C2 Who Are You?

Wang Hao instinctively felt that he might have crossed paths with someone significant.

"Who are you?" he asked, his guard up, intending to figure out the stranger's motives before deciding on a course of action.

Tang Ye, on the other hand, was much more straightforward.

He had zeroed in on Wang Hao as soon as he entered the room for two reasons. First, the nurse who had spoken earlier was so endearing, and the thought of such a sweet girl being bullied was simply intolerable. Second, Tang Ye bore a grudge against Wang Hao. It was an incident from four years ago, and Tang Ye believed that if it weren't for Wang Hao, the elderly man currently lying in the hospital bed, his former orphanage director, would still be at the orphanage instead of clinging to life through machines. However, Tang Ye suspected that Wang Hao probably didn't remember the incident.

"I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Tang Ye," he said, gently placing the old man's arm back under the blanket and smiling at Wang Hao.

"Tang Ye..." Wang Hao mulled over the name.

He had an excellent memory, but it was selective, reserved for those who could impact him positively or negatively.

After some thought, Wang Hao was certain he didn't recognize Tang Ye. He also knew that there was no one with the Tang surname among the influential figures or families in Zluftin that he couldn't handle.

"Everyone else, please leave," he instructed, once he was sure Tang Ye wasn't someone to be wary of, dismissing the ward nurse and the intern.

The task Wang Hao had in mind next was not for prying eyes.

The nurses and doctors were all too eager to exit. Lingering in such an atmosphere was unbearable.

As the group filed out, only Soong Xianxian, the nurse who had bravely intervened to stop Wang Hao earlier, cast a concerned glance at Tang Ye before departing the room. The rest of the staff at the rehabilitation hospital might have been in the dark, but Soong Xianxian was aware of Wang Hao's additional role. He was affiliated with the Lei family.

The Lei family was quite prominent among the second-tier families of Zluftin. Even though Wang Hao was merely an operative on the periphery of the Lei family, it was well-known that he was a close associate of Lei Ming, a man known for his fierce loyalty and concern for his reputation.

That man, Tang Ye, had just provoked Wang Hao. To Soong Xianxian, such an action was tantamount to self-destruction.

"It's such a shame. That guy looked pretty handsome…" Soong Xianxian murmured to herself.

Meanwhile, in the hospital ward.

"Kid, what did you just say? I didn't catch it. Say it again?" Once the nurses and doctors had left, Wang Hao sneered provocatively and clenched his fists as he advanced on Tang Ye.

"You're aware that I gifted Huang Jianmin a sports car, so you should realize making you vanish from Zluftin would be just as easy for me."

Wang Hao was quick-tempered and had no interest in keeping up pretenses any longer.

The private rooms in the rehabilitation hospital were soundproofed and isolated from the general wards to prevent disturbances to other patients. This particular room, situated at the end of the corridor, was rarely visited by staff unless necessary. In essence, Wang Hao could use Tang Ye as a human punching bag without anyone being the wiser.

Wang Hao was fond of this setup, and as it turned out, so was Tang Ye.

As they spoke, Wang Hao pulled a set of brass knuckles from his pocket and slipped them onto his right hand. These were designed for inflicting pain, and ever since he had joined the Lei family under Lei Ming, he had gotten into the habit of always carrying a weapon.

Bang!

A loud thud echoed as Wang Hao, now equipped with the brass knuckles, doubled over, clutching his bleeding head.

"What the hell, you actually hit me?"

"Kid, you're a dead man!"

"If we're going to fight, let's fight. Enough talk." Tang Ye, gripping the hospital room's stool with one hand, didn't wait for Wang Hao to finish his threats. He swung the stool down hard on Wang Hao's head, leaving him unconscious and bleeding profusely.

Blood smeared his face, creating a frightening sight.

As Wang Hao slumped to the floor, Tang Ye coolly took his phone, cracked the fingerprint lock with a few special symbols, snapped a photo, and sent it to Lei Ming's number. He added his own number and a message:

"You've made a tidy profit from the orphanage land these past four years, haven't you?"

After dispatching the message, Tang Ye slipped the phone back into Wang Hao's pocket. His strikes were measured; his time in the detention center had taught him how to incapacitate without killing. He knew just where to hit to cause a blackout or a bloodbath, but not death.

After finishing his tasks, Tang Ye finally looked up at the door.

With a slight smile, he asked, "Need me to dial 911 for you?"

A head cautiously emerged from the doorway of the deserted hospital ward.

It was Soong Xianxian.

She was incredibly embarrassed, as if she'd been caught red-handed.

"How... How did you know?" Soong Xianxian stashed away her phone, which she had half-dialed, and glanced warily at Wang Hao, who was sprawled on the floor. "Is he... Is he..."

"Come in," Tang Ye beckoned to Soong Xianxian.

After a moment's hesitation, Soong Xianxian entered cautiously, her large eyes beseeching Tang Ye, clearly pleading, "I'm a good kid, please don't hurt me."

"Did you see everything just now?" Tang Ye inquired.

Soong Xianxian nodded, then, recalling scenes from TV dramas where witnesses to a murder end up silenced, she panicked, covered her eyes, and shook her head, explaining, "Brother, I was worried... worried that Director Wang would harm you. I didn't mean to watch."

"Is there an emergency exit here?" Tang Ye asked directly.

"Yes, there is one."

"Come help me."

Suddenly, Soong Xianxian, who had been on the verge of calling the police, unwittingly became Tang Ye's 'accomplice', naively leading the way and assisting Tang Ye, the 'murderer', in carrying the unconscious Wang Hao into the emergency exit and leaving him in the hospital's stairwell. To avoid complications, Tang Ye had deceived the innocent Soong Xianxian by claiming he was dispatched by superiors to investigate Wang Hao's bribery. Tang Ye was confident that given Soong Xianxian's naivety, she wouldn't suspect a thing.

"So, you're that kind of person, huh? No wonder you're not afraid to cross the Lei family," Soong Xianxian mused, her admiration for Tang Ye evident in her wide, blinking eyes.

Tang Ye met Soong Xianxian's gaze with a detached air, offering no explanation or further comment.

Soong Xianxian fell silent, recognizing the look in Tang Ye's eyes as one she'd seen among her father's influential acquaintances. It was the composed gaze of someone with authority. Piecing together the identity Tang Ye had claimed earlier, Soong Xianxian had an epiphany—the look meant she shouldn't pry any further.

Just then, Tang Ye's phone rang—it was Lei Ming calling. Soong Xianxian stood silently nearby, overwhelmed by the sensation of having stumbled upon an enormous secret.

Tang Ye answered the call.

"Listen, I don't care who you're with, but if you dare lay a finger on my people, you're as good as dead!" The voice on the other end was raspy and seething with anger.