In Operation theatre One surgeon remained focused on the gunshot wound near suo ran's stomach, carefully repairing damaged tissue while another worked to control the internal bleeding. "Suction!" the lead surgeon ordered calmly. A nurse placed the tube into his hand and blood disappeared through the clear tubing, but only moments later more replaced it. The surgeon frowned beneath his mask. "He's still bleeding. Clamp... now."
Another doctor standing beside the monitor kept his eyes fixed on the numbers flashing across the screen. His expression slowly tightened. "Blood pressure is falling again," he warned. "Ninety over fifty... eighty-five... it's still dropping." A nurse quickly adjusted another IV bag. "Next unit of blood is running." The anesthesiologist glanced at the monitor, then at Suo ran's pale face beneath the oxygen tube. "His oxygen saturation is falling." The lead surgeon didn't even look up. "Increase oxygen." "Already increasing."
For several tense seconds the room settled into a rhythm again.Scalpels moved carefully. Forceps held damaged tissue together and nurses passed instruments before they were even requested. Then suddenly a loud alarm burst from the monitor."Pressure's crashing!" the doctor at the monitor shouted. Every head turned for the briefest moment. The numbers were dropping rapidly. Eighty. Seventy. Sixty. "It's getting worse!" another doctor called.
The lead surgeon abandoned what he was doing. "Increase transfusion! Open the fluids completely!" A nurse twisted the valve without hesitation and another one prepared medication with shaking but practiced hands. "Medication ready!" "Push it!" The syringe emptied into Suo ran's IV line.For one second... nothing changed. The monitor continued screaming.
The anesthesiologist looked up sharply. "Heart rate is slowing." Everyone instinctively looked toward the screen. The beeping became slower then slower again. Beep... Beep... Beep... The lead surgeon leaned closer to suo ran, pressing harder against the wound. "Come on! Little boy!" he muttered under his breath. "Stay with us." The nurse looked at the monitor again, panic entering her voice. "Doctor...!"
Before anyone could answer, heartbeat echoed through the room. Beep... Then the green line stretched across the monitor without another rise. *BEEEEEEEEEEP.* The long continuous tone filled the operating room. For a second, no one moved. Every face froze as they stared at the flat line. Then the lead surgeon's voice cut through the silence. "Cardiac arrest!" The room exploded into motion. "Start CPR!"
One doctor climbed onto the step beside the operating table and began chest compressions with practiced force. "One! Two! Three! Four!" Another nurse prepared emergency medication. "Adrenaline ready!" "Give it!" The syringe disappeared into Suo Ran's IV line. "Charging defibrillator!" another doctor announced as the machine powered up with a rising electronic whine. The lead surgeon stepped back. "Everyone clear!" And suo ran's hands lifted away. "Clear!" *THUMP!* Suo ran's body jolted slightly beneath the shock.
Every eye turned toward the monitor. The line remained flat.*BEEEEEEEEEEP.* "No rhythm." The lead surgeon didn't hesitate. "Resume compressions!" The doctor began CPR again, sweat forming beneath his surgical cap. "One! Two! Three! Four!" The room filled with heavy breathing and urgent commands. "Another dose of adrenaline!" "Ready!" "Push it!" "Come on... come on..." the anesthesiologist whispered, watching the monitor almost desperately now. "Again!" the lead surgeon ordered. "Charge to two hundred!" The defibrillator whined once more. "Charged!" "Clear!"
Everyone stepped back.*THUMP!*Suo ran's body jerked again.Every heartbeat in the room seemed to stop with him. The monitor... remained unchanged. The flat line stretched endlessly across the screen while the shrill alarm continued filling the room. "Still nothing!" the nurse cried. The lead surgeon clenched his jaw. "Again! We are not stopping! Continue CPR!" Chest compressions resumed. "One! Two! Three! Four!" Sweat rolled down the doctor's forehead as he counted, refusing to slow.
Another nurse quickly wiped blood from Suo ran's chest before stepping back again. "He's young!" one doctor muttered while preparing another medication."He can come back." The lead surgeon nodded once without taking his eyes off the patient. "Then bring him back." He leaned over Suo ran once more his voice firm despite the urgency surrounding him. "You're not dying on my table, Suo ran. Do you hear me?" The flat line continued stretching across the monitor while the team refused to give up, every second becoming a battle against death itself.
Outside the operating room, the corridor had fallen into an uneasy silence. The bright red light above the operating room doors remained lit, casting a faint crimson glow across the floor.The driver had stopped pacing only moments ago, but he couldn't bring himself to sit down. His eyes never left the closed doors, as though looking away for even a second might change the outcome.
