The next day, Liu Hui summoned Desheng from Starry Sky Eye and inquired about Wang Xiaoer. Wang Xiaoer was an old acquaintance of Liu Hui, but his recent suicide near the Starry Sky Group headquarters compelled Liu Hui to seek a clear understanding of the circumstances. Desheng, having spent the night gathering and organizing intelligence, was already fully briefed on Wang Xiaoer's situation.

Desheng reported, "We've communicated with the police. They've confirmed the person who committed suicide is indeed Wang Xiaoer, but his current identity is that of a wanted fugitive in the country, charged with armed robbery in Mingyue County."

Liu Hui stroked his chin thoughtfully. "He was even prepared to repay the three hundred thousand he once borrowed from me—how could he possibly be a robber? But if he wasn't robbing, where did the money to repay me come from?"

Desheng replied, "Boss, 'armed robbery' is the official narrative. In reality, the story of Wang Xiaoer has already spread across the internet; this is far more complex than a simple armed robbery case."

Liu Hui looked surprised. "It's been spreading online? How did I not know? Tell me exactly what happened."

Desheng explained, "That man, Wang Xiaoer, was an ordinary farmer in Mingyue County. He lived solely with his elderly mother. Later, his mother fell seriously ill; she suffered persistent pain in her liver area and was admitted to Mingyue County Hospital. After examination, the hospital diagnosed her with liver cancer, requiring surgery for a complete cure, which cost two hundred thousand yuan. But Wang Xiaoer's family was destitute and couldn't possibly raise that amount. He later approached you, and with your assistance, he managed to gather the funds for the operation."

Liu Hui asked, "Is liver cancer curable under current conditions? What happened after that?" Liu Hui was already aware of the basic facts Desheng mentioned, as Wang Xiaoer had told him the same story when borrowing money.

Desheng's expression grew somber as he continued, "Just on the eve of the scheduled surgery, Wang Xiaoer happened to meet an elderly doctor returning from the provincial capital to honor ancestors. Wang Xiaoer described his mother's condition to the old doctor and showed him the examination results issued by Mingyue County Hospital. After reviewing the relevant documents, the elderly doctor informed Wang Xiaoer that his mother did not have liver cancer, but rather gallstones. While gallstones are also difficult to treat, it is by no means a terminal illness, and surgery would not cost nearly as much. The old doctor then suggested Wang Xiaoer take his mother to a major hospital in the provincial capital for a detailed physical examination, lest a misdiagnosis delay her treatment. However, the guileless Wang Xiaoer went directly to the primary attending physician at the local hospital, stated that their diagnosis might be flawed, demanded permission to take his mother to a larger provincial hospital, and requested a refund of the two hundred thousand yuan already deposited in the hospital's account for the treatment."

Liu Hui sighed. With his experience, he could immediately see that the hospital would never return the consultation fees. According to established practice, once money was taken, it wasn't easily relinquished.

As expected, Desheng went on, "The attending physician insisted his diagnosis was correct and refused to refund the treatment fees. He further stated that they had already prepared for the surgery, and if Wang Xiaoer's mother refused the procedure, not only would the fees not be returned, but Wang Xiaoer would also be liable to compensate the hospital for their losses. Wang Xiaoer was neither versed in law nor possessed professional medical knowledge, so he was intimidated by the attending physician’s words. Yet, Wang Xiaoer ultimately made a wise decision: he quietly took his mother to a major hospital in the provincial capital for a comprehensive physical examination. Due to the extensive nature of the tests, he didn't receive the results that same day."

"Then what happened?" Liu Hui asked, sensing that Wang Xiaoer's tragedy was perhaps just beginning.

Desheng recounted, "Somehow, the news that Wang Xiaoer had brought his mother to the provincial hospital for examination reached the people at Mingyue County Hospital. They immediately dispatched an ambulance, rushed to the provincial city, and forcibly brought Wang Xiaoer and his mother back to Mingyue County. The very next morning, they performed a liver resection surgery on his mother. Perhaps the elderly woman's body was too weak, or perhaps due to other factors, Wang Xiaoer’s mother passed away on the operating table."

Liu Hui's gaze sharpened. "They had the physical examination done in the provincial city—what did that report say?"

