Bone-Attached Disaster - Chapter 56:

Chapter 56: The Exchange

“Just for his own reputation, he couldn’t disregard the patient’s life, could he?”

“Sometimes the truth is just so… laugh-inducing,” Fu Jia’an pulled at the corner of his mouth with a bitter, sarcastic twist. “Jin Shaoqian concealed his own mistake, pretending to be ignorant, delaying Han Meng’s treatment. Then he took a vacation before the truth could be exposed, effectively dumping the blame onto my mother.”

Lu Jie still found it hard to believe. How could such a flawed conspiracy allow Jin Shaoqian to succeed? This was the Second Municipal Hospital, one of the top-tier hospitals in the country. Shouldn’t a strict investigation be launched when an accident occurs?

“Did the hospital administration not know any of what the head nurse told you?”

Fu Jia’an shook his head. “It’s not that they didn’t know; it’s that it was ‘irrelevant’.”

“That’s also why my brother didn’t want me to know the full picture. The Han family was furious over Han Meng’s death. Regardless of the truth, the person they hated most was my mother, who ultimately wheeled Han Meng into the operating room. If the hospital were to also hand over a Jin Shaoqian, the Neurosurgery Department would lose two of its pillars. Of course, my mother could have dragged Jin Shaoqian down with her. She could have clarified the cause of Han Meng’s death during the investigation, but she also knew that even if she did, it wouldn’t change anything. In the Han family’s eyes, she would just be an incompetent female doctor trying to struggle and shift the blame to someone else.”

“But could an incident like that directly revoke Aunt Fu’s medical license?”

Lu Jie wanted to ask if there was any justice left, but he knew the answer clearly: In this city, the Han family was the law.

“There’s one more thing,” Fu Jia’an felt that since they had reached this point, there was no need to hide anything else: “About a month after my mother finished the investigation, I found her lying in a pool of bl00d at our doorstep. They… stabbed her five times.”

The wind suddenly seemed to turn cold, piercing through Fu Jia’an’s body, cracking his heart. That was the most terrifying moment he had ever experienced in his life, yet he had no time for fear. His body was shaking with cold, but the bl00d flowing from Fu Zihua’s body felt scalding hot.

He used his last bit of composure and rationality to pull out his phone and call Shen Rufēi.

The memories after that were a blur: the ambulance, the illuminated emergency light, his bl00d-stained clothes. Shen Rufēi kept comforting Fu Jia’an, but Fu Jia’an knew his brother was terrified, too. At that time, they were isolated and so insignificant. Resistance was a luxury; they could do nothing but hope for a miracle.

Talking about these things again, Fu Jia’an no longer felt too emotional. He had changed a lot over the years, growing strong enough to personally write his own justice. It was just that the process was faster than expected; he had initially planned for a slow, hidden accumulation of power, perhaps taking another ten or twenty years.

He had long stopped living for himself, but Lu Jie was his only personal indulgence. And this moment right now was something Fu Jia’an had never anticipated.

“Lu Jie, thinking about it now, I guess my luck wasn’t so terrible after all, was it?” Fu Jia’an walked up to Lu Jie.

They were not far from the apartment. Lu Jie simply picked up Fu Jia’an, carrying him by the back of his thighs as they walked toward home. He cherished the complete weight of the other person, his eyes filled with tenderness and heartache. “You did well. You deserve more good fortune.”

“You know, when making many decisions all these years, I often thought of you,” Fu Jia’an said. “Like that time when Lin Qi was rushed in after the car accident.”

A 16-year-old Fu Jia’an could have become anything. No dreams, no expectations, just drifting along. But because he met Lu Jie, he hoped to become a kind-hearted person like Lu Jie, a person with a soft heart.

Whenever faced with a choice, he would ask himself what Lu Jie would choose. Lu Jie was so naive, he would never make a decision that went against his conscience, would he?

