Chapter 56

Chapter 56: Shan Zhuo (16)

Wen Xu was an expert at mediating public disputes. When the police from the local station arrived, he had already calmed down the angry elderly, middle-aged, and young people. The officers were stunned as Wen Xu walked aside, arm in arm with one of the older men. “Here’s the situation: in the past year or two, have you received any cases related to propofol?”

The officers shook their heads. Wen Xu asked again, “What about other controlled substances?”

The officers again said no.

Wen Xu smiled, “The city bureau is investigating a case, and we need to talk to the person in charge at Kangmin Hospital.”

For investigations in community hospitals, the local police were more useful than the city bureau’s elite officers. The officers quickly helped Wen Xu locate the on-duty vice president. The vice president confirmed that the hospital did have propofol, but it was never dispensed directly to patients. Even if a doctor needed to use it, multiple levels of approval were required.

Wen Xu didn’t get any clues and couldn’t directly check the hospital’s inventory. Ultimately, they only suspected the hospital might be a source of propofol, but without evidence, there was no reason to be unreasonable and demand access.

Leaving the hospital, Wen Xu stood by the road smoking. He wasn’t in uniform, and his demeanor didn’t resemble a police officer. A shady drug dealer approached. “Need something?”

Wen Xu sized him up. “What do you have?”

The dealer grinned. “Whatever you want, I can get it for you, guaranteed cheaper than medical insurance.”

Wen Xu thought for a moment and mentioned a foreign erectile enhancement drug.

The dealer laughed nervously. “Brother, I don’t have that one. You don’t even look like someone who needs it.”

Wen Xu named another prescription drug.

The dealer said, “I have that. This is my specialty. If you really want it, I’ll get it for you—but transfer the money first.”

Wen Xu clicked his tongue. “How do I know you’re not a scammer?”

“Me, a scammer? Who around here doesn’t know me?”

“Then show me the drugs first.”

“…Alright.”

The dealer led Wen Xu through twists and turns to a tobacco and liquor shop beneath a residential building. Wen Xu waited outside briefly. The dealer indeed brought out the drugs. Prescription drugs, even in pharmacies, require a doctor’s prescription, but here they were cheaper and without a prescription.

Wen Xu examined the drugs and glanced at the dealer. “Come with me to the police station.”

Liu Xing was still at the Guibai Village police station. Before seeing him again, Hai Shu had already formed a gradually solidifying theory. This theory was in a completely different direction from the initial investigation into Tang Jinli’s case, but it could very well be the truth.

“Do you know these two people?” Hai Shu placed photos of Yao Wei and Zhao Ruocheng on the table.

Liu Xing only glanced at them, showing no reaction. “Don’t know them.”

Hai Shu then placed a photo of Tang Jinli between the two photos. “Our latest investigation suggests they are very likely the ones who killed Tang Jinli.”

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow. “So you’re not arresting them, just talking to me?”

Hai Shu said, “Don’t worry, I have one more piece of news you might want to hear.” She picked up the photos of Yao and Zhao, nudging Yao Wei’s against Zhao Ruocheng’s. “The one on the right has been confirmed dead. The killer is most likely the one on the left.”

Liu Xing asked, “And the one on the left?”

Hai Shu said, “Missing.”

Liu Xing laughed. “So you still haven’t solved the case.”

Hai Shu showed him another person. “What about her? Do you recognize her?”

Liu Xing’s gaze lingered longer on the photo. When he looked up, his brows carried a trace of confusion, or perhaps something more complex. Hai Shu couldn’t immediately judge, nor could she understand why he reacted this way.

“Who is she?” Liu Xing asked.

Hai Shu said, “Looks like you’re very interested in her?”

Liu Xing pressed his lips together and didn’t answer.

“I thought you knew her,” Hai Shu said. “After all, he introduced the one on the left to Tang Jinli.”

Liu Xing shook his head. Hai Shu couldn’t tell whether it meant he didn’t know her or didn’t know her role. But she noticed his slight distraction, as if he was thinking quickly. At this moment, what could Liu Xing be thinking?

The interrogation room was quiet for a moment before Hai Shu spoke, “Her name is Fengcheng Anna, a model from Country R. Do you remember now?”

Liu Xing still shook his head. A slight furrow appeared between his brows—Hai Shu had never seen that expression on his face before.

Hai Shu didn’t linger on Fengcheng Anna and continued, “We found that both of these men were in romantic relationships with Tang Jinli. Tang Jinli was murdered, likely because they realized they were being toyed with. On the computer of the one on the left, there were even explicit photos of Tang Jinli.”

