scapegoat
The night wind carried the lingering chill of winter, rustling the leaves. The streets and alleys were deserted. The night watchman trembled as he struck his clapper four times, the clanging sounds clearly audible to anyone standing by the window.
It was past midnight! Kiyosumi, pressing her arm where blood had just been drawn, slowly walked back to the operating room.
The operating room was eerily quiet; even the faint hiss of the incandescent light seemed like the raving of a drunkard. Qingcheng stared at the red light above the operating room, her heart feeling as if it had been scalded by boiling water, both hot and painful. Her worried gaze then turned to Gao Junxiao.
Under the incandescent light, Gao Junxiao sat silently in the chair. His once handsome profile was now covered in stubble, and the hem of his shirt was hanging out unevenly with the buttons fastened in the wrong place, making him look like a homeless man.
With his father-in-law's fate unknown and his siblings far away, Gao Junxiao wanted to keep his ailing mother's condition a secret to avoid causing unnecessary stress and turning a minor illness into a major one.
The current difficulties are all on his shoulders, how can Qingcheng continue to act recklessly? Besides, he can admit his mistakes and correct them, he's still a good comrade. He has seen Gao Junxiao's recent behavior and kept it in mind. He rolled up his sleeves, picked up the coat that the man had thrown aside, and gently wrapped it around him.
The movement startled him, and his hand, which had been hanging by his side, twitched slightly. Gao Junxiao tilted his head up slightly, pulled up her sleeve, and saw the purplish needle marks. His bloodshot eyes showed a hint of pity.
"It's just a blood draw. Eat more spinach and drink two bottles of milk, and you'll make up for it." Qingcheng sat down next to the man, trying to use the most relaxed tone to resist Gao Junxiao's wet gaze, but in her heart she was thinking, "Don't do this. It makes me feel uncomfortable."
A tightness gripped his waist. Gao Junxiao didn't speak or allow Qingcheng to move. He took a handkerchief with one hand and pressed it against the eye of the needle, controlling the force very well.
Her eyes sparkled like stars. Qingcheng tilted her head and leaned on his shoulder. They were so close that Qingcheng felt she would be doing a disservice to her eyes if she didn't do something. Her clothes were hanging down unevenly; didn't he feel awkward?
Gao Junxiao grabbed her hand as she straightened her clothes. He stared intently at her and advised, "Huahua, why don't you go back and rest first? I can wait for you myself."
"That won't do. Unless you call your steward and servants to come and replace you, I won't take care of you." Qingcheng was worried about leaving him alone in the hospital. What if he couldn't figure things out for a while?
A deep sigh came from above. Gao Junxiao hesitated for a moment, then gently patted Qingcheng's head. He would do this when he was helpless, and Qingcheng knew it all too well.
After a moment's hesitation, Gao Junxiao decided to wait for the news to come out before calling home to ask the housekeeper to come over. Once the housekeeper was there, he would immediately send Qingcheng home. After drawing so much blood, she needed to get some rest.
Why should I? Qingcheng was a little annoyed. She grabbed Gao Junxiao's face and said firmly, "I'm not leaving! Don't make decisions for me. I know exactly what I'm doing. As for you, your beard is so long. Go find a groomer to shave it clean later. Don't embarrass me when you come out with me in the future."
"Huh? You—" His surprise vanished in an instant, his voice trailing off, a complex emotion flickering in his bloodshot eyes.
The two nestled together quietly, their warm breaths wafting over each other's heads. Qingcheng leaned against him as if she had no bones, and all he needed to do was know that she was there.
Squeak!
The doctor in the white coat pushed open the operating room door, and the family members waiting at the door all looked at him.
"Are Feng Niannian's family members here? Feng Niannian's family members?" the doctor called out a few more times. Seeing no one answer, he shook his head and turned to the next form.
The doctor continued to shout loudly, "Gao Huaishu's family members, who are Gao Huaishu's family members?"
"It is me!" Gao Junxiao straightened up excitedly, but stumbled when he stood up. Luckily, Qingcheng caught him in time so he didn't fall.
The doctor, unfazed, handed over the signed form: "The patient's surgery was successful, but there are multiple fractures. The patient is also elderly and not yet out of danger, so he needs to be kept in the hospital for observation. Take this form to the cashier on the first floor to complete the admission process."
Upon hearing the good news, their joyful gazes met, and everything around them seemed to blur. Gao Junxiao hugged Qingcheng tightly, like a child throwing a tantrum, their unspoken feelings conveyed to each other through their warmth.
Gao Junxiao was extremely anxious. He took a big step, and she was pulled along at a jog.
After paying at the cashier on the first floor, a commotion suddenly came from the end of the corridor, along with disordered footsteps and deliberately hushed whispers. Qingcheng was stunned for a few seconds, and the hospital security guards, guided by the doctor, rushed to the scene.
