"Doctor, is my brother-in-law's hand okay?"
Zhao Wukang looked at the two little ones crying their eyes out beside him, feeling so guilty he wanted to bury his head in the dirt.
How could he have been so cowardly, frozen in fear?
If his brother-in-law hadn't grabbed the madman's knife, he would have lost his life by now. The two little ones were crying uncontrollably, and he couldn't comfort them, making him feel even more remorseful.
Seeing the doctor emerge, Zhao Wukang immediately rushed forward.
"That was close, just by a hair!"
"Just a little closer and it would have severed all the tendons and muscles in his left hand. Fortunately, he mostly gripped the back of the blade. However, the bone of his left index finger was cut by the blade, almost completely severing it. It will likely take some time to heal."
After the doctor finished speaking, Zhao Wukang leaned against the wall and slapped himself twice.
Why hadn't he been braver just now? Now his brother-in-law's left index finger, he didn't even know if it could be saved.
"Young man, don't get agitated. The finger is saved."
"The tendons on the index finger aren't completely severed, so it's also a matter of luck. Had it gone any deeper, this finger might not have been saved."
"The other fingers and the palm only sustained superficial wounds. They look scary, but once the wounds heal, they won't significantly affect hand function. There will just be a scar."
The doctor quickly comforted Zhao Wukang. While Chen Yang and the others were at the hospital, the police station in Liuhe County had already dispatched a full team of officers, accompanying Gao Feng to the spot where they encountered the assailant.
Meanwhile, several police officers were escorting Chen Yang to the hospital for treatment.
After all, what Chen Yang and the others said was just their account. The police couldn't fully believe that Chen Yang and his companions had helped capture the culprits of a major case based on their word alone.
Of course, they were actively coordinating with the hospital to find the best surgeon in the county for Chen Yang's treatment as quickly as possible.
Regardless, the priority was to treat the injuries. They were more inclined to believe that the situation unfolded as Chen Yang and the others described: they encountered the assailant who intended to commit another crime on their way home.
However, the assailant had underestimated the combat capabilities of the three of them and was apprehended instead.
As soon as Chen Yang was out of the operating room, he saw the two little ones, who looked like tear-soaked figures. He reached out to hug them, but his hands were swathed in bandages.
This incident was a stroke of luck amidst misfortune. Fortunately, all ten fingers were saved.
"Daddy."
The little one's large eyes were swollen from crying. He buried his head in Chen Yang's chest, completely breaking Chen Yang's heart.
Chen Hao was the same. It was the first time Chen Yang had seen his son cry so heartbrokenly.
The two little ones were also terrified, fearing something might happen to him.
"Don't cry, don't cry. Dad is fine now. The doctor has bandaged the wounds."
"Dad is okay now, okay? Don't cry, don't cry."
Chen Yang also reflected deeply on himself. He had still been too careless and too overconfident.
He thought that with Zhao Wukang and Gao Feng accompanying him, three grown men walking together, and it not yet being dark, no one would dare to have ill intentions.
But who could have imagined they would encounter a madman?
This scoundrel completely disregarded the usual rules, acting like a lunatic.
If Chen Yang hadn't turned back to notice, they would have been picked off one by one by that madman.
After this incident, Chen Yang felt that he must have Lei Baoguo follow him at all times when he went out. He also needed to hire more bodyguards. When Lei Baoguo returned, he would have him contact some reliable retired comrades.
If he was busy, others could follow. In any case, he couldn't be left alone.
What good was earning a lot of money if he couldn't spend it because he was dead?
In his previous life, he had hired bodyguards, but that was only after he had become wealthy. In the beginning, he didn't have bodyguards constantly following him.
Chen Yang initially felt that bringing a group of bodyguards was too ostentatious. People might mistake him for a gangster rather than a businessman. Even if they believed he was a businessman, they would subconsciously assume he was engaged in illicit activities.
However, this era was far less safe than the future.
With the public's weak legal awareness and the fierce local customs, too many people risked everything for money. Not to mention encountering such a reckless madman.
"Officers, we'll go back to the ward first. If there's any progress, please let us know. Also, please arrange some dinner for us. The children are hungry."
"And please also notify my family. We don't want them to worry. I've already spoken with Captain Qin Dawei."
"Don't mention I'm injured. Just say that I couldn't return today due to cooperating with the investigation, and they should come to the county tomorrow."
Chen Yang said to the police officers guarding him. He couldn't return today. The injury to his left index finger was quite severe. Had the wound been any deeper, the finger might not have been saved.
It was better to stay in the hospital. If there were any complications, he could quickly get medical attention.
The most crucial thing was that once the anesthetic wore off, the wound would be excruciatingly painful.
With the nerves in his fingers, it was bound to hurt!
"Comrade Chen Yang, please rest assured. We will notify you as soon as there is any progress."
"Captain Qin Dawei will surely handle things properly. If the assailant is truly apprehended, we will all be grateful to you."
"Comrade Zhao Wukang, please accompany our Uncle Zhong to the hospital cafeteria to get some dinner."
The police officers assigned to care for Chen Yang actually believed him. No one would injure themselves to frame someone else. Zhao Wukang and Gao Feng were from the food factory, both respectable workers. They had no reason not to believe them.
Moreover, such a major case had occurred just a few days ago. If the person wasn't the culprit, why would they attack others without reason?
Not long after, Zhao Wukang and the elderly police officer named Zhong returned with large and small bowls of dishes.
"Eat up quickly. These two little ones must be starving."
Chen Yang looked at the two children whose eyes were swollen from crying, his heart aching. He guessed he had really frightened them this time.
"Yanyan, Haohao, come, this is the rice and dishes I got for you. There's braised pork in it. The chef at the cafeteria specially gave us extra because of the police officers."
"Brother-in-law, your hands are inconvenient. I'll feed you."
Zhao Wukang, without even touching his own food, picked up a bowl and prepared to feed Chen Yang.
Chen Yang had intended to eat by himself, but looking at his hands wrapped like mummies, he found it impossible to move. He had no choice but to play the role of a wealthy landlord and enjoy being fed.
To be honest, perhaps because he was hungry or for some other reason, the hospital cafeteria's food wasn't bad at all.
After Chen Yang finished eating, Zhao Wukang then picked up his bowl and ate a bowl of rice.
"Wukang, don't overthink it. If you hadn't accompanied me home, we wouldn't have encountered this. What are you blaming yourself for?"
"If I had been dragged away by that madman, I would have been scared stiff too. It's not your fault. Besides, my hand is fine now, it will heal with time."
Chen Yang could clearly see Zhao Wukang's self-blame. It couldn't be blamed on him. It was unpleasant for anyone to carry such a burden.