That afternoon, Xiao Lou stayed in Yu Hanjiang's hospital room, and the two of them researched information and analyzed the case together.
The attending physician had already compiled the death case reports, and Xiao Lou retrieved them one by one from the medical record query system— Chen Yuqing from the Pediatrics Department died of a sudden heart attack, and Qi Zhaoming from the Orthopedics Department died of postoperative complications. The treatment process of these two patients since their admission had clear and complete records, and on the surface, it appeared that both of them died in accidents.
All of Qi Zhaoming's informed consent forms were signed by himself, without any family members present.
Little Girl Chen Yuqing's informed consent form for the surgery was signed by her mother, Chen Yehua.
Yu Hanjiang called the Police Station and asked his colleagues to find out the information about Qi Zhaoming, Chen Yuqing, and her mother Chen Yehua as soon as possible.
A colleague quickly sent an email to Yu Hanjiang's mobile phone—
Qi Zhaoming dropped out of school after junior high and currently has no formal job. He owns a 60-square-meter apartment in the suburbs. When he was 10 years old, his parents both fell to their deaths during an argument. Qi Zhaoming was raised by his grandmother, who passed away ten years ago. He has no relatives left in this world.
Chen Yuqing is a first-grade student who excels in both character and academics and was recently awarded the title of "Three Good Student". Her mother, Chen Yehua, is an illustrator, and her father's identity is unknown. Chen Yuqing has always lived with her mother and is a child from a single-parent family.
After seeing these two documents, Xiao Lou couldn't help but wonder: "Orthopedic surgery is very expensive. Qi Zhaoming only graduated from junior high school, doesn't have a formal job, and his income should be very low. How can he afford such expensive surgery and treatment?"
Yu Hanjiang frowned and sent a message to his colleague: "Help me check the bank statements of Qi Zhaoming, Liu Renyuan, and Chen Yehua."
Because Captain Yu was investigating a dismemberment case, his colleagues were very cooperative with their leader's orders, sending Yu Hanjiang their bank statements in less than an hour. Upon closer inspection, Yu Hanjiang noticed many discrepancies.
Liu Renyuan works as a security guard. His bank card receives a monthly payment, recorded as "Jincui Community Security Guard Salary," consistent with his job title. The bank card's spending history is rather disorganized, showing purchases of cigarettes, alcohol, food, and inexpensive clothing…
Liu Renyuan was a big spender and lived paycheck to paycheck, barely managing to break even each month. However, on November 1st last year, right after he received his salary, he suddenly went to the mall on the 2nd and bought a pair of limited-edition sneakers, instantly spending his entire month's salary.
Liu Renyuan's previous spending records showed that the shoes she bought were all around 200 yuan. How could she suddenly buy limited edition designer shoes worth more than 4,000 yuan?
For the super-rich, buying limited-edition bags and shoes is normal, but Liu Renyuan's spending records reveal something strange.
In the past, he spent most of his monthly salary of over 4,000 yuan on cigarettes and alcohol, and only bought clothes once or twice a year, indicating that he didn't have high demands for clothing. Last November, he suddenly spent an entire month's salary on a pair of shoes, which is out of character for him—unless he suddenly received a large sum of money, but there was no record of a large cash inflow into his bank account.
He spent a month's salary on shoes. Does that mean he won't eat or drink anything this month?
Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou exchanged a glance, then continued reading with questions in their eyes.
Qi Zhaoming's bank card was even stranger, with a balance of less than 100 yuan. Moreover, this balance had not changed in the past three years. There were no deposits, withdrawals, or card transactions on his bank card. His bank card transaction history for the past three years was almost blank.
He only has this one bank card. He neither withdraws money from the card nor deposits money into it, which can only mean that he usually spends money in cash. He pays his rent and living expenses in cash every month. Where does he get so much cash?
