Old Nie was issued a critical condition notice.
He was now lying in the ICU, unable to leave the intensive care unit. He was extremely weak, and even if Old Wang and the others wanted to visit him, they were only allowed ten minutes.
Even the number of visits was restricted.
Leaning against the isolation glass outside the ICU, Old Wang looked worriedly at Old Nie lying in the hospital bed. Old Nie's face was pale, and he looked terribly frail.
Early the next morning, Old Wang's wife brought over fresh chicken soup. Half-conscious, Old Nie drank some of it.
His eyes were tightly shut, and his brow occasionally furrowed. It looked like he had fallen into a dream.
As for Nie Xing, Old Wang had completely given up on him. That brat had no conscience. Old Wang no longer expected him to come visit Old Nie. From then on, Old Wang planned to take full responsibility for everything himself!
Young Wang was worried about his father's condition. Since last night, Old Wang had not been doing well either.
"Dad, go home and get some rest. I'll keep watch over Uncle Nie!"
"I'll stay here and watch him. Don't worry."
Old Wang shook his head and refused to leave.
Seeing how determined his father was, Young Wang sighed.
"Dad, I know you're worried about Uncle Nie, but you need to take care of your own health too. To put it bluntly—"
"If you can't say anything nice, then shut up."
Old Wang cut him off without mercy.
Young Wang nodded, the corner of his mouth twitching.
"Okay!"
The two of them kept vigil outside the ward. Old Wang sat wearily in the corridor, while Young Wang occasionally brought him water and bought him something to eat.
But Old Wang was in low spirits, and he had been in poor condition the whole time.
It was obvious that he was genuinely heartbroken for Old Nie.
Through the isolation glass, he looked at Old Nie lying in the hospital bed. There was a rather obvious burn scar on Old Nie's right arm, and when Old Wang's gaze fell on it, his eyes froze.
A faint glimmer flashed at the corner of his eye on his wrinkled face, then quietly rolled down.
Back when the factory had not yet gone bankrupt, he and Old Nie had worked in the same workshop. Having graduated from middle school, Old Wang had looked down on the other workers in the workshop, including kind and honest Old Nie.
He had always felt there was nothing to talk about with those illiterate workers. They were all illiterates who could not read a single character. If you said east, they said west. They were completely out of tune.
In Old Wang's words at the time, they simply had different outlooks on life.
Back then, the factory had very little awareness of fire safety. Winters were extremely dry, and if people were not careful, a fire could break out at any moment!
At noon, Old Wang had dozed off in the workshop.
When he woke up again, he was terrified out of his wits. The entire workshop had been swallowed by a sea of flames. He stared dumbfoundedly at the raging fire closing in around him!
Billowing waves of fire mixed with choking smoke and dust, churning through the workshop and making it impossible to open his eyes. The flames around him seemed to be roasting everything in the workshop, and his flesh felt as if it were about to burn.
He desperately cried for help, but the smoke choked him so badly that he could no longer speak. Covering his mouth and nose, he tried to rush out, only to find that he could not break through the raging inferno at all!
There were many people outside the workshop, but faced with such fierce flames, they could only anxiously look for water.
No one dared to rush in and save Old Wang.
Except Old Nie!
Hearing someone inside the workshop calling for help, he did not hesitate. He grabbed a bucket of water and dumped it over himself!
Then, under everyone's horrified gazes, he resolutely charged into the sea of fire!
Old Wang had been scorched so badly that he could not open his eyes. Just as the suffocating despair was about to engulf him, he suddenly felt someone charge through the flames, grab him, and rush him out! The fire was fierce, but Old Wang was lucky. He was saved.
However, Old Nie was left with a permanent burn scar on his hand!
Old Wang had always been grateful for it, but Old Nie had taken it in stride. He believed that anyone who encountered such a situation would have saved him. A scar in exchange for a human life was well worth it!
Old Wang never said much about it, but from then on, he felt that Old Nie had become a different person in his heart.
Different from the other workers.
He was ordinary, but not ordinary at all.
Less than two years later, Old Nie had saved up some money and began preparing to meet someone and get married. The factory director personally introduced him to a woman, and the two got along well. Just as their engagement date was approaching and the good news was about to be settled, one night, Old Nie somehow picked up that adopted son of his!
From then on, Old Nie's life grew harder by the day. Even that woman no longer wanted to be with him because of it.
After all, he had to raise the child he had picked up.
Everyone tried to persuade him to give up the child. Never mind that his circumstances were already difficult—even if he raised the child, there was no guarantee the child would be filial to him! What if the child wanted to find his biological parents? What would he do then?
Old Nie was stubborn and refused to listen, so he raised Nie Xing to adulthood.
Old Wang understood that he was just that kind of person. Nothing anyone said could change his mind.
Back then, so many people in the workshop had stood outside and watched coldly as he was trapped in the flames without saving him. Only Old Nie had ignored everyone's attempts to stop him and jumped straight into the fire! If Old Nie had wavered over the child, perhaps Old Wang would not be alive today.
Even now, he felt that it had not been worth it for Old Nie.
On the train heading to Qingyang County, Nie Xing sat with his brow tightly furrowed, feeling anxious.
There were visible dark circles around his eyes. He was exhausted, but he could not sleep.
The moment he closed his eyes, he saw his father lying in the hospital bed and calling his name.
It was horrifying!
He only wanted to return to his father's side as quickly as possible. No matter what, he had to see his father one last time!
The train sped along the tracks,
carrying everyone's hopes, expectations, and anxieties.
At the same time,
Old Nie, lying in the hospital bed, suddenly began convulsing, and the alarm equipment blared!
"Not good! The patient is convulsing!"
"Get him straight into the operating room!"
"Call the attending physician!"
Several nurses and doctors rushed over, shouting anxiously. Then they immediately pushed Old Nie's bed into the operating room!
Old Wang followed anxiously outside, utterly tense.
Soon, the attending physician hurried into the operating room with a grim expression.
The rescue efforts began.
Old Wang's heart was practically in his throat, and his breathing quickened as he shouted outside the ward.
"Are these doctors even competent? Why did they send Old Nie to the operating room again?"
"Dad, don't panic!"
Young Wang hurriedly tried to stop him. Shouting was not allowed in the hospital!
At that moment, a group of doctors and experts in white coats suddenly appeared in the corridor. Their expressions were solemn, and even the hospital director was personally accompanying them.
When they reached the nurses' station, the hospital director urgently ordered the nurse on duty.
"Check which room on this floor belongs to Mr. Nie Yugang, Elder Nie!"
"Director, Elder Nie was just sent into the operating room!"
The young nurse hurriedly began checking the records, while an older head nurse quickly stepped forward to report the situation.
As soon as she finished speaking,
the expressions of the experts present all changed.
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(Recommended a friend's book: You Were Asked to Manage the Rookie Company, but They All Became Special Forces)