The Enhanced Doctor-Chapter 753 Old Qiao needs to replenish the dowry

"Captain Shen, do you need me to come over to your station to see patients?" Liu Banxia asked tentatively.

Captain Shen paused, then shook his head with a smile. "No, it's not about that. It's about our current case. Well, let's go back inside and talk for a few minutes."

Liu Banxia nodded and followed Captain Shen back into the private room.

"I just asked Weiwei," Captain Shen said. "She told me she only dared to speak to us because of you."

"I also noticed when Weiwei came in earlier that she was visibly less nervous after seeing you. It seems you have considerable influence among these students, so I'd like to ask for your help with this."

"There are several other students. If we contact them directly, they might be resistant. Could you possibly do the initial persuasion, similar to what you did today, before we conduct the interviews?"

"Er... am I up to it?" Liu Banxia scratched his head. He hadn't expected Captain Shen to ask this of him. He was just a bystander, so why did it seem like every task was being pushed his way?

"We don't really have another choice," Captain Shen said. "This isn't something we can easily discuss directly with the children's parents. We can only contact the parents with the child's consent."

"Children's minds are very sensitive these days. We need to solve the case, but we also have to consider their mental well-being. Otherwise, approaching them rashly might trigger their rebellious instincts."

"From Weiwei's statement, we've gathered some information. I have a hunch that if we interview all these children, their accounts will corroborate each other, leading us to a clearer line of inquiry."

"They would never imagine that these children would provide us with information. This way, we can follow the clues and potentially uncover the entire industry."

"But, as you know, my work keeps me very busy. At this time, I can't gather all those children. Besides, I have no confidence that they'll listen to my advice," Liu Banxia said.

"We'll work around your schedule, but the sooner, the better. I also hope Weiwei and Student Xiao can help by talking to the other students in advance," Captain Shen said.

"Meanwhile, we also need to investigate other high schools in the city to see if similar situations exist. And an interesting point is, they seem to have very clear information about potential victims."

"That's another lead. We need to figure out their information channels. Even though Experimental High School is a key high school, it doesn't guarantee that every student is excellent in both character and academics."

Liu Banxia nodded. "I can help with this, but I can't guarantee the timing. It will depend on how well Weiwei and Xiao Yue do with the other children. I'll just be responsible for pick-ups and drop-offs, alright?"

"Alright, thank you, Dr. Liu. When the case is solved, I'll treat you to a drink," Captain Shen said.

"Haha, I should be the one treating you! These people are truly despicable. I was furious when I first heard about this," Liu Banxia said.

"Let's leave it at that for now. I'll send Weiwei home first; I have a dinner engagement at home. My day off is surprisingly busy. I guess this is what celebrity treatment is like."

Captain Shen chuckled along. He was relieved that Liu Banxia had agreed.

Gathering evidence from these children really isn't easy. Their rebellious streak is strong; one wrong move, and you get nothing out of them. Moreover, this case is indeed quite complex and requires careful handling. Having Liu Banxia as an intermediary is a good thing; he has great influence among the students. This is a new development, and it's good that we can make use of it.

"Weiwei, don't overthink this. When the time comes, just say you didn't participate because you were scared. That'll be enough. When you communicate with the other students, be tactful and don't say too much," Liu Banxia advised on the way to Weiwei's home.

"Mm, Captain Shen said the same thing. He told me not to say too much, or it might scare those people off," Weiwei replied.

"Yueyue, are you free tomorrow? I don't know how to talk to them. Some of what I know, others told me. Can you come with me?"

"I can, but I'm just worried I won't be able to keep it from Ming Yuan," Xiao Yue said with some concern.

"Don't worry about Ming Yuan. That kid knows what's appropriate," Liu Banxia said.

"Besides, if you don't tell him anything, I bet he'll have trouble sleeping tonight. However, you two should manage the situation as you see fit. Just remember one thing: safety first."

"And if you need my cooperation with anything, just give me a call. As long as I'm not in surgery, it should generally be fine."

"Alright. Weiwei, is that okay with you?" Xiao Yue asked.

Weiwei nodded. "I don't have any problem with it. I was planning to tell my parents when I get home anyway. Captain Shen also said that this matter is too serious, and it's best to let parents know."

"Then there are no more problems. The rest are minor details," Liu Banxia said.

No wonder Weiwei looked so happy; her mind was at ease, she'd figured things out. And he agreed with Captain Shen; this matter was too significant, the parents really should be informed. If it weren't for the gravity of the situation, he, a mere bystander, wouldn't be "relied upon" so heavily.

「Later」

After dropping off Weiwei, Liu Banxia drove back to the villa. Only Tang Dou was in her den with her four little ones. After ruffling their fur for a bit, Liu Banxia headed straight for the Qiu family's house.

