Chapter 159: Sinking Deeper and Deeper

"Whether I'm doing well or not has nothing to do with you. Why did you even bother coming to see me? Are you here to gloat?"

Hei Zi felt that his body actually felt much better than it had before his injury. He knew deep down that the toxins from the Seven Injuries Fist must have been dispersed from his system. He felt a sense of deep anxiety; if that were true, did it mean all the suffering he had endured previously had been for nothing? In his mind, he believed that the physical torment he suffered from the Seven Injuries Fist was proof that it was taking effect. If there were no reaction at all, it would hardly be meaningful.

"What are you saying? Zhang Rui coming to see you is a gesture of respect; don't give him that sarcastic attitude," Tian Xing interjected, trying to save face for Zhang Rui and quickly reprimanding Hei Zi.

Zhang Rui just grinned. "It's fine, it's fine. Patients are often in a bad mood. I understand, I understand."

"Hmph! Last night you brought people over to stir up trouble, and after getting beaten because you weren't good enough, you think you're in the right?" Yang Jiaojiao had seen every movement on the scene clearly the night before. That detestable Wang Kewei had brought this Hei Zi along. Thinking of Wang Kewei's character now made her sick; she couldn't understand how she had ever become friends with him in the first place.

"Alright, that's enough," Zhang Rui said, trying to calm Jiaojiao down before his phone suddenly rang.

"Hello! Liangzi, what's up?"

It was Li Liang calling. Zhang Rui had been so busy he had almost forgotten that the hospital doctor had called earlier that morning to say Li Liang had recovered well and was being discharged today.

"I'm getting discharged, Brother Rui! You aren't even going to show your face? If you aren't coming, fine, but at least return my van. I want to drive it to see my old flame."

Clearly, Li Liang was in a good mood. After being in the hospital for so long, he could finally go out and soak up some sun; staying here getting IV drips every day was like being in prison, and he had truly had enough of it.

"Oh... I left the van at the entrance of Xiaoqiao Village. I'll get one of the brothers to drive it back later." Zhang Rui paused, then added, "Give Guo Tao a call. He should be the wealthiest young master among us right now; ask him to rent a car for you to use in the meantime."

Zhang Rui didn't mention the sale of Guo Tao's Audi Q7 in front of everyone. After all, the origin of the car wasn't exactly legitimate, and it was better to keep such things low-key. But the money brought in was real, and it could be put to good use.

"I called, but nobody picked up! I don't know where that bastard ran off to, or why he hasn't come to see me! Damn it." Li Liang was incredibly frustrated. He had heard from Da Quan that the brothers were all doing well out there, so he couldn't understand why things had turned out this way—when it mattered most, he couldn't find a single one of them.

"Alright, alright, I'll find him."

After hearing what Li Liang said, Zhang Rui mentally calculated the time. Guo Tao should have received the money by now; why hadn't he called to report back? Could it be that he ran off with the cash?

Impossible! Taozi wasn't that kind of person, and besides, his family was still in Li Family Village. It was impossible.

Zhang Rui apologized to everyone and stepped out of the ward to call Guo Tao again. No answer.

"That's strange."

Curious, Zhang Rui dialed the number of the car dealership owner, Old Zhang.

*Whoosh.*

Old Zhang was sitting in his office, feeling restless. Seeing Zhang Rui's name on the caller ID made him terrified. He had been in the used car business for many years, but he had never encountered anything like what happened today. The car had been stolen from his lot, and someone had been beaten and injured. How was he supposed to explain this to Zhang Rui? Should he really follow Jiang Shunfa's advice and drop the name of Xie Tianhua? Would that just make a misunderstanding that could have been resolved even more complicated?

However, Old Zhang had been present when Jiang Shunfa was beating Guo Tao earlier. The methods were absolutely brutal—they had smashed him with sticks as if they wanted to kill him! Just thinking about it made Old Zhang tremble.

The phone rang a second time. Reluctantly, Old Zhang answered. He had to face the situation; he still had a business to run, and this matter needed a resolution.

"Hello?" Old Zhang asked flatly.

"Old Zhang, what is going on with you? Do you want to do business or not? You don't answer your phone, and you don't even call to report that the car was sold. You've been in this business for so many years; why are you so unprofessional?" Zhang Rui scolded him before asking, "When did Guo Tao leave your place with the money? Why can't I get a hold of him?"

"Sigh! I don't even know how to tell you this. Guo Tao never left my dealership. One of my employees took him to the clinic next door to get bandaged up. He's still unconscious." Old Zhang steeled himself and blurted it all out.

"What? What did you say? Guo Tao is unconscious? How did this happen?"

Zhang Rui panicked immediately, his voice rising several octaves. People in the corridor began to look over, and even Jiaojiao, who was waiting at the door, couldn't help but wonder what had made Zhang Rui so agitated.

"Well... when Guo Tao arrived, the buyer happened to be from Tianhua Industrial. They recognized Guo Tao as your man and realized he had been involved in the beating of their Brother Hei last night. So, they beat Guo Tao up right there, took the car, and said it was compensation for Brother Hei's injuries. They also said that if Zhang Rui had any complaints, he should go directly to Tianhua Industrial to find them." Old Zhang said tremblingly, "Oh, there were so many young men surrounding Guo Tao, kicking him and beating him with sticks! I tried to stop them from the side, but they wouldn't listen to me at all!"

"Damn it! Why didn't you call me sooner?" Zhang Rui's anger flared up. Selling a car shouldn't lead to something like this—Tianhua Company had gone too far!

"I wanted to call, but I was scared. The car was lost on my property, and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to answer to you. I was hoping to wait until Guo Tao woke up so he could explain it himself." Old Zhang was a clever man; he had decided to lie to Zhang Rui, and he made sure his story was self-consistent, leaving no room for suspicion.

Ultimately, since Guo Tao didn't know who had beaten him, it was easy to spin. Moreover, the fact that Zhang Rui had beaten Hei Zi was true, and Tianhua Industrial was very likely to take action. Zhang Rui’s anger at this moment would be the spark that ignited a conflict between the two sides, making the theft of the car seem trivial by comparison.

"Get lost!" Zhang Rui cursed, hung up the phone, and turned to storm back into the ward.

Jiaojiao, seeing Zhang Rui's furious expression at the door, was shocked; she had never seen him this angry before.

*Bang!*

Kicking the door open, Zhang Rui roared, "Very well! You talk to me about brotherhood on one side, but stab me in the back on the other? Isn't that right? Tian Xing, I never expected you to be this kind of person!"

Zhang Rui was a hot-blooded young man; his brother had been targeted, so he had to stand up for him. If he kept this bottled up, he might as well quit the life.

"What? What backstabbing? Speak clearly!" Tian Xing, seeing Zhang Rui's attitude, became angry as well, his face hardening as he retorted.

Hei Zi, on the hospital bed, was even more agitated. He struggled to sit up despite the pain, gripping the IV pole next to him, ready to swing it at Zhang Rui.