Chapter 8: The Shifting Timeline (11)
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Under the intense scrutiny of the Dean, Ma Yongxin felt a surge of dread wash over him, almost instinctively.
Considering the current situation, it was clear that the entire event had veered off into a direction he could never have imagined.
“Dean… I work in Ward 13,” he stammered.
He made up his mind—this time, he would weasel his way out of responsibility, especially if he wanted to keep his job at the Central Hospital.
The Dean was not satisfied with his answer.
He was very familiar with Bureau Director Wang Shengli from Ocean City Police. In modern society, whether in hospitals or police departments, it was unequivocally a seller’s market—everyone was always asking for something from them.
So, as soon as he stepped into the inner circle and saw that Wang Shengli, that old geezer, was standing at the police car door like a fresh recruit, the Dean knew he had definitely hit a brick wall this time.
Thus, he needed to figure out what had offended the “Special Operations Bureau” director as soon as possible, so he could address it properly and offer some kind of recompense.
Seeing Ma Yongxin shrinking like a wilting flower, unable to produce even a whimper,
the Dean’s gaze immediately shifted to the leading police officer.
“What exactly is going on here?”
The leading officer, having spotted their Big Boss, looked like a guilty schoolboy being punished, utterly dazed.
Although he maintained a calm facade, inside he was a whirlpool of turmoil, barely keeping it together.
This white coat who claimed to be the Dean was asking for the situation, and he longed to shove all the blame onto someone else; perhaps then they could survive the impending wrath of their superiors.
“This guy! He called the police claiming that a crazy woman was attacking him!
We usually have a decent relationship with the hospital, so we brought a few guys over to help. Who would’ve thought this damned guy would dare to twist the truth and deceive the police?”
Upon hearing this, Ma Yongxin quickly interrupted, “No! That crazy woman—no, Lin Nan really did hit someone! I saw it with my own eyes.
The Security Team Leader in the Special Care Zone was knocked out by her, and two other security guards witnessed it, just like me!”
The Dean’s face darkened further.
He wasn’t here to listen to a blame game; he needed a reasonable explanation.
An explanation that could pacify a big shot who had made waves in the public health system and was livid enough to spit bl**d.
He promptly notified his secretary, “Get all the security guards from the Special Care Zone to come to the office building.”
As soon as he hung up, a voice suddenly rang from outside, “Dean, I have Ma Yongxin’s chat records here.”
“This leader, please let him in,” the Dean said, glancing at Li Cheng.
Li Cheng was more than happy to stir the pot, grinning widely as he waved his hand, allowing the soldiers blocking the way to clear a path. Classmate B, feeling a twinge of nervousness, glanced around before squeezing into the inner circle.
Ma Yongxin, upon seeing this, almost fainted.
In a bid to show off, he had disparaged Lin Nan in the classmate group, never imagining that a former classmate would sell him out at such a critical moment.
“You j*rk! Classmate B!”
Classmate B shot him a disdainful look, as if his distaste could no longer be hidden.
“Dean, I’m Classmate B from Ward X. If you check this out, you should grasp the ins and outs of the situation pretty quickly.”
The Dean took his phone and quickly skimmed through the messages.
“Very good, you did well.”
Classmate B replied respectfully, “I just can’t stand how some people think they’re hot stuff and treat patients differently.”
Ma Yongxin’s body trembled uncontrollably; he realized that the chat records he had left behind in the group were slowly sealing his fate.
“No, I was just following hospital regulations. I didn’t mean to—”
Suddenly, the Dean’s voice spiked eight octaves higher, “Is that how you treat a hero? You don’t even understand the basic principles of being a decent human being?
Before you grasp the entire situation, don’t judge rashly or make malicious assumptions!
You dare casually speak in the group based on a wounded soldier’s kn*fe wound and Director Lin’s handbag—do you even have the courage to say it out loud?
Is this what you call the basic quality of a doctor? Did all those years of study go to waste?”
Ma Yongxin trembled all over. Suddenly, he grasped at the last straw and shouted, “But she hit someone! Otherwise, why would I have called the police? Even if she’s some big shot, it’s wrong to hit people at will!”
The Dean’s face turned a dark shade of iron as he couldn’t believe this guy still didn’t know when to back off.
That mysterious Director Lin was just a stone’s throw away in the car, and with a slight attention, she could probably hear every word here.
If it weren’t for the crowd, he would have slammed his fist on the table and told Ma Yongxin to pack up and scram long ago, given his temper.
“Dean, the security guards from the Special Care Zone are here.”
The secretary called out from the side.
At the sight of the guards, the foremost among them being the very Security Team Leader that had been knocked out, Ma Yongxin felt a flicker of hope rise within him.
He hurriedly called out, “Bro, didn’t you get knocked out by her, which led me to call the police? You all witnessed it—I’m not lying.”
