Chapter 135: A Stand for Family

Director You took a harsh beating this time—it was pure bad luck.

Because Director Xie’s rank and status are high, Director Fang couldn’t directly criticize him. He could only express the administration office’s views indirectly, using a method of making an example out of one case to warn others.

After leaving the administration office, Zhou Can looked at Director Lou with deep gratitude.

“Director, thank you for standing up for someone as insignificant as me.”

He didn’t call him by his full title; instead, he used the more affectionate term “Director.”

It was also a way to show his true feelings—he was from the Emergency Department.

“So you know I’m from your department? What did Dr. Xu tell you before you left? If you ever suffer injustice out there, you can always come back to our Emergency Department as your home. Don’t you see it as your home? Or are you worried that our department is too weak to support you?”

Director Lou’s anger flared.

But his words moved Zhou Can, bringing a sting to his eyes.

“Our home may be weak—that’s the truth.”

Yet today, Director Lou showed him the true attitude of a family.

Even when facing a formidable opponent like Director Xie, Director Lou wasn’t afraid to ‘fight to the end’ by handing in his resignation letter and going head-to-head with him for Zhou Can’s sake.

What kind of unwavering resolve was that?

Director Lou could have easily chosen to play it safe; after all, as head of a major department, even with a modest income, he still lived better than most doctors.

But he stood up decisively to show Zhou Can that “no matter how weak our home is, we will do everything to protect you.”

“Study hard and work well in the Surgical Department. Though Director Xie now values profit above all and, under pressure, agrees not to hassle you anymore, expect him to use even sneakier tactics. If you ever face injustice, report it to me or Dr. Xu immediately.”

Director Lou was aware of Zhou Can’s close relationship with Dr. Xu.

“Time to get off work!”

Director Lou patted his shoulder and walked off without a word.

Zhou Can watched Director Lou leave before finally turning around.

It was genuine respect from the heart.

One had to admit that Director Lou’s actions today had deeply moved Zhou Can.

Some people use flowery language to express their sincerity; others prove it with actions.

Today, Zhou Can discovered that Director Lou was a man of quiet strength.

Zhou Can took out his phone to check his messages.

During the meeting inside, his phone had vibrated several times.

Someone must have been texting him repeatedly.

“Dear, it seems there’s a guy in a baseball cap who’s been tailing me!”

“In about seven or eight minutes, I’ll be at your hospital entrance.”

“That guy is driving a black VW, and he’s following the taxi I’m in. I’m a little scared.”

“Are you off work? Can you meet me at the hospital’s main entrance?”

In total, Su Qianqian had sent four messages.

The earliest one had been sent half an hour ago.

She must have just left work and hailed a cab to meet Zhou Can for a secret rendezvous.

Su Qianqian had considerable street smarts.

She wouldn’t have texted so urgently for help if she didn’t feel threatened.

She was never one to be fragile.

There had been several occasions when she was stalked or even extorted by thugs, but she only mentioned it to Zhou Can afterward.

That was also why Zhou Can was so anxious to get her a female bodyguard.

“Send me your location—I’m on my way.”

Anger surged up in Zhou Can.

Some lowlifes are always scheming mischief all day long.

Su Qianqian had now become a rising star on major entertainment platforms. Last month, she launched her own Douyin account, hosted six live streams, surpassed two million followers, and maintained around 180,000 peak live viewers.

According to her, she gains about three to four hundred thousand new followers daily on Douyin.

Especially during live streams, her follower count skyrockets.

Zhou Can wasn’t too familiar with these numbers, so he had little idea of the scale.

He was just happy that his girlfriend’s career was flourishing and that she was growing more confident.

Soon, Su Qianqian sent her location.

It was very close to the hospital now.

Zhou Can was already sprinting toward the main entrance of the hospital.

“Just enable location sharing!”

Zhou Can immediately requested to share locations with her.

And soon, they were both on their way to meet.

Before long, a taxi pulled steadily up to the hospital entrance.

Su Qianqian opened the car door and stepped out.

Her casual Korean-style outfit and sunglasses were her signature look when meeting Zhou Can in secret.

Being a celebrity was no walk in the park.

Constantly on alert for paparazzi and unpredictable dangers was part of the job.

Many people think celebrities are flush with cash, like walking ATMs, making them targets for all kinds of crooks.

“Can!”

Su Qianqian waved excitedly at Zhou Can as he ran over.

She was busy paying the fare and asking for a receipt.

A black VW suddenly sped up, slammed on its brakes, and stopped right behind the taxi.

Zhou Can narrowed his eyes and fixed his gaze on the car.

A VW Phideon, priced at around 400,000 yuan.

That meant the driver wasn’t exactly poor.

Three men were in the car; both the driver and the front passenger were young, under thirty.

No wonder Su Qianqian felt scared.

These three tough guys could easily force a delicate woman like her into the car.

The young man in the front passenger seat quickly got out and opened the rear door.

