Chapter 87: Old Bones

"I have let the old leader down. Qunsheng was beaten, and the place where the old leader once fought couldn't be protected, and it was forcibly demolished!"

Upon hearing this, Qin Yizhou was furious. Who was so bold as to dare demolish the house where Old Qiao once lived? Were they possessed by a bear's heart and a leopard's courage, or did they think their lives were too long?

Old Qiao was once the head of the Eighth Route Army's Zhurongcheng Office. Because of this connection, it was Qin Yizhou who arranged for Meng Qunsheng to work there. Meng Qunsheng was a filial son; he had better opportunities but chose to stay in Rongcheng to take care of his father, who had mobility issues, and to look after the place where Old Qiao once stayed.

Qin Yizhou's anger was hard to suppress, but he still asked about Meng Qunsheng's condition, "Uncle Meng, is Qunsheng's injury serious?"

Old Meng's tears flowed, "Thank goodness, we met a good doctor, and his life is saved, but all his bones are broken, and the doctor said he might be left with a disability!"

Qin Yizhou's heart sank. My goodness, Old Meng had already lost a leg to save Old Qiao's life, and now his son had paid a huge price to protect the place where Old Qiao once lived. If Old Qiao knew about this, he would surely be furious.

But even so, the first words Old Meng said on the phone were, "I have let the old leader down." This sense of righteousness was truly touching.

"Uncle Meng, where are you now? I will immediately arrange for someone to pick you up!" Qin Yizhou was enraged but still maintained his composure.

"I am at the Nanjiang Provincial People's Hospital, and Qunsheng is in the intensive care unit!"

Qin Yizhou immediately said, "Stay there, I will send someone to pick you up right away. Uncle Meng, you and Qunsheng have suffered a great deal. Rest assured, I will definitely seek justice for you."

"An old man on the verge of death, yet I have added to the old leader's burden... I feel so guilty!" Old Meng sighed deeply, tears streaming down his face.

Qin Yizhou felt a mix of emotions, but now was not the time to talk about these things. He comforted Old Meng briefly, hung up the phone, and immediately made arrangements for Old Meng. Then, he rushed to Old Qiao's residence. This matter was very important, and Old Qiao held Old Meng in high regard. If he delayed, Old Qiao would surely blame him.

"Damn it!"

Old Qiao knew something was wrong when Qin Yizhou came to see him late at night. After Qin Yizhou finished explaining the situation, Old Qiao threw the cup in his hand to the ground, his hands trembling with anger.

"Calm down!" Qin Yizhou quickly stepped forward. He had already downplayed the situation to avoid agitating Old Qiao, but Old Qiao was still furious, showing how much he cared about Old Meng.

"What is Nanjiang Province trying to do!"

Old Qiao stood up from his chair, hands on his hips, "They invite me to return to Nanjiang with false sincerity, and then they demolish my place. Are they trying to mock me? This is outrageous! Send a letter immediately, cancel the trip to Nanjiang! I will never set foot on Nanjiang soil again in my life."

Qin Yizhou knew Old Qiao was truly angry. He hadn't heard Old Qiao swear like that since he took off his military uniform. He immediately said, "I will handle this right away!"

Old Qiao paced around the room, his anger gradually subsiding, "What else did Old Meng say?"

Qin Yizhou thought for a moment and then said honestly, "He said he was about to die and yet added to your burden."

Old Qiao slapped the table, "If he hadn't called me, he really would have died."

Qin Yizhou understood the meaning. Old Qiao was angry that Old Meng had delayed making the call. If it had been any later, Old Meng might have been beaten to death. Old Qiao was known for his sense of righteousness, and those who followed him usually had a good end, except for Old Meng, who was an exception. Old Meng was even more righteous and was highly regarded by Old Qiao.

"I have already sent the best military surgeon to Qunsheng. I have also arranged for someone to pick up Old Meng, and he will arrive in the capital tomorrow."

Old Qiao sat back in his chair, his anger subsiding, and then said solemnly, "Tell Guandong to come home for dinner tomorrow!"

Qin Yizhou was immediately alert. Old Qiao was about to take action against certain people. Qiao Guandong, Old Qiao's second son, was a key figure in the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, with the power to oversee officials. Inviting him home for dinner was not a good sign; it seemed someone was about to suffer.

