Chapter 85

Chapter 85

However, the Yang family's influence on him was now limited. Once they left, he quickly dismissed them from his mind.

Due to not having slept all night, Chen Mo lay down and took a nap under Xi Siyan’s insistence after the nurse reinserted his IV.

This sleep was deep, and when he woke up, he found the curtains drawn in the ward, and the IV needle had been removed from his hand. His forehead felt cool, and his body felt much lighter, no longer weighed down by the oppressive lethargy of a high fever.

It seemed the new medication prescribed by the doctor was working.

The ward was empty, so Chen Mo got up from the bed to check the time, which showed it was already one in the afternoon.

Under his phone was a note in Xi Siyan’s handwriting.

It said he had gone out for something.

Chen Mo looked at the concise handwriting and called him.

No answer, just a busy signal.

Chen Mo did not call again.

He wasn’t the type to incessantly question someone’s whereabouts. Moreover, he knew there were many things waiting for Xi Siyan to handle. The only thing Chen Mo worried about was that Xi Siyan hadn’t rested for more than twenty-four hours, which made him even more resentful of the consecutive troubles from last night.

Frowning, he saw that there were still many messages awaiting his attention.

One of them was from Lao Gou, sent several hours ago.

"Let me know when you wake up; I came by when you were just falling asleep."

Chen Mo knew Lao Gou was at this hospital and likely knew more details than anyone else outside. He replied, "Just woke up."

Lao Gou responded instantly: "On my way."

Ten minutes later, Lao Gou entered carrying a thermal container.

"Not at work?" Chen Mo asked from the bed.

Lao Gou gave him an annoyed look. "If I were still focused on work with you almost dead, would I be human?"

Chen Mo smiled. "I’m tough; I won’t die."

"You shut up," Lao Gou said as he approached. "When I heard the news, I nearly died of fright. You think you’re invincible? If that knife had hit your neck’s artery, blood would have sprayed across the wall."

Chen Mo rarely saw such seriousness in Lao Gou. Still wearing his white coat, he raised the small table beside the bed, placed the thermal container on it, and began taking out food. "This is what the class monitor had the nutritionist prepare for you. I brought it along."

Chen Mo leaned against the headboard, a slight smile on his lips.

"Only you guys still call him ‘class monitor’ these days."

Lao Gou paused, then nonchalantly said, "I don’t care how the world evaluates him or what achievements he has. To me, he’s just the class monitor who sat in the back row in high school."

Chen Mo took the chopsticks Lao Gou handed him. "Yeah, that’s probably why he let you in."

Speaking of which, Lao Gou pulled a chair over and sat down, complaining, "While I’m not surprised you two got back together, I never realized how deeply the class monitor loved you."

Chen Mo raised an eyebrow, showing a questioning expression.

Lao Gou pointed to the door. "See those four bodyguards outside? They scared our hospital nurses into asking around who’s staying here. Xi Siyan told everyone not to disturb you. And you probably don’t know, but outside, it’s chaos."

"What’s going on outside?" Chen Mo genuinely didn’t know.

From the incident last night until now, less than twenty-four hours had passed. Logically, neither the truth about the fire nor the attack on the hospital should be known to the public yet.

But what Lao Gou was about to say was something entirely different.

Lao Gou propped his elbow on the edge of Chen Mo’s bed and showed him his phone.

—Lunaer faces cross-border joint arrest; UA officially declares bankruptcy this afternoon!

The investigation into money laundering is ongoing.

Yet, UA has already declared it cannot sustain itself and is completely bankrupt.

Chen Mo took Lao Gou’s phone and scrolled down.

"UA’s accelerated bankruptcy is largely due to CM’s efforts."

"Anyone following foreign news knows that in the early hours of last night, CM suddenly attacked UA in the stock market. UA, already hollowed out and insolvent, was bound to go bankrupt sooner or later."

"It’s hard to believe that such a large ship could capsize so quickly."

"CM’s sudden move was unexpected."

"To me, it seems unnecessary to be so harsh. This feels like settling old scores, a final blow without any concern for appearances."

"What’s strange about it? Old enemies, if it were me, I’d spit on them too."

"CM was really ruthless this time; UA will never recover."

"Did you see the video of Lunaer’s arrest? There were rumors of his arrest before, but it was just an investigation. This time, it’s real; someone filmed it."

That video, which had spread rapidly, soon appeared before Chen Mo.

The angle suggested it was taken by a passerby.

Because he was caught at the airport.

Lunaer must have been about to flee abroad.

The people who arrested him were in plainclothes, and the footage was shaky. You could see Lunaer's face, which had turned purple and red as he was pinned to the ground, struggling fiercely and shouting angrily in one direction.

Someone controlled the scene, not allowing any filming.

So the video was very short, and the person filming quickly put their phone away. However, the last glimpse captured by the camera was exactly where Lunaer had been staring intently. There stood a man in a suit with bodyguards behind him, his expression dark and unreadable.

Someone took a blurry screenshot.

"?? What is this?"

"If I'm not mistaken, the rarely seen boss of CM should look similar to this guy, unless he has an identical twin or something."

"Who filmed this video? Seriously, they should delete it. Although he's handsome, you can tell from his expression that he didn't want to be filmed."

"Is anyone else curious about what Lunaer was shouting at that person?"

"The airport was too noisy. I tried analyzing the audio with software, and one of the high-frequency words was 'Chen Mo.'"

"Chen Mo? Sinking? Film formation? Chen Mo? Chen Mo?!?"

One has to admire people nowadays.

They can dig up unexpected information from the slightest clues.

Especially after someone proposed the idea of Chen Mo, matters concerning him were brought up again.

