Chapter 38: The Truth Revealed

Zhou Yi strode into the hospital room. There were three beds, and his grandfather’s was the one in the far corner by the window. Sitting beside the bed was a chubby young man with long, unkempt hair, bouncing his leg incessantly. This was his cousin, Zhou Kai. Zhou Kai grabbed an apple from the green metal cabinet, wiped it on his shirt, and took a massive, crunchy bite.

Just as he was about to speak with his mouth full, he turned his head and spotted Zhou Yi. Terrified, he instantly stopped his twitching leg and scrambled to his feet.

"Cousin."

Zhou Kai had feared Zhou Yi since childhood, a feeling that only intensified after Zhou Yi became a police officer. Zhou Yi frowned and gave a slight nod in acknowledgment. He had heard a snippet of conversation outside the door but had no intention of confronting anyone just yet; his grandfather had only just regained consciousness, and he couldn't afford to agitate him.

"Grandpa, I'm here to see you," Zhou Yi said softly. His eyes reddened as he watched his grandfather, who had been lying with his eyes tightly shut, slowly open them.

At this very moment, he felt a profound gratitude toward heaven for this chance at rebirth. Saving his grandfather mattered far more to him than any criminal case.

"Little Yi," his grandfather said in a weak, slow voice, "your aunt told me everything. If it weren't for you, this old man would be gone."

"Don't say that, Grandpa. You’re going to live to be a hundred," Zhou Yi replied with a smile, though his eyes brimmed with tears.

"Dad, I’m back! Are you alright? Dad!" A booming voice came from the doorway as Zhou Jianye entered. "Hey, you’re awake! That’s good, that’s good," he said, walking over to the bed with a grin. "Our old man has a tough life."

His aunt, who had followed him in, rolled her eyes. "It’s only because he has a good grandson like Zhou Yi. Otherwise, he would have been killed by the second brother and his wife long ago."

"Third sister, keep it down, don't upset Dad," Zhou Jianye urged, well aware of the animosity between his sister and their second brother's wife.

Just then, Zhou Jianye noticed the cowering Zhou Kai. "Xiao Kai, you see your third uncle and don't even say hello? And what is this hairstyle? You look like a ghost. Can’t your father control you?"

"Th-third uncle, hello. I... I have somewhere to be, I'm leaving." With that, he kept his head down and scurried out.

Zhou Kai hurried out of the ward toward the exit, but a voice from behind made his entire body shudder.

"Zhou Kai!"

Zhou Kai turned his stiff body to see his cousin, Zhou Yi, walking toward him.

"Cousin, is something the matter?"

"The injury on your face—who hit you?" Zhou Yi reached out and brushed aside the boy's weed-like hair, revealing a dark purple bruise on his cheek.

"Nothing..." Zhou Kai started to deny it.

But Zhou Yi cut him off. "That wasn't a punch. That was a slap. Your father wouldn't have the heart to hit you like that. Tell me, what’s going on?"

"Cousin, it’s really nothing. Just some friends, messing around." Zhou Kai offered a sheepish smile, but Zhou Yi’s sharp, piercing gaze made his skin crawl.

He had always been intimidated by Zhou Yi due to their physical difference, but now that Zhou Yi was a cop, the mere sight of him in his uniform was enough to trigger a deep, primal fear. There was an intense, oppressive aura about him that made Zhou Kai’s knees tremble.

"Messing around?" Zhou Yi scoffed. "With the kind of 'messing around' you're doing, you'd be looking at a minimum of ten days in detention. Are you going to tell me now, or would you rather go back to the station and tell the police?"

"I... I..." Zhou Kai stammered, shivering.

"Did you get caught up in extortion?"

Zhou Kai remained silent.

"Gambling?"

Zhou Kai nodded, though he still said nothing.

"How much did you lose?"

"I... at first I won a few thousand. But then, I don't know what happened, my luck just kept getting worse and worse, and so..."

Zhou Yi didn't care for his excuses. "How much did you lose?"

Terrified, Zhou Kai held up two fingers. "Tw-twenty thousand."

"Twenty thousand?" Zhou Yi was skeptical. Twenty thousand in 1997 was a significant sum, but hardly enough to drive his second uncle and aunt to such desperate measures. "Just twenty thousand? Are you sure?"

Zhou Kai shuddered, his voice trembling with a sob. "I lost twenty thousand, but I didn't have the money... they said I could borrow it. But a few days ago, they said with the interest compounding, I now owe eighty thousand. They said if I don't pay, they’ll cut off my hands... boo-hoo..."

Finally, the truth was laid bare. A surge of fury erupted in Zhou Yi’s heart. Zhou Jianguo, you fool! To think you would do something so subhuman for the sake of this worthless, gluttonous son of yours! If not for his rebirth, his grandfather would have died in the grave, his grievances unaddressed. And Zhou Kai, this pathetic idiot, had clearly been set up. Gambling was a rigged game at the best of times, and these people had specifically targeted him.

This was more than just fraud; it was loan sharking and violent intimidation. A full-blown organized crime syndicate. Zhou Yi already had a plan forming.

"When do they expect the money?" Zhou Yi asked, suppressing his rage.

"N-next Monday at 7:00 PM. They said they're coming to our house to collect. They threatened to burn the house down if I ran. Boo-hoo..."

Zhou Yi finally understood why his third uncle had wanted to beat his own brother earlier. He felt a sudden, visceral urge to kick this wailing, useless cousin of his.

"Fine. Next Monday, have your parents at home waiting for me. I’ll be there before six. I’ll handle this."

Zhou Kai looked up in shock. "Cousin... they aren't afraid of the police."

*Oh? They aren't afraid of the police?*

*Good, good. That just means there’s an even better opportunity for a promotion!*

"Zhou Kai, listen to me. You can either choose to let them cut off your hands, and then I’ll arrest them and have them sentenced, or you can have your family of three sit at home and wait for me that night. Take your pick!"

It wasn't a hard choice. Zhou Kai nodded frantically like a chicken pecking for grain.

"Go. And get that mop of hair cut off! Do you hear me?"

"I hear you, I hear you!" Zhou Kai scrambled away as if pardoned from death row.

Zhou Yi found a public phone and dialed a number. After a few rings, a familiar voice answered: "Municipal Public Security Bureau, Criminal Investigation Detachment, Third Brigade. Who is this?"

"Brother Biao, it’s me, Zhou Yi."

"Oh, Zhou Yi! Why did you run off? Didn't have enough to drink last night?" Jiang Biao’s voice boomed over the line.

Zhou Yi winced, thinking to himself that he would rather die than drink alone with this man again. "Next time, let's talk about that next time. Brother Biao, where is Captain Wu? I’ve got another chance for a commendation here."