Dr. Chi’s Mission: Seduce Officer Su - Chapter 39

[Such a display of authority, investigate thoroughly and punish severely!]

[Can just anyone become a police officer these days? This kind of person is practically trampling over ordinary citizens!]

[We must investigate strictly and give society an explanation.]

[They’ve learned all these arrest and combat techniques, only to use them against the common people.]

[Daring to assault a patient’s family member in a hospital, who knows how reckless they are in private? This is practically gangster behavior.]

[If they aren’t suspended, it’s just officials protecting each other!]

[How many years in prison for a police officer who assaults someone?]

Su Qiao gripped her phone tightly. The online criticisms were growing increasingly vicious, and her clear, bright eyes once again lost their sharp gleam.

She thought she had grown accustomed to rumors and slander, but being thrust into the spotlight again gave her the illusion that she could be cast into hell at any moment.

Just as she was lost in thought, Ji Nanxing snatched the phone from her hand. “Stop looking. The more you read, the worse you’ll feel.”

Everyone knew that spreading rumors took only a moment, but refuting them required endless effort. Yet, it was all so frustrating, quelling the storm of public opinion would take time.

After a while, the two officers who had handled the dispute arrived at the mediation room with the troublemaker.

Su Qiao lifted her gaze to the man. Her expressionless face was inscrutable, and to him, it felt like a silent warning.

In reality, she was in a daze, her mind preoccupied with other matters, like how to minimize the impact of the public backlash.

The man met her eyes but quickly lowered his head. The regret that followed his return to rationality made him appear much more haggard.

Although Chi Jue had signed a letter of understanding, exempting him from compensation, transfer to a detention center was unavoidable. His entire family relied on him for support, and with his child still hospitalized, the sudden loss of income left him more anxious than anyone.

He had no idea what was happening outside, but he feared his family might not understand and worried they might do something foolish to offend someone again.

One of the officers guided the man to a chair. “Luo Yong, speak with the two officers. There’s no need to be nervous.”

Luo Yong obediently clasped his hands on the table and asked anxiously, “I’ve confessed to everything I did and provided all the details. Didn’t Dr. Chi already sign the letter of understanding?”

At his words, the two officers exchanged glances, almost simultaneously realizing that the online backlash had nothing to do with him.

Ji Nanxing streamlined the process. “After the incident, did you contact any of your family members?”

“I did. These two officers are aware. The situation is quite special, my child just had surgery. My wife only called to let me know everything was okay, but we didn’t discuss anything else.”

“Aside from your wife, has anyone else visited you?” Ji Nanxing asked, just to be safe.

“No one else. I didn’t dare tell the elderly in my family about my detention. I was too afraid they’d worry.”

The man firmly denied it. While detained at the police station, his every move was under surveillance, with both witnesses and footage as evidence. There was little room for doubt.

Ji Nanxing nodded in understanding. It seemed they could rule out the possibility of retaliation from the troublemaker.

She turned to Su Qiao. “Do you have anything else you want to ask?”

The interrogation had lost most of its significance. Su Qiao waved her hand and stood up, preparing to leave. “I need to go to the hospital to retrieve the complete surveillance footage. It can serve as evidence when we issue the public statement.”

“Alright, go ahead.” Ji Nanxing didn’t stop her. She planned to return to the Criminal Investigation Center to check the IP address with the Cyber Security Division and reminded her, “Get the surveillance footage and come back quickly. We still need to explain things to Chief Zheng.”

“Mm, okay.”

The two walked to the parking lot of the police station.

Just as they were about to get into the car, a familiar figure approached from a distance.

Jiang Cha dangled a small USB drive from her fingertip. After watching the video that morning, she had anticipated everything and even timed her appearance here perfectly.

“Are you two heading back to the Criminal Investigation Center or going to the hospital?” she asked with a faint smile as she reached the car, though the smile didn’t reach her eyes, giving it a somewhat unsettling quality.

Ji Nanxing’s sharp gaze fell on her fingertip, instantly understanding her intent, and she called out to Su Qiao, “Looks like you won’t need to make that trip to the hospital.”

Su Qiao also grasped what was happening and silently opened the passenger door, sliding directly into the seat.

“Captain Jiang acts with lightning speed,” Ji Nanxing praised, her tone laced with a hint of playful mockery and even a desire to challenge her.

“Flattery won’t get you far. I don’t want any unexpected incidents affecting the task force’s planning. After all, Captain Su’s current status is special, any small stir could be an uncertainty. Besides, she’s already stirred up several waves of public opinion online, both positive and negative. Don’t you think she should tone it down a bit?”

Jiang Cha’s indifferent aura was starkly different from Ji Nanxing’s. It wasn’t just a matter of personality but more like the result of spending too long undercover in drug dens, giving her an ambiguous, almost sinister charm. As the evaluation during the emergency meeting that night had noted, she was definitely not someone to be trifled with.

