Chapter 48: A Life After the Calamity (Complete)

At Mosk Hospital, He Changyi, with bandages wrapped around her leg, limped around the ward searching for Xie Xun.

The doctor from Eguo only stitched up the huge wound on Xie Xun's back and did not perform any further treatment. He lay on the hospital bed with his eyes closed, while Xie Shirong, who was next to him, had a bag in his arms and looked around anxiously.

He spoke a terrible Emei language, and the local medical staff couldn't speak Chinese, so they each spoke their own language, with one person finishing their sentence and that being it.

When Xie Shirong saw He Changyi, he looked like he had grasped a lifeline.

"Oh, finally someone to talk to! You quickly talk to those Russians and tell them, what does it mean that they just stitched up the wound and then ignored it? Are they not going to treat it anymore?"

He Changyi didn't refuse; she immediately went to the nurses' station to find someone, and after clarifying the situation, she went back to tell Xie Shirong:

"The hospital wants us to pay the hospitalization fee first. If we don't pay, they'll just stitch up the wound. That's only because Xie Xun's injuries are serious. Uncle Xie, I can't walk easily, so I'll stay here and watch over Xie Xun. You go downstairs to pay the fee."

Xie Shirong didn't move, but spat upon hearing this.

"These Russians are greedy! Human life is at stake, how can they be so heartless! That's why they say socialism is good. If this happened in our country, they would definitely save the person first and then collect the money."

He Changyi was very tired and didn't have the energy to talk to him much, so she simply said:

"Uncle Xie, I have 10,000 rubles here. You can use it to pay the fee first, and I'll make up the difference if it's not enough."

She paused, then added with emphasis.

"Saving lives is the priority."

Xie Shirong's little scheme was clearly seen through, and he felt a little embarrassed.

"Then you don't need to spend the money. There's no need for Xie Xun and me to talk about money. We're family, no matter how much we earn or spend. He's like my own son..."

Despite saying that, he didn't slow down at all, quickly taking the money from He Changyi's hand and smoothly stuffing it into his pocket.

"But I don't have any cash on hand right now, so I'll borrow your money for now. Anyway, you and Xie Xun are on good terms, so you can have him pay you back later."

He Changyi urged impatiently, "Hurry up!"

Startled by the shout, Xie Shirong swallowed back all the nonsense he hadn't finished saying and hurriedly went to pay the bill.

He Changyi was too lazy to expose him. How could a seasoned veteran like him, who had been traveling in Oros for many years, not know that you have to pay before seeing a doctor at an Oros hospital?

It's just that they're reluctant to spend the money, so they're putting it off as long as possible.

While Xie Shirong went to pay the fees, He Changyi, forcing a smile, tried to ingratiate herself with the medical staff from Eguo, subtly slipping them several envelopes.

The envelope was hastily folded from scraps of medical records she had picked up, and it contained between one thousand and five thousand rubles.

The initially indifferent medical staff glanced down at the envelope after receiving it, and when they looked up again, knowing smiles appeared on their faces, and they immediately became much more friendly.

When Xie Shirong returned with the payment receipt, Xie Xun had already been moved to the best single ward. Various monitoring devices surrounded the bed, and his hands were on the blanket, one hand receiving a blood transfusion and the other receiving an IV drip.

He Changyi sat on the sofa with her legs raised, and a middle-aged nurse was carefully removing the gauze from her legs and re-treating the wound.

Xie Shirong exclaimed in amazement, "My goodness, the efficiency of the people of Eguo is really high. I just paid the money and you're already enjoying yourselves!"

After settling Xie Xun in, He Changyi, leaning on the cane the nurse had found, used the phone at the nurses' station to call Dong Dezhi and two representatives from private companies.

He Changyi arranged for them to stay at the Ural Hotel. The hotel owner was from China, and most of the staff and guests were also from China. It would be more convenient for people who do not speak Ural.

While they were still in the car, He Changyi asked them what their plans were. If they wanted to go back to China, she would immediately book their tickets back to Beijing and send them back safely. If they wanted to stay, she would arrange a trip to Moscow, guaranteeing good food, drinks, and fun to help them calm down.

Dong Dezhi asked, "Ms. He, is the scrap steel you mentioned in China located in Moscow? If so, could I go and take a look?"

