Chapter 806 - 775: An Unfriendly Visitor
Che Shixiong finished roasting the ingredients and was already preparing for the upcoming battle. He treated everything with great seriousness and would not underestimate any opponent due to his strong abilities, especially since Xu Chunliang did not come with good intentions.
After eating and drinking his fill, Xu Chunliang stretched his arms: "Boss, check please!"
While wiping his hands, Che Shixiong said, "Consider this meal on me, as my payment for your medical expenses."
Xu Chunliang laughed and said, "You're too kind. We don't have that kind of friendship. Let's go; I'll settle both new and old scores with you. I'll still pay your medical expenses."
Che Shixiong locked the store door and led the way. The two of them, one in front of the other, headed towards the unfinished building in the back.
Walking into the construction site of the unfinished building felt like entering a wasteland world.
Che Shixiong stopped and turned to Xu Chunliang, saying, "Here's a word of advice: don't come to Han Shangyuan anymore. If you have business, find me. Don't involve other people."
Xu Chunliang said, "It sounds like you're quite righteous. I'm looking for Lu Taiyin. Tell me where he is, and I won't make things difficult for you." He sensed that Che Shixiong was nervous, likely because of Jin Xin Hui. Despite his burly appearance, he seemed to be a person of deep feelings.
Che Shixiong let out a cold snort: "Get past me first, then we'll talk." He threw a punch at Xu Chunliang.
Xu Chunliang moved his feet, easily dodging Che Shixiong's attack with the Spiritual Snake Eight Steps. Che Shixiong's punches were like a storm; he had been trained in boxing since childhood, later learning taekwondo and martial arts, and he once served as a bodyguard for conglomerates, holding the title of top bodyguard in Seoul.
It was precisely because of his formidable combat power that he earned the admiration of Huang Youlong.
Although Xu Chunliang stood at 180 cm, he still appeared somewhat small in front of Che Shixiong. In combat, height and weight are the two decisive factors for victory or defeat.
Che Shixiong's punches were fierce and swift, but he quickly realized that no matter how fast and powerful his punches were, Xu Chunliang could effortlessly evade them. His footwork was too good, comparable to the butterfly steps of a boxing champion.
Che Shixiong, after all, was a seasoned veteran and believed Xu Chunliang was afraid of his heavy punches, thus using agile footwork to adopt a defensive stance, aiming to drain his stamina as much as possible and then counterattack when Che Shixiong's strength was nearly depleted.
However, Che Shixiong was not reckless; he intentionally taunted Xu Chunliang: "Coward, if you've got guts, don't dodge."
Xu Chunliang laughed, "For the meal you treated me to, I'll let you make a few moves. Dodge you? Not necessary." Suddenly, he punched toward Che Shixiong.
Seeing him finally face the attack head-on, Che Shixiong rejoiced inwardly. His fists were known for being hard, and Xu Chunliang actually chose to go head-to-head with him; this punch would surely teach him a lesson.
The two fists collided with a dull thud, Xu Chunliang pretended to step back three steps, shook his right hand, and said, "Damn, your... your fists are just too hard..."
Che Shixiong, after landing a punch, felt like he had punched an iron hammer; it was so painful that it felt like his bones were about to crack. He clenched his teeth to suppress a cry of pain, thinking Xu Chunliang suffered even worse than he did, and with a grin, retorted, "Now you know it's too late."
Che Shixiong launched another punch, this time using his left hand instead of his right.
Xu Chunliang didn't feel any pain at all; he was merely pretending to lead him into a trap.
Xu Chunliang countered with his left fist, once again opting for a fist-to-fist collision. Che Shixiong felt that familiar pain again as if he wasn't hitting Xu Chunliang's fist but an iron hammer. It hurt! It hurt so much!
Che Shixiong retreated a step, intending to create some distance and catch his breath; the pain in his right hand hadn't subsided when the left started hurting too.
But how could Xu Chunliang let him have the chance? In an instant, he switched to offense, returning the attack with Che Shixiong's previous methods, his fists raining down on Che Shixiong like a storm.
This time, Che Shixiong understood, Xu Chunliang had been pretending. But when he realized it, it was already too late. Xu Chunliang switched to attack mode, forcing Che Shixiong to defend.
Xu Chunliang didn't aim for his face or his chest, but targeted Che Shixiong's large fists.
Che Shixiong had been pounding as though against an iron hammer; now it seemed like there were two iron hammers taking turns pounding his hands. Although he deflected Xu Chunliang's attacks, his hands trembled in pain, and he felt as though the bones in his fingers were shattering.
Luckily, Xu Chunliang didn't press the attack; he stopped and smiled at Che Shixiong. Although this guy had decent combat power, he was still far behind Xu Chunliang, who was deliberately playing with him, giving him a taste of suffering first.
Che Shixiong retreated several steps, fully realizing that Xu Chunliang's strength far exceeded his own. The man was playing cat and mouse with him. Understanding this fact left Che Shixiong feeling both ashamed and angry. It is said that a gentleman can be killed but not humiliated; Xu Chunliang could clearly defeat him but chose to mock him instead.
Suddenly, Che Shixiong turned and ran into the unfinished building. Xu Chunliang, unhurried, followed Che Shixiong inside.
