Lin Zhen was excitedly heading home, but as he arrived at the entrance to his residential area, he suddenly stopped.
He saw a mess at the side of the road: a small breakfast cart overturned with baozi and soy milk scattered all over. There were even droplets of blood on the ground.
He recognized the cart all too well – it was his father Lin Liye's breakfast cart. This inconspicuous cart had supported Lin Zhen's education for many years, and it was the foundation of their family's livelihood.
This scene didn't happen in his previous life!
Lin Zhen felt a surge of fear in his heart, and after glancing left and right, he spotted his neighbor Aunt Wang among the onlookers. He quickly ran over to her: "Aunt Wang, what happened?"
Seeing it was Lin Zhen, Aunt Wang hurriedly told him: "Lin Zhen, thank goodness you're back! Your father was beaten by some thugs. He's in the hospital now, at the Jisheng Chinese Medicine Hospital just north of our community. You should go see him quickly!"
Without another word, Lin Zhen turned and ran towards the north.
Jisheng Hall was a low-grade hospital nearby and was mostly frequented by the poor. Lin Zhen sprinted at a 100-meter dash speed, covering each 100 meters in less than eight seconds. In less than three minutes, he arrived at the entrance of Jisheng Hall.
"Excuse me, there's a man named Lin Liye who was just admitted to the hospital. Where is he now?"
"Let me check for you."
The nurse at the door opened her book and looked it over: "Lin Liye, right? He has a fractured skull and two broken ribs. He's just been treated and is now in the surgical ward on the third floor. You should go look for him there."
Lin Zhen didn't even take the elevator; in a few steps, he ran up to the third floor and headed straight for the surgical ward.
Upon arriving at the ward area, Lin Zhen spotted his parents right away.
Li Qin was holding an IV drip and sitting in the corridor, looking for a spot to hang it up. Lin Liye was laying down in the corridor with a dirty blanket underneath him, his head wrapped in bandages stained with blood, and his eyes tightly shut.
Pain welled up in Lin Zhen's heart as he hurriedly ran over and took the IV drip from Li Qin's hands: "Mom! What happened?"
Before Li Qin could answer, Lin Liye opened his eyes upon hearing the sound.
"My son is back. Tell me, how did your graduation exam go?"
Since Lin Zhen had changed out of his Gale Martial Arts Hall uniform and back into his usual clothes, Lin Liye didn't know that Lin Zhen had already joined Gale.
Relieved that his father's condition didn't seem too severe, Lin Zhen forced a smile: "It went great, Dad. I've joined Gale Martial Arts Hall as a second-class student. They've signed a contract with me, giving us a monthly salary of 500,000 and a private villa to live in. They've even addressed your retirement issues, and someone will be coming to get your signatures in the next couple of days."
Hearing Lin Zhen's words, both Lin Liye and Li Qin's eyes lit up with waves of surprise, and they were both rendered speechless by the immense joy that hit their hearts.
"Well done... well done, my son. You really are... cough, cough, cough!"
Lin Liye's face flushed red, and due to his excitement, his rib injury acted up, causing him to cough violently.
"Old Lin, calm down. You're injured! What's the point in getting so worked up? This is good news, and we should be happy." Li Qin's eyes brimmed with tears of excitement as she comforted Lin Liye continuously.
Lin Zhen hurriedly patted his father's back, and it took a while for Lin Liye to calm down.
"Mom, Dad, what exactly happened? And why are you in this corridor instead of a hospital room?"
"Sigh, the nurse said there were no rooms available. We didn't even demand a private room; we just wanted a regular one. But the nurse said there were no beds available. I saw quite a few empty beds, but the nurse told us they have already been reserved. They're just bullying us because we're poor. Liu Le, the breakfast vendor who competes with your father, only had a minor burn to his hand. He came to the hospital later than your father and yet got a spacious private room."
Li Qin was just an ordinary housewife, and the unfair treatment had been weighing heavily on her. Now that her son was capable, she couldn't help but want to tell him about it.
"Liu Le? The one who's been competing with my dad?"
"Yes, that's him. He's been spreading rumors that the meat in your father's baozi isn't good, and he's even managed to force your dad off the street. He also mocked us when he saw us."
Lin Zhen frowned slightly and said to his mother: "Okay, I'll ask my dad about the situation in detail later, but for now, I'll find a room for him. Just wait here; it won't take long."
