Chapter 23: I Want Him to Owe Me!

When Lin Qingyuan arrived, he was just in time to witness Ma Youcai pointing at Qin Luo, so furious that he couldn't speak. That ugly face, with its tangerine-peel complexion, looked as hideous as ever. Lin Qingyuan secretly delighted in his heart, thinking that Qin Luo was truly Ma Youcai’s nemesis. Ma Youcai, with his cunning and manipulative ways, had toyed with countless people, but every time he encountered Qin Luo, he was left embarrassed and unable to save face.

Lin Qingyuan had even pondered the root of this phenomenon during idle afternoons. Everyone lived within the constraints of the system, bound by rules and regulations, and thus few dared to speak their minds without inhibition. But Qin Luo was an anomaly, a man who seemed to exist outside the boundaries of the world, untamed by anyone.

Such people lived most authentically, most freely. He was like a wandering knight of old, traversing the land with sword in hand, robbing the rich to aid the poor, defending the weak, drinking and singing, seeking vengeance and justice with unrestrained passion.

Qin Luo wielded his extraordinary medical skills as his sword, doing much the same as those ancient knights. Sometimes, even Lin Qingyuan envied the life this young man led.

To borrow a popular phrase from the internet: I never hold grudges; if I have a score to settle, I settle it that very day. Life is short—why suffer the pettiness of small-minded people?

“Director Ma, what’s going on here?” Lin Qingyuan asked sternly, face set. He was, after all, the president of the affiliated hospital—a half-rank above Ma Youcai. He had every right to put on airs.

“Ask him yourself,” Ma Youcai replied darkly. An important figure in the hall had already assured him that once Lin Qingyuan stepped down, he’d be promoted. He hardly bothered to take this old man seriously anymore.

“Regardless, Qin Luo is a contributor to our hospital. At the very least, he deserves the respect of everyone in the affiliated hospital,” Lin Qingyuan said bluntly to Ma Youcai. He, too, was nearing retirement and no longer regarded Ma Youcai as a threat. “Repeat a lie enough times and you start believing it yourself. Do you really think those thirty-six children were saved by you?”

“You—That was the work of the expert team!” Ma Youcai nearly choked on the old man’s retort.

“Oh? I don’t see it that way. Back when Qin Luo was allowed to try, you were the most vehement opponent,” Lin Qingyuan countered logically.

“My opposition was for the safety of the children,” Ma Youcai protested.

“There are some bureaucrats who can find an excuse for anything,” Lin Qingyuan said with disdain.

Ignoring Ma Youcai, whose face grew uglier by the minute, Lin Qingyuan walked over to Qin Luo and scrutinized him from head to toe, only relaxing when he saw that Qin Luo was unharmed. He scolded, “Qin Luo, your health isn’t good; you should be more careful. The world is messy these days, and there are plenty of street thugs outside. You must be cautious. If you get hurt, how will I explain it to Old Qin?”

“Wanxi, you too. Why did you take Qin Luo there? Don’t you know how crowded and chaotic it is? What if he got hurt?”

Lin Wanxi pursed her lips, saying nothing. In her heart, she thought: who knows who hurt whom?

“Grandpa, I’m fine,” Qin Luo said, smiling.

“It’s good you’re fine. But what if something happened?” Lin Qingyuan said angrily. “By the way, Wanxi mentioned over the phone that someone was injured? Who was it?”

Apparently, the old man still hadn’t figured out what had happened; he had assumed Qin Luo had been beaten, so he had carefully inspected him. Only now, realizing Qin Luo was unharmed, did he think to ask about the incident.

“My son was beaten by him,” Ma Youcai finally spoke up, unable to hold back any longer, his face full of fury.

“Impossible,” Lin Qingyuan immediately denied. “Qin Luo’s health is poor, extremely frail. He couldn’t possibly fight anyone.”

“He’s in the hospital, what’s impossible about that? Not only was my son beaten, but Director Wu’s son was injured too. Lin Qingyuan, you’d better protect him this time,” Ma Youcai sneered, his facial muscles twisted with anger. In his heart, he resolved to quicken his pace to push the old man out of office.

“Qin Luo, what exactly happened?” Lin Qingyuan didn’t believe Ma Youcai and turned to Qin Luo.

“Well, Sister Lin took me to the pedestrian street to buy a phone today. After we bought it and were about to have lunch, a group of thugs surrounded us. At least, I thought they were thugs based on their odd outfits. Later I learned they were street dancers.”

“That’s just thugs,” Lin Qingyuan said.

If not for the old man’s status, Ma Youcai and Director Wu would have rolled up their sleeves for a real fight right then and there.

“Later, I realized the leader, Ma Heng, was my student. He’d been expelled from my class for breaking discipline, and now he’d gathered a group to block me on the street, forcing me to learn street dance from them.”

“I’m a university professor—I know what it means to set an example. No matter how bad I am, I won’t tarnish the medical university’s reputation. So I refused them sternly,” Qin Luo said, upright and proud, as if channeling the spirit of Lu Xun or Wen Tianxiang.

“Exactly. That’s how it should be. A teacher learning street dance from a bunch of hoodlums? A disgrace,” Lin Qingyuan praised.

This is my future grandson-in-law—look at him, just look, look again—handsome, talented, impressive.

Lin Wanxi couldn’t bear to watch. Her grandfather, who prided himself on his cleverness, had been duped by Qin Luo and was still counting his winnings with satisfaction.

“Then they got angry and tried to attack me. Forced into a corner, I reached into my pocket for a silver needle to defend myself. Their fists struck the needle—”

Qin Luo looked aggrieved as he spoke.

“Outrageous!” Lin Qingyuan flared with anger. “Those thugs got what they deserved. Why did they detain you? Come, let’s go, let the lawyers handle them.”

“Wait,” Director Wu stepped forward with a grim face. “I’m afraid you can’t leave just yet.”

“Who are you?” Lin Qingyuan demanded.

“Wu Chenglong, Director of Meilan Branch.”

“So your son was beaten? What, seeking revenge? Your son acted like a thug and got beaten—it’s his own fault. If Qin Luo hadn’t beaten him, someone else would have. If you want revenge, come at me.”

“You—” Wu Chenglong threw his cigarette butt to the ground, crushed it underfoot, and said, “We need to investigate further. He deliberately injured others—three are still in the hospital. We