Card Room

Chapter 309 - Murderer Zhao Sen

During this time, Xiao Lou had experienced several Hearts secret rooms, encountered many murderers and assisted Yu Hanjiang in interrogating prisoners. He wasn’t afraid of facing murderers directly but Zhao Sen gave him a completely different feeling.

The other murderers were far less perverted than Zhao Sen. Xiao Lou once saw how Zhao Sen chopped up his cousin’s corpse in the plot card and placed the pieces in the suitcase. The scene had left a serious psychological shadow on Xiao Lou’s mind. Now facing this man’s smile, Xiao Lou felt it really difficult to remain calm. He felt like he was being stared at by a poisonous snake...

Yu Hanjiang noticed Xiao Lou’s reaction and immediately calmed him down. “Xiao Lou, calm down. Even if Zhao Sen is abnormal, he won’t kill in front of so many doctors and nurses. Besides, we know he is a murderer but he doesn’t know we are challengers.”

All challengers who passed 2 of Hearts perfectly would get the Rose Funeral plot card and witness the bloody process of Zhao Sen killing. The challengers saw it from a god’s perspective and never met Zhao Sen, so Zhao Sen didn’t know them. He wouldn’t immediately raise the knife against Xiao Lou.

Xiao Lou thought up to here and gently clenched his fists by his side. He looked at Zhao Sen and tried to be as calm as possible. “Shao Qingge is my friend. I heard he was in the cardiac surgery ICU and came to take a look. Dr Zhao, how is he doing now?”

Zhao Sen sighed lightly. He took a medical record and handed it to Xiao Lou. “The patient’s CK-MB has increased significantly and he has hypokalemia. I’ve already ordered to supplement the potassium ions to restore the water and electrolytes balance. Then I will wait for the myocardial enzyme levels to be normal before considering stent implantation.” He paused before saying, “Generally, it takes three to five days for myocardial enzymes to recover. During this period, I will keep him in the ICU ward and closely observe his vital signs.”

Three to five days? Xiao Lou’s heart jumped when he heard it. Zhao Sen might be a murderer but his professional level as a cardiac surgeon wasn’t bad. Shao Qingge’s treatment was in accordance with conventional treatment procedures. Zhao Sen and Shao Qingge had never met so he shouldn’t be hostile to Chief Shao inexplicably.

However, Xiao Lou didn’t feel relieved at all thinking that the unconscious Chief Shao would be under Zhao Sen’s hands for the next three to five days. Xiao Lou took a deep breath, bit the bullet and suggested, “Shao Qingge is my friend. Can you transfer him to the ICU ward of our general surgery? I can take good care of him.”

Zhao Sen smiled and refused. “For the patient, it is better to leave him in the ICU of our cardiac surgery. Our department has a lot of experience in handling patients with myocardial infarction. Besides, I am his attending doctor. It makes no sense to transfer him to general surgery.”

Xiao Lou still wanted to persuade him when Zhao Sen sneered. “Dr Xiao, don’t you believe in my level?”

“...Of course.” Xiao Lou saw that the other person’s attitude was resolute and had to give up on the idea of transferring Shao Qingge. He asked for the next best thing. “Can I go see him?”

“Yes.” Zhao Sen nodded. “It currently isn’t visiting time but Dr Xiao is the chief resident of the general surgery department. Just tell the nurses station and remember to wear the isolation clothing when entering the ICU.”

Xiao Lou went to the head nurse to explain his intentions. Then he followed Zhao Sen to the ICU ward and put on the isolation gowns and masks as required. Zhao Sen took out his staff card and opened the door of the ICU unit.

The ICU ward for cardiac surgery was very large and only contained three patients. In bed 1 was an old lady over 70 years old. She was unconscious and looked to be in critical condition. She was intubated and connected to a ventilator. Her heart rate curve and blood pressure data were very stable.

