Chapter 88: The Key to Breaking the Deadlock

Chapter 88: Chapter 88: The Key to Breaking the Deadlock

The moment Yu Zhiming realized he’d walked into a meticulously set trap, he was a wreck.

But he hadn’t reached the point of a mental breakdown, nor was he completely at a loss.

He knew one thing for certain: his conscience was clear. Therefore, he had no reason to fear any conspiracy or plot.

But his first priority was self-preservation.

Facing this critical emergency, Yu Zhiming quickly suppressed his panic and forced himself to become calm and composed.

He saw several men, reeking of alcohol, burst into the private room. They advanced on him menacingly, looking as if they were about to beat him to a pulp.

They had him outnumbered, and with no clear escape route, his only option was to stand his ground.

Yu Zhiming put on a stern, unassailable expression.

In a clear, loud voice, he spoke rapidly and aggressively, "I am Yu Zhiming, an attending physician at Huashan Hospital. Do you intend to assault me?"

"Have you considered the consequences of doing so?"

The seven or eight men who had charged at him were actually taken aback by his sudden outburst. For a moment, they hesitated to make a move.

Seizing the opportunity, Yu Zhiming raised his right hand and threatened, "This is the hand I use to perform surgery on my patients."

"If you so much as graze it, I’ll claim you damaged the nerves, and I’ll never be able to hold a scalpel again."

"When that happens, you won’t be able to afford the compensation even if you sell your houses."

And what do you know, his threats actually worked. The men who had closed in all took a step back.

Emboldened, Yu Zhiming’s momentum didn’t falter. He pointed toward Liu Xuan and Gao Yun, who were hiding in the other corner of the private room.

"A moment ago, I was indeed performing a breast examination on Miss Liu Xuan over there."

"It now appears she has some questions regarding my examination technique."

"Having questions isn’t a problem. We can let the police handle it. You don’t mind if I call them, do you?"

As he spoke, Yu Zhiming walked steadily to the dining table and picked up his phone.

He dialed 110 and put the call on speaker...

While waiting for the call to connect, Yu Zhiming glanced at Gao Yun and noticed her averting her gaze, completely unable to meet his eyes.

Yu Zhiming’s heart sank further and further.

Gao Yun was a crucial part of their trap; she had exploited their old college friendship to make him lower his guard.

’Their scheme must be more elaborate than this.’

’What will I have to face next?’ An inexplicable sense of anxiety and unease welled up inside Yu Zhiming.

"Hello, you’ve reached the 110 emergency dispatch center..."

More than ten minutes later, as Yu Zhiming sat in the back of a police car, the tense energy that had sustained him finally dissipated.

He slumped into the seat as if all his bones had been removed.

At the same time, the sweat he’d been holding back for so long gushed out. In addition to his face, the front and back of his shirt were completely soaked.

Jin Feng, the deputy director of the Xinyuan Street Police Station in Nanjiang District—the precinct that Huashan Hospital fell under—leaned back from the passenger seat.

"Dr. Yu, what exactly is going on?"

Yu Zhiming gave a bitter smile. "Director Jin, if I told you I was set up, would you believe me...?"

「Twenty minutes or so later, in an interrogation room at the Xinyuan Street Police Station in Nanjiang District.」

Yu Zhiming met with Jin Feng again. With a grim expression, Jin Feng showed him a video.

Parts of the video were blurred, but it clearly showed Yu Zhiming using both hands to perform a breast exam on Liu Xuan.

"Dr. Yu, this video has already been posted online. It’s spreading fast."

"I have to say, the footage is... rather suggestive."

Yu Zhiming stated firmly, "Director Jin, I was truly just performing a breast exam. I had no other intentions."

Jin Feng looked at Yu Zhiming, hesitating for a moment before saying with a note of pity, "Dr. Yu, I really want to believe you."

"But a breast exam that lasts five minutes and thirty-seven seconds? And in a private room at a restaurant, of all places."

"Who’s going to believe that?"

"Dr. Yu, let me give you some personal advice. If you have any connections or resources, use them now. Try to reach a settlement with them first."

"If this goes to court, indecent assault is a criminal offense. If you’re convicted..."

Jin Feng reminded him, "You’ll be sent to prison."

"At that point, you’ll not only lose your job, but your medical license as well."

’Public backlash online, and a criminal charge for indecent assault?’

Seeing that his opponents had finally shown their hand, Yu Zhiming felt a strange sense of relief, as if a weight had been lifted.

His heart was no longer pounding with uncertainty.

Yu Zhiming let out a long sigh. "Director Jin, thank you for the heads-up."

"However, I was simply doing my duty as a doctor—performing a breast exam. I had no improper thoughts."

