Shattering Arrogance

Director Wang's do-or-die authorization was like injecting high-pressure fuel into the stagnant investigation machine. Orders were passed down from level to level, and the Changyang Police Station, and even the relevant technical departments of the branch bureau that were coordinated and mobilized, instantly entered a state of high-efficiency operation.

The sounds of keyboard typing, telephone conversations, and hurried footsteps mingled together, forming an invisible, clearly targeted torrent of investigation.

Household registration, banks, communications, real estate, vehicles, social relationships... all information nodes related to Qin Ming were activated one by one. The data flowed like streams into rivers, eventually converging at Captain Li's temporary command center—a conference room filled with documents and shrouded in smoke.

Time ticked by, and Captain Li sat at the head of the conference table like a statue, oblivious to the cigarette between his fingers that was almost burned out, his eyes fixed on the constantly updated and printed materials in front of him. His eyes were bloodshot, but his gaze grew brighter and brighter, like a beast searching for its prey in the dark.

Suddenly, he abruptly stopped flipping through the papers, his fingertip landing heavily on a line of inconspicuous information.

It was a personnel file summary from many years ago, from the Provincial First People's Hospital.

"Qin Ming... once worked in the oncology department of the Provincial First Hospital... later, due to... violating medical standards and professional ethics, the hospital administration decided to dismiss him?" Captain Li read this record, which had been sealed by time, in a low voice, his lips twitching upwards involuntarily, forming a cold and sharp arc.

"Found it..." he murmured to himself, as if he had grasped the first pickaxe to break through the ice. The fact that someone who had been kicked out of a top hospital could thrive in a place like Ankang Hospital was a huge irony and a source of suspicion. It was not just a stain on his resume, but a deep-seated wound in his heart that may never have healed and an untouchable sore spot.

"That's enough." Captain Li stood up abruptly, stubbing out his cigarette in the already overflowing ashtray. "Take him out and move him to interrogation room number two."

Interrogation Room Number Two differed from the previous interrogation room, which had a harsh, oppressive atmosphere and bright, pale lighting. The lighting here was soft and warm, the tables and chairs were standard office furniture, and there was even a potted plant in the corner. The air lacked the strong smell of disinfectant. This was a psychological suggestion, designed to lower the suspect's guard.

Qin Ming was brought in. He looked around with slight surprise, but the wariness in his eyes did not lessen. He maintained his polite distance, calmly observing from behind his gold-rimmed Glasses.

Instead of sitting in the presiding judge's seat, Captain Li pulled up a chair and sat down opposite Qin Ming, at a comfortable distance. He even poured him a glass of warm water himself.

"Doctor Qin, sit down, don't be nervous." Captain Li's tone, a departure from his previous seriousness, became casual, even somewhat conversational. "We've been interrogating for so long, you must be tired, and so must we. Let's change the scenery and talk about something else."

Qin Ming frowned slightly, clearly not used to this sudden change, but he still sat down as instructed, placing his hands on his knees in a proper posture.

"Doctor Qin is a top student from a prestigious medical school, right?" Captain Li began as if making a casual conversation.

"Yes, S City Medical University," Qin Ming answered cautiously.

"Wow, that's a top-tier medical school. And you went straight to the Provincial First Hospital after graduation?" Captain Li's tone was perfectly measured in admiration.

Mentioning the Provincial First Hospital, Qin Ming's eyelids twitched almost imperceptibly, but his voice remained steady. "Yes."

"The Provincial First Hospital, that's the gold standard in our province's medical system. Only the elite of the elite can get in," Captain Li sighed, then subtly changed the subject, "Working there is the dream of countless doctors. Doctor Qin must have had a bright future back then at the Provincial First Hospital, right? How come... you decided to come to Ankang Hospital later?"

This question is like a fine needle, precisely piercing the scar that was deliberately concealed.

Qin Ming's lips twitched slightly. He adjusted his Glasses, trying to cover it up with his usual platitudes. "Everyone has their own ambitions. I feel that private hospitals might offer more room for development..."

"Development space?" Captain Li interrupted him, his smile fading slightly, but his eyes sharpening. "I've heard that the management at the Provincial First Hospital is extremely strict, especially regarding the professional ethics of its doctors. Any violation of regulations will be severely punished without exception."

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze seemingly piercing through the lenses of his glasses, looking directly into Qin Ming's heart. His tone remained calm, yet carried a chilling sarcasm:

"Back when Doctor Qin was at the Provincial First Hospital, was it because he was 'too ambitious,' or rather, 'too flexible in his operations,' that he accidentally 'violated' some 'minor rule,' and was thus forced to leave to 'seek greater opportunities'?"