He courteously invited the man in the back to exit.

Out of the back seat emerged a man with greased hair slicked into a comically styled look, wearing dark sunglasses, a black suit, and shiny polished shoes.

His attire didn’t scream boss—it was more like a bodyguard or a neighborhood tough guy.

And it was somewhat laughable.

Driving a car valued at around 400,000 yuan and serving as both driver and assistant, he looked more like someone trying to act rich but failing due to his lackluster assets.

“Miss Su, do you often come to Tuyu Hospital just to see this doctor?”

The sunglasses-wearing man approached directly, his eyes fixed on Su Qianqian.

“What do you want?”

Zhou Can completely ignored the muscular man, his focus unshaken.

A true expert is never just about bulging muscles.

Still, built muscles can significantly enhance one’s ability to take a hit.

For an ordinary person, a kick to the waist could break ribs, but a well-trained muscleman could take a hit without serious harm even without using his arms for protection.

Su Qianqian half-hid behind Zhou Can—an instinctive reaction to danger.

In her eyes, Zhou Can was like a guardian angel.

He gave her the strongest sense of security.

“Heh, it’s nothing major. We’re just concerned that Miss Su’s star is on the rise online. If word gets out that a big-name lady has a boyfriend… now that would be big news!”

The middle-aged man wiped his shiny, oily hair with his hand.

“Anything else?”

Zhou Can immediately understood—they were extortionists out to make easy money.

When dealing with such people, he never wasted words.

And he would never show weakness.

Otherwise, these men would keep hitting you like a bloodsucking fly until you are completely drained.

When facing any criminal act, if conditions allow, never compromise.

If you let someone push you around once, they’ll do it again and again.

It’s like in school: an honest kid pays up to a bully once and then gets extorted repeatedly. Or a girl endures being picked on, too ashamed or scared to report it, and ends up being abused over and over until she becomes nothing more than a plaything.

“Hey kid, watch how you speak to my boss!”

The guy who had opened the car door shouted at Zhou Can, pointing his finger angrily.

“Beat it!”

Zhou Can wasted not a single extra word.

“Who are you calling names? You want us to rough you up?”

The sniveling punk’s threatening expression looked like that of a vicious dog.

He almost poked Zhou Can’s nose with his finger.

Fortunately, he didn’t, or else Zhou Can would have taught him a lesson in humility in an instant.

“Qiangzi, don’t scare them. Miss Su is a big star and quite timid. Her current boyfriend is a softie—a real pushover from society.”

After pulling Qiangzi back, the middle-aged man glanced at Su Qianqian behind Zhou Can.

“Miss Su, our demands aren’t much. Seeing as a big star like you doesn’t even have a bodyguard, we’d love a taste of working under you. Wherever you go from now on, we’ll cover for you, making sure you stay safe. Any thugs or street ruffians with ill intentions, we’ll handle them.”

That was the plan the middle-aged man had in mind.

Zhou Can’s parents ran a processing factory, and they’d encountered such people before.

A group of local idlers once offered to work as security for the factory, but Zhou Can’s father had refused them.

Those men then resorted to all sorts of underhanded tactics to cause trouble.

Zhou Can’s father was well-respected locally.

He even had dinner with a local bigwig and the head of the county police. Naturally, those idlers were also ‘invited’ to dine with them.

The goal was simple: to make these idlers understand their place.

During the meal, both the local boss and the police chief made it clear that if anyone caused more trouble, they’d be dealt with.

Ever since, no local idlers dared to cause a scene at Zhou Can’s family factory, which has remained stable to this day.

Zhou Can wasn’t interested in digging into the history of these three men.

In the provincial capital, he was just a minor doctor with limited power.

He didn’t have the strength to pull off his father’s tactics.

For now, he had to take it step by step—politely refuse them and deal with things later.

After all, it was a law-abiding society; as long as he handled things carefully, he was confident these guys would eventually abandon their schemes.

“We don’t need any security. Goodbye!”

Wrapping his arm around Su Qianqian, Zhou Can turned and left.

“Wait!”

The middle-aged man’s hand landed heavily on Zhou Can’s shoulder.

Just when Zhou Can thought he wouldn’t get a chance to act, this man took the initiative to attack, giving him the perfect moment to assert himself.

He gently pushed Su Qianqian forward, and Zhou Can swiftly spun around to grab the man’s arm, yanking it hard.

Crack!

A dull sound of a dislocated shoulder joint echoed.

“Ugh… ow!”

The middle-aged man, clutching his right arm in panic, quickly backed off and put some distance between himself and Zhou Can.

“Kun, what’s wrong with you?”

Qiangzi hadn’t even seen exactly how Zhou Can struck.

In just one glance, his boss had turned into a cripple.

“This kid knows kung fu!”

The middle-aged man’s face turned pale with pain as he stared at Zhou Can in terror.

In the past, Zhou Can’s punches always landed with brute force. Recently, after studying Bone Setting in the Manual Reduction Room, he’d achieved a modest level of expertise.

