Super Soldier in the City

After regaining some movement, Zhang Tianxing troubled the hotel staff to buy him a cane and hobbled away. Later, he hired a car and returned to the city where the girl was. This past month, his life was filled with pain, not only physical pain but also heartache for the girl. He was worried about her, but his own condition kept him from leaving, and he feared that what he had done might affect her.

Back at the hospital, Zhang Tianxing painstakingly made his way to the ward, only to find it empty. Upon inquiry, he learned that the girl had not woken up after a month of treatment and had been declared in a vegetative state, with minimal chances of waking.

The girl’s parents refused to give up and transferred their daughter to another hospital for treatment. Zhang Tianxing temporarily couldn’t contact anyone, so he decided to try his luck at the girl’s home. He had often sent the girl home recently and knew where she lived.

When he arrived, he found the house empty. Questions to the neighbors yielded no news. Zhang Tianxing waited for two weeks before he saw the girl’s father return. The father, who was not originally that old, seemed to have aged ten years in an instant. Zhang Tianxing approached him, and the father recognized him, surprised to see him hobbling and relying on a cane. He invited him inside and asked: "How did you become like this? Your hand..."

"Uncle, I’m fine. I’m here to ask about your daughter. Is she... alright?" Zhang Tianxing asked.

"She’s okay, I guess. Have a seat. We’re planning to go to the capital. The hospitals here all say... she won’t wake up for now!"

Although she was not dead, she wouldn’t wake up, and for a moment, Zhang Tianxing didn’t know what to say, only feeling a pang of heartache. He nodded firmly and then said: "Uncle, she will definitely wake up!"

"It’s fate!" The girl’s father closed his eyes painfully, covering his face with his hands, and after several minutes, he lifted his head, looking at Zhang Tianxing, and said: "I know you; my daughter mentioned you. She said there’s a friend who just retired from the military and returned to work at her unit. A very nice person who takes good care of her."

Upon hearing that even the girl’s parents knew about him, Zhang Tianxing felt heartbroken instead of pleasantly surprised. The girl must have openly talked about him with her family, which might mean she had accepted him more in her heart and wanted her family to know.

"Uncle, to be honest, I’ve known your daughter for a while now, and I really... like her. It was her birthday that day, but she suddenly had some work. So I went to pick her up, but I hadn’t expected that just as we arrived at the restaurant, this happened..." At this point, the girl’s father sighed deeply and said: "I don’t believe she had a mental breakdown and jumped off the building!"

"She didn’t, and I don’t believe it either. So I investigated. Uncle, don’t worry about this matter with Auntie. I’ve already punished the culprit, but they’re too powerful. Just pretend you don’t know anything; follow what the police say!"

"What?" The girl’s father, upon hearing this, immediately widened his eyes, realizing Zhang Tianxing was not lying, and seeing he had lost a hand and a bad leg. The father understood and said somewhat panicked: "You sought revenge?"

"Yes!"

"You, child! Your hand and foot... how could you be so reckless!" The girl’s father said, somewhat heartbroken.

Zhang Tianxing withdrew his broken arm and gave a sad smile, saying: "It’s nothing; these are small matters. Uncle, I’ve been waiting around here for half a month because I want to do something, and you must agree to it regardless!"

"Say what you have to say... You foolish child!"

Zhang Tianxing took out a bank card, placed it in front of the girl’s father, and said: "Uncle, I don’t have any other skills. I have some savings from my years in the military. Please don’t refuse and hear me out."

"No way, we can’t use your money. You need to take it back. Her mother and I still have some money; we can’t use yours!" The girl’s father immediately refused.

Zhang Tianxing insisted, shaking his head, and said: "We don’t know how long the treatment will take. With more money on hand, you’ll feel more secure. I can’t help in any other way... So regardless, you must take the money and don’t be polite with me!"

"No, I can’t accept it. We will figure out a way for her treatment and won’t give up. You’re only friends and have no obligation. You’ve already avenged her, and we don’t even know how to thank you, especially with your condition..." The girl’s father resolutely shook his head.

Zhang Tianxing continued to insist: "Uncle, listen to me. Take the money; it really isn’t much. If she can wake up, it’s worth far more than anything else. Her rehabilitation will require more funding too. I checked, and treatment for her condition costs a lot. If she can’t wake up... it will be even costlier to care for her, so really, don’t be polite!"

The girl’s father still refused, and Zhang Tianxing, feeling a bit agitated, stood up, placed the card on the coffee table. The password was the girl’s birthday, and he was about to leave when the girl’s father hurriedly tried to give the card back.

