The Forensic Doctor Better Than a Detective-Chapter 637 - 352: Was There a Leak? (Part 2)

"His son scraped together only a little over 110,000."

"What impressed me most was that this young man almost went to all his relatives, even..."

He Biao suddenly stopped, as if he had thought of some important detail.

"Oh right! Late one night he came to my office, saying he still needed over ten thousand and couldn’t borrow it anywhere, asking if he could get the treatment first and pay later."

He Biao shook his head and smiled wryly, "You understand the hospital regulations, we’re quite helpless too."

Jiang An keenly caught this detail, "You said he eventually scraped together all the fees?"

"Do you know through what channel?"

"This..." He Biao frowned and lightly tapped the rim of the cup with his finger.

"I’m not sure specifically, but the payment records should be traceable."

"I recall his father recovered quite well afterward, it was..."

The doctor suddenly lowered his voice, "Considered a small miracle in our department."

The atmosphere in the office suddenly became somber.

Zhang Yean glanced at the pennants hanging on the walls and softly said, "The current tension in doctor-patient relationships, it’s not easy for you."

"Indeed."

A trace of fatigue flashed in He Biao’s eyes.

"Sometimes we know the patient is struggling, but the system is the system."

"Last year, a colleague got into trouble for trying to be lenient, and later on..."

He didn’t continue, just shook his head.

Jiang An closed his notebook and stood up, "Thank you very much for your cooperation."

As they shook hands to say goodbye, Jiang An noticed the doctor’s palm was slightly clammy.

On the way back to the finance department, none of the three spoke.

The woman in the finance department was surprised and adjusted her glasses when she saw the three visiting again.

"Is there anything else I can help with?"

Jiang An nodded, his voice firm, "We need to view the detailed payment records of Li Yong from that year, especially..."

He paused, "The time and method of the last payment."

The woman frowned slightly, "This requires retrieving the original documents, it might take..."

"It’s okay."

Jiang An interrupted, his gaze intense, "For us, every detail could be the key to solving the case."

The finance personnel nodded knowingly and turned to walk towards the archive room.

Meanwhile, Zhang Chao, the instructor, arrived at Li Family Village.

Under the old locust tree at the entrance of the village, several silver-haired elders were fanning themselves in the heat, surrounded by a few playful children.

On a distant hillside, a hunched old man was herding sheep with a whip, gathering the scattered flock.

Zhang Chao got out of the car and quickly walked towards the old shepherd, "Old man, care for a cigarette?"

He handed over a cigarette, his tone friendly.

The old man squinted to size up his visitor, took the cigarette with rough fingers, sniffed it at the tip of his nose, and a simple smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"These cigarettes aren’t cheap. Are you here for business or just passing through our village?"

Instructor Zhang Chao calmly showed his police badge, "We’re here on official business."

The old man’s hand jerked, and the cigarette he was about to light almost fell to the ground.

He hurriedly stuffed the cigarette back in his pocket, his wrinkled face showing an uneasy expression, "Oh dear, police officers."

"You see, my old eyes are so dim, I didn’t recognize..."

"It’s no trouble," Instructor Zhang Chao said gently, waving his hand.

"We’re undercover on this operation and have a question for you."

The elder nodded repeatedly, his rough fingers unconsciously rubbing his clothes.

"Please go ahead, as long as I know it, I’ll tell you everything."

Standing to the side, Zhang Chao stepped forward, sunlight casting fragmented shadows on his chiseled face, "Is there someone named ’Mr. Qi’ in the village?"

"Mr. Qi?"

The old man’s cloudy eyes flickered with thought, and after about two minutes, he slapped his thigh suddenly, "There’s someone like that in the back village!"

Instructor Zhang Chao exchanged a glance with the officers.

"Can you tell me his age?" Zhang Chao pursued, his voice containing restrained urgency.

The old man counted on his fingers, "I would estimate... he’s in his early forties?"

This statement was like a stone thrown into a calm lake.

The sharp light flashed in Zhang Chao’s eyes; this age matched perfectly with their target.

