Under Zou Shuyang’s sharp questioning, Zhong Langming’s breathing faltered for a moment. It took him quite some time before he could take a deep breath.
“Director Zhong, what exactly happened? What are you remembering that makes you react like this?”
Zhong Langming’s back hunched over, and his entire demeanor seemed to age several years in an instant.
“This matter… it goes back to ten years ago.” Zhong Langming said with a bitter smile. “You see, ten years ago, I was just a regular emergency room doctor. Because I didn’t get along well with my colleagues, I was often ostracized. That night, a patient was brought into the emergency room. The head of the department took one look and determined that the patient only had superficial injuries, so he told me to handle it.”
Zhong Langming looked at Zou Shuyang sincerely, desperate for him to believe his words. “But when the patient was pushed into the operating room, I realized that the situation wasn’t as simple as the director had said. Although the patient’s external injuries appeared severe, there was also significant internal bleeding in the brain. I was completely shocked. But by then, the patient’s condition was already critical. I didn’t dare delay any further, so I had no choice but to proceed with the surgery.”
Zou Shuyang asked, “And then?”
Zhong Langming shook his head. “The patient didn’t make it. The intracranial bleeding was too severe. But it was clearly the department head’s misjudgment. However, since he was the hospital director’s son-in-law, everyone believed it was my surgical error, that I was incompetent.”
Pale-faced, with a pitiful tone, Zhong Langming’s story seemed to evoke sympathy from anyone who heard it.
But to Zou Shuyang, all of this was nothing more than a wasted effort.
Remaining calm, he said, “But now you’ve become the deputy director, while that department head? A few years ago, he was fired from the hospital after being involved in a medical malpractice case and losing a large sum of money.”
——
As they left Zhong Langming’s hospital room, Xiao Tang asked, “Zou Team Leader, do you think what Zhong Langming said was true or false?”
Zou Shuyang shook his head, his expression unreadable. “I don’t know. There’s no evidence.”
Xiao Tang tilted his head, thinking for a moment, before letting out a heavy sigh, feeling mentally exhausted.
Just as they reached the stairwell, hurried footsteps caught up to them. They turned around to see a middle-aged nurse, panting as she approached. Seeing them turn back, she startled slightly.
“And you are?” Zou Shuyang asked, frowning.
The nurse took another breath before tremblingly asking, “Are you here to investigate the case from ten years ago involving Shen Tinglan?”
Xiao Tang’s expression shifted, and he quickly glanced at Zou Shuyang.
Sure enough, hidden beneath Zou Shuyang’s puzzled expression was the faintest hint of a smile.
“When Director Zhong performed surgery back then, I…”
Zou Shuyang raised a hand, stopping Fang Jie from continuing. “Ms. Chen Fang, is this really the best place to discuss something so important, where people are constantly coming and going?”
She had been called out.
Chen Fang felt a mix of unease and relief in her heart, as if a long-hidden secret was finally ready to be revealed.
“You’re right. We shouldn’t talk about this here. Follow me.” she said, leading them to a nearby break room.
“Click.”
The sound of Xiao Tang locking the door made Chen Fang shiver slightly, but she quickly regained her composure.
Zou Shuyang casually sat down on a chair, “Let’s record this with the enforcement recorder. You don’t mind, do you, Ms. Chen Fang?”
Seeing Xiao Tang pull out the enforcement recorder from his bag, Chen Fang finally confirmed that they had come prepared.
Understanding this put Chen Fang at ease, and the tension in her shoulders relaxed.
Once Xiao Tang had adjusted the angle of the recorder and nodded to Zou Shuyang, he said, “You may begin.”
Chen Fang didn’t need any further prompting. As soon as he finished speaking, she eagerly started, “My name is Chen Fang. I was the instrument nurse when Director Zhong performed surgery on Shen Tinglan back then.”
With the opening out of the way, the rest wasn’t as difficult for her. She let out a breath and continued, “I saw it with my own eyes. It was because of Director Zhong’s actions that Shen Tinglan died.”
Chen Fang thought her statement would lead to more questions.
But the two officers simply listened, their expressions remaining indifferent.
Zou Shuyang stroked his chin, “Hmm? Is that all?”
Chen Fang froze. “C-continue?”
Zou Shuyang raised an eyebrow, “A simple surgical error by Zhong Langming doesn’t seem like something worth coming to find me about.”
Chen Fang tensed up, then shook her head vigorously, “No, no, that’s not it.”
“Not what?”
“It wasn’t a surgical error. Zhong Langming did it on purpose.”
Chen Fang stared intently at Zou Shuyang, enunciating each word carefully, “Zhong Langming wanted Shen Tinglan to die.”
Xiao Tang sucked in a sharp breath.
Even though he had already guessed this outcome, hearing it directly still felt unbelievable.
“Why… why would he?” Xiao Tang asked.
Chen Fang pressed her lips together. “Because of money.”
Money?
