Chapter 33: Captain Wu's Hidden Secret
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“Cancer?” Zhou Yi and Wu Yongcheng were both stunned.
“For now, this is only our preliminary assessment. We still need to perform a biopsy to determine whether it is stomach cancer and, if so, whether it is at an early or advanced stage. The pathology report will be definitive.” The doctor knew the circumstances surrounding this patient. Such cases were nothing unusual for the hospital. After all, anyone brought in wearing handcuffs clearly understood the situation.
“Officers, I suggest you notify her family as soon as possible.”
Wu Yongcheng nodded. Zhou Yi asked, “Doctor, how is the patient doing now? Can we question her?”
The doctor nodded. “Just make sure she doesn’t become too agitated.”
“Thank you, Doctor.”
After the doctor left, Zhou Yi said, “Captain Wu, I never expected this case to turn out like this.”
Wu Yongcheng suddenly let out a long sigh. “Perhaps Heaven didn’t want those two children to come into this world and suffer.”
The remark immediately made Zhou Yi realize that Wu Yongcheng’s earlier odd behavior was probably connected to the children.
The words that had been about to leave his mouth died on his lips. “Captain Wu, why don’t Qiao and I go question Zhang Xinli? Given her current condition, she might feel safer with a female officer there.”
Wu Yongcheng nodded. “Go ahead.”
Zhou Yi turned and exchanged a glance with Qiao Jiali, who was standing not far away.
Just as the two were about to leave, Wu Yongcheng called from behind them, “Zhou Yi.”
“What is it, Captain Wu?”
“I’m a little tired. I want to go home and rest for a while. I’ll leave things here to you.”
Seeing the weariness on Wu Yongcheng’s face, Zhou Yi nodded. “Don’t worry, Captain Wu. We’ve got it.”
Only after watching Wu Yongcheng leave did Zhou Yi ask, “Sister Qiao, Captain Wu suddenly seemed rather strange today. Could he have suffered some kind of psychological trauma?”
Unexpectedly, Qiao Jiali let out a heavy sigh as well.
“Zhou Yi, our captain has had a hard life.”
“He married very young, but they never had any children. The two of them went from hospital to hospital all over the country in hopes of having a child, and endured countless hardships. Six years ago, they finally conceived through in vitro fertilization—and it turned out to be twins.”
The word “twins” made Zhou Yi’s nerves jolt, and an ominous premonition rose in his heart.
“At the time, I had just joined Unit Three and was still a rookie. After his wife became pregnant, Captain Wu was like a different man—he was cheerful and gentle with everyone.”
“But when she was a little over five months pregnant, something terrible happened. A gang of motorcycle thieves robbed her bag on the road. Because of the strap, she was dragged for more than a dozen meters and suffered a miscarriage. The children were gone. She also suffered internal bleeding, and afterward she could never become pregnant again.”
Qiao Jiali’s eyes reddened. “The motorcycle gang was eventually arrested, and the man who robbed her was sentenced to seven years. But his wife divorced him. From that day on, Captain Wu never went anywhere without a cigarette in his hand.”
“Zhou Yi, only Biaozi and I know about this in Unit Three. Chen Yan doesn’t even know. Don’t bring it up in front of Captain Wu.”
Qiao Jiali raised a hand and wiped the moisture from the corner of her eye.
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Zhou Yi nodded solemnly.
“Qiao, thank you for telling me.”
…
On the hospital bed, one of Zhang Xinli’s hands was connected to an IV drip, while the other was handcuffed to the metal rail at the bedside.
She was now a criminal suspect and had to be kept in custody.
“Officer.” When Zhang Xinli saw Zhou Yi approach, she immediately struggled to sit up.
“You don’t need to get up. Just lie down.”
Zhang Xinli nodded gratefully. “Officer, is my baby all right?”
“The baby is currently in stable condition,” Qiao Jiali reassured her.
Zhang Xinli recognized the female officer and asked, “My husband… How is he?”
Qiao Jiali exchanged a glance with Zhou Yi before saying, “Wang Youfu’s vital signs are stable, and he’s out of danger. He just hasn’t regained consciousness yet.”
“That’s good. That’s good,” Zhang Xinli murmured.
Zhou Yi asked, “Zhang Xinli, how long have you had stomach problems?”
“Stomach problems? About two years, I suppose. Those of us who work as nurses eat at irregular hours, so it’s easy to develop stomach trouble.”
“Have you ever been examined? Are you sure it’s only a stomach problem?”
Zhang Xinli froze, vaguely sensing that something was wrong. “About a year ago, I had a gastroscopy. They said I had a fairly severe gastric ulcer.”
“Have you received any treatment during the past six months? Or taken any unusual medication?”
“Medication?” Zhang Xinli thought for a moment. “About two months ago, Zhu Xuejun gave me a box of pills. He said they were a miracle drug he had brought back from America. The packaging was all in English, so I couldn’t understand it.”
We found it.
That was it.
“Where is the medicine?” Zhou Yi asked urgently.
“It’s at my house, in the first drawer of the chest of drawers. Officer, what exactly is going on?” Zhang Xinli asked nervously.
“Zhang Xinli, there is a tumor in your stomach. It may be malignant.”
“What?” Zhang Xinli was stunned. “How could that be? I…”
“I don’t have proof yet, but it’s highly possible that Zhu Xuejun planned your murder of Du Xiaolin from beginning to end!”
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“What?”
This time, Zhang Xinli was not the only one who was shocked. Qiao Jiali was as well.
Zhou Yi always had a way of saying something startling. If things truly happened as he suspected, the entire case would be transformed from a murder into a case of instigated murder.
“And that’s not all. The tumor in your stomach may also be his doing. He wanted to use cancer to silence you!”
Zhou Yi’s words sent a chill through Zhang Xinli.
“Qiao, I’m going to Zhang Xinli’s house. I’ll leave you to keep watch here.”
The moment Zhou Yi walked out of the hospital, he ran into Chen Yan.
“Yan, perfect timing. Come with me to Zhang Xinli’s house.”
“To Zhang Xinli’s house? Why? Haven’t we already searched it?”
“I’ll explain on the way. It’s urgent.”
“Where’s Captain Wu? There’s something I need him to decide.”
“He went home to rest. What happened?”
“That Zhu Xuejun—we’ve been holding him for more than twelve hours. He’s demanding that we release him, and he’s even brought in a lawyer.”
Zhou Yi immediately said, “We can’t release him! He may be a major suspect in a murder!”
“What?” Chen Yan thought he must have misheard.
“I’ll explain on the way. Just start driving.”
“All right!” Chen Yan hit the accelerator without hesitation.
On the way, Zhou Yi briefly described his doubts during the interrogation of Zhang Xinli, as well as the possibility that she had stomach cancer.
After hearing him out, Chen Yan also felt that something was strange. Zhu Xuejun had originally been extremely cold toward Zhang Xinli, yet he had suddenly changed his attitude and begun treating her kindly again. It was highly suspicious.
“Zhou Yi, my father once told me that whenever something deviates from the norm, there’s bound to be something sinister behind it!”
Gritting his teeth, Zhou Yi said, “Yan, to be honest, I desperately hope I’m right. Because in all these years, this is the first time I’ve ever been so eager to bring someone to justice!”
Chen Yan thought he had misheard him. “All these years?”
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