"Who is Chen Mo?"

"Didn't you forget? Last time, Lunaer suffered a crushing defeat at the Yang negotiation table, all thanks to this guy."

"So why did Lunaer mention Chen Mo to the boss of CM?"

"At this point, I feel it's necessary to share something. A friend of mine works in the tech park in the eastern part of Sui City. They've been spreading rumors today that the new rising star, Chen President—yes, the Chen Mo you're talking about—had a fire at his house last night. Considering his history with Lunaer, I think this isn't simple."

Lao Gou reached out to take back his phone.

He said, "There are indeed many talented people online. If they keep analyzing like this, they might even speculate about secret deals between New Horizon and CM, or even rumors about you being involved with the boss of CM."

Chen Mo continued eating for a couple more bites.

For him, online chatter was irrelevant as long as it didn't affect his life. It wasn't worth worrying about. Besides, the core issue here was still the bankruptcy of UA; both CM and Chen Mo were just side notes.

Chen Mo said, "Didn't you say you wanted to buy a house last year? You've been looking at properties. Help me find a suitable one."

Lao Gou was taken aback. "You're not keeping your place at Rhine Ark?"

Chen Mo replied, "Yes, but it's unrealistic to move back in anytime soon. I need to find another suitable place."

Lao Gou stared at Chen Mo for a moment.

Then he suddenly asked, "You and that guy didn't...?"

"Huh?" Chen Mo frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Lao Gou was blunt. "You two didn't sleep together?"

Chen Mo was speechless for a moment. "...Does this have anything to do with finding a house?"

"Of course it does," Lao Gou said matter-of-factly. "If you two had slept together, you could just live together. The class president wouldn't lack a place to stay." As he spoke, he thought of something and leaned closer, grinning mischievously. "I remember when we were in high school, you used to talk about these things so casually. Don't tell me you guys already..."

"How boring," Chen Mo pushed Lao Gou's head away. "Get lost."

Lao Gou left only after Chen Mo finished eating.

Chen Mo also got out of bed.

When he opened the door, one of the bodyguards respectfully asked, "Mr. Chen, is there anything you need?"

"Has Yang Shule been caught?" Chen Mo asked.

The bodyguards exchanged glances.

Then the one who had spoken nodded. "Indeed, President Xi hasn't handed him over to the police yet."

"Bring him here," Chen Mo said.

When the bodyguards hesitated, Chen Mo continued, "I won't harm him. I'll handle everything myself. Just bring him here."

Thirty minutes later.

Outside a special VIP intensive care unit.

The entire floor was empty except for Chen Mo, who wore a black coat over his hospital gown and leaned against the wall in the corridor.

The bodyguards escorted Yang Shule, gripping his arms tightly, bringing him step by step closer.

Today, Yang Shule looked like a completely defeated stray dog.

He had lost all the glory of his youth and the arrogance he displayed upon returning to the country. His hair had grown longer, hiding the deep shadows under his eyes, making him resemble a creature that had been hiding in the dark without seeing daylight.

Looking at him, Chen Mo saw the shadow of Chen Jianli for the first time.

"Mr. Chen," the bodyguard approached and said, "We've brought him."

At this moment, Yang Shule lifted his head, a mocking smile on his lips. "Chen Mo, you must be feeling very smug right now, right? Xi Siyan spared no expense to retaliate against Lunaer for you and cut off all my means of survival."

Chen Mo stared at him and said, "Sometimes I really doubt whether you actually like him or if you simply can't bear the frustration of something you consider yours being taken away by someone else."

"Is this your victor's mockery?" Yang Shule nodded. "Makes sense; everything that was once mine is now yours. Of course, you're on top and can insult me as you please."

Seeing the crazed look in Yang Shule's eyes, Chen Mo felt no inclination to waste more words on him.

He spoke calmly, "Apologize."

"Apologize?" Yang Shule laughed as if he had heard a joke, then gritted his teeth. "Why should I apologize to you? Not in this lifetime!"

Chen Mo suddenly rose from the wall, grabbed Yang Shule by the hair, and slammed his head against the heavy door of the intensive care unit.

His voice was hoarse and cold. "Look closely. Who's inside?"

In Yang Shule's widened eyes, Chen Mo kicked his knee, making him kneel, and continued, "Surprised that Grandpa is still alive? Now, apologize. Even if you didn't push the wheelchair, you should pay for your long-planned arrogance. Do you think I can't make you feel the pain of lying in an ICU with tubes all over before the police arrive? Or perhaps you'd rather wait until you're in the netherworld to repent?"

Yang Shule knelt on the ground, motionless.

Perhaps sensing true despair, he lay there for a while, uttering a trembling and muddled, "I'm sorry."

After saying "I'm sorry," he broke into hysterical laughter and sobs.

After crying for a while,

he suddenly got up, his eyes bloodshot, and glared at Chen Mo. "Do you think it's over? Chen Mo, there's still a long road ahead. Your fate might not be any better than mine!"

Due to the security guards' restraint, he couldn't even touch Chen Mo's clothes.

Chen Mo looked at him coldly, "Is that so? I don't care about my own fate, but yours is clear. I hope you can slowly savor every day left in your life."

The security guards took Yang Shule away, along with his struggling and cursing.

Chen Mo stood at the door of the intensive care unit, knowing the apology meant nothing. There were few people he cared about in his life, and this was the only thing he could do in the face of life and death.

Chen Mo turned and leaned against the wall beside the door, standing there for a long time.

Until his pocket vibrated.

Xi Siyan's voice carried concern, "Are you..."

"Xi Siyan." Chen Mo interrupted, tilting his head slightly, and asked softly, "When are you coming back?"