Su Zhisheng’s gaze passed through the doorway and looked outside.
The police station was located on a busy city street. Even at night, plenty of pedestrians were passing by.
The shrike’s voice sounded somewhat distant. It wasn’t calling anymore now, and Su Zhisheng couldn’t spot it in the nighttime trees.
But that person had deliberately sharpened the hairpin—clearly intending to take revenge.
Su Zhisheng felt the target was most likely someone inside the police station. And right now, there were several groups of people arguing inside.
If he directly announced there was a “killer,” it would probably cause a panic.
Su Zhisheng decided to find Captain Xing and let the police restrain the person first. Given his own fighting ability, he was better off just tipping them off and not taking any risks.
Just then, his stepmother Hu Xiuchun finished explaining the negotiation bottom line to her lawyer.
“If there’s anything you can’t decide on, notify me.”
With that, she turned and walked outside.
Earlier, she had thought that since the patient had been sent for resuscitation, she could negotiate with the victim’s family using medical expenses—hopefully, it wouldn’t get too ugly.
But now that the patient was dead, the situation had escalated. She didn’t want to stick around at all. Even if she had to pay more compensation, she didn’t want to face the enraged victim’s family directly.
Though Hu Xiuchun was wearing stiletto heels, she walked quite quickly and was out the police station door in an instant. Clearly, she was desperate to flee.
Seeing this, Su Zhisheng didn’t have time to find Xing Tianwei. He called out to her first, “Don’t leave the station just yet.”
“If I don’t leave now, am I supposed to face the victim’s family?!”
Hu Xiuchun walked even faster, her bodyguard following close behind.
The surgeon in his white coat chased after her directly. “Don’t run! You’re the boss—you’re responsible for this too! Get back here…”
“Bodyguard—stop him!”
Hu Xiuchun looked back, satisfied to see her bodyguard blocking the surgeon.
She was about to turn and leave when she saw Su Zhisheng’s expression suddenly change. “Watch out!”
Several police officers were running toward her, their faces grim.
The bodyguard, with his back to them, didn’t know what was happening and was still blocking the surgeon. But the surgeon suddenly stopped resisting—his expression one of sheer terror.
Hu Xiuchun didn’t understand what was going on, but the word “watch out” triggered an instinctive dodge.
Thud. The hairpin stabbed diagonally into her back.
The attack, which had been aimed straight at her heart, went crooked. The wound wasn’t deep, but Hu Xiuchun, pampered and unaccustomed to pain, screamed and collapsed to the ground!
Because Su Zhisheng had raised the alarm early, the victim’s mother—the assailant—was also subdued by the police officers who lunged forward, preventing her from attacking Hu Xiuchun further.
“Don’t stop me—I’ll kill her!”
“You black-hearted swindler! Pay for my child’s life with your own!” Even as she was restrained, Zhou’s mother continued screaming hysterically at Hu Xiuchun.
The same woman who had taken the time to fix her hair neatly after losing her older son had become utterly unhinged after losing her younger son.
Su Zhisheng felt he could barely recognize her. It wasn’t that she had no feelings for Zhou Jiale—it was just that her favoritism was so blatant it was heartbreaking.
Su Zhisheng’s gaze shifted to his stepmother writhing on the ground.
Even though he had saved his enemy’s life, he didn’t regret it. Compared to a clean, quick death, he would much rather see her go to prison for long-term rehabilitation through hard labor.
Moreover, if someone were successfully killed right at the police station entrance, it would likely cause social panic and have terribly negative repercussions.
In the crowd, the young officer was comforting the family member. “Don’t be impulsive. Murder is a crime. Think of yourself.”
Someone had picked up a phone. “Hello, 120? The address is…”
“Oh my god—a murder right at the police station entrance! How terrifying!”
“The attacker is the victim’s family member… sigh…”
Some were busy rescuing the injured, some were soothing people, some were dispersing the onlookers… the scene was pure chaos!
Fortunately, the police officers were well-trained. They quickly brought the family member inside and sent the injured to the hospital. The crowd gradually dispersed, and the entrance didn’t end up severely congested.
The spectators left quickly, but the shrike that had been watching remained perched on a branch.
“Chirp. That one’s skewering skills aren’t very good. If this one’s thorny dining table were as sharp as that hairpin, it’d save a lot of effort.”
