As the word was spoken, both Ye Qing and Fang Tingyun's faces changed drastically.
Tears uncontrollably welled up in Fang Tingyun's eyes, while Ye Qing's face showed despair. Paralysis was a common affliction, but no matter who suffered from it, it was something he couldn't accept. Even for Ye Qing himself, he simply could not accept this outcome!
The three people in the room were silent, at this moment, no one knew what to say.
Suddenly, the door was opened, and Zhao Chengshuang entered in a wheelchair. Shockingly, the person pushing his wheelchair was Huo Pingping.
"Ye brothers, how is Ye doing? I heard Ye has woken up, how is he?" Zhao Chengshuang entered the room loudly, his concern for Ye Qing was very apparent.
Lin Tianyou sighed, and Fang Tingyun turned her head to the side, tears streaming down.
Seeing their expressions, Zhao Chengshuang was first stunned, then he shouted towards Ye Qing on the bed, "Ye, how are you? Do you recognize me? I'm Zhao Chengshuang, Northern Ring Thirteen!"
Lin Tianyou said, "Stop yelling, he just can't move, not that he can't hear."
Zhao Chengshuang looked at Ye Qing on the bed, grabbed Lin Tianyou's clothes, and asked, "Old Lin, what's the situation? Is there a cure?"
"It's a peculiar disease; I've never seen it abroad either. Why have the transmission nerves stopped functioning?" Lin Tianyou said, "I have contacted several top experts from overseas and sent them Ye Qing's medical condition. I believe they will definitely find a solution!"
Lin Tianyou's words were only meant to comfort, Zhao Chengshuang looked at Ye Qing and said, "Ye, listen to me, you will be fine. If Shenchuan City can't cure you, I'll take you to Jianghai City. If Jianghai City can't cure you, I will take you to the Capital. If the Capital can't cure you, I will take you abroad, to the best place possible. You will definitely be fine!"
"Can you talk less, who said he couldn't be cured!" Huo Pingping knocked Zhao Chengshuang discontentedly and walked to the bedside, looking at Ye Qing. Even though her face was stern, her eyes clearly showed worry.
"You damn soldier, even though I really don't get along with you, I admire what you've done this time. You better get up quickly, or else I might start treating you better!"
Ye Qing slowly closed his eyes, his heart was in agony. If it could save his brother Ye Jun, even if it meant making himself paralyzed, he wouldn't care. But now, his brother wasn't saved yet, and he had become , what should he do about his brother's situation?
In the morning, at Yunchi Group.
Director Mu Qingrong hadn't come to the company for two days now; with Ye Qing hospitalized, Director Mu Qingrong spent most of her time at the hospital during the day. It was only when work was nearly over that she had someone bring the company's operations back home to work on at night.
Manager Wang now held absolute dominance in the company, and he was currently sitting in Director Mu Qingrong's office, his eyes flickering with a cold glint.
"That Ye really didn't expect this, I didn't even compete against you and you've already fallen," Manager Wang sneered secretly, his hatred for Ye Qing was no longer hidden. Director Mu Qingrong's care for Ye Qing in these past few days had fueled his jealousy to the extreme.
At that moment, Cheng Feilong walked in from the doorway and said, "Manager Wang, the business deal is prepared, should we show it to Director Mu?"
Manager Wang shook his head: "No need!"
Cheng Feilong said in a low voice, "But, this... this is after all Ye Qing's deal, not showing it to Director Mu doesn't seem right..."
"What's right and what's not!" Manager Wang glared at him and said, "With Ye Qing away from the company, is our company not going to develop? Although this business was originally won by Ye Qing, the proposal was perfected by me. It's my, Manager Wang's, hard work. Therefore, this business is also won by me, Manager Wang. It has nothing to do with that Ye. Do you understand?"
Cheng Feilong nodded, but inside he was cursing. The last time Manager Wang had gone with Ye Qing to Lin Corporation for a tender, they worked on different projects, but Manager Wang's proposal wasn't chosen, and Ye Qing's was.
That incident could have established Ye Qing's position in the company. However, just at this time, Ye Qing fell ill. Thus, Manager Wang took over Ye Qing's deal, personally perfected it, and wanted to claim it as his own.
In reality, at least seventy percent of the credit for the deal belonged to Ye Qing, and Manager Wang's later perfection accounted for at most thirty percent credit. Yet, Manager Wang actually wanted to monopolize the deal, which seemed exceedingly ruthless!
But now, with Ye Qing away from the company, and Director Mu Qingrong also absent, what Manager Wang said was law, and no one else dared to say otherwise.
"Later, you send the proposal to Lin Corporation!" Manager Wang instructed coldly, but his heart was blossoming with joy.
If this business was won, then Manager Wang's name would make a huge impact in the industry. After all, securing a deal with Lin Corporation as a smaller company was no easy feat.
Wang Xuan could even imagine that, in the future, he would definitely become a prominent figure in Shenchuan City's industry. Even if he left Yunchi Group someday, he would surely be treated with preference wherever he went.
