Chapter 3: Cashing In Trust

2:00 AM. The quiet of the city's heart was torn apart by a suffocating weight. Inside the clinic, the air hung thick with the nauseating mix of antiseptic and blood, so cloying and still that even breathing felt like wading through syrup. The rain had just stopped outside, leaving winding trails on the glass that reflected the sickly, yellow halo of a streetlamp beyond. The light sliced the room into fractured, jagged pieces.

Lin Qiaowei stood before the autopsy table, her knuckles white. Slowly, she unfolded the black rubber glove, the dark fluid inside glistening with a sinister sheen under the harsh light. The moment her fingertips brushed the residue, the sharp, pungent scent of bitter almonds struck her, coiling into her sinuses like a venomous snake and blasting straight to her brain. This was poison. This was the taste of death.

The instant her touch registered, a golden stethoscope icon flared to life in the depths of her mind, emitting a clear, cold electronic chime that sliced through the midnight silence. A system notification popped up in her vision: Causal Retrospection Complete. Trust Value increased by fifty. Total Trust Value now one hundred. Redemption function unlocked.

Lin Qiaowei took a sharp breath, forcing down the fine tremor in her fingertips as her eyes cooled behind her lenses. She knew this wasn't just a simple diagnosis. It was the first violent collision between an ancient, mystical power and the cold, hard logic of modern forensic investigation.

Shen Junhe stood in the shadows, his towering frame like a silent wall. His gaze, sharp as a blade, was fixed tightly on the silver stethoscope probe in her hands. His brow was furrowed, weighing exactly what kind of trump card this female doctor truly held.

Shen Junhe let out a cold chuckle, his smile not reaching his eyes. His voice echoed in the small space. "Doctor Lin, can that thing actually listen and figure out who the killer is? Or are you planning to use it to contact ghosts?"

Lin Qiaowei didn't turn around. Her voice was calm, almost mechanical, laced with an unyielding detachment. "It only listens to facts, Captain Shen. Facts don't lie. People do."

From the corner, a weak, pained whine broke the dead silence. Bai Lu lay weakly on the floor, its golden pupils shimmering with an unusual, alert terror. It hadn't fallen into the unconsciousness typical of a critically injured dog; instead, it stared intently at Lin Qiaowei, seemingly waiting for a command of salvation.

Something stirred in Lin Qiaowei's heart. The system panel flickered into view again, lines of ancient script slowly unfolding across her retinas, shifting like flowing water. Among them, the three characters for Anshen Powder shone brightly, emitting a soft golden light. This was a long-lost veterinary secret formula, specifically designed to calm the spiritual shock of mythical or supernatural beasts. Without a moment's hesitation, she selected the item.

Her fingertip tapped the empty air. A warm current instantly surged into her wrist, and a packet of powder that smelled faintly of medicine materialized out of nowhere in her previously empty palm. The sensation was so real it sent shivers down her spine.

Shen Junhe's brow locked tighter; he seemed to sense a strange energy fluctuation. "What are you up to? This isn't the place for magic tricks."

Lin Qiaowei ignored him, turning to the medicine cabinet. Her long, steady fingers moved with precision, weighing out each herb from the array of jars. Compounding Anshen Powder required extreme focus; even the slightest stray thought would render the medicine ineffective, or worse, trigger a backlash.

As the last herb powder dissolved into the mortar, a rich, clean fragrance spread through the air. Bai Lu, who had been twitching with agitation and even started gnawing on its own wounds, miraculously stilled. Its breathing leveled out, and the ferocity and fear in those lively eyes were replaced by a dependence that was almost human.

Slowly, it stood up, wagging its tail, and shuffled to Lin Qiaowei's feet. It nudged her pant leg with a wet nose, making contented huffing sounds.

Lin Qiaowei crouched down, speaking softly. "Bai Lu, do you understand? 'Sit.'"

An astonishing scene unfolded. The golden retriever, which had just been an injured pet, actually sat down perfectly, its eyes clear and focused, as if responding to every word of its master. Shen Junhe froze on the spot, the flashlight in his hand trembling slightly, the beam dancing across Bai Lu's furry back.

The skepticism in his eyes had retreated, replaced by a shock and recognition that was hard to articulate. He took a step forward, his tone no longer cold and hard, even carrying a rare trace of respect. "It seems I underestimated you, Doctor Lin."

However, this brief tranquility was shattered by a rough barrage of knocking. The clinic's glass door was shoved open with a screech of friction. Zhao Mingyu’s figure did not appear; instead, a middle-aged man in a gray suit with a sharp, mean face walked in.

Two black-suited bodyguards followed closely behind, exuding an intimidating aura. Their leather shoes made dull, heavy thuds on the wooden floor. The man claimed to be the top lawyer hired by Zhao Mingyu, pinching a yellowed seizure warrant in his hand, wearing an expression of a triumphant victor.

The lawyer slammed the document heavily onto the exam table, the sound crisp and sharp. "Lin Qiaowei, based on evidence provided by Mr. Zhao, you are practicing medicine illegally and are suspected of fraud. Cease all business immediately and cooperate with the investigation. Otherwise, we will petition the court to forcefully freeze all assets under your name."

