?Reading on mobile phone Qin Feng really wanted to kiss Isabella, but after thinking for a long time, he still couldn't make up his mind. Eight Zero E-book (txt02.com) To say he wasn't afraid of being kicked again would be false. The pain was one thing; the real issue was that when she kicked him, he couldn't dodge, had to keep his hands where they were after being kicked, and had to act as if he were cheerful and silly—truly heartbreaking. "By the way, little troublemaker, how did you improve your abilities?" asked the ever-young officer. "Actually, you'll never believe this—my strength came from the benefits I gained from the shark tooth pendant." He looked at the ceiling, his thick skin making the statement a bit awkward. After all, the pendant had been taken right from Isabella's hands. Indeed, the beautiful woman was surprised and asked, "The one I have—the shark tooth pendant?" "Qin Feng nodded and said, 'By chance, my blood stuck to the pendant, and then I inherited the lineage—now I am a cultivator.' 'It's truly true!' the ever-young officer interrupted, gasping, 'When I was young, my family took me to meet an Eastern elder, the one you call a fortune-teller. The elder looked at me the first time and immediately said I was special, then gave me the pendant, predicting that my life would be full of hardships and sorrow, unless I met the person destined to change my fate.' Qin Feng also interrupted her, pointing at his own nose, 'Are you referring to me?' Isabel nodded while saying, 'Yes, you. I've always found it hard to understand the fortune-teller's words. Before I turned ten, both my parents passed away, and one after another, my relatives and friends moved away. Eventually, I was left with no one to speak to—until the Death Island.'" Hearing this, his courage surged instantly, and he directly asked, "Shasha, I'd like to kiss you." The beautiful woman blushed immediately and murmured softly, "Honestly, why on earth should you have to say such a thing out loud? It would make me so embarrassed." "Hah, weren't you afraid I'd hit you?" Qin, the young noble, chuckled. Since the beauty had already agreed, what was there to be formal about? Let's go! His lips pressed down firmly, and Isabel, either from embarrassment or for some other reason, quickly closed her eyes, hesitating as she began to kiss him. Since she had no body heat, her lips felt cool and refreshing, making the kiss quite special. They kissed passionately, fully immersed, with Qin growing more and more engaged until he completely relaxed—his earlier several clumsy attempts had left him on edge, forcing him to take defensive measures to avoid further mishaps. Yet, just when he had no reservations at all, the beauty suddenly lifted one of her legs. Thud… Tears streamed down his eyes as his body flew out. Immediately, Isabella's apologetic voice came through: "Oh, dear, I didn't mean to—please don't be mad with me! I'll just have to make you kiss me again… One kiss isn't enough, then two! What are you running off for? I won't eat you, will I? Just stay here!" … Du Bin's surgical skills once again came into play as he carefully used forceps to remove the bullet lodged in Wu Dong's vertebrae, placing it into a white porcelain plate with a crisp sound. Wu Dong lay on the bed, his mouth clenched with a towel, drenched in sweat. To prevent the anesthetic from damaging his well-developed brain nerves, he had refused to use it throughout the procedure—now more than twenty minutes into the surgery, he had held on with steady grit. Next came wound dressing and suturing, which Du Bin efficiently completed. Lei stood on the other side of the bed, his face filled with approval. Huffing out a long breath, Wu Dong finally exhaled, dropped the towel from his mouth, and said to Lei, "Master Lei, the mission has failed. Zhong Hu requests your reprimand." Indeed, Lei had considered punishing him—having lost several times to Qin Feng, he began to question Zhong Hu's competence. Yet when he arrived, the surgery had already begun, and he had witnessed the entire process. "Well, you've done your best—perhaps we're not that foolish, but the opponent is simply too cunning." The elder spoke with heartfelt sincerity. "Such an opponent truly proves difficult to handle. Since you've already been exposed, it's no longer suitable for you to remain in Plain City. I'll arrange for you to temporarily leave here and go to a more favorable location to recover. Once the current situation stabilizes, I'll then assign you your next responsibilities." Wu Dong looked deeply grateful: "Thank you, Elder Lei, for your leniency. Once I've fully recovered, I'll be more than willing to serve you wholeheartedly." "Good rest," said the elder, giving Du Bin a subtle nod. The two then walked out of the temporary operating room. Outside, he asked, "Du Master, how is Zhong Hu's condition?" Du Bin shook his head and replied, "Not very optimistic. Although the bullet has been removed, the prolonged exposure has caused serious damage to his spinal column." Even if he recovers, it will be difficult for him to return to his previous peak condition. If recovery is poor, the outcome will be partial disability—a very likely scenario. "Ray's expression grew grave. Zhong Hu had always been carefully nurtured by Shengmen, and they had hoped he would play a significant role. Yet, just as he began to show promise, he suffered a serious injury. Xiu Luo was particularly harsh—saving him only to have him fall by the wayside midway. Without this delay, his injury might not have been so severe. Yet, this situation cannot be blamed entirely on Xiu Luo. Had it not been for his timely intervention, Zhong Hu would have surely perished. If Zhong Hu truly becomes partially disabled, what good would he be? "I will personally attend to his care and keep you regularly updated on his condition," Ray said firmly. Du Bin was taken aback. "Didn't you say you'd send him to a better environment for recuperation?" Ray chuckled. "Just because the situation is critical now, I want him to stay here for a while." Du Bin immediately understood: if Wu Dong's condition improved, he would be sent for recuperation; if not, he would lose his value, and there was no point in spending the money unnecessarily. "The hare dies and the chef is served; the bird is caught and the bow is stored." Du Bin found Lei's approach deeply unseemly, yet he dared not show it openly. Instead, he respectfully asked, "What further instructions does Lei Lord have?" After a moment's thought, Lei said, "First, we need to stabilize Zhong Hu—this should be straightforward. Meanwhile, we must keep a close watch on Qin Feng and report his movements at all times. This time, I intend to handle the matter personally."