Chapter 60: The Ugly Side of Human Nature

Suddenly, upon receiving the news, Captain Song urgently instructed Lin You, “Doctor Lin, we have an emergency. Lu Li has been injured, and they are on their way here.”

“Quickly prepare the necessary items for surgery with the head nurse.”

“The captain mentioned the injury is too close to the heart and fears we won’t make it to the hospital in time. I’m contacting Doctor Wang right now,” Lin You replied, her heart aching at the thought of Lu Li being hurt.

He was family, and if something were to happen to him, how could she face her uncle and aunt? Just a day before Lu Li and Qin Lang had been together for dinner, and Lu Li had playfully urged her to hurry up and have a nephew for him.

Meanwhile, Qin Lang was holding Lu Li’s hand tightly, feeling his weak pulse while continually calling out to him.

“Lu Li… You have to hold on. We’re almost at the base.”

“If something happens to you, I won’t know how to explain it to your parents.”

“Just hold on.”

Soon, they arrived at the base, and Captain Song quickly wheeled Lu Li into the operating room, where Lin You, Doctor Wang, the head nurse, and Xiao Nan had already prepared everything.

When Lin You saw Lu Li, covered in blood, her face went pale, momentarily unsure of how to react. Doctor Wang quickly caught her to prevent her from collapsing.

“Doctor Lin, I assessed his condition earlier. The injury is not directly near the heart, and no major arteries have been pierced, otherwise, he wouldn’t have lasted this long without bleeding out.”

“Right now, it appears the main injury is to his abdomen, and we need to perform an exploratory laparotomy.”

“Stay strong. I need you as my assistant, I can’t do this alone.”

Lin You quickly composed herself and nodded, ready to help.

The head nurse had already hooked Lu Li up to the heart monitor, the anesthesiologist was in position, and Captain Song had disinfected the surgical site and laid out the surgical drapes.

Looking at the heart monitor, Lin You saw that his blood pressure and pulse were stable. Doctor Wang was right, Lu Li had not sustained any damage to major arteries or vital organs. She quickly donned the surgical gown and prepared for the operation.

As the minimally invasive instruments reached the fascia of the abdomen, they located the bullet, which was indeed dangerously close to the pericardium. Everyone let out a sigh of relief, as long as they were far from the heart and important organs, they could proceed.

Once they opened the abdominal cavity, they found only slight oozing around the wound, far less than they had feared.

Carefully, they used forceps to grasp the bullet and slowly removed it. The entire process went smoothly without any complications.

“Great! We finally got the bullet out!” Captain Song exclaimed, and the others shared in his relief with smiles.

At that moment, the head nurse raised a concern

“Normally, this type of injury shouldn’t keep him unconscious for so long.”

Lin You and Doctor Wang exchanged glances, both understanding what the other was thinking.

“He’s likely in shock,” Doctor Wang explained.

Captain Song quickly conducted a full body check but found nothing abnormal.

Doctor Wang continued, “He hasn’t sustained any other injuries, it must be the shock from what he saw. Once he wakes up, everything will be clear.”

The others felt a sense of relief wash over them, their fatigue transforming into contented smiles.

Captain Song was the first to leave the operating room, and Qin Lang rushed up to him. “How is Lu Li?”

“He’s stable for now, no major threats to his life.”

“Is he awake?” Qin Lang asked again.

“Not yet. Captain, let’s talk over here.”

“Alright.”

As Qin Lang pondered what could have happened to Lu Li before he lost consciousness, Doctor Wang soon wheeled Lu Li out. Qin Lang approached and saw that Lu Li looked okay, relieved that he was out of immediate danger.

Doctor Wang said to Qin Lang, “He briefly regained consciousness and called for his sister, but didn’t say anything else. There’s no injury to his brain, so we’re not sure why.”

Qin Lang responded, “Thanks for helping, Doctor Wang. He has a habit of calling Yoyo ‘sister.'”

“That’s a relief,” Doctor Wang replied, reassuringly.

He advised Qin Lang, “From what I see, he’s going to be fine. Don’t worry.”

He should wake up in a little while.

Qin Lang had yet to see Lin You and couldn’t help but ask, “Where’s Yoyo? Why isn’t she out yet?”

“She’s still inside. It’s been a long time since she performed such a major surgery, and she’s just a bit fatigued. She’ll be out soon.”

Qin Lang felt reassured and told Doctor Wang, “It’s already past mealtime. I’ve arranged for the kitchen to prepare fresh meals for us. Doctor Wang, please tidy up so we can eat.”

Doctor Wang nodded in acknowledgment.

As Lin You stepped out of the operating room, she spotted Qin Lang standing by the door. All her worries and fears converged in that moment, and all her strength crumbled at the sight of him.

She wanted to speak but found herself at a loss for words. She wanted to approach him but couldn’t move, merely standing there, tears streaming silently down her face.

Qin Lang rushed to her side, wrapping her in a tight embrace, gently patting her back to calm her emotions, softly reassuring her, “It’s alright, I’m back.”

“Lu Li will be fine.”

Lin You nodded against his chest.

They were just about to wash their hands and grab a bite to eat to replenish their energy when Xiao Bei shouted from the hallway, “Lu Li is awake!”

They all hurried to the hospital room.

Concerned, they asked Lu Li, “How are you feeling now?”

“Is there any discomfort?”

Lu Li weakly shook his head, looking at Lin You. She stepped forward to gently hold his hand and comfort him, “Lu Li, it’s alright now. It was your brother who saved you.”

Lu Li looked at Doctor Wang and nodded appreciatively before turning his gaze to Qin Lang.

It was clear he had something to say to Qin Lang, and seeing Lu Li’s heart monitor stable, everyone else stepped out of the room.

Qin Lang softly inquired, “What happened? Can you talk about it now?”

“Should we adjust your position?”

Lu Li shook his head and recounted the events in a fragmented manner.

During the second confrontation, Lu Li had unknowingly spotted a 7 or 8 year old child passing by, puzzled at how a child could be in such a place.

But the child disappeared in the blink of an eye, leading Lu Li to think he had imagined it, though he saw movement in the nearby bushes.

Seeing the other team members focused, he spotted the child again, worried he might be hit by stray bullets. Hearing the gunfire start to die down, he quietly followed.

Once he caught up, he saw two enemies had taken the child hostage, threatening Lu Li to strip off all his gear.

After complying, they used the child as leverage to escape and took Lu Li’s gun.

Left with no choice, Lu Li prepared to fight barehanded and managed to subdue both enemies with great effort.

But then he was shot by the child with Lu Li’s own gun.

Fortunately, the child wasn’t skilled in handling firearms, otherwise, the consequences could have been dire.

After listening to Lu Li, Qin Lang wanted to scold him for acting recklessly, but seeing his condition, he couldn’t bring himself to do so. Instead, he sighed helplessly and advised, “Don’t overthink things. We’ll talk more once you’ve recovered.”

He turned to leave.

Sometimes, the ugly side of human nature will take advantage of your kindness to fulfill its evil.

At the entrance of the health unit, he recounted the entire situation to the captain.

The captain sighed, “What a foolish mistake. What about the child?”

“We couldn’t find him.”

“I’ll contact the police department right away.”