Pan Bohua was delirious with a fever.

If the injury hadn’t been serious, the fishermen wouldn’t have dared to help them.

Zhou Cheng feared pirates, but the fishermen feared them even more.

Hijacking ships and taking lives – pirates were more terrifying than smugglers.

Zhou Cheng had used his watch as payment, and the fishermen agreed to turn back and take them to shore, landing not far from Pengcheng. Though Zhou Cheng was barely holding on himself, he still managed to get Pan Bohua to a clinic for initial treatment before collapsing into a chair.

Though they thought Pan Bohua was unconscious from the fever, he suddenly struggled to open his eyes:

“Don’t contact those people, contact—”

Pan Bohua paused, “Contact Bai Zhenzhu, she owes me a favor.”

After giving Zhou Cheng a phone number, Pan Bohua passed out.

Zhou Cheng understood Pan Bohua’s meaning. After they’d left the pirates’ den with no rescue for so many days, Pan Bohua didn’t trust the people who had assigned Zhou Cheng this mission. Having Zhou Cheng contact Bai Zhenzhu meant he trusted her more.

Indeed, Bai Zhenzhu didn’t just owe Pan Bohua a favor – she owed him her life.

They could have contacted Tang Hong’en too.

But Zhou Cheng wanted to maintain some dignity before his future father-in-law – Tang Hong’en had already seen him in a sorry state once, it couldn’t happen again.

So Bai Zhenzhu it was – White Zhiyong’s sister and Xiaolan’s business partner was someone they could trust.

The watch was still with the fishermen, and Zhou Cheng asked one of them to stay:

“Our friends will be here soon.”

If everyone left, how would he get his watch back?

He borrowed the clinic’s phone, and it took half an hour to contact Bai Zhenzhu. By the time she arrived, over two hours had passed. Zhou Cheng himself had been forced by the clinic’s doctors to receive an IV – after drifting at sea for days, he was severely dehydrated and risked going into shock without fluids.

Bai Zhenzhu hadn’t imagined that one day she’d be helping Zhou Cheng and Pan Bohua.

These two were incredibly capable – though she hadn’t seen Zhou Cheng’s skills, she’d witnessed Pan Bohua’s. When Pan Bohua had dealt with Ke Yixiong’s men, he’d cut through them like vegetables, handling multiple opponents with ease.

Now, how had they ended up in such a sorry state?

Bai Zhenzhu had long confirmed that Pan Bohua was the system-wide competition champion her brother Bai Zhiyong had written about in his letter.

While Pan Bohua was unconscious, Zhou Cheng was still awake. Bai Zhenzhu called out “Brother Zhou.”

“This is—”

“Comrade Zhenzhu, thank you for coming. Do you have money with you?”

Bai Zhenzhu had brought money – not knowing what had happened, she’d brought 20,000 in cash.

Zhou Cheng borrowed money from Bai Zhenzhu and immediately gave 1,000 to the impatient waiting fisherman: “I promised more rewards on shore – this shows my sincerity. Have your companions return my watch, and I’ll give you cash. I’m not going back on my word, but that watch has special meaning to me.”

Money or watch?

A watch wasn’t easy to split among them, and even if it was worth 2,000, buying and selling prices were different matters.

Between the watch and cash, they preferred money.

Zhou Cheng didn’t reveal his identity or try to guilt them.

Help should be voluntary, and they had genuinely lost fishing time bringing Zhou Cheng and Pan Bohua to shore.

Soon, the watch was back on Zhou Cheng’s wrist.

Touching the watch made him feel secure. Bai Zhenzhu wanted to transfer them to a city hospital, and Zhou Cheng didn’t refuse. But before leaving, he could finally make a call to America.

Multiple transfers and waiting.

Zhou Cheng wasn’t impatient.

It should be morning in New York State now.

If he was lucky, his wife hadn’t left for school yet.

Zhou Cheng felt his luck had always been decent – after all, he’d cheated death again.

Finally, the call connected.

“Looking for Xiaolan? This is Zhou Cheng… Xiaolan, Xiaolan come downstairs quickly, it’s Zhou Cheng calling!”

Hu Ying held the receiver, “She’s been waiting for your call for quite a while.”

“Yes, Aunt Hu, I know. I’ve made Xiaolan worry again.”

Worried?

When Xia Xiaolan heard it was Zhou Cheng calling, her heart settled, and her steps were light as she went downstairs.

A full month had passed since Zhou Cheng had been called away on his mission.

In another month, she would be discussing her return to China, and still no word from Zhou Cheng.

Rationally, she told herself not to worry – sometimes no news was good news, but how could she truly not worry?

“Zhou Cheng, are you alright?”

Zhou Cheng touched the watch on his wrist, feeling completely at ease:

“I’m fine. I’m safe now, and the mission is complete. I’m just calling to let you know not to worry… I’m sorry, you haven’t been sleeping well again, have you? I am fine, it’s just that the mission required absolute secrecy, so I couldn’t contact you during it.”

Zhou Cheng wasn’t joking.

Even excluding the time he and Pan Bohua were drifting at sea, he couldn’t contact anyone else.

He could only report progress to his superiors. What Pan Bohua had to deliver was too important, and some still suspected Pan Bohua of defecting – it was a classified mission.

Zhou Cheng’s voice sounded quite energetic.

With her biggest worry lifted, Xia Xiaolan could joke:

“Not just safe, but completely intact too.”

She was asking if he was injured.

Zhou Cheng, hooked to an IV, denied it completely.

“You doubt my abilities? Completely intact – haven’t even scraped any skin off!”

If he’d spoken a bit louder, Xia Xiaolan might have believed him, but she didn’t call him out. Being able to make this call was better than anything. Xia Xiaolan softened her voice, “I’ll be back in the country in a month, wait for me.”

After exchanging a few sweet words, Zhou Cheng reluctantly hung up.

He didn’t forget to urge Bai Zhenzhu, “Whatever you do, don’t tell Xiaolan that Third Brother and I were injured.”

Only after Bai Zhenzhu promised did Zhou Cheng finally allow himself to pass out. The nurse fixed his IV needle, “This comrade has such strong willpower, such endurance!”

Zhou Cheng’s injuries weren’t much lighter than Pan Bohua’s. While Pan Bohua was delirious with fever, Zhou Cheng wouldn’t let himself rest until he’d reported his safety. He’d held on until Bai Zhenzhu arrived, redeemed his watch, and called Xiaolan before finally collapsing.

This wasn’t just strong willpower – he had to take care of Pan Bohua and didn’t want Xiaolan to worry. He wouldn’t let himself fall until everything was arranged!

Though Bai Zhenzhu hadn’t joined the classified unit, she admired such people.

How glorious was it when her big brother joined? Bai Zhenzhu had earned quite a bit of money now – if Bai Zhiyong returned home, the siblings could go into business together, guaranteeing him a comfortable life, much easier than in the classified unit!

But Bai Zhiyong never considered it, and Bai Zhenzhu never suggested it.

Bai Zhiyong was content with his hardships, proud in his uniform, bringing glory to the Bai family!

Bai Zhenzhu didn’t explain to the nurse, she just urged the clinic to hurry:

“Get them to the city hospital quickly!”