Chapter 60: Blood for Blood!

A full seven digits, a total of six million.

I had never seen so much money in my life. The moment I laid eyes on all those zeros, my entire body began to tremble.

Yet, upon second thought, this money wasn't stolen. Now I was Chu Jianghe, and Chu Jianghe was me.

Naturally, this money belonged to me.

I linked the bank card to my WeChat account, making future expenses much more convenient.

Returning to the hospital, I went to settle Liu Qing's medical bills and then headed straight to the doctor's office.

I inquired about Liu Qing's condition from her attending physician.

The situation was much as Liu ChengCai had described: we had to wait forty-eight hours, and if she didn't wake up by then, she might never wake up at all.

I told the doctor that no matter what, regardless of the cost, Liu Qing had to be saved.

Inside the doctor's office, I nearly dropped to my knees before him.

The doctor assured me that they would definitely do everything in their power and told me not to worry too much, as this outcome was within medical expectations.

How could I not worry!

To put it simply, Liu Qing was my entire world now.

If anything were to truly happen to her, I would make everyone involved pay with their lives!

Last night, I went nowhere and stayed on guard at the hospital the entire time.

Seeing how exhausted Liu ChengCai looked—he must have gone days without sleep—I urged him to go back and rest while I kept vigil through the night.

In truth, with the patient confined to the ICU, family members weren't allowed inside anyway, making a vigil outside technically meaningless.

Yet, I desperately wanted to be the very first to know any news about Liu Qing, so I remained stationed right outside the ICU doors.

Throughout the night, I barely closed my eyes.

As dawn approached, I headed to the public restroom in the emergency department and splashed cold water over my face.

Walking over to the window, I found the early summer morning air fiercely warm, yet amidst that intense sunlight, a sudden chill crept into my bones.

I lit a cigarette and took a deep drag, feeling a wave of lightheadedness, perhaps from a sleepless night.

I gazed out at the distant, mist-shrouded, desolate city, slowly pulling back my gaze. I yawned repeatedly, yet not an ounce of sleepiness remained in me.

Flashes of the scene in the bathroom, where Liu Qing had slit her wrists, played relentlessly in my mind...

Although it was an act of suicide, given the circumstances back then, she had no other choice to protect her own chastity.

A debt of blood must be paid in blood!

Cheng Jun! You are truly ruthless!

Killing me in a car crash wasn't enough; you still had to try and destroy Liu Qing, didn't you?

Just you wait. For every drop of blood Liu Qing shed, I will make you bleed just as much. For every ounce of pain she endured, I will make you suffer tenfold!

Just you wait!

Leaving the restroom, I walked straight back to the ICU.

Liu Qing had still not regained consciousness, and the doctor on duty had already made their rounds.

Without saying much, after a brief check on Liu Qing's condition, the doctor left.

Liu Qing, you must pull through.

In this lifetime I failed you, but now fate has granted me a rebirth, offering me a chance at redemption.

You must wake up!

At eight-thirty in the morning, I left the hospital. Lingering there endlessly served no purpose.

The doctor had promised to contact me the very moment Liu Qing regained consciousness.

Right now, I had far more critical matters to attend to.

My car accident case had been forcibly closed.

Yet, it could not simply end like this.

As the direct victim—having heard Cheng Jun's own words that day—I naturally knew it was no accident.

How, then, could the truth be brought to light?

Getting Cheng Jun to confess of his own accord was practically impossible.

The only way out was to keep investigating. Clues were bound to exist.

As Detective Conan always said: every crime leaves behind evidence.

I had to clear my name and drag that wretched pair, Cheng Jun and Jiang Yue, down to hell with me.

For now, however, I needed to head to the company.

Regardless of everything, since I had been given a second chance at life, some things required patience.

Upon arriving at the company, I noticed the employees looking at me with entirely different expressions.

The events that had unfolded in the conference room yesterday had already spread throughout the entire office.

No one could believe that the previously loafing and ignorant Chu Jianghe was now speaking fluent French and had single-handedly secured the partnership with the French clients.

Once inside my office, I had someone purchase sketchpads and various paints, planning to draft a hand-drawn blueprint first before rendering the final design via computer software.

Regardless, since I had given Frank my word, I had to see this project through to perfection.

I specifically requested a large, spacious table, spread out the drawing paper across it, and began to sketch.

Such tasks were far from unfamiliar to me; in fact, they came as naturally as breathing.

I lost myself completely in the act of drawing, as it was a passion of mine, allowing me to immerse myself entirely in the process.

It wasn't until nearly closing time that I finally completed the preliminary model.

At that moment, Chu Mingyuan abruptly pushed open the door and entered the office.

Chu Mingyuan had spent the entire previous night tossing and turning, consumed by curiosity as to why his youngest son had suddenly transformed into such a stranger.

Stepping into the office, Chu Mingyuan caught sight of me engrossed in my drawing.

Having a background in design himself, the old man walked closer, peering down at my hand-drawn sketch with a look of utter astonishment.

"Dad—Director Chu, you're here?"

Not yet accustomed to the change, I instinctively addressed him by his corporate title.

Chu Mingyuan looked from the drawing back up to me, saying, "Is it because I haven't paid you enough attention lately that you're suddenly reluctant to even call me 'Dad'?"

Embarrassed, I scratched the back of my head and chuckled awkwardly, "No, Dad. I just felt that here at the company, calling you that might not be appropriate."

With a wise smile, Chu Mingyuan replied, "There's no one else here, it's fine."

"Understood," I nodded.

Glancing back at the drawing, an expression of amazement crossed his face as he asked, "When did you learn to draw?"

I paused for a moment before replying, "I've been studying it quietly. The employees all thought I was good for nothing, and that without you, Dad, I'd be utterly useless. So I practiced in secret. I didn't want people constantly gossiping about Chu Mingyuan's son being a failure... That wouldn't reflect well on you either, Dad!"

A gratified smile spread across Chu Mingyuan's face as he reached out and patted my shoulder.

"It seems I really didn't understand you well enough. That's my fault too; I was always so consumed by work that I neglected your growth."

"Dad, I'm sorry for letting you down!"

Regardless of how worthless this body's previous owner was, the soul inhabiting it now was entirely me.

In my heart, Chu Mingyuan commanded deep respect.

Building a company from scratch to its current scale was no small feat, and he remained an upright man of integrity.

"It's alright, Dad. I know you were busy, and I was rebellious back then, causing you endless worry."

Perhaps my words struck a chord within him; his eyes suddenly reddened.

Deliberately shifting his focus back to the artwork, he remarked, "Still, a drawing like this isn't something you master in a year or two. Even with specialized training, achieving this level is difficult. Some of the color combinations are beyond even my comprehension."

I smiled and brushed it off with a laugh, "Must be raw talent!"

Chu Mingyuan chuckled along, nodding as he gave my shoulder another reassuring pat. "Good lad, you've truly given me quite a surprise."

I flashed a goofy grin, prompting Chu Mingyuan to add, "Oh right, come home for dinner tonight. I mentioned your change to your mother yesterday, and she still wouldn't believe it."

"Alright, sounds good, Dad."

"Very well then, I won't interrupt your creative process any longer. Keep up the good work."

After Chu Mingyuan left, I picked up my pen once more, plunging straight back into my own world.

Suddenly, the door was pushed open once again.