It's What I Should Do

The smell of disinfectant, mixed with a faint medicinal scent, entered Shen Yan's nose. He slowly opened his eyes.

His vision gradually cleared, revealing the hospital's snow-white ceiling. Sunlight filtered through the narrow window, casting a few scattered patches of light on the wooden stool beside his bed.

"Officer Shen, you're finally awake! You've been unconscious for two days and two nights. We were worried sick."

Shen Yan turned to see a young patrolman sitting beside his bed with a freshly peeled apple in his hand. When Shen Yan looked over, the patrolman hurriedly offered it to him.

Shen Yan shook his head and declined. His throat was dry, and his voice was hoarse as he asked, "Director Lu, Captain Li, and our brothers... are they all right?"

"They're fine, all fine!" The young patrolman nodded repeatedly, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Director Lu only got a scrape on his arm. The bullet just grazed him. The doctor came by yesterday and said it was only a flesh wound. A little disinfectant and a fresh dressing, and he'll be fine.

"As for Captain Li and the brothers from the action team, they were shot, but none of them were hit anywhere vital."

At that, the young patrolman carefully looked back to make sure the door was shut, then added with amusement, "But you wouldn't know this: I heard that when the bullets were taken out yesterday, the Japanese military doctor didn't even give them anesthetic. He said... they'd had their fill of opium and couldn't feel any pain anyway. They're in the ward next door now. The doctor said to keep them under observation for one day, and they can go home to recover tomorrow."

"That's good, that's good! At least risking my life wasn't for nothing."

Just then, the door suddenly swung open, and Lu Tinghui walked in with a broad smile, followed by Li Kui and the action team members who had made it back alive from yesterday's operation.

"Director Lu!"

Shen Yan hurriedly struggled to sit up, but Lu Tinghui stepped forward and stopped him.

"Lie down, lie down! These men wouldn't stay in bed. They insisted I bring them to see the man who saved their lives, and the great hero of our bureau!"

"I don't deserve that. I only did what a subordinate and colleague should."

"You do, you do!"

Lu Tinghui sat beside the bed, one hand resting on Shen Yan's shoulder. The gratitude and admiration on his smiling face were almost overflowing.

"The brothers had all passed out by then and couldn't resist at all. If the police had caught us, that would have been fine. At worst, we'd have had the Japanese step in and negotiate, and that would have been the end of it. But that was Green Gang territory. If the Green Gang had arrived first, we'd have been in serious trouble!"

Lu Tinghui sighed, then turned and glared fiercely at Li Kui, who had his head down. From failing to spot the hidden sentries at the start to stepping on a ceramic shard and exposing them later, he hadn't done a single noteworthy thing in the entire operation!

Shen Yan, on the other hand, had volunteered to join the operation, spotted the hidden sentries in time, used his excellent skills to finish off the remaining enemies when everyone else was unable to resist, and finally risked his life to bring back all the brothers who were still alive. Aside from his lousy marksmanship, this operation had been Shen Yan's personal show! Not to mention that he had provided the intelligence for it.

Now, Lu Tinghui couldn't help feeling that if he had a son, he should be like Shen Yan.

He picked up the apple from the table and gently placed it in Shen Yan's hand.

"I heard it from the Japanese soldiers at the border. From the time they heard the gunshots to the time they saw you come charging over with seven or eight of us in tow, less than half an hour had passed! Subtract the time we spent fighting, and you covered nearly two kilometers in less than twenty minutes! That's a miracle!"

Shen Yan was a little embarrassed by the praise. Blushing, he explained, "I didn't think that much about it at the time. As soon as I heard the police whistle, I panicked. I couldn't think about anything else, just how to get you and the brothers out..."

His words made Lu Tinghui nod repeatedly. Even Li Kui, who had always disliked Shen Yan, had a faint redness around his eyes.

"Get some rest. The doctor said there's nothing seriously wrong with you. You're just dehydrated and have injured the muscles in your lower back and legs. Take good care of yourself, and you can leave the hospital in a week! Once you're discharged, I'll ask my superiors to commend you!"

Hearing that his lower back and legs were injured, Shen Yan knew this was the system's doing again. Otherwise, with his current physical condition, he could have dragged those pigs through a full marathon without getting out of breath.

Shen Yan hurriedly said, "Director, I'm fine. I can go back to work tomorrow!"

"No!"

