Chapter 569: Taking the Pulse to Detect Treachery, Lv Yizhi Launches a Surprise Attack!

When Wei Shouqin heard that Lin Dongfan really wanted to take him to feel Qiao Lianzhou's pulse, he felt just like an old Chinese medicine practitioner who hears someone asking him to come out of retirement to save a critically ill patient.

A flash of pride and confidence appeared on his face.

The key was the opportunity to earn merit through service!

This was more important than anything else.

Over these years he had embezzled several billion; although most of the illicit funds had already been turned over, he would likely still be sentenced to life imprisonment.

If he could insert a meritorious performance, the life sentence might be reduced to a fixed-term one.

Wei Shouqin suppressed his excitement, glanced down at the orange vest on his body, and shook the gleaming silver handcuffs on his wrist.

With a troubled expression he begged Lin Dongfan: "Director Lin, you're giving me face, giving me this chance to earn merit through service—I definitely won't drag you down. Whether it's this vest or these handcuffs..."

"What are your conditions?" Lin Dongfan asked.

Wei Shouqin gave an embarrassed smile: "With this outfit, if I stand in a hospital ward, strangers might think I'm an escaped prisoner, which looks bad. Can you make an exception and let me take off these burdens? After all, I used to be the head of Baiyue Province's medical system; going to the hospital with you like this is too embarrassing."

"Is that really necessary?" Lin Dongfan laughed.

Wei Shouqin gave a wry smile: "Director Lin, please make an exception—help me take this off and give me some decent civilian clothes. I guarantee I'll cooperate fully. I'm just going to take a pulse; after you're done, you can cuff me again—I won't utter a single complaint. Give me some face, okay?"

Lin Dongfan stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled: "Old Wei, we've come this far, and you're still worrying about your dignity."

In the midst of talking and laughing, Lin Dongfan turned and ordered the detention police: "Process his temporary release, unlock his handcuffs, and find him a set of civilian clothes to change into."

Upon hearing this, Wei Shouqin was so moved he almost burst into tears.

He rose and bowed to Lin Dongfan: "Thank you, Director Lin, I'm truly grateful! Rest assured, I'm competent at taking pulses—I'll definitely not hold you back."

One hour later.

Provincial People's Hospital, senior cadre ward.

Qiao Lianzhou still lay silently on the hospital bed, eyes shut tight, various monitoring devices emitting regular, faint sounds—at first glance he appeared to be an unresponsive vegetative patient.

Wei Shouqin, now dressed in a clean jacket, although his complexion was still somewhat wan, his overall spirit and vigor had improved considerably.

He drew a deep breath, as if returning to the familiar medical battlefield, his gaze becoming focused and sharp.

Lin Dongfan, Jian Sineng, and two police officers stood by, holding their breath and focusing intently.

Wei Shouqin walked to the bedside, first not touching the instruments but carefully observing Qiao Lianzhou's complexion, breathing rhythm, and the subtle movements beneath his eyelids.

Then…

He slowly extended his hand, placing three fingers precisely on the cun, guan, and chi positions of Qiao Lianzhou's left wrist.

The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Wei Shouqin closed his eyes slightly, his brows sometimes furrowing, sometimes relaxing, his entire mind immersed in those minute pulse beats.

About two or three minutes passed.

He slowly opened his eyes, a flash of disbelief mixed with "as expected" gleaming in his gaze.

He withdrew his hand, turned and smiled at Lin Dongfan: "Director Lin, the result is pretty much what you expected—this bastard isn't a good guy!"

As he spoke those last words, Wei Shouqin deliberately emphasized his tone, seemingly intending for Qiao Lianzhou to hear.

Lin Dongfan glanced at the motionless Qiao Lianzhou on the bed, saw no abnormal reaction, and cautiously asked Wei Shouqin: "You got it right—are you sure?"

"No mistake."

Wei Shouqin turned his head to glance at Qiao Lianzhou.

He then firmly told Lin Dongfan: "The pulse is slippery, rapid, and forceful, most evident at the chi position. This is not the pulse of severe vital deficiency with mental confusion and closed orifices; rather it indicates excessive rumination, blazing heart fire, liver stagnation, yet deliberately repressed and controlled. Put plainly, he's panicking inside but desperately telling himself, 'I must stay steady, I can't slip up!' Damn, he's totally faking illness—his mind is actually perfectly clear."

