Chapter 120: The Surgery Was a Success

What frustrated Jack the most was that he could have eliminated Ziyan and cleaned house, but for various reasons, he couldn’t bring himself to do it—he was just a step away.

“Sir has received confirmed intelligence: that old man will undergo surgery this morning inside the military district, and the traitor under your command, Ziyan, is also in the military district,” the man beside him said.

Upon hearing this, Jack’s expression darkened further. No matter how bold he was, he wouldn’t dare launch an assault on the military district. If he did, and enraged the top brass, a few missiles could come down and obliterate his Sunfire stronghold.

“Mr. Pan, enough. I take full responsibility for the failure of this mission. I will pay you twice the market rate in penalties,” Jack said, looking somewhat dejected. He hadn’t anticipated losing three top generals over a single operation.

“Don’t be so downhearted, Commander Jack. You still have a chance. After the old man’s surgery, he’ll have to be hospitalized. The military district’s clinic conditions are poor. You can strike when he’s hospitalized, by tampering with his medication,” Mr. Pan said with a sly smile. These were instructions from their benefactor.

“But they’ll be on high alert then. It’ll be very difficult to find an opportunity to act,” Jack replied. He knew how difficult this mission was. Already two of his top generals were lost, and one had defected. He was reluctant to accept another assignment.

“Commander Jack, do you regret taking this job? Let me tell you, even if you regret it now, it’s too late. You’ve already succeeded in angering the Chinese military. Even if you don’t cause trouble now, once the dust settles, they will come after you.”

Mr. Pan whispered these words in Jack’s ear, sensing his hesitation. It was no exaggeration—Jack’s previous actions had indeed enraged the Chinese military.

If the Chinese military weren’t considering the bigger picture, they would have wiped him out long ago. Later, they could easily find a pretext to send troops after Sunfire, ideally to eliminate it completely.

Jack shivered involuntarily at Mr. Pan’s words. He realized the man was right. He had sent assassins after Old Chen multiple times. Even if he stopped now, the Chinese military would never let him go.

“Fine. Let the old man live a few more days. Once he’s discharged, I will make sure he dies. If he doesn’t die, then I will,” Jack resolved grimly, deciding to wait for Chen’s release before finding an opportunity to eliminate him.

“Commander Jack, here is one million US dollars as compensation for your losses,” Mr. Pan said, transferring the sum to Jack’s account via online banking.

Meanwhile, Chu Feng was performing surgery in the military district clinic, with only two junior nurses assisting. Behind him, a high-definition camera was set up, as promised during Chu Feng’s earlier volunteer work, to record the procedure for young doctors to study.

Chu Feng first removed a bullet fragment lodged in Old Chen’s side. Once extracted, Old Chen’s vital signs dropped significantly. Seizing a moment when the nurses weren’t paying attention, Chu Feng discreetly administered some life-sustaining medicine.

Within minutes, Old Chen’s vitals stabilized, and Chu Feng proceeded to remove another bullet fragment.

After extracting both fragments, Chu Feng placed a wristwatch on Old Chen’s waist. The watch’s hands spun wildly, making seventy full rotations before stopping. Old Chen’s vital signs steadied, and the residual anesthetic in his body dissipated.

“Put these two bullet fragments in a bag, and collect the fluid from here as well. I’ll need them,” Chu Feng instructed. He intended to return to the Air Force hospital to analyze whether the fragments contained chemical weapon elements.

Sweating profusely after the surgery, Chu Feng accepted a towel from Nurse Feng and wiped his face.

As Chu Feng stepped outside, he was startled by the scene: over twenty people gathered outside the clinic, each bearing the insignia of a general.

“Chu Feng, how is Old Chen’s condition? Was the surgery successful?” a senior general asked eagerly, grabbing Chu Feng’s hand with eyes full of hope.

“Old Chen’s vital signs are stable, and the surgery was successful. The bullet fragments have been removed,” Chu Feng replied cautiously, aware that such a gathering of generals could shake the entire military world with a mere stomp.

“Don’t shout. Old Chen is resting now. If you want to visit, come back tomorrow,” Chu Feng quickly urged, seeing some generals about to raise their voices. Although the anesthetic hadn’t fully worn off, Chu Feng’s medicine had cleansed the traces. If these people made noise outside, the guards might alert those inside about Old Chen’s presence.

“Let me introduce you. Almost everyone here is an old subordinate of Old Chen’s. Some even fought alongside him in past wars,” the senior general explained. These men were all in their fifties or sixties, some having served under Chen during the Han City campaign.

Hearing that Old Chen was having surgery today, they had set aside their work to come and pay their respects. Over the past year, Chen had helped them greatly, and they regarded him like a father.

“All right, I think Chu Feng is tired. You all should leave for now and come back tomorrow or when you find time to visit Old Chen together,” the senior general said with authority. His words dispersed the crowd.

Since Old Chen was stable, there was no use staying. They couldn’t see him anyway and might as well return in a few days.

“Chu Feng, come, let’s rest a while in my office,” the senior general invited him inside.

“After the surgery, Old Chen will definitely return to the hospital. Shortly after your operation, the National Security Bureau sent news that Jack, the Sunfire mercenary leader who tried to assassinate Old Chen, has not left the country. He is still in the capital,” the senior general added, keeping his joy concealed. He was already planning how to better protect Old Chen.

“Of course he will return to the hospital. The military district is too noisy, and the medical conditions are poor; the air quality is bad too. It would be better for him to recuperate at home,” Chu Feng replied.