The entire courtyard is full of villains

"He's only in his twenties! Zhang Guowei, do you know he's only in his twenties?!" Zhang Erhe's voice was hoarse. "He just got married, and his wife is pregnant! If... if something happens to Lao Si, how will his family survive?! You've wasted your life, but his good days have just begun!"

Zhang Erhe grew increasingly angry as he spoke, and punched Zhang Guowei hard in the face. Zhang Guowei staggered and fell to the ground. A young policeman instinctively reached for his gun at his waist. Before the instructor could stop him, Zhang Erhe kicked the gun away, followed by a whip kick that sent the man flying from the doorway into the corridor.

He turned around and picked up Zhang Guowei from the ground like he was lifting a tattered sack.

"Hey Zhang! Stop playing dead! Answer me! Why didn't you go and do it yourself?! Huh?!"

Zhang Guowei simply covered his face with his hands and remained silent throughout.

Just then, the operating room lights went out. Zhang Erhe dropped Zhang Guowei and rushed over. The doctor came out, removed his mask, and scanned the crowd: "Have Ma Qianli's family members arrived?"

"Me!" Zhang Erhe replied.

"You are him..."

“I’m his brother!” Zhang Erhe interrupted.

The doctor sighed, "We've done everything we can. It's just that the patient's internal organs were damaged too severely by shrapnel... We can't do anything more. Right now, we can only keep him alive with medication. You... hurry up."

Zhang Erhe swayed, his voice trembling: "Is there really no other way?"

"Nothing."

"Zhang Guowei—fuck your mother!!"

Zhang Erhe suddenly turned around, let out a roar, and kicked Zhang Guowei, who had just been helped up, hard!

The kick was incredibly powerful; Zhang Guowei tumbled from the corridor all the way to the steps outside the main gate. Zhang Erhe, his eyes red, was about to pounce on him again when Chief Zhou of the security department could no longer contain himself and quickly ordered his men to surround him.

"Section Chief Zhang, calm down..."

Four or five people grabbed Zhang Erhe, but he, like an enraged lion, continued to struggle and charge forward.

"Zhang Guowei! Is this what you wanted?! You fucking used your comrades' blood to dye your own hat red!! Zhang Guowei! I'll fuck your mother—!!"

Only his piercing screams remained in the corridor. More and more people pulled him away, from four to six, and finally eight people were needed to barely hold him down.

"Second brother!"

A faint voice came from the operating room door, making Zhang Erhe freeze.

He turned his head.

"Let the fuck go!"

"Erhe..." Section Chief Zhou clung tightly to his arm, veins bulging on his face. "If you hit him again, he'll really die! He deserves to die, but you can't risk your life for him!"

P.S.: On the first day of 2026, I wish everyone great success in their careers and all things going smoothly!

Chapter 178 Going Home

At this moment, Section Chief Zhou was still holding onto Zhang Erhe tightly. "Hey, Zhou, let go!"

"Erhe, promise me you won't act impulsively again! If you keep fighting, someone will really die!" Section Chief Zhou said urgently, looking over there—Zhang Guowei had already fallen to the ground and started vomiting blood.

"Let me go... I need to see my brother." Zhang Erhe's voice suddenly went hoarse, as if half of his brute strength had been drained away.

"Section Chief Zhou, please let go of my second brother."

Section Chief Zhou then signaled to everyone to slowly let go.

Zhang Erhe broke free, but instead of going to Zhang Guowei, he walked straight to the operating room door.

"Fourth brother," he called out in a hoarse voice as he pushed open the door.

Ma Qianli's voice had never been so weak: "Second Brother...why...are you crying?"

"Bullshit!" Zhang Erhe wiped his face hard with his sleeve. "That's from the wind when I came here."

He walked to the bedside, choked up, and said, "Fourth brother, really... Come on, I'll take you back to your ward. Listen to the doctor, get some rest, and you'll be fine in a while."

Ma Qianli coughed lightly twice, his voice barely audible: "Second brother, don't lie to me... I know my own body."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Second Brother, I want to see Qiqige."

"Okay, I'll send someone to pick you up right now." Zhang Erhe turned his head away, tears streaming down his face.

Upon hearing this, Section Chief Zhou stepped forward and said, "Erhe, you stay here with me. I'll have someone from the section go and pick him up."

"...Thank you for your help, Lao Zhou."

Section Chief Zhou didn't say anything, but sighed and patted his shoulder heavily.

Zhang Erhe blew his nose hard, wiped away his tears, and turned around to help the nurse push Ma Qianli back to the ward.

After lying back in his hospital bed, Ma Qianli seemed to have recovered somewhat and became more talkative. But Zhang Erhe knew in his heart that this was probably just a final burst of energy before death.

"Second Brother, how many years have we known each other?"

“Who remembers?” Zhang Erhe said hoarsely, though he actually knew.

“I remember it all…” Ma Qianli said breathlessly, “Ever since 42… when I followed my father to Beijing to escape famine, we’ve known each other. Back then, you were the only one who didn’t look down on me because I was a little beggar… and you even gave me food. I was weak, and you always took care of me… Later, when my father passed away, it was you… who knelt down and begged Uncle Zhang and the others to let my father be buried.”

He rested for a while, gathering his strength: "Second brother, from that moment on... I made up my mind. In this life, anyone who wants to harm you... will have to step over my dead body first."

