SFTD -Chapter 369 White Spots Reappear (Part 10)

September 6th, 14:40

Old Wang’s car drove into a somewhat desolate hospital compound.

Unlike the bustling parking lots of other hospitals, only a dozen or so vehicles were scattered around the large yard. After the car came to a stop, Zhou Hai and Xu Biao jumped out.

They looked up at the four-story building in front of them. The weathered exterior walls and climbing vines made it clear how old the structure was. On the rooftop sign, “Third People’s Hospital” could still be seen, but all the characters were damaged except the “Three.”

Xu Biao shook his head and said to Zhou Hai:

“If I didn’t see the name, I’d think we came to the wrong place.”

“Let’s go in and take a look first,” Zhou Hai replied.

There was a hint of surprise in his expression as well. This Third People’s Hospital in Changhe District was unfamiliar to him—he had only heard it was a Grade-A secondary hospital, with Traditional Chinese Medicine and Obstetrics & Gynecology as its specialty departments. What he saw now was quite unexpected.

The two walked up the steps into the outpatient hall, intending to ask for directions, but not a single person was in sight.

Xu Biao leaned over the registration window and knocked several times. Only then did a woman shout impatiently: “Stop knocking! I’m coming!”

She climbed up from under the desk, pulled open a small wooden board blocking the registration window, and upon seeing two police officers in uniform, her irritated attitude eased noticeably.

“What department are you registering for?”

Zhou Hai said nothing. Xu Biao flashed his ID.

“Where is your hospital administration office?”

The woman started to point, but the glass blocked her movement. She quickly came out, fixed her messy hair, and smiled.

“The administrative office is in the back courtyard. Go out through the small side door behind that mirror, head north, then turn east. There’s a separate small two-story building—that’s the administration office.”

“You are here to—”

Xu Biao smiled and held up his phone. On it was a photo he had taken of the hospital director listed on the staff board on the west wall.

The woman looked slightly embarrassed and said quickly: “He’s no longer our director. All affairs are now handled by Deputy Director Liu.”

Zhou Hai’s expression sharpened.

“When was the change made?”

The woman shrugged and lowered her voice:

“Just last week. They say he was under investigation for bribery.”

Xu Biao glanced around the empty outpatient hall. In such a deserted place—this godforsaken hospital—bribery? That sounded almost laughable.

He put his phone away and asked: “So someone is in charge of administration, right?”

“Yes, yes, of course.”

Xu Biao looked at Zhou Hai. Seeing him already heading toward the side door, he turned back to the woman.

“Are you the only one on duty in the outpatient hall?”

The woman gave an awkward grin.

“I handle billing and registration. There are people in the pharmacy too, but I don’t know where they’ve gone. After all, if there are too many staff, we can’t even pay salaries.”

She was smart—she didn’t ask why they were here, and quickly returned to her office, turning on the lights at both the billing and registration counters. The hall suddenly looked a little more lively.

Xu Biao didn’t linger and quickly caught up with Zhou Hai, who had already exited through the side door.

Following the woman’s directions, they walked toward the back courtyard.

Passing the inpatient building, they saw a few people still around—two doctors playing badminton, and two others leaning against the wall sunbathing. When they saw Zhou Hai and Xu Biao, they said nothing, only watching them pass with silent stares as they headed toward the administration building.

Upon entering the small administrative building, things went more smoothly. A middle-aged man quickly came downstairs, clearly having spotted them from a window and come down on purpose.

“Good afternoon, officers. May I ask who you are looking for?”

Xu Biao stepped forward, flashed his ID again, and said: “We’re from the City Forensic Identification Center. Due to investigative needs, we’d like to retrieve some of your hospital records today.”

The man seemed to understand, though a trace of disappointment flashed across his face. He quickly put on a professional smile and rubbed his hands together.

“I see. Please come to my office first. I’ll have someone from the records department assist you.”

Zhou Hai nodded slightly. Xu Biao followed him upstairs. As expected, they were taken to the deputy director’s office to wait.

Xu Biao immediately smiled.

“Thank you for your trouble, Deputy Director Liu.”

Hearing this title, the middle-aged man’s smile became noticeably more genuine, as if he had met a kindred spirit. He nodded and left.

Not long after, a young woman in a white coat brought two cups of tea.

Xu Biao leaned back in his chair, swinging his leg lazily, and sighed: “Zhou Hai, wouldn’t it be great if you worked in a hospital? Surrounded by women all day, just breathing in the scent of young girls—instant happiness.”

Zhou Hai ignored him. He picked up his cup, blew on the floating tea leaves, and took a sip.

It was indeed premium Laoshan green tea—rich and mellow—but the water was too hot, turning the leaves slightly yellow.

A reception like this was hardly impressive.

From the moment they entered, Zhou Hai could feel the decayed, declining atmosphere of the place. Everyone here seemed the same. Even this newly appointed Deputy Director Liu wasn’t much better.

A hospital like this doesn’t fall apart overnight. Something must have been wrong for a long time.

Why were those four people treated here?

Was it because the hospital once had proper departments but later lost its staff? Or was there another reason?

Just as he was thinking, hurried footsteps sounded outside. Deputy Director Liu returned with another man.

The man looked to be in his fifties, with messy gray hair and a pair of black-rimmed glasses. His eye sockets were deep, his cheekbones prominent, and he was extremely thin. Despite his aged and wrinkled face, he looked unusually kind.

His steps were slightly unsteady as he walked in with one hand in his pocket. His white coat, however, was impeccably clean—an aura of professional pride emanated from it.

“This is our hospital’s records officer, Yang Duxiu. If you need any files, you can work with him. He’s our walking database.”

Old Yang greeted them: “Hello, officers. What records are you looking for?”

Zhou Hai took out a piece of paper and handed it over.

“I need the outpatient or inpatient records of five people: Wang Chunsheng, Liu Yusong, Zhu Leyu, Yu Lele, and Dong Bin. These are their identities. Hospital systems have been upgraded in recent years, right? Searching by ID should be possible?”

Old Yang took the paper with his left hand and glanced through it.

“If the records are old, it may take a bit more effort, but that’s fine—we’ll go through them slowly.”

Zhou Hai nodded and stood up. Xu Biao immediately shook hands warmly with Deputy Director Liu.

“Thank you for your cooperation. After retrieving the records, we may also need to ask the attending physicians a few questions. Would that be convenient?”

“Of course, of course. Old Yang can help arrange it. If anyone is uncooperative, just call me.”

He handed Xu Biao a business card.

The two then followed Old Yang downstairs.