HH Chapter 37

“That’s right. Given her current condition, her spleen can’t be saved,” the doctor said.

“Who did this?” Li He asked, turning around.

“We don’t have any evidence yet,” Pei Qinghuai replied.

Li He looked at the critical condition notice and pulled the doctor aside. “How much will it cost?”

The doctor glanced at him. “The surgery alone will be at least 30,000 yuan. And with the follow-up treatment…”

“Hold on,” Li He interrupted. “What’s the success rate?”

The doctor explained, “If we remove the spleen, the follow-up might be complicated, but without the surgery, her chances of survival are almost nil.”

Li He’s expression changed slightly. “Let me discuss it with my wife.”

He pulled Zhang Yuni aside. She still clung to him, looking anxious. “Honey, should we sign it?”

Li He looked at her. “Yuni, I just heard the doctor. The surgery is risky, and even if it succeeds, the aftermath will be tormenting. I don’t want Xiao Rui to suffer.”

Zhang Yuni covered her mouth in disbelief. “Really?”

Li He nodded and added firmly, “I won’t let those who hurt Xiao Rui get away.”

“Okay, I’ll listen to you,” Zhang Yuni seemed distressed but let Li He support her as they walked out.

Li He told the doctor, “We’ve decided not to sign.”

The doctor was stunned and looked at the nurse. “If we proceed with the surgery, the chances of survival are quite high.”

Li He lowered his head and shook it. “Survival rate aside, I don’t want my Xiao Rui to suffer.”

The doctor was at a loss for words and paused. “Are you sure? You’ll bear the consequences if her condition worsens.”

“We’re sure,” Li He replied.

The doctor’s tone grew colder. “Xiao Li, print the consent form for them to sign.”

“Okay,” the nurse replied weakly.

Just then, another doctor rushed out of the operating room and whispered, “The patient is bleeding internally, and we can’t locate the source. Her blood pressure and pulse are dropping rapidly.”

The doctor glanced at the distressed Li He and Zhang Yuni, then at Cheng Ye and his companions, shook his head slightly, and re-entered the operating room.

Cheng Ye’s face was grim, but he held back Fang Yuan, who was about to lose control, saying softly, “It’s the family’s decision. We can’t interfere.”

Fang Yuan bit his lip. “What a couple of scumbags.”

Li He, holding Zhang Yuni, approached Cheng Ye. “Officer, my daughter…”

Before he could finish, Pei Qinghuai interjected, “How much compensation are you planning to ask for? I’ve studied law and can give you some advice.”

Pei Qinghuai’s voice was calm, and though his words seemed innocuous, in the current context, everyone was taken aback, including Fang Yuan, who stared at him in shock.

Cheng Ye, who initially intended to dismiss Li He, found himself swallowing his words.

Zhang Yuni pushed away Li He’s arm and glared at Pei Qinghuai. “What do you mean by that?”

Pei Qinghuai’s lips curled into a slight smile. “You know exactly what I mean.”

Zhang Yuni, feeling uneasy under Pei Qinghuai’s gaze, glared back before linking arms with Li He again.

Li He, trying to defuse the situation, said, “Regardless, my daughter is in this state. We need to catch the culprits.”

Cheng Ye’s hand trembled as he held Fang Yuan back. No one understood the situation better than Cheng Ye. Years ago, he watched Li Jiang die before his eyes, helpless to do anything. Now, a child could be saved with a simple signature, but her father chose to abandon her.

A corporate executive, sacrificing his own daughter for personal gain, now sought police help to find out who hurt her. How was this different from indirect murder? Exploiting legal loopholes to flaunt his perceived power, letting the law serve him while his conscience evaded justice.

Was he guilty? No, legally speaking, it was a family’s decision to forgo surgery. The real crime lay in his vile heart.

The operating room light went off. Guo Rui’s death was anticipated. Cheng Ye turned away, instructing Chen Xiaonuan and Fang Yuan, “Retrieve the school surveillance footage.”

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

The two responded in unison.

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Obtaining the surveillance footage was easier than expected. Although they cleverly avoided most cameras, some footage captured the three culprits.

Fang Yuan reported the situation to Cheng Ye and brought the suspects to the police station. Despite several attempts to intervene, their police authority prevailed.

Parents, the root of the problem, arrived at the station one by one, each noisier than the last, oblivious to the trio’s actions.

“Care to explain?” Pei Qinghuai presented the surveillance footage to one of the boys. “Li Tianqi, 17, lives at 78 Tai’an Road.”

He squinted at some documents. “You’ve been visiting quite a few websites, haven’t you? Do your parents know?”

Li Tianqi’s throat tightened, eyes widening. Pei Qinghuai chuckled, tossing the documents onto the table. “Quite a few girlfriends too, I see.”

“What?!” Li Tianqi exclaimed, then frowned. “You’re invading my privacy!”

Pei Qinghuai shrugged innocently. “You’re mistaken. Here, you have no privacy.”

“Let’s go over this,” Pei Qinghuai restarted the video. “Option one: explain what happened. Option two: I’ll tell your parents everything, down to the minute details of your hotel escapades.”

“I’ll talk!” Li Tianqi panicked, swallowing hard. “Just don’t tell my parents.”

“I approached Guo Rui that day because she was always alone,” Li Tianqi began. “But she didn’t appreciate it and hit me!”

He pointed to his neck. “See, the scratch marks are still there.”

He lowered his head. “I was just upset and hit her a few times. That’s all.”

Pei Qinghuai’s expression remained unchanged. “How did you hit her? With what? Be specific.”

Li Tianqi pursed his lips. “I kicked her a few times and slapped her. It wasn’t that serious.”