Chapter 31: Tales of Power, Mystery, and Intrigue

“You have confirmed that the medicine was switched?” Tian Hong asked.

“Confirmed.”

Zhou Huaixia took out two reports issued by the city’s First Hospital.

“This one is Brother Kong’s toxicology report, and the other is a test report of the pain relief capsules he usually takes.”

She pointed to a line in Kong Ping’s toxicology report.

“The composition is identical.

It’s an antidepressant.

The medicine at the sanatorium is all transported from the neighboring hospital.

We initially wanted to check the pharmacy’s surveillance to see if we could find any issues.”

Tian Hong, experienced in handling cases, shook his head.

“In that case, you should investigate personnel who have access to both hospitals’ medicines.”

Shen Yi, who had been listening from the front passenger seat, immediately switched the screen.

Tian Hong commented, “You took the wrong approach from the start.

Moreover…”

He looked at Zhou Huaixia and Kong Ping.

“You should have reported it directly to the police.”

The police could follow the proper procedures to investigate.

If he had known, he wouldn’t have had to sneak around.

“Captain, we only found out this afternoon that the medicine was switched.”

Lü Jin knelt on the front seat, unable to help but explain.

“It was my decision not to report it.”

Kong Ping said.

“I thought it was targeted at me alone.”

If it was confirmed to be directed at him, the nature of the matter would be completely different, and the military would step in directly.

Tian Hong scanned the three young people in the car, wanting to tell Kong Ping that, for that very reason, he shouldn’t have dragged them into it.

“Since Zhou Huaixia has reported it to me, I will apply for the formal procedures tomorrow,” Tian Hong said.

“I’ll have someone investigate the list of personnel with access to medicines in both hospitals.”

“Um… Captain Tian.”

Shen Yi turned his head.

“I’ve already compiled the full list.”

Tian Hong: “?”

Zhou Huaixia: “…”

Blatantly displaying illegal hacking skills in front of a criminal police officer Shen Yi was truly audacious.

She could only be thankful that Captain Tian wasn’t a strict rule-follower.

Shen Yi placed the screen in the center.

“I ruled out the workers responsible for transporting the medicine between the two hospitals.

The medicines they handle are all sealed in boxes.

So, in the pharmacy, the personnel who have access to medicines from both hospitals include five pharmacists and three pharmacy managers.”

He tapped on the keyboard, and several names were highlighted in yellow.

“Then I cross-checked the personnel responsible for pain relief and antidepressant medications over the past month.

Finally, only two pharmacists and one pharmacy manager remained.

They all signed off on the medication deliveries to the sanatorium.”

Tian Hong looked at him suspiciously.

“What do you do?”

Faster than the technicians at the bureau.

Shen Yi answered humbly, “A third-year university student.”

Tian Hong: “At S University?”

Shen Yi: “Yes.”

Tian Hong: “…Truly a genius.”

The other two S University students in the car felt unjustly implicated.

“Tonight is the last time.”

Tian Hong warned.

“Otherwise, next time, I’ll see you at the police station.”

Shen Yi readily agreed.

“Got it, Captain.

Absolutely.”

Tian Hong: “…”

Ignoring the strong sense of déjà vu, he said, “Expand the timeframe for comparison to two months.”

Wu Ling’s incident occurred two months ago.

Shen Yi reopened another computer.

“Give me a moment.”

After a while, Shen Yi said, “With an extended timeframe, the pharmacy manager records have changed, but the two pharmacists remain the same.”

Tian Hong: “Can you access their work logs?”

“I can.”

Shen Yi retrieved their logs from the system.

The two pharmacists were responsible not only for dispensing medicine but also for checking expiration dates, verifying inventory records, and conducting quality control inspections.

Tian Hong said, “Save all of these onto the hard drive where you stored the surveillance data.”

Shen Yi complied.

“Done.”

Tian Hong nodded, then swiftly pulled the hard drive out and slipped it into his pocket.

