After finishing their search through the hospital-related documents, Guan Xia and the others prepared to leave.
Just as they locked the door and reached the second floor, they ran into an elderly couple. Noticing their graying hair, Guan Xia instinctively stepped aside to let them pass.
To her surprise, the couple stopped in their tracks, their faces lighting up with recognition and delight as they called out, "Xiao Ji? You're back?"
Guan Xia glanced back at Ji An, then at the elderly pair, quickly realizing—given that this was Ning Xin’s former residence—that these were Ning Xin’s parents.
Sure enough, Ji An greeted them warmly, "Uncle, Auntie, yes, I’m back. I returned just a couple of days ago."
After exchanging a few pleasantries, the elderly couple turned their gaze to Guan Xia and Jiang Yingyao, hesitantly asking, "And these two are… your colleagues?"
Ji An shook her head. "No, they’re friends. We came together to check if there were any overlooked clues."
At the mention of the case, the elderly couple’s expressions darkened with sorrow. "Is there… any hope this time?" they asked, their voices trembling.
Ji An paused before replying, "Auntie, Uncle, we’ll do our best. This time, we’ve uncovered a major lead—far more promising than before."
Tears welled up in their eyes as they exhaled shakily. "That’s good… that’s good. We don’t ask for much—just to see those criminals punished, brought to justice, executed."
Even after five years, their grief remained raw. Silent tears streamed down their faces, their expressions a mix of sorrow and fragile hope, making the scene unbearably heavy.
Though not the most eloquent, Guan Xia joined Ji An in offering comfort. Once the elderly couple had steadied themselves, Ji An suggested, "Uncle, Auntie, there are some things I’d like to ask you. Shall we go inside and talk?"
Eager to help, they immediately agreed, grasping Ji An’s arm. "Yes, yes, let’s go in."
Back inside the apartment, they settled onto the sofa. Ji An, familiar with the place, fetched water before sitting down. "Auntie, Uncle, while reviewing some records, we noticed that Ning Xin once took Ping An for a check-up at a place called Kangjian Health Center—and it was scheduled unusually close to a previous exam. Do you know why? Did she mention anything to you?"
"Kangjian?" Ning Xin’s mother frowned briefly before recalling. "Ah, yes! That was when my husband and I were due for our physicals. A relative recommended the place—same packages as elsewhere but hundreds cheaper, with state-of-the-art equipment. That night, during a family gathering for someone’s birthday, we all decided to book appointments together. At first, Ning Xin wasn’t interested, but Ping An insisted after seeing the other kids going. She rarely refused Ping An, so after a few pleas, she agreed."
After explaining, she looked puzzled. "Why? Is there something wrong with that center?"
Before Ji An could answer, Ning Xin’s father interjected, "You get what you pay for. I always said such a cheap place must have tricks. High-end medical equipment costs a fortune—tens of thousands per machine. How could they undercut competitors so much? Something’s fishy."
He ranted on until his wife nudged him to hush and let Ji An speak.
Embarrassed, Ning Xin’s mother apologized, "Old folks ramble. Don’t mind him. So, is the center really suspicious?"
Ji An replied carefully, "We’re just exploring all possibilities. Nothing’s confirmed until the investigation concludes."
Ning Xin’s mother then shared more details: Kangjian was a chain, spacious and well-equipped. During her visit, she’d noticed the machines looked new—staff claimed they were imported, cutting-edge models. The center also frequently ran charity drives, offering steep discounts for basic screenings to low-income groups.
Over the years, she’d received flyers advertising unbelievably low prices for standard tests like ECGs, CT scans, and ultrasounds—still a bargain despite limited options. With a decade in Shangshuang City, Kangjian had built a sterling reputation, even securing corporate contracts for employee check-ups. Most of her friends and neighbors had been there.
After an hour-long discussion, once the elderly couple had shared all they knew, Guan Xia’s group bid farewell.
As they left, Ning Xin’s parents stayed behind. Guan Xia glimpsed them pulling out photo albums and old home videos of Ning Xin, sitting quietly on the sofa, lost in memory.
It was Guan Xia’s first close encounter with grieving family members. The weight of their sorrow pressed on her like a stone, leaving her steps sluggish and spirit dampened.
Silently trailing Ji An to the car, she rubbed her face to shake off the gloom, then straightened up. "Ji An, are we heading to the health center next?"
Initially, Ping An’s medical reports hadn’t raised alarms, but after hearing Ning Xin’s parents’ account, Guan Xia sensed something off—whether it was the system’s intuition or her own gut, she couldn’t tell.
Jiang Yingyao chimed in, "Let’s check it out. So far, it’s the only lead with red flags. If it’s clean, we’ll pivot elsewhere."
Ji An nodded. "Agreed. We’ll start there while waiting for updates from Wang Yu. If they find another missing person linked to this, we’ll have a clearer direction."
For now, they were venturing into a completely new direction based on mere speculation, with nothing but fog ahead. The only way forward was to feel for each stepping stone and cross the river cautiously—there was no use rushing.
After leaving Ning Xin’s home, Ji An checked the navigation and headed straight for the medical examination center.
Located in a slightly off-center part of the city, opposite to where Ning Xin lived, the examination center covered a considerable area. A steady stream of people flowed in and out, ranging from elderly individuals to young children—proof of its well-established reputation across all age groups.
Guan Xia also noticed groups of middle-aged people entering together, likely employees sent by their companies for routine check-ups.
Standing at the entrance for a few seconds, Jiang Yingyao suggested, "Since we’re already here, why don’t we get a check-up too? It’s not expensive, and it’ll give us peace of mind."
Ji An turned to Guan Xia and asked, "When was your last physical?"
