Chapter 20: You Don't Even Care About One Million?

Because he had just undergone eye surgery, Wu Bin’s eyes were wrapped in white gauze, and his vision had not yet recovered. Even so, he greeted the audience in his livestream with a bright, enthusiastic smile. It was precisely because of the attention from these fans that his reputation points were skyrocketing, and he felt it was only right to respond to those who cared about him.

The netizens were moved by Wu Bin’s smile.

"Resilience in the face of adversity—this is what true resilience looks like!"
"What a wonderful young man. Despite suffering through so much pain and illness, he still manages such a radiant smile."
"Life kissed me with pain, and I respond with a song. Perhaps this is what it means to have a strong soul."

He Bingbing knew this wasn't the right time to interview Wu Bin, so she prepared to wait until he returned to his hospital room. Suddenly, a group of men and women, led by an elderly couple, marched toward them.

"That's him, the kid with the bandages on his head."

Seeing that they had hostile intentions, Li Guotai and a group of doctors stepped forward, blocking their path.

"This is a hospital! What do you think you’re doing?"

Although Li Guotai was elderly, he stood as firm as a mountain peak, unmoving. The other doctors also moved to shield Wu Bin, determined to protect him. Wu Bin was their hospital’s top priority; if a conflict broke out, they were prepared to defend his safety at any cost.

The leader of the group, an elderly man, spoke to Li Guotai: "I am Yan Shiqi, a professor at the Shanghai University of Political Science and Law. These are my relatives. We are here specifically to visit Wu Bin."

Li Guotai, a veteran in his field, had seen it all. He snorted coldly, "Are you the patient’s family? Did you ask for permission to visit Wu Bin?" He added, "More importantly, you don't come for a visit with such aggressive posturing. You’re here to cause trouble, aren't you?"

Called out by Li Guotai, Yan Shiqi looked embarrassed. He coughed and said, "The situation is this: my daughter had a slight misunderstanding with student Wu Bin, so we came here hoping to reach an understanding and have him drop the matter."

With that, Yan Shiqi bypassed Li Guotai and called out directly to Wu Bin.

"Student Wu Bin, did you hear me? As long as you are willing to sign a letter of reconciliation and not press charges against my daughter, I am willing to cover all your medical expenses and provide an additional one million in compensation!"

As soon as Yan Shiqi said this, the netizens began to chatter.

"Wow, this old professor is loaded. He just tosses out a million like it’s nothing."
"Brother, you probably don’t understand what it means to beat someone to the point of severe injury. If he doesn't cough up this million, his daughter is looking at a minimum of ten years behind bars."
"When you put it that way, the money isn't really that much. Ten thousand a year—if she stays out of prison, she could earn that back easily."
"But if she gets a criminal record, that would be a real loss."

It wasn't just the netizens who could do the math; Wu Bin could, too. Seeing that Yan Shiqi was only offering a million, Wu Bin sneered, "Professor, your daughter and son-in-law were so ruthless toward a student like me. One can only imagine what they might do to other elderly people or children."

"Therefore, I am unwilling to settle. I want them to face the punishment the law dictates."

Seeing Wu Bin being so uncooperative, Yan Shiqi cursed him internally. *Even if they were elderly or children, their physical condition would be better than yours; they wouldn't break at the slightest touch!*

Yan Shiqi said in a low voice, "I watched the surveillance footage before coming here. According to the video, my son-in-law, Lu Guanghao, did not beat you at all; he merely tapped you lightly. If you take us to court, the judge might not even find us liable."

"Young man, you should know when to quit while you're ahead. Don't throw away what you could have just because you’re being stubborn."

"I came to see you today as a gesture of my sincerity, and it is also the last chance I will give you. If you don't agree, I guarantee you won't get a single cent from me later."

Upon hearing this, the netizens began to lash out.

"Who is this old fossil? Speaking so arrogantly. Does he think he owns the Shanghai courts?"
"In Shanghai, the only thing I respect is the 'Nanshan Undefeated,' but who is this guy named Yan? What does he think he is?"
"Don't underestimate him. Much of what he said is true. Wu Bin is just a student. If this old guy is determined to drag this case out in court, it could take a year or two."
"This is disgusting. Using tactics like this against a student? If you can't win, you just drag it out? How despicable."

Seeing that Wu Bin remained silent, Yan Shiqi assumed he had been intimidated. He felt smug. *No matter how talented he is, he’s still just a student; he’s too green to play games with me.*

Just as Yan Shiqi was about to toss a bank card at him, Wu Bin spoke.

"To think you’re a university professor. You think you can buy fairness and justice with a million? Have all your years of education been wasted on a fool?"

Yan Shiqi was stunned, then flew into a rage. "How dare you insult me?"

Wu Bin scoffed, "So what if I insulted you? You can sue me for defamation if you want. I have plenty of time; I can drag out a lawsuit with you, too."

"You...!" Yan Shiqi was choked for words. It was the very same rhetoric he had used against Wu Bin, now returned to him word for word.

Wu Bin said firmly, "Justice may be delayed, but it will never be absent. I don't want your million. I will make sure your daughter and son-in-law pay the price. Even if I am poor, I will defend fairness and justice!"

Wu Bin’s impassioned words drew cheers from everyone present. Li Guotai looked at Wu Bin with pure admiration. *This kid has backbone!*

The netizens in the livestream also flooded the comments with support.

"Well said, Wu Bin! We all support you!"
"What a great line: 'Justice may be delayed, but it will never be absent.' Giving that a like!"
"Brothers, go dig up this old guy's background. I don't believe he has nothing to hide!"

The power of the internet was immense. In less than a few minutes, all of Yan Shiqi’s personal information had been unearthed.

Li Guotai stepped forward, declaring, "Wu Bin is a patient under our hospital's priority care and needs to return to his room to rest. I don't care what university you’re a professor at—leave with your people immediately, or I’m calling security."

As he spoke, a dozen hospital security guards approached.

Yan Shiqi hadn't expected a college student to be so tough. *Aren't students supposed to be willing to do anything for money, even part-time jobs like dishwashing? What's wrong with this kid? Isn't he tempted by a million?*

Realizing he couldn't stay any longer, Yan Shiqi’s face darkened, and he led his group away.