The young man’s description matched what he had investigated about Wu Tong—”low status, discriminated against, living in hardship, lacking confidence in life…”
But what kind of person had Qin Yi actually witnessed Wu Tong to be?
—With just a few words, she had persuaded Ma Liu to exchange herself for Dongdong, who had been held hostage for nearly a week as their “Shangfang Sword.” Then, within less than an hour of escaping, she had captured both fugitives single-handedly.
Moreover, the reason he was seeking out Wu Tong now was because he believed she could cure Ma Liu’s illness and solve a problem that even doctors from the provincial hospital couldn’t resolve.
She was clearly a master of extraordinary skills, hiding her capabilities deep beneath the surface.
Yet she was a native of Yunshan Village, having never left the area since childhood.
He had initially thought her skills might have come from Xing Dongyang—perhaps he had lent her books or taught her some techniques?
But now it seemed even Xing Dongyang was unaware of Wu Tong’s secrets. Could she have had another mentor unknown to outsiders?
Qin Yi’s curiosity was repeatedly piqued, yet he repeatedly suppressed it.
He looked at Xing Dongyang with a complex expression. The young man merely gazed back expectantly, waiting for an answer.
Qin Yi collected his thoughts and said with certainty, “Don’t worry! All the suspects who knew Wu Tong’s identity have been apprehended. Wu Tong assisted the police in solving the case. Even if the situation changes in the future, we will ensure her safety as our top priority.”
“The situation might change? Meaning there could still be danger?”
Xing Dongyang敏锐地抓住了关键点敏锐地抓住了关键点敏锐地抓住了关键点敏锐地抓住了关键点敏锐地抓住了关键点敏锐地抓住了关键点敏锐地抓住了关键点敏锐地抓住了关键点敏锐地抓住了关键点敏锐地抓住了关键点敏锐地抓住了关键点敏锐地抓住了关键点敏锐地抓住了关键点敏锐地抓住了关键点敏锐地抓住了关键点敏锐地抓住了关键点敏锐地抓住了关键点敏锐地抓住了关键点敏锐地抓住了关键点敏锐地抓住了关键点敏锐地抓住了关键点敏锐地抓住了
She looked at her own hand, then made an OK gesture and asked Qin Yi, “Oh! Is this English? I’ve seen the Educated Youth in the village often make this gesture to indicate no problem.”
Qin Yi quietly watched Su Tong, his eyes deep and sharp. When he focused on someone, it seemed as if undercurrents were swirling within, making one afraid to meet his gaze.
Su Tong glanced at him briefly before looking away, not wanting him to detect her unease.
Qin Yi eventually lowered his eyelids and voluntarily resumed the earlier topic. “I told the hospital that we’ve invited an expert from above, who brought their own assistant. We only need to borrow an operating room to discreetly perform Ma Liu’s surgery. The hospital agreed and also consented to respect and protect the expert’s privacy—no one will be sent to receive or observe.”
“That’s a good idea. Are the silver needles prepared?”
“Lin Li went to fetch them; they’ll be placed in the operating room by then.”
“Good!”
Su Tong had no further questions. She pulled a watch from under her pillow and checked the time. “It’s still early. I’ll rest for a while. Just come get me when it’s time to go to the operating room.”
With that, regardless of Qin Yi still standing by the bed, she pulled the covers over her head, assuming a posture of intending to rest properly.
Qin Yi stood by the hospital bed, looking at the small lump under the blankets, and ultimately suppressed the myriad questions in his mind. After a long pause, he replied, “Alright!”
Just as Qin Yi turned to leave, Su Tong emerged from under the covers again, holding up the watch with one hand, and said:
“Oh! I forgot to mention last time—I took this from Ma Liu’s wrist. If it’s not an important piece of evidence, lend it to me for now.”
Qin Yi paused briefly but still answered, “Alright!”
The operating room was on the first floor of the inpatient department, separated by a glass door and occupying half the floor. Large characters were written on it: “Restricted Area—No Unauthorized Personnel.”
The county hospital could only perform a limited number of surgeries. Aside from the anesthesia room, equipment room, sterilization room, etc., there were only two operating rooms in total.
At 6:45 p.m., Dr. Zhang, on duty in surgery, followed the hospital director’s instructions and wheeled Ma Liu, who had been injected with a small dose of sedatives, into the operating room.
Ma Liu had been tormented by his illness these past few days to the point of being barely recognizable. Under the influence of the medication, he was now sound asleep.
