The sound rang a few times, but before Chen Mo could speak, the door handle was twisted open from outside. A figure appeared at the doorway, pausing briefly upon seeing Chen Mo standing by the window.
"Dr. Zhao?"
Turning around, Chen Mo sized up the woman who had pushed the door open. She looked to be in her early twenties, with fair skin, and her nurse's uniform was stretched taut over her full chest and hips, exuding a subtle, mature charm. As she noticed Chen Mo appraising her, a flirtatious smile curled at the corners of her lips. "Sorry, Dr. Zhao, I thought you weren't here."
With what seemed like a casual glance, Chen Mo's eyes swept over the name badge pinned to her ample chest, reading two lines of identity information.
Yang Xiaoyu, Cardiology Nurse.
Though he knew this woman should be considered his "colleague," Chen Mo's mind held no memories of Zhao Heping. So, while inwardly complaining about this ridiculous story that didn't provide a script, he tentatively asked, "Something up?"
"Not really..." The nurse named Yang Xiaoyu shrugged. "Something just happened at the hospital. The director, out of consideration for you, specially gave you three days off. I didn't expect you'd..." She hesitated. "Actually come to work."
Yang Xiaoyu spoke without much thought, but Chen Mo, as the listener, caught the implication. The director gave him time off? Just because of the medical dispute? But surely they wouldn't give all the doctors leave over one incident. And the nurse had used the word "specially," meaning this leave was only for him.
This feeling of "special treatment" didn't sit well with Chen Mo.
In a story world, any clue could hide danger. After a moment's thought, Chen Mo put on a warm smile. "Can't stand being idle. Just came by the office to see if there's anything I can help with."
Yang Xiaoyu pursed her lips and let out a light laugh. "Oh, Dr. Zhao, you're so considerate. But we wouldn't dare trouble you. Besides, the family members are still blocking the main gate. You should lie low for now, avoid causing yourself trouble—it'd be hard for the hospital to handle too."
"Huh? Oh..."
Chen Mo nodded vaguely, which drew a meaningful glance from Yang Xiaoyu as she looked him over.
"Dr. Zhao, have you been under too much work pressure lately? Something on your mind?"
"No, nothing." Chen Mo quickly steadied himself and smiled at Yang Xiaoyu.
"Good then. I'll get back to work." With that, Yang Xiaoyu seemed about to leave, but turned back at the door. "Oh, by the way, Dr. Zhao, what year did you start working at the hospital?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Dr. Zhao is young and accomplished. Everyone's a bit curious."
Seeming to realize she was being a bit forward, Yang Xiaoyu stuck out her tongue and left the office, leaving Chen Mo deep in thought.
Though things seemed calm on the surface, that might only be because he had just touched the tip of the iceberg in this story.
And his conversation with Yang Xiaoyu bothered him somewhat. It seemed the medical dispute had some underlying connection to this Zhao Heping.
Just then, rustle, rustle...
A breeze from somewhere lightly flipped over a stack of papers on the desk. One sheet spun in the air and, as if by design, landed at Chen Mo's feet.
As if trying to catch his attention.
He picked it up and looked at it, and his expression suddenly froze.
"This is..."
It wasn't an ordinary medical report, but an explanation of a surgical accident.
More precisely, it was a death report for Qi Dongsheng.
What surprised Chen Mo even more was that in the "attending surgeon" column, there was Zhao Heping's signature.
"So... that's it..."
"No wonder the hospital wanted to give me 'special treatment.' They're afraid I'll cause them trouble."
A faint smile curled at the corner of Chen Mo's mouth. So this Zhao Heping was directly involved in that fatal surgery.
Was this the reason for the ghost's killing spree?
But to go on a murderous rampage over a work mistake—wasn't that a bit petty for a ghost?
The thought almost made Chen Mo laugh.
Alright, he finally had a lead, but the biggest problem remained unsolved.
Where the hell had this troublesome Qi Dongsheng gone?
"And that Director Qin, with his half-truths. I'd better go talk to him first."
Stuffing the report into his pocket, Chen Mo adjusted his expression in the mirror on the wall and pulled open the office door.
Seeing "Dr. Zhao" standing at the door, Director Qin's face showed clear surprise. "Didn't I give you a few days off? Why are you here? The family members are still making a scene outside. Aren't you afraid of trouble?"
He shook his head helplessly.
"Since it involves me," Chen Mo said, watching the other's expression while choosing his words, "I wanted to learn more about the situation and see if I can help the hospital resolve things quickly."
"Learn more?" Director Qin stopped his work and looked at Chen Mo with a hint of meaning. "What do you want to know?"
"About the missing body..."
"Dr. Zhao."
Before Chen Mo could finish, Director Qin cut him off.
"Though the patient's death is somewhat related to you, the surgery's risks were high from the start, and an informed consent form was signed beforehand. So whether it's you or the hospital, our liability isn't great. Don't worry too much."
"As for the body..." Director Qin frowned, as if deliberating. "Originally, I didn't plan to involve you. But we just learned something new. The only witness, Old Zhang, the night watchman on duty, was recommended by you to work here. You know him well. Since you're here today, why don't you go talk to Old Zhang about last night's situation? What do you think?"
Director Qin lived up to his title—clear-headed and purposeful. And his suggestion aligned perfectly with Chen Mo's intentions, so there was no reason to refuse.
"Alright, Director. Let me give it a try."
Leaving the director's office, a thoughtful expression crossed Chen Mo's face.
This watchman, Old Zhang, seemed to be a key figure.
Regardless, the next step was to meet him. Since hospital morgues were usually in the basement connected to the parking garage, Chen Mo took an elevator and pressed the button for the first basement level.
By coincidence, the usually busy hospital elevator didn't encounter anyone the whole way down. After a moment, it stopped, and as the doors slid open, a chill seeped in from the corridor.
Perhaps because it was underground, the temperature here felt several degrees colder than above. Though a few fluorescent lights flickered here and there, they did nothing to enhance the sense of safety.
Just as Chen Mo stepped out of the elevator, a series of crackling sparks burst from above, and then all the lights went out, plunging everything into pitch-black darkness.
Chen Mo's heart jolted, and he instantly became hyper-alert, slipping a hand into his pocket to grip the scalpel he'd taken from the supply room.
In any horror story, sudden anomalies like this were often omens of death. Alone underground, how could he not be tense?
Fortunately, the darkness didn't last long. After about ten seconds, the fluorescent lights flickered a few times and came back on one by one.
Chen Mo let out a breath, steadied himself, and continued forward.
On either side of the basement corridor were numbered doors, but Chen Mo had no curiosity to explore. Walking along the hallway, he soon spotted a sign for the watchman's station. Though the door was closed, through the corridor window, he could see the lit room was empty.
Where had Old Zhang, the morgue watchman, gone?
Just as Chen Mo thought this, he noticed that the morgue door directly ahead of the watchman's station had somehow cracked open. A cold wind was slowly seeping out from inside.