Desheng replied, "Wang Xiaoer couldn't believe the outcome, but the hospital claimed that everything was due to his mother’s extreme frailty and the strain of the journey to the provincial capital, which resulted in her death on the table. They reiterated that their treatment plan was correct, their emergency measures were competent, and therefore, the old lady's death had nothing to do with them; if anyone was to blame, it was Wang Xiaoer for mistrusting the hospital and acting on his own accord. At this point, Wang Xiaoer finally remembered the examination report he obtained at the provincial hospital. He rushed back to the city that very day and retrieved the detailed physical examination report for his mother. After consulting with an expert at that larger hospital, the expert definitively confirmed that his mother only suffered from gallstones, not liver cancer, and certainly did not require a liver resection."

Liu Hui asked with suppressed anger, "What happened next?"

Desheng continued, "Wang Xiaoer took that examination report to Mingyue County Hospital. The Vice President of Mingyue County Hospital received him. When Wang Xiaoer presented the report, the Vice President told him that the examination report was fabricated by Wang Xiaoer himself, with the intent to extort money from the hospital, labeling Wang Xiaoer as a medical agitator. The Vice President then tore up the report in front of him, called the police, and upon their arrival, Wang Xiaoer was detained for fifteen days under the charge of being a medical agitator. During those fifteen days of detention, the Vice President had Wang Xiaoer’s mother’s body cremated without any family consent and arranged for a burial somewhere."

Liu Hui sighed. "Are there any places left in this world that aren't corrupt?"

Desheng went on, "This world is indeed deeply corrupt. Not only did Wang Xiaoer's mother die unnaturally, but he couldn't reclaim the twenty thousand yuan for treatment, and he was unjustly detained for fifteen days. Upon release, unable to stomach the injustice, he began consulting lawyers. With legal assistance, he continuously gathered evidence and filed a lawsuit against Mingyue County Hospital. However, according to domestic laws, he could only sue the hospital in Mingyue County and was required to prove that the county hospital was responsible for the medical accident. But since the hospital had already cremated his mother's body and the provincial hospital's examination report had been destroyed by the hospital, he had no concrete evidence. Fortunately, when he first received his mother's examination report, he had secretly made a copy for safekeeping. He presented this photocopy in court. But an absurd thing happened: not only did the court deem this copy to be forged, but both the hospital that issued the original report and the attending personnel denied ever having issued such a document. Thus, Wang Xiaoer unequivocally lost the lawsuit. Naturally dissatisfied, Wang Xiaoer appealed the case to the Municipal Intermediate Court. The Municipal Intermediate Court accepted the case but deliberately delayed scheduling a hearing, claiming insufficient evidence and requiring Wang Xiaoer to provide more proof, thus postponing Wang Xiaoer's case indefinitely."

Desheng glanced at Liu Hui, noting his increasingly impassive expression, before continuing, "Seeing that legal avenues were completely blocked, Wang Xiaoer, upon the suggestion of certain interested parties, posted the details of his mother's medical dispute online, seeking help from netizens across the country, hoping public scrutiny would push for a resolution. Once this medical dispute garnered widespread attention online, relevant provincial departments formed a task force to investigate the matter. The head of the task force confidently assured everyone they would provide a satisfactory answer soon. However, months passed without any definitive investigative outcome. Finally, under pressure from national netizens, the investigative team concluded that Mingyue County Hospital had strictly followed medical procedures, the elderly woman died on the operating table due to frailty, and the county hospital had not made a diagnostic error—the elderly woman indeed suffered from liver cancer, not gallstones. In short, the county hospital bore no responsibility for the medical accident. Subsequently, under powerful intervention from an unknown source, this online incident was finally quelled."

Liu Hui inquired, "How did Wang Xiaoer become a wanted fugitive then?"

Desheng explained, "Through this prolonged struggle, Wang Xiaoer exhausted all his money and fell into despair. In utter hopelessness, Wang Xiaoer sought out the Vice President of Mingyue County Hospital—the one responsible for handling his mother's case—to demand an explanation. The Vice President, thoroughly annoyed by Wang Xiaoer’s constant harassment, hired someone to rough him up. Wang Xiaoer, unable to cope, decided to take a desperate risk: he entered the Vice President's home with a knife, planning a mutual destruction, but found the Vice President was not home. Wang Xiaoer then tied up the Vice President's family members and searched their house, unexpectedly discovering a hidden safe in the toilet. Wang Xiaoer took thirty thousand yuan from that safe and fled the Vice President's home. After that, Wang Xiaoer became a nationwide fugitive. Unexpectedly, he ended up in Hong Kong, repaid the Boss his thirty thousand, and committed suicide there."

