I thought to myself, the names Jun Ge, Tie Niu, and Liu Jibao all matched up—scammers couldn’t be that good. And if Jun Ge had taken a few people back for the winter solstice, and if they were returning to Jiangcheng today, there really might have been a car accident.
I quickly apologized and said, “I just ran into a scammer earlier. Is this the City Central Hospital? I’ll head over right away.”
On the phone, Sun Xiaolin replied impatiently, “City Central Hospital. Hurry up.” After giving me the address with forced patience, she hung up with a crisp *click*.
I thought, *Great, now I’ve offended the nurse who called me*. I told my parents I might not be back tonight, reminded them to be careful if they went downstairs, and that there was a market five minutes from the neighborhood, with a big supermarket nearby. I patted Little Rascal on the head and told him to guard the house. He barked twice in agreement.
Afraid my parents might start arguing again after I left, I warned them before stepping out, “No fighting.”
Dad laughed, “I’m scared of your mom. I wouldn’t dare argue with her.”
I grabbed my wallet and cards, put on my helmet, and rode out on my bike. It was already afternoon, and the roads weren’t too busy. I weaved through traffic when a Mercedes driver—a guy with a lumpy face—yelled angrily, “You idiot! Keep squeezing through and I’ll run you over!” He flipped me off.
I nodded and apologized quickly.
Twenty minutes later, I parked my motorcycle at the entrance of City Central Hospital and rushed straight to the inpatient ward. After asking two nurses, I finally found Jun Ge and his two apprentices. Suddenly, a fair-skinned nurse in a white cap called out, “Who’s here for Liu Jun’s family?”
I waved. “Over here!” The nurse glanced at me sideways. “Oh, it’s you. Thought I was a scammer, huh? What made you come?” I checked her name tag and forced a smile. “I got scammed earlier, sorry about that, Nurse Sun.”
Sun Xiaolin pouted. “Fine. They’re already in treatment. Go pay the bill.” I obediently followed her and handed over the hospital fees. Swiping my card stung a little.
After paying, I asked about Jun Ge and the others’ injuries.
Sun Xiaolin replied impatiently, “The big ox-like one is fine. The other two are worse, but they’ll live.” Just then, two long-haired men in black suits walked in with a guy holding a nylon bag.
The lumpy-faced Mercedes driver was leading them. “Hey, miss, we’re here to pay Liu Jun’s hospital fees.”
Sun Xiaolin looked surprised—hospital bills were usually hard to collect. She pointed at me. “He already paid.”
Under her breath, she muttered, “Just who *is* this Liu Jun?”
The lumpy-faced guy recognized me as the one who cut him off earlier and noticed the gunshot wound on my face. “Bro, where’d you get your name registered?”
I didn’t understand the underworld lingo, but I guessed he was asking where I belonged.
“I’m Jun Ge’s neighbor. He runs an auto shop, I run a flower shop next door. We help each other out. When I heard he was in an accident, I came.”
The lumpy-faced guy said, “You’re just a small business owner. How much did you pay? I’ll cover it. Miss, refund his money. I’ll pay.”
Sun Xiaolin was even more baffled. “It was a card payment. Even if you pay cash now, we can’t refund him.”
One of the long-haired guys grumbled, “Our money’s money too.”
The lumpy-faced guy slapped him. “Manners! Do you even know what that means? Why the hell am I stuck with idiots like you?”
He handed me the nylon bag. “Take this. Should be enough.” I opened it—stacks of messy red bills, way more than what I’d paid.
I was about to say something when he cut me off. “Don’t mention it. The extra’s my thanks. I’d love a neighbor like you.”
He turned and left, leaving me feeling oddly touched.
Sun Xiaolin remarked, “Never thought a gangster could sound so sentimental.”
I rubbed my nose. It *was* kind of sad—maybe the lumpy-faced guy really wished he had a reliable neighbor.
After finishing the payment, Sun Xiaolin and I headed upstairs. The moment we stepped into the hallway, we froze—even Sun Xiaolin stumbled, nearly falling.
Outside Jun Ge’s room, a row of black-suited gangsters stood in eerie silence. Normally, these guys couldn’t go five minutes without cursing, but now they were as still as zombies.
A few carried nylon bags.
