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He has disappeared.
When Song Qinggui and Xue Lu arrived at Jingtian Hospital in the heavy snow, it was already late at night.
Wu Xiaoqian and her colleagues from the medical affairs department were waiting in the office. When they saw them come in, they quickly went to greet them.
"When did this happen?" Song Qinggui asked directly.
“It was 2 a.m. yesterday,” Wu Xiaoqian replied. “Yang Ailin jumped from the balcony with her child. It was the 16th floor, and both of them died on the spot. The police have not yet released a specific investigation report. This is a video of the accident scene, taken by a nearby resident.”
Song Qinggui glanced at it; the video was taken from a distance, and all he could see was a white sheet covering the stretcher.
"What does this have to do with our hospital?" Song Qinggui asked bluntly. "Wasn't the blood type dispute resolved three months ago?"
Wu Xiaoqian took a slightly anxious breath: "Because of this."
At this moment, another video was playing on Wu Xiaoqian's phone. The main character in the video was Yang Ailin's husband, Song Jian, who was squatting on a curbstone, with the Lancheng Forensic Identification Center in the background.
In the video, Song Jian was in tears. He said he had long since let go of the blood type issue. The related tests would cost a lot of money and require drawing a lot of blood from all three of them, and he couldn't bear to see his wife and child suffer. He believed in his wife and believed the child was theirs. He had decided that from now on, the three of them would live a good life together.
However, staff from Jingtian Hospital kept contacting them, repeatedly demanding that they undergo relevant tests in an attempt to distance themselves from the hospital.
Yang Ailin already suffered from postpartum depression. Jingtian Hospital kept harassing her with phone calls, which made her suspect that her husband was unfaithful. That's why she couldn't think straight and jumped off the building with her child.
Upon hearing this, Song Qinggui couldn't help but turn to look at the head nurse of the obstetrics department, who had also come from home.
The head nurse said, "We did call her, but apart from the time Song Jian caused a scene at the hospital, the other calls weren't about blood type. I asked one of the nurses in our department, and we followed up with her three times afterward. The first time was because her baby failed a test on the heel prick test, so we asked her to bring the baby back for a retest. The second time was to remind her to come to the postpartum recovery department for a check-up 42 days after delivery. The third time was to remind her to bring the baby to the pediatric department for a check-up at three months. We didn't mention blood type in the later calls."
Song Qinggui: "Was it recorded?"
"It was recorded." The head nurse of the obstetrics department felt a lingering fear. Since Song Qinggui joined the medical affairs department, he had always advocated recording phone calls for patients who were prone to disputes, as it was a form of self-protection. Fortunately, they followed the rules.
“Don’t touch the phone that was used to call Yang Ailin from now on,” Song Qinggui said. “Prepare all her medical records from her hospital stay. I’m going to the security department later. I hope the video recordings of their hospital visits are complete. The police might check these things. If there are gaps in the video recordings or incomplete medical records, it could be used against them.”
Song Qinggui and Xue Lu went to the security department together and reviewed the video footage from that time, which took them all night.
The next morning, Xue contacted his friend in the police force, and the two of them went to the Public Security Bureau to inquire about the internal situation.
It snowed heavily overnight. On New Year's Eve, the sanitation department was on holiday and had no time to clear the snow, so the snow on the roads was already very thick.
Xue Lu drove slowly, and Song Qinggui sat in the passenger seat without saying a word.
"Don't worry, there might be a solution." Xue Lu knew what Song Qinggui was worried about.
"I don't even dare to turn on my phone," Song Qinggui sighed. "I wonder what kind of abuse Jingtian Hospital is getting subjected to..."
Song Qinggui has handled numerous medical disputes, both large and small, but he has never felt so powerless.
If they let it go unchecked, Jingtian's reputation will be damaged, and he will be unjustly blamed for driving a mother and child to their deaths. But if they take a hard line and rush to clarify things like before, it will seem very heartless.