Through the stark white light, Qingcheng realized that it looked like the entrance to the hospital morgue. She guessed that the hospital might have encountered another unreasonable family member who was demanding an explanation.
A short while later, two police officers dressed in "black dog skin" swaggered into the hospital; they were always the last ones to arrive.
Gao Junxiao disliked watching the excitement, so he dragged the gossipy Qingcheng towards the inpatient department, reminding her that getting her father admitted to the hospital was more important. Qingcheng glanced at him reluctantly before going upstairs with Gao Junxiao.
When they took the old man back to the intensive care unit, the police were already waiting at the door. He first informed them that his father was fully responsible for the traffic accident, that the old man was driving under the influence of alcohol, ran a red light, and was not wearing a seatbelt, which was a typical case of dangerous driving.
"How could my dad be driving under the influence? Where's the driver?" Gao Junxiao retorted, his face turning ashen.
To everyone's surprise, the police officers confidently produced their investigation documents and explained that, according to their investigation, there was only the old man in the car, no driver. He was lucky; after being thrown out, he landed right on the green belt. As for the car that was hit, the driver and male passenger died on the spot, while only one female passenger suffered extensive burns and was still alive.
"Burns, and the car exploded due to an oil leak?" Kiyosumi asked, seizing on the suspicious details.
The police officer nodded. The leaking oil came from the vehicle that was hit. It seemed that the fuel tank of that car was already damaged, and it cracked open with the impact of the heavy object. Otherwise, given the speed at the intersection...
"You mean the responsibility is debatable?" Gao Junxiao smiled as he stared at the police officer, but his deep, sharp gaze carried a hint of coldness.
"A collision at an intersection usually doesn't occur at high speeds, so the fact that the damage is this severe is largely due to the car not being properly maintained. If we assess the situation carefully, the old man might not necessarily be fully responsible. Of course, it depends on what you think." The police officer paused, gave a strange smile, and twirled three fingers together, clearly intending to extort money from him.
Kiyosumi had already experienced the police's true colors. Investigation? What a load of rubbish! As long as you pay, they'll make black seem white and white seem black.
These days, people who can afford to ride in cars usually have some status and influence. Nobody wants any negative news about them to cause gossip. So traffic police aren't afraid of wealthy people riding in cars. Using their power to extort money from both sides is what this position is all about.
Gao Junxiao, with the air of an officer, pointed to the police officer's number and asked him which branch he was from.
"I am but a squad leader of the second team of the Broadway Road Traffic Division. If you know someone up there, that might be a solution. At least the old gentleman won't go to jail; he'll just have to pay some money." The constable shrugged, looking every bit the seasoned veteran, completely unfazed.
It turned out to be a police officer from the Chinese-controlled area. Gao Junxiao said coldly, "Deputy Director Zhang is currently worried about having too many staff. It seems I need to call and talk to him."
"Sir, please don't be angry. I'm just telling the truth. When the higher-ups come to investigate, I'm just doing my job." The policeman forced a smile, but his words remained impolite.
She suddenly grabbed Gao Junxiao, who was about to step forward to argue, and gestured to him with her eyes to keep quiet.
You can't use a powerful figure to suppress a minor demon; he doesn't even know him. Qingcheng stepped forward and blocked Gao Junxiao's path, bowing with her hands clasped behind her back. She quickly made a gesture reminiscent of the Axe Gang's "two-one-to-nine" rule and said in a threatening tone, "09855, don't you want this month's funds?"
Sure enough, the constable's expression changed, and he bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle, saying humbly, "Grandma, I'm sorry, I was blind to your greatness. You are a magnanimous person, please give me any orders and I will do them."
Ignoring Gao Junxiao's curious gaze, Qingcheng asked, "Have you thoroughly inspected my father-in-law's car, especially the brakes?"
"Reporting to you, ma'am, the car was burned to a shell, there's no way to tell if there's anything wrong. It's not that we didn't check," the police officer replied awkwardly.
"Destroy the evidence!" The word suddenly popped into Qingcheng's mind. Gao Junxiao, who was beside her, also realized what it meant, and his eyes darkened. Qingcheng could vaguely hear him grinding his teeth.
This was too strange. Pulling Gao Junxiao to an empty corner of the ward, Qingcheng whispered in his ear in a voice only he could hear, "Go to the hospital right now and add a few blood tests for your father-in-law, including…"
After Gao Junxiao left the ward, Qingcheng sat down and continued to question the police. Since the car was destroyed, how could they determine that the other party's fuel tank had ruptured? How come the female passenger only suffered burns? What else was strange?
