A Bad-Hearted Doctor is Unbearably Beautiful - Chapter 83

Old Zhou’s voice wavered with hesitation.

“You know him?!” A spark of light flashed in Lu Xiao’s eyes.

“Well…” Old Zhou rubbed the signature on the paper. “Remember that New Year’s Eve explosion case? The one with… uh…”

“Which one!” Lu Xiao was nearly dying of impatience.

“The one who murdered Zhang Dalong and Liu Tingting—Chen Qiang!”

Lu Xiao’s heart tightened. “Keep going. What about him?”

“In his earlier years, didn’t Chen Qiang run an organ trafficking ring in Dongxi Town and organize the villagers to sell their blood? When I was wrapping up the explosion case, I interrogated him. I ‘accidentally’ squeezed out the name of his supplier from back then. The supplier’s name was Li Lin.”

Old Zhou spoke with a touch of professional pride.

“Are you sure?” Lu Xiao sat up straight immediately.

“Certain. He confessed that he was supplying goods to this man back then.”

Lu Xiao pressed further, “Where is this man now?”

Old Zhou’s voice sounded weary. “Chen Qiang gave us Li Lin’s old address, but we’ve learned that as soon as Chen Qiang got into trouble, Li Lin vanished from that location.”

“Keep digging! This man has ties to Cheng Nianchuan’s old man. It seems that bastard was willing to dip his toes into any kind of dirty business.”

Old Zhou sighed. “We’re on it. However, he’s currently a transient across different provinces, making him hard to catch. Plus, since it’s a cold case from years ago, we have to merge the files with the old records from the Dongxi Town jurisdiction. It’s a bit of a headache.”

Lu Xiao’s grip tightened. “Fine. Stay on him! While you’re at it, dig up his entire social network. Tell me the second you find out where he is.”

Fantastic. Finally, a glimmer of hope.

As he spoke, Lu Xiao snatched two slices of bread from Wu Di’s desk. He chewed on them as he headed for the door.

Lin Xue poked her head out. “I’m almost done writing the report. Where are you going?”

“The hospital!” Lu Xiao called back without turning. “Send it to my phone!”

Shen City Military Hospital

Perhaps because of the transition between winter and spring, the hospital was more crowded than usual. Lu Xiao had to turn sideways just to navigate the corridors. He gave a light knock on the door of Shen Zhao’s consultation room.

“Come in.”

The moment he pushed the door open, Lu Xiao saw Shen Zhao, who had changed clothes, and he froze for a long moment.

Shen Zhao was back in his white lab coat, rimless glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. He was looking down at a stack of CT scans, his expression focused and his eyelashes casting soft shadows.

Lu Xiao stared at the lines of his profile, stunned. He licked his back teeth, his heart suddenly skipping a beat for a reason he couldn’t quite explain.

Damn, he’s good-looking…

Hearing the movement, Shen Zhao looked up. A small smile played on his lips. “Finished with work so soon?”

“…” Lu Xiao was speechless for a while.

Shen Zhao frowned. “What is it?”

Lu Xiao stepped inside and closed the door behind him. With a soft click, he turned the lock.

Shen Zhao’s expression shifted slightly. “What are you doing?”

Lu Xiao walked slowly toward him, his eyes narrowing as he scanned Shen Zhao from head to toe. “You look too enticing like this.”

Shen Zhao looked at him with utter exasperation. He looked down at his clothes. “Don’t all doctors dress like this?”

“But when you wear it, it’s a foul.” Lu Xiao’s tone was one of casual flirtation.

Shen Zhao: “…”

He set down the CT scans and tilted his head, his gaze scrutinizing. “You didn’t come here just to flirt, did you?”

Lu Xiao let out a light laugh. “Of course I have official business. Although I’d also like to… forget it. It’s too early in the day; it would be a bad influence.”

“Open the door for me,” Shen Zhao said, shooting him a sharp look.

“Fine, fine.” Lu Xiao chuckled as he unlocked the door. “We found something. The signature on that receipt belongs to Chen Qiang’s former supplier in Dongxi Town.”

Shen Zhao’s gaze darkened instantly. After all that circling, the trail had led back to Dongxi Town.

“And this supplier…?”

“On the run. Old Zhou is tracking him.”

Shen Zhao looked at Lu Xiao, his voice calm. “So, Chen Qiang’s supplier had ties to the Zhai family?”

Lu Xiao nodded. “Probably more than that. I now suspect Zhai Hongtian might be the mastermind behind the medical experiments at your old orphanage…”

Shen Zhao’s Adam’s apple moved slightly. He narrowed his eyes, lost in thought.

