Chapter Twelve: Explosion

After leaving the hospital room, Chu Feng walked over to the nearby emergency exit for some fresh air. Although he had worked in hospitals for a long time, he never liked the smell of disinfectant lingering in the air.

“Chu Feng, Old Master Chen wants to see you,” Old Wang called out as soon as he saw Chu Feng standing by the stairwell.

Chu Feng hadn’t expected Old Master Chen to summon him at this moment, but he followed Old Wang back inside.

“Young man, I heard from Xiao Wang just now that Old Li introduced you. How is the old man doing?” Old Master Chen had called Chu Feng in specifically to ask about Old Li’s health.

“Old Li’s doing all right. He’s still in the hospital, but he should be able to go home soon,” Chu Feng replied, giving Old Master Chen a brief update on Old Li’s situation.

“That old Li… he’s certainly lived long enough,” Old Master Chen remarked suddenly. Chu Feng wasn’t sure what he meant by that, so he didn’t respond.

“Xiao Wang, leave us. I have a few things to discuss with Chu Feng in private.” Old Master Chen dismissed Xiao Wang, leaving only Chu Feng in the room.

“Sir, if there’s anything you need, just say the word. If it’s within my power, I won’t refuse,” Chu Feng said respectfully. He’d always admired the soldiers of China, especially generals like Old Master Chen who had shed blood and made sacrifices for the country.

“You should go back as soon as you can. Staying here puts your life at risk. You may have saved this old man’s life, but I don’t want you to lose yours because of me.” To Chu Feng’s surprise, Old Master Chen was urging him to leave quickly.

“I gave my word that I’d come to save you, and I won’t go back on my promise.”

Chu Feng wasn’t intimidated by the ambush at the airport; incidents like that didn’t faze him.

“You don’t understand. In this city, without connections or strength, it’s easy for someone to get you killed. That’s why I’m advising you to leave as quickly as possible.” Old Master Chen seemed unimpressed with the people in the capital, even sounding somewhat disdainful.

“I’ve already decided to join Dragon Scale, and Old Wang has agreed to it.” Chu Feng told Old Master Chen about his decision.

“If you’re set on joining Dragon Scale, then I’ll say no more. But you must be extremely careful here.” Old Master Chen no longer tried to persuade him after hearing this.

“One more thing—about my waking up, don’t tell anyone. Don’t mention it to a soul.” Old Master Chen understood that there were those who wanted him dead.

“I understand. I won’t breathe a word to anyone.” Chu Feng nodded; he knew Old Master Chen carried many secrets.

“There’s not much else I can do for you. If you run into trouble you can’t handle, call Xiao Wang. He’ll help you,” Old Master Chen said, waving his hand to signal Chu Feng to leave.

Chu Feng stood, turned, and left the room. Outside, Old Wang and Old Jin were waiting.

“Is Old Master Chen asleep?” Old Jin hurried over when he saw Chu Feng come out.

“No,” Chu Feng replied simply.

Old Jin quickly gathered his things and entered the room, while Old Wang remained outside.

“Chu Feng, I’ll take you to Dragon Scale’s headquarters now. I’ll introduce you to the others and get your credentials sorted,” Old Wang said, not forgetting his promise. He’d already notified Dragon Scale before coming to the capital.

“All right,” Chu Feng responded, unable to hide his anticipation. He was curious to see the legendary ‘license to kill’ with his own eyes.

The two took the elevator down to the first floor, then headed to the hospital’s underground parking lot, where many security vehicles were stationed.

Before long, Old Wang drove out in a military jeep, the license plate showing it belonged to the military district.

Seeing the military jeep made Chu Feng hesitate; driving such a conspicuous vehicle made them an easy target. If anyone was following them, they’d be attacked as soon as they left.

“Come on, let’s get your paperwork done. I have other things to take care of,” Old Wang urged. He had been busy ever since he’d been authorized to come to Shanghai.

Chu Feng got into the jeep, but a sense of foreboding nagged at him—a gut feeling that something was about to happen.

“Is Dragon Scale headquarters far from here? If it’s too far, maybe we should wait,” Chu Feng asked.

“Not far. Only ten kilometers from the Air Force Hospital. Sit tight, we’ll be there soon.” As Old Wang finished speaking, he floored the accelerator, and the jeep shot down the road like a cheetah.

Boom—a deafening explosion rang out just as Old Wang sped up. Chu Feng instinctively looked back to see a small truck behind them engulfed in flames.

“Pull over somewhere safe. I think we’re being tailed,” Chu Feng said quietly, feeling something was off about that explosion.

If Old Wang hadn’t accelerated, it might have been their jeep that was hit. They had likely just avoided disaster.

Without further prompting, Old Wang steered the jeep into a nearby grove. The trees were thick and sturdy, clearly planted deliberately.

He parked at the grove’s edge, and the two of them plunged into the dense woods.

Chu Feng’s instincts were correct—the explosion behind them had been caused by a rocket-propelled grenade, intended for their jeep. The attacker hadn’t anticipated the sudden acceleration, and the grenade struck the small truck instead.

Not long after Chu Feng and Old Wang entered the woods, six men armed with automatic rifles arrived at the jeep.

“Don’t spread out too far—stay within five meters. If anything happens, open fire immediately.” The leader barked his orders, and his men fanned out in a semicircle to search the woods.

After entering the grove, Old Wang and Chu Feng had climbed a relatively small tree. It was summer, and the dense foliage provided perfect cover. They climbed higher, using the leaves to hide themselves.

Through the rustling leaves, Chu Feng heard footsteps below. Parting the branches slightly, he spotted a man with an automatic rifle moving through the trees, and saw several others searching nearby.

Chu Feng didn’t act rashly—he didn’t know how many armed men there were below. One mistake, and neither he nor Old Wang would make it out alive.