Chapter 668 Guards
The one who answered him was the older constable in the middle, who was the one who had called him to report before.
It was difficult to explain it in a few words over the phone, but now that he saw Secretary Hou in person, he had already gone over the whole thing in his mind several times while waiting, striving to make the report clear and accurate.
This was a rare opportunity to leave an impression in front of the councilor's chief secretary. He took a deep breath, calmed himself, and said:
"Secretary Hou, we used technical means to locate Captain Li's phone, and when we found the location...
The above is what happened, but Secretary Hou, you really don’t need to worry too much.
Captain Li and Chang Erbing were definitely lucky this time. After we found them, we sent them to the hospital as quickly as possible and the doctors treated them immediately.
I just asked the attending physician again, and he said that his vital signs have stabilized, but he has not woken up due to blood loss, hypothermia and extreme mental exhaustion.
The doctor said that after the blood transfusion, he should be able to wake up after warming up and getting some sleep."
The old constable kept talking a lot, almost pouring out everything he knew in one breath, and after he finished speaking, he carefully observed Hou Wendong's expression.
Hou Wendong listened expressionlessly, his brows slightly furrowed. Only when the other party finished speaking did he let out a barely perceptible sigh of relief, but the solemnity on his face did not dissipate.
He did not comment on this detailed report, but simply waved to the old detective.
The old constable was stunned for a moment and didn't immediately understand what he meant.
Hou Wendong coughed slightly with a hint of impatience:
"Where's the body camera you mentioned on the phone? Give it to me."
"Oh! Oh! Right!"
The old constable suddenly realized and immediately turned around and almost snatched a law enforcement recorder in a transparent evidence bag from a young constable behind him.
There are obvious signs of bumps and cracks on the corners of the instrument.
He held it in both hands and handed it to Hou Wendong respectfully:
"Secretary Hou, this is it. It was still recording when we found it, but a corner of the screen was broken."
Hou Wendong took the evidence bag, rubbed the broken corners through the bag, and nodded without asking any more questions. Then he held the law enforcement instrument in one hand and pushed open the heavy door of the ward with the other.
"Just guard the door and don't let anyone in without my permission." He ordered without turning his head.
"Yes! Secretary Hou!" the old detective responded quickly.
Hou Wendong had half a foot into the ward, but his steps suddenly stopped, as if he suddenly remembered something extremely important.
He turned his head sharply, his sharp eyes cast once again at the old constable at the door, and asked in a low voice:
"By the way, have you informed the police station or anyone else about finding Li Shang and the others?"
The old constable immediately straightened his chest and replied solemnly:
"Don't worry, Secretary Hou. As soon as we found out it was Captain Li and his men, we called you right away and then rushed to the hospital.
During this period, my brothers and I absolutely did not reveal any information to anyone else in the police station."
After hearing this, Hou Wendong's tense expression finally relaxed a little. He nodded, and his tone softened, but his admonition became more stern:
"Well done. Remember, from now on, no matter who asks, don't be afraid to say a word without my permission. Got it?"
Out of the unique caution of a senior secretary and his keen sense of danger, Hou Wendong took the initiative to issue a gag order without thinking before the situation became clear.
He must keep all information outlets firmly in his own hands. Only in this way can he calmly weave the "truth" that is most beneficial to himself, or to Councillor Wang, after Li Shang wakes up.
Of course, the situation is unclear at the moment and he has not yet decided whether to take this step, but he must prepare in advance.
Basic operation, don’t be stupid!
This is just the basic quality of every qualified secretary - always be prepared for both scenarios and be ready to deal with changes at any time.
A secretary who lacks this quality is destined not to go far on this path.
For example, Secretary Du Ziteng who had acted on his own before.
Du Ziteng: “…” My grave is already overgrown with weeds, how can it still be taken out and whipped?
The ward was silent, with only the regular and monotonous ticking of medical instruments echoing in the air, like a cold time scale, measuring the life flow of the unconscious person.
Li Shang was lying on the white hospital bed, his eyes closed, his face pale and haggard from blood loss.
His arm was exposed, with a needle inserted into a clear vein. Bright red blood was slowly flowing into his body through a thin tube, and a transparent liquid bag hanging next to it was also supplying water and electrolytes.
