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

Before Cao's parents could even grieve, they immediately got up and rushed to the administration building to find Dean Liu.

At this moment, they had lost all their previous arrogance and were left only with utter panic and despair.

After learning the whole story and reviewing all the evidence, Dean Liu also felt a headache coming on.

On one side is the child of an old acquaintance within the system, and on the other side are the wronged medical staff who are currently undergoing further training at our hospital. The right and wrong are clear, and there is no way to show favoritism.

He could only approach Chen Ping personally and earnestly discuss the matter: "Dr. Chen, things have come to this point, the Cao family is indeed in the wrong, and Cao Yu has made an undeniable grave mistake."

"But the other parents really came to me for help, so I could only chime in."

"They're willing to offer full compensation and are sincerely trying to reach a settlement. Do you think it's possible to... get them to drop the case and proceed with civil mediation?"

"We should try to give Cao Yu a chance to reform. He will most likely receive a suspended sentence instead of actual imprisonment, so his life won't be completely ruined."

Chen Ping neither directly agreed nor directly refused.

The core victim in this matter is Zhou Jie, and it was Wang Tao who stepped forward. He has no right to make decisions for the two of them.

He turned to the two young men beside him and said, "I can't make that decision for you. You two decide for yourselves."

Lin Xiaoran stepped forward at the right moment, lowered her voice, and objectively and rationally explained the pros and cons to Zhou Jie: "Zhou Jie, let me tell you the truth."

"If mediation is chosen, the other party will offer high compensation. After obtaining a letter of understanding, and considering the circumstances of the case, Cao Yu will most likely not be sentenced to prison, and may even receive a suspended sentence, avoiding jail time."

"If we insist on pursuing this to the end, he will bear the corresponding criminal responsibility according to the law, and his criminal record will remain for life."

Money and justice were laid out before Zhou Jie.

Mr. and Mrs. Cao stared at Zhou Jie with hopeful eyes, hoping that if the girl would agree, they could save their son's life.

All eyes were on Zhou Jie.

Zhou Jie raised her head, her face still wet with tears, but her eyes were exceptionally clear and resolute, without the slightest hesitation.

She first turned her head to look at Wang Tao beside her, who was safe and sound and had been completely exonerated, and the last trace of unease in her heart completely dissipated.

Then, she looked at Dean Liu and at Cao's parents, whose faces were full of pleading. Her words were clear and powerful, without the slightest weakness.

"I don't want money."

"I don't want a single penny."

"The fear and humiliation I felt in the alley last night, the grievances Wang Tao suffered, the risks he took, and the whole night he stayed up to protect me—these cannot be erased by money."

"He did something wrong, so he should be punished. If you can settle things by paying money, what's the point of justice?"

"I will not mediate or seek leniency; I only request that the law be applied and that the judgment be made as it should be."

A few simple words, yet they resonated deeply.

There was no spite, no impulsiveness, only a clean and honest bottom line and principles.

She doesn't covet windfall gains, nor does she seek compensation; she only wants those who commit evil to pay the price they deserve.

The last glimmer of hope on Cao's parents' faces shattered completely, and they instantly turned ashen.

Looking at the young girl in front of her who had managed to maintain her principles despite the temptation of a large sum of money, Lin Xiaoran felt full of admiration and secretly gave Zhou Jie a thumbs up.

The most valuable qualities in practicing medicine and studying law are never ability, but rather the clarity and integrity in the face of major issues of right and wrong.

Many adults who have been in society for years may not be able to resist the temptation of money, but Zhou Jie did. She was clean, honest, and admirable.

Dean Liu gave a helpless bitter smile, completely abandoning any thought of mediation. He turned to the distraught Cao couple and waved his hand, saying, "You heard it too, the parties involved are adamant about not understanding or mediating."

"The evidence is irrefutable, and I have no further recourse. You either need to go to the police station to cooperate with the investigation, or you should hire a lawyer as soon as possible to follow up on the subsequent procedures."

Cao's parents looked ashen-faced, all their strength drained away.