Dr. Zhang and the accompanying nurse transferred Ma Liu onto the operating table. Glancing at Qin Yi and Lin Li standing nearby, Dr. Zhang offered a cautious smile. “Um, I’m not sure if the expert brought enough assistants. If not, I can lend a hand.”
Qin Yi replied indifferently, “Thank you, but that won’t be necessary.”
“Then… do you need an anesthesiologist?”
Dr. Zhang tried to press further, but upon seeing Qin Yi’s expression, his voice trailed off. “Well… I was just asking. Actually… I just thought… would it be possible to observe from a distance?”
“Sorry! I’ve already discussed this with the hospital director.”
Qin Yi understood Dr. Zhang’s intentions. It wasn’t just Dr. Zhang—even the hospital director wanted to observe, to see how the expert would tackle Ma Liu’s challenging condition.
The county hospital had limited resources, lacking blood storage facilities and conditions. Not only patients with coagulation disorders but even normal patients often faced helpless situations during major bleeding. As a result, they hesitated to perform more complex surgeries, fearing unforeseen complications that could cause irreversible harm to patients.
If the doctors at the county hospital could receive guidance from experts, even just a little, it wouldn’t just be a matter of improving the medical skills across the entire hospital—it would also benefit more patients.
If they were truly experts from higher authorities, Qin Yi would have actively helped them secure opportunities for observation and learning. Unfortunately, this time… it really wasn’t possible.
After Dr. Zhang left with the nurses, Lin Li moved closer to Qin Yi and said, “Boss, why is that expert so mysterious! Where did you invite them from? How come I didn’t hear a single thing about it!”
Chapter 19: Preparations
This young man’s description was consistent with the Wu Tong he had investigated: “no status, discriminated against, living a hard life, lacking confidence…”
But what kind of Wu Tong did Qin Yi see with his own eyes?
——With just a few words, she had convinced Ma Liu to exchange her for Dongdong, who they had held hostage for nearly a week as their “Shangfang Sword.” Then, less than an hour after escaping, she had captured both fugitives alive.
And now, he was seeking out Wu Tong because he believed she could cure Ma Liu’s illness, a difficult problem that even the doctors from the provincial hospital couldn’t solve.
She was clearly a master with extraordinary skills, hiding her true abilities.
Yet, she was born and raised in Yunshan Village and had never left this area her entire life.
He had originally thought her skills might have come from Xing Dongyang. If he could lend her books, perhaps he could also teach her some skills?
But now it seemed that Xing Dongyang was also unaware of Wu Tong’s secret. Could it be that she had another, unknown master?
Qin Yi’s curiosity was repeatedly piqued, only to be suppressed by himself again and again.
He looked at Xing Dongyang with a somewhat complicated expression. The young man was simply looking at him with anticipation, waiting for an answer.
Qin Yi collected himself and told him in a firm tone, “Don’t worry! The criminals who know Wu Tong’s identity have all been apprehended. Wu Tong provided assistance to the police in solving the case. Even if there are new developments in the case later, we will ensure her safety at the first opportunity.”
“New developments in the case? Does that mean there could still be danger?”
Xing Dongyang sharply seized on the key point.
Qin Yi fell silent for a moment before saying:
“As long as this case is not closed, that possibility cannot be ruled out, although it is—infinitesimal.
I will specifically communicate with the county public security bureau and the comrades at the Town Police Station about this matter and make corresponding arrangements for Wu Tong’s safety.”
“That’s good!”
Xing Dongyang finally breathed a sigh of relief and extended his hand to shake Qin Yi’s. “Captain Qin, thank you! I won’t disturb you any longer!”
Xing Dongyang and Tian Qingrong left in a hurry. As Qin Yi watched their retreating figures, his thoughts turned to Ma Liu’s two large, bruised eyes and his terrified face when he saw Su Tong!
A thought suddenly arose in his mind: even if there was a threat, he was afraid it was unclear who was threatening whom!
When Qin Yi walked into the hospital room, Nurse Xiao Li had just finished changing Su Tong’s dressing.
The wound must be healing well. The large gauze bandage wrapped around her forehead had been replaced with a smaller piece, secured with medical tape, revealing a large portion of her forehead.
Sister Dong, in the opposite bed, had finished her IV drip. Anxious to get home, she had Nurse Xiao Li remove her needle as well, and the two of them left one after the other.
After a few days of recuperating in the hospital, Su Tong’s spirit and complexion had improved significantly. However, her eyes remained calm and composed, possessing a tranquility and clarity that didn’t match her age. She didn’t look at all like a girl who had been forced to run into a pillar just a few days ago.
