with jeers.

"Slap!"

The old man, Wu Shihao, struggled to climb out of bed, swung his arm with all his might, and delivered a slap, shielding Wu Bei with his own frail, withered body.

"Damn it, you old fossil, you dare hit me!"

The green-haired thug staggered, then shrieked as he lunged toward Wu Shihao.

"Swish!"

Wu Bei lunged forward, grabbing the thug by the collar with one hand, his eyes sharp as he growled, "If you dare touch my father, I will kill your entire family!"

At that moment, he seemed possessed by a fierce beast, his gleaming eyes devoid of a single trace of emotion.

The hospital room fell into instant silence; everyone stared at Wu Bei in a daze.

"Creak..."

The door to the ward was pushed open, and a young nurse walked in.

Wu Bei loosened his grip on the green-haired thug, acting as if nothing had happened, and turned to help Wu Shihao back onto the bed.

Seeing the scene in the room, the nurse raised her voice with a strong sense of justice: "Get out! Or I'm calling the police right now!"

"Debts must be paid! I'm in the right no matter where we go! Next week is the final deadline!"

The green-haired thug, seizing the opportunity to back down, tossed out a final threat and signaled his men to leave.

***

"Uncle Wu, if they come to cause trouble again, just call the police. My uncle works at the local station!"

The young nurse ran over to tuck Wu Shihao in, her last sentence clearly meant to intimidate the thugs.

"Thank you, Qingqing, I'm fine."

Wu Shihao waved his hand with a smile.

Wu Bei also thanked her repeatedly with gratitude.

The nurse's name was Su Qing. She was responsible for his father's ward and was a kind person who often kept the old man company.

After helping tidy the bed, Su Qing turned to leave. "Uncle Wu, get ready. It'll be time for your IV drip soon."

Her smile was infectious, and in her pristine nurse's uniform, she looked just like an angel.

Soon, only Wu Shihao and his son were left in the room.

The atmosphere fell into silence.

Wu Bei forced an unnatural smile, grabbed the wreath by the head of the bed, and started to walk out.

"Son, you've suffered..."

The old man murmured in a low voice.

Wu Bei’s body went rigid, his eyes stinging.

When he was begging for help everywhere, he hadn't felt much; when he was crawling on his knees, he hadn't felt fear. But his father's single sentence nearly caused him to lose control.

What truly makes a man break down in tears is never the great storms of life, but often just a sudden touch of warmth.

In the past year, he had experienced too much and lost too much, but when it all came down to it, he was just a twenty-two-year-old young man.

"Everything will get better! It will!!!"

Wu Bei didn't dare look back. He quickly wiped the corners of his eyes with the back of his hand and, clutching the wreath, walked out of the ward.

As he pulled the door open, a fragrant figure stumbled in, colliding head-on with him. It was the girl he had met in the elevator earlier.

She quickly steadied herself, her face turning bright red. "Ahem, excuse me. I wanted to ask, have you ever served in the military in the Imperial Capital? You look so much like a friend of mine."

***

"No!"

Wu Bei shook his head with a stiff expression.

He felt that his current state of affairs was a stain on his former identity as a soldier.

"Oh..."

The girl's bright eyes dimmed, and she forced a disappointed smile.

Wu Bei looked her up and down. "Anything else?"

The girl bit her lower lip, unwilling to give up, and asked one more time, "Then... do you have an older or younger brother?"

Wu Bei shook his head again.

"Sorry to bother you!" The girl sighed and turned toward the elevators.

Staring at her retreating back, Wu Bei frowned, lost in thought.

He had indeed served in the military in the Imperial Capital, and in a very special branch at that. He had participated in many classified missions and had offended many powerful figures who could reach the heavens. It was possible that this girl had truly seen him before, but he couldn't gauge her intentions.

"Mr. Wu!"

Suddenly, a woman's voice sounded from behind him.

Seeing that it was the nurse, Su Qing, Wu Bei quickly responded. Whenever he wasn't at the hospital, his father was entirely under her care.

Su Qing walked straight over and asked, "Do you have a job now?"

Wu Bei hesitated for a few seconds and then shook his head bitterly.

Many of the nurses and doctors in the hospital were aware of his family's situation.

Su Qing thought for a moment and said, "My family runs a vegetable shop. If you’re willing, you could work as a delivery driver. It’s a bit tiring, but the pay is steady, and the hours are short—just an hour or two every morning. It won't interfere with you taking care of your uncle."