Chapter Fifty-Seven: Applying for a Mission

This was not the first time that Old Chen had tried to persuade Chu Feng to leave. After all, Chu Feng was still young, and Old Chen did not want him to lose his life here.

“Old Chen, I am the only person in the world who can save you. If I leave now, wouldn’t that be playing right into their hands? If I go, your life won’t be protected, and they’ll get what they want without lifting a finger.”

Chu Feng understood Old Chen’s temperament. You couldn’t refuse him outright; you had to reason with him. Old Chen’s greatest virtue was that he always thought of others first.

“Think about it—if I leave now, your safety cannot be guaranteed. What you’ve worked so hard to build will face destruction. It might even be smuggled abroad by those with ulterior motives, used to harm our own people with what you created.”

After saying this, Chu Feng kept his gaze fixed on Old Chen. He knew what Old Chen was thinking: that if Chu Feng left, Old Chen would use his last remaining strength to complete the cutting-edge weapons research.

“Since you put it that way, I won’t insist any further. But in the future, if there’s ever any danger, you must abandon me to protect yourselves,” Old Chen said, no longer pressing Chu Feng to leave.

“Old Chen, you mustn’t get agitated or dwell in sorrow. Just keep your emotions balanced. Only then can I get your body back to its best condition in the shortest time possible.”

What worried Chu Feng most was that Old Chen would fall into depression over the murder of his two assistants. If that happened, Old Chen’s condition would never truly improve.

“Don’t worry. I can endure this bit of hardship. My research will never fall into the wrong hands,” Old Chen replied, his tone still heavy, but Chu Feng could tell he had made up his mind.

“Alright. Old Wang will keep you company here. I’ll step out to make a call and be back soon.” With that, Chu Feng left the ward, walked to the stairwell, took out his phone, and dialed a number.

“Chu Feng, are you calling because you’re about to take on a mission? Is it about what happened to Old Chen’s two assistants today?” As soon as the line connected, Long Feihu’s voice came through.

“That’s right. I volunteered for this mission. Help me find where those people are hiding. I want to eliminate every last one of them!” As Chu Feng spoke, a fierce killing intent radiated from him.

He never expected that those people would stoop so low as to harm the nation’s researchers for their own ends. People like that didn’t deserve to live in this world.

“I’ll have news for you before noon tomorrow. I’ll also send in a special action team to support you. Above all, keep yourself safe. As long as you live, there’s hope,” Long Feihu reminded him, urging Chu Feng not to act recklessly, especially since only Chu Feng could save Old Chen now.

After hanging up, Long Feihu used the red phone to make another call, spoke a few brief words, then hung up again. As soon as he ended the call, the entire capital was set in motion, from broad boulevards to narrow alleys.

Long Feihu was not just the head of Dragon Scale; he also controlled the largest intelligence network in China, with all the information gathered being submitted directly to Number One.

The reason Long Feihu dispatched the special action team to support Chu Feng was because he, too, had received orders from above: the culprits behind the murder of the two researchers must be caught.

After hanging up, Chu Feng stood in the stairwell, smoking an entire pack of cigarettes. When the last one burned out, he dusted himself off and returned to Old Chen’s hospital room.

That night, Old Chen was too heartbroken to sleep. He sat on the sofa, gazing at a photograph—a picture of himself together with Zhao De and Cai Yalei taken when the two had just joined the research institute.

“Old Chen, don’t blame yourself. This is not your fault—blame those beasts,” Old Wang tried to console him, worried that further sadness would harm Old Chen’s health.

“Sigh, I failed them. If they hadn’t become my assistants, maybe both would have become great scientists,” Old Chen said, his eyes growing even more sorrowful as he looked at the photo, his feelings of guilt deepening.

“Old Chen, you should rest. They wouldn’t blame you, even in the afterlife. I’ll be sure to catch the killers and avenge them,” Chu Feng said, gently taking the photo from Old Chen’s hands and helping him to bed, tucking him in.

“Old Wang, tomorrow I’ll be carrying out a mission. You and Old Jin must protect Old Chen at all costs. Don’t let him go out for any reason—wait till I return to deal with anything.”

Chu Feng went over all the precautions with Old Wang, especially warning him not to let Old Chen leave.

After he and Old Wang finished their discussion, they each went to rest. Chu Feng, after a day and night of exhaustion, was finally feeling the fatigue himself.

The next morning, as Chu Feng slept soundly, he felt an itch on his face. Opening his eyes, he saw a young nurse in a surgical mask brushing her hair across his cheeks.

He caught the nurse in his arms. She struggled a couple of times, but Chu Feng held her tightly, and when she couldn’t break free, she gave up and let him hold her.

“All right, I have to check Old Chen’s blood pressure. Get up—look at the time!” This nurse was Han Xuefang. After being held for a moment, she worried Old Chen would see them, so she wriggled out of Chu Feng’s embrace.

“Ahem!” Just as Han Xuefang stood up, a dry cough sounded behind her. Turning around, she saw Old Chen standing there.

“Good morning, Old Chen,” Han Xuefang said, her cheeks slightly flushed. She put her hands behind her back, motioning to Chu Feng to get up quickly.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything. The blood pressure can wait; you two carry on,” Old Chen said before returning to his room.

“Get up, quick! Old Chen saw everything just now—this is so embarrassing,” Han Xuefang scolded, walking over and giving Chu Feng a sharp pinch at his waist.

Pain shot through Chu Feng’s side, as if he’d been caught by iron pincers, and he nearly jumped up.

“That hurt! Why are you so rough? What did I ever do to you?” Chu Feng complained, clutching his side with a wounded expression.

“You deserved it! Who told you to sleep so long? And to let Old Chen see that scene,” Han Xuefang retorted, her big-sisterly attitude coming out as she bickered with Chu Feng.