Yang Ailin was still very young, only twenty-seven years old, and her child was only three months old. Two lives were lost just like that. If the hospital that treated them only focuses on absolving itself of any involvement in this matter, it is reasonable, but it inevitably makes people feel cold-hearted.
Song Qinggui had already asked Xiaoqian to draft a statement, the gist of which was that "Jingtian Hospital has never harassed the pregnant woman and her family with the intention of forcing them to undergo medical testing. The hospital deeply regrets the passing of this mother and child and is willing to fully cooperate with the police investigation if necessary." They immediately sent out the statement after the police announcement was released.
This is the most tactful and decent response Jing Tian could give, but it is unlikely to silence public opinion.
...
When the car arrived at Lancheng Public Security Bureau, Song Qinggui met Xue Lv's friend, Wang Yueling.
"Captain Wang." Xue Lu greeted him first, then turned to Song Qinggui and introduced him: "This is Captain Wang, the criminal investigation captain of Lancheng Public Security Bureau. I troubled him quite a bit because of Xue Can's matter."
Song Qinggui greeted Wang Yueling. She had heard from Lawyer Xue that Xue Can had committed a crime in the United States and served a year in prison after returning to China. However, due to the Xue family's background, the Americans deliberately made things difficult for him and refused to release him. It took a lot of effort at the time. Lawyer Xue also became friends with Wang Yueling, who was in charge of the case at the time.
Wang Yueling also joked with Xue Lu: "I thought Xue Can's matter was over, and the next time we met would be at a bar. I didn't expect to see you at the police station."
"Stop joking, please." Xue Lu was really not in the mood for a joke.
Wang Yueling stopped with the small talk: "The information I can give you right now is that Yang Ailin did indeed commit suicide; there are no signs of homicide. As for other matters, I cannot say anything until the investigation results are in. The police force has its principles."
It seemed they would have to return empty-handed. Song Qinggui and Xue Lu were both somewhat disappointed, but they could understand Wang Yueling's predicament.
Seeing their worried faces, Wang Yueling comforted them, saying, "But we have already notified the relevant platforms that we cannot allow false information to spread on the internet. Don't be too anxious."
“Okay.” Xue Lu nodded.
After seeing off Attorney Xue and Song Qinggui, a police officer walked into Wang Yueling's office: "Captain Wang, someone in Yang Ailin's neighborhood has provided a lead."
"Hold a meeting!" Wang Yueling said in a deep voice.
...
Because of Yang Ailin's suicide, Song Qinggui was filled with anxiety throughout the entire Lunar New Year holiday, and the Xue family as a result didn't have a good New Year either. The plan to return to Cangcheng to visit Aunt Sun on the third day of the Lunar New Year had to be canceled.
On the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, the last day of the holiday, after a detailed investigation of the deceased's family and Jingtian Hospital, the police issued an investigation announcement confirming that Yang Ailin and her child committed suicide, and that Yang Ailin did indeed have postpartum depression symptoms.
But at the end of the announcement, one piece of news caused a stir on the internet—Yang Ailin's husband was arrested by the police on suspicion of domestic violence.
Once this news came out, public attention shifted away from Jingtian Hospital, and Jingtian was able to escape unscathed this time.
But two months later, on a weekend, Wang Yueling suddenly invited Xue Lu to dinner. Xue Lu had a feeling that it was still related to Yang Ailin's matter.
Xue Lu and Song Qing chose a hot pot restaurant, and the three of them ate and chatted.
Wang Yueling succinctly explained the whole story: "Yang Ailin's neighbors reported to us that ever since Yang Ailin gave birth, there have been sounds of things being smashed, crying, and screaming in their house every few days. After obtaining the consent of Yang Ailin's parents, we conducted an autopsy on Yang Ailin. She had multiple soft tissue injuries, which were not caused by a fall from a height. It is believed that she had been beaten. It is highly likely that Yang Ailin suffered long-term domestic violence before her death."