His voice gradually lowered: "But this time... I'm afraid my brother will have to break his promise."

"Bullshit! You'll definitely get better!" Zhang Erhe's eyes were red, but his heart was ice-cold. He searched in vain in his spatial storage—was there anything that could save him? Was there anything he could use? —Nothing, absolutely nothing.

The ward was completely silent.

"Bang!"

The door was pushed open, and Qiqige rushed in, her belly protruding.

"Xiao Ma!" Upon seeing Ma Qianli's ashen face on the bed, tears instantly streamed down her face. "What happened to you? Don't scare me... You can't leave us, the three of us..."

"No..." Ma Qianli forced a smile at her, "I'm fine... don't overthink it."

"It's all my fault..." Qiqige suddenly raised her hand and slapped herself hard across the face. "I shouldn't have married you! I'm a woman who brings bad luck to her husbands!"

Zhang Erhe couldn't bear to watch any longer and grabbed her arm: "Qiqige! Don't do this... it makes Lao Si feel even worse."

Ma Qianli nodded slightly, his voice barely audible: "Qiqige... Second Brother is right... This is not your fault."

“Little Horse… how can I live without you…” Qiqige collapsed by the bedside, tears streaming down her face.

"Second Brother," Ma Qianli called again.

“I’m here.” Zhang Erhe stepped forward and took his cold hand.

“Qiqige is carrying my son.”

“Don’t worry,” Zhang Erhe said, squeezing his hand tightly. “From now on, he will be my son, and he and Gou Dan will be like brothers… I will treat him the same way I treat Gou Dan.”

"...I believe you, Second Brother."

As he said this, the abnormal flush on Ma Qianli's face gradually faded.

Zhang Erhe held his hand and felt the pulse in his palm gradually weakening.

“Qiqige…” Ma Qianli said softly, “Go out for a while… I want to have a private talk with my second brother.”

Qiqige nodded through her tears and slowly retreated.

Only two people remained in the ward.

"Second brother... After I leave, if Qiqige is willing to keep the child, you can help take care of him, just like raising another baby in the family... If she's not willing, you can bring the child back and let your sister-in-law raise him..."

"Okay, fourth brother, I agree to everything."

"Sigh..." Ma Qianli let out a long sigh, as if he had used up his last bit of strength. He suddenly struggled, grabbing Zhang Erhe's hand in return:

"Second brother... there's something else... don't find me annoying."

"Speak, Fourth Brother, I'm listening."

“When you had that accident… I investigated everyone… there was only one person I didn’t touch. If there really is someone… then she is the most likely candidate.”

Zhang Erhe's eyes welled up with tears, and he nodded emphatically: "...I know, Fourth Brother. I know."

"You know that's good..." Ma Qianli's voice grew softer and softer, and his eyes began to glaze over. "I'm so tired... and so cold..."

He gently closed his eyes, but a faint smile seemed to linger at the corners of his lips:

"Second Brother... I'm so glad I was able to be your brother in this life... I'm going down to the underworld... to have a good talk with the King of Hell... In the next life... let's still be brothers..."

Zhang Erhe gripped his hand tightly, but the hand grew colder and heavier.

"Fourth?"

Ma Qianli did not respond further.

The nurse and doctor pushed open the door, checked the pupils, and then silently shook their heads.

Please accept my condolences.

Almost simultaneously, a muffled thud came from outside the door—

Qiqige collapsed softly to the ground.

Zhang Erhe couldn't say a word; he just gripped Ma Qianli's increasingly cold and stiff hand tightly until his fingertips turned white.

He abruptly stood up, released his grip, and fiercely wiped the tears from his face with his sleeve. Ma Qianli was his good brother; he had to ensure his brother left in glory.

At this moment, Qiqige was helped in. She glanced blankly at the hospital bed, seemingly unable to believe it, blinked hard, then turned her head and looked at Zhang Erhe for help, her lips trembling: "Second Brother, Xiao Ma, he..."

"Qiqige," Zhang Erhe's voice was hoarse, yet carried a calming power, "Xiao Ma lived too hard in this world, he's gone to rest in another. We must send him off properly, quietly, and with dignity. Can you do that?"

With tears welling up in her eyes, Qiqige nodded heavily and forcefully.

“Okay,” Zhang Erhe took a deep breath, “then let’s take Xiao Ma home.”

He walked heavily toward the door. In the corridor, Zhang Guowei was being helped to his feet, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his lips trembling as if he wanted to say something. Zhang Erhe merely glanced at him coldly, his gaze as if looking at a lifeless object, icy and utterly devoid of life.

Zhang Erhe didn't linger; he went straight to the window and found Section Chief Zhou from the security department. "Old Zhou, have your men go and find two people for me."

"Alright." Old Zhou didn't say a word and immediately summoned his men.

Zhang Erhe gave Wu Qian and Sun Xiangdong their addresses, and after giving them his instructions, he turned and went back into the ward. He whispered to the doctor who was standing by his side, "Doctor, could you please... help my brother get ready, make him look presentable?"

The doctor nodded silently.

More than half an hour later, Wu Qian and Sun Xiangdong arrived at the hospital, panting heavily. When they saw the scene in the ward, their faces instantly turned pale, and they froze on the spot.

Zhang Erhe looked at them without saying anything more, "Take Lao Si home."