Cheng Su steadied Old Master Ning as they returned to the third floor of the inpatient department, then waved goodbye.
Just now, the two of them had engaged in a philosophical discussion on the rooftop, finding common ground; so they simply found a shady spot and continued talking about the scenery which led to even deeper philosophical reflections.
In her previous life, Cheng Su had been a high-level executive at a five-star hotel. She had extensive experience and was a smooth talker, well-read, and a movie buff. She could effortlessly quote famous people, leaving Old Master Ning astonished, marveling that a twenty-year-old girl knew more than he did at sixty-six.
Cheng Su then realized that she might have been speaking too far ahead of her time. Seeing the sun beginning to set, and remembering that Qi Taiguo needed to hurry back to Qing City, she said it was time to leave.
Old Master Ning watched her leave, a rare smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. Suddenly someone rushed over and said, "Old Chief, we’ve finally found you. Where did you go?"
"Oh, I just went upstairs to take a walk, nothing serious," Old Master Ning said, with his hands behind his back.
"Your blood pressure has just stabilized; you can’t wander off like that. What if you had fainted and we couldn’t find you in time? What then?" the person said with concern as they supported him back to the ward.
"There’s no point in lying in bed all day. Walking is good for the body," Old Master Ning said. "It’s precisely this walking that makes you realize when it’s time to let go!"
"Old Chief?"
"Send a telegram back to the Capital. We will return tomorrow. Keep it low-key and have the Propaganda Office draft a report. Once we’re back, we’ll send a telegram to announce my retirement," Old Master Ning stated calmly.
Hearing this, the man’s eyes widened in shock. "Old Chief, you!"
Old Master Ning raised his hand, standing in front of the ward’s window, and said, "Xiao Cao, I’m old and tired. The world now belongs to the younger generation. There’s nothing wrong with making a timely withdrawal."
"But... "
"There are no ’buts.’ The Ning Family can’t rely solely on me forever. Ning Gang, Ning Li, and... a few other brothers, they all need to come into their own," Old Master Ning said with a stern face, no trace of the gentleness Cheng Su had seen but rather decisiveness. "They are the future hope of the Ning Family. Stepping back now will give them access to better resources."
Xiao Cao, identified as Cao Jinzheng, sighed and replied, "Understood. I know everything now."
Gazing out from the height, Old Master Ning’s eyes swept over a tree-lined path in the hospital grounds and murmured, "The view from above is indeed beautiful, but after a while, even beauty tires the eye. And who knows when the people down below might reach out and pull you down? On solid ground, at least one stands steady."
Cao Jinzheng listened, vaguely comprehending.
All of a sudden, Old Master Ning’s gaze sharpened. Huh, wasn’t that Su Girl?
The man standing next to her, was he her husband?
Old Master Ning’s eyes settled on Qi Taiguo. The man was tall, walked upright with a crew cut, and while his face wasn’t clear at such a distance, his posture and demeanor suggested he was a respectable individual.
As Old Master Ning surveyed him, suddenly the man looked up, causing Old Master Ning to be momentarily startled.
So alert and perceptive, that gaze, sharp like an eagle’s, that demeanor, rigid... it was...
A military man!
Su Girl’s husband was a soldier?
Old Master Ning was quite surprised. Watching Cheng Su lead Qi Taiguo away, he withdrew his gaze and laid back down in the bed. What kind of fate was this?
He wondered which military district Su Girl’s husband was serving in? Judging by that piercing look and the rigid and upright demeanor, he must be a promising young officer.
Old Master Ning’s fingers began to lightly tap.