Chapter 14: Solving the Case

14

Fang Wenxuan and Lin Hui quickly located Hou Changping’s former female student. Now, at just thirty, she was already the youngest lead surgeon in the hospital’s surgical department. Fang Wenxuan had also learned from the nurses that the department was currently selecting a new chief, and her name was among the candidates.

In the café.

“Miss Wang, Hou Changping was your teacher, wasn't he?” Fang Wenxuan asked the woman sitting opposite him. This woman was Hou Changping’s student, Wang Sijie.

“Yes, but I don’t understand—what do criminal police want with me?” Wang Sijie took a small sip of coffee.

“It’s about Hou Changping,” Fang Wenxuan replied.

“What happened to him?” she asked.

“He’s committed crimes—murder, and trafficking in human organs,” Fang Wenxuan said bluntly.

At his words, Wang Sijie’s hand trembled, and with a clatter, her coffee cup fell onto the table, splashing coffee everywhere.

Though some coffee had splattered onto Fang Wenxuan’s clothes too, he first handed her some napkins. “He started down this path after he was expelled from the hospital and had his medical license revoked. Did you know, after you accused him of sexual misconduct, his wife left him?”

Wang Sijie lowered her head, biting her lip, silent.

“He never understood why you did what you did,” Fang Wenxuan pressed.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. That was… that was his fault, he…”

“Now that you’re up for the chief surgeon position, would you do something like that?” Fang Wenxuan interrupted.

Wang Sijie stared at him in disbelief.

Fang Wenxuan continued to gaze at her. “The very fact that I’m here on behalf of Hou Changping means I have reason to believe the accusations from back then were fabricated. Wang Sijie, your teacher taught you much. Now that he’s fallen to this, can you really bear it?”

Wang Sijie turned away, seemingly lost in memories. After a long pause, she looked at Fang Wenxuan and Lin Hui. “What do you want me to do?”

“He wants his name cleared. He wants his wife to come see him. His crimes are enough to cost him his life, but before he dies, he wants justice—he wants his wife to know he did nothing wrong,” Fang Wenxuan said.

Wang Sijie fell silent.

Fang Wenxuan and Lin Hui watched her, both understanding that if she admitted to her false accusation, she could forget about becoming chief surgeon—she might not even be able to stay at the hospital, and she’d have to face condemnation from Hou Changping’s wife and family.

“What are you still hesitating for? Everyone must pay for their wrongs. Someone like you—is that what a doctor should be? You slandered your own teacher, destroyed a man’s life, a whole family. If it weren’t for your lie that ended his medical career, do you think he’d ever have gone down this road? And you did it just so your boyfriend could become director. In the end, he didn’t even marry you!” Lin Hui’s anger was clear as he looked at Wang Sijie.

“…Enough, please stop… All these years, my conscience has tormented me. I admit it. I’ll go to his family, to his wife, and come clean,” Wang Sijie suddenly stood, her voice raised.

Soon, He Xiaopeng used household registration records to locate Hou Changping’s wife back in their hometown.

Her home was in the countryside, five hours’ drive away. Lin Hui and Fang Wenxuan immediately set off with Wang Sijie.

“Do you need a break?” After two hours of driving, Fang Wenxuan glanced at Lin Hui behind the wheel.

“I’m fine. I’ve done twelve-hour stretches,” Lin Hui replied energetically.

Fang Wenxuan said no more, closing his eyes and gazing ahead.

Soon, they arrived at Hou Changping’s wife’s hometown. The three got out and looked at the yellow-mud road before them—the only path to her house, barely a meter wide, impossible for the car. They had to walk.

Fang Wenxuan, who had a slight obsession with cleanliness, eyed the muddy path and his white shoes with a frown.

“What, afraid to dirty your shoes?” Lin Hui sneered. He couldn’t stand people like this in the criminal police—they always faced filth and danger. “If you’re afraid of this, how can you be a good detective? Maybe you should go work in an office, or the police PR department.”

Fang Wenxuan shot him a look. Lin Hui always seized any chance to lecture, as if he couldn’t handle a little mud.

Turning away, Fang Wenxuan quickly fetched four plastic bags from the car, handed two to Wang Sijie, tied them over his own shoes, then took her hand. “Careful, it’s slippery.”

He ignored Lin Hui and walked into the village hand in hand with Wang Sijie.

Lin Hui didn’t care, striding forward. At once, his shoes and pant legs were caked in mud. He frowned, glancing at the pair ahead, their shoes clean and dry in their plastic coverings, and realized how foolish he’d been to mock Fang Wenxuan.

