Cross-examination

Ash threw off the blanket, revealing a black nightsuit.

"You have been investigating me," Dr. Hua said in a flat tone.

"Yes." Ash's face also returned to a calm state. At this point, emotions like fear, anxiety, and worry were useless, so she faced it with composure.

"The reason?"

"No comment."

"I am your attending physician, and I have never seen you before. Why are you so hostile towards me?"

"I'm not hostile towards you. I just can't trust you."

"You have a point. How about this: building trust takes time, so let's ask each other questions. You go first."

"Alright, Dr. Hua. Who provided the medical aid quota for Zhen Liulang, and who called it off?"

"I don't know."

"Is this how you build trust? He was your patient, and you don't know his situation?"

"Because we need trust, I can only say I don't know when I truly don't. Zhen Liulang's affairs were entirely handled by Director Guo. I rarely even intervened in his treatment, let alone other matters."

"Since you can't answer my questions, I can't answer yours either."

Dr. Hua pushed up the glasses on the bridge of his nose. "No, you already have."

Meeting Ash's cold gaze, he spoke again:

"I think I've figured out why you came to the clinic and why you're investigating me.

You and Head Nurse Loop asked the exact same question. She hasn't been at the clinic for long and clearly came with an ulterior motive. She secretly covered for you multiple times. Therefore, you are both here to investigate the cause of Zhen Liulang's death.

Because I was Zhen Liulang's attending physician, you suspected me. Oh, and I imagine Director Guo is also on your list of suspects, which is why you took the risk to visit his office tonight."

Ash was startled inwardly, but her face remained noncommittal. "Your analysis is brilliant, but if you're trying to gauge the truth from my expression, you might be disappointed."

"Why aren't you willing to believe my side of the story?"

"Dr. Hua, are you unaware of your reputation throughout the clinic? Everyone says you are a miracle worker with a kind heart, treating everyone equally regardless of their status.

You know better than anyone that if there hadn't been that medical aid in the first place, if he hadn't taken the medication or prepared for surgery, and if conservative treatment had been maintained, Zhen Liulang could have lived for at least a few more years.

Would you, someone who refuses to harvest organs from the homeless, sit back and watch a wanderer's life be toyed with and his treatment manipulated right in front of your eyes?

Even if you truly lacked the authority, would you really not utter a single word of objection, completely ignoring the reasons?

So, either your image as a good doctor is fake, or you are lying. Which one is it?"

Dr. Hua fell silent. He had practiced medicine for nearly twenty years, saved countless lives, and seen countless people die before him.

Zhen Liulang was just one of his many patients, and he realized his impression of this man was actually quite faint.

Ash's logic was flawless, but he truly had little memory of this person.

Wait!

Dr. Hua recalled that it was a particularly busy time, and then Nurse Zhao passed on a message from Director Guo, saying the director would take full responsibility for this patient.

Every time something came up regarding this patient, it was Nurse Zhao relaying the messages. Because the medical aid quota was used, Zhen Liulang was nominally under his care, but in reality, Director Guo had been personally in charge after sending word. He didn't even have any related prescription records!

This behavior wasn't against the rules, because those receiving medical aid had the right to use the best medical resources, and in the entire clinic, whose resources could compare to the director's?

Dr. Hua figured out the entire process.

"Believe it or not, the matter you're investigating was not orchestrated by me. Since we cannot establish trust, I assume you won't want me treating your injuries either. You can be discharged."

Coughing up blood, Ash was sent out of the clinic.

Now completely exposed, she didn't trust Dr. Hua. If she stayed, Director Guo would still come after her. She had to leave.

That night, the entire clinic was far from peaceful.

Director Guo searched for over two hours, even calling in the clinic guards to help, but to no avail.

He flew into a rage.

As he was about to return to his office, he bumped into Loop.

This head nurse was suspicious. He was already certain of it.

"Head Nurse Loop, come to my office."

Loop hadn't made a move earlier because she needed to rescue Ash. It had been two hours, and Nurse Zhao hadn't returned. She knew Nurse Zhao would probably never come back.

Ash had already alerted the enemy, so it was time for her to act as well.

"Yes, Director Guo."

At the door of the director's office.

Director Guo wore a gloomy expression, exuding an air of authority. He deliberately stayed silent the whole way and stepped into the office ahead of Loop.

After Loop entered.

"Close the door."

The door closed.

"Head Nurse Loop, confess. What is your relationship with that little thief..."

Swish, swish two sharp sounds pierced the air.

"Ah!" Followed by a miserable shriek.

Director Guo, who was still putting on his bureaucratic airs, had both of his arms severed cleanly from his body, blood spurting wildly.

The head nurse, who always wore a warm smile in the clinic, tore off her disguise. Her lips curled into a grin, her tongue poked out slightly, and her eyes were filled with bloodthirsty excitement.

"I heard Director Guo's hands are quite skilled. I was so scared, so I decided to quiet them down first."

Due to massive blood loss and agonizing pain, Director Guo could barely stand. He stumbled back two steps and barely managed to prop his buttocks against the desk.

"Who... who are you? What do you want?"

"It seems the Director still hasn't grasped the current situation. This is not your time to ask questions."

"No matter who you are, you're finished. You will absolutely not escape the clinic," Director Guo said, his face deathly pale.

Swish

Another sharp sound answered him.

Director Guo could no longer remain standing and collapsed directly onto the floor.

He had lost his left leg as well.

This time, he saw the weapon clearly.

It was the head nurse's raised lower leg, gleaming with a cold, metallic light.

"It seems the Director isn't very willing to cooperate and refuses to say anything. What a pity." Loop slowly stepped forward, seemingly preparing to strike again.

"Don't! Don't! If you want to know something, just ask!"

"Ah, sorry, I forgot. Let me think... who provided the medical aid for Zhen Liulang?"

"Zhen Liulang? Who is that? I don't know."

Swish

Director Guo lost his other leg.

"Ah!! I really don't know! I'm about to retire, why would I care about a wanderer's affairs!"

"Director, you are not being a good boy. Dr. Hua said you passed a message to him, and now you say you don't know? The clinic used a medical aid quota, and you, the director, don't know?"

"No, I didn't send anyone to pass a message! I knew the medical aid was used, but Nurse Zhao told me that Dr. Hua insisted on it. Dr. Hua is often very stubborn when it comes to poor people. At the time, I wanted to win him over, so I just signed it directly."

"You didn't send a message? Isn't Nurse Zhao your person?"

"No! Isn't Nurse Zhao Dr. Hua's person? The whole clinic knows that."

"Hehe, brilliant. Truly brilliant," Loop laughed out loud.

"You two fought tooth and nail, thinking you had control over the clinic. After all that effort, you were both played. This Nurse Zhao has someone else pulling the strings behind her."

A few seconds later, Loop dropped his smile and crouched beside Director Guo on the ground.

"No matter how you and Dr. Hua were kept in the dark, the medical aid quotas are backed by real, hard cash and resources. Whoever's account this is billed to, there has to be a financial backer. If you tell me you don't know about the finances, then don't blame me for getting angry."

Director Guo had almost entirely bled out. His breaths were growing shallow, exhaling more than he inhaled.

Using his last bit of strength, he squeezed out two words in a feeble voice:

"The Church."