Chen Yehua works as an illustrator, earning a fixed monthly income of around 20,000 RMB. The mother and daughter spend 50% of their income on expenses, saving the rest. However, last month, she suddenly withdrew 200,000 RMB in cash from her bank account, wiping out all their savings from the past few years.
All three of them have problematic bank statements.
Xiao Lou frowned and said, " Liu Renyuan suddenly buying expensive limited edition sneakers is completely different from his usual lifestyle. In the following months, he also made several purchases of expensive red wine. It feels like he won the lottery."
" Qi Zhaoming's bank account has no transaction history. He spends all his living expenses in cash. Either he works temporary jobs and settles his accounts in cash, or his income is questionable and he doesn't use bank accounts. All his transactions are cash transactions." Yu Hanjiang paused and continued, " We also need to investigate carefully where Chen Yehua's 200,000 yuan went."
Currently, the reason for the strange accounting records of the three individuals is unknown, but it at least proves that their investigation target was correct, and these three individuals should all have some connection to the case.
Just to be on the safe side, Yu Hanjiang sent the names and hospital records of two more deceased individuals from the Endocrinology and Rheumatology and Immunology Departments to the Police Station for their investigation. As they suspected, the two individuals were found to be without suspicion and could be completely ruled out.
...
The afternoon passed quickly. Xiao Lou had several more consultations, and by the time she finished, it was already 8 p.m. On her way back to the general surgery department, Xiao Lou stopped by the Cardiovascular Surgery Department's ICU to visit CEO Shao.
Shao Qingge is still asleep.
Despite his discomfort, Xiao Lou asked Zhao Sen directly, " Has Shao Qingge's condition improved?"
"Myocardial enzymes have decreased somewhat"
"Her blood potassium levels are back to normal today, and her heart function is slowly recovering." Zhao Sen adjusted his glasses and glanced thoughtfully at Xiao Lou. "Dr. Xiao, you really care about this friend."
Xiao Lou thought to himself, "If I don't keep a close eye on him, what if you dismember him if he's in your hands, like a pervert?!"
But on the surface, Xiao Lou maintained a polite smile and explained, " Shao Qingge and I grew up together and are very good friends. Since he's staying at our hospital, of course I want to take extra care of him. By the way, when is his surgery?"
Zhao Sen flipped through the medical record: "Let's talk about it when he wakes up."
Xiao Lou said earnestly, "You must let me know. I'll come see him as soon as he wakes up."
Zhao Sen smiled and said, "Of course."
Xiao Lou casually asked, " Is Dr. Zhao on night shift tonight?"
Zhao Sen said, "No, I'll be leaving work soon."
Xiao Lou breathed a slight sigh of relief—he didn't want to run into Zhao Sen again when he went to Morgue tonight. Last night, that face was only 10 centimeters away from him, and the thought of it sent chills down Xiao Lou's spine.
...
At midnight, the card skill refreshed, and Xiao Lou once again used Peach Blossom Spring to summon teammates.
Long Sen spent the afternoon inquiring in the orthopedic ward and reported the results to Yu Hanjiang: "The deceased, Qi Zhaoming, was arrogant and never spoke to his fellow patients during his hospitalization. He just spent his days watching videos on his phone. He stayed in the hospital for a week, and no one came to visit him. The old lady in the next bed asked him what he did for a living, and he replied that he worked in a bar."
The police couldn't find his employment information; it's possible that working at a bar doesn't involve a formal employment contract, and official records are unavailable. Yu Hanjiang frowned and asked, "A bar? What kind of work exactly?"
"He didn't mention that." Long Sen scratched his head and said, "The people in his ward said that Qi Zhaoming seems to be quite rich. A few days ago, when he was in better spirits, he ordered very expensive takeout every day and wore a designer watch… He's quite handsome, and the other patients privately guess that he might be a male escort at a bar."
Ye Qi was taken aback: "What does 'gigolo' mean? Is it very profitable?"
