Chapter 32: The old leader is critically ill

The old man was wearing an old-fashioned military uniform that was washed to a pale color but ironed meticulously. He stood straight, with his silver hair combed neatly. His face was gaunt, his eyes were as deep as an ancient well, and he looked intimidating without even being angry.

He was reading a document in the light from the window. When he heard the noise, he slowly raised his head.

He looked to the side, and the guard next to him reported the situation in a low voice. The old man nodded and continued to read the document in his hand.

There were only Shen Lingning and her daughter in the soft sleeper compartment, and they both breathed a sigh of relief.

Shen Lingning changed herself and Fubao into comfortable and light cotton pajamas.

There is heating in the soft sleeper compartment, and the temperature is more than ten degrees higher than that in the hard seat compartment. The two of them started sweating just by walking over.

I took my little Fubao to take a hot bath in the space and slept comfortably for the whole afternoon. The sunset shone in from the car window.

Shen Lingning wiped Fubao's mouth after she had eaten her fill, and held her in her arms as they walked around in the corridor of the soft sleeper.

As soon as I came out, I saw an old man standing in the corridor looking out the window, and I subconsciously nodded slightly to greet him.

The old man's (Mr. Zhao) eyes, which had seen through many vicissitudes of life, rested on Shen Lingning for a moment.

His sharp eyes swept across her calm eyebrows and upright posture, and finally fell on Fubao, who was as delicate as a piece of jade and had lively eyes in her arms.

A subtle glint flashed in his eyes, and he spoke in a steady and powerful voice, carrying the majesty of someone who had long held a high position, yet revealing the gentleness of an elder:

"Is this Comrade Xiao Shen, who brought his child and caught the human trafficker?"

Shen Lingning replied stiffly, "Hello, Chief."

"It's not easy, young comrade."

Elder Zhao nodded slightly, his tone filled with undisguised admiration: "He remained calm in the face of danger, possessing both wisdom and courage. Even more rare is his composure. Excellent! He's a good talent!"

He paused, his eyes passing over Fubao, a trace of genuine regret in his eyes: "What a pity... you're taking such a tiny baby with you. Otherwise, with your character and courage, the army's art troupe and communications office would have been vying for you!"

Shen Lingning held Fubao in his arms, bowed slightly, and said neither humbly nor arrogantly: "Thank you for the compliment, Chief. It's just a coincidence, and it's also for the sake of protecting the child."

Old Zhao's gaze lingered on Shen Lingning's calm face for a moment, then slowly moved away, looking at the passing scenery outside the window.

He picked up the enamel pot on the table and gently blew on the tea leaves floating on the water. He seemed to be muttering to himself casually, but the sound was clearly heard by Shen Lingning:

"Zhou Weiguo... this name sounds a bit familiar..."

Shen Lingning held Fubao in his arms and sat on the soft white bed, but his heart was stirred by Zhao Lao's whisper.

Zhou Weiguo...Does Mr. Zhao know him?

what does that mean?

Is it for general knowledge, or... ?

She asked: Do you know Zhou Weiguo? Where is he now?

…

Countless thoughts surged through her mind, but she remained silent. She simply followed Elder Zhao's words and humbly responded, "You're too kind, Chief. Protecting my children is a mother's instinct."

Mr. Zhao nodded approvingly, said no more, and picked up the document again.

The carriage fell silent for a moment, with only the regular creaking of the wheels and the occasional babbling of Fubao.

Shen Lingning seemed to be coaxing the child, but his eyes swept across the box door inconspicuously.

When the trafficker was subdued just now, she saw Chen Manli was also there out of the corner of her eye.

Now that such a big shot was in the car, she didn't believe that the Chen family's father and daughter would be content with what they had to do...

Sure enough, not long after, there was a gentle knock on the box door.

The steward respectfully brought hot water, and another dining car attendant pushed a cart.

An exquisite dinner was served - white rice, braised pork, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, and a small bowl of steamed egg custard, which was obviously a special treatment.

This treatment is unimaginable in a hard seat carriage.

"Thank you, comrade."

Shen Lingning thanked him politely without showing any sign of being flattered.

She carefully blew the egg custard to cool it down and fed it to Fubao bit by bit. Her movements were gentle and graceful, as if she was born to be in such an environment.

This calm demeanor made Mr. Zhao, who was observing secretly, look more appreciative.

However, this calm did not last long.

Shortly after dinner, Mr. Zhao was chatting with Shen Lingning about the local customs and practices of Qinnan.

Relying on his past life experiences and Fubao's occasional unintentional murmurs, Shen Lingning responded appropriately and insightfully.

For a moment, they felt like friends of different ages, and the atmosphere was so harmonious that even the guards nearby looked at them sideways.

Suddenly, Mr. Zhao's voice stopped abruptly!

His expression instantly turned extremely ugly. He suddenly covered his chest with one hand, veins popped out on his forehead, and the other hand tightly grasped the edge of the table, his knuckles turning white!

"Chief!"

Xiao Zhang, the young guard who had been sitting quietly in the corner, suddenly changed his expression and rushed forward to support Mr. Zhao's shaky body.

“Medicine…medicine…”

Mr. Zhao struggled to squeeze out the words from between his teeth, his breathing as rapid as a broken bellows.

Xiao Zhang frantically rummaged through Mr. Zhao's shirt pocket, pulled out a small brown medicine bottle, and tremblingly poured out a few pills.

Shen Lingning could see clearly that it was a common nitroglycerin tablet in that era, used for emergency treatment of angina pectoris.

She was startled: This is a sign of acute myocardial infarction or angina pectoris!

The situation is extremely critical!

"Quick! Take it with warm water!"

Xiao Zhang shouted anxiously.

At this moment, the door of the box was suddenly pushed open!

Chen Manli appeared at the door with a smile on her face and a basket of fruits, followed by the waiter from the dining car.

"Hello, old leader, I am the daughter of Chen Guodong, chairman of the Chang'an Organizing Committee..."

When she saw the situation in front of her, Chen Manli screamed in a sharp voice, which instantly attracted the scattered attention in the aisle outside.

"Oh! What's wrong with you, Chief? You look so grim!"

She seemed to be trying to squeeze in with concern, but in fact she was cleverly blocking Xiao Zhang's path with her body.

He kept saying, "Should we call a doctor? Is the doctor on this train enough?"

My dad... Chen Guodong knows the best cardiologist in Changan, or..."

Chen Manli's purpose is obvious - to delay time, create chaos, and even want to take the opportunity to "introduce" Mr. Zhao to her father to establish a relationship!

But every second of delay is fatal to Mr. Zhao!

Shen Lingning's eyes instantly turned as cold as a knife.

She couldn't expose Lingquan, and she couldn't let Fubao show any abnormality.

But the old leader’s illness seems to be cardiovascular disease, so we can’t wait!

Shen Lingning stood up suddenly. His voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable penetrating power and awe-inspiring righteousness.

Instantly drowning out Chen Manli's chatter: "Comrade Chen Manli! The commander has a sudden emergency and is in critical condition! You're blocking the door, asking questions, and preventing the guards from giving him emergency medicine. What's your intention?!

If something goes wrong due to the delay in treating the patient, can you bear the responsibility?!"

Every word is heart-wrenching!

The labels of "delayed treatment" and "heavy responsibility" were directly put on Chen Manli's head!