When Chen Zui called, Chen Jin was at a banquet, entertaining several leaders from a municipal bureau. Glasses clinked as they exchanged pleasantries and formalities, with countless toasts being exchanged. Having had a few more drinks than he would have liked, his head was a bit heavy, and he was already growing impatient. If it weren't for the success of this large project, which had been greatly assisted by the people at the table, and two of them being his father's old friends, he would have left long ago.
When the phone rang, he breathed a sigh of relief, ready to make up an excuse to leave. However, upon seeing the caller ID, he frowned immediately. His brother didn't normally contact him unless something was wrong. Asking for money or favors was one thing, but more often than not, it was because Chen Zui had gotten himself into trouble again and needed him to clean up the mess.
He excused himself from the conversation and stood up, walking into the hallway to take the call. Chen Zui's voice was slightly off when he answered, "Brother, I've had a car accident."
Chen Jin's brow furrowed, and the remnants of his drunkenness dissipated instantly. Though his younger brother was troublesome and even detestable at times, he was still his flesh and blood. As the saying goes, blood is thicker than water, and no matter how much they fought, they were family. He hurriedly asked, "Are you hurt? Is it serious? Where are you?"
"I'm fine, I hit someone," Chen Zui quickly clarified, realizing that his brother misunderstood.
Chen Jin felt a momentary relief, only to hear the next part, "The person looks like they might not make it. What should I do, Brother?"
"Had you been drinking?" Chen Jin asked coldly, and the silence on the other end confirmed his suspicion.
"Don't panic. Tell me where you are. I'll take care of it."
"I'm in the emergency room at the city center hospital. Brother, hurry up."
The night in the big city was far more beautiful than the day. The entire city seemed like an ocean of lights, with the chaotic air and floating dust swallowed by the night. Everywhere he looked, neon lights blinked, and distant rows of lights blended into the sky, making the boundary between heaven and earth indistinct. However, not everyone had the luxury of appreciating the beauty of the scene. Some people, like office workers waiting for their loved ones to come home, and family members anxiously pacing outside the operating room, had other matters weighing on their minds. And then, there was Chen Jin, who was rushing to clean up his younger brother's mess.
The black Bentley sped through the night, and the cold wind blew away the remnants of Chen Jin's drunkenness. He quickly ripped off his tie and tossed it aside, unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, and began to make a series of calls, getting updates and discussing strategies.
After hanging up, he rubbed his temples. His brother was truly a troublemaker. To put it bluntly, he was more of a liability than an asset. If he weren't family, Chen Jin would have kicked him to the Pacific Ocean to feed the fish long ago. He had a large business to manage and hundreds of people depended on him for their livelihood, but he managed it well, thanks to his own capabilities and, of course, the family's connections.
But the one thing that truly gave him a headache, the one thing he was helpless with, was this younger brother of his. He was a born troublemaker, always getting into fights as a kid and coming home crying, forcing Chen Jin to step in. When people said he was bullying others, it didn't matter, but he still had to face their righteous father's punishment. As he grew older, his brother developed another bad habit—chasing women. Whether it was getting a woman pregnant and having to deal with the consequences, or falling victim to scams, he used up a lot of Chen Jin's social resources to clean up his mess. His childhood friends even jokingly called him the "24 Film Brother." Now, if this involved a life, things had gotten tricky. It had to be handled properly, or Chen Zui could end up in prison, and the family name would suffer irreparable damage. And his mother, who doted on him… Sigh, Chen Jin felt another headache coming on.
When he arrived in the city center hospital emergency room, he immediately spotted Chen Zui standing in the corridor, anxiously looking around. His brother, wrapped in a crumpled designer leisure outfit, had a bandage wrapped around his head, and a patch of gauze was stuck to his left cheek, oozing yellowish liquid. His disheveled appearance was a sight to behold. If it had been any other time, Chen Jin would have made a sarcastic comment.
Seeing his savior arrive, Chen Zui hurried over, calling out anxiously, "Brother, you're here!" At least his brain wasn't damaged. His limbs were still intact, and his pleading look was reminiscent of the time he came home with a black eye when they were kids. Chen Jin couldn't help but silently curse his brother. Despite the amount of alcohol he had consumed, he could still smell the alcohol on Chen Zui. He pushed him away in disgust but then grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back. He didn't even bother asking about his injuries, just slowly ordering, "Get that alcohol smell off you."