A clipped voice cut through the secure line. "This is Xiao Zha. Hexagonal — last cells located in Beijing. Lady Dragon commands all main forces to converge for Operation Demize. Move at sunset tomorrow." Xiao Zha stepped away from the OR doors, speaking like an officer giving orders; her voice was composed, but her fingers kept finding the seam of her jacket. Wen Zhin and Xiao Zhi came up behind her. "How is she? Any news?" Wen Zhin asked, eyes wide, his hands gripping Xiao Zha's as if he could anchor himself to a better answer. "I..." Her phone rang, interrupting her before she could reply him. "Xiao Zha, I heard about Zhao Zhao. Is she okay? I was wondering why Lao Zhan didn't come to the meeting, but didn't think this would be the case," he said, his voice calm but with the faintest edge of concern. "Wait… Lao Zhan didn't come to the meeting? And he's not here either… Shit!" she exclaimed, hanging up and frantically searching her phone to call Lu Lu, but there was no answer. She quickly called Wen Qin, informing her about both Lu Lu and Lao Zhan going missing.
She was still speaking to Wen Qin when the doctors emerged from the OR. "Doctor, how is my big sister?" Wen Zhin asked, fear flickering in his eyes as he gripped the doctor's hand, hoping for good news. "She's stable for now, but still in critical condition," the doctor explained. "Even though the bullet grazed where her vital organs are, she somehow avoided major damage. The first 24 hours are crucial, so she'll be kept in the ICU for close monitoring. With any luck, she should start waking in a few hours, but because she hadn't been resting enough, it will take longer for her to wake up," he said, his face covered with sweat as if he had come from running. After he had left, two female nurses came rolling me out of the OR on a stretcher, the rhythmic beeping of monitors following them down the corridor. They stepped aside to let them pass then followed them to the ICU where I will be staying for the first 24 hours. They were waiting anxiously outside my ward when Xiao Zha got a phone call from Zhen Xueqing, her assistant.
She stepped away to answer it. "I found out that Lady boss' shooting was a hit called by the new leader of the Hexagonal gang. About both Lu Lu and Lao Zhan going missing, it was also arranged by the new leader, but that's not something that will shock you," she said, her words clipped and steady, but there was an edge in her voice. "The new leader of the Hexagonal Gang is Laoxin, and Wen Zhou is his brother," she said, dropping the bomb. The words lingered in the corridor, heavy and impossible to ignore. In Xiao Zha's mind, memories of Lao Zhan's warnings about Laoxin resurfaced like a warning siren. Wen Qin, who had just arrived, noticed the look on Xiao Zha's face and immediately understood — Lao Zhan had been right all along. Rushing to her side, she asked for details. As Xiao Zha explained the situation, Wen Qin pieced together everything that had been happening, the events suddenly falling into place like a grim puzzle. "This operation might be dangerous," she said to Xiao Zha, her eyes flicking briefly with worry. "Wen Zhin will stay with Xiao Zhi to take care of Zhao Zhao," then she turned toward my ward without another word.
The sun hung low in the sky, its orange light spilling across the horizon. Shadows stretched long as the day slowly faded. The streets were eerily empty, as if the world itself had stopped. Two figures emerged from the hospital doors, moving toward the parking lot. Wen Zhin stayed outside my ward, his eyes heavy with fear and unease, dreading that history might repeat itself. And there I lay, inside the ICU, seemingly peaceful, while the world beyond my walls teetered on the edge of war.