Chapter 26: Father Storms the Door

Chapter 26: Chapter 26: Father Storms the Door

"They made a nice promise, but turned around and took Zhang Laosan’s money anyway. After you all took Song Yao away, Zhang Laosan came to raise a fuss, saying he’d spent the money but the girl was gone. He insisted they give him a refund. Liu Yumin is still muttering about getting her back."

The moment the words were out, Xiao Li stopped in his tracks and turned to stare at the village head.

The village head felt a chill run down his spine from the stare, his tongue twisting into a knot.

"S-Sir, this wasn’t my fault! I really had nothing to do with it!"

But Xiao Li just asked.

"Why do you keep getting Song Yao’s name wrong?"

The village head was stunned.

"I didn’t get it wrong. Her name was Song Ni. Song Shunqiang gave her that name. He said a worthless girl isn’t worth a thing, just like the mud on the ground—you can step on it and it won’t even make a sound."

The image of Song Yao’s clear and stubborn eyes reappeared in Xiao Li’s mind.

He also recalled the words she had whispered in the kitchen.

’This world really doesn’t give people a chance to live.’

At the time, he had just thought she was complaining about how hard her life was.

He never imagined that the very foundation of her survival had been all but destroyed.

When they arrived at the Song Family’s front door, the village head was just about to raise his hand to knock.

A soldier beside them stepped forward, raised his leg, and kicked the dilapidated wooden door clean open.

The door panel slammed against the wall with a loud bang, shaking loose clouds of dust inside the house.

The village head swallowed hard.

’This leader has a short fuse. I’d better stay far away from him later.’

The snoring inside the house had just stopped when Song Shunqiang and Liu Yumin were violently dragged from their bed.

The two of them were still groggy, with no idea what was happening.

Their hair was a mess, and their eyes were barely open.

Seeing their dazed expressions, Xiao Li slapped each of them across the face.

"Ouch!"

The sudden pain and the burning sensation on their faces snapped them awake.

"Hel—"

The word died in their throats as the village head was pushed forward.

"COUGH COUGH! Stop shouting, it’s me!"

He coughed loudly twice and raised his voice to shout.

Catching sight of a familiar face in the flashlight’s beam, Song Shunqiang exploded.

"What the hell are you doing? Barging into my house in the middle of the night with outsiders and hitting people?"

The village head stomped his foot hard, his teeth clenched.

"Song Shunqiang! Liu Yumin! You abducted a leader’s child, you bullied and abused her since she was little, and now her real father has come for blood! You’d better figure out what you’re going to do!"

At these words, the color drained from Liu Yumin’s face. She looked at the man who had just hit her.

Only then did she get a clear look at him.

He was in a military uniform, standing ramrod straight, his gaze as sharp as a knife!

Song Shunqiang looked completely bewildered, muttering repeatedly.

"Village Head, what are you talking about? I don’t understand a thing."

"It’s all Greek to me! I really don’t get it!"

"Stop the act, Song Shunqiang."

The village head’s face darkened.

"Song Yao has already been reunited with her real father. If you confess honestly now, you might suffer a little less. Otherwise, once the investigation is complete, no one will be able to protect you."

Song Shunqiang’s temper flared.

"What are you talking about? I don’t understand a single word! I’m really not pretending! Oh, I get it. Did that girl, Song Ni, send you? The little brat’s got some nerve, hiring people to come after me... She’s an outsider, and she dares to mess with me?!"

Before he could finish, Xiao Li threw a punch, landing it square on his nose.

Song Shunqiang’s head went fuzzy. His vision went black as blood gushed from his nose.

He staggered back half a step before falling backward, stiff as a board.

Xiao Li turned and fixed his gaze on Liu Yumin.

She was so scared her legs went weak. Her knees knocked together, and her lips trembled, unable to form words.

She instinctively turned to run.

Before she could take a step, her collar was grabbed from behind.

She screamed, kicking and struggling, crying out.