Lin Liye hurriedly said: "Son, don't cause any trouble. We can't afford to offend those doctors and nurses. If they charge us more for the medicine... "
Lin Zhen glanced back with a smile: "Dad, things are different now. If I can't even solve the problem of getting a hospital room, then your son, a Gale Martial Arts Hall student, shouldn't be sticking around."
Lin Liye was taken aback as he finally realized that his son, Lin Zhen, had grown up and become a superior person, a Martial Artist high above others.
As Lin Zhen was about to leave, a young man walked over.
"Oh! Isn't this Lin Zhen? So, did your graduation exams end? Which martial arts hall took you in? Why aren't you wearing your robe? Didn't you pass the test?"
Lin Zhen looked up and took a moment to recognize the person.
Liu Le, Liu Baiwan's son, was not a good person.
Lin Zhen had no time to deal with him. "Whether I pass or not has nothing to do with you. Get out of the way. I need to find a ward for my dad."
Liu Le sneered: "Well, you'd better hurry up. As your brother, I have to remind you that you can only find those large wards with over ten beds. The last single room was taken by my dad; you won't find one."
"I really want to try. If there's no single room today, my dad won't stay."
"Tsk! Does your family have that spare money? Even if you can squeeze it out, there are no single rooms left. Go ahead if you don't mind getting a face full of dust."
Ignoring Liu Le, Lin Zhen headed straight for the nurse's station and walked in.
"Who are you looking for? Need a change of dressing?" a nurse asked without looking up.
"I'm Lin Liye's family member. I need you to find a ward for him, a single room."
The young nurse looked up at Lin Zhen, her eyes filled with surprise and disdain.
Lin Zhen was about 1.78 meters tall, not exceptionally tall, but with an upright posture and a cold, handsome face. Due to practicing Mental Power, his eyes were clear and bright when his emotions fluctuated, even giving off a somewhat dazzling feeling.
Such a person, although dressed simply, exuded a strong masculine presence wherever he stood, making others unable to look directly at him.
However, Lin Zhen's attire was too ordinary; the nurse could tell at a glance that he was definitely from a nearby residential area, a civilian, one of the lowest people.
No matter how good-looking someone was, without money or power, they would still be looked down upon. The nurse sneered, "There are no single rooms left. There are no beds in the ordinary wards either. Can't you see how many people are getting injections in the corridor?"
"My father has sustained a head injury and broken ribs. How can such an environment be conducive to his recovery? He needs a private room." Anger already surged in Lin Zhen's heart. Even in his previous life, he had reached the Star Realm and had cultivated for countless years, making him feel superior to ordinary people like ants. If it weren't for his concern for his father, he would have exploded already.
To his surprise, the nurse sneered, "Distressed by the corridor environment? If you're unhappy with it, you can change the place. The Ice City Hospital in Jiangbei is good. Can you afford it?"
Facing the nurse's sarcasm, Lin Zhen took a deep breath: "I saw someone with the surname Liu entry after my dad and got a single room. So don't tell me there are no single rooms. Now I'm asking you, can you arrange a room for my dad?"
As he spoke, wisps of Spiritual Power leaked out uncontrollably, albeit slowly and in a low tone, giving an oppressive feeling.
The nurse instinctively felt intimidated. No matter how arrogant she was, she was still just an ordinary girl, incapable of withstanding the fury of Lin Zhen. Her voice lowered, "If it's an ordinary ward arrangement, the doctors can decide. But for a single room, it's up to the director."
"Take me to your director."
Lin Zhen controlled his emotions, not wanting to waste his breath on the nurse.
The nurse reluctantly stood up and took a slow step forward.
"Hurry up!" Lin Zhen shouted, and the nurse shuddered, quickening her pace.
When they arrived at the director's office, the nurse's courage seemed to return. After knocking twice on the door, she pushed it open.
"Director Wang, there's a patient's family member here who insists on finding a single room for his father. I told him there are no single rooms left, but he still came to the nurse station throwing a tantrum. I'm scared..."
As she spoke, the little nurse's eyes reddened, looking pitifully at Director Wang.
Director Wang was a plump middle-aged man who did not immediately comfort the little nurse but asked first, "Who is the patient?"
"It's not anyone remarkable, just the old man who sells baozi and soy milk in our neighborhood every morning. His son says Mr. Liu arrived later and got a single room. Why can't his father have one too?" The little nurse wiped her tears with disdain in her tone.
Upon hearing the nurse's words, Director Wang let out a sigh of relief. Seeing Lin Zhen enter the room, his face turned cold.