The words "minor regulations" were uttered by Captain Li in an extremely contemptuous tone, as if he were talking about some insignificant speck of dust.

Qin Ming's expression changed instantly! The mask of polite composure he had maintained so carefully cracked. His breathing became heavy, and his hands, resting on his knees, clenched unconsciously. His dismissal from the Provincial First Hospital was the greatest humiliation and sore spot of his career, a past he had desperately tried to forget and cover up, yet now it was being ripped open to his face with such flippant and insulting language!

"What... what do you mean?" Qin Ming's voice trembled slightly with barely perceptible anger.

"I didn't mean anything by it." Captain Li shrugged, his posture becoming more relaxed, even with a hint of roguishness. "I just feel it's a bit of a pity. A doctor who was dismissed from the Provincial First Hospital for 'professional ethics issues'..."

He deliberately emphasized the words "dismissal" and "professional ethics issues," saying, "After arriving at Ankang Hospital, he became an expert and a key member. Doesn't that count as... um... 'oranges grown south of the Huai River are sweet, but those grown north of it are bitter'? Or does Ankang Hospital specifically like to recruit doctors with... 'special talents' and 'flexible bottom lines'?"

"You're talking nonsense!" Qin Ming suddenly raised his head, his eyes behind his Glasses bloodshot with anger. The disdain and arrogance he had been hiding finally ignited and transformed into fury. "What do you know? You're just a policeman, what do you know about medicine? What are complicated medical conditions? Those old fogies at the Provincial First Hospital, they..."

"What's wrong with them?" Captain Li interrupted him rudely, his eyes as cold as knives. "At least they know what the bottom line is! Unlike some people, who wear white coats and do things that disregard human life! They couldn't make it at the Provincial First Hospital, so they came to a private hospital to cheat and swindle, treating healthy people as if they had cancer, using chemotherapy drugs and anesthetics to harm a twelve-year-old child! Don't you feel ashamed wearing that white coat?!"

"Shut up!" Qin Ming was completely enraged. Captain Li's words lashed at his most sensitive and least wanted nerves like a whip. The humiliation, resentment, and subconscious fear of his own actions that had been suppressed for so long were completely ignited at this moment, shattering all his reason and pretense!

He jumped up from his chair, his body trembling slightly with extreme anger. Pointing at Captain Li, his face flushed, he cried out, "You... you're slandering me! You..."

"What about me?" Captain Li stood up as well, meeting his gaze without backing down, his tone utterly contemptuous. "Did I hit the nail on the head? The trash the Provincial First Hospital doesn't want, you can only find a sense of existence in a place like Ankang Hospital! Besides bullying Patient with syringes and medicine bottles, what else can you do?"

"Ah--!" Qin Ming let out a suppressed, beast-like growl, the last thread of his rationality snapping completely! The extreme humiliation and anger rendered him incapable of thinking, leaving only the most primal instincts.

He suddenly swung his clenched right fist, and with all his might, smashed it hard towards Captain Li's face!

However, Captain Li seemed to have anticipated this moment. He did not dodge, nor did he make any significant defensive movements. He simply tilted his head slightly and met the angry punch head-on with his hard forehead!

"Bang!"

A muffled thud.

The fist slammed solidly into Captain Li's forehead, instantly leaving a red mark.

Almost simultaneously, the door to the interrogation room was flung open, and two police officers who had been waiting outside rushed in like cheetahs. They instantly pinned down the seemingly crazed Qin Ming, tied his hands behind his back, and firmly pressed him against the table.

Qin Ming was still struggling, letting out meaningless roars. His gold-rimmed Glasses were askew on his face, making him look disheveled and completely devoid of his previous refinement and composure.

Captain Li rubbed his slightly numb temples, looking at the subdued Qin Ming. His face showed no anger at the attack, but rather a cold, triumphant glint. He clearly and calmly announced to the officer in charge of recording:

"Record: During questioning, suspect Qin Ming lost control of his emotions and violently assaulted police officers who were lawfully performing their duties."

He paused, then uttered those two words, one word at a time:

"Assaulting a police officer."

"Criminal coercive measures are now being taken against him in accordance with the law!"

The cold handcuffs clicked crisply, locking Qin Ming's wrists. That sound seemed to shatter his seemingly solid psychological defenses, built on lies and arrogance.