After the train robbery, Dong Dezhi unexpectedly remembered that He Changyi had invited them to Oros for a reason.

For most people, after surviving a robbery abroad, all they want is to get back to the safety of their home country as soon as possible, or have some fun and completely erase the terrifying memory.

But Dong Dezhi was still able to think about work.

He Changyi was somewhat surprised, but quickly replied, "Of course, but the scrap metal yard takes up too much space, so I put it in a nearby small city. If you'd like to see it, I'll arrange a visit right away."

The other two private company representatives looked at each other, and hesitated:

"Ah...why don't we go take a look? I just don't know how far it is..."

He Changyi, understanding the implied meaning from the stringed instrument, immediately said, "It's not far, very close to Mosk. A day trip is possible, and staying in Mosk would be even more convenient. Just let me know when you want to see the site. Besides, everyone has gone through so much trouble to get to Mosk, so don't just look at the storage yard. Take a walk in Red Square, visit the Tsar's Palace, and I happen to know some international students. We can have them act as translators and guides for everyone, and take some photos. That way, the trip won't be in vain."

And so everyone was happy.

At the hospital, He Changyi hung up the phone and confirmed that Dong Dezhi and the other two had not been robbed by the taxi driver and had arrived safely at the hotel.

Regarding Director Peng, who disappeared after jumping off the train, He Changyi had already informed the train conductor while on the train and contacted stations along the route, asking them to send people to search for a man in his forties named Zhong Guo along the railway line.

Less than twelve hours have passed, and there is still no news of the person being found.

At the time, it seemed that the train with the hijackers was more dangerous, and it was safer outside the train. But who would have thought that after jumping off the train and escaping, the hijackers would force the train to stop and get off to chase after them?

He Changyi and the others stayed in the seemingly dangerous carriage, but they managed to survive on their own and arrived in Moscow unharmed.

Things in this world are sometimes unpredictable.

He Changyi left her contact information at the train station, asking them to contact Director Peng immediately if they found her.

All we can do now is wait.

It's like waiting for Xie Xun to wake up from his coma.

He Changyi walked over on crutches, checked the temperature of his arm, and then sat on the chair by the bed and held the IV tube.

Through the transparent tube, the cold blood passed through her palm, carrying her warmth into Xie Xun's veins.

Xie Shirong saw this and said, "They're not that delicate..."

He Changyi was never polite to him and instructed, "Sit over here and warm up the IV tubing over there."

Helpless, Xie Shirong muttered to himself as he reluctantly dragged his legs over and took the IV tubing as instructed.

He glanced at Xie Xun's pale face on the bed and muttered to himself:

This kid, where did he get such good luck...?

Suddenly, the ward door was flung open with a loud bang, and someone was swept into the room like a tornado.

He Changyi was about to stand up warily when, before she could even see who it was, someone grabbed her shoulder and pulled her up from the chair.

"Are you injured?"

Upon seeing Alexei's face clearly, He Changyi slid the scalpel blade hidden in his palm back into his sleeve pocket.

How did you know I was here?

Instead of answering, she patted Alexei's hand that was gripping her arm, signaling him to let go.

Alexei, however, refused.

He resembled a real bear, with disheveled fur, displaying ferocity, and covered in a bloodthirsty hue.

But his actions were completely the opposite.

He Changyi was lifted up like a child and gently placed on the sofa.

Alexei knelt on one knee in front of her and gently placed her injured leg on his knee.

He reached out as if to touch the gauze on the wound, but stopped a centimeter above the wound and lightly brushed the blood seeping through the gauze.

Does it hurt?

This is the first time since the injury that someone has asked He Changyi if she is in pain.

Others also showed concern for her, but mostly they asked, "Are you alright?" "Are you still conscious?" "Can you walk on your own?"

Instead of asking her, "Are you in a lot of pain?"

It seemed that everyone assumed that someone as strong and fearless as her didn't have pain receptors; she couldn't feel pain, and pain had nothing to do with her.

But it really hurts.

It hurts a lot when the steel ball pierces my calf, it hurts a lot when it bleeds, and it hurts a lot to suture the wound without anesthesia.

Even now, the nerves in her legs throb with pain, as if they're on fire.

He Changyi blinked, her eyelashes slightly damp.

"fine……"

She cleared her throat and gave a smile that was no different from her usual one.

