Official title: Refused to stay at the university, started his career in a rural town.

On the morning of October 2nd, Yang Fan hung up the newly installed phone at home, sat on the sofa in the living room, and tapped his fingers on his knees.

I just spoke with my senior colleague from the Ningzhou Municipal Political and Legal Affairs Commission, and the news he received has left him somewhat confused.

In the early hours of September 30, the Criminal Investigation Brigade of Yantai City launched an arrest operation in Nanshi Village, Guyingling, and successfully dismantled a drug trafficking gang headed by "Sixth Master".

The report stated that Qi Tongwei "sacrificed himself for righteousness, voluntarily infiltrated the drug traffickers' den, fought the enemy all the way, was shot three times, fell into a coma, and was later sent to the First Hospital of Yantai City for emergency treatment. His current condition is unknown."

Sacrificing oneself for righteousness? Voluntarily venturing into the lair? Yang Fan crossed his legs, a head full of question marks seemingly appearing above his head.

Qi Tongwei may not have high emotional intelligence or political acumen, but his IQ is definitely not a problem.

He had been cooped up in the Yantaishan Judicial Office for more than two years and felt frustrated, but he wouldn't deliberately risk his life to die.

Yang Fan guessed that Qi Tongwei probably didn't withdraw when Zhang Hongsheng's side was taking action.

As for why they didn't withdraw—recalling Gao Yuliang's words in Su Huaishan's office, "without any systematic training," Yang Fan knew the answer.

If they didn't even provide training, how can you expect him to understand evacuation signals?

However, that was all the information my senior brother had gathered from Yantai City; he couldn't get any more out of him by asking further.

Yang Fan glanced at his watch; it was eleven o'clock. He got up, went to the kitchen, made a bowl of noodles, slurped it down, changed into his coat, and went out.

The First Hospital of Yantai City is located in the city center, in an old-fashioned gray-white building. Yang Fan parked his car, carrying a bag of oranges he had bought from the fruit stand at the entrance, and entered the outpatient hall.

Behind the information desk sat a round-faced nurse, flipping through a magazine. Yang Fan walked over and cleared his throat: "Hello, I'd like to inquire about a patient. The police officer Qi Tongwei, who was shot and wounded a few days ago."

"have no idea!"

The nurse replied with her head down. Perhaps it was because Yang Fan's voice was somewhat magnetic, but the nurse looked up, sized him up, and her eyes suddenly lit up.

"Are you his colleague?" She closed the magazine and leaned forward. "That anti-drug hero, right? It was all over the newspaper. Which unit are you from?"

Yang Fan opened his mouth, but before he could answer, the nurse stood up and was so enthusiastic that he was a little overwhelmed.

"He's out of danger now, and he's in the ICU. You're here to visit him, right? Would you like me to take you in? I know the head nurse in the ICU—"

"No need, no need, I can go by myself." Yang Fan quickly waved his hand and took half a step back.

Goodness, he almost became a wayward teenager.

His beautiful, first love-like future wife was still waiting for him, and he dared not be careless and lose her.

He carried the oranges and walked quickly towards the stairwell, the nurse's regretful sigh audible behind him.

The intensive care unit on the third floor was at the end of the corridor. Yang Fan turned out of the stairwell and immediately saw several people guarding the door of the ICU.

The three men all had short hair and were dressed casually, but their jackets were open, revealing their shirts underneath.

One of the men, a middle-aged man with a full beard, was leaning back in a chair with his arms crossed over his chest; another, a tall, thin man, was leaning against the stairwell smoking; and yet another was squatting on the ground, sitting in a chair and dozing off.

But their capable and efficient demeanor was completely different from that of other patients' family members in the hospital; you could tell what they did without even seeing their identification.

The large iron door to the intensive care unit was tightly closed, with a sign on it that read "No Visitors Allowed".

Yang Fan stood in the corridor for a while. Those people had noticed him long ago. As soon as he turned out of the stairwell, several pairs of eyes swept over him, shining like searchlights on him from head to toe. Yang Fan walked over with the oranges in his hand.

"Hello, are you from the Criminal Investigation Team of Iwata City?"

The middle-aged man with a thick beard who was sitting at the head of the group looked him up and down.

Yang Fan was dressed casually today, but his dark gray jacket, white shirt, and black leather shoes were typical attire for a county official. Coupled with the composure he had cultivated over the years in officialdom, even though he was carrying a bag of oranges and standing in the hospital corridor, he still exuded a different kind of aura.

Zhou Yuanzheng slowly stood up.

"Yes you are?"

"I am Yang Fan, Qi Tongwei's college classmate," Yang Fan said unhurriedly.

"I heard he was injured, so I came to see him. Given my status, I doubt the doctors and nurses will let me in. I just wanted to ask how he is and if you could let me in to see him."

Zhou Yuanzheng sized up the young man in front of him.

University classmate? Then he's about the same age as Qi Tongwei.

But the calm and composed demeanor he exudes is something that ordinary students don't possess.

He spoke in a clear, logical, and neither arrogant nor humble manner.

Zhou Yuanzheng has been a criminal police officer for nearly twenty years. He has seen all kinds of people, and they are probably all people with some status or position.

"How do you prove your identity?" he asked.

Yang Fan didn't mind. Not just anyone can go into the intensive care unit. It's already a good attitude if they can say a few more words to you.

After thinking it over, Yang Fan took out his work ID that he had prepared in advance. Although it was a bit questionable, it worked!

Looking at the little red book in front of him, Zhou Yuanzheng became even more certain. At this age, he was probably a section chief in some city or province.

"This is my work ID; I can't joke about this."

Zhou Yuanzheng took it and opened it.

Unit: Ninghe County People's Government

Name: Yang Fan

Position: Executive Deputy County Head

Date of issuance: August 1998

Standing Committee Member of Ninghe County Party Committee and Executive Deputy County Head! A 29-year-old Executive Deputy County Head?

Zhou Yuanzheng's eyebrows twitched. There were quite a few deputy directors of this age, but the number of executive deputy county heads at the grassroots level in Handong was truly countable on one's fingers.

He looked at the photo in disbelief, glanced at Yang Fan again, closed his work ID, and handed it back with both hands. His attitude was clearly different from before.

"County Chief Yang, since you are Tongwei's classmate, let me take you to see a doctor to ask about the situation."

Yang Fan followed Zhou Yuanzheng into the doctor's office. The attending physician was in his early forties, wearing black-rimmed glasses, and was sitting behind his desk flipping through medical records.

Seeing the plainclothes police officers leading people in, he put down his pen and adjusted his glasses.

Zhou Yuanzheng stepped forward and said a few words. The doctor nodded and opened the medical record.

"That gunshot wound patient, right? The bullets have been removed. There were three gunshot wounds, but thankfully none of them hit any vital organs."

"One bullet grazed his lung; if it had been half a centimeter off, it would have been serious. His vital signs are currently stable, but he has lost a lot of blood and is still under observation in the intensive care unit. If his recovery goes smoothly, he should be able to be transferred to a regular ward in a couple of days."

Yang Fan asked, "And consciousness?"

"She's awake, her mind is clear, and she can speak, but she's very weak. She'll be fine after her body recovers for a while." The doctor closed the medical record.

After glancing at Yang Fan, who appeared calm, and then at the deputy captain of the city's criminal investigation team standing beside him, the doctor thought for a moment and then glanced at his watch.

"Visits are allowed for 5 minutes, but please take precautions to avoid infecting patients."