However, without taking action, it was truly unacceptable. Besides seeking justice for Old Meng, Old Qiao probably wanted to send a warning to certain officials. These people were too disrespectful. They dared to demolish the office where Old Qiao once worked, let alone the revolutionary martyrs who were no longer alive. It was rumored that some places, like martyrs' cemeteries and hero statues, which were highly symbolic, had been demolished by some audacious individuals, all for the sake of making money from land sales.

This was outrageous! Did they only recognize money and not the party?

"If we don't take a stand, they will truly treat us old bones as dead men!" Old Qiao said this and angrily went upstairs to his bedroom.

Zeng Yi, listening to Old Meng on the phone, knew that the old building had some history. He didn't expect that the old leader who once stayed there was still alive, and he wondered about his background.

After finishing the call, Old Meng stood by the door of the intensive care unit, anxiously watching Meng Qunsheng inside.

"Old man, sit down and rest for a while," Zeng Yi advised.

Old Meng shook his head and stood there with his cane, his face full of worry.

At that moment, shouts echoed down the corridor, "Which room is the one who didn't die in? Find him!"

Zeng Yi stood up, recognizing Yuan Wenjie's voice.

Sure enough, Yuan Wenjie appeared at the corridor entrance, followed by four or five burly men, including the thin, short man.

"Doctor Zeng, what a coincidence, I see you everywhere!" Yuan Wenjie laughed, walking over, his eyes clearly not friendly, "Is the one called Meng Qunsheng in there?"

Zeng Yi knew Yuan Wenjie was up to no good. He stared at him and said, "Yuan Wenjie, leave some room for maneuver, don't push things too far!"

"Mind your own business, my affairs are none of your concern!"

Yuan Wenjie was annoyed by Zeng Yi's tone. Who did he think he was! He was no longer as wary of Zeng Yi as before. His illness was completely cured, and he had no weaknesses in Zeng Yi's hands. He had long wanted to deal with Zeng Yi. In the past, with Fang Nanguo around, he had thought of many schemes but didn't dare to act. Now, he had no such reservations. Recently, there were rumors in the province about the Fang Nanguo couple going to Beijing, saying that Fang Nanguo had offended a powerful figure in Beijing, and this trip was to control and then act against him. Fang Nanguo might not return.

Rumors often turned into reality in the political arena. As long as Fang Nanguo fell, Zeng Yi, the quack doctor, would be nothing. The people around him, like Tang Haoran and Du Ruo, would be busy protecting themselves and wouldn't stand up for others. He could deal with Zeng Yi as he pleased.

The thin, short man walked to the door of the intensive care unit, looked inside, and said, "Boss Yuan, that guy is in there!" He tried to push the door but it didn't open, so he kicked it hard.

"Bang!"

"Ouch!"

The thin, short man's head was hit hard by a stick, and he immediately clutched his head in pain.

Old Meng's veins bulged, his eyes bloodshot. He stood there with his cane, his aura intimidating, "I'll see which of you dogs dares to come closer!"

"You old fool, are you asking for death!" The thin, short man, seeing that Old Meng was a disabled old man, stepped forward to grab his cane.

Old Meng, who had been a guard in his youth, was still agile despite his age and lack of strength. He swung his cane and hit the thin, short man's waist. Taking advantage of the man's moment of pain, he struck him again on the head.

"Damn!"

The thin, short man was hit on the head again, howling in pain. He waved his hand, "What are you waiting for? Get him, drag this old fool away!"

Old Meng was desperate, holding his cane horizontally, "Whoever dares to come closer, I'll fight to the death!" If he were ten years younger, he could have killed all these dogs.

The burly men easily took away Old Meng's cane, then two of them lifted him and dragged him to the side.

"You bastards, you will not die a good death!" Old Meng struggled, trying to lunge forward, "I'll fight to the death with you!"

The thin, short man glared at Old Meng, then turned and kicked the door of the intensive care unit.

A nearby doctor couldn't stand it and shouted, "This is an intensive care unit, a sterile room! No unauthorized personnel allowed!"

The surrounding crowd also condemned them, "Do you have any humanity? You have already beaten him so badly, what more do you want?"

The thin, short man took a few steps back, as if he was about to give up, but suddenly rushed forward and kicked the door hard. "Bang!" The door of the intensive care unit was kicked open.

"Damn, anyone who opposes us, even if they run to the ends of the earth, we will find them!"

The thin, short man cursed and then looked at the doctor provocatively, "Sterile room? Ha!" He spat a mouthful of yellow phlegm into the intensive care unit.

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