Lin Qiaowei stood up, shielding Bai Lu with her body, her eyes icy. "What is the basis for this seizure warrant? Are you even allowed to threaten us with malicious slander?"

The lawyer scoffed, adjusting his glasses, a flash of contempt flickering behind the lenses. "Basis? The basis is that you stole the precious supplements Mr. Zhao gave to his pet and used that to stir up trouble. Mr. Zhao is famously meticulous; he wouldn't cross you without reason."

Just then, the clinic's back door banged open. Liu Guifen burst in, panting, clutching a bag of freshly bought ribs that were dripping blood onto the floor. Her face was red, and she looked fierce. She immediately stepped in front of Lin Qiaowei, glaring at the lawyer. "You little brat, you dare scare my daughter? I'm telling you, my daughter has saved more dogs than you've ever seen!

Whoever dares bully her, I'll tear their mouth off!"

Liu Guifen was rough, but that protective, fierce determination made the atmosphere instantly tense. The lawyer looked at this sharp-tongued old lady, a hint of disdain flickering in his eyes. He was just about to mock her, but Lin Qiaowei slowly raised her hand, silencing her mother’s tirade. She pulled a transparent film, thin as a cicada wing, from her system space. It flowed with streams of eerie blue data, like a starry sky.

Lin Qiaowei’s voice was calm, but every word carried the weight of a thousand pounds. "Before my mother gets angrier, I want to show you something. This is the complete surveillance data retrospect for the six hours before Bai Lu was poisoned, along with the causal chain for the source of the toxin."

"Zhao Mingyu, that lawyer friend of yours probably didn't tell you that his 'high-end pet nutrient' wasn't just cholecalciferol. It was laced with a rare neurotoxin. This toxin only has transaction records on three black markets, and the buyer's fingerprint from one of those markets is a perfect match."

The lawyer's face turned instantly pale, the seizure warrant trembling in his hands. "You... you're talking nonsense! That's fabricated evidence! Not even the police would accept it!"

Before he finished, the clinic's front door was pushed open again. Shen Junhe strode in, his police badge flashing coldly under the dim lights. He held a brand-new pair of handcuffs, his gaze like burning coals, locking directly onto the lawyer.

Shen Junhe’s voice was low, carrying undeniable authority. "This gentleman is suspected of attempted poisoning and illegal possession of controlled toxic substances. Come with us to the precinct. While you're at it, explain to Doctor Lin why you used such low-level tactics to frame an innocent person."

The lawyer's legs gave out, and he slumped into a chair. All his arrogant fire was extinguished the moment Shen Junhe appeared. Zhao Mingyu's name had become a burden they simply couldn't bear. As the lawyer was dragged away, the clinic returned to a deathly silence. Lin Qiaowei let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding and turned to look out the window.

The night was deep. The streets were empty, but at the edge of a distant streetlamp's yellow glow, a figure in a black hood was silently crouched in the shadows.

The figure lingered for a moment, seemingly exchanging information with some communication device, then quickly vanished into the night. Lin Qiaowei’s fingers gripped the stethoscope tightly, her fingertips turning white from the pressure. Zhao Mingyu’s departure was just the surface; the real mastermind orchestrating all this had only just shown the tip of the iceberg.

Bai Lu suddenly raised its head, letting out a low, warning growl toward the darkness outside, as if reminding its master that danger was not far away.

It was late at night, and the air in the clinic remained stagnant. Liu Guifen quietly handed a cup of hot tea to Lin Qiaowei, her movements gentle, almost cautious. Lin Qiaowei took the cup; the warmth seeping into her fingertips eased her tight nerves slightly, but the chill in her heart hadn't fully dissipated.

"Mom, did you see anything?" Lin Qiaowei’s voice was hoarse, her gaze following the fleeting black shadow outside the window.

Liu Guifen shook her head, her eyes revealing the clarity that comes from weathering many storms. "Zhao Mingyu is just a pawn. If someone can turn the Jingcheng medical community upside down with a flick of their hand, the people standing behind him are not ordinary. Remember, keep what happened tonight locked in your belly."

Lin Qiaowei took a deep breath, trying to bury the fear at the bottom of her heart. She turned to look at Bai Lu in the corner. The small animal, which had been so agitated earlier, was now curled up on a soft mat, making a faint purring sound in its throat, as if the terrifying events of the last hour hadn't happened. That low warning still rang in her ears, making Lin Qiaowei's back prickle with cold.

Her phone screen suddenly lit up, a text message from an anonymous number breaking the silence. There was only a single, short line on the screen, the font cold: "Doctor Lin, the effect of Anshen Powder is nice, but your life isn't ready to end yet."

Lin Qiaowei’s hand trembled violently, nearly dropping the phone. She quickly looked up at Shen Junhe, only to find he had already turned to leave, leaving behind a solitary, proud silhouette. Shen Junhe seemed to sense her gaze. He paused for a second, then, through the glass door, raised his index finger to his lips, making a hush gesture, his eyes full of the warning that this matter was far from over.

Lin Qiaowei gripped her phone, her knuckles white. The black fog outside seemed denser. In that moment, she clearly realized that she had stepped into a carefully woven deadly trap. Just as she was about to lock the door, a very light scraping of metal on the floor was heard from outside, as if something were slowly approaching, pressing against the crack in the door.