The following day, Doctor James went to Central Hospital under Wang Ning’an’s arrangements. His arrival was warmly welcomed by the entire hospital. Anyone in medicine had heard of James, a specialist in brain medicine who had made substantial contributions to the field.
The hospital president and Old Doctor Liu came out personally to greet him as soon as they heard he was coming. Wang Cheng did not attend, so he missed the scene, but he heard that his eldest cousin had been moved to a top-tier hospital room as a result. The hospital had gone out of its way to accommodate them so the staff could observe the operation and exchange ideas with this leading brain specialist. Meanwhile, Wang Cheng received a call from Zheng Jingen.
Zheng Jingen had found information about the license plate Wang Cheng had asked him to investigate.
The van belonged to a highly reputable private detective agency. Its standing within the industry was excellent, and its rates were ten times those of ordinary firms. Its confidentiality standards were equally high, which was why wealthy clients often used its services.
That was all Zheng Jingen could learn. He knew someone at the agency who had initially been willing to help. But when the man discovered Zheng Jingen wanted the identity of a client who had hired them to investigate Wang Ning’an, he suddenly refused. The client apparently was no ordinary person. No matter how Zheng Jingen pressed him, he would not reveal a single detail.
“What’s wrong?” Chu Yifeng asked, noticing his grave expression.
Wang Cheng put away his phone. “Someone hired a private detective to follow my elder brother, but we can’t find out who. They won’t reveal the client’s identity.”
“A professional private detective agency won’t casually disclose clients’ information if it values its reputation. Once that gets out, no one will hire them again. You might try narrowing the possibilities by looking through your brother’s personal and business connections.”
“That’s difficult. Even my brother doesn’t know who would want to follow him.”
“Then let them know we’re aware of their existence. If whoever hired them refuses to give up, they’ll have to make another move.”
“Worth considering. Let’s go to Central Hospital first.” Wang Cheng grabbed his coat and stood. He was not planning to visit the company today.
Central Hospital was the capital’s largest and best hospital. Its equipment was among the finest available, and its doctors were outstanding or accomplished within their respective specialties, drawing medical talent from across Hua Country. It was divided into a regular wing and a VIP wing, the latter reserved for those who could afford it. The VIP wing had several grades of accommodation. He Ping had originally been placed in one of its entry-level rooms.
Wang Cheng stepped out of the car and shut the door. His gaze was suddenly drawn to a van ahead. He looked more closely. Wasn’t that the same van from which someone had photographed his elder brother?
Chu Yifeng followed his gaze and could just make out someone inside furtively watching the hospital entrance.
“Come on. Let’s have a look.” Excitement flashed in Wang Cheng’s eyes.
The person in the van had no idea anyone was approaching. By the time he noticed, the vehicle door was yanked open, a hand seized the front of his shirt, and he was hauled out with enough force to send him crashing onto the hard pavement. He screamed, but his first concern was not his injuries. Instead, he checked the camera cradled against his chest. Finding it undamaged, he sighed with relief.
“Thank goodness, thank goodness.”
“Your camera’s fine, but you’re about to have a problem.” The young detective looked up to find two remarkably handsome men standing over him. The younger one wore a smile that was not quite a smile. The man’s dark eyes held his reflection as though he were a lamb waiting for slaughter. He swallowed. He recognized this person. A few days earlier, when he had photographed Wang Ning’an, this man had been there too.
“Gentlemen, surely we can talk this over.”
Wang Cheng clenched his fists until his knuckles cracked, making the threat perfectly clear. “Of course we can. Answer my questions properly and I won’t hit you. Who sent you?”
The young detective answered immediately. “My boss. He runs a private detective agency. A while ago, he took a job to follow a man called Wang Ning’an and record his daily activities. But I don’t know who the client is. Only my boss knows.”
“Quick on the uptake, aren’t you? What does your agency charge?” Wang Cheng changed the subject so abruptly that even Chu Yifeng raised an eyebrow.
“That depends on how difficult the job is, but the minimum fee is a hundred thousand yuan.”
“Not cheap, then. Have you got a contact card? Give me one.” The young detective’s mind stalled. Wasn’t this conversation taking an odd turn? The man should be threatening to make him disclose the client’s name, or holding him hostage to force his boss to talk.
Wang Cheng stared at him and smiled. “If you’re interested, we could try that. Maybe your boss would tell us who the client is to keep you safe.”
