Chapter 338

Sanyan rushed to the nearest hospital at top speed. The hospital wasn’t very large, but its surroundings were serene and elegant. Without time to appreciate its uniqueness, Sanyan picked up Xie Wendong and rushed into the hospital lobby. As soon as he entered, he started shouting loudly and urgently, “Doctor? Doctor, come out quickly!”
It was already early morning, and the on-duty doctor, who was dozing off, was startled by the shouts. With a stern expression, he slowly walked out of his room and scolded impatiently, “Why are you shouting? This is a hospital, not a market.” “Damn your hospital!” Sanyan rushed forward, grabbed the doctor by the collar, pulled him close, and said slowly and clearly, “Listen well—call out all the doctors here. If you can’t save my friend’s life, hehe,” Sanyan sneered, pulled open his shirt to reveal a machete strapped to his ribs, and added coldly, “I’ll take your life instead!”
The doctor trembled in fear and finally took a close look at Sanyan. He saw that the man was tall and strong, spoke with a strong Northeastern accent, had bloodstains all over his clothes, red eyes, and a scar between his eyebrows—clear signs that he wasn’t a good person. Had he run into some desperate man from the Northeast?! The doctor inwardly groaned but pretended to be calm, asking anxiously, “What? Is your friend injured? Come on, let me see.”
When he saw the wound on Xie Wendong’s back, his heart sank. He touched and examined it for a while before shaking his head silently. Seeing that the doctor remained silent, Sanyan grew furious and demanded, “So? How is my friend’s injury?” “Oh… well,” the doctor said, shaking his head slightly, “Your friend’s injury has affected his internal organs. With our hospital’s capabilities, I’m afraid…” “Damn you!” Sanyan gritted his teeth in anger, kicked the doctor far away, and cursed, “If you can’t treat him, stop wasting time! If anything happens to my friend, I’ll make sure you pay!” With that, Sanyan waved his hand, led everyone away without looking back, and ran out.
The doctor couldn’t get up after being kicked by Sanyan. Watching the mysterious group disappear, he cursed viciously, “Even gods can’t save him.”

Returning to the car, Jiang Sen looked grim and said, “Sanyan, don’t waste time. We both know how serious Dong Ge’s injuries are—no ordinary hospital can treat them. Let’s go straight to the city hospital.” Sanyan replied anxiously, “I… I really panicked for a moment.” Seeing Jiang Sen’s upset expression, Sanyan was alarmed and asked, “Lao Sen, are you hurt too?”
Jiang Sen smiled faintly and shook his head. “It’s nothing, just a minor injury.” Having worked with Jiang Sen for many years, Sanyan still didn’t fully understand his temperament. Suddenly pulling at his jacket, he saw that Jiang Sen’s shirt was soaked with blood. With a deep sigh, Jiang Sen said nothing more and accelerated the car.
Upon arriving at the city’s largest hospital, Xie Wendong, Jiang Sen, Li Shuang, and the others were rushed to the emergency room. The attending doctor was a young man in his thirties. As they approached the operating room, Sanyan stopped him and asked about their conditions. The doctor said their injuries were all severe, with Xie Wendong being in particular danger—his chances of survival even after surgery were less than 50%. Without hesitation, Sanyan took out a 50,000-yuan check from his bloodstained pocket and shoved it into the doctor’s hand, saying, “I don’t want to hear about his survival chances. All I want is for him to be fine, just like before. If you can do that, no matter how much it costs, I’ll pay. Of course, if you can’t…” Sanyan glanced at the check in the doctor’s hand and said softly, “My money has never been wasted. I hope you understand.” Under Sanyan’s intense gaze, the doctor shuddered and tried to return the check, saying, “I’m a doctor. I’ll do my best for every patient. Please take this back. I can’t and won’t accept it.”
Sanyan sidestepped the doctor’s outstretched hand holding the check and sneered, “Don’t pretend to be innocent with me. I’m not taking back the money I’ve given. Just remember what I said. Of course, if you keep wasting my time here and something happens to my friend, I guarantee your fate will be worse than his, including your family.” The doctor’s expression changed. After staring at Sanyan for a while, he finally put the check in his pocket, stopped talking, and went into the operating room.

