The Brain Science Case 18

Chapter 18: The Schizophrenic Executioner – 7

Putting down the defibrillator, all the nursing staff involved in the resuscitation lowered their heads. After a long moment, the doctor said quietly, “We did our best.”

Packing everything up with a sense of loss, Shi Yuxin had just returned to the nurses’ station when a tall woman tapped on the desk in front of her before she could even sit down.

“Miss Shi, I have a few questions for you. Is this a good time?” It was that unforgettable baby face.

Because she had been coming so often these past few days, and word had gotten around that she was Dr. Tang’s sister, the hospital staff treated her with a mixture of awe and respect. Despite her low spirits, Shi Yuxin put down her bento box.

They moved a short distance away from the nurses’ station. “What did you want to ask?”

“On the day of the fall, were you the one who gave Mr. Wei his medication?”

“Yes, I was… What’s wrong?”

“Before dinner, was he given an extra dose? Or was he given too much after lunch?”

“An extra dose… what do you mean?” She was completely confused.

“I mean, did someone give him a dose of medication before he went to physical therapy, and was the dosage particularly high?” Tang Yingli, with one hand in her jacket pocket, had an exceptionally sharp gaze. “If nifedipine is taken in tablet form, it takes about an hour for the effects to kick in. If he took it before physical therapy, the effects would have peaked by the time he got back. You should know better than I do what side effects blood pressure medication can have, right?”

Now Shi Yuxin understood completely. This woman… was she suspecting her?

“I… don’t know what you’re talking about!” she stared at Tang Yingli, her tone turning sharp. “We administer medication according to schedule! And we have to check the patient, the time, and the dosage… We would never do anything to harm a patient!”

“Are you usually the one who gives Mr. Wei his medication?”

“We all take turns. Whoever is free takes it, and when the time comes, we give it while taking their blood pressure and making a record. No one specific is assigned.”

“But I heard from Mrs. Wei that she always asked another, more senior nurse to help make sure her husband took his medication on time… It doesn’t seem like you were in charge of that.”

A senior nurse… right!

‘Mr. Wei in Ward 11, Bed C, went to physical therapy at five. Remember to remind him to take his medication when he gets back…’ Her senior had specifically reminded her! That’s why she had rushed to find Mr. Wei…

“What is it? Did you remember something?”

She subconsciously looked away. “N-No… it’s nothing.”

“If you remember something, it’s best to say it. It would be better for both of us.”

Shi Yuxin’s face was stiff, her hands clenched into fists as she retorted, “Miss Tang! Are you suspecting that we killed the old man?”

She, on the other hand, smiled freely. “I didn’t say that. I just think the whole thing is very strange, especially after carefully considering the details…”

“Administering medication on time and making sure the patients take it is our duty! No one would deliberately harm a patient, especially an old man!” She glared at Tang Yingli. “If you want to talk about suspicious, aren’t you suspicious too? How could you have just happened to be there right when he fell…”

A call came from the nurses’ station. Work again, no doubt. “I have to get back to work.” She gave a curt nod and quickly returned to the station.

“Hey, Little Xin, what did she want to talk to you about?” a colleague asked, pointing at the still-smiling Tang Yingli. “You look so angry.”

“She’s a woman who’s gone crazy playing detective. Don’t pay any attention to her.” Shi Yuxin pursed her lips and began to organize the medicine cart.

**

After speaking with Shi Yuxin, Tang Yingli went back to the stairwell to investigate.

Looking up at the third-floor landing, she could almost see the old man’s final moments before he fell.

It wasn’t her.

At least, based on her initial reaction and their recent conversation, the person who had done it was not Shi Yuxin.

However, her pause during their conversation was strange.

Resting her chin on her hand, her index finger tapped her lips. “What did she remember?”

Was she afraid of being put on the list of suspects, so she chose not to say anything? Or had she thought of a possible suspect but subconsciously dismissed them?

Just as she was lost in thought, a phone suddenly rang.

The sound was coming from the fifth floor, one level up. Since it was a common default ringtone, she couldn’t identify the caller, but as she looked up, the ringing suddenly stopped.

The person had hurriedly fled up another flight of stairs, probably worried she would recognize their voice, so they hadn’t answered the phone. Of course, she hadn’t seen them either.

That footstep… was it someone I know? Or…

Tang Yingli pushed up her glasses. As she stepped onto the third floor, her own phone rang.

“Hello? Brother! Yes… I’m still here… It’s nothing. I’ve investigated everything I need to.” She brushed her hair back, her gaze drifting upward before she stepped out of the stairwell. “Dinner together? Sure. Where should I wait…”

**

Around noon, Zhou Jinglin was dressed in a track jacket, shorts, and running shoes, exuding a light, casual air.

But she wasn’t running in the station’s parking lot.

Although she was ostensibly exercising, her posture was overly cautious, her steps unnatural. And the sports headphones that should have been playing music were now filled with the suppressed, jumbled sounds of radio chatter.

“The living room light is still on,” she reported. “Ten minutes ago, that young man under the arcade was playing on his phone. I don’t know if he’s an accomplice or just a passerby.”

‘Probably an accomplice,’ Chen Huomu sighed on the other end. ‘Otherwise, why would he be standing there of all places… Ah Wei, what’s your status?’

‘The alley entrance is blocked.’

‘Little Cao?’

‘The fire escape is blocked. I can see inside from here too.’

‘Good. Wait a little longer. We’ll move in in ten minutes… Little Zhou, you keep running.’

“O-Okay.”