So, Doctor Fu, who lacked empathy and wasn’t soft or gentle, allowed the “Lu Jie” in his mind to make decisions for him during one lapse of judgment after another. That was his way of missing Lu Jie.

That night, after they had both showered, there was a knock on Fu Jia’an’s door. Lu Jie had said he would stay with him until he fell asleep before going downstairs.

Lu Jie’s definition of “staying with” was sitting by Fu Jia’an’s bed, holding his head up and watching him sleep. Fu Jia’an wasn’t very sleepy to begin with, and with a living person sitting next to him, he was even more restless.

So, he lifted the thin blanket halfway, patted the mattress, and looked at Lu Jie with bright eyes. “Come lie down for a bit. I’m not sleepy yet.”

Fu Jia’an knew perfectly well that Lu Jie couldn’t resist him looking at him like that. Lu Jie changed his posture, crossing his arms to make his stance clear. “Stop fooling around and go to sleep. Or should I sing you a lullaby?”

Lu Jie truly didn’t intend to do anything tonight. After all, Fu Jia’an had been thoroughly exhausted until dawn the day before, and he had spent a lot of mental energy talking that evening. Lu Jie wanted him to get some good rest. Yet, this person didn’t know how to restrain himself, wearing his pajamas loosely, exposing the tip of the iceberg of yesterday’s ‘crimes’. It was impossible to look away.

Seeing that direct temptation didn’t work, Fu Jia’an tried a different approach, complaining that the air conditioning was too cold. Lu Jie turned the temperature up a few degrees. Then he complained it was too hot, unbuttoning two more buttons on his pajamas.

Lu Jie had no choice but to hold his hands down and lower the AC back to 16 degrees. He flipped over and lay opposite Fu Jia’an, honestly acting as a human heating pad.

Fu Jia’an’s hands were caught in Lu Jie’s grip, unable to mess around anymore. He heard Lu Jie warn him in a very helpless tone: “Fu Jia’an, if you move again…”

He thought Lu Jie was about to threaten him, saying that if he moved again, he would leave him alone.

Instead, Lu Jie’s eyes deepened. “If you move again, you won’t sleep tonight.”

Lu Jie used his other hand to turn off the light, closing his own eyes. In the moonlight, Lu Jie’s handsome brows were slightly furrowed, and his chest rose and fell with great restraint. He silently recited a calming mantra, hoping Fu Jia’an would settle down after hearing his threat.

But Fu Jia’an, whose hands were trapped, kept staring at Lu Jie in the darkness. His gaze was fervent and direct; Lu Jie could feel it even with his eyes closed.

Lu Jie opened his eyes: “You…”

Just as the word left his mouth, Lu Jie felt a softness on his lips. Fu Jia’an leaned in and pecked the corner of his mouth. Then he pulled away instantly, deliberately being provocative.

Seeing that Lu Jie seemed tempted, Fu Jia’an leaned in again, kissing him sweetly this time.

Neither kiss was deep, but they successfully stoked the flames. This time, Lu Jie wouldn’t let him retreat. His hand cupped the back of Fu Jia’an’s head, returning an aggressive kiss.

He had intended only a minor punishment, but people in love are like magnets; once stuck together, they are difficult to separate. The moonlight was gentle, and everything was dark and hazy. They exchanged several deep kisses, which were full of heartfelt emotion, including dependence, gratitude, and commitment. Fu Jia’an tasted many things in them, including Lu Jie’s unspoken love and protection.

After an unknown amount of time, Fu Jia’an hammered Lu Jie’s arm a few times, breaking away from the long kiss. He touched his swollen lips, wanting a halftime break. “No more kissing for now. It hurts…”

“It hurts?” Lu Jie, in turn, gloated, smiling as he flipped over and pressed down on Fu Jia’an. “Who was doing all the teasing just now? Now you want me to let you go? Dream on.”

