Seven hours after the car accident, Xia Xiaolan met Kang Wei’s family at the Pengcheng Hospital.
Present were Kang Wei’s mother, Second Uncle, and Guan Hui’e.
Guan Hui’e noticed Xiaolan’s hand wrapped like a zongzi and her face mottled with red and purple bruises—the injuries weren’t as severe right after the accident, but now Xia Xiaolan’s facial wounds had swollen considerably, and with the antiseptic stains, she looked truly frightening.
Her beauty was gone, and Guan Hui’e felt genuine pity. This young girl would have been perfectly fine if she had stayed in Shangdu during the winter break. Why did Xia Xiaolan come to Pengcheng? It was all because she wanted to see Zhou Cheng!
“You should lie down. How can you be walking around?”
“Auntie, it’s fine. I don’t need hospitalization; these are just medicine stains on my face. Uncle Kang, Auntie Xie, let me take you to see Kang Wei.”
When Kang Lianming arrived at the hospital, he immediately clasped hands with Tang Hong’en. “Thank you for your help, Mayor Tang. Without your assistance today, we would have… I thank you on behalf of the Kang family!”
“Let’s see the child first; you’ve all been worried during your journey.”
Xia Xiaolan thought Kang Lianming looked like a typical politician—seriousness and rigidity were carved into his bones. Even his smiles seemed measured with a ruler, calculating when to smile and how wide. If Guan Hui’e hadn’t introduced him, Xia Xiaolan would never have connected this middle-aged man with Kang Wei on the street.
Xie Yun was just as Xia Xiaolan had heard. When they reached Kang Wei’s hospital room and saw him covered in tubes, Xie Yun collapsed in grief into Guan Hui’e’s arms.
Kang Lianming remained much calmer, calling over Kang Wei’s surgeon and asking for a detailed explanation of his condition.
He wasn’t afraid to appear ignorant, asking about medical terms he didn’t understand right there in front of everyone.
The more the doctor explained, the more Kang Lianming’s furrowed brow relaxed. Finally, he shook hands with the doctor, expressing profound gratitude—a stark contrast to Xie Yun’s devastation.
“You’re Xiaolan, right?”
Kang Lianming called Xia Xiaolan aside and asked about the accident circumstances.
Xia Xiaolan had nothing to hide and explained everything, including how she had grabbed the steering wheel. Kang Lianming didn’t blame her, saying, “You did the right thing.”
The car had crashed directly into their side and front seat. While Xia Xiaolan took the brunt of it, Kang Wei’s side couldn’t escape damage either.
Kang Wei had frozen in panic, which was why Xia Xiaolan had to turn the wheel sharply!
Blame Xia Xiaolan?
The fault lay with the perpetrator.
“You said the Hong Kong businessman who caused the accident is also hospitalized?”
Xia Xiaolan nodded and briefly explained Du Zhaohui’s background, including how Bai Zhenzhu had kicked out his tooth.
The lines around Kang Lianming’s mouth were deep—he must frequently purse his lips. Xia Xiaolan felt uneasy talking to him. Though all were leaders, Kang Lianming was completely different from Zhou Guobin and Tang Hong’en. He seemed a perfectionist, demanding high standards from himself and others—she’d heard that his children, one already working, weren’t enjoying an easy position like Kang Wei but were stationed in the poorest grassroots areas. The one still studying lived frugally under strict requirements.
Only with Kang Wei did Kang Lianming seem indulgent. Outsiders said he didn’t want Kang Wei to succeed, and even the Kang family elders thought so.
Was that true?
Kang Lianming listened attentively as Xia Xiaolan spoke.
He did not comment on Bai Zhenzhu kicking out Du Zhaohui’s tooth. Someone like him wouldn’t reveal his thoughts to Xia Xiaolan anyway.
Whether she was Zhou Cheng’s girlfriend or even if she were Kang Wei’s partner, Kang Lianming wouldn’t confide in her.
While Xie Yun continued crying in Kang Wei’s room, Kang Lianming, after speaking with the doctor, showed no further concern for Kang Wei. Instead, he asked Xia Xiaolan to take him to Du Zhaohui’s room.
Du Zhaohui complained of headaches and toothache. Bai Zhenzhu’s kick hadn’t just knocked out his tooth but had given him an excuse to claim concussion.
The brain is the most delicate human organ, and modern medicine’s understanding of it remains limited. Though doctors found nothing wrong with Du Zhaohui, he insisted something was wrong. What could the hospital do? They had to give him a room.
Out of respect for Tang Hong’en’s presence, Du Zhaohui didn’t confront Bai Zhenzhu directly. His current behavior was already a form of protest.
He would pay for Kang Wei’s treatment, but what else could be done? They couldn’t exactly put a hole in his head to atone for Kang Wei’s injuries.
Du Zhaohui didn’t take it too seriously. He thought Xia Xiaolan was overreacting, especially since Kang Wei was out of danger. Du Zhaohui was mentally prepared for compensation—couldn’t they just sit down and discuss it properly?
Those with power and influence wouldn’t scorn genuine RMB currency.
Mainland China’s per capita income was very low then, and private business wasn’t allowed before the Reform and Opening Up—there certainly weren’t any millionaires in 1985. Even someone of Tang Hong’en’s rank only earned a few hundred yuan monthly. No matter how powerful the Kang family was, Du Zhaohui didn’t believe they would refuse substantial compensation.
If the Kang family was wealthy enough to scorn his compensation, that would be interesting—besides corruption, Du Zhaohui couldn’t imagine where such money would come from!
While Du Zhaohui was “recuperating” in his room, having sent his bodyguards outside, one guard came in:
“Young Master, Kang Wei’s family is here—his uncle wants to see you. Miss Xia is with them.”
Miss Xia’s face was badly swollen now, though she had been quite beautiful before the injury. The Young Master had visited Huaqing University twice, only to find she was uninterested because she had a boyfriend. Now the Young Master had even injured her boyfriend, no wonder he felt guilty and was hiding.
The bodyguard’s imagination ran wild, but Du Zhaohui knew nothing of this.
He looked at his pitiful state—still in his bloodstained white suit, half his face swollen—but wasn’t afraid to meet Kang Wei’s uncle.
“Let them in.”
However, Xia Xiaolan didn’t enter, only a middle-aged man who looked no different from any other mainland official. When the bodyguard tried to stay, Kang Lianming’s secretary asked him to leave: “The leader needs to speak with Comrade Du privately. What are you afraid of?”
Come on, would Kang Lianming pull out a knife from his clothes and stab Du Zhaohui?
Du Zhaohui nodded, “Well, let me talk with Mr. Kang.”
How much money would it take to settle this?
That was the only thought in Du Zhaohui’s mind. Being an uncle rather than a father should make him easier to deal with!
Xia Xiaolan, also politely kept outside the room, felt uncertain—after all, she’d only heard about how Second Uncle Kang Lianming both spoiled and neglected Kang Wei. Would he seek justice for Kang Wei? Or would he let it go as soon as Du Zhaohui offered some compensation?
“Miss Xia, let’s give the leader some space. Don’t you trust he can handle this properly?”
While Kang Lianming was stern and rigid, his secretary was a friendly young man whose smile revealed two tiger teeth.
Xia Xiaolan could hardly admit that she didn’t trust Kang Lianming.
But she had no standing to insist on entering—she was just Kang Wei’s friend!