Bed 2 had a young man in his 30s. He had his eyes open and was conscious. He saw Dr Zhao Sen and greeted him. “Dr Zhao.”

Zhao Sen walked over. “Don’t worry, you are recovering well. I’ve arranged for you to have surgery tomorrow.”

The patient in bed 2 looked grateful. “Thank you Dr Zhao!”

Xiao Lou glanced at him and the patient gave a friendly smile. Xiao Lou took note of his name and information before following Zhao Sen to bed 3.

Shao Qingge was in bed 3. He was wearing an oxygen mask and his heart rate and blood pressure shown on the ECG monitor were low. A bunch of ECG monitor cords were connected to his body and a needle was stuck in the back of his hand as he received an infusion.

The man who was usually smiling was lying unconscious on a hospital bed with a pale face. If someone tried to do something against him he wouldn’t have any ability to resist. The more Xiao Lou looked, the more pained he felt and he didn’t know what to say.

Zhao Sen stood next to him and spoke casually, “It’s already very dark. Dr Xiao, go back to rest first. Once he regains consciousness, I will tell you. The general surgery department is very close. If you don’t feel at ease, you can come and see him again tomorrow morning.”

Xiao Lou had to nod. “Yes, I will trouble you Dr Zhao.”

***

Back in the VIP ward of general surgery, Xiao Lou’s back was covered in sweat. His shirt was soaked and stuck to his body.

He had to be in the same room as a perverted murderer and pretend to chat normally with the other person. Xiao Lou got goosebumps all over his body as he recalled the scene of Zhao Sen chopping up the corpse and the weird smile on the monitor. After entering the ward and leaning against the door, he took deep breaths and finally calmed down.

Yu Hanjiang looked at him. “Are you okay? Come and drink some water.”

Yu Hanjiang had rich experience with dealing with such perverted murderers. If it was Yu Hanjiang, he would be able to talk to Zhao Sen with a calm expression for several hours.

Still, Xiao Lou wasn’t a police officer after all. Considering this, faced with such perversion, Xiao Lou controlled his emotions very well. He came over, took the water handed by Yu Hanjiang and after a few sips, managed to calm down his emotions completely.

Yu Hanjiang spoke softly. “You have been busy for nearly 30 hours. Now you should sleep and get a good rest.”

If it wasn’t for Yu Hanjiang’s reminder, Xiao Lou would have forgotten to sleep.

Yu Hanjiang looked around the room and pointed to a spacious sofa next to him. “Just sleep here. The sofa can be used as a temporary bed. I am next to you so don’t worry. Have a good night’s sleep before you continue to be so busy. Otherwise, your body won’t be able to bear it.”

Xiao Lou had a headache and rubbed his temples. “You are the patient and I am the doctor. How can I make you guard me?”

Yu Hanjiang’s eyes were gentle. “Don’t mind these things.”

“Actually, I can still hold on...”

Yu Hanjiang cut him off. “I am connected with you and I know how tired you are. Don’t act strong and rest well to be able to deal with what comes next.”

Xiao Lou had rescued Yu Hanjiang in a thrilling manner last night and hadn’t closed his eyes all night. Today, he didn’t rest and ran to several departments in a row to find his teammates. Just now, he had gone to the cardiac surgery ICU to find Shao Qingge... the exhaustion in his body was like a rising tide that surged and screamed wildly in his mind. His eyelids fought all the time, urging him to rest as soon as possible.

However, he was worried about Shao Qingge. Chief Shao was still in the ICU ward under the care of a murderer. How could Xiao Lou sleep?

Yu Hanjiang was aware of his concerns and analyzed it. “You just went to visit and showed that you are a good friend of Shao Qingge. If something happens to Shao Qingge then you will definitely pursue it to the end. Therefore, as long as Zhao Sen has the slightest intelligence, he won’t do anything against Chief Shao that would arouse your suspicion. Don’t forget, he might be mentally abnormal but he is extremely meticulous.”

