Button
Because her body had not fully recovered, Song Yuhang arranged for a designated driver when she came. Naturally, on the way back, it was Duan Cheng who drove.
A few people gathered in the back seat, and Zheng Chengrui opened his laptop, swallowing nervously as he faced the login interface of the internal network.
Song Yuhang handed over her account card and said, “Use mine.”
As they saw that they had already arrived at Jiangcheng Central Hospital, Fang Xin straightened her clothes and let her hair down, making it slightly messy. She pushed open the car door and got out.
Duan Cheng accompanying her.
“Captain Song, we’re here.”
Song Yuhang made an “OK” gesture through the car window.
“To be honest with you, my wife… she’s a bit…” Duan Cheng squeezed into the crowd at the registration counter, holding onto Fang Xin. He pointed to his own head with a finger, forcing a smile on his face. He was dressed plainly, looking like a young, down-and-out man.
“Could you recommend a good neurology hospital in this city? We can’t go too far. I would be extremely grateful, truly grateful…” Duan Cheng nodded and bowed while reaching into his sleeve and handed over a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes.
Fang Xin leaned against his shoulder, uncomfortably holding her head and secretly rolling her eyes. Damn it, wasn’t it supposed to be a brother-sister relationship?
And he went and secretly changed the script.
“How did it go?” Song Yuhang opened the car door from a distance and welcomed them in.
Duan Cheng twisted open the cap of a mineral water bottle and took a few sips before turning to look at them. “I asked around. There are two options. One is Huasheng Psychiatric Hospital, and the other is a private hospital with teaching affiliations with the big hospitals in Beijing. Their neurology departments are well-regarded in the province and have some reputation nationwide.”
Zheng Chengrui made some progress on his end. “These few vehicles are quite suspicious. Let me check the surveillance along the route.”
He tapped his fingertips on the keyboard, and the lenses of his glasses reflected a faint blue light. He compared the routes to the two hospitals and the routes taken by the vehicles, quickly eliminating the suspicion of the other vehicles, leaving only one ambulance.
Duan Cheng gripped the steering wheel and stepped on the accelerator. “Let’s go.”
A hint of a smile appeared at the corner of Song Yuhang’s lips. “Thank you, both of you.”
“Why did Captain Song know that Sister Lin wouldn’t leave the province?” Duan Cheng was still curious.
(Originally translated on littlepandatranslations.com, let's go!)
Song Yuhang lowered her gaze, her voice slightly muffled. “She was seriously injured. It wouldn’t be possible for her to endure a long journey, unless…”
Lin Youyuan really wanted her dead.
Moreover, when she called her that day, she heard a bird-like sound outside the window. It sounded similar but also different. Out of professional habit, she happened to record the call, and later she searched online and found that this type of bird was only found in Jiangcheng City. So, it was impossible for her to leave the province.
After listening, everyone was dumbfounded. Indeed, you’re Captain Song, always Captain Song.
Zheng Chengrui handed the card back to her. “Let me write a program to clear the browsing history. It would be troublesome if the network monitoring discovered it.”
There had to be a legitimate reason for accessing the public security intranet. Although Song Yuhang could come up with an excuse if it was discovered, it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble.
She nodded. “Thank you for your help.”
Soon, they arrived at the front of the renowned private hospital. When they were about 500 meters away, they got out of the car and walked.
Duan Cheng pushed aside the bushes. “Wow, why is the security so strict at this hospital?”
The entrance was filled with black-clad bodyguards. They had communication devices in the pockets of their suit jackets, tactical pens hidden in their belt loops, and civilian electric batons in their hands.
Just grab one of them randomly, and except for not being equipped with a gun, their equipment would surpass that of regular police officers.
Song Yuhang crouched in the shadow behind a tree, carefully observing. She gestured to the others. “Plan A.”
Duan Cheng put on a duckbill cap and walked out.
After a while, a commotion could be heard at the entrance.
“Why won’t you let me in? I’m her colleague! I just want to see how she’s doing. Or is it that you’re hiding her here and doing something shameful that can’t be seen by others?”
Duan Cheng tiptoed to get a glimpse and shouted through a loudspeaker, “Sister Lin, Sister Lin…”
The bodyguards glanced at each other and approached to pull the person away, shoving and pushing. In the midst of the commotion, one of the bodyguards raised an electric baton.
Duan Cheng remembered Song Yuhang’s instructions earlier: civilian high-intensity electric baton. One shock would numb the limbs and render the person helpless, regardless of whether they were human or animal.
Implied meaning: Don’t be confrontational.
Duan Cheng quickly raised his hands in surrender and took a step back. “Hey, hey, hey, don’t get physical. If you don’t want to let me in, then don’t. Why be so aggressive?!”
As he spoke, he straightened his clothes, let out a cold snort, and turned to leave.
The bodyguards watched him walk out of the compound and didn’t pursue any further, finally giving up.
Duan Cheng circled around and returned to the side of the bushes, lowering his voice. “This won’t do. They wouldn’t even let me have a glimpse, let alone enter.”
Song Yuhang surveyed her surroundings. The surrounding wall was approximately two meters high and topped with barbed wire. She knew that her current skills wouldn’t allow her to pass through.
She caressed the large tree beside her and looked up, suddenly getting an idea.
“Old Zheng, did the intrusion succeed?”
Song Yuhang decided to follow the same plan as Lin Yan during their previous visit to the funeral home in the provincial capital. She would cut off their power first.
The progress bar on the computer screen moved forward slowly. Zheng Chengrui clenched his fist, feeling a slight nervousness.
“Alright!”