Long Sen gently touched his nose, looked at 7-year-old Ye Qi, and said, "Little kid, you've never heard of that, have you? A gigolo is a man who sells his body. He can sell himself to rich women, and of course, he can also... cough, serve men."
"..." Ye Qi's face flushed slightly. The topic was too vulgar, and he was too embarrassed to continue asking questions.
An ordinary bartender certainly can't afford to wear a designer watch. Working in a bar, being handsome and rich, does easily evoke images of a certain gray area of the profession.
Yu Hanjiang felt it wasn't that simple.
Xiao Lou looked at Ye Qi and asked, " Does Chen Yuqing from the Pediatrics Department have any clues?"
Ye Qi coughed and cleared his throat, then said in a serious tone, " Chen Yuqing often tells the children that her mother is a very talented illustrator. A little boy asked her who her father was, and she said she didn't have a father. The little boy said that everyone should have a father, and Chen Yuqing got angry, so the two of them got into a fight. They were stopped by the nurses."
The children in the Pediatrics Department are noisy and disruptive every day, and some even cry loudly when getting shots. Ye Qi spent a whole day in the Pediatrics Department and his head was about to explode. He rubbed his temples and said, " Chen Yuqing's mother is quite gentle. I heard that these past few days she's been buying extra fruit to share with the other children, and everyone likes her. The little girl in the bed next to mine said she saw Aunt Chen secretly crying in the bathroom yesterday. I think the key to Chen Yuqing's story is her father. Who exactly is he?"
Xiao Lou agreed: "Yes. Chen Yuqing's household registration information only includes her mother. She comes from a single-parent family and takes her mother's surname. There is no record of her father. I guess she may be an illegitimate child. Further investigation is needed."
The deaths in Qu Wanyue's and Lao Mo's wards have been ruled out as suspects, and there were no deaths in Liu Qiao's hematology department today.
Yu Hanjiang also shared the clues he had found with his teammates.
The biggest questions at present are the strange bank statements of the three people and the surgical marks on Liu Renyuan's body.
After the meeting, Xiao Lou had Liu Qiao put on Nurse's clothes, preparing to explore Morgue again.
Yu Hanjiang was worried and wanted to follow along.
Xiao Lou said worriedly, "You just had surgery, and you've been running around with us. If your wound reopens or gets infected, it will be very painful to have to stitch it up again. I'll let you know as soon as I find any clues through the Telepathic Connection."
"The wound is fine, I want to see these people's bodies with my own eyes." Yu Hanjiang paused and said, "Little Liu has the [ Thumbelina ] card, can't he just shrink me down, put me in his shirt pocket and take me there?"
Meeting the man's resolute gaze, Xiao Lou had no choice but to compromise: "Alright, I'll shrink you down and take you with me."
"Mm." Yu Hanjiang's gaze was gentle. "I'll feel more at ease with you by my side."
He couldn't bear to leave Xiao Lou alone in the ward, unable to relax about doing such dangerous work. The fear Xiao Lou felt when he was face-to-face with Zhao Sen last night was transmitted to his mind through the Telepathic Connection, driving Yu Hanjiang crazy with worry. That's why he had to go with him tonight.
Liu Qiao consciously handed the [ Thumbelina ] card to Xiao Lou so that Xiao Lou could use it.
Xiao Lou used his card skill to turn Yu Hanjiang into a chibi version of himself. The miniature Yu Hanjiang, dressed in a blue and white checkered hospital gown, looked exceptionally cute. Xiao Lou carefully picked up Yu Hanjiang and placed him in the chest pocket of his white coat.
Yu Hanjiang, peeking out from the edge of Xiao Lou's pocket, said casually, "Let's go."
Xiao Lou led Yu Hanjiang and Liu Qiao to the entrance of Morgue.
A large sign was hung outside the door.
