Chapter 167 Mistakes Demand a Price

Ma Dongmei was filled with regret—profound, crushing regret. She regretted not listening to Lei's advice to take a proper rest, which would have prevented this disaster. Now, she could only lie facedown on the treatment table, enduring the doctor's examination.

The sharp, stabbing pain rippling from her back had her bathed in cold sweat, but Dongmei no longer had the luxury of caring about the pain. Her mind was entirely consumed by agonizing questions: Would she ever be able to step onto the volleyball court again? Would she even be able to live like a normal person?

As a professional athlete, Dongmei knew all too well how vital back muscles were to someone in her profession. Sports experts had once declared that a set of strong back muscles was an athlete's lifeblood. Tragically, her injury was located precisely in her lower back. The sensation of tearing muscle fibers made her realize all too early just how severe this injury was. To put it bluntly, she felt her athletic career was effectively over.

Fu Sansheng, the head coach of the Yangtze River Women's Volleyball Team, wore a face as dark as thunder after listening to the preliminary assessment from the medical center's doctor. He knew that his primary star player would likely be out of commission for a long time. He, too, was drowning in regret—regret for ignoring the team physician's warnings. With things having deteriorated to this point, Sansheng found himself forced to ponder how the team could possibly function in Dongmei's absence.

When Wang Lei walked into the treatment center, he caught sight of Sansheng's gloomy, leaden expression. Ignoring the man entirely, Lei strode straight toward Dongmei's treatment room.

The reason he refused to acknowledge Sansheng was his fear that the moment he opened his mouth, he would fail to restrain himself from cursing the bastard of a coach to his face, or even leaping across the room to beat him to a pulp.

Knowing full well that Dongmei was carrying a massive injury risk, Sansheng had still stubbornly forced her to play and even subjected her to extra training sessions. To Lei, this was nothing short of attempted murder against an athlete's life. Having been an athlete himself and now working as a coach, Lei firmly believed that he would never gamble with an athlete's career simply to pad his own record.

Lying facedown on the treatment table, Dongmei did not look up, but she recognized the footsteps instantly. Overwhelmed by guilt and deep anxiety, she could no longer hold back and burst into tears.

"Don't move, and don't cry. You'll strain your muscles. Be a good girl and let the doctor treat you."

Lei gently pressed his hand against Dongmei's head to keep her from lifting it. He knew she must avoid any sudden movements that could pull her muscles, as even the slightest strain might worsen her condition.

Under his soothing touch, Dongmei gradually calmed down. The reassuring presence of her lover temporarily pushed the pain from her mind, and as the terror and panic finally receded, sheer exhaustion washed over her, lulling her into a deep sleep.

"Mr. Wang, I'm terribly sorry. This whole thing was an accident."

Stepping back outside, Lei ran into Sansheng once more. The coach initiated the conversation, but his evasive, responsibility-shifting phrasing instantly re-ignited the fury in Lei's chest.

"An accident?"

"Yes, an accident. Sigh, I truly hope she recovers soon."

Sansheng stubbornly clung to the accident narrative. He knew that if the media ever discovered Dongmei's injury resulted from his stubborn insistence on playing her despite high medical risks, his career as a professional coach would effectively be finished.

"I hardly think this was an accident, Mr. Vladimir. Your actions violated your professional ethics, and you need to understand something: this is the Republic. Athletes in the Republic are protected by law, and you will pay the price for your actions."

Lei's anger blazed. Dongmei's insistence on playing and training through pain stemmed from her own moral dedication, but Sansheng's demand that she compete despite severe injury risks was completely unacceptable. In this era, although the management of professional athletes was strict, it came with robust welfare provisions. Every professional athlete registered with the Republic's Professional Athlete Management Center was safeguarded by the Sports Management Law of the Republic.

Unfortunately for Sansheng, he was blissfully unaware that Dongmei's mother happened to be the supreme boss of that very management center.

"My name is Fu Sansheng, you asshole! It was an accident! I said it was an accident, so it was an accident! Sue me if you have the guts—let me tell you, I'm not afraid!"

Having taken the Republic's citizenship years ago, Vladimir loathed being addressed by his birth name. It was a sensitive scar, and no matter who touched it, it brought a sharp sting of humiliation.

Fuming with rage, Sansheng turned on his heel and stalked off. He wasn't genuinely worried about the threat of a lawsuit; in his mind, no matter how much minor celebrity status Lei possessed, the club would always stand behind its coach.

Lei had not anticipated that Sansheng would display such brazen arrogance. Regardless of the circumstances, the coach bore undeniable responsibility. Had Sansheng offered a sincere, graceful apology, Lei might have let the matter slide. But now, Lei was fully resolved to make this scumbag pay dearly for his actions.

"Hello, Auntie? It's me, Xiaoli. Meimei is injured. I probably won't be able to make it back, and I've lost all appetite for taking on that project right now."

Connecting with Li Weihong via phone, Lei delivered the news with blunt directness.

"Hello? What's going on? Tell me the details. How severe is the injury?"

Upon hearing that Dongmei was hurt, Weihong felt an immediate wave of anxiety. However, having a background as an athlete herself, she knew injuries were an inevitable part of the profession, which kept her from panicking entirely.

"A back muscle injury. It's very serious, and it will have a major impact on her future."

Lei had no intention of sugarcoating the situation for Weihong; this matter demanded the utmost seriousness.

"What? How could this happen? Wasn't she fine before? Was it an accident, or an old injury? Her injury last year wasn't on her back, was it?"

Hearing that the injury involved the back instantly spiked Weihong's tension. She had no intention of watching her daughter forced into early retirement.

"When I arrived, I noticed Meimei's physical condition wasn't good. I advised her to take a solid break, but she refused. That coach of hers egged her on to keep playing and even piled on extra training. This definitely wasn't an accident."

Since he was lodging a formal complaint, he intended to lay out the whole truth. A man like Sansheng deserved to pay for his misconduct.

"Those Russian-descended bastards are all absolute scum. People like that care about nothing in the world except themselves."

This was the first time Lei had ever heard Weihong curse, a clear indicator of her current state of fury. Both personally and professionally, she now harbored a bone-deep hatred for Sansheng.

"Take good care of Meimei. Don't have any contact with that asshole or the Yangtze River Club. Wait until I get there."

With her tirade finished, Weihong reclaimed the imposing aura of a senior authority figure. It was painfully obvious that she intended to handle this matter personally.