Chapter 38: The Old Man at the Nursing Home

The Sunset Glow Nursing Home is nestled within a neighborhood on the outskirts of Jiangcheng. Surrounded by lush greenery and filled with the sounds of birds and the scent of flowers, it feels like a secluded paradise far removed from the clamor of the world. Sunlight filters through sparse clouds, casting a glow over the courtyard, where some of the elderly residents sit or lie about, enjoying a rare moment of leisure.

Not far away, a white-haired old man with thin, silver locks is pushed into the shade by a caregiver. The old man’s face is vacant, his eyes hollow, as if he has completely lost consciousness. Saliva drips from the corner of his mouth, and his clothes are soiled and disheveled—clear signs that he has long been neglected. The caregiver is a thin, middle-aged woman with prominent cheekbones and a sharp, acerbic demeanor. Dressed in a worn uniform, her face is etched with wrinkles and an expression of impatience. She feeds the old man roughly, but the porridge spills from his mouth, staining his clothes and the ground.

"You old wretch, making me sweep the floor again!" The caregiver glares at him with fury. Checking left and right to ensure no one is watching, she delivers a sharp slap to his face.

*Smack!*

The blow lands, but the old man does not react. The caregiver sneers, her contempt growing more brazen. "What does it matter how glorious you were in your youth? You still ended up in a nursing home!"

Another slap follows, knocking the old man’s spectacles askew. She grips his arm tightly and snarls, "You useless old thing, why are you so good for nothing?"

Yet, the old man’s expression remains numb, as if he can no longer feel pain.

"Since you don't like to eat, I'll add a little something extra for you!" Her gaze falls on a urinal beside the wheelchair, filled with orange, foamy liquid.

Just as she reaches for it, a heavy blow knocks her unconscious. Chu Feng appears behind her, his face dark with rage. Though he had heard reports of nursing home abuse, he had never expected to witness it firsthand. Soon after, Xuanxuan emerges from behind. The two had disguised themselves as air conditioning repairmen to infiltrate the facility.

"Keep watch for me," Chu Feng says.

"Be careful," Xuanxuan replies with a concerned look before slipping away.

Chu Feng approaches the old man and attempts to rouse him, but there is no response. He frowns, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.

"No one seems to have noticed us," Xuanxuan says as she returns, looking at the old man with worry. "Could Elder Sun really have developed dementia? What should we do?"

Chu Feng thinks for a moment and decides to test his theory. He pulls a photograph from his pocket—a picture of Sun Jin with her daughter, Zhang Yanran. Upon seeing the photo, the old man’s pupils constrict sharply, as if something has stirred a memory deep within his soul.

Chu Feng seizes the opportunity. "Elder, I am here to help you escape. And I have discovered the truth about Sun Jin’s death."

The old man’s eyes gradually clear. He speaks slowly, "Who are you?"

Chu Feng is overjoyed; the old man had indeed been faking it. It is unimaginable how he managed to deceive so many eyes in this nursing home for all these years!

"I’m a classmate of Yanran’s. The situation is complex—we need to get you out of here now!" Chu Feng hefts the old man onto his back and prepares to leave.

Suddenly, several security guards appear, blocking their path. "Who goes there?" they shout, charging forward with rubber batons.

Chu Feng tells Xuanxuan to take the old man to safety while he handles the guards. Xuanxuan immediately pushes the wheelchair away at high speed. Donning a mask and a cap, Chu Feng moves like a blur, engaging the guards. Despite their numbers, his movements are agile and his strikes precise; he quickly knocks them down one by one.

Xuanxuan takes the chance to whisk the old man away. Chu Feng catches up to them at a street corner.

"Are you hurt?"

"Of course not. I even poured the contents of that urinal into the caregiver's mouth," Chu Feng says, quickening his pace.

"Disgusting!" Xuanxuan laughs.

The two help the old man into a van and depart immediately. At a fork in the road, Chu Feng pushes their three-thousand-yuan second-hand van into a ditch and switches to another vehicle, knowing that despite their disguises, they had likely been caught on surveillance.

In a basement, Zhang Yanran paces anxiously. She looks toward the door repeatedly, finding no sign of Chu Feng.

"Don't worry, the boss and the others will succeed," Mengzi reassures her.

"He is the only family I have left. If... if something happens to him, I truly don't know what I would do!" Zhang Yanran sobs.

"Yanran!" A weathered voice calls out.

As Zhang Yanran looks up, a hunched figure appears in the doorway, framed by the light from above. She freezes, thinking she is hallucinating. But as Chu Feng and the others step forward, she realizes it is no dream.

"Grandfather!" Zhang Yanran cries, rushing forward to embrace him.

Sun Guangming, once a titan of Jiangcheng, has been reduced to a frail, hunched old man. Seeing his granddaughter, he, too, is moved to tears.

In his office, Zhang Fuqiang is organizing contracts when Nina enters, walking with a feline grace and a smile. "Boss, there is a banquet tonight that you need to attend," she says seductively.

Zhang Fuqiang smiles, pulls her into his arms, and lifts her chin. "You’ve arranged everything for me?"

"Of course. Don't I deserve a reward?" Nina tosses her hair and wraps her arms around him.

Just as Zhang Fuqiang leans in, his phone rings. "Hello? Didn't I tell you not to call my office unless it's something important?" he snaps, his brow furrowing with irritation.

The voice on the other end trembles. "Brother Qiang, it’s bad! It’s terrible!"

"Spit it out, damn you!" Zhang Fuqiang roars.

Nina, seeing he is on the phone, stands up to pour coffee. As she rises, Zhang Fuqiang playfully slaps her shapely backside. "Ah! Pay attention to me too!" Nina pouts in her native tongue.

The voice on the phone stammers, "Elder Sun... Elder Sun has been kidnapped by a group of unidentified people!"

Zhang Fuqiang bolts upright. "You useless idiots! I gave you a dozen guards, and you couldn't watch one old man? Who are they?"

"Two young people, a man and a woman. They were highly skilled," the voice reports.

"Get Ying Tianlong here immediately! Even if you have to search the entire city, find them!"

"Yes!"

The call ends, and Zhang Fuqiang’s face turns an abysmal shade. With Sun Guangming gone, could the secrets of the past have been unearthed?