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the ward instantly froze.

Everyone's gaze focused on Qiao Lianzhou!

Lin Dongfan narrowed his eyes, frowned, and was about to have Wei Shouqin use some Chinese medicine techniques to make Qiao Lianzhou sit up on his own—even if it meant feigning a corpse! —just to get his upper body to jerk upward.

Just then…

"Bang!"

The ward door was flung open from outside.

A voice full of dignity and anger rang out: "This is outright nonsense! Lin Dongfan, what are you doing?!"

Upon hearing it, everyone turned and exclaimed, "Damn, today's auspicious signs are all wrong!"

Only to see Lv Yizhi storm in with an angry donkey‑hoof face, followed by his secretary and several hospital leaders.

Today Vice Provincial Lv's gaze was not merely sharp.

Like a blade, his glance swept over everyone in the ward, lingering three seconds longer on Wei Shouqin in civilian clothes, then finally locking onto Lin Dongfan.

"Utterly unorganized! Undisciplined! Who gave you the authority to arbitrarily take a suspect accused of serious official crimes, currently detained, out of the detention center? And let him wander about in civilian clothes here, practicing medicine illegally! Director Lin, what are you trying to do? Pulling a quack‑doctor stunt? This is absolutely ridiculous!"

As soon as Lv Yizhi spoke up, he unleashed a torrent of abuse on Lin Dongfan.

His arrival was tumultuous; his purpose was clear—to control Qiao Lianzhou's life or death, lest the related events slip beyond his grasp.

Lin Dongfan returned an unfazed smile: "Vice Provincial… Lv! I seem to be the team leader of the Special Case Team, bringing Wei Shouqin out to assist in the case investigation—I don't think I need to report to you, do I? Besides, you claim Wei Shouqin is practicing medicine illegally, which makes even less sense. Old Wei, introduce your work history to Vice Provincial Lv."

Faced with Lin Dongfan's glance thrown his way, Wei Shouqin's heart gave a little jump.

If this had happened before, Old Wei would surely not dare to oppose Lv Yizhi; seeing someone surnamed Lv would make him tuck his tail and play the grandson.

But thinking that Fan Ye is the Fan Ye of the Jing circle, Wei Shouqin felt a bit bolder.

Wei Shouqin straightened his chest: "I started from a grassroots health clinic, step by step worked my way up, have done outpatient consultations for many years at a top‑tier hospital, and hold a practicing physician license."

He paused briefly.

Wei Shouqin then added emphatically: "Before being transferred to the Provincial Health Department, I served as the president of the Provincial People's Hospital."

Those words struck like a resounding slap, making Vice Provincial Lv's brows knit and eyes flare with anger.

Lv Yizhi glared fiercely at Wei Shouqin and then ordered on the spot: "Cuff him!"

"Vice Provincial Lv, are you trying to obstruct official duties?!" Lin Dongfan stared back coldly, his fierce aura yielding nothing to a vice‑provincial‑level Lv Yizhi.

In Lv Yizhi's eyes, it was almost as if he were about to shoot flames of anger.

After suppressing his feelings for a moment, he suddenly gave a slow, angry laugh: "Lin Dongfan, you say who is obstructing official duties? Do you even know what you're doing?"

"Come here! Please have Deputy Provincial Lv step out!"

Lin Dongfan simply ignored Lv Yizhi's nonsense, shouted an order, and the two prosecutors beside him were left in an awkward dilemma, hesitating and not daring to act recklessly.

Just then.

Jian Sining stepped forward without hesitation, making a pleading gesture toward Lv Yizhi: "Deputy Provincial Lv, please move aside, don't obstruct our investigation."

!!!

Lv Yizhi's face instantly darkened to the extreme, damn it, when one person gains the Dao, even chickens and dogs ascend to heaven? Actually someone dares to carry out Lin Dongfan's arrogant order!

Lv Yizhi quickly shifted his angry gaze from Jian Sining to Lin Dongfan.

He squeezed out a harsh smile that didn't reach his eyes: "You, surnamed Lin, I'm waiting outside for your investigation results! If you can't wake Qiao Lianzhou today, see how I'll deal with you!"