Ji Nanxing pressed her lips into a thin line. She could hear the underlying reproach in Jiang Cha’s calm words, as if criticizing Su Qiao for not yet learning to conceal her identity properly. But this criticism also seemed to tease Ji Nanxing about needing improvement in managing her team. On a broader level, it felt like a slight against the entire Zhouhai Criminal Investigation Team.

Su Qiao slumped back in her seat, her gaze fixed out the window. She didn’t understand what the two opposing captains were discussing, but based on her understanding of Ji Nanxing, the gloomy expression hinted that their conversation wasn’t going well.

She felt guilty, blaming herself for always causing unnecessary trouble for everyone.

A moment later, the two opened the car doors and got in one after the other.

In the cramped car, the heavy atmosphere made Su Qiao feel suffocated. She tried to roll down the window for some fresh air when Jiang Cha’s lazy voice suddenly came from behind.

Sitting upright in the back seat, Jiang Cha spoke at an unhurried pace as she revealed the investigation results: “No need for you two to run around everywhere. I’ve already found out who did it.”

At these words, Ji Nanxing’s hands tightened on the steering wheel, her knuckles turning pale from the pressure.

Su Qiao turned around in surprise, her eyes fixed intently on Jiang Cha.

“Who was it?”

…

An hour earlier.

“The child is still under observation in the ICU, but his mother is in the inpatient ward. She was just asking me about the situation.” Xiao Minghao explained as he led the way, probably hoping to help Chi Jue seize the opportunity.

“I’ll go find her myself. You still have to attend to the outpatient clinic, and time is running short.” Chi Jue didn’t want to owe anyone a favor. Her schedule was flexible, and as long as the person was in the inpatient ward, she could always manage to meet them.

“A slight delay won’t hurt. I’m just worried that if you meet with the family alone and something goes wrong again, I’ll have to share part of the responsibility.”

Xiao Minghao thought he was being humorous in his speech, but in reality, he wasn’t very articulate, and with just a few words, he managed to kill the conversation.

Chi Jue didn’t respond further, thinking about what to say when she met the child’s mother later.

She had a premonition that the other party would likely overreact upon seeing her. After all, the medical dispute had caused quite a stir, and both online and in reality, too many people were eagerly waiting to watch the drama unfold.

The impact was twofold, when public opinion was overwhelmingly one-sided, a single remark could easily become the last straw that broke the camel’s back.

For an ordinary family, their current predicament couldn’t withstand any more disturbances.

Everything unfolded just as Chi Jue had anticipated.

The woman, who had been shuttling between the hospital and home every day, showed immense hatred on her exhausted face the moment she saw Chi Jue.

“What are you doing here? You’ve already caused enough suffering for our family!” The woman’s voice was sharp, piercing enough to hurt the eardrums.

From her own perspective, she firmly believed Chi Jue was in the wrong, so her sharp accusations didn’t require any deliberation over right or wrong.

Xiao Minghao tried to mediate, hurriedly calming her down: “Director Chi has something to discuss with you. Please calm down first.”

“What is there to discuss? Didn’t we already sign the letter of understanding? Why are you changing your mind now?” It was unclear where the woman’s confidence came from. She glared furiously, as if avoiding compensation was already a stroke of luck, and she felt no gratitude toward Chi Jue for not pursuing it out of kindness, instead, she believed it was only right to handle things this way.

Chi Jue’s purpose in coming to see the woman was simple: she just wanted to ask whether the woman had any involvement with the video circulating online. But before she could say anything, she was already being yelled at relentlessly. Her shoulders slumped in helplessness.

“She is the victim and the doctor who saved your child. She was pushed down the stairs by your husband without any justification. Not pursuing compensation is the greatest mercy she has shown your family. You don’t have to be grateful, but you can’t take it for granted.”

Chi Jue was taken aback. She hadn’t expected anyone to stand up and speak for her at this moment, but she was grateful that someone had.

The woman looked suspiciously behind Chi Jue, momentarily speechless from the rebuttal. Just as she was about to vehemently argue back, the other person didn’t give her a chance to speak.

“I heard that Dr. Xiao took over your son’s surgery on short notice because, after being pushed down the stairs, Dr. Chi’s first thought was to ask for help to save your son as quickly as possible.”

Jiang Cha had just retrieved the surveillance footage of the incident from the security department. She had also come to see the troublemaker’s wife, with the same goal as Chi Jue.

The difference was that while reviewing the footage, she had unintentionally discovered something interesting and had come purely to verify her suspicions.

Unexpectedly, she ended up witnessing such a scene of an ignorant person making unreasonable demands.

