44 What happened to my little brother?

The boy was moved into the ER as soon as they arrived at the hospital. Li Caiyi noticed how his temperature went up throughout the trip and could not help but get anxious.

The doctor and several nurses quickly gathered around the boy to check on his condition. Li Caiyi did not want to bother and stepped out of the room and sat on the available bench. The officer who took them to the hospital wiped the sweat on his forehead before she spoke wearily.

"Now that we have safely escorted the boy to the hospital, he is in good hands now. Young lady, is this kid your family member?"

Li Caiyi shook her head. "No. I just happened to pass by when I saw those men were ganging upon him. However, I heard one of the men called that boy Shenqiang."

"Yes. We have checked on the kid's belongings, and we also have contacted his family member, so you can rest assured."

"Thank you, Mr. Officer," Li Caiyi thanked him sincerely. If it were not for the police's timely rescue, she would probably be in the same state as that boy, or worse. Just imagining those men's insidious gaze again made a chill run down her spine.

"You're welcome; we are just doing our job. By the way, can you spare some time after this? We want to ask you some questions, so we'd like it if you can cooperate and follow us to the station."

Li Caiyi glanced at the ER's door and bit her lips. She felt reluctant to leave the boy by himself. Regardless of whether he was her Shen Qiang or not, his current condition made her concerned. Furthermore, she still wanted to confirm whether he was the Shen Qiang she was looking for or not.

The officer understood her hesitation, so he spoke again, "It would not take long, so you can return here after you finished answering our question. Besides, judging from the kid's injury, it is less likely he will be able to get out of bed anytime soon. He probably would need to stay to recuperate."

Li Caiyi thought that the officer's words were reasonable, so she did not hesitate anymore and obediently followed him.

Half an hour after Li Caiyi left, a young man ran through the hospital's corridor frantically before he barged into the ER room with sweats rolled down his temple. His eyes darted around nervously.

He approached a nurse nearby and asked with a ragged and hurried voice, "My little brother... No, I mean, is there any patient named Dai Shenqiang here?"

The nurse scrutinized the files in her hand for a while before giving him an affirmative response. "Yes. This way, please."

Dai Zhiqiang was very tense and nervous as he followed after the nurse. He was just about to leave the school ground when he got a call from the police, informing him that his brother was assaulted and had been taken to the ER. It did not take a genius to guess what happened. Those loan sharks must be coming to bother his family again!

Dai Zhiqiang was extremely furious inside, but that fury was overwhelmed by a sense of trepidation. He would never forgive himself should anything happen to his brother. He had promised he would protect him at any cost.

The nurse parted one of the curtains used to separate one patient from the other, and Dai Zhiqiang's breath hitched when he saw his brother lying down with a swollen and bruised face. "Shenqiang!"

He rushed forward and frowned when he noticed her brother's weak breath, and his body was wrapped in bandages all over. A cast was placed on his neck and right arm while his complexion was as pale as the cold snow.

Dai Zhiqiang carefully brushed his brother's bangs and was shocked when he felt his high temperature. He gritted his teeth until his jaw was hurting as his eyes swirled with dark and dangerous glint. Those bastards, he would never forgive them for this!

The nurse stood by and watched how Dai Zhiqiang's body trembled ever so slightly. She had seen a lot of patients up to this day, and the reaction of the family members was diverse. However, this might be the first time she ever saw a thick murderous intent emanating from a high school boy; it even got her scared.

The air surrounding him seemed to have an invisible pressure in it as the nurse contemplated whether she should call out to the young man or not.

In the end, it was Dai Zhiqiang who broke the silence first in a low and chilly tone, "My brother… How is his condition?"

The nurse hurriedly read out the note on her file with an intimidated look on her face. "The patient suffered from numerous bruises all over his body and some superficial injuries, particularly on the face and abdomen area. His shoulder was dislocated, and he got two of his ribs broken, but fortunately, there was no damage to his internal organs. His right wrist was fractured, which might prevent him from using his hand for some time. The patient got a mild concussion and slight fever, but he should be fine after taking some medicine and a good rest."

Dai Zhiqiang's rigid expression loosened a bit when he heard the nurse's explanation. His lips were pressed in a hard line. "My brother loves to draw very much. Would the injury in his hand be fatal?"

The nurse inspected her file again before she answered, "The bone was fractured, but there was no damage to his muscle or ligaments, so he should be able to draw normally after the bone was healed."

Dai Zhiqiang heaved a sigh of relief, and the murderous aura surrounding him subsided. Sensing that the young man's mood had turned better, the nurse unknowingly became more relaxed too.

"I heard that your brother was unconscious when the police found him. His condition might be worse if not for their timely rescue. Your brother is lucky."

Had the nurse not said it, Dai Zhiqiang might have completely forgotten about it. "That's right. Do you know where the officer who called me here is? I want to thank him for helping my brother."

"From what I know, he had already gone back to the station with the girl who came with him."

"A girl?" Dai Zhiqiang's brows furrowed.

"Yeah. That girl was the one who notified the police when she accidentally saw your brother being assaulted. Your brother's injuries were not light by any means, but if it were not for that girl, he might be in a more critical condition than he is now," The nurse sighed helplessly. She really did not understand why people could do such a cruel thing to a kid.

Dai Zhiqiang's fist clenched even harder. "Do you know who and where I can find that girl?"

"We don't know about that. She had gone before we knew it, and she did not leave her name or contact information behind. The officer must have taken her home already."

Dai Zhiqiang nodded at the nurse's explanation and did not ask further. He thanked her for her help, and the nurse left after giving him brief instructions.