Chapter 34: Tremors
When Wei Langxing received the call about Yu Liao and Tang Yu’an appearing at the hospital, his mind went blank.
He was already on his way, but he was still too late?
How could this happen…?
“How is he?” he asked mechanically.
The person on the other end assumed he was asking about Yu Liao: “The fugitive is contained, but he hasn’t been apprehended yet. He should be fine…”
“I’m not asking about him!” Wei Langxing interrupted him urgently: “I’m asking about Tang Yu’an, the person Yu Liao brought to the hospital. How is he?!”
The person on the other end didn’t understand why he seemed more concerned about the other person than the dangerous fugitive, but he still answered truthfully: “Oh, him? He should be out of danger. The fugitive isn’t with him. He’s safe.”
As if finally finding solid ground, Wei Langxing returned to reality.
That was good, Tang Yu’an was safe…
But he wouldn’t be truly at ease until he saw him with his own eyes. He confirmed the location and set off immediately.
Xie Cun, sitting in the passenger seat, kept asking about Tang Yu’an’s condition, where he was injured, how serious it was.
Not being in life-threatening danger didn’t mean he was fine. He could only reply that he didn’t know the details.
Xie Cun suddenly realized that if Tang Yu’an was at the hospital, there should be a signal.
Even if he didn’t have his phone with him, he still tried calling, and to his surprise, the call connected immediately.
He had so much to say, but hearing Tang Yu’an’s voice, he became speechless.
Tang Yu’an, assuming the signal was bad, asked: “Hello? Xie Cun, can you hear me?”
“Yes!” Xie Cun replied immediately, his sudden relief making him revert to his usual playful manner.
“So, Tang Tang, did you miss me after your two-day trip?”
He had intended to express concern, but the words came out differently.
He instantly regretted it. Tang Yu’an might be injured, scared, and he was joking about the kidnapping.
Just as he was about to apologize, Tang Yu’an asked: “Xie Cun, is Wei Langxing with you?”
His tone was urgent, as if he wanted to teleport to Wei Langxing’s side.
Xie Cun: “…”
Was he really that undesirable, making Tang Yu’an treat him differently?
Fine, he admitted Wei Langxing was slightly better in action, but that was only because he was new and inexperienced, unlike Wei Langxing, a seasoned veteran.
In a few years, he would see who was better.
Although reluctant, he couldn’t refuse Tang Yu’an’s request at this moment.
Wei Langxing was driving, his hands occupied, so Xie Cun held the phone to his ear, saying curtly: “He wants to talk to you.”
He had never been a phone holder before.
Although Wei Langxing hadn’t spoken, he had been listening intently since Xie Cun started dialing.
Even if he couldn’t hear what Tang Yu’an was saying, knowing he could be contacted was enough.
The familiar voice came through the phone: “Wei Langxing, is that you?”
After a couple of seconds, Wei Langxing found his voice: “It’s me. I’m almost there, it’ll be alright soon.”
Tang Yu’an didn’t have time for pleasantries. He couldn’t see Yu Liao, the medical staff wouldn’t let him leave, and he was frantic.
“Listen, don’t attack Yu Liao when you see him. He’s not dangerous. He only kidnapped me because he’s mentally ill. He needs treatment, do you understand?”
Wei Langxing felt like he was listening to a fantasy. He didn’t know what Yu Liao had told Tang Yu’an, making him believe he was an innocent victim.
To dispel this misunderstanding, he told Tang Yu’an about the severed head they found in Yu Liao’s freezer.
“Yu Liao is a murderer, he’s a liar, don’t be fooled by him!”
Tang Yu’an’s heart sank.
Actually… he had already suspected Yu Liao had killed someone, although he hadn’t explicitly admitted it.
During his episodes, Yu Liao would mutter to himself.
He would say, I didn’t mean to, I don’t know what I was thinking.
He would say, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have carried that knife.
Then he would change his tune, saying, You deserved it, it’s your own fault, I even did society a favor.
He hadn’t known who this “you” was before, but now, knowing it was his abusive boss, everything made sense.
Even though he knew Yu Liao had killed someone, Tang Yu’an still tried to defend him: “Trust me, he didn’t mean to. The drugs from Yi Xin Pharmaceuticals made him lose touch with reality… And we still need to find the mastermind. If Yu Liao is gone, we’ll lose all our leads!”
