C18 I Borrowed a Few of Your Guts

Guibao pushed Bao Guo back into his chair before standing up. "I'll get the door. You all keep talking."

But when he went to answer it, he nearly got assaulted. Within three minutes, a ruckus erupted outside the courtyard, forcing Bao Guo to ask the three women to wait while he went to investigate.

At the doorstep of the tiny grocery, Soong Jingang was livid, clutching Guibao's collar and bellowing, "Give it up! Hand over the formula—it belongs to the school, no, to the nation! You traitor, hand it over!"

This was crossing the line. It was one thing to strong-arm someone with skill, but slinging baseless accusations was just vile. Bao Guo felt like grabbing a machete, though it hadn't come to that—yet. Still, he couldn't stand by and watch his friend get attacked. Whipping out his phone, he began filming and yelling, "Professor Soong Jingang of XX University is assaulting someone, calling them a traitor! He's coerced a student into dropping out over greed for their research. Now he's here to claim their work. Have you no shame? Come see for yourselves—this is the esteemed Professor Soong Jingang of XX University's XX Department!"

Bao Guo's outburst not only made Soong Jingang halt but also flushed Guibao's cheeks with embarrassment. Bro, that's too harsh—your words cut deep.

"You—shut your mouth! I've never exploited my students' research. What do you know, you thug? Hand over that phone, you jerk—give it to me!" Soong Jingang was frantic. In this digital age, any random video could go viral and the fallout would be catastrophic. Desperate, he lunged for Bao Guo's phone.

"Look at this, everyone! Just as I said, Professor Soong is trying to snatch my phone. There's no justice, no law left! Hey, Little Ling, I'm calling the cops. I'm at XXX, someone's trying to rob me and threatening my life—yes, he's attacking me right now!"

Bao Guo's sharp tongue had Soong Jingang on the verge of tears. "I swear I didn't steal his phone. I didn't even lay a finger on it, let alone touch him. How could I possibly murder anyone?"

"Kid, you're filing a false police report, you hear me? You're going to jail for this," Soong Jingang fumed, shaking with rage as he pointed at Bao Guo's forehead and bellowed.

A glint of malice flashed in Bao Guo's eyes. In a sudden move, he whipped out a switchblade and thrust it into Soong Jingang's hand, then plunged it into his own left shoulder.

"Puchi!" Blood sprayed as Bao Guo screamed and collapsed, clutching his gushing shoulder and shrieking for help, claiming murder. Soong Jingang stood frozen, the bloody knife still in his grasp, while villagers rushed to the scene. "Stabbing someone in our village? You've got some nerve!"

Soong Jingang was no fool; he realized he was up against someone with a sharp mind. Tossing the knife aside, he pulled out his phone and dialed urgently. "Chen, CEO Chen, we've got trouble. Yes, I'm still here. Some kid shoved a knife into my hand and stabbed himself, then called the cops. What do I do now?"

After a brief silence, the voice on the other end spoke calmly, "Why panic? I've already bailed out Jin Shaozhong and Jin Shaocheng. They're on their way with backup. Once the police get there, keep quiet. Insist the knife isn't yours and leave the rest to us. Find a way to retrieve Guibao; he must know the formula. As for that Bao Guo, he's nothing but a thug—ignore him."

"Understood, understood," Soong Jingang replied, hanging up with a sigh of relief. His gaze shifted to Bao Guo, no longer filled with scorn but with a newfound wariness of his dangerous adversary.

...

The police arrived on the scene in under ten minutes, but they were too late to prevent the villagers' wrath. Soong Jingang had been pummeled to a pulp, his clothes torn to shreds as he knelt before Bao Guo, begging for forgiveness. Bao Guo, however, had repeatedly refused offers to be taken to the hospital, insisting on waiting for the police to arrive.

Despite the police recommending immediate medical attention, Bao Guo flashed a suave smile and said, "To help you catch the culprit, I can bear this bit of pain. My grandfather once concocted a medicinal wine that works wonders. No need for a hospital, just a quick spray will do. Guibao, take a swig and spray it on my wound."

Without hesitation, Guibao grabbed the metal flask from Bao Guo and took a gulp, promptly spitting it out.

Bao Guo winced at the searing pain, while the onlookers, police included, watched in bewilderment. They couldn't help but wonder about the recklessness of the young men. With all the bacteria in the human mouth, could such a method be safe?

Then, astonishment rippled through the crowd. "My goodness, look at that! The bleeding's stopped. It's not bleeding anymore. How miraculous!"

"And his wound, it looks like it's beginning to scab over. That's just incredible."

As the crowd buzzed with commentary about Bao Guo, a procession of cars approached. Two familiar figures emerged from the lead car – the same men who had tried to swindle Bao Guo with a bad check at the village committee.

These were the instigators behind the attack on Bao Guo's teeth cleaning water, an endeavor that had ultimately failed. Yet, here they were, brazenly parading before the police with their entourage.

"Which one of you is Professor Soong Jingang?" called out the pale-faced leader. Soong Jingang, thrilled, shot his hand up, eager to be seen.

"Ah, we've been looking for you. We're from the Shuhua Sanitization Group. These are our company's lawyers from headquarters. You don't need to say a word; let our legal team handle the negotiations."

Soong Jingang nodded with enthusiasm and moved to join them, but two officers held him back. "Hold on there. You think you can just walk away after a stabbing? Listen up, no lawyer can help you now. This is intentional assault, and to put it bluntly, it's attempted murder. Stay put and behave yourself."

Bao Guo chuckled to himself, appreciating the policemen's decency. Yet, the group that had just alighted from the car quickly encircled the officers. The ringleader, sporting a slicked-back hairstyle and clad in a black suit, flashed his ID. "Here's my ID. Officers, on what grounds have you concluded that our Professor Soong injured this man? Merely on the basis of this knife? Surely, that's insufficient. In criminal cases, both testimonial and physical evidence are essential."

His words left the police momentarily dumbfounded, but the onlookers were having none of it. They chimed in, "What's wrong with you? We all saw it happen. He's the one who stabbed Bao Guo. Why are you asking for witnesses? What's it to you anyway?"

The middle-aged man in the black suit offered a smile and adjusted his glasses. "Please, do not interfere with law enforcement. Be aware that your current statements could be used as court evidence. I might even charge you with false accusations and perjury. So, I'd advise you to choose your words wisely. We're a coalition of over a dozen law firms, and suing an entire village wouldn't be beyond us."

His words were a naked threat. The villagers, not well-versed in legal matters, held their tongues, wary of making things worse for themselves in case the situation took an unexpected turn.

The man in the black suit then turned to Bao Guo and Guibao, his smile broadening. "Sir, we suspect you of deliberately trying to frame our group's esteemed technical advisor, Mr. Soong Jingang. We will be taking legal action against you. And Mr. Guibao, you'll be sued for stealing our company's teeth cleaning formula. You're looking at a claim for 45 million yuan. Please be ready for the court summons. Farewell."

With sneers, the group prepared to depart, leaving Bao Guo and the rest bewildered, including the duty officers. What in the world was happening?

As they were about to exit the crowd, a cool female voice emanated from behind Bao Guo's little grocery store. "Hmph, quite the display of authority. I dare you to go ahead and sue us both."