187: Chapter 187 Lingering Fear

The white mist from the deployed airbag had yet to dissipate, and the massive aftershock of the collision was still buzzing in his bones.

Lin Ning's throat felt tight. He cleared his throat, his voice raspy: "I'm fine."

His body was tightly pinned by the airbag and seatbelt; every movement pulled at his dull pain. He struggled twice but couldn't break free, his brows furrowing slightly.

Professor Wu Boyu was pale and still shaken. Seeing Lin Ning's state, he became even more anxious: "Xiao Liu! Hurry! Save him first! He saved us!"

Xiao Liu was holding up his phone, reporting: "...The suspect is under control, requesting backup. Also, there is a Good Samaritan who needs to be checked for injuries."

Hearing the words "Good Samaritan," Lin Ning closed his eyes.

His heart was still pounding wildly, and cold sweat, felt only in hindsight, soaked his back. When he had slammed on the gas earlier, he hadn't had time to think about the consequences at all.

Seriously... when would he ever break the habit of his actions always moving faster than his brain?

Xiao Liu quickly pried open the deformed, jammed car door.

When Lin Ning was helped out, his legs went weak. He steadied himself against the hot car body, took two breaths, and barely managed to stand firm.

Professor Wu Boyu asked with concern: "Are you seriously injured? Sit down and wait for the ambulance first."

Just as Lin Ning was about to shake his head, he met Xiao Liu's gaze, which was as sharp as a knife.

There was no gratitude in those eyes, only scrutiny, suspicion, and wariness.

Lin Ning was speechless.

Very Ministry of State Security style!

Even just passing by would make someone suspicious of casing the place, let alone his inexplicable "suicidal" rescue. They probably thought he was in cahoots with the person pinned to the ground, staging a scene to get close to Professor Wu Boyu.

He couldn't be bothered to explain, turning his head to look at the perpetrator pinned to the ground.

Then his mouth twitched violently.

The man was being held down by Xiao Liu's colleague; his jaw and all four limb joints had been dislocated, and he was squirming like a maggot, tears and snot streaming down his face. He couldn't beg for mercy, nor could he struggle. Even so, Xiao Liu's colleague was still pressing against the man's back, keeping him pinned down, not taking any chances.

Too brutal!

Lin Ning muttered to himself, then looked at the maggot—no, the perpetrator's head—

Deep red [Li Heyuan, Unemployed]

Since this concerned a top-tier scientist, coupled with the clear malice from before, Lin Ning needed to see who the mastermind was.

He tapped lightly with his Psychic Power.

Fragmented images flashed by: falsified laboratory data, being exposed on the spot, expulsion; a "friend" in the shadows constantly fanning the flames and inciting resentment; stacks of cash and a bank card pushed in front of him; and finally, the madness in the parking lot, slamming the accelerator to the floor.

Lin Ning's pupils constricted, and a trace of cold light flashed in his eyes.

He made a mistake but didn't reflect on his own faults; instead, he harbored resentment. Just a few words of incitement and a sum of money were enough for Li Heyuan to attempt murder.

Dammit!

As a former PhD, he should have known better than anyone the importance of Professor Wu Boyu to the country's scientific progress, yet he was willing to be a blade, cutting off an arm of national defense industry.

Even more damnable!!

The other party had calculated everything precisely. Once caught, he would use personal conflict as a premise, leverage the public opinion of "academic despot persecution," and use the current trend of cautious application of the death penalty as a defense point. He would likely get a suspended death sentence, and that "money" would still allow him to enjoy life after getting out in his old age.

He thought he was being clever.

Lin Ning's gaze was like a knife, scraping up and down Li Heyuan's body several times, and he made a plan in his mind.

He needed to quickly get in touch with Chen Zhi.

Only then did he remember the phone he had tossed in the car.

Returning to the passenger seat, he dug out the phone from under a pile of glass shards. The screen was still lit, and the call hadn't been disconnected.

Lin Ning pressed the phone to his ear and tentatively whispered: "Brother Chen?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end, then Chen Zhi's voice practically roared: "How are you?! Did you crash? Where are you hurt? I'm on the road, I'll be there soon! Don't move around!"

The sound of sirens grew closer, and onlookers had already gathered around.

Lin Ning leaned against the hot car body and let out a breath: "I'm not hurt. Someone tried to hit a defense industry professor, and I stopped them. This person is problematic; the police shouldn't handle this. You need to take over."

There was another silence on the other end of the line.

"...Stay where you are. Don't move."

By the time Chen Zhi arrived, traffic police were investigating the scene, and local police were surrounding Lin Ning to take a statement.

Lin Ning kept repeating the same thing: "I saw a car trying to hit someone, so I drove my car to block it."

When they asked too much, he didn't get annoyed; he just smiled and played dumb.

The police couldn't do anything about him, and considering he was a savior, they could only record it helplessly.

When Chen Zhi arrived, he just glanced at Lin Ning without greeting him. He directly revealed his identity to the police and took over the scene.

Xiao Liu and his colleague stepped forward; although they weren't from the same bureau, they recognized the leader and saluted Chen Zhi.

Lin Ning didn't go over; he understood Chen Zhi's intentions.

After Professor Wu Boyu and his group were sent away, Chen Zhi strode over to Lin Ning.

"You..." He stopped after the first word.

The two cars in front of him were smashed beyond recognition; just looking at them was hair-raising.

Upon arriving at the scene, he had wanted to lose his temper, but he had held it in. Now, just as he was about to scold Lin Ning, he couldn't bring himself to do it. Thinking about who he had saved, the reprimand he was about to give was swallowed back down.

Chen Zhi suppressed his surging emotions, his voice deepening: "Are you feeling uncomfortable at all? Chest tightness? Pain in your internal organs?"

Seeing his demeanor, Lin Ning immediately smiled and shifted the focus: "I'm physically fine, but the psychological trauma is huge. My car was only two days old, and the insurance hasn't even taken effect yet."

He paused, glanced in the direction where Li Heyuan was being detained, and then added, as if haggling over trifles: "That guy is wearing a watch, a luxury watch, he definitely has money. Before you confiscate his assets later, make sure to set aside the money to compensate me for my car."

His subordinates had already reported the basic situation of Professor Wu Boyu and Li Heyuan to Chen Zhi. Hearing Lin Ning say that Li Heyuan had money and was wearing a luxury watch, he raised an eyebrow instantly.

Li Heyuan was a PhD expelled for academic fraud, unemployed, with an average family background; how could he possibly afford a luxury watch?

Lin Ning had already said "this guy isn't right," and now he was intentionally pointing out the money issue.

Chen Zhi understood instantly.

He looked deeply at the grinning Lin Ning and cursed under his breath: "You brat."

He couldn't even give a proper warning without beating around the bush.

Chen Zhi handed the case over to Captain Shen of the Second Investigation Team, confirmed that the scene was handed over clearly, and dragged Lin Ning into the car.

"I really don't need to go to the hospital. I know my own body," Lin Ning said helplessly.

He couldn't exactly say that he had already scanned himself inside and out three times with his Psychic Power, and other than some superficial injuries, he was perfectly fine.

Chen Zhi treated his words as nonsense, slammed on the gas, and headed straight for the hospital.

Lin Ning wanted to struggle, but meeting Chen Zhi's darkening gaze, he instantly raised his hands in surrender.

Fine, let's get checked.

It felt like in the last two or three months, he had been at odds with hospitals.

Various CT scans, ultrasounds, X-rays...

After a full set of check-ups, Chen Zhi held the report, his tense shoulders finally relaxing.