Liu Xing clapped, absentmindedly saying, “Seems so.”

“But you know,” Hai Shu said, “until I came to this interrogation room, none of my colleagues had discovered the whereabouts of the one on the left. When someone disappears inexplicably, either they know the law’s net is vast and choose to hide, or… they’re already gone.”

Liu Xing said, “Of course it’s the former.”

Hai Shu smiled, “But I think it’s the latter.”

Liu Xing fell silent.

Hai Shu stated the names Zhao Ruocheng and Yao Wei, and continued, “You probably know more about their past than I do, so I won’t go into it. But how Yao Wei killed Zhao Ruocheng and escaped police attention—being locked up here every day, you wouldn’t know. I’ll tell you: Zhao Ruocheng died from propofol and was dumped in the river near Yao Wei’s home. Coincidentally, Yao Wei had this drug at home.”

Liu Xing repeated softly, “Propofol?”

Hai Shu looked at the half-shadowed face of Liu Xing for a while. “Liu Xing, even now, won’t you give me a hint? Your plan is nearly complete, but the final step requires the help of the police.”

Liu Xing paused, then looked up at her. A subtle change appeared in his eyes.

“When the Tang Jinli case first came to me, in my mind, you were almost certainly a suspect. You were a madman who wanted a wife, didn’t know what means to use, took Tang Jinli, and killed her,” Hai Shu said calmly. “But when I realized you were pretending to be foolish while actually very smart, the focus shifted to the ‘Life from Death’ ritual you disrupted. We thought you wanted to send a message to the public—using a decayed corpse to achieve your goal. We investigated the Flower Viewing Festival, Guibai Village’s development from poor to rich, and discovered three mysterious disappearances from ten years ago, including your parents and elder brother.”

“They may have been victims of Guibai Village’s development. You were seeking justice or revenge for them. But almost simultaneously, a completely different clue appeared: you knew Tang Jinli and likely liked her. Your act of playing dumb wasn’t just to protect yourself after your family’s misfortune—you started pretending as a child. You couldn’t foresee the future; you only tried to escape reality. Who was most affected by your act? Likely your family. As a child, you took this out on your family. Perhaps you didn’t have deep feelings for them, let alone a deliberate revenge. All of this was for Tang Jinli—the girl you loved silently, but who was killed by Yao Wei and Zhao Ruocheng.”

Liu Xing lowered his head, shadows obscuring his gaze.

Hai Shu’s heart raced. She wasn’t certain if her deduction was correct; in fact, her words weren’t rehearsed. She only had a rough mental framework, and as she spoke, the logic became clearer.

“You wanted revenge for Tang Jinli. But how? Kill the murderer? No, you didn’t want that. Smart people don’t want to become the blade. What you could use was your true intellect, your decades-long act of foolishness, and the Flower Viewing Festival in Guibai Village after spring. If you caused trouble at the festival’s climax, it would be like knocking over dominoes with a single flick. Under 24-hour police surveillance, you completed your revenge.”

Liu Xing smiled, “It’s not as mysterious as you say.”

“Mysterious? No. Once you understand human nature, it’s just a calculation, not mysticism,” Hai Shu continued. “You know Yao Wei and Zhao Ruocheng better than the police, and also someone the police haven’t discovered. Your fool persona allowed you to move unseen, underestimated, and unsuspected. You noticed Zhao Ruocheng’s pride and insecurity, easily affected emotionally. You noticed Yao Wei seemed refined but was actually a fragile, selfish lunatic. As for the other person, I don’t know. Tang Jinli’s death was entirely their doing. They held each other’s secrets. As long as her body wasn’t found, or if it was found but ignored by the police, they were safe. When you’re safe, so are they—that’s human nature.”

“But your actions in the ‘Life from Death’ ritual made them feel unsafe. How do you return to safety? The only option is to eliminate those who know. Liu Xing, you orchestrated a killing among the murderers. Yao Wei is already dead, right?”

Liu Xing shook his head, raising his chin sincerely, “I don’t know. I really don’t know.”

Though he claimed ignorance, Hai Shu felt he now resembled a victorious rooster, proud and unyielding.

“I said, the final step must be completed by the police,” Hai Shu said. “The last murderer cannot commit suicide. He will be judged by the law. If he evades investigation and frames Yao Wei, think about it—we’d never find a deceased suspect, and we’d always believe Yao Wei killed Zhao Ruocheng. Wouldn’t that make your victory incomplete? To put it pragmatically, once the case fades from public view and you’re released, won’t that remaining person act against you? He will. He must. He may not know your motives, but he knows you disrupted his life.”