Liu Hui looked doubtful. "Is the person who committed suicide really Wang Xiaoer? I met him before; judging by his age then, he couldn't possibly be that old."

Desheng shook his head. "Boss, the person was definitely Wang Xiaoer; the Hong Kong police have confirmed it. Wang Xiaoer lived in torment for the past two years, so aging rapidly is plausible."

Liu Hui asked, "How did you get such clear details about Wang Xiaoer in just one night?"

Desheng responded, "His story circulated online previously, and by cross-referencing information through our network, we were able to quickly ascertain Wang Xiaoer's background. However, because I initially didn't know he had a connection to you, Boss, I didn't prioritize the issue or report it to you."

Liu Hui shook his head. "That's not your fault. But Wang Xiaoer sought me out in the end; he must have believed I had the power to see justice done for him. Since that is the case, then we shall clear Wang Xiaoer's injustice."

Desheng asked in surprise, "Boss means we should step in on Wang Xiaoer's behalf? There are far too many such incidents in China; we simply cannot manage them all."

Liu Hui shook his head. "I won't concern myself with other matters, but I must handle Wang Xiaoer's case. He was an honest rural youth and should not have died senselessly far from home. Those implicated in this medical accident must face retribution. Evil should be met with evil; that aligns with the moral expectations of the Chinese people."

Desheng pondered for a moment. "Boss, I think I know what needs to be done."

Gong Xiaohua, the Vice President of Mingyue County Hospital, finally breathed a massive sigh of relief upon learning that the maddening nuisance, Wang Xiaoer, had fled to Hong Kong and committed suicide. This persistent headache had plagued him for nearly two years, causing him immense suffering, and now he could finally have a peaceful night's sleep.

Actually, the medical incident involving Wang Xiaoer’s mother was not directly caused by Gong Xiaohua. The attending physician who treated Wang Xiaoer’s mother was surnamed Huang. This Dr. Huang had powerful backing; he was the nephew of the County Party Secretary and only got his job at the county hospital through connections.

Dr. Huang strictly adhered to the unwritten rules circulating within the hospital: exaggerating minor ailments into major illnesses, and tricking patients into believing that a simple cure required hospitalization and surgery. He did everything in his power to leverage the vast professional knowledge asymmetry between doctors and patients to frighten them into paying more for peace of mind. The more the patient paid, the higher his kickback would be.

Consequently, when Wang Xiaoer’s mother came in for treatment, Dr. Huang ordered her immediate hospitalization after only a cursory examination, telling Wang Xiaoer his mother had liver cancer and would require two hundred thousand yuan for a complete cure. In his heart, Dr. Huang knew clearly that even if the old woman underwent surgery, she definitely wouldn't be cured; their county-level hospital lacked the capability to rehabilitate cancer patients. However, these facts could not be disclosed to the patient; even if they failed to cure the patient post-surgery, they could blame it on a low-probability outcome and simply arrange for a transfer later.

What Dr. Huang did not anticipate was that, due to his extremely poor medical skills, he made an inexcusable mistake in the examination, misdiagnosing the old woman’s gallstones as liver cancer. The crux of the problem wasn't the misdiagnosis itself, but that the patient's family discovered it—now the problem became enormous. This affected Dr. Huang’s future career prospects, so he vehemently denied the error and threatened the patient against seeking treatment elsewhere. While the patient's family appeared intimidated, they secretly went to a major hospital in the provincial capital for a second opinion. Fortunately, a relative of Dr. Huang worked at that provincial hospital, and during a casual conversation, he inadvertently mentioned the news that Wang Xiaoer was having his mother examined there.

This terrified Dr. Huang. If the examination results came out, his shoddy medical skills would be instantly exposed. He subsequently lied to the hospital leadership, dispatched a hospital ambulance to the provincial city to bring Wang Xiaoer and his mother back to Mingyue County, and then intentionally committed an operational error during the surgery the next day, causing Wang Xiaoer’s mother to die tragically on the operating table.

With an unnatural death occurring in the hospital, Vice President Gong Xiaohua finally realized that something was seriously amiss. Under his persistent questioning, Dr. Huang confessed to the medical accident and admitted to intentionally causing the death. At that exact moment, the County Party Secretary’s secretary approached Vice President Gong Xiaohua. He conveyed the Party Secretary’s directive to show leniency regarding the incident and ensure it was covered up, promising significant rewards from the County Party Secretary afterward. The secretary repeatedly stressed that Dr. Huang was the County Party Secretary’s most crucial relative and that any setback could not be tolerated.