The large iron lock must have been locked by Zhao Sen last night. Fortunately, the key card he got from the escape room in Red Heart 3 still had some uses left. Xiao Lou used the key to unlock the door, entered the room, and gently closed the door.
Morgue is an enclosed underground space with no windows. If the door is closed and the lights are on, it won't attract attention outside. Liu Qiao turned on the lights, and Xiao Lou scanned the surroundings, and sure enough, she found four more corpses in Morgue — the four patients who died at the hospital today.
Xiao Lou walked over and first opened the freezer drawer with the words " Chen Yuqing " written on it.
A chill swept over them. Seven-year-old Little Girl's face was as pale as paper, her eyes tightly closed. Xiao Lou lifted the white sheet covering the body and, after a careful examination, found that there were no surgical scars on her body.
Yu Hanjiang peered into Xiao Lou's pocket and frowned upon seeing this: " Chen Yuqing has no surgical scars, which means she hasn't had an organ transplant. Why would her mother suddenly take so much money?"
Xiao Lou said, "It seems we need to summon her mother to ask her in person."
He then opened the freezer containing " Liu Renyuan ".
This is the suspicious body discovered last night. Xiao Lou has already examined it, and tonight's examination is for further autopsy confirmation. He instructed Liu Qiao to turn the body onto its side, picked up a scalpel, and deftly made an incision along the wound on the lower back…
The right kidney was indeed missing.
The area where the kidneys should have been was empty, and there were also signs that the ribs had been cut.
Xiao Lou took a deep breath and said calmly, " Liu Renyuan's kidney was removed by someone else. Moreover, the surgery was not done well. The handling of blood vessels and ureters was not up to professional standards. There were multiple blood vessel damages during the surgery. The pleura was even damaged when the 12th rib was removed. There are also suture marks here."
Yu Hanjiang asked in a low voice, "In your judgment, was the surgery performed by an amateur?"
Xiao Lou nodded: "A urology expert wouldn't do something like this. It feels more like something an intern with insufficient clinical experience would do... The skin sutures, however, are very well done."
Liu Qiao asked doubtfully, "On the surface, the skin incision sutures are indeed perfect; but once you open the incision, the internal procedures are a mess. Professor Xiao, do you mean that the kidney removal and the skin suturing were not done by the same person?"
"Not necessarily." Xiao Lou explained while suturing the incision, "Skin suturing is easy to practice; an ordinary medical student can suturing well by practicing with a model for two weeks. But professional kidney separation and removal surgery requires years of clinical experience. The autopsy results only prove that the doctor who performed the nephrectomy on Liu Renyuan was not a professional urologist or nephrologist. It could have been a doctor from another department, or an inexperienced surgeon who had not performed kidney surgery in a major hospital."
Xiao Lou carefully stitched up Liu Renyuan's body, then opened the freezer labeled " Qi Zhaoming ".
Another body was pulled out.
Qi Zhaoming just underwent lumbar spine surgery yesterday, and there are obvious sutures near the fourth lumbar vertebra. However, no surgical scars were found in the lateral lumbar region, which is commonly used for abdominal and kidney surgeries.
Xiao Lou cut open the sutures from yesterday's surgery and carefully examined the surgical site.
An artificial intervertebral disc was placed between the deceased's third and fourth lumbar vertebrae. This surgery was performed by the orthopedic surgery department yesterday afternoon. Xiao Lou reviewed the detailed surgical records and found nothing suspicious.
Following that, Xiao Lou quickly dissected the deceased's abdomen and the back of his waist, finding that his liver, gallbladder, kidneys and other organs were intact.
Yu Hanjiang was puzzled when he saw Xiao Lou's autopsy results.
Liu Renyuan's kidney was missing, yet there was no record of it in his medical records, which is highly suspicious. However, Chen Yuqing and Qi Zhaoming, two patients who died in the hospital that morning, had no missing organs, and their causes of death were found to be normal after autopsies.
What is the connection between these two people and the case they are investigating?