"Uncle, I admit that I really like your daughter. So for her, I’m willing to do many things. Even if you don’t take this money, I’ll still wire it to your account later!" Zhang Tianxing said urgently.

"Foolish child, foolish child! How can I face your parents and family this way!" The girl’s father sighed deeply, tightly grasping Zhang Tianxing’s hand. He ultimately accepted the money but didn’t plan on using it.

Zhang Tianxing eventually visited the girl. It had been a month and a half since the incident. The girl lay on the hospital bed, connected to care devices, her complexion pale. Were it not for her heartbeat, one could easily assume she was already dead. Her mother was there too, seemingly aged many years.

After the parents left the room, only Zhang Tianxing and the girl remained. He held her hand, suddenly unsure what to say. In truth, Zhang Tianxing knew that without these events, a relationship between them might not have been possible. Their ages and education did not match, and he was a retired, injured soldier. After what happened, even if the girl were willing, he couldn’t let her marry a disabled person. It would be too mismatched for them to be seen together later.

Zhang Tianxing was very aware of this, despite the discomfort in his heart. He still spoke his thoughts to the girl, even though she couldn’t hear.

After saying these words, Zhang Tianxing left the city, taking only the ten thousand yuan left in his card and returning to his hometown.

"Brother, you’re righteous!" Zheng Mingrui praised with a thumbs up. It was known that Zhang Tianxing didn’t leave just ten or twenty thousand for the girl’s family but rather what remained from his years in the Flying Hawk Squad, along with the tens of thousands in compensation for his injury and retirement, leaving only ten thousand for himself. After returning home, he provided for his parents and left everything else for the girl. He even lost a hand for her and has a leg in its current state. How can one not admire such courage!

Li Yifei also nodded constantly, sincerely saying: "Bro, what you did was right. The only thing lacking was consideration for your parents. You should have left a few thousand for the elders back home!"

"At the time... I was thinking only about bringing her back to life. Sigh, after coming back, I was downcast for a few years, always thinking about her, but I also knew, in my current condition, even if the girl were willing, I couldn’t agree. We can’t deceive people, right?" Zhang Tianxing said.

Li Yifei patted his shoulder and said: "Deceiving people aside, I can’t magically grow you a new hand, but your foot can be healed; just the process is a bit painful."

"My foot can still be treated?" Zhang Tianxing asked excitedly upon hearing this.

"It can, but it will be painful!"

"As long as it can be fixed, pain is nothing! Boss, can you really treat it? You’re not tricking me?"

"When have I ever tricked you?" Li Yifei retorted.

"Never, not once."

"So, it can be treated!" Li Yifei said.

Zhang Tianxing was overwhelmed with excitement, never expecting he would have a chance for rehabilitation. His body trembled with excitement, and after a while, he calmed down, slightly embarrassed, and smiled: "Can’t blame me for being excited. My leg... has been pretty bad. I gave all my money to the girl; I don’t have anything left. Even if I wanted treatment, it might not be successful, and essentially, I’m broke. A man with no money is weak, so I just went home, picked some herbs, and treated it myself. It took over a year to heal!"

"I understand, it was hard on you!" Li Yifei nodded.

Zheng Mingrui scolded a bit and, slightly accusatory, said: "Not to be harsh, but didn’t you ever think to call us? Forget about me and the captain; there are other brothers. If you called, would we not help? We’re comrades who lived and died together; can’t we help each other out? Never mind others; you could’ve called me, and while I might not have tens of thousands, I would’ve certainly helped to heal your leg. Why endure hobbling all these years?"

"Mingrui, I was in a poor mood then. After returning home, life was bleak. Parents could understand, but others could not. Especially when I returned from retirement, people assumed I caused trouble in the city and was beaten like this, returning home to avoid debts!"

"Sigh!" Zheng Mingrui sighed heavily, saying: "Luckily, the boss can help you; otherwise, your whole life..."

"I don’t regret what I’ve done. These past few days, I’ve come to realize I shouldn’t live passively any longer. I have parents to care for, family to look after. As a man, I can’t let myself get soft. Moreover, damn it, weren’t my moves earlier still agile? So I can’t be a coward!"

"That’s right, how can anyone from the Flying Hawk Squad be a coward? Whoever has a problem, we’ll deal with them!" Zheng Mingrui declared loudly.

Zhang Tianxing chuckled and said: "What would a man worry about without a wife? I need to get myself together and not let down the Flying Hawk Squad’s name!"

"That’s the spirit!" Li Yifei said with satisfaction, fearing Zhang Tianxing wouldn’t come to his senses.