After this battle, although Beihongmen and Wendonghui suffered few casualties, their key leaders, led by Xie Wendong, were seriously injured and rushed to the hospital for treatment. Beihongmen was in turmoil, but fortunately, Dongxinlei and Lingmin took charge and prevented the entire gang from collapsing.

“How is Brother Dong?” When Dongxinlei arrived, Sanyan had already been waiting in the hospital corridor for almost two hours, pacing anxiously back and forth.

Seeing it was him, Sanyan sighed slightly in relief but shook his head worriedly. “I’m afraid the situation isn’t very optimistic.”

Dongxinlei’s expression darkened. He didn’t ask further and fell silent, lost in thought. Sanyan continued, “No matter how Brother Dong is doing, there’s one thing that puzzles me. The reason he was able to escape from the Soul Group this time is directly related to Xiang Wentian’s timely intervention. Why would he save Brother Dong? They should be the biggest rivals and those with the deepest hatred toward each other.” Dongxinlei smiled bitterly. “How can we use ordinary logic to understand Xiang Wentian’s actions? Who knows what he’s thinking? Maybe, as Brother Dong said, he’s a true hero.” Sanyan looked up. “Is there really such a person in the world?” Dongxinlei shrugged helplessly. “All I know is that Xiang Wentian is a man of integrity.”

“Sigh!” Sanyan sighed deeply. “There are some people whose deeper you get to know them, the harder it is to become their enemy.”

Dongxinlei said firmly, “With an enemy like Xiang Wentian, don’t you feel your blood boiling? He’s a worthy opponent, a great one at that.”

“That’s right,” Sanyan nodded. “I can’t figure him out, and that’s exactly what’s scary. Who knows if he’ll take advantage of Brother Dong and the others being injured to attack us? Lao Lei, it’s enough that I’m here. You go back to Xianhua and organize the brothers. I’m worried that if Nanhongmen attacks now, we won’t be able to withstand it.”

“Would he do that?” Dongxinlei asked skeptically. But Sanyan smiled. “If he can save Brother Dong, I really don’t know what crazy thing he can’t do.”

After weighing the pros and cons, Dongxinlei decided it was safer to leave. Though he and Sanyan were equally concerned about Xie Wendong and the others’ injuries, they had to leave and be wary of a surprise attack from Nanhongmen. If they really attacked at this moment, all the hard work they’d put in to establish their base in Shanghai would be ruined.

Sanyan and Dongxinlei were indeed judging others by their own petty standards. Xiang Wentian didn’t take the opportunity to attack; if he were such a person, he wouldn’t have helped Xie Wendong eliminate the Soul Group. The reason he helped was that in Xiang Wentian’s eyes, the threat and harm posed by the Soul Group far exceeded those of Xie Wendong. At least the latter didn’t dare to act too recklessly in China, but the Soul Group was different—they came from abroad, operated in a strange environment, and with excellent cover, they had the strength and ability to do whatever they wanted without any constraints or moral scruples. Lu Kou had also raised the concerns Sanyan had—“The Soul Group has been disbanded. Although their leader has fled, they’ve still suffered heavy losses. Our goal has been achieved. Now that Xie Wendong and the others are seriously injured, we should take this opportunity to attack the Northern Hongmen and destroy them completely, as easy as picking fruit from a basket.”

Lu Kou made a valid point, and indeed that was the case. Everyone in the Southern Hongmen knew this, and Xiang Wentian understood it even better. But with just one sentence, he completely dismissed Lu Kou’s idea. “Taking advantage of others in trouble isn’t honorable. How can the honorable Hongmen associate with scoundrels?” Lu Kou nodded then shook his head, showing a helpless wry smile, and said nothing more. Apart from Xiao Fang, Lu Kou was the one who knew Xiang Wentian best in the Southern Hongmen. How could he not understand Xiang Wentian’s character? And words spoken by Xiang Wentian couldn’t possibly be questioned. Sometimes he wondered whether having such a brother was a blessing or a curse.

Xiang Wentian returned to his villa, took off his coat, sat down with his knees supported, and murmured to himself, “I wonder how serious Xie Wendong’s injuries are now?” He looked up at Lu Kou and asked, “Xiao Kou, what do you think?” “It’s none of my business,” was Lu Kou’s inner thought, but of course he couldn’t say that aloud. He shook his head and replied, “I only heard from our brothers that the people from the Northern Hongmen sent him to a hospital in the city. As for whether he’s okay, it’s hard for our men to find out.” Xiang Wentian said, “I hope he’s fine.”

