Chapter 191: Dr. Zhong’s Determination
Zhong Gaoyi remained silent.
A cold laugh came from the other end of the call.
“What’s this? Have you gone there so many times that you’ve developed feelings for the place?”
Zhong Gaoyi gritted his teeth and said, “I have. Please, give me a chance.”
Gu Mingchi’s coldness practically seeped through the communicator.
“Su Tao really has some skills! I’m genuinely curious. You’ve never dared to talk to me like this before. What kind of spell did she cast on you to make you so determined to leave?”
Zhong Gaoyi’s palms were sweating. “This is my own decision. It has nothing to do with anyone else.”
“You think you can fool me?”
Zhong Gaoyi forced himself to continue.
“Boss Gu, I’m just an ordinary man. And ordinary men crave the stability of Taoyang.”
Gu Mingchi sneered. “Taoyang’s stability? What you’re craving isn’t the safety of Taoyang—it’s someone in Taoyang, isn’t it?”
The last sentence was spoken through gritted teeth.
Zhong Gaoyi was dumbfounded. “Are you misunderstanding something?”
He did have feelings for Zhuang Wan.
But what did that have to do with Gu Mingchi?
The way he was talking, it sounded like Zhong had stolen his woman.
Gu Mingchi clenched his teeth. “You won’t admit it? You’ve been going there so often, seeing her so much—you expect me to believe you haven’t developed feelings?”
Zhong Gaoyi could hear the jealousy in his voice, and suddenly, everything clicked!
He didn’t have time to overthink—he immediately laid things bare.
“Yes, yes, every time I go to Taoyang, Boss Su is usually busy, so she has Manager Zhuang take care of me. She’s gentle and attentive, and over time, well…”
Gu Mingchi: “…Zhuang Wan?”
“Yes. She’s a single mother with a son and a daughter. Her daughter isn’t much younger than Boss Su. I only see her as a junior.”
He all but spelled it out—Su Tao was far younger than him. What kind of insanity would make him fall for her?
Gu Mingchi’s tone improved slightly but was still cold.
“Even so, I won’t agree. The brothers Old Zhan brought still don’t have a place to settle down. Soon, we’ll have to go out and seize territory. There will be casualties—you have to be there.”
“I also estimate that there will be a massive zombie wave this month. Even with the city walls, the West District might not hold. And the East District? We should prepare for it to be overrun.”
Zhong Gaoyi felt bitterness in his heart.
“Boss Gu, I have never forgotten the life-saving grace you granted me all those years ago. I’ve done everything in my power to repay you. I’ve treated almost 90% of the brothers in the East District.”
“To speak bluntly, I’ve pulled you back from the brink of death at least eight times, if not ten. Let’s not even talk about the distant past—just the other day, when that beast bit you, your entire right shoulder was gone. If not for me, even if you survived, you’d be crippled.”
Gu Mingchi’s voice was frigid.
“Don’t try to play the emotion card. I’ve allowed you to go to Taoyang anytime, with no restrictions. But if you want to leave me and defect to Taoyang? Forget it. You must return before the 25th of this month.”
“Don’t think hiding in Taoyang means I can’t do anything to you. Can you stay there forever? Can Zhuang Wan and her two kids stay there forever?”
Zhong Gaoyi’s heart pounded in terror. He opened his mouth to speak, but the call had already been cut off.
He gripped the communicator tightly, feeling—perhaps for the first time—the utter powerlessness of being trapped in someone else’s grasp.
He didn’t sleep all night.
The next morning, at the break of dawn, Su Tao heard her doorbell ring.
When she opened the door, she was surprised to see Zhong Gaoyi, dark circles under his eyes.
“What’s wrong, Dr. Zhong?”
Zhong Gaoyi took a small box from his pocket and handed it to her.
“Boss Su, keep this crystal core.”
“Why?” Su Tao asked, puzzled.
“I’ve decided to stay in Taoyang. But Gu Mingchi won’t let me go. He even threatened me—if I don’t return by the 25th, he might target Wanwan and the children. I may be an ability user, but all I know is how to heal—I don’t have the power to protect them.”
“Boss Su, Wanwan and the kids mean a lot to me. I hope you can keep them safe. This crystal core is just a small token of gratitude. If you aren’t afraid of Gu Mingchi’s retaliation and are willing to take me in, I will do everything I can for Taoyang.”
Su Tao was stunned for a moment. Then she chuckled and pushed the crystal core back to him.
“I thought it was something serious. Zhuang Wan and her family are already my people. If I don’t protect them, who will? As for you, having you stay is a huge benefit to Taoyang. Just stay put—I’ll make sure Zhuang Wan and the kids don’t leave the base for now. As long as they stay in Taoyang, no one can touch them.”
“If Gu Mingchi wants revenge, let him wait outside for nothing.”
Hearing this, Zhong Gaoyi finally felt at ease, and the dark cloud in his heart cleared away.
He firmly placed the crystal core back in Su Tao’s hands.
“You must know the value of a crystal core. I don’t have anything else worthy of offering. If you don’t take it, I won’t feel right.”
Su Tao had no choice but to accept it.
After Zhong Gaoyi left, relieved, Su Tao walked to the window and looked downstairs. Not long after, she saw Zhuang Wan rushing over and asking Zhong Gaoyi a few questions.
Zhong Gaoyi smiled as he answered.
Zhuang Wan was momentarily stunned, then suddenly, her eyes turned red, and she broke into a smile.
Su Tao shook her head with a smile. As she turned around to take a sip of water, she glanced back down and saw ChenvXi arriving as well.
Zhong Gaoyi picked up Chen Xi in his arms, twirling around joyfully. After setting him down, he hesitated for a moment before gently hugging Zhuang Wan.
The soft morning light cast a warm glow over the little family of three, stretching their shadows long, like an endless stream of quiet happiness.
Feeling happy for them, Su Tao scratched White Sesame’s chin and said,
“What a blissful family. Not that you’d understand. Your brother is missing, and all you care about is eating. Even Xuedao knows there’s one less little black rascal around. You really are a silly cat.”
White Sesame wriggled and rubbed against her affectionately.
Su Tao sighed, missing the lively and clever Black Sesame.
Two days ago, Shi Zijin had taken him in. He hadn’t been the least bit wary of strangers and, on his very first night, strutted around the Pioneer Army’s camp like a proud little general, inspecting the area. Seemingly satisfied, he ate his cat food and climbed onto a rooftop to sleep.
Hearing about it made Su Tao feel both comforted and restless with longing.
As she headed downstairs toward her office, she ran into Old Mei, who was supporting himself against the wall as he walked.
Instinctively, Su Tao reached out to help him, but he waved her off, politely declining. Then, like an old mischievous child, he grinned at her and said,
“Well? See? I can actually walk just fine without holding onto the wall.”
To prove his point, he took a couple more steps on his own.
Su Tao was so startled that she nearly rushed forward to support him, but Liu Panpan stopped her with a smile.
“Boss Su, don’t worry. Just watch.”
Old Mei proudly took several steps on his own. Though his strides were smaller and slower than an average person’s, he was steady.
Not only could he walk on flat ground without issue, but with a bit of support, he could even go up and down stairs.
Seeing Su Tao’s dumbfounded expression, Mr. Mei burst into laughter.
“Not bad, huh? With this level of progress, I should have no trouble taking a trip to Panliu Mountain with you, right?”
