Chapter 401: Chapter 397 Strive to Become Stronger

Ling Chen opened his mouth, wanting to say something more. But just then, a soft, smooth little hand gently slid across his cheek. For some unexplainable reason, Ling Chen immediately felt dizzy and fell into a deep sleep, his head lolling to one side.

After an unknown period of time, Ling Chen finally regained consciousness, waking up from his stupor.

Opening his eyes, Ling Chen looked at his surroundings and realized he was lying in a hospital room. Beside the hospital bed, Nanrong Hao and Jiang Hao were sitting on chairs, having fallen asleep at the bedside.

"Haozi... Jiang Hao..."

Hearing Ling Chen’s call, Jiang Hao and Nanrong Hao immediately lifted their heads, their faces filled with joy as they exclaimed, "Chen, you’re finally awake!"

"How did I end up here?"

Nanrong Hao said blankly, "Chen, have you forgotten what happened earlier? After we dealt with those people in the parking lot, we were planning to head back but found you lying by the roadside, covered in injuries, so we brought you to the hospital."

Jiang Hao added, "Chen, the doctor has already examined you. There’s nothing serious; it’s just superficial injuries." After speaking, Jiang Hao asked with confusion, "Chen, how did you get these injuries?"

Yi Shuiyan!

Ling Chen stared at the pristine white ceiling, his eyebrows tightly knotted and a hint of resentment in his eyes. All this while, he had outwardly dismissed the Tiger List as trivial, but deep down, he still felt a bit smug. Being young and already on the Tiger List, an object of envy for all martial artists, was indeed something to be proud of.

However, after tonight’s events, all his pride was ruthlessly shattered by Yi Shuiyan.

Both belonging to the younger generation, the gap between them made him feel utterly left behind. Compared to Yi Shuiyan, his pride now seemed utterly ridiculous.

"Chen, Chen?" Seeing Ling Chen’s distant expression and prolonged silence, Nanrong Hao couldn’t help but call out.

Ling Chen gave him a glance, threw off his blanket, and got up, saying, "Haozi, go and sort out my discharge paperwork."

Jiang Hao quickly said, "Chen, your injuries aren’t completely healed yet; why not stay a few more days for observation?"

"My body isn’t that precious; hurry up, I have things to handle later," Ling Chen urged.

About ten minutes later, the three of them exited the hospital and got straight into a car.

Checking the time, it was already past five in the morning; he didn’t realize he had slept for so long.

"Haozi, did you tell your sister I’m not coming back?"

"Don’t worry, I called her earlier. To keep her from worrying, I told her about your injuries."

Ling Chen nodded and then shifted the conversation, asking, "How did things go on your end?"

"Everything is sorted out. Fortunately, we had experienced people with us this time, and with Haozi’s help, those guys were dealt with, and their drugs were found. Xiong is handling it. If all goes as expected, we’ll have news soon."

Just as he finished speaking, Jiang Hao’s phone rang.

After listening to the call, Jiang Hao smiled and said, "Chen, it’s done. The people were caught, and the money is in hand."

"That’s good."

According to the plan, after Zhao Zhengxiong and his team intercepted the drugs, they would contact the people from North City District and extort a sum from them. Once the money from North City District was delivered, Zhao Zhengxiong would return the intercepted drugs unopened.

However, once the North City District people came to pick up the goods, Xia Mutong, having been informed beforehand, would lead his men to secretly ambush and capture all the handlers from North City District.

In doing so, not only did money come into the account, but North City District also lost some manpower. More importantly, drug trafficking is a serious crime. In the coming months, all entertainment venues within the North City District would undoubtedly become the prime targets of police searches.

With the police causing disruptions, the business of those guys in North City District would definitely plummet. Not only would there be no income coming in, but they’d also have to be constantly vigilant and live in fear.

During this period, it’s enough time for Zhao Zhengxiong and the others to accomplish a lot.

"Jiang Hao, Haozi, you guys need to put in more effort in these two months. Handle whatever comes up on your own; I’m afraid I won’t have the energy to help you," Ling Chen instructed.

"Chen, don’t worry. As long as the three of us work together, we guarantee there will be no mistakes."

"That’s for the best," Ling Chen said, looking out the car window. "Stop the car, I’ll get off here."

Nanrong Hao turned to look at Ling Chen in the back seat and asked, "Chen, aren’t you coming back with me?"

"No, I have other matters to attend to. You guys go ahead."

After Nanrong Hao and Jiang Hao drove away, Ling Chen walked alone on the roadside and turned into an alley. Following the narrow alley to its end, Ling Chen stood in front of a bright red gate and gently knocked.

Shortly after, the gate opened, and a beautiful and delicate face instantly appeared in front of Ling Chen.

"Ling Chen, you..." As soon as she began to speak, Xia Yue immediately noticed the injury on Ling Chen’s face and frowned slightly, "What happened? Who hurt you?"

Ling Chen gave a wry smile, "Fifth Sister, let’s talk inside."

Xia Yue hurriedly stepped aside and welcomed Ling Chen into the house.

Ever since he came back last time, Ling Chen had rented a quiet Siheyuan in East Sea City specifically for Yuan Yun and Wei Jiahao to recover from their injuries. At this moment, it wasn’t yet dawn, but Qiu Yong and the others had already gotten up and were exercising in the spacious courtyard.

As martial artists, they must persist in their efforts, as only with perseverance can they continuously improve.

Once inside, it wasn’t more than two minutes before Qiu Yong and the others arrived one by one, each with a fierce look and a stern expression.

"Ling Chen, everyone is here. Tell us, who hurt you? Your Big Brother will help you get justice."

Ling Chen looked at the people in front of him, feeling a touch of emotion. He took a breath, sorted out his feelings, and said, "Big Brother, I appreciate your kindness. But as a man, where I fall is where I should get back up. I want to regain my lost face on my own."

Hearing this, the usually silent Xu Ming slightly lifted his head, a hint of admiration flickering in his cloudy eyes.

Zhang Zhongfeng, who was not prone to smiles, slightly curled the corner of his mouth and said with a smile, "It’s good that you think this way. That shows you are indeed a real man. Ling Chen, remember, a temporary defeat is not shameful. Who among us hasn’t experienced failures? As long as you are determined and willing to work hard, you will surely regain what you have lost."

"Fourth Brother is right," Qiu Yong echoed. "Since you want to handle it yourself, we respect your choice. But there must be more than just this matter that brought you to us so early, right?"

Ling Chen got straight to the point, "I heard that the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony is in less than two months, and I plan to participate."

Qiu Yong and the others looked at each other and nodded, "Alright, since you want to participate, we’ll all go with you."

"There’s one more thing." At this point, Ling Chen suddenly stood up, knelt down with a ’thump’, and kowtowed three times to the people present.

"Ling Chen, what are you doing?" Xia Yue’s expression changed, and she hurriedly helped Ling Chen up.

Ling Chen spoke seriously, "I know my abilities are limited. In these less than two months, I hope my brothers and sisters can impart their knowledge to me. I understand the rules of the Martial Arts world, that skills are not passed on lightly. Those three kowtows are my way of offering a master-apprentice homage."