Chapter Forty: Something Happened

I took a deep breath, fighting through the numbness in my legs that had left them nearly senseless, and coaxed her patiently.

"Don't worry, I’m not going anywhere..."

As if hearing my voice, Ji Leqing slowly loosened her grip. The furrow between her brows smoothed out, and her breathing gradually steadied.

I was finally able to get up. I gripped my knees and struggled to rise, but the moment I stood, a jolt of electricity-like numbness surged from the soles of my feet up to my thighs. It felt like needles pricking my skin; every step I tried to take doubled the pain.

"Sss!"

I couldn't help it, drawing in a sharp, cold breath. Damn it, it felt like I’d stepped on a live wire—numb and agonizing. I couldn't stand it!

I was stuck; I couldn't move, yet I couldn't stay. Gritting my teeth, I forced myself forward, wincing with every step.

"Jiang Jian, what are you doing?"

I turned to see Ji Leqing sitting up, her eyes bleary with sleep, staring at me with confusion.

I gave an awkward smile. "Sorry for waking you. My legs were just a bit numb, it's nothing."

"How could your legs go numb for no reason?" Ji Leqing asked, looking at the silk quilt on her body with belated realization. "Why am I lying on the sofa?"

"You fell asleep leaning on me, and I just wanted you to be more comfortable."

A flash of embarrassment crossed her face. "I didn't say anything in my sleep, did I?"

I thought for a moment and shook my head. "No. I just woke up myself. Sorry to have kept you watching over me."

Ji Leqing stood up and walked over, placing a hand on my forehead. A look of relief softened her features. "At least your fever is down. Don't go out until your cold is completely gone."

"Right. And how were my test results? Did Lin Xingfan leave them on the table for you last night? Did you look at them?"

At the mention of last night, Ji Leqing’s gaze flickered, and she gave an unnatural cough.

"Cough, cough. Yes, I checked. The data looks fine, and there haven't been any adverse reactions—it’s actually a precedent. I scanned your report and sent it to Professor Chen. Your data might be the critical turning point in moving the research forward."

I hadn't expected to be of such value. Beyond the surprise, I felt a sense of comfort; a dying man could still make a contribution to scientific research in the final days of his life.

Half-jokingly, I added, "Well, if I don’t make it in the end, I’ll donate my body for medical research."

Suddenly, her expression shifted. "Hush, hush, hush! Don't say such things. You’ll definitely recover; you won't be needing to donate your body!"

I saw her eyes redden, a shimmer of tears forming. "I'm sorry, Leqing, I..."

Ji Leqing turned away, wiping her eyes quickly. "Go back to your room and rest. I have things to attend to."

With that, she brushed past me and hurried toward her room.

Left alone in the vast living room, I watched her go and let out a heavy, lingering sigh.

After the fever broke, the body aches subsided, but my head was still spinning. Just as I lay down to get some sleep, my phone rang, startling me. I picked it up to see it was Zhao Xinze.

"Hello? What is it, Xinze?"

His voice on the other end was frantic. "Jiang Jian, you need to get to Xushuo immediately! Something went wrong with the second batch of goods!"

Xushuo was a veteran factory partner we’d worked with since Jian Xia and I started our business. They had rarely made mistakes over the years; they were a trusted partner. We had entrusted the Xunxing project to them, and Zhao Xinze went there periodically for inspections. If the first batch had been delivered successfully, it meant something had gone seriously wrong with the second.

I grabbed my car keys and headed out, ignoring the fact that I was still sick.

Ji Leqing happened to be walking out of her room and bumped into me. Seeing me in such a rush, she asked, "Where are you going?"

"Xinze said there’s a problem with the goods at Xushuo. I have to go check on it. I’m not sure when I’ll be back, so don't wait up for dinner."

Before she could say anything else, I hurried to the elevator.

Xushuo was in Danxi, over eighty kilometers away from Tianhai. I retrieved my car from Tianhe Court and headed straight for the highway. Fortunately, there were no traffic restrictions today, or I wouldn't have been able to go anywhere.

Once I hit the highway, I stepped on the gas. Zhao Xinze must have called me from the workshop; the background noise had been so loud I couldn't hear the specifics of the problem. But if it were a minor issue, he wouldn't be this agitated.

The Xunxing project was one of the few orders Jian Xia had secured recently, and the client had paid upfront. If we couldn't deliver on time, Jian Xia would truly be forced out of the industry.

Once I exited the highway and entered Danxi, my speed had to drop. Xushuo was in the opposite direction of the exit, meaning I had to cut straight through the heart of the city.

Danxi bordered Tianhai. Although it was a second-tier city, it relied heavily on tourism, and with it being summer vacation, it was packed with people. I was stuck in the middle of the road, surrounded by cars that were just as immobile as mine.

Some drivers were already losing their patience, honking incessantly. The cacophony made my already throbbing head feel like it was about to explode.

Damn it, what is the hold-up? Are the drivers in front eating dirt?!

I looked at the red-lined route on the navigation and regretted not taking the bypass around the outer ring.

The more I thought about it, the more irritable I became. I slammed my fist against the steering wheel. I wanted a cigarette, but I’d left my pack at home.

"Damn it!"

I rummaged through the glove box but couldn't even find a lighter. I had to resign myself to a frustrated sigh.

After nearly half an hour, the traffic finally began to creep forward. I followed suit, but my joy was premature; as soon as I reached the next district, we were gridlocked again.

Damn it, I’m never driving through the city center again. I could have reached Xushuo by now!

I checked the time—it was nearly three in the afternoon. I hoped to make it by six.

My phone rang again; it was Zhao Xinze.

"Jiang Jian, where are you? Why aren't you here yet?!"

"I'm in the Jianghuai District. It's so hot, and there are so many tourists—don't they have jobs? I was stuck in Chaonan District for half an hour. I don't know how much longer this will take. Just tell me what happened."

"You're a genius for driving through the city in peak tourist season," Zhao Xinze snapped. "The quality inspector at Xushuo was slacking off. He didn't catch a malfunction in the machining center, which caused errors in the dimensions when the blueprints were uploaded. We didn't realize until we tried to assemble the parts and nothing fit."

"And that bastard quit and ran off, claiming his elderly relative was hospitalized!"

"Now, a huge batch of raw materials is wasted. We have to reorder everything from the supplier, and we have to wait for the machining center’s headquarters to send a technician to fix the machines."

I frowned as I listened to the end.

God, what kind of mess is this?!