Outside the operating room, only Lu Yang remained. Li Xiumei, unable to bear her hunger any longer, had gone out to eat.
Suddenly, Meng Hongda walked up to Lu Yang and, with a "thump," knelt directly before him.
"Young Master, it was my eyes that failed to recognize your eminence. I offended you just now, and I apologize. I only beg that you set aside past grievances and accept me as your disciple!"
Meng Hongda's action stunned everyone present.
After all, Meng Hongda was the president of the Jiangbei City Traditional Chinese Medicine Association and a towering figure in the city's TCM circles. Those who sought his medical attention were either rich or noble.
Yet, here was Meng Hongda, kneeling before a callow youth, a sight that made people's jaws drop.
"You may rise. I do not take disciples!" Lu Yang stated directly. He hadn't fully mastered the Tai Gu Yi Dao yet. Treating Tang Shimin had drained all his energy and spirit, and he hadn't recovered. To take on a disciple now would only waste his time.
"Young Master, if you do not accept me as a disciple, I will remain kneeling!" Meng Hongda was resolute, looking at Lu Yang.
"Why must you do this!"
"If you wish to learn my medical skills, I can teach you when I have the time. But for now, I am busy. The woman inside is my wife, and I need to look after her!" Lu Yang continued.
"Thank you, Young Master. However, I will only learn your acupuncture techniques if you accept me as a disciple!" Meng Hongda insisted.
"Why are you so stubborn? Fine, fine, I'm giving in. We'll talk about it when I have time!" Lu Yang said, shaking his head in exasperation.
Cheng Wanyun, who had been standing by silently, stepped forward. Though inwardly shocked to the extreme, she maintained a composed demeanor as she addressed Lu Yang, "Mr. Lu, you have treated your wife. Now, can you accompany me to the police station for questioning?"
"Certainly!" Lu Yang nodded. He then turned to Meng Hongda and said, "Elder Meng, please be so kind as to suture my wife's wound as soon as possible. Do not remove the needles from her body yet. Wait until I return from the police station!"
"Young Master, rest assured, Meng will keep this in mind!" Meng Hongda replied immediately.
...
At the Jiangbei City Public Security Bureau, in a spacious interrogation room, Lu Yang sat in the central chair, while Cheng Wanyun held a pen and a piece of paper.
"Name!"
"Lu Yang!"
"Age!"
"25!"
"By what means did you break that person's limbs?" Cheng Wanyun questioned Lu Yang as if interrogating a criminal.
"With my hands and feet!" Lu Yang replied indifferently.
"Do you realize that your actions could lead to imprisonment?" Cheng Wanyun continued.
"I believe my actions constitute self-defense. You should release me unconditionally!" Lu Yang said with a cold laugh.
"Self-defense? Is breaking limbs self-defense? If I had been a few minutes later, I have no doubt you would have killed him!" Cheng Wanyun's expression shifted, and she spoke with palpable anger.
At this moment, a police officer entered and whispered a few words into Cheng Wanyun's ear.
"What? Is that so?" Cheng Wanyun's face darkened further, and she stared intently at Lu Yang.
"Who exactly are you?"
"Why is it that even I don't have the authority to view your file?" Cheng Wanyun had previously asked the police to investigate Lu Yang's identity, only to discover that his file information was classified as top secret. Even someone of Cheng Wanyun's standing lacked the clearance to access it. This further deepened Cheng Wanyun's estimation of Lu Yang.
"Some things are better left unknown. I advise you to abandon this line of thought sooner rather than later," Lu Yang stated calmly.
"You want me to abandon it? Who do you think you are?"
"Let me tell you, now that you're in my hands, cooperate properly. Otherwise, I won't be lenient with you!" Cheng Wanyun said coldly, her delicate features hardening with a hint of chill, making her even more strikingly beautiful.
"Speak, what were your intentions in going undercover in the Tang family?"
"Undercover? Officer Cheng, I must say, your imagination is truly boundless. To even conceive of such a thing. However, I regret to inform you that I was not undercover; I am merely the live-in son-in-law of the Tang family!" Lu Yang replied with a smile.
"You..."
"Officer Cheng, Mr. Lu has been bailed out!" Just as Cheng Wanyun was about to press further in her frustration, the Director of the Public Security Bureau, Zhao Changfeng, walked in and said with a smile to Cheng Wanyun.
"Bailed out?" Hearing this, Cheng Wanyun's face instantly turned cold.
"Indeed, it was Mr. Lin Guoxiong, the general manager of Haitong Group, who posted bail!" Zhao Changfeng quickly explained.
"Haitong Group?"
"I didn't expect this kid to have connections with Haitong Group?" Hearing this, Cheng Wanyun was inwardly surprised, but she showed nothing on her face. She looked at Lu Yang and said, "Don't ever fall into my hands again, or I'll make you regret it!"
"Oh? Is that so? Then I shall await your 'making me regret it'!" Lu Yang said, deliberately walking past Cheng Wanyun before leaving the police station.
He did not have Lin Guoxiong drive him back but instead took a taxi towards the hospital.
As he passed a hotel, Lu Yang noticed a Phaeton parked at the entrance. The license plate of the Phaeton was his family's license plate.
"Hmm? Why is this Phaeton parked here? Li Xiumei wouldn't come to a place like this!" Lu Yang thought curiously and waved to the driver to stop.
Lu Yang walked directly towards the Phaeton. Just as he crossed the road, he saw a man and a woman emerge from the hotel. The man was Lu Yang's father-in-law, Tang Mingde, while the woman was very young, appearing to be in her thirties, dressed sexily and provocatively.
Tang Mingde had one arm around the woman's waist.
"Damn, what am I seeing? My cheap father-in-law is actually... getting a woman outside with Li Xiumei?"
"If Li Xiumei finds out about this, I reckon my cheap father-in-law will be castrated for the rest of his life!" Lu Yang thought to himself as he hid behind a large tree, watching cautiously.
"Darling, I've taken a liking to a pair of shoes. Will you accompany me to buy them?" the woman cooed, her arm around Tang Mingde's neck.
"Of course!" Tang Mingde readily agreed, and they got into the car and sped away from the hotel.
"Sigh, I really don't understand what my father-in-law is thinking?"
"Why would such a young and beautiful woman like you? Does she like your age? Does she like that you don't bathe? It can only be because she likes the money in your pocket!"
"I can't believe Grandpa Tang's one million yuan ended up in your hands!" Lu Yang had by now guessed that Tang Mingde had taken the million yuan, otherwise, he wouldn't be living such a luxurious and decadent life.