Chapter 50: Concealment Without Reporting

"Hu Delu, because his daughter was blind, held an ophthalmologist hostage on the top floor of the 203 Hospital, demanding that the doctor jump off the building with him.
He demanded to know from the hospital why they refused to perform surgery on his daughter just because they lacked money.
Were money really more important than a child's eyes?
In the end, he was shot dead by a sniper."

This was a news report from the Taihe Daily in a later era, accompanied by a photograph of Hu Delu and another photo after he was shot dead.
Back then, it was a sensational case.
Li Qi compared Hu Delu's face with the one on the newspaper in his memory several times and finally confirmed that this was indeed the man.
In his previous life, the two of them had never crossed paths.

At this moment, Tian Miao rushed into the alley. Before she could even speak, she caught sight of the beer bottle beside them.
"What time is it, and you're still drinking?
Are you truly thick-skinned enough to not give a damn about anything?"

Li Qi sighed.
Learning to be good is difficult, but sliding into bad habits takes no effort at all.
What a fine girl she used to be—a reporter for the provincial newspaper, innocent and sweet.
Now she had even started using vulgar language...

"This is soy sauce, alright? I used it as a cover.
I just took a look at that driver and happened to recognize him. His name is Hu Delu, and he should have a daughter with an eye condition who will go blind next year.
Therefore, there is a high probability that he took the job of hitting me because he needed money to treat his daughter's illness.
We can use this as a breakthrough during the interrogation later."

Tian Miao nodded repeatedly.
As for why Li Qi recognized Hu Delu, to her, Li Qi was like a god; she wouldn't be surprised even if he claimed to know the Jade Emperor.

"The police station has a new chief named Zhou Guozhong, who is a relative of Political Commissar Zhou. Hearing about your situation, he guaranteed full cooperation.
He has already brought his men nearby and will personally interrogate Hu Delu after the arrest.
Wait, Hu Delu...
Why does his name sound like a hairstylist? Should I go have him style my hair sometime?"

Li Qi was utterly speechless.
"We are talking about serious business. Can you stop derailing the conversation?"

Tian Miao quickly pulled her thoughts back and continued,
"The arrangements at the post office are set, and the arresting officers are all in place.
Chief Zhou Guozhong even assigned a car for me.
I'll be following the ambulance to the 203 Hospital in a moment. Rest assured, I will protect your safety."

Tian Miao spoke with absolute determination.
The day before yesterday, Li Qi had saved her purity and her life; now, it was her turn to protect Li Qi.
Unless she died, no one would be able to harm this man right under her nose.

She didn't tell Li Qi that she hadn't just contacted Zhou Guozhong; she had also called her father, Deputy Minister Tian.
At that moment, at the Ning Province Military Region, a helicopter had already taken off, heading straight for the 203 Hospital.
This wouldn't draw much attention, as every year the 203 Hospital received quite a few military patients specially transported by helicopter.

Yet, in the end, Tian Miao still felt uneasy. Her eyes turned red as she gripped Li Qi's hand tightly.
"Li Qi, is this really the only way? No matter how meticulously we plan beforehand, unexpected situations can happen.
You must know that once an accident occurs, you might very well die."

Li Qi said firmly,
"I've thought about it for a long time just now. Can you imagine?
A high school student who was jumping around lively on campus yesterday goes missing the next day simply because their organs happen to match someone else's.
When their parents go to report the case, it can only be classified as a disappearance.
No matter how much the old couple cry until they lose their sight, under the influence of various mysterious forces, this case will be sealed away forever.
I don't want such things to keep happening in Taihe City!"

Tian Miao said despondently,
"The state is also finding ways. I heard they are going to establish an organ donation registry where everyone is queued in order..."

Li Qi interrupted her.
"Let me give you a crude analogy.
If the bureau chief's son needs an organ, they can use an ordinary citizen's child.
But if an ordinary citizen's child falls ill, can they use the bureau chief's child?
Or the mayor's son, or the provincial governor's daughter?
I think not."

Li Qi stopped speaking, and Tian Miao fell silent as well. Suddenly, she stood on tiptoe, kissed Li Qi fiercely on the cheek, and then strode out of the alley.
She seemed to be running quite fast, her long legs striding rapidly, revealing an urgent state of mind.

