Chapter Two: Around Nine O’Clock. Chapter Three. (Same old story: if you want to see something exciting, just bear with it.)
The scene that just unfolded in front of the police car was crystal clear to the onlookers, especially to Ma Yongxin, who was practically front row.
The Bureau Director of Ocean City Police, decked out in a fantastically starry uniform, swaggered right up to Lin Nan, clearly intending to smooth things over. Even a fool could tell that Lin Nan was no ordinary girl.
At that moment, Ma Yongxin felt like he was being submerged in a freezer.
He couldn’t believe that a girl who had once dropped out of school without even getting her college diploma could somehow, in just a few short years, land in such a position of power that even the police bureau director would come to negotiate.
If she were simply a certain lieutenant’s girlfriend, her influence wouldn’t be this grand.
Could it be… is she actually some kind of director herself?
This… is this world too magical!
No, it must be that woman used her looks to seduce some big shot to climb the ranks.
And the Bureau Director was just being polite because of this “big shot.”
Ma Yongxin desperately tried to reassure himself.
He wanted to leave, but the police officer next to him was gripping his neck as if saying he wouldn’t get away until this whole thing was resolved.
Then, much to Ma Yongxin’s surprise, Lin Nan actually rejected the Bureau Director’s attempt at reconciliation. Not a word, not even a nod—she didn’t give him an ounce of face.
As he suspected, the higher-ups loathe nothing more than to be publicly disrespected.
And Lin Nan went and violated this unspoken rule.
Of all the people to provoke, she had to provoke the Bureau Director. Even if she had a big shot in her corner, it probably wouldn’t placate the anger from Ocean City’s local tycoon.
As he watched Wang Shengli storm off in a huff, Ma Yongxin felt his wrist loosen up. It seemed the three cops also thought this situation was irreparable—the director, furious with that ungrateful woman, didn’t want to pursue the matter any further.
He couldn’t wait to start typing in the group chat,
“Hehe, Lin Nan is too young; does she really think that just because she’s young and pretty and has some elite connections she can do whatever she wants?
By the time she realizes what’s hit her, she might not even know how she died!”
Just as Ma Yongxin thought he would score some points with that message, a shocking turn of events occurred.
The furious Bureau Director suddenly turned back around and, just like a statue, stood in front of the police car, head down, saying nothing.
WTF?
What on earth just happened?
It was as if the director had received a phone call and morphed into this statue-like entity?
Is this world that crazy or are we just failing to keep up with all this?
…
The three policemen bounded over to Ma Yongxin like startled rabbits, determined not to let the instigator of this incident slip out of their grasp.
There are very few people in the world who could make the Bureau Director of Ocean City lower his head; if that woman is indeed one of them, then her status is far beyond what they could imagine.
The lead officer shot Ma Yongxin a fierce glare and muttered, “When you called the cops, how dare you say she was a madwoman!
Dude, I think you’re the one who’s crazy!”
Ma Yongxin replied, “Er… there must be some misunderstanding… But she did hit someone, right? Besides me, there are other people involved and several witnesses.”
“Ha, let’s talk about that later…”
The lead officer huffed.
…
“Hey hey hey, why have all the pictures and videos I just uploaded vanished?”
“Oh my gosh, same here! Just gone like that? What kind of lousy website is this!”
“No way, all the trending topics on Weibo related to Ocean City Central Hospital have been taken down, even the words ‘Ocean City’ are blocked.”
“Wah! My likes! My views!”
“Why have all the photos I took suddenly disappeared?” a woman shrieked.
“Mine too, what bad luck is this?”
“Wait, this isn’t our phones’ fault; did a hacker invade?”
A chorus of wailing erupted from the crowd.
They were here for the spectacle and to bask in online comments and likes, which were crucial for their endurance as casual spectators. Little did they expect, ever since Director Wang came back and stood like a statue at the police car’s door, everything had changed.
In the university classmate group.
Classmate A: “Where’s Ma Yongxin? Why is it suddenly quiet?”
Classmate C: “Ha! I said don’t jump to conclusions too early; Lin Nan might not be as ordinary as we think.”
Classmate B: “I can’t upload any videos or photos now; I’m only able to do text updates. Ma Yongxin got detained by the police, but who knows why.
Wait? Who’s that chubby guy running like mad? Holy cow! Isn’t that our hospital’s dean? Why’s he here too?”
As the crowd buzzed about their phone failures, the SWAT team left a few officers and soldiers under Li Cheng’s command to secure the police car, preventing any unusual situations.
Just then, a plump older gentleman in a white lab coat, hair noticeably graying, trotted into view.
“I’m the dean of the City Central Hospital; sorry, sorry! I’d like to go in and see Bureau Director Lin; is that okay?”
The SWAT officer in charge glanced at the director, who gave a slight nod. Only then did they part the way to let the dean pass.
But just a few steps in, he spotted a young doctor, also in a white coat, standing timidly near the police car.
The dean halted, glancing at Ma Yongxin.
With a large staff employed at the City Central Hospital, it was impossible for the dean to remember every single person, but that young doctor’s name tag clearly read “Ma Yongxin.”
What was this young man doing here?
Just a moment ago he received a phone call where a high-ranking official from the National Health Department scolded him for not recognizing that the Special Operations Bureau’s Director Lin from Ocean City was waiting on him.
The dean was utterly baffled; he had never even heard of such a bureau in Ocean City, but he couldn’t very well explain that he was clueless.
At that moment, he had been in the meeting hall discussing cooperation matters with several experts right after finishing up an academic conference. After hanging up the phone, he’d rushed to the office building, as he sensed something had gone terribly wrong.
Sure enough, a massive crowd had formed outside the office building; something serious was definitely afoot.
As the hospital dean, how could he remain so clueless? Who was the incompetent underling that let someone of equal rank slip through the cracks?
If he knew who it was, he’d knock some sense into that person!
“Ma Yongxin, which department are you in? What ward?”
The dean’s customary authority and intimidation left Ma Yongxin’s heart racing.
What’s going on? Why is the dean here? He wouldn’t also be here to apologize to Lin Nan, would he…?
Cold sweat broke out on his forehead as he took several steps back.
