### Chapter 9: The Shifting Timeline (2)
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Lin Nan had just left the doctor’s office when she saw Nie Zhengchu rushing up to the 13th floor of the inpatient department, looking like he’d just seen a ghost.
“Director Nie, sorry to pull you from your busy schedule at the bureau,” Lin Nan said, her tone as cool as a cucumber.
Nie Zhengchu wiped his forehead, “No, no, it’s my fault. I sent someone to bring Patient 23 to the hospital last night but stayed back in the office—didn’t expect this hellhole would assign him an extra bed instead of a proper room!”
“Director, don’t you worry! I’ll get someone to sort it out right away,” he added quickly.
Lin Nan pondered for a moment but held her tongue; Ma Yongxin seemed a bit too eager in his response, making her suspect insincerity.
He wouldn’t dare think I’m just talking nonsense, would he? That’s why he’s making excuses with a phone call, right?
Shaking her head, she decided to leave Ma Yongxin be.
While Nie Zhengchu was making calls, Lin Nan pulled out her own phone.
The Special Operations Bureau may report directly to the top brass in Ocean City, but getting through to the big boss usually meant first chatting with Secretary Wang’s office.
After a moment’s hesitation, she decided to call Secretary Wang.
“Hello,” came the bored response.
“Hi, Secretary Wang,” Lin Nan said, suddenly sounding very official.
She explained briefly that one of the bureau’s agents was injured and not receiving the best care at the hospital.
Secretary Wang replied, “Oh, about that, we emphasized during our last meeting that it’s mainly for confidentiality. The agents in the Bureau have it tough, everyone knows that. But you see, it’s not just about you guys; if we make exceptions for you, other units will have similar demands, and we’ll be in a pickle.
It’s just a patient room, Lin Director. Why not just work with it?
By the way, Deputy Director Nie has a lot of connections. I’m sure he can handle the hospital arrangements without any fuss.”
Lin Nan took a deep breath, forcing her irritation down like a soda bottle shaken too hard.
Clearly, Secretary Wang was playing hot potato—his response was a reflection of the higher-ups’ sentiments.
When did the Special Operations Bureau become just another notch on the list to them?
…
“By the way, Director Nie, I’d like to set up a special care ward for Patient 23. Can you manage that?”
Once she hung up on Secretary Wang, Lin Nan turned her icy gaze back to Nie Zhengchu.
He was still on the phone, and upon hearing Lin Nan’s request, he froze like a deer in headlights.
“Uh… that… seems a bit tough, but I can definitely sort out a normal ward!”
Lin Nan interrupted him, “If that’s all you can do, there’s no point in coordinating further.”
Nie Zhengchu put down the phone, looking a tad embarrassed. “Director, uh… the special care ward… it’s just… um…”
Lin Nan said flatly, “I thought that with our Special Operations Bureau’s standing, our injured agents would naturally receive the best medical conditions and treatment. But it turns out we seem to be treated like yesterday’s leftovers.”
Nie Zhengchu hurriedly said, “It’s really just a coincidence! If only the ward wasn’t full…”
Lin Nan shook her head. “You’re missing my point. Whether the hospital is full or not doesn’t concern us. What I care about is how others treat us.
I’m not saying we have to put on airs, but at the very least, what we receive should be commensurate with our sacrifices. We can’t have heroes bleeding and crying!”
Nie Zhengchu fell silent. “You’re right. I’ll go check with the hospital administration and see what can be done.”
After he left the ward, Lin Nan turned to Cheng Qiu and commanded, “Let everyone know that all operations are to be halted today. Everyone remain on standby.”
“Yes, Director.”
“I’ll go take a stroll nearby and be back shortly.”
Cheng Qiu had heard the earlier conversation and thought Lin Nan was just going for a leisurely walk while waiting for Nie Zhengchu’s news.
But little did she know, once Lin Nan exited the inpatient department, she headed straight for the special care zone.
Between the special care zone and the inpatient department was a garden, and when Lin Nan approached the special care zone, she discovered entry required a keycard.
Of course, that was no hurdle for Lin Nan; she circled the building, found a gap, and slipped inside without breaking a sweat.
She wanted to see for herself if there was an available space in this so-called special care ward.
If there was an empty room, why couldn’t her subordinates stay there?
As she predicted, only a portion of the special care ward was in use—many rooms were wide open.
Let’s see how Deputy Director Nie handles this.
If it still falls through, what do I care about those Ji Shen and the Demon Race? They could raise all the ruckus they want; it wouldn’t matter to me. They might as well wipe Ocean City off the map!
After all, being a bureau director was way too suffocating for her.
I wonder how the previous Lin Nan managed to endure all of this.
“Lin Nan! How did you get in here? Security! Security!”
Ma Yongxin had just received a call from the special care zone—a patient needed to consult about something related to his ward, and since he was the only one on duty, he had no choice but to personally check it out.
But upon stepping inside, he spotted Lin Nan casually wandering around the building’s front.
This crazy woman—she can’t possibly blame me for not switching her room, can she?
Let’s be real; every patient here has some serious connections. If she stirs up trouble, you bet that blame will end up on my shoulders!
Why didn’t I just call the cops as soon as I realized she was a nutcase?
Thinking this, Ma Yongxin yelled even louder.
The four security guards, alerted by the commotion, rushed over in record time.
“It’s her! No access card but somehow snuck in!” Ma Yongxin declared with conviction.
The sergeant and his three guards stood imposingly before Lin Nan, looking down at her, as if she were a misguided kitten.
Upon noticing her striking beauty, the sergeant’s once brutish expression softened slightly.
“Are you going to walk out on your own, or shall we have to escort you out?”
Lin Nan let out an exaggerated sigh. “I need to see your dean. I believe we’ve crossed paths before.”
She had just dug this little detail out from her memory bank.
Oh dear, she was just a temporary occupant! If too many memories flooded in at once, she might end up having a meltdown.
So, information flowed like a search engine: pick and choose based on keywords.
Ma Yongxin burst out laughing. “Lin Nan, you’re not saying the dean was once your… client, are you? That’s downright hilarious!”
The guards immediately turned suspicious, eyeing the seemingly pure girl with newfound interest.
The sergeant even stepped closer, eager to take Lin Nan’s hand.
But the next second, something shocking occurred.
Before the sergeant’s fingers could even graze Lin Nan’s hand, a sudden force lifted him off the ground and flipped him over like a pancake, smashing him hard into the floor.
“Ugh…”
The sergeant’s head tilted at an awkward angle, and he fainted on the spot.
Lin Nan looked at the remaining guards coldly. “Do you want to give it a go too?”
Ma Yongxin was so scared that he dropped to the ground, shouting, “Call the cops! Hurry!”