Shrikes impale their prey on thorns and tear the meat apart, earning them the nickname “butcher birds.”
Following the direction of the little bird’s chirping critique, Su Zhisheng finally spotted it.
“Even though you didn’t mean to help, I’m still counting this life-saving contribution as partly yours.” Su Zhisheng smiled. “Little shrike, here’s some beef jerky for you.”
“Chirp! You humans evolve fast—you can even understand bird speech now.” The little shrike hopped on its branch in surprise.
Su Zhisheng tore open the package and took out the beef jerky.
“There don’t seem to be any thorns here. Need me to tear the meat for you?”
“No need. This one has its own thorny dining table. I’ll just take it there.” The little shrike said happily.
Su Zhisheng placed the beef jerky on the branch—three whole pieces at once.
After all, this was a shrike capable of grabbing live prey and flying it to its thorny table. The weight of three pieces of jerky was nothing.
“Human, this one will remember you. Next time someone tries to skewer you, this one will peck them for you!”
The shrike tilted its head and added, “If any bird tries to peck you, I’ll turn them into skewers!”
Su Zhisheng chuckled. “…Okay.”
Shrikes had their own foraging territories. Now that he would be working near the police station, he too would have someone—or rather, somebird—watching over him.
Being taken under the protection of a fluffy little bird was oddly amusing.
In a high-end VIP ward in Yuntian City, after a flurry of activity, the doctors finally finished debriding, disinfecting, and dressing the wound.
The wound wasn’t deep—nothing serious.
But Hu Xiuchun, being cautious with her life, chose to stay in the hospital for a few days of observation.
In the private room, a subordinate was reporting work to her.
“Boss, are you sure you want to stay low for now? It’s been almost half a month since we last had any business. If we keep lying low much longer, those people won’t be able to pay back their plastic surgery loans.”
Hu Xiuchun ground her teeth. “I’m being watched by the police right now. If you want to join me in there, go ahead. Choose: either they drown in compound interest and die badly, or you die badly yourself.”
Hearing this, the subordinate stopped arguing and left.
Hu Xiuchun lay on the bed, her mind in turmoil.
They had started disposing of evidence half a month ago. Hopefully, lying low for a while would let her weather this storm safely.
Whether it was the Zhou Jiale disappearance case or the beauty salon medical malpractice case—let this be the end of it. She hoped the police wouldn’t dig any further, lest other cases come to light…
Just as Hu Xiuchun was fretting, the Su family finally arrived at the hospital.
They didn’t yet know exactly what had happened—only that Hu Xiuchun had been stabbed at the police station entrance.
The fake young master’s nose was red from crying as he tightly grasped her hand. “Mom, thank goodness you’re okay. You really scared me this time!”
There was a shred of sincerity in his words. Though he didn’t like Hu Xiuchun, he didn’t want a new stepmother either.
Hu Xiuchun: “…”
You only act obedient in front of your father. The filial piety you show me on a daily basis is enough to make a whole hall laugh!
“Mom’s going to be okay—Mom is going to stay right here with you.”
Hu Xiuchun also squeezed out a smile and acted along with him, putting on a display of a loving, happy family.
Su Jingye didn’t pay much attention to their mother-son devotion. Instead, he gave a disapproving look to his eldest son, Su Minghao.
“You just got off the plane. Why come straight to the hospital? Your health is more important. Go home and rest first.”
Su Minghao glanced at his stepmother. “She is part of the Su family after all. Someone harming her is a slap in the face to the Su family. Naturally, I came to show support.”
“Minghao is such a good child. Mom feels like her wound doesn’t even hurt anymore.”
Hu Xiuchun looked at Su Minghao—a cold-blooded creature who didn’t even care for his own full-blooded younger brother—and flattered him insincerely.
Just then, the assistant pushed open the door and entered.
Su Jingye’s expression turned grim. “What did the police say? Who dares to harm a member of the Su family? I want their entire family dead!”
The assistant: “…Boss, the other family only has four members. Two are already dead. The younger son died at madam’s beauty salon. The attacker is the victim’s own mother.”
At these words, the entire room fell silent.
“Her beauty salon?” the fake young master asked in confusion.
The assistant recounted the whole story from beginning to end, also remarking on Hu Xiuchun’s misfortune.
When Zhou Jiale died, his parents had still managed to keep their emotions in check. But now that both their children were gone, Zhou’s mother naturally wanted to settle accounts with the person who had caused the death of her beloved younger son.
