Chapter 873: Lone Wolf

Bang! Bang!

A series of rough knocks shattered the midnight silence. The young man, yawning, opened the door to find a bloodied figure holding a knife to his neck. In a low voice, the man demanded, “I’m looking for Dr. Yang!”

Covered in blood and mud, the man seemed wounded. The young man nervously swallowed and replied, “I’ll take you to him right away.”

Seeing Zhou Xiao in such a state, Dr. Yang was visibly shocked. He emphasized that he was only a cosmetic surgeon and not skilled in surgery. Zhou Xiao, lying on the operating table, coldly stated, “As long as you’re not a vet, it’ll do.”

Dr. Yang sighed helplessly and instructed his apprentice to prepare surgical supplies.

Tonight in Long’an was restless. Dr. Yang had already heard rumors that a few hours ago, Lièguó Xiāo and over a dozen of his men were killed at their villa, gunfire echoing through the scene. This incident would shake both the underworld and the legitimate world, triggering a chain reaction.

Looking at the man before him, Dr. Yang had a good guess as to who was responsible…

Dr. Yang prepared the syringe, removed excess air, and wiped Zhou Xiao’s elbow with alcohol. As he prepared to inject, Zhou Xiao tightly gripped his wrist, eyes filled with distrust.

“Mr. Zhou, this is just a low concentration of morphine with some antibiotics. How will you endure the suturing without anesthesia?”

“I don’t need anesthesia!”

“You’ll be in excruciating pain…”

“I said no, take it away!”

“Fine, I’ll bring you some painkillers.”

After fetching the painkillers, Zhou Xiao swallowed ten tablets in one go, clearly suffering but unwilling to trust anyone now.

His injuries were severe; bullet wounds left his skin charred around the edges, blood seeping at the slightest touch. Three gunshot wounds, one bullet still lodged inside. Dr. Yang didn’t dare attempt its removal, only cleaning the surrounding flesh and disinfecting before suturing.

As Dr. Yang excised the damaged tissue, Zhou Xiao’s brows furrowed, sweat beads forming on his forehead. He endured in silence, hands gripping the edge of the surgical table.

After the most troublesome vein was sutured, the apprentice breathed a sigh of relief. “Mr. Zhou, did you take down all of Lièguó Xiāo’s men by yourself? You’re quite the hero!”

Zhou Xiao turned his eyes sharply, glaring at him. Dr. Yang cleared his throat, changing the subject, “Did the police come to investigate me?”

“Uh… Song Lang came once. He’s not exactly a cop, right? But I didn’t say anything. You can rest assured, I keep the strictest confidentiality in this field… Done. I don’t have any blood bags here for you to use. With such severe blood loss, I recommend you rest for a few days.”

Zhou Xiao pressed the bandage on his thigh. “The bullet is still inside?”

Dr. Yang awkwardly replied, “We don’t have the conditions for surgery here. If we accidentally sever a blood vessel, it would be troublesome. You must take antibiotics and rest these next few days.” He handed a bottle of pills to Zhou Xiao.

“How much do I owe you?”

“No need, we’re friends!”

Dr. Yang tried to appease him, hoping this wild beast would leave soon. Once he did, he locked all bolts and locks securely, not opening until dawn.

Zhou Xiao nodded and told his apprentice, “Get me a cigarette.”

The apprentice produced a pack of Yuxi and handed one to Zhou Xiao. As he reached to light it, Zhou Xiao’s right hand grabbed a surgical knife, swiftly slicing the apprentice’s neck. The young man clutched his bleeding neck, staggering back, hitting a shelf with a loud crash. Blood gushed out, making horrible gurgling sounds. His head quickly slumped to the side, eyes losing their light.

Dr. Yang was trembling in fear, urine soaking his pants.

Zhou Xiao’s cigarette was splattered with blood as he took a deep drag. Inhaling tar, nicotine, and blood together, he asked, “Why were you asking about me? Planning to betray me?”

Zhou Xiao grabbed a coat and draped it over himself, then turned to Dr. Yang. Dr. Yang fell to his knees, begging, “Mr. Zhou, spare me. I won’t utter a word to anyone. You know my discretion is the strictest in the industry!”

Zhou Xiao patted Dr. Yang’s head. “Alright, I’ll let you go.”

Just as Dr. Yang sighed in relief, scissors stabbed violently into his neck. Zhou Xiao grinned, cigarette dangling, “Free you forever from the cage of skin and flesh!”

Despite feeling exhausted, he remembered his teacher’s advice: after killing, no matter how much you want to rest, you must leave immediately. False sense of safety was the easiest way to sink into trouble.

He took some money, painkillers, cigarettes, and a surgical knife from the scene. The dagger had lost its edge, dragging his injured leg as he limped away.

The cold wind outside felt refreshing against his feverish skin. In the distance, sirens blared loudly, numerous police rushing to the scene. From tonight onward, police and underworld alike would hunt him down frantically. Leaving town would be difficult; he had to weather this storm.

A limping man on the sidewalk caught the attention of a passing policeman. The patrol car screeched to a halt in front of Zhou Xiao, a young officer stepping out. He wore a crisp uniform with a shiny badge, his gun belt gleaming.

The policeman saluted. “Let me see your ID!”

Zhou Xiao handed over his ID, which the officer examined carefully, cross-referencing with his police communicator. Frowning, he studied Zhou Xiao’s face.

“Mr. Sun?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

“What happened to your face?”

Zhou Xiao wiped the blood from his cheek and calmly replied, “Just a minor scuffle. Can you believe girls these days? So uncivilized—they actually started a fight and scratched me. They even snatched my phone. Now I can’t even call a cab; I have to walk home… Officer, could you lend me some money for a cab?”

“Uh, here’s a dollar for the bus. There should still be a late-night service.”

“Thank you so much.”

The officer returned his ID and saluted again. “Hurry home; it’s not safe out here tonight.”

“Goodbye!”

Zhou Xiao nodded with a smile, greedily eyeing the officer’s pert buttocks.

Where to next? His hiding place was no longer safe. He was hungry now, craving something to eat…