Officialdom: The beautiful leader took me to the top

Although deep down he didn't want his son to have too much contact with these people, the father wasn't exactly an old-fashioned, conservative person.

To be a police officer, you can't stay the same; you have to be involved with all sorts of people, both the legitimate and criminal worlds.

If you were to be completely law-abiding, you wouldn't be a good police officer at all.

Therefore, Mr. Li never investigates his son's social circle, nor does he stop his son from making friends.

Based on his confidence in his son, Mr. Li believed that no matter who his son befriended, he would definitely remain untainted by the corrupting influence of others.

Besides, since she was able to come to his hospital room, she must have already gained her son's approval.

If they were truly not good friends, he would probably have been kicked out by his son long ago.

Since she has gained her son's approval, even if she's not very good, she certainly can't be that bad.

Mr. Li himself was not highly educated and had never attended university.

But he knew a truth: the most righteous are often the lowly butchers, while the most ungrateful are often the scholars.

Heroes come from all walks of life, and those from humble backgrounds are more likely to go to great lengths for their sons when they are in trouble!

Seeing his son chatting happily with the two men, Mr. Li asked, "Xiao Dong, are these two your friends?"

Li Dong introduced them to his father, "Dad, this is Li San, and this is Zou Qi. They are friends I met outside."

"They are in business and are very supportive of my work."

Upon hearing this, Li San and Zou Qi immediately stepped forward and bowed respectfully to Li's father, saying, "Hello, Uncle."

"We are both from the underworld and have little education. We are only considered friends because of Brother Dong's kindness."

"We learned today that your uncle is hospitalized, so we came here specifically to visit you and wish you a speedy recovery."

Mr. Li nodded and gestured, saying, "Since they are all Xiao Dong's friends, there's no need to be so polite."

"Xiao Dong, quickly invite your friends to sit down and pour them two more glasses of water."

Upon hearing this, Li Dong also picked up the kettle from the ground.

Li San quickly waved his hand, "No, no, Uncle, we're not thirsty."

Zou Qi had already taken the water cup first and took it from Li Dong's hand. "Brother Dong, don't be busy. Taking care of Uncle is the priority. I'll pour it for Third Brother myself."

Mr. Li's words really frightened Zou Qi.

Should he ask Li Dong to pour him some water?

If this gets out, how will he ever be able to survive in the martial arts world?

Besides, his feelings for Li Dong weren't just based on interests, but on genuine respect, the kind that comes from the bottom of his heart.

He would risk his life for Li Dong even without any personal gain!

After all, he had a lot of experience with the police profession before.

He wouldn't comment on the other police officers, but Li Dong was definitely the one he respected the most in his life!

If Li Dong isn't worthy of his respect, then no police officer is worthy of his respect.

Seeing how polite the two were, Mr. Li added, "Xiao Dong is a straightforward boy, and he's always been very grateful for the understanding and help he receives from you all."

"If Xiaodong does anything wrong in the future, please give him your advice."

Li San rubbed his palms together, a simple and honest smile on his face. "Uncle, you're being too polite."

"Brother Dong has been incredibly kind to us. We would never hesitate to help him, even if it meant going through fire and water."

"Besides, Brother Dong is an open and honest person who knows how to act appropriately. He's always the one helping us, so why should we be the ones giving him advice?"

Zou Qi chimed in, handing the poured water to Li's father's bedside, "Uncle, you don't know, Brother Dong is our benefactor."

"They not only helped us find legitimate jobs, but also taught us how to be good people and how to do things."

“Back when we were in the underworld, all we cared about was profit.”

"After following Brother Dong, I finally understood what a bottom line is."

"It's a blessing for us two brothers to have Dong Ge as a friend!"

Upon hearing this, Mr. Li nodded, "I feel much more at ease as a father knowing that you think this way."

"Xiao Dong has been stubborn since he was a child."

“Especially in the police force, where you walk on the edge of a knife, having a few true friends like you by my side makes me feel much more at ease.”

Just as they were talking, the ward door was pushed open again.

Song Ci and Li's mother came over one after the other, each with Niannian and Tongtong.

Upon seeing Song Ci, Li San and Zou Qi immediately became tense.

They held Li Dong in awe, deeply impressed by his personal charisma.

However, in addition to respecting Song Dynasty poetry, I also feel a bit of fear towards it.

Song Ci possesses a natural intimidating aura, especially for those of them who come from the martial arts world; it can be described as absolute suppression.

In addition, Song Ci's character and conduct made them both very respectful of her, despite her young age. They dared not overstep their bounds in front of her.

When speaking to Song Ci, he was even more respectful than when speaking to Li Dong.

Without anyone asking, the two stood up and called out, "Sister-in-law!"

Li San and Zou Qi were both quite old, and they were both from the martial arts world.

Especially Zou Qi, who was in his early forties, dressed in gold and silver and had a buzz cut, exuding the aura of a big boss.

Now, in front of Song Ci, this young girl, he behaves as properly as a primary school student.

Such a contrast inevitably makes people feel a little strange.

But Song Ci herself didn't feel anything was wrong.

Instead, he nodded with a normal expression, as if it were the proper thing to do, handling the matter with perfect sense of proportion, moderation, and distance from relatives.

"Third Brother, Seventh Brother, you've arrived."

The way Li San and Zou Qi addressed Li Dong as "sister-in-law" was due to Li Dong's status as a police officer, and had nothing to do with his age.

The reason Song Ci called him "Third Brother" and "Seventh Brother" was because of Li Dong's age.

Li Dong addressed the two of them in this way, and as Li Dong's wife, she would certainly follow his lead.

Song Ci led Niannian to the bedside, tucked the blanket around Li's father, and then looked up at the two of them. "Thank you for making the trip. My dad is fine and will be discharged in the next day or two."

Zou Qi became even more respectful, "Sister-in-law, what are you saying? Dong Ge's father is our elder, so it's only right that we come to visit him."

"Actually, we knew yesterday that our uncle was hospitalized. My brother and I wanted to come over, but we were afraid that the hospital would be too busy and we didn't want to cause any trouble, so we waited until today."

Song Ci said with a hint of reproach, "You're here, why buy anything? You're not an outsider."

Li San felt a warmth in his heart. "Sister-in-law, these are just small gifts, for nourishing the body. As long as Uncle can use them, that's fine."

“We’re all roughnecks and don’t know anything about tonics, so we just pick ordinary things.”

"If you don't think it's appropriate, we'll take it away now."

Song Ci smiled faintly and gently rubbed Niannian's head. "No need, we've already brought it. Thank you for your thoughtfulness."

Only after Song Ci said those words did the two of them breathe a sigh of relief.

In their view, men are responsible for external affairs while women are responsible for internal affairs.

Now that they've come to Li Dong's father's bedside, they wouldn't dare cause Li Dong any trouble if Song Ci refused to accept these gifts.