Chapter 61: Hua Tuo Revived, Bian Que Reborn

Scar-faced Man watched in disbelief as the teenager, with barely five sentences, turned his most trusted subordinate against him. His fury was palpable.

“Shoot! Kill him!”

“Your first task: take a bullet for your new boss.”

El stood his ground, issuing the command without a hint of evasion.

“Understood.”

Li Rui had already made his decision; without hesitation, he stepped in front of El.

His recovery abilities were strong, though he struggled with regrowing limbs, which had earned him that humiliating nickname.

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

The narrow alley amplified the gunfire, but after seven or eight shots, Li Rui felt no new pain.

Gritting through the ache, he turned to see the eight thugs and his former boss sprawled awkwardly on the ground.

In an instant, the psychological shock of near-death eclipsed the intense pain from the gunfire.

If he hadn’t agreed just now, would he have…

Li Rui’s mismatched eyes trembled as he gazed at his expressionless new boss. The shallow loyalty born of temptation had transformed into genuine awe.

He dared not ask how it was done; in that moment, Li Rui recalled a mentor’s words:

“Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.”

Just pretend you didn’t see it.

He thought to himself.

“Take me to get the arm.”

The new boss’s command was as brief as ever, but Li Rui carried it out with precision.

Exiting the shabby alley, El led his only subordinate along the main road and into another alley, utterly indifferent to the screams rising from the narrow passage.

“What should I call you, boss?”

After ten minutes of walking, Li Rui, usually talkative, felt the oppressive silence and broke it with a question.

El paused, and Li Rui’s heart leapt into his throat.

“Just call me boss. For outsiders, the title is ‘The Fire Thief.’”

“The Fire Thief?”

Li Rui repeated the name, finding it far less imposing than his former boss’s “Scar Tiger.” It carried an odd, almost whimsical air.

But he didn’t dare voice his thoughts; after all, “Scar Tiger” was now “Dead Tiger.”

“And what about our, uh, gang?”

“Our group? Call it ‘Ashes.’”

This time, El didn’t stop walking. He tossed out the name casually and continued forward.

Soon, the two retrieved Li Rui’s arm, still soaking in the nutrient solution.

The arm was already somewhat swollen and pale, but its occasional twitches still revealed its living essence.

Carrying the One-Armed Blade, the two wound their way through several turns and arrived at a house tucked deep within an alley.

El switched on the light, and Li Rui saw a rather rudimentary operating room.

Most of the equipment had been looted, not even a single scalpel blade remained; only the heavy operating table stood in place, unmoved.

“Lie down.”

“Yes, boss.”

Li Rui obediently lay on the operating table, while El methodically tightened twelve straps to secure his body.

The ache and numbness made Li Rui uneasy, and he earnestly suggested, “Boss, don’t worry. I can handle pain; there’s no need to strap me in so tightly.”

“It’s necessary. It will hurt.”

Fine, Li Rui didn’t dare argue. He shifted the topic and continued, “Boss, how do you plan to treat this? My wounds heal quickly, and it’s hard to reconnect them with normal cutting.”

“Don’t worry about that.”

Am I not allowed to care as the patient?

Li Rui swallowed hard, sensing something was wrong, but the straps held him firmly, leaving no chance to escape.

Under Li Rui’s bewildered gaze, El wheeled out a device from the corner of the instrument room—

an angle grinder!

Premium grinding wheel, double-sided polishing!

Adjustable in three speeds—high, medium, and low, ensuring the wound won’t heal!

Those who’ve used it swear by it!

El wasn’t sure if anyone who used this had actually praised it; he only knew he had done extensive research in recent days to recruit this capable individual.

Fortunately, the secret operating room left by Dr. Li Xia and the second-hand factory angle grinder bought from the black market made today’s plan possible.

Li Rui’s mind raced, quickly piecing together his new boss’s surgical method.

“Boss, don’t!”

“Boss, I don’t want treatment anymore!”

“Boss, let me go!”

“Buzz~”

The power connected, and the angle grinder roared to life.

“Woo~~”

As the pitch rose, the grinder’s speed gradually increased.

The thin grinding wheel slowly approached the severed arm pressed against Li Rui.

“Ah!!! What the hell!!!”

Five minutes later, the fully restored Li Rui knelt on one knee amidst the pool of blood and scattered flesh before El, pledging his heartfelt loyalty to his new leader.

Beads of sweat from the intense pain dotted his forehead, but having endured the trial, the outcome was ultimately satisfying.

As he flexed his left arm, now regaining sensation, Li Rui felt transported back to that naive afternoon years ago when he allowed the superpower researcher to administer a severe treatment.

“Follow me.”

“Understood.”

—

Inside the Interrogation Room, two individuals clad in Public Security Team uniforms entered and took their positions on either side.

A man in his fifties followed them, his shoulder insignia quietly declaring his role as a senior public security officer of the inner city.

At the sight of the senior officer, a fleeting excitement flashed across Zhuang Mian’s face.

The man disregarded her expression, placing a statement on the small table before Zhuang Mian and inquiring, “Are you certain that everything you’ve said is true?”

“I am certain.”

Zhuang Mian’s gaze was resolute.

“If you still harbor doubts, I am prepared to undergo a hypnotic interrogation.”

Her tone was confident, though internally, she wasn’t as assured.

The truth was indeed the truth, but not the entire truth.

As for the hypnotic interrogation, it was unclear who would end up hypnotizing whom.

Nevertheless, it was evident that her teacher was indeed willing to intervene on her behalf.

Hearing this, the man nodded and addressed the others, “You two, step outside.”

Only the seasoned peace officer and Zhuang Mian remained in the Interrogation Room. The man settled into a chair with composure and stated, “We’ve pursued the leads you provided and have essentially confirmed Zhao Kai’s culpability.”

“And the mastermind behind it all?”

The man shook his head.

“Six individuals have taken their own lives in the inner city over the past couple of days; this matter has reached its conclusion.”

Zhuang Mian clenched her teeth, suppressing her fury as she demanded, “At least a hundred lives were lost in the outer city because of this; are we simply going to let it slide?”

The man did not answer her question. Instead, he opened his briefcase and retrieved two documents.

“Sign the first one, and you’ll be reinstated to your original position in the inner city; this matter will be closed.

“Sign the second one, and it signifies your voluntary resignation from the Public Security Team, with everything thereafter left to your discretion.”