Qin Yue sat quietly on the bench nearby with her elbows resting on her knees, her bloodstained hands clasped tightly together. Dried blood had already begun darkening across her sleeves, yet she didn't seem to notice. The older man stood a short distance away with his back perfectly straight and his hands folded behind him. His face remained composed, but the slight tightening of his jaw and the rigidness in his posture betrayed the strain he was trying so hard to suppress.
No one spoke. The only sounds were the distant footsteps of nurses passing through the corridor, the occasional squeak of a trolley wheel, and the steady ticking of the wall clock that somehow grew louder with every passing second. Then, without warning, a long, piercing alarm echoed faintly through the thick operating room doors. *BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP."*The sound sliced through the silence like a blade.
The driver's head snapped toward the doors so quickly that his neck almost hurt. His eyes widened in disbelief. "What...?" he whispered before taking two hurried steps toward the operating room. "What was that...?" His voice trembled despite every effort to steady it. He stared at the closed doors as though he could somehow see through them if he tried hard enough. Qin Yue slowly lifted her head. She rose from the bench without saying a word, her expression hardening as the alarm continued. Her fingers unconsciously curled into fists beside her. "...That sound..." she murmured quietly,
The older man's calm expression cracked. His brows drew together imperceptibly, and the hand resting behind his back slowly tightened into a fist. He didn't rush forward or call out. He simply stood there, staring at the operating room doors without blinking, as though refusing to accept whatever might be happening beyond them. The driver looked desperately from Qin Yue to the older man, searching both of their faces for reassurance that neither could give him. "Tell me that's not..." His voice caught before he could finish. Neither of them answered.
The alarm continued for several agonizing seconds before it suddenly stopped. The silence that followed felt even heavier than before. The driver swallowed hard, his throat painfully dry. "Say something.."he whispered, pleading now. "Please... somebody say something." Qin Yue lowered her gaze briefly before looking back toward the operating room. "We don't know what's happening inside," she said quietly, "Don't assume the worst."
The driver let out a hollow laugh that carried no amusement at all. He dragged both hands roughly through his hair before beginning to pace again. "How am I supposed not to?" he asked, his breathing becoming uneven. "That sound wasn't normal. You heard it too." Nobody argued with him because nobody could. The older man remained exactly where he was, his eyes never leaving the operating room doors. After a long silence, he finally spoke. "Trust them." His voice was low, calm, and controlled, but it carried a weight that made both Qin Yue and the driver glance toward him.
The driver stopped pacing and looked at him helplessly. "I'm trying." The older man gave the slightest nod. "Then keep trying." The driver lowered his head and clenched both fists until his knuckles turned white. After a long pause, he forced out a weak smile that disappeared almost as quickly as it came. "He's stubborn enough to argue with bullets!" he muttered quietly. "He can't lose to this... he just can't."
Qin Yue looked at him from the corner of her eye. "If Suo Ran heard you talking like that!" she said softly, "he'd probably tell you to stop making such a fuss." The driver let out a slow, shaky breath and rubbed his face with both hands. "I'd rather have him complaining to me than..." His voice broke before he could finish the sentence. He looked away immediately. Qin Yue followed his gaze back to the operating room. "...Than standing out here wondering," she finished quietly.
The driver gave a silent nod. Minutes passed without anyone coming through the doors. No doctors appeared. No nurses stepped outside. The red light above the operating room continued glowing without interruption. Every passing second felt longer than the one before it.The waiting became unbearable.
The driver checked the clock on the wall, then almost instantly looked back at the operating room as if hoping the doors would finally open. Qin Yue remained standing now, her arms folded tightly across her chest, her eyes fixed ahead without blinking. The older man hadn't moved even once. He stood like a statue in the middle of the corridor, his gaze locked firmly on the doors, but for the first time his breathing had become just slightly heavier. None of them spoke again. They simply stood there together in the silent corridor, watching the closed operating room doors and praying that when they finally opened, Suo ran would still be alive.
In the operating room, the atmosphere remained tense despite the brief return of Suo ran's heartbeat. Bright surgical lights illuminated every corner of the room as doctors continued working without pause. The rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor had returned, but it remained irregular, each sound making the entire team glance toward the screen. Sweat rolled down the lead surgeon's forehead beneath his surgical cap as he continued repairing the damaged tissue around the gunshot wound. Blood still stained the surgical drapes despite repeated suctioning. "Pressure's unstable again!" the anesthesiologist warned, his eyes fixed on the monitor. "Heart rate is climbing."
