"Kid, you're finished. My boss will make you wish you were dead!"
The leader of the thugs gasped, trying to suppress the sharp pain in his wrist. He glared at Song Qiao, still defiant. "Seems you haven't learned your lesson."
Song Qiao sneered and kicked him squarely in the stomach. The man immediately curled into a ball on the floor, groaning in agony, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
"Kid, if you're so tough, let me make a call." Trembling, he pulled out his phone and dialed Sui Jiangchuan.
"What is it, Gangzi? Did that woman agree?" Sui Jiangchuan's voice, sharp and menacing, came through the receiver. "If not, give her another beating."
"Boss, there's a tough guy here. Calls himself Song Qiao. He's taken out all our brothers and wants you to come here yourself." Gangzi, afraid Song Qiao would change his mind, quickly reported the situation to Sui Jiangchuan.
"What?" Sui Jiangchuan roared, his voice echoing through the entire ward. "That son of a bitch! You wait there. I'm coming over right now. I want to see how many arms that kid has." Everyone in the room, except Song Qiao, shivered.
Suddenly, a faint groan came from the hospital bed. Xia Yuqing had woken up.
"Yuqing, you're awake?" her mother-in-law rushed to her side, her earlier distress forgotten. "Are you feeling unwell? I'll call the doctor."
"I'm fine, Mom. Where's Song Qiao?" Xia Yuqing's eyes were a little unfocused. After a long pause, she asked weakly.
Her mother-in-law's eyes widened in surprise. Weren't they divorced? Why was the first thing she asked for after waking up him? Even with Song Qiao's current capabilities, this was incredibly embarrassing.
"I'm here," Song Qiao sighed, walking up to Xia Yuqing.
"Husband? What happened to me? Why am I in the hospital?" Her words stunned Song Qiao. Despite all his efforts since his rebirth, Xia Yuqing had never called him husband. Now, after their divorce and a coma, she was calling him husband. What was going on with her? Had she been hit on the head? Song Qiao looked at his mother-in-law; disbelief was etched on both their faces.
"Yuqing, are you... are you okay? Does your head hurt anywhere? Tell Mom," her mother-in-law, panicked, shook Xia Yuqing.
"I'm fine, Mom. Why are you so anxious?" Xia Yuqing replied. "Oh, right, husband, remember to pick up Xixi this afternoon and ask for leave from the factory for me."
Hearing this, Song Qiao, with his past life's experience, immediately understood. Xia Yuqing had lost her memory. In her current memory, their marriage was happy, and Song Qiao hadn't fallen into gambling.
Her mother-in-law stared for a long time, then finally understood, embracing Xia Yuqing and sobbing uncontrollably. Song Qiao stood there, at a loss for what to do.
"Who the hell is so arrogant to cross me, Sui Jiangchuan?" a furious shout erupted from outside the ward. Seconds later, Sui Jiangchuan burst in, brandishing a steel pipe. "Which one of you is Song Qiao? I'm going to cripple you today!"
Seeing Sui Jiangchuan, Xia Yuqing's aunt looked at her family with pity. It was too late to regret. It was all the fault of Xia Yuqing's unreliable son-in-law, who, even after their divorce, was causing trouble.
"I am Song Qiao," Song Qiao took a deep breath, calming his shock.
"Get over here and kowtow to your death," Sui Jiangchuan roared, charging at Song Qiao with the pipe. "Otherwise, you'll be in the ICU today!"
"Courting death," Song Qiao snorted. He was already simmering with anger, and Sui Jiangchuan had walked right into his trap. He wouldn't be blamed for being ruthless.
"Big brother, be careful! This kid knows martial arts!" one of the thugs behind him shouted, prompting Sui Jiangchuan's men to swarm forward. But Song Qiao's blood was up. He attacked with lethal force. Within seconds, all of them, except Sui Jiangchuan, were down.
"Sui Jiangchuan, I gave you a chance, but you didn't take it." Song Qiao smiled faintly, then slapped him hard across the face. He snatched the steel pipe and brought it down on Sui Jiangchuan's shin. With a thud, Sui Jiangchuan collapsed to his knees, howling in pain.
"Kid, you're a tough fighter, huh? I'm warning you, I have connections at the police station. You'll be arrested." He still refused to yield, still shouting. Song Qiao's eyes narrowed. He had been about to stop, but now he delivered two more slaps.
"Call him now. Get him here in 15 minutes. If you're a minute late, I'll break another bone." His tone was calm, but to Sui Jiangchuan, it felt as if the temperature in the room had dropped several degrees.
"Fine, I'll call. What you're doing to me now, I'll repay a hundredfold later." Sui Jiangchuan snorted, taking out his phone and dialing his friend, Director Gao.
...
"Husband, who are they? Please, don't do anything rash," Xia Yuqing's voice was weak from the hospital bed. Hearing that word, "husband," made Song Qiao's head ache. They were divorced, and now Xia Yuqing had amnesia. How was he supposed to explain? If he told her the truth, it might shock her and cause further brain damage. The decisive Song Qiao found himself in a dilemma.
Less than fifteen minutes later, Director Gao arrived with several police officers, rushing to the scene. "Who dares to commit assault here? Seize the suspect!" Without asking any questions, he waved his hand, and his subordinates moved in with handcuffs towards Song Qiao.
"I told you to bow down early, but you didn't listen," Xia Yuqing's aunt sneered, feeling a sense of vindication as Song Qiao was about to be taken away. "Now look, you're going to the police station. How will you argue then?"
"Kid, just surrender. We can settle any accounts at the station," Sui Jiangchuan licked his lips, a cruel glint in his eyes. Song Qiao had broken his legs. Today, he would crush every bone in his body.
However, Song Qiao simply smiled. He calmly extended his hands, a mocking expression on his face. "I must say, Inspector Gao, you're quite skilled at taking sides. But let me remind you, once these handcuffs are on me, it won't be so easy to take them off."