Chapter 22: New Lover, Old Flame

After some comforting from Liu Qi and Mao Mao, Xiaoxiao finally managed to stabilize her emotions. Yet, the atmosphere in the room remained incredibly oppressive.

"Luckily, he didn't succeed. When he pinned me against the table, I happened to grab a beer bottle."

"In my panic, I smashed the bottle against his head, and that’s when he let go of me."

"I was completely dazed at the time, and my clothes were torn. I only remember cowering in the corner, crying, holding a shard of the broken bottle to my own throat, telling him that if he dared to come any closer, I would kill myself right in front of him."

"He was probably afraid that if I actually committed suicide, he wouldn't be able to escape the consequences, so he knelt on the floor, claiming he was drunk and had lost his mind, begging me to forgive him."

"Then he started saying he truly liked me and just couldn't control himself for a moment."

"He even claimed that his relationship with his wife was poor and that they had been separated for a long time. He said if I were willing, he would divorce her for me."

"He promised to buy me a car and a house, give me a status, and even promote me to head nurse."

Hearing this, Zhou Yi rolled his eyes so hard it felt like they were going to hit the ceiling.

Damn, why are all middle-aged scumbags exactly the same? Whenever they try to cheat on or swindle young girls, they use the exact same script.

Could it be that they were all trained by the same teacher? Or is this just a common, rotten trait of human nature?

Mao Mao exclaimed, "You can't believe a word from a person like that!"

Xiaoxiao wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and nodded. "I know. I didn't believe him. I told him I was going to the police. He then took two thousand yuan out of his bag, saying it was compensation for me."

"You didn't take it, did you?" Zhou Yi asked quickly.

Xiaoxiao shook her head. If she had taken that money, things would have become ambiguous; even if she went to the police, she could have been counter-accused of extortion.

"Later, when the restaurant waiter came to clear the table, I took the chance to run."

Wu Yongcheng asked with a grim expression, "You didn't report it to the police?"

"I... I didn't dare. If this got out, how could I hold my head up? Besides, he is a department director. If he wasn't arrested, my career would be ruined."

Wu Yongcheng fell silent. He knew very well that in a situation like this, without witnesses or physical evidence, and with the rape attempt being only in the intent stage rather than carried out, even if she had reported it, it most likely would have been dropped.

The law requires evidence, and justice must be executed according to the law; those are the rules of human society.

"Oh, no wonder you transferred to another department later," Liu Qi said.

"No, after this happened, I didn't transfer right away. The guy surnamed Zhu actually kept a low profile for a while."

"About a week later, he suddenly came to find me, gave me a bankbook with ten thousand yuan in it, and told me to be his mistress."

"Ugh, shameless!" the two girls cursed indignantly.

"I cursed him out and drove him away. I thought that was the end of it, but from that day on, I was targeted at work. He would find any excuse to berate me and turned the entire department against me."

"During that period, I felt like going to work was pure torture. I even thought about just ending it all."

Zhou Yi couldn't help but blurt out, "Damn, that’s textbook PUA."

Wu Yongcheng blinked. "PUA what?"

"It’s psychological manipulation. By intentionally demeaning and suppressing someone’s personality and self-esteem, the goal is to gain control over their mind."

Wu Yongcheng was surprised. How did this kid know so much?

Xiaoxiao said with a lingering sense of fear, "At my lowest point, thankfully, the current head nurse of the department gave me a hand, saying they happened to be short-staffed, so I transferred over. Otherwise, I really don't know what I would have done."

Zhou Yi looked around the environment. They were living in an old apartment building, likely a former staff dormitory from years ago, full of the wear and tear of time.

It was nothing like Zhang Xinli’s living situation. Clearly, these girls were all from ordinary backgrounds, just struggling to make a living.

Moreover, from a man's aesthetic perspective, Xiaoxiao was much better-looking and younger than Zhang Xinli. The fact that she could resist the temptation of money and power was worthy of respect.

"Do you know if Zhu Xuejun harassed anyone else besides you?" Zhou Yi asked.

"I heard later that many newcomers entering the gastroenterology department were harassed by him. It's rumored that our former head nurse was involved with him and was promoted because of it."

"Oh, I just remembered something," Mao Mao called out.

"What is it?"

"When Du Xiaolin was on her rotation, she spent three months in the gastroenterology ward. She even bragged that the department was easy work and had high bonuses."

A rotation is a nursing system where staff are moved between departments; not every department requires it, but nurses generally must spend time in at least three or four to improve their professional skills.

"How was Du Xiaolin’s work performance? Were there any issues?" Zhou Yi asked.

"Don't even mention it; working shifts with her was a nightmare. Either her attitude was poor and she’d get complaints, or she’d mix up patients' medication. It caused us to lose our bonuses together."

Zhou Yi immediately thought of his only encounter with Du Xiaolin; her attitude was indeed far from pleasant. "Was she always like that?"

"I don't think so. She was perfectly normal before."

"When did it start?"

"Let me think... I really can't remember exactly when, but it’s been within the last few months."

"Was it before or after Du Xiaolin went to the gastroenterology department for her rotation?"

"After," Mao Mao replied immediately. "Because she finished her rotation over three months ago."

Zhou Yi and Wu Yongcheng exchanged glances. It seemed the deceased and Zhu Xuejun had indeed crossed paths, and Du Xiaolin’s change in work attitude began after that.

"Do you know if Zhang Xinli ever had experience working in the gastroenterology department?" Zhou Yi asked.

The nurses looked at each other. "Sister Zhang? I don't think so. When we arrived, Sister Zhang was already in the emergency department, and she definitely hasn't been there since."

Actually, the answer didn't change much, as the fifty thousand yuan Chen Yan discovered was the best proof.

The thread of the entire case seemed clear. Zhu Xuejun used his position and money to coerce and bribe nurses. Zhang Xinli was his mistress and had received significant financial benefits.

As for the extent of the relationship between Du Xiaolin and Zhu Xuejun, it remained unknown for now.

However, based on the incident Mao Mao witnessed, Du Xiaolin had likely become his mistress, and it was highly probable that Zhu Xuejun had discarded the aging Zhang Xinli for the young and beautiful Du Xiaolin.

Zhang Xinli, harboring resentment, eventually plotted and murdered Du Xiaolin in a fit of rage.

As the two men drove away, it was clear that Zhu Xuejun was the key to this case.

On the way, Zhou Yi pondered one thing: this Zhu Xuejun would be difficult to deal with.

Otherwise, how could the cold case file from 316 have no information related to him?

He believed that Wu Yongcheng and his team must have thoroughly investigated Du Xiaolin’s social circle back then. The fact that they hadn't uncovered Zhu Xuejun meant that his interactions with her were extremely cautious, leaving no traces behind.

Yet, he had transferred fifty thousand yuan to Zhang Xinli, leaving such an obvious piece of evidence.

Could there be a hidden secret here?

"Captain Wu, I think we should bring Zhu Xuejun into the station for questioning. This man is likely the key to the entire case."

Wu Yongcheng, chewing on a cigarette, nodded and said with a solemn face, "Hmm. Whether or not you can be transferred to work as my temporary assistant depends on whether we can get a breakthrough from this guy named Zhu."

Zhou Yi was stunned for a moment. Hey, how did this suddenly become my problem?