Another series of rapid beeps filled the room. "He's breathing too fast."one nurse said while watching the ventilator readings."Respiratory rate is increasing." The lead surgeon didn't look up. "Increase sedation carefully. Don't let him crash again." The anesthesiologist adjusted the medication."Sedation increased." For several seconds the numbers steadied. Then they began fluctuating once more. "His body's fighting it." another doctor muttered quietly. The lead surgeon exhaled slowly. "Stay with us, Suo ran... just a little longer."
Everything around him gradually became quieter. The sharp voices of the doctors faded.The bright white operating lights slowly disappeared.The pain vanished.The weight pressing against his chest disappeared completely.Then "Dad!" he said before he even realized he had spoken it. Sunlight across an green field beneath a blue sky.A small boy, no older than five or six, ran barefoot through the grass with tiny arms spread wide. His black hair danced in the wind as cheerful laughter filled the air. It was Suo ran. "Dad!" the little boy called happily. "Catch me!"
Ahead of him stood a tall man with kind eyes and a warm smile. He opened both arms just as the child stumbled over a hidden stone. "Whoa..." Before the little boy could fall, strong hands caught him effortlessly. "I've got you!" his father said with a chuckle, lifting him easily into the air. Little Suo Ran burst into laughter, wrapping both arms tightly around his father's neck. "I knew you'd catch me!" His father smiled and gently tapped the tip of his nose. "Of course I would." The little boy grinned proudly. "Because you're the strongest!" His father laughed softly. "Am I?" "You are!" "Stronger than a mountain?" "Yes!" "Stronger than the river?" "Yes!" His father raised an eyebrow playfully. "Stronger than your appetite?" Little Suo ran puffed out his cheeks before shaking his head dramatically. "No." Both of them laughed together.
The scene shifted and Little Suo ran now sat on his father's shoulders as they walked along a narrow dirt path beside a river.The child held tightly onto his father's head while pointing excitedly toward the distant mountains. "Dad! Look! Birds!" "I see them." "They're flying so high!" His father looked upward and smiled. "One day you'll travel farther than they ever could." The little boy tilted his head. "Really?" His father nodded. "Really." Another memory drifted into view.
The river sparkled beneath the afternoon sun as his father crouched beside him, picking up a smooth flat stone. "Watch carefully." With one easy motion, the stone skipped across the water. One. Two. Three. Four. Five times before disappearing beneath the surface. Little Suo ran gasped in amazement. "Again!" His father laughed. "Your turn." The little boy chose the biggest, roundest rock he could find and threw it with all his strength. Splash. It sank immediately. Little Suo ran stared at the water before lowering his head sadly. "I failed..." His father knelt beside him and gently ruffled his hair. "No." The little boy looked up. "You learned." His father handed him another stone. "Try again."
The memories shifted once more.Little Suo ran stood with both hands gripping a small wooden practice sword that looked almost too large for him. His father stood opposite him holding another wooden sword. "Again." Little Suo ran swung with all his strength. Tap. His father's sword redirected it effortlessly. "No." His father smiled patiently. "Not with your arms." He stepped behind the little boy, gently adjusting his stance. "Your feet first." He nudged one foot slightly backward. "Good." Then he gently guided the child's hands. "Now breathe."
Little Suo ran nodded seriously."Breathe."His father smiled. "Again." The small wooden sword moved much more smoothly this time. "Better." The little boy's face immediately lit up. "I did it!" "You did." The world shifted again. Little Suo Ran sat on a fallen log, staring sadly at his scraped knee after tripping while running. Dirt covered his clothes, and tears threatened to spill from his eyes. "It hurts..." His father knelt in front of him without saying a word. Taking a clean cloth from his pocket, he carefully wiped away the blood before placing a small bandage over the scrape. "There." Little Suo Ran sniffled. "It still hurts." His father smiled gently and tapped the bandage. "I know." Then he reached out and lightly patted the child's head. "But pain doesn't last forever." Little Suo Ran looked at him quietly. His father smiled once more. "And neither do scraped knees." The little boy let out a tiny laugh through his tears.
Little Suo ran hugged his knees as he watched the sunset in silence, his head resting lightly against his father's shoulder. For once, neither of them spoke.They simply enjoyed the peaceful moment together. After a long silence, his father smiled and said, "Ran'er." "Hm?" the little boy looked up. His father kept his eyes on the setting sun. "Do you know what it means to be strong?"
Little Suo ran puffed out his chest proudly. "It means you can beat everyone!" His father let out a soft laugh and gently shook his head. "No." "Then it means never getting hurt?" Again, his father smiled. "No." Little Suo ran frowned in confusion. "Then what is it?" His father slowly reached over and ruffled his hair, his movements as gentle as the evening breeze. "Being strong doesn't mean never falling." The little boy blinked and listened carefully. "It means standing up again."