"The guy who hurt me will suffer more than I will in the future."

Alexei raised his hand and touched her eyes, wiping away the moist, soft tears.

He Changyi was forced to close his eyes and whispered in Emei:

“Alexei, I didn’t mean to spoil the mood, but—did you wash your hands?”

Alexei paused, then changed his hand gesture, pinching He Changyi's cheeks and squeezing her mouth into a duck's beak.

Why wasn't your mouth injured?

Xie Shirong remained silent, pretending to be invisible.

This Russian is terrifying, even more so than the gangsters he'd seen collecting protection money at the open-air market. He clearly has real blood on his hands, unlike those loud and boisterous young men.

But it seems that He Changyi is still more terrifying.

She slapped the old Russian man's hand away, slowly placed her foot against his chest, and said something in Ethnic language.

Xie Shirong really wanted to understand, but He Changyi spoke too fast and used profound words, and his limited knowledge of Emei language was simply not enough to support his listening comprehension.

All that could be seen was that the old Russian was very unhappy, his brows furrowed, but he didn't move, letting He Changyi step on him.

The two of them talked back and forth, and although Xie Shirong couldn't understand them, he inexplicably felt that it was a bit like a crosstalk performance in Emei dialect, with a female Feng Gong and a male Niu Qun. As the only audience member, he really needed a translator!

Suddenly, the Russian glared at her, his eyes sharp as knives, which startled Xie Shirong so much that he quickly lowered his gaze and pretended not to exist.

Amitabha Buddha, this guy is really scary!

Alexei insisted on taking He Changyi away from the hospital.

“You’re injured, you should be taken care of, not dragging your crippled leg trying to take care of another wounded person.”

He Changyi was initially surprised that this guy rarely spoke like a human being, but unexpectedly, he said the next second:

“I don’t want to explain to my grandmother why you became a cripple.”

He Changyi: "What? Disabled?!"

She was so angry that her eyes widened, so Alexei readily changed his tune and said:

"Well, a beautiful cripple."

He Changyi took a deep breath to calm herself down.

She was lame in one leg, had no knife in her hand, and no bullets in her gun, so she decided to let him go for now—no, she still wanted to torture this damned bear to death!

Alexei was already looking at Xie Shirong with a gloomy expression.

"You stay here and take care of him."

Xie Shirong looked like he was about to cry, and cautiously asked He Changyi, "What is that old Russian talking about in his gibberish?"

He Changyi looked at him with pity.

Xie Shirong immediately sensed something was wrong, and the frightening Eguo man suddenly twitched the corner of his mouth.

Who is the Russian?

He used Chinese.

Xie Shirong: ...

It's over.

Help!

He Changyi was worried about Xie Shirong taking care of the comatose Xie Xun, so before leaving, she asked the nurse to find a caregiver, an older woman with an extremely broad chest, who could take on the weight of two Xie Shirongs.

Xie Shirong muttered, "These Russian women are only good-looking when they're young; they get so fat they're unrecognizable as human as they get older..."

The caregiver didn't care what he said. She shoved Xie Shirong, who was standing in the way of the bed, making him stumble. Then, she quickly and gently adjusted Xie Xun's position, placing a pillow under him so that he could lie more comfortably.

She asked the nurse for cotton swabs, dipped them in water, and wiped Xie Xun's chapped lips.

He Changyi seemed fairly satisfied and prepaid for three days' worth of expenses, plus a 10% tip.

The caregiver beamed with joy, patting her ample chest and promising to bring Xie Xun back to life.

Alexei glanced at the unconscious Xie Xun and scoffed.

"Is a coward who gets stabbed in the back while running away even worth your concern? Is your concern so cheap?"

He Changyi slapped Alexei hard.

"Don't talk nonsense, he took a knife for me."

Alexei raised one eyebrow in surprise.

"Okay, I take back what I said before. He's not a coward. Although he's incompetent, he still has courage."

He Changyi exclaimed helplessly, "Alexei, not everyone is like you."

Alexei chuckled and added reservedly.

"At least I won't let you get shot."

He Changyi: ...

"Stop! A bear cannot be a peacock at the same time!"

He Changyi refused to go back to Grandma Vitalie's house with Alexei, her attitude was extremely firm, leaving no room for negotiation.