The young detective immediately covered his mouth, convinced he must accidentally have spoken his thoughts aloud. In fact, his expression had simply been too easy to read.
Wang Cheng’s face hardened. “Hurry up or I really will beat you. The hospital’s right here, so you won’t even have to travel far to get treatment.”
“No, no! This hospital’s really expensive!” The young detective shook his head frantically and hurriedly handed over a business card.
Wang Cheng glanced at it and decided the man would not dare play tricks on him. “All right, you can go. One more thing. Tell your boss that if he dares send anyone to follow my elder brother again, I’ll beat you into this hospital first and then come for him. Understood?”
“Understood!” The young detective fled as fast as his legs would carry him. Wang Cheng had frightened him so badly that he even forgot his van. When he realized his mistake, he did not dare come back. He hid at a distance, waiting for the two men to leave.
Chu Yifeng walked into the hospital beside him. “Why did you want their business card?”
Wang Cheng put the card away. “For a rainy day, of course. Maybe I’ll need their services sometime. Though if I do, I certainly won’t let that guy take my case. He seems a little dim.”
The young detective sneezed. When he saw the two men had finally gone, he dashed back and drove his van away, inwardly swearing never to meet the man again. So fierce, despite being so handsome!
When they reached He Ping’s room, they found it crowded.
James and Old Doctor Liu were both inside, questioning He Ping about his condition and occasionally discussing something with each other. Their assistants stood nearby with the results of his earlier examinations. Apart from He Ping giving the occasional answer, everyone else remained silent.
Wang Cheng and Chu Yifeng waited outside. The premium rooms occupied the hospital’s top floor, and so few people could afford them that the corridor felt rather deserted.
At long last, the consultation ended. James and Old Doctor Liu emerged. Seeing Chu Yifeng waiting by the door, James spoke first.
“Leon, you’re here.”
James had always had a particular fondness for Chu Yifeng, the financial backer of his research. Had Wang Cheng known what the doctor was thinking, he would undoubtedly have made some sarcastic remark.
Chu Yifeng asked the questions Wang Cheng cared about most. “How is the patient? Can you operate? If so, when?”
“I’ve encountered a case like this before. That patient was a little girl, and she survived. Although your friend has been ill for twenty years, I’d put his chances at seventy to eighty percent. You and your friend can rest easy.” James immediately put their minds at ease.
“Then we’ll leave him in your care.”
James nodded and departed.
Bowen and Benson followed him, one after the other. As he passed Wang Cheng, Benson smiled at him. It was much the same smile he had given Wang Cheng last time, only now there was something more knowing about it. His gaze flickered almost imperceptibly toward Chu Yifeng, as though he had worked something out.
Wang Cheng was a little surprised.
Inside the room, Guan Meifang clutched her son’s hand in excitement. Wang Ning’an had already translated James’s words for her, and she could barely believe her son might truly recover one day. She only hoped it was not a dream. He Ping did not understand the significance of the news. He merely patted his mother’s head to comfort her.
Wang Ning’an came outside and asked why they had come.
Wang Cheng told him about the detective following him, including their failure to identify the client, and warned him to be careful in the coming days.
“Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself. In another two days, I may need you to help look after Eldest Aunt and He Ping. My leave is almost over.” Wang Ning’an had already been away from work for quite some time. If he did not return to Shenghui soon, Chairman Yu would likely be displeased. Yu Jing had not pestered him recently either. Someone had told him she seemed less fixated on him now and had become quite close to a celebrity in the entertainment industry. Their rumored romance had even appeared in newspaper headlines. Wang Ning’an had merely smiled when he heard, without commenting.
“Leave them to me. Big Brother, you can go back to work without worrying.” Wang Cheng promised.
“Then I’ll go.” Wang Ning’an nodded to Chu Yifeng and left.
Chu Yifeng watched his retreating figure.
“What is it?” Wang Cheng asked.
“Your elder brother seems to be hiding quite a few secrets.”
“I think so too. But if he doesn’t want to tell us, we can’t exactly force him. We’re all living in the capital now, and brothers can look out for one another, so it should be fine.” Wang Cheng shrugged. He had noticed this long ago but had never raised it. Taking Chu Yifeng’s hand, he said, “Come on. Go downstairs with me to buy something to eat.”