Lu Tinghui was firm. "You must rest properly. That's an order!"

"Then... can I go home to recover? I'm afraid my godfather will worry about me. Besides, I really can't get used to the hospital. I can hardly stand the smell."

Lu Tinghui looked at the doctor accompanying him. Seeing that the doctor had no objections, he nodded and agreed.

Following Director Lu's instructions, the young patrolman carefully escorted Shen Yan all the way to Old Chen's home.

Old Chen, who had received word earlier, was waiting outside. When he saw Shen Yan in a wheelchair, his eyes immediately reddened.

He stepped forward, took the wheelchair, and carefully pushed it inside, muttering all the while, "You were perfectly fine yesterday. How did you end up in a wheelchair today? When are you going to stop making me worry? If something happens to you, who's going to take care of me in my old age? What will happen to the little girl?"

For a moment, the atmosphere was filled with grief...

The young patrolman felt awkward staying and hurried out, thoughtfully closing the door behind him.

Seeing on the minimap that the young patrolman had left, Shen Yan looked at Old Chen's distressed face and felt a warmth in his heart. He put on a weak expression, as though he might breathe his last at any moment.

"Godfather, I might not be able to take care of you in your old age. You should drink less from now on, and give up smoking too. The little girl can only depend on you now. You have to look after yourself!"

Old Chen could no longer hold back, and tears streamed down his aged face.

"I'll give them up! I'll give them all up! It's all right, kid. Your godfather's still strong. I can support both of you! Tomorrow I'll go beg the great sir to find you a few old traditional doctors from the jianghu. We'll get you cured!"

The little girl at the side opened her mouth and burst into tears too. "Zhaodi doesn't want Godfather to die! Mom and Dad already abandoned me. Godfather, don't leave me! Zhaodi will be good. Zhaodi can work!"

Shen Yan's heart jolted. Oh no! I went too far!

He hurriedly grabbed Old Chen's hand and grinned. "Godfather, I'm actually fine. I was just fooling the Japanese devils. Look!"

With that, Shen Yan stood up, swung his arms, and performed a set of Subduing Tiger Fist in the room. He followed it with two consecutive hawk flips, then turned his right hand outward in front of his chest and his left hand outward toward the sky. With both feet planted and his body angled toward Old Chen, he finished with a textbook sky-supporting stance and raised his eyebrows, as if to say, Impressive, aren't I?

After watching Shen Yan's antics, Old Chen's face began to change color, from pale to livid, then from livid to black. Even his lips turned purple.

Without a word, he walked toward the front door.

Shen Yan was puzzled. "Godfather, it's time to eat. Where are you going?"

Old Chen didn't answer. He reached out and locked the front door, then returned to his bedroom.

Shen Yan was a little dumbfounded.

Did I go too far just now? Did I make the old man furious?

Before he could figure it out, Old Chen came out smiling, a leather whip in his hand. It was three feet long, and its cowhide had long since oxidized and turned black. The once firm, smooth leather had loosened somewhat with age, and its surface was covered in grooves of varying depths.

"There's no rush to eat!"

Old Chen chuckled.

"First, have a taste of my whip!"

With that, he leaped forward and swung the whip, its tip cracking through the air.

Shen Yan went pale with fright and darted around the room, dodging while pleading for mercy in a low voice.

"Godfather! Even a vicious tiger won't eat its own cub! I still have to take care of you in your old age and see you off when the time comes! If you beat me to death, you won't have a godson anymore!"

"I don't want one! With a godson who makes me angry all day, you think you'll see me off?! I don't even know if I'll live past tomorrow!"

Seeing that the bond between father and son could no longer reach Old Chen, Shen Yan hurriedly turned to the little girl for help.

"Zhaodi, quick, stop your grandpa! Godfather knows he was wrong!"

The little girl was angry too, her cheeks puffed up like buns. Faced with Shen Yan's pleas, she turned and walked away.

"Godfather's a bad guy! He lied to Zhaodi and Grandpa! Bad children deserve a beating! Zhaodi's going to cook!"

Shen Yan was at a loss. Afraid his act would be exposed, he didn't dare run outside, so he could only dodge around the room, taking a lash every now and then and letting out a miserable scream.

Outside, the neighbors felt a quiet pang of sorrow.

"Officer Young Shen is such a good man. How did he get hurt so badly? In times like these, good people have hard lives!"