Chapter 25: The Always Smiling Daxiong

In the hospital room, Daxiong instinctively stood up when he heard the cursing at the door, his back straight as he looked towards the entrance.

After a short while, the half-open door was roughly pushed open, and a tall man in his mid-fifties strode in. He was dressed very plainly, even a bit dirty and unkempt. The hair at his temples had grown down to his ears, obviously not having been groomed for a long time, sticking to his head in a messy way.

The tall, sturdy middle-aged man was not good-looking, with a ruddy face and a bulbous, red nose. He also had a physical disability - he was missing his left hand, with obvious scarring at the wrist. Upon closer inspection, it was covered in red, fleshy bumps.

Su Tianyu looked over this oddly-styled middle-aged man and tentatively asked: "You are...?"

"I'm his father!" The tall middle-aged man, reeking of alcohol, pointed at Daxiong and said.

"Oh, Uncle has come!" Su Tianyu immediately adjusted himself on the bed, sitting up straighter. "Please sit down. Daxiong, get a chair for your uncle."

Daxiong immediately pulled up a chair and placed it beside his father, but didn't say anything.

The tall middle-aged man spat a thick glob of phlegm into the trash can, then took out a cigarette pack and asked Daxiong with his legs crossed: "How's your recovery going? Are you feeling any better?"

"It's... it's all healed up, I can... can work now!" Daxiong seemed very nervous facing his father, stuttering even more than usual.

Wu's father spoke very loudly, tilting his head to look at his son as he berated him: "You dog-born idiot, your brain just doesn't work right. So many workers in the factory, nobody else got involved, but you had to be the one to stick your hand in! Don't you fucking think? Those knives and guns are indiscriminate, if you'd been crippled, what would you do? Your brain's not good, you stutter when you speak, you're already half-disabled. If your body's not good too... how will you survive in the future?"

Wu Shixiong lowered his head, not daring to respond.

"Since you're injured, just recover properly. The Su family is such a big company, they won't ignore you. Once you're fully healed, go back to work," Wu's father added.

Su Tianyu had been staying with Daxiong for a week, but this was the first time he had seen anyone from Daxiong's family come to visit him. However, thinking about it, they might have been very busy, or perhaps they had come when Daxiong was first hospitalized.

"Go, go call Su Tiannan over. Isn't he hospitalized too?" Wu's father instructed.

"Oh, Uncle, my big brother isn't here. Someone took him out to handle some business," Su Tianyu answered for Daxiong. "But my second brother is here."

"Calling him over is fine too," Wu's father replied.

"I... I'll go call him," Daxiong responded, turning to leave. But when he reached the door, he couldn't help but ask: "Dad... Dad, Mom didn't come?"

"Your second brother's child is sick. I just sent her back," Wu's father casually replied.

Daxiong didn't say anything more and walked out of the hospital room.

About five minutes later, Su Tianbei, with a cast on his arm, limped in: "Oh, Uncle Wu is here."

"Ah, how are you?" Wu's father asked, glancing sideways.

"I'm almost better, hehe!" Su Tianbei took out his cigarette pack. "Here, have one!"

Wu's father was satisfied with Su Tianbei's courtesy. He reached out to take the cigarette, lit it anew, and waved at Daxiong, instructing: "You go out for a walk first."

Daxiong obediently walked out of the room. Wu's father turned to Su Tianbei: "I don't have much business. I came today, first to see the kid, and second to ask you... how are you going to handle our Daxiong's situation?"

"The company will take care of it, Uncle!" Su Tianbei replied.

"How will they take care of it?" Wu's father pressed.

"The company will cover all expenses during the injury period. He won't work during recovery but will receive wages according to work injury standards," Su Tianbei replied with a smile. "Besides that, I'll personally give him an extra five thousand yuan."

To be fair, the money Su Tianbei offered wasn't little. Five thousand yuan for a laborer like Daxiong was nearly half a year's wages and bonuses.

Wu's father paused before replying: "Isn't five thousand a bit low?"

"Uncle, the company is also in a difficult situation now...!" Su Tianbei tried to explain.

"Whether you're in a difficult situation or not has nothing to do with me, right?" Wu's father said bluntly. "When your family's garbage yard had that big fight, none of the seven or eight workers you raised dared to get involved, only my son jumped in! That's a fact, right? I've been with your company since it first started, and I've always had a good relationship with your father. Later, when my health deteriorated, I sent my son in, but you didn't take good care of him either. He was slashed three or four times, those scars will be on his body for life, don't you think?"

Su Tianbei nodded slowly: "Uncle, then how much compensation do you think is appropriate?"

"Add a bit more."

"Then how about eight thousand!" Su Tianbei looked at him and said: "This amount exceeds the work injury standard, but I'll pay it myself, okay?"

Wu's father considered for a moment: "Alright, eight thousand it is. When the money comes through, transfer it directly to Daxiong's older brother's salary card."

Su Tianbei didn't ask further: "Alright!"

"That's settled then," Wu's father stood up, flicking his cigarette butt to the ground. "I'll be going now."

"I'll see you out, Uncle!"

"No need, what's there to see out!" Wu's father strode towards the door.

Su Tianyu frowned as he watched his back, but didn't ask anything more.

In the corridor, Wu's father glanced at Daxiong sitting on the long bench and cursed in a low voice: "Don't be so fucking stupid. You're hospitalized with work injury benefits, so just stay here and recover properly. When you feel there's absolutely nothing wrong with you, that's when you can be discharged."

"Ah!" Daxiong nodded.

"...Damn it, just looking at your tiger-like face makes me angry. What kind of brain do you have? You go and fight with people?" Wu's father shouted, unable to contain his anger. "It'd be better if you died, then I'd have peace of mind!"

After cursing, Wu's father turned and left.

Wu Shixiong watched his father's back, his eyes dim. After a long while, he forced a grin and walked back into the hospital room: "Little Yu Brother, Little Bei Brother... want some... some late-night snacks? I'll go buy some."

"Hehe, no need," Su Tianbei waved his hand.

Su Tianyu looked at this simple giant, feeling inexplicably sorry for him: "Don't bother. Come, sit down and rest a bit, let's chat."

Although Wu Shixiong was simple-minded, he never wanted to mention his family matters. Every day he met everyone with a smiling face, looking as if he had no burdens in life at all.

The days of recovery were peaceful and comfortable. In the blink of an eye, more than twenty days passed, and all the injured had completed their discharge procedures.

Bai Hongbo stood in the hospital room, waving his hand and shouting boastfully: "Tonight we're going to the inner harbor, taking a cruise!! I've arranged everything!!"

"You all go ahead, I'll pass," Kong Zhenghui, whether in actual age or mental age, seemed to be from a different generation than the others.

"Damn, don't be unsociable. We've fought side by side after all!" Bai Hongbo enthusiastically organized. "Let's go together. Tonight I'll treat you all to some special services."

Su Tianyu broke out in a cold sweat: "...Forget it, my tongue is too short!"

"This is something you need to practice, Little Su!" Bai Hongbo, who might have been going stir-crazy, pulled Su Tianyu and said: "Come with brother tonight, we must solve your short tongue problem."

......

In cell 403 of the Police Bureau's criminal detention center, the lean old man who had once beaten up Floral Shirt sat on his bunk, stroking his bald head and muttering: "This Dog Six is doing well, not inferior to his father!"

"Su Zhengcai, stand up, pack your things!" Someone suddenly called from outside the door.