Chapter 1 - Unexpected Calamity (1/2)

“Something’s happened!”

“Xia Lei’s eye got hit by the electric arc! Someone, help!”

The construction site was full of shouting and people running about while some used their phones and anxiously called for an ambulance. Chaos reigned on the construction site.

In the site’s welding area, Xia Lei curled on the floor, his left eye a blackened hole. The smell of charred flesh hung in the air. A mix of blood and dirt covered his face, adding to a spectacle too horrible to endure.

“Tsk, a healthy young man like him. So, so young… practically a babe, and his eye’s been destroyed. What a waste,” sighed someone.

“He still has a little sister who’s going to university soon. How is she going to attend university if he goes blind?”

“Xia Lei’s a good person who always works hard and gets along well with others. How can this sort of thing happen to him? The Heavens are really unfair.”

Several people sighed over Xia Lei’s sad fate.

Xia Lei’s mother had succumbed to her illness when he was a child and his father had disappeared five years ago. That year, Xia Lei had been accepted into Jing-du University but when he thought of his sister Xia Xue, who was still in junior high, he tore his acceptance letter to pieces with tears in his eyes. When his sister asked him about it, he told her that he had failed by just a few marks. After that, Xia Lei started to work on construction sites, willing to do whatever work he was offered to earn money. Now, his sister Xia Xue had been accepted into Jingdu University as well, but this accident had happened…

The shock wore off and waves of intense pain crashed into Xia Lei. His body twitched and his vision faded to black as he lost consciousness.

There was someone shouting his name in his ear but Xia Lei could not hear him. He was floating on a river of darkness, drifting, drifting to hell.

The passing of time went unnoticed for one unconscious.

Xia Lei opened his eyes after some time. He saw some light, then a pudgy face which belonged to his childhood friend, Ma Xiaoan. Xia Lei could only open his right eye, and he was seeing blurry doubles.

“Lei, you’re awake!” Ma Xiaoan’s voice trembled ever so slightly, betraying his emotions.

“I… What is this place?” As he spoke, Xia Lei seemed to remember something and he reached to touch his left eye. His eye was covered in bandages and burning pain bloomed at his touch.

Ma Xiaoan caught Xia Lei’s hand. “Don’t worry. The doctor said you may not be blind in your left eye. Rest, and it will definitely recover.”

“May? What does he mean by ‘may’?” Xia Lei grew anxious and panic started to set in.

Ma Xiaoan was quiet. It looked like he knew something but was hesitant to say it.

“Say it!” Xia Lei grew even more anxious.

At this moment, a middle-aged man walked through the door. He was dressed in a designer suit, had expensive accessories and was starting to put on weight. It was the construction company boss, Chen Chuanhu.

Ma Xiaoan made space when he saw Chen Chuanhu enter.

Xia Lei struggled to sit up in bed and greeted, “President Chen, why…”

He was cut off mid-sentence by Chen Chuanhu. “What is wrong with you, Xia Lei? Was it not enough for you to ruin an electric welding machine? You had to ruin a transformer too! Do you know how much an electric welding machine and a transformer cost? That aside, who’s going to be responsible for delaying the project completion date?”

Anger flooded Xia Lei. He thought Chen Chuanhu had come to see how he was doing, but this bastard came to seek compensation!

Ma Xiaoan couldn’t take it either and he retorted, “What do you mean by this, Chen? My friend has a 90% chance of his eye going blind and you’re saying things like this. Don’t you have any empathy?”

Xiaoan’s words hit Xia Lei like a freight train and he gaped.

Ma Xiaoan suddenly realised that he had let slip the bad news, but he couldn’t take his words back. He stood still, not sure how he should comfort Xia Lei.

Chen Chuanhu just laughed coldly and said, “So what does his eye going blind have to do with me? Did we have an employment contract? No? Try and sue me then, I’m not afraid of a lawsuit!”

Xia Lei was so angry his face changed colour and the grinding of teeth could be heard.

Chen Chuanhu added oil to the fire. “I had you sent to the hospital since you were so pitiful. I’ve paid the hospital fees of 10,000 so get discharged when you want to. I’ll say one thing more - this 10,000 is compensation. So, the case is closed and don’t bother me after this. It’s no use coming after me anyway.”

“Bastard!” Ma Xiaoan said angrily. “His eye has been blinded and you want to call it even with 10,000 yuan?”

Chen Chuanhu pointed at Ma Xiaoan’s nose as he replied nastily, “This doesn’t involve you, small fry. If you’re looking for trouble then I’ll give you trouble, you little shit! Don’t you know what sort of person, I, Chen Chuanhu am? If you dare cross me I’ll tear you apart!”

At that moment, Xia Lei suddenly grabbed the water glass on his bedside table and flung it at Chen Chuanhu.

A thunk sounded as it struck Chen Chuanhu, who had no time to block. A gash appeared on his head, dripping blood and instantly wetting his large, fierce face.

“Fuck! You dared to hit me!” Chen Chuanhu was hopping mad.