"Don’t grab me! I didn’t do anything wrong!"

Neighbors poked their heads out at the commotion, but no one dared to intervene.

In the end, she was dragged onto the vehicle along with her unconscious husband.

...

A habit formed over many years had Song Yao waking up naturally around four every morning.

In the past, she would have already started the fire to cook by this time.

The sky would still be dark, and she would be yawning as she worked.

But these past few days, resting at the camp, her heart had been in her throat. She had a nagging feeling that something was about to happen.

She tossed and turned at night, unable to sleep, so she could only lie in bed with her eyes open, pretending to be asleep.

Suddenly, the door to her hospital room moved slightly.

Song Yao opened her eyes to a narrow slit and peeked.

She saw the figure of someone in a white coat slip inside.

The soles of their shoes scraped against the floor, making almost no sound.

Song Yao’s heart dropped. All her internal alarms blared!

She scrambled off the bed, and the moment her feet hit the floor, she screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Help! Someone’s here! Somebody help!"

Her full-throated shout startled the two sentries dozing outside the door awake.

BANG! The door was kicked open, and weapons were instantly aimed inside.

"Don’t move! Hands up!"

The person in the white coat was startled into raising their hands, stammering.

"I... I’m the doctor on rounds! Don’t shoot! Don’t shoot! I’m on duty... from thoracic surgery... I have my ID..."

The light cord was pulled, illuminating a figure with its back to the door.

The person stood frozen in place, cold sweat beading on their forehead.

The two soldiers immediately scanned him up and down, looking for hidden weapons.

When their eyes swept over his pockets, they noticed a suspicious bulge on the right side.

"What’s in your pocket? Quick! Take it out!" one of them said sharply.

The man nodded quickly.

"O-Okay, okay, I’ll get it, just don’t shoot... It’s a medical chart... and a pen..."

He slowly reached into his pocket.

Then his cuff slid back as he pulled out a scalpel.

"We doctors are all like this, carrying our tools with us, just in case of an emergency..." he stammered, his voice filled with panic.

Seeing he didn’t have a gun, Song Yao relaxed slightly, but still let out a cold laugh.

"Who do you take for a fool? Making rounds after four in the morning? And carrying a scalpel? What kind of normal doctor does that? Who are you trying to kid?"

The moment she said this, the "doctor’s" expression changed instantly.

He stared daggers at Song Yao, his face radiating killing intent.

Song Yao waved a hand dismissively, her tone crisp.

"Officers, don’t believe him. Tie him up! Notify Mr. Shen to send someone for interrogation immediately. This guy is definitely here for me. Look at his eyes—he wishes he could kill me right now."

After speaking, she didn’t spare him another glance, instead looking down to straighten her own sleeves.

Hearing this, a cold sweat broke out on the two guards’ backs.

Only then did they realize how fatal their earlier carelessness could have been.

If Song Yao hadn’t woken up in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

They immediately tied the man up hand and foot.

One kept his weapon trained on him while the other ran to report the incident.

Before the people from the main camp arrived, the soldiers stationed on-site had already reached the hospital.

They quickly set up defenses at both ends of the hallway, posting double guards at the stairwells, elevators, and side doors.

All personnel entering or exiting had to show identification and register their destination.

Meanwhile, Shen Zhenwu had just received the message and rushed to the hospital without even changing his shoes, arriving just after five o’clock.

The moment he pushed the door open, he lifted his foot and viciously kicked the man on the floor.

"You bastard! You dare touch my daughter?"

The kick landed squarely in the man’s abdomen, causing him to double over and cough violently.

Shen Zhenwu’s eyes were bloodshot, his breathing was heavy, and his fists were clenched so tight his knuckles cracked.

He looked like he wanted to snap the man’s neck with his bare hands.

Song Yao leaned back against the headboard, lazily tossing out a comment.

"They’re bold enough to come after you. What’s a small fry like me to them?"