99: Beat him up, beat him up until he starts smoking!

Chen Yingcai looked at the dozens of imposing men outside the room, and a chill ran up his spine, instantly making him freeze.

His heart seemed to be clutched by an invisible, icy hand, making him panic, each beat threatening to burst through his chest.

His Adam's apple bobbed violently up and down as he swallowed with difficulty, his back already drenched in cold sweat, his clothes clinging tightly to his body.

Yet, he still feigned composure, his eyes, like a rat in a gutter, quickly scanning the men's hands, finding them empty.

A bad feeling immediately rose in Chen Yingcai's heart.

After a moment of hesitation, he forced a smile uglier than a cry and stammered, "Uh... what is... what does this mean? Where's the money?"

At this moment, a suffocating silence permeated the hospital room.

The smell of disinfectant mixed with the sour stench emanating from Chen Yingcai, making it even more pungent.

The sunlight outside the window was obscured by clouds, allowing only a few faint, yellow rays to filter in, sparsely scattered on the floor, outlining everyone's distorted shadows.

Lu Chen smiled faintly, a smile of extreme coldness, his thin lips parting to utter words like shards of ice:

"Beat him. Beat him until he smokes."

As soon as his voice fell, the men immediately swarmed forward like hungry tigers pouncing on their prey.

The leading man was burly and robust, standing at a height of nearly 1.9 meters, like a black tower.

His muscles were taut, veins bulging on his arms like winding snakes, every muscle containing immense explosive power.

He raised his fist, as big as a sandbag, high into the air, bringing with it a whooshing sound, and slammed it fiercely towards Chen Yingcai's face; that fist carried immense force, as if it could shatter the very air.

The other men were not to be outdone; some kicked fiercely at Chen Yingcai's abdomen, the tips of their shoes carrying sharp force, making Chen Yingcai let out a pathetic cry of "Ow!".

Others punched him directly in the back, the dull thudding echoing in the hospital room.

Chen Yingcai was terrified, his eyes wide, his eyeballs seemingly about to pop out, whites bloodshot, his facial muscles twisted and contorted from extreme pain.

His hands flailed wildly in the air, attempting to block the rain-like barrage of attacks, and he screamed hoarsely, "No! You can't do this! You can't hit me!"

But his cries were so powerless in the midst of this chaos, instantly drowned out.

In the blink of an eye, Chen Yingcai was beaten until he was rolling on the floor.

His hair was disheveled, strands hanging over his face, obscuring his terrified eyes.

His face was bruised and swollen, red areas raised high, blood oozed from the corner of his mouth, dripping down his chin, blooming into bloodstains on the floor.

He curled into a ball on the ground, hands clutching his head, his body trembling incessantly, emitting painful groans, just like a beaten stray dog.

Lu Chen watched this scene with indifference, his stern face showing no ripple of emotion, his deep eyes like a dark pool, calmly observing the chaos before him.

And at this moment, Chen Mengyao was also watching this scene, a bright glimmer shining in her eyes.

That light was like a brilliant star in the night sky, and the heart that had long been suppressed in her chest now felt as if it were illuminated by the warm spring sun, utterly refreshed.

Looking at the man who had caused her such misery now in such a wretched state, Chen Mengyao tightly clutched the corner of her clothes, her lips curving slightly into a relieved smile, feeling that the resentment accumulated over many years had finally been vented.

She then looked at Lu Chen, who stood up for her; sunlight streamed through the window, falling on him, outlining his tall and resolute silhouette, bathing him in a golden glow.

At this moment, Lu Chen's figure grew even taller in Chen Mengyao's eyes.

She felt an extraordinary sense of security standing beside Lu Chen, as if all the storms in the world could be easily blocked by him, and the ground beneath her feet became solid.

And at this time, Chen Xuening also saw Chen Mengyao; she was curled up in Li Yunxia's arms, her small body trembling slightly, like a fallen leaf in the autumn wind.

She slightly raised her head, her eyes still holding lingering fear, and timidly whispered, "Sister..."

Her voice was weak and small, yet it carried a hint of warm worry and fear, like a tender bud blooming in spring, evoking pity.

Her small hand tightly clutched Li Yunxia's clothes, looking very frightened.

Chen Mengyao quickly looked at Chen Xuening, hurried over, and crouched down, her movements gentle yet urgent.

She gently stroked Chen Xuening's head, her fingers running through her soft hair, and comforted her tenderly, "It's okay, it's okay, big sister is here, don't be afraid."

Her voice was as soft as a gentle breeze, carrying endless doting, and her eyes were full of concern and affection.

Li Yunxia watched this scene, her eyes incredibly complex, her lips trembling, tears welling up in her eyes, finally overflowing and rolling down her cheeks, dripping onto Chen Xuening's shoulder.

She looked at Chen Mengyao, and the taut string in her heart seemed to snap with a 'pop', she could no longer hold back and began to sob, crying heartbrokenly.

Li Yunxia's shoulders trembled, and she covered her face with her hands; years of pent-up grievances, hardships, and deep guilt towards her daughter all poured out with her cries.

Chen Mengyao's heart trembled, and her eyes instantly welled up.

She quickly opened her arms, one arm embracing her sister, the other holding her mother, tightly, as if to merge them into her own body.

She kept murmuring, "It's okay, it's okay..."

For a moment, the man's screams and the woman's cries intertwined, playing a symphony of mixed emotions.

This scene was like an absurd painting, vividly displaying the ugliness and kindness of human nature, suffering and redemption.

Lu Chen's expression remained indifferent, but a hint of emotion flickered in his emotionless eyes.

In this small hospital room, love and hate, sorrow and joy collided, making for a very interesting scene.

In fact, according to the original plot, Chen Yingcai would not have been dealt with so early.

Because at this time, the assassin Dragon King named Lin Feng had not yet appeared; in the original plot, although Chen Mengyao's father kept asking Chen Mengyao for money after coming to Yanjing, he did not pressure her as much as he did now.

Because in the original plot, Chen Mengyao didn't have much money, so her gambling-addicted father would leave with only a few tens of yuan each time.

It wasn't until the assassin Dragon King named Lin Feng appeared that Chen Yingcai was dealt with.

But now it was different; Chen Mengyao's father, seeing Li Yunxia staying in such a good hospital, would certainly harbor malicious intentions, which led to these events.

This also happened to suit Lu Chen's intentions; he didn't even need to specifically arrange it, and a scene of a hero saving the beauty was successfully enacted.

Lu Chen looked at Chen Yingcai, who had been beaten to the point of being unable to resist, with only a breath left, his eyes utterly indifferent, still not intending to make the men stop.

Instead, he walked to the window, hands clasped behind his back, and calmly looked at the scenery outside the window.

Outside the window, the clouds gradually dispersed, and a few rays of sunlight struggled to penetrate the haze, scattering across the earth, as if foreshadowing that this suffering would finally usher in dawn.