In response to Qingcheng's question, the police officer replied in detail that the area around the incident site was covered with spilled oil, especially the circular spray, which was the trajectory of the vehicle that was hit. The skid marks on the ground also corroborated this.
Actually, her father-in-law's car wasn't going fast, and the female passenger's position wasn't a point of impact. Theoretically, if the car wasn't going fast, she would at most suffer minor injuries and could probably climb out of the car on her own. However, she was a bit too slow and didn't escape the fire after the explosion.
"How do you know my father-in-law wasn't driving fast?" Qingcheng asked, frowning.
"I've been directing traffic for many years, and I can estimate how far a car can travel at any speed just by looking at it. The old man was traveling no more than 25 km/h, just after shifting into second gear. Otherwise, he wouldn't have survived. Please take a look at the accident scene diagram I drew." The policeman handed over an accident reconstruction diagram and gave a brief explanation.
Before Qingcheng could examine the car closely, the police officer interrupted her thoughts: "Oh, by the way, I found out that this car has nothing to do with the deceased. The deceased's name was Xia Zhengkui, a comprador businessman. However, the car owner should be related to him. They are both from Guangdong and share the surname Xia. They probably lent him the car."
Her heart skipped a beat, and Qingcheng quickly asked, "What's the car owner's name?"
"Xia Wanlan," the police officer said clearly.
During the conversation, Qingcheng felt a chill run up her spine. She couldn't think of anyone else who was the mastermind behind it all, except for the man surnamed Dai. The person he really wanted to kill was her master, but unfortunately, man proposes, God disposes. That man became her master's scapegoat.
"Grandma, I remember your father-in-law rented the car, right? That's simple then. I'll issue you a certificate stating that there was a problem with the brakes. You can sue the rental company and have them take the lead in negotiating with the deceased's family. Your family only needs to pay the rental company for the car, and the insurance company will cover the rest." The police officer offered a very considerate solution.
"How shameless!" Qingcheng shook her head, politely declining the officer's offer, and asked him to develop the accident investigation photos for her; she needed them immediately. Having received the order, the traffic policeman vanished in a flash.
The ward fell silent again. Qingcheng unfolded a simple map, on which was drawn a simple crossroads, and she began to observe it carefully.
The square in the upper right corner is the green belt where the father-in-law was found, the five-pointed star is the place where the father-in-law was found, the large circle in the center on the left is the accident area, the crosses represent the deceased passenger and driver, and there is another cross near the left edge, which should be the female passenger.
The only thing Qingcheng was certain of was that her father-in-law would never drive himself. The modern roads of Shanghai were probably the most difficult to drive on in the entire country.
Because the concessions and Chinese-controlled areas were governed by their own systems, the road construction lacked a unified plan. As a result, the intersecting roads were of different widths, twists and turns, and there was no distinction between left and right-hand vehicles; everyone had to drive on the left.
Let alone a stranger like him trying to drive for an hour or two from the French Concession to the Chinese-controlled area to attend a banquet, even a seasoned taxi driver who has been driving in Shanghai for years might get lost.
And given his status as a father-in-law, how could he not have a driver? His personal male servant clearly knows how to drive.
Another strange point is that, given Team Leader Dai's ruthless methods, the old man would have no chance of survival. Why didn't the assassin fasten a seatbelt for him? Wouldn't that have guaranteed the old man's death? Or was the assassin under his command a rookie, killing for the first time and a bit flustered?
"Little Miss, what are you thinking about so intently?" A warm sensation came from Gao Junxiao's head as he suddenly leaned close to her ear. The wild man's head startled Qingcheng so much that she almost jumped up. Didn't she know there were many strange tales in the hospital?
Clutching her wildly beating chest, Qingcheng forced a calm expression: "Of course I'm thinking about serious matters, why would I be thinking about you?"
"So it was a private matter? No problem, just think of me when you have time." Gao Junxiao said with a hint of amusement in his eyes.
Pushing his luck, Qingcheng ignored him and directly steered the conversation back to the incident. Before Qingcheng could reveal the mastermind, Gao Junxiao blurted out—Dai Yunong.
Now that they had reached a consensus on the mastermind, Qingcheng wanted to hear Gao Junxiao's next thoughts, so he made a shushing gesture.
After carefully closing the ward door, he lowered his voice and explained to Qingcheng that the man surnamed Dai had been outmaneuvered this time and was extremely anxious.
Because tomorrow morning, at the same time as when Kiyoshi visited the Songhu Command Headquarters last time, foreign journalists will be forming groups to interview Chen Yao's troops.
In addition, Chen Yao's personal interview will begin at 2 pm. Chen Yao revealed that the principal attaches great importance to this interview, and Mrs. Mei Ling will also be present to personally act as the interpreter.
