My past week was pretty eventful to say the least. I’m so sorry I wasn’t able to update. I also wasn’t able to advise because of all the confusion. To make it up for you, I will bulk update the missed chapters.
Unexpected events happened one after another. Soon, not only was the fuel tank nearly empty, but when the off-road vehicle was passing through a flat road surface, it seemed to have run over something. The entire vehicle shook violently, accompanied by a loud boom, and the car veered uncontrollably towards the forest.
Had it not been for the driver’s years of experience and quick reaction, swerving the steering wheel sharply when the car was less than two meters away from the trees, a tragedy would have occurred.
It would not be an exaggeration, at the speed they were traveling, if they had crashed head-on into the trees, it would have been sheer luck if anyone in the car survived.
Ye Zhou’s upper body was flung out of the car. At that precise moment, the lion seemed to have grown bored of the chasing game and, spotting the person outside the car, suddenly accelerated, its massive jaws gaping open, lunging toward Ye Zhou.
At the closest distance between the man and the lion, Ye Zhou could even smell the pungent and foul odor from the lion’s mouth and see its dense mane.
Just as Ye Zhou was about to make intimate contact with the lion, a tremendous force yanked him back into the car. He sat in the vehicle for a long time, unable to snap out of the daze from his brush with death.
The guide beside him first asked about his physical condition in the local language, and seeing no response from Ye Zhou, switched to somewhat stilted English.
Ye Zhou finally came to his senses, shaking his head at the worried guide and companions, forcing a smile and joking, “It looks like it has been eating well lately. I could even smell the stench of rotten flesh from its mouth.”
However, this joke clearly failed to ease the tense atmosphere.
The driver loudly said something to the guide, whose expression turned solemn as he relayed, “The right rear tire has blown out. We can’t keep going for much longer. We need to come up with a plan.”
His words added a touch of panic to the already tense situation. Two members of the team with weaker mental fortitude were already softly sobbing, their cries muffled by the roar of the engine and the lion’s roars.
Ye Zhou’s teacher’s face was deathly pale, yet he still mustered his spirits. He looked at Ye Zhou with a bitter smile as he apologized, “I’m sorry, Xiao Ye. I shouldn’t have invited you here, putting you in such a situation. I…”
His unfinished words were cut off by Ye Zhou, “Teacher, don’t say that. Accidents are called accidents precisely because of their unexpected and sudden nature. Joining your team in South Africa was my personal decision. I was fully prepared for anything, including dealing with emergencies.”
“Besides, it’s too early to say such things now. Who knows, maybe it will get tired soon.”
Ye Zhou’s words were, of course, meant to comfort. Under normal circumstances, a lion’s endurance is limited, and it would be unlikely to pursue prey for such a long duration. However, this male lion seemed possessed, displaying astonishing stamina and relentlessly pursuing them.
His words were not impossible, but the probability was so low as to be almost nonexistent.
Originally, they had hoped to drive out of the lion’s territory, but due to the flat tire and insufficient fuel, this plan was no longer feasible, leading to their current dire situation.
As the two men spoke, the other guides and security officer concluded their discussion.
The guide who had saved Ye Zhou’s life earlier turned to them with a grave expression, “The situation is too serious. As a last resort, we have decided to use the tranquilizer gun.”
“If the tranquilizer gun is not effective, or our vehicle cannot hold out until the tranquilizer takes effect, we will have no choice but to shoot and kill it.”
The use of firearms during wildlife filming has long been a subject of controversy within the industry. The mainstream view is that since humans have chosen to enter animal habitats, they must strictly follow the rules and not disrupt the natural state.
Due to this unwritten rule, a deeply regrettable incident occurred over a decade ago.
A photographer was attacked and killed while filming chimpanzees. When the rescue team arrived, they discovered the photographer had been carrying a firearm, which was even loaded, yet for unknown reasons, he never pulled the trigger until his death.
After this incident, the industry’s stance on using self-defense in dangerous situations in the wild began to change. The International Photographers Association publicly stated that firearms could be used in self-defense when faced with life-threatening situations.
Of course, while that’s the official stance, discrimination against such actions persisted behind closed doors. Some extremists even labeled these photographers and their teams as ‘butchers.’
In short… disrupting the natural state is considered highly disgraceful in the industry, and no one would willingly resort to such methods unless absolutely necessary.
But they had reached that point, with no better choice remaining.
After an eerie silence, the group ultimately agreed to the guide’s plan.
