Chapter 139 Car Accident

In the mid-1990s, transportation infrastructure across the country was still underdeveloped.

Even in some major cities, there were many aspects of road construction that required improvement and planning. This was doubly true for Lihua County, an oasis nestled against a sun-drenched expanse of sand.

With the ever-increasing flow of modern vehicles navigating the crisscrossing network of narrow alleys, pedestrians never knew if a car might suddenly emerge around a blind corner, fast enough to crush a fragile human body into a bloody pulp.

An accident had just occurred.

When Zhang Ye parted ways with Yuan Yuqing and walked alone toward the intersection of Line 2 and Line 3, a cry of shock pierced the air.

The shout came from the proprietress of the grocery store by the roadside. Frozen in sheer terror, she stood completely motionless.

Zhang Ye quickly turned his head to look. There, at the blind corner of the alley, a person lay flat on the ground in front of a small car. Blood stained both the body and the pavement. Judging by appearances, the victim was an elderly man.

Panic had also seized the driver. Stepping out of the vehicle and seeing the old man lying motionless as if unconscious, the driver hurriedly jumped back into the car, started the engine, and sped away.

Zhang Ye stood stunned for a second, then broke into a sprint. As he ran, he pulled out his mobile phone and dialed the emergency number. "Hello? Is this the county hospital? There's been a traffic accident at the intersection of Line 2 and Line 3. Please dispatch an ambulance as soon as possible."

Reaching the scene, Zhang Ye immediately noticed a pool of blood behind the old man's head. There were also abrasions on his legs and arms, and his body appeared unnaturally twisted, making it impossible to tell if his internal organs were injured. Fortunately, he was still breathing, though faintly.

Seeing the blood continuously gushing from the old man's head, Zhang Ye grew increasingly anxious. He knew the county hospital was quite a distance away; at least ten minutes would pass before help could arrive, and God knew what might happen by then.

Without a second thought, he rushed to flag down a taxi. Initially, the driver was reluctant to stop, but after Zhang Ye promised a higher fare, coupled with a flicker of human compassion, the driver finally agreed.

Carefully lifting the old man to avoid aggravating his injuries, Zhang Ye got into the car and urged the driver to get to the hospital as fast as humanly possible.

Blood was still flowing ceaselessly from the back of the old man's head. Knowing nothing about first aid, Zhang Ye could only press his hand firmly against the wound to staunch the bleeding, while continuously hurrying the driver.

Knowing that human lives hung in the balance, the taxi driver drove like the wind. What should have been a fifteen-minute journey was slashed down to a mere five minutes by taking a shortcut. Zhang Ye tossed down a twenty-yuan bill, scooped up the old man, and sprinted straight into the emergency room.

Carrying the old man with his arms suspended to minimize jolting, Zhang Ye bore the full weight of the victim on his forearms. The old man was of medium build and somewhat stout, weighing easily between one hundred thirty and forty pounds. Yet, Zhang Ye felt remarkably light on his feet, his breathing only slightly accelerated as he walked at a brisk pace.

This was the wondrous result of practicing the Five-Animal Frolics over time. The steady increase in his own physical strength had long since become a source of astonishment to him.

After helping pay the five-thousand-yuan medical deposit and watching the old man being wheeled into the operating room, Zhang Ye finally let out a sigh of relief. He wanted to leave; night had completely fallen, and his family would start worrying if he didn't return soon. Yet, realizing the old man was all alone here with no contact information on his person, he still felt uneasy and had to make a quick call home to let them know he was safe.

Next, he reported the incident to the public security bureau. After all, it was a hit-and-run accident, and the driver's actions were utterly despicable.

Only after finishing all these tasks did he notice that his hands were covered in blood, looking rather gruesome. Fortunately, he had been mindful of his sleeves, which remained unstained. He hurriedly found the restroom and washed the blood clean.

Two hours later, the surgery finally concluded. A doctor in a white lab coat pushed open the doors and asked in a loud voice, "Who is the patient's family member?"

Glancing at the two police officers standing nearby, Zhang Ye offered a wry smile and said, "I brought him here. I suppose I count."

The two police officers had arrived during the operation. Since the old man was already in surgery, and Zhang Ye was merely a passerby who had provided the hit-and-run vehicle's license plate number along with all the details he knew, there was nothing further to question him about. Thus, the two officers had simply waited here with him.

The doctor looked at Zhang Ye with a puzzled expression. In his view, family was family—how could anyone "count" as family? But the doctor didn't dwell on the matter. With a serious expression, he told Zhang Ye, "Thanks to you getting him here in time, the patient is out of danger. However, he has fractures in both his legs and arms, and he will need to stay in the hospital for observation for a few days. You can go in and see the patient now, but do not give him anything to eat."

"Is he conscious now?" one of the police officers asked hurriedly.

Seeing the doctor nod, Zhang Ye thanked him and walked briskly into the ward.

The old man had already woken up. White bandages were wrapped thickly around his head, arms, and legs, but he looked to be in good spirits, suggesting no critical danger.

"Did you bring me here? Thank you so much." Although his voice was somewhat hoarse, the old man struggled to sit up and express his gratitude.

Zhang Ye quickly stepped forward to steady him, saying, "Please don't mention it. In that kind of situation, anyone would have helped."

"Old sir, do you remember your name and a way to contact your family?" At that moment, the police officer stepped forward and asked.

"I remember. My name is Han Sheng, and I have my son's contact number." With that, he recited a string of numbers.

The officer nearby quickly took out a pen to jot them down, intending to make the call shortly. Meanwhile, Zhang Ye had already taken out his phone and dialed the old man's number.

"Not bad, kid. Is this a mobile phone? It's much smaller than a bulky brick phone," a young-looking police officer asked with an expression of utter amazement, staring at the device in Zhang Ye's hand.

While these phones were beginning to catch on in major cities, they were still a rare sight in Lihua County. The fact that Zhang Ye was so young made it all the more astonishing.

"Heh, I just bought it to play around with. It's quite convenient at times," Zhang Ye explained with a smile. The call connected swiftly, and a deep, resonant middle-aged voice came through the receiver.

After Zhang Ye briefly explained the situation, the person on the other end panicked instantly, hanging up without finishing his sentence, and rushed straight toward the hospital.

On the other side, the police officer rubbed his nose in frustration. *'Just to play around with'? Buying a gadget worth several thousand or even tens of thousands of yuan just for fun?*

Television commercials for these compact mobile phones were everywhere nowadays. Crouched in front of the TV every day, he had been green with envy; yet here he was, seeing the real deal, while its owner treated it with absolute nonchalance. It was enough to make a man sigh.

Zhang Ye naturally had his reasons for looking down on this phone. In the future, even the most garbage-tier smartphone would surpass this device's functions by a myriad of times, while being far lighter and more portable. Right now, aside from making and receiving calls, it possessed virtually no other features, so he naturally didn't hold it in high regard.