Wang Xuan stood up and looked out at the tall buildings, sneering in his heart, "Mu Qingrong, I have been so good to you, and you don't appreciate it. Just wait until I secure the business of Lin Corporation, I'll leave immediately, and then I'll see how you cry!"
Right now, Mu Qingrong was in the hospital taking care of Ye Qing, while Fang Tingyun went to work. Huo Pingping was doing okay, being a salesperson was somewhat leisurely, so she was also keeping company here.
Ye Qing was still in the same condition, able to move his head a little but without strength in his body, unable to move any other part.
Ye Qing's heart was also gradually cooling, and he had to start facing this reality. It seemed that he might really have to lie in bed for the rest of his life.
"Damn soldier, you say you were fine, but to save someone, you ended up sacrificing yourself. Why are you so foolish?" Huo Pingping chided Ye Qing at his side, repeating these words over and over.
Ye Qing didn't respond; being able to save that little boy was the only consolation in his heart. Even now, he didn't regret his decision at the time. He was very clear that if he had cowered back then and the boy had died, he would have been guilt-ridden for life!
"Pingping, don't say that. Ye Qing is a good person. He got such an injury for saving that child. You should be proud of him!" Mu Qingrong said.
"Proud? He'll be lying there for life, what about the future?" Huo Pingping retorted.
"Pingping!" Mu Qingrong glared at her with a sharp rebuke. Realizing her mistake, Huo Pingping hurriedly changed her tone, "Of course, Divine Doctor Lin is still trying to get world-famous doctors over, the disease will surely be cured. But isn't it frustrating in the meantime?"
Mu Qingrong didn't respond, and after Huo Pingping grumbled a few more times, noticing no one was paying attention to her, she became quite annoyed, stood up, and said, "Fine, fine, you all take my kindness for donkey's lungs. I won't talk to you anymore; I'm going to find Zhao Chengshuang. That kid at least has something in common with me!"
Huo Pingping walked straight out of the room, and Mu Qingrong beside the bed gave Ye Qing some water to drink. Looking at Ye Qing's bearded face, Mu Qingrong felt waves of pain in her heart. She hadn't known Ye Qing for a long time, nor had they spent much time together. Yet, for some reason, her heart had already unconsciously come to regard Ye Qing as the closest person to her.
"Ye Qing, you won't have any problems!" Mu Qingrong whispered softly, as if it was meant for Ye Qing to hear, and as if she were reassuring herself.
At the company where Fang Tingyun worked, she sat blankly at her desk, her mind drifting far away.
"Tingyun, it's time to get off work, aren't you leaving?" A girl patted Fang Tingyun's shoulder.
"Ah?" Fang Tingyun hurriedly stood up, looked at the watch, and indeed it was time to leave.
"Tingyun, what's wrong with you? Are you okay?" The girl looked at Fang Tingyun with concern, "You look like you're out of it all day; what happened?"
"No... Nothing..." Fang Tingyun hastily waved her hand and scurried off with her belongings.
Once she had descended the stairs, it was dusk, and the area was crowded with people heading home from work.
Fang Tingyun usually took the bus home from the stop ahead, but now her first destination was the hospital. So, once downstairs, she didn't head to the bus stop in front but instead crossed through the alley at the back, planning to hail a cab on the street behind.
The alley was somewhat secluded, but not lacking in people; it essentially functioned as a local street vendor lane, with various stalls.
Fang Tingyun hurried along, and not long after, she suddenly heard a voice, "Miss, you've been troubled lately, haven't you?"
Fang Tingyun stopped in her tracks and turned her head, seeing a sleazy-looking man squatting in a corner. The man wore greasy clothes and his hair was slick with hair gel, meticulously combed into a middle part, giving him the appearance of a traitor. But, he had a snakeskin bag in hand, looking more like a petty dealer.
It was this traitor dealer who sat by a cardboard sign that read "Iron-mouthed Prognosticator." Beside it, it advertised fortune-telling services like checking love matches, predicting futures, divination of good and bad fortune, exorcising ghosts and goblins, conducting Daoist rituals, removing misfortune, naming and renaming, among others.
However, what surprised Fang Tingyun even more was that these fortune-telling services only took up half of the cardboard sign. The other half listed a bizarre assortment of services like treating various tough diseases, topping up phone credits, making fake IDs, fixing toilets and taps, wall plastering, changing gas cylinders, inherited mole removal, corn extraction, and lock-picking.
Fang Tingyun stared at the traitor dealer in astonishment; she couldn't figure out if this guy was a fortune-teller moonlighting as a handyman, or a handyman moonlighting as a fortune-teller. However, judging from his proud demeanor, whether it was fortune-telling or handiwork, he didn't seem professional at all!
Guessing what Fang Tingyun was thinking, the traitor dealer's face broke into a mysterious smile, "Miss, your friend is in big trouble!"
Fang Tingyun's eyes widened in shock, exclaiming, "How... how do you know?"
"The secrets of heaven cannot be revealed!" The traitor dealer, seeing that he had hit the mark, revealed a hint of joy in his eyes, and his expression became even more inscrutable, "However, you are fortunate to have met me—this is the destined opportunity in your fate!"