She didn't want the old man to see her looking so unlucky.

No matter how difficult things were before, she always maintained a smug demeanor in front of Grandma Vitalie, which prevented the kind old woman from worrying too much.

If she were to visit Grandma Vitalie with an injured leg, she would have one more person to worry about from morning till night.

Alexei chuckled: "How long can you keep this a secret?"

He Changyi said with a sigh, "I'll keep it a secret for as long as I can, until I can perform a tap dance for Grandma Vitalie."

Alexei said, "That sounds really exciting."

But his tone didn't sound expectant at all.

After leaving the hospital, He Changyi took a taxi to a Chinese-owned hotel, the Ural Hotel, which had previously taken over the bankrupt Baikal Hotel.

I heard that the boss was one of the earliest middlemen to come to Mosk. He has connections in both the legitimate and criminal worlds and has a very prestigious reputation. No one dares to cause trouble in his territory, so the safety level is quite high, and so are his fees.

He Changyi spent a lot of money to book a suite. The hotel has a Chinese kitchen, and after ordering, the waiters would push a cart to the room. The environment was quite comfortable.

The hotel didn't have many guests, and the high room rates deterred the vast majority of people.

He Changyi booked rooms for Dong Dezhi and the other two at the Ural Hotel. Originally, he wanted to book three single rooms, but they were traumatized on the train and insisted on staying together so they could look after each other if anything happened.

He Changyi simply booked them suites as well, and let the three of them decide how to allocate the rooms.

Since everyone had some kind of injury, they spent the first few days in Mosk recovering.

He Changyi hired an experienced doctor who would come to the homes every day to provide consultations and change dressings. The doctor was professional, friendly, and most importantly, could speak Chinese.

She visited Xie Xun at the hospital every day, and after nearly 36 hours in a coma, he finally woke up.

At that time, He Changyi sat by the hospital bed, resting his chin on one hand, closing his eyes to rest, looking sleepy and tired.

She was alone in the ward. Xie Shirong slipped away under the pretense of having an urgent matter. The caregiver went to the hospital cafeteria to get a patient's meal and also brought one for He Changyi.

Suddenly, He Changyi felt that someone in the room was watching her, making her wonder if it was a hallucination.

She opened her eyes and met Xie Xun's gaze.

He had woken up at some point and was gazing at her with a strange yet tender look.

He Changyi didn't speak, but gave a relaxed and tired smile.

It's as if it's saying "finally," and also as if it's saying "I knew it all along."

Xie Xun was still unable to speak. He forcefully raised his hand, as if to touch that pale smile.

He Changyi lowered her head and quietly buried her face in the other person's palm.

Oh no, he smells like disinfectant.

He Changyi complained softly, then said that after Xie Xun was discharged from the hospital, she would arrange a Suzhou-style bath for him, stuff him into a sauna and steam him three times to completely get rid of the hospital smell.

Xie Xun kept laughing until he had gathered enough strength to speak, and then he said in a breathy voice:

"I'm not dead."

So don't cry.

He Changyi, his face hidden, said in a muffled voice, "I know you're not dead, and I also know you're a brainless idiot. Who taught you to turn your back to the enemy? What, they catch blades with their bare hands, and you catch a machete with your back?"

Xie Xun then said, "I'm willing."

He Changyi scolded him: "You're willing, but I'm not! Do you know how difficult it is to provide first aid on a train? I almost took the bandages off the train conductor's body for you to use. If we hadn't been only a few hundred kilometers away from Moscow, you would have lost your life here. You almost scared me to death!"

Xie Xun didn't refute, but smiled contentedly.

He Changyi finally raised her head. Although her eyes were a little red, her expression was as lively as ever.

"Alright, this time I'll consider it as me owing you my life. I'll give you three days to figure out how I can repay you. If you can't think of anything, then do as I say."

Xie Xun said, "I don't want to."

He Changyi feigned surprise and widened his eyes.

"Xie Xun, are you talking in your sleep? How could someone so calculating say something like that? You weren't switched at the hospital, were you?"

Xie Xun simply said, "It's enough that you're alive."

He Changyi sighed loudly.

"Xie Xun, if you keep talking like this, I'll never be able to repay you even if I work like a slave. You're simply despicable! Tell me now, or I'll take back what I just said and do everything my way."