Both of them knew that everything they had uncovered pointed directly at Zhai Hongtian. Yet, every step felt as though they were being guided along a path set by someone else. The kidnapper’s identity remained unconfirmed. Though Shen Zhao never mentioned it, he had his own suspicions.

If he wanted to verify it… he might need to find a chance to check Nine’s back near the liver—to see if the scar from the arrow he used before jumping from the vehicle was there.

Lu Xiao cleared his throat, changing the subject. “By the way, how were your blood and toxicology results?”

Shen Zhao shook his head. “A specialized amino acid derivative. It seems to be an abnormal degradation product of a certain neurotransmitter. However, the substance doesn’t match any records in the known drug database, so I can’t determine its purpose yet. My guess is it’s some kind of neurological regulatory drug.”

“Sounds complicated. At least it won’t kill anyone, right?”

Shen Zhao chuckled softly. “Right now, I look like I’ll live longer than you.”

“Fair enough. We’ll look into it slowly. I haven’t had lunch yet; let’s go eat.”

Lu Xiao began to lead Shen Zhao out, but his peripheral vision caught a lazy figure leaning against the wall at the hospital entrance.

Dammit! The man wore a baseball cap pulled low over his curly hair and a mask covering the lower half of his face, yet he still managed to look flamboyant. He had his hands in his pockets. As he stared at Lu Xiao, his eyes curved with a hint of smugness.

“What a coincidence. We meet again.”

“What are you doing here?” Lu Xiao looked from the man to Shen Zhao.

Before Shen Zhao could speak, Nine smiled. “What else does one do at a hospital? I’m here for… a check-up.”

He turned his gaze back to Lu Xiao. “On the other hand, why is a police officer hanging around the hospital every day?”

Lu Xiao narrowed his eyes, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “I’m here on official business. Weren’t you at that private hospital? Why come here? Aren’t you afraid of being recognized by fans?”

Nine rotated his wrist, his tone nonchalant. “That hospital… I felt the doctors weren’t professional enough. Shen Zhao’s medical skills are much better.”

As he spoke, he naturally hooked his arm around Shen Zhao’s. The curve of his eyes was becoming increasingly irritating to Lu Xiao.

“…” Lu Xiao didn’t speak, but his gaze grew guarded. His expression soured.

Ignoring the “eye contact” between the two, Shen Zhao rolled up Nine’s sleeve to inspect the large scar on his arm. “I’ll have someone take you to the laser room in a moment.”

Nine nodded, his hand remaining firmly linked with Shen Zhao’s arm.

Lu Xiao’s lip twitched. “Has the big star not found a house yet?”

Nine shrugged, looking at Shen Zhao lazily. “Nope. Looks like I’ll have to stay at his place for a few more days. Ah, what can I do? We’re old friends reunited; we have a lot of catching up to do. We’ve known each other for over a decade, after all. I’ve missed him quite a bit.”

“A few more days?” Lu Xiao’s brow furrowed.

“Hard to say. Why? Do you have a problem with that?” Nine pushed his cap up, revealing a look of disdain.

“I do,” Lu Xiao said bluntly. “Shen Zhao is a key witness in my current case. I need to keep an eye on his movements at all times. His house isn’t a hotel. If you don’t have a place, I’ll find one for you.”

“Oh?” Nine looked at him with a half-smile.

Lu Xiao suppressed his rage. “I have a vacant property. You won’t have to worry about security. I can arrange for you to move in tonight.”

Nine narrowed his eyes. “Is Officer Lu this kind to everyone? Or are you… harboring ulterior motives toward Shen Zhao?”

Shen Zhao stood between them, feeling incredibly awkward. “Could you both just drop it…”

Nine reached up to adjust his mask, his gaze shifting between Lu Xiao and Shen Zhao. “Fine. Since Officer Lu is so insistent, I’ll stay there for a few days.”

Then, as if remembering something, he added playfully, “Oh, wait. I think my assistant told me a place has already been found. Look at my memory. I’ll probably move tomorrow. Brother Shen Zhao, don’t miss me too much.”

“That’s great then.” Lu Xiao started to pull Shen Zhao away, but Nine blocked them again.

He pulled two black-and-gold envelopes from his pocket. He slid one out and pressed it into Shen Zhao’s hand. “I have a concert at the stadium next week. I saved the best seat for you. You have to come.”

Shen Zhao blinked, looking down at the concert ticket. Before he could speak, Nine tossed the other envelope carelessly at Lu Xiao.

“As for you… do whatever you want.”