Chapter 36: An Uncertain Future

Upon reaching the municipal hospital, Li Fengyu flung the car door open, too frantic to even close it. He strode toward the reception desk in a rush, demanding, "Which room is Chen Yuxuan in?" The receptionist, startled by his sweat-drenched and frantic appearance, was momentarily stunned and stammered, "W-what?" Driven to the brink of madness, Li Fengyu slammed his hand down, shattering the plastic business card holder on the counter, and roared, "I asked you, which room is Chen Yuxuan in?"

The attention of every patient's family member, doctor, and nurse on the ground floor was instantly drawn to the scene. Just then, Li Sen arrived. Seeing the young woman reduced to tears by Li Fengyu’s outburst, he offered a conciliatory gesture: "I apologize; he’s acting on impulse. We will cover the damages. Could you please check which room Chen Yuxuan is in?"

Another receptionist stepped forward and said, "Are you referring to the man who was brought in earlier covered in blood? He just finished surgery and is in Room 201." Hearing this, Li Fengyu quickly located the room. Pushing open the door, he saw Chen Yuxuan, his face deathly pale, breathing shallowly. Seeing this, Li Fengyu felt a sharp pang of agony; it was highly probable that Chen Yuxuan had ended up this way because of him. Li Fengyu walked over slowly, his eyes brimming with tears, and murmured, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."

Only then did Chen Yuxuan notice Li Fengyu’s arrival. As he attempted to sit up, Li Fengyu gestured for him to remain lying down. "What exactly happened?" Li Fengyu asked with deep concern. "How did you end up like this?"

Chen Yuxuan sighed before explaining, "I was carrying out the task you gave me, investigating the market makers behind the silver futures. I exhausted all my connections, but I couldn't find a single lead. Then, after three days of investigation—this afternoon—a car suddenly swerved and rammed into me."

Li Fengyu immediately asked, "Can you be sure if it was a coincidence or a deliberate act?" Chen Yuxuan replied with certainty, "It was absolutely intentional. I was at an intersection, riding on the pedestrian crossing. The car drove straight at me. I saw it coming and tried to dodge, but it swerved specifically to hit me anyway."

Hearing this, the hair on the back of Li Fengyu's neck stood up. It meant the situation was far deeper than he imagined, and lives were already at stake. If it was Chen Yuxuan this time, it could be Li Sen, Lin Chu, or even Li Fengyu himself next. Combined with the strange behavior of Lin Chu’s father and the anomalies in the silver futures market, Li Fengyu’s face turned ashen. He realized he had been dragged into a struggle of immense complexity.

He slumped to the floor, overcome with regret. If he had known, he never should have tried to save the Xinmin Group. It was no longer a question of protecting the company; it was a matter of survival. Li Fengyu was at a loss, unsure how to protect himself or how to escape unscathed. Noticing Li Fengyu’s distress, Chen Yuxuan offered a hollow comfort: "It’s possible I was mistaken." Li Fengyu nodded and said, "I’ll have people guard you twenty-four hours a day. Get some rest." Despite those words, both men knew the truth: there was no turning back.

Life is like a gamble; once you realize you have been pulled into the vortex of a struggle, there is no retreating unscathed. Now, all Li Fengyu could do was grit his teeth and push forward. Whether the path ahead led to darkness or light, whether for his own sake, for the Xinmin Group, for his brothers, or for his ideals, he had to stand tall and walk on.