Recall the original 2 of Hearts case. Zhao Sen first sent a message to his wife that he would go attend a medical conference. He bought a ticket and sent a text message to his wife at the hotel to produce a sufficient alibi. Then he returned suddenly, killed his wife and cousin, dealt with the scene, framed his cousin and took away his cousin’s body...

He wasn’t just a perverted murderer but one with a high IQ who used rigorous methods to commit crimes. Shao Qingge had attracted Xiao Lou’s attention. Zhao Sen killing Shao Qingge now would just attract trouble for himself. Of course, these were all theoretical speculations. Who knew if Zhao Sen would do the opposite? What if he experienced a sudden psychological abnormality and chopped up Shao Qingge?”

Ye Qi continued, “After I realized that you met Zhao Sen, I asked a nurse to call Ye Qi over from the pediatric ward in the name of investigating the case.”

Xiao Lou’s eyes lit up. “Do you want Ye Qi to listen using the bugs?”

Yu Hanjiang nodded. “Ye Qi is a 7 year old child and calling him over won’t attract suspicion. He can use the teleport card outside the window to place the monitoring equipment in the ICU ward of the cardiac surgery department. Once Zhao Sen shows any signs of abnormal behavior then you can stop it right away.”

Group Leader Yu was truly careful. Xiao Lou sighed with relief.

Just then, someone knocked on the door. Xiao Lou opened the door to find the head nurse holding the hand of a cute child. The little boy looked around with dark eyes. Once he saw Xiao Lou, he immediately smiled brightly and called out in a clear voice, “Uncle Xiao.”

Xiao Lou, “......”

Xiao Ye’s acting skills were becoming more superb. He was quite good at pretending to be a child.

The head nurse told him, “Dr Xiao, Officer Yu asked me to call the pediatrics department and call Ye Qi over to ask something.”

Xiao Lou took Ye Qi’s hand from the head nurse and replied, “Thank you, I’ll take him over.”

The head nurse wasn’t suspicious and left. Xiao Lou closed the door behind him.

Ye Qi ran up to Yu Hanjiang with a worried expression. “Group Leader Yu, you suddenly called for me. Is there an important matter?”

Yu Hanjiang looked at the cute child in front of him for a moment and couldn’t adapt. He couldn’t help touching his nose and explained with a cough, “We found Chief Shao. He is in the ICU of the cardiac surgery department and his attending doctor is Zhao Sen.”

“Zhao Sen?” Ye Qi scratched his head doubtfully. He always felt this name was familiar. Soon, a horrifying memory came to mind. Ye Qi’s back stiffened and his face was right. “Is this the perverted murderer from 2 of Hearts, the cardiac surgeon Dr Zhao Sen?!”

Xiao Lou asked, “Did you perfectly clear 2 of Hearts?”

“Yes, I got an S rating for my first Hearts room. I got the plot card and watched the plot of Zhao Sen killing two people in a row.” Ye Qi got goosebumps all over his body. “Why did Zhao Sen appear here? He is also the attending doctor of Chief Shao? My god, will Chief Shao be chopped up by him?! He cut his cousin to pieces at that time!” Ye Qi became more panicked as he thought about it. His face turned white and he felt like his heart was being stabbed by a knife at the thought of Shao Qingge in danger.

“From the point of view of criminal psychology, a cautious murderer like Zhao Sen won’t act against strangers of unknown origin. Even if he does, he will observe for a few days to find the most suitable time. Still, just in case.” Yu Hanjiang lowered his voice. “Xiao Ye, go out the window later and place the eavesdropping bug in the ICU ward of the cardiac surgery department.”

“No problem.” Ye Qi nodded cautiously.

Xiao Lou got up, walked to the window and pushed it open. He recalled the location of the ICU ward and said, “The cardiac surgery’s ICU ward is on the other side of the building. Xiao Ye, you will need to circle the building... We are on the 7th floor. Will you be okay?”

