Because Kong Ping stepped back, creating some distance, the blurry surveillance camera in the darkness captured the action of the earpiece being taken away.
Silence.
The entire 106 was so quiet that even the sound of a needle dropping could be heard.
The three people sitting together at the desk immediately shut their mouths, lips pressed into a straight line, holding their breath, and remaining completely still.
Especially Zhou Huaixia.
She seemed frozen in place, holding Shen Yi’s earpiece in her left hand, suspended in midair.
She slowly closed her eyes, unwilling to recall what she had just said.
Did she say it?
No, she didn’t, it was just a dream.
When she woke up, everything would be fine.
Even in the worst-case scenario, Captain Tian Hong might not have heard what she said.
And even if he had, he wouldn’t necessarily know it was her.
Things couldn’t be that coincidental.
Zhou Huaixia kept comforting herself.
At this moment, in the archives room on the basement floor of Songshan Psychiatric Hospital, both men realized that the other’s combat skills clearly came from different systems.
Tian Hong signaled for Kong Ping to pause. Since Kong Ping knew Zhou Huaixia, he also chose to cease fighting.
Thus, Tian Hong had the opportunity to put on the earpiece and asked, “Why did you stop talking?”
Lu Jin and Shen Yi in 106 slowly turned their heads to look at Zhou Huaixia on the far right.
Their lips remained tightly pressed together, but their wide eyes darted around.
Zhou Huaixia pretended not to hear.
On the other end, Tian Hong said, “Don’t think that staying silent means I won’t know who you are.”
He had obviously noticed the miniature camera on Kong Ping’s chest.
In the darkness, he stared at the tiny red dot of the camera as if he were trying to see through the screen and into the person on the other end.
“A young person with breathy speech and a habit of swallowing syllables so far, I’ve only met one.”
Tian Hong let out a cold chuckle.
“Zhou Huaixia.”
Zhou Huaixia: “……”
He recognized her from just half a sentence?
Zhou Huaixia could only accept her fate. “…Good evening, Captain Tian.”
Tian Hong looked at Kong Ping and said to Zhou Huaixia, “It’s been a while, and the people you know are getting more and more impressive.”
Tian Hong considered himself fairly skilled among the police force, but he was nowhere near the level of the person in front of him.
Every move the opponent made was aimed at vital points, and he could even sense the aura of someone who had been through life-and-death situations.
This person was definitely not from an ordinary military unit.
Zhou Huaixia wiped some sweat off her forehead.
“Just a fellow patient.
It’s all a coincidence.”
“Oh?” Tian Hong asked, “You’re in a psychiatric hospital now?”
Zhou Huaixia: “…No, my boyfriend is in the hospital next door.”
Tian Hong raised an eyebrow and nodded.
“Another boyfriend? And what is his fellow patient doing here?”
Zhou Huaixia changed the subject.
“Captain Tian, are you on a secret mission?”
At this, Tian Hong fell silent. “…”
What secret mission!
He had been secretly investigating the hospital.
Since he couldn’t obtain patient records through official channels, he had used the excuse of helping Wu Ling pack up her things to gather information about the archives room.
He then sneaked in.
After finally avoiding detection and adjusting the fixed surveillance cameras, he had just slipped inside when another person entered just as swiftly.
If this got out, he’d face disciplinary action, possibly even suspension.
But Wu Ling was dead.
Tian Hong couldn’t let his suspicions fester in his mind without investigating.
Both parties quickly realized the delicate nature of their actions in the brief silence that followed.
“Captain Tian…”
“Why are you here…”
They spoke at the same time and then both stopped.
Tian Hong said, “You go first.”
Zhou Huaixia cleared her throat and enunciated clearly, “Captain Tian, I want to report a crime.”
Civilians reporting crimes was completely reasonable.
Sorry, Brother Kong.
Tian Hong: “…Go ahead.”
Zhou Huaixia: “Here’s the thing.
My boyfriend’s fellow patient suspects someone switched his medication, leading to”
“Wait a moment.”
Tian Hong took out his phone and dimmed the screen.
“Call me and tell me over the phone.”
Phones could record conversations.
So Zhou Huaixia took out her phone and called Tian Hong. “…Leading to his subconscious suicidal tendencies.
So we planned to sneak into the data room at night to find evidence.”
Tian Hong handed the earpiece back to Kong Ping.
From the moment he heard “subconscious suicide,” his brow furrowed.
After Zhou Huaixia finished speaking, he hung up the phone and remained silent for a moment.
“I’m also investigating suicides.”
Kong Ping and the three people in front of the computer were all shocked.
Tian Hong continued, “My wife’s friend was a nurse here.
She suspected that the recent suicides at Songshan Psychiatric Hospital were unusual.”
Shen Yi muttered, “Well, psychiatric hospital patients are already unusual, aren’t they?”
“Let the captain finish speaking!” Lu Jin glared at him.
Shen Yi mimed zipping his lips shut.
“Last Sunday, she passed away.”
Tian Hong said, “…So I came to investigate.”
He hadn’t expected that this would somehow connect to the hospital next door.
“It seems we might be investigating the same thing.”
Tian Hong explained, “The hospital’s death records aren’t stored in electronic databases, only in paper archives.”
Kong Ping hesitated and said, “You’re quite skilled among the criminal police.”
He had added a qualifier.
Kong Ping didn’t deny it.
“I’m temporarily retired.”
The military didn’t have a concept of “temporary retirement.”
It was either a special reassignment or a full discharge.
Tian Hong recalled Zhou Huaixia saying Kong Ping was a patient at the neighboring hospital, yet he seemed perfectly functional.
“Kong Ping.”
Kong Ping extended a hand, seemingly aware of Tian Hong’s doubts, and introduced himself. “
I don’t know yet if I’m retired or transferred.
The higher-ups told me to recover here.”
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