The two men, supporting each other and hunched over, left the inpatient department in a disheveled state, their previous arrogance completely gone.

Cao's parents returned, and Dean Liu looked at Wang Tao and Zhou Jie: "Wang Tao, Zhou Jie, you've been frightened. Go back to your dorm and rest. I will properly report this to the institute and it will not affect your eligibility for further study."

"Liu Wei, you can go back to your department for your regular rotation and training as usual."

The three responded and dispersed.

"Dr. Chen, Attorney Lin, please come to my office."

Dean Liu raised his hand to signal, and then led the two of them toward the administration building.

As Chen Ping passed the entrance to the central emergency room, he suddenly stopped.

The red warning lights in the emergency room were glaringly bright. The door was tightly closed, and people were coming and going in the corridor. Only on the bench by the door, a five or six-year-old girl was curled up all alone.

The little girl wore a faded floral jacket, her two braids were loose and fluffy, and she tightly hugged a small bunch of wilted daisies in her arms, her fingers intertwined, protecting the flowers carefully.

She sat quietly in the corner, not making a sound, her small body curled up in a ball, surrounded by no one, her lonely appearance making one's heart ache.

Lin Xiaoran frowned slightly and asked softly with doubt, "Why is there such a small child outside the emergency room, without even a guardian?"

Dean Liu was also full of doubt, and immediately raised his hand to stop a nurse on duty to ask about the situation.

The nurse looked at the little girl with pity in her eyes and explained in a low voice, "Director, this child sells flowers on the street with her father. She was in a serious car accident just now, and a passerby called 120 and brought her here."

"The patient was brought in with extremely serious injuries and was immediately rushed to the emergency room. We tried to contact the family repeatedly, but we couldn't reach anyone. Now, only the child is waiting outside."

Lin Xiaoran's heart softened. She slowly stepped forward, squatted down, and gently asked, "Little one, don't be afraid. Auntie is asking you, where do you live? Where is your mother? Why is no one with you?"

The little girl raised her dirty little face, her eyelashes were wet, and her eyes held a fear and maturity beyond her years. Her voice was soft and sweet, but every word pierced the heart.

"I don't have a mother, I've never seen her. I've always lived with my father selling flowers. I don't know where my home is, I'm wherever my father is," the little girl said.

As soon as those words were spoken, Lin Xiaoran's nose tingled and her eyes instantly reddened.

At such a young age, she had no mother or relatives, and her only support was her father who worked hard to make a living.

Now that her father's life hangs in the balance, she stands alone in the hospital corridor, with no one to confide in or rely on.

Just as everyone was silent and moved, the heavy door of the emergency room slowly opened with a "click".

Several surgeons and nurses emerged wearily, their surgical gowns still stained with blood, and their faces etched with helplessness and regret.

Before Dean Liu could ask any questions, the chief surgeon shook his head, his voice heavy and hoarse: "Dean, we did our best. The patient has multiple severe car accident injuries, including a skull base fracture, ruptured liver and spleen, and a severed major artery."

"Upon admission, he had no spontaneous heart rate, no breathing, and his blood pressure was zero."

"We continued chest compressions, defibrillation, and vasopressors for forty minutes, but repeated attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. The cardiac monitor had completely flattened out, and we confirmed clinical death. We were ready to terminate resuscitation."

This sentence sealed his fate.

The little girl, who had been suppressing her fear and waiting quietly, suddenly understood the despair in the adults' words.

Her tense body trembled violently, the daisies in her arms slipped gently, and then a heart-wrenching cry suddenly erupted.

It wasn't the tantrums of a child; it was a sob born of utter fear and despair, each tender cry echoing in the cold hospital corridor: "I want my dad... I only have my dad left..."

"I don't have a mother, I can't live without a father... Uncles and aunts, please, please save him..."

The child cried and frantically tried to pry open the door to the emergency room, his small hands pounding on the cold door, helpless and pathetic.

All the medical staff and passersby present had tears in their eyes, their hearts heavy and feeling suffocated.