"I will never admit to this so-called ’indecent assault.’ Even if it goes to court, I will not buckle and plead guilty."

"I firmly believe the law will not punish an innocent man."

Jin Feng looked at Yu Zhiming, unsure whether to call him naive and idealistic or to admire his pure-hearted integrity.

After a moment of silence, Jin Feng stood up.

"You claim she willingly unfastened her clothes and asked you to perform the exam, but their two statements are perfectly consistent."

"They say you were the one who insisted Liu Xuan had a serious breast problem and needed a detailed examination immediately."

"They said Liu Xuan was worried sick, and only because she trusted your exceptional medical skills did she reluctantly agree to the examination."

"She just never expected you to have ulterior motives."

After a pause, Jin Feng added, "Since you claim it’s a setup... well, every action leaves a trace. I’ll head back to Xiangxiang Pavilion and investigate further. Hopefully I can dig up some leads."

Yu Zhiming also rose to his feet. "Director Jin, thank you!"

Jin Feng gave a casual wave of his hand. "I just hope I haven’t misplaced my trust this time..."

More than half an hour later, back in the interrogation room, Yu Zhiming finally saw someone he could trust, someone who brought him a sense of relief.

Teacher Qi!

Teacher Qi had not come alone. He brought with him a calm-looking, middle-aged man with a square jaw.

"This is my lawyer, Qian Guangyu. He will be acting as your legal counsel."

After introducing the man, Qi Yue couldn’t help but chide him. "Zhiming, haven’t I warned you to be extremely cautious with physical exams? To not give anyone leverage against you?"

Yu Zhiming hung his head like a schoolboy who had done something wrong.

"Teacher, I was wrong."

"I let my guard down because one of them was an old classmate from university. I never imagined she’d harbor such malicious intent."

"Truly, the deadliest heart is a woman’s."

Qi Yue snorted, frustrated by his naivete. "When the price is right, people will betray their own parents, let alone a classmate you haven’t spoken to in years."

"Ultimately, you were the one who dropped your guard. You were foolish and gave them the opening they needed."

Seeing Yu Zhiming’s head sink so low it nearly touched his chest, Qi Yue couldn’t bring himself to continue the harsh lecture.

These things were difficult to prevent, especially since Zhiming was inexperienced and had been somewhat sheltered by his family, leaving him a bit naive.

Besides, he was clearly being targeted.

Besides, who doesn’t make mistakes in their youth? Who hasn’t done things that seemed unbelievably foolish to others?

’He’d been a fool himself a few times back in the day.’

’Only by taking some real hits does one truly mature.’

With these thoughts in mind, Qi Yue sighed inwardly and mused, "To be able to turn your old classmate and set up a trap just for you... the person behind this must have some serious influence."

Yu Zhiming lifted his head. "Trying to ruin my career and frame me for a crime... this is the work of a mortal enemy."

"I’ve been in Binhai for less than a month. I barely know anyone. I certainly haven’t made any blood feuds."

Yu Zhiming had briefly suspected Madam Wei, the one who’d told him to "just you wait," but he dismissed the idea.

’Businesspeople value harmony and wealth.’

’Would she really play such a deadly hand over a minor disagreement?’

’Isn’t the Wei Family worried about provoking someone truly ruthless and facing total annihilation?’

Qi Yue’s voice turned cold. "Zhiming, you must never underestimate how malicious people can be."

"Perhaps you’ve been too much in the limelight, or someone is simply jealous of you. Maybe they don’t want to see you succeed, or maybe you’re in their way. For any of those reasons, people will resort to ruthless schemes to take you down."

After a moment’s pause, Qi Yue’s expression became exceptionally grave. "Zhiming, we’ve seen the video."

"Lawyer Qian says the evidence is stacked against you. Based on the information we have now, there’s a very high chance you’ll be convicted."

"Zhiming, you have to be completely honest with me. What, exactly, was going through your mind at the time?"

"Teacher, you don’t believe me either?"

A genuine panic crept into Yu Zhiming’s voice. "Teacher, I swear I had no other thoughts! I just sensed something was wrong with her breast and wanted to examine it more closely."

"I lost track of time."

Qi Yue’s expression jolted. "Zhiming, are you certain you sensed something was wrong with her breast?"

Yu Zhiming nodded. "If there wasn’t a problem, why would I have spent so long examining it?"

"I’m not even interested in her. Hers are too big; that’s not my type at all."

"I prefer them not too big, not too small... just right."

Qi Yue’s expression visibly relaxed.

"Zhiming, the key to breaking this impasse lies in whether this ’feeling’ you had—this sense that something was wrong—proves to be true, just like all the other times..."