Sun Xiaolin rubbed her eyes. “Holy hell, who did they hit? A zombie convention?”
Her muttering drew their collective gaze, and she immediately shut up.
I’d heard Jun Ge had a past in the underworld, but this was beyond anything I’d imagined. There’s a song that goes, *”I’m just a legend—don’t idolize me.”* I wondered if the songwriter had met Jun Ge.
Maybe that’s why the song spread like wildfire.
Here’s what happened: When Jun Ge was brought in, one of his underlings—there for a bad flu—recognized him and called his boss. Unexpectedly, not just his own boss showed up, but several others too.
Sun Xiaolin suddenly remembered she was a nurse—no reason to be scared. She cleared her throat. “You’re blocking the air. It’s stuffy here.”
A moment later, the group tiptoed away to the stairs. Nearby families eyed them nervously but stayed quiet.
The lumpy-faced guy and a few others were talking. I eavesdropped—he said one of their own, riding a crappy e-bike to deliver money to Jun Ge, nearly got killed in traffic.
Another boss asked me, “Did Jun Ge piss anyone off lately?”
I frowned. “Wasn’t it just a car accident? What’s that got to do with enemies?”
The lumpy-faced guy explained, “A ten-wheeler chased him down. If Jun Ge hadn’t been a damn good driver and rammed through the guardrail into a ditch, he’d have been roadkill.”
My blood ran cold. Ten-wheelers were those massive trucks that hauled thirty tons. Jun Ge’s little white Fukang would’ve been crushed to dust.
Thank god he swerved off the highway.
Who’d want him dead? I thought hard but shook my head. “No major conflicts. There was a small thing with a guy called Huolong, but nothing serious. Maybe someone from his past?”
My mind flashed to Hong Kong crime flicks—retired bosses watering plants when *bang*, a bullet to the forehead.
The lumpy-faced guy dismissed it. “No way.”
After more discussion, we commandeered an empty room as a makeshift HQ. Five bosses in total.
Lumpy-face knocked the table. “Bring Huolong in. Who handles highway routes? Check the dump truck crews. Find out who did this.”
I excused myself to the bathroom. Sun Xiaolin stopped me. “What *does* that patient do? He seems… important.”
Her cheeks were flushed with admiration.
I smiled. “Ex-military. Now a mechanic.”
She *oh*-ed, clearly disappointed. “Then why’d all these gangsters show up?”
I shrugged. “Legends outlive the man. That’s Jun Ge. You’ve asked a lot—my turn. Got a boyfriend?”
She blurted, “I do!”
I grinned. *Then why so curious about Jun Ge?* “Relax, I’m not hitting on you. I wanted to ask—any leads on those seven stolen corpses?”
Sun Xiaolin, unfazed (nurses fear no ghosts, just bad fashion), said, “Who knows? Some say they walked out. Yeah, right—week-old corpses taking strolls? Bet it’s Old He, the morgue attendant. Creepy guy. Probably sold ’em.”
She paused. “Wait, you’re not scared?” I fake-shivered. “Terrified.”
She smirked. “You’re brave too. That Old He’s always scaring kids. Probably mental.”
I noted the name. Before leaving, I asked, “Let me treat you to dinner? To make up for calling you a scammer.”
She scowled. “*Seriously*, I have a boyfriend.”
When I got back, Huolong had been dragged in—left eye bruised, mouth stuffed with tobacco. Seeing me, he spat it out. “Bro, my bad! But it’s been ages—why now?”
Snot and tears streamed down his face.
The five bosses stayed calm, signaling he could go.
I opened the door. “Get out. And stop bullying people.”
Huolong bolted like his life depended on it—straight into cops here to investigate. They took one look inside and paled. “What happened to your face?”
Huolong forced a smile. “Just clumsy, Officer. Walked into a wall. Here for a checkup—wrong room.”
The cops eyed us suspiciously but let him go.
*Sometimes the law moves slower than the streets.*
Sun Xiaolin rushed over. “Liu Jun—uh, *Jun Ge*—is awake. He can talk.”
The five bosses and I hurried in. Sun Xiaolin warned us, “He’s hurt. Keep it short.”
Jun Ge saw us and rasped, “What are you bosses doing here?”
Then his eyes locked onto me. “Xiao Qi, I know who tried to kill me.”
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