Case 013: A New Investigation

Qindao City Third Hospital.

These past few days, the Criminal Investigation Team had no cases to handle. Li Hui had been feeling unwell, so he took leave to see a doctor at the hospital.

As soon as he entered, Li Hui felt a wave of irritation. People were everywhere, brushing past each other, so crowded that he worried about stepping on someone’s toes with every step.

Perhaps it was some residual trauma from childhood injections, but just setting foot inside the hospital made Li Hui uncomfortable all over—his body felt weak and uneasy.

After waiting in line for quite some time, it was finally his turn.

At the registration window, a young nurse asked, “What’s your illness?”

“Uh, please register me for proctology,” Li Hui replied.

“I asked what’s wrong with you?”

“Hemorrhoids.”

“General physician or specialist?”

“Specialist.”

Perhaps out of consideration for patient privacy, the proctology department was on the fourth floor.

Originally, Li Hui had planned to take the elevator, but seeing the crowd gathered around it—elderly people, patients of all kinds—he hesitated.

As a police officer, he felt embarrassed to squeeze into the elevator with so many frail women, children, and seniors. He decided it would be better to take the stairs.

Li Hui was a detective, physically fit; normally, climbing a few flights of stairs would be nothing to him.

But today, a certain part of his body was in pain, and the stairs only made it worse.

By the time he reached the second floor, he was already regretting his decision. Damn it, he thought, I’m a patient myself—why am I trying to act so tough?

“Suck it up,” he muttered.

He continued up, but the pain made his posture awkward.

At the turn of the stairs, someone was standing there smoking. The person noticed Li Hui’s strange movements, couldn’t help but glance a few times, and struggled not to laugh out loud.

Li Hui felt even more embarrassed.

Enduring the pain, he finally reached the fourth floor. The departments here specialized in less common illnesses, so it was relatively quiet.

Li Hui glanced at the signs. The finance office was on this floor as well, while the proctology department was at the far end of the corridor. He still had some distance to go.

As he walked, he sensed something unusual—an odd sound. His instincts as a police officer made him pause and listen carefully. The noise came from the finance office. As he approached, it grew louder.

“Muffled cries…”

“Thuds…”

Li Hui’s brow furrowed. Something was wrong.

…

Qindao City Police Sub-bureau.

These days, there’d been no new cases.

Han Bin actually found it boring. He glanced at the clock on the wall; it was already past five, nearly time to leave work.

Han Bin’s microexpression analysis skill had been acquired on an installment plan; every month, he needed to pay ten merit points.

The pressure was mounting.

He currently possessed three skills.

Rewarded skill: Footprint Identification (Advanced), proficiency +7.

Installment skill: Microexpression Analysis (Beginner), proficiency +2; installment plan (120 merit points).

Life skill: Shandong Cuisine (Intermediate), proficiency +3.

Merit points: +16.

Han Bin now had a total of sixteen merit points. Microexpression Analysis Proficiency +2 could be converted into two merit points, enough to cover next month’s installment—so he wasn’t under too much pressure yet.

“Owing a debt is truly an unpleasant feeling.”

A round of slapping sounds echoed.

Zeng Ping entered the office. “Everyone, gather around. We’ve got a case.”

“What’s the case, Captain Zeng?” Han Bin asked eagerly.

With a case, there was an opportunity to earn more merit points—and he hoped to pay off his installment soon.

“Robbery,” Zeng Ping replied.

“Bank or jewelry store?” Tian Li asked.

“Neither,” Zeng Ping shook his head. “Let’s get in the car first—I’ll explain on the way.”

“Should we notify the forensics team?”

“I’ve already contacted them; they’ll be there shortly.”

The group grabbed their police gear and boarded an SUV. Zhao Ming sat in the driver’s seat. “Captain, where to?”

“Third City Hospital.”

“A robbery in a hospital? That’s unusual,” Tian Li remarked.

“These days, aside from banks, hospitals are the places with the most money,” Zeng Ping grunted.

“Hospitals have a heavy flow of people, mostly strangers. It’s easy to go unnoticed. And with white coats and masks, it’s even easier to blend in,” Han Bin analyzed.

“It’s partly the hospital’s fault for not being flexible. Mobile payments aren’t accepted, so many patients have to pay in cash. Not only is it inconvenient, it makes them targets,” Zhao Ming added.

“Once bitten, twice shy—they’ll learn,” Zeng Ping said.

“Captain Zeng, should we call Li Hui and ask him to assist?” Tian Li asked.

“No need. He’s already at the scene—and he’s made a contribution,” Zeng Ping replied.

“What do you mean?”

“That kid’s a chatterbox. Let him tell you himself at the scene—save me from repeating the story,” Zeng Ping laughed.

…

At the hospital, the group headed straight to the fourth floor.

Outside the finance office, police tape had already been set up. Officers from the local precinct were on site, helping to maintain order.

“Captain Zeng!” Li Hui waved them over.

“Li Hui, how did you end up at the scene?” Han Bin asked.

“Heh, it’s a long story,” Li Hui replied.

“Then keep it short,” Zeng Ping said.

Li Hui cleared his throat. “I came to see a doctor today. As I was passing the finance office, I heard noises inside—first were muffled cries, then banging sounds. The former sounded like someone calling for help with their mouth covered, the latter like someone kicking the wall…”

“Li Hui, keep it short,” Zeng Ping interjected.

“I asked about the situation, and the noise only got louder. So I called over a nurse, found the deputy director in charge, and with the spare key, we opened the door. Inside, we found a middle-aged woman bound, and the safe was open,” Li Hui recounted.

“What’s the victim’s identity?”

“She’s Zhang Xin, the hospital’s finance accountant.”

“What time did the incident occur exactly?” Han Bin asked.

“Zhang Xin suffered a head injury. I haven’t had time to ask about the details—she was sent for treatment right away,” Li Hui said.

“How much money was stolen?”

“Over four hundred thousand in cash.”

“Over four hundred thousand isn’t a small sum. Carrying that much out should have been noticeable,” Han Bin remarked.

“When I arrived, I noticed there were surveillance cameras in the corridors and lobby. It’s possible the suspect was caught on video,” Zhao Ming said.

“Everyone has a general idea of the case now. I’ll assign tasks. Everyone collect clues separately,” Zeng Ping ordered, sweeping his gaze over the team.

“Tian Li, take the victim’s statement—ask for a detailed description of the robber and the sequence of events.”

“Han Bin, stay at the scene. Look for footprints or other evidence.”

“Li Hui, check the hospital’s surveillance and look for suspicious individuals.”

“Zhao Ming, question the medical staff—see if anyone witnessed anything.”

“Yes, sir,” everyone responded.

…

Han Bin donned gloves and shoe covers, entering the finance office. Lu Wen from the forensics team was inside, collecting evidence with an assistant.

Han Bin surveyed the room. The safe was wide open, and a pool of blood nearby likely belonged to accountant Zhang Xin.

Other than that, there were no footprints, no tools, no obvious clues.

“Lu Wen, any fingerprints from the suspect?” Han Bin asked.

“None,” Lu Wen replied.

“Any other leads?”

Lu Wen pushed up his glasses with his right index finger. “The scene appears to have been wiped clean—we couldn’t even find the victim’s fingerprints.”