Sensing Wei Langxing’s hesitation, he pressed on: “You know what happens to people who take those drugs. That businessman jumped from a building. Without help, Yu Liao will end up the same way. Do you really want to see that happen?”
Wei Langxing suddenly remembered what the officer had told him.
“Yu Liao is on the rooftop,” he said, frowning. “He seems to be surrounded.”
Tang Yu’an’s heart lurched, imagining Yu Liao jumping from the roof.
No, he couldn’t let that happen!
“I have to go, I need to find him.”
He hung up abruptly. Wei Langxing tried calling back, but there was no answer.
Xie Cun, who had been listening, exclaimed angrily: “Why did you tell him all that? Do you want to drag him into this again?”
“I…”
Wei Langxing had been too agitated, blurting things out without thinking.
He should have reassured Tang Yu’an that he would handle Yu Liao fairly, not make him worry and rush into danger with his injuries.
Damn it, he hadn’t even asked about his injuries.
But it wasn’t surprising. Tang Yu’an… never abandoned anyone, even someone who drugged him and kidnapped him. He could only see their pain.
Xie Cun snatched the phone from Wei Langxing’s hand and dialed, but there was no answer.
Although they knew Tang Yu’an might be busy looking for Yu Liao, they still worried something had happened.
Xie Cun said impatiently: “Can’t you drive any faster?”
Wei Langxing, already annoyed with himself, snapped: “This is as fast as it goes. You’re so rich, why don’t you call your private jet?”
“Do you think I have jets stationed everywhere? And there’s nowhere to land it here!”
Wei Langxing swerved, and Xie Cun, thrown against the window by the inertia, continued to grumble.
While they rushed to the hospital, Tang Yu’an had simply forgotten his phone when he snuck out.
He evaded the medical staff and was about to take the elevator when the hospital alarm blared, urging everyone to evacuate.
It seemed the officers had arrived. He had to hurry.
The elevators and the main stairwell were blocked, so he could only use the emergency stairs.
After climbing a few flights, he felt dizzy.
The doctor had told him to rest and avoid strenuous activity. He really wasn’t a good patient.
Fortunately, his head injury wasn’t serious enough to require surgery, so he was still wearing his own clothes, not attracting too much attention.
But he knew he had to rest properly when he returned. The doctor had also warned him against using his mental energy, or risk further complications.
He had scoffed inwardly, thinking, As if I haven’t had enough complications already.
He climbed the stairs, hoping his body would hold up.
The system had alerted him earlier that his health points had dropped to fifty after the injury, recovering slightly after treatment, but now they were decreasing again.
The system’s constant reminders about overexertion were annoying, so he muted it.
He gripped the railing, feeling cold, perhaps his body was running a fever again.
His legs felt weak. He knew he had to reach the rooftop quickly and prevent them from harming Yu Liao.
Then, he felt the building tremble.
He froze—
An earthquake?
No, it came from the roof!
A bomb?
Then Yu Liao…
Ignoring his darkening vision, he ran faster.
Near the top floor, he encountered the officers guarding the stairwell.
They stared at him in shock. With the alarm blaring, why was someone running towards danger, ignoring the evacuation order?
And climbing the stairs!
Seeing his frail appearance, an officer rushed forward to help him, shouting: “There’s a civilian here!”
They surrounded him, asking why he was here, if he had gotten lost during the evacuation.
Tang Yu’an: “…”
Use your brains, he thought. I just climbed twenty-something flights of stairs, do I look lost?
He identified himself as a Bureau officer, the hostage kidnapped by Yu Liao, saying he had received urgent instructions not to harm him.
Taking advantage of the situation, he used Pang Jin’s name, hoping he wouldn’t mind.
He had expected them to question him, but after verifying his identity, they fell silent, their expressions strange.
“What’s wrong?”
His heart sank.
They stepped aside, clearing a path. He hadn’t expected it to be this easy, but the strange atmosphere made him uneasy.
He reached the rooftop. In a corner, near the edge, was a small shed used for storage. Yu Liao was sitting on the ground beside it, his head lowered, motionless.