The Security Team Leader didn’t even glance at Ma Yongxin.
“Dean, it was this guy who told us that woman was… in that line of work, and wanted us to kick her out of the Special Care Zone.”
The moment those words landed, the crowd erupted in shock.
The Dean’s hands trembled in fury—how dare Ma Yongxin slander someone in front of that big shot!
This was worse than simply badmouthing someone in the group.
This was plain insane!
Li Cheng immediately whipped out his handgun, clicking off the safety with a loud “click,” and a glint of menace flashed across his brow.
This kid dared to sully the reputation of their boss! He was playing with fire!
If the Dean didn’t provide a satisfactory response, he wouldn’t hesitate to create a perfect d*ath scene at a suitable opportunity.
In that moment, Ma Yongxin panicked and recklessly yelled, “You didn’t say that she hit you!”
The Security Team Leader bowed deeply toward the police car, “I apologize, it was my hand that moved first. Without your permission, I touched your wrist, which led to the subsequent events. I’m sorry for the offense!”
Ma Yongxin’s knees buckled, and he dropped to the floor with a thud.
He was finished; utterly done for!
Why was the whole world against him?
Why???
What had he done wrong? How had things spiraled into a situation he could never imagine?
“Smack!”
Suddenly, his cheek burned with a stinging slap as he looked up to see the Dean’s furious face.
“How can our Central Hospital tolerate a degenerate like you? Not only do you take pleasure in slandering others, but you also kick them when they’re down, showing zero moral compass. Effective immediately, you are no longer an employee at our hospital!”
Ma Yongxin’s mind spun. “No, Dean, I studied so hard for so many years just to stay at this hospital! You can’t do this to me!”
The Dean turned his head away coldly, completely uninterested in anything he had to say.
In that moment, Ma Yongxin realized he had only one chance left—to seek forgiveness from Lin Nan.
He scrambled to his feet and charged toward the police car, but as he had just made a few steps, Li Cheng blocked him firmly.
“Lin Nan, no, Director Lin, I was wrong! I shouldn’t have slandered you or looked down on our injured heroes!
You’re a big person, please forgive me this once for the sake of our past as classmates.
I… I promise I won’t act like this again!”
As he spoke, he began to slap his own face repeatedly.
Li Cheng glanced at the Dean, “Should I send someone to escort him out?”
The Dean quickly waved his hands, “No, no, no, how could I trouble you!”
Several security guards immediately stepped forward to pin Ma Yongxin’s shoulders.
Despairing, Ma Yongxin continued to wail loudly, but inside the police car, there remained silence, not a hint of a response.
Even after being dragged away, his faint cries echoed in the distance.
At this moment, the university classmate group fell eerily quiet.
Classmate B posted a video of Ma Yongxin slapping himself and begging for forgiveness, yet being coldly dragged away by security, which left everyone utterly shocked and anxious.
Classmate A: “Shaking in my boots, can anyone retract their earlier messages?”
Classmate C: “I’ve always said don’t jump to conclusions before clearing things up. If they want to pursue this, none of us will escape.”
“Blame Ma Yongxin, he not only spouted nonsense but almost dragged us down with him.”
“Oh man, crazy! Who would have thought Lin Nan, who dropped out in her sophomore year, would become someone we can’t even reach in just a few years.”
“Yeah, the tides have turned! We thought she was struggling, when in reality…”
Classmate B: “Wait, oh my god!”
“What happened? Spill it! What’s going on now?”
After Ma Yongxin was dragged away, the Dean stood beside Wang Shengli, both of them a bit jittery.
The figure in the police car remained calm, leaning back in his seat, not even turning his head.
Yet, Wang Shengli showed no signs of urgency, and seemed unaffected by the events surrounding Ma Yongxin.
The Dean whispered to Wang Shengli, “Director Wang, what’s the story with Director Lin?”
Wang Shengli glanced at him with a bitter smile, “I can tell you, the person who called me is someone even the top brass can’t afford to offend. What do you think?”
The Dean shuddered.
He finally understood why Wang Shengli stood there like a well-behaved pet, even though the figure in the car hadn’t even turned around.
Thinking back to the ranting of the head of the health department on the phone, the Dean bowed his head, unsure if he could continue in his position anymore, especially since the whole mess had merely started over a dispute regarding a hospital bed.
If he had known it would escalate to this point, he would have immediately put the special operations bureau’s injured personnel in the best room and rolled out the full service.
Otherwise, how could things have escalated to such a degree?
And just as he was filled with regret, not only him but nearly everyone present was once again stunned by what they saw.
A convoy of sleek black cars swiftly entered the Central Hospital, the leading vehicles sporting plates that screamed they belonged to the most powerful figures in Ocean City.
Were they arriving for this incident?