Fu Jia’an was tightly encircled this time, with nowhere to run. However, since Lu Jie wouldn’t allow a break, he decided to give up and let himself be manhandled.

After all, he liked whatever Lu Jie did to him.

Lu Jie’s eyes had adjusted to the dark. Fu Jia’an wasn’t struggling underneath him, but Lu Jie only looked into his eyes, gently retracting his earlier sense of pressure.

“Jia’an,” Lu Jie kissed his nose, “Can you take me to meet Aunt Fu sometime?”

Jiang Yan waited in the lobby for a long time. He had specially changed into a formal suit today. The young master, who typically favored bright colors and had a frivolous demeanor, appeared for the first time in a mature and steady manner at the Jiang family’s suburban estate.

Jiang Cen returned shortly after finishing his golf game, then made Jiang Yan wait another half hour before having the butler lead him to the study.

“Sit.” Jiang Cen sized up Jiang Yan from head to toe. He was under sixty years old, with an educated and gentle demeanor. As the head of the Jiang Group, he waited silently for Jiang Yan to state the purpose of his visit.

“Chairman Jiang, you must have seen the proposal I sent you.”

“You want me to acquire the shares of Jiang Pharmaceuticals, but why should I agree to this deal?” Jiang Cen said unhurriedly. “The Jiang Group already has its own pharmaceutical factory.”

Outsiders were unaware that although Jiang Pharmaceuticals borrowed the Jiang Group’s name, it had not received investment from the Jiang Group. Essentially, Jiang Pharmaceuticals was still the result of Jiang Yan’s own efforts and his team’s hard work.

Jiang Yan pulled out another pre-prepared document and laid it open for Jiang Cen to see. “Chairman Jiang may not know that our research team discovered a new type of mollusk secretion last year. It has extremely strong healing and restorative properties for wounds. The new drug developed using this secretion also received a patent last month. Its applications are extensive, with great potential in medical devices, cosmetic products, and skincare. Therefore, this acquisition is definitely a highly profitable deal for the Jiang Group.”

“Another internal factor is that this research has been nominated for an International Biomedical Award. We analyzed the trends in the academic community this year and believe it will win at least a silver medal. The awards ceremony is in two months. Wouldn’t it be more cost-effective for the Jiang Group to acquire the company before the stock price soars?”

Jiang Cen was not surprised by the two points Jiang Yan made. After receiving Jiang Yan’s proposal, he had already conducted a discreet background check. As Jiang Yan said, now was the most advantageous time for the group to acquire Jiang Pharmaceuticals. Jiang Cen had already made his decision internally; he simply wanted to see how much his youngest son had matured over the years.

Of course, in the business world, familial affection did not apply; everything was an exchange of interests. Jiang Cen wanted to know the price for swallowing this red-hot piece of profit.

He smiled. “Then, Xiao Yan, tell me your conditions.”

“Dad,” Jiang Yan sat up straighter. “I want you to step in and help overturn the conviction in the Zhan Qionglou case.”

Jiang Cen did not ask why his youngest son proposed this condition but directly pointed out: “That means overthrowing the Han family first.”

The Jiang and Han families had counterbalanced each other for years. Jiang Cen’s business strategy had always been to wait for the right moment to deliver a decisive blow. In his view, although the Han Group was not as strong as before, it was not yet the optimal time to strike.

If Jiang Yan hadn’t offered such an enticing exchange, Jiang Cen would not have considered making a move prematurely.

Jiang Yan looked at his father earnestly. “Yes, that is the only requirement. It is also my request as your son.”

“I can agree to that. But you know that the Han family’s influence is deeply entrenched, and cleaning it up is not simple,” Jiang Cen said. “Besides the absolute controlling stake in your company, I have one more condition.”

Jiang Yan quickly said, “Tell me.”

“I won’t interfere with your relationship. But you and your current partner cannot be exposed in front of the cameras together. You cannot marry, you cannot go public, and that person can never set foot in our Jiang family home.”