"Wow, Chen Yao's got some skills!" Qingcheng thought to herself, her eyes wide with amazement. No wonder Team Leader Dai was so anxious; his mistress was there too, so naturally he didn't dare touch the interviewing reporter and could only bark wildly outside.
"He doesn't have many cards left, he's forcing us to play our trump cards, we can't panic, we need to keep doing what we're supposed to do." She whispered in Gao Junxiao's ear.
“Great minds think alike.” Gao Junxiao winked approvingly.
Actually, before leaving, Gao Junxiao specifically called Chen Yao to talk to him, telling him to keep the situation under control and not let the man surnamed Dai disrupt the flow. However, Gao Junxiao was also worried that the man surnamed Dai might use the scandal of his father's car accident to overshadow Chen Yao's interview.
There will be no conflict. Qingcheng patiently explained the reasons. Her father-in-law has retired. If two ordinary people collide, they will at most appear in the entertainment section. On the other hand, Chen Yao is an active-duty military officer and should appear in the political and economic section. With Madam Meiling translating, his interview is likely to be a huge one, covering an entire page.
“I trust you because you’re better at the media field, but that guy surnamed Dai won’t let this go. What should we do next?” Gao Junxiao put his hand on the back of Qingcheng’s chair and leaned closer.
"How's the preparation of your body going?" Kiyosumi turned her head and asked seriously.
"It's basically ready. The body can't be spoiled; it has to be fresh. I'll start right away as soon as Chen Yao's interview is published," Gao Junxiao replied calmly.
Leaning back, Qingcheng relaxed a bit: "No rush. I need to go over the details of the corpse's identity with you again, so as to leave as few flaws as possible."
"I know, I'm not worried about those things." Gao Junxiao smiled wryly and combed her bangs back. "I'm worried about you. That guy surnamed Dai has no bottom line. I'm afraid he'll make a move on you sooner or later."
“You can’t think like that. Whether it’s slanderous attacks or death threats, your enemies know your weaknesses better than you do. As long as you’re busy proving yourself or distracted by protecting yourself, they’ll get a thrill from controlling other people’s lives and become even more brutal. Just like I said, just act like usual.” Qingcheng placed her hand on the man’s shoulder.
Seemingly encouraged, Gao Junxiao nodded in agreement. Let him run rampant; strategic composure is more important than tactics. Once he shows a weakness, his death is imminent.
At this moment, the woman's pitiful cries in the empty hospital corridor drew everyone's attention.
A middle-aged woman in a dark blue cotton coat cried and shouted, "Niannian, Niannian, my good daughter, how did you become like this? You still have to be bullied."
However, Qingcheng felt that she had heard this name somewhere before. It seemed that just now, there was a patient named Feng Niannian who did not have any family members to pick her up. Now the family members have arrived.
Four elegantly dressed women surrounded the middle-aged woman, weeping and wailing. One of the women, petite in stature, pounced on the woman like a madwoman and began to bite her.
"Pah, you slut, if it weren't for the master taking your jinx out, how could you have gotten into a car accident?"
"Why is it that the bastard you gave birth to still has a breath left, while my master is gone? Give me back my master."
The other two women joined in tearing at the woman in the cotton-padded coat. In a few tugs, the woman's hair came undone and her clothes were torn open, with cotton fibers flying everywhere.
"Son, help!" The middle-aged woman desperately fled into the ward.
But the boy, who had initially been watching the show with indifference, shrank back, slammed the door shut, and didn't dare to step forward to help his family.
Wow, what kind of family is this? Even a mother and son are so indifferent to each other. Qingcheng, being gossipy, craned her neck, only to suddenly feel a headache. When she pulled her head back, she saw that it was Gao Junxiao who had given her a "chestnut to crack".
"You've got some nerve," Qingcheng retaliated by hitting him a few times with her backhand. Gao Junxiao, wincing in pain, quickly hugged her and explained in a serious tone, "Those people are obviously relatives of the deceased. Our dad's drunk driving charge hasn't been cleared yet, so don't mess with them. Haven't you seen how crazy widows pull off clothes?"
"Hmph, speak properly from now on, and don't hit me." Qingcheng pouted and warned. Gao Junxiao patted her head and kissed her a few times to indicate that he would not hit her again, and would use words instead.
Tsk, annoying, she seemed to be implying something. Qingcheng couldn't break free from the man, so she could only change the subject: "Your driver should investigate quickly, why wasn't he there?"
“It wasn’t my driver. My driver, like my mother, had an upset stomach and was vomiting and having diarrhea. But my dad must have found a driver from the rental company to replace him. He doesn’t know the way and can’t drive himself,” Gao Junxiao said confidently.
Qingcheng never believed in coincidences. It seemed that her father-in-law's framing was a premeditated act. She was determined to clear his name.
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