Rebirth: Illuminating a Brilliant Life

The man's head buzzed from the slap, and he froze in place as if under a spell. A moment later, he veered sharply to one side as if struck by lightning.

In the blink of an eye, a shocking bright red handprint appeared on his face. The handprint was like a hideous scar, not only branded on his face, but also like a sharp blade, piercing his fragile and sensitive self-esteem.

He stared wide-eyed in disbelief, his eyes filled with shock, as if watching an absurd farce that could never have happened.

Immediately afterwards, this shock, like a powder keg ignited, instantly transformed into a raging, almost out-of-control rage. He felt as if his most vulnerable, most hidden corners had been ruthlessly torn open, and the long-suppressed violence and anger within him erupted completely.

In an instant, he was like an enraged beast, his eyes wide open and bloodshot, fierceness and resentment pouring out like a surging tide.

He suddenly reached out, his movement as swift as lightning, and grabbed the old man's collar tightly. With this brutal force, the old man's frail body, which looked as if a gust of wind could blow him over, was easily lifted up, his feet dangling in the air, swaying helplessly like a lamb to the slaughter.

He clenched his teeth, his cheeks bulging from the effort, and roared viciously, "You old bastard, are you tired of living? You dare hit me? Do you know how much money I make right now? Enough for you to live on for eight lifetimes! You poor, worthless piece of trash, stop spouting those useless platitudes at me! In this realistic world, if you don't have money, you're a nobody, understand?"

The old man struggled desperately in the air, his hands like withered branches, trying in vain to pry open the large hand that was gripping him tightly like an iron clamp, his fingernails turning white from the effort.

His feet kicked wildly in the air, each struggle filled with anger and resentment at his son's actions, yet he could never break free from his shackles.

Despite his wretched state, his face was still filled with unwavering anger. His gaze was like a series of sharp swords, piercing straight at the man in front of him who had been blinded by money and lost his conscience, as if he wanted to tear him to pieces with his eyes and awaken him from the abyss of depravity.

Upon seeing this, Cheng Ran's eyes instantly blazed with fury, flames that seemed to burn the entire world to ashes. Without a second thought, he slammed his feet into the ground, propelling himself forward like a cannonball.

He reached out and grabbed the man's hands that were gripping the old man tightly, pulling with all his might while shouting angrily, "Let him go! You dare treat your own father like this? Are you even human? You're worse than an animal!"

The two instantly started fighting, like two bulls with bloodshot eyes, neither willing to give an inch.

Their bodies collided violently in the hospital room, knocking over tables and chairs with a crashing sound. Teacups shattered on the floor, shards of glass flying everywhere, and hot water spilled all over the place.

Su Xuan scrambled to her feet, her hair disheveled and her eyes filled with terror and helplessness. She rushed forward desperately, trying to separate the two wrestling figures, repeatedly pleading, "Stop fighting! Stop fighting! Please stop!"

However, her voice, trembling with sobs, sounded so small and weak in the chaotic and noisy scene, as if a gentle breeze could blow it away.

Just as things were getting chaotic and the situation was about to spiral out of control, the doctor and nurses heard the commotion and rushed over. When the doctor saw the mess in the ward, his previously calm face instantly darkened, and his brows furrowed into a deep frown.

He shouted, "Stop it, all of you! This is a hospital, a place to save lives, not a place for you to run wild! No trouble allowed!"

The two men stopped fighting, panting heavily, their chests heaving like two wild beasts that had just engaged in a fierce battle. They glared at each other, their anger still burning, as if a single spark could ignite another fierce fight.

The old man was helped to a chair by Cheng Ran. His breathing was rapid, like a broken bellows, and each gasp was accompanied by a painful tremor.

His eyes were filled with pain and helplessness, a heartache over his son's downfall and a deep self-reproach for his failure in raising him.

The doctor frowned, his serious gaze sweeping over the crowd, and said in a deep voice, "The patient's condition is extremely critical. Even the slightest noise could be the last straw that breaks his life. He needs absolute quiet and a good treatment environment. Are you trying to kill him by continuing to make noise like this?"

Upon hearing the doctor's words, everyone fell silent instantly, as if struck by a silencing spell.

The ward seemed shrouded in a deathly gloom, the air itself appearing frozen, oppressive and suffocating. Only the old man's heavy, rapid breathing, like the creaking of a broken bellows, pierced the silence with each breath.

And then there was Su Xuan's faint, intermittent sobbing, like the mournful cry of a night owl in the darkness, each sob a tear that tugged at the heartstrings.

The doctor's stern words were like a powerful hammer blow, striking everyone's hearts and instantly waking them from their daze of anger and impulsiveness. They realized as if from a dream that their out-of-control behavior had almost caused an irreparable disaster.

The man, who had just been completely blinded by rage, still had his chest heaving rapidly like violent waves.

His expression was extremely complex. The flames of anger had not been completely extinguished, and there was still a faint trace of burning in his eyes. At the same time, a clear sense of panic crept onto his face.

His gaze darted around, first settling on the lifeless patient on the hospital bed, who seemed to be sleeping in endless darkness. That bloodless face was like a sharp knife, piercing straight into his heart. Then, he turned his gaze to his father, who was so weak he was almost collapsing into a chair. Looking at his father's haggard, wrinkled face, it felt as if a sharp dagger had stabbed him in the heart, and a sharp pain suddenly struck him.

In an instant, the frenzied energy he had just felt, like a raging tide, was quickly dispersed by a gust of wind and gradually vanished without a trace. In its place occupied his heart a deep unease, like an endless abyss, and a trace of regret that rose from the depths of his heart like a wisp of smoke.

Cheng Ran stood to the side, all his muscles tense, like a bow ready to be drawn.

His hands were clenched into fists, his knuckles turning a pale white from the excessive force, like stones covered in frost in winter. His eyes were wide open, burning with the flames of anger, his gaze like sharp steel knives, fixed on the man.

If the other party makes even the slightest misbehavior, he will be like a cheetah that has been gathering its strength for a long time, ready to pounce again with overwhelming force and give the other party a merciless counterattack.

Su Xuan slumped helplessly onto the cold ground, her hair disheveled like tangled, withered grass across her face. Her eyes were empty and vacant, staring blankly at the ceiling, as if her soul had already left her weary body.

Tears streamed down her face like broken beads, silently sliding from her dull, lifeless eyes. She was utterly exhausted, both physically and mentally, as if she were sinking deeper and deeper into a dark, boundless swamp, filled with despair. She had no idea how long this nightmarish ordeal would last, or if she would ever see the dawn.

In this suffocating silence, the ward door creaked open, and a slight sound instantly broke the oppressive atmosphere.

A middle-aged woman dressed in elegant and sophisticated clothes rushed in from outside the door. As soon as she stepped into the ward, she saw the messy and chaotic scene inside. She stopped abruptly, stunned, her face filled with surprise and confusion.

Immediately afterwards, her gaze swept quickly over everyone in the room, finally landing on the frail old man who was surrounded by the crowd.

In an instant, a look of fear and worry flashed in her eyes, and she couldn't help but exclaim, "Dad, what are you doing here? What's going on?"

Before she finished speaking, she rushed to the old man's side with great anxiety, squatted down with a "thump", and tightly grasped the old man's withered hands. She looked at the old man with concern and anxiety, her eyes full of heartache and worry.

The middle-aged woman's sudden intrusion instantly made the already tense atmosphere in the ward even more bizarre and complicated, as if an invisible net had tightly trapped everyone within it.

The old man's already pale face flushed an unnatural red with agitation and anger. His lips trembled violently, the trembling as pronounced as leaves falling in the autumn wind, revealing that he had so much to say to the middle-aged woman.

However, before he could utter a complete syllable, a violent coughing fit swept over him like a tidal wave.

His body heaved uncontrollably, each cough seeming to strain with all his might, as if he were coughing up his internal organs. The muffled, painful coughs echoed in the ward, tearing at everyone's hearts.

Upon seeing the old man's appearance, the middle-aged woman's sharp gaze softened instantly, filled with heartache, and tears welled up in her eyes.

Ignoring her expensive clothes, she rushed to the old man's side, gently but firmly patting his back with her hands, repeatedly saying, "Dad, what's wrong? Don't worry, tell me slowly, don't upset yourself."

Her voice was filled with deep concern, as if the old man were her most precious treasure in the world, suffering immense pain at this moment.

The moment the woman appeared, the man's previously composed face lost all trace of stubbornness, like thin ice exposed to the scorching sun.

His expression instantly fell, and he deflated like a punctured balloon, becoming listless. His lips trembled slightly, and he stammered, trying to say something to explain his actions, but it was as if an invisible hand was tightly gripping his throat, and he couldn't utter the words. He could only make some indistinct sounds in his throat, as if he were making a final struggle.

Cheng Ran's body remained taut, like a drawn bow ready to be released. His hands were clenched into fists, his knuckles turning a pale white from the excessive force, like frost-covered stones in the dead of winter.

His gaze darted back and forth between the middle-aged woman and the man, his eyes filled with vigilance and scrutiny, like a cheetah guarding its territory, always ready to deal with any possible danger.

He secretly pondered the middle-aged woman's intentions and considered how the situation would develop. He was ready to pounce like an arrow at any moment should the man make any further improper moves.

Su Xuan's face, which had been numb from crying, finally showed a change. She slowly came back to her senses and used her trembling hands, like leaves falling in the autumn wind, to wipe away the tear stains on her face that had already dried and were now soaked with new tears.

She looked up, her eyes filled with anticipation, as if she had seen a glimmer of light in the darkness, but at the same time, she was also filled with deep doubt, after all, her previous experiences made her hesitant to believe that things would suddenly take a turn for the better.

She sat there on the cold ground, staring intently at the middle-aged woman, as if trying to read her fate from her face.

The entire ward was eerily quiet, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Everyone stood frozen in place, as if under a spell, waiting for what would happen next. A suffocating tension filled the air.

At this moment, the middle-aged woman suddenly stood up, her eyes instantly becoming incredibly sharp, like two drawn blades, radiating a chilling aura.

Her eyes burned with a raging fire that seemed to devour the man who had utterly disappointed her. Then, she whirled around, her arm arcing through the air in a sharp arc, and with a resounding "smack," she delivered a brutal slap to the man's face.

The slap was powerful and the sound was crisp and loud, like a thunderclap exploding in the ward. The sound echoed back and forth between the walls of the ward, making people's eardrums hurt.

"Look what you've done!" Her voice became sharp and shrill with anger, like the cry of an owl in the dark. "For money, you've abandoned all basic human decency? Do you know you almost killed this person? How could you be so cruel, so inhuman!" Every word she uttered seemed to be squeezed out from between her teeth, filled with disappointment and anger towards the man.

The man was stunned by the slap, his body tilting uncontrollably to one side. A bright red handprint quickly appeared on his face, a stark mark of shame. He clutched his burning cheek, a flicker of pain and confusion in his eyes, like a child lost in the darkness, unable to find their way. "Sister, I..." he tried to explain, his voice tinged with grievance and resentment, but before he could finish, the middle-aged woman angrily interrupted him.

"Don't call me sister!" The middle-aged woman's eyes widened in anger, as if they were about to bulge out of their sockets. Her gaze was filled with disgust and determination. "If Dad hadn't arrived in time today, would you have just watched this family be destroyed? How could you become like this? Are you still the sensible younger brother I used to know? You are a disgrace to our family!"

As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes and streamed down her well-maintained cheeks. Those tears contained both heartache for her brother's downfall and guilt for the fate of her family.

The man lowered his head even further, almost burying it in his chest. His shoulders trembled slightly, the trembling growing more and more pronounced, like a puppy shivering in the cold wind. At this moment, he seemed to truly begin to regret his actions, his heart filled with endless self-reproach and guilt.

As Cheng Ran watched this scene, the raging anger in his heart gradually subsided. He slowly loosened his clenched fist, his knuckles becoming somewhat numb from the prolonged exertion.

But his gaze remained fixed on the man. Although his anger had lessened somewhat, his vigilance was still undiminished, as if he were waiting for the man's next move and ready to deal with any potential crisis at any time.

Su Xuan sat on the ground, completely bewildered by the sudden turn of events. Her eyes held both satisfaction and gratitude for the middle-aged woman's slap, as well as deep worry about whether the matter could truly be resolved.

She feared that this was just a temporary phenomenon, that everything would return to square one, and that she would once again fall into endless pain and despair.

The old man watched all this from the side, his eyes filled with helplessness and exhaustion. His weathered face was etched with wrinkles that seemed to have been carved even deeper by the knife of time.

He sighed softly, a sigh that seemed to carry the weight of a lifetime of hardship and his current helplessness. His voice was hoarse, like sandpaper scraping, as he slowly said, "Stop making a fuss, the most important thing right now is to save their daughter..."