Gao Wu: I inherited the evil organization in the game

Chapter 668 Guards
The older constable in the middle answered him; he was the same person who had called him earlier to report the incident.

It's hard to explain in a few words over the phone, but now that Secretary Hou has come in person, he had already gone over the whole story in his mind several times while waiting, striving to give a clear and accurate report.

This was a rare opportunity to make an impression on the congressman's chief secretary, so he took a deep breath, steadied himself, and began:

"Secretary Hou, we located Captain Li's phone using technical means, and then when we found the location..."
That's the gist of the matter. But Secretary Hou, you really don't need to worry too much.

Team Leader Li and Chang Erbing were incredibly lucky this time. After we found them, we rushed them to the hospital as quickly as possible, and the doctors treated them immediately.

I just asked the attending physician again, and he said that the vital signs have stabilized, but the blood loss, hypothermia, and extreme mental exhaustion are why he hasn't woken up.

The doctor said that after the blood transfusion, once I warm up and get some sleep, I should wake up.

The old constable kept talking nonstop, practically spilling out everything he knew in one breath. After he finished, he carefully observed Hou Wendong's expression.

Hou Wendong listened expressionlessly, his brows slightly furrowed. Only after the other person finished speaking did he let out a barely perceptible sigh of relief, but the seriousness on his face did not disappear.

He did not comment on the detailed report, but simply waved to the old constable.

The old constable paused for a moment, not immediately understanding what he meant.

Hou Wendong coughed lightly, sounding slightly impatient:
"Where's the body camera you mentioned on the phone, the one we found at the scene? Give it to me."

"Oh! Oh! Yes, yes!"

The veteran constable suddenly realized what was happening and immediately turned around, practically snatching a body camera, which was in a transparent evidence bag, from the hands of a younger constable behind him.

The instrument's edges and corners show obvious signs of dents and cracks.

He held it with both hands, respectfully handing it to Hou Wendong:
"Secretary Hou, this is it. We found it while it was still recording, but the screen was cracked in one corner."

Hou Wendong took the evidence bag, rubbed the broken edges through the bag, didn't ask any more questions, just nodded, then held the body camera in one hand and pushed open the heavy door of the ward with the other.

"You all stand guard at the door. Don't let anyone in without my permission," he ordered without turning his head.

"Yes, Secretary Hou!" the old constable replied quickly.

Hou Wendong stepped halfway into the ward, but suddenly stopped, as if he had remembered something extremely important.

He abruptly turned his head, his sharp gaze once again fixed on the old constable at the door, and asked in a low voice:
"By the way, have you informed the police station or anyone else about finding Li Xiang and the others?"

The old constable immediately puffed out his chest and answered solemnly:

"Secretary Hou, please rest assured. As soon as we found out it was Captain Li and his team, we called you immediately and then rushed to the hospital."

During this time, my brothers and I absolutely did not reveal a single piece of information to anyone else in the police station.

After listening, Hou Wendong's tense expression finally eased slightly. He nodded, his tone softening a bit, but his admonitions became even more stern:
“Well done. Remember, from now on, no matter who asks, don’t be afraid to say a word without my permission, understand?”

Out of the caution typical of a senior secretary and a keen sense of danger, Hou Wendong, without considering the circumstances, issued a gag order first.

He must keep all information channels firmly in his own hands. Only in this way can he calmly weave the "truth" that is most beneficial to himself, or rather, to Councilor Wang, after Li Xiang wakes up.

Of course, the situation is still unclear, and he has not yet decided whether to take this step, but he must prepare in advance.

Basic operation, don't be silly!

This is simply a basic quality of every qualified secretary—always having two plans in mind to deal with changes at any time.

A secretary who lacks this quality is destined not to go far on this path.

For example, there was Du Ziteng's secretary, who had previously acted unilaterally.

Du Ziteng: "...". My grave is already overgrown with weeds, how can it be brought up and whipped?

The ward was silent, with only the regular, monotonous ticking of the medical instruments echoing in the air, like a cold time scale measuring the life flow of the unconscious patient.

Li Xiang lay on that white hospital bed, his eyes closed, his face pale and haggard from blood loss.

His arm was bare, with needles inserted into clearly visible veins, and bright red blood was slowly flowing into his body through a thin tube. A transparent IV bag hanging beside him was also infusing water and electrolytes.