Lacking lighting, the interior was pitch black. Xu Chunliang said, "Che Shixiong, stop insisting. I'm looking for Lu Taiyin."
A fierce wind swept through the darkness as Che Shixiong swung a steel pipe at Xu Chunliang's midsection.
Xu Chunliang sighed, grabbed the end of the pipe, and as Che Shixiong kicked toward his face, Xu Chunliang took a step forward. Before Che Shixiong could complete his attack, Xu Chunliang was upon him, driving his left shoulder into Che Shixiong's chest.
Che Shixiong was struck in the chest, his massive body unsteady, flying backward like a cloud, crashing into the partition wall and falling heavily to the ground.
Dragging the iron rod, Xu Chunliang advanced toward Che Shixiong, the metal scraping against the concrete floor, creating a trail of sparks.
Xu Chunliang said, "I warned you to eat more, so you'd be ready to take a beating, but you just wouldn't listen."
Che Shixiong painfully got up from the ground: "The fight's not over; don't be too arrogant."
Chunliang laughed and said, "I really admire you guys for being so shameless. Wear pants that fit your butt size. You have no strength, yet you're always showing off. Is everyone in your country like this?"
"I'll fight you to the death!" Shixiong, seething with anger, charged at Chunliang again. But before he could get close, Chunliang had already lifted the steel pipe to his throat. If Chunliang hadn't held back, he could have shattered his throat this time.
At this moment, Jin Xin Hui's voice came from outside: "Shixiong, are you there?"
Moonlight streamed in from outside, illuminating Shixiong's face, pale as paper. He always prided himself as an expert, but tonight Chunliang's move shattered all his confidence, leaving him utterly embarrassed.
Jin Xin Hui's voice was getting closer.
Shixiong swallowed hard and said, "Don't drag her into this."
Chunliang smiled and said, "You really care for her, huh."
Shixiong said, "Lu Taiyin has returned to Seoul." Worried that Chunliang might harm Jin Xin Hui, Shixiong conceded and answered Chunliang's earlier question.
"What about Huang Youlong?"
"They went back together."
Chunliang nodded and tossed the iron pipe to Shixiong.
By this time, Jin Xin Hui had already entered the unfinished building, knowing that Shixiong would come here to work out when he's free.
"Shixiong?"
"I'm here!" Shixiong replied, turning on his flashlight to meet her: "Xinhui, I've told you not to come here. There are many dangerous places on the construction site."
Jin Xin Hui said, "I called your phone, but you didn't answer, so I guessed you were here."
Jin Xin Hui appeared at the stairwell and saw Chunliang, surprised: "This gentleman is here too?"
Chunliang smiled and said, "Boss Che invited me over to visit his gym."
Shixiong quickly nodded: "Yes, yes."
Jin Xin Hui laughed and said, "What's there to see? It's just an unfinished building. No one's looking after it, so he comes here to work out sometimes." She turned to Shixiong and said, "Why did you bring a guest here?"
Shixiong said, "This... this..."
Chunliang said, "I brought it up myself."
Shixiong said, "Let's head back."
Jin Xin Hui nodded but suddenly started coughing. Her coughing was accompanied by wheezing. Shixiong hurriedly helped her sit down on the stairs, gently patting her shoulder and back.
The two of them sitting there blocked Chunliang's path. Seeing how affectionate they were, Chunliang didn't want to disturb them.
In fact, when Chunliang first saw Jin Xin Hui, he already noticed something was wrong with her health. Her complexion was greenish, her eyes weary and spiritless, her voice hoarse, lacking energy.
But Chunliang wasn't there to diagnose anyone, so he didn't pay much attention.
Jin Xin Hui had only coughed occasionally at the restaurant, but this time she couldn't stop. Her shoulders noticeably rose as she coughed and wheezed.
From her breathing sounds, Chunliang could tell her life force was waning, a sign of severe deficiency. A normal person's cough would have resonance, but Jin Xin Hui's cough was flat and straight. This kind of sound is commonly associated with lung diseases, known in Western medicine as pulmonary fibrosis.
Shixiong said, "I'll take you to the hospital right away."
Jin Xin Hui shook her head and said, "There's no need. I just need to take it slow. It might be a chill."
Chunliang noticed that it was already summer, yet Jin Xin Hui was still wearing a sweater. All the signs suggested she was critically ill.
Chunliang said, "Madam, you're seriously ill."
Shixiong glanced at Chunliang with some dissatisfaction, thinking, what's it to you?
Jin Xin Hui sighed and said, "I have pulmonary interstitial fibrosis. There's no cure for this disease."
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is very rare, with unknown etiology. Modern medicine considers it to have no effective treatment, the disease progression irreversible. Usually, from onset to death takes two to three years. Internationally, some doctors have tried treating it with lung transplant surgery, but the cost is exorbitant, and post-surgery survival often does not exceed three years.
This disease is typically diagnosed in its late stage and almost invariably leads to cor pulmonale, eventually resulting in death from systemic failure, heart failure, and respiratory failure.
Just one update today; my son is leaving home next week, so I need to spend more time with him. I hope everyone understands.