Chapter 788 — Kang Zhaoming's Self-Mutilation

"A word in private? Whatever you've got to say, say it here. Out with it, I'm busy!" The battle-axe of a nurse had never thought much of this Wang Shubin — the nerve of him, calling her "auntie" earlier. What was he, blind?

"Uh..." Wang Shubin hastily dug through his trouser pocket and fished out a few hundred yuan. He had no idea where his wallet had gone; there wasn't much left. A quick count — just over four hundred, some of it in loose change. But it was all he had. There was no time to run to the bank, so he steeled himself and said, "Um, Nurse... sister, could you grant me one request?"

"What do you take me for? Watched one too many Japanese films, have you? I'm a decent woman — none of your filthy ideas!" The nurse shot him a look of contempt. "Besides, you think a pittance like that buys my dignity? In your dreams!"

"Huh?" Wang Shubin was taken aback — he knew she had gotten the wrong idea. A woman like that, and she wouldn't do it for four hundred? He wouldn't take her if she came free. But he needed a favor, so he had to swallow his pride. "I'm sorry, Nurse sister, you've misunderstood. I don't have any filthy ideas — I just want to ask you about something."

"Ask about something? What something?" Hearing that he meant no funny business, the nurse's expression softened a little. Four hundred yuan for a bit of information was worth it — depending on what he wanted to know. If it was trivial, telling him did no harm. But if he was after hospital secrets, then no deal; she'd have to kiss that four hundred goodbye.

"It's like this. My boss... I mean, this Young Master Ming here..." Wang Shubin pointed at Kang Zhaoming on the sickbed and went on, "He wants to court one of the nurses in your hospital, so he'd like to ask about her..."

"Oh, why didn't you say so!" The nurse snatched the bills from Wang Shubin's hand and stuffed them into her pocket. "Ask away. Whatever I know, I'll tell you!"

This sort of thing, the nurse could talk about. And it didn't count as taking a red envelope — it was pay for labor outside her job scope, so she could pocket it with a clear conscience.

"That nurse is called Guan Xin — she's in your surgery department too?" Seeing an opening, Wang Shubin pressed on.

"Guan Xin, ah, I know her. The belle of our surgery department. What do you want to know?" The nurse knew nothing of Guan Xin's background, so she had no qualms about gossiping behind her back.

"Nurse sister, my boss checked in here precisely for Guan Xin's sake. But we don't even know what illnesses she handles, and we can't get anywhere near her!" Wang Shubin said, somewhat at a loss. "Kind Nurse sister, could you point us the way?"

"Oh, that's simple. Guan Xin handles wound dressing — injections and such are not her job. If you want to see her, you need an injury. Otherwise you could catch a cold and die here and still never lay eyes on her!" said the nurse.

"I see. Looks like we went the wrong direction!" Wang Shubin cast Kang Zhaoming a look of sympathy. All that suffering from the cold had apparently been for nothing — he hadn't even caught a glimpse of Guan Xin.

"All right, I'm off if there's nothing else. Figure it out yourselves." With that, the nurse sashayed away. Four hundred-odd yuan for a few words — well worth it!

"Damn it!" Kang Zhaoming was furious, slapping the sickbed in vexation. "Had I known, I'd have done some reconnaissance first — then I wouldn't have suffered like this!"

"True, Young Master Ming. But for now we've no choice but to cure the cold first..." Zhu Xiaozhang echoed with a sigh.

"Cure what? Didn't that hag just say I'm more or less recovered? Hurry up and think of a way to get me close to Guan Xin!" Kang Zhaoming was anxious. Remembering how he'd seen Guan Xin with that slut Xiaofen earlier, he felt uneasy — he had no idea what their relationship was, or whether Xiaofen had spilled the beans about the two of them.

Still, Kang Zhaoming figured she probably hadn't. It was a rather shameful matter for Xiaofen — surely she wouldn't air her own dirty laundry? Then again, that girl seemed a bit unhinged. If she did talk, who could say?

So Kang Zhaoming wanted to settle things with Guan Xin as soon as possible. Once he had her, everything else would be easy. Even if Guan Xin found out afterward, the rice would already be cooked — what did it matter?

"Young Master Ming, it's really the same trick as before. You just need to suffer a little more..." Wang Shubin said after a moment's hesitation.

"Oh? You mean..." Kang Zhaoming's eyes lit up.

"Young Master Ming, just cut a gash on your hand, then go find Guan Xin to bandage it. Isn't that the way?" Wang Shubin nodded in suggestion.

"You're right. Come on, do it now!" Kang Zhaoming held out his hand. "Get to it!"

"This..." Wang Shubin hesitated, not quite daring to make the cut. He'd have no problem slicing someone else, but cutting Kang Zhaoming — that he didn't dare. Who knew how deep to go? What if he cut too painfully?

"What 'this'? Hurry up!" Kang Zhaoming was getting impatient.

He had come to Songshan City bearing a heavy responsibility — his first time carrying out a task assigned by the family — so Kang Zhaoming did not want to fail. He knew he was a good-for-nothing playboy, fit only for this sort of work. If he couldn't even manage this, he'd truly have no standing left in the family.

"Xiaozhang, you do it..." Wang Shubin still didn't quite dare.

Zhu Xiaozhang was bolder than Wang Shubin. He was known as Brother Arrogant, but he was arrogant toward others — never toward Kang Zhaoming.

"Hurry up, what are you thinking?" Kang Zhaoming was getting anxious. "Over there — the IV bottle I used earlier still has a needle on it, doesn't it? Use that to cut me!"

"All right, Young Master Ming. Bear with it then!" Zhu Xiaozhang nodded, picked up the used IV needle from the table, steeled himself, and drew a small gash across Kang Zhaoming's arm.

"Hiss..." Kang Zhaoming sucked in a breath of cold air. It really hurt. But he'd told Zhu Xiaozhang to do it, so he couldn't very well blame him.

"Is that enough?" After the one cut, Zhu Xiaozhang didn't quite dare go on.

"That should do it, right?" Kang Zhaoming was hurting badly too. "Let's go — find Guan Xin and get it bandaged, quick!"

Kang Zhaoming couldn't be bothered about the IV still running; he yanked out the needle and dashed out of the ward.

It had to be said — Kang Zhaoming was occasionally rather lucky. Today Guan Xin happened to be on duty, and at that very moment she was in the surgery department's nurses' duty room.

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