Fifteen days passed.
The impact of this incident was gradually fading, and for ordinary people, it was as if it had never happened.
After Tao Qiyue's condition stabilized, she learned of Chen Jinzhao's injuries and was filled with self-blame. What frustrated her even more was that half a month had passed since the incident, and there was still no evidence to prove that someone had instigated the dump truck drivers to commit murder. The two surviving drivers had mysteriously died in the hospital.
She knew something was amiss, but she couldn't find the real culprit!
Could it be Fang Mingchao's doing?
In Tao Qiyue's opinion, this was highly probable, but she lacked evidence, and coupled with Fang Mingchao's foreign nationality, the difficulty of solving the case increased dramatically.
It was also on this day.
Tao Qiyue, disregarding the doctor's advice, insisted on being discharged.
After visiting the unconscious Chen Jinzhao, she planned to return to work despite her injuries, determined to bring the culprits who had harmed Chen Jinzhao to justice!
After she left, Xu Nianqing arrived.
During Chen Jinzhao's coma, Xu Nianqing visited him unfailingly every day.
Given how demanding her research work was, and the daily travel between Ninghai and Jiangning, Xu Nianqing felt deeply exhausted both physically and mentally over the past half month.
"What did the doctor say?" Xu Nianqing asked Yu Mengzhi.
Yu Mengzhi shook her head gently, "There hasn't been much progress. The hope of him waking up is not yet extinguished."
Xu Nianqing felt a deep sense of disappointment.
Yu Mengzhi patted her shoulder, "Elder Xu has been looking for top medical teams in the country for him. I believe with our combined efforts, he will eventually wake up."
"However..."
"I think you should focus on your own work now, so as not to delay the research progress."
"I will not have peace until he wakes up," Xu Nianqing said softly, shaking her head.
Yu Mengzhi could empathize with Xu Nianqing's feelings, as she felt the same way. However, Xu Nianqing was responsible for an extremely important research project, and Chen Jinzhao would certainly not want Xu Nianqing to hinder the research progress for his sake. She conveyed her thoughts to Xu Nianqing, urging her to be strong. Xu Nianqing hesitated to speak.
"I'm here, don't worry," Yu Mengzhi added.
Li Qiutao sat in the corridor outside the ward, with faint dark circles around his eyes.
He had been very busy these past few days, diligently weeding out Yu Hongzhi's cronies.
Although there was no evidence to suggest Yu Hongzhi was behind this incident, Li Qiutao believed that the fact that such a shocking accident occurred in Yu Hongzhi's jurisdiction, and the mastermind could not be found, was telling enough. Li Qiutao did not operate as cautiously as Tao Qiyue, adhering to so-called evidence.
As a result, Yu Hongzhi had been in a desperate situation during this period. Had it not been for the Su family's backing, he might not have escaped unscathed.
Just then.
Several doctors in white coats hurried to the ward entrance, drawing the attention of the three of them.
Yu Mengzhi was the first to approach the doctor. "Dr. Bai, have you discovered anything unusual?"
The leading Dr. Bai said, "We've detected an anomaly in the patient's brainwaves. They have shifted from a scattered pattern to a neat and organized one. This is a sign of the patient waking up!"
The three were overjoyed.
Dr. Bai also said, "Please wait outside. We'll go in and assess the situation."
"Alright, thank you, Dr. Bai," Li Qiutao said.
Several doctors, considered masters in the medical field, quickly entered the ward and busied themselves for half an hour. When they reappeared at the doorway, their faces were filled with joy. "It's strange, the patient's brainwave signals are getting stronger and stronger. At this rate, he should wake up in the next few days."
Xu Nianqing was particularly excited. "Are you serious?"
Dr. Bai chuckled, "This is a serious matter, how could we joke? General Chen is young and capable, and we don't want to see him bedridden. His recovery is truly a miracle."
"You'll need to monitor his condition closely over the next few days."
After giving these instructions, Li Qiutao suddenly asked Dr. Bai, "Dr. Bai, could you please keep this a secret? We don't want anyone else to know for now, to avoid any trouble."
Dr. Bai nodded, assuring them he would not leak any information.
In the following days, Chen Jinzhao indeed showed signs of waking, bringing joy to everyone.
On the twenty-first day since Chen Jinzhao's admission, Chen Jinzhao suddenly opened his eyes.
The ward lights were very bright.
The brightness made Chen Jinzhao's eyes sting, almost bringing tears to his eyes.
After a few minutes of adjustment, he was able to open his eyes fully.
Upon seeing his surroundings clearly, he breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he had finally survived the car accident. He wondered how long he had been unconscious.
During his coma, Chen Jinzhao had actually been conscious.
Chen Jinzhao felt as if he were in an infinitely dark space, unable to hear or feel the changes in the outside world, and naturally couldn't hear Yu Mengzhi and the others calling him.
In this dark environment, he couldn't find a way out.
Like a headless fly, he searched for a long time before seeing a faint light ahead on the path. By the time he reached the exit, he opened his eyes.
His head felt a bit swollen, and his whole body ached.
He looked around and noticed someone sitting by the hospital bed. It was Yu Mengzhi, her head resting on the bed, and one hand clasped in Chen Jinzhao's –
This way, she could sense any movement from Chen Jinzhao immediately.
Chen Jinzhao looked at the woman, a strange feeling rising in his heart. He then raised his hand and gently ruffled her hair. Yu Mengzhi, as if by reflex, raised her head and looked at Chen Jinzhao in a daze.
Her daze didn't last long; soon, it turned into excitement!
"You..."
Yu Mengzhi's voice trembled. She rubbed her eyes and said with a mixture of awe and fear, "Am I dreaming, or is this real?"
Chen Jinzhao casually pinched her cheek, making her feel a slight pain.
"Ouch—"
"You're too strong, it hurts!"
Chen Jinzhao then released her.
He then said, "Mengzhi, long time no see. Have I been unconscious for a long time?"
Just as Yu Mengzhi was about to speak, she found herself choked up, as if something was blocking her throat, preventing her from speaking. Her vision blurred, and tears threatened to fall uncontrollably.
Chen Jinzhao said again, "Why are you crying?"
Yu Mengzhi wiped away her tears while holding Chen Jinzhao's hand tightly.
For the past twenty days, she hadn't shed a single tear when others were crying. Instead, she put on a brave face in front of them, projecting optimism so that everyone wouldn't fall into deep despair. But now, Yu Mengzhi could no longer hold back, letting her bitter tears flow freely.
She choked out a reply to Chen Jinzhao.
"I'm not crying."
"You just pinched me too hard, otherwise I definitely wouldn't cry."