Chapter 140: The Visit

Xiao Zhong greeted the policewoman standing guard at the door. Then, under the accustomed, nonchalant smiles of the two police officers, he led Kang Ning into the ward.

Seeing Gao Qinghua and his wife sitting on another hospital bed with their child, chatting with Lu Jing and Mengmeng, Kang Ning gestured for Xiao Zhong to lead the couple outside and thanked her, asking her to return to her duties.

Xiao Zhong nodded, politely inviting the somewhat surprised couple out of the ward, closing the door behind them. She informed them that the doctor needed to examine the patient and asked them not to be disturbed, then headed toward the nurses' station.

Kang Ning walked step by step to the semi-reclined Lu Jing, pulled over a square stool to sit down, glanced curiously at Meng Yin who was staring at her, and then turned to Lu Jing, saying gently: "Patients, neither of you is allowed to make a sound no matter what I say, understand?"

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Mengmeng had already recognized Kang Ning's voice. She pulled down Kang Ning's face mask in one swift motion and stared at her, tears streaming down her face.

From shock to pleasant surprise and then to overwhelming emotion, Lu Jing hugged Kang Ning's neck and burst into a muffled cry. Kang Ning covered Lu Jing's mouth with one hand and pulled Mengmeng's head against her chest with the other, barely managing to suppress their weeping.

More than ten seconds later, the two women wiped away their tears and looked at Kang Ning with a mixture of excitement and worry.

"I am fine, don't worry. Jing'er, Mengyin, it was me who brought you trouble and suffering. It's been hard on you both!"

Seeing that the two were about to cry again, Kang Ning quickly raised a finger to point toward the door, pulled a cell phone out of her pocket, and pressed it into Lu Jing's hand: "Don't alert the police! Listen to me, in a few days someone will come to take you down south. It is extremely safe here, but fortunately no one knows about my relationship with Mengmeng; otherwise, Mengmeng would be in great danger too! Both the underworld and the authorities are looking for me outside, and I am most worried about the safety of you and the child. Therefore, as soon as I leave, call my father using the number above. Just tell him you are patients introduced by an old acquaintance from Shandong, and mention the hospital and ward you are currently in. He will understand once he hears that. Don't say anything else. Remember?"

Seeing Lu Jing nod heavily, Kang Ning embraced her and kissed her fiercely. Turning back to Mengmeng, she said, "Let Xiao Lin and her child stay here with Jing'er tonight. In ten minutes, go outside and wait for me by the newsstand one hundred meters to the right of the hospital's main gate. I have something to tell you."

Seeing Mengmeng nod, Kang Ning stood up, walked softly to the nearby crib, picked up his sleeping son gently, and looked at him over and over again, his eyes welling up with tears.

He kissed his son tenderly, placed him back into Lu Jing's arms, shared another long, passionate kiss with Lu Jing, and then stood up, picking up a folder nearby with a hardened heart.

Donning his mask, Kang Ning pulled the door open and stepped out. He walked over to Gao Qinghua, who was chatting with the police, and said in Mandarin mixed with a Shanghai accent, "Are you a family member of the patient? Would you mind coming with me to pick up a lab report?"

Gao Qinghua did not recognize Kang Ning's voice for a moment. He nodded, bid farewell to the two police officers, and followed Kang Ning away from the ward.

Kang Ning waved to nurse Xiao Zhong who was walking past, stepped up to the elevator, pressed the second-floor button, and stood quietly without speaking to Gao Qinghua.

Arriving at the second floor, they stepped out of the elevator. Feeling slightly puzzled, Gao Qinghua looked at the person beside him and asked, "Doctor, how is it that I've never seen you before?"

Kang Ning walked around a corner, stopped, and removed his glasses and mask. He smiled at the dumbfounded Gao Qinghua: "If you haven't seen me, you can look at me again now. Little Brother used to dress pretty much like this on duty; it's just that the words printed on the clothes were different."