“What does it have to do with you? What right do you have to comment?” The woman pointed at Jiang Cha’s nose and cursed under her breath. In conflicts, no one ever thinks they are in the wrong.

“I’m a police officer, so I have the right to understand.” Jiang Cha took out her badge to show it, then turned to Chi Jue with a smile. “Leave any issues to me to handle.”

In Chi Jue’s memory, Jiang Cha was a stranger, she had never seen this person in the criminal investigation division.

Yet, she felt a sense of familiarity, a feeling that likely stemmed from Su Qiao’s profession, giving her a fondness for those in uniform by extension.

Jiang Cha was no stranger to Chi Jue. She had watched several videos online featuring the female doctor, starting with the rescue on National Highway 104, followed by the promotional video released by the Traffic Police Department, and most recently, the heated public discourse around the medical dispute.

Her interest in Chi Jue stemmed from Su Qiao. As the second phase of the special task force’s operation was in preparation, Jiang needed to thoroughly understand her future partner.

In Su Qiao’s background investigation file, there was a related dossier on Chi Jue.

Chi Jue smiled gently and declined, “It’s alright, Officer. I just want to speak with the patient’s family about a few matters. I can handle it myself.”

“If I’m not mistaken, we’re probably looking into the same issue. You’re welcome to quietly observe.” Chi Jue had left a favorable impression on Jiang Cha, so she responded with patience.

With that, she turned to the woman and said, “Please come with me to the rest area. We can sit and talk comfortably.”

The woman scoffed lightly, standing her ground and showing no intention of cooperating with the invitation.

Jiang Cha, a seasoned detective, had a variety of methods to persuade compliance. Sometimes, a few intimidating words were enough to yield immediate results.

Lowering her voice, she said, “If you feel this isn’t the right place, I can exercise my authority to invite you to the Criminal Investigation Division for a cup of tea. But I suppose that wouldn’t be convenient for you, especially with your child still in the ICU.”

The woman’s expression turned sour. She understood the implied warning and, resentfully, turned and headed toward the rest area.

Seeing that he was no longer needed, Xiao Minghao exchanged a few polite words before leaving. “Director Chi, feel free to contact me anytime if you need anything.”

Chi Jue responded with a faint smile and followed Jiang Cha.

Jiang Cha disliked wasting time on pleasantries. She pulled out her phone and showed the prepared video to the woman.

Getting straight to the point, she said, “I have one question: Did you post the video of Officer Su hitting someone online? Maliciously spreading false rumors about an officer performing their duty, refusing to admit it, or even fabricating lies to deceive the police, these are criminal offenses. I’ll give you time to consider the consequences.”

The woman’s eyes darted nervously across the screen.

In the video, she and a man wearing a mask and baseball cap stood in a corner of the hospital garden pavilion.

It was unclear what they discussed, but it was evident that some agreement had been reached. The man sent a file to her phone.

Jiang Cha deliberately zoomed in on the screen. Though the resolution was blurry, the video icon in the chat interface was faintly recognizable.

As the video reached its end, the man handed her a thick envelope made of kraft paper. It didn’t take a genius to guess it contained cash.

Jiang Cha put her phone away and focused her questioning. “Can you show me what video he sent you?”

“That’s my privacy. Why should I show you? Besides, the chat history has been deleted. There’s nothing to see now. You can’t prove I had anything to do with this!”

Her tone was less resolute than before. She was no habitual offender, and her unease under police scrutiny betrayed her at every turn.

Jiang Cha narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing the woman’s expression. For someone unskilled at lying, the subtle discomfort in their demeanor and gestures was self-incriminating. There was no need for advanced investigative techniques, a few well-chosen words were enough to dismantle her lies.

She waved her phone in front of the woman. “Fine, I can choose not to watch the video he sent you, but you still need to explain why he gave you money, right?

Of course, if you insist on denying what you did, we’ll expand our evidence search. Voluntarily confessing and being forced to admit guilt lead to two very different outcomes. You’d better weigh your options carefully.

Your husband is already in custody, your son is still in the ICU, and I assume there are elderly family members at home who need care, right? If you end up in trouble, what will happen to your child? What will happen to your parents?”

Chi Jue suppressed her temper and asked through gritted teeth, “Why did you do this?”

Her anger didn’t stem from how much the incident had affected Su Qiao, but from the fact that despite enduring all her hardships and striving to protect this already fractured family, things had still spiraled into the outcome she dreaded.

The woman’s face grew increasingly pale. She had been blinded by greed. Initially, she hadn’t intended to accept the stranger’s offer, but that person had whispered too many persuasive words, fueling her resentment over her own misfortunes.

With her husband detained, the family had lost its source of income. Their son’s ICU expenses were draining them dry, and they were on the verge of selling everything they owned. In desperation, she had entertained the wrong idea.