Xiao Tang glanced at Zou Shuyang, only to find him still sitting calmly. Xiao Tang felt a jolt of realization—had Zou Team Leader expected this all along?
Chen Fang continued, “Zhong Langming’s situation at the hospital wasn’t good at the time. He wasn’t skilled at dealing with people, and his medical abilities were average. He wasn’t the type of person the hospital leadership would promote at any cost. On top of that, his relationship with the emergency department head was terrible. The head would constantly make trouble for him, sometimes even publicly criticizing him in front of everyone.”
“But that day at the hospital, for some reason, Zhong Langming seemed unusually happy.” Chen Fang frowned. “I found it odd, so I asked him about it. We were on fairly good terms at the time. He told me, in a secretive way, that he was about to escape his misery. I didn’t understand at the time, but that night, everything happened. When Shen Tinglan was brought into the emergency room, his injuries were indeed just severe superficial wounds, as the department head had said. But once we got into the operating room, Zhong Langming immediately claimed that Shen Tinglan’s condition was serious and required a craniotomy.”
Zou Shuyang asked, “Did no one object?”
Chen Fang shook her head, “That day, there had been a major car accident, and the emergency room was flooded with patients. Shen Tinglan’s injuries weren’t serious, so the only person who accompanied Zhong Langming into the operating room was me.”
“Oh, so you’re an accomplice?”
The word “accomplice” hit Chen Fang like a heavy blow to her chest.
She smiled bitterly, “Yes, I’m an accomplice. At the time, I disagreed with the craniotomy, but Zhong Langming offered me money, telling me to take it and stay quiet. I wanted to uphold my professional ethics, but my daughter was sick—very sick. My family’s savings weren’t enough for her surgery.”
“So when Zhong Langming offered me money, I hesitated.”
“Because of that money, Shen Tinglan died. And it led to the deaths of many other young people as well.”
After confessing everything, Chen Fang seemed utterly drained, her vitality gone.
Zou Shuyang rested his chin in his hand, appearing to consider the truth of her words.
“Perhaps it was karma. Because I helped cause Shen Tinglan’s death, heaven took my daughter from me. The surgery money was enough, but she never made it off the operating table.” Chen Fang’s tears fell, one by one. “My daughter died because of me.”
After Chen Fang had calmed down a bit, Zou Shuyang asked, “While your story is compelling, we work based on evidence. Do you have any proof that Zhong Langming caused Shen Tinglan’s death? Or evidence of your bribery?”
Sniffling, Chen Fang shakily pulled out her phone from her pocket. As she navigated through it, she explained, “When Zhong Langming mentioned the craniotomy, I immediately felt something was wrong. Later, I was afraid that if the surgery failed, I’d be blamed, so I secretly recorded it.”
A recording?
Zou Shuyang raised an eyebrow.
A moment later, the recording on Chen Fang’s phone began to play.
At first, there was a brief sound of running water, followed by a much younger Chen Fang’s voice, “Craniotomy for this patient? Didn’t Director Liu say his injuries weren’t serious, and that we just needed to bandage him up?”
Then came Zhong Langming’s cold snort, “Director Liu? He only got his position because he married well. Otherwise, with his skills, how could he become a department head? He misjudged. This patient’s condition is more serious than it looks.”
“No, that doesn’t seem right. Dr. Zhong, I don’t think…”
“Chen Fang.” Zhong Langming interrupted, “Your daughter’s illness is serious, isn’t it?”
Chen Fang swallowed audibly. Zhong Langming’s voice followed, like a hook, “Do you want your daughter to survive? I heard you’re still short by tens of thousands for her surgery. With you and that useless husband of yours, you might never raise enough, even if her bones rot away. Don’t get angry—I’m giving you a chance.”
“A chance?”
Chen Fang’s breathing grew faster, and Zhong Langming let out a low chuckle, “All you have to do is let me perform the craniotomy on Shen Tinglan, and don’t tell anyone about it. I’ll cover your daughter’s surgery costs.”
“It’s a good deal, isn’t it? Just stay quiet about a stranger you’ve never met, and you’ll be able to save your daughter.”
Zou Shuyang looked up at Chen Fang, whose lips were pressed into a thin line.
From the phone came Chen Fang’s weak, trembling, but resolute voice, “Alright.”
And so, Shen Tinglan’s death was covered up.
His life ended there.
Chen Fang smiled bitterly, “At first, Zhong Langming faced a lot of trouble because of his surgical failure with Shen Tinglan. But soon enough, he managed to get out of it. His career skyrocketed, and within a few short years, he became an indispensable deputy director at the hospital.”
Xiao Tang glanced at Zou Shuyang and whispered, “Zou Team Leader, this recording… it should be enough, right?”
Zou Shuyang raised an eyebrow and asked, “When Zhong Langming gave you the money, how did he do it? Cash?”
Chen Fang nodded, “Yes, cash. He brought a travel bag full of it. The night after the surgery, he came to my house and dumped it in my living room.”
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