"He’s already gotten old long ago, and if he were to decline, he would have done so already." Meng Ping closed his eyes, his thick eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings.
"What kind of nonsense are you spouting? Careful not to anger your dad to death."
"Don’t worry! My dad’s temperament is still good!"
The two conversed in the room while Meng Xingzhi, wearing a black coat with his hands in his pockets, stood outside the door, quietly listening. The door to the sickroom was ajar, allowing a clear view of everything inside.
Meng Ping had lost a lot of weight, and there was a perpetual melancholy in his eyes.
Meng Xingzhi felt a pang in his heart; to say he didn’t feel pained to see his only remaining son would be a lie. Meng Ping had always been a worry, and with his busy work, he never had the time to discipline him.
Later, his willingness to remarry Su Yun was not only due to old affections but also in hopes of having someone to help take care of the family. And now... His eldest son had died, and his youngest was half-dead.
Today, the Provincial Command Center hinted at suggesting early retirement for Su Yun as a form of punishment for a breach of duty; he hadn’t agreed yet. It seemed time to respond with his decision.
After checking the patient, the doctor stood up and upon seeing him, hurriedly greeted him.
"Chairman Meng, you’ve come!"
"Hello!" Meng Xingzhi reigned in his emotions and returned the greeting, "How’s the child?"
"Internal bleeding, but lucky we got him to the hospital on time. With good care and his youth, he should recover without major issues."
"You’re too polite, President. You and your son should have a good talk; I have other things to attend to." ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩✶𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚✶𝕟𝕖𝕥
"Take care." Meng Xingzhi personally saw the doctor out before closing the door and taking a long seat in front of Meng Ping’s bed.
"What’s the matter with you? Why do you look like that?" Meng Ping, unnerved by his stare, said, "If you’re going to scold me, go ahead! I’ve got thick skin, I’ve been scolded all my life."
Meng Xingzhi picked up an apple from the table and began to peel it for him, "Was it Xu Qigang who carried you back from the Northern Suburb?"
"Umph," Meng Ping’s voice was muffled.
"One owes a debt of gratitude."
"It has nothing to do with you; I’m the one who owes a debt."
"How can it have nothing to do with me?" Meng Xingzhi chuckled, "Do you really think I don’t know about the little schemes you’re playing at behind the scenes? Your brother’s murder has been confirmed; what we need to do now is find the person pulling the strings."
"I’ve always had my suspicions and never stopped investigating over the past two years. If Xu Qi hadn’t caught a key person while on a mission in Country S by chance, we might never have figured it out." Meng Xingzhi handed him the peeled apple and continued, "I spoke with Su Jiang today; Li Kun has confessed but refuses to divulge who’s behind it all, insisting it was his own work mistake."
"Hmph!" Meng Ping took a big bite of the apple, "We must find a way to make that Li Kun talk."
"We’ve tried everything, Qin Yue nearly beat him to death; pressing on with the interrogation is pointless." Meng Xingzhi pulled a handkerchief from his coat to wipe the apple juice from his hands, "Originally, Xu Qi planned to go, but now that Chen Yingjie has disappeared, he’s off leading a search and we’re not sure of the outcome yet."
"Chen Yingjie’s alright, isn’t he?"
"Hard to say! We’ve just found out that the person he was tracking is a leader of hired soldiers wanted internationally. Rumor has it he’s ruthless; if Chen Yingjie has fallen into his hands, it’s likely more bad than good."
"That powerful?" Meng Ping found it hard to believe, feeling like the notion of hired soldiers was something the common folk had never heard of. If his elder brother hadn’t told him about it, he wouldn’t even know what a hired soldier was.