Later, Geng Jing retrieved his white fox son from traffic officer Yumi Miyamoto. Kenji Hagiwara went there to clear some penalty points, raising an eyebrow as he looked at the junior officer before him.
"Junior, considering we're all like family here, can you go easy on us?"
"Senior, saying something like that means you knew you were breaking the rules."
Kenji Hagiwara, who had almost gotten his driver's license revoked, chose to keep his mouth shut. Knowing that very few people understood how an "artificial heart" worked, Geng Jing took it upon himself to explain.
"Are there any side effects to this artificial heart?"
"It needs to be charged frequently. If the heart runs out of power, the person might actually be gone."
"What do you mean by 'might'?"
"Since I haven't encountered the exact situation you're describing, I can only give a general estimate."
Geng Jing pulled out a list detailing the price of the artificial heart, the shipping fees, and the surgery costs. Kenji Hagiwara stared at the figures in disbelief and asked:
"Why is it five million again? And this time there's US dollars!"
"The dollar amount is the shipping fee from America. That's on me, don't worry about it."
Jinpei Matsuda felt a headache coming on. Wataru Takagi and the other officers widened their eyes at the staggering sum, but Geng Jing's next words finally let them breathe a sigh of relief.
"You only need to cover the medical expenses; someone else has already paid for the surgery."
Guangbai burrowed into Geng Jing's arms, looking intensely guarded. Whenever anyone came close or made a move, it bared its teeth, especially letting out fierce, scolding yips whenever Wataru Takagi appeared.
Though no one could catch every detail, the little creature was unmistakably chewing out Wataru for trying to steal its dad. Once it finished cursing, the little guy grew a bit thirsty. Geng Jing picked up a small basin and set it beside him for Guangbai to drink from, angering the fox so much it looked ready to start speaking human words.
"How do you charge this artificial heart? Can he still take a bath? And is there anything he isn't allowed to touch?"
"Basically, there shouldn't be any major issues. I have a dedicated power bank and charging cable right here, and I'll make a list of precautions for you in a moment."
Geng Jing stood off to the side, casting a glance at Wataru Date lying in the hospital bed. After pondering for a moment, he drew up two lists—one detailing precautions for the artificial heart, and the other covering diet and lifestyle guidelines—along with his own phone number.
"Call me if anything is uncertain. Of course, you guys will probably have to explain this to his girlfriend."
This hit right where it hurt. Out of the whole group of five, why was the squad leader the only one with a partner while the rest of them were still completely single?
"Do you have a partner?" Kenji Hagiwara asked out of curiosity. Did a heterochromic doctor this slender have any girls interested in him?
"Don't you guys?"
That single question drove a knife straight through both their hearts. Faced with Geng Jing's soul-searching query, Kenji Hagiwara clutched his chest in agony, utterly baffled as to why he was still single, while Jinpei Matsuda answered his phone with a deadpan expression.
"Hello, sis-in-law. The squad leader got into a car accident and is hospitalized. You can come see him whenever you have time."
"It's serious, but he's out of danger."
"There are also a few things you might need to come handle in person."
With that, Jinpei Matsuda hung up the phone. Since Geng Jing's pharmacy had police officers watching it, he wasn't in a hurry to rush back and close up. Midway through the night, a blonde woman with blue eyes rushed anxiously up to the hospital ward.
"E-Excuse me, is this Wataru Date's room?"
She was a bit out of breath. Geng Jing fetched a cup of water, handed it to her, and gestured for her to sit down and rest for a moment.
"Yes, it is. May I ask how you're related to him? If you're family, I have something very important to tell you."
"I... I'm his girlfriend. His parents live pretty far away, and we've recently been planning for our families to meet. Can you... tell me?"
Geng Jing thought about it and decided it was fine, but considering she was a young woman, he sat down as well and patiently explained:
"Here's the situation: your boyfriend got into a car accident and his heart was damaged. We replaced it with an artificial heart, which means the two of you will have to shoulder quite a few medical expenses going forward."
"So I suggest discussing this carefully with your parents. After all, you're the apple of their eye."
Natalie felt deeply warmed by Geng Jing's concern, but she stated firmly and righteously that it didn't matter.
"I appreciate your kindness, but I love him very much. We've been dating for seven years. As long as he can live a healthy life, I'm willing to pay no matter how expensive the medical bills are."
Geng Jing smiled, stood up, and opened the door for her. Inside lay Wataru Date, who had already regained consciousness. Natalie covered her mouth, her eyes welling with tears as she looked at her lover lying on the bed.
"Darling... I'm so glad you're okay!"
Natalie slumped over the bedside, tightly gripping her lover's hand, terrified that if she had been even a second later, she might never have seen him again. Fortunately, she had made it onto the flight to Tokyo.
"Don't cry... I could never bear to see you cry."
Wataru Date raised a hand to wipe the tears from the corner of his lover's eyes. Pink bubbles floated all around them. Kenji Hagiwara drank the beverage in his hand and gritted his teeth. "Why is this stuff so sour?"
Jinpei Matsuda frowned. "I think so too."
Yumi Miyamoto looked at the lemonade in her hand, confused. "Isn't lemonade supposed to be sour? They even added sugar to this one, how can it be that sour?"
Hearing this, the two men were shocked to discover that the drinks in their own hands were indeed lemonade. Weren't they supposed to be sour? Besides, Geng Jing had been the one who handed it to them.
Kenji Hagiwara pointed indignantly at the large cup of lemonade in Geng Jing's hand. "Then why is his large?!"
Yumi Miyamoto rolled her eyes speechlessly. "That was on the house. If you want one, go find someone willing to treat you."
Geng Jing drank his lemonade nonchalantly, cradling a cute little fox in his arms. A seemingly casual glance was enough to make a passing female bystander's heart skip a beat.
Kenji Hagiwara felt a stir of temptation. "Matsuda, why don't we go raise one too?"
"Let's talk about that once you can actually afford Geng Jing's surgery fees," Jinpei Matsuda sneer-laughed. "I wouldn't want this furry little monster joining you in eating and living the high life at my expense."
Sure enough, he was still holding a grudge over three months of a meatless diet. Although Jinpei Matsuda was spewing sarcasm, he was speaking the absolute truth, which led him to think of an alternative approach.
"Mr. Geng Jing, let's become sworn brothers today!"
Geng Jing yanked back the hem of his jacket, instinctively taking a large step backward. His frowning expression seemed to say that the other guy didn't just have a severe mental condition—he was completely hopeless.
Jinpei Matsuda covered his face, making it clear he didn't know this man. He seriously suspected that the bomb blast had fried his brain too, and perhaps he should have just let him die in that explosion so he wouldn't have to stand here embarrassing himself.
The little white fox vigilantly lowered its body to shield Geng Jing, bared its teeth, and lunged at the ingratiating Kenji Hagiwara, landing a flurry of tiny punches.
"Guangbai!"
"Hagiwara!"
Cradling his "son," Geng Jing offered a solemn apology to Kenji Hagiwara, while the victim continued to flash a silly, goofy grin and said it was nothing. Jinpei Matsuda sat out on the balcony with a lifeless expression, smoking a cigarette as he made a phone call.
"Hiromitsu, are you guys still looking for people over there?"
"It's nothing, I just suddenly saw the light. I'll come join you guys."
Let Kenji Hagiwara eat dog food all by himself; he had too much pride to throw away his dignity like this.