On the ECG monitor screen next to him, the green lines rose and fell steadily. Although the blood oxygen saturation and blood pressure values were not strong, they were stable within a safe range, indicating that his vital signs were gradually recovering.
Hou Wendong pulled a chair and sat by the window. Seeing that Li Shang had not woken up yet, he frowned and fiddled with the law enforcement instrument in his hand for a while.
The screen struggled to light up, and only about half of the area could barely see the image.
The footage began to play, but it was extremely choppy and shaking violently, mixed with piercing noises and heavy breathing. Most of the time it was dark, or it was just meaningless still images of the ground, ruins, etc.
Hou Wendong patiently fast-forwarded the clips, then suddenly pressed the pause button.
Through the half of the screen that was still intact, a face appeared clearly and ferociously in Hou Wendong's eyes.
It was a smooth and pale bone mask without any human flesh features.
"[Mask]!"
Hou Wendong frowned and almost blurted out the name.
Thanks to the recent martial arts tournament, or thanks to a few advanced reporters from Guangling TV, [Mask] is now a household name in District 9.
If the bone mask can be carefully imitated, then the inhuman eyes beneath the mask, which almost overflow with coldness and evil even through the screen, cannot be disguised in any way.
Moreover, Hou Wendong never made any connection to the direction of "video fraud"
He still believed Li Shang more. Besides, he really couldn't think of any reason why Li Shang would forge such a video.
Li Shang did not fake the video, and everything Hou Wendong saw was true.
Hou Wendong did not disappoint him. After participating in several cases, he felt that he had honed some reasoning skills.
Combining the video evidence in his hand with the detective's account just now, Hou Wendong quickly completed the puzzle in his mind and came up with a logical truth:
"So, the appearance of Li Shang's car in the Emerald Garden basically explains it all. It's very likely that the car was driven there by [Mask], and then attacked the special envoy's villa?!"
Hou Wendong deduced the truth in his mind, his face suddenly changed, and he came to a more serious conclusion:
"So, since the Special Correspondent's body was never found at the scene, does that mean... he was actually kidnapped by [Mask]?
Why did [Mask] specifically kidnap the special envoy? Given the special envoy's special status, does [Mask] want to gain something from him?
Or, does [Masquerade] intend to use the special envoy to do something?"
It has to be admitted that although there were some deviations in Hou Wendong's reasoning process, the conclusion he finally came to was indeed infinitely close to the terrible truth.
Special Correspondent, in a sense, you have indeed fallen into the hands of... [Mask].
Of course, so far, all of this is just Hou Wendong's subjective inference, and the most critical witness testimony is still missing.
He glanced at Li Shang, who was still unconscious, and without any hesitation, he stood up and walked to the door of the ward, whispering a few words to the old constable who was waiting outside.
The old constable's expression froze, and he immediately nodded, turned around and trotted away.
Soon, a doctor in charge walked in quickly.
Hou Wendong spoke before the doctor could speak:
"I have a basic understanding of his condition. I just need to know one thing now: how long will it take for him to wake up?"
The doctor in charge thought about it and gave a conservative estimate:
"The patient's vital signs have stabilized and his body functions are recovering.
The main problem is excessive mental exhaustion, such as experiencing extreme shock or suffering, and the brain activates its self-protection mechanism.
He needs to sleep quietly for another 8 to 12 hours, and then he should be able to wake up on his own..."
Hou Wendong interrupted with a wave of his hand:
"It's been too long! I can't wait that long. I want him to wake up right now. Can you do that?"
The doctor in charge was stunned for a moment, his face expressionless, but he spoke more cautiously:
"In theory... yes, we can. We have powerful stimulants and neuroactivating drugs that can forcibly interrupt deep sleep.
However, Secretary Hou, I must remind you that doing so will cause considerable damage to the patient's already exhausted spirit and may even leave long-term..."
"If that's possible, let's do it."
Hou Wendong had no interest in listening to the statement about the consequences. His tone was firm and decisive, leaving no room for negotiation. He added:
"Captain Li Shang is an elite member of the patrol station and a loyal defender of District 9. I believe he is absolutely willing to make this small sacrifice for the safety of District 9."
What else can the attending doctor say?
Although medical ethics is important, it is not greater than the hat of District 9.