Guan Xia thought for a moment. "Early last year, I think? I can’t remember exactly. I had two colds in a row, and a lung CT showed nodules, so I went ahead with a full check-up."
"That’s over a year ago," Ji An said. "Mine was years back. I’ve been moving around too much to settle in one place long enough, and honestly, I’m a little afraid of check-ups."
"Same," Jiang Yingyao chimed in. "When you don’t get checked, you feel fine. But once you do, suddenly everything seems wrong. My last one was last year, and the list of issues was endless—a herniated disc was the least of it."
After a brief hesitation, Guan Xia was swayed by Jiang Yingyao’s "since we’re already here" logic. The three of them first walked around the area before heading to the reception desk to inquire about examinations.
To Guan Xia’s surprise, they had arrived too late—there were no on-site appointments left. They could either book online for a later date or come early the next morning to queue.
With no other choice, they adjusted their plans and decided to look around for superficial observations.
Guan Xia noticed that the corridor walls were lined with portraits of renowned medical pioneers. At the very end, smaller frames displayed the examination center’s own distinguished doctors.
Her eyes skimmed over several elderly physicians with deep wrinkles and white hair, their credentials boasting experience at top-tier hospitals nationwide.
"This place really went all out," Guan Xia remarked in awe. "How did they manage to recruit such prestigious doctors?"
"Look at their ages," Ji An pointed out after a closer inspection. "The youngest is nearly 80. At that age, even if they’re brought back post-retirement, they wouldn’t have the energy for regular consultations, let alone surgeries. My guess is that’s why they were hired here—just to review scans."
Guan Xia focused again and realized the doctors’ birth years were listed, but not their exact ages.
Ji An’s explanation made sense. Compared to the demands of a standard hospital, this center’s workload was much lighter. These doctors likely only needed to spend a few concentrated hours assessing reports—something well within their expertise.
As they moved down the hallway, Guan Xia and the others planned to explore further. Passing a waiting area, they overheard a middle-aged woman tugging at a nurse’s sleeve.
"Nurse, I wanted to ask—why isn’t Doctor Hu’s signature on my mother’s heart examination report? She’s the expert in this field. The last two times, her name was there. I specifically convinced my mom to come here because of her reputation."
The young nurse patiently explained, "Doctor Hu has passed away, which is why another doctor took over."
The woman gasped. "Passed away? But she was perfectly fine during last year’s check-up! Was it health-related…?"
Before she could finish, another younger woman passing by interjected, "She was unlucky enough to get caught up in a violent patient incident. She died late last year—it was even in the news. Didn’t you hear?"
The middle-aged woman’s expression shifted as if recalling something. "Oh! That Doctor Hu from the news was her? I skimmed past the headline and didn’t pay much attention. What a shame—her skills were incredible."
Shaking her head regretfully, she pressed further, "But she’d been retired for years, right? She was in her eighties. How did she even get involved in something like that? I heard she hadn’t performed surgeries in over a decade. She stopped seeing patients too when her energy faded. That’s why this center recruited her."
The younger woman shrugged. "Not sure about the details, but from what I heard, one of her former students called her in for a rare, complicated case—one she’d successfully operated on before. But right after she entered the hospital, a violent incident broke out in the next room. She happened to be in the hallway, wearing her white coat. The attacker went berserk, stabbing anyone in medical attire. The others were younger and pulled through, but she was too frail. Didn’t make it."
The middle-aged woman’s face twisted in anger and sorrow. "What happened to the attacker? How many years did he get?"
The younger woman smirked grimly. "He’s dead. Shot on the spot. After stabbing multiple people, he took a child hostage, ran to the rooftop, and threatened to jump with them. The SWAT team took him down."
Guan Xia froze. The words "hostage" and "shot on the spot" felt eerily familiar.
Ji An and Jiang Yingyao clearly made the same connection. The three exchanged glances, each lost in thought.
The women’s conversation ended abruptly when the younger one was called for her appointment.
With this unexpected discovery, none of them had the focus to continue their observations. They walked back to the car in silence. Once inside, Guan Xia couldn’t hold back.
"Another hostage situation ending in a shooting—is this a coincidence, or is there actually a link to the two cases we’ve been investigating?"
Ji An’s emotions were the most tangled. She never imagined that digging into Ning Xin and her mother’s disappearance would lead to clues tied to that elusive criminal organization—whose full scope remained unclear.
Though it was all hearsay for now, as a detective who had handled countless homicides, her instincts were already ringing alarm bells.
Jiang Yingyao's expression was grave as he said, "If this seemingly random homicide was actually premeditated, then it can't be a coincidence. I have another theory—Doctor Hu's murder might have a completely different motive from the killings in Wang Huiqin's family. Perhaps she discovered something, which led to her being silenced."
Guan Xia was momentarily stunned, her mind racing before she replied rapidly, "Doctor Hu practiced medicine for over fifty or sixty years. Judging by her credentials and experience, even if she wasn't a key figure in this medical center, she was still close enough to its core. Plus, given her age, she didn’t visit the center often. If there really is something wrong with this place—or with someone working here—they likely wouldn’t have been wary of her. It’s entirely possible she noticed something."
Ji An's expression shifted several times before he interjected, "To find out whether she really discovered something, we should check with the local police station. See if her home was burglarized around the time of her death. If it was, that would mean Doctor Hu not only knew something but might have also had some kind of evidence in her possession."
Guan Xia felt a chill run down her spine. She was both surprised that a casual visit today had yielded such significant leads and shocked by the complexity of the case. Two seemingly unrelated incidents now shared a startling connection.
If their suspicions turned out to be true—if they could find concrete proof—this case would blow the lid off something enormous.
