Sent to the countryside, I turned the health center into a top-tier hospital.

"fart!"

Chen Ping laughed angrily, "You drink? Do you think I don't know your limits? When you're drunk, all you do is chat, when have you ever hit anyone while drunk?"

Wang Tao fell silent, twisting his hands together, his fingernails digging into the scabs on the back of his hands, drawing blood from the newly healed wounds.

Chen Ping reached out and pried his hands apart, glanced at them, and frowned even more deeply: "How did you get your hands like that?"

"Bang." Wang Tao pulled his hand back.

"Could a bump really cause this much damage?"

Chen Ping held on tightly, "My knuckles are all broken; these are the injuries you get from hitting someone."

"You went too far, Wang Tao. What happened that made you resort to such a deadly attack?"

Wang Tao pulled his hand back, turned his face away, his throat moved twice, but he couldn't utter a single word.

Lin Xiaoran, watching from the side, couldn't help but speak up: "Wang Tao, I'm a lawyer, let me tell you the truth."

"Nothing is settled yet in your case. The cause and process will directly determine how it will be handled next."

"If you have something to hide, telling me now might change things."

"If you just keep putting up with this, the statement will simply say you assaulted someone without cause, understand?"

"Attorney Lin, thank you."

Wang Tao looked up and forced a smile that looked more like a grimace. "There's really no hidden story. I just acted impulsively."

"I feel bad that you've come all this way."

"Master, the hospital is already short-staffed, and the outpatient department is waiting for you. You should go back. I'm fine here; I'll be out in a few days."

It seems Wang Tao is determined not to say anything.

Chen Ping stared intently at him.

This kid is a chatterbox; he's so talkative that it's hard to get him to shut up.

I've been getting the same answer to everything I ask you today, like a gourd with its mouth sawed off.

The more this happens, the more it indicates something is wrong.

Moreover, he preferred to keep this to himself rather than speak of it.

Ten minutes passed quickly, and Officer Gao came in to urge them on.

"Alright, time's up, stop talking."

After saying that, Officer Gao took Wang Tao away.

Once outside the interrogation room, Lin Xiaoran lowered her voice and said, "He's lying."

"I know."

Chen Ping lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and said, "Drunk and impulsive? If he were really drunk, he would be crying in my arms right now, spilling everything out."

"He's like this now because he has something on his mind, and he's determined to keep it to himself."

Just then, Officer Gao came out from inside, glanced at the two of them, and said, "By the way, I just wanted to let you know that Cao Yu's parents called again. They said this matter is not over."

"If you want to mediate, hurry up. Once the assessment results are out, many things will be out of your control."

"Yes!" Chen Ping nodded, but looked helpless.

Wang Tao, that kid, won't say anything. How am I supposed to solve this?

Even if it's a mediation, the other party will definitely demand compensation and an apology.

Judging from Wang Tao's situation, he'd probably rather go to jail than apologize.

Lin Xiaoran then pulled Officer Gao aside and asked him about the procedures again in detail.

After returning, I pulled Chen Ping to sit on a bench outside the duty room and explained the situation to him clearly.

"There are two key points now."

She held up two fingers. "First, the injury assessment. The forensic department has already accepted the case, and the results usually come out in three to seven business days."

"For minor injuries and public order offenses, detention and fines can be mitigated or even waived if the matter is settled amicably."

"Minor injury, but if it's considered intentional assault and a criminal case is filed, then it'll be a huge problem."

"Secondly, it depends on the other party's attitude. If Cao Yu's family insists on not mediating, even if it's just a minor injury, Wang Tao will have to go to jail for a few days."

"If we can reach an agreement, with compensation, an apology, and a signed letter of understanding, things can be eased."

"Paying compensation is no problem," Chen Ping said without hesitation. "As long as it doesn't ruin the child's future, I'll accept any amount of money."

"Don't make any definitive statements yet. When it comes to mediation, stay calm, listen to their conditions, don't agree on the spot, and don't argue back. Wait for the assessment results."

Lin Xiaoran gave her instructions.

Chen Ping nodded, took out another cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag.

"There's something else."

Lin Xiaoran lowered her voice, "Wang Tao is currently a trainee at the provincial academy. With something like this happening, the provincial academy will definitely have to make a statement, and his training qualification might be suspended."

"Aren't you familiar with Dean Liu? Give him a call and ask about the situation, and also ask about Cao Yu's background."

"I know."

Chen Ping rubbed his temples. "But I don't even understand why we're fighting, how am I supposed to make this call?"

"What would I tell Dean Liu? That my apprentice got drunk and beat someone up? I don't even believe that myself."

Lin Xiaoran did not respond.

That makes sense.

I know nothing, and it's no use asking anyone.

Chen Ping took out his phone and dialed Liu Wei's number.

Liu Wei, who came to study with us, is older and is the senior member. Why didn't he make a phone call when this happened?

The phone rang for a long time, but no one answered.

Chen Ping called Zhou Jie again, but her phone was off.

"These two..." Chen Ping frowned.

Of the three people who came together, Wang Tao has been arrested, and the other two can no longer be contacted.

Before the words were finished, two people entered the police station, one in front of the other; they were Liu Wei and Zhou Jie.

Liu Wei was surprised to see Chen Ping and Lin Xiaoran: "Dr. Chen, what brings you here?"

Zhou Jie followed behind, her head down.

Her usually neatly tied ponytail was half loose, and her eyes were red and swollen, clearly indicating that she had been crying all night.

"What happened?"

Chen Ping went up to them and asked, "What exactly happened last night? They're both young, and you're over thirty. Don't you understand anything?"

Seeing that Chen Ping was a little angry, Liu Wei quickly explained, "Dr. Chen, please don't misunderstand. I really don't know what happened. I just found out that Wang Tao was arrested."

"Last night, Cao Yu treated us to some barbecue with a few young doctors from the department and us trainees. The three of us went."

"I drank too much and went back to my dorm to sleep around 10 p.m. I don't know anything about what happened after that."

"You really don't know?" Chen Ping frowned.

"I really don't know."

Liu Wei shook his head. "Everything was fine when I left. Everyone at the table was chatting and laughing."

"Dr. Chen, there's something else. When I first arrived, I heard from the people in the department that Cao Yu's family is not ordinary. It seems that his father is an official in the district's health department."

"The Cao family made it clear at the hospital early this morning that this matter must be dealt with seriously, and no amount of pleading will work."

Chen Ping's brows furrowed into a knot.

No wonder Officer Gao said the other party had a tough attitude.

Those who make a living in this industry know their stuff, they know how to gauge the situation, and they know where to apply the most pressure to hurt the most.

Chen Ping stared at Liu Wei and asked, "Was Zhou Jie there at the time?"