(If you're not reading on littlepandatranslations.com, it means this has been stolen)
Song Yuhang nodded. She had a rope tied around her waist and slowly began to climb up. Her injuries hindered her movements, and she wasn’t very agile. Every time she pulled herself up and grasped the tree trunk, it was a struggle. Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead.
Several times, Duan Cheng saw her slip down a bit, but she gritted her teeth and managed to climb up little by little.
The dense canopy of the banyan tree aligned perfectly with the second-floor window sill, providing natural cover.
In that moment when the power was cut off, Song Yuhang had to jump onto the exposed platform where the air conditioner unit was installed to avoid being detected by the searchlights.
Song Yuhang released the rope around her waist and threw it down. She made an “OK” gesture towards the ground, indicating that she was ready.
Zheng Chengrui nodded, and with a “click” of the Enter key, the entire brightly lit building plunged into darkness instantaneously.
Song Yuhang jumped off the ground, soaring through the air like an agile leopard. However, when she landed, her knee twinged with pain. Her face turned pale, and cold sweat broke out. She knelt on the edge of the platform with a thud, holding onto the air conditioner unit. If it weren’t for that, she would have fallen already.
“Who’s there?!” The bodyguards heard the commotion and ran over. Duan Cheng whistled, diverting their attention and leading them away.
Song Yuhang let out a sigh of relief. Half crouching, she shifted towards the window and placed her fingers on the window sill, peering inside.
After a brief moment of darkness, the room regained its brightness. Through the gap in the curtains, Song Yuhang saw Lin Yan lying quietly in bed while medical staff conducted examinations around her.
A nurse changed her IV drip, and a few young doctors replaced her dressing. When they removed the bandage from her shoulder, the sight of the infected and inflamed flesh became gruesome. The doctor used surgical scissors to remove the necrotic tissue.
Lin Yan, in her sleep, frowned in pain.
Song Yuhang clenched her fists, at that moment wanting to rush in and tightly embrace her, wishing she wouldn’t have to suffer so much anymore.
It wasn’t until her nails dug deep into her flesh, tasting the metallic tang of blood, that Song Yuhang finally released her grip. The arduous process of changing the dressing had come to an end.
The doctor sprinkled medicine powder on her wound, wrapped it with fresh bandages, and then took the tray and exited the room.
Once everyone had moved away, Song Yuhang took a wire from her pocket and poked the window latch twice. She heard a crisp sound, and the window opened with a gentle push. She swiftly climbed in.
She almost stumbled and ran to Lin Yan’s bedside, wanting to cup her face and take a look. However, she noticed her own dirty hands and hesitated for a moment before refraining.
Lin Yan was already thin, and her illness had further distorted her figure. Her small face was deathly pale, and even her usually vibrant red lips had lost their color.
Song Yuhang felt a pang of heartache as she turned away, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. She wanted to touch her, hold her, and kiss her, yet she feared that she might transfer bacteria from her own body, worsening Lin Yan’s condition.
A hurried whistle echoed from downstairs.
She had to go.
Song Yuhang knelt by the bedside, lightly embracing her through the blanket and resting her head on her chest.
“Lin Yan, I miss you so much. Wake up quickly, don’t leave me alone.”
But there was no response, only the steady beeping of the bedside heart monitor, filling the silence.
Song Yuhang stood up and gazed at Lin Yan’s pale, lifeless lips. She leaned forward slightly, stopping when she was about three inches away, and then instead pressed her lips against Lin Yan’s forehead.
Just like she had done to her that day.
Song Yuhang closed her eyes, allowing herself a moment of indulgence, lingering a little longer than she should.
In her heart, she silently whispered, “Please… don’t die.”
(Support me at littlepandatranslations.com)
Another whistle sounded from downstairs.
Song Yuhang knew that there was no time to waste.
She stood up, wiped away her tears, and pulled a metal button from her own collar. She tucked it into the palm of her hand, curled up, and placed it inside the covers.
Song Yuhang looked back every three steps as she climbed out of the window ledge.
Several people were already waiting downstairs, and the return path was even more perilous. It was easier to jump over to the other side, but difficult to jump back.
Song Yuhang had no choice but to cling to the water pipe and climb down. When she was halfway down, a beam of bright flashlight shone upon her. Instinctively, she covered her face, slipped, and slid down. The bodyguards chasing after her pursued her like a pack of hounds.
A voice came through the earpiece, it was Zheng Chengrui’s voice: “Captain Song, in the southeast direction, go around a flower bed and there’s a dog hole under the wall. We’re waiting for you here.”
Damn it, even the mighty captain of the Criminal Investigation Team had a day of crawling through dog holes.
Song Yuhang gritted her teeth and plunged in. Duan Cheng reached out and pulled her out, their faces showing a hint of suppressed amusement.
Song Yuhang’s face flushed with embarrassment. Great, not only did she crawl through a dog hole, but she also played the part of a gentleman on a beam. Her reputation was completely ruined.
She dusted off her plain clothes and plucked a few weeds from her head, taking the lead as she turned to walk away.
“Don’t tell anyone about today’s events, understood?”
Duan Cheng dragged out his words, “Eh—Captain Song, are you asking us for something? If you invite us to a hot pot meal, maybe…”
Before he could finish his sentence, a few words popped out from the person walking ahead through her teeth.
“This is an order.”
“…”
They simultaneously made funny faces at her from behind.
No wonder they say birds of a feather flock together, and people of the same kind gather. Captain Song and Sister Lin have been together for a long time, and their speaking and acting styles are becoming more and more alike.
This won’t do, this won’t do.
While Duan Cheng scorned inwardly, he also sighed at this darned sweet socialist sisterhood. He lifted his foot and caught up with them.
LP: The MVP of this chapter is Duan Cheng~
Am I smelling something between Duan Cheng and Fang Xin👀