Chapter 308: Chen Shi and Dogs Not Allowed
Chen Shi and Lin Dongxue stood outside the gate for what felt like forever. Lin Dongxue finally remarked, “That woman didn’t even tell him we were here, did she?”
Just then, a servant came out and started nailing a sign to the door. Chen Shi stepped forward to ask a question but froze when he saw the sign: “Chen Shi and Dogs Not Allowed!” His jaw dropped.
Lin Dongxue covered her mouth, laughing, “What did you do to piss him off this time?”
“I guess he thinks my arrival always means trouble.”
“Should we flash our police IDs?” Lin Dongxue suggested.
“No, absolutely not. We can’t show our police IDs. X might be inside right now,” Chen Shi replied, turning to the servant. “Excuse me, are there guests tonight?”
The servant pointed at the sign, “You and your friend aren’t welcome. Those are the old man’s words.”
“It seems…” Lin Dongxue started, then realized, “Wait, who are you calling a dog?”
The servant just gave them a cold shoulder and walked away.
“It looks like we’ll have to be more forceful,” Lin Dongxue said, reaching for her badge.
“Hold on, don’t rush. Let’s play it by ear.”
Chen Shi decided to take Lin Dongxue for a walk around the area. Feeling guilty about slacking off during work hours, Lin Dongxue was reassured when Chen Shi explained that they were resting now to be more effective later in the evening.
After picking up Tao Yuanyue from school, they returned to the villa. It looked completely different at night. The front doors were wide open, with buffet tables set up inside. Well-dressed guests sipped champagne and chatted. However, the offensive sign was still up.
“Wow, it’s a party, not just a dinner,” Lin Dongxue noted.
“With a truckload of food, it was always going to be a party. These must be company employees,” Chen Shi guessed.
“Why hold a party for no particular reason?” Lin Dongxue wondered.
As they approached the villa, two burly guards stopped them at the gate. Lin Dongxue started to reach for her badge, but Chen Shi pulled her aside, saying, “Don’t reveal your identity!”
“How else are we getting in? Take these guys down?”
“Showing your badge won’t help. These are private guards. Without an invitation, they won’t let us in.”
Lin Dongxue looked around, noting the high iron fence and guards posted every few feet. Forcing their way in was impossible. She noticed the guards wore badges with a company logo. “The head of this security company has a record. My brother arrested him once. Let’s give it a shot.”
She called Lin Qiupu, and within five minutes, the guards received a call and eyed Chen Shi and Lin Dongxue suspiciously.
When they approached again, Lin Dongxue asked smugly, “Can we go in now?”
The guards stepped aside, gesturing for them to enter. Chen Shi commented, “Your brother’s connections are quite useful.”
“Being a cop means legally intruding into others’ lives,” Lin Dongxue smiled.
Dressed casually, they stood out among the formally dressed guests, but no one seemed to notice them. Chen Shi listened to snippets of conversation as they mingled.
“I think performing an arterial embolization first will shorten surgery time and simplify the procedure, making it safer…”
“Retroperitoneal laparoscopic nephrectomy is the current consensus in the field, regardless of the risks, it’s better than traditional open surgery…”
“Considering the patient’s condition, a top medical team might not match a well-coordinated team with over three thousand surgeries…”
“Are these all doctors?” Lin Dongxue whispered.
“I recognize some of the best doctors in the city. Looks like Old Man Lu is sick and brought these experts for a consultation. It’s quite a lineup,” Chen Shi observed.
“Rich people can waste medical resources like this? With all these top doctors here, many underprivileged patients’ surgeries will be delayed.”
“Let’s gather some intel.”
“Who should we talk to?”
“Let’s split up. Together, we look suspicious.”
Almost immediately after they separated, a young doctor approached Lin Dongxue politely, “Are you a colleague?”
“Uh… yes…” she replied.
“We’re discussing the pros and cons of anterior versus posterior approaches. I’d love to hear your thoughts.”
“I… I just got off a plane. I’m not up to speed yet.”
“You haven’t seen the patient?”
“No, I haven’t even changed clothes.”
“Well, I’d be happy to share our findings and get your opinion. Can I get your WeChat?”
“Sure.”
After exchanging contacts, the doctor sent her a large file and said, “Read this, and we can discuss it later. By the way, you are…?”
“Dr. Lin.”
“Oh, you’re the famous Dr. Lin from Long’an First People’s Hospital. So young and beautiful! Nice to meet you. I’m Li Yuan from Shanghai Xiehe Hospital. You’ve probably read my papers.”
“Yes, yes, very impressive and… uh, professional.”
“Any comments on my paper on Hem-o-lok in retroperitoneal laparoscopic nephrectomy?”
“Uh… let me review the materials first.”
“Of course, I’ll be right here.”
Lin Dongxue breathed a sigh of relief as he walked away. Men really did lose IQ points around beautiful women. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t been caught.
Chen Shi returned dejectedly. “Nobody talks to me dressed like this. One guy even asked if I practice traditional Chinese medicine.”
Lin Dongxue proudly waved her phone, “I got the consultation files.”
“Wow, you must’ve used your charm. Definitely not because of your medical expertise.”
“Shut up!” she laughed, punching him playfully.
They huddled over the documents. Though they couldn’t understand most of the medical jargon, they gathered that Old Man Lu had kidney cancer and was planning both a nephrectomy and a kidney transplant.
“A kidney transplant? So he brought back his illegitimate child for this,” Chen Shi mused, chewing on something.
“What are you eating?”
“Cherries. They’re big and sweet.” He offered one to Lin Dongxue, who took it with a bite.
“But the illegitimate child is fake. The transplant won’t work.”
“He probably won’t even match for the transplant. But since he passed the paternity test and is officially recognized, he’ll definitely try to sabotage the surgery. Old Man Lu is in danger!”