He had a deep understanding of the human arm joint.

Coupled with his martial arts background, his strikes were surprisingly effective.

In one move, he effortlessly disarmed the man’s arm.

Qiangzi recalled how he had just been mouthing off while pointing at Zhou Can’s nose and felt a chilling fear.

A barking dog seldom bites.

He hadn’t expected Zhou Can’s strength to be this terrifying.

At that moment, after dispatching Kun with a single move, Zhou Can’s gaze swept over the three, including the young driver who had just gotten out to help.

“One and done—stop thinking about easy money. Find a decent job instead, or you’ll end up behind bars sooner or later.”

After warning the trio of societal scum, Zhou Can left with Su Qianqian.

Only after they were a good distance away did Su Qianqian, clutching his arm tightly, say, “You were so handsome just now! Those three had been tailing me since I left work—they’d been staking me out for days. I was terribly scared. I never expected you to back them into a corner like that. Haha…”

The weight of fear that had burdened her for days lifted, filling her with joy.

Her reliance on Zhou Can grew even stronger.

“Heh, they’re just a few idle lowlifes—muscle alone means nothing,” Zhou Can remarked nonchalantly after dispatching his foe.

He had faced plenty of opponents in his free-fighting days.

Most of them, however, were on the straight and narrow.

They all had proper jobs.

The prize money and winnings from a fight were enough to keep them comfortable for years.

“By the way, you used an interesting term just now!”

“Which term?”

She looked up at Zhou Can with curiosity.

“Using ‘husband’ like that was perfect!” Zhou Can laughed. “In ancient times, even if you were betrothed, you’d only be called a fiancé. Only after marriage could you be called husband or, in some cases, ‘xianggong.’ So tell me, are you thinking of marriage?”

Zhou Can and Su Qianqian had been dating for a while now.

Their bond was deepening every day.

They could even get married, if it came to that.

But first, they’d have to break the news to both sets of parents.

So far, Zhou Can hadn’t told his family.

“Hmph! Not a chance!”

Her delicate nose crinkled, betraying her true feelings.

“Honey, I’ve got great news—I just got paid, and I finally cleared all my debts!”

It turned out Zhou Can hadn’t been wrong; she was indeed thinking about marriage.

Upon hearing that her debts were finally paid off, Zhou Can was a bit taken aback.

“Thirty-something thousand in debt cleared in just a few months? Less than three months and it’s all gone?”

That meant she earned over a hundred thousand a month, right?

Zhou Can’s current salary, plus various allowances, was barely over three thousand.

The income gap was enormous.

“This month I made nearly two hundred thousand. Expect even more next month. So, isn’t your wife amazing?” she exclaimed, now calling him her husband in excitement.

Zhou Can laughed; it seemed that after paying off her debts, this little lady was truly eager to get married.

“Tsk tsk, two hundred thousand a month? Even a poorly performing chief physician in our hospital earns only about 150,000 a year. You really are outstanding!”

Hearing of her impressive income, he was genuinely delighted.

“Qianqian, are you thinking about getting married?”

Zhou Can asked her seriously.

“Yes! Now that my debts are finally cleared and I have no more pressure, I really want a proper home. Then I can give you my whole self. I’ve heard that if men are cooped up too long, they tend to stray.”

She admitted it candidly.

In truth, Zhou Can could see right through her thoughts.

His high intelligence and keen insight left nothing hidden.

“I earn barely three thousand a month, and you pull in two hundred thousand or more. Don’t you think marrying me is a bit one-sided?”

Zhou Can teased with a smile.

“Even if you earn only three thousand a month or are drowning in debt, I’d still love to be with you till old age. In my darkest times, you rescued me from despair. In this lifetime, I recognize only you as my man.”

She gazed at him tenderly, moved by his words.

“Thank you for loving me so deeply!”

Zhou Can embraced her as they shared a passionate kiss.

After a long moment, they pulled apart, her radiant face flushed with shyness.

“Can, although I’m itching to marry you right away, I’m worried my condition might drag you down. Let’s wait until my kidney disease is cured, okay?”

She had clearly thought this through in depth.

Love is captivating because it is selfless and grand.

Even parents struggle to live up to that ideal.

There’s no exaggeration in saying that a spouse is the closest person in this world.

She longed to marry Zhou Can and have a real home, but she feared she might hold him back.

“I don’t care. Isn’t there a wedding vow saying that in sickness and in health, no matter how poor or ill, we’ll stand by each other for life? I love you for who you are,” Zhou Can said, reassuringly. “I’ll do everything in my power to cure your kidney disease.”

At present, her kidney disease was only in a compensatory phase with no significant loss of function.

If medication could cure it, that would be ideal.

But if it were to worsen, a kidney transplant might become necessary.

With current medical technology, a transplant isn’t difficult as long as there’s a suitable donor and enough funds.

So there was no need for her worries.