On the electrocardiogram monitor screen next to him, the green lines rose and fell steadily. Although the blood oxygen saturation and blood pressure values ​​were not strong, they were stable within a safe range, indicating that his vital signs were gradually recovering.

Hou Wendong pulled up a chair and sat by the window. Seeing that Li Xiang had not yet woken up, he frowned and fiddled with the law enforcement recorder in his hand for a while.

The screen struggled to light up, but only about half of the area was still barely visible.

The video started playing, but it was extremely disjointed, shaking violently, accompanied by piercing noise and heavy breathing. Most of the time it was dark, or showed meaningless still images of the ground, ruins, etc.

Hou Wendong patiently fast-forwarded through the clips, then abruptly pressed the pause button.

Through the half of the screen that was still intact, a face clearly and menacingly came into Hou Wendong's view.

It was a smooth, pale bone mask devoid of any human flesh or skin features.

"[Masked]!"

Hou Wendong frowned and almost blurted out the name.

Thanks to the recent martial arts tournament, or rather, thanks to the outstanding reporters from Prism TV, [Masked] is now a household name in District 9.

While the skeleton mask can be meticulously replicated, the inhuman eyes beneath it, exuding a chilling and malevolent aura that seems to emanate even through a screen, are something that can never be faked.

Moreover, Hou Wendong never even considered the possibility of "video fabrication."

He still trusted Li Xiang quite a bit, and besides, he really couldn't think of any reason why Li Xiang would fabricate such a video.

Li Xiang did not fabricate any videos; everything he showed Hou Wendong was genuine.

Hou Wendong did not disappoint him. After participating in several cases, he felt that he had honed his reasoning skills by dissecting the complexities of cases.

Combining the video evidence in his hand with the police officer's account, Hou Wendong quickly pieced together the puzzle in his mind and arrived at a logical conclusion:

"In this light, the presence of Li Xiang's car in Emerald Garden can be largely explained. It's highly likely that [Masked] drove the vehicle there and subsequently attacked the special envoy's villa?!"

Hou Wendong deduced the truth in his mind, his expression suddenly changed, and he came to an even more serious conclusion:
"So, the fact that the special envoy's body could not be found at the scene means... that he was actually kidnapped by [Masked]?"
Why did [Masked] specifically kidnap the special envoy? Given the special envoy's unique status, what does [Masked] want to get from the special envoy?

Or rather, is [Masked] planning to use the special envoy for something?

It must be admitted that although Hou Wendong's reasoning process had some deviations, the conclusion he finally reached was indeed very close to the terrible truth.

In a sense, the special envoy has indeed fallen into... [Masked]'s hands. Of course, so far, all of this is just Hou Wendong's subjective deduction, and the most crucial witness testimony is still lacking.

He glanced at Li Xiang, who was still unconscious, and without any hesitation, got up and walked to the door of the ward, whispering a few instructions to the old constable waiting outside.

The old constable's expression hardened, and he immediately nodded, turned around, and jogged away.

Soon, a attending physician strode in.

Hou Wendong interrupted the doctor before he could speak, saying:
“I know the basics about his condition. Now I just need to know one thing: how long will it take for him to wake up?”

The attending physician thought for a moment and gave a conservative estimate:
"The patient's vital signs have stabilized and bodily functions are recovering."

The main problem is excessive mental strain, such as experiencing extreme fright or torment, which triggers the brain's self-protection mechanism.

He should need another 8 to 12 hours of quiet sleep, and then he should wake up on his own…”

Hou Wendong waved his hand to interrupt:

"It's been too long! I can't wait that long. I need him to wake up right now. Is that possible?"

The attending physician paused, his expression remaining largely unchanged, but his words became increasingly cautious:
"Theoretically... it is possible. We have potent stimulants and neuroactivators that can forcibly interrupt deep sleep."

However, Secretary Hou, I must remind you that doing so will cause considerable damage to the patient's already exhausted mental state, and may even leave long-term consequences..."

"Since it's possible, let's do it that way."

Hou Wendong had no interest in hearing the rest of the explanation of the consequences. His tone was firm and unwavering, leaving no room for negotiation. He added:
"Captain Li Xiang is an elite member of the police force and a loyal guardian of the Ninth District. I believe that for the safety of the Ninth District, he would absolutely be willing to make this small sacrifice."

What else could the attending physician say?

