Chapter 124: Corridor Conversation

This story is purely fictional.

Xiao Jin handed the plastic bag containing a single hair to Professor Qu. "I am a colleague of Wu Zhengzhe. He asked me to come here. I need to perform a paternity test and require your assistance."

"Wu Zhengzhe already called to tell me you were coming, so I am aware of the matter. Leave the sample with me; I will take it to the testing department shortly, and I will inform you of the results as soon as possible," Professor Qu replied, looking up at the police officer before him.

Xiao Jin gazed at the professor, noticing that the lenses of Qu’s glasses were so thick that the refraction made Xiao Jin’s eyes blur. He hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back.

"If you have something to say, just say it. You look like you have something on your mind," Professor Qu said, reading his intent.

"Once the test results are out, please keep them strictly confidential. Do not even tell your childhood friend, Wu Zhengzhe," Xiao Jin said, revealing his concerns.

"As a doctor, maintaining patient confidentiality is the bare minimum of professional ethics. Surely you don't doubt my basic professional integrity, Officer Xiao?" Qu Wenkai teased, leaving Xiao Jin looking somewhat embarrassed.

Jin Yan, who had come out of the ward to fetch hot water, inadvertently saw her husband speaking with Professor Qu. She stood in the hallway with her thermos, waiting for him to emerge, intending to talk to him about what was on her mind. Just then, she saw Ma Shengwei walking toward her from the other end of the corridor. Jin Yan hurried over, grabbed Ma Shengwei, and pulled him into a corner of the stairwell.

Xiao Jin had been obsessing over who his wife might be having an affair with. His immediate suspicion fell on his direct superior. He believed that once the DNA results were in, the mystery would be solved. Although he suspected his boss was cuckolding him, Xiao Jin desperately hoped it wasn't true. He felt he could barely accept anyone else, but the thought of his wife sleeping with Ma Shengwei was intolerable. He felt a wave of nausea, his stomach churning as if he were drunk.

Feeling the urge to vomit, he pushed open the door to the emergency stairwell to avoid making a mess in the hospital hallway. It was then that he heard his wife’s voice in a secluded corner of the stairwell, speaking with a man. Driven by suspicion, he crept closer.

"It seems our relationship has been discovered," Jin Yan said softly. "Xiao Jin already knows that Xiao Yi is not his biological daughter. He is furious, though he doesn't yet know who the real father is. If he finds out it’s you, I don't think he’ll be able to take it, and he won't let you off easily."

"When he left my office earlier, I knew he wasn't acting like his usual self. He went to my office, then to my bedroom, and took one of my hairs. He thought I didn't know, but my room has 360-degree surveillance. Besides, what if he can't take it? What is he going to do, kill me? If it weren't for me, how could a eunuch like him have the blessing of such a cute daughter? And besides, who am I? I am Ma Shengwei, you know that," Ma Shengwei said, his voice laced with menace.

"Listening to you, it sounds like you expect him to be grateful! So what if you’re Ma Shengwei? If Xiao Jin is pushed to the edge and exposes you, your career will be over. Knowing my husband, he’s as stubborn as a bull; he won't stop until he finds the truth. Don't underestimate his capabilities," Jin Yan warned.

"Ridiculous. Given my influence in Dahe, does he really have the power to ruin me? I don't even look at him. If he weren't your husband, he wouldn't even be qualified to tie my shoelaces at the police station. He can’t even keep an eye on Wu Zhengzhe without losing him—isn't that infuriating?" Ma Shengwei scoffed.

Hearing his superior speak of him this way, realizing how insignificant he was in the man's eyes, Xiao Jin gripped his fists tightly. He felt an urge to rush out, shoot the man who had been occupying his wife for nearly twenty years, or even sever Ma Shengwei’s head and hang it at the police station gate. Xiao Jin reached for his waist, lamenting that his service pistol was not on him. *If I had my gun today,* he thought, *you fat-headed pig would die a miserable death.*

"Let’s not see each other for a while," Jin Yan said. "I don't want my wretched husband to get on your tail. If that happens, we can't continue our secret rendezvous. I really can't bear to leave you, especially in bed."

"You vixen, you still have the heart to say such things—it shows what a shameless harlot you are. Don't worry, though; if he wants to know, I’ll make sure he never finds out. I’ve already pulled strings at the testing department. The results will show no blood relation to me. I want him to understand that in Dahe, I am the boss, I am the sky. As for Xiao Jin trying to flip the script, we’ll see if he has the ability. He knows his wife had a child with someone else, yet he doesn't know who. Isn't that laughable?" Ma Shengwei said, sounding arrogant.

"Don't push your luck. You’ve had your way with me, so keep a low profile. Incompetent as he may be, he is still my husband in name and your daughter’s father," Jin Yan replied.

Xiao Jin’s recording device had been running the whole time. Every word of the conversation between the Chief and his wife was captured. Gritting his teeth, Xiao Jin quietly left the stairwell and headed toward Xiao Yi’s room.

At the television station, Chi Zhaoming found "Little Pigtail." "My father is at the hospital in Dahe for a check-up. I don't think I'll have time for work today. If there's anything to handle, you have full authority to act on my behalf."

"How is the old man? Is it serious? Which hospital? Give me the room and bed number, and I’ll find time to visit," the colleague asked with concern.

"No need, just handle the work. I have classmates at the hospital, and my siblings are there taking care of him. Thank you for your concern," Chi Zhaoming declined politely. He packed his things, grabbed his briefcase, and left for the hospital.

When he arrived, Ming He was already up, helping Ming Qian wash and tidy the room. "You're here?" Ming He asked.

"Yes. I’ve already been to see Professor Qu and his attending physician. After reviewing the brain CT, the doctor ordered a chest CT. Let's take Father to get it done now while it's quiet; it'll be a long wait later," Chi Zhaoming said.

"Right, let's go." Ming He set aside his work. The brothers moved quickly, completing the chest scan and returning to the room to wait.

Ming Yue and Zhe Zhe also arrived. Seeing the room empty, they waited a while. When the brothers returned, Zhe Zhe immediately asked, "How did it go? Are there results?"

"It doesn't happen that fast. We have to wait two hours," Chi Zhaoming signaled to Zhe Zhe.

Wu Zhengzhe understood. Fearing the discussion of the illness would upset the old man, he followed Chi Zhaoming out of the room. Ming Yue, being sensitive, sensed something was wrong. She chased them out. "Are you hiding something from me? You act so mysterious—tell me the truth."

Wu Zhengzhe looked at Chi Zhaoming. "Don't look at him. Zhe Zhe, tell me everything you know," Ming Yue demanded with her usual intensity.

"We didn't want to tell you because we were afraid you couldn't handle it. We know how soft-hearted you are. The old man has other issues. It’s not looking good," Chi Zhaoming admitted. Ming Yue’s eyes welled up, but she held the tears back.

The two-hour wait felt like a century. When the results were ready, the three of them rushed the films to the attending physician. The doctor didn't hesitate: "It is primary lung cancer. The brain tumor is a metastasis. It is terminal. In my opinion, there is no need for surgery. Considering he is seventy-four, he wouldn't survive a second operation. In other words, he isn't a candidate for surgery. His time is limited. Do you understand?"

"Yes," they replied, "we understand."