Upon entering the village, Fang Wenxuan spotted a woman carrying two baskets and hurried over to ask where Hou Changping’s wife lived. The woman pointed to a distant house. “That one.”

Thanking her, Fang Wenxuan led the way.

They approached a simple house, not even a lock on the door. Fang Wenxuan called out from the threshold, “Excuse me, is anyone home?”

After a moment, a boy of about ten emerged, his wide eyes moving from Fang Wenxuan to Lin Hui and Wang Sijie. “Who are you looking for?”

“We’re looking for Cai Wenli—Hou Changping’s wife. Does she live here?” Fang Wenxuan asked.

“What do you want with my mom? She’s cooking inside,” the boy said.

“We’d like to speak with her. Could you take us to her?” Fang Wenxuan smiled.

Sizing him up, the boy nodded. “Come with me.”

The three followed him inside, where they found a woman sitting on a worn wooden chair, sorting vegetables.

She stood at once upon seeing them, her eyes full of complicated emotions when she spotted Wang Sijie.

“Senior, I’ll take the boy for a walk,” Fang Wenxuan said, taking the boy’s hand.

Lin Hui understood at once—Fang Wenxuan didn’t want the child involved in the adults’ grievances—and nodded.

Outside, Fang Wenxuan chatted with the boy. Suddenly, a shout of rage erupted from inside, and he rushed back in.

He entered to see Cai Wenli, Hou Changping’s wife, brandishing a wooden stick, her face contorted with fury as she glared at Wang Sijie. “Why did you ruin my husband? Why? You destroyed him—I’ll kill you—” She swung the stick at Wang Sijie.

Lin Hui reacted quickly, pushing Wang Sijie aside, but the stick landed squarely on his own arm. Cai Wenli had no intention of stopping, swinging again at Wang Sijie, who fled in terror toward Fang Wenxuan.

Fang Wenxuan rushed forward, kicked Cai Wenli’s wrist, sending the stick clattering to the ground, and firmly restrained her. He shouted, “Cai Wenli, things are already this bad! Do you want to cause more trouble, leave your son without a mother too? If something happens to you, who will care for him?”

At his words, Cai Wenli, who had been struggling violently, suddenly stilled, tears streaming down her face. At last, she broke down completely, howling, “Ah… Changping… Oh Changping, I wronged you… Ah, wuwuwu…”

“Mom…” The boy, seeing his mother in tears, rushed over to embrace her, glaring at Fang Wenxuan. “Let go of my mom! You’re bad people!”

Fang Wenxuan released Cai Wenli and stepped aside. The three of them watched in silence as her sobs tore through the house. Only after a long time did she regain her composure. Wiping her tears, she walked over to Fang Wenxuan. “Take me to see him. I want to see him.”

“Does your arm hurt?” After settling Cai Wenli, her son, and Wang Sijie in the car, Fang Wenxuan asked Lin Hui.

“It hurts, of course it does. That swing was brutal—it’s already swollen. Damn, a woman’s strength when she’s angry is no joke.” Lin Hui rolled up his sleeve, inspecting his bruised arm.

Fang Wenxuan glanced at the swelling and said, “Serves you right,” then got in the car.

Lin Hui stared after him, dumbfounded. He’d expected at least some help bandaging his arm, not a rebuke!

“Hey, what’s with you? After all, we’re brothers-in-arms. You see me get hit and you’re actually glad?” Lin Hui grumbled from the passenger seat.

Fang Wenxuan produced the first-aid kit, took out some ointment for bruises, and said coolly, “Come here.”

Lin Hui reluctantly extended his arm.

Fang Wenxuan squeezed some ointment onto his own hand and carefully applied it to Lin Hui’s swollen arm.

The moment Fang Wenxuan’s hand touched his arm, Lin Hui felt a sudden jolt, like an electric shock. Damn, how could Fang Wenxuan’s hands be so warm, so gentle? He glanced down and saw Fang Wenxuan’s head bent in concentration, his profile earnest as he applied the medicine. That serious expression made Lin Hui realize Fang Wenxuan wasn’t so annoying after all.

After bringing Cai Wenli and Wang Sijie to Hou Changping, Wang Sijie finally admitted her wrongdoing from years ago, and the misunderstanding between Cai Wenli and Hou Changping was resolved.

A day later, Hou Changping provided the police with the contacts and locations of the criminal gang. Cheng Fei led the detectives to arrest them one by one and handed them over to the court for prosecution.

Thus, a major organ trafficking case, uncovered through an abandoned body, was finally solved. The chief publicly commended the entire detective squad, singling out Fang Wenxuan’s interrogation strategy for special praise.