"All done with your errands?" Qiu Huaili asked with a smile.

"All done, so I rushed over to freeload a meal," Liu Banxia said, giving the approaching Tiggie a good rub.

"No problems, I hope?" Qiu Huaili asked, a little concerned.

"No problems. It was someone else's matter. Yueyue and I just went to help. Have you seen Tang Dou's four puppies? They might look a bit plain now, but they should grow up to be quite good-looking," Liu Banxia said, changing the subject.

Qiu Huaili understood immediately. It wasn't about Liu Banxia, nor about Xiao Yue. Whatever it was, it wasn't convenient to discuss now, so he decided not to trouble himself with it.

"What are you being so secretive about?" Qiaoqiao asked.

"You're pregnant now; there are some things you don't need to know. Remember, go for your prenatal checkup in the next day or two, okay?" Liu Banxia said.

"Oh, honestly, that's all you ever think about. Sister Jingxian said she'll go with me then," Qiaoqiao replied, rolling her eyes at him.

"There's something else. Old Qiao might come over earlier than expected. I was so flustered just now that I forgot to tell him about the baby. What do you think we should do?"

Liu Banxia gave her a wry smile. "Comrade Old Qiao can only be kept in check by Comrade Qiao. You'll have to be the one to handle him. What's Father-in-law coming over for?"

"Who knows what's gotten into him this time? He said he wants to set up another budget hotel in Binhai City. Isn't it good enough for him to just deal in lumber? Or even make some furniture!" Qiaoqiao complained.

"It's fine. As long as we don't have a guilty conscience, they're the ones who should be nervous," Liu Banxia said earnestly.

"Oh, you're no help at all!" Qiaoqiao said, rolling her eyes at him again.

Liu Banxia wisely chose to remain silent. He really couldn't get involved in this. However, even if Comrade Old Qiao came, in front of Comrade Qiao, he'd have to be completely docile.

"Alright, wash your hands and get ready for dinner," Wang Jingxian called out at that moment.

Qiaoqiao was quite enthusiastic about meals.

She had become somewhat picky with her food lately, but she loved everything Wang Jingxian cooked and was always the most eager to eat, making Liu Banxia worry that she might trip in her haste.

It seemed Xiao Yue had also finished talking with Qiu Mingyuan, as Qiu Mingyuan no longer had that deeply troubled look on his face.

"Old Qiao just feels that the tourism industry is booming now, with a large flow of people. Managing a budget hotel, while demanding, can also be profitable," Qiu Huaili said after they had been eating for a while.

"I'll invest 30% to start one in Binhai City. If it goes well, we'll gradually open more in other cities."

"Sigh... these are the games you rich people play. All I can do is listen, and then go back to performing my surgeries," Liu Banxia sighed.

"Silly boy, why do you think Old Qiao wants to set one up in Binhai City first? This is to supplement Qiaoqiao's dowry," Qiu Huaili said with a smile.

"So, Comrade Qiao, when Old Qiao comes, don't throw a tantrum at him. After all these years, you're the only one who can make Old Qiao as timid as a mouse."

"Supplement what dowry? I'm already married. And I can't manage it anyway," Qiaoqiao mumbled, though her mood was clearly bright.

It wasn't about the money; it was the care and consideration behind it.

"Looks like I'll have to seriously butter up my father-in-law and try to coax a bit more dowry out of him," Liu Banxia joked.

"Honestly! Even if I let you spend freely for a month, how much money could you actually spend?" Qiaoqiao retorted, exasperated. "No way, I still need to maintain economic control, to prevent you from building a secret stash."

"Times have changed; spending money has become a skill. I really don't spend much. It seems like it all goes to food expenses," Liu Banxia said, a little troubled himself.

This greatly amused Qiu Huaili, Xiao Yue, and the others.

It was indeed an interesting situation: one truly didn't know how to spend much, while the other gave generously but still insisted on financial control. This couple, they were truly amusing day in and day out.

"When Father-in-law arrives, I'll take another half-day off. We should have Father-in-law visit more often. Anyway, Xiaoyu will be on break in a few days too. Are there cram schools or anything planned for him?" Liu Banxia asked.

"There probably will be, but he said he wants to see how things are here first. It doesn't matter. It's paid tutoring anyway, so it's the same wherever he attends," Qiaoqiao said.

"That's good. He can keep you company and help relieve your boredom," Liu Banxia nodded.

He wasn't particularly concerned about the hotel gift from his father-in-law. However it was given, it was for Qiaoqiao. But if they could come and keep Qiaoqiao company, that would be perfect. Otherwise, Qiaoqiao would be really bored at home. Even if my own mother came over, well, between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, there's always going to be some distance.