Zhang Chao continued to ask, "What does he usually do for a living?"

"Oh!" The old man spat disdainfully.

"What proper work could he have? His parents passed away early, he grew up with his grandparents, only went to school for a few years before dropping out."

"Over the years, he’s been doing odd jobs here and there, always involved in petty theft or shady dealings."

Hearing this, Zhang Chao nodded thoughtfully.

"Could you tell us specifically where his home is?"

The old man raised his frail arm to show, "Go from here to the back village, first turn left, then go east, and then turn right, then..."

A series of left and right directions left the officers puzzled.

Instructor Zhang Chao couldn’t help but laugh, "Old man, why don’t you lead the way?"

The elder looked back distressedly at the grazing sheep, dozens of goats scattered on the hillside like moving clouds.

"It’s not that I don’t want to help, but this flock can’t be left unattended."

Instructor Zhang Chao swept his gaze over the team, finally landing on Liu, who wore black-rimmed glasses.

"Liu, you stay behind to watch the sheep. We’ll be right back."

Liu widened his eyes, "Me? Herding sheep?"

He opened his mouth to say more, but was silenced by a gesture from the instructor.

"Remember, your job isn’t just herding sheep,"

Instructor Zhang Chao said meaningfully, "Sometimes herding sheep is part of the work."

Before the words were fully spoken, Zhang Chao had already opened the car door.

In an instant, the police car sped off, leaving Liu standing lonely among the sheep.

He watched the car disappearing in the distance, shaking his head with a bitter smile, "Clearly a key member of the task force, how did I suddenly become a shepherd?"

The black government vehicle slowly drove on the winding village road.

Guided by the elder, they quickly arrived at a humble brick house.

Out of professional habit, the vehicle didn’t stop at the door directly, but first circled around.

After confirming no suspicious individuals were around, Zhang Chao and two officers quietly got out of the car, agile like leopards, spreading out on both sides of the gate.

The mottled wooden door was ajar, making it unclear if it was locked.

Zhang Chao gently pushed the door, and the hinge made a slight creaking sound.

"Stay alert."

He said quietly, making a tactical signal at the same time.

The three quickly scaled the wall, landing almost silently.

The courtyard was overgrown with weeds, a few worn-out farm tools casually piled in the corner.

The three advanced in tactical formation, searching from the yard to the main room then the kitchen, examining every room thoroughly but finding no one.

"Report, instructor, the target is not here."

An officer put away his gun, sweat seeping densely from his forehead.

Zhang Chao looked around and noticed the items were neatly arranged.

He reached out to feel the thermos on the table, its body still holding residual warmth.

"Just left not long ago."

He frowned, "These signs of life are too fresh, not like they were prepared in advance."

Swiftly, they rushed out of the courtyard, beginning a search in the intricate village alleys.

The houses varied in height, winding like a maze.

Forty minutes later, they returned to the police car, gasping for air, their faces marked with defeat.

The elder in the car sensed the somber mood, uneasily rubbing his hands.

Zhang Chao wiped the sweat off his forehead, his voice a bit hoarse, "Does Mr. Qi frequently go out?"

"Rarely!" The old man shook his head, "Besides doing odd jobs, he mainly stays at home."

"While you were here waiting, did you see anyone pass by?"

"No," the old man replied blankly, "I’ve been watching the road the whole time."

Zhang Chao spoke gravely, "It’s evident the target got wind and fled."

This thought prompted him to pull out his phone and quickly dial Jiang An’s number.

At this moment, in the hospital monitoring room, Jiang An was intensely focused on the screen.

Suddenly, the ringing phone broke the silence.

"Hello, instructor."

Jiang An pressed the answer button, simultaneously gesturing to Zhang Yean to continue checking the surveillance.

The instructor’s urgent voice came from the other end, "Jiang An, we found Mr. Qi’s residence."

"But he just ran off, the water in the teapot is still warm."

"Just ran off?"

Jiang An’s brows furrowed into a knot, "With such a stealthy operation, how could..."