Gao Qinghua threw his arms around Kang Ning in a tight embrace, then pushed him away and gave his chest a hard punch: "I really hand it to you, you've got guts of steel! By the way, let me ask you something—was the case in Leijiang last night your doing?"

"You really are something! Ever since I talked to you that day, I came back from Leijiang and hid in the guesthouse all day, not daring to go anywhere. What's wrong? You two are cut from the same cloth, always eager to pin the blame on me!"

Kang Ning looked at Gao Qinghua with a deeply aggrieved expression until Gao Qinghua felt somewhat embarrassed and began to laugh.

Gao Qinghua sighed: "It's good that it wasn't you, and I didn't think it likely either. Stealing the pistol of a dignified bureau chief right inside Ni San's lair and then immediately killing three men is probably something you couldn't pull off. That takes not only daring, but also extreme ruthlessness."

"What? This is a major case!"

Kang Ning looked at Gao Qinghua with a shocked expression: "That means the whole of Sichuan is likely thrown into complete chaos."

Gao Qinghua shook his head: "You bet! Nearly a hundred people inside and outside this hospital have been recalled to Leijiang by Ni San, or how else could you have gotten in so easily? The bureau also ordered me to cut my leave short and head back tomorrow morning. Sigh, you'd better watch out. Take advantage of the fact that a province-wide manhunt hasn't been deployed yet and run. Run as far as you can."

Kang Ning nodded: "Big Brother, don't worry. Do me a favor and ask Brother Du to have his men protect Lu Jing in secret for three more days. Within three days, someone will definitely come to take her and the child away."

Gao Qinghua asked perplexedly: "How can it be that easy? Little Dude would definitely help you with this favor, but those two police officers at the door are from the Fifth Division of the Public Security Department; leaving won't be that simple."

Kang Ning smiled with confidence: "Don't worry, Big Brother. As for me being framed for murder, maybe my old man is too proud to beg others, but his grandson and daughter-in-law are innocent. How could he just sit by and let them die? I know his temperament; this favor, he will definitely grant!"

"Alright, I'll discuss it with Little Du and have his men cooperate as well. Besides, you've helped them out immensely before." Gao Qinghua looked at Kang Ning with a hint of reluctance, seeming to have a lot more to say.

Kang Ning stepped forward and gave Gao Qinghua a firm hug, saying to him with tears in his eyes: "Big Brother, I won't forget you in my next life!"

Gao Qinghua fought back his tears, gave Kang Ning a light punch, and turned abruptly to walk away. Kang Ning watched his back silently, waiting for over a minute before stepping into the elevator. Just as the elevator doors were about to close, Kang Ning saw him burying his face against the elevator mirror, weeping.

Wiping away his tears, Kang Ning took off his white lab coat, cap, and mask, hung them along with the folder onto a nail beside a door, went down to the second floor, slipped back into his car, put on his peaked cap, and drove the car out of the hospital gates.

The night was deep, and there were few people on the street.

Kang Ning turned right onto the main avenue, keeping a watchful eye on Mengmeng's direction. Fifty meters away, under the bright street lamp, Meng Meng was standing in front of the closed newsstand, waiting anxiously. About ten meters away from Mengmeng, under a tree, a man was hiding behind the trunk, keeping watch on her.

Kang Ning's belly was full of fire with nowhere to vent. He pulled his car over to the side of the road just five meters away from that man, got out, and strode toward the panicked fellow.

Seeing a heavily armed police officer marching toward him with an air of fury, the man waved his hands frantically in self-defense: "Soldier Brother, I'm not a bad guy..."

Kang Ning walked right up to him without a word and sent him flying with a single slap into the roadside flowerbeds. After a few rattling noises, all movement ceased.

Kang Ning returned, drove the car up to the dumbfounded Mengmeng, opened the right-hand door, and said to the astonished face of Mengmeng:

"Madam, a brave and righteous armed police officer is more than willing to be at your service!"

Ecstatic, Mengmeng climbed into the car, and as soon as the door closed, she lunged at Kang Ning and bit him hard on the neck.