Chapter 259: Chapter 251: Ruthless
Tian Xinhua drove to Hu City Hospital first. Fortunately, reattachment surgery for severed fingers has become quite mature nowadays; otherwise, Hu Weiwen would have definitely become disabled.
"Xinhua, what on earth happened? You and Yongsheng left without a word earlier; you had me worried to death." Huang Xiaoguang rushed over anxiously.
"It’s nothing. How is my cousin doing?" Tian Xinhua saw the other Corps-educated youths who had come along and wrinkled his brows slightly, not willing to say too much.
"It’s been reattached. The doctor said he can’t do any heavy work for a month!" Huang Xiaoguang paused for a moment and understood Tian Xinhua’s concerns, so he did not ask any further.
"Then let’s go back. Brother Yongsheng is still at the factory waiting for news."
Hu Weiwen had been dizzy from his blood loss, and coupled with the fact that Huang Xiaoguang and the others deliberately kept him in the dark, he only learned about what had happened that day after getting in the car.
"How could this be? Who did it? What about Ah Nan...?"
During these three years, Hu Weiwen personally witnessed those pitiable young female educated youths being ravaged by those beasts, but he never imagined that those beasts would target Ah Nan—Ah Nan was still just a little girl! Those beasts!
It was all his fault! He shouldn’t have allowed Ah Nan to come to the factory often. Ah Nan was so beautiful; how could those scums let her be? Hu Weiwen painfully hit his head against the car window, and in his mind, Tian Sisi being taken away by those beasts must have meant that she had already... Wracked with guilt, Wei Wen finally couldn’t hold back and burst into tears.
"Brother Wei Wen, look at me, I’m fine. Why are you crying? You just lost so much blood; take care of your body."
Tian Sisi watched with both moving and amused feelings. Didn’t Hu Weiwen think, if she had really been abused, could she appear in front of him so spirited and unharmed?
"Are you really alright? Ah Nan, you’re truly okay?"
Hu Weiwen looked at Tian Sisi incredulously, and seeing her clean appearance, he actually believed a bit.
"Really. By the time I arrived, Ah Nan had already escaped by herself. It was just a false alarm." Tian Xinhua’s words completely reassured Hu Weiwen, who broke into a smile through tears, "As long as you’re alright!"
"I won’t forgive those bastards!"
Tian Xinhua clenched his teeth in hatred. Just the thought of his Ah Nan almost being victimized by those scum makes him want to tear those people apart limb from limb.
"Damn it, these bastards are getting more and more lawless. Brother Xinhua, although I’m not that capable, our father is still a bit influential. If there’s anything you need help with, just let me know!"
Huang Xiaoguang was also furious, slapping his chest and generously offering his help.
"Then thank you so much, Brother Guang!" Tian Xinhua was not polite.
Back at the dormitory, Liu Yongsheng and Gu Jiaming were waiting for them. Seeing Tian Sisi return safe and sound, they both breathed a sigh of relief. Over the last two months, Tian Sisi often came to give them food. They already thought of this beautiful young girl as their own sister, so knowing that something had happened to Tian Sisi, they were also extremely anxious.
Since Hu Weiwen was not in good mental condition, Tian Xinhua decided to take him to his Third Uncle’s place to rest for a few days. Moreover, he also needed to discuss the matter about Ah Nan with Third Uncle, as it was quite clear that the incident was orchestrated by Tian Aiguo’s enemies.
"We’re heading back first. If someone comes to ask you about things in the next few days, just say you don’t know anything. They won’t give you a hard time," Tian Xinhua instructed Huang Xiaoguang and the others before leaving.
"Don’t worry, those bastards wouldn’t dare to mess with us," Huang Xiaoguang said, utterly fearless.
After Tian Xinhua and his group had left, Liu Yongsheng, who had been silent the whole time, finally spoke up after a long pause: "Tian Xinhua will surely achieve great things in the future. Neither of us can compare to him."
Going back to when Tian Xinhua had first discovered Tian Sisi in trouble, Liu Yongsheng had taken him to look for Zhu Xiangdong, who leaked the information. Zhu Xiangdong wasn’t in the workshop, so Liu Yongsheng took him to the dormitory, and as expected, found Zhu Xiangdong sleeping there.
Before Zhu Xiangdong could react, Tian Xinhua pounced on him, grabbed him, and fiercely threw him to the ground, where he didn’t get up for quite some time.
"Speak, who ordered you to deliberately cause my cousin’s fingers to be crushed? And who asked you to call us to the dormitory?"
Tian Xinhua got straight to the point, coldly questioning Zhu Xiangdong on the ground. Zhu Xiangdong attempted to feign ignorance, but Tian Xinhua pulled out a shining dagger and ruthlessly cut off Zhu Xiangdong’s right thumb.
"Ah, my hand!"
Zhu Xiangdong screamed like a slaughtered pig, and Tian Xinhua, holding the severed thumb, smiled like a soul reaper.
"If you want your finger reattached, you better answer quickly, otherwise..."
"It was Squad Leader Li, he was the one who told me to do it. Please, I beg you, take me to the hospital!"
Zhu Xiangdong cracked under the intimidation and confessed immediately. Tian Xinhua flung the thumb far into the willow forest outside the window and had Liu Yongsheng take him to find Li Zhuangzi. Zhu Xiangdong, driven mad, jumped out of the window searching for his thumb.
It just so happened that Li Zhuangzi had just sent Tian Sisi to where her cousin was at the Jining Corps when he was chased back by a chubby man, and he was feeling disgruntled, thinking his cousin wasn’t loyal enough.
Tian Xinhua didn’t bother with pleasantries, he was just as straightforward and violent as before. He subdued Li Zhuangzi as soon as he approached, first dislocating both of his hands, then his legs. Li Zhuangzi was sweating profusely from the pain, but he proved to be tough, not uttering a single peep.
"Not going to talk? Then let’s see if your bones are harder or my knife is sharper."
Tian Xinhua tore Li Zhuangzi’s clothes and cut a thin strip of flesh from his chest with the dagger, murmuring while cutting: "I haven’t quite mastered the art of Lingchi; I can only manage a few hundred cuts. I’ll ensure you remain alive. Since you won’t make it easy for me, I’ll keep you company and have a good time today!"
At this moment, Tian Xinhua’s expression was calm, even with a faint smile, but his words sent a chill down Li Zhuangzi’s spine. Yet, as a battle-hardened veteran who had killed on the battlefield, he refused to show weakness before a young man.
"You can’t do this to me; I’m an active-duty soldier. What you’re doing is illegal!"
"Illegal? Do you, a beast, even deserve to speak those words?"
Tian Xinhua continued without further ado, slowly cutting the second strip of flesh, then the third, the fourth... Blood slowly seeped out on Li Zhuangzi’s chest, blooming like a blood-red rose, while Liu Yongsheng, watching from the side, could only feel the room reeking of blood, nauseating him.
By the fourteenth cut, Li Zhuangzi was in so much pain that he became disoriented. Years of comfortable living had long eroded his once vigorous spirit. He was loath to die; his good days were not yet over. Li Zhuangzi knew that if he didn’t tell the truth, the young man would keep cutting until he died. He finally couldn’t bear it anymore and confessed everything.
Upon learning that Tian Sisi had been sent to the battalion commander by Li Zhuangzi, Tian Xinhua completely changed, exuding a chill as he dropped him and ran outside, but that one last look he cast back left Li Zhuangzi feeling as though he was in an ice cellar. He had an ominous premonition that this time, there might be no escape!