Lu Kou laughed and said, “Brother Tian might be the first person to wish his enemy well.” Xiang Wentian smiled upward and said, “He’s fought against me for so long, from Nanjing to Shanghai, always holding the upper hand—this proves he’s an extraordinary person. If such a person dies as a result of the Soul Group’s schemes, that would be truly tragic.” Lu Kou added with a laugh, “Brother Tian also hopes to defeat him personally, using legitimate means, so that all those in the same path can see the greatness and strength of our Hongmen.”

Xiang Wentian chuckled, slapped his thigh, stood up, put on his coat again, and said, “Worrying in vain is better than not seeing for oneself.”
Lu Kou was stunned. “Brother Tian, aren’t you going to the hospital in town to visit Xie Wendong?” Xiang Wentian smiled. “Little Kou is really smart and understands my thoughts best.”
“Sigh! I’d rather be a bit slower and less understanding. That way, I might feel better.” All Lu Kou could feel was helplessness.
Zhou Ting and Tian Fang, who were nearby, saw Xiang Wentian getting ready to visit Xie Wendong, and their fatigue vanished. They stood up and asked eagerly, “Brother Tian, how many brothers will we take?”
“Not more than ten.” “What?” The two were shocked. Less than ten? That was like going to death! Just as they wanted to dissuade him, Lu Kou gave them a subtle signal and shook his head slightly. After Xiang Wentian left the villa, the two whispered behind him, “Old Lu, why didn’t you stop us? With less than ten people, it’s like going without a chance of returning…”
Lu Kou said helplessly, “Don’t you two know Brother Tian’s temper?! No matter how much we talk, it’s useless. Although Brother Tian is generous, he’s not stupid. If he wasn’t confident, would he go and risk his life for nothing? We just need to follow his orders.” “I hope… this time following you is the right choice,” they said, still worried.
Outside, it was starting to brighten. The emergency light on the operating room door finally went out. San Yan perked up, flicked away the fifteenth cigarette butt in his hand, and hurried to the door.
When the door opened, the young doctor stepped out, looking pale and exhausted, with red eyes. Seeing his condition, San Yan’s heart sank. After a long silence, he asked carefully, “How… how is my friend?” He was afraid of hearing a heart-breaking answer.
The doctor looked up at him, then lowered his head weakly. After a pause, he said, “The patient still needs to be observed to determine if he’s out of danger.”
San Yan blinked and asked, “What do you mean?” The doctor replied, “He’s still in critical condition. We need to observe him for at least two days. But fortunately, your friend has a strong will to live. If it were an ordinary person with such serious injuries, they probably wouldn’t have made it through surgery.”

“So…” Three-Eyes said slowly, “My friend is fine?” “I can’t guarantee that, but his condition has stabilized. If it doesn’t worsen within two days, his life will be saved.” “Phew!” Three-Eyes let out a long sigh; half of his anxiety was relieved. He had confidence in Dong Ge’s resilience. Patting the doctor’s shoulder, he handed him another check and said politely, “Thank you for your hard work, doctor. This is just a small token. I’ll give you more once my friend recovers.”
The doctor didn’t dare ask for more, only hoping to get rid of these pressing troubles as soon as possible. With a bitter smile, he said, “No need to thank me. It’s my job.” Then he waved his hand and walked away. Three-Eyes seemed to remember something else and turned back to ask, “By the way, how are my other friends?” The doctor shook his head. “I don’t know, but I’ll ask around for you.” Three-Eyes nodded and smiled. “That’s really troublesome of you.”
When Xie Wendong was brought out of the operating room, he was still conscious, his eyes slightly open. The anesthetic made it difficult for him to move. Seeing Three-Eyes, the corners of his mouth twitched, as if he were smiling. Three-Eyes stepped forward, took his hand, and said, “That was close! Dong Ge, do you realize you’ve come back from the brink of death once again?”
Xie Wendong’s fingers trembled slightly as he slowly blinked, serving as an answer. The nurse pushing the stretcher said unhappily, “The patient’s condition is still critical. He needs rest.”