Chapter Fourteen: Alive and Unharmed

“Ha, just a small purple pebble,” Lin Tian remarked casually as he watched the images on the television.

Sure enough, as the woman fiddled with the console, a jade stone inside was revealed.

It was exactly as Lin Tian had described—only a very low-grade purple quality.

The quality of jade seen through the inspection roughly ranked as red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple.

Purple jade, ranking at the very bottom, was only slightly rarer than ordinary stones.

“Ah, what a pity,” the woman sighed, holding up the tiny, purple-glowing stone the size of a fingernail to the camera. “Though it's a bit below expectations, well, having something is better than nothing!”

Her melodious laughter reached Lin Tian’s ears, somehow making him feel a little better.

“But this is just a temporary setback. I believe next time we’ll find a jade with a cyan glow. Well then, that’s all for today’s show. If any of our viewers are interested in exploring jade, feel free to call the number below. See you next episode.”

The program ended abruptly and switched to advertisements.

Lin Tian turned off the TV, lay back on the bed, and closed his eyes to rest, though the images from the program lingered in his mind.

Suddenly, an idea struck him:

“Since I have the divine eye to perceive the mysteries within, why not use it to make a living?”

After all, this line of work seemed tailor-made for him—perfectly suited.

Having made up his mind, he resolved that once discharged from the hospital, he would try his luck outside. Maybe this could be his path to wealth.

Just then, Bai Yun returned with some food, her expression troubled, burdened with worry.

“What’s wrong?”

“N-nothing…”

Bai Yun had grown up under Lin Tian’s watchful eye, and he knew her well enough to see through her obvious mood.

“You’re definitely hiding something from me!”

Lin Tian grabbed her hand firmly, a bit frustrated, and demanded, “Look at me!”

Like a child caught in wrongdoing, Bai Yun timidly met his gaze and murmured, “Brother Lin, please don’t ask about this.”

“Hm?”

Lin Tian’s eyes widened in disbelief. Angrily, he said, “Do you know what you’re saying? Tell me everything, word for word!”

Bai Yun bit her lip, as if summoning immense courage, and said in a trembling voice, “When I was downstairs buying food, I met that uncle again. He…he pulled me aside and said since I have a hard life, he wanted to support me!”

She then gasped for air as if suffocating.

Lin Tian’s face twisted with fury, his anger reaching its peak. His teeth ground audibly as he asked, “And how did you respond to him?”

He swore that if Bai Yun uttered even one word of consent, they would sever all ties forever!

But she did not disappoint him. She said, “I refused him. I was afraid he’d keep pestering me, so I left before I even got my food. Sorry.”

“It's okay, it’s okay.”

Lin Tian was overjoyed. As long as Bai Yun hadn’t abandoned him and the children at the orphanage, he would rather starve!

“However...” Bai Yun suddenly added, “There was a customer in the shop just now talking about how the city’s underworld boss suddenly died at home yesterday. Apparently, he provoked someone he shouldn’t have.”

“Someone he shouldn’t have provoked?”

Lin Tian instinctively thought of the group of well-trained men in black he had seen on the street earlier, and nervously asked, “Did they say the underworld boss’s name?”

“Well... I think it was something like Sai... something. I’m not too sure.”

Hearing this, Lin Tian’s heart finally steadied.

Could this mean Lin Ruyu was safe?

That night, to let Lin Tian rest, Bai Yun planned to sleep in a chair by the bedside but was promptly shooed to the adjacent bed.

“Brother Lin, isn’t this a bit inappropriate?”

“What’s inappropriate about it? No one’s in the next bed anyway.”

As they chatted, the door suddenly creaked open. A tall, beautiful woman strode in, her once-high ponytail limp and disheveled, her steps unsteady.

“Finally got rid of them... Honestly, I knew they’d just want me to go back. So annoying!”

Since being rescued yesterday afternoon from that detestable thug’s villa by her family’s security team through forceful means, she had been annoyed by these followers all the time—except for the brief moment of joy when she witnessed Sai Ruyu get a bullet to the head.

Her quiet complaint was interrupted as she glanced forward and suddenly gasped, “It’s you!”

Lin Tian was equally surprised to see her here again and was momentarily lost for words.

Bai Yun looked at the woman once, then asked, “Brother Lin, do you know her?”

“Yes,” Lin Tian nodded, feeling a bit guilty and avoiding her gaze.

Seemingly aware of his discomfort, Lin Ruyu smiled and walked over teasingly.

“Sorry to disappoint you—I’m very much alive.”

Lin Tian bowed his head in shame.

Bai Yun looked around, confused. “What do you mean?”

Lin Ruyu snorted haughtily and rolled her eyes. “Little sister, haven’t you been to school?”

Bai Yun shook her head innocently. “I have. I’m in ninth grade and will graduate at the end of the year.”

Apparently, Lin Ruyu hadn’t met someone like her before, so she refrained from further mockery and instead sat down beside Lin Tian’s bed.

“You’re injured?”

She frowned, annoyed. “Didn’t I tell you to leave first? Why are you still hurt? Where?”

Lin Tian nodded listlessly, “Not badly.”

Lin Ruyu didn’t quite believe him. She abruptly shifted her attitude and turned to question Bai Yun.

Seeing that Lin Tian made no objection, Bai Yun recounted everything in detail.

When Lin Ruyu heard about the orphanage fire, the director’s self-sacrifice, and the culprits still roaming free, she was furious beyond words.

“Outrageous! Are those two cops just decorations? Letting them get away like that?”

The more she spoke, the angrier she grew; her expression even seemed to distort. She pulled out the latest flagship iPhone.

As she typed a series of messages to someone saved as “Brother Li,” neither of the two in the room could imagine the immense consequences this would bring.

At that very moment, outside the hospital, a phone lit up inside a black limousine.

“It’s from the young lady!”

The man in black, who had earlier interrogated Lin Tian, suddenly sat up, eyes following the screen, then said, “Guys, we’ve got work to do!”