Gong Xiaohua understood Dr. Huang's rationale for coercing patients into hospitalization. The state had reduced its investment in healthcare, forcing hospitals to be self-sufficient, which led to the bizarre phenomenon of relying on drug sales for survival. The hospital, just to survive, had to aggressively pursue profit, making them ruthless toward patients—usually by ensuring patients had just enough money left for the bus fare home after the hospital had extorted everything else. This time, however, it was different: Dr. Huang was incompetent, misdiagnosed the condition, and then covered up the murder.

After careful consideration, Gong Xiaohua ultimately decided to help Dr. Huang conceal the medical accident and stood firmly with the County Party Secretary; after all, the hospital and Dr. Huang were in the same boat, and if the boat sank, it would harm everyone. Thus, when Wang Xiaoer approached Gong Xiaohua with the examination report from the provincial hospital, Gong Xiaohua not only destroyed the original document but also slandered Wang Xiaoer as a medical agitator, resulting in his fifteen-day police detention. During those fifteen days, Gong Xiaohua forcefully cremated Wang Xiaoer’s mother’s remains without any family signature, destroying primary evidence. Later, when the county court heard the medical dispute case, they declared the photocopy Wang Xiaoer possessed to be forged and, using his influence, coerced the provincial hospital to deny ever issuing the physical examination report. With no tangible proof left, Gong Xiaohua completely sealed Wang Xiaoer's chances of winning the lawsuit. As for the subsequent appeal, the County Party Secretary used his connections to pressure the Municipal Intermediate Court to withhold a hearing, intending to drag the case out until Wang Xiaoer gave up.

However, Wang Xiaoer publicized his story extensively online, throwing Gong Xiaohua and his associates into disarray. The County Party Secretary’s backing proved deeply entrenched; it managed to stall the investigation by the provincial task force, which ultimately produced an absurd conclusion that completely exonerated Mingyue County Hospital and Dr. Huang from the center of the vortex. Then, through power exchanges at a higher level, senior authorities intervened to completely suppress the online incident.

Just as Gong Xiaohua believed the matter was finally closed, Wang Xiaoer, taking advantage of his absence, not only held his family hostage but also found his secretly stored small treasury, took thirty thousand yuan, and fled. Gong Xiaohua’s private stash was exposed, but under the intervention of the County Party Secretary, he faced no repercussions for it. Meanwhile, the Public Security Bureau issued a nationwide warrant for Wang Xiaoer’s arrest. Nevertheless, people like Gong Xiaohua and Dr. Huang wished Wang Xiaoer would suddenly die somewhere and never reappear in public view.

As events unfolded, their wishes were soon granted: Wang Xiaoer fled to Hong Kong and committed suicide. When the news of Wang Xiaoer's death arrived, the relevant personnel in Mingyue County breathed a collective sigh of relief, their hearts finally resting easy. They felt that the world had finally found peace.

Gong Xiaohua himself felt wronged and deeply regretted his own actions. He had once been a pure, good young man, law-abiding and dedicated to the revitalization of his country. But after stepping into the system and becoming a senior leading cadre in the hospital, he discovered the world was completely different from what he had imagined. Over a decade of textbook knowledge had been learned in vain.

Gong Xiaohua realized that if he insisted on being an upright official, everyone within the system would treat him as an adversary, suppressing and ostracizing him. After all, who among those holding office didn't have some secret they couldn't afford to have exposed? If this honest official gained power, wouldn't their livelihoods be threatened? In the current structure, an upright official simply couldn't survive. Thus, after deep reflection and pain, Gong Xiaohua could only yield to the current, joining everyone else in taking bribes and extorting favors. What shocked him was that once he embarked on this path, there was no turning back. To hesitate was to fall behind, and to fall behind meant being attacked. His past missteps were now held in others' hands, and he could no longer escape the system's control. His only hope for a peaceful life until retirement was to follow the crowd and remain corrupt until the end.

This realization plunged Gong Xiaohua into despair, and he began his descent. Once he started down this road, he quickly amassed millions, and his network of social connections broadened considerably. Now, he had even earned the favor of the County Party Secretary, forcing him to clean up the mess left by Doctor Huang for the sake of his own future.