Liu Xing shook his head with a smile. “Officer Hai, you’re so clever, I think you’d find the answer even if I said nothing.”

Hai Shu said, “So you agree with my deduction just now?”

Liu Xing fell silent. Hai Shu noticed a slight distraction on his face again. After a moment, he finally nodded. “You came to me today to get an answer. If I give you a definite reply, you’ll follow your plan. I’m curious—if I said it’s all fake, that I never intended revenge, what would you do next?”

He rarely spoke this long. Hai Shu thought for a moment. “But your reaction already gave me the answer. The only thing I don’t understand is why you kept getting distracted. For someone so intelligent, being absent-minded isn’t frequent. What’s troubling you?”

Liu Xing looked straight at Hai Shu. After a minute, he smiled like a child. “Officer Hai, your insight is remarkable. Then I’ll give you a clue. The person you suspect does exist. His characteristic is: doctor.”

Hai Shu’s heart rate rose slightly. This answer didn’t surprise her. The presence of propofol naturally pointed toward medical staff, who had easier access to such drugs and were more capable of using them for crime.

Hai Shu stood. She needed to contact Wen Xu immediately. But just as she was about to leave, Liu Xing called out, “Hey, I gave you something. Aren’t you going to use it in exchange?”

Hai Shu found it amusing. “You offer a tip to the interrogating officer?”

Liu Xing’s gaze fell on the stack of photos in her hand, pointing with his chin. “I want the photo of Fengcheng Anna.”

Hai Shu asked, “What is your relationship with her?”

Liu Xing said, “I’m just a country bumpkin. What relationship could I have with a foreigner? I just…” He paused. “Want to remember what the person who harmed her looked like.”

Hai Shu heard no hatred in his words, only nostalgia. She realized that each time Liu Xing had been distracted today, it was after seeing Fengcheng Anna’s photo.

She returned to the table, took out Fengcheng Anna’s photo, tapped it on the table, then left.

Police passed along the corridor, but the interrogation room remained quiet. The officers hadn’t taken Liu Xing away yet. He picked up the photo, studying it intently under the light, as if he wanted to extract the person from the photo with his gaze.

In the photo, Fengcheng Anna wore minimal makeup. Though she did wear some, it was natural, revealing almost her entire facial structure.

After a while, Liu Xing laughed and tossed the photo back onto the table, shaking his head. His laughter sounded like rusty shackles clanging together.

“Big brother! I was wrong, please let me off this time! I promise I won’t do this again!” The drug dealer’s face was all scrunched up like a crumpled newspaper, constantly bowing toward the police in front of him.

The officer taking the report slammed his hand on the table. “Wang Lao Gan, look at you! Brought here personally by the city bureau leaders, and still playing the pitiful act? What are you thinking? Hurry up and tell us—where did you get those drugs? How long have you been doing this?”

Wen Xu leaned against the wall, hands in his pockets, his sharp gaze sweeping over the drug dealer. This man was clearly a seasoned trickster. Even though three large boxes of prescription drugs had been seized from the tobacco and alcohol shop, and not the propofol the police were after, the dealer’s behavior was already serious enough.

The drug dealer kept glancing at Wen Xu. Seeing the police were useless, he shifted his focus. “Big brother, big brother, you’re a leader—you must see clearly! I’m just selling medicine, making it convenient for ordinary people. Didn’t people fight in line at Kangmin today over getting medicine? I was helping ease the hospital’s burden. I won’t do it again, really—just forgive me this once!”

Wen Xu scoffed, “And this makes you noble?”

The dealer quickly waved his hands. “Not noble, not noble! You serve the people—that’s the real greatness!”

“Enough, stop talking nonsense,” Wen Xu said, shedding his usual casual demeanor. He became serious and intimidating. “With this time, you’d better confess quickly. How did you get the drugs? Who gave them to you? Do you have any accomplices?”

The dealer rubbed his hands but said nothing.

“Playing dead?” Wen Xu said. “I’ll tell you, that trick doesn’t work on me. I’ve interrogated real drug dealers before. Afraid to go head-to-head with you? You can keep playing, let’s see how long you can last.”

The dealer wailed miserably, “Ow—”

An hour later, seeing that begging and pleading was useless, the dealer finally confessed. “The wool comes from the sheep… all of my drugs… they… they came from Kangmin Hospital.”

Wen Xu wondered if “the wool comes from the sheep” was really used this way but maintained his cold demeanor. “How did Kangmin Hospital’s drugs get out? Who inside was behind this?”

