THE REAL PROTEGE

Four Eyes didn't hesitate. He shoved his door open with frantic force and ran. His feet barely touched the ground as adrenaline coursed through his veins, his mind screaming at him to move faster and get there before it was too late.

But Pharsa and Goldie were already ahead of him.

They had seen it coming — the moment Fatty threw his car too hard, the instant his trajectory sealed his fate. They had known even before the crash that Fatty's last maneuver had been doomed.

The rescue team was already moving, agile, prepared, and relentless — racing against the flames.

Fatty was unconscious. His body slumped against the crushed remains of the cockpit, the heat licking dangerously close.

Each second mattered.

The responders tore him from the wreck, the force of their grip barely enough to keep him stable as they hauled his limp form out, shielding him from the relentless fire licking at the steel. The fire crew was in perfect coordination, blasting the wreck with extinguishers, suffocating the flames before they spread further.

Chatty's car skidded to a halt nearby, the tires leaving deep marks against the pavement. He staggered out, wide-eyed, barely able to process the chaos before him.

"No way — " The words left his mouth, but they carried no strength, only shock.

It was a race against time. Pharsa climbed into the ambulance beside Fatty, her expression unreadable — controlled, but the tightness in her jaw betrayed the tension thrumming through her veins. She was expertly checking Fatty's condition. She had done this many times, and she couldn't fail. This man is her man's best friend.

The sirens wailed, piercing the atmosphere as they sped toward Camp Blaze.

Goldie jumped into another vehicle with Four Eyes and Chatty already on the phone. "Mushu," He barked the moment he picked up, "we've got an incident. Fatty's in bad shape."

Four Eyes, his hands slightly shaking, sent a message instead. He knew Ling Li was in an important meeting with Otako — he couldn't afford to interrupt her. But his fingers felt numb against the screen, the gravity of what had just happened crashing down on him.

Shi Min, fresh out of the shower, muscles sore from training, glanced at his phone and froze.

Fatty was injured.

Without hesitation, he grabbed his jacket and bolted out the door, his mind racing. Fatty was his stepfather's best friend. He couldn't ignore this.

Word spread like wildfire. El Padre and El Capitan, stationed deep in their underground offices, received the emergency notification at nearly the same time. The moment their eyes landed on the message, their expressions darkened.

One of their own was down.

Every force tied to their world was moving.

At Camp Blaze, the infirmary staff had already mobilized, prepping every necessary resource for Fatty's arrival.

Lily barely registered the phone slipping from her grasp, the world around her narrowing into a single, deafening thought — Quan Ye was hurt. Badly.

The blood drained from her face so fast she felt lightheaded, her legs buckling for a fraction of a second before sheer instinct kicked in. She had to find Ren.

Lily didn't care about decorum, didn't care about knocking, didn't care about anything — she ran.

The grand halls blurred past her, the sharp pounding of her footsteps echoing against the polished floors. Her breath came in frantic, uneven gasps, her chest tightening with every desperate inhale.

She wasn't ready for this. She couldn't be ready for this.

With trembling hands, she shoved open the study hall doors without a second thought. The wood banged against the frame, startling Ren and Old Tutor Chen from their quiet discussion.

Ren's head snapped up, his eyes widening in alarm the instant he saw her disheveled, tear-streaked face.

"Lily?" She was already standing, her voice edged with nerves. "What happened?"

Lily choked on her words as she tried to force them out, her body shaking violently, her mind struggling to piece together coherent sentences. But it was too much, too fast —

Seeing this, "Lily, relax. Breath. Slowly, breathe in, breathe out…" Ren said.

"Big Sister… Quan Ye….

Quan Ye was in an accident!" Lily nearly screamed, her voice breaking at the end. "He's seriously injured!"

The room FROZE.

Ren's expression drained of color, her breath catching at the sheer weight of Lily's words. Old Tutor Chen, despite his age and wisdom, stiffened, his sharp gaze flashing with concern.

A brief pause. Then — Old Tutor Chen spoke, his voice steady but urgent.

"Ren, go and help your sister first."

There was no hesitation, only gratitude. "Thank you, Tutor Chen." Ren barely got the words out before moving swiftly.

"Go," Old Tutor Chen reinforced, giving a firm nod. "Settle your family matter first."

Ren wasted no time. His fingers moved swiftly across his phone as he called Reginal and Leeroy.

"Prepare the car," she ordered, voice clipped, controlled — but barely masking the underlying fear threading through it.

When she reached Shun, her mind racing with urgency, she found that Old Tutor Chen had already anticipated the situation — he had already informed Tutor Ma and was leading Shun toward them.

Within minutes, the three of them were on the road, racing toward Camp Blaze, trying to calm Lily — but it was impossible.

Lily sat stiffly between them in the car, her hands clenched in her lap, her body still trembling despite the warmth of Ren's reassuring grip on her shoulder.

She wiped at her face furiously as if trying to erase the terror twisting her expression. But no amount of effort could stop the flood of worry crashing through her chest.

Her mind screamed one thing over and over.

'Let Quan Ye be okay.'

But now, the question hung heavy in the air.

Would Fatty make it through?

The moment the ambulance screeched to a halt at Camp Blaze, a full medical team was already in position — three doctors, several nurses, and emergency personnel standing at the entrance prepped for immediate action. Every second counted.

The doors flew open, and Fatty was swiftly pulled onto a stretcher, his limp form secured as the team raced toward the operating room. The scent of antiseptic and adrenaline filled the corridors, the urgency thick in the air.