Fortunately, the lion, having chased the group for so long, was visibly exhausted from the prolonged sprint. The tranquilizer took effect within minutes, its speed visibly slowing until it finally collapsed.
Meanwhile, the off-road vehicle had also reached its limit, breaking down completely before reaching the temporary campsite.
The driver found a relatively safe spot to begin repairs. Luckily, there was a spare tire in the back, and although the other three tires were also severely worn, they should suffice until they reached the camp.
With everyone’s help, the driver changed the tire and refueled with the gasoline prepared before departure. After a brief rest, the battered military-green off-road vehicle, though looking miserable from the outside, managed to get back on the road.
By the time they returned to the camp, the sky had completely darkened. After the heart-pounding tension of the day, now safely in camp, exhaustion gradually showed on everyone’s faces as their emotions settled.
After hastily eating some compressed crackers and drinking water to appease their empty stomachs, Ye Zhou crawled straight into his tent, not even bothering to change clothes, and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
In contrast to Ye Zhou’s quiet escape from the brink of death, the corridors of the central hospital were in complete chaos.
Jiang Yu had spent the entire day in a meeting about the ‘Battle City 2’ project, jointly hosted by the higher-ups of his company and Summit. Due to the high level of confidentiality, no unrelated personnel were allowed in, and no phones were permitted during the closed meeting, which lasted until after 9 PM.
Exhausted from battling with the old foxes from Summit, Jiang Yu had barely stepped out of the meeting room when his panic-stricken secretary informed him that something had happened at home. Yu Qiuze had been sent to the hospital by his bodyguards that afternoon and was still undergoing emergency treatment. His condition was said to be critical, and he had not regained consciousness.
Jiang Yu’s heart sank at that moment. He immediately asked his secretary what had happened but received only stammered replies without a clear answer, leaving him frantic yet clueless. He glared at the secretary, “You can’t even speak coherently. What use are you?”
The secretary felt aggrieved. Was it his fault he couldn’t speak properly? How was he supposed to explain that Jiang Yu’s kept lover and white moonlight had fought at home, with the kept lover getting the upper hand and sending the white moonlight to the hospital?
Jiang Yu had no shame at all, but he still had his dignity! Just look at this messy situation!
After serving as Jiang Yu’s secretary for two years, he had long realized that the lucrative salary and the company’s bright future prospects described during hiring were merely empty promises.
Jiang Yu still had the audacity to mention keeping him employed. He had diligently handled work matters for two years, not to mention occasionally assisting with personal affairs – doing two jobs for one salary. Forget about a raise, he hadn’t even received a bonus in three months.
The secretary must have been cursed in his previous eight lives to be deceived into joining Jiang Yu’s company. He regretted it bitterly now. In his years in the workplace, he had encountered stingy bosses before, but never one as petty, ill-tempered, and miserly as Jiang Yu.
Watching Jiang Yu’s retreating figure, the secretary rolled his eyes, determined to submit his resignation upon returning. He was done with this foolish boss. Let whoever wants to attend to him do so, and whoever wants this crappy job can have it. He was out!
On the way to the hospital, Jiang Yu considered countless reasons for Yu Qiuze’s physical condition, except the possibility of him getting into a fight with Cheng Ran.
After all, Cheng Ran had always seemed obedient and well-behaved in front of him. Although occasionally a bit willful, he generally meets Jiang Yu’s expectations. Jiang Yu thought he understood Cheng Ran quite well.
But the reality was so absurd. Jiang Yu rushed to the hospital, and the first thing he saw was Cheng Ran sitting on a bench.
His head was buried in his arms, and his hair and clothes were completely disheveled. Jiang Yu even noticed two of Cheng Ran’s shirt buttons were missing. Through the collar, he could vaguely make out some conspicuous red marks, even bleeding, on his originally fair skin.
Anger flared up instantly. Jiang Yu strode over, yanking Cheng Ran up from the chair. Upon seeing his swollen face, his rage peaked.
“Who the hell did this?!” Jiang Yu’s eyes burned with anger as he half-embraced Cheng Ran, addressing the two bodyguards behind him more than Cheng Ran himself, “What are you good-for-nothings even here for? Did I hire you just to eat for free?”
The two bodyguards felt helpless being yelled at, exchanging glances as they saw each other’s dejection. They were in the same boat as the secretary—it was difficult to explain this situation.
But Jiang Yu clearly wasn’t letting them off easy. Pulling Cheng Ran into his embrace, he landed a punch squarely on a bodyguard’s chest, “I’m asking you a question. What, too afraid to speak up when you’re needed? Have you all gone mute?”