The dealer’s face fell. “It’s… Director Ma from Internal Medicine.”

Director Ma’s full name was Ma Ye, in his forties, slightly overweight, balding. At Kangmin Hospital, he was a low-profile figure and a distant cousin of the dealer, Wang Lao Gan.

Wang Lao Gan said that in their extended family, Ma Ye was the most successful. He had passed exams from the village and studied medicine—a source of pride for the whole village. Wang Lao Gan admired Ma Ye’s ability and wanted to work with him. At first, Ma Ye ignored him, but Wang Lao Gan brought in relatives to persuade him. Ma Ye then gave him some expired drugs, which, though past their prime, could still be sold to the ignorant, especially the elderly, for small profits.

Gradually, Wang Lao Gan’s appetite grew. Seeing that Wang Lao Gan was clever and capable, Ma Ye demanded a share of every profit. Their cooperation deepened. Ma Ye, being a director, and the small hospital’s lax management made it easy to steal drugs from the pharmacy using fake prescriptions and accounting. Wang Lao Gan handled the sales. This trade required no capital; greed overtook them, and eventually, they ran into Wen Xu.

The local police and first criminal investigation team went to Kangmin Hospital to make arrests and conduct checks. Wen Xu thought, if an internal medicine director could conspire with a drug dealer, what about others? With such lax drug control, getting propofol out wouldn’t be difficult.

When Wen Xu met Director Ma, he was cheerfully chatting with younger colleagues. At the mention of Wang Lao Gan, his face immediately went pale, cold sweat dripping. Without much interrogation, he trembled and admitted to stealing drugs, trying to justify himself.

He complained that family burdens were too heavy—wife unemployed, son advancing in school, the whole family relying on him. The community hospital salary was pitiful, and he couldn’t transfer to a better hospital. People back home, knowing he was a doctor, assumed he was rich and often came asking for favors or money. Even the theft of drugs was pressured by poor relatives, claiming that because Wang Lao Gan had suffered and became a doctor, living a privileged life, how could he act coldly? Even his elderly mother scolded him for being irresponsible. He had no choice but to join Wang Lao Gan.

Wen Xu said, “You’re a director level—don’t you know stealing drugs is illegal?”

Director Ma groaned, “I was foolish! I fell for Wang Lao Gan’s trick!”

Wen Xu said, “There’s a chance for you to redeem yourself.”

Director Ma: “Huh?”

Wen Xu asked, “Have you stolen drugs like propofol from the hospital?”

Director Ma was shocked. “How dare I? Those can’t be used directly!”

Wen Xu asked again, “To your knowledge, in your hospital, or among doctors you know, is there anyone misusing such drugs?”

Director Ma opened his mouth, and after a long pause said, “I really don’t know, but in our hospital, it’s easy to move some drugs without being noticed. Even if discovered, unless someone is extremely strict, people usually turn a blind eye.”

With such a major incident at Kangmin Hospital, the internal investigation started before police could systematically check. The pharmacy and dispensing rooms were heavily monitored. The pharmacy team leader, anxious and frustrated, repeatedly asked others, “You haven’t made mistakes, right? Mistakes like this are unacceptable!”

Everyone said they had never taken drugs. Xiao Jie stood nearby, lost in thought.

The team leader, startled, patted him on the shoulder. “Xiao Jie, you haven’t been hiding anything, right?”

Xiao Jie immediately shook his head. “No, sister, don’t worry.”

Wen Xu planned to personally observe the medical staff at Kangmin Hospital—not interrogate each one—but to see their reactions upon hearing “propofol.”

He didn’t know the hospital well and assumed the pharmacy would be the easiest place to steal drugs. But the accompanying vice president explained that propofol wasn’t casually stored there, and pharmacists’ work was monitored, making theft difficult. Middle managers and operating room staff, like Director Ma, were more likely to access such drugs.

Wen Xu saw the pharmacy team leader—a chubby middle-aged woman—who insisted that the pharmacists were innocent. His gaze landed on a tall, thin man with his head lowered, the only pharmacist not looking at him. Wen Xu approached, checked his badge, “Dr. Jie Yang.”

The man looked up, and as their eyes met, his Adam’s apple moved slightly. Wen Xu nodded to the others, then said to Jie Yang, “Let’s talk alone for a moment.”

The team leader looked worried. “Xiao Jie is a key member of our pharmacy! He’s definitely fine!”

Wen Xu smiled and turned to Jie Yang, “Don’t be nervous. You know, aside from the drug theft at Kangmin, we’re just doing a routine inquiry.”