The next morning, Xu Yanran, who had been tormented all night by the Proud World Dragon Emperor, suddenly received a call from the hospital: her younger brother Xu Yi had been disfigured due to a doctor's medication error!
"Honey, honey, something terrible!"
Completely naked, Xu Yanran quickly shook the Proud World Dragon Emperor, who was sleeping soundly beside her, then scrambled out of bed to pick up the scattered underwear from the floor and began dressing.
"What's wrong, Yanran?"
The Proud World Dragon Emperor rubbed his sleepy eyes and looked at his girlfriend.
"Hurry, to the hospital—Xu Yi's in trouble!"
Xu Yanran pulled on her coat while picking up the Proud World Dragon Emperor's clothes from the floor and tossing them onto the bed, her voice clearly choked with tears.
"What! Xu Yi's in trouble?"
The Proud World Dragon Emperor wore a look of "shock" and quickly began dressing as well.
Half an hour later, the Proud World Dragon Emperor brought a tear-streaked Xu Yanran to the hospital where Xu Yi was being treated and met with the hospital director, Hao Shuohua.
"Director Hao, how is my girlfriend's brother doing now?"
The Proud World Dragon Emperor looked at Director Hao with a face full of "anxiety." Seeing her boyfriend so concerned for her brother, Xu Yanran felt a surge of gratitude.
"I'm terribly sorry. Our doctor made a grave error while changing the patient's bandages, mistaking a bottle of concentrated sulfuric acid for the correct one, causing extensive facial burns. We've already dismissed the doctor involved!"
After speaking, Director Hao subtly winked at the Proud World Dragon Emperor.
"Director, where is my brother now?"
Xu Yanran's mind was in turmoil, completely missing Director Hao's subtle gesture. All she could think about was Xu Yi's safety.
"The patient has been moved to the intensive care unit with dedicated supervision. Please follow me!"
Director Hao made a "please" gesture and led the Proud World Dragon Emperor and Xu Yanran to the ICU on the second floor of the hospital.
"Ah! Xu Yi!"
Through the glass wall of the ICU, the moment Xu Yanran saw Xu Yi's unrecognizable face, tears streamed down her cheeks uncontrollably.
"Please, come in!"
Director Hao gently turned the door handle and addressed the expressionless Proud World Dragon Emperor and the sobbing Xu Yanran.
The Proud World Dragon Emperor entered the ward and, seeing Xu Yi's face up close, furrowed his brow, muttering inwardly: *They really went all out.*
Xu Yi's face was now completely unrecognizable. Twisted, hole-like scars covered every inch, pitted and uneven like the surface of the moon.
"Xu Yi... Xu Yi..."
Xu Yanran threw herself beside her brother's hospital bed, gripping the edge, and wailed loudly.
"Mm... mm! Mmm!"
Hearing his sister's voice, Xu Yi barely opened his slit-like eyes. The moment he saw the Proud World Dragon Emperor, he raised a trembling hand, his whole body shaking violently.
"When the patient opened his mouth, the sulfuric acid flowed into his throat, burning his vocal cords. He'll likely never speak again, alas!"
Director Hao looked at Xu Yi, now a grotesque sight, and couldn't help but feel pity. He sighed and covered his face with his hand.
"Mm! Mm!"
Xu Yi's outstretched hand curled into a claw, and he lunged forward, grabbing the Proud World Dragon Emperor's shirt hem, holding on tightly.
The Proud World Dragon Emperor felt a strong pull and was involuntarily yanked forward a few steps.
"Xu Yi! Good brother! I know you've suffered. Don't worry—I'll get justice for you!"
The Proud World Dragon Emperor discreetly grabbed Xu Yi's hand gripping his shirt, prying open his fingers with hidden force while speaking soothingly, pressing Xu Yi's hand back onto the bed.
"Director Hao, tell me: what's the name of the doctor who did this to my brother? And why was he fired without notifying us first?"
Xu Yanran's chest heaved with anger, her face cold as ice as she addressed Director Hao.
"Director Hao, your hospital caused such a major medical accident. If you can't offer us satisfactory compensation, I, Bai Heng, will not let this go!"
Before Director Hao could respond, the Proud World Dragon Emperor grabbed him by the collar and shouted harshly.
"Yes, compensation—we must have compensation!"
At the mention of money, Xu Yanran's attention shifted immediately, her earlier questions forgotten.
"Alright, alright! We'll pay, we'll pay!"
Director Hao pleaded repeatedly, and only then did the Proud World Dragon Emperor release his collar. Straightening his crooked tie, Director Hao said, "The patient is too agitated right now, which is bad for his recovery. Why don't you both come to my office to discuss the compensation details? Let him rest. What do you say?"
The Proud World Dragon Emperor couldn't wait to get away from Xu Yi's hideous face. Seizing Director Hao's cue, he turned to Xu Yanran and said, "Yanran, Director Hao has a point. Let's go to his office and let Xu Yi rest."
"Honey, you're so good to me!"
Xu Yanran glanced back at her brother's scarred face, tears spilling again. She looked at the Proud World Dragon Emperor with gratitude.
"This way, please."
The elderly Director Hao, with half-gray hair, bent over and opened the ICU door, gesturing for the Proud World Dragon Emperor and Xu Yanran to enter.
"Mm! Mm!"
From the slit of his swollen eyes, Xu Yi saw them about to leave and grew agitated again, letting out a beast-like roar. If one listened closely, the sound vaguely resembled "Bai Heng"!
The entire morning, the Proud World Dragon Emperor and Xu Yanran haggled with Director Hao in his office. After two or three hours of back-and-forth, thanks to the Proud World Dragon Emperor's "vigorous mediation," Xu Yanran secured a seven-figure compensation!
Leaving the office, Xu Yanran dragged the Proud World Dragon Emperor to go shopping at luxury stores, never once mentioning returning to the ward to see her brother.
With Xu Yi dealt with, the Proud World Dragon Emperor was in high spirits. He wrapped an arm around Xu Yanran, smiled, and readily agreed.
Thus, the main culprits of the "Jinsong Ridge Incident" were either dead or ruined. The Proud World Dragon Emperor thought that no matter how resourceful Heng Yun Group—where Heng Yuwei worked—might be, they'd never trace it back to him.
After leaving the hospital, the Proud World Dragon Emperor shopped with Xu Yanran until afternoon, then hurried back to his general manager's office. He retrieved a photo of Xu Yi from HR, used a 3D printer to create a mask, logged into Xu Yi's account, and entered the game.
"Ding! Note: Deleting a character requires facial recognition. Please align your face with the camera."
A prompt sounded. The Proud World Dragon Emperor put on the Xu Yi mask and leaned toward the camera.
"Ding! Facial recognition passed. Do you wish to delete the character 'Proud Little Wild'?"
A cold smirk spread beneath the mask as the Proud World Dragon Emperor selected "Confirm."