Ye Qi climbed to the window and looked around. “I see a lot of air conditioners. I can use the teleportation card to move to the air-conditioners. As long as the corner is within 100 meters of the ICU ward, I can just directly throw the bug.”

Xiao Lou nodded. “Okay, I will draw you the location of the ward. You be careful.”

Ye Qi nodded. He looked closely at the distribution map drawn by Xiao Lou and moved out the window flexibly.

The little boy’s figure disappeared from the window in a flash. Xiao Lou watched with worry and found that Ye Qi seemed to become more agile after becoming smaller. He was like a bird as he teleported several times with ease. In the blink of an eye, he reached the edge of the hospital building’s side. He crawled over the air conditioner, threw the bug through the window and teleported back.

The whole process took 10 seconds. Even if someone from the opposite building saw a child floating in the air, they would think they were imagining it.

Ye Qi came back through the window and Xiao Lou immediately caught him. Yu Hanjiang instructed, “Give me the other end of the bug.”

Ye Qi handed the eavesdropper terminal to Yu Hanjiang and his worried voice trembled. “Nothing will happen to Chief Shao right?”

“Don’t worry, I will closely monitor the situation in the ICU. Xiao Ye, go back first. We will gather in the Peach Blossom Spring at midnight.”

Ye Qi nodded before turning to leave.

Yu Hanjiang glanced at Xiao Lou. “Now can you rest assured? Get some sleep first. There are still three hours before the meeting. In addition, give me the Tao Yuanming card activation.”

The card was hidden before activation and couldn’t be given to teammates. However, after activation, it could be used by teammates just like the other end of the bug was given to Yu Hanjiang.

Xiao Lou didn’t think much. He activated Tao Yuanming and handed the card to Yu Hanjiang. He needed to take every opportunity to rest and keep up his energy. Three hours was already a luxury for him. Xiao Lou was indeed very tired. Under Yu Hanjiang’s gentle urging, he took off his white coat and lay down on the sofa.

Soon, Xiao Lou fell asleep.

Yu Hanjiang saw his furrowed brow and felt distressed. This time, their teammates had become old, young, sick, disabled or pregnant. Chief Shao was also unconscious and under the care of a perverted murderer. Xiao Lou was extremely busy and must be physically and mentally exhausted. He needs to sleep well. The team members hadn’t been cured yet while Xiao Lou was exhausted in the hospital.

Time passed and the agreed upon meeting time at midnight was approaching. Yu Hanjiang didn’t wake Xiao Lou. He opened the Peach Blossom Spring himself and summoned their teammates.

Those who were invited pressured the confirm button. It was found that there were six patients wearing blue and white checkered gowns in the Peach Blossom Spring.

The 66 year old Old Mo who was lying down in the Peach Blossom Spring after undoing surgery, the 7 year old Ye Qi with a height of one meter, Liu Qiao and Qu Wanyue who could still stand and Long Sen even had his wheelchair brought into this place...

Seeing their familiar teammates become like this, everyone couldn’t help exchanging looks.

Yu Hanjiang was calm. He had long seen his teammates through Xiao Lou’s mind.

“Where is Professor Xiao?” Ye Qi was puzzled.

At almost the same time, Liu Qiao also asked, “Where are Professor Xiao and Chief Shao?”

Yu Hanjiang explained, “Chief Shao is unconscious and in the cardiac surgery department. Xiao Ye set up an eavesdropping device there to monitor Chief Shao’s situation. Xiao Lou hasn’t closed his eyes for almost 30 hours so let him sleep and rest first. Don’t worry, they are fine.”

Yu Hanjiang’s calm expression was reassuring and the team members didn’t ask much.

Yu Hanjiang stated lightly, “I called everyone here to introduce you to the case. This time, I encountered a dismembered corpse case. The entire body hasn’t been found yet. The thing I am most worried about is that there will be more people dying in the hospital.”

Proofreader: Fictional Reality

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