Xie Xun wanted to say what he longed for most, but he forced himself to hold back the words.

No, it's not the right time yet.

This won't get him what he wants.

He will gain it briefly, and then lose it completely at an even faster pace.

"It's good that you're here."

He Changyi stared at Xie Xun, and after confirming that he was not joking, shook his head.

"You must have been switched at birth. I need to get an explanation from the hospital."

After she finished speaking, she really got up to leave. Xie Xun subconsciously reached out to grab her hand, but He Changyi's words made him let go of her hand as if he had been electrocuted.

"Hey, you're awake now. Do you want to keep the catheter on?"

Xie Xun: ?

Xie Xun took a look.

Xie Xun: !!!

Can anyone explain where his underwear went?!

Since waking up, Xie Xun's recovery has been progressing rapidly. Not only has his urinary catheter been removed, but he is also able to eat on his own, and the huge wound on his back has begun to slowly scab over.

It seems the hospital informed the police, because two officers came to take his statement the day after he regained consciousness.

However, something strange is that the police seem to have overlooked He Changyi's role in the case. Even though Xie Shirong and Dong Dezhi received summons from the police, she was never asked to cooperate with the police investigation.

He Changyi felt a little strange and secretly worried that someone might be trying to use this case to do something to her.

After all, in modern-day Oros, it wouldn't be surprising if the victim were branded as the perpetrator.

Just as He Changyi was about to go to the police station to find out what was going on, she met Andrei first.

He was wearing a uniform, standing straight, his blond hair neatly tied back, but he looked somewhat tired.

"Does it still hurt?"

He Changyi was surprised that his first question was this, and after a moment of hesitation, she said, "No, it's much better now."

Andrei added, "I'm sorry."

He Changyi didn't understand, and asked him softly, "What are you apologizing for?"

Andrei didn't explain, he just said, "You're always in danger."

He Changyi roughly understood what he meant, so she said, "This is not your fault, it never has been."

She thought for a moment, then added, "I've always felt very lucky to know you. You've saved me, more than once."

Andrei gave her a familiar look, which made him seem more like a newly met young policeman than a professionally cold bureaucrat.

"It's my good fortune."

He Changyi couldn't help but laugh.

"Okay, let's stop flattering each other. I don't want to argue about who's luckier."

Andrei didn't smile, but his eyes were incredibly gentle, their blue like a tropical ocean under a clear sky.

He Changyi struggled to climb out of the almost drowning blue sea, steadied himself, and asked:

"So, you're here to take my statement? Perfect, I have a lot to say about the robbery on the train."

But Andrei stopped her from speaking.

"No, you don't need to say anything."

He Changyi: "?"

Andrei didn't explain much, only saying, "We haven't caught all the robbers yet."

He Changyi asked him, "Then isn't it even more necessary to gather all the information about the robbers?"

Andrei said, "You can tell me."

He Changyi then asked, "Not in the form of a written record?"

Andrei said, "It was just a casual conversation that won't be recorded."

He Changyi roughly guessed the reason, thought for a moment, and asked Andrei, "Won't this have any impact on you?"

It's unbelievable, is this still the same meticulous and somewhat stubborn young police officer from before?

"No."

Andrei looked at her tenderly, but his words were unfamiliar.

"I have learned that the process is not important, the result is important, and sometimes the means are not important either."

He lowered his head, took off his hat, and shook his head self-deprecatingly.

“I’ve been trapped in a mindset of confinement for too long.”

He Changyi asked cautiously, "Was it my fault?"

Andrei countered, "What kind of answer would you like?"

He Changyi didn't know either.

The blushing patrol officer is adorable, and the aloof and reserved officer seems quite nice too.

They are all Andrei, yet only one aspect of Andrei.

He was the one who adhered to principles, and he was also the one who struggled and awoke from the bloody turmoil.

He remains the same, his ideals endure, only now he has switched from a bright but hopeless dead end to a dark shortcut full of thorns but highly effective.

Finally, He Changyi said, "As long as it's you, that's enough."

Andrei gazed at her for a long time, then suddenly stepped forward and gently embraced her. But just as He Changyi was about to reach out, he released her and took a step back.

"Don't worry, you're safe."

It's like a vow.

"I will protect you."

From the beginning to the final end.