Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Most Crucial Step

Wen Ke had been observing Zhuang Dong’s reactions and expressions. As a police officer, she had naturally studied the micro-expressions of ordinary people, and as it stood, Zhuang Dong did not appear to be lying. His emotions were merely a bit agitated, with no sign of deliberate affectation or exaggeration.

"Mr. Zhuang, please don't get worked up. I'm just asking a few routine questions, and you'll be free to leave afterward."

Zhuang Dong’s current reaction was somewhat similar to that of Lu Yuan when he had turned himself in, though the symptoms were slightly milder. Hearing Wen Ke’s words, Zhuang Dong finally calmed down a little. "Officer, go ahead and ask."

Wen Ke signaled for her colleague to take notes. "Around when did Zhuo Yan’s temperament undergo such a drastic change?"

Zhuang Dong recalled, "About half a year ago. She felt unwell and went to see a doctor; she was different when she came back."

"Which hospital? What was the doctor's name?"

Wen Ke discreetly pulled up Zhuo Yan’s file, which showed no record of her visiting any hospital within the past year. There were only two possibilities: either Zhuang Dong was lying, or Zhuo Yan had gone to an unlicensed, back-alley clinic.

Zhuang Dong shook his head. "She only said she wasn't feeling well and needed to get checked out. I wanted to go with her, but my teaching schedule was packed at the time, and I couldn't free up any time. She comforted me, saying she would be fine going alone."

Wen Ke frowned slightly. "Didn't you feel suspicious later?"

Zhuang Dong gave a bitter smile. "I certainly did. I even investigated it secretly, but I couldn't find anything."

Wen Ke did not press the issue, switching to another question instead. "To your knowledge, did Zhuo Yan have any conflicts with anyone?"

Zhuang Dong thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Zhuo Yan’s temper was famously good at the school; the students loved her. Her daily routine was just school and home, and she never had any conflicts or arguments with anyone."

That meant the problem originated from that single doctor's visit.

"During the time Zhuo Yan’s personality changed, did you notice anything else? For example, changes in her daily routine or different hobbies and interests?"

Zhuang Dong was silent for a long time. "She suddenly became very fond of horror movies, and most of the ones she watched were related to dreams."

Wen Ke asked a few more questions, all of which Zhuang Dong answered precisely. An hour later, Wen Ke stood up. "Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Zhuang."

Zhuang Dong hesitated for a long time before speaking. "Officer, may I see Zhuo Yan’s body?"

Wen Ke did not answer until she heard the Chief’s approval through her earpiece. She then said, "Zhuo Yan’s body is currently still a piece of physical evidence and has not undergone much cosmetic preparation. It might be physically distressing for you."

Zhuang Dong’s tone was resolute. "I am not afraid."

Wen Ke nodded. "Then follow me."

The two walked all the way to the morgue in the forensics department. After opening the cold storage unit, Zhuang Dong’s emotions collapsed entirely. He slumped against the unit, sobbing uncontrollably. It was clear that the relationship between Zhuang Dong and Zhuo Yan had indeed been very close. It was just unclear why Zhuo Yan had initiated the breakup, and why, after the split, Zhuang Dong had chosen to leave Mingzhi Elementary and S City to live elsewhere.

Wen Ke instructed her colleagues in forensics to look after Zhuang Dong and then returned to her office alone. She had a mountain of documents: Zhuo Yan’s personal file, Zhuang Dong’s personal file, and the evaluations of Zhuo Yan by all the faculty and staff at Mingzhi Elementary.

"Something feels off."

A police officer’s intuition told Wen Ke that something was wrong, but when she synthesized all the data, she couldn't find any clues. As of now, everything Zhuang Dong said matched up. Whether it was the timeline or the details, everything was consistent with the police investigation.

"Zhuo Yan started taking frequent leave six months ago. And the reason was always sick leave." Wen Ke tapped on her desk. But the problem was that there was absolutely no record of her seeking medical attention during those six months.

At first, Wen Ke suspected that Zhuo Yan was suffering from a mental illness and had been seeing a psychiatrist, but there were no records of that either. Suddenly, Wen Ke realized what was wrong. Why was Zhuang Dong’s name on An Shi’s patient list? Zhuo Yan was the one frequently taking sick leave to see a doctor, yet she had no medical records, while Zhuang Dong, who wasn't sick, appeared on An Shi’s patient list.

Just then, there was a knock at the office door. A colleague walked in. "Team Leader Wen, should we let Zhuang Dong go?"

Wen Ke’s eyes flashed. "You can let him go, but tell him he cannot leave S City for the time being. Also, assign someone to follow him every day."

"Understood, Team Leader."

The colleague stepped out. Wen Ke could no longer sit still. She went straight to the conference room and called all the officers working the case together. "This Zhuang Dong has a problem. Xiao Wang, go check if Zhuang Dong has any other medical or medication purchase records. Xiao Zhang, go back to Mingzhi Elementary. This time, focus your questions on Zhuang Dong and see what their evaluation of him is. I will personally go to An Shi’s hospital to see if the surveillance footage from six months ago still exists. Everyone else, continue gathering leads. I have only one requirement: do not let Zhuang Dong leave S City."

When handling cases, Wen Ke always maintained this resolute and swift style, and all her colleagues in the department were used to it.

Zhihui Neurological Hospital was the largest neurological hospital in S City. It was also where An Shi worked. As the doctor with the most seniority and the most prominent skills in the hospital, there were a vast number of patients waiting to see An Shi every day. In this regard, he was the complete opposite of Lu Yuan. Lu Yuan didn't have a single patient, while An Shi was overwhelmed. However, An Shi did not accept every patient. At his level, having him personally treat someone required not only a great deal of money but also a certain level of status and influence.

It was already late at night when Wen Ke drove to the hospital, but it was staffed 24 hours a day. Wen Ke immediately produced her credentials. "I am an officer from the Dongcheng District Police Station. I need you to cooperate with my investigation."

The receptionist was stunned and nodded hurriedly. "Officer, please go ahead."

"Take me to the surveillance room."

The receptionist led the way to the surveillance room. As the largest and most secure neurological hospital in S City, the surveillance covered almost every corner. The security guard was awakened from his nap.

"I need to view the surveillance records of all patients seen by Dr. An Shi during March and April of this year."

The receptionist opened her mouth to speak. The security guard, reading the word "police" from her lips, quickly worked the control console. A moment later, he looked at Wen Ke. "I'm sorry, Officer. Our surveillance footage is overwritten every three months. Records from six months ago are long gone."

"Don't you save a backup before overwriting?" Wen Ke frowned.

The security guard hurriedly explained, "Because we consider patient privacy, we generally don't make backups. Besides, for top-tier psychiatrists like Dr. An Shi, the treatment process is kept completely confidential. Even if it hadn't been overwritten, I wouldn't have the authorization to pull up that footage."

Wen Ke had a strong premonition that if she could just find the surveillance footage from six months ago, the truth behind many things would surface. But as it happened, the most critical step was blocked.