Song Qinggui felt a tightness in her chest. This was not unexpected. Song Jian still did not believe that the child was his. But Song Qinggui did not understand: "When the blood type dispute first occurred, our hospital suggested that the couple have genetic testing done with the child. We promised that Jingtian would cover the cost. They agreed at first. I had already contacted the testing agency. But Song Jian and Yang Ailin suddenly changed their minds."
“That’s why I invited you to dinner today,” Wang Yueling said. “When we were investigating Song Jian, we found an unusual deposit of 660,000 yuan into his account three months ago. The money came from overseas and went through many twists and turns before finally reaching Song Jian. I asked my colleagues in the IT department to investigate, and they eventually traced it to a Swiss bank.”
Song Qinggui was still confused, but Xue Lu's expression became solemn.
Wang Yueling looked at Xue Lu: "That's right, Kuchemeier Bank."
Xue Lu's gaze was sharp.
The Xue family's overseas assets are managed by Kuchemeier Bank. Wang Yueling knew this because she had also investigated this bank when dealing with Xue Can's mess back then.
“Attorney Xue, this case involving Yang Ailin has taken us quite unexpectedly.” Wang Yueling said solemnly, “We initially thought it was a simple case of domestic violence leading to suicide, but the more we investigated, the more complicated things became. I’ve called you here today to ask for your cooperation with the police.”
Both Xue Lu and Song Qinggui became serious.
Wang Yueling took out two photos: "Do you recognize this person?"
The two photos of Wang Yueling are: one is an ID photo showing a man named Zhao Lin, 35 years old; the other is a screenshot from surveillance footage showing a man wearing a trench coat and a baseball cap, walking furtively on Danshan Road.
“This is…” Song Qinggui remembered that this person seemed to be the man who came out of the third courtyard when they went to the old house for dinner on New Year’s Day.
Compared to Song Qinggui, Xue Lu was even more terrified.
Fragments of his memory suddenly surfaced, gradually showing signs of piecing themselves together into a picture.
At this moment, Wang Yueling spoke up: "Zhao Lin had no parents, dropped out of junior high school, came to Lancheng to make a living in the underworld. When he was nineteen, he was detained for two months for fighting. After his release, he started doing odd jobs, repairing mobile phones and cars. Later, he enrolled in an adult undergraduate program, obtained a broker's license, and worked as a stagehand for several variety shows. At twenty-five, he started working as a nightclub beverage salesman in a bar. Three years later, seven years ago, he became the driver for Li Jinghe, the third wife of the Xue family."
At this point in Wang Yueling's sentence, Song Qinggui felt a chill run down his spine: "Third Aunt's driver..."
Wang Yueling nodded: "But he has disappeared. This surveillance image is the last place he was seen, which is Danshan Road where the Xue family's old house is located. We now suspect that he may still be alive... and his life or death may very well be related to Li Jinghe."
"What do you need me to do?" Xue Lu's forehead was already beaded with sweat.
"We need to enter the Xue family's old house to investigate. We hope the Xue family will cooperate, and we want to do so without alerting Li Jinghe," Wang Yueling stated her request.
“Okay.” Attorney Xue didn’t hesitate much, but his gaze was intense as he looked at Wang Yueling: “Captain Wang, Zhao Lin… may be involved in more than just Yang Ailin’s case.”
This time, it was Wang Yueling's turn to be surprised: "What do you mean?"
The puzzle was complete in Xue Lu's mind. He remembered when he first saw Zhao Lin—it was in Song Qinghe's painting. Song Qinghe had once drawn a portrait of Zhao Lin in Chengcheng's office at the Lancheng Hotel.
“Last year, for my birthday, the Xue family held a banquet at the Lancheng Grand Hotel. The poisoning case at that banquet should also be related to this person.” Attorney Xue revealed his inner thoughts: “The Xue family…when do you plan to investigate?”
"The sooner the better."
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