“In the beauty salon case, the surgeon bears more responsibility. The salon owner just happened to be saying something at the police station entrance that the victim’s mother overheard, so she became the surgeon’s scapegoat.”
Hu Xiuchun felt a twinge of guilt.
In truth, she had been the one behind the scenes who introduced Zhou Jiale to Zhang Weilong.
In a sense, the woman hadn’t stabbed the wrong person.
After the assistant finished relaying the information from the police, Su Minghao, who had just returned from a trip, instantly turned cold.
“Since the wound doesn’t hurt anymore, there’s no need for painkillers. Have the nurse remove them.”
With that, he turned and left directly.
The fake young master’s eyes welled up as if he were about to cry. “Mom, how could you use the name of my engagement banquet to run such a shady scam—tricking people into taking out loans for plastic surgery?”
Playing the victim, he had already secretly pinched her hand several times while holding it.
“Ow…” Hu Xiuchun quickly pushed his hand away.
“Sorry, I held on too tightly,” the fake young master said, dripping with insincerity.
Su Jingye showed no sympathy for Hu Xiuchun’s state. His expression dark, he scolded, “If word of this gets out, how do you think the Wei family will see us? If it affects the engagement, can you bear the responsibility?!”
“Your allowance is canceled for the next year. After you’re discharged, I will personally enforce family discipline!”
Hu Xiuchun’s face turned deathly pale. She gripped the hospital blanket tightly.
What kind of ridiculous family discipline?! When the first wife married into your family, the Su family was dirt poor. Where did you even get “family discipline” from?
You old fool. You hang that tattered family photo with your first wife in the living room every day, playing the devoted husband. If you love her so much, why don’t you go join her in the grave?!
In the blink of an eye, she was abandoned by everyone.
Hu Xiuchun had previously delighted in Su Zhisheng being isolated and helpless in the family. She had happily visited the first wife’s grave more than once to gloat. Now, she was tasting the same bitter medicine herself.
Just then, the assistant glanced at his phone and added one more piece of information.
“According to the beauty salon employees, the person who filed the report was the second young master, Su Zhisheng. But he never entered the salon. It’s unclear where he got his information.”
“Preposterous!” Su Jingye couldn’t believe it. “Even if his stepmother recommended an unreliable fiancé for Zhisheng, that’s no reason for him to go to such lengths to investigate and surveil her, waiting for any chance to retaliate.”
Su Jingye shook his head and sighed. “What a misfortune for this family! When Zhisheng has suffered enough and comes back begging for forgiveness, I’ll have to give him a serious talking-to.”
Just a “talking-to”? Hu Xiuchun roared inwardly.
She added Su Zhisheng to her mental list. But she had to admit—right now, she couldn’t do a thing to him.
Instead, time and again, she had been the one to suffer major misfortunes because of him.
Could it be that Su Zhisheng’s fate was incompatible with hers? Come to think of it, when Su Zhisheng wasn’t around, her life had been quite stable. The moment he was brought back into the family, her bad luck started piling up.
Once she recovered, she would have to visit a temple and pray. Otherwise, she feared that the other crimes she’d committed—the ones that could land her in prison—might also be dug up by him, just like the previous two cases…
That same night, under the same moonlight, different people lived very different lives.
Hu Xiuchun had just been hospitalized, waiting to eat bland congee and vegetables. Back in his dormitory, Su Zhisheng, on the other hand, received a thank-you late-night snack from his roommate.
Milk tea, fried chicken, french fries… The table was piled high with delicious junk food.
Su Zhisheng chatted and laughed with Gao Lijian, his mood absolutely wonderful.
His phone also held a message just sent by Xing Tianwei.
Thanks to his warning this time, helping the police station contain the stabbing, Xing Tianwei intended to record his contribution and give him a reward.
Over the next several days, Su Zhisheng went about his usual routine, splitting his time between the pet hospital and the people’s hospital.
Aside from keeping his adoptive mother company, he continued interning as a vet at his professor’s pet hospital, honing his skills and earning money. Life was fulfilling.
As time passed and the end of the month approached, the fake young master’s engagement banquet was soon to be held.
But before that, Su Zhisheng received good news from the police station.
[Yuntian City Police Bureau invites you to become a Special Guest Consultant for case-solving. Base monthly salary: 30,000 yuan…]