He Hongwen lay on the hospital bed, his face as pale as paper.

His lips trembled as he spoke, his voice laced with unprecedented fear. "Brother, I almost got crippled!"

He Hongtian's brow furrowed, a flicker of shock flashing in his eyes. His younger brother had always been arrogant and domineering, relying on the He family's influence to bully others without ever suffering consequences.

"Who did this?" He Hongtian's voice was low.

He Hongwen gritted his teeth. "A bastard named Ethan Roscente! I had my eye on a fresh girl, just paid a million for her, and that guy barged in with his men..."

He Hongtian shot to his feet, the chair screeching against the floor.

"Ethan Roscente?" His voice rose sharply. "Are you sure it was him?"

Startled by his brother's reaction, He Hongwen stammered, "Y-yes! It was him!"

He Hongtian quickly pulled out his phone, flipping to a photo of Ethan and shoving it in front of his brother.

"Is this him?"

He Hongwen glared at the screen, fury burning in his eyes. "That's the bastard!"

He Hongtian's face turned ashen. He paced back and forth, his fingers tapping unconsciously against the hospital bed railing.

"What's his connection to that woman?"

He Hongwen shook his head. "No idea. He was just there to rescue her."

He Hongtian slammed his fist against the wall with a dull thud.

"Of all people, you had to provoke Ethan Roscente?" His voice was thick with suppressed rage. "If he decides to come after you, even the entire He family won't be able to protect you!"

He Hongwen's pupils contracted. He tried to sit up but collapsed back onto the bed with a pained groan.

"W-what kind of background does he have?" Beads of sweat formed on his forehead. "Isn't HM Group still under Grandpa Harrison's control?"

He Hongtian scoffed. "Ethan has been the real power behind it for years! Do you think the Roscente family is still the same as before?"

Silence fell over the hospital room.

He Hongwen finally grasped the gravity of the situation, his voice trembling. "Brother, you have to save me..."

"Save you?" He Hongtian yanked at his tie in frustration. "How many times have I warned you? Now you come begging after kicking an iron plate?"

"I didn't know I'd run into someone like him..." His voice trailed off weakly.

He Hongtian stared at his brother's pallid face, a vein throbbing at his temple. This was his only sibling—the same reckless kid he'd been cleaning up after since childhood.

"I'll try." He finally sighed. "But don't get your hopes up."

A glimmer of hope flashed in He Hongwen's eyes. He nodded eagerly. "Brother, I'm counting on you!"

He Hongtian turned toward the window, gazing at the bustling traffic outside the hospital. His heart felt heavy. This time, the price would be steep.