Seeing that Su Tong was full of vigor, Qin Yi felt a little more at ease.
He walked to Su Tong’s bedside and said in a low voice, “Is seven o’clock tonight okay?”
Su Tong made a gesture at him and said, “I have no problem!”
Qin Yi stared intently at her hand for a moment, then suddenly asked, “Do you know English?”
Su Tong was taken aback, only then realizing she had subconsciously made an “OK” sign.
She looked at her own hand, made the “OK” sign again, and asked Qin Yi, “Oh! Is this English? I’ve seen the Educated Youth in the village make this gesture often to mean ‘no problem’.”
Qin Yi watched Su Tong quietly. His eyes were deep and sharp, and when he focused on someone, they seemed to churn with a hidden undercurrent, making it difficult for one to look directly at him.
Su Tong glanced at him before looking away, not wanting him to see through her guilty conscience.
Qin Yi finally lowered his gaze and consciously returned to the previous topic. “I told the hospital that I’ve invited an expert from a higher authority who is bringing their own assistant. We just need to borrow an operating room to quietly perform Ma Liu’s surgery. The hospital agreed. They also agreed to respect and protect the expert’s privacy, and will not send anyone to receive or observe them.”
“That’s a good idea. Are the silver needles ready?”
“Lin Li went to get them. They will be placed in the operating room by then.”
“Good!”
Su Tong had no other questions. She pulled a watch out from under her pillow and looked at it. “It’s still early. I’ll rest for a while. Just come and get me for the operating room when it’s time.”
After speaking, regardless of Qin Yi still standing by the bed, she pulled the blanket over her head, posturing as if she was going to get some good rest.
Qin Yi stood before the hospital bed, looking at the small lump under the blanket. In the end, he suppressed his bellyful of questions. After a long moment, he replied, “Okay!”
Just as Qin Yi was turning to leave, Su Tong poked her head out from under the blanket again, holding up the watch in one hand.
“Oh! I forgot to mention last time. I pulled this off Ma Liu’s wrist. If it’s not some important piece of evidence, let me borrow it for now.”
Qin Yi’s body paused for a moment, but he still replied, “Okay!”
The operating rooms were on the first floor of the inpatient department, separated by a glass door and occupying half the floor. Large characters on it read: “SURGICAL AREA, NO UNAUTHORIZED ENTRY.”
There weren’t many types of surgery the county hospital could perform. Excluding the anesthesia room, instrument room, disinfection room, and so on, there were only two operating rooms in total.
At 6:45 PM, Dr. Zhang, the surgeon on duty, followed the hospital director’s instructions and wheeled Ma Liu, who had been injected with a small dose of sedative, to the operating room.
These past few days, the pain from his illness had worn Ma Liu down to a shadow of his former self. Under the effect of the medication, he was now fast asleep.
Dr. Zhang and the accompanying nurse moved Ma Liu onto the operating table. He looked at Qin Yi and Lin Li standing to the side and gave a cautious smile. “Um, I don’t know if the expert’s assistant is enough. If not, I can also lend a hand.”
Qin Yi said flatly, “Thank you, but that won’t be necessary.”
“Then… is an anesthesiologist needed?”
Dr. Zhang still wanted to try his luck, but seeing the look on Qin Yi’s face, his voice trailed off. “Um… I was just asking casually. Actually… I was just wondering… is it not possible to observe from a distance?”
“I’m sorry! I’ve already discussed this with the hospital director.”
Qin Yi knew what Dr. Zhang was thinking. It wasn’t just Dr. Zhang; even the hospital director wanted to observe, to see how the expert would solve Ma Liu’s difficult problem.
The county hospital had limited resources, lacking the equipment and conditions for blood storage. Forget about patients with coagulation disorders; even with normal patients, they were often at a loss when faced with major bleeding. That was why they didn’t dare to perform more difficult surgeries, fearing unexpected situations that could cause irreversible harm to the patient.
If the county hospital’s doctors could receive guidance from an expert, even just a little, it wouldn’t just be a matter of improving the entire hospital’s medical skills—it would also benefit many more patients.
If it were truly an expert from a higher authority, Qin Yi would have taken the initiative to help them get an opportunity to observe and learn. Unfortunately, this time… it really wasn’t possible.
After Dr. Zhang and the nurse left, Lin Li sidled up to Qin Yi. “Boss, why is this expert so mysterious! Where did you invite them from? How come I haven’t heard a single thing about it!”