Li Qi chased after her, shouting something.
But Tian Miao kept going and never looked back.
Then Li Qi stopped in frustration, walking dazedly down the street.
He looked precisely like a young man whose girlfriend had just thrown a tantrum.

Seeing this, Hu Delu abandoned all lingering doubts.
He decisively started the car and rushed toward Li Qi.

Bang!
The car struck Li Qi from behind at a speed of thirty-two miles per hour. Li Qi felt a sharp pain in his legs, accompanied by a faint cracking sound from his bones.
Yet they were not broken.
Immediately afterward, a surge of warmth rushed through his body, enveloping the impact zone and alleviating the pain.
Still, the immense force carried him flying forward more than two meters before he crashed heavily onto the ground.

Hu Delu killed the engine, his hands shaking violently as he panted heavily, staring at the young man lying in front of the car.
Had he run him over and killed him?

Just two minutes later, an ambulance parked not far away wailed its siren as it rushed to Li Qi's side. Two nurses, one older and one younger, jumped down with a stretcher, hoisted Li Qi onto it, and sped away like lightning.
Behind them, a small sedan closely followed.

Not far away by the roadside, a middle-aged man in his forties watched the ambulance drive away before hurriedly running toward the post office.
Entering the post office, he approached the telephone and dialed a string of numbers.
After three rings, the other end picked up.

"Director Wang?"
"It's me."
"It's done. The person has already been taken away by the ambulance."
"Very well, I will have Cheng Mofeng deliver the money to you."

The middle-aged man had just hung up the phone when two police officers rushed out and pinned him down.
"What are you doing?
Even the police can't arrest people at will!"

"You know very well what you've done. Confess honestly, and you might still have a chance at leniency."
"I didn't do anything! Is making a phone call a crime?"
The young man continued to put up a stubborn front.

Soon, he was brought into the police station. As he passed a room and glanced through the window to see Hu Delu handcuffed to a chair being interrogated, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.
What was going on here?
Why was a traffic accident being interrogated like this? Had they really been exposed?

Meanwhile, Hu Delu had just been brought back to the station. The newly appointed chief, Zhou Guozhong, having heard the details from Tian Miao, already had a firm grasp of the situation.
He brought his deputy chief, Chen Liang, directly into the interrogation room.

"Hu Delu, honestly confess who is behind you. Refusing to confess will lead to no good end."

Hu Delu was startled. How did the police know his name?
Still, he tried to play dumb.
"Comrade police, I've been wronged.
I just had a little to drink, couldn't see clearly, and hit someone out of sudden panic.
Is the young comrade I hit alright?
I'm willing to pay compensation."

Zhou Guozhong slammed his hand on the table.
"Stop playing dumb with me! Do you think you can take the blame for everything and walk away scot-free?
Believe it or not, I can have your wife detained right now, and your daughter will lose her chance at getting her eyes cured."

Upon hearing this, Hu Delu's expression shifted drastically.
He had committed such an unconscionable act purely to get his daughter's eyes treated.
Though he didn't understand how, it seemed the police already knew everything!

At that moment, his psychological defense completely collapsed.
To avoid delaying his daughter's medical treatment, he quickly confessed to everything.
This included how he had accepted ten thousand yuan from Cheng Mofeng, who had provided him with the vehicle, as well as Li Qi's detailed background.

Zhou Guozhong immediately reported the situation to the municipal bureau, having them arrange for the arrest of Cheng Mofeng.

Finally, Hu Delu pleaded bitterly,
"Comrade police, I've confessed everything I know. Please, my wife is taking my daughter to the south tomorrow, where the surgery can be arranged.
Do whatever you want to me—I admit to all of it. Just please let my daughter go south for her surgery!"

Chen Liang sneered.
"What pipe dream are you having? You accepted blood money for a hit-and-run; that's illicit funds and must be recovered."

A look of neither laughing nor crying appeared on Hu Delu's face as he clenched his fists so tightly that his lips bled.

Zhou Guozhong suddenly patted Chen Liang on the shoulder.
"Let's go talk outside for a moment."

The two men walked to the end of the corridor, where Zhou Guozhong handed Chen Liang a cigarette. After pondering for a moment, he said,
"Old Chen, let's only record in his confession that he was instigated by someone to hit Li Qi.
Let's not report the matter of that ten thousand yuan just yet."

Chen Liang abruptly raised his head.
"What?"