The doctor in charge didn't say anything more. Hou Wendong's words were enough.
As a professional doctor of the Fourth Hospital, as long as he is not held responsible, what difference does it make whether the patient lives a few more or less years after being discharged from the hospital?
"I see."
The doctor in charge nodded, his face full of professional calmness.
"Please wait a moment. I'll go get the potion."
He turned and left, but soon returned with a small tray in his hand. On it was a syringe filled with transparent liquid. The needle was slender and flashed with a cold light.
Along with the syringe, a "Forced Awakening Instructions and Risk Notification Sheet" with densely printed clauses was also brought back. The doctor handed the notice and a pen to Hou Wendong without saying a word.
Hou Wendong frowned, but still took the pen and signed his name.
The attending doctor took back the signed notice, looked at the signature carefully, then walked to the bedside, skillfully opened Li Shang's clothes, exposing his chest, and wiped it with an alcohol cotton ball.
Then, he aimed at the heart and stabbed it in accurately and forcefully.
Push the needle bolt with your thumb, and when the injection is complete, pull out the needle.
5 seconds later.
Li Shang's body twitched violently, as if it had been hit by a high-voltage electric current.
Then, an extremely painful hissing sound came out of his throat - "Ah!!"
The next second, the tightly closed eyes suddenly opened.
The pupils were completely dilated at the first moment, filled with unfocused fear and severe physiological discomfort, staring straight at the ceiling.
A fine layer of cold sweat instantly broke out on his forehead, his chest began to rise and fall violently uncontrollably, and he gasped for breath, accompanied by painful dry coughs.
The forced boot was successful, but the process was obviously not pleasant.
The doctor in charge checked the heart rate on the monitor, which suddenly soared and then slowly fell back, and then calmly said to Hou Wendong:
"After waking up, some severe pain and palpitations are normal reactions."
After saying that, he took the empty syringe and notice and left the ward. The other detectives looked at each other, followed him out silently, and closed the door gently, leaving the space to the two people inside.
Li Shang had a splitting headache, and his pale face was abnormally flushed due to extreme pain.
He moved his eyes with difficulty, and it took a lot of effort to finally focus his vision. He saw Hou Wendong standing beside the bed and forced a smile on his face.
Hou Wendong's face quickly formed a smile that was a mixture of concern, solemnity, and urgency, and his tone became deep and infectious:
"Captain Li, you finally woke up, how do you feel?
Logically speaking, I should let you rest in the hospital for a few days to recover your strength.
But something happened at Emerald Garden, and the correspondent's life or death is unknown, and your car appeared at the entrance of Emerald Garden. Do you understand the seriousness of the matter?"
Li Shang nodded heavily and said:
"I heard a little bit before I passed out. Secretary Hou, I understand. You woke me up for my own good, so I could prove my innocence."
Hou Wendong was very satisfied with Li Shang's sensible reaction. He nodded and continued in a deep voice:
"It's not just about proving my innocence, Captain Li.
A huge storm is coming. If the special envoy gets into trouble in the Ninth District, countless people may be caught up in it and be crushed to pieces.
The position of the councillor determines that someone will definitely take advantage of this opportunity to make a big fuss and target the councillor, and you..."
Hou Wendong's eyes locked sharply on Li Shang:
"You are the captain of the police station, a recognized detective, and the councilor's preferred candidate for the next chief of the police station.
These labels on you cannot be washed off, so not only must you clear yourself of suspicion, but you must also find a way to uncover the truth before everyone else…”
Hou Wendong paused for a moment and said meaningfully:
"A 'truth' that can give you, the councilors, the entire Ninth District, and even Upper City a satisfactory explanation!"
The words that came out of Hou Wendong's mouth were more weighty and shocking than the other, which made Li Shang's pupils shrink continuously.
The good news is that the Special Commissioner's life or death is unknown, and he can still be the captain of the police station, and even the hope of becoming the director is still there;
The bad news is that a storm is coming, and his current situation is another form of danger.
Li Shang endured the throbbing pain in his temples, supported himself on the edge of the bed with his hands, and stood up shakily from the bed. He said to Hou Wendong in a hoarse voice:
"Secretary Hou, please tell me what you need me, Li Shang...to finally uncover the truth."
(End of this chapter)
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