‘Jinglin, your form looks really weird. Relax a little,’ Cai Yuwei offered his expert opinion.

“You mind your own business!” She was trying to maintain her cover and keep watch at the same time; it was hard to do both.

‘It really is weird. You look like you’re running in place…’

‘Quiet!’ Chen Huomu hissed. ‘The living room light just went out.’

A short while later, a short, middle-aged man furtively ran out of the house. Jinglin, with her back to the target, said, “Senior Ah Mu?” seeking instructions.

‘That’s him. Little Zhou, act natural and run back. Ah Wei, you close in. Little Cao, you keep an eye on him. When I make my move, you rush in.’

By the time Jinglin reached the alley entrance, the target was already approaching the net Chen Huomu had set. Suddenly, the sound of a confrontation came through the earpiece, and everyone sprang into action.

It was Cai Yuwei who was unexpectedly blocked.

An accomplice, as expected. The young man suddenly brandished a Rambo knife. A loud thud echoed from not far away, and Jinglin’s heart leaped. That sound…

It was a gunshot. “Brother Cai!” the young man shouted. “You cops! Go to hell!”

His baton was useless. Cai Yuwei dodged clumsily, finally resorting to closing the distance and grappling with him.

“Ah Wei!” She yanked on the man’s knife hand, forcing him to drop the weapon. “Handcuffs!”

“Dammit!” The young man cried out in pain and let go, then tried to headbutt her. Jinglin endured a few blows but never let go of his right arm.

After a frantic struggle, Cai Yuwei finally managed to cuff him. “Let’s see you get out of this, you little punk!” He punched the boy, who was now on the ground. “Thanks… I owe you one.”

She picked up the knife, panting just as hard as he was. “Really… just one?” If she hadn’t arrived in time, he would have been in serious trouble.

He scratched his head. “Okay, a lot…”

Soon, Chen Huomu’s voice came through, saying, ‘Got him,’ which made her breathe a sigh of relief. At the same time, Little Cao led a few others into the house and arrested two more gangsters.

“What kind of knife is this? So young and already assaulting a police officer.” The young man looked like a minor, probably a school dropout. “Take him away too… Jinglin!”

She was watching the others until Cai Yuwei called her name. “What’s wrong?”

He pointed at her, his face pale. “D-Doesn’t that hurt?”

It was only then that she noticed the bandage on her right hand was soaked in red.

“Of course it hurts,” she snapped, frowning.

**

Xu Tiancai, the prime suspect in a violent debt collection ring, had multiple violations of the firearms and weapons control act, as well as a prior record for drug trafficking. They had been tailing him for a long time and had finally busted the whole operation.

The gunshot she had heard had come from Xu Tiancai, but even at close range, the bullet had missed Chen Huomu, which was a stroke of luck. Of all the team members involved in the raid, she was the only one who had been injured.

“Seriously! My sprain was just about to heal, and now this… Hiss! Ouch…”

“You should be grateful it only grazed the skin and didn’t even hit a vein… Hold still.” Tao Qianya’s suturing technique was not very skilled, but his expression was completely serious. “Sorry, even though I’m a doctor, I’ve barely stitched anyone up since my internship… living people, that is.”

“Dr. Tao! You’re only making me more nervous by saying that.”

“Sorry!” After the last stitch, he let out a sigh of relief. “Alright, this is just a temporary fix. Remember to get it checked out at a hospital… speaking of which, you’ve been going to the hospital every day lately.”

So he knows too. “The little girl is almost ready to be discharged. Dr. Tang said so yesterday.”

“Dr. Tang… that’s the teacher’s brother, right? By the way…” He winked, a gossipy look on his face. “What’s going on with you and the teacher?”

Jinglin paused, her gaze fixed on his bandaged fingers. “Ah… it’s nothing. Just… a small argument, I guess.”

“Oh? What kind of argument?”

“It’s… really nothing.”

They were both avoiding the topic, so it must not have been something small. Tao Qianya said, “Oh. By the way, did you see the teacher yesterday?”

Her heart skipped a beat. “If you mean at the office…”

“Of course I mean at the hospital.” Carefully applying the adhesive tape, he said, “Okay. I investigated with her for a whole night. The teacher delves into the most insignificant details to a terrifying degree. She said she’s seen a lot of cases during her training, so things we don’t find questionable, she naturally thinks of ‘that’.”

“Is that so?”

“You might think she’s overthinking it, but she explains it as an almost animal-like intuition, in judging whether an incident is a homicide.”

“If you had to compare her to an animal… she’s probably like a snake,” she said, her lips parting.

“Why a snake?” he asked, a look of great interest on his face.

“Because…” She bit her tongue, almost letting the word “cold-blooded” slip out. “J-Just a hunch.”

“I think she’s more like an eagle.” Packing up his instruments, he said, “Her observation is meticulous, her perspective sharp, and her attacks are swift and precise. She might hurt people occasionally, but she still has the warmth to perceive others’ feelings.”

Setting aside their similar views on the former, it was only the last sentence that revealed their completely different attitudes toward how Tang Yingli dealt with people.

Warmth…?

“When most people see so many cruel cases, it’s probably hard not to subconsciously keep themselves cold, right? The teacher is like that on the surface, but she says that while it’s important to delve into the killer’s mind, understanding the victim’s feelings is just as important… Ah, criminal profiling is really not simple.” He scratched his head and glanced at his watch. “I’m going out to eat. Little Zhou, want to come…”

“Does she?”

Tao Qianya suddenly stopped. “Huh?”

“Does she really understand the victim’s feelings?”