The envelope contained 20,000 yuan, enough to keep them afloat for a few more days. She thought sharing a video wouldn’t be illegal, never expecting the police to show up so quickly.

She covered her weary face with her hands. When the last thread of hope snapped, her world came crashing down.

Though she hadn’t verbally confessed, the tears, whether born of regret or the crushing weight of life, already revealed the truth to Jiang Cha and Chi Jue.

Jiang Cha wasn’t heartless. Looking at the woman’s chapped, sore-ridden hands, she could imagine how difficult life had been for her.

Honestly, the video in her possession wasn’t conclusive evidence, it lacked third-party verification. But if they followed the clues, the truth would inevitably come to light sooner or later.

She only wanted to persuade the wrongdoer to confess voluntarily, hoping it might lessen the punishment.

She checked the time, it was almost time to leave.

Before departing, she reminded her once more, “Make arrangements at the hospital as soon as possible. I expect to see you at the Criminal Investigation Center by noon. If you come voluntarily, it can be considered a confession, which may work in your favor.”

Watching Jiang Cha leave, Chi Jue wasn’t sure what she could do.

She quietly sat down beside the woman, listening as her sobs escalated into heart-wrenching wails.

Having endured hardship herself, Chi Jue could taste the bitterness in those desperate cries. Life had a way of crushing people when they least expected it.

For some reason, a pang of guilt surfaced within her. If she had been more insistent, more patient and gentle when insisting on the child’s surgery that day, could this family have been spared from falling apart?

Perhaps before meeting Su Qiao, she had never doubted her professional judgment. A doctor must remain faithful to her decisions and stand by them firmly, but a doctor should also learn to be compassionate.

For the first time, she questioned her own compassion.

…

“Look at you, managing to land on the trending list just from handling a dispute. You really think you’re something, don’t you? That medical dispute was the jurisdiction of the local police station. What were you doing meddling in it?”

Zheng Chongsen slammed his hand on the desk, unleashing a torrent of criticism at Su Qiao.

Under normal circumstances, he would have turned a blind eye to such matters. But the traffic police headquarters had just released a promotional video, the Lunar New Year was approaching, and most importantly, he feared the incident might disrupt the special task force’s operational plans.

His angry voice echoed through the office.

Su Qiao stood with her hands clasped behind her back. Though she was innocent, the malicious online post had targeted her unfairly, no one cared about the truth. Everyone was waiting for a reasonable outcome.

She had no way to voice her grievances and could only swallow her frustration.

“It’s not entirely Su Qiao’s fault. Clearly, someone deliberately stirred up public opinion. That said, I also bear some responsibility, it was my mismanagement that led to this,” Ji Nanxing stepped in at the right moment.

The root of the problem lay in the medical dispute. With the police officers delayed in resolving the situation, Su Qiao, as an officer herself, had every reason to step in and handle the scene.

Too many factors had contributed to the escalation. No one could shoulder all the blame, yet no one was entirely blameless.

“Don’t you defend her! We may be in the right, but the negative impact is still there. How did such a minor issue blow up like this? I’ve told you repeatedly, with the New Year approaching, we need to reduce incident rates. Is this how you ‘reduce’ them?!” Zheng Chongsen showed no courtesy to Ji Nanxing. In his rage, he berated her as well.

Jiang Cha, who had accompanied them for the report, sat on the sofa. Initially, she had no intention of getting involved, after all, she wasn’t part of Zhouhai’s Criminal Investigation Division. But seeing the two team leaders being scolded until they looked like wilted eggplants, she stood up and used her departure as an excuse to change the subject. “Sir, if there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave now.”

“You’re lucky Jiang Cha was here today. Otherwise, how would you have uncovered the source of the problem so quickly?” Zheng Chongsen’s expression softened. He admired Jiang Cha, her ability to resolve issues single-handedly made his two junior colleagues seem incompetent. “You’ll be in Zhouhai for a while, right? Drop by when you have time. And send my regards to Old Zheng.”

“No need for formalities, Chief Zheng. We’re all on the same side, it was only right to help.”

After Jiang Cha left, Zheng Chongsen grew even angrier. He pointed at the two of them, struggling to find words. “You two…”

Ji Nanxing slumped her shoulders and muttered under her breath, “Don’t be angry anymore. You’ve already said everything you needed to in front of others.”

“How dare you say that? Look at her investigative skills!” Zheng Chongsen paced back and forth, hands on his hips, before finally slamming the desk in fury. “Both of you, write a 2,000-word self-criticism! Your performance bonuses are revoked, and you’ll face an internal reprimand!”

Su Qiao accepted the punishment without complaint. She glanced sideways at Captain Ji’s bewildered expression and struggled to hold back a laugh.

Ji Nanxing stared in disbelief, feeling utterly wronged. What had she done to deserve this?