Xue Ruqi’s composure began to fray. The first call he had taken during dinner at the Fool’s Residence had been from his wife. She informed him that the doctors were requesting a hospital transfer.
At first, Xue Ruqi thought it was a simple matter. He immediately made two calls to powerful local figures, confident he could handle it and take his daughter to the capital for further examination and treatment. Both contacts readily agreed.
But the following calls began to feel off. Soon after, he received a call from a high-ranking friend working in a national ministry. The message was delivered politely but unmistakably. Do not resist and cooperate fully with the government's upcoming arrangements.
In that moment, a deep shock gripped Xue Ruqi’s heart. The Mount Tai Meteor incident had indeed been strange and beyond explanation. Could it be that his daughter had accidentally become entangled in some kind of international affair?
Subsequent phone calls all conveyed the same message as his government contact. Stand down and cooperate. That was when Xue Ruqi realized the situation had escalated far beyond his control. It had grown to a level even someone of his status could not interfere with.
This was the first time since he had built his empire from the ground up that he truly felt powerless. Even so, he had calmly returned to the private dining room, finished the meal with his teacher, Zhou Defeng, respectfully escorted him home and then had a frank conversation with Li Guorui. He did everything he believed needed to be done, with discipline and grace.
After all, even if his daughter had been caught up in something mysterious, he trusted the government wouldn’t act recklessly. Things would surely be sorted out with time.
Having weathered countless storms in business and politics, Xue Ruqi’s mental fortitude had long since become ironclad. But now, faced with several young men flashing National Security Bureau credentials, clearly prepared to escort him away, his instincts told him something was truly wrong.
"I want to make a phone call." Xue Ruqi hesitated for a moment, then asked, trying to keep his voice steady. He needed to verify their identities and more importantly, figure out what exactly was going on.
“Sorry.” The crew-cut man in the lead shook his head and refused. “According to protocol, you are not allowed to contact anyone at this time.”
“Can I at least speak with my wife and daughter?” asked Xue Ruqi, unwilling to give up so easily.
“No.” The answer came again, it was firm and final.
“Then I refuse to go with you. I protest. I’ll file a complaint. I have friends in the National Security Bureau too—” Xue Ruqi’s resistance began to rise, his voice tense.
“If that’s your stance,” the crew-cut man said coldly, “then we’ll have to use force.”
A sharp glint appeared in his eyes as his tone hardened. Xue Ruqi gritted his teeth, fury bubbling in his chest.
Just then, Li Guorui, who had been standing silently to the side, suddenly spoke, “Let him make the call.”
Hm? Xue Ruqi froze, instinctively turning his head to look at Li Guorui.
He almost laughed in disbelief.
At a moment , in this kind of situation, who gave you the right to speak?
But before he could say anything, the crew-cut man abruptly straightened, saluted crisply and responded, “Yes, sir!”
He stepped back with his team, giving Xue Ruqi space to make his call. Xue Ruqi stared at Li Guorui in disbelief.
What’s going on? With just a single sentence, this young man was able to command agents from the National Security Bureau?
Waves of shock surged in his heart. In that instant, Xue Ruqi realized that he had severely underestimated this junior disciple of his.
But... the background report... Ah. Of course. How foolish I’ve been. How classified would the personal information of someone who could command a special operations unit of the National Security Bureau be? There was no way I could have uncovered anything meaningful with a quick background check.
No matter how powerful an individual might be, they could never compete with the authority of the state. Suppressing his shock, Xue Ruqi quickly called his wife. He was informed that she and their daughter were en route to another hospital, escorted by armed police with a full security convoy clearing the way.
The news only deepened the storm within him. After hanging up, he turned to look at Li Guorui again. A smile appeared on his face but this time, it was a little forced.
“Thank you,” he said.
Li Guorui smiled faintly and replied, “It was nothing.”
After all, the Dragon Group had to consider the emotional state of civilians when handling matters. Brutality and rigid enforcement were never the default approach. Allowing the phone call didn’t violate any regulations. It was within his discretion.
Xue Ruqi said, “It seems I misjudged you. I didn’t expect that my junior would be someone hiding such depth.”
Li Guorui simply smiled again and said nothing.
After a brief hesitation, Xue Ruqi asked, “Will Little Xue... be in any danger?”
Li Guorui replied, “You don’t have to worry, Senior Xue. Little Xue won’t be in any danger.”
Xue Ruqi let out a long sigh of relief. In the end, he suppressed his curiosity. He didn’t ask Li Guorui about his identity again. When he got into the black sedan belonging to the National Security Bureau and the car slowly pulled away, he looked through the tinted window at the young man standing at the hotel entrance, smiling and waving farewell. He couldn’t quite describe what he was feeling.
He and his wife had completely misjudged Li Guorui. He was so young, yet he already held such high authority. He was either backed by an extraordinary lineage or possessed incredible personal strength.
Could he be one of those rumored superpowered individuals?
As a member of high society, Xue Ruqi had a keen sense for the changing tides of the world. The black car moved unhindered along its route. Eventually, it came to a stop at the gates of a special hospital located in the outskirts of the capital.
Xue Ruqi was led by two armed guards into the facility. The moment he saw his wife and daughter, the tight knot in his chest finally began to ease. He also noticed that other injured individuals and their families from the Mount Tai Meteor incident had all been transferred here as well.
The patient care was exceptional, with attentive doctors and nurses. The hospital grounds included a cafeteria, sports facilities, a gym and even a swimming pool. Although they were temporarily restricted from leaving or communicating with the outside world, they were allowed to move about freely within the compound.
Night soon fell, and Xue Ruqi lit a cigarette and took a slow drag as he watched his wife and daughter sleeping peacefully. His thoughts were in disarray. He tried to organize the fragments of information swirling in his mind.
The keen intuition he had cultivated over the years was ringing faintly. He could sense that something had changed in the world. Otherwise, an ordinary meteor strike, no matter how severe, would never have warranted such a sweeping government response.
Though his unease lingered, Li Guorui’s earlier assurance echoed in his mind, bringing him a strange sense of calm. But when he reexamined the relationship between his daughter and that young man...
Xue Ruqi suddenly found the truth rather ironic. Perhaps it wasn’t that the boy wasn’t worthy of his daughter perhaps, it was the exact opposite. However, he chose not to share these thoughts with his wife.
In the days that followed, the doctors tirelessly conducted thorough medical examinations on all the patients. Even the family members received full physical check-ups.
On the fourth day, golden autumn sunlight streamed through the hospital room’s window and cast a warm glow across the floor.
Xue Xue sat on the edge of her bed. She had her hand open and her fingers slightly curled, but she was staring intently at her palm. A swirling, vortex-like glow had formed in the center of her snow-white palm. The light was twisting and shimmering like a whirlpool.
When she focused, the distorted light compressed tightly, as if wound by invisible gears. The multicolored glow condensed into brilliant strands, like a miniature rainbow dancing in her palm.
It was her superpower. She heard footsteps approaching from behind. In an instant, the glow in her palm vanished with a flicker of thought. She turned and saw a stranger standing in her hospital room.
He wore a red-and-black Hongxing Erke tracksuit. He was fair-skinned, slightly chubby, and smiling gently.
"Who are you?" asked Xue Xue. Her guard went up immediately.