This situation was… too difficult to describe, and too embarrassing.
Bodyguard A glanced at the onlookers attracted by Jiang Yu’s raised voice in the corridor and hesitantly spoke, “Boss, why don’t we discuss this back home? Mr. Yu’s condition right now…”
“I told you to explain, so explain! What’s with all the nonsense!” Jiang Yu impatiently cut him off.
Yes, Cheng Ran’s position could never compare to Yu Qiuze – the “white moonlight” who had occupied Jiang Yu’s heart for over a decade. But that didn’t mean he held no feelings for Cheng Ran.
They had been together day and night for many years. Cheng Ran’s personality and appearance were very much to his liking, and they had shared a sweet time together. He certainly had feelings for Cheng Ran.
Bringing Yu Qiuze directly home this time without considering Cheng Ran’s feelings had caused him a lot of grievances. Jiang Yu felt some regret now. If not for the rushed news of Yu Qiuze’s return and all his funds being tied up in the ‘Battle City 2’ project, leaving him unable to afford an upscale hotel for Yu Qiuze…
Jiang Yu didn’t want Yu Qiuze to realize his financial constraints. The properties he had previously acquired were all sold to raise funds, and he didn’t dare take Yu Qiuze to a lower-end hotel either. After all, Yu Qiuze was someone who had been pampered since childhood as the most favored grandson of the Yu family. He wouldn’t be easily fooled.
As soon as he showed any hint of it, the astute Yu Qiuze would undoubtedly see through his predicament. Jiang Yu, of course, was unwilling to appear timid in front of his white moonlight. In his dilemma, he could only bring him back home.
Jiang Yu admitted this was his own fault. He had intended to make it up to Cheng Ran after Yu Qiuze left. Now, seeing Cheng Ran beaten and his white moonlight absent, Jiang Yu naturally had to stand up for him, using this to make up for his cold treatment of him in recent days.
Seeing his “getting to the bottom of this” attitude, even the bodyguards were enlightened.
If the master himself didn’t care about losing face, what could they, mere bodyguards, conceal? It wasn’t them losing face anyway, so why feel embarrassed?
“The situation was like this: this afternoon, we suddenly heard a commotion from Mr. Yu’s room…”
The bodyguard described the afternoon’s events without any emotion, just narrating the scene as they had seen it.
Jiang Yu had been angry initially, fuming with the intention of backing Cheng Ran. However, as the bodyguard spoke, his expression grew increasingly complex, shifting from anger to shock, then to bewilderment.
“—When we arrived, Mr. Cheng was sitting on Mr. Yu, strangling him and pounding his head. Mr. Yu was already delirious by then. Seeing his condition, we immediately sent him to the hospital. That’s about it, sir.”
As the bodyguard’s words fell, the previously lively hallway grew so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.
During the bodyguard’s account, Cheng Ran tried to interrupt several times, but Jiang Yu’s desire to know was too strong, not giving him a chance to interrupt and letting the bodyguard spill everything.
During the fight, Cheng Ran had acted purely on instinct. Now, after calming down for so long, the impulsiveness had faded, and rationality gradually returned.
Neither had much fighting experience. Cheng Ran previously had his hooligan brother Zou Rong to stand up for him, so he never needed to use his own hands. As for Yu Qiuze, he had been protected by bodyguards since he was young and never needed to fight.
This led to their fight being truly… clumsy, to put it mildly.
But both harbored pent-up resentment, so although their scuffle resembled playing, the damage was quite severe. Didn’t Yu Qiuze end up in the emergency room?
Cheng Ran wasn’t much better either, with a bald patch on his head from Yu Qiuze’s hair-pulling, his scalp throbbing painfully!
“So, Qiuze was hospitalized because you beat him up?”
After a prolonged silence, Jiang Yu suddenly raised his head, staring into Cheng Ran’s eyes as he enunciated each word.
“Ah Yu, it’s not what you think. Let me explain…”
Before he could finish, Jiang Yu slapped him, turning his face aside.
“Cheng Ran, you really disgust me.”
As Jiang Yu said this, the doors of the emergency room that had been closed all night finally opened. A nurse hurried over and asked, “Who’s the patient’s family member?”
“I am,” Jiang Yu withdrew his hand and quickly stepped forward.
The nurse looked him over and said, “He’s fine now, but his heart condition is poor, and he needs surgery as soon as possible.”
“Oh right, since both patients have the extremely rare Rh-null blood type, the blood bank staff might contact you later.”
“Both patients??”
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