Chapter 13: Sharing Gossip

After leaving the city bureau, Zhou Yi first retrieved the three-wheeled vehicle he had left idling by the roadside earlier.

In the morning light, he could see from afar the yellow police tape stretched across the alley, and soon a crowd would gather, whispering behind the barricade.

However, after the heavy rain, the blood in the soil had mostly been washed away.

Zhou Yi returned the tricycle to a neighbor without visiting his second uncle’s home.

His second uncle’s situation was very serious, but it wasn’t the time to address it just yet—after all, his grandfather had not yet awakened.

He mounted his old bicycle parked downstairs and headed straight to the hospital, stopping on the way to buy breakfast for his father.

Zhou Yi’s grandfather was named Zhou Asi—simply because he was the fourth child, and in the old days, humble names were thought to bring longevity.

By the time of his father’s generation, names had taken on a more modern feel.

His father was Zhou Jianguo, his second uncle Zhou Jianjun, and his third uncle Zhou Jianye.

It was said that his aunt was originally named Zhou Jianhua, but his grandmother thought the name was too harsh for a girl and changed it to Zhou Aihua.

Just as Zhou Yi returned to the ward, he ran into his father. Seeing Zhou Yi’s battered appearance and torn clothes, his father immediately grew anxious, asking where he had been all night.

Zhou Yi looked into his father’s reddened eyes and tired face, then lied that he had an urgent task at the precinct but was otherwise fine. He quickly changed the subject to ask about his grandfather’s condition.

“The doctor has checked on him. His condition is stable for now, but they can’t say when he’ll wake up.”

Zhou Yi nodded; as long as his life was saved, it was good. Once the blood clots in his brain cleared, his grandfather should awaken.

“Dad, why don’t you go home and get some rest? I’ll stay here with Grandpa.”

“No, your aunt said she’d come this morning to relieve me. You focus on your work,” his father replied.

“Well then, go wash your face and eat your breakfast while it’s still warm.”

Zhou Jianguo nodded but didn’t move.

“Zhou Yi,” his father called.

“What is it, Dad?”

“Thanks to you this time. Otherwise, it could have been a disaster.”

Zhou Yi teased, “Dad, you don’t have to be so formal. I’m Grandpa’s eldest grandson. What I do is only natural.”

A glimmer of pride lit Zhou Jianguo’s eyes as he smiled and nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes, I misspoke. It’s only right. You’ve grown up and can be relied on.”

With a cheerful smile, Zhou Jianguo left the ward to wash his face.

Yet Zhou Yi’s expression darkened because he knew that in two months’ time, a major event would unfold in Baicheng and throughout Hanzhong Province.

There would be a relentless wave of layoffs.

The Baicheng Second Steel Plant, where his parents worked, was one of the first to announce bankruptcy.

Those with better means might tighten their belts and get by, like Zhou Yi’s family, which survived on the modest salary of a young policeman.

Since his rebirth, Zhou Yi had been pondering how to change all this.

But with his strength alone, it was nearly impossible; he needed allies.

Just then, a young nurse entered carrying two bottles of medicine.

After confirming the patient’s name, she efficiently prepared to administer an IV but couldn’t help yawning.

“Night shifts are tough,” Zhou Yi smiled.

“Yeah, no choice—this is our job. Too bad we can’t leave right after the shift; I’m exhausted.”

“Why can’t you leave?”

“No idea. They said it’s a directive from the security department. So annoying,” the nurse complained.

Security department? Was this from Chen Yan?

No, Chen Yan wouldn’t reveal case details so directly under the circumstances.

It had to be Du Xiaolin’s parents, venting their anger through the hospital authorities.

“You all work hard.”

“How many nurses are there in the ER? Why are there only two of you on the night shift?”

“Twelve or thirteen nurses, but about half only work days.”

“Why?”

“They’re senior, have families, and naturally don’t want night shifts, so the young ones like us take turns.”

The nurse muttered in frustration. She had already set up the IV but was reluctant to do anything unnecessary before the shift change.

Besides, she was happy to chat with this tall, gallant young man.

“I remember there was a nurse yesterday with big eyes...” Zhou Yi began.

Before he could finish, the nurse grinned as if discovering gossip. “You mean Xiaolin? So you wanted to ask about her after all.”

“No, no, I just thought she worked hard running around during my grandfather’s rescue yesterday and wanted to thank her personally but missed the chance before she left.”

“Really?” the nurse asked with a sly smile.

“Of course, but it’s fine—I’ll thank her next time.”

“Thanking her is fine, but if you’re thinking of pursuing her, forget it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Because a lot of people are after her—she’s beautiful, after all.”

Zhou Yi was already aware of Du Xiaolin’s social life with men. Her records showed that, thanks to her good looks, she almost never lacked a boyfriend.

Her four previous boyfriends had become key subjects of investigation.

Three had solid alibis: one was at home married, another played cards all night with friends, and the third wasn’t even in Baicheng.

Only the most recent ex, a man named Wang Dawei, claimed he was home sleeping all night. But living alone, he had no proof, so he was heavily interrogated.

In the end, nothing came of it. Although Wang Dawei resented being dumped by Du Xiaolin, he said, “I’m not stupid enough to risk my life over a woman.”

With no evidence, the case was dropped.

Now Zhou Yi didn’t even need to meet Wang Dawei to know he wasn’t the culprit.

Wang Dawei was 1.85 meters tall; he couldn’t have left footprints of size 42.

The simplest logic was that a small foot could fit into a big shoe, but a big foot couldn’t fit into a small shoe.

The crime scene investigation confirmed it wasn’t him.

“Then I guess plenty of women must hate him.”

The nurse was surprised. “Why would women hate him?”

“Well, what if some of the guys chasing her are other people’s boyfriends... or even... their husbands?” Zhou Yi said with a mischievous curiosity, clearly enjoying the drama.

The nurse suddenly leaned in mysteriously. “You know, that might actually be true. I once stumbled upon something but never dared tell anyone.”