Shen Yi was momentarily stunned.

Tian Hong stepped out of the car, looked at Kong Ping, and said, “Leave the rest to me.

I’ll keep you updated.”

Then he pointed at the three university students in the car.

“As for you… go home and sleep now.”

Lü Jin looked regretful.

“Huh?”

They couldn’t continue investigating?

Tian Hong was speechless.

He said to her, “If you’re really interested in this field, take the exam and join the force.

Right now, your job is to study well.”

Lü Jin responded obediently.

“Oh.”

Tian Hong left with the hard drive, leaving the four people in the car looking at each other.

After a long pause, Kong Ping spoke.

“Captain Tian is right.

You shouldn’t get further involved.”

“Regardless, thank you.”

Kong Ping didn’t know why they had found him so accurately, but he assumed they had stumbled upon the clue at the sanatorium.

Shen Yi waved his hand.

“Saving people is the right thing to do.”

Lü Jin agreed.

“That’s right.”

Zhou Huaixia said, “Kong, we’ll take you back.”

…

Tian Hong was efficient.

He completed the application the next morning and had his team investigate the surveillance footage.

By noon, he led a team into Songshan Psychiatric Sanatorium, sealing the archive room and summoning the pharmacists and managers for questioning.

Additionally, while interrogating the pharmacy staff, Tian Hong ordered toxicology tests for all patients in both hospitals.

Since past suicides had no autopsy due to lack of family requests or special circumstances, it was impossible to determine if medication had played a role from medical records alone.

The only option was to check existing patients.

Tian Hong also had the pharmacy’s work records from the past ten years extracted and compared.

The process would take a long time, but it was necessary to uncover any clues.

“Captain,” Sun Wei reported.

“I found something a disciplinary action.”

Shi Xiuqing was one of the two pharmacists.

Tian Hong frowned.

“What disciplinary action?”

The file was handed to him.

“The first was eleven years ago.

She failed to dispose of expired medicine on time, leading to a patient mistakenly consuming it.

A nurse caught her miscalculating medication dosages.

Since no harm was caused, it remained an internal penalty.”

After reading the documents, Tian Hong instructed, “Have Yu Tian review the surveillance footage of Shi Xiuqing’s work at the pharmacy and dig deeper into her background.”

The investigation lasted nearly a week before Tian Hong summoned Shi Xiuqing again.

A seemingly ordinary middle-aged woman, forty-six years old, slightly thin, shifting uncomfortably in the interrogation room.

Tian Hong looked at her.

“Shi Xiuqing, do you know why you’re here?”

Shi Xiuqing said, “They say there’s a problem with the pharmacy’s medicine, but that has nothing to do with me, right?”

“We interviewed your neighbors, colleagues, and even former classmates.

They all described you with the same word ‘obsessive.’

Do you know why?”

Shi Xiuqing’s brows furrowed.

“So? Does that make me a criminal?”

“Being obsessive isn’t a crime,” Tian Hong said coldly.

“But harming people out of obsession is.”

Shi Xiuqing dismissed it.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Tian Hong placed a stack of documents in front of her.

“You’ve worked at Songshan Psychiatric Sanatorium for twenty years.

Starting ten years ago, the number of patients whose conditions worsened under your medication gradually increased.

In the past two years, the death rate has risen significantly.”

Shi Xiuqing didn’t even look at the files.

“They’re mentally ill.

Their conditions fluctuate.

No pharmacist can guarantee recovery.”

Tian Hong expected her defense.

He picked up another document.

“You were careful, avoiding surveillance when switching medicines.

But how do you explain the toxicology reports?”

Tests from the psychiatric hospital revealed inconsistencies in medication levels among her patients, some receiving no medication, others taking incorrect doses.

Shi Xiuqing’s face darkened.

After a long silence, she asked, “Why did you suddenly investigate this? No one should have noticed.”