Just as those responsible for the medical incident in Mingyue County believed the matter had subsided, a series of videos and documents suddenly erupted online. In one video, Gong Xiaohua could be seen discussing the issue of kickbacks for conference fees with the manager of a three-star hotel in the county. The County Hospital had wired one million yuan for conference training fees into the hotel's account; the hotel then issued the County Hospital an invoice for one million yuan, and after deducting some operational costs, they returned eighty thousand yuan in cash to Gong Xiaohua. The accompanying documents listed all the bank account numbers belonging to Gong Xiaohua and his family, including accounts opened under other people's identification, along with printouts of the balances, totaling a staggering 4.5 million yuan. The internet simultaneously revealed the three properties owned by Gong Xiaohua. This massive personal wealth was clearly inconsistent with his official income level.

Currently, the Chinese people harbor the deepest hatred for corrupt officials, and upon seeing such a vivid, illustrated example, they immediately focused all their outrage onto Gong Xiaohua. Unable to withstand the pressure from the internet, the County Commission for Discipline Inspection finally placed Gong Xiaohua under shuangui (a form of in-custody interrogation), demanding he fully disclose his problems. However, what nobody anticipated was that Gong Xiaohua committed suicide out of guilt during his shuangui period. The official explanation stated he hanged himself in the restroom.

When the public thought the matter had finally closed, a new video surfaced online. In this recording, it was clearly evident that it was filmed after Gong Xiaohua was placed under shuangui. The County Party Secretary of Mingyue County appeared in Gong Xiaohua’s interrogation room; the Secretary had ostensibly come for a visit. Perhaps driven by delirium, Gong Xiaohua actually demanded that the Secretary arrange his release, threatening to expose the inside story of how, under the Secretary’s protection, he had covered up Doctor Huang’s deliberate murder of a surgical patient. The Secretary attempted to persuade him gently, suggesting Gong Xiaohua settle things quietly and not implicate his family and friends, promising that if Gong Xiaohua died, the Secretary would ensure his family was taken care of; otherwise, they would all be ruined. However, Gong Xiaohua was clearly beside himself and had no intention of sacrificing himself for his family. He insisted on using Doctor Huang’s medical malpractice case to blackmail the County Party Secretary, threatening to make the Secretary accompany him in death. The County Party Secretary was clearly enraged. At his silent signal, two tall, burly men accompanying him directly lifted Gong Xiaohua, carried him to the restroom, strangled him with a rope, and then staged the scene to look like a suicide. The County Party Secretary watched the entire murder unfold with cold indifference.

After this video was released, netizens across the nation erupted in unified fury. They felt they had once again been fooled by the relevant authorities and demanded an explanation, threatening to seek out the County Party Secretary themselves to get answers. This time, the video evidence was irrefutable, making it impossible for the authorities to cover up for the Secretary. Consequently, they urgently formed a special investigation team and took the County Party Secretary into custody. The Secretary's powerful backing clearly abandoned him. The Secretary, showing surprising resolve, readily admitted to the murder of Gong Xiaohua and also confessed to the details of the medical incident mentioned in the video.

Soon after, the special team arrested Doctor Huang. Having lost his greatest protector, Doctor Huang quickly confessed to the medical incident he had engineered. The special team swiftly solved the murder case involving the County Party Secretary, and in the process, also cracked the previously unresolved medical malpractice case. Consequently, the commendation ceremony for the special investigation team soon commenced. During the ceremony, all members of the team were honored, yet the names of Gong Xiaohua and the County Party Secretary were never mentioned, nor was the wrongfully deceased Wang Xiao'er ever brought up.

Liu Hui built a tomb for Wang Xiao'er in Hong Kong. He lit incense at the head of Wang Xiao'er’s grave and murmured, "Brother Wang, your little brother has fulfilled his promise; your innocence has been restored, and your revenge has been exacted. Although it couldn't be done openly and honorably, your bitter grievances have finally been redressed. I hope you can rest peacefully in the netherworld, and remember to choose a better place for your next reincarnation.”

Thanks to the reader: Alien, for the monthly ticket support.

When writing this chapter, Qian Yu Chuhai felt deeply conflicted. The plot depicted here was not fabricated by the author, and after finishing this chapter, the writer felt uneasy for a long time.

However, a decision has been made: this depiction of dark corruption will be the last in the book. In the future, I will no longer write about these depressing matters that drain one's spirit and might bring trouble upon myself. V