Chapter 39: Escalation of the Situation

Yang Dong had never imagined he would end up in the hospital twice in one week. The first time, it was after being beaten by some thugs; the second, a car accident. The hospital was the same, but now his room had changed to the ICU. The difference this time was the crowd outside—city officials lined the benches in the corridor. Among them were the head of the traffic police division, leaders from the city prosecutor’s office, and, most numerous of all, officials from the city disciplinary committee.

This weighed heavily on the attending physician’s mind, but he knew he had to do his utmost to save the patient. The hospital president accompanied the officials personally, not daring to show any negligence. “Director Su, Director Liu, and all the leaders, please rest assured: our hospital will do everything possible to save the patient,” he promised solemnly to Su Tongzhou and Liu Shan.

Both Su Tongzhou and Liu Shan had come to the hospital because this accident was anything but ordinary; there was something strange about it. After Jiang Hu dropped the nanny off at the city disciplinary committee’s hotel, Lu Yike immediately reported the progress of the case to Su Tongzhou. Only then did Su Tongzhou learn that Yang Dong had indeed found the nanny and pulled off a clever diversion. But soon after, the traffic police notified the disciplinary committee that an accident had occurred at the junction three kilometers from Lingyun City. Upon confirming the identity, they discovered it was one of their own.

Su Tongzhou and Liu Shan rushed to the hospital to check on Yang Dong. Night had fallen, but Yang Dong had yet to regain consciousness. The attending physician explained: the patient had suffered a head injury days ago, resulting in mild concussion; this accident had aggravated the concussion, and there were fractures in his arm and some muscle damage in his shoulder. Even if he woke up, he’d need at least half a month to recover.

Su Tongzhou was furious upon hearing the diagnosis. He knew perfectly well the cause of the accident. Regardless of the reason, this was a blatant violation of rules. Who would dare to do such a thing? Was this a desperate gamble, a reckless break with all decorum?

“Why don’t the two leaders go home first? I’ll stay here with him,” Jiang Hu suggested, looking apologetic. He’d been so focused on getting the nanny back to the city that he hadn’t considered Yang Dong’s reasoning. Now he realized the risk and intrigue involved, and felt he’d let Yang Dong down. Had he understood earlier, he wouldn’t have ridden the motorcycle; he would have had Yang Dong take the nanny away and driven back himself.

“How is Yang Dong?” Before Su Tongzhou and Liu Shan could reply, an urgent voice echoed from the corridor—a young woman. Guan Jiujie, dressed in a nurse’s uniform, all in white, rushed toward the ICU, her face filled with anxiety and concern.

“How did Yang Dong end up in a car accident? Can anyone tell me?” Guan Jiujie peered through the window at Yang Dong, whose head was bandaged and who was still unconscious. This time, unlike the previous incident, he had been out for half a day with no sign of waking.

“The cause is still under investigation. Young lady, what is your relationship with Yang Dong?” Liu Shan asked, noting her nurse’s attire—she must be a hospital nurse, but her concern suggested something more, perhaps a romantic connection.

Guan Jiujie answered politely, “Good evening, leaders. I am a close friend of Yang Dong.”

“Are you the same Guan Jiujie whom Yang Dong rescued at the KTV?” Jiang Hu suddenly recalled, unable to contain his curiosity. The story had spread throughout Lingyun City; everyone in official circles knew it. Yang Dong had defied city leaders for her sake, even offending Wu, the head of the building materials enterprise. Su Tongzhou and Liu Shan had heard the tale and were intrigued.

“May I go in and see him?” Guan Jiujie asked Su Tongzhou. She knew this middle-aged man was now Yang Dong’s superior, a leader in the disciplinary committee—and her father Guan Mushan’s subordinate.

“It’s best to wait until he wakes up,” Su Tongzhou replied, hesitating but ultimately refusing her request.

“Leaders, I’ll stay here with her and watch over Yang Dong. Please, you should go back,” Jiang Hu said. “We must ensure the traffic police catch the perpetrator and punish them severely. Judging by the scene, it was clearly intentional!”

Su Tongzhou and Liu Shan nodded. They were determined not only to urge the traffic police to clarify the cause quickly but also to report the incident to the disciplinary committee’s leadership. An accident involving a member of the investigation team was not a trivial matter.

“Jiang, if anything happens, make sure to call immediately,” Su Tongzhou instructed before leaving the hospital with his group. The other officials followed suit, soon leaving the corridor deserted except for Jiang Hu and Guan Jiujie. Not knowing each other well, they sat in silence, both watching Yang Dong anxiously, wishing for his speedy recovery.

Su Tongzhou and Liu Shan drove straight to the city disciplinary committee building, heading to the office of Executive Deputy Secretary Wei Chonghu to report the accident.

Bang!

Wei Chonghu, upon hearing the report from his two trusted aides, leapt to his feet, slamming the desk in fury. “Outrageous! This is too much!”

Su Tongzhou and Liu Shan stood silently by, both well aware of whom the outrage was directed at. Acting outside the rules was a grave taboo—even attempting murder crossed the line. It likely exceeded even Wei Chonghu’s tolerance.

“Come, let’s report to Secretary Guan. The gravity of this matter is beyond our authority now,” Wei Chonghu declared, storming toward Guan Mushan’s office. Su Tongzhou and Liu Shan followed closely, knowing the situation had escalated.

At the same time, in Xu Yuncai’s office, Xu Yuncai was also in a rage, trembling with anger. “He Wu, who authorized you to act on your own? Are you mad? You dared to target the disciplinary committee’s people?”

“Do you realize this could doom us all?”

“Anyone with sense knows this was a scheme, an intentional crash—do you take everyone for fools?”

Xu Yuncai bitterly regretted promoting the foolish He Wu; he wished he’d left him to rot in the prosecutor’s office. No matter the struggle, it had to stay within the rules. Framing Yin Tiejun was a taboo but at least followed the rules. But He Wu, thinking himself clever, tried to eliminate a disciplinary committee member—total destruction of the rules.

If the higher-ups come down hard, Xu Yuncai, as deputy secretary of the disciplinary committee, couldn’t bear the consequences.

“Have you taken care of everything? Where did you find the driver? Make sure he gets away!” Xu Yuncai took a deep breath, striving for composure. Now wasn’t the time to blame He Wu—it was about cleaning up the mess.

“Rest assured, everything’s handled. It was a scrapped car, no plates, de-registered. The driver was a drifter I hired and paid a hundred thousand yuan. He’s already gone; by now, he’s surely out of Lingyun City,” He Wu reported over the phone.

“Fine. But never act on your own again. If you do, I won’t care what happens to you.”

“Yes, yes, boss, just this once—I really wanted to help you,” He Wu replied, sycophantic and eager, making Xu Yuncai rub his aching forehead.

“I truly wonder if you’re helping or hurting me.”

He knew, from the moment the accident occurred, the situation had irrevocably changed, escalating beyond anyone’s control.