No matter how great one's medical ethics are, they can't surpass the title of "Ninth District".

The attending physician didn't say anything more; Hou Wendong's words were enough.

As a professional doctor at the Fourth Hospital, as long as he is not held responsible, what difference does it make whether the patient lives a few more or a few less years after discharge?

"I understand."

The attending physician nodded, his face displaying a professional calm.

"Please wait a moment, I'll go get the medicine."

He turned and left, but soon returned with a small tray in his hand. On it was a syringe filled with a clear liquid, the needle long and thin, gleaming coldly.

Along with the syringe, a "Forced Awakening Instructions and Risk Disclosure Form" printed with densely packed clauses was also brought back. The doctor silently handed the form and a pen to Hou Wendong.

Hou Wendong frowned, but still quickly took the pen and signed his name.

The attending physician took back the signed consent form, carefully examined the signature, and then walked to the bedside. He skillfully opened Li Xiang's shirt, revealing his chest, and wiped it with an alcohol swab.

Then, aiming at the heart, it was plunged in precisely and forcefully.

Push the syringe plunger with your thumb to complete the injection, then pull out the needle.

5 seconds later.

Li Xiang's body suddenly convulsed violently, as if struck by a high-voltage current, jerking violently.

Immediately afterwards, he let out an extremely painful hissing sound—"Ouch!!"

The next second, his tightly closed eyes suddenly snapped open.

In the initial moment, the pupils were completely unfocused, filled with unfocused terror and intense physical discomfort, staring straight at the ceiling.

A fine layer of cold sweat instantly appeared on his forehead, his chest began to heave uncontrollably, and he gasped for breath, accompanied by a painful dry cough.

The forced boot was successful, but the process was clearly far from pleasant.

The attending physician checked the heart rate reading on the monitor, which had spiked briefly and then slowly dropped, and then calmly said to Hou Wendong:

"It's normal to feel some pain and palpitations after waking up."

After saying that, he took the empty syringe and the notification form and left the ward. The other constables exchanged glances and silently followed him out, gently closing the door behind them, leaving the two people inside alone.

Li Xiang's head was throbbing with pain, and his pale face was flushed with an unnatural redness due to extreme agony.

He struggled to move his eyes, and it took a lot of effort to finally focus his vision. He finally saw Hou Wendong standing by the bed and managed a weak smile.

Hou Wendong's face quickly broke into a smile that mixed concern, seriousness, and urgency, and his tone became deep and infectious:

"Captain Li, you're finally awake. How are you feeling?"
Logically speaking, I should let you rest and recover in the hospital for a few days.

But something happened at Emerald Garden, the special envoy's fate is unknown, and your car appeared at the entrance of Emerald Garden. Do you understand the seriousness of the situation?

Li Xiang nodded heavily and said:
"Before I lost consciousness, I heard a little bit. Secretary Hou, I understand. You woke me up for my own good, so that I could prove my innocence."

Hou Wendong was quite satisfied with Li Xiang's "sounding" reaction. He nodded and continued in a deep voice:

"It's not just about proving your innocence, Captain Li."

A massive storm is brewing. The special envoy has run into trouble in District 9, and countless people may be swept up in it and killed.

The position of a member of parliament means that someone will definitely seize this opportunity to make a big fuss and target the member of parliament, and you…”

Hou Wendong's sharp gaze locked onto Li Xiang:
"You are the captain of the police station, a recognized detective, and the councilor's preferred candidate for the next police chief."

These labels on you can't be washed away, so you not only need to clear your name, but also find a way to uncover the truth before anyone else does….

Hou Wendong paused for a moment, then said meaningfully:
"A 'truth' that can give you, the council members, the entire Ninth District, and even Uptown a satisfactory explanation!"

The words Hou Wendong uttered were all weighty and shocking, causing Li Xiang's pupils to contract repeatedly.

The good news is that the special envoy's fate is still unknown, and he can still serve as the captain of the police station, and there is still hope that he can become the chief.
The bad news is that a storm is brewing, and his current situation is a different kind of danger.

Li Xiang, suppressing the throbbing pain in his temples, braced himself against the edge of the bed and shakily stood up, saying to Hou Wendong in a hoarse voice:

"Secretary Hou, please give your instructions. What kind of 'truth' do you need me, Li Xiang, to ultimately uncover?"

(End of this chapter)