Little Suo ran lowered his eyes as though trying to understand those words. His father continued quietly, "You'll fall many times in your life." The child looked up at him. "You'll get hurt. You'll lose things. There will be days when you want to give up." His father turned toward him with the same warm smile that had always made the world feel safe. "But as long as you stand up one more time... then you've never truly lost."
Little Suo ran stared at him for several long seconds then he smiled brightly. His father smiled back, and together they watched the last rays of sunlight disappear beyond the horizon. But gradually something changed. The colors of the sunset slowly began to fade and green grass beneath them lost its color. The distant mountains dissolved into pale mist and river became still.
Little Suo ran looked around in confusion. "Dad...?" His father remained sitting beside him, watching him quietly with the same gentle smile.The world around them continued disappearing. The sky turned into black and field slowly dissolved into endless white. "Dad?" There was worry in the little boy's voice now. His father turned toward him completely and gently placed a hand on top of his head. His touch was just as warm as suo ran remembered. "Not yet." Little Suo ran blinked. "...Dad?" His father's smile never changed. "You still have someone waiting for you."
The words made suo ran's expression freeze. Somewhere deep inside him, he felt something.Someon calling for him. He instinctively reached out. "Wait..." His father slowly stood up. Then he took one step backward, still smiling, still watching him with gentle eyes. "Dad..." Another step. The distance between them grew wider. "No..." Suo ran hurried forward and stretched out his hand desperately. "Don't go!" His father's figure was already beginning to fade into the white mist. He smiled one last time. "Go back." The words echoed softly through the empty space. Suo ran ran toward him. "Dad!" But before he could reach him, everything dissolved into darkness.
Inside the operating room, the shrill alarm continued echoing as every doctor and nurse moved at once. "No pulse!" one nurse called out, her voice tense as she stared at the monitor. The lead surgeon immediately stepped closer. "Continue compressions!" Another doctor climbed onto a stool beside the operating table and began firm, rhythmic chest compressions while sweat rolled down his forehead. "Epinephrine ready!" "Ready!" a nurse answered, passing the syringe into the surgeon's waiting hand. "Administering now."
The medication disappeared into Suo ran's IV line. His pale face remained motionless beneath the bright surgical lights, the oxygen mask fogging only faintly with each assisted breath. "Come on..." the anesthesiologist muttered quietly while watching the monitor. "Don't give up now." The lead surgeon glanced toward the flat line for only a second before speaking sharply. "Continue CPR."
Another round of compressions followed. "Charge the defibrillator." "Charging... two hundred joules." "Clear!" Everyone stepped back. The paddles pressed firmly against Suo ran's chest. "Clear!" His body jerked slightly as the shock passed through him. The monitor remained unchanged. "Again!" the surgeon ordered without hesitation. "Resume compressions!" The room filled once more with hurried movements, shouted instructions and the steady rhythm of compressions against Suo ran's chest.
In the endless darkness, a tiny light suddenly appeared. It flickered weakly at first,before slowly growing brighter. Suo ran lifted his head and looked toward it. Standing alone beneath the pale glow was a small figure was jun wei. Jun wei's face was soaked with tears, his shoulders trembling uncontrollably as he stared at Suo ran with frightened, desperate eyes. "Gege..." His soft voice echoed through the darkness, fragile enough to break anyone's heart. "Don't leave..." His tears rolled down his cheeks as he slowly stretched both of his hands toward him. "Please..." His voice cracked. "Come back."
Suo ran stood motionless,his chest tightening at the sight before him.Without thinking, he slowly raised his own hand and reached toward the crying child. Jun wei took one step forward,refusing to lower his outstretched hands.Their fingertips drew closer and closer until only the smallest distance remained between them. Just as they were about to touch inside the operating room, a single sharp sound broke the silence. *Beepppp* Every doctor froze. The flat line on the monitor twitched. *Beep... *Another heartbeat followed.
The nurse's eyes widened in disbelief. "We got rhythm!" she shouted. The anesthesiologist leaned toward the monitor. "Pulse is back!" The lead surgeon instantly refocused. "Good! Keep going! Stabilize him!" The room erupted into motion once more. "Blood pressure is coming up!" one doctor reported. "Oxygen saturation is improving!" another called out. "Heart rhythm is responding!" The panic that had filled the operating room only moments earlier disappeared, replaced by intense concentration. "Continue the transfusion." "Pressure on the bleeding site." "Suction." "Clamp." "More irrigation."
The lead surgeon worked with calm precision, his hands never wavering. "The bleeding source is here... suction... good... hold that... clamp." The blood no longer flooded the surgical field as violently as before. "We're getting control!" one doctor said with cautious relief. Another quietly exhaled. "He's responding better than expected." The surgeon gave a brief nod without looking away from his work. "Don't celebrate yet. We're not finished."
One by one,every critical step was completed. Gradually, the frantic pace inside the operating room slowed as the monitors settled into a steady rhythm. Beep... Beep... Beep... The lead surgeon carefully placed the suture before stepping back from the operating table.He slowly removed his bloodstained gloves and released a long, exhausted sigh. "The bleeding is controlled." A nearby nurse looked up hopefully. The surgeon gave a small nod. "He's stable."
The tension inside the room eased slightly. Looking down at Suo ran's unconscious face, he spoke again in a quieter voice." He's out of immediate danger." Several members of the surgical team quietly released the breath they had unknowingly been holding for hours. Suo ran remained unconscious beneath the blankets, connected to monitors that now continued their calm, steady rhythm. Beep... Beep... Beep...
Outside the operating room, the red emergency light above the doors switched off. A second later, the doors slowly opened. The driver shot to his feet before they were even halfway open. "Doctor?!" he called anxiously. Qin Yue stood beside him, while the older man silently lifted his head, his eyes fixed on the surgeon. The lead surgeon stepped into the corridor, removing his surgical mask. Exhaustion was written plainly across his face, but smiled and said, "The surgery was successful."
The driver stared at him without blinking. The surgeon continued, "He's out of danger." For several long seconds, nobody moved. The driver slowly closed his eyes and released a breath. His shoulders slumped as the unbearable weight pressing on him eased. A shaky laugh escaped his lips. "That idiot..." He rubbed both hands over his face before quietly adding, "He actually made it." Beside him,Qin yue closed her eyes, and the tension she had carried for hours disappeared from her expression and she smiled. "He made it!" she whispered softly.
The older man lowered his head ever so slightly.He whispered to himself, "...I knew you would." Beyond the operating room doors, the steady beeping of the monitors continued without interruption, each quiet sound reminding everyone waiting outside that Suo ran was still alive.
Little step away one figure standing much farther down the corridor.Hidden beneath the dim lights was a man dressed entirely in black. A long black coat reached almost to his knees, black gloves concealed his hands, and a plain black mask hid the lower half of his face. The brim of his cap cast a shadow over his eyes.He stood perfectly still, blending into the darkness at the end of the hallway. He didn't speak. He didn't move. His gaze never left the intensive care section beyond the operating room. More precisely... it never left the room where Suo ran would soon be transferred.
After few minutes his expression changed.
"So... you survived!" he murmured.Without another movement, he turned and slowly disappeared into the darkness of the corridor before anyone noticed he had ever been there.
Nearly twenty minutes later, the elevator doors opened with a soft chime. A tall figure stepped out. His footsteps were fast as he walked through the hospital corridor. It was Cai Lang he wore a black coat over a dark shirt, his expression unreadable, his sharp eyes fixed straight ahead as though nothing around him existed. He neither looked left nor right. His pace never slowed.
Outside Suo ran's ICU room, the driver was sitting with his elbows resting on his knees while Qin Yue leaned silently against the wall. The older man remained standing beside the window.The sound of approaching footsteps drew all three of their attention. The driver looked up first. His brows knitted together. "Him?" Qin yue slowly turned her head. "Cai Lang..." The older man quietly followed their gaze. His expression remained calm, but his eyes sharpened slightly. "So he came."
The driver slowly stood. "What is he doing here?" Qin Yue folded her arms. "How did he even know?" "No one contacted him," the driver muttered. The older man remained silent for several seconds before quietly saying, "People like him usually don't need someone to tell them." Cai Lang continued walking toward them without the slightest hesitation. His expression never changed. His eyes briefly passed over the three of them before settling on the ICU room beyond. He didn't greet anyone. He didn't ask any questions. He simply walked past them as though they weren't even there.
The driver frowned deeply. "He's seriously ignoring us?" Qin Yue quietly replied, "Looks like it." "He could at least say something." "He doesn't seem interested." The older man watched Cai Lang carefully but said nothing. Cai Lang stopped in front of the ICU door. His hand reached toward the handle.Before his fingers could touch it, a hand suddenly grabbed his wrist. "You can't go in." The driver's voice was calm, but firm.
Cai Lang slowly lowered his eyes toward the hand gripping him before lifting them to meet the driver's gaze. Cai lang stared at driver's hand."Move." His voice was low and cold. The driver didn't let go. Instead,his grip tightened slightly around Cai lang's wrist. "I said..." He stared directly into Cai lang's eyes without backing down. "...you can't meet him."