I Have 10 Trillion Dollars only Usable For Simping Chapter 2355 - 1494: Cold War (2)

Jiang Chen casually shifted a chair closer to the bedside and settled in.

"How are you feeling?" he inquired.

The person on the bed flashed a grin. "Pretty good."

"You should count yourself extraordinarily lucky; the others are still on the operating table."

"Really? Well, when they emerge, I’ll give them a bit of a teasing."

Having navigated a perilous ordeal, this man who journeyed from afar appeared to have adopted a more talkative demeanor. Despite being covered in wounds, he maintained an air of complete ease.

Then, suddenly.

A serious expression settled on his face.

"Mr. Jiang... Ah Hai, he..."

Even after witnessing the grim scene of another lying in a pool of blood, he clung to a sliver of hope, unwilling to accept the harsh reality.

Jiang Chen simply shook his head.

The light in Green Wing Bat King’s eyes gradually faded, yet he still managed a grin. "Ah Hai’s sacrifice was an honorable one. As long as Mr. Jiang is safe."

Jiang Chen offered no confirmation or denial. "Take good care of yourself. I gave you my word; survive, and you will be richly rewarded."

"Mr. Jiang, we don’t require anything. Ah Hai, he has a younger brother..."

"His, it's his."

Green Wing Bat King ceased speaking, then murmured, "Thank you, Mr. Jiang."

"Get some proper rest."

As Jiang Chen prepared to depart, he paused momentarily, then turned back. "What is your name?"

Green Wing Bat King looked momentarily surprised before responding, "Dong Yongjun."

Jiang Chen gave a nod and continued towards the exit. A voice called out from behind him.

"But Mr. Jiang, just call me Green Wing Bat King. That name sounds cool."

A slight curve graced Jiang Chen’s lips. He didn’t linger and left the ward.

————

Disregarding the surrounding chaos and the tumultuous storms.

Returning from the hospital late at night, Jiang Chen indulged in an extended period of sleep, from dusk until the following dusk.

It appears that the most effective remedy for insomnia isn't sleeping pills.

But rather, intense physical exertion.

After freshening up, he ordered some food.

Sleep might restore one's mental energy, but it certainly cannot fill an empty stomach.

Yet, who could have predicted that the person who entered with the meal was not just a server?

"When did you arrive?"

Meeting the unexpected presence of Princess Cao, Jiang Chen inquired with a smile of surprise, as if his nap had been entirely undisturbed by events.

"An hour ago. Seeing you sleeping so peacefully, I didn't want to wake you."

Princess Cao glanced at her wristwatch, her attentiveness as unwavering as ever.

"Have you eaten?"

Jiang Chen extended an invitation.

"What do you think? It’s already past seven."

It was merely a little past seven in the evening; some office workers might not even have concluded their workday yet, so it wasn't considered excessively late.

"Eat a bit more?"

Princess Cao observed the server arranging the meal on the table. "You haven't eaten all day; you should eat more yourself."

Harsh words could instill a chill akin to mid-June frost, yet a single kind word could warm three winters.

Jiang Chen didn't press the matter further.

Once the server had finished setting out the meal, he departed, closing the door behind him.

"What transpired last night?"

Cao Jinse inquired as she took a seat.

Jiang Chen smiled. "Aren’t you going to wait for me to take a few bites first?"

"You eat yours."

Jiang Chen picked up his chopsticks. "Don’t you already know?"

While the events of the previous night were undoubtedly confidential and not to be widely disseminated, was Princess Cao truly an outsider?

"Rumors are never as informative as hearing it directly from you, the eyewitness."

"Are you here merely to watch me make a spectacle of myself?"

"What spectacle?"

Cao Jinse's expression turned serious. "Do you have any idea how much merit you've accumulated yet again? If you hadn't stepped forward, risking everything, Fujiwara Reiki's potential harm could have inflicted a massive blow to our interests and reputation. Not to mention, it would have provided a perfect pretext for hostile forces to stir up trouble. Jiang Chen, you are once again a national hero! I just remembered, I should have brought you a banner."

Her initial tone seemed sincere, but the latter part was clearly laced with veiled sarcasm.

"I really didn't have another option."

Jiang Chen adopted a helpless expression, as if he had been genuinely left with no choice.

"What do you mean by 'didn't have another option'?"

Princess Cao disagreed. "Didn't you go there of your own accord?"

Jiang Chen paused with his chopsticks. "What else could I have done? Allow someone to perish without offering aid? Pretend I knew nothing?"

"Why didn't you call the police?"

"I did call."

"Hmm?"

"I called. But there was no signal."

Jiang Chen was remarkably candid, especially since resolving misunderstandings had proven to be a hard-won victory.

"I'm asking why you didn't contact the police immediately after receiving her call? You had ample opportunity, yet you chose to recklessly rush there yourself."

It seemed she had thoroughly reviewed his 'confession', hadn't she?

Jiang Chen took a bite, then leisurely explained, "You know Fujiwara Reiki; you should be familiar with her disposition. It's capricious and unpredictable. How could I have been certain if she was merely jesting?"

Jiang Chen spoke sincerely, his viewpoint appearing perfectly reasonable from his own standpoint. It was akin to the boy who cried wolf, but he had overlooked that Princess Cao and Fujiwara Reiki were not precisely "familiar" with each other.

"Joking?" Cao Jinse’s tone was laced with skepticism. "You believe she would jest about such a serious matter?"

A jolt ran through Jiang Chen; he recognized his misstep. Had he not been thorough enough? Even with careful planning, perfection remained elusive. Humans are not machines, and even machines err. Past actions cannot simply be erased from existence. While one can feign ignorance, maintaining such a pretense every second of every day is an impossible feat.

"She's not a child, is she? To make light of something like this without considering the repercussions? Or perhaps you are insinuating such a level of familiarity with her..."

"What I intended to convey was—" Jiang Chen hastily tried to interject, but a coherent explanation still eluded him.

Princess Cao did not press him, patiently waiting with understanding and composure, granting him the opportunity to clarify. "Please, proceed."

Right. The mental strain was immense. In his haste, a plausible excuse failed to materialize. Jiang Chen could only resort to honesty, "Actually, prior to last night, I had overheard some related whispers."

"What whispers?"

"There were rumors about someone planning to sabotage the trilateral summit, intending to target the delegations from two nations."

Cao Jinse fell silent, observing him intently for a moment before calmly inquiring, "Is that the reason Aunt Lan arrived with such impeccable timing?"

What constitutes a profound connection. The term 'soulmate' possesses a definition in the lexicon distinct from mere romantic affection, signifying a bond that transcends transient physical desires. Clearly, the situation presented a valid reason for inquiry, such as why the forewarning wasn't reported to the appropriate authorities instead of being kept clandestine. Yet, Princess Cao refrained from broaching the subject, seemingly comprehending his difficult position.

"Mm." Jiang Chen nodded. Although she hadn't explicitly asked, he felt compelled to explain proactively, driven by mutual respect and understanding. "Given my inability to ascertain the veracity of the rumors, as a precautionary measure, I approached her beforehand, hoping she would intervene if an actual emergency arose."

Cao Jinse remained quiet. Noticing Jiang Chen pausing his meal, she prompted, "Eat. Aren't you hungry?"

Jiang Chen continued eating.

"Have you pondered the potential consequences had Aunt Lan not arrived in time?" As he resumed his meal, Cao Jinse immediately posed the question. Was this an attempt to ensure he ate well or a subtle way of disrupting his appetite? Nevertheless, Jiang Chen fully grasped her genuine concern. If not for her sincere worry, why would she invest her valuable time rushing over and waiting for more than an hour to avoid disturbing his rest?

In this day and age, everyone leads a hectic life.

"She gave me her word. I trust her." Jiang Chen’s response was brief and to the point. Trust is a valuable commodity, but it should not be risked when lives are at stake. With Lan Peizhi’s involvement, Cao Jinse offered little further comment.

"Why did you not inform me?" she finally asked.

Jiang Chen again set down his chopsticks, turning his gaze towards her. "Do you doubt my trustworthiness, or do you believe I am incapable of providing the necessary assistance, unlike Aunt Lan?"

Princess Cao’s expression remained gentle, leaving Jiang Chen momentarily captivated.

"Speak," Princess Cao instructed, tapping her fingers lightly on the table.

The weary Jiang Chen managed a smile, perhaps finally finding his footing, a sense of ease returning to his eyes. "Weren’t we still giving each other